Year: 2009

Rock Band Dumbing Down Music?

Posted on By ericdano 1 Comment on Rock Band Dumbing Down Music?

I would tend to agree, though the game and Guitar Hero have exposed people to some great, classic music that they would not have known otherwise. I’d rather have kids and people listen to some of the tunes on Guitar Hero/Rock Band than some of these “rap artists” and whatnot.

Also, on a related note, anyone who has Rock Band and the drum set should check out this. You can use the Rock Band drum controller (the newer one that comes with World Tour) with this piece of software and actually play the instrument. Very cool.

Videos

Band-in-a-Box 2010 for Windows

Posted on By ericdano No Comments on Band-in-a-Box 2010 for Windows

PGMusic announced today that they are out with the latest, greatest version of BinaB for Windows (no new Mac version yet). Nothing really “whoa” in this version, other than if you upgrade from the previous version you can get ALL the RealTracks. Some of the highlights of the update I found interesting are:

  • Plug-in mode….generate tracks and drag and drop them into your DAW like Sonar, FL-Studio, and ProTools. Kinda cool.
  • 3x faster generating RealTracks and freezing of tracks (so they don’t have to be generated again)….finally!
  • RealTracks support Shots, Holds and Pushes….finally
  • Double time/Half Time support for RealTracks
  • 999 undo levels

Best deal for previous owners is the $139 USB hard drive “UltraPlusPAK” or the “EverythingPAK”. You really don’t want to download it. I did…it was painful. Band-in-a-Box is a great program, on any platform for people wanting to practice changes, songs, or even use it for composition. I couldn’t count the times I’ve used BinaB generated drum and bass parts (and sometimes piano) for arrangements…..

Santa says go get it!

News

Pitch Primer For The iPhone/iTouch

Posted on By ericdano No Comments on Pitch Primer For The iPhone/iTouch

The Apple iPhone/iTouch software market is amazing. Games, tuners (like the great Strobe tuner). Even AutoTune things like I Am T-Pain.

Now, there is the Pitch Primer for the platform. It is amazing. Transcription tool? Sure it could be. Amazing practice tool? YES! Amazing idea? YES! It is easiest to see a demo of it. Things that I’d like it to do would be EXPORT the audio you recorded (several other iPhone/iTouch programs can do this). And it would be killer if it would export things as a midi file. Or Music XML file.

Amazing product. Get it now while it’s $4.99.

Reviews, Videos

Electronically Modified Didgeridoo

Posted on By ericdano No Comments on Electronically Modified Didgeridoo

Kyle Evens made an electronically modified didgeridoo. While I too like my star wars type sounds, or those trippy sounds that you enjoy while fried out of your mind, the other application could be some sort of new effects processing for….oh, I dunno, saxophone or something? Though this thing looks like something out of a SciFi movie…..

Articles, Videos

Eigenharp Alpha

Posted on By ericdano No Comments on Eigenharp Alpha

alpha-bigI’m not really sure what to make of this. The Eigenharp Alpha.

“A professional level instrument which allows the musician to play and improvise using a limitless range of sounds with virtuoso skill. The unique design of the keys makes this the most expressive electronic musical instrument ever made. The Alpha can play and record loops, change scale and key, transpose, alter tempo, program beats, create arrangements, switch and layer multiple sounds, all while the musician is performing live on stage.
Available in a variety of finishes, it has 120 highly sensitive keys, 12 percussion keys, 2 strip controllers, a breath pipe and numerous pedal inputs. This gives almost endless possibilities for flexible keyboard layouts, fast instrument switching and expressive musical control. The comprehensive software system provides a wealth of musical performance features, including playback of its own native instruments, many common software plugins, soundfonts or midi instruments.

If you go to their YouTube page, they have some sort of private demo. On the one hand, it looks kinda cool with the sliding and stuff. But why add a breath thing to it? Why not just make the touch surface sensitive to how you touch it? And do we really want lame-o drum and bass lines like that? Really?

For 4K pounds ($7,000 US?) I’d expect something a little more cooler in the sounds department. It seems like this is a swiss-army knife of musical instruments. I mean, in the private demo, they had someone play GUITAR with them. Seriously? You mean this thing can’t do strumming like a guitar? Why not?

Interesting idea, but doomed to failure. They also have plans for a smaller version.

Create Digital Music has a link here and here for more information.

Articles, News

Why You Can’t Get A Pair for Less Than $100

Posted on By ericdano No Comments on Why You Can’t Get A Pair for Less Than $100

Gizmodo.com has a great article on why you cannot get a good pair of in-ear earbuds/in-ear monitors.

“The difference between $300 set of buds and a $400 pair is nowhere near the jump from $20 to $100. Even smaller is the difference in models between generations. The best value on the market might be a previous-gen version of Shure’s 500 series buds at a cut rate ($290), but if you can find $100 earbuds for 70 bucks, it’s even better.”

I have the first generation of the Shure earbuds, and they still work and sound way better than the ones that come with the iPod/iPhone. I’d love to upgrade at some point to a really nice set, like the Shure 500s.

Articles

Free Laptop or iPod with an Instrument Purchase? Say What?

Posted on By ericdano No Comments on Free Laptop or iPod with an Instrument Purchase? Say What?

I’m not too sure who came up with this at the Woodwind and the Brasswind. But seriously, is this the only way to sell instruments now? You have to give them an iPod or a Dell laptop? Why not just lower the prices? I know the markup on a lot of these, and it is HUGE. Why not cut the prices and make maybe 10% profit rather than 90%?

wwbwad

Articles

Jazz Phrasing For Beginners by Greg Fishman

Posted on By ericdano No Comments on Jazz Phrasing For Beginners by Greg Fishman

jpfbGreg Fishman has a number of excellent books out. I’ve reviewed and highly recommend his Jazz Etudes Book Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 and his Saxophone Duets book. His latest book is Jazz Phrasing For Beginners, which is aimed at the beginning student. It contains 10 melodic tunes that great examples of idiomatic “classic” jazz tunes such as “C Jam Blues” and the like. The tunes are great studies in good voice leading and use of jazz rhythms. Also great motivic (or sequential) development. You get 2 CDs with the book. One CD that has Alto Sax demos and backgrounds, and one that has Tenor Sax demos and backgrounds.

As a book for someone who is just starting to play, this would be a good first book before diving into something like Jim Snidero’s Jazz Conception Easy. The etudes are short, and emphasize excellent idea development. However……

Read More “Jazz Phrasing For Beginners by Greg Fishman” »

Articles, Reviews

Band in a Box 2009.5 – Mac

Posted on By ericdano No Comments on Band in a Box 2009.5 – Mac

After YEARS of waiting, and PG Music saying it was coming…it is here. Band in a Box 2009 for Macintosh. I could hardly believe it myself. Yes, the languishing program that was 7 versions behind the Windows version (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2007.5, 2008, 2009) has been brought back to life. I wondered what happened to Dr. Frankenstein….seems he was hired to bring the Mac version of BinaB to life again.

I always thought it strange that PG Music made a HUGE effort to move Band in a Box to OS X with their version 12, but then promptly let it sit for years and years while the Windows version added more and more features. It was mentioned years ago they were planning on a new version but….nothing ever materialized. Well, no more. The 2009 version pretty much brings the Macintosh version up to the Windows version.

First off, the program is HUGE if you want to download it, you better have a high speed connection. A real FAST high speed connection. We are talking 20+ gigs of stuff to download if you purchased/upgraded the version with RealTracks (more on that in a minute). PG Music offers digital downloads in addition to physical media available on DVDs or an 80 gig hard drive (same price). As a previous owner of version 12 for the Mac, I opted for the “Everything PAK” and the 24 PAK upgrade that included some extra stuff. It was $184.

Ok, now……lets dive into the program, the features it has, what works, doesn’t work, and what is still missing in the Mac version that the Windows version has….

Read More “Band in a Box 2009.5 – Mac” »

Reviews

Roy Benson Altos

Posted on By ericdano 4 Comments on Roy Benson Altos

There are a lot of cheap student model altos out on the market now. Heck, even Costco sells instruments now. I have a couple of students who have the Costco instruments. They are crap.

With a new store in my area that is peddling these Selmer student models for nearly $1600 (a price where you can get a used pro-level instrument), the store where I worked found these Roy Benson Altos. IMG_1023 I have nothing but good things to say about them. As good as the Selmer student models the “Music and Gifts Store” is selling, and half the price. Retail price is $799. They play great. I’d say if you are looking for an alto that is cheap, and built well. A quality alto, but not at the huge Selmer markup, check out Roy Benson’s line of instruments.

[Show picture list]

Reviews

Can Jazz Be Saved?

Posted on By ericdano No Comments on Can Jazz Be Saved?

The WSJ has an article up called “Can Jazz Be Saved?“. Basically, the article says that in 2002 10.8% of adults went to listen to jazz, and in 2008 that number fell to 7.8%. In the college market it fell from 19.4% in 1982 to 14.9% in 2008.

I somehow think that there are more factors than the author suggests. I think there is a big fissure between people who want “traditional jazz” and those who don’t really care what type of jazz it is. I know I have encountered the former attitude in several bands I play in, where arrangements by Gordon Goodwin are sort of mocked and some crappy B-side arrangement of some song no one knows (and after we play it we know why) is favored more.

I know my own listening habits have been to go back to the great music of the 70s and early 80s. LPs I’ve been getting in Berkeley that. The new last “album” I bought was Gordon Goodwin’s latest. Not like the Vandermark 5, or yet another reissue and remaster of Coltrane or Miles Davis.

Articles