Music

Apple Music Coming to Amazon Echo Devices on December 17th!

In our house, more music is played through our Amazon Echo devices than anywhere else. We use Amazon Music, but also Pandora, Slacker and Spotify … and pretty soon Apple Music! Today Amazon announced on its blog that starting December 17th you will be able to add a new skill to Alexa: the ability to play songs and playlists from Apple Music!




Soundcast VG5 All-Weather Bluetooth Speaker is a Tower of Power

If you’re looking for a Bluetooth speaker that brings the noise, you’ve got to check out the Soundcast VG5. It’s an all-weather speaker that packs a serious punch. With stunning features and performance, the VG5 is a fantastic choice for both outdoor and indoor dance parties. Available on Amazon for $449.99, the VG5’s performance is worth every penny.


Giving the Korg R3 Its Due

When I looked into adding a synthesizer to my sonic palette, it seemed like the obvious choice was the ubiquitous microKORG. The microKORG is one of the top-selling synthesizers of all time, and with good reason—it features a wide variety of sound and features in an inexpensive, easy-to-use package. It’s been used by everyone from the Killers to LCD Soundsystem to teenagers in their bedrooms. But as I was researching, I discovered a number of limitations that soured my desire for a microKORG. The arpeggiator was rather limited, there was no built-in reverb effect (and I needs my reverb), and I was…



Onelink’s Safe and Sound: The Smoke Alarm of the Future?

In the modern world, smart appliances fill homes to the brim. Artificial intelligence is a part of nearly every device now, making the average suburb almost sound futuristic. With everything else getting the science fiction treatment, from your refrigerator turning into a TV to your car self-parking into the driveway, safety devices can become smarter, too.


Pandora Updates New App with Siri Shortcuts and More

Pandora is one of the few apps that I first installed on my iPhone years ago that remains one of my favorites now in 2018. And with the release of iOS 12 on Monday, the app has been updated with great features that make it even more useful.


What I Learned Pressing My Own Record to Vinyl

I’ve been collecting vinyl records for around twelve years now. So as a musician myself, I’ve obviously always dreamed of putting my own music to wax. So when my band went into the studio to record our second album, we wanted to make that dream a reality.




The Complete Guide to Putting Together a Pedalboard

Few instruments are as versatile as the electric guitar. From the folksy licks of Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham to the two-handed tapping of prog metal outfit Scale the Summit to the otherworldy soundscapes of My Bloody Valentine, there’s almost nothing an electric guitar can’t do.



The Studebaker SB-450 Vinyl Record Cleaning System

I really like vinyl records. And I mean like, a lot. Most of my extra spending money goes to adding to my collection. I’m not typically a very organized person, but I have several spreadsheets cataloging my records, all sorted in different arrangements. I run a vinyl blog where I review every record I have in order. The only thing keeping me from starting a video review blog is all the headaches I expect from getting flagged on YouTube over copyright issues. But for all the talk of vinyl’s superiority as a medium, it has one weakness: dust.



Vinyl Care Mistakes You Might Be Making

Vinyl is back. For years, hipsters have ironically foretold the format’s return, but the numbers finally support it. 2017 marked the highest year for vinyl sales since 1991, and it shows no signs of slowing down. But vinyl is a delicate medium. And with so many new people hopping on the vinyl train, many people are inadvertently damaging their records.




SOLIS Debuts Impressive, Gorgeous Speakers

2017 was a big year for SOLIS, who debuted a number of attractive, connected, and stellar-sounding speakers.   From portable, smart Bluetooth speakers to gorgeous vacuum tube amplifiers, SOLIS has every audiophile covered. I had the pleasure of testing two of their offerings in my home and came away impressed. Read on to hear about the SO-3000 and the SO-8000.



The Yamaha DTX400K Electronic Drum Set Really Rocks!

We have many musical instruments at our house, but we have always lacked a drum set. My youngest son has begged to learn how to play, so when I had the chance to review the Yamaha DTX400K electronic drum set (MSRP $799), we jumped all over it. I was not sure what to expect, but this thing has blown us away.