Shure Beta 98H/C Clip-On Cardioid Instrument Microphone Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been using this microphone for a number of professional performances over the last seven or eight years. The Shure Beta has one of the best quality sounds and pick up of any microphone I've ever used. Clamping it to the bell of my saxophone allows movement without being tied to stationary microphone stand. The only issue has been the thin cable that connects it from the clip to the XLR connector. It doesn't take much to damage it (this is the second one I own) and over the years, it obviously wears faster than an ordinary microphone/cable. The result is that the longer you own it, the more careful you have to be or else you'll have a crackle and pop everytime you move the wrong way. It's a shame they can't improve on the design of the otherwise amazing microphone. I've tried to compensate by leaving the cable wrapped in the reel (taped up) with only enough length required to get the clip from my waist to the bell of the saxophone which has helped extend the life this long. I'm getting ready to replace it again and I'm thinking about shifting to a wireless.

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The Beta 98H/C premium cardioid condenser instrument microphone that clamps onto the bell of wind instruments or onto the rim of percussion instruments, and its transformerless preamplifier circuitry improves linearity across the full frequency range. The pickup pattern of the BETA 98H/C provides high gain-before-feedback and excellent rejection of unwanted noise. Its high maximum sound pressure level (SPL) enables it to handle the extreme demands of brass, woodwind and percussion instruments.
The integrated gooseneck and ratcheting swivel joint allows the mic to be easily positioned and secured, and an isolation shock-mount reduces the transmission of instrument "key noise" and other mechanical noise. A gooseneck angle brace is included to provide better retention of the microphone placement during more active performances.

Key Features
Transformerless preamplifier circuitry that improves linearity across the full frequency range.
Pickup pattern provides high gain-before-feedback and excellent rejection of unwanted noise.
High maximum sound pressure level (SPL) enables it to handle the extreme demands of brass, woodwind and percussion instruments.
10-foot high-flex cable with attached preamplifier (XLR connection)
Tailored frequency response for open, natural sound reproduction
Compact, lightweight construction provides a low degree of visibility
Gooseneck, ratcheting swivel joint and gooseneck angle brace allow for optimum placement and fixed positioning

Applications and Placement The most common BETA 98H/C applications and placement techniques are described below. Keep in mind that microphone technique is largely a matter of personal taste; there is no one "correct" microphone position.
Saxophone Placement: Clamp the microphone onto the bell of the saxophone, so the microphone is a few inches from and facing into the bell. This will produce a bright tonal balance while minimizing feedback and leakage.
Soprano Saxophone Placement: Clamp the microphone onto the bell of the saxophone and adjust the gooseneck so the microphone is facing the keys of the instrument, a few inches from the lower keys. This will produce a warm and full tonal balance. For a brighter tone, adjust the gooseneck so the microphone is facing into the bell, a few inches away.
Trombone Placement: Clamp the microphone onto the bell of the trombone and adjust the gooseneck so the microphone is facing directly into the bell, a few inches away. This will produce a bright tonal balance while providing maximum isolation.
Trumpet Placement: Clamp the microphone onto the bell of the trumpet and adjust the gooseneck so the microphone is facing directly into the bell, a few inches away. This will produce a bright tonal balance while providing maximum isolation.
Drum Placement: Clamp the microphone onto the drum rim and adjust the gooseneck so the microphone is aiming a few inches above the drum head and an inch from the rim. This provides a full tonal balance.

Specifications
Type: Condenser (electret bias)
Polar Pattern: Unidirectional (cardioid)
Frequency Response: 20 to 20,000 Hz
Output Impedance: 1200 ohms
Output Level (0 dB = 1 volt per Pascal): Open Circuit Voltage: -56.5 dB (1.5 mV)
Output Clipping Level (at 1kHz, THD < 1%): -9 dBV (0.35 V)
Maximum SPL: 143.5 dB
Dynamic Range: 112.5 dB
Signal-to-noise Ratio: 63 dB at 94 dB SPL (IEC 651)
Polarity: Positive pressure on microphone diaphragm produces positive voltage on pins 3 and 4 with respect to pin 1 (ground).
Weight: 2.3 ounces

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Kala Solid Acacia Concert Ukulele Review

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(More customer reviews)This instrument is one of of Kala's top of the line concert ukuleles. I've had a few other Kala's and they're all pretty good. The intonation is no better than their lesser models, which is fair. It's real pretty though. I bought it used, knowing it was a very new model, so it couldn't be an old instrument. A couple of weeks later, the book-end glue joint on the top opened up about 1/16th of an inch. Doesn't effect the sound or playing, but looks very bad. Can't return it, don't want to pay to fix it. Next time, I'd stick with a cheaper Kala Model.

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Also called the Mimosa or Shower Tree, these tropical trees are cousins of the Hawaiian Koa tree. They have gorgeous striped patterns of light and dark brown and have a deep colorful tone that match their visual beauty. These solid wood ukes come sized in Soprano, Concert and custom Tenor with a slotted-headstock. They are trimmed with rosewood edge binding and classic herringbone purfling. Custom position markers accent the fretboard. The Soprano has classic friction style tuners. The Concert comes with chrome die-cast tuners with black buttons and the Tenor has vintage geared chrome tuners. The ukes come with a rosewood fingerboard and bridge and an ebony nut and saddle.14-7/8 Concert Scale (Distance from Nut to Saddle)24-3/8 Overall body length11 Body length 6 Upper Bout 8-1/4 Lower Bout 5 Waist 2-1/4 to 2-3/4 Arched Back Body depth 1-3/8 At Nut 18 Silver Nickel Frets Custom vine Fret position Marks at 5th,7th,10th and 12th frets on neck and top of fingerboard Multi-Layered Headstock cap with carved Kala logo Satin Finish Chrome Die-Cast Tuners with black buttons Premium AQUILA NYLGUT Strings

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Rover RB-45P Plectrum Resonator 4 String Banjo Review

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(More customer reviews)This 4 string banjo was made in China. I thought I was getting an American made model.It`s pretty to look at but cheep strings & the bridge was missing when I receive it. Also the fret dividers have a sharp feel as you run your hand up & down the neck. Too bad because it was made with somewhat quality materials. I sent this item back. buyer beware.

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Rover banjos set the standard for value and make truly professional level banjos available to any player'whether just starting out or a seasoned pro! The key to the entire Rover line is that each instrument adheres closely to traditional standards for material quality, dimension, and overall workmanship assuring that every banjo plays well and will last a lifetime. From the comfortable bound mahogany neck, to the cast aluminum rim with integral tone ring, each feature can be found on even the most costly instruments. the Rover RB-45P is a Resonator Plectrum banjo.

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JinYin E460 Electric Bass Review

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(More customer reviews)This bass is awesome. It is exactly what I needed. It has a great tone and and fairly high action. It sounds great into an amp as well. When I ordered this though I was expecting it to be red in the picture shown, but instead it came black, with the regular tan wood in the middle. It looked even better then it did in the picture. Don;t be fooled by the price, because it plays great and has a very fast neck.

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The JinYin E460 Electric Bass is a top of the line, professional instrument designed and hand built by the most experienced luthiers at JinYin. Great resonance with a wide variety of tone and color. With an elm body, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, 24 frets and gold hardware, this bass will be the last instrument you will ever need!

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Yamaha NP30 Portable Grand Piano Review

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(More customer reviews)Before detailed remarks, here is my reference point. Having been spoiled with playing real pianos (I should say "acoustic", for PC :), I wanted a keyboard just to enjoy some classical music on my own, at my amateur level. I wanted it to be like a piano (in how it feels and sounds) but small and inexpensive.
PROS:
PORTABILITY - especially for an (almost) full-size keyboard. I really didn't want another piece of furniture. NP30 just lies on the table, which (to my own surprise) ended up as the deciding factor for me. YMMV.
SOUND. All the voices (including grand piano, organ, harpsichord) are well done and beautiful. (But see "CONS" below.)
KEY WEIGHTING. NP30's keys are something like "semi-weighted" and "touch sensitive" (but consult the official specs on this) and somewhat easy to press. But see "CONS" below. BTW I researched this "weighted" topic quite a bit and tried several options, but my practical conclusion is this. If you care about the feel, go more high-end or get the real thing (an acoustic piano, that is). Otherwise you will likely get used to what you have, even though it isn't perfect.
SIMPLICITY. The controls are few and quite intuitive.
PRICE. It's all relative, of course, but compared to other full-size keyboards out there, it's among the cheapest - $300 at Best Buys. (And that's without any sale discounds - Best Buys felt kinda thin on sales to me.)
CONS:
KEY WEIGHTING. While offering you an approximation of an acoustic piano's feel, NP30's keys are not quite there. First, they are hard to press if you place your fingers far from the edge of the key (i.e. towards the back of the keyboard) - I have never noticed this on an acoustic. Second, in some cases when I press several keys at once, NP30 doesn't sense one or two of them, whereas an acoustic piano would. I have to re-adjust the pressure to get NP30 to play them.
SOUND. While individual sounds are beautiful, their combinations may not parallel the richness of an acoustic piano's. This is probably because there is no is no resonating effect between the various strings. (Which is quite understandable at this price level.)
FEATURES (missing). The ones I cared about: additional voices (NP30 only got 10) and the 12 keys for the full-size 88-key keyboard. Again, it's all about a trade-off against portability and price.
ACCESSORIES (missing). Power adapter and the sustain pedal are not included, and Best Buys charges $25-30+ for each. This is a RIP-OFF, people. For power, look around; maybe you have a compatible one already (12V, 1500 mA, negative is outside) - or use rechargeable batteries. And maybe you are fine without the pedal (I am still to answer that question for myself).


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The Yamaha NP30 Portable Grand is an easy-to-carry piano that features Advanced Wave Memory stereo sampled piano sounds for incredible sound quality.A entirely new take on the digital piano, offering quality, value and portability with a lighter touch. Featuring 76 Graded Touch keys and stereo-sampled pianos. Also, 10 voices like Organs and Strings plus 32 notes of polyphony. Another great feature for the home recording artist is that it performs as a MIDI controller too. The built in speakers allow you to play it anywhere since it operates on six AA batteries.Ultra-Portable Digital PianoThe new NP-30 Portable Grand delivers Yamaha digital piano sound and simplicity in a new lightweight, compact design like nothing else you've seen... all at a price point you won't believe.Its super slim design and minimal weight of 12 pounds makes it the most compact performer in the digital piano family of instruments. And 6 AA batteries are all you need to power up and start playing immediately.Do you have questions about personal keyboards?Click on the image for product comparisons and FAQs!Graded Soft Touch Action - NEWBecause of its similarity to acoustic pianos, a graded action is one of the primary features sought by pianists in their digital instruments. While technically a non-weighted action, the new Graded Soft-Touch keyboard is the first of its kind bringing different levels of resistance without the extra

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Rover RB-35T Tenor Resonator 4 String Banjo Review

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(More customer reviews)Just plain awful sound. Not to mention one of the attachments for the resonator was bouncing around inside when it arrived. Cheap Chinese junk. I returned it and bought a Gold Tone TS-250, also made in China, but far better quality and sound. Don't waste your time and money on a cheap banjo. Spend at least $500 and get something that will not frustrate you and you end sitting it in a corner allowing it to collect dust.

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The Rover RB-35T Tenor banjo is a moderately-priced instrument that far outstrips anything else in its field. All the professional features you want are available to you at a price that will surprise and delight you.Principal points of excellence include the aluminum rim with integrated bracket band, the slim, professional neck and the perfectly arched and finished resonator. The polished mahogany and gleaming Nickel-plated parts make a perfect picture, and the tone will please even the most exacting artist.

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Line 6 Variax 700 Guitar, Sunburst Tremolo Review

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(More customer reviews)Back in 2002, I bought the original Variax. Sonically, it was a great guitar. It had a sorta "cheap" look to it, but it was a nice instrument. I recorded one song with it before I sold it and bought a Godin LGXT.
Fast-forward to today. I recently decided that I (again) needed the versatility that the Variax offered. I decided to buy the best Variax Line 6 offered (the 700 with trem), both for aesthetics and for features and construction. The only thing left was deciding which color. The cherry sunburst was the prettiest.
I bought my Variax from Amazon.com. This is the first time I've ever bought an instrument from Amazon. They were the only ones carrying the Variax 700 cherry sunburst. I glad I bought it! Very inspiring. Extremely versatile. It's a very comfortable guitar to wear. It has a great Strat-like feel to it. Dial in one of the Strat selections, close your eyes, and you'll swear you're playing a Strat.
I realize that there are guitar snobs in the world who will claim they can tell the difference between, say, the Variax's Les Paul settings and a real Les Paul. Or the Variax's Strat settings and a real Strat. They're full of it. Close your eyes and you cannot tell. I made a recording of my Fender acoustic guitar and the Variax's "parlor" acoustic guitar settings. Guess which guitar everyone guessed was the real acoustic? You got it. The Variax's parlor guitar. Two long-time guitarists who should know the difference could not tell. My sister could not tell. My friends could not tell. They all picked the Variax as the "real" guitar. So, I'll say it again: anyone who claims that their highly-trained ear can distinguish the Variax from the "real" thing lives in a fantasy world. I've owned and played a very good Les Paul. I've owned and played a beautiful Strat. I had those instruments for years. The Variax really does faithfully mimic the guitars it models.
Get the Workbench software! If for no other reason, you can adjust the output of the various guitar models. For instance, Line 6 faithfully modeled the Strat, even its relative volume. The Les Paul pickup models are noticeably hotter. So I used Workbench software to bring the volume of the Strat pickup models to be equal with the output of the Les Paul pickup models. Problem solved! You can adjust all kinds of things using the Workbench software. If you have a PODxt Live (floor model), or the new POD X3 Live (when they're available), you can download the Workbench software for free from Line 6. If you don't have one of those, then you can buy the USB interface gadget from Line 6, which comes with Workbench. It is worth buying if you have to buy it (I think $99). Line 6 Variax Workbench 1.5


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Variax 700 in sunburst combines Line 6's patent-pending guitar modeling technology in a custom designed solid-body guitar to accurately reproduce the sounds of a variety of well-known vintage electric and acoustic guitars. In addition Variax also offers well-known sounds of guitar-related instruments, such as a resonator, banjo, and electric sitar. Modeled variations include solid-body, semi hollowbody, and hollowbody electrics with single-coil and humbucking pickups, as well as, several six- and twelve string acoustics. Variax 700 features a carved top, mahogany body, optional tremolo, one-piece hard maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, and Gotoh tuners.

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Epiphone Tony Iommi G-400 SG Collection Electric Guitar, Ebony Review

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(More customer reviews)I have played guitar for over 20 years and seldom, if ever have I been so pleased by the performance of a guitar.
The action is great: 24 frets and no dead spots. It plays just as evenly on one end of the fretboard as it does on the other.
The sound is classic: great crunch chord sounds and surprisingly subtle when necessary. Think "Children of The Sea" and "Sign of The Southern Cross" or "Symptom of The Universe". Rich, full, fat bottom sounds and beautiful clarity in the higher regions when soloing.
This guitar also looks cool as well: the cross inlays are nice without being gaudy and also Iommi's signature is noticeable without being overbearing. The guitar is practical, looks good and performs like a dream.
I don't know what weight problem the previous review was referring to but this guitar is great and I smile to myself each time I pick it up to play.

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Rock legend and Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi lends his name to this G-400 from hell. All blacked out with Tony's signature 'cross' inlays up the 24 fret slim-taper neck and Gibson USA Tony Iommi Humbucker pickups for that demonic roar.

An Epiphone worthy of the Iommi name.

Angled Headstock Unlike cheaper designs, all Epiphones feature a 14-degree headstock that gives you more pressure at the nut and so you get more sustain with less tuning hang-ups caused by "string-tree" gadgets.
Double-Waxed Pickups Epiphone utilizes a double vacuum waxing process that ensures optimum performance. The pickup is first placed in the specialized wax vacuuming system before the cover is put in place to ensure that the wax fully penetrates to the very center of the pickup and solidifies all parts. After the cover is placed on, it is again given a second vacuum wax bath until the unit is completely saturated with wax.
Output Jack To increase reliability and ensure consistent performance, Epiphone's proprietary output jacks feature an improved contact shape and heavy-duty spring steel.
Toggle Switches All Epiphones feature our all-metal, USA designed switches for reliable contact and longer life.
Tunomatic Bridge Fully adjustable, the tunomatic remains a classic after over 50 years. Unlike guitars fitted with tremolos, there are no tuning or re-stringing difficulties. Plus, tone and sustain are improved because all string vibrations are transferred directly to the guitar.
Potentiometers Epiphone is passionate about performance. That's why their instruments use one-inch diameter potentiometers for better "throw," longer life and reliable service.
Quick-Connectors For unequalled reliability as well as ease of service, Epiphone wiring harnesses feature quick-connectors.
Specs
Pickups: Gibson Tony Iommi humbuckers
Hardware: Black Chrome
Scale: 24.75 inches
Nut width: 1.6875 inches
Neck: Set, Mahogany
Fretboard: Rosewood
Inlays: Cross
Body material: Mahogany
Tailpiece: Stopbar
Finishes available: Ebony

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