TASCAM DP-008 8-Track Digital Portastudio Review

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(More customer reviews)After wanting a digital multi-track for a long time, I finally decided on this model, and I'm glad I did.
One thing that is not included in a list of specs is the usability factor. I've purchased my share of electronic devices for making and recording music over the years. Just looking at a dry list of specs has often been my method of deciding on what to buy. Well, on paper the DP-008 looks good, but it's not until you use this to cut a few tracks that you realize how well it is designed. I'm SOOOO glad I didn't buy the DP-004, as this model is clearly the results of Tascam eliminating the weaker aspects of the 4 track model just in time for the 8 track version.
I have seen a lot of digital multi-tracks that look good on paper, but to use them is a real pain. The fact that the DP-008 has all the individual track knobs means that you don't have to go flipping through pages on a menu or choosing the "hot track" in some other way. Here it's all laid out logically and makes tweaking the final stereo mix a piece of cake. Sure it would be nice if there were level sliders rather than dials, but these work just fine.
I use this model to record myself playing guitar and bass, run a Boss drum machine into it, and I record vocals with an external mic though a small mixer that has some helpful effects on it. You don't need a mixer, though, as the included mics are quite good. I am able to record several tracks, "bounce" them if I want to, and then write them to a stereo master mix. Then, I export that mix on the unit itself (sounds weird, but basically you're just creating a wav file that can be seen by a computer). The final step is connecting the DP-008 to a computer and merely dragging the song files over to the computer. I then use Audacity to convert it to an ogg file or mp3.
I use Linux and the process of transferring songs to the computer is very simple. In the past you would have received a useless cd-rom with a crappy "song transfer" program and maybe some crapware to go along with it. I'm glad that Tascam has decided to treat the customer right and state it clearly: There is no need for special software. Once you export the song, it will show up as an external storage device and you can simply transfer the files over to your computer, whether it's a PC running Windows or Linux, or a Mac.

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Crosley CR401-TA Record Carrier Case (Tan) Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this case for my husband to put his old records in and he was very happy with the product. It is sturdy, nicely finished and it has class. In fact I will purchase another one as there are more records than space in this case. The case holds approx. 48-50 records. Cannot say if the price was fair as there was not much difference in price from different sellers. Compared prices on the web and I went with amazon.com because of the guarantee of the services, safety of purchase, etc. Overall, I am very pleased with my purchase.

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Akai Pro LPK25 Laptop Performance Keyboard Review

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(More customer reviews)Akai Pro LPK25 Laptop Performance Keyboard
OVERALL IMPRESSION: NOT A TOY! This is an excellent songwriting tool, that makes music making on the go a reality. Not intended to replace your main MIDI controller.
DISCLAIMER: I am an amateur musician making songs mostly to share with family and friends. Also, guitar is my native instrument, and my keyboard skills still leave much to be desired. That being said:
I LOVE THIS DEVICE!!
PROS:
-PORTABILITY AND SMALL FOOTPRINT. I can take this thing with me anywhere and it does not take much space in my laptop bag or work-surface. I have a 20"x20" wood board that I use as a work-surface for my laptop, mouse, LPK25, and headphones. Using that setup I composed whole songs in my bed, sofa, dinner table, backyard chair, passenger seat of my car (at work during lunch time), hotel room, in-laws house...you get the idea. I also have a room with a full size desktop piled with recording equipment in my house, but I only use that setup for recording vocals, guitars, mixing, and mastering (when I have time). Most of my music creation is done with the LPK25 and my laptop.
-PLAYABILITY. Although the keys are small they are still comfortable to play without hitting more than one note at once with each finger (and I have thick fingers). The keys also have great sinth-like action.
-BUILT-IN ARPEGIATOR. I am a novice at using arpegiators but I have found the built-in arpegiator on the LPK-25 very useful and simple to use. An excellent tool to develop ideas, particularly if you (like me) are lacking serious keyboard skills.
-USB POWERED. No power brick required, and it does not drain my laptop's battery quickly either.
-PLUG & PLAY: No drivers to download and fuss with.CONS:
-VELOCITY RANGE NOT AS WIDE AS I WOULD LIKE. The difference in loudness when you press a key fast/hard VS. soft/slow is not as noticeable as more expensive controllers I have used in the past. If you are a very expressive player you won't like it this very much.UNKNOWNS:
-QUALITY & LONGEVITY: I have only owned it for a few months so I don't know how well it will stand to the test of time. But that being said as far as I know AKAI products are pretty reliable, and well built, and this product feels solid.
FINAL NOTE: Although this will be obvious to most, I think it is worth mentioning that this is a midi controller and NOT A STAND ALONE KEYBOARD. The unit makes no sounds of its own and you need a separate computer program (i.e. virtual instrument) to use it.
UPDATE 12/08/2010: I am happy to report that as of today (12/08/2010) my Akai LPK25 is still working as good as the day I bought it.

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Create melodic and harmonic riffs in seconds, anywhere, with the Akai Pro LPK25 Laptop Performance Keyboard, a scaled-down relative to the MPK series of keyboard performance controllers. Made up of 25 miniature, velocity-sensitive keyboard keys with synth action, the LPK25 is a great choice for keyboard players who want to work with software on their computer. Measuring less than 13 inches across and weighing less than a pound, it easily fits into a laptop case, backpack or messenger bag for extreme portability.

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Numark PT01USB Turntable Review

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(More customer reviews)I ordered this turntable to transfer recordings from my old 78 records to my computer. It came with a software CD, which [as with any USB turntable] transfers the files from the turntable to the computer and lets you clean up the 'noise.' The CD that came with the turntable did not have the right software for my Mac, but I downloaded the recommended - and free - 'Audacity' software from audacity.sourceforge.net. along with a PDF version of the user manual. If you use a PC rather than a Mac you should not have this problem. Being a novice, it took me a few hours of reading and experimenting to get things working the way I wanted, but I'm completely satisfied with the result. A great USB turntable at a great price.

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ION REPLACEMENT CARTRIDGE Review

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(More customer reviews)I coach a little league cheerleading squad. This is perfect for halftime. Not so loud that it blares all the fields, but works for my field. We put it up on a speaker stand last week and it was even louder. Great speaker for what I needed. Easy to get to the fields. I don't really use the microphone, but for music through the iPod, it is perfect for me.

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Ion iPT01 Portable Turntable with Built in Speakers and Amp Review

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(More customer reviews)First off, on the plus side: This player is truly portable, running for a good many hours on a set of 6 "D" cell batteries, or on the supplied AC adapter. The turntable is good, with accurate electronically controlled speed (including 78 RPM- A big plus to many vintage collectors), adjustable pitch. The tone arm is borderline unacceptable. Heavy weight with way-too-much skating tendencies, so much so that the sound is unbalanced in the headphones as the stylus is always being pressed against the left side of the ceramic pickup element. The built in amplifier and speaker are just barely loud enough to hear in a home setting- forget a noisey environment. The headphones are your only choice here. Am I sorry I bought it? No, as I got it for an excellent price- But had I paid full price, it would have been sent back.

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Why lug around a huge deck when a portable performs just as well? This portable turntable from Ion Audio is ideal for DJs on the go. Outfitted with such features as tone, gain, and pitch (plus or minus 10 percent) control, along with a lineout for recording, the iPT91 lets DJs create cunning grooves and inspired tracks wherever they end up. The 7-inch platter plays at 33, 45, and 78 rpm, and can play 45s in addition to 12-inch LPs with the included 45 adapter. The unit includes a high-quality felt slipmat for scratching and an auto-start and -stop tone arm.
DJs can plug headphones into the 1/8- and 1/4-inch outputs, or they can groove headphone-free using the onboard monitor. As with any good portable unit, the table includes a convenient carrying handle, along with a removable dustcover that locks via the side latch. The iPT01 is even designed to fit alongside your vinyl in a record crate.

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Blue Microphones Snowflake USB Microphone Review

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(More customer reviews)If you are looking for an inexpensive but high quality, small & portable, USB microphone, the Blue Snowflake is a great choice. Blue Microphones Snowflake USB Microphone

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Whether you're recording your newest podcast, talking business on the web, or just narrating your latest great family movie, the Blue Snowflake Microphone can capture it with amazing clarity and depth that's head and shoulders above any comparable portable USB on the market!The Blue Snowflake Microphone works on both Mac and PC with no complicated drivers to install: just connect it to your computer's USB port, follow the prompts and you'll have high-fidelity sound in no time. It's perfect for podcasting, voice recognition software, iChat, and VoIP software such as Skype and Vonage. Or use it for dictation, field recording, lecture recording, and narration for slideshows and PowerPoint presentations. The sky's the limit. It's even great for recording music via GarageBand and other multitrack recording software.

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Rio Chiba 256 MB MP3 Player Review

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(More customer reviews)There are several reasons for my selection of this RIO as my player of choice and I will explain as best I can. So read this review in its entirety.Before ever owning the RIO Chiba 256M, the first MP3 player I had ever tried was indeed a RIO (the RIO 800 128M model before the new line of RIO MP3 players were recently put out on the market).The look and size was as instrumental in my choosing of any MP3 player back then (as it is now). I was frustrated with bulky discman CD players for years....because the bottom line is you CANNOT wear them without skipping at some point (no matter how long the anti-skip protection is) or major player instability while attached to your body. These were MAJOR issues for me. So it was no mystery that I sincerely enjoyed the RIO 128M model especially because of its SIZE and the wonderfully convenient BELT CLIP!! It turned out however that after using this 128 M RIO player for about a month I had found myself longing for more songs thereby larger internal memory.It was then that I visited the RIO website and discovered the new line of MP3 players with the RIO Chiba 256 soon to come out. I concluded 256M would be enough internal memory for me so while waiting for the RIO Chiba 256 to become available, I tried and subsequently returned MP3 players from IRiver, Samsung, RCA, and Creative Labs.All had plenty of "bells and whistles" for features but none had the shear small size advantage AND compactness (belt clip convenience) of the RIO 128M model I used to own. The general EASE OF USE(ridiculously easy), battery-life saving feature (all RIO players shut off within 5 minutes of inactivity by default), great sound quality via the more advanced graphic equalizer, as well as a very attractive blue-backlit LCD screen were other secondary but still significant advantages the RIO model had, those other players did not! When the RIO Chiba 256 finally did come out I purchased one without a second thought.
And now I'd like to add something!All these reviews of "cheap this, cheap that" are frankly nausseating if not comical!!People, you do not purchase this or any MP3 player to lose sleep over "what material its made out of" or "what would happen if i dropped it compared to another model".Yes, this player is not made of some space age plastic or material but no MP3 player is.The reality is this player has SOLID construction. It is sold at 199.99 on the RIO website and not counting participating department store discounts(about 20 or 30 bucks) such as Circuit City, for a $200 dollar value you can rest assured you are getting something of good foundational quality)!AND it designed to be used and carried around LATCHED in the provided beltclip compartment.Once its secure in the beltclip compartment and latched on to you via your belt, there are no issues with battery compartment looseness and very little chance of the user dropping the player.Wow, imagine that...a beltclip,what a concept!!Yes indeed everyone is still clumsy at somepoint.Regardless I have dropped my model at least ten times since I purchased it, it remains in one piece AND the sound quality remains exceptionally!C'mon people, have a little practicality in your reviews!!!
Ease of use is OK, however the included RIO MP3 transfer("ripping")software has ONE flaw, it doesn't recognize every MP3 or WMA music file you have.The solution to this problem is very simple.Uninstall the RIO software if you have already loaded it, then download and use Windows Media Player 9.0 for your Chiba's transfering needs.Windows Media Player 9.0 recognizes and plays EVERY music file,including all the ones the Real Player can.I find it to be of higher quality and more reliable than Real Player(in regards to suddenly shutting/closing down due to bugs in Windows XP).
The best headphones for this player ARE NOT the included Senheisser earbuds, but rather Sony, the SON MDRW08L model to be exact.I would highly recommend you invest the $10 bucks these sell for. You will find out within 15 minutes of use why these are 5000 times more comfortable than the included "ear soreing" Senheissers not to mention complement your Chiba's graphic equalizer settings with ridiculously crystal clear sound(due to Neodynium magnets for sounddrivers in each earpiece).
I have been using the Chiba for about 5 months now, I believe for beginners or advanced MP3 player enthusiasts alike RIO makes the best overall MP3 player on the market!!

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The sleek black Rio Chiba 256MB MP3 Player looks cool and sounds great through the included Sennheiser MX300 earbuds. With 256MB of memory you can enjoy more than 4 hours of MP3 (about 60 songs) or 8 hours of WMA (about 120 songs) music. Features: carrying case with belt clip; expandable memory up 512MB using SD or MMC cards (sold separately); FM tuner; USB cable; installation disk; quick start guide; connection to almost any computer; transfer of content between multiple PCs; 18-hourcontinuous playback and 5-band adjustable equalizer with presets. Songs purchased from Napster 2.0 are compatible with Rio portables. Please use the Rio Music Manager or the Windows Media Player 9 to transfer songs purchased from Napster 2.0 to your Rio. Napster 2.0 Client users can also use the free Napster Plug-In for the Windows Media Player 9 for an integrated experience. Available storage capacity may vary.

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Alesis iMultiMix 8USB Review

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(More customer reviews)I use this mixing board every week for practice. I can record to my computer while simultaneously recording to an ipod.
I have never had an issue with this alesis, Highly recommended for home digital recording. The built in effects processor is ideal for live recording as well. Definitely a great product!


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Hamilton KB90 Traveler II Symphonic Music Stand with Bag Review

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(More customer reviews)This stand with carry bag is just what I needed. It is easy to assemble. I can even carry my music inside the bag.

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American DJ Supply ENFERNO Special Effects Lighting Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this product directly from American DJ. Their shipping and customer service was very good. The product, however, did not look like the picture, but still gives the flame effect I needed for our fireplace display. The Silk Flame had to be shipped to me later because it was missing from the box. It would have been a great product if it worked right. It worked for what we needed, but it was frustrating because the lights would go out with the slightest nudge to the base. I will note that I did buy it at a DISCOUNTED price and the product was advertised as being "blemished." I called American DJ and they assured me it worked and the base was just dented. Maybe if I had bought it brand new it wouldn't have the same problems I had with it? Anyway, I gave it three stars because only one light was working consistently the whole time we needed it. I don't know how reusable it will be because of this. I wish they would come up with a similar product that's a lot more sturdy. Will add a video review later.

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Pyle-Pro PWMA860I 500-Watt VHF Wireless Portable PA System /Echo with iPod Dock Review

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(More customer reviews)I have been in the auction business for 30 years, this Pyle Pro 500 is one of the best PA systems I have owned.
The sound quality was fantastic and the price was great.
Thank you.

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