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Review: SE’s Studio Reflexion Filter
Item: SE Electronics Project Studio Reflexion Filter
Price: US $169.00, UK £99.00
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At a Glance: Back in 2006, SE Electronics brought out an innovative product called the Reflexion Filter, which was designed to improve the recording quality in your project studio. It was essentially a portable acoustic absorber than could clip on to your mic stand to help remove unwanted room reflections. Following its success, SE Electronics have recently launched the Project Studio Reflexion Filter , which uses the same basic design of their larger device but in a scaled-down package that comes in at around half the price.
High Notes: The filter is lined in a high-density crystal foam with curved ridges which SE Electronics claim performs far better than > read more
Review: StompVox for iPhone
Review of Reviews: we’ve studied the most important product reviews so you don’t have to.
Type: iPhone App.
Item: StompVox Vocal Effects Application For iPhone / iPodTouch
Price: StompVox can be downloaded from the App Store for $1.99 USD.
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At a Glance: StompVox is a vocal effects application for the iPhone and iPodTouch. Funkily designed to look and feel like effects pedals, or ‘stomp boxes’, StompVox combines a Gate, Looper, Reverb, Echo and Mixer to create a range of real-time vocal effects. Users are recommended to > read more
Review: Masterwriter’s Lyric Writing Software
Review of Reviews: we’ve studied the most important product reviews so you don’t have to.
Type: Lyric Writing Software
Item: Masterwriter 2
US: $199.00
UK: £136 (approx.)
Note: this tool can also be purchased as a yearly or monthly licence. You can download a demo version and try out Masterwriter 2 for free for ten days.
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At a Glance: Masterwriter 2 is a collection of software tools for lyricists and poets that claims to help you “unlock all the English language has to offer and express yourself in a more unique and meaningful way”.
High Notes: Masterwriter contains a massive database of rhymes, phrases, and word information, that aims to aid > read more
Review: Sheet Music Direct
Review of Reviews: we’ve studied the most important product reviews so you don’t have to.
Type: Online Sheet Music Seller
Item: www.sheetmusicdirect.com
Price: US from $1.80; UK from £0.99; Europe from €1.60
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At a Glance: With over 40 000 sheet music titles to choose from, sheetmusicdirect allows you to > read more
Review: ICIS Studio Mic
Item: SE Electronics ICIS, Studio Microphone
US $650.00 – $700.00
UK £250.00 – £460.00
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At a Glance: The ICIS, by Chinese manufacturer SE Electronics, is a tube condenser microphone that is claimed to “capture the heart and warmth of a performance, whilst maintaining a truly detailed vocal take.” Closely related to their SE5600a microphone, the ICIS has a fixed cardioid capsule making it ideal for people who do not need the full range of polar patterns and want to save some money.
High Notes: The microphone seems well built and is supplied with its own hard case, power supply and shock mount. On vocals, the ICIS tends to produce a well-textured warm sound with a little more ‘bite’ than some classic tube microphones. It can also do a pretty decent job of recording other instruments such as acoustic guitar.
Off Pitch: Its lack of high-pass filter can often lead to too much bass in some singers; although this can easily be rectified on your mixing desk or pre-amp. Some users may also find the lack of polar patterns a little limiting, especially if this is the only microphone they own.
A VoiceCouncil Reviewer Says: SE Electronics’ ICIS produces the smooth sound of a classic tube microphone at a price that is sure to appeal to many people. It faces stiff competition from manufacturers such as M-Audio, Røde and MXL as well as their own 5600a microphone which, at around £50 more, has a very similar sound and a range of polar patterns making is a more versatile microphone.
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Review: Shure’s SCL2 – Sound Isolating Earphones
Item: Shure’s SCL2 – Sound Isolating Earphones
US $60.00 – $99.00
UK £60.00 – £80.00
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At a Glance: Shure’s entry-level earphones claim to offer an excellent introduction into premium audio via sound isolation. They offer a discrete way of hearing yourself on stage whilst also helping to protect your ears from the high sound pressure levels present in many live settings.
High Notes: The SCL2′s come with a range of size attachments to fit most ears and in a choice of clear or black finishes. They enable you to hear a clear monitor mix whilst reducing the ambient sound level, which can also help you to reduce long-term hearing damage from playing gigs. The SCL2′s single dynamic micro-drivers have an decent frequency range with reasonable bass response and it is provided with a neat carrying pouch.
Off Pitch: Several users have complained about the wires being a little fragile and breaking. This is more likely to be a problem if you are not using a wireless system however, and it is also worth noting that the SCL2′s come with a 2 year warranty which offers a full replacement if needed. Some potential customers may also be put off by the cost of a wireless system (a complete system from Shure will cost around $600/£450), as without one your movement onstage will quite limited.
A VoiceCouncil Reviewer Says: Considering these are Shure’s entry level earphones, they perform well on stage and provide a greater listening experience than is often possible with wedge monitoring speaker systems. There are several comparative offerings out there, however the SCL2′s cost a little less than most and seem better suited for stage use than many sub-$100 earphones. For improved sound isolation and fuller frequency response, it is worth checking out Shure’s more expensive earphones in the SCL range too.
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Review: Vocalzone Lozenges
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Type: Throat Lozenge
Item: Vocalzone Pastilles
US $4.60 – $7.95 (for 24)
UK £2.10 – £3.34 (for 24)
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At a Glance: These lozenges, with impressive celebrity endorsements, appear to have harmless ingredients that can soothe dry and/or irritated throats. Active ingredients include menthol to soothe irritation; peppermint oil as an aromatic calmative; licorice extract to protect the mucous membranes; and myrrh tincture that dries up mucous.
High Notes: Designed specifically for the needs of singers, with no known side effects and no unpleasant taste, we haven’t been able to find a negative review…so far.
Off Pitch: Like all lozenges, Vocalzone may provide respite but it is not a cure. If you have a persistent sore throat that lasts three to four weeks, see your doctor, as it may be a symptom of a more serious condition. Don’t rely on this product as a substitute for healthy vocal technique!
A Singer Says: I want the word to get out that Vocalzone are the best throat pastilles in the world – Sir Tom Jones
More: for user testimonials see here.
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Review: AKG’s D5 Mic
Item: AKG D5 Dynamic Vocal Microphone
US $65.00 – $99.00
UK £47.00 – £62.00
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At a Glance: The AKG D5 microphone offers a low-cost alternative to the industry-standard SM58 for mic’ing vocals on stage. Its supercardioid polar pattern ensures excellent feedback rejection as well as a clear, crisp sound to cut through the mix.
High Notes: This microphone is designed for lead and backing vocalists and provides a well balanced tonal spectrum that should suit most singers. AKG have also managed to produce this at an excellent price-point, that enables the D5 to compete with much higher priced microphones.
Off Pitch: The D5′s frequency response is far from flat, however it has a character that is well suited to bringing out the best in most vocal sounds on stage and has better noise handling than many of its competitors. The majority reviewers and users have praised the build quality and sound of the microphone, although some note that there is a perhaps too much of a low-end boost due to its proximity effect.
A VoiceCouncil Reviewer Says: There are better microphones out there if you are willing to spend the money, however at a street-price of around $70/£50 it is a mightily impressive microphone. As with all microphones, the D5 will not necessarily suit all voices and it is definitely worth testing it out against competitors such as the Shure SM58 and Sennheiser E845. It is also worth considering its sibling the C5, which is a very similar looking microphone but uses a cardioid condenser capsule, providing a “more modern” vocal sound.
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Review: musicnotes.com
Review of Reviews: we’ve studied the most important product reviews so you don’t have to.
Type: Online Sheet Music Seller
Item: www.musicnotes.com
US $4 – $6
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At a Glance: Musicnotes.com is an online sheet music store that allows you to download your sheet music the instant you’ve paid for it. You will need specific software on your computer to preview the scores, but it’s free to download—and then you’re able to select from literally thousands of music scores.
High Notes: The musicnotes player software enables you to transpose keys, change the tempo, or learn one part of the song at a time.
Off Pitch: Although it may well be one of the quickest ways to buy your sheet music, chances are it’s not the cheapest.
A Singer Says: “As a vocal teacher and performer, I find this incredibly convenient. My favorite part of this site is that you can transpose the scores to the key of your preference!!!!!!!! AWESOME!!!! ”- KA from Canada.
More: Each month, musicnotes offers one song for free download from their catalogue of nearly 110,000 sheet music titles.
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Review: Drumagog
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Type: Drum Replacer Plug-in
Item: Drumagog
US $249.00 – $397.50
UK £189.00 – £269.00
You can download a demo version and test drive Drumagog free for fourteen days.
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At a Glance: Why on earth would singers want to read a review on a drum plug-in? Well, as a vocalist, you may be writing your own material. Many songs start by laying down a groove, so we checked out Drumagog to see how it stacks up. Drumagog is a plug-in which can automatically replace acoustic drum tracks with your choice of drum samples. It claims have the feel of having a living, breathing drummer in the studio.
High Notes: Drumagog comes with an impressive sound library of drum samples which are unprocessed, so you’re free to process them with the reverbs and plug-ins of your choice.
Off Pitch: Some users reported minor bleed-through from drum sources into the overheads but they can be dealt with easily by using the sample-ducking capability.
A Producer/Engineer Says: “Drumagog rules! At last, a drum replacement program that has the same feel as the drummer intended. The new visual triggering is a piece of cake to use and the included samples sound great”. Chuck Ainlay
More: WaveMachine Labs released Drumagog 5 in April 2010.
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