Blue Microphones Yeti Pro USB Condenser Microphone, Multipattern

Customer Ratings:
List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $229.00
Today's Bonus:

• Three custom condenser capsules and four different polar pattern settings: Cardioid, Stereo, Bidirectional and Omnidirectional
• Cutting-edge A-D converter chip and separate analog circuit path for use with professional studio mixers and preamps
• Built-in headphone amplifier for zero-latency monitoring, and direct controls for headphone volume, pattern selection, mute, and microphone gain
• 15 Hz-22 kHz frequency response
• 192 kHz/24 bit Sample/Word

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I'm a musician and singer/songwriter who has recorded in home studios of varying quality and price for years. I currently have a Pro Tools setup on my main music computer but I bought the Yeti Pro because I wanted an easy, portable solution to use with Garageband on my laptop in order to record parts with other musicians on various songs. I have to confess I was skeptical about the quality of a USB mic, but after using it tonight, I may not ever go back to my analog mics. I recorded vocals and acoustic guitar directly from the mic to my laptop with no preamp and the sound is crisp, clear, and brilliant, and captures the nuance in my vocal performance as well over the complete spectrum.* It's also heavy and solid feeling, and gorgeous to boot. If you don't need a professional recording, this mic is probably pricey and not necessary. But for professional podcasters and particularly recording musicians, I can't recommend this mic more, and it's a steal at this price.

PS -this is the first time I've ever been compelled to post a review about ANYTHING. It's that good, folks.

*Note that I'm a female singer with fairly limited range.

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This is the best USB mic ever made. The quality is outstanding. Some people say it doesn't sound any different then the orginal Yeti, and I thought that too when I first used it. But then I went to my Mic settings (on Win 7) and I found out the mic was being limited to 48Hz 16 Bit ! I quickly changed it to 96Hz 24 Bit and the difference hit me. It sounds perfect, the exact way my voice sounds. The only thing I don't like is that you need other software for it to work. So I can't just bring it to all my frinds' house and just plug it in to use it. But it is an exceptional mic. If you have the money I highly recommend it.

UPDATE 10/31/12

I've had this microphone for about 18 months now, and I couldn't be happier with it. I have noticed a lot of negative reviews complaining about a "gain" issue. Blue recognized this problem and offered replacements. That was a while ago, so there shouldn't be anything wrong with it today. My mic works wonders when the gain is at 40%. One thing I have noticed is that recordings may have some crackles if you plug the mic into a USB hub that has too many things connected to it. The mic demands a lot of power, and shouldn't be used when other powerful USB devices are connected to you computer (e.g HD webcams, other USB mics, ect.).

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A lot of people might look at the price of this microphone and get put off, but they'd make a mistake in doing so. If you are a musician, podcaster, or simply looking for great quality for your vocals, instruments, or whatever sound you want captured, the Blue Yeti Pro will more than do the job.

I'd like to start out by saying the sound quality on this microphone is simply amazing. It easily dwarfs any other USB mic before it, and can even compete with some professional condenser studio mics made by Neumann or Rodes. It's hard to believe this mic is an improvement from the original Yeti, but it is, and by at least 4 times, based on my personal estimation. For $250 this mic can't be beat. You get features in this mic you'd need at least 5 mics for. Oh, and did I mention it's also an audio interface that plays back at a 24-bit, 192khz sampling rate through the headphone port? And it sounds much better than it would on your laptop headphone port. This mic is fantastic and I recommend to anyone looking to do professional work at home.

Update:

For those of you disappointed in the audio quality of the Blue Yeti Pro I have some tips. First and foremost I would like you inform you that the Blue Yeti Pro is a flat response microphone. When you record you're not gonna get any sort of coloration to your input. You should be getting clean, clear, noise free audio. If not you have a defective microphone and I suggest getting it exchanged.

Now that we have that out of the way I'd like o give you tips on how to get a nice, rich, studio quality sound. Here's tip 1: Add gain. Tip 2: Compress. Tip 3: Equalize. Tweak until it sounds pleasant to your ears. Believe me, once you mess with the sound it will be a whole lot better. That's how I know the Blue Yeti Pro is a good microphone. Good microphones do not color your audio.

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I'm writing this to help save time for those looking to get a pro level USB mic as I spent quite a bit of time reading reviews (amazon and pro music reviews) listening to mic shootouts and leg work on USB microphones so I though I would see if I can help others save some time. I'm a bit retentive when it comes to my audio gear. I spent 10 years looking for the perfect studio monitors and finally found a slice of heaven in the ADAM s3A's.

Beware the negative reviews as it looks as though they could be user error. Im using on a mac and both mics were flawlessly plug and record nothing to do at all.

I have a professional recording studio and consider my 20 years of listening experience worthwhile in doing an unbiased review.

My goal was to find a usb microphone able to perfectly capture vocals and instruments without adding color (anything but the pure sound) to use with my ipad for audio work.

Microphones and monitors are very subjective in my opinion . Different people like the way different gear sounds. I was simply looking for sonic clarity and depth.

I settled on the Blue Yeti Pro and the MXL 009 and bought them both. I surmised these were the two top picks (based on user and pro reviews) out of the 5 or so at the top including the non pro yeti.

This is my first time owning a blue or MXL mic. I have a couple of Shure ksm44's and a few Neumanns

I ran a series of comparisons between the Yeti Pro, THe MXL 009 and my goto in the studio which is the ksm44 running through an Avalon ad2022 pre through an RME Fireface UFX into an 2011 Imac. I used two sets of headphones and my monitors to listen to the audio recorded. As set of audio technica m50s, and a pair of Sony MDR7509's and the s3a's. I recorded vocals, shakers and tuning forks at both 48k 16bit and 24bit 96k sample rates to see if it made a difference. It does make a difference but its slight and if you were making a song you probably couldn't tell in the mix. If you were doing a podcast or talkshow you woud notice slightly richer deeper clarity with the 96k 24bit setting.

The results were very surprising to me mostly because I was blown away that a $300 microphone can compete with 7K in studio gear. I think I need to tell Toto were not in Kansas anymore. Rating scale 10 = amazing 1=Sucks

The Yeti Pro If you are looking to get just one mic then this is your pick because of its feature set. Its built like a tank. Has the 4 different switching options which is very useful for getting different sounds. You could put it on a table for an interview and hear both people as an example. Also has standard xlr out, could be nice if you want to use it with standard gear. The stereo out is a nice feature (unless you want mono).

Features = 10

Easy of Use = 10 quick adjustments of gain and are forgiving if your not spot on.

Set up = 10 ( I literally just plugged it in and selected it in logic pro used to record the audio)

Sound Quality = 8 The MXL009 was a bit more transparent and honest with the sound.

Accessories = 9 desk stand is rock solid and cool looking

Look and Feel = 8 Very nice looking and solid feeling but kinda bulky. Sexy sitting on the desk if you care. They get -2 points as the Blue logo was slightly off level which most people probably would not or could not notice. (retentive)

The MXL 009 If you want the best sounding Mic and dont care about the rest this is your mic.

Features = 7 (lack of traditional xlr out limits to digital use)

Easy of Use = 7 You need to get your gain levels set prior to using or you will get pops and clicks in your audio. This could be a bummer if you just did a big long take and now have to edit to remove a few clicks. Set your gains and you will be without issue. ( would be nice if they had a clipping indicator on the mic since this is such a big issue). Maybe they will correct it with a soft or firmware update.

Set up = 10 ( I literally just plugged it in and selected it in logic pro used to record the audio)

Sound Quality = 10 The MXL009 was a bit more transparent and honest with the sound. It is really a beautifully accurate mic.

Accessories = 9 desk stand is rock solid but not as cool looking as the yeti. Its a basic stand. It comes with a cool metal case if you travel with your mics.

Look and Feel = 9 Very nice looking and solid feeling. The blue led is a nice touch to show its connected

The verdict is that they all sound amazing. If you were not doing a sise by side A/B you would miss the subtle differences. The Shure has a slight lead for overall sound but the MXL009 is not far behind and the Yeti pro is right up there with them. Its not quite as good sonically but as far as getting bang for your buck the yeti pro is an amazing choice for everything you get for less than $300. Unbelievable! My hats off to both companies for such great products.

I am keeping them both unfortunately as they are that great for different reasons.

First of all, I just want to say that this mic is definitely amazing. I will keep this as short and precise as possible.

PROS:

USB and XLR capabilities

4 pattern polar selector

Triple condensor capsule

microphone input jack

CONS:

Slightly heavy weight

Slightly flimsy pattern and gain knob

In regards to the gain being too low once the mic is put into the DAW, for some reason the great people at Blue had made the factory setting for the microphone gain to input at -23 dB. That is so low the vocals are barely audible. The only way to fix this (on a Mac) is to go into the UTILITIES under Finder and select the MIDI APP. Once in there select the input and output options and turn the MASTER VOLUME all the way to normal or 1. This should fix the problem on the Mac, there should be a similar solution to PC I will check and see shortly.

Hope this review helps!

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Nixon Stylus Headphones

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List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $103.97 - $129.95
Today's Bonus:

For a pair of $120 I believe that you get you money's worth. They are capable of producing Beats level bass but you have to go to your music equalizer and customize it. In my opinion these are better than Beats because they can be used for just about any music genre such as classical and country without having the unneeded bass heavy input of Beats. The spiral cord really helps in preventing entanglements and since it's detachable from the headphones you can buy a new one if the jack connection gets damaged. I wear these for 4-5 hours at a time because they are just that lightweight and comfortable. As for noise isolation, I keep my volume between 30 and 40 percent and it is more than enough to block out the world. The styling is unique and I have never seen anybody with these so that makes them even more special... Or maybe I want to feel like a hipster, haha.

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I've been looking for the perfect headphones for forever now and have often returned a lot that i've bought. These are exactly what I was looking for. They are super lightweight and fold up quite nicely for portability and come with the perfect leather pouch to protect them. The memory foam ear cushions are soooo much better than normal earpads you find on other headphones. They are super comfortable and cancel out a TON of noise. The sound on these is amazing too. I listen to many different kinds of music and these are perfect for each genre. A little mixing on your graphic equalizer and these couldn't be more perfect. All around great purchase. I'm extremely happy. Definitely won't be returning these!! The shipping was ridiculously fast as well. These arrived 6 days ahead of time!!! You can imagine how please and excited I was about that!

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Blocks outside noise, they look good the springy cord makes it do they get snagged and pull out when snowboarding.

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Sennheiser Amperior Headphones, Blue

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $349.95
Sale Price: $199.99
Today's Bonus: 43% Off

• Sleek, aluminum finish-available in silver and blue-appeals to style-conscious listeners
• Powerful neodymium magnets deliver lifelike, professional-level sound with a frequency response of 16 to 22,000 Hz
• Optimized for easy connection to the Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod.* Includes a tiny microphone and smart remote, allowing users to listen to music, talk on the phone, answer calls, control music and record memos on supported Apple devices.
• Rotatable ear cups for classic DJ-style, single-sided monitoring
• Two-year warranty

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Edit: Removed comments about swapping cables and added Jennifer Warnes to the music track examples. I'm satisfied that the Amperior's supplied cables are the best for general use, at home as well as in portable/outdoor use.

Sources: iPhone4 alone, iPhone4 with FiiO E17 using LOD, various computers using Audioengine D1 DAC and the D1's headphone out.

First impression: A lush sound from top to bottom with everything represented equally. I was surprised by the evenness of this sound, and by the clarity which I didn't expect from a modestly-priced Sennheiser, so since there were other people with me at the Apple store in Akron, I asked a couple of them to pick a song and have a listen. The feedback I got was consistent: Each person listened and exclaimed how they could hear everything bass, mids, treble so clearly. I recall my recent experience with the new v-moda white M80 headphone, and how remarkably free of coloration it was. The Amperior takes that experience to a new level with better highs and a somewhat livelier presentation. The liveliness or lushness may simply be a result of stronger and better highs, but there it is for whatever the cause might be.

I don't feel I should just offer my impressions of the sound and let it go at that, because it doesn't give people much to go on. For instance, bass that's strong for me might be weak for someone else. So I like to compare the sound to other headphones I have or had recently. Comparing to the ATH M50, the bass is comparable down to about 30 hz, although the M50's bass increases slightly on the very deep end. The Amperior doesn't seem to have any useful output at 15 hz as does the v-moda M80, and 20 hz sounds much weaker than 30 hz. With most of my better headphones, 20 hz sounds weaker than 30 hz, but with the Amperior the difference is more pronounced. Bass from 30 hz up is good noticeably stronger than headphones like the Shure 1840, and close to the ATH M50's bass. Since the Amperior's impedance is only 18 ohms, you're likely to experience differences in the bass depending on what you plug it into, although with the iPod Touch and iPhone 4, the bass is very good.

The Amperior's mids were not at all difficult to judge, since they were clear and uncolored on my first listen, and nothing since then has altered that impression. They're not forward or recessed to any noticeable extent, and instruments and vocals sound right. I don't sense any limitations from the on-ear design or small openings in the earcups. The Amperior's sound is pretty much like my full-size closed headphones in terms of soundstage and lack of any congestion like you might expect from smaller on-ear designs. The highs are similar to the Philips L1 and Shure 1840, but there is no emphasis around 2-3 khz like the 1840, and the presence region around 4 to 6 khz does not have the emphasis that the L1 has. In essence, the mids and highs sound rather neutral to me, yet don't have a noticeable veil like I've experienced with some other Sennheiser headphones.

The new Amperior looks pretty much the same as what people are reporting for the Sennheiser HD-25 series, although the Amperior has aluminum earcups which purportedly, in conjunction with secret damping materials, reduce unwanted resonances and other bad things. The blue earcups (there are other colors available) are dark enough that it doesn't scream for attention like certain of the fashion headphone models. The headband, which splits into two parts, seems to be entirely plastic, but because of the design there is very little flexing when putting it on, so I suppose it shouldn't snap as long as it's not abused. Clamping pressure seems light to me, and due to the soft earpad design that spreads the pressure over the entire ear, it doesn't have any tendency to get uncomfortable. I do find that I'm moving the earpads slightly within the first few minutes of listening, but this design is more comfortable for me than the 10-12 other on-ear headphones I've used in the past year.

The cable is single-sided and detachable on the right, which is the opposite of other single-sided configurations I've had up to this point. Like the Philips L1 and M1, there is a dongle or "pigtail" that extends about 12 inches below the earcup, and the cable extension (female minijack to male miniplug) connects to that dongle. The Amperior comes with two rather thin cable extensions, one with the Apple-style miniplug and the other the standard miniplug without the extra Apple connector. The Amperior does not come with any sort of carrycase the box it ships in has foam inserts to protect the headphone, but that box isn't useful for putting into small luggage bags for airline travel etc. The very small v-moda M80 carrycase would fit the Amperior perfectly except for the plastic extensions at the left and right ends of the headband, so I'm on the lookout for a travel carrycase for the Amperior.

In other reviews I've done I've included the following music examples with comments about how the headphones sound with each track. My suggestion is instead of reading each one as an absolute unto itself, you could compare my notes here to other reviews and see how the Amperior compares with each individual track. I'd like to add here that although I avoid typecasting headphones for any particular genre, and while the Amperior plays all genres very well in my view, I get the sense from playing these tracks that this is the first hi-fi headphone I've heard which has a really good high end that also makes rock music sound excellent, with little or none of the usual irritations that plague rock music on high fidelity headphones.

Bauhaus Bela Lugosi's Dead (~1980): Strong midrange sound effects this is a good worst-case test for resonant-type sounds in the most sensitive midrange area. Handled very well by the Amperior.

Beethoven Symphony 9, Solti/CSO (1972): Excellent overall sound. Of special note for this headphone are the bass impacts beginning around 10:30 of the fourth movement. Those impacts won't overwhelm you since they're soft and well in the background, but you can feel the weight they carry.

Blues Project Caress Me Baby (1966): Rarely mentioned, but one of the greatest white blues recordings ever. The loud piercing guitar sound at 0:41 into the track is a good test for distortion or other problems. Handled very well here.

Boz Scaggs Lowdown (1976): Good sound quality this is a great test for any nasality in the midrange. Handled very well by the Amperior.

Buffalo Springfield Kind Woman (~1968): A Richie Furay song entirely, rarely mentioned, but one of the best sounding rock ballads ever. This will sound good on most headphones, but it's a special treat with the Amperior.

Cat Stevens Morning Has Broken (early 70's): A near-perfect test for overall sound this track will separate the best sounding headphones from the lesser quality types. Nothing specific, except that almost any deviation from perfect reproduction will stand out with this track. Sounds very good on the Amperior.

Catherine Wheel Black Metallic (~1991): Goth with industrial overtones I like this since it's a great music composition and the sound effects are smoothly integrated into the mix. This may sound distorted or mushy with some headphones, but the Amperior renders the deliberate instrumental distortions clearly.

Def Leppard Bringin' On The Heartbreak (1981): MTV goth/pop/metal at its best good ambience and high energy the better headphones will separate the details and make for a good experience. Lesser quality and the details tend to mush together. The Amperior plays this perfectly.

J.S. Bach E. Power Biggs Plays Bach in the Thomaskirche (~1970): Recorded on a tracker organ in East Germany, the tracks on this recording have the authentic baroque sound that Bach composed for, albeit the bellows are operated by motor today. The Amperior plays the tones seamlessly through the upper limits of the organ, which cover nearly the full range of human hearing. Of special note are the pedal notes tracker organs have low-pressure pipes and don't typically produce the kind of impact around 30-35 hz that modern organs do. A headphone that's lacking even a little in the low bass will sound especially bass-shy with this type of organ, but the Amperior delivers the full experience of this music.

Jamming With Edward It Hurts Me Too (1969): Intended originally as a test to fill studio down time and set recording levels etc., this was released a few years later for hardcore Rolling Stones fans. Although not as good technically in every aspect as the Chess studio recordings of 1964, and in spite of the non-serious vocals by Mick Jagger, this rates very high on my list of white blues recordings, and sounds absolutely delicious with the Amperior.

Jennifer Warnes Rock You Gently (1992?): The strong deep bass percussion at the beginning of this track has been cited as a test for weakness or distortion in certain headphones. The Amperior plays those notes with good impact and control. Having played this track a number of times now, I'm highly impressed with the Amperior's bass reproduction and detail throughout the track.

Jimmy Smith Basin Street Blues (early 60's): This track has some loud crescendos of brass and other instruments that don't sound clean and musical on some headphones. The Amperior provides very good reproduction. Listen particularly to the second crescendo at 15 seconds in, for maximum detail effect. I'd like to emphasize that these crescendos are probably the worst-case test I have for instrumental separation and detail, and the Amperior aces them.

Ladytron Destroy Everything You Touch (~2009): Featured in The September Issue, this song has heavy overdub and will sound a bit muddy on some headphones. Sounds great with the Amperior.

Milt Jackson/Wes Montgomery Delilah (Take 3) (1962): The vibraphone is heavily dependent on harmonics to sound right, and the Amperior plays it superbly.

Pink Floyd/Dark Side of the Moon Speak To Me (1973): Strong deep bass impacts will be heard and felt here.

Rolling Stones Stray Cat Blues (1968): Dirty, gritty blues that very few white artists could match. On some headphones the vocals and guitar lack the edge and fall more-or-less flat. If you're a really good person, playing this song will probably make you feel nervous and uneasy.

Tony Bennett I Left My Heart In San Francisco (1962): Frank Sinatra's favorite singer. Highest recommendation. With some of the best headphones, the sibilants on this recording are very strong, but they're not a problem with the Amperior.

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I got some textbook money and I bought these, the original hd25s, and a pair of beyerdynamic dt1350s. After comparing them for a couple hours, these came out on top. The amperiors weren't comfortable at first try, but I got used to them and I can now wear them for hours. The isolation and fit is fantastic. The sound is a slight bit recessed in the mids compared to the beyers, but it's got a lot of punch and detail. Bass kicks but doesn't conquer, and the treble is lively and quite engrossing. The build is fantastic, I wear these on my neck everywhere when I'm not listening and I have no doubt that these are gonna last me the school year if not longer. The blue matches my phone case and looks stylish but understated. Like the Beats an engineer would make.

The controltalk remote is super convenient. I've never had a pair of headphones with this feature, and now I don't think I can own a pair without it. Sennheiser design comes into play here as well, the cable is detachable and rugged. The buttons feel great to push, and the quality of the microphone is really surprisingly good. I take all my phone calls through the amperior now. As a bicyclist, being able to change tracks and volume effortlessly without taking my phone out of my pocket is a safety feature and is really convenient. It gives me pleasure how well the system works. Also, the isolation really cuts down on wind noise, and the punchy sound signature does a great job of cutting through noise, whether it's wind noise, bus noise, or roommate noise.

More on the sound comparisons. The Amperior has beefier bass and smoother highs than the original HD25. I think the bass is tuned in and the treble may be a result of the aluminum earcups. The Beyerdynamics sound dramatically different from both the sennheisers, with a warm, detailed soundstage effect that really brings the heat when it comes to instrumental plucking. However, for a portable headphone I prefer the Amperior's sound signature, plus the fit on the beyer didn't really work for me. Overall, the Amperior sounds fantastic, and this is from a man who used to own $900 Westone ES5 custom in-ear-monitors. It's sound sits perfectly in between brightness and warmth, between aggressiveness and laid-backness. But I guess that's what you get when you take Sennheiser, known for the laid-back sound, and have them re-design a monitoring champ for the consumer market.

I hate that this product has been discontinued it's by far my favorite way to listen to music on the go. I'm even using them at home a whole lot. In fact, I don't think my AKG K550 has seen any use in this past week. Snap 'em up before everyone runs out of stock. I'm almost considering buying a second pair just in case.

Highly, highly recommended!

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These headphones are really amazing. They have a very up-front kind of sound. Very balanced from top to bottom. You truly hear everything in the recording. Nothing is masked (e.g. orchestral background noise, other noises). If you trial them listening to MP3's, you will hear the slightly sibilant quality of the sound format. It plays it as it is. They really shine on high-bit rate recordings. Compared to the HD25, they seem to have a little better separation, slightly better low-end and high-end is a little smoother. I've never heard sound this balanced before and when it comes to rock music, rock music actually sounds the way it was intended to, not just a muddled mess. What amazes me most is that I am used to speakers or headphones that play a particular genre of music well but when you switch to something else, they can't keep up. These sound like a different pair of headphones for each genre you play. They really present the music as it was intended but they aren't boring in the least. The bass is extremely tight and punchy (yet not overdone) and the sound is very "in your face". My only criticism is the sound-stage, but the separation between instruments is still outstanding. I am enjoying my music all over again and really looking forward to using these for music production and mixing.

Run great off an iPhone 5 and an Asus Essence ST sound card.

In sum: amazing!

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Pretty good quality with a decent price.

I do recommend it if you like some dynamic music like rap or electronic music, but not for classic or calm music.

Well this is absolutely amazing headphones probably there is no other on ear headphone out there which dose so much so well, highs are great mids astonishing and bass is very well controlled and expended its punchy and just great for electric, hip-hop dub step and etc. The only con i would say is the sound stage. to me it sims very narrow but the depth is fine.

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M-Audio Keystudio 49-key USB MIDI Controller Keyboard

Customer Ratings:
List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $135.16
Today's Bonus:

• 49-note, synth-action keyboard(This product has been reclassified as KeyRig49 by M-Audio.)
• Connection and power via a single USB cable
• Instant installation on Mac OS X. Drivers for Windows are available from M-Audio, but no playback or editing software is provided.
• Sustain pedal input
• Assignable modulation wheel and volume slider

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Okay Look a couple disgruntled customers gave bad reviews about a product that does exactly what it's advertisements claim. 49 keys check, non-weighted keys;check, play 4 octives whithout using octive shift;check, pitch bend;check, modulation;check, assignable midi;check. Plug and Play, no driver installation needed with most every DAW not just Garage Band or Mac Products.Those people don't know what they are talkin about or what kind of equipment they are looking for frankly. I use a Sony Vaio with Windows Vista 64 bit, my DAW is FL Studio. It works fine. No, it doesn't make any sounds unless you have a program that it can communicate with, then there is no sound that is known to man that it want make for you, if only you now how to instruct it. It's not the keyboard's fault if you don't know how to use it. This keyboard is more for people who are into music production and have not progressed far enough or have not decided that they want to invest a couple of grand in a more serious keyboard, it's absolutely worth a bucks. My advise to the lady is that if hubby doesn't know how to make his own melodies and background music, then just get him a toy Casio keyboard he'll love that. The only thing I would complain about is that the keys are not weighted, but I know that when I bought, it's a work around though. You just have to get used to the sensitivity, it would be nice if you could manually adjust the sensitivity setting to your personal touch. Good Keyboard not Great. There are no great keyboards @ bucks!

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For $100, this is a really solid MIDI controller. The pitch and vibrato are a nice rubber and move smoothly. The pitch bend even returns to 0 smoothly when released.

This isn't a $1000 controller, but the keys are full size and are velocity sensitive. They lack weight, which may put some off that are looking for a nice weighty bounce from the keys.

It works with Sony Acid Pro out of the box-no driver install! There is a nifty 1/8" to USB adapter for using a mic and headphones on your PC/laptop at the same time from one USB. This device requires a driver installed, and the SW is either with the unit or dl from the net (what I did). I haven't opened the CDs yet, as I really don't need them. I think one has a DAW on it, just in case you don't have one. Now that I think about it, if the one misguided reviewer had had her husband install the DAW, he could have made all the sounds he wanted.

The one thing I really like is the 'edit mode', which I didn't think I'd need. It lets you reassign the controls to send different signals to your DAW. You can use the octave up/down to change programs, for example, or use the keys to select one by number. You can even re-assign the volume control to do things like reverb!

Pluses have to also include that it is 100% USB-powered. No extra power supply hanging around.

pat

:)

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Just got it for my 12-year-old boy who has asked for a keyboard to use with his MacBook, and the one at Apple Store has too few keys(25) with higher price tag. He's very happy with this one because it doesn't come with all the other complicated control buttons on the top, and he's not complaining about the light-weight keys even though he's played "real" piano for five years. The best part is how easy for him to hook this up with his MacBook..........just connect the UBS, that's all. No power cord or batteries to deal with, and no installation CD needed at all. It worked immediately.

I am happy with the price. It really meets both my boy's and my expectations.

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This is a few-frills keyboard, but it feels good to play and does exactly what it's supposed to very well.

My need was simple: I needed a midi-enabled keyboard to serve as an input device for music sequencing software. I had no need for complex features within the keyboard itself; all of that functionality takes place within the software. I had no need for 88 keys--just enough to be practical and not have to constantly be adjusting octaves. I wanted to plug it in and use it immediately on my Mac.

The M-Audio Keystudio is exactly all of those things. Its functionality is perfectly simple. It has 49 notes--just about right for entering a one line or instrument at a time. Its keys are pressure-sensative (though they are quite light and not at all like a piano). I plugged it in, and it worked.

It won't win any awards for its solid construction or keyboard dynamics--but for simple MIDI inputting it is great. I recommend it for exactly that.

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Hosa Cable BNP116BK 1/4 inch To Banana Plug Speaker Adaptor

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $18.00
Sale Price: $9.99
Today's Bonus: 45% Off

• This cable is designed to adapt a speaker cable with a phone plug to universal binding posts. It is ideal for DJ applications
• Oxygen-Free Copper (OFC) conductors for lower resistance and increased signal flow
• Pigtail design for reduced stress on the input jack and improved connectivity
• Intended for high-current applications only, not line level signals
• Conductor(s): 16 AWG x 2 OFC, Connector(s): Hosa 1/4 in TS to Dual Banana, Length: 6 in

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I wondered if I was going to find these somewhere to enhance the sound system that we have. Of course I found them and they are working to perfection. Why strip down to wires and then ruin some cords. These fill the bill nicely and at a modest price!

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Using it to run an amp in the bridged mode to power a floor monitor. It works, seems to be well made and was affordable.

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Hosa products always seem well-made. These are no exception. Sturdy and no flaws. Plugged them right on and they worked. Exactly what you want from a product like this.

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Got a new amplifier at a garage sale and buying these adapters saved me the expense of buying new cables. Work fine.

I plugged these into the back of my Crown amplifier to connect 1/4" audio cables to my PA speakers. The product worked as advertised and they appear to be of good quality for a fair price.

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Rogue G5 5W Battery Powered Guitar Combo Amp Black

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $79.99
Sale Price: $32.99
Today's Bonus: 59% Off

• Ultra-compact sizeBattery or DC poweredGain controlSwitch for clean or overdriven soundMaster volume and tone control1/4" Headphone out

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The amp was exactly as advertised, however after having it a few weeks I find each time I turn it on I get a high pitched sound coming out of it, before I pick up the guitar. If I begin playing it goes away after a few measures, but it concerns me that something is deficient or will get worse.

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The sound that this amp produces is mediocre at best, it's very fuzzy and not clear at all. For the price it's just okay.

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I bought this so I will be able to play my electric guitar around fairly easily, and that seems do-able with this.

I bought it on sale and for the power that it provides, it seems my money was well spent.

I can't quite comment on the product much as of yet since iv'e only used it a few times, but I was happy to see that it came with an input cord so it can be either battery OR outlet powered. It is light and small too which seems great for when I want to travel with it. Like I said though, I haven't had it long so I have no idea how long the battery life is on it.

So far, awesome. Arrived on time and I was very pleased.

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August 2013 UPADE:

Everything I wrote about the little Rogue is true. Unfortunately, it has been eclipsed. I have replaced it with a highly-tweaked Pignose PG-10 which exceeds the Rogue's musicality by at least an order of magnitude. Please see my PG-10 review if you're interested.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:

If you have tinnitus (or if you don't and want to avoid getting it), you know the value of a guitar practice amp that responds dynamically to your string inputs and plays with proper tone at VERY LOW volume levels.

Here's the recipe for success:

(1) "Rogue G5" amp

(2) "Tang Band W2-1803S 2" Neodymium Poly Full Range Driver" (amazon.com/gp/product/B002KHF6UA/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i00)

(3) Six (6) "Battery Holder D With 12in Wire Leads for Physics" (amazon.com/gp/product/B0083LWALA/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00)

(4) One 5" x 5" x 0.25" MDF particle board

(5) 2.125" diameter hole saw

(6) Screwdriver, silicone sealer (to mount speaker on MDF), and soldering iron

The six battery holders are mounted inside the amp, two on the bottom and two on each side and the 12" lead wires are soldered so the alkaline D-batteries work in series to produce 9-volts. This assembly is wired in parallel to the externally-accessible 9-volt battery holder provided by the factory.

The absolutely awesome Tang Band high-fidelity driver is front mounted with silicone in a 2.125" hole cut into the center of the small MDF panel which, in turn, is bonded and screwed into place so as to cover the hole left by the removal of the unfortunate 4" stock speaker.

Why bother? When this Hot Rodded little jewel is singing sweetly with one of my electric guitars, my SPL meter documents a mere 45-55 decibels. Excellent tone quality at a volume level my ears can tolerate while the rest of my household sleeps. What's not to like about that?

Rock on!

This small amp has great sound and punch for what I need. It's convience of battery power makes it ideal for taking camping and back porch guitar playing. The investment was well worth it. The only thing that I would like to see added to it would be a reverb and would consider paying the extra for it. I world recommend this to all who need a travel amp.

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Audio-Technica Dynamic Stereo Headphones

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $59.95
Sale Price: $39.99
Today's Bonus: 33% Off

• 40mm Drivers project crystal clear sound
• Rotating Ear Pieces for easy one-ear monitoring
• Gold Plated 1/8" Stereo Jack attached to cable with 1/4" adapter included
• Self-adjusting lightweight headband for long-wearing listening comfort
• Circumaural design ensures superior isolation
• Rotating earpieces for easy one-ear monitoring
• Gold-plated 1/8" (3.5 mm) stereo connector and snap-on 1/4" (6.3 mm) adapter
• Maximized power handling capability

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I am delighted to report that these headphones will please your noggin in many ways.

For the price of these headphones, you will be getting more than your money's worth. While these are not audiophile or professional quality headphones, the sound quality is still -verygood. I was surprised to get such clear, deep tones out of headphones that cost so little...drum & bass sounds very nice. Its bass limit is not as volumous as a professional piece of equipment, but it does seem to have an output limiter that will stop the headphones from maxing out and making that fuzzy static sound, eventually resulting in permanent speaker damage. Sibilance is a frequent problem with many headphone products, but not these... not in the least bit. They handle treble and tweets with a great deal of clarity, and vocals sound so very nice. After having used Sony MDR-NC6, Sony MDR-XD100, and Koss R40, this product stands out as #1 in terms of comfort and sound, especially for the price. Get sucked into these headphones and you won't be disappointed. Adjust your equalizer to fit the music you like. Playback will sound just how you want it to.

In addition to great sound, these are comfortable as well. The earphones themselves are made of the standard squishy studio headphone cushioning, though the pads seem to be thicker than usual. The frame doesn't "pinch" your head either. Rather, it hugs. If you've ever used Sony MDR-NC6 before, you'll know what I mean by pinching...a frame so unflexible it presses your ears until they hurt. Not the ATH T22s... they respect your mellon. The phones themselves completely enclose the ear, which results in very little sound leak. The only complaint I have is that the frame arch does not have any padding.

I am very pleased with this purchase, and I hope that you may give these things a try once it is time to pick up a new pair of headphones.

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I bought these because I was looking for a set of circum aural headphones (big headphones that go around your ear) that were inexpensive and had decent sound quality.

I was looking for a headphone that would have a good frequency response range and a relatively flat response across a majority of its given frequencies (so not a super-bass headphone) because I like to enjoy my music the way it was originally equalized. These headphones do very well on that front, the designers have made no assumptions about boosting bass or anything like that. All of this isn't to say that the headphones don't have good bass, they do, what I'm saying is the sound doesn't tend to be biased towards bass.

The other thing I was looking for was a headphone that would isolate me from my office environment. These headphones make it so I don't hear the environment around me without having to crank my music overly loud.

As far as sound quality:

Good response across a broad range of frequencies. Not megabass boosted, but not weak either.

Very low distortion at both high and low volumes.

Capable of being fairly loud.

UPDATE:

I knocked 2 stars off because the headphones just snapped on me. I'm quite upset that they broke, and this points to brittle plastic. I didn't mishandle them, I've just left them on my desk since I've had them, and put them on every day... My head's not oversized. It's a build quality issue. Let me reiterate though, the sound is great for the price, but they snapped.

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Review is for: Audio-Technica Dynamic ATH-M10 Stereo Headphones

OVERVIEW:

-----------

SUPER COMFORTABLE, one of the most comfortable headphones:

Nice padding

Ear pieces swivel up/down and side-to-side

Very light overall

No head squeeze

As comfortable as the X11's though more sound isolation than the X11's

Perhaps slightly more comfortable than the Creative Sound Blaster Arena's which have the same quality padding and up/down side-to-side ear can flexibility. The Arena has more sound insulation if that is important among the comfy headphone options for you.

The ATH-M10 is roughly as comfortable as Bose AE2's which is really saying something.

Generally reviews find its sound surprisingly good for such an inexpensive pair.

I gave it five stars because for its price range it offers excellent value and really stands out for comfort.

CONS:

------

For computer use I wish a version of these headsets came with inline volume control. Especially for putting down headset, the option to put it on mute or turn down volume with a control on the cord would be great.

The Creative SoundBlaster Arena's and X11's are both examples of comfy headphones that have the in-line volume control.

SUMMARY:

----------

Highly recommend if looking primarily for comfort and need only a little sound isolation, and don't need an inline volume control on the cord.

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Considering how inexpensive they are, they sound very nice and are surprisingly comfortable. Not the most amazing quality, but that's to be expected for $30. I'd definitely recommend these to someone looking for a decent pair of headphones, without paying a lot.

These do sound great in a quiet area, but I assumed being airtight meant they would also help block the noise of the machine shop where I work. There are slits in the shells, and the shells are hollow, so what do they sound like? Like putting shells over your ears. Seashells. But the shells just snap on, so I snapped them off and stuffed them with foam, and now they do what I hoped they would do in the first place. Meaning I turned a 3-star product into a 5-star product, so I gave it 4 stars. And the foam I recycled from the dumpster at work, so I'm happy.

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Cecilio 4/4CEVN-4BK Solid Wood Black Metallic Electric/Silent Violin with Ebony Fittings in Style 4

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $499.99
Sale Price: $132.57
Today's Bonus: 73% Off

• Size 4/4, style 4 electric / silent violin in black metallic varnish (full size)
• Hand-carved solid maple wood body with ebony fingerboard, pegs, chin rest and tailpiece with mother of pearl inlay
• Powered by a 9V Alkaline battery (included)
• Includes: lightweight hard case, Brazil wood bow with unbleached genuine Mongolian horsehair, quality rosin cake, a bridge, aux cable, and headphones
• 1 Year Warranty Against Manufacturer's Defects

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I bought this violin six months ago just to see if I could learn to play, never touched a violin before and I'm almost 45 yrs old. The sound is good but not great. Putting it though a guitar affects box (cost almost as much as the violin!) helps a lot, you can really tweak the sound to whatever you want. I have actually learned to play, only lessons being online youtube lessons and student study books. You can really learn to play and have fun at home with this one. I changed to 'better' strings but I can't tell a difference, save your money for your next violin. I bought a 15W practice amp, wish I'd gotten one a little bigger but it is ok. I also like that you can plug in headphones and practice in 'silent' mode. My only complaint is that the electronic module is pretty cheap and the headphone jack is now intermittant and takes some fiddling to get it to work now but a minor fault. Also, buy a cheap tuner so you can get it tuned correctly. If it is out of tune even slightly it will be impossible to learn the fingerings. If you already play violin you pobably won't be satisfied with this, but for a test run at electric violin this one will get you started. One more thing it looks really 'cool' as the kids say. Have fun.

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I was pleased with the nice sound and durable construction of this instrument. The electronics aren't really high quality. Comes with a good case which is more than adequate for the instrument and an "ok" bow (I prefer to use a different one). With the power off, it still sounds like a very heavily muted violin which might be adequate for practice for some players.

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I bought one of these a few months ago. The thing you need to understand about cecilio instruments is they do not arrive in a playable state. The bridge was wrong, the fingerboard was not radiused and relief was wrong. Pegs were over lubricated. You might as well throw the bow away. The case is a pretty piece of styrofoam.

Its not worth taking to a luthier. If you can radius the fingerboard and get proper relief and carve a new bridge and carve a new nut youself then buy one of these. Or if you want to learn how to set up a violin then its a fun project. Otherwise forget them and get a Yamaha Silent Violin.

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I did not want to spend $1000.00 for a Violin . So I decided on the Cecilio.. I'm Glade that I went with the Cecilio. I run it though my guitar pod and amp and it sounds great. The only thing I did to mine is adjusted the bridge to get the string height that I wanted. Great Violin for the Price .

I'm a new player. Everything sounds scratchy and terrible until I actually get comfortable with the song. Directly into headphones or speakers, I miss the sound that reverberates out of the body of the acoustic violin. But this is an electric violin, so when it is plugged into electric guitar amps and accessories, it can make music unlike anything that can be made with an acoustic violin alone.

It takes a lot of getting used to because the sound is so different and it comes from different directions.

I initially ordered it so I can practice at 4 am when I get up. However, it is still way too loud to do that with the family asleep in a nearby room.

That being said, during the day, when there are other noises about, I can practice in the next room and not disturb those watching TV or listening to music. Sometimes I can practice and after putting it up get reminded to do my practice.

The headphones that come with it suck. I got some good ones that cover the ears and keep out noise so my practice is not disturbed by surrounding sounds.

I love it. But it took some getting used to. I find it is better not to learn new songs on it, but to practice songs I already know. The sound is different than the acoustic violin, but much better when combined with the right amp and accessories.

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InCarCables Car and Home Stereo 1.2m AUX-IN Cable 3.5mm for iPod, iPhone, Smartphone and Mp3 Players

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $9.99
Sale Price: $8.95
Today's Bonus: 10% Off

This cable is of the highest quality and is well worth the price. I had a cheap cable I was using with my ipod in my car stereo and the sound quality was terrible. I was sorry I bought the ipod because it didn't come near the sound quality of using a cd in the car. Then I thought I would try a better quality cable and bought this one. Now the sound quality in my car using my ipod is just as good as using a cd in the car. Buy this cable !!!!!! You will not be sorry.

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I have cases on both my iPod Classic and iPhone 4S, and with my previous Belkin cable I would have to take the cases off to fit the cable in the headphone jack. Not with this one! It fits perfectly without having to remove the cases, and it's just the right length. And, most importantly, the sound quality is excellent! Definitely would recommend buying.

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This cable locks fully into the headphone jack on my Samsung Galaxy S phone. I have tried another brand and it did not connect fully, resulting in a lot of static and sound coming from only one car speaker. As it connects fully the sound is great, there is no static, and it stays connected to the phone even if it gets bounced around.

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i have had many bad experiences with stereo cables like this not working properly or having to be twisted into that "perfect" position to produce sound...this cable is quality!!...have had no issues with sound and thats what i expected...great product!...

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Previously, I purchased cheaper cables for my MP3 player to use in the car. The story always ended the same static, music would only play from one speaker bottom line the sound was horrible I got what I paid for. After reading the reviews, I purchased the InCarCables and what a huge difference. No more static and the music sounds great. Even driving on the roads after the winter weather which has left them a bit rough, the cables are not affected by the bumps and uneven pavement on the roads. I cannot say enough positive things about these cables. They are sturdy, the length is perfect, the souund quality is excellent, they fit the MP3 player like a glove and the case does not need to be removed. I plan to purchase another set of InCarCables in the event the current ones get misplaced. If you have had issues in the past with cheap cables, these cables are definately worth the look and the purchase. Two thumbs up for InCarCables!

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IK Multimedia SP-PDL-USB-IN Stealth Pedal

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $269.99
Sale Price: $199.99
Today's Bonus: 26% Off

• Built-in expression pedal and MIDI foot-switch.
• Headphones output.
• 2 balanced audio outputs.
• 2 balanced / unbalanced audio inputs (hi-Z or line level).
• USB powered audio interface and pedal controller.

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The StealthPedal is a USB audio interface and comes with guitar amp and fx modeling software, but I'm not using any of that stuff so I can't comment on it. It comes with 2 CDs of software, but the only software that I was interested in was "Install StealthPedal MIDI Control.exe". I'd been looking for a smaller alternative to the Behringer FCB1010 as a midi controller. While I liked the Behringer in most respects, it needed a midi interface, was confusing to configure and was fairly large. I replaced it with the IK Multimedia StealthPedal, a Boss FS-6 Dual Footswitch and an M-Audio Universal expression controller pedal. The whole setup cost about $285.

To use the StealthPedal as a midi controller, the StealthPedal Midi Control program must be running at all times! After figuring that out, configuring the pedal was straightforward and involved none of the head scratching I went through with the Behringer FCB1010. I've set the switches on the Boss FS-6 to "FS-5U (Momentary)" and the polarity switches to the left position.

You've got six possible midi controllers. I'm using it in a purely computer based setup with the two foot switches on the Boss set to start and stop Stylus RMX, and to toggle record on and off on my VST looper. The volume control on the side of the pedal is controlling feedback on the looper, and the two pedals are acting as volume and wah pedals for my Guitar's VST amp emulator. I'm not currently using the switch under the stealth pedal. To actuate that switch you need to move the StealthPedal to it's maximum position and put some weight on it.

So I'm happy. The StealthPedal is smaller, easier to configure, but more limited and more expensive than the Behringer. I'll note that neither the StealthPedal, nor the M-Audio expression pedal "feel" as nice as the expression pedals on the Behringer, but I think it will just take some time to get use to the difference.

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When i purchased it it gave me LATENCY!! and I felt dissapointed so i start to read and found that if you connect the stealthpedal to an USB 3.0 (as i did) it will give you latency, so I connected it to an USB 2.0 and change my rate from 44.1 to 96 khz and the latency went away.. that was awesome; since then i have been playing with it and it sounds really cool. Havent used it for live jamming but you can search some youtube videos for live jamming you will notice that it can handle that kind of situation as well.

Good product.

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