Small Diaphragm Condenser Mic Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I own other Audio Technica products in my home studio and thats why I considered adding a new one to suit my needs. If you are looking for a small diaphragm cardioid condenser mic look no further. This little mic is superb!
Ive never had better captures of my acoustic guitar.
This mic is intended to record acoustic instruments like strings, piano, choral groups, brass instruments even drums.
Dont get fooled by its size this is a real monster.
As with any condenser mic this requires phantom power be sure your audio card, recording interface /mixer has it or else buy a mic preamp or a phantom power supply.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Small Diaphragm Condenser Mic

Get 52% OFF

Click here for more information about Small Diaphragm Condenser Mic

Read More...

Zoom H4n Handy Portable Digital Recorder Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)After having done a quick video test for the Kodak Zi8, I decided to do something which would focus more on its audio recording capabilities. I also wanted to test the Zoom H4n, a portable flash recorded I recently purchased... so, here I am, killing two birds with one stone.
I setup the Kodak Zi8 about 5 feet from the sound source, which is an upright piano... that's me noodling on it. The Zi8 is mounted on a tripod.
About 15 feet away from the piano, I've setup the Zoom H4n recorder. This unit has an XY stereo microphone built into it. It also has the ability to record two inputs, in the form of XLR or 1/4-inch. So, we'll be hearing the built in XY microphone on the unit as well as a pair of AKG 414s which I positioned above the piano, pointing into the open lid.
"Kodak Zi8 Internal Microphone"
Here we hear the internal microphone on the Zi8. Mono, a bit noisy and perhaps a little too close to the piano to capture a clean sound. In any case, this does the trick for capturing an idea, but definitely doesn't cut it if you're looking for high-quality audio.
"Zoom H4n XY Microphone"
Here the stereo image opens up suddenly. This XY microphone which is built into the unit is capturing a very natural, coincident stereo sound. It's a very reflective room, so you hear that, as the microphone is about 15 feet from the sound source.
"Zoom H4n Pair AKG 414s"
Here we're hearing the pair of AKG 414 microphones pointing into the piano. Because the microphones are very close to the sound source, there is significantly less "room" sound. This would be more suitable for a studio recording, while the XY sound would be more appropriate in perhaps a classical or field recording.
"Zoom H4n Mix of XY + 414s"
Here we have the best of both worlds. We have a blend of the direct signal from the 414s AND some of the room sound from the XY microphone. I believe this is the best overall option in most scenarios.
Finally we return to the Zi8 internal microphone to hear the major difference when using external audio equipment. At under $200, I believe the Zi8 does a great job capturing the visual and at under $300, the Zoom H4n does a remarkable job with the audio.
[...]

Click Here to see more reviews about: Zoom H4n Handy Portable Digital Recorder

Zoom H4n is the most sophisticated portable handheld recorder with new features and improved user experience at every level. Among its many new features, Zoom's H4n offers superior, built-in X/Y stereo condenser mics that allow variable recording patterns at either 90 or 120. Higher quality audio capture through its new, digitally controlled, high-quality mic preamp, the ability to use internal and external mics simultaneously for 4 channel recording, a large LCD screen,more intuitive interface and onboard reference speaker will take the user's recording experience to the next level.The H4n's onboard X/Y stereo condenser mics are arranged with the right and left mics on the same axis. This design ensures that the mics are always equidistant from the sound source for perfect localization with no phase shifting. Frequency response remains uniform throughout your recording. The result is great stereo recording with natural depth and accurate imaging every time.The mics also adjust for variable recording patterns at either 90 or 120. Our unique design lets you rotate each mic capsule from 90 (standard) to 120 (wide-angle) stereo for the ultimate versatility in any recording situation.Everyone knows that proper miking is essential to making a great recording. The H4n is the only handheld recorder that allows you to record on four channels simultaneously by using its onboard mics with either external mics or direct inputs. You can then use its built-in mixer to blend the channels for perfectly balanced recordings. Now your recordings can be richer than ever before. Or, to get a great recording of a live performance, use the H4n's onboard mics to get a room mix while simultaneously recording a stereo mix from the mixing board for a live recording that is easily one of the best you've ever heard.

Get 52% OFF

Click here for more information about Zoom H4n Handy Portable Digital Recorder

Read More...

M-Audio Keyrig 25 25-note Synth-Action Keyboard and Midi Controller Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I had the item for a couple of months and never tried out the program Ableton Live Lite, because I heard the keyboard was the perfect companion for GarageBand. Even though that is true, it will work with just about any music production software, including the Ableton Live, which I started using, and so far it looks really promising. This is so much better than using the keyboard, I have to say. And the size and weight of it make it very convenient to use. You also can't beat the price. Sometime in the future, I hope to get an APC40 to go along with an upgraded version of Live 8 for my music production needs. Hope this helps.

Click Here to see more reviews about: M-Audio Keyrig 25 25-note Synth-Action Keyboard and Midi Controller

The M-Audio KeyRig 25 turns your Mac or PC into a mobile keyboard workstation. Featuring a compact 25-note USB MIDI keyboard and the award-winning Key Rig software for the PC, KeyRig 25 makes it easy to compose and perform computer-based music anywhere you want. Play Key Rig's virtual instrument sounds, or audition loops and compose songs with Pro Tools M-Powered, Ableton Live Lite (included) or other music-creation programs. The keyboard also provides an easy way to harness the power of Apple GarageBand's virtual instrument collection on your Mac. It connects via a single USB cable and works instantly with computers running Windows XP or Mac OS X.

It's All There In Black and White The SP-1 Stage Piano module serves up grand pianos, Wurlitzer, classic electric pianos, FM, clavinet and more. Each preset can hold a combination of two instruments with individual settings for Mix, Octave, Detune, Velocity and Tone. Owing to a dual effects section, each preset also has its own effect settings including delay, chorus, phaser and more.
Brave New Synth The MS-2 Polyphonic Synthesizer delivers a new, easy way to call up and edit great synth sounds. Each preset consists of sub-presets for each major section: filter, amp, mod and FX. Creating new sounds is as simple as combining these sub-presets in different ways and tweaking any associated parameters from there as desired.
Get Organized The MB-3 Tone Wheel Organ authentically emulates the classic Hammond sound complete with rotary speaker. Standard features include nine drawbars that are pre-mapped to M-Audio brand USB MIDI controllers, percussion and variable key click, three chorus and three vibrato settings. Rotary speaker emulation includes tube overdrive, speed and tone controls to yield everything from glassy jazz chords to smoking rock leads.
Bring In The Band The GM-4 General MIDI Module delivers 128 GM instruments plus a great GM drum kit. It instantly plays GM-compatible standard MIDI files from host applications and provides an extremely easy way of sequencing additional backing tracks.
Multiple Effects Key Rig modules each feature their own dual effects processors for delay, chorus, phaser and more.There's also a master effects section that further processes the combined output of all modules.
Flexible Mixing and Assignment You get an internal mixer and assignment controls that allow you configure independent MIDI channels for each module. But that's not all... you can easily create splits and layers for things like left-hand bass with right-hand keys, piano/string layers and any other combination you can think of.
Use It Your Way M-Audio's virtual racks let you use them as stand-alone instruments or with most host sequencers. Lots of people, for example, are just taking their keyboard and laptop to live performances. Compatibility with AU, VST and RTAS also means that you can use it as sound sources for your tracks in Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase, Ableton Live, and, well, pretty much any popular music software.
What's in the Box KeyRig 25 Controller Keyboard, USB Cable, KeyRig Software, Ableton Live Lite Software

Click here for more information about M-Audio Keyrig 25 25-note Synth-Action Keyboard and Midi Controller

Read More...

Yamaha DVDMOTIFXS Motif XS Series DVD Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I would recommend this DVD if you just bought the MOTIF XS without owning or playing the older model (ES).
It is arguable that everything in this DVD is in the manual. Technically, that it is true. However, this DVD approaches the concept from another prospective and sometimes it helps to look at the concept from different angles. I think both DVD and the manual compliment one another.
After you watch this DVD, you should visit motifator.com There you will find more documents for advance usages as well as the forum. Yamaha personnel also frequent in the forum and are extremely helpful.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha DVDMOTIFXS Motif XS Series DVD

Get 17% OFF

Click here for more information about Yamaha DVDMOTIFXS Motif XS Series DVD

Read More...

Mika - Life in Cartoon Motion - Piano/Vocal/Guitar Artist Songbook Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)i couldn't wait to get this piano book. wheni got it, i loved it and ate up every bit of it. i just wish that it focused more on the piano chords than on the vocal parts, but i can work around that. :) i highly recommend this to anyone who loves mika.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Mika - Life in Cartoon Motion - Piano/Vocal/Guitar Artist Songbook

Get 2% OFF

Click here for more information about Mika - Life in Cartoon Motion - Piano/Vocal/Guitar Artist Songbook

Read More...

Blue Man Group Keyboard Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I own 3 of these keyboards and they are the greatest electronic musical instruments I have ever come across. There are preprogrammed tunes to play with. You just wave your hands over the tubes and different instruments chime in. You can also control the tempo and volume by waving your hands over the tubes...almost like an orchestra conductor. There's a hookup for your ipod or mp3 player that you can play the music through this instrument and the speakers are great. You can use the keyboard to play tunes that you know and change the instruments from piano to trumpet,drum, organ, guitar, tuba,etc. WooHoo! I love them and so do my grandkids.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Blue Man Group Keyboard

Click here for more information about Blue Man Group Keyboard

Read More...

Yamaha QY100 Music Sequencer Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is the best drum machine out there, because it's the only one I could find that allows you to substitute any yamaha keyboard sound for a drum. In other words, instead of the limit sounds you get from other drum machines (snares, kicks, symbols, and maybe bass), you get EVERY sound with this thing. So what you can do with this thing is take, for example, the kick on any preset drum loop this thing has, and replace that kick with a trumpet or guitar or strings. And obviously with such an awesome feature like that, it would be important to be able to set the "key" for those other instruments, which this thing does better than any other with its built-in miniature keyboard (look at the photos to see, it has a two octave keyboard of white and block keys) which you can use to "record" the key changes of your sequence. So you take, for example, a preset sequence/loop and you hit "record" and you begin to play along with the keys, and it records that as a song. You can then play back that song in any tempo, and it's like you got a whole band accompanying you. And more than this, this thing has a full-feature synth so you can edit every sound, make it dull, make it echo, add any effect, adjust the equalization of any sound, resonance, cut-off certain frequencies, etc. The only thing I wish this thing would do is light-up better in the dark. It can be hard to see in the dark. I had to use a book-reading light to see it in some live settings.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha QY100 Music Sequencer

Get 13% OFF

Click here for more information about Yamaha QY100 Music Sequencer

Read More...

iLife '11 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'm not sure how to review this: some people could potentially be buying this to upgrade a very old version of iLife. If I review this as a standalone piece of software, it's fantastic and quite a value. For less than $50 you get a world class digital music studio, one of the best photo organizing programs, and a remarkably capable video editing package. (Oh, and passable web editing and DVD authoring programs, but nobody cares much about those, least of all Apple.) Easily five stars.
However, if I judge this as an upgrade from iLife '09, it's extremely weak. Here's what you get of any substance: the ability to better edit audio in iMovie, slightly better full screen modes in iPhoto, really impressive time warping facilities in Garage Band to fix timing, and some very nice guitar and piano lessons which actually show you where you making mistakes. All great features, to be sure. But are these worth $50 if you have '09? Probably not.
The frustrating thing is that the most major feature in this upgrade is just plain silly: they added the ability to make cutesy little fake "trailers" in iMovie. This is apparently their big innovation. You can now replace your boring home movies with one of eight or so two minute jokes that I guarantee you will get old very quickly. Very quickly. They also added a fake news program theme, and a fake sports theme. All very gaudy and over-the-top, even for iMovie standards. And not at all useful beyond just playing with them once.
It's pretty clear that Apple's focus has shifted away from Mac OS X and iLife and on to the greener pastures of iOS: the iPad and iPhone. In fact, from now on we'll likely see features come first to their consumer devices, and then later to their desktop computers. I'm afraid the days of getting truly major updates to iLife every two years is a thing of the past.
So, as an upgrade from '09, I give this one or two stars at best. If you're upgrading from '09, I hope I've saved you some money. Otherwise, this is a great software package, easily five stars, just not much of an improvement from what you could get two years ago. As such, I'll split the difference and give the package three stars.

Click Here to see more reviews about: iLife '11


iLife '11 helps you do more with photos, movies, and music than you ever thought possible. In iPhoto, you can browse, edit, and share your photos in stunning new full-screen views. Create epic Hollywood-style movie trailers from your home video in iMovie. And GarageBand gives you everything you need to make a great-sounding song—including tools for keeping your song in perfect rhythm and guitar and piano lessons.


The incredible new iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand.

Get 25% OFF

Click here for more information about iLife '11

Read More...

Casio LK-55 61 Key Lighted Keyboard Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I don't give out five stars lightly, but the LK-55 is simply outstanding! I've owned an older casio for years but never really learned to play. I asked for a lighted-key keyboard for Xmas because I thought it would help me learn, and it already has!
I admit I am musically challenged, I can't really read music, and the correct fingering gets me confused. This keyboard transcends all that. The next note is lighted (as in all lighted-key keyboards), but it also has right AND left hand icons indicating the fingering. And if you can't look at all that at once, just push a button and a voice indicates the correct finger ("one", "two", "three", ...). It has 3 different learn-to-play modes. You can read the play mode descriptions in the docs, but suffice it to say that this tough critic really likes casio's implementation.
I had previously, with much discipline, over a long period of time, learned a few bars of Bach's "Jesus Bleibet Meine Freude" (Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring). It is a beautiful song, and I was thrilled to learn a little of it. This keyboard made it easy. I didn't need to find the score, pick out the keys, put A-B-C stickers on the keys, memorize bars, find a recording to compare against, or determine the correct fingering (which I never got right before).
Oh, I almost forgot, it has a microphone and it is great for sing alongs (even if you only use the built in songs like a juke box). It has my wife's favorite song (over the rainbow), popular kid songs, holiday songs, and all the folk & classical songs I currently wish to learn.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Casio LK-55 61 Key Lighted Keyboard

Click here for more information about Casio LK-55 61 Key Lighted Keyboard

Read More...

K & M Table-style Digital Piano Stand Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am really pleased with this piano stand. It was easy to put together (took 5 minutes or less) and is very solid. It is adjustable. Looks good.

Click Here to see more reviews about: K & M Table-style Digital Piano Stand

Get 30% OFF

Click here for more information about K & M Table-style Digital Piano Stand

Read More...

Yamaha S70XS Synthesizer, 76-Note Balanced Hammer-Weighted Action Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The s70xs and the s90xs are the same internally so what I write here applies to both.
I own this keyboard (s70xs). The much vaunted s6 piano sound suffers from awful harmonics on the C#1, D1 and D#1 keys. My previous keyboard (EX7) sounded fine through my Roland KC350 keyboard amp. The harmonics on these keys when played through the same amp sound terrible, totally unusable in a live situation in my opinion. Through headphones it sounds 'OK', not great but more bearable.
The piano sounds also sound dull and muffled in my (and many others) opinion.
It also drops notes like crazy when played reasonably fast, even with a single voice like a piano selected. It also drops drum hits as well if you have a drum track playing in the same situation. I don't think this is a polyphony issue, it simply does not work as it should (others have reported the same issue). Again, this makes is unusable in a live situation. It's not so great just playing at home either!
Small screen size is not that much of an issue but they way some information is not displayed when it would make sense to do so makes some aspects of using it more time consuming than it needs to be but otherwise it is usable.
Manuals are typical Yamaha which means pretty terrible as far as actually trying to use them to do anything 'real' but I suspect that issue is not limited to this keyboard, my EX7 manuals are just as bad.
Cannot use a modified voice in a performance without saving it first. Makes it harder to just 'try out' different settings in a mix.
Other than that the keyboard is great so it's a shame that the above issues with the harmonics and dropped notes make what should be a great keyboard into something that should be avoided.
My recommendation. Do not buy this keyboard.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha S70XS Synthesizer, 76-Note Balanced Hammer-Weighted Action

Get 38% OFF

Click here for more information about Yamaha S70XS Synthesizer, 76-Note Balanced Hammer-Weighted Action

Read More...

Ivory II: Italian Grand Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I just received my copy of Ivory's Italian Grand II and I am very impressed with the sound and sensitivity of this instrument. I also own Ivory Grands and my favorite among those (Bosendorfer, Steinway, Yamaha) is the Steinway. My setup is Mac-based. I have a Mac Pro set up with a striped RAID array for video and Ivory pianos and I use an EMU 404 USB for the MIDI input. I use Bose headphones for playback.
The Italian Grand II blew me away. I will be spending many hours recording on this piano. The sound is magnificent. I have been waiting for 15 years for the technology to get this good. I am not sure if I will get better results from my 7ft 6inch Kawai grand but I will have fun comparing them. If you enjoy playing piano and you have a decent computer setup (external firewire 800 drive or eSATA or RAID array, 2GB RAM (or more) and dual processors) and MIDI keyboard, this product is a no-brainer. You're going to have fun - I guarantee it!
Rumor is that this is a Fazioli and I would not be surprised. I played a Fazioli once in a store and it is exquisite. This makes you want to take out all your music out and settle in for the day! Fantasic value!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Ivory II: Italian Grand

Click here for more information about Ivory II: Italian Grand

Read More...

Yamaha SK88 Survival Kit for 88-Key YPG Series Keyboards Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I thought, "Three year extended warranty? Keyboard Cover?" This sounds great, especially at the discounted price.
I imagined a cover that would cover the "keyboard", the keyboard being the entire YPG-635. I've submitted some user photography to show you what it actually covers, and I see that the user images are already accepted and in the description. The word "Keyboard" has multiple meanings when you talk about an item like this. The whole thing is a keyboard. And the electric piano has a keyboard, the area which the keys are in. In other words, the keyboard has a keyboard. I imagined a keyboard cover that covered the first keyboard.
But then I got the box and opened it, and it seems that what they are covering is the second keyboard, the keyboard part of the keyboard. (Whew!) It is a nice heavy felt cover and it might lay flat after a few weeks. Right now it is a wrinkled felt cover. I have no idea how it would stand up to ironing. Since the edges are pinked (again, see photo) rather than whipstitched or beaded I'm scared to wash or iron or handle it much beyond laying it out and picking it up.
But the most important particular that the product description is wrong in is that the extended warranty only adds one year to the original one year factory warranty for a total of two years. The package insert is very clear about how long my new warranty is and it disagrees with what the item description in Amazon says.
I have yet to look at the DVD that came with it or to use the PC software. If and when I do, I'll publish an addendum to this review. I felt that accurately describing the cover and the length of the warranty would help the most people and that an accurate description was needed quickly. The downgrade to two stars was because of the quality of the cover and the incorrect or ambiguious description. It would have gotten three stars if the description was correct and clear. And, this would further be adjusted by the usefulness of the DVD and software, which I have not yet evaluated.
Were the felt cover of better quality (that is, if it had a beaded edge and if it sat flat) I would be starting this review at 4-5 stars.
OK, I've had time to look at the disks. The DVD that shows you how to use the various features of the keyboard is excellent. The disk of software is pretty much junk. There are 2 lite versions, neither of which run on my Vista system, and some demo versions, none of which I cared about. This is the sort of stuff you can download from web sites for free. I know what a midi device is, and so the short featurette on how to hook up your keyboard didn't mean anything to me - and as far as I can tell, all of the YPG series keyboards use USB hookups, so the extra stuff on usb-Midi adapters just distracted from what you'd need in a SK88 Survival Kit.
I will point out that the Yamaha web site also claimed that the warranty was extended for two years, so if this information was copied from that web site, it disagrees with the contents of the box.
In any case, my 2 star review stands. The cover is still not sitting flat - it looks worse than it did in the photos.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha SK88 Survival Kit for 88-Key YPG Series Keyboards

Get 30% OFF

Click here for more information about Yamaha SK88 Survival Kit for 88-Key YPG Series Keyboards

Read More...

Music Maker 17 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I just bought this,and I have to admit that it is absolutely terrible. For one,the technical support sucks.
You have to pay just to get help with any of their products. This software isn't like Magix music maker 15 and 16. This one is more geared towards "MIDI" and everything else,but not actual recordings.When you try recording (like guitar for example) the tracks just erase each other,and you have to everything manually. Unlike Magix music maker 15,each time you would record it would record on a new track and it would ask you if you wanted to keep that take or not. This one is just so dumbed down,I hate it.
I hate this software and I completely regret buying it. I cant even record anything. Don't buy this.If your serious about your music,buy something else.This is a joke.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Music Maker 17

Music Maker 17 will put you in the composer's shoes and provide you with all the tools you need to create your own songs fromscratch. Plus, being your own artist will allow you to decide whether you want to stick to conventional musical genres, suchas Rap, R'n'B, pop, or classical music or take the plunge and develop your own--no musical training required! With over 1,500sound loops and an extensive number of virtual instruments at hand, Music Maker 17 will help you to complete your masterpiecein an instant.

Get 19% OFF

Click here for more information about Music Maker 17

Read More...

Yamaha PA130 AC Adapter Power Supply Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have a PSR-195 that had a busted adapter that was no longer available on the Yamaha website. I read that this adapter would be compatible for that older adapter, ordered it on a whim, and was happy to find that not only did it work perfectly--it also was smaller than the older plug and used up less energy. :3 Can't beat that. Still, I reinforced the head of the plug with duct tape to reduce any chances of stripping--which was the reason I had to throw out the last adapter. I'm glad I bought this--it saved me from losing my trusted keyboard!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha PA130 AC Adapter Power Supply

Get 30% OFF

Click here for more information about Yamaha PA130 AC Adapter Power Supply

Read More...

Guitar Pro 6 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)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!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Guitar Pro 6

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."

Get 16% OFF

Click here for more information about Guitar Pro 6

Read More...

Alfred 00-26191 21 Selected Piano Works Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The beauty of this one [with its CD] and let me quote from the section entitled "About This Edition" on page 7, "The object of this edition has been to supply a completely reliable text that clearly reflects Liszt's original indications, yet which gives the less experienced performer careful and relatively complete directions for execution." That about says it all in the 21 selected piano works of Franz Liszt where even Liszt's recommended fingerings are rendered together with those of the editor.
So too, and in passing, there was only one available from Amazon vendor Sam Ash company and while the shipping was a bit more and I did have to pay tax since the company is located in my own state, it was well worth the extra few dollars since I received it on a Saturday via FedEx expedited delivery and the packing was excellent which I generally fret about when there are attached CD's or DVD's or in this particular case a single CD containing all 21 pieces . Each piece has a separate albeit succinct write-up and in some cases a reproduction of Liszt's original autograph of the piece is available for review including the 'why' or motivation for the piece itself.
What's that? That's easy! Page 28, to wit, "Liebeslied: Widmung" which ironically [but understandably] is listed as the "easier version" which in reality only differentiates the piece from the "more difficult concert version" [sic]. I personally find the "easier version" quite enough of a challenge to do both correctly and even as the notation for the "easier version" says, "Liszt's consistent alignment of the notes in the opposite manuscript [on the facing page] indicates clearly how the two-against-three rhythms should be played" but I like the rest of that sentence where it goes on to say, " ... this accommodation has much to recommend, although a final decision must be left to the performer."
96 pages in all and part of the Alfred "Masterwork Edition" edited by Joseph Banowetz. Sort of a grace-note here but I've often received the tongue-in-cheek remark [via my reviews where Dr. Alan Walker is involved and his many tomes on Liszt] as being an ad hoc 'PR man' for Doc Walker but, hey, Dr. Walker doesn't need any 'additional' hurrahs from me so let the editor of this present work speak in his section on "Suggestions for Further Reading" and lo and behold, there is the name, inter alia, Alan Walker! And the present editor says, "It would be difficult to over-praise Walker's magnificent three volume biography of Liszt. This set is absolutely essential for all those interested in Liszt as both the man and the artist. Walker has researched what will undoubtedly remain the definitive study of Liszt for generations of musicians." [sic].
My sentiments exactly! And not to mention in addition to the 3 volumes, the 2005 "Reflections on Liszt" with what I term the 'capstone' of the Liszt biographical trilogy and the book editing on the quite revealing Lina Schmalhausen and Carl Lachmund diaries and various others edited and annotated by Dr. Walker. As I said in other reviews dealing with Franz Liszt and Dr. Walker's input, the 'consensus', world version, of view as to his research output and/or editing [with assessments therein] excellence. Kudos likewise to the editor Joseph Banowetz for the present work!
Doc Tony

Click Here to see more reviews about: Alfred 00-26191 21 Selected Piano Works

Get 26% OFF

Click here for more information about Alfred 00-26191 21 Selected Piano Works

Read More...