Tech 21Trademark 60 Guitar Amp

I've been playing rock, blues and jazz through a Mesa Boogie MarkII combo since the mid 1980’s. I bought this amp because I was tired of lugging the Boogie around. I’ve been very happy with that decision.

The Box

At 34 pounds, the Tech 21 is much lighter than the 56 pound MB. They both have 12” speakers, they’re both 60 watts and they both include spring reverb units. They both take about the same amount of floor space (about 1.5 square feet) and they’re almost exactly the same height - about 18 inches. But becasue it's so much lighter, this amp is much easier to get into and out of my car than the MB.

The MB is all tube and the Tech 21 is solid state. They’re both two-channel amps and both come with a footswitch to toggle between channels. The Tech 21 footswitch also allows you to cut an effects loop in and out and control the reverb and built in boost function.

The controls for the Tech 21 are located on the top of the amp giving its face a very clean retro sort of look – just a cane grille surrounded by black tolex. It also has metal corner protectors on all eight corners. All-in-all, it’s very solidly built.


The Tech 21 has the usual ¼” input. It also has an effects send and return, headphone out and a SanAmp output for going direct to a mixing board. A great feature for the studio or on-stage.

The Sound

I’ve found the Tech 21 to be very well-suited to what I’m playing these days – a mix of jazz and blues in solo and combo settings. The amp has a very warm, full clean sound. Deep mids and solid bass. To my ear it lacks the clarity of the Mesa Boogie, though. The highs are clearer on the MB and the mids are better defined. Having said that, I’m very satisfied with the tones I get from the Tech 21. It does quite a respectable job handling the nuances of jazz chords and solos and I believe an EQ in the effects loop would allow me to really hone the sounds to perfection.

The distorted tone on the Tech 21 really sounds good. It provides excellent tone and balance without getting muddy. I use it to add a little bite to some solos and some crunch for some rhythm parts, or if I want to really jump out to the top of the mix, I'll really crank it. Now, I’m used to the killer overdrive from the MB and Santana solos clearly sound better through the Boogie. But the Tech 21 does a great job and I’m thrilled at its versatility.

Miscellaneous

1) I’ve noticed that the Tech 21 doesn’t provide as much headroom as the Boogie. It’s plenty loud enough for anything I’ve put it through, but the MB is the clear leader here.

2) I had the chance to run a great experiment at a friend’s music store. He had a Tech21 on the floor and I wanted to try swapping out my speaker for a Jensen. So first we set both amps up side-by-side with the settings exactly the same and compared the two amps. They sounded almost identical. Next we swapped the Jensen speaker into my amp and did the same comparison. To my surprise, the Jensen sounded thin and reedy next to the Tech 21 speaker. We put my speaker back in and I’ve never looked back.

3) While the lack of tubes does take away subtley from the sound, I’m really happy that I don’t have to change tubes with this amp. That and the lighter weight are worth the trade off to me. (Not to mention the HUGE price difference.)

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Alesis ACTIVE Speaker USB Connection

These speakers are very well-suited to home or mobile computer recording studios. (They also make excellent PC speakers). At this price, nothing else comes close in either sound or features.

Performance
The 3"woofer and 1" tweeter deliver crisp, punchy sound over a broad spectrum. The bass boost ( 4.8dB at 100Hz) works well and delivers respectable low-end for this size speaker. The cabinets are ported and I think that helps tremendously. They must be ultra shielded because I have them within inches of my laptop and I get exactly zero interference or hum. They are active, meaning they have built in amplification, but at 10 watts, they won't rattle your walls if that's what you’re after.

They required no setup or driver installation at all. When I plugged them into a USB port on my laptop (running Windows XP), they showed up immediately as a sound-card. I DID run into a little trouble when I tried connecting them to my USB hub. They tended to simply cut out and not come back until I rebooted. I know that audio devices are finicky and it's always best to plug them directly into your PC - case in point.

The 88db (weighted) signal to noise ratio is better than many speakers in this price range, especially desktop PC speakers. But it's not as good as even slightly higher priced monitors. The 80hz to 20Khz frequency response is average. Digital resolution is at 16 bit, 44.1kHz or 48kHz.

Features
These speakers have more functionality than anything I've seen in any desktop monitor. The big draw for me was the USB connectivity. But they also have a 1/8" TRS input (for your iPod, etc); stereo RCA inputs; two unbalanced 1/4" input jacks; as well as a TRS headphone out. That covers about any modern audio interface out there (except XLR). Also, the headphone jack and power/volume knob are on the front which makes them very convenient. All other controls and jacks are on the back.

Another HUGE benefit to these speakers is that anything you plug into them is available as a sound source in your computer. So if you plug the mains from your board into them, and plug them into your USB port, you can then manipulate it, record it, sample it, etc. on the PC. Same is true for a CD or tape player, DJ console, guitar, keyboard, and on, and on. No other PC speaker that I know of offers this feature.

Overall
The speakers are compact and solidly made. The connections are well-seated and don't feel at all wobbly like some cheap computer gear. Great sound and super functionality. These are terrific for a project studio or as computer speakers. They take up very little desk space at (W x H x D): 6.0 x 5.0 x 7.5 inches.

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Lasko 5367 Ceramic Electric Compact Heater\

I live in northern New England and we keep the furnace at a chilly 60 degrees during the day while the house is empty except for me. I spend my time in my 20’ x 22’ music room recording and composing and the Lasko does a good job of quickly heating the room by 10 degrees and keeping it there.

The tower takes up very little floor space and the oscillating feature is quite effective in filling the whole room with heat. (Prior to getting this model, I tried another non-oscillating heater that was no where near as effective as this one.) When the room is cold, I turn it on and place it about three feet from my workstation. Within a minute the area around my desk is warm enough to start working. After about half an hour I move the unit further out into the room and leave it there for the day. The entire room is comfortable in no time.

Made in China, the unit seems well-built with a metal grid over the ceramic element. (This grid quickly becomes hot to the touch.) The front and top are metallic looking grey plastic and the back is shiny grey. It’s modern looking and you might mistake it for a speaker rather than a space heater. The built-in handle won’t break off because it’s integrated into the casing. And very important to me because I work with music is that the fan is quiet - quieter than the previously mentioned model that I tried. Its six-foot chord won't reach into the center of many rooms, but it's longer than some. It has automatic overheat protection and comes with a 3 year warranty.

The controls are simple – turn up the thermostat and switch the mode to fan, low heat or high heat. I expect to use the fan mode in the summer when it’s 90 degrees in here, but for now I mostly use the high heat setting (1500 watts). Push a button to start to stop it from oscillation. Simple.

It seems to operate fairly economically. Our electric bill somewhat higher since the unit is on every day, but we use far less heating oil by keeping the furnace at a lower temperature.

A couple of minor issues: As I mentioned, the metal grid gets quite got. I wouldn't want a baby to get near it. Second, there is no tip-over protection so if it falls or gets knocked over, it will stay on. This might pose a safety hazard under some circumstances.

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Sweet and Lowdown Movie Review

As a long-time Woody Allen fan and jazz guitar player I looked forward to seeing this movie. It came highly recommended and I was disappointed on a lot of levels.

First, there was not one minute while watching this film that I wasn't aware of the fact that I was viewing a performance. The acting was stilted and even Sean Penn's performance seemed affected.

Second, despite having lived an interesting and somewhat sordid decade or two travelling and playing guitar myself, I could not relate even slightly to the protagonist. Granted, the time period was a factor, but the lead character (Emmet Ray) was so one-dimensional that I found it impossible to empathise with him on a human level.

Third, while monologues from people like Woody Allen were interesting, they offered no more than speculation and conjecture. The relationship between Mr. Ray and the people doing the talking was never made clear and as a result the viewer was left scratching his head wondering about the source of their information. Additionally, the random breaks in the action of the film served to disrupt what little momentum might have been building.

Fourth, in at least one scene we are treated to three alternatives as to what happens. I believe the intent was to let the viewer know that anything was possible and no one really knows what happened. But that is disconcerting to the average movie goer who usually wants to be told a story - not given a series of possibilities and left to wonder.

Fifth, Mr. Penn's phony fingering on the guitar neck was distracting and detracted from the viewing experience. It's like watching someone lipsynch poorly. The scenes where he's playing should have been edited in such a way that his hands weren't shown - at least during some of the very difficult pieces.

Sixth, what the hell happened? Did he divorce Blanche? Did he father a child? Did he return to Hattie? Did he stop playing? Just saying that he disappeared strikes me as a lazy way to end a film.

Having said all of that, I loved the guitar playing. I hadn't heard of Howard Allen before, but I plan on finding some of his recordings. That's the one positive thing I got out of the film.

Summary - A movie tells a story, with a beginning, middle and end. This one had a beginning, alternative middles and no real end. It was unsatisfying and overrated. Do yourself a favor and just buy the soundtrack.

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Olympus Camedia Digital Camera

Olympus Camedia C-4000 4MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom Pros Easy-to-use, excellent quality digital camera. Cons 3X zoom is limiting. The Bottom Line Versatile, digital camera with all of the features a point-and-click photog could want.

Full Review This is my first digital camera. I've had it for about four years and I'm still crazy about it. I use it for everything from taking quick snapshots for eBay to taking pictures for printing and framing. When I bought it, 4.1 megapixel was as high as you could get. Now, of course, higher resolution cameras are the norm. But the output is great up to 8 1/2 by 11 inches. (I haven't printed any larger than that.) I've had Shutterfly print some and I've sent some to my Canon i960. Both look terrific The Setup The unit plugs into a USB port on your computer. You plug your guitar or bass into the Tomeport and the signal is routed to the software that Line6 ships with the unit. There are a couple of stereo line ins and line outs so you can monitor an external sound source or send your guitar to an external source (like a PA). There is also a mic input with a built in preamp, but I haven't used it. The Software Line 6 ships a good software package (Gearbox) with this unit. It contains a bunch of very usable amp models, speaker cabinets, preamps and effects. I play a combination of rock and jazz and I can usually create a tone that meets my needs. You can tweak any and all settings for the canned sample sounds and save them as user sounds. I used to use my own custom sounds exclusively, but the latest version of Gearbox has a really cool Tone Library button which links you to a whole bunch of on-line tones that emulate sounds from people like BB King and other well-known player to staff members from Berklee. These tones are awesome! They really expand the usefulness of the software. Speaking of which, the latest version also includes a cool little metronome which was sorely missing from the last version. You can use it to provide a simple click-track or use one the provided drum grooves. It even does 5/4 time. Very nice. The effects are standard issue - Reverb, Delay, EQ, Chorus, Flange, Fuzz, etc. They are all serviceable and virtually noise-free. The Sound This thing sounds great for the price! The modelled amps are quite authentic. The only sound I haven't been able to reproduce is a Marshall Stack, but I think if I spent the time, I would be able to get just what I was looking for. I was afraid before I got it that it might track poorly or there might be a latency issue, but the thing is spot-on. I can bend, hammer, tap, pull, pop, mute, chicken-pick, etc and it doesn't miss a beat. Another fear I had was that the character of my guitar would be lost in all of that electronic processing, what with the modelling and all, but that is not the case. I'm happy to report that my semi-hollow-body retains its clear harmonics and subtle, round tones while the Strat chunks and crunches away. Keep in-mind, however, that this isn't a studio-level piece of equipment. It's great for getting a guitar or bass signal into your computer. And the Gearbox software is terrific for a consumer-level signal processing, amp modelling tool. But don't expect pristine, high-end output. It's good, but keep the price in-mind when you form your expectations. Some Drawbacks There are a couple of minor drawbacks. First, you can't really use the thing on-stage because it has no foot-pedal. That means that you have to use your computer's mouse every time you want to select a different sound or change a setting. Second, I wish there were more options available for it. For instance, if people could write plugins for it, a whole world of effects or amp sounds might blossom. As it is, we're stuck with the options that the vendor puts out.

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Line 6 TonePort UX1 Product Review

LINE6 UX1 TONEPORT Music Computer Interface Pros Excellent way to get your instrument or voice into a computer program. Cons No footpedal, limited effects and amp models. The Bottom Line Very good consumer-level interface to the world of computers for the traditionally analog musician.

Full Review

I've played guitar for 30 years and worked with computers for twenty. In that time I've always resisted the push to marry the two. To me musical instruments have always been the antithesis of the 'Moore's Law' way of thinking that prevails in technology. I love the fact that the guitar and amp that I've owned for decades are as good or better than most of the stuff that's being made today. So, as I said, I've always resisted the move to plug the guitar into my computer. Then, one day I was messing around with some recording/sampling/mixing software and I realized how powerful, clean and accurate it was. There, on my computer and at very little cost I had software that would allow me to record, bounce, mix, punch in and out, time-stretch, detune, sample, and on and on. It was a revelation! Turns out the computer and music ARE well-suited to each other. (Check out http://flstudio.com/ if you want to get a look at some really fun and hip software.) So I had to find a means by which to plug my Strat and ES-137 into my laptop and get my playing into the mix. I did a fair amount of research and the Toneport was exactly what I wanted. The Setup The unit plugs into a USB port on your computer. You plug your guitar or bass into the Tomeport and the signal is routed to the software that Line6 ships with the unit. There are a couple of stereo line ins and line outs so you can monitor an external sound source or send your guitar to an external source (like a PA). There is also a mic input with a built in preamp, but I haven't used it. The Software Line 6 ships a good software package (Gearbox) with this unit. It contains a bunch of very usable amp models, speaker cabinets, preamps and effects. I play a combination of rock and jazz and I can usually create a tone that meets my needs. You can tweak any and all settings for the canned sample sounds and save them as user sounds. I used to use my own custom sounds exclusively, but the latest version of Gearbox has a really cool Tone Library button which links you to a whole bunch of on-line tones that emulate sounds from people like BB King and other well-known player to staff members from Berklee. These tones are awesome! They really expand the usefulness of the software. Speaking of which, the latest version also includes a cool little metronome which was sorely missing from the last version. You can use it to provide a simple click-track or use one the provided drum grooves. It even does 5/4 time. Very nice. The effects are standard issue - Reverb, Delay, EQ, Chorus, Flange, Fuzz, etc. They are all serviceable and virtually noise-free. The Sound This thing sounds great for the price! The modelled amps are quite authentic. The only sound I haven't been able to reproduce is a Marshall Stack, but I think if I spent the time, I would be able to get just what I was looking for. I was afraid before I got it that it might track poorly or there might be a latency issue, but the thing is spot-on. I can bend, hammer, tap, pull, pop, mute, chicken-pick, etc and it doesn't miss a beat. Another fear I had was that the character of my guitar would be lost in all of that electronic processing, what with the modelling and all, but that is not the case. I'm happy to report that my semi-hollow-body retains its clear harmonics and subtle, round tones while the Strat chunks and crunches away. Keep in-mind, however, that this isn't a studio-level piece of equipment. It's great for getting a guitar or bass signal into your computer. And the Gearbox software is terrific for a consumer-level signal processing, amp modelling tool. But don't expect pristine, high-end output. It's good, but keep the price in-mind when you form your expectations. Some Drawbacks There are a couple of minor drawbacks. First, you can't really use the thing on-stage because it has no foot-pedal. That means that you have to use your computer's mouse every time you want to select a different sound or change a setting. Second, I wish there were more options available for it. For instance, if people could write plugins for it, a whole world of effects or amp sounds might blossom. As it is, we're stuck with the options that the vendor puts out.

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Mercedes-Benz 2003 E-Class Auto Review

Pros Best looking mid-sized Mercedes to come down the pike in decades. Cons A bit sluggish off the line. The Bottom Line I really like this car. It drives wonderfully and it's luxurious without being flashy.

Full Review

The E320 is my fourth Mercedes sedan. My first and favorite was a 1968 250S. It was an absolute classic. Wonderfully rich interior, excellent handling, but a bit underpowered. The body style was instantly recognizable as a Mercedes with a slight Pagoda design to the roof, the huge expanse of hood and a trunk that reminded me of a boat's deck. The E320 reminds me of that classic sedan from days of old. It has the most luxurious appointments of any Benz since those from the '60s. The body styling is distinct and, like my old 250S, the car is slightly underpowered. Still, I really enjoy this car and I'll tell you why here: Interior The interior is what ultimately sold me on it. As I mentioned above, the appointments are pure luxury. Swooping wood trim surrounds the driver and front passenger. The best woodwork I've seen in a Benz in 30 years. The leather seats are supple and supportive - much more comfortable than those in the Jaguar X series that I test-drove. In fact, these seats, while not as roomy as the ones in my old 250 are better than those in any of the Mercedes that I've owned since then. The back seat is roomy and the trunk is huge. While it's a subjective judgment, I'd say the controls are laid out well for the most part. I like the analog speedometer and other gauges. But I have a couple of minor complaints in this department. First, telephone dial pad is too far away from the driver to quickly dial while driving. If I have to manually dial a number, it takes a lot of concentration and carefully looking back and forth from the road to the phone pad. I'd have liked a little easier means by which to dial manually. My other complaint is that the menu system which is accessible through steering wheel controls is a bit clunky. I rarely need to change the time or set the interior lighting options while driving, but I have to wade through those menus to get to the few options that I use frequently while at the wheel. Speaking of the interior lighting, I like it. Lots of ambient light available at night and plenty of task lighting when needed. Exterior Gone is the boxy look that started appearing on MB sedans in the '80s. The body sits on its haunches and looks like a cat that's ready to pounce. A sloping roof and hood make the car appear to be in motion even when it's parked. The raked headlights and grill give it a very aggressive 'face'. Very nicely done. Performance As others have noted here, the E320 is not the quickest car on the road. It's heavy for the size of the engine and it doesn't jump off the line. When I get in my wife's Maxima after driving the E320, I have to consciously back off the throttle so I don't over-do it. I've had the E320 up to 115 MPH on the highway and it felt very well-grounded. I think there was a good deal more speed left in her, but I understand that they install a governor at the factory that tops out at 130. But the best place for driving this car is on twisty two-lanes. It sticks to the road and corners tightly and is very much at-home carving out swaths through the back roads. The ride is pure Mercedes - comfortable without being too soft. I get about 30 MPG when driving conservatively on dry roads. I don't drive it in snow, so I can't comment on how she handles under those conditions.

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