Wednesday, August 19th, 2009
by Patty Carlson
FOR DECADES, metal guitarists have favored Ibanez guitars for their flat fretboard, greasy-fast playability and modernized double locking tremolos. But for a guitar to appeal to devoted metalists, it must do more than play like the devil; it also has to look the part, as well.
After the success of the mildly radical Iceman guitar, Ibanez was convinced that the time was right to build a truly outrageous instrument. The new Xiphos is the company’s first guitar specifically built for hardcore and metal players. The Xiphos Ibanez electric guitar takes its name from the brutally effective double-edged sword used by Greek and Spartan soldiers, and true to form, it delivers notes with surgical precision. It is one of the fastest guitars in the Ibanez line, and its specially selected DiMarzio D Activator pickups give it a truly demonic edge.
THE CHALLENGE FOR Ibanez’s electric guitar designers was to create a guitar shape that was incredibly aggressive without giving up any of Ibanez’s famous comfort and playability. They achieved this by building the guitar around a five-piece maple Wizard II neck-through design. This rock-hard centerpiece creates enormous sustain, and because the bridge is mounted in this same dense plank, note definition and clarity are maximized. The remainder of the radical X-shaped body is made from mahogany, which adds warmth and depth to the maple’s bright core. Although the Xiphos’ long beveled points may look unwieldy, the guitar is surprisingly lightweight and superbly balanced.
An Ibanez electric guitar this wild would not be complete with an off-the shelf finish. So Ibanez chose to cover the Xiphos in a sparkling color-shifting paint that they call their Chameleon finish. As you move the guitar, its finish appears to quickly change colors, like an alien cyber skin. The Wizard II’s neck shape is thin but not squared, and its somewhat rounded feel is enhanced by the thick Chameleon finish. The fl at fretboard and jumbo frets produce Ibanez’s trademark feel. Only a light touch is required to sound a note, and the action is low and level. This style of neck is purpose built for the player that wants to play fast, sweep through the strings, use two-handed techniques and move across the board in a nonlinear fashion. The Xiphos Ibanez Electric Guitars feature Ibanez’s Edge III double-locking tremolo. One of the company’s most advanced Floyd Rose-derived bridges, it boasts easy tuning adjustment and a very unobtrusive profile. Its tone is very neutral, and it is certainly capable of performing any whammy trick you can imagine. The Ibanez electric guitars new weapon may be the first production guitar to feature DiMarzio’s brand-new D Activator pickups as original equipment. They are designed to accurately deliver the same resonant peaks, long sustain and tantalizing harmonics found in today’s hottest active pickups. Being passive, they have organic tone and natural response.
IF A RAZOR blade was musical, it would be the Xiphos. Its acoustic clarity and sharp definition mix perfectly with the DiMarzios’ rich output and harmonic enhancements. Plugged straight into a Marshall JVM, the Xiphos delivered a very Zakk-like tone. The DiMarzio’s excited harmonics made chords sound enormous, almost as if I was using a chorus. But the punch from the Xiphos’ maple core pushed notes right through the Marshall on single note attacks. Even when I played at top speed, every note was clear and distinct. Staccato blasts, especially, cut the air like a machine-gun’s rattle, while properly picked sweeps sounded like alternate-picked runs.
We tested the Xiphos’ ability to produce clean tones with my modified Mesa RoadKing. In no time, I was finger picking student exercises and recalling my favorite etudes, as if the Xiphos was a fine classical guitar. Even though the DiMarzios are built to sound like active pickups, their passive design ensures a warm response.
The Bottom Line Is
WITH ITS FIVE-PIECE Wizard II neck, Ninja-weapon body, double-locking Edge III trem and DiMarzio D Activator pickups, the Xiphos Ibanez Electric Guitars are one of the most aggressive guitars on the planet. Hardcore ax players may try this guitar because of its hot looks, but they’ll buy it because of its lightning-fast playability and blowtorch tones.
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Monday, August 17th, 2009
by Susan Reynolds
There are many websites online that you can legally download music from. Downloading music online used to be illegal on every site however there are many sites that will allow you to do it legally. Choosing the site that is legal and priced well is difficult as there are many sites that price their music differently. You should search around for the best cost before you pick a site to stick with.
The most important part of downloading MP3s is to make sure that the site you are going to be using is legal. It?s extremely easy to download music online without even paying for it and without realizing that it?s not legal. There are many sites that boast that you can download as much music as you want per month. Most of these sites will charge you a monthly fee to download from them. The problem is that they do not have copyright permissions to distribute the music and thus you?re still downloading music illegally even though you?re paying for it. Other websites know that they can?t upload music legally so they act as a gateway for users to share music between each other. This method is very effective for downloading music however it?s still very illegal.
To help you escape all of the illegal sites you should use websites that are well known and that have been around for a while. If you download from a reputable site you won?t have to worry about spyware and viruses invading your computer. It?s very easy for someone to give a virus to another user since there are so many people downloading music from sites that aren?t well known.
The next factor is finding a site that has the best price. You will want to check several sites to get an idea of how pricing works. Some sites will charge a flat rate per song and per album while other sites will charge more for newer music and less for older music. There are a few sites that you can legally download many songs for one price per month however you will not own the song you will have the song and be using it legally.
In many cases the best priced site will depend on how much music you want to download and whether they?re specific songs or whole albums. Besides music there are several sites that offer users the ability to download wallpapers, pictures, and videos. If you?re an avid iPod user that has multiple types of media on your iPod then you may want to consider sticking with one of these sites as you?ll have access to a lot more media types then just MP3s. In the end it?s all about how much and what you?re trying to download.
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Friday, August 14th, 2009
by John Waters
While you almost certainly recall the old boom boxes, now it is feasible to get a boombox CD player. Most of the older boom boxes only had radios and maybe a cassette player, but today you can acquire a pleasant boombox CD player for an affordable charge that may play the radio and CDs too.
With a boombox CD player, you have the ability to enjoy the old fun and style of those boomboxes, but it also permits you to have recent technology too. In fact, most of the people don’t even have cassettes around anymore, but you do have CDs. This way you get to use those CDs to enjoy your music.
Not all of those boomboxes are quite as lumpish anymore either. Usually you will find a nice boombox CD player that isn’t too massive and boxy. You still get the simple portability of the boom box, but you don’t have the big and awkward size. Most of the boomboxes now are rather more graceful and modern.
When you go with a new boombox CD player, you will probably find the sound of these players is better than the boomboxes of old as well. The newer technology has come a ways in speakers, which gives better speakers that give you an even better sound for your music.
The good stories are that you can a new boombox CD player today for a reasonable price. Prices have definitely come down on boomboxes, and frequently you’ll be able to find them for $100 or less. This is a great amount and provides you with a cost effective way to enjoy the music that you love.
It’s pretty easy to discover a boombox CD player too. Typically you can easily find them in local stores and you can also find them online. Naturally, if you’d like to find the absolute best deal on your player, then it’s a good idea to go searching on the web. This way you find the best deal you can.
As you look for a boombox CD player, you may find that there are selections of different brands that you can choose from. Make sure you select a top quality player. Check into the features and options it must offer, and also observe the diverse prices when making your choice.
Your personal boombox CD player is a good way to go retro with no need to give up the best of technology. You can benefit from today’s technology with the old look of a boombox. So have a look at all of the boombox CD player options available and get one that may suit your needs and wants.
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Monday, August 10th, 2009
by Susan Reynolds
If you’re looking for the latest music downloads for your iPhone, but don’t want to spend a ton, you now have plenty of options. Lots of new sites focusing on iPhone music downloads offer cheap prices and good quality. Now the only problem is deciding which site to use.
You could go by the assumption that finding exactly what you want means having many subscriptions to many different services. But to save money, finding one site that offers everything you want may be your best bet. Many sites offer videos, movies, games, and music videos downloads in addition to music. But what should you be focusing on when trying to find the perfect site?
1. Music Pricing While free sites and services do exist the cons may outweigh the pros. These sites can be riddled with spyware and adware just waiting to infect your phone. A good quality site where you pay a fee per download or for a membership can avoid the hassle of getting stuck with unwanted software with your downloads. Paid sites have become extremely affordable with as little as a one-time $50 lifetime membership fee. Lifetime memberships are especially economical considering they mean you get unlimited downloads.
2. Choices, choices, choices Really check out the sites you’re considering for your favorite genres and subgenres. Every site will offer differing amounts of your favorite types of music so make sure you find one that’s got everything (or almost everything) you want. Explore the site’s other media files like games, movies, and TV shows to get a good idea of what you’ll get out of the site as a whole.
Look for user friendliness. You’ll want a site that’s easy to understand. You don’t want to spend a lot of time trying to figure out where to find things. Look for reviews. Ask your friends for recommendations. Check out site forums. Most importantly, be sure that the service provides iPhone-compatible downloading and converting tools.
4. Quality of Technical Support Tech support can vary from site to site, so be sure you find one that can provide good support when you need it most. Many of the most popular iPhone music download services are able to attract and retain their customers due to the high quality of their customer and technical support.
Keep all of the above in mind when looking for an iPhone music download provider. If you’re curious about where other people go to get their downloads check out my music blog to get more information!
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Monday, August 10th, 2009
by Susan Reynolds
Music enthusiasts seem to always be taking it to the next level, regularly updating collections and searching for the latest information, news, and gossip about their favorite artists and bands. Because offline music resources, such as CDs, cassettes, and records, most of the younger generation are turning to the internet to expand their collection and satisfy their cravings for the latest music.
Websites that give their members or casual visitors the option to download free music online and that follow the latest music trends and news have become more and more popular in recent years; thousands of people go to these Internet pages daily. By allowing visitors to find up-to-date info on favorite musicians and bands, check the schedule for concerts and other events, and download music from a broad and well-structured site, these sites serve visitors well, especially the young. There?s lots of detail there to find out the newest info, whether it?s a club date, a CD release party, or news about a new band member
Since there are so many free music download sites that offer their services, finding the songs you want is very quick and easy. But sometimes finding your favorite music and songs for free can be nearly impossible. Downloading free music legally is only offered after a bit of time, and only if the artist and band allows their music to be distributed for free.
So, because of reasons that are very easy to understand, finding new released songs and music from a variety of favorite artists for free as downloads, within copyright regulations and laws is extremely difficult. Ignoring this is pretty easy, and freely downloading music creates popular websites and feedback is received every day.
The internet is overflowing with free music downloads and websites to provide the offers, it can get overwhelming sometimes, and it becomes harder and harder to distinguish the good from the bad sites to get the highest quality downloads and music you can get. The best music files are usually compressed to about 128 kd/s or higher, and come as MP3s or WAV files. There are many well organizes databases that cover a broad spectrum and are updated regularly. But to find the best libraries, and all the latest news on the best bands and artists, you have to keep up with the latest trends and stay serious and reliable, and dedicated to news on the internet. Once you have found what you want on a website, or even found a website that serves all your musical needs, you can stay up to date with the latest news and gossip and have fun downloading music without any fees or charges, and with very little effort or time.
Some free music downloading websites offer a connection between the music fans and the musicians and help current and aspiring bands and artists promote themselves online and gain more exposure. For artists who aren?t signed to a label, Internet sites are a great place to start building a long and rewarding career. With the help of the Internet sites already described, artists can present songs, video clips of performances, and publicity photos as well as communicating with their fans and meeting other artists for future collaborations.
This is a very innovative and forward thinking feature that gives many new and exciting prospects for unsigned, undiscovered artists to get noticed by professionals and music lovers alike. It’s a fast track to fame, stardom, and popularity. It represents everything a new aspiring artists needs, and music fans deserve, to get more attention and appreciating for the music lovers out there.
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Monday, August 10th, 2009
by Susan Reynolds
In this day and age uploading music is easier than it has ever been. You can share your favorite media files to anyone in seconds with just a few clicks. This causes a problem when you?re looking for legal MP3s as you may run into MP3s that have just been shared. Remember that any media that is being shared amongst users without the permission of the record company or copyright company is illegal. It?s important to find sites that you can trust to get legal music from.
These MP3 sharing sites are becoming harder and harder for the record companies to track. It may be tempting to go with a site that isn?t legitimate. However in the long run you will risk getting caught like several other have as well as you will have stolen what you have. While it can be difficult to tell if a site is legitimate or not there are several signs that give away a sites non-legitimacy.
You can recognize one of these sharing sites when they claim to offer unlimited free music downloads. This is just too good to be true. Unless it is one of the few and hardly known sites that offer only media that is not under copyright, you have located one of these illegal sites. The only way a website can legally offer downloads to users is if they have permission of the copyright company, which will always require a fee. This means that there is no profitable way for an online company to offer unlimited music just for free. The copyright companies are having a difficult time charging the websites because they are not directly responsible for the sharing.
Even if a website does charge users it does not automatically make it legal. The website may be simply turning a profit off downloads without returning any to the copyright companies. Unfortunately it will be very hard for you to tell exactly where the funds from a website go. Checking into these details is far too time consuming and difficult to rely on while searching for a reputable company. You can however, search for complaints and blogs online to figure out what other people have found regarding the site.
There are two easy ways to know if you are paying for legal downloads. The first is that you decide to choose a site that is well known and has a good reputation backing it. Thus you will have nothing to worry about. Most of these sites will charge you per song or per album. This gives you the flexibility of buying either a whole album or just a song. The second way that you can know if you?re paying for a site that?s legal is to do a little research and find out which sites record companies endorse. A few searches on a search engine will give you a list from the record company about which sites you can trust.
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Thursday, August 6th, 2009
by Susan Reynolds
Downloading music programs has become very popular in recent years. There are free programs that allow you to obtain MP3 downloads with which you can obtain free music. This does not come without risk. Online privacy can be at risk with the use of this type of file sharing and damage to your computer could occur. Not only that, but you put yourself at risk when you download this music. The RIAA and the MPAA are on a campaign to find persons who are illegally downloading copy-righted music from the internet. You run the risk of being sued for illegally downloading this music and file sharing. There is also a move afoot to go after people who down movies illegally.
Besides possible RIAA and MPAA copy-right infringement lawsuit risks, there is more to be concerned about. In using file share software to get free MP3 downloads online, there are a range of hidden dangers you need to be aware of.
Top Dangers of File Share Software Music Download Programs 1) Adware – Most file sharing program have adware installed in their file share software. Adware is an advertising-supported business model that is used by large media companies. The media companies provide file share software developers banner ads to put in their file sharing programs as a way to generate profits from the free product. But the truth is that adware will load your computer with large amounts of unwanted advertising and can cause a variety of computer system problems.
2) Spyware – Spyware is also another hidden danger. This can be installed in free music download programs as well as other download programs. The spyware operation is not obvious to you, yet it is able to go into your computer and gather information concerning you and your internet habits. Spyware is very undesirable because it has the ability to change files on your computer without you even being aware that this is happening.
3) Spoofing – Many file sharing programs are swollen with corrupt and fake files. Spoofing happens when think you are downloading a song, but you get a corrupt music file instead of the song download. A new type of spoofing problem occurs with a brief 20 to 30 second music loop that continues to play over and over for 3 – 4 minutes. There is talk on the net that the RIAA may be behind many of these spoofing plans as a way to get people to pay for legal music downloads.
4) Pornography – Pornography is a very serious problem when using file share software. Every file share user should be aware that porn peddlers will camouflage their software as a new game download, or free music downloads files, to get you to click on the link. If you click on the fake file, you’ll be redirected to a porn site. It’s sneaky, and a very serious problem if kids have access to file sharing programs.
Considering all the above issues, is it really safe to download free music online? There are some serious risks that the user needs to be aware of before considering downloading music, including possible legal sanctions brought on by the RIAA for copy right violations. It’s important to make sure you are knowledgeable in this area before downloading free music. Use your common sense. Your best bet is to find a free legal download program where you can download music for absolutely free.
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Tuesday, July 28th, 2009
by Patrick Daniels
Some music just seems to stand the test of time and I am sure that the Beatles top the list. Iconic legends of times and music gone by there are surely just as many if more Beatles fans today as there were back when this music first hit the music store shelves.
The Beatles; John, Paul, George and Ringo, have been living in the hearts of many music lovers form the first line that they heard. However, even new fans, and those unfamiliar to the Beatles, will be able to fully enjoy the BEATLES Hard Days Night CD.
Hard Days Night includes tracks such as I Should Have Known Better, And I Love Her, Cant Buy Me Love and Hard Days Night, and was by far the most popular Beatles album to date. Although many believe that the Fab Four began down the legendary road earlier in their careers, others (including myself) tend to disagree and believe this album is where their legacy really began. After All, this was the first Beatles album that was completed created with original tracks.
Although this album has been available, on vinyl, since its original release, there is nothing compared to listen to it on CD. The crisp and clear sound quality will make you think you are listening to it for the first time, and the CD format will bring in a whole new, and younger, generations of fans.
The sounds that turned the world on its ear, gone forever into the past; Lennon and McCartney had a sound that has yet to be matched by any other band in history; melody and harmony that changed the course of pop music forever.
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Tuesday, July 28th, 2009
by Patrick Daniels
Since the death of Michael Jackson, the “King of Pop”, he has become more popular than ever, and because of this there are a large amount of CDs hitting the market, that include his hits from the early days to the present. One of the best releases, thus far is the Michael Jackson Ultimate Collection CD Set. Although this 5 disc box set has been available for some time now, it is really the best purchase if you want to always remember the man who has mad the largest impact in the music industry.
This CD set covers hits from back when he was with the Jackson 5, plus his more recent hits and everything in between. The five CD boxed set includes the following titles:
Disc 1: This is a 19 track disc that honors the earlier years of Jackson. Some of the popular titles among the tracks include: ABC, Ill Be There, Ben, Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground), Off the Wall and Shes Out of my Life.
Disc 2: There are a total of 11 tracks on this disc that include some hits from his early solo years. There are many tracks that made a large impact on the music world, on disc two. some of these tracks include; Thriller, PYT, Billie Jean, We Are the World, and Beat It.
Disc 3: Here you will find 14 more songs including Bad, Black or White, Dangerous, Dirty Diana and Man in the Mirror.
Disc 4: There are an additional 13 hits on this disc which include Butterflies, You Are Not Alone, and The Way You Love Me.
Disc 5: This disc is the greatest out of the box set. It has 16 videos of amazing hits including the live video of Thriller, Man in the Mirror, Heal the World, Human Nature, and Wanna Be Startin Somethin.
With this box set, there is no reason to have to purchase any of the other new releases that are comping out. It has the greatest mix of his music and also includes videos, which is not available in other discs. It is honestly to most incredible box set that I own.
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Tuesday, July 21st, 2009
by Susan Reynolds
Downloading MP3 files has so many advantages that it is no wonder it is the most popular choice for audio storage. MP3 files are extremely compatible with computer and laptops no matter what operating system they are using. The programs that are already installed on the systems are all equipped with the capabilities to open and play MP3 files and are usually able to offer easy transfer selections to your other listening devices such as iPods, phones, or CD. The MP3 has sound quality that is unmatched by other formats and is as clean and crisp as an original CD. The MP3 also offer a conveyance with its compression size making it possible to store thousands of files on your storage devices.
The programs that are currently installed on your computer are already equipped to handle MP3 files, making the files a popular choice for people who are looking online for their favorite tunes. The MP3 format is the highest quality that is available on the internet and have a ton of great features. It is no surprise that millions of MP3 files are downloaded each and every day to peoples computers, laptops, phones and iPods.
Anytime you are on the internet you are putting your computer and the information on it at risk. There is a real threat to becoming infected with malware programs such as viruses, trojans, spyware or adware. If you use a little bit of common sense and are smart about your downloading you can remain safe while doing so. The use of a good antivirus program is the only way to defend your computer against the dangers associated with the internet.
Be smart about where you download files from. You should always be sure that the files you are downloading come from a trusted source. Website that offer MP3 files for download are usually safe but you have to make sure they are a legitimate download site before continuing with them. The attachments you receive in your inbox are no different, you should trust the sender of the email containing the attachment before opening the file. Using an antivirus program to scan the files before opening them is recommended even when you do know and trust the source they came from.
P2P programs are an increasingly popular method for users to find and download all of their music favorites. The programs have no files of their own for you to download they only offer a platform for people to share files with one another. You have to remember that when you download an MP3 file or any file type from a P2P program you trust the stranger who has the file to give you with an uninfected file. This trust sometimes comes with fear when you have no way of determining who you are actually obtaining the file from. Many of the P2P programs offer file grades that will assist in deciding if the file is safe enough to download. The MP3 file is rated by other users who either have the file or have downloaded the file and with a high rating you can determine the file is most likely virus free. How many times the file has been downloaded is also part of the grading process not only the stars beside it that are given from various users.
You have to be smart and stay safe while downloading any type of files from the internet. If you use your antivirus program to scan the files before opening and you are only visiting trusted sites to obtain the files your internet downloading experience will be a good one.
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