2/24/2012

Yamaha PSRE403KIT PSR-E403 61-KEY Midi Portable Grand Yamaha Keyboard With Survival Accessory Kit B Review

Yamaha PSRE403KIT PSR-E403 61-KEY Midi Portable Grand Yamaha Keyboard With Survival Accessory Kit B
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I don't know much about music, but after tinkering around with "Virtual Piano 2.0" I decided to give the real thing a try.
Browsing online I saw that there were literally dozens of different keyboards out there, many at affordable entry-level prices. So what made me pick this one?
PROS--
EXTRA FEATURES: Sure, you could buy a real basic model for less, but sooner or later you're going to wish you had a few extra sound effects and knobs to tweak. The Yamaha has a nice display with a blue back-light, which makes it easy to see which note you're playing.
SOUND: Plug in some Bose 2 Quiet Comfort headphones (worth every penny, believe me) and you can bang on your keyboard all you want without disturbing whoever is next door to you. The sounds and sound effects that this keyboard produces are really amazing, everything from pianos to church organs to brass, world sounds, guitars, choirs, drums and special effects.
NITPICKINGS--
SIZE: Call me naive, but I thought it would be a little bit smaller, like small enough to fit in a large footlocker. Not quite. Fortunately the box is pretty good if you toss in some extra foam when you ship it. I wouldn't really call this keyboard portable, though. As much as I'd like to bring it to work I'd consider it too much of a hassle and just leave it where it is.
EASE OF USE: The basic actions like playing the keyboard itself and selecting a "voice" to use is really straightforward. However, other actions like transferring data to and from the keyboard to your PC is still a puzzle to me (granted I haven't tinkered with this that much). And as I'm still a beginner, there are lots of functions I have no clue what they do or how to use them, which is good in a way, because that leaves you something to discover later on, giving your keyboard more "replay value".
CONS--
ACCESSORIES: About the only thing that might turn you off is the fact that you need to buy the power adapter, headphones, USB cables to plug into your PC and foot pedal all separately. Or you can just buy a Survival Kit (which comes with a foot pedal that didn't work, cheap Koss headphones, a CD and the all-important power adapter. So whatever the price of this keyboard, make sure you factor in all the accessories you, unfortunately, need to buy separately.
OVERALL--
As this is my first keyboard, I have nothing to compare it to, but I feel like I got my money's worth and I'd definitely say it's worth 4 stars out of 5.

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Line 6 MIDI Mobilizer Review

Line 6 MIDI Mobilizer
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Plugged-in it worked right out the package. Very cool to finally use a kybd with iphone app too.
I'd give it 5 stars.......but for one omission in the design - a big one imo.;
as I worked on file I wondered how the iphone battery was doing. The app I use is rather hard on power. That's when it occurred to me that there's no way to run this device except on battery power. It uses the same port. Never thought of that before.
One may think that an hour or so is plenty, but that aspect still needs to be noted here I think.
Not sure why line6 didn't add a usb port for power at bottom of device. Or power jack. Maybe they were concerned about hanging too much weight off the bottom of iphone/pad/pod? Whatever the reason, charge-up good before starting a bigger project. Or wait for the snythstation25 product. I believe that one has power at the docking jack. Apps will start appearing for it in the next couple months I've read.
Other than that, again, very cool.
Cheers.

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Together with an Apple iPhone or iPod touch, and the free MIDI Memo Recorder app, MIDI Mobilizer can play, record, and backup MIDI information any time, any place. Whether you want to capture a quick musical idea or back up the settings of all your MIDI gear, MIDI Mobilizer is the most simple and compact solution for everything MIDI. MIDI Mobilizer is compatible with all models of iPhone and iPod touch.

Go Mobile Stop dragging around your computer--bring the most portable MIDI system ever. Connect MIDI Mobilizer to an iPhone or iPod touch for the fastest, lightest and easiest way to manage all your sounds, sequences and other MIDI data. No more waiting for your computer to start up, and no more lugging it to gigs.

Bring Your Backups Easily backup and transfer all your MIDI parameters from Line 6 gear and more, and rescue yourself from dreaded on-stage equipment failures. With MIDI Mobilizer you can import your MIDI sound data into replacement keyboards, and classic and modern MIDI equipment.

Capture and E-Mail Ideas Inspiration is spontaneous, and MIDI Mobilizer can capture inspiration the moment it strikes. Just hook up the MIDI Out from any keyboard, and you can quickly record your idea. Connect the keyboard's MIDI In, and instantly play back what you just created. Or email it to yourself or a collaborator as a Standard MIDI File (SMF) which can be opened and edited within virtually any Mac or PC-based digital audio workstation.

MIDI Mobilizer makes it easy to e-mail MIDI files from you iPhone or iPod touch.


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2/23/2012

Gator GK88 Lightweight Keyboard Case on Wheels Review

Gator GK88 Lightweight Keyboard Case on Wheels
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An OK universal case with some drawbacks: It needs TWO handles rather than one in center--keyboards that fit this are too heavy for 1 handle. It does not have enough cushioning in the base where the wheels and back sleds drag over steps; There is not enough storage for pedals and chords. The back "sleds" are made so that they CATCH on stairs and door jambs when being rolled! Need some angle skids to fix this and another handle horizontally at the foot so a follower can help lift the unit when it is towed on wheels. Look for a different case.

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The Gator GK88 88 Note Lightweight Keyboard Case offers fantastic protection but is perfectly lightweight. The top and sides of this 88 note slim lightweight keyboard case are totally reinforced, and there are wheels and a pull-out handle for easy transport. Dual padded straps hold the keyboard in position, making this case perfect for the weekend warrior.

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Guitar Pro 6 Review

Guitar Pro 6
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Hey music lubbers. I wanted to write this review anyway but even more so that GP6 has received some tough criticism. Much of the dissatisfaction is from owners of previous versions of Guitar Pro. Since I'm new to the product I have a different perspective, one not colored by certain expectations. By the way, I'm also a software developer so I can add that to the equation as well.
From my "dual point-of-view" GP6 is both a great musical tool and a well-done piece of software. The slams it's gotten for being unresponsive, hard to use, buggy, etc. are a bit exaggerated. I believe those who have trouble with it don't have computers with the required firepower; it does ask for a fairly modern machine and it's not kidding! Though I've had it crash a few times, this is certainly no worse than Firefox; moreover, the program does very frequent updates that happen hemidemisemi-automatically.
It has a rich and satisfying palette of tools for painting your musical masterpiece. It has a plethora (oh yes El Guapo...a plethora!) of RSE2 instruments to fill up your canvas. Some of them sound great (fine oil paint), some are "good enough" (acrylics) and some are like throwing a crayon into the dryer (uh, don't try this!) Strangely, the best sounding ones are guitars and similar stringed instruments; oh wait, this is *Guitar* Pro, not Bassoon Hero!
I also love the effects/amps you can use to shade and enrich your tableau. They really make a dramatic difference to the sound, just as they do in the real world. You can try out effects you don't quite understand instead of "Daddy, what does a phaser do?" "Well son, it's used to kill Klingons." Yeah, dad's a trekkie, not a musician.
You probably already know that there are thousands of GP-based tab/chord downloads out there; unfortunately, it's hard to find sites that use the new .gpx format at this time. Regardless, GP6 can import all of its predecessor formats and others such as Power Tab. It also does a nice job with many ASCII tab files, which surprised me somewhat.
As nice as all of these features are, composition/playback is the heart of the package. Let's just keep it simple here. You can represent just about any musical notation and the scores are easy to manipulate. You'd likely go bonkers trying to figure out how many possible built-in scales there are, and what each term means; learn Latin and Italian if you really want to know what these are (c'mon, you really just wanna impress chicks--I know you!) The playback will let you set each track individually so you can use it for backing while you play...say...your bagpipes. And if you want to input via something other than a computer keyboard, voila, summon the useful (albeit slightly hokey) virtual fretboard/keyboard. Better yet, attach a MIDI piano/synth and do a live 'captcha'.
Anyway, you can find all of this out yourself, I'm just letting you know what I find impressive about Guitar Pro 6. Get a copy and let's all paint some great scores together!

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Guitar Pro 6, a Win/Mac hybrid, is the ultimate toolbox for the guitarist! It includes all the tools you need to improve, compose and accompany yourself on the guitar. This simple and intuitive multitrack tablature editor is specifically designed for guitar, bass or other stringed instruments.

Guitar Pro 6 features the newest in playback technology including RSE - Realistic Sound Engine. RSE gives you real time playback of your scores with realistic sound samples taken from high quality guitars and real time effects such as wah-wah. Advanced notation features add drum notation, vocal notation and tablature support for any stringed instruments with four to seven strings. The newest version, Guitar Pro 6.0, includes over 40 new features while improving on those that have made it the most popular guitar tablature editor available.

Known for its ease of use, Guitar Pro allows you to enter notes by using keyboard keys, mouse clicks on an on-screen fretboard or directly through a connected MIDI device, all in just a few minutes. This revolutionary software can handle up to 256 tracks and you can switch from tablature view to standard notation for viewing or editing scores. With automatically calculated rhythms, Guitar Pro works out the note durations for you, and when you play the score, the music scrolls along with you, rendering guitar-specific effects like bends and slides.

Also included in Guitar Pro are a digital guitar tuner, a chord diagram engine, and a scales tool. You can easily import and export MIDI and ASCII tab formats allowing Guitar Pro to be used with a limitless number of songs. Tens of thousands of Guitar Pro format files are available on the Internet. The WAVE Export allows you to convert a Guitar Pro file into an audio file which is playable without Guitar Pro and can be burned onto an audio CD.

With its ease-of-use, versatility and variety of tools, Guitar Pro will have you creating music in no time! Features:

Multitrack/monotrack display, horizontal or vertical scrolling, the screen display adjusts to your preferences and score types.
Chord Diagram editor allows you to easily add chord diagrams to your score. Ask for any chord in any tuning and Guitar Pro will show you every diagram possible.
Scales Tool allows you to view and listen to a large number of scales, from the most common to the most exotic.
Digital or MIDI Tuner allows you to tune your guitar for every tuning possible, from 4- to 7-strings.
Fretboard (or Keyboard) allows you to view and enter notes on the score. It is able to show the notes of the current beat, but also the notes for the next beat, the complete bar or the selected scale.
Metronome gives the tempo while playing a score or even without playing it.
Professional Quality Paper Printings can be monotrack or multitrack. This way you can print several views of the same score, perfect for a band.

New Features for Guitar Pro 6:

Over 50 pedal effects and numerous sound banks (guitar, bass, drums, piano, orchestral etc.)
A New MDI User Interface (including full screen mode)
Piano Grand Staff
Rhythm slash
Simile marks
Multi-rest
Concert tone
Parametric equalization on each track
Configurable tones
Tap tempo
Jazz fonts
Anacrusis

Guitarist Magazine: "Guitar Pro is an intelligent, simple, clear and precise tool … the standard of its field."

Guitar Part: "Complete and easy to use … for a very low price considering its possibilities…"

RIFF Magazine: "Guitar Pro is unquestionably the best that can be found in the field of tablature editing for the PC."


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2/22/2012

Kid's Accordion Review

Kid's Accordion
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I got this accordion for my 3 year old son as his Christmas gift. I think it was a bit too pricey for the quality of the product. The instrument was designed well and looks like a real instrument but moments after taking it out of its box one of the black keys came off..I glued it back on and it was fine after that. I think maybe it should cost less if they are going to use cheap materials. I would not recommend this item to a friend.

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For a novice aspiring accordionist. 17 piano style keys plus 8 bass buttons. (C Diatonic Scale). 8-1/2" x 9-1/4" x 4" (Ages 5-8)

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Yamaha YKT7500 Second Tier for Keyboard Stands Review

Yamaha YKT7500 Second Tier for Keyboard Stands
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Altough It is a yamaha product (which I believe is a very well positioned company), it is unstable after install it.

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Add depth to your music by mounting a second keyboard to the YKA7500 via the YKT7500 keyboard tier. With universal mounting attachments, this tilting tier mounts directly to the YKA7500 and other stands with round or square tubing. Inter-locking teeth allow the tier to tilt to any position without the fear of slipping. With a telescoping stabilizer bar, the width of the second tier adjusts as the width and height of the YKA7500 is adjusted.

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2/21/2012

Yamaha YPT210 61 Full-Sized Key Keyboard with 375 tones Review

Yamaha YPT210 61 Full-Sized Key Keyboard with 375 tones
Average Reviews:

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Untill few weeks back I was an absolute 'monkey with a piano', I decided to take some lessons and my teacher recommended me a Yamaha with a metronome. I grabbed this one from a local Circuit City and I've been quite pleased with it since then.
Pros:
- Nicely priced
- Keys feel good when pressed (doesn't feel like cheap plastic)
- Built in metronome (you need it if you are new to piano/keyboard)
- Decent display that can display the musical notations as you play along
- Great learning features with lots of inbuilt songs (keys are displayed on the screen as you play along - works at your speed and can be split into either right or left hand or both - nice way to learn)
- Around 370 built in voices
- 61 keys (enough to start practicing with)
- DVD included which tells about basics of this piano (features of this piano NOT how to play)
- Light weight if you want to carry it around
- Input for sustain pedal (need to buy it separately)
--Overall nicely designed with other features)
Cons:
- Doesn't sound like piano but then I'm just learning
- You cannot control loudness/softness, I mean in a piano if you strike a key softly the sound produced will be different from when you strike the same key hard (loud), in this Yamaha there is no such distinction, sound produced is always the same irrespective of the way key is pressed (this should not matter much to a beginners)
- Power adapter not included, you need to buy it separately
- Notes(music) for inbuilt songs are not included, it would have been very nice if you can have them - makes practicing easier.
Overall, this is a nice keyboard for beginners but as you practice along and you are serious about learning you will outlive its usability and may need to upgrade to higher model or a piano :-) .... but if are a beginner like me look no further.
Also, if you are serious about learning piano try this book:
'Alfred Basic Adult Piano Course Level 1" with CD.....great book for beginners.. good luck

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Portable Grand: One Press To an Amazing Stereo Grand Piano Voice You're never more than a button push away from the most realistic piano sound in portable keyboards today. One press of the Portable Grand button resets the entire keyboard to a stereo-sampled piano – perfect for when it's time to practice. Yamaha is known around the world for the quality of our acoustic pianos and this attention to detail is evident as you enjoy the warmth and clarity of the YPT-210 Portable Grand piano. And of course, the keyboard includes a Sustain Pedal jack on the back for practicing and playing piano pieces.Yamaha Education Suite' (Y.E.S.): Learn How To Play Now! The YPT-210 has 102 built-in songs for you to learn to play, using the Yamaha Education Suite. The songs are separated into left and right hand parts, providing 7 levels of lessons plus a convenient chord dictionary.Three keyboard lessons for each hand:Lesson One – LISTEN & LEARN the melody or rhythm of a selected songLesson Two – TIMING mode allows you to play the melody or chord by pressing any key using the correct timingLesson Three: WAITING mode stops the playback of a song until you find the correct note and then continuesLesson Grading – monitors your progress as you practice each lessons two and three and gives you a grade.Chord Dictionary – shows you how to play chords and tells you which chords you are playing by displaying the notes and chord name on the LCD screen.Sound Effect Kit: Have Some Fun! If your kid doesn't think playing keyboard is cool, wait 'til he hears this keyboard! Get the world of Hip Hop and all the hottest sound effects in your Yamaha keyboard. Push the Sound Effect button, hold down a key with your right hand, and you're groovin'!Computer Connectivity: General MIDI (GM) Compatible The music pathway to your computer and the Internet is MIDI. It's the way that keyboards communicate with computers. And because the YPT-210 is both General MIDI (GM) and XGlite compatible, you have access to thousands of MIDI song files on the Internet.Sound Quality: Real Stereo (Not Just 2 Speakers) Some keyboards have two speakers but aren't stereo. Don't be fooled. Just because a keyboard has two speakers doesn't mean that it's truly stereo with two separate amplifiers. All Yamaha Portable Keyboards feature stereo-sampling technology.32 Note Polyphony and 16 Part Multi Timbrel In electronic keyboards, the more sounds made at the same time – polyphony – the more memory is needed. Obviously, more is always better, because too little polyphony can cause dropouts in dense passages of music. Some keyboards at this price point have only 12-note polyphony. The YPT-210 has 32 notes of polyphony and will play back 16 different parts or sounds at once (16-part multi timbrel); enough for the most demanding needs.Auto Accompaniment Styles In addition to the 102 songs mentioned above, the YPT-210 also has auto accompaniment styles that "follow" your playing. Simply select a style of music from the 100 built-in Styles (example Rock), play a single note or chord on the left side of the keyboard and play your melody on the right side. The YPT-210 will create a backup band (bass, drums, strings, guitar etc.) and "follow" you through the song. You can play your songs and try different genres of music. It's both fun and entertaining.Voices The YPT-210 has a large selection of professional sounding Voices called XGlite. The result is amazing sound quality and 375 Voices for you to choose from, offering compatibility with both 3rd party and Yamaha XG software. Just some of the great sounds you'll find in this keyboard are trumpets, violins, electric pianos, harpsichord, organ, guitars and bass guitar.Connectivity The YPT-210 features MIDI In/Out, Sustain Pedal jack and a Headphone jack for private practice.

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