News, reviews and articles about musical gear and accessories.
The VAX77 MIDI Keyboard Controller from Infinite Response has to be the coolest looking musical instrument that I’ve seen in awhile. It includes MIDI in and MIDI out, as well as full USB support and is available in three different key weights. Of course, the most notable feature is the fact that it folds in […]
VAX77 – Full size MIDI keyboard that folds in half Read More
I started exploring PC based digital multi-track recording well over a decade ago, when it was expensive and impractical. After investing over $5,000 in the endeavor, I eventually wound up with a system that exceeded my much maligned cassette based 4 track portable studio. Fast forward and Cakewalk just sent me their most recent solution,
Cakewalk UA-1G USB Audio Interface Review Read More
The Rhythmring is a small polycarbonate tube filled with beads that you wear on your hand to add some extra rhythm to your guitar and ukulele playing while you strum, without hindering your playing.
Rhythmring adds some cha cha to your guitar playing Read More
The Orpheus Wallet from Braithwaite Wallets has been designed specifically with guitar players (maybe even a few ukulele players – you never know) in mind. It’s made of leather with a silk lining and can hold 6 credit cards and some cash. The exterior of the wallet has slots for 3 guitar picks, so you’ll
A wallet for guitar players Read More
Swimming laps in the pool back and forth-back and forth. As you’re swimming you hear the splashing of waves against the lane barriers and sides of the pool. Exhaled bubbles rush past your ears in loud succession. If you were running, you would be listening to your favorite tunes, picking up the pace with each
Finis SwiMP3v2 Waterproof MP3 Player Review Read More
Friend of The Gadgeteer and music man extraordinaire Mark Rosengarten sent me an email tonight to tell me that he’s waiting to take delivery of a Tenori-On. Since I had no clue what he was talking about, I went directly to my BFF Google for the 411. The Tenori-On is a really wild looking musical
Is it a Lite-Brite or a musical instrument? Read More
The Guitar Hanger is a pretty ingenious way to store your guitars in a regular closet. Just throw all your clothes on the floor (that’s where half of them are anyway right?) and dangle your Strats and Les Pauls in glorious splendor. I need 7 of these for my ukuleles!
A closet of guitars is way better than clothes Read More
Super small USB powered 25-key velocity-sensitive MIDI keyboard controller from Korg. Also available, from Korg is the nanoPAD USB drumpad and the nanoKONTROL USB MIDI controller.
Spotlight Gadget – Korg nanoKEY MIDI Keyboard Controller Read More
Hercules has updated the boring old guitar stand to new levels with the I-Stand. The design is pretty cool. It collapses into a disc shape when not holding a guitar. I need a bunch of these for my ukuleles! 🙂 Hercules doesn’t show these on their own site, but you can find them on Musician’s
Spotlight Gadget – Hercules I-Stand Guitar Stand Read More
It’s been a year since I rediscovered music by picking up the ukulele. Now I’m completely obsessed with this little instrument and in addition, all the accessories that go along with them. Ok, there really aren’t THAT many ukulele accessories… But, one accessory that I use every time I play is a tuner. As a
Korg DT-4 Chromatic Tuner Review Read More
Since I recently started playing a ukulele, I’ve been interested in various accessories that go along with playing a stringed instrument. Admittedly, there aren’t many. But the main accessory that I use every time I sit down to play (or try to play) a song, is a tuner. A month ago, I took a look a the Intelli IMT-500 tuner. I like it very much, but like any good gadgeteer, I’ll be happy to dump it for something better. Today I’m going to tell you about the eNote Clip On Digital Chromatic Tuner from ELECA. Read on to see if it beats the Intelli.
eNote Clip On Digital Chromatic Tuner Read More
Back in the stone age when I was learning to play guitar, there were only two ways to tune an instrument. By pitch pipe, or by ear. I wasn’t good at either method and was always frustrated that my guitar sounded ‘funky’ when I would play it. Years later, when the first electronic tuners were introduced, I was over joyed. Finally an easy way to keep my instrument in tune. They only problems with those tuners were the fact that they were somewhat bulky and required either a quiet room or a patch cable to connect to the instrument’s pickup. Things have changed since those days. Now we have nifty strobe type tuners like the Waves Strobe-On-String tuner that I reviewed not long ago and the Intelli IMT-500 Digital Chromatic Tuner that I’m going to show you today.
Intelli IMT-500 Clip-on Digital Chromatic guitar tuner review Read More
If you play guitar, either acoustic or electric, you probably own some type of tuner. Tuners come in several varieties. There are pitch pipe type tuners that make a sound for each guitar string. Your task is to then tighten or loosen the string until the sound it makes matches the reference note that the pitch pipe makes. Unless you have a really good ear, this is a very hard way to tune your instrument. Electronic tuners are much easier to use. These tuners have a microphone that picks up the sound a string makes when you pluck it. Then using a meter or some other method, it tells you if you need to loosen or tighten the string to bring it to the right pitch. The only problem with this type of tuner is that it requires a relatively quiet environment to work or if the guitar has a pick-up, you can connect the tuner using a cable. Today I’m going to tell you about a tuner that can work in the noisiest places, doesn’t need a cable and is tiny enough to fit in your pocket. It’s the Strobe-On-String Guitar Tuner from
Planet Waves.
Planet Waves Strobe-On-String Guitar Tuner Read More
As a kid, I remember sitting in front of my Mom’s vertical Baldwin piano, trying to learn to play Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 Ode To Joy. I never had real lessons, I just used the many lesson books that my Mom had used when she was a little girl. The piano bench was full of them and I loved paging through them, seeing the cartoon-like pictures for each new song. Once in awhile my Mom would sit down on the bench with me to give me pointers, but for the most part she never criticized my talent or lack there of. I just loved plunking those keys, making music. It didn’t matter if I was any good at it or not. Wow, I’m tearing up just writing this. I miss my mom…
Piano Wizard PREMIER Keystation 49e Package Read More
Are you a wannabe guitar god that can’t even play a C chord to save your life? Or do you have a child that keeps touching your shiny new Fender Strat with their little peanut butter and jelly encrusted fingers? Then I have an inexpensive ‘guitar’ for you or them to check out. It’s the mi Jam Guitar from B2.
mi Jam Guitar and Mini Mixer Read More
From an early age, I wanted to learn to play the guitar. I took a few lessons here and there through the years, but for the most part taught myself from books and tapes. I never was a very good player, but that hasn’t stopped my love of the instrument and music. I’ve had several guitars, from electric to acoustic, to even a mini electric that I built myself using a kit. I even had a dial up BBS back in the day completely devoted to TAB (tablature files) that was named CrossRoads BBS.
Miranda S-250 Travel Guitar Read More
Here’s a nifty little gizmo for all the electric guitar players out there, who also happen to be Gadgeteers. The JamPlug FM from DVForge is a module that can turn an FM radio into a guitar amplifier. Those of you that do not have any experience with electric guitars should know that playing most solid