Galaxy Audio PA6S 170W Personal PA System/Monitor Review

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(More customer reviews)As a singing drummer, I absolutely LOVE this monitor!
You have personal volume control, plus a 3-way EQ, and since you can run two channels into it, you can blend the house monitor mix in with your own mic feed (via a microphone "thru" patch) to get the exact blend of the two that you desire.
After using this Galaxy PA6S at a recent gig, I will never go back to floor monitors again!
Galaxy Audio PA6S 170W Personal PA System/Monitor

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Pioneers of the small PA/personal monitor category when they introduced the HOT SPOT 30 years ago, Galaxy Audio has redesigned their innovative Galaxy Audio PA6S from the ground up while keeping the basics. The outer shell on this version of the PA6S PA system & vocal monitor has kept the distinctive shape of the original Hot Spot, but with a new, 21st century look. The cabinet now uses two specially designed speaker components—the 155-watt NEOLITE 6.5" woofer and Galaxy Audio's highly efficient 1.5" 60-watt tweeter.The Galaxy Audio PA6S PA system / monitor takes full advantage of recent improvements in speaker and amplifier technology, making it the lightest, most powerful, and best-sounding compact PA system Galaxy Audio has ever offered. Features such as the XLR pass-through on each channel allow independent control of mics without affecting the signal sent to the house PA system. The Galaxy Audio speaker's -20dB Pad switch on each XLR input ensures that even the hottest signals will be accepted without overdriving the inputs. An additional 1/8" Line input on Channel 2 will accept stereo or mono signals from sources such as tape or digital medial players as well as line-level instruments.The two-way PA speaker system gives the PA6S a much wider frequency response than earlier models. This means that full-range music, such as keyboards or backing tracks, will come through with solid bass and crisp highs. This enhanced frequency response makes the Galaxy Audio PA6S a great stand-alone PA system for small club gigs as well as lectures and A/V presentations. Plus a simple adjustment of the 3-band EQ can alter the response for singers who love the time-honored accentuated midrange of the classic Hot Spot vocal monitor. The Galaxy Audio PA6S gives you the best of both worlds.Amplifier/PreampThe Galaxy Audio PA6S has a built-in 170-watt amplifier designed to handle the most demanding audio situations. This high-tech Class D amplifier produces plenty of power to co

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CAD Professional Mics E100S Supercardioid Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone Review

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(More customer reviews)I have a modest home studio, and my recordings have received kind comments from listeners and fellow engineers alike. Though I am on a budget like almost everyone else, I take my equipment seriously, and believe that one is better off saving for what will deliver widely-recognized quality, rather than trying to economize by buying the minimum you need to get a recording done. When you buy too cheap, you often end up spending 3x what you would have spent (for the good stuff) in money lost through trade-ups--because you just can't get happy.
My personal philosophy out of the way, I have respectable gear that can help me tell the difference between a decent mic and a wannabe.
I tested the e100s through a Metric HALO ULN-2 extended, Logic Pro-9, ADAM A-7 Monitors, and various reference quality headphones, including the AKG K-701 and Ultrasone PRO 750s.
I used the mic by itself, X/Y with a Peluso CEMC-6 SMC, and in an M/S configuration with a RODE K-2 Tube mic. I recorded both vocals and acoustic guitar (this last being my personal favorite for showing up crappy wannabe equipment. Transients, fundamentals, and harmonics from a quality guitar are a great test for mics, pre-amps and monitors, and I have two guitars I tried: a Martin D-35, and a Larrivée LV-05e).
The e100s didn't disappoint. It delivered nicely textured, transparent sound, and as a bonus (especially for those of us who want to make clean, quiet, acoustic recordings), it wasuncannily, blissfully, quiet. I mean quiet. Did I say quiet?
My ULN-2 has something like a 125dB S/N Ratio, and this mic made it worth the investment. Holy-moly. I've used Neumann, RODE, Peluso, MXL, etc., etc... this mike is the quietest of them all...even quieter than the TLM-103.
Great sound. Dead quiet. Buy it.

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Engineered and built in the USA, the new E100S large diaphragm supercardioid condenser has the lowest noise floor in its class (3.7 dBA) and the smooth vintage tone and robust low end CAD is known for. The bootstrapped, full differential Quadra-FET front end delivers high sensitivity and low distortion, plus CAD's proprietary circuitry ensures the highest performance. The nickel plated 1" capsule delivers accurate phasing on instruments, and a full rich vocal tone, accentuated by the extended low frequency response. Features include an 80Hz hi-pass filter and a 10dB pad. From vocals to percussion, acoustic instruments and everything in between, the CAD Equitek E100S will prove to be one of the most versatile tools in your microphone locker, in the studio or on stage. Vintage woodgrain cherry case and stealth shock mount included. 48V phantom power is required. ApplicationsStudio Vocals Choir Acoustic Instrument Guitar Cabinets Bass Cabinets Strings Piano Cymbals/OverheadsSpecificationsOperating Principle: Condenser Polar Pattern: Supercardioid Frequency Response:

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Ion Audio Tailgater Portable PA System for iPod Review

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(More customer reviews)The Tailgater is one heck of an iPod dock/speaker. Yes, it is only mono, but most portable docks are too small to truely get stereo imaging anyway. The construction of this unit is very high quality, comparable to true guitar amps. It has a 2-way speaker design, with a ~6" woofer and ~1.5" dome tweeter. The only real con is that it doesn't have any bass/treble adjustment and the default sound is a wee bit muddy, but this can be adjusted using the the iPod/iPhone's EQ. As for volume, it can get LOUD. Even outdoors I rarely go past 1/3 of full volume. Battery life is rated at 8 hrs at 2/3 volume according to the manual. I haven't been able to fully test it yet, but at 1/3 volume it ran for 3+ hrs and the battery meter still showed 3 out of 4 leds lit! So I don't really doubt the 8 hour claim which is awesome and why I bought this little guy in the first place.
Speaking of iPhones, I can report it works great with my iPhone 3G. You do get the "this device is not made for iPhone" warning and asks to be put in airplane mode, but it plays AND CHARGES my iPhone just fine even without being in airplane mode. I also didn't hear any of the typical phone interference you get with most other docks, which is probably due to the size of the unit which gives the audio components some space from the actual iPhone.
Regarding its portable "PA system" claims, a microphone is also included in the box which allows for regular PA type use and you can sing-along with your iPod karaoke style.
I actually got mine at a local Bed Bath & Beyond store, same price but 20% off with the usual store coupon!
Pros:
+portable iPod/iPhone dock that runs for 8 hours on built-in battery!
+actually loud enough to be useful outdoors
+8 hour battery life!
+good but not great sound quality, it won't be confused for a Bose/JBL/etc. dock.
+8 hour battery life!
+comes with a microphone (icing on the cake)
+works with iPhone 3G
Cons:
-bulky/heavy...the battery life compromise
-no bass/treble adjustment, use iPod EQ to clean up sound output if you need to
-stated 12 hour full recharge time, just need to plan in advance for useage

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TAILGATER lets you easily enjoy your personal soundtrack anywhere. This sound system features single-unit construction with speakers, amplifier, audio inputs and a dock for iPod all in one box. This high-powered, two-way speaker system has a built-in battery with level indicator for up to eight hours of cordless sound. Or you can plug in TAILGATER's power cord and rock out as long as you want. TAILGATER's enhanced bass output creates full, rich sound that's perfect for parties, tailgating, or any other place you need great sound! TAILGATER has an integrated dock for your iPod so you can play your tunes easily, and you can also plug in the included microphone and your guitar, keyboard, CD player, and other audio sources.

Portable Power The Tailgater pumps out 16 Watts of peak power, giving you full, rich audio no matter the setting.
Four Input Options With four input options with independent level controls, the Tailgater is perfect for a variety of applications--give a speech with some background music, play instruments over recorded music, or any other combo you might come up with. Inputs include:
iPod: Integrated Universal Dock for iPod
Microphone: Balanced XLR or 1/4" microphone
Instrument: 1/4-inch jack for guitar, keyboard, other instrument, or second microphone
CD/MP3 Player: RCA line level input for CD player, MP3 player, or other audio device

Link Output Connect a 1/4-inch stereo (TRS) cable to this line-level output to connect another amplification device, such as another Tailgater.
Party All Day Thanks to the Tailgater's built-in rechargeable battery, you'll get about eight hours of amplification on one charge. Level indicators let you know when it's time for a recharge, and if you're near a power outlet you can just plug in and recharge the battery while it's in use.
Take It Anywhere With heavy-duty construction and a convenient carry handle, the Tailgater is ready to go wherever you need it.
Mic Included A professional quality microphone is included, along with a cable--plug right in and go.
What's in the Box Ion Audio Tailgater, Microphone Cable, Microphone, Power Cable

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PreSonus StudioLive 24.4.2 Review

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(More customer reviews)This board, hands down, is one of the best and most intuitive boards on the planet. The PreSonus StudioLive 24.4.2 is a multidimensional board with several layers of access and control. After only a couple of days working with the mixer, I was flying through the setup and menus. The pres on this board are phenomenal and sound great with virtually any microphone. But wait, there's more! Not only can you setup and save "Scenes" for the board, with the new VSL software, changing the board from rehearsal mode, to recording particular instruments, to a live setup is as simple as drag-and-drop. There are virtually endless ways to use the StudioLive. For my group, Foolsbane, it is imperative that we be able to quickly record rehearsal and analyze various aspects of a song. With the bundled Capture software, it's as easy as opening the software, arming the tracks, and hitting record. The PreSonus StudioLive 24.4.2 has quickly become an indispensable tool for both the studio and on the road. Hurry and get yours today! I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

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24 high-headroom XMAX mic preamps for great-sounding stage performances and live/studio recordingsBuilt-in FireWire recording and playback interface — 32-in/26-out More than 90 signal processors with a studio-grade compressor, limiter, gate/expander, 4-band semi-parametric EQ, and highpass filter available on each channelTwo programmable 32-bit floating point, stereo DSP effects engines, packed with 50 reverb, delay, and time-based effects presets10 aux buses and 4 subgroups give you a high level of controlExtensive LED metering keeps you in tune with your mixCan save channel strip settings and recall them — can also copy and paste settings from one channel strip to anotherIncluded channel setting presets serve as starting points for optimizing the sound of instruments, vocals, and spoken wordAutomatic AutoStore feature regularly saves current settings, just in case the power fails.Includes StudioOne Artist DAW software and streamlined Capture recording software

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Mackie Big Knob Desktop Studio Monitor System Review

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(More customer reviews)I have a home studio and have used the Big Knob for about 2 years now. This is exactly what I was missing in my chain. Very well made, this thing is constructed like a tank and built to last. I can easily switch between my monitors and headphones with the push of one button and you always know where the volume knobs is. The Big Knob can also make things easier if you are using multiple inputs. My computer is hooked up to one input, my guitar to another and electric keyboard to another....and all with a push of a button or two I can easily select which combination I want to hear. Each input has a gain level knob associated with it. Two headphone jacks are included with individual volumes for each. I have not seen anything on the market that quite compares. Presonus has a similar unit, but it does not appear to be made nearly as well or useful despite it's glowing buttons. You can't go wrong with this at all. I bought mine off an auction site, so shop around for a good deal.

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Mackie?s Big Knob lets you easily switch between studio monitors, stereo sources, and even send musicians their own custom headphone mixes, all from your desktop.

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Yamaha HS50M 5" Monitor Speaker Review

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(More customer reviews)The Yamaha HS-50M studio monitors are excellent tools to listen to and work with. On audition at Digital Village I compared them to other small studio monitors by having a CD with acoustic guitar music fed through them. The bite and colour of strings through the Yamahas were reproduced very well. That was enough, I bought them.
I have been using these monitors for almost a year now. They have a fine combination of qualities, and are very serious sounding; certianly not for children, or to play about with. They are for solid work, research, and of course, monitoring.
These Yamahas may lack the real lower thunder bass around 20-40Hz, do not let that put you off, for they can still produce the thunder bass frequencies centred above this. My floorboards rattle and move below my feet due to the low frequency energy coming out of these speakers, and you can hear thuds and thumps captured on certain recordings. Thus quite simply, yes, there is enough bass reproduction here to hear. It all depends on the source quality.
The HS-50M's are very clean sounding, and cymbals have got a natural shimmer and ring. Front and back depth is good, and stereo images shift as necessary. Vocals have a realness and closeness as they should. You can hear the woody resonance of certain guitar notes resound through your chest, and the dynamic range and dynamic capability of these speakers are excellent. They also can be amazingly subtle and gentle.
When testing a wide range of music and sound sources they very clearly make it known their origin, be it a live TV studio or compressed artificial recording.
But the overall beauty of these Yamaha's is because they are so transparent, when listening to old favourites they can bring tears to your eyes, as they accurately portray an era, atmosphere, and emotion.
Highly Recommended.

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If Your Mixes Sound Good on These, They Sound Good on Anything. The new HS Series powered monitors were designed to be true studio reference monitors in the tradition of the famous NS10Ms. When choosing your next pair of near field reference monitors, remember it's not just important that they sound good; they have to be an honest reference for your mix. The new HS Series of reference monitors were designed to give you exceptionally flat response so you can really trust what you hear. That means that mixes that sound good on Yamaha HS speakers will sound good on anything. In fact, that's the ultimate test of a reference monitor. Even better than that, HS series speakers not only sound good, they look great, too.The HS Series is a two-way, internally powered speaker system designed to provide affordable, high quality reference monitoring for all types of recording and multimedia applications – home studios, computer-based music production, gaming systems, keyboards rigs and personal computer systems. All products are sold and packaged individually, making it easy to build flexible monitor setups and 5.1 systems.HS Series cabinets look as great as they sound. Enclosures are constructed of high-quality MDF material and a multiple layer finish that minimizes resonance. Design elements include a black finish and lighted Yamaha tuning fork logo. White polypropylene woofer cones recall the look of the classic Yamaha NS10M, and include low-damping rubber surrounds and full magnetic shielding.

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