Gear

Gear, Music Production

NAMM 2011: Weird and Amazing Things from the World of Musical Instruments

January 20, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 20 Comments Share this

Yes, while most of our team was away in Alexandria having a blast covering MAGFest 9, I was stuck in bright and sunny California, and decided to waste away at the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Show 2011. Held in Anaheim, CA for as long as anyone can remember, the show brings together manufacturers of everything from pipe organs to MIDI cable connectors. It’s all here, and I explored miles upon miles of floor space to see if there was anything new and exciting on the horizon. And there was.

Touchpad guitars? Neon guitar strings? A miniature piano? It was all there, and you can see these and more after the jump! (more…)
Gear

Comic Con 2010: Want Some Glowing Tron Headphones?

July 23, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 2 Comments Share this

Yeah, pretty crazy looking, but they should sound good. At the Tron booth here at Comic Con, there’s a display case containing a number of items sporting this fancy embedded blue lighting, from keyboards to controllers to, of course, these headphones. While different items are being produced by different companies, the headphones come courtesy of Monster, who you may know from their high-end product lines of cabling.

While we honestly don’t know much about the headphones, we do know that they’re meant to sound good when listening to music, making us think they’re more like headphones than a traditional gaming headset. We’ll certainly be hearing more about these in the near future, as they’re set to launch sometime before the end of 2010.

What do you think of the glowing goods? Think Monster has what it takes to make a great pair of headphones?

Hit the jump for another photo of display case containing all the Tron products. (more…)
Gear

E3 2010: Headsets Galore Coming Your Way

June 21, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 3 Comments Share this

E3 is an insanely busy place. With all the new games, press conferences, appointments, and parties, it’s sometimes easy to forget the boothes featuring the latest and greatest gear. Everything from new mice and keyboards to plastic peripherals for your motion-controlled games to gaming headsets can be found on the show floor, and we thought it would be a good opportunity to tell you what’s coming up from some of the companies that were on hand at E3.

We have impressions of headsets from Tritton Technologies, Turtle Beach, NOX Audio, and SteelSeries for you after the jump! (more…)
Game Music, Gear

Peace Walk In Style With The Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker Walkman!

May 13, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 1 Comment Share this

Too much use of the word “walk.” Sony and Konami have teamed up to bring you an exclusive Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker themed Walkman to celebrate the release of the game in Japan. The limited edition NWD-W253/Z Walkman sports a camouflage paint job and comes pre-loaded with six tracks from the game, including “Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker Main Theme,” “Heavens Divide,” “CHRYSALIS,” “Outer Heaven,” “Zero Allies!,” and “Love Deterrence.”

Sounds like a pretty nifty idea, although it will set you back a hefty 11,800 Yen (about $128 USD). Honestly, the biggest news to me here is that Sony is still using the Walkman brand. When I first saw this, I thought they were releasing a cassette tape player, as the Walkman name kind of outgrew the Sony-specific brand to become a catch-all phrase for any portable tape-playing device. This is, in fact, a 4GB digital audio player, so maybe Sony will actually sell a few.

What do you think of the player? Are you looking forward to Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker next month?

[via Siliconera and GameSetWatch]
Gear, Reviews

Ultimate Ears Sound on a Budget: MetroFi 220 Earphones (Review)

May 2, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 4 Comments Share this

A couple months ago we reviewed the flashy Ultimate Ears 700 earphones. While they’re an amazing pair of earphones, we understand your hesitation when considering their $199.99 price tag. Well, Ultimate Ears still has you covered. Their MetroFi line was developed specifically for listeners on the go, with the 220s being their top of the line set in the MetroFi family. Oh, and they’re only $79.99.

So, with such a difference in price, what exactly do you miss out on with the MetroFi 220s? I can tell you right out that they still sound great, and many of my favorite design choices from the Ultimate Ears 700s carry over into this set, but of course there are some drawbacks well.

Find out if the Ultimate Ears MetroFi 220s are the right choice for you in our review after the jump. (more…)
Gear, Reviews

Ultimate Ears 700 Earphones: Get Ready To Hear Things Good! (Review)

March 7, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 1 Comment Share this

We’ve talked a lot about headsets on the site, but I think it’s fair to say that these aren’t really a portable solution given their large size. If you’re anything like me, you probably can’t stand the stock earphones that come with iPods or a multitude of other products. I often find them too big, making it difficult to tolerate them on extended listens, and the sound quality they provide leaves a lot to be desired.

So I found myself on the market for a nice pair of earphones. There are a lot of options out there, but I consistently came across the name Ultimate Ears, which is actually a company that focuses on professional custom-fit earphones for on-stage performances. That doesn’t mean that they don’t cater to music enthusiast and audiophile as well, as they have a number of lines that have been created specifically with users on the go in mind. The Ultimate Ears 700s fall into their universal fit line for just this purpose, and while they will set you back $199.99, I was quite impressed with what I heard.

Yes, you read that price correctly! Hit the jump to find out if they’re worth the cost in our review. (more…)
Gear

Instrument Envy: Custom Made Koopa Troopa Guitar

January 8, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 1 Comment Share this

I remember Dale posting about a crazy-ass guitar from Japan that came with a built-in sword, some gruesome eyeballs, and a terrible color scheme. While this custom made Koopa Troopa guitar isn’t nearly as bizarre, it’s certainly cool, and would have fit right in with the bands that performed at MAGFest last week.

What I don’t really understand about this one is the guitarist’s comments about it:

Just to clear this up. The guitar is right handed. I play it so the Koopa is on its back (its been stomped). When it is on a guitar stand its walking about. Just pretend Mario jumped on the Koopa Troopa and chose to hold it for too long so its escaping.

It still looks like it’s walking and not crawling out of its shell when it’s on its back! Sounds like a lame explanation to me. Regardless, I think it’s awesome! What do you guys think?

[via Destructoid]