Music Gear

News, reviews and articles about musical gear and accessories.

Bias FX amp-and-effects processor app for iPad review

bias fx effects app for ipad 4

BiasFX, an iOS app from Positive Grid, promises to turn your iPad into a world-class guitar amp and effects processor. With dozens of high-quality amp simulations, stomp boxes, and rack-like processors, this software aims high.  Does it hit the mark?  This review is guest-written by my husband, Butch, who will help us answer this question.

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Oval MIDI digital handpan on Kickstarter

oval

Kickstarter has a new project called the Oval Digital HandPan.  It is a percussive instrument that can connect via USB on Android and iOS or Bluetooth MIDI on iOS to the MIDI-compliant music app of your choice to give you an unlimited palette of sound to choose from.  With five sensors per pad, it gives

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Tin Pan Rhythm app brings your song ideas to life

tinpan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnpsXvSKlCY If you’ve always wanted to play an instrument but don’t have the money to buy a piano, guitar or other instrument or don’t have any spare time to invest in learning the ins and outs of playing it, Tin Pan Rhythm is a new iOS app that makes playing music fun and easy. If you’re like me,

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Luna Guitars gives you a free USB upgrade with your purchase of their acoustic/electric guitars

luna guitar free usb upgrade

My husband, Butch, has helped me review a few methods of directly recording guitar music into music-recording software.  Some methods required an interface between the guitar and the computer with the software, and he also reviewed the Squier by Fender Strat guitar with the USB interface built in.  Both methods worked well, but having the

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Instant audio quality upgrade for your devices with this tiny amplifier

Uamp

I long for the perfect smartphone. You know, the one that has awesome battery life, a high resolution camera that takes clear pictures in low light, and fantastic audio quality to blow you away. I recently upgraded my phone to a Nexus 6, but found one of the things lacking was the sound quality when

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The last guitar tuner you’ll ever need

Roadie Smart Guitar Tuner 01

Many guitar tuners have graced the pages of The Gadgeteer over the years, but the Roadie is possibly the new benchmark and the only one you’ll want in your gig bag.  It is a Kickstarter-funded creation that pairs a handheld auto tuner–the Roadie device itself– with a corresponding mobile app.  With the app you can

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This piano shows you exactly how to play it

mccarthypiano

The Illuminating Piano from McCarthy Music is an integrated system that includes a piano with software and a cloud-friendly piano learning system. The Illuminating Piano has been designed to make learning to play the piano easy and fun for people of all ages. The system includes a MIDI keyboard with 61 full-size keys that are velocity

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The Linnstrument from Roger Linn Design…the holy grail of expressive controllers?

roger linn designs linnstrument 1

Synthesizers have been around for a long, long time and many efforts have been made to turn them into expressive, virtuoso performing machines.  Ribbons, X/Y pads and pitch/mod wheels have long been a staple for keyboardists but they all have one glitch…the expressiveness of the note is separated by two hands and two motions that

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IK Multimedia iRing motion music controller review

ikmultimedia iring 4

I don’t consider myself a musician even though I can play a few instruments (barely). However I do consider myself a musical hobbyist because I enjoy doodling around with the ukulele and music apps on my iOS and Android tablets. When the people at IK Multimedia contacted me to ask if I might like to

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This Planet Waves string winder incorporates a string stretcher

planet waves winder stretcher

A couple of months ago, we told you about the Stretcha, a tool that would stretch out new strings and prevent tuning problems.  I ordered a couple of those for my husband and daughter, and they do help you stretch out new strings.    Stretchas are pretty big, though, and they don’t always fit in

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PUC Wireless MIDI for iOS and Mac review

14 active

When the Camera Connection Kit first came out for the iPad, it immediately was exploited by musicians worldwide to use the iPad as a MIDI-connected device.  The iPad suddenly became a must-have device for making music.  Apps that mimicked classic synths like the Korg Electribe and MS-20 came out as well as production studio apps

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Ukulele’s made of plant fiber the next big thing?

blackbird

I posted this earlier today on my Ukulele Review site: Some people may march to the beat of a different drummer, but as a fan of 4 stringed instruments you might strum to the rhythm of a different ukulele. We’ve reviewed ukuleles made of plastic like the Flea and the BugsGear, and we’ve even shown

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Comfortable, neoprene straps for almost any musical instrument you can think of

neotech straps 2

I’ve tried to learn to play guitar a couple of times in my life, and I’ve learned a few things.  1) When you’re only five feet tall, holding an acoustic guitar feels like clasping a baby grand piano to your chest.  2) Electric guitars are heavy, and you must have a strap to help you hold

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Hang your guitar or other stringed instrument from any hook

leather ukulele hanger

I’ve seen special hooks for hanging your guitar, ukulele, banjo, or other stringed instruments on the wall or even in your closet, but they can be pretty expensive.  What if you could hang your instruments for less than $5.00 per hanger?  I found these Leather Ukulele Hangers for $2.00 each while checking out the website

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Amazon Prime Music – Amazon’s newest perk for Prime members

amazon prime music streaming service

Recently, Amazon announced that it would be raising the rates for their Prime membership.  It was the first increase in years, and I didn’t think it was too much to bear, because I use Amazon – and free Prime shipping – frequently.  Amazon isn’t just increasing the rates to compensate for rising shipping costs; they’re

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This gives new meaning to “rock music”

obsidian guitar pick

I’ve seen plectrums – or picks, as they are more commonly known – made of plastic, metal, even felt – but the Obsidian Arrowhead Guitar Pick is made of volcanic rock.  These picks were created by Seth Maranuk.  A piece of obsidian, a glass-like material formed in rapidly cooled lava, is hand-shaped into the arrowhead shape

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Be ready to tune an instrument, no matter where you are

seiko chromatic tuner keychain

If you play guitar or another stringed instrument, you probably have a guitar tuner of some sort.  There are a few different tuners around my house, but most of them are pretty large.  They’re certainly too big to keep in your pocket, for example.  The Seiko Chromatic Tuner Keychain is small enough to use as a

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