5/26/2012

Casio PX130 Privia Keyboard with CS67 Keyboard Stand Review

Casio PX130 Privia Keyboard with CS67 Keyboard Stand
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I agree with the reviews that discuss the feel and the sound, truly remarkable for such an entry level piano, you could not possibly be disappointed. For $449 up here in Canada it included the stand and the three pedals and a fairly substantial four legged padded stool. The total package is very sturdy if you put it together properly. I have no idea where the $800+ price tag mentioned on this site comes from. I give it five stars and thank Costco for marketing it at a fantastic price, amazing value. Not a toy, not polished ebony, but a really inexpensive entry level digital piano that sounds and feels very impressive. Yes it's a Casio folks, get over it, accept the fact that they have just moved the bar to a new level.

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The Privia PX-130 features a new Tri-Sensor 88-note scaled hammer action keyboard. Casio s superior engineering has resulted in an authentic piano touch that captures every detail and nuance of your performance. This scaled hammer action provides the weight, feel and resistance without sacrificing the portability of the instrument.In addition to the superior keyboard action and piano sound, the PX-130 is the perfect instrument for music education. Featuring Casio s Duet mode, the keyboard can be split into two equal ranges, allowing student and teacher to play at the keyboard simultaneously. The PX-130 s built-in 2 track recorder and metronome allows you to practice any tempo and later listen back to what you just played. The recording features can also be used to capture moments of creativity and remember song ideas. The optional SP-32 pedal board simulates an acoustic grand piano by providing all three pedals - soft, sostenuto and damper.It s easy to connect the PX-130 to your computer with its built in USB MIDI interface. The PX-130 s 88-note weighted scaled hammer action keyboard makes it an ideal controller keyboard for using with music software applications. The USB connection also allows you to move songs to and from the computer into PX-130 s flash ROM, allowing to you save songs you ve created.Whether you re at home, church, school or on stage, the PX-130 was designed to tackle it all, making it a valuable investment. With its light weight, you can easily take the PX-130 from home, to the classroom or even to the gig and back with no worries. It connects easily to your computer via USB, and its Duet mode is perfect for student and teacher practice. The technology in the Casio PX-130 allows you to do it all.88 weighted, scaled hammer-action keys 128-note polyphony 16 tones (with layer and split) Reverb (4 types), Chorus (4 t

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Studiologic SL-990 PRO 88-Key MIDI Controller Review

Studiologic SL-990 PRO 88-Key MIDI Controller
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The Studiologic SL-990 Pro (NOT THE XP, which I also had for about 2 DAYS...exchanged it back for the Pro) is the best controller I've ever used, hands down. All I needed was a great feeling controller to compose with. The SL-990 Pro is the best feeling controller on the market right now for under 1000. Get it.

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The Studiologic SL-990 PRO features an 88-key weighted, velocity-sensitive, hammer-action keyboard with beautiful ivory finished keys and constant strike force action for true piano feel. Performance controls include pitch and mod wheels; 8 zone-specific velocity curve settings; program and bank change; transpose; MIDI channel change; and 100 user memory locations. MIDI output plus sustain pedal input. Power adapter included...

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5/25/2012

Casio CTK-5000-STAD 61-Key Digital Music Keyboard Review

Casio CTK-5000-STAD 61-Key Digital Music Keyboard
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we just got this a few days ago, and are very happy with it. The sound is very realistic for piano, and the action feels good. We were using an older borrowed keyboard, and were pleasantly surprised at the playablility and sound quality.
we bought from JR, because at the time it was slightly cheaper than Amazon, even with shipping, but the price has gone up.
This keyboard came with a stand, probably a $20 value, which is a bonus. It shows it in the picture, but not in the product description. We just had to get a bench and we were set.
We've just started exploring the settings. The first we adjusted was the touch sensitivity, which makes it louder the harder (technically, the faster) you hit the key, like a real piano. It has 3 setting choices: off, 1, and 2, with 2 being most sensitive. On 2 there is a pretty wide range of volume with key stroke, from very quiet on up, mimicking a real piano; not just quiet and loud.
Its still new to us, but we are very pleased with what we got for the money.


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Learning to play the piano gets even easier and, once you learn, the opportunities to play, create, and store your music becomes virtually unlimited with the Casio CTK-5000. With Casio's intuitive Step-Up Lesson system, songs are divided into short, easy-to-master phrases making it easy for just about anyone to learn to play. After you master a phrase you advance to the next one. With this new lesson function, you keep building up your collection of mastered phrases and soon you are able to play the entire song. All built-in tones, including piano and acoustic instrument tones, now sound better than ever before! 48-tone maximum polyphony provides plenty of margin to minimize the chance of notes being dropped when tones are layered and when playing with Auto Accompaniment. Touch Response let's you add delicate nuances to notes by varying how much pressure you apply to keyboard keys. Rotate the pitch-bend wheel to slide the pitch of the sound being output upwards or downwards. Sample a sound and you can play it on the keyboard, from your device connected to the audio-in jack. AC or battery powered for anywhere use and fun.152 Song Bank tunes, including 50 Exercise phrasesSong Expansion -10 songs maximum, approximately 320 KB totalMusic Preset (305 presets)Registration (8 banks x 4 sets for 32 setups)One Touch Preset (200 presets)Digital Effects -10 reverbs, 5 chorusesPreset Scale (16 scales)Scale memory (4scales)Recorder -6 tracks x 5 songs, 1 lesson song, approximately 12,000 notes totalMetronomeAuto Harmonize (12 types) Arpeggiator (90 types)Rhythm / Song Bank ControllerMusical Information System (Backlit LCD) MIDI - GM level 1 compatibleBuilt-in speakers -12cm x 2, 3cm x 2 (amplifier -6W + 6W) Comes with song book, music stand, AC AdapterPortable use requires optional Batteries -D-size x 6 (alkaline) provide up to 4 hours continuous u

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Smokers Relight Deux (WAV, REX, Reason Refills) Review

Smokers Relight Deux (WAV, REX, Reason Refills)
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The first Smokers collection quickly became a user-standard, filling every inch of its product with usable, well-crafted loops and loads of deconstructed hits. All of the hype for Smokers 1 was for good reason.
No surprise that this sequel gets the same media treatment, much of it deserved. But a closer look at the collection exposes a slight flaw that keeps it from a 5-star rating: the beats are too much alike over too much of the disc. Sure, the drum SOUNDS are different, but the beats from folder to folder are mostly cut from the "Keep On Movin'"/Lisa Stansfield cloth. I'd have liked more variety in the rhythms themselves, more backbeats, more play. Some people would call this kind of one-beat regimen "working within the genre." Sure...if the genre is two songs deep.
That said, they compensate a great deal by offering "dropped" variations of the main beat (notice the singular) and more one shots than you can shake your hard drive at. if you like building your beats, this collection gives you some great fodder. It's a worthy addenudum to the original collection, if not quite the classic stand-alone that the previous incarnation was.
A final note: it's horrendously overpriced considering these flaws.


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The long awaited follow up to Smokers Delight is finally here!! 7 Gb on 2 DVD ROMS - Loads of weed smoking, velvet, souly, jazzy trippin, turntablebeats and samples.5000 24 Bit Loops & Samples in 3 formats; WAV, REX2 & a huge 2 Gb Reason REFILL.WAV SECTION (24 BIT) 5012 Loops & Samples in 80, 90 & 100 Bpm. Vinylstyle Break- beats, Hiphop Loops, Hh-Rim Dub Loops, Percussion Loops, Fender Jazz Bass Loops, Rhodes Piano Riffs & Chords, Turntable Fx & Music Loops. Flute, Tenor Sax & Trumpet Riffs, Electric Piano & Vinylstyle Music Chords, HipHop Drum & Fx samples.REX2 (Stylus RMX prepared) 1163 24 Bit Rex2 Loops & Multi-Rex Files. Breakbeats, MPC Hiphop Loops, Percussion Loops, Bass Loops,Rhodes Riffs & Chords, Fx & Turntable Music Loops. Multi-Rex Flute, Tenor Sax, Trumpet Riffs, RhodesPiano Chords, Vinylstyle Music Loops.REFILL (Reason 3.0) 4755 24 Bit Rex2, Multi-Rex & Wav Samples. Vinylstyle Breaks, Hiphop Drum Loops, Hh-Rim Dub Loops,Organ Beatbox Loops, Shaker, Conga & other Percussion Loops, Fender Jazz Bass Loops, Rhodes Riffs & Chords, Fx & Turntable Music Loops, Flute, Tenor Sax, Trumpet Riffs, Rhodes Piano Chords, VinylstyleMusic Loops, HipHop Drum, Fx & Percussion samples. Combinator, Redrum, NN-XT and Effect Patches.

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5/24/2012

Professional Wireless Microphone System For Camcorders - Lavaliere Review

Professional Wireless Microphone System For Camcorders - Lavaliere
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I used this wireless microphone system once.... Then it broke. I don't know how, but it would not work the second time I tried to use it. What a waste of money.

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The Nady 151 VR is a High band VHF camcorder wireless microphone system. The 151VR is an accessory that no video enthusiast should be without. This wireless microphone system for camcorders not only vastly improves the soundtrack of home videos, but it is convenient, easy to use, and remarkably affordable.The 151VR system comes with a pocket-sized receiver and belt clip, plus a choice of the Nady WHT-15 handheld or WLT-15 lavalier microphone transmitter. Both the receiver and microphone transmitters operate on a single 9V alkaline battery, with a transmitter battery life of 16-20 hours.The beauty of the 151VR is that it allows you to place the microphone where the action is. No longer reliant on the microphone in your camcorder, with the Nady wireless you can record clear, reliable sound as far away as 250 feet.Being able to place the microphone anywhere in the camcorder's field of vision means that your home videos are guaranteed to sound great, much like a professional production. Indoors and outdoors, the 151VR eliminates unwanted ambient noise from your recording, as well as extraneous sounds associated with the operation of your camcorder.The applications of the Nady 151VR wireless are many and varied: Parents can record their child's piano recital from the back of the auditorium and hear every note as it sounds onstage. Lecture presentations, awards ceremonies, etc., can have clear, professional sounding audio without distracting

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Novation Xio 25 2-Octave Synthesizer and Audio USB MIDI Controller 25-Key Keyboard Review

Novation Xio 25 2-Octave Synthesizer and Audio USB MIDI Controller 25-Key Keyboard
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I purchased the Xio Synth 25 because of its Midi controller capabilities and its onboard sounds. What also made me want to purchase this was the fact that it serves as a microphone interface with phantom power. I know I have not explored the full potential of this synthesizer with its editing features, etc, which is mainly due to me being new to synthesizers. I purchased Cubase Essentials 5, the Behringer UCA202 U-Control Audio Interface and the Behringer C-1 Studio Condenser Microphone to use with the Xio and everything works together great for my needs. The only downside I have personally experienced is that a few knobs have come off. There is one knob I don't remember ever being there and didn't realize it should have been a knob (you can still turn it) and another knob for a pan function came off. Looking at other reviews from other sites, this seems common. Overall, I would recommend it.
Edit 5-7-10:
I want to edit my review to add that my Xio no longer works well when using it as a midi controller. I don't understand why exactly, since the onboard sounds still play and sound well. When using it as a midi controller, I have to press the keys down hard just to trigger the sounds I am trying to play. Shortly after I purchased the Xio, I had purchased an M-Audio 61 Key midi controller, so that is what I primarily use for midi. I still use the Xio as a microphone interface and for its onboard sounds.

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Never before has a Novation synthesizer been so accessible! Stylish, compact, and affordable, the XioSynth offers a staggering amount of classic and cutting edge sounds, many from internationally acclaimed artists, along with a brand new X-Gator patch programmer and optional filter distortion. Furthermore, the XioSynth provides everything required for producing on the move, through its synth, audio interfacing, and MIDI controlling capabilities – all three in one keyboard.Includes Fantastic ‘Xpression' pad and pitch/mod joystick, both freely assignable in MIDI Controlling mode; allow 6 parameters to be tweaked at once!USB bus-powering is available, as well as optional battery (AA)/PSU operation, making the keyboard highly portable.

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5/23/2012

CAKEWALK Dimension Pro Virtual Synthesizer Win/Mac Review

CAKEWALK Dimension Pro Virtual Synthesizer Win/Mac
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I started with Dimension LE bundled with Cakewalk Home Studio 6 XL, but upgraded to Pro when they ran an upgrade deal. The more I use Dimension, the more I like it... it's now the primary synth in my virtual rack. Free upgrade sound packs and a software update are available on the Cakewalk web site, be sure to download. The grand piano is particularly striking, as are all the string patches in the Garritan Pocket Orchestra; very realistic sounding.
The manual is pretty weak in terms of describing how to create new sounds beyond the presets (there are whole books available on that topic), however the synth is capable of quite an array of sounds and includes a large number of built-in effects that can be chained together. The envelope generation editors allow envelopes to be applied to just about every facet of the sound module; thus using the included analog waveform samples (saw, square, etc.) you can actually make some pretty interesting analog synth-style sounds; check out some of the presets to see how this is done.
So right in the box you get a very nice sampler synth, that also can be programmed like an analog synth using raw waveform samples and the effects/oscillators, capable of stacking up to four samples at once each with separate envelopes and useful effects, that is even capable of firing MIDI sequences/loops as well, with MIDI controller/note mapping any of the settings in the patch... this is pretty much a "work horse" synth.
As a result I find I reach for Dimension as my first choice when adding a virutal synth. It's simply a great, versatile, all-round synth with a huge library of presets (counting the free downloads something like 8 _Gig_ of samples!) and an amazing amount of control to find that perfect sound. The user interface is indeed a bit daunting, so I would probably recommend getting one of the books available on Amazon if you want to dig deeper than the presets (of which counting the free addons must be around 2000 or so presets).
It may not be the perfect sampler synth, or the perfect analog-sound synth, or the perfect loop player... but it does a very decent job of all three of those with a high degree of controllability for the musician, so it's quite a nice "1-stop shop" once you get to know it.

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Dimension Pro combines real instruments with advanced synthesis. This two-DVD sound library has over 1500 sound programs, with tools that are ideal for preset addicts, while its deep editing and sound generation capabilities should appeal to sound designers. It offers n abundance of sounds that range from pristine realistic acoustic instruments, thumping basses, cutting leads, to complex, evolving atmospheres.Multi-stage effects sections and filters -insert and send effects for each part including -Bit reducer and Decimator 16 filter types; 5 tone drive modes; 3 stackable parametric EQs; 6 delay types; 3 chorus types; LFO filters; Autopan Room simulation and modulation effects Mix and layer up to 4 stereo parts per program Vector Mixer for real-time sound morphing - morph sounds by gliding between the different elements of a program Drag-and-drop MIDI into host applications for groove manipulation

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