It has been nearly three years since I reviewed the recording Levin-Minnemann-Rudess, which I described as a “powerhouse onslaught of uncompromising instrumental joy”. It is one of those albums I ripped and added to my iTunes library and have listened to ever since.
Back in 2013 the power trio of Tony Levin, Marco Minnemann, & Jordan Rudess released a self-titled album that was a joyous romp for shred-loving musicians, but went much further and deeper. Now they are back with a new album called “From the Law Offices of LEVIN MINNEMANN RUDESS”, due out on July 15th and available for pre-order! In my review I described their first album as: “a powerhouse onslaught…
Spotify today announced a change to their family plans which expands the number of family members (up to 6) included for one monthly price of $14.99. This pricing change shouldn’t have been a surprise as Google Play and Apple Music have identical family offers.
Two years ago guitarist Mary Halvorson stepped back from her ever-expanding group projects and released an album called Thumbscrew with what I called a ‘trio of equals’. Now the group is back and ready to release their next album in a few weeks, called Convallaria. And from the preview track, it sounds great.
IK Multimedia has brought the symphony to your computer and given you full control. Miroslav Philharmonik 2 brings instruments played by the best musicians creating living, breathing samples. The new unique sound set brings feeling and emotion to an already great product. The number of instruments is staggering, and the sound quality is top-notch. Let’s take a look.
Do you have Amazon Prime? If you do, you probably take advantage of Prime videos, and certainly use the free shipping. But it seems like Prime Music tends to be the forgotten child of Amazon’s services, especially in the face of competitors like Spotify, Pandora, and Apple Music. But Prime Music is free with Prime subscription, and it’s rapidly improving!
Seems as if Kanye West is in full self-promotion mode for his never really finished album, “The Life of Pablo” which was released on Sunday through streaming service “Tidal“.
It has been more than five years since I wrote a post stepping through the Beatles musical catalog, which I wrote just before their music came to iTunes. Since then the Beatles music has been available for purchase, but not for streaming. Tonight at midnight that ends, as the entire Beatles catalog comes to streaming services!
IK Multimedia has been a mainstay of iOS music making from the very beginning, and on the vanguard of Android music making since the OS began offering capabilities to make it feasible. Now they are taking the next step with iRig UA, an audio interface that brings the classic iRig/AmpliTube combination to Android devices at last!
What do you do when you have numerous interviews with the surviving members of the Grateful Dead and have only published a small number of them? If you are musician and journalist Alan Paul, you pull the interviews together and publish them as an Amazon Kindle Single. The result? The eBook-only Reckoning: Conversations with the Grateful Dead by Alan Paul.
Last year Mark of the Unicorn announced Digital Performer 8 at NAMM in January but didn’t ship until late September. This year they have turned around the new version much more quickly-Digital Performer 9 is now available with loads of new and updated features to make this an essential upgrade for all owners!
It is hard for me to think that it has been nearly 37 years since I was first awed by the guitar playing of Allan Holdsworth on the album ‘Feels Good to Me’ by Bill Bruford. His style was first shown with Soft Machine, and now we get to see it develop as part of the legendary Switzerland 1974 recording!
IK Multimedia has many products that bridge the gap between work and play, putting the ‘fun’ in functional! iKlip Grip is the latest, a four-in-one accessory that is a selfie-stick but also SO much more! You can also use it as desktop tripod, monopod, or grip handle! Add Bluetooth shutter control and you have a great fun tool!
IK Multimedia ‘s AmpliTube has been the ultimate guitar amp simulator since it was released several years ago, and it just keeps getting better and better! Now they have announced an entirely new version–AmpliTube 4–featuring a computer-grade DSP system, new microphone options, expanded effect sequencing options, an updated look and more! And it’s a free upgrade for owners!
As I mentioned previously in this series on Car Audio, I test a lot of premium factory car stereo systems, and while I am impressed with the quality they achieve I have found they still cannot stand up to the sound quality of aftermarket components installed properly. If you are ready to upgrade that factory stereo system, read on.
Last fall I reviewed Marco Minnemann’s excellent solo album Eeps. I called it ‘musician’s music’, “that is technically insane and that you will listen to again and again to absorb the details of what they are playing and how they are putting it together”. Now he is back with Celebration out June 1st, and it sounds awesome so far!
In the first part of this series on Car Audio I discussed basic terminology and history of radios in the automobile. This part takes a look at the types of music sources, and the music itself, that we play in our vehicles. Regardless of what type of car stereo equipment you employ in your vehicle, it all begins with music.
For anyone who plays a guitar, when AmpliTube arrived with a built-in tuner it was a revelation. Suddenly you didn’t need a tuner – just your phone, which you already had! Then IK Multimedia introduced UltraTuner and things got even better. Now they have introduced UltraTuner for Apple Watch, and the convenience factor is through the roof!
Music in the mobile environment is more than just an accessory or option to drivers, and for many it is a necessity. Every new vehicle I test usually arrives with a premium audio system, and I love putting the stereo systems through their paces almost as much as the vehicles themselves. But car audio can be more, much more.
Even as I shift away from making music on iOS devices and back to my home studio, one thing remains: noodling around on my guitar using iRig and Amplitube. Since their introduction five years ago they have become ubiquitous tools for guitarists and bassists. Now that IK Multimedia has expanded their reach to Android devices even more musicians can benefit!
A year ago when I reviewed the previously unreleased album ‘S.O.S.’, I didn’t single out each player for their amazing contributions because the album was more about bringing together three amazing musicians for an even more amazing outcome. Now with the release of Mike Osborne’s earliest solo works as ‘Dawn’, we can single out his amazing contributions to jazz.
