History Of The Piano

5/23/2012

M-Audio Key Rig Virtual Instrument Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was skeptical about this software because of its price. I checked a lot of reviews and they all said the same thing: "It's worth a lot more than you will pay for it." I would definitely agree. I bought this software right before I had to go play for a week straight. As soon as I checked it, everyone was amazed about how it sounded! The piano's and rhodes and wurli's all sound top notch! My drummer, who has been playing piano for as long as drums, said if he turned his eyes away he would swear that I was playing a grand piano. The synth is also really good sounding and amazingly simple to use - its really easy to get the sound you want out of it. The B3 module is a gem! My friend owns native instrument's B4 software and that program is amazing, but this B3 module is right up with it. The sound is very pleasing to the ears....I would say any fan of B4 will love this module. Finally, the midi module is simple and sounds good. I didn't use it much because I was mostly doing pads, organ, or piano/wurli/rhodes. Overall this software is top notch, but with one complaint: the piano module isn't as loud as the other ones. This isn't a huge problem but can be annoying at times. I give it a 4 four that, but besides that it is an amazing software sound-wise and ease of use.

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Key Rig from M-Audio covers all the basic needs for today?s keyboardist in a single virtual rack. Compatible with most Mac and PC environments, Key Rig delivers four great sounding modules that can be used in stand-alone or plug-in mode. The SP-1 Stage Piano module serves up grand pianos, Wurlitzer, classic electric pianos, FM, clavinet and more. The MS-2 Polyphonic Synthesizer delivers a new, easy way to call up and edit great synth sounds. The MB-3 Electromagnetic Organ emulates the classic Hammond? sound complete with rotary speaker. And the GM-4 General MIDI Module is great for sequencing the rest of your backing tracks. The master MIDI/Mixer section lets you route, split, layer and mix these four powerful modules in whatever way best suits your performance and recording needs. A master effects section even allows for adding a common effect in addition to the individual effect section included with each instrument. Features:Four top-quality virtual sound modules: SP-1 Stage Piano; MS-2 Polyphonic Synthesizer; MB-3 Electromagnetic Organ; GM-4 General MIDIUse stand-alone or with a sequencerVariable velocity and controller settings, optimized for M-Audio keyboardsIndependent MIDI channelsIntegral mixerSplit and layer modules for performance combinationsDual effects processor for each moduleMaster effects section in addition to individual module effectsCompatible with most popular softwa...

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5/22/2012

Crown PZM30D Boundary Microphone Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The microphone performed as required.
I get a good sound from hanging it close to drums, piano.
The transient attack of the percussive hit will sell you on
the performance.

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This Crown PZM30D Boundary Microphone is a Pressure Zone Microphone designed for pro recording, sound reinforcement, and broadcasting. It has many applications, miking anything from full orchestras to individual instruments. Dual frequency response is switchable between rising (R) and flat (F). The R setting delivers the crisp attack needed for piano and percussion while the F setting offers smooth, flat, high-frequency response. With a frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz and a maximum SPL of 150dB it can handle just about any sound capture chore you throw at it.

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Full-Size 24-Note Polyphonic 61-Key Keyboard Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Although the higher-priced Casio wk-3000 has a good reputation, THIS keyboard (Casio CTK-593), I find is inferior to the Yamaha keyboard of the same price both in the sound and the way the notes resonate and the way the notes sound when played together or when you gradually move from one note to the other. I cannot find a sustain button onboard in case you don't have a sustain pedal. And there's no "portable grand” button like on the Yamaha. Instead, I have to manually push several buttons every time I turn it on to get the setting I want. However, when I was cleaning my Yamaha, I rubbed so hard (sideways) on the keys to clean them, 5 of them stopped working. So I will tolerate this Casio since it is touch sensitive and OK for learning. If I learn to play well however, I will upgrade to an 88 key weighted keyboard. I slightly prefer the touch of the keys of the Casio against the Yamaha because the Yamaha seemed to require a softer touch which made me feel totally odd on a real piano (once you‘re used to playing with a softer touch).

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24 note polyphonic, touch sensitive, 246 tones, 120 rhythms, 100 songs, general MIDI, backlit LCD display, 2 song memory, front mic input and volume for sing along key control, interactive grading systems with voice and display, pedal jack

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5/21/2012

Rubank Sacred Solos for Flute Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The book came swiftly, just how I expected it to come. It's at the level I want it to be... wonderful!

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A collection of standard, very playable sacred solos with piano accompaniment.

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Casio SP2-R Sustain Pedal Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This sustain pedal has a tendency to stick and make a loud clicking noice when you use it. Also the top of the pedal has deep grooves so if you try to use it with bare feet, its really uncomfortable.

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This optional sustain pedal will enhance your keyboard experience. A critical accessory for keyboard players. The pdeal works with the following models: CPS-7, CPS-85, CTK-481, CTK-491, CTK-495, CTK-531, CTK-541, CTK-591, CTK-611, CTK-620L, CTK-631, CTK-691, CTK-731, LK-55, LK-73, WK-1300, WK-1350, WK-1630, WK-3000 and WK-3500.
What's in the Box Sustain pedal

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5/20/2012

Yamaha PSR340 61-Note Touch-Sensitive Portable Electronic Keyboard Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased the PSR340 as a Christmas gift for my retired parents. They both have a history with full sized organs and piano's and they simply love the Yamaha keyboard. I was particularly pleased with Amazon.com's ordering process. I was promptly notified via email of the exact status of my order and received it right on schedule.
Yes, I was rather disappointed that Yamaha chose not to include the power supply but Amazon.com DOES in fact sell it.
Yamaha PA6 Power Adapter for Electronic Keyboards and Drums

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The Yamaha PSR340 portable keyboard features 61 full-sized keys and a floppy disk drive. No matter what styles of music you enjoy playing, this keyboard includes hundreds of sounds for you, including a stereo-sampled grand piano and a general MIDI voice set as well as 100 musical style accompaniments to back your performance. The built-in floppy disk drive allows you to play back MIDI song data in a variety of formats--including SMF 0 and 1, DOC, and Disklavier formats--and gives you the benefit of unlimited storage for your original musical compositions.
For the piano student, the Yamaha PSR-340 features the YES music tutor system and The Yamaha Education Suite, a collection of functions that make it easy for anyone to learn to play the keyboard. Yamaha's Chord Dictionary shows you how to play any chord as well as display the names of chords as you play on the LCD display. By programming chord changes into the EZ Chord memory, you'll be able to play back the proper chords with the press of any left-hand key.
One hundred panel voices, 128 general MIDI voices, and 10 drum kits give you a wide range of musical possibilities. You also control tuning, tempo, an array of digital effects, and volume levels. An easy-to-use six-track sequencer and three user song locations are provided for you to record performances or compose original songs. Both real-time and step-recording modes are available. The Yamaha PSR340 plugs into any standard outlet with a PA6 AC adapter or uses D batteries (neither included).

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Crown PZM-30D Pressure Zone Microphone Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)You may look at the picture of this microphone and wonder just how big it really is. Well, it's quite small, actually. The plate is made of metal and it seems quite sturdy. Performance is great for those who understand how to use this type of microphone. This type of microphone works best when placed on a rigid, flat surface. The pickup pattern seems to be 360 degrees so if you are hoping to buy a microphone that picks up "everything" then this would be a good choice. If you want a microphone that focuses on a specific subject while ignoring sound coming from other directions, then you might want to consider a shotgun-style microphone instead. This particular microphone takes an XLR cable and operates on phantom power from your mixer. I use it in a distance-learning classroom. This microphone is almost as good as the $1,500 "AudioScience" microphones.

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The PZM ® -30D is a Pressure Zone Microphone ® designed for professional recording, sound reinforcement and broadcasting. It has many applications, from miking full orchestras or individual musical instruments to security or teleconferencing. The PZM-30D has a switchable dual frequency response: rising (R) or flat (F). The "rising" position adds brilliance. This makes it useful wherever a crisp attack is desired, such as on percussion, drums, or piano. The user can get a bright sound without boosting high frequencies on the recording console; the result is lower noise. The "flat" position provides a smooth, flat, high-frequency response for natural sound reproduction. These sturdy microphones are especially reliable because they can be used with a rugged detachable cable. The output is a male 3-pin XLR-type, balanced and low impedance, which permits long cable runs without hum pickup or high-frequency loss. Like other Pressure Zone Microphones, the PZM-30D TM utilizes the Pressure Recording Process in which a miniature condenser microphone capsule is positioned very close to a sound-reflecting plate or boundary. The capsule is mounted in the "Pressure Zone" just above the boundary, a region where sound coming directly from the sound source combines in phase with sound reflected off the boundary. The benefits are a wide, smooth frequency response free of phase interference, excellent clarity and "reach," a hemispherical polar pattern, and uncolored off-axis response.

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