While there is no denying how huge Toto IV was for my generation when it came out in 1982, having my kids ask me to add it back to our iTunes library after a recent mass purge confirmed just how huge and relevant it remains for the current generation. The group is preparing their first new album in a decade!
I admit, as much as I love my 7 year old Prius, I get a little jealous hearing about the amazing ways smartphones are being integrated with newer cars. Satechi clearly feels my pain, and they’ve come up with a much more cost effective solution than a brand new car in their newly announced BT Button Series.
Watching my son deal with audio recording issues as he completed his portfolio film project for film school applications (in at NYU, yay!), I got a new appreciation of the value of a quality microphone for even the most seemingly simple applications. The iPhone is great for capturing video, but the addition of the iRig Mic Field makes it better!
Let’s be honest – I have been harshly critical of Android as a non-functional platform for making music. And while Android as a whole isn’t suddenly becoming a viable music platform, the programming hooks for low-latency audio are finally being fully exploited by developers! At NAMM later this month IK Multimedia will be demonstrating zero latency audio apps for Android.
I found a stack of old CDs in our attic a few weeks ago, and I was enjoying the nostalgia of listening to mix CDs I made 10-15 years ago. But as I’ve gone through the various tracks, I noticed a disturbing trend; many of the social issues being addressed in this CDs are still issues a decade later.
IK Multimedia has had a great 2014, starting with the iRig Keys Pro, then the iRig Voice, iRing, iRig Pro and more. Now they are closing out the year by jumping into the pad controller ring with iRig Pads, a fully MIDI compliant controller for iOS and the Mac with multiple connectivity options and controller configurations.
In 1962 Sonny Rollins created what remains my favorite album of his – The Bridge, with a quartet featuring guitarist Jim Hall. The interplay of guitar and saxophone on top of bass and drums has continued to fascinate me for the last 30+ years, and is one of the reasons I find the new Mary Halvorson project ‘Reverse Blue’ fascinating.
Back in 2010, I reviewed Jason Parker’s ‘No More, No Less’ declaring it “a recording that is filled with great tunes, wonderful improvisation, and insightful interplay from start to finish.”. His Nick Drake tribute was one of my top 2011 albums, and now the Jason Parker Quartet is back with an album of compositions by local Seattle composers.
Greg Ward is one of my favorite young artists, and has been featured here in my ‘Best of 2011’ with his ‘Phonic Juggernaut’ release and in my ‘Best of 2012’ with ‘Living By Lanterns’. His group ‘Fitted Shards’ released the acclaimed ‘South Side Story’ in 2010, and now has a Kickstarter campaign to help fund a new album. So why do I think you should check out and help fund this campaign? Some background … Here is what I said about Greg Ward’s Phonic Juggernaut: I found out about Greg Ward because I loved his stuff on Sam Tracpchak’s album,then…
Shure’s SRH145 Portable Headphones are a very nice offer into the collapsible headphone arena. The sound quality is very good and the headphones are totally attractive. I took them on a business trip to Chicago with me and was able to truly test how portable these cans are. Shure’s SRH145 Portable Headphones retail for $39.00.
When I was a kid, learning guitar meant finding a local teacher and getting weekly lessons – which is still the most popular method. More recently you can buy DVDs and watch YouTube instructions to help you along. And now Apollo-M introduces subscription music instruction which they describe as ‘Netflix for music learning’, giving you a la carte lesson access!
At the top of my ‘criticism of Android’ list for literally four years now is the abysmal audio support, leading Android music apps to be at best toys while iOS supports full studio production and mastering tools. Android isn’t there yet, but Samsung has led with audio support and IK Multimedia is taking full advantage with AmpliTube and iRig HD-A!
Dodge, the performance brand at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. As part of the festivities they threw themselves (and 2,000 of their closest friends and fans) a little party in Dallas that featured a huge Dodge and Mopar car show, Viper drifting, Challenger drag racing and a concert by a little band called Mötley Crüe.
It didn’t really occur to me when I reviewed Levin-Minnemann-Rudess, but Marco Minnemann was the brilliant drummer behind Trey Gunn’s Modulator – both of which are important for this review. Now he is back with ‘Eeps’, a solo effort in the truest sense of the term – playing all of the instruments and writing the songs, he delivers a breathtaking experience.
I will never forget the moment I popped my first Sleater-Kinney CD into my stereo and heard the opening chords of “Dig Me Out”. From that sound forward my musical tastes were fixed in a specific hierarchy: Sleater-Kinney, and everyone else a distant second. I was heartbroken when they disbanded in 2006, but today they’ve announced a surprise reunion and album!
IK Multimedia has their hands in all areas of music creation technology, so it is no surprise that they have now announced iRig Pads, a portable groove controller for iOS, Mac and PC. iRig Pads offers full MIDI controller capability so it can be used with a variety of apps, and is now shipping for $149.99!
If you’re looking for a sophisticated yet rugged Bluetooth speaker, the Altec Lansing Life Jacket should be at the top of your list. The Life Jacket is waterproof, shock-resistant, and it is built to withstand dirt and dust. This portable speaker can pump out the jams at a tailgate or on a rafting trip. The Life Jacket’s MSRP is $149.99.
Back in June I reviewed iRig Voice, which is a great fun microphone for amateurs with a solid feature set and a great price. Now they have released the iRig Mic HD, which steps up the features and sound quality and is more suited to budget-minded professionals and those seeking to make professional-sounding recordings. From IK Multimedia: iRig Mic HD is the only mobile digital condenser microphone designed for live handheld performance and recording. It delivers high-quality digital sound via an electret condenser capsule, a 24-bit audiophile-grade A/D converter (with 44.1/48 kHz sample rate) and a built-in low-noise high-definition preamp….
My family loves to sing along with songs – it doesn’t matter if we hit the notes, we have fun. Our boys both sing in the high school choir and drama department, so they also like to sing along with songs they need to learn. iRig Voice lets them sing along, record, and have fun with all kinds of songs!
Last month Carly noted some of the reasons that Prime Music as rumored – limited selection, older titles – made sense in the context of the other Prime offerings. Well, overnight Amazon introduced Prime with access to a million songs and hundreds of curated playlists. The depth and breadth are limited, but it provides a decent entry point.
The first time I wrote about Marco Minnemann was in the context of Trey Gunn composing against a 52-minute drum solo by Minnemann in 2010. Then last year Minnemann was back as part of the Levin-Minnemann-Rudess trio, producing an incredible collection of music with appeal across jazz fusion, experimental and metal genres. Now he returns with a solo recording ‘EEPS’!