Do you wanna hear something different? Directly below are 30 second samples of some songs i've written. Feel free to download them (they're Mp3 files), and if you like them, please send contact me and i can email you the full song. Each song is only AUD$1.70 to purchase. With time, i'll be uploading more songs.
One in a million (518Kb)
If it takes less (499Kb)
A different world (538Kb)
Below are some reviews of new CD albums i've bought and some insights into my experiences with some of the latest music production equipment, including audio interfaces, headphones, sequencing software, etc.
First up was my surprising experience buying a new set of headphones.
Back in the 80/90's i had a pair of Sennheiser HD100's (or possibly HD110's - i can't quite remember) which were absolutely fantastic headphones. They sounded great - having good bass, mid and treble response, and were incredibly light-weight, making them very easy to wear for long periods of time comfortably. But after a foolish attempt to clean away the yellow foam pads, which had over 10 years detiorated, i unintentionally damaged them. So i was in the market for a new pair.
For so long i've been pro Sennheiser. But i quickly realised not all models are great headphones simply because they are made by Sennheiser.
After doing some research on the net, i decided upon the HD465 model. But after trying them in the store, discovered they were not what i was hoping. They were simply too heavy - which i know is not any fault of Sennheiser. But in addition to that, sadly, the sound was very flat, had no clarity in the top end and was overly bassey (in a muddy way). But maybe that was because i was only using an iPod to drive them. Plugging them into a home stereo system may have made a difference to the sound quality.
There were some things though i liked very much about them; the cable was detachable and only connected to the headset from one side, they looked good (which i know is trivial) and the adaptor (3.5 to 6.3) 'screwed' onto the 3.5 plug that's connected to the cable (rather than just pushing/clicking on).
I also tried the HD485 ($180) which is the model up from the HD465 ($140) and they also sounded very flat/muddy. I didn't try the more expensive models, because my budget didn't allow it. But with this experience, i feel even if they had a better sound, they would also be too heavy...which is incidently, 220g.
So what did i get instead? Well, funnily it was a cheaper model - the PX100 ($99). And really funnily, they come in a few colour styles, one of which is called 'retro'. They're called that because they have yellow foam pads! So i was very happy. The actual headphones part (not the frame that goes over your head) are physically a little smaller than the HD100s ...but they just as light (60g) and should be just as comfortable for long periods of time because they're just a flat pad that just sit on top of your ears, preventing your ears getting hot.
Only one niggling thing is they're foldable...which i think just adds more movable parts which could break. But they have a 2 year warranty...so hopefully that indicates they're good quality and will last much longer with good care. Of course, because i will rarely, if ever, fold them up, it will put even less wear and tear on the folding mechanism.
So my buying advice is...if you're in the market for Sennheisers...don't dismiss the cheaper models, thinking they will have inferior sound to the more expensive models. Especially the $100-200 price range. It's very possible the $200+ models have a superior sound. I'd be shocked if they didn't. But comfort is still a factor to consider. And i personally think anything above 100g is too heavy, if you're wearing them for more than an hour.
(2007)
I'm writing this as i listen to this CD for the first time. I've only listened to the first 3 songs and it's simply brilliant. Really. Truly. This album, start to finish, has covers of songs from the 80's. In fact, in the credits, Kate mentions it's a collection of songs connected to different memories from growing up in that time. I also grew up in that time, so all the songs are familiar, which may help with the appreciation. While the originals were good, Kate has made them great. The arrangements are very smooth and i guess can be best described as 'chillout'. This is a perfect CD for a Sunday morning - especially 'the first time i saw your face' - or having on in the background while you sit in a sidewalk cafe near the ocean. The CD is up to 'brass in pocket' now...and the production is so clean. Kate's voice is also so easy to listen to, song after song, unlike some other vocalists which when you listen to a full album, their voice starts to get a tad annoying. Track 8 is 'if you leave can i come to' which is the first song, while listening to the CD, i've felt is a little awkward. The arrangement is a little too 'comical' sounding for me. But everything is put right again with track 10, the Fleetwood Mac hit, 'you can go your own way' ...which with this very acoustic (complete with mandolin) arrangement is definately one you could have on repeat and not get sick of it. The last song, 'it must be love' done in this style, could easily be a twin sibling to Van Morrison's 'someone exactly like you'. All in all, this album is a must-have. It wouldn't matter if you've not heard the originals, because Kate Ceberano and her band have given them a refined class which is, in a lot of the cases, better than the originals. If you like 80's music and chillout mixes, buy this CD.
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