Showing posts with label best headphone amp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label best headphone amp. Show all posts

Behringer Speaker MS40 Digital 40-Watt Stereo Near Field Monitors

Behringer Speaker MS40 Digital 40-Watt Stereo Near Field Monitors
Customer Ratings: 4.5 stars
List Price: $229.99
Sale Price: $179.99
Today's Bonus: 22% Off
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  • 2-way active studio monitors ideally suited for computer studios, audio and multimedia workstations and keyboard monitoring
  • Built-in powerful 2 x 20-Watt amplifiers with immense headroom
  • Powerful woofers and high-resolution tweeters provide an ultra-linear frequency response
  • Ultra-high resolution 24-bit/192 kHz D/A converters for an incredible dynamic range
  • Optical and coaxial inputs to directly connect digital audio sources by S/PDIF interface

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If you need a inexpensive home theater PC speakers MS40 are fun. Their mids and highs are sweet e the mid-bass line is satisfatory. Those ones who intend to listen to MP3 and watch movies on PCs will enjoy MS40.

On other hand, if you need a reference monitor for recordings, forget it! No way! MS40 is quite uneven, lacks resolution and clarity on mid band and its treble has absolutely no resolution. Bass lines isn't good enough also, because of its lack of control and velocity (they are boomy speakers). Their quite apparent boxiness also let MS40 down.

Looking for a entry level reference monitor? I would recommend to spend a bit more and get KRK Rockit RP5G2 or a M-Audio BX5A. They cost twice as much, but sound 4 times better. You can't afford any of them as your budget is short, so go with M-Audio AV30 or AV40. In my opinion, even the chep M-Audio AV20 offers better mid and treble resolution than behringer MS40.

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I bought these Behringer MS40 speakers from amazon a few weeks ago, and had the exact same problem as some other reviewers, right speaker would make loud rattle sound when low frequency sound or bass is on. After I researched this problem online, it seems this is quite a common problem with the MS40, one reviewer even exchanged and got the same problem with the 2nd set of MS40. I didn't really want to ship the stupid thing back to amazon unless I have to. So I opened up the right speaker, trying to find what's causing the rattling. It seems to me that it is the untied cable that is causing the rattling, there are two loose cables (one thick, one thin), directly behind the sub-woofer, and comes loose by default. So I duct taped these cables securely to the internal wall of the speaker, making sure they will not touch the sub-woofer at all, then I put everything back, tested it with a heavy bass, and the rattling is gone.

Other than the rattling problem, the speaker sounds nice. But Behringer really should've taken care of the rattling problem at the factory, this problem has existed for over 3 years, and still these speakers being shipped today still comes with this problem. I am disappoint. I will probably not buy a Behringer speaker again in the future.

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These are excellent amplified speakers, with great fidelity for their size and unusual flexibility to accept both analog and digital inputs. The exposed and delicate woofers, however, had me worried. I searched the web for speaker grills that had four mounting holes to match those of the MS40 (screw holes exactly 4 15/16" across from each other). I hit paydirt in my search, have just finished installing the grills and have uploaded a photo to show how they look installed. These grills are Item 260-420 from Parts Express. They come singly, so buy two. These are a perfect fit in size and color for the MS40. Mounting these grills takes about 5-10 minutes per woofer, requires no drillling or modification to the MS40 and is reversible. In my opinion, there is no effect on sound quality. Cost with shipping is about 18 bucks for two grills. Lastly, I have no affiliation with Parts Express.

Brief How-To: Place one of the enclosures on its back and remove the four screws with a 3mm hex driver. Lift off the plastic ring. Save the ring and four screws if you want to restore to original later. Mount the circular grill bracket using the four screws that came with the grill kit. Put the included steel clips on the screws to act as spacers against the rim of the woofer, aligning them to conform to the rim without extending over the woofer cone. Carefully screw the mounting bracket onto the screw holes in the MS40 enclosure, alternating between screws until the bracket is flush with the enclosure don't overtighten the screws. Push the circular grill onto the bracket -it goes on easily and can be removed for cleaning when needed. Repeat the process for the second enclosure. Enjoy.

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These Behringer MS40's are rockin' my apartment big time. I have had plenty of speakers in my day, but these are the best combination of size and sound. I still find myself thinking "where's the sub at" on occasion when enjoying these speakers, because the low end sounds beautiful. I remember when you would have had to of placed tower speakers sporting 10" cones or had a sub cabinet to get this sound. Best part is that the mid range and highs sound GREAT too!! With about 8-10 feet of seperation between the speakers the imaging is right on. When I watch movies with them you get what they intended to mix. Dialogue is centered, cars sweep across the room, and explosions rock the walls. I listen to quite a bit of music and enjoy various styles. It really doesn't matter what the genre because the end result is always excellent. My only advice would be to make sure that you are not to close to the speaker when listening. I originally place them about 3' from each end of my couch and realized that the "sweet spot" was my kitchen...I switched their placement to the opposite end of the room and have sounded great ever since. Seriously well balanced speakers...not like they are the best, but I have not found any better for the price. Something else that makes them awesome is the input section. I have my computer running through one input, my tv/dvd through another and sometimes friends will drop by and we plug their ipod straight into another input...two volume controls allow me to adjust the computer and tv/dvd seperatly. These speakers are SWEET for the Price!!!

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I purchased a set of these new, and actually have a fair amount of Behringer equipment. I like it because there are some subtle misunderstandings with the equipment they sell, and that means you can usually get it very cheaply.

I am very happy with these, and actually suspect that much of the whining about midrange is from people who previously had multi-media speakers, and miss the exaggerated midrange. I have faith in Behringer, and these speakers are probably quite flat in their dynamic response. On the other hand, I have considerable flexibility in driving them through a good mixer, and can get what ever I want out of them. My only criticism is that these speakers are very directional as a result of their design, and it can be difficult to find the listening "sweet spot".

A clue about Behringer stuff:

A design technique they use is electronic power cutoffs to eliminate noise from low amplitude signals. This means if you don't have enough input amplitude to drive them, you may get faint or no sound out of them. My guess is that this is the case with the sets that can be had for 70 bucks because one or more speakers is faint, or not producing sound at all. See what I mean about getting Behringer stuff cheap? .

PS There is no hum out of them, they are absolutely silent when not being driven

DO buy these if you have a moderate (No more is required) understanding of sound system architecture, and can set them up properly!

DON'T buy these if you want something to plug in to your ipod or TV set, and are going to give up because 5 seconds after you do you are unhappy with what is coming out of the speakers. What you want are multimedia speakers.

Finally, if you want to chance a "Damaged" pair that isn't producing good sound out of one or more speakers, go right ahead, but do so at your own risk. I bought them new, but as soon as I plugged them in got faint sound out of one speaker until I went through and made certain they were being driven with a strong signal, and all the interconnects were solid Then Presto! (As I say to myself Oh yeah Behringer stuff)

Roland MICRO-CUBE Guitar Combo Amplifier

Roland MICRO-CUBE Guitar Combo Amplifier
Customer Ratings: 5 stars
List Price: $166.50
Sale Price: Price Unavailable
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  • Ultra-compact portable DSP guitar amp with 5-inch speaker. Runs on battery or AC power (adapter supplied) and includes carry strap.
  • 7 COSM guitar amp models including JC-120 and a special mic preamp model. 6 DSP effects: chorus, flanger, phaser, tremolo and separate Delay/Reverb.
  • New Digital Tuning Fork with support for flat tunings up to 2 semitones. Recording/Headphones output and stereo Auxiliary input for CD players, etc.

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I've had the Cube for 2 and a half months now. It offers a wide range of effects, sufficient amplification for home practice, and...a wide of effects. The effects are really what this product is all about. What it lacks in power, it punches you in the face with various sound distortions. Acoustic, Heavy Metal, all these sounds are packed into this Cube.

Best of all, it's small and portable! Like the vast majority, I am constrained by budget (who isn't! :P). While no professional guitarist needs this, I consider it a good buy for most of us part-timers.

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I don't usually write reviews unless I am pretty impressed with a product. This amp is great. It is small and has a really great sound. It is great for a portable practice session anywhere. Pretty loud for 5 watts. Not enough to jam with drums of course. I bought one so I don't have to power up my Mesa. I would compare the rectifier setting on this amp to Pantera distortion. The clean tone sounds great for solid state. I even plug my electric acoustic into it for some extra volume. It has a lot of effects like delay, flange, reverb etc. You can choose one effect at a time and use them with clean or distortion. The battery option is great so you could take it to the beach. Buy one, you won't be disappointed.

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An old practice amp I had finally petered out after many years of use so I was in the market for another one. I was looking for something compact and cheap yet of fairly good quality and was recommended the Roland Microcube one day while browsing in a Guitar Center. First off I was amazed at the kind of sound that you could get out of this 2 watt amp! Plus the portability of it is unmatched. It also runs on batteries which was a pleasant surprise! The effects that are bundled into this little practice amp is another added plus! Just for the effects alone I would have plopped down the money!

I have a Fender Stratocaster that sounded so good once I plugged it in and an Ovation Acoustic Electric which sounded crisp and clean as well! So if you're looking for a nice practice amp that won't break the pocketbook you can't get any better than this IMHO.

You Tube this amp and see what I mean. This amp is a lot of fun and great value for the money!

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The selections as far as "amp modeling" are outstanding. The effects are OK, but the overall sound you get is awesome. It is only a 2-watt amp, but don't pay too much attention to that; it is LOUD. Not a "gig' amp, but perfect for recording and practicing without real drums. Everyone I show it to is just as blown away as I am. I have also hooked it up to larger amps and a PA system, and this thing really works well. Worth every penny, and then some.

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I heard my brother playing his acoustic on a Roland Micro-cube and knew I had to have one .. the sound was so clean and rich without any of the fuzzy airy sound around the tone you sometimes hear from small cheap speakers. I've had mine for over a year and love the tone I get on my acoustic using the JC Clean setting with light effects. It also runs forever on just 6 AA batteries. Amazing. Last night, I used my cube and acoustic to accompany a 13-voice a capella chamber group I direct. The cube was placed on top of the fireplace mantle in the room where we performed, about 4 feet high. One of my singers accidentally caught his foot in my guitar chord and the cube did a free fall onto the bricks below and landed with a solid, sickening thud. I thought it would be in a few pieces when I picked it up, but nothing had broken off and it was still in one piece. So I put it back on the mantle, adjusted some of the dial settings and turned it on. Surprise! It sounded fine and we were all astonished. This is one tough little amp. I am so impressed at how solidly it is made but don't try this at home!

Casio WK-500 76-Key Personal Keyboard Package with Stand, Headphones and Power Supply

Casio WK-500 76-Key Personal Keyboard Package with Stand, Headphones and Power Supply
Customer Ratings: 5 stars
List Price: $549.95
Sale Price: $257.05
Today's Bonus: 53% Off
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  • Real time recording
  • On-board sampling
  • Pitch bend wheel
  • SD Card slot
  • This package comes bundles with professional closed-cup headphones, single x-braced keyboard stand, and a power supply.

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I would say that the keyboard itself is fairly nice. If you are a beginner, then this keyboard is a great start. It comes with tons of tones, some beats, a metronome, a distortion wheel, SD card slot, and a USB port. You can also layer tones, split them, and record your own. The stand and power supply also help make this product work.

The headphones are the cheapest thing in the box, and you can tell just by handling them. My headphones also arrived broken! The left ear piece is loose, and "jiggles" LOUDLY every time I move my head! This fact also makes the left ear sound very muffled (compared to the right ear) I would attempt to fix this problem myself, but the headphones are all one piece! Everything is glued together. I would literally have to break and tear these things apart in order to fix the loose speaker. How annoying. Buyer beware.

This keyboard also does not come with a sustain pedal, or USB cable. I was aware of this fact before I purchased the keyboard, so I had to purchase them separately. I think they should have included the pedal and USB cable, instead of those cheap headphones. It would have been worth the price I paid, and a 5 star rating. Or, they should at least charge less for this product.

I gave this product three stars based on what came in the box, and overall product quality as compared to the price that I paid.

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This keyboard is beautiful. The keys feel smooth and responsive and so far it's been a very pleasant experience. This comes with a real Casio-brand power supply, which is great, and the stand is pretty sturdy (it will rock a little bit if I shake it, but I notice no instability while using the keyboard). Also, once I hooked up an A-to-B USB cable (not included), it was immediately recognized by my iMac. I've messed around a little bit in GarageBand and it flawlessly captured my playing. At one point I even got it to play the sound through GarageBand instead of the keyboard (this would be useful in a couple instances). I'm not sure what triggered that, though.

I do have some criticisms, of course:

1) The contrast of the numbers and text aren't very high against the black, so a light will probably be necessary to find the right buttons at first (though you may want one for sheet music anyway)

2) The tone selection button doesn't light up like the rhythm and song buttons. In fact, whichever of the latter two you had selected previously will stay lit while you change tones. I found this strange and confusing at first, but it's not even close to a deal-breaker. Perhaps there's a reason behind it that I just haven't thought of or read about.

And some other thoughts:

1) The power connector is slightly under-thought. It is a 90-degree turn at the back of the keyboard, but the groove doesn't allow it to fit vertically. That is, the cord must bend outward or be angled to the side.

2) I wonder if there's a way to alter the pitch wheel configuration to expand more than a whole-step, or to cause it to only affect notes already played. I'd like to try and use it to slide between notes more than anything else, but this is a bit impractical with the default configuration.

Overall it's a great keyboard and I hope it lasts a long time.

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All I really wanted when I was purchasing a keyboard was to be able to practice the piano in my own room without bothering my roommates. This purchase was exactly what I needed because the package came with headphones, the stand, and an adapter. I was able to start playing immediately after I set it up. I have enjoyed using it every day since!

Of course it's not a real piano, so the touch-sensitive keys aren't as good, the clicking of the keys when you press on them is a bit noisy, and the feel is a little different, but I adjusted easily and it hasn't been an issue.

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You simply couldn't get anything like for this kind of money a few years ago. If you're looking for a cheap keyboard to practice or learn the piano on this is an excellent choice, the home keyboard has finally come of age in that respect''Compared to the 80s when I started out it now sounds and acts much more like a piano, 76 touch sensitive keys allowing you to play those early learner classics like Moonlight Sonata with feeling and it has a brilliant step-by-step teacher which I wish I'd had to begin with. Some of the songs in the songbook are corny and old fashioned but it's an interesting history lesson in classic and popular music. In particular, I'm comparing this to my first large keyboard, a Casio CT-680, which I got in 1992 or thereabouts. The WK500 corrects a great many things which I wanted to be corrected in the CT-680. It was always frustrating that it didn't have a few extra keys and touch sensitivity. And it didn't sound quite realistic enough. Besides that, it's one track recording ability was deemed insufficient and I wanted to be able to separate elements of the style patterns. Of course, microchips have come on a long way and all of this is possible with the WK500 and more. The WK500 has a six track multi-track recorder for up to 5 songs, which is enough to keep me amused, and it has sampling ability, a range of arpeggios and song exportability. This is particularly important because it means you can save as midi file, and then make incremental changes to your music when read as sheet music on a computer. It basically gives you the ability to use the Casio as a far more fully fledged composing machine, than ever before, if you want. In theory, you could then import the midi file back into the machine and play it. Although the home keyboard is regarded as something of a toy compared to professional keyboards there's no reason that a machine like this can't be used outside a home or for recording or demo purposes. But that brings me to my main gripe.

For all its increased flexibility the style patterns are like some hideous curtains that you're stuck with but can't pretend you really like. As always, Casio throw every available musical style at you, from blues and rock to house and techno, as well as a plethora of ethnic styles I never knew existed. The German March I have heard of, and have no use for. If they could just concentrate on quality rather than quantity, I would accept far fewer styles. I know they exist, because I had a style pattern on a Ringway keyboard that was far superior to anything I've heard on a Casio. (Check Yellow Bus reverbnation.com/Zerm to see what I mean). On the one hand, you've got to hand it them, they are authentic and all inclusive, but they are also stiff and soulless at the same time. I think Casio had better watch out, because although they make flawless machines they like stylish style patterns and one day someone might just come along and provide some.

One or two other minor complaints. The Casio CTK-671 had step programing, a useful tool for the ham fisted, and it's not present on the WK, so you have to get a performance right or record again. A backwards step, anyway. The other thing is, I keep deleting individual tracks of recordings by accident. It's easily done,it's a bit difficult to explain here and you won't do it if you are vigilant but the set up of the multi-tracker sucks somewhat and Casio ought to redesign the whole thing, in my view.

Besides that, you ought to be able to save a song and export as an MP3, the sampler is only medium wave quality (8 bit I suppose) and the sound is just still, somehow, a little cold, even distorted if you slow the tempo right down. I'm being picky. I'm pretty happy with this machine but the next time I buy one I'm going to try and find something with a bit more warmth and soul.

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I have been looking into a piano for practicing, or possibly even taking on gigs. I had very high hopes for this piano after reading all the reviews and seeing all the 5 stars. I was almost willing to buy it online without even trying it.... I'm glad I didn't.

I looked into a dealer and got the chance to play around with this piano. After two seconds of playing I noticed several little problems with this piano. The keys on this keyboard are much smaller than that on a full sized grand piano. The plastic that the keys are made of is a cheap and slippery plastic. When it comes to piano, sound is important, but the touch and feel is even more critical.

But by all means its not a bad piano; it just wasn't the piano I was looking for.

PROS:

670 different tones

152 built-in songs

SD memory card slot (best feature)

Light weight

CONS:

Size of the keys

Plastic of the keys is cheap and slippery

Keys aren't very weighted

Only 76 keys (not terrible, but not full-size)

Overall I would say this isn't a terrible piano especially for the price. But for serious musicians looking to further their ability and possibly gig, I would consider looking into the Casio PX-130 or maybe even higher models. This piano isn't terrible, but is more along the lines for beginners and intermediates.

Hope this helps!

DJTECH M10USB DJ Mixer

DJTECH M10USB DJ Mixer
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $86.00
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  • Two-Channel rack-mountable mixer with USB; Amplink USB cable included for playing from computer; Two pairs of Phono/Line inputs
  • 3-Band EQ per channel; Individual level meter for CH1, CH2 and master; Fader start
  • 6.35mm jack microphone input and 6.35mm jack headphones output; Deckadance LE Software included

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I bought this for a school dance. For $35, it works great. All the faders were smooth with no static or hiss. I'm not sure it would hold up to heavy pro use, but for occasional DJ'ing it works great. Cheap and simple.

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Line 6 PODxt Pro

Line 6 PODxt Pro
Customer Ratings: 5 stars
List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: Price Unavailable
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  • 36 Legendary and Classic Amp Models, 24 Cab & 4 Mic models, 50 Stompbox and Studio Effects, 128 Channel Memories
  • Stereo XLR and 1/4-inch analog outs, AES/EBU, S/PDIF, and USB Digital I/O
  • 24-bit A/D and D/A Converters, MIDI In, Out/Thru, RJ-45 Foot Controller Connector, USB Connector for Digital I/O, 24-bit/96k digital ins and outs (AES/EBU & S/PDIF), TRS Line Input and Unprocessed Guitar Output
  • Stereo XLR Live/Studio Direct Ins/Outs (+4dBu/-10dBv), Stereo -inch -10dBv outputs, Stereo Programmable Effects Loop (Series or Parallel)
  • Headphone Output, Precision Chromatic Tuning, Built-in Chromatic Tuner
  • 24-bit A/D and D/A Converters, MIDI In, Out/Thru, RJ-45 Foot Controller Connector, USB Connector for Digital I/O, 24-bit/96k digital ins and outs
  • 24-bit A/D and D/A Converters

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One of the axioms perhaps THE axiom of guitar amplification is that this:

***Guitar Amps Need To Be Powered By Vacuum Tubes.

Another one, of amplification in general, is:

***Analogue Is Always Better Than Digital.

In pretty much every other field of electronics, vacuum tubes went the way of Eddie Cochrane, and at about the same time. Ever since, the transistor has been king. Transistors power your radio, your TV and (unless you're a REAL snob) your hi-fi.

But not your guitar amp. The only transistor amp of any note was the now discontinued Roland Jazz Chorus, and that was only popular because it was the Eighties, and a lot of strange things were popular back then.

There is something to be said for this. It has to do with distortion. Guitar amplifiers rely on distortion, whereas all other sorts of amplifier go to huge lengths to eradicate it. In a hi-fi the *lower* the total harmonic distortion reading, the more beautiful the sound.

As long as you're looking for distortion, then you'll want valves, as they tend to distort harmonically, whereas transistors don't. Valves sound "warmer" than transistors. (Roland Jazz Chorus players didn't want distortion. They wanted jangly, stereo sounds a la the introduction to Purple Rain. The Eighties was a strange decade.)

Indeed, the configuration of valves in an amplifier has a huge bearing on the sound. So a 1952 Fender Bassman combi amplifier sounds nothing like a 1971 Fender Bassman head, much less like a 1971 Fender Twin, much less a huge 1986 Marshall JCM 800 stack. If you want to play a range of styles, you need a lot of different amplifiers. You really do.

Here endeth the lesson on valve amps and total harmonic distortion.

The problem is this: valve amplifiers are expensive, big, heavy, temperamental and high-maintenance. Devising a transistor amplifier or better still, a signal processor that avoids the need for an amp altogether that sounds like a valve amp has been something of a holy grail for the last twenty years. There have been plenty of attempts, but none have sounded any good.

Until Line 6 released the wonderful POD. Not only is this little critter powered by transistors, but it is ALL DIGITAL. Not only that, but it doesn't emulate just one amplifier, it emulates ALL of them. For less than the price of a single valve amp. And you can put it in your ruck-sack.

To some, this is blasphemy. The cognoscenti will tell you that I am wrong; that I don't understand; that I don't have The Faith.

Let me assure you, I do.

In the home or recording environment (and this is an important qualification: more on that later) it really, really works. I am lucky enough to own all the amplifiers mentioned above, and the Pod versions of each are, for all intents and purposes the same.

The idea is very simple: mathematically, there is a linear relationship between the dry signal coming out of an electric guitar, and the amplified signal coming out of an speaker cabinet. There must be. If you can work out what this is the "algorithm" that converts one to the other then you can emulate the sound of that amp. Some bright spark at Line 6 sampled both and ran them through a computer. Bingo. You have your algorithm.

And this is what Line 6 has done in the Pod. But not by halves: they have completely mapped the algorithm for each of 32 different amps at different volume and tone settings even with different cabinets and different microphone placements so that the response of the dials on the front of the Pod maps exactly to particular amp you've dialled in. Not just your average Fenders and Marshalls, either: there are Howard Dumbles and Soldanos and, yes, even the silly old Roland Jazz Chorus. Prince will be pleased!

Where it doesn't work so well is in a live environment. I should say "*didn't* work" as my only experience using Pod live was with an ordinary Pod rather than the Pod Pro, and the Pod Pro has a "live/studio" switch which may well have fixed the problem. It was bad enough with the baby Pod that I've never tried again.

The problem was that all the modelling was done at low volumes. Therefore, they sound best used at low volumes (i.e. in the recording/home studio context). When you turned the thing up to "match day levels" the Pod sounded crummy. There is a scientific reason for this too: something to do with the energy required to pump air. Oddly, it works in reverse with real amplifiers a Marshall sounds ho-hum until everything's on eleven, and then it just sings. By contrast, the Pod's Marshall sounds great at room temperature, but on gas mark 9 the interaction you know and love between a guy, his guitar, and the big monster behind him, is just not there.

For the price, that's a qualification I can live with, especially as I have my Marshall to take on the road with me. It means I can keep it in the shed and not clutter up the living room with it. This means the Pod rates highly in terms of the Wife Appreciation Factor.

If that weren't enough, it's a doddle to use; it's fully spec'd for midi and digital outs and ins, and it has a very cool manual.

You know you want one.

Olly Buxton

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The unit came in perfect condition and sounds fantastic. Recording has become much easier and more inspired. I'm no longer limited to my AC30 and Marshall VM tones. The POD reproduces a great Fender Twin sound and the Vox AC30 model is so convincing that I don't bother to mic up the real thing anymore! The effects are a million times better than the original PODxt rack I have, especially the reverb. Re-amping is so easy and finding the tone in my head is faster and more efficient.

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I love using this thing at home in my small practice/recording room it really lives up to my expectations. I have used it live, I made my own cabinet to hold the Podxt Pro and 450 watt dual chanel Rack mount power amp and 2-12 in celestian speakers it sounds good, but I have swapped the Power amp with few different brands(loaned from friend who had the amps) and have seen a differance in the sound quallity. I own the 450 watt amp, but tried a much lower powered 200 watt (diff brand) and it sounded much better. I could spend alot of money tring out evry amp out there before I hit the perfect prw amp, not to mention speakers, but for a guy on a limited buget I loved having so many different sounds available. But for home this thing is auesome. I wil keep tring amps from friends why buy before U drive it, but I think a lower powered amp (I have been told Power amps sound be run at 90% to get best sound and My 450 is way to loud at that level)will eventually work out best and a new set of speakers that does not add color but reproduces the sound clear and lets the pod do the coloring.

Yamaha PSR-E433 Premium Keyboard Package with Headphones, Stand, Power Supply, 6-Feet USB Cable and

Yamaha PSR-E433 Premium Keyboard Package with Headphones, Stand, Power Supply, 6-Feet USB Cable and eMedia Instructional Software
Customer Ratings: 4.5 stars
List Price: $618.99
Sale Price: $249.99
Today's Bonus: 60% Off
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  • Premium bundle includes: Nady closed-cup HP03 headphones, AD5 power supply, World Tour SXKS keyboard stand, 6' USB cable, and eMedia's award winning interactive instructional software. Number of keys: 61
  • PATTERN function to create your own grooves
  • Real-time Control knobs for instant effects
  • Real-time pitch control with pitch bend wheel
  • 731 high quality voices including Super-realistic Sweet! and Cool! Voices

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I love this keyboard. It has all of the features that I wanted. I checked out several different keyboards on

utube and listened to to several demos. I liked this keyboard over all of the others. Amazon also had the

best price. Get this keyboard and you won't be sorry.

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I am just starting to learn piano, but my first impression of the keyboard is very good.

Headphones (NADY HP-03) are good enough. There is an additional volume control, 3.5mm plug and 6.3mm plug adapter.

CD not impressed. But there are tons of free video tutorials online.

The stand is good enough and stable.

Overall, I think that is very acceptable and beneficial kit for a beginner.

Update 1. Headphones do not give the right sound for half of the voices. Saxophone, guitar, flute sounds only part of the tone. Maybe for computer games or listening mp3 they fit, but there is no for music. I need to change them.

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It does every thing it claims to do. Excellent value for the price range. I would recommend this for the home studio.

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I've used it for half months. everthing is good as far as i know.I like it the headphone is also useful.

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All shipped in one box, but each item in individual packaging. Keyboard works fine; headphones, power supply and USB cable all adequate. Did not come with screws for keyboard stand.

EDIT: The keyboard stand appears that it was repackaged in it's box as a used item but given as if it were a new item; half the leg stand parts are in a bag, half are not. Frame appears to have some superficial damage and scratches at the center where it pivots.

Griffin GC20007 DJ Cable

Griffin GC20007 DJ Cable
Customer Ratings: 5 stars
List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $19.99
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  • No DJ would want to be without it.
  • Special cable for split output mode .
  • Hear both the speaker mix and the song you're cueing .
  • Connectors for speaker system, headphones, and audio jack of your iOS device.

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This is a must have if you purchased the Djay app for iPad. Only problem is the iPad software doesn't offer stereo sound with split output. So while it's fun for screwing around, there definitely is a difference in sound. Maybe apple will soon figure a way to do split audio and in stereo.

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I bought DJ for my iPad almost when it was released, it was a major disappointment that although it had the

option to pre-cue, the function just did not work, I tried some other audio splitter but nothing was working, so

basically the application was useless for a "real" feeling, for my mac, I needed to buy an external audio splitter,

but it is bulkier plus the cables needed. the Griffin cable fixed all in one, I dont have the noise filtering in the monitoring

channel and I dont have to carry my external audio splitter, just this small carry able cable, it worked for me as

I am not a professional DJ and it's only my hobby, so I have zero complaints and made the app purchase worth it.

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I bought this cable to go along with Algoriddim's djay app on iOS. I actually DJ professionally and bought this to carry along with my iPad in then event that I'm at a party and want to spin for fun. The cable works great for previewing the cued track for beat matching purposes. It makes the djay app more fun to use. Would I ever use my iPad over my NS7? Nope. But like I said, it's good to have around in the event that you need to start a dance party.

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This product does what it is advertised to do, splits the audio signals into the left and right channel, allowing a dj to cue music in their headphones while another is playing. This is not the best option, but for those you do not want to buy a usb audio card or those that are using an iPad it is a cheap option. Recommended if you are just beginning to dj and don't want to shell out too much money initially.

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Cable exceeded my expectations and is a must for DJAY app. Works really good with my iPad and iPhone. Highly recommend it, works great!!!

Portable Waist Band Belt Loud PA System With Microphone USB Micro SD Input FM Radio Rechareable Bat

Portable Waist Band Belt Loud PA System With Microphone USB Micro SD Input FM Radio Rechareable Battery
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
List Price: $89.99
Sale Price: $24.99
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  • Portable
  • Built-In Rechargeable Battery
  • USB/Micro SD/Headphones/Mic inputs, 3.5mm input
  • Power indicator
  • Control Buttons

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I had been looking for a lightweight, portable system for my yoga instructor who has a very soft voice. This was the perfect answer, and once she becomes accustomed to wearing it, I am confident she will continue to use it. Since the system is reasonably priced, I was able to afford to give it to her as a gift. Many of us in her class are hard of hearing seniors, so we are all grateful to be able to hear our instructor!

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This speaker system is intended for a group of 15 to 25 students. My student states that the voice is clear. A wireless mic would make this a better product.

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For the price, this unit is great. At the maximum volume, it sounds a little robotic, but I bought it so I wouldn't have to shout at my husband who doesn't hear well. I never have to use the maximum volume. I would recommend this to everyone.

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I've not had a good experience with this item. The first night I put it on the clip broke out of the blue (within 5 minutes of using it). One of the main reasons I wanted it in the first place was so I didn't have to use some flimsy strap. And if you want to use it past 1/3 volume it will make you sound robotic, so pretty much, it's worthless for what I need it for.

:(

K & M Table-style Digital Piano Stand

K & M Table-style Digital Piano Stand
Customer Ratings: 4.5 stars
List Price: $299.95
Sale Price: $195.35
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  • Professional, heavy-duty steel stand for digital pianos, supports max. 80 kg.
  • Features an individual height-adjustment system for each leg.
  • Cable clips are included.
  • Folds for easy transport.
  • Optional microphone arm, music holder, stacker and headphone holder

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Very solid and this type of stand allows plenty of room for foot pedal space. The two shorter horizontal bars on the top are hollow, and drilled and tapped for set screws. I found some aluminum square stock which was a perfect fit and after a little time and effort I had a detachable 'shelf' above the keyboard. Good for a sheet music holder or laptop. This stand is well thought out.

4 stars instead of five because a 'perfect' stand would be this shape, in aluminum, at a reasonable price. Apparently, that's not available on this planet.

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I am really pleased with this piano stand. It was easy to put together (took 5 minutes or less) and is very solid. It is adjustable. Looks good.

iRig HD Digital Guitar Interface for iPad & Mac

iRig HD Digital Guitar Interface for iPad & Mac
Customer Ratings: 5 stars
List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $99.99
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  • Irig Hd Guitar Adaptor

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iRig-HD exceeds your expectation, I recommend. Even with the free software, you are impressed with the quality of sound produced.

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Like irig HD a lot.I'm using it with my mic and harmonica. After testing it with the band on stage it showed great results. No delay, great sound.

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I was a little hesitant to pay $100 for this product, never having used one before, but as it turns out, the thing is completely great. I've been using this with an iPad and my solid-body electric harp (which works the same as an electric guitar) with excellent results. It's perfect for practicing late-night with headphones, and I've had great results recording via Garage Band. The free Ampli Tube app associated with the iRig is decent, too, but I prefer the output from Garage Band.

One of the concerns I had before purchasing this thing was that it might not be possible on the iPad to have the device running while switching between different applications. However, it is indeed possible to keep Ampli Tube or Garage Band running while you switch to other apps (i.e. forScore for sheet music, etc.).

If you're between this and the older, less expensive version that connects to your device via the headphone port, I'd definitely go with this one, as it would not be possible to use the old version simultaneously with headphones.

MXL Mics TEMPO WR Condenser Microphone, Cardioid

MXL Mics TEMPO WR Condenser Microphone, Cardioid
Customer Ratings: 4.5 stars
List Price: $109.95
Sale Price: $83.99
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  • USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 compatible
  • PC and Mac OS compatible
  • Ideal for vocals, podcasts and video chats
  • Built-In high fidelity headphone jack
  • Perfect for dictation or legal depositions

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I have owned several usb mics,the Blue snowflake and snowball,Samson meteor,and a few shure mics.While they were all decentthis Mic is as professional as they come.No background air,no humming.In the middle of my room,no headphone feedback.Warm raw vocals.Has it' s own headphone output on the back.Definitely a keeper.

Tested in:

Operating System: Windows 8 Pro

DAW' s

Reaper

. Ableton Live

. Studio One

. Fl Studio

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I purchased this for quick audio recording with an iPad. I was torn between this mic, and the Samson meteor. I went with this after reading about issues with the mic stand mount on the meteor.

My first use was last night, recording a quick single vocal audio track for a family member. Sound quality was decent, with few noticeable peaks in at the least the male vocal range. Build quality seems decent, with metal construction. The screen is plastic, with foam filling the void between the screen and condenser. The included tabletop tripod is flimsy and loosely constructed, though will do a decent job of supporting the mic, though it will transmit all vibrations for the surface it is sitting on to the microphone.

My only real complaint about the microphone is how the included stand mount attaches, and the lack of vibration isolation/dampening. the included mount attaches by removing a machined knurled nut from the bottom of the mic, which surrounds the usb plug. The mount is then placed onto the bottom of the mic, and the nut reattached. This method provides no vibration dampening, and the mic easily pics up any vibrations, including vibrations from the usb cable touching the mic stand. That said, this is a sub-$70 mic I can't really complain too much about the mount. In the future, I will likely employ a shock-isolating mount when recording from a mic stand.

I recorded from an iPad using MultiTrack DAW from Harmonicdog. In this program, the mic appeared to support 24 bit / 44 khz sampling. I did not check the finished audio to see if it truly supports this, though it appears to when recording.

In conclusion, this is a very good value in entry level usb mics. Sound quality is good, and amazing for the price. The few minor shortcomings are easily overcome with proper preparation, and considering the price, don't change my overall good opinion of this mic.

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i had been using an old hp headset for my youtube videos and i had been wanting a new mic for some time and i wanted to have a really nice one and the mxl tempo kr is an amazing mic for the price and amazon is the best place to get it . I love this mic and how good it makes everything sound and its simple to use just plug and play and adjust a couple volumes and you are set to go.

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It is a great USB mic, especially if you are on a tight budget. And it looks really cool. I highly recommend it !

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This is a great mic that works very well with my MacBook Pro. You simply select the mic via your preferences using either iMovie or Photo Booth. It's as simple as that! I use it for blogging as well as doing webcasts.

The sound quality is excellent and the directional capacity is good, too. I screwed the mic adapter directly onto my mic stand. But it also comes with a kind of a mini tripod that many will find very useful.

I love the fact that it plugs into the USB port. It's simplicity makes it extremely fun to use.

StarTech.com MU10MMS 10 feet Slim 3.5mm Stereo Audio Cable - M/M

StarTech.com MU10MMS 10 feet Slim 3.5mm Stereo Audio Cable - M/M
Customer Ratings: 5 stars
List Price: $4.99
Sale Price: $4.39
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The gold-plated connectors are a nice feature. However, I ended up replacing this cable because it is not properly shielded and kept picking up radio stations. (I used it to hook up my iMac to my TV.) I did not have any issues with the cable breaking, like the other reviewer.

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The cable worked fine right away but after some use one of the ends has a loose connection so it "cuts Out" an needs to be wiggled to make it work again.

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I was surprised this cord didn't short out after all the use I've put into it. I ended up braiding it so I could use it with headphones and it still works great. Most cheap cables will short out after being braided. Even the beats cable does but this one won't. I'm very impressed!

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I bought this so I could plug in my phone without removing the case. It's size was perfect. Great! Great! Great!

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Bought this audio cable because I had to have a long cable to go from the audio jack from the computer to my old sony stereo amp. The jack on the stereo is a 1/4 " so I had to use an adapter on that end. Anyway the set up works well and there are no problems.

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Samson Q2U Handheld Dynamic USB Microphone with On/Off Switch

Samson Q2U Handheld Dynamic USB Microphone with On/Off Switch
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
List Price: $104.99
Sale Price: $43.99
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  • High-quality dynamic handheld microphone with XLR and USB I/O
  • XLR output plugs directly into any console
  • Plugs directly into any computer with a USB input
  • 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack with volume control for no-latency monitoring
  • On/Off switch controls audio to XLR output

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I've used this package to record some really nice sounding podcasts. The addition of a headphone jack makes this a breeze to operate. I purchased two and split the headphone lines with a simple splitter allowing both people to hear each other in the headphones. Amazing!

Be weary of using the table stands. Any thing that touches the table, your elbow, a drink or a simple adjustment gets picked up.

Other than that, if you want a simple affordable setup, buy these! Unless you want to go the route of buying individualy a mic, mixer, usb audio converter, headphones, mic stand. And that can quickly pull you into a few hundred dollars.

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I am a music producer and needed a cheap microphone for auditions this works way better than I expected it too. I would highly recommend this product.

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I've been through two of these already and both time it had the same problem. The first time the headphone jack went completely inside the mic and the second time two of the three prongs came loose off of the circuit board. Therefore, I could not get any sound. The quality of recording is good, but that doesn't do me any good if I can't hear myself.

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I just bought this less than a week ago. So if my opinion changes i will update. So far this is the best deal you could find. It came with all the cables neccessary for use on the computer and the headphones. It even came with the cakewalk software to make your own music.

As for the microphone. It is very sturdy, and has the same feel as a real microphone. It has two slots for hookups, one is for the computer and the other is one i will never use. Don't have the equipment for that one. But mainly bought it to hook up to the computer anyways. Both cords come with the microphone. It does not say this in the product description. I did experience a little crackling in the microphone like others have mentioned in reviews. However the crackling i experienced I was able to get rid of by changing the latency settings in the software. This might have to be done a couple of times to get the right setting. Easy fix. You just have to play with the software to get the settings right for what you are using. Last thing on the microphone The headphones have a slot to hook up the headphone, however, it does not come with the adapter to do so. So if you want to use this feature make sure you buy the adapter. They sell theses adapters on amazon as of today for 1.99 with free shipping.

The software is good as well. Much like the mixcraft 5. It is a little more complex so make sure you test it before you try to do something that you might want to keep.

Best bang for the buck.

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Granted, I haven't played with many USB mics, but it has been a matter of frustration for me, as a singer (who often sings loudly) that cheap audio jack mics often distort my voice, particularly when I sing louder than usual. In general, most mics I've used have some sort of hissing or buzzing background noise.

Not this one.

This one takes my voice, no matter how loud, and reproduces it on my computer in crystal clarity. With my speaker system, I have a karaoke bar in my room! No distortion, no hissing, just plain fun. My youtube videos will certainly sound better, too (I'm a voice actor as well).

I would definitely recommend this set to anyone who wants to record at a level that sounds better than a home recording. I could probably fool people into thinking my room is a studio with this setup!