The story of the Sennheiser HD 800 began with a dream: of developing headphones that go way beyond conventional equipment to become music phones, or even perfect sound phones. The dream of creating a hi-fi device that sounds as brilliant, clear, and undistorted as if you were sitting right next to the source. The dream of creating an acoustic experience more incredible than anything ever heard through dynamic headphones: in spheres that no other category is capable of reaching–right there where perfection begins.
Did they succeed in bringing this dream to life? They did for Bob Lefsetz:
And the organ on the Black Crowes’ “Thorn In My Pride” is a revelation, you can literally see it. Truly. Music video gives you the illusion you’re closer to the music, but on the HD 800s you don’t even have to close your eyes, you can literally see the instrument, the blond wood, the placement of the fingers.
The harpejji is a tapping instrument with a keyboard-inspired playing surface capable of producing chord intervals that are impossible to play on a guitar or piano. All chords and scales of a particular type have the same geometric shape, so you can easily shift up, down, left, or right to play them with a different root.
The harpejji comes from Marcodi Musical Products of Baltimore, MD, and is hand-crafted in the USA. Blending the worlds of guitar, bass, keyboards, and percussive tapping, the harpejji brings benefits to all the musicians on your list.
Keyboardists will realize these and many more benefits with the harpejji:
The Real Thing – The timeless and organic sound of real strings
More Control – The expressive nuance of direct string contact (sliding, bending, muting, vibrato, etc.)
EZ IvoriesTM – This marking system identifies all notes via a piano’s black and white color code
EZ OctavesTM – Double your interval reach on a piano
Add it to your Rig – No need to stop playing the keys. Add the harpejji as a new tier to your normal keyboard setup.
Bassists will enjoy:
The choice to cover a one-note bass line, or play full songs by yourself
Percussive Tapping – The percussive strengths of a tapping instrument
Fuller range of notes – A range deeper than a 5-string bass and wider than a 10-string bass
Guitarists will find that the harpejji is unlike anything they have ever heard:
Unique Tone – A tone and sound that blends well yet is distinct from all other instruments
The power of 10-finger compositions – Utilize all 10 digits for new and creative musical compositions
New Chords – New chord intervals that are impossible to play on guitar (or piano)
Two Parts from one Musician – The ability to cover guitar and bass parts at the same time
When design studio Hipgnosis was commissioned to create a tv commercial for Pink Floyd’s back catalogue, they came up with five ideas. Although the “catalogue of backs” concept didn’t make it to the commercial, EMI had Storm Thorgerson photograph it for a promotional poster.
Through the magic of the internet, that poster can be yours in 3 – 5 business days for one U.S. cent. Plus a slightly less magical $3.99 shipping charge. The perfect gift to decorate that special someone’s music room, drum cave, or keyboard cove.
Also available are are newly-remastered “Immersion” Box Sets for The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and The Wall. Hover over the photo above and click below the respective backs for details. If you don’t have $119 to drop on a gift now, pick up a mouse pad and wait for the new blu-ray surround sound versions to be released separately. Who wouldn’t love a new mouse pad for the holidays?
All Amazon links are affiliate links. You don’t pay any more, and buying through them helps support MMT. By my calculations, if 20,000 people purchase a poster, I’ll earn just enough for a new mouse pad. Thanks, and happy holidays!
(hover and poke the thingamgoops in the eye for a demo)The music and audio geek in your life is sure to be thankful after unwrapping a Thingamagoop 2. The T2 marries the original analog Thingamagoop with a digital synthesizer you control with light. You can output the sound through its own speaker, a Marshall stack, or use the CV output to control your vintage synth. Poke one in the eye for a demo!
You can buy them built for $160 or save some money and get a kit for $100. If you really want to light up the holidays, spend a little more and get the RGB edition for $225 — the same sounds with a see-through faceplate and blinking LEDs. Here’s the scoop on the Thingamagoop:
- Analog VCO controlled by photocell.
- Digital mode with sample and hold, Arpeggios, noise, and bit crush effects.
- Open source, Arduino code so you can program your own sounds!
- Analog mode with all the sounds of the original Thingamagoop.
- Tough, stomp box type body with silk screened graphics in 3 different styles.
- CV out. Control your vintage or modular synth with light!
Ask some people what they want for Christmas, and you’ll hear “peace and quiet”. Ask us and we say: “peace and music!” With the Sennheiser HD 380 Pro headphones, you can have it all: peace, quiet, and music.
These sound isolating headphones use passive noise reduction to give you a peaceful, high-quality listening experience. They can reduce noise by up to 32 db without compromising sound quality.
Compare that to active noise-cancelling headphones (like Bose), that can cancel out constant noise (like an airplane engine) up to 26 db, but not people talking or babies crying. Other issues with noise cancelling headphones: the noise cancelling signal does not affect all frequencies equally, reduces sound quality, and can introduce an audible hiss.
As a bonus, you can wear the HD 380s unplugged to protect your ears while practicing the drums or engaged in other high-volume activities. Hover over the headphones and click the targets for more info.
A professional steel drum can cost several thousand dollars. And most of the smaller models sound like toys. Now you can get a small-scale model from Panyard, a professional steel-drum maker. And it sounds great.
Although packaged and marketed mainly to schools and kids, it comes with a stand that is adjustable for adults, and a truly “big boy” sound. Unless you want a stand sporting colorful “feet”, stick with the steel gray model.
All drums have 8 notes tuned to the G Major scale. The package also includes mallets, an instruction book, and a play-along CD. Hover over the drum and tap the D-A-C notes for video demonstrations.
KORG iKaossilator – $9.99 (debut discount through November 30, 2011)
Sure, you could spend $129 for a hardware Kaossilator, but times are tough. So we suggest the iKaossilator, which brings all the fun of the original to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. And brings it for just $9.99 (a 50% debut discount) through November 30, 2011. You can gift an app now (just click the down arrow next to Buy in the App Store), and print it out to deliver later.
Even non-musicians will find the iKaossilator easy to learn and play. An intuitive X-Y pad controls the sound, and you control the scales, instruments, drums, loops, and tempo with a tap of your finger.
Each of the round lights below the playing surface represent one of the five available tracks. Tap the track, then tap to select an instrument, drum kit, or loop. Now swipe your finger across the playing surface. That’s it. Hover over the screenshot and click the targets to hear some tracks, watch a video demo, and get more information.
iKaossilator for iPhone Highlights
Play sounds by simply stroking, tapping, or rubbing the screen with your finger
Bold Visual Effects move along with your performance and add excitement
150 diverse built-in sounds cover any style of dance music
Scale/Key settings allow anyone to perform with musical precision
Easily create tracks with the loop sequencer using up to five parts
Control loops in real time for DJ-Style live performances
WIST capability allows wireless sync-start with other apps such as the iELECTRIBE
Need someone to watch over you? How about this blue canary — perfect for the outlet by the lightswitch. This is the only product to earn a five-star review from Brenda Rebert, who couldn’t say enough good things about it:
I can’t say enough good things about this nightlight. Although the product picture makes the birdie’s butt look much brighter than the rest of the body, that is just an accident of the camera, and it really glows throughout very nicely. It’s also a nice dark blue, so it looks good when it’s unlit, too. Finally, I love that it’s made with an LED light, too, so it saves energy vs. regular nightlights.
MusicSafe Classic earplugs come with two sets of filters: silver for medium attenuation, and gold for high attenuation. They are designed as an open system so you don’t feel separated from the music you are listening to or making.
The included hygenic storage and travel box ensures that the earplugs are kept clean, protected, and easy to carry. While standard foam earplugs can completely obliterate the high-end, these have a more balanced effect across the frequency spectrum.
MusicSafe Classic Acoustic Filter Average Attenuation Values
Hz
125
250
500
1000
2000
4000
8000
Gold Filter (High Protection)
dB
18.8
15.6
16.0
18.5
27.7
23.9
22.0
Silver Filter(Medium Protection)
dB
14.8
15.0
15.7
18.7
26.6
24.4
18.9
Note: On the dB (decibel) scale, which is a non-linear scale, a 10 dB reduction in volume is perceived as half as loud, so the difference in loudness between the two filters will be perceived as a 25-40% difference in loudness, depending on the particular frequencies (Hz) present in the sound being heard.
This guest post is by Chris Taylor (@miccontrolchris) of MicControl, a music blogging community that bridges the gap between musicians and music bloggers.
The holiday season is officially over and one gadget that seemed to be on top of the world’s holiday list was the iPad. Rightfully so; after the operating system update in November this device got even cooler. So you got your new iPad and you’re ready to download some apps to assist your music career but once you’re in the app store it can be slightly overwhelming. That’s where I come in. Here are the best apps to help advance your career as a musician.
StudioTrack is an incredible multi-track recording app that makes use of the built-in microphone and works with headphones. This is a step up from FourTrack, which we’ve featured before, now allowing you to record on eight different tracks while adding multiple effects to each track. With the WiFi sync you can download the finished product to your computer or upload it to the recording software on your computer to keep working. The price tag is definitely more than the average app but having a studio with you wherever you are is damn near priceless.
The Korg iElectribe has been praised as one of the best apps for electro-musicians since its release. It harnesses the same power as the Korg Electribe-R hardware for a whole lot less money. The “virtual analog beatbox” has too many features to name so I’d suggest you watch the video above to see it in action.
More recently released is the Korg iMS-20 which has a lot of notable features including the ability to route patch cables using the the iPad’s touch screen. Both apps compare incredibly well to the original, non-virtual hardware they’re based after.
iElectribe Price: $9.99
iMS-20 Price: $15.99 until January 31, 2011 (originally $32.99)
The miniSynth for the iPhone was been nominated twice for the “Best App Ever Awards” and the iPad app is no different except it provides a lot more room to make some killer songs with the 9.7″ screen. MiniSynth PRO boasts “an innovative, completely brand-new engine, a redesigned filter and a no-nonsense interface, miniSynth PRO invites those rich, shimmeringly clear analog tones to your fingertips.” miniSynth PRO even has the power to be played live and if you don’t believe me just ask SnazzyJay:
As a musician on-the-go there should be two things you carry with you everywhere you go: your guitar and your iPad. Using the iRig adapter you can hook your guitar up to your iPad and immediately have access to a handful of stompbox effects, a lead amp with full controls, a speaker cabinet, and two microphones. Upgrade to the full version for 11 stompboxes, 5 amps and cabinets and a bunch of effects.
SyncSing HD brings to musicians a mobile (and syncable) songbook and notation book. Add lyrics, chords, audio or video files and then sync your songbook with the web for the rest of your band to view. Does everyone in the band have their own iPad? Designate one as the master device and that person can turn the pages on all of the iPads simultaneously. This is a great app for writing down your music but is also useful for sharing with the rest of the group.
Have you ever had an idea for the perfect melody or the hook that will complete your near-perfect song but by the time you can actually record it you’ve forgotten it? Avoid the heartbreak and download QuickVoice Recorder. With one touch you’ll be recording your brilliant ideas into an easily organizable folder.
Evernote turns your iPad into the ultimate notebook. Create notes with text, audio, and photos in order to keep track of ideas, brainstorm new songs or just to remember some of the great memories from your most recent tour. Your notes can include geo-location so you know exactly where you were when you had that brilliant idea or what city your favorite venues were in. Best of all, Evernote syncs with your Mac or PC as well as most smart phones so you don’t need to transfer files or email notes to yourself.
It seems like no one carries cash on them anymore, so aren’t you shooting yourself in the foot by not accepting credit at your merch booth after a show? Problem solved. Square gives you the app and card reader for free and you’re accepting credit cards before you know it. Swipe the card, have your customer sign the touch screen and give them a receipt via email or SMS. It’s that easy! So remind me again why you aren’t accepting credit cards at your merch booth?
When it comes to merch, one aspect that most artists will overlook is inventory. Not only is it important to keep track of how many items you’ve sold and when it’s time to reorder but it’s also important to keep track of what type of merch (and how much) you sold in each city on your last tour in order to plan for your next tour. The only thing worse than not having enough t-shirts to get you through the end of your tour is having hundreds leftover.
There’s no better time to collect fan information then after a show. Grab their contact info so you can keep them up to date on your latest releases, shows, etc. The ReverbNation app links to your RN account and automatically updates your existing mailing list (In addition to a lot of other cool features).
Mailing List is for those of you without a ReverbNation account or those of you looking for a more visually appealing way to collect information. Mailing List displays a slideshow of pictures followed by a prompt to enter contact information.
Yelp is the popular location-based food finder that’s now available on the iPad and it serves two very important purposes for musicians. First of all, you can use it to find places to play music in your area (or the area you’re currently in on tour) and you can use it to help you plan your next tour. Secondly, once you are on tour you can use it to find the nearest pizza place or alcohol-serving establishment depending on your mood.
JamBase is another useful app for artists that are planning a tour. Find out other artists that will be playing in a city when you plan on going so you can target your fans. If your fan base is mainly made up of Lady Gaga fans, it might not be a good idea to schedule a show the same night that she’s performing in that city. However, playing at a bar near the venue she’s playing at around the time her show will be ending might be a wise move.
Social media is an absolute must for just about every musician. With HootSuite you can manage your Twitter account, update your Facebook profile and fan page, check-in via FourSquare, and even schedule tweets (you can send a pre-show tweet without worrying about it before you go on).
While Hootsuite covers your most basic Facebook needs, some artists like to take the extra step to connect with fans. Friendly Plus offers some of the extra features such as Facebook chat to talk one-on-one with fans and Facebook Locations to check in to local hot spots when you’re in a particular city.
This may not be a must-have app quite yet but down the line when Apple releases the second generation iPad with camera included UStream will be one of the best apps to keep up with fans. UStream has already started to gain significant traction with artists trying to communicate with fans and being able to host UStream sessions while on-the-go is only going to make it better
(No. 5 in a Series) For this installment, we enlisted help from professional bass player and teacher Tim Hays, director of the music business and applied music programs at Elmhurst College.
There are three basic types of bass guitars: electric, acoustic, and upright bass – also called the string bass or double bass. This article will focus on the electric bass, the most popular type of bass guitar.
As we discussed in Part 1, buying a brand-name will ensure a certain level of quality, enable you to find replacement parts when repairs are needed, and get you a higher resale value when it’s time to trade up. For your first bass, there are only a couple of brands you need to consider:
Fender (or Squier)
Yamaha
What should a new player look for when buying their first bass, and what should they avoid?
The bass should have good action and be easy to play, that’s the most important issue. It should have basic tone/volume controls — NOT too many knobs!
Would you recommend anything different for a young beginner vs. and adult beginner?
A younger student with smaller hands should get a bass that has a smaller scale (not 2 8va scale) and the body should not be huge. For any player, being comfortable with the instrument is critical in the early stages of learning.
What is the minimum amount you should expect to spend?
You will need an amplifier, and there are starter packages available new for around $300. Keep in mind that if you start with a package, you will eventually want to replace both the amp and the bass if you stick with it.
You can get used equipment for less, but unless you have an experienced player to help you evaluate used instruments, it is better to buy from a local music store. With a local shop you will have a place for service and repairs, and be able to return or exchange the instrument if needed.
In Part 1, we suggested that you buy brand-name equipment at a price that is appropriate to the level of commitment you (or the recipient if it’s a gift) have to the instrument. But don’t go so cheap that the instrument will discourage a beginner.
Check the How-to-Buy guides if you’re interested in gifting drums, keyboards, a guitar or bass. #3: Gifts Under $100,000 Olive 06HD Music Server for Audiophiles – $4,999 What is “HD Music?” Well, it depends on who you ask, but most music advertised as HD is distributed in a lossless format at a minimum of 24-bit/96 [...]
Check the How-to-Buy guides if you’re interested in gifting drums, keyboards, a guitar or bass. #2: Gifts Under $500 Zen Tambour or Hapi Drum – $345 to $435 The Zen Tambour and HAPI drum are tuned, steel tongue hand drums that are easy to learn and fun to play. Inspired by the hang, they are [...]
Check the How-to-Buy guides if you’re interested in gifting drums, keyboards, a guitar or bass. #1: Gifts Under $100 What can you get for less than $30? How about a professional musical instrument that is played by the likes of Bob Dylan and John Popper? There are thousands of harmonicas out there, some cheap, some [...]
(No. 4 in a Series) For this installment, we consulted Will Kaplan, professional keyboard player, composer, and music editor in residence at Warner Bros. Studios. Like guitars, there are plenty of variations on keyboard instruments to keep the first-time shopper dizzy. Everything you need to know about buying an acoustic piano is at the end [...]
Note: Links to Amazon are affiliate links
– $0.01 
or 
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– $7.99
– $15
The music and audio geek in your life is sure to be thankful after unwrapping a Thingamagoop 2. The T2 marries the original analog Thingamagoop with a digital synthesizer you control with light. You can output the sound through its own speaker, a Marshall stack, or use the CV output to control your vintage synth. Poke one in the eye for a demo!
- $149.99
- $184.60
Sure, you could spend $129 for a hardware 
– $14.99
– $19.99
, 
