2015 marks the 50th anniversary of Peavey, a company known for high quality amplifiers at affordable prices. They also make much-loved basses and guitars (the T40 and T60 were popular when I was in high school, and I still a T20 fretless bass), as well as sound reinforcement equipment and other products, but amplifiers have always been their focus.
Late in 2013 Zivix announced PUC, wireless MIDI interface that allowed use of traditional music gear with iOS devices. The original PUC created a local WiFi network to handle the MIDI interface, now they’re back with PUC+ using Bluetooth Low Energy to more efficiently communicate while allowing simultaneous WiFi connections. They also announced jamstik+, bringing BTLE to their smart guitar!
After not subscribing for a while, my family has been thoroughly enjoying a renewed Spotify subscription these last few months. The constant stream of improvements since they first launched has made the service more valuable than ever. Now they have introduced a new feature – Touch Preview – that lets you quickly check out new songs without leaving your playlist.
Dan and Judie wrote about how the iRig Mic Field from IK Multimedia helped them cover NAIAS in Detroit as well as CES, and it illustrated another step in how far IK has evolved in their microphone offerings. Now IK Multimedia is announcing their next step with the iRig Mic Studio, an ultra-portable large-diaphragm mic for every platform.
Brian Fargo and inXile Entertainment had a great 2014 with the release of Wasteland 2. Now they are returning to the property that inspired their first game a decade ago, as they have announced officially that they are working on The Bard’s Tale IV. The last official entry in the series was all the way back in 1988!
I have already noted that IK Multimedia hinted at their full-on onslaught of Android music-making at NAMM, and they are delivering. They announced one of the key items this week – iRig UA, allowing users of nearly any Android device to plug in their guitar and make awesome music using a compatible app. Time for Android users to rock out!
While it seems like vintage gear, trendy tablet interfaces and more fringe stuff are dominating the news out of NAMM this year, a number of traditional music makers are also introducing the ‘boring’ stuff – great sounding gear with awesome features. One of those is Orange, who has announced the Orange OB1 series of rack-mountable bass amplifiers.
This year at NAMM 2015 we have seen the rebirth of the classic synthesizer brands Sequential Circuits and ARP, leaving only one brand remaining. So naturally Moog has come back as well, and they introduced redesigned versions of their absolute classic modular synthesizers the System 15, 35 and 55. These dynamic instruments are all about creativity.
Wow … just wow. Yesterday we heard about the resurrected ARP Odyssey from Korg, and today Dave Smith Instruments has brought back the venerable Sequential Circuits brand name to announce their new Prophet 6 analog synthesizer! Dave Smith is founder of Sequential Circuits and the legendary Prophet V, so he is well positioned to deliver the goods with Prophet 6!
This week at NAMM, legendary amplifier company introduced a bunch of great new stuff, including a surprise item – the Orange MusicBoard Interactive Whiteboard. Anyone with kids in school knows about electronic whiteboards, which allow you to project interactive content from a computer onto a screen. The MusicBoard seeks to revolutionize how music theory is taught to students!
I remember getting the chance to play with an ARP Odyssey in junior high, back in the mid-1970s – it was an awesome piece of music-making hardware! Released in 1972 to compete with the MiniMoog, the Odyssey was responsible for many of the classic synth sounds of the 1970s, and now Korg has announced the Korg ARP Odyssey Analog Synthesizer!
While at CES, Dan and I had a chance to check out some of the latest LG Appliances. Do you have a stainless fridge that collects fingerprints and isn’t efficiently laid out (like I do)? Then you will love their new Mega Capacity Double-Door In-Door Refrigerator. It’s laid out intelligently, and it doesn’t collect gross fingerprints!
Judie and I went straight from CES in Las Vegas to NAIAS in Detroit (Judie with GM and me with Ford) last week. By that point I was dog tired. I wanted to cover all of Ford’s news — and all the rest of course — but do so in the lightest way possible.
Last week I mentioned some of Dell’s exciting highlights from CES. I overlooked some more in-depth details specific to how the Latitude line-up has broadened its appeal and updated all of the systems in the product portfolio. The changes made impact the Latitude 13 7000 Series 2-in-1, Latitude 7000 Series, Latitude 5000 Series and Latitude 3000 Series.
Remember when phone handsets were all curved so that they would comfortably fit at your mouth and ear? LG does, and their new LG G Flex 2 not only offers this same comfortable ear and mouth curve, it’s also a fully loaded Android smartphone that feels great in hand. You can check out my video with LG’s Ethan Walsh here.
This weekend in football, we have conference championships that will decide who goes to the Super Bowl. These are all popular teams – New England, Indianapolis, Seattle and Green Bay – so you can be sure there’ll be plenty of gatherings either at bars or in people’s homes. If you’re planning a party – the Homegating app has you covered!
There was so much to see and do at the annual North American International Auto Show in Detroit this week. Press days precede the official opening of the show to the public which runs Jan. 17-25 this year. Automakers from around the globe bring their newest production cars, trucks, SUVs, CUVs, EVs and just about every other V(ehicle) in their arsenal.
Think you’re an elite Madden NFL 15 gamer? Duracell will start the “Duracell Longest Lasting Tournament” this Friday, January 16, which will be a 26-hour Madden NFL 15 video game marathon tournament where players battle to hold the longest win-streak until the end. This tournament will be powered by Duracell rechargeable batteries and hosted on Twitch.tv where anyone can watch.
Avenir means “future” in French, and that is what’s being showcased in the Buick Avenir Concept. No, this isn’t a model that you’ll necessarily be able to buy any time soon, but the technology and eye-catching design found in the Avenir will likely find their way into future or existing flagship models.
Dan and I were among the first to put down non-refundable $1000 deposits on the Elio last year, after we first saw the prototype at CES. Let’s just say that the barely functioning vehicle we sat in last year has come a long way! Dan and I couldn’t be more excited and happy about our upcoming new cars!
We’ve covered some of Goal Zero’s smaller hand-cranked solar devices, which are great in emergencies, but there are times when you need stronger power generation that can possibly even keep your fridge running! Goal Zero Yeti generators come in multiple sizes, and they can be left plugged in until needed — or they can be recharged from solar when TSHTF!