I have put up a "new" video onto youtube! I say "new" because it's not really new. It's a song I recorded probably a year ago.
I didn't make any video on this, so it's just a black screen through the whole song. This because I lack the time to shoot any video footage... Sorry about that... I will make a video on it later!
It has been a crazy month for me and therefore I haven't made any entries to the blog. I decided to make a short entry now.
I will quickly go through an "instrument" I often use, rather always use, while I record and mix songs. This is the M-Audio KeyRig 49 midi keyboard/controller. When hocked up to the computer it can be used to record MIDI and program drums and virtual instruments.
I record within ProTools and in this program there are a insert called Xpand. In this insert you can chose from a number of sounds, pianos, organs, choirs, drums etc. All you need to make a song.
I have used this to record many of my songs. An example is in the bottom half of this entry.
The KeyRig 49 in its self is a 49 key USB keyboard. It includes the Key Rig software, but it can also be used with other recording software like ProTools, GarageBand, Logic, Cubase, Ableton Live etc. The keyboard has a pitch and modulation wheels, an assignable volume slider, octave +/- buttons and a sustain pedal input. The keyboard is USB-powered and works with both Windows and Mac OS.
I used only this keyboard to record the following song. Hope you enjoy it! Any question about the keyboard will be answered if you leave a comment or send me a personal message in the Contact Me page.
I thought I might review my condenser microphones that I use mainly to record acoustic guitars and vocals. The microphones I'm thinking of is the MXL 990 and 991 condenser microphones. These I purchased together in a package for about 100 dollars. The package includes a high-impact carrying case and mic stand adapters.
MXL 990
The MXL 990 is a large diaphragm condenser microphone with a cardioid polar pattern. This microphone is perfect for recording vocals due to the sweet high end and tight solid bass. This microphone is way beyond what you will get in this price range. You can purchase the microphone for about 50 dollars. If you buy the 990/991 kit, then you might get if for about 80 dollars. The quality of this microphone is so great that you could actually record your album in a professional way, at least with a good pre-amp.
Specifications
Tube type: Pressure gradient condenser microphone
Diaphragm: 6 micron gold-sputtered
Frequency Response: 30 Hz - 20 kHz
Polar Pattern: Cardioid
Sensitivity: 15mV/Pa
Impedance: 200 ohms
Equivalent Noise Level: 20 dB (A-weighted IEC 268-4)
S/N Ratio: 80 dB (Ref. 1Pa A-weighted)
Max SPL .5% THD: 130 dB
Power Requirements: Phantom Power 48V (+- 4V)
Current Consumption: <3.0mA
Size: 60mm x 130mm / 2,36 in. x 5,11 in. Weight: 1,2 lbs / 544,3g Metal Finish: Champagne
MXL 991
The MXL 991 is a small diaphragm condenser microphone. It is definately not the greatest small diaphragm microphone in the world, but for the price, it's going to be hard to beat! The microphone can be used to record acoustic instruments and drum overheads. I would recommend acoustic guitar. I haven't used this microphone that much due to that I prefer the 990 to record my acoustic guitar and vocals.
Specifications
Tube type: Pressure gradient condenser microphone
Diaphragm: 20mm
Frequency Response: 30 Hz - 18 kHz
Polar Pattern: Cardioid
Sensitivity: 15mV/Pa
Impedance: 110 ohms
Equivalent Noise Level: 20 dB (A-weighted IEC 268-4)
S/N Ratio: 78 dB (Ref. 1Pa A-weighted)
Max SPL .5% THD: 137 dB
Power Requirements: Phantom Power 48V (+- 4V)
Current Consumption: <3.0mA Size: 22mm x 134mm Weight: 0,35 lbs / 158 g Metal Finish: Champagne
I use the 990 to record my acoustic guitar. You can hear it in the first video below!
I have also used it to record vocal. This you can also hear in the second video below!
If you have any questions about the microphones, feel free to comment in the comment section below!
Hi again. A new review for you! This is about my 7-string guitar, which is the Ibanez RG7321. It is an electric guitar, obviously with 7 strings, with a fixed tremolo. It's a great guitar that can be used for many genres, especially rock and metal.
Sound
I play a lot of different styles of music, metal, rock, blues etc, and the guitar fits all of those genres. The only thing is the fixed bridge which makes it more suitable for the heavier riffs. The guitar can't make dive-bombs and Satch squeals because it doesn't have a floating tremolo. But if you play mostly heavy riffs, then this guitar is right up your alley. The fact that this guitar is so versatile makes me love it so much more. If there is anything to complain about, it's that the low B string can be a little muddy.
When I play this guitar, I use the same setup as I use for my 6-string Ibanez which I also wrote a review of here. The guitar has a 5-way level, and with that you can chose from a variety of sounds. Mixed with my amp and ZOOM-pedal, the result is so awesome!
Action, Fit & Finish
It has a nice black finish. No factory flaws. I have it tuned in the factory tuning, which is BEADGBE. But without the locking mechanism, tuning it to different tuning is very easy. When it comes to the action, it's set fairly low, which fits the players that has a delicate touch when they play. If you are a guitar player that hammers heavily on the strings, I recommend raising the action a little bit.
Reliability
The guitar is very stable with the fixed tremolo. It has a in-your-face sound that the RG-models are famous for, without the hassle of the locking nuts. The guitar is awesome! Have used it for years, and it still plays great, the neck is still straight, the pickups sound awesome and the finish is still free from any damage and scratches.
Specifications
- Neck Material: 5pc Maple/Walnut
- Neck Type: Wizard II-7
- Body: Basswood body
- Frets: Jumbo Frets
- Fingerboard: Bound Rosewood
- Inlay: Pearl dot inlay
- Bridge: Gibraltar Standard 7 bridge
- Neck Pickup: AH17
- Bridge Pickup: AH27
- Hardware Color: BK
- Finishes: BK
At the current time, I don't have any videos on youtube that I use this guitar. However, when I make one, I will share it with you so you can listen to the awesome sound!
This entry will be about my Ibanez RG350EX. This is one of my two Ibanez guitars.
Finish and material
It's a guitar model that came out in 2005 and features a basswood body with the Edge III tremolo and Infinity pickups. It has an aluminium style pickguard that completes the finish of the guitar. It has a 24 frets long bound rosewood fingerboard with shark-tooth inlays.
As for the controls, it has one volume and tone control, as well as a 5-way lever that lets you choose the pickups you want active.
Sound
The pickups perform very well. I use a ZOOM G9.2tt pedal to a Randall RH50T head amplifier and a Marshall 1960A cabinet. This combo makes a loud sound and it brings out the nice sound of the guitar. This guitar fits for the multi-style guitarist, with the 5-way lever switch you get a big range of tone. The tone has plenty of crunch, but are still able to play the delicate sounds. Especially when having a great pedal as the Zoom G9.2tt and a great amplifier, the sound of this guitar shows its true nature. The result is great.
Reliability and Durability
My experience is that the guitar can take a lot of heat. You can play it for hours and hours and use the tremolo actively without the guitar getting out of tune. This is due to the locking mechanisms on the strings. I bought locking straps to this guitar which prevents the strap from falling off. I had some problems getting it tune in the beginning. This because this was the first guitar I had with a floating bridge.
A floating bridge mean that the bridge is not fixed to the body of the guitar, but it floats because of the tension of the strings of the guitar and some springs that is located inside the body of the guitar. These are accessible through a plastic cover on the backside of the guitar. By adjusting the tension on the springs on the backside of the guitar, you tighten the strings and visa versa.
Impression
To my use this guitar is perfect. It has a broad sound spectrum, it stays in tune when I use the tremolo a lot and the finish is great. I have had this guitar since the summer of 2007 and I'm very happy i bought it. it has been used for practicing as well as recording music. You can hear me play this guitar on my video on youtube which you can watch underneath. In this video I used direct input to record and the sound and tone bears notice of that.
If you have any questions or comment, leave them in the comment section below or send me a message in the "Contact Page" here.
I have been busy the last couple of days and I haven't been able to post anything. As I am writing this, it's almost midnight here so I'm not going to post a long entry.
Tomorrow I will make a review of one of my guitars, the Ibanez RG350EX. This was the second electric guitar I bought, and the first Ibanez.
I have had this guitar for approximately 6 years and I have played it regularly since. It's a great guitar.
This entry will revolve around my electronic drum kit, the Roland TD-9KX V-Drums. I have had the set for a couple of years and it's very fun to play on. There are many neat functions like the play-along function, where you can play along with many prerecorded songs, in which you can change the tempo. There is also a quick record/quick play practice function which comes in handy if you are a beginner or even a seasoned drummer.
When you buy the set you get a box with the following content:
TD-9 percussion sound module
PD-105BK dual triggering snare drum
3 x PD-85K dual triggering toms
CY-12R/C three-zone cymbal
CY-8 dual-zone cymbal
CY-5 single-zone hi-hat
KD-8 Kick pad
1 x FD-8 hi-hat pedal
The drum stand
In the picture to the right you can see my set. Keep in mind that I bought and extra CY-8 cymbal.
TD-9 sound module is packed with hundreds of sounds which you can mix and match into your own personal drum-set. There is 3-way triggering available. The module has two extra jack inputs which mean that you can connect two extra cymbals, two extra toms or one of each. It also has MIDI connectors, a mini jack input and a USB port. The USB port is there so you can backup your settings performances and to play back WAV files.
The cymbals have a nice sound to them and they have the ability to choke the sound via the edge trigger.
Out of the four drum pads included in the kit, there are one that stands out. That's the PD-105BK. It's the largest and the coolest of the pads. It has very accurate sensing in the rim and head meaning that you can do both rim shots and cross sticking with ease. All the pads are fitted with Remo-manufactured mesh heads and they have a nice shell finish.
The kit is easy to set up, even if you have never done it before. The kit has so many different sound you can put together into your own drum kit. The mesh head pads makes the drum kit easy and quiet to play on. I have played this at home at 3 am without anyone complaining.
The drum stand is solid and sturdy. The cymbal mounts are strong with adjustable ball clamps and tilt mechanisms. This way you can adjust the position of every cymbal (and toms) freely for the most ergonomic setup that fits you as a drummer.
Underneath you can hear me playing the drum kit from some of my youtube-videos. If you find my videos interesting, you can subscribe or check out the rest of the videos here.
MXL 990
A new review for you! This is about my 7-string guitar, which is the Ibanez RG7321. It is an electric guitar, obviously with 7 strings, with a fixed tremolo. It's a great guitar that can be used for many genres, especially rock and metal.
The guitar is very stable with the fixed tremolo. It has a in-your-face sound that the RG-models are famous for, without the hassle of the locking nuts. The guitar is awesome! Have used it for years, and it still plays great, the neck is still straight, the pickups sound awesome and the finish is still free from any damage and scratches.
This entry will be about my Ibanez RG350EX. This is one of my two Ibanez guitars.
A floating bridge mean that the bridge is not fixed to the body of the guitar, but it floats because of the tension of the strings of the guitar and some springs that is located inside the body of the guitar. These are accessible through a plastic cover on the backside of the guitar. By adjusting the tension on the springs on the backside of the guitar, you tighten the strings and visa versa.
Hi people!
The drum stand is solid and sturdy. The cymbal mounts are strong with adjustable ball clamps and tilt mechanisms. This way you can adjust the position of every cymbal (and toms) freely for the most ergonomic setup that fits you as a drummer.