Like many guitar players, I've always wanted to be able to practice through headphones and still get a decent sound from my guitar. I bought my iGTR after trying a bunch of headphone amps. Rockman, Zoom, CTech and many others over the years have left me flat (no pun intended), so I wasn't expecting much from the iGTR. I was pleasantly surprised and here's why:
Form Factor
The unit is a little bigger than an iPod and it clips securely onto your guitar strap or belt. I put mine on the strap just above the strap button on the upper bout of the guitar. That way, the controls are all right at my finger tips.
Speaking of the controls, they are simple and very easy to use. Three jog wheels control Drive, Modulation and Time effects. Additionally, there is a switch associated with each jog wheel: Bright, Normal and Warm for the Drive effect; Phaser, Tremelo and Wah for the Modulation wheel and Delay, Chorus and Reverb for the Time-based effects. Operation is simple - select a switch position and then dial in the amount of the desired effect. Much easier than navigating through menus as you have to do on many similar devices.
Sound
I know it's subjective, but to my ear, this thing sounds closer to to the sound of my guitar running through an amp than any other headphone unit that I've tried. The effects sound quite natural and the guitar's sonic qualities shine through. My 335 sounds like it's suppose to and so does my Strat. I am holding on to this because of the sound - I've gotten rid of every other headphone/practice device that I've bought.
Input/Output
You plug your guitar in one end and a set of headphones/earbuds in the other. Turn it on and play - couldn't be simpler. You can also plug an iPod, another iGTR, a metronome, etc, into the auxiliary input. Nice feature to be able to play with another person or backing track. You can also use the auxiliary output for another set of headphones, or to send the signal to a recording device, another iGTR or any other external device. Very nice.
My Enhancement Requests
This unit would be close to perfect if it had a built-in metronome or drum machine. I'd also like a little more control over the effects. The phaser, delay, chorus, reverb and tremelo are great, but I'd use every one of them more if I could tweak their levels a little. And finally, a tuner would also be a great addition. I know that any of those enhancements would complicate the user interface, but I'd be happy to pay that price.
Summary
The best guitar headphone amp that I've used, and I've used a lot of them. While some units, like the Line6 Pocket Pod, offer more sounds and more control, I definitely prefer the iGTR for it's smaller size and ease-of-use.
Pros: Ease of use, great sounds, small footprint.
Cons: No metronome or tuner, EATS batteries.
Recommended: Yes
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
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.)
Go to Modal Music Theory for some cool stuff.
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.)
Go to Modal Music Theory for some cool stuff.
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.
Go to Modal Music Theory for some cool stuff.
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.
Go to Modal Music Theory for some cool stuff.
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.
Go to Modal Music Theory for some cool stuff.
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.
Go to Modal Music Theory for some cool stuff.
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.
Go to Modal Music Theory for some cool stuff.
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.
Go to Modal Music Theory for some cool stuff.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)