abstractlion's Reviews

Decent headphones for mixing , strange mid-ends

Compared to my previous in-ears (the Tascam TH200x) these are alot more crisp on the high ends and the bass is more prominent. Noticing the treble does ocassionally eat the frequencies around it but theyre not terrible and they dont necessary sound cheap either but there is something there that just sounds off when theres a group or complete arrangement on the track.

Preferred Settings + Usage:

It's alright

You get what you pay for with this guitar ; it's not terrible for 100 dollars , build quality is moderate . Its one of those hybrid chimera electric/acoustics , it sounds decent enough to record a demo , It is however a bit difficult to press down on the strings compared to my other string instruments. The frets might have to be filed down there's just some kind of physical imbalance that makes it slightly uncomfortable to play. .

Excellent vintage microphone

If you're looking for an affordable simple retro dynamic microphone that has that distinct early 1970s "dirty tone" , this is the one. It seems to flesh out mid-end tones the best .

Eh, it's a toy.

Although it looks cool and very 80s There's not alot of practical use for the PSS-120 or PSS-130. There's no sound output jacks for one and secondly it features possibly the worst built in drum machine I've ever heard . I usually love yamahas portasound series but this one just is mostly just a kids toy . The only reason I'm giving this 3 stars is for the cute 8bit soundchip it has onboard , and the ability to record and sequence notes easily .

Cute and simple

The SX150 doesn't do too much sonically except make rough squeeky and bleepy tones , but when you circuit bend it to have CV-in functionality it opens a whole world for cool experimental compositions especially when using its dirty analog filter . In its un-modified state Its definitely a great synth for beginners or people who are just starting to get into synthesis or even those who just like to tinker with things that make weird sounds

Preferred Settings + Usage:

Not too bad , wish it had a better tone with higher frequencies

I have been using the Tascam TH-200X headphones consistently since December 2018 , they were a huge step up from the skull candy earbuds I was using prior. I use them for almost everything from vocal monitoring to mixing to producing full on albums . They look really nice and fit comfortably, the sound is good but it could be alot better . It feels as if the high ends get lost during any presence of low end / bass notes which is a bit unfortunate. That being said it's okay if your a creator on a budget looking for something decent while you save up for something better.

Possibly the coolest thing in the world

I'm serious with the header of the review . Just being able to sample anywhere at anytime itself is cool as hell , but this little thing has granular like sample trimming , real time pitch shifting , and HP/LP cutoff filters . I don't think could ask for anymore . The sound quality isn't for everyone as it's very low fidelity and in mono , personally I love 8/12bit samplers so that was just another plus . It allows up to 256 notes , and lots of samples (although short) , My only real gripe with it is the lock tab (why would anyone need this?? Mabey for a display model?) If the lock tab accidentally breaks off you'll have to solder the 2 contacts together so you can start making patterns and adding samples again which not everyone is able to do. Besides that love it and I don't think I'll ever get rid of it and highly recommend for anyone who's dream machine is a portable lofidelity sampler for there pocket!

Preferred Settings + Usage:

It's a decent sequencer but very limited

You get what you pay with the SQ1 its limited to 16 steps , features no internal memory , and trying to punch in notes is a pretty tedious task. It almost feels like the smallest minuet bumps can throw all your notes off the path you programmed them to because the knobs are just that sensitive even when locked onto a scale , Besides all that I stated I do enjoy this sequencer because it links up to both my Pocket Operators and Korg Ms10 fairly easily and I like the decent variety of play options it has , I feel like I got my moneys worth and will definetly keep it around for random fun jam sessions but not for any serious projects / albums

Toughest filter!

This was my first professional analog synth. I got the MS10 back in 2017 as a gift , and I use it at almost any chance I get because of it's ability to link the lfo selection the the pwm on the patchbay (something the MS20 lacks) , and its tough growling korg 35 filter . It's got the classic korg sound , it can make a wide variety of sounds even with a single oscillator , and it's extremely easy to use . If your looking for a reasonably priced retro monosynth the korg MS10 is the way to go !

interesting dreamy sound

I miss my portasound 3 so much , the sounds that came out of this super simple keyboard were dreamy and warm , the vibraphone patch accompanied many guitar riffs and it just meshed! I have no gripes or cons for the PS-3 as it is perfect for what it is , Will definetly buy another in a few years . 5/5

Edit: I purchased another , still golden

Preferred Settings + Usage:

Neat Visualizer

A bit of an oddity , i feel like it was too ahead of its time which is why it didn't do great at the time of its release in '77 . I have had one in my studio since summer 2019 It is not used much as they are very sensitive and break easily , it accompanies jam sessions , definitely makes for a great conversation piece , the diamond visuals are memorizing and psychedelic (but come across as seizure inducing at times) . The Atari Video Music tends to react better to chilled out and relaxed music like soul and jazz but it does look cool with other genres being ran through it as well. I'm personally in love with the Video Music because of how mystical and funky it is , very creative concept visual reactor synth that was most likely conceived on a acid trip that somehow made it onto store shelves for a very short time. its sick 5/5

Preferred Settings + Usage:

limited , but fun

it's certainly no 808 , but I had 2 of these for over 4 years and really had some fun jam sessions with it with friends . it doesn't feature many sounds but it has this cute 8bit analog-ish characteristic that keeps me coming back to it. The only reason I give the Synsonic's drum machine such a low rating is its lack of memory , as soon as you turn the unit off your patterns are wiped completely , theres no tape-out , no internal memory battery , no flash memory , so the only thing to do is record to your interface or whatever you have . the synsonic's drums is more-so a toy then anything else , but is somewhat impressive for what it is .

Preferred Settings + Usage:

too damn awesome! everyone needs one

last year at first glance when I got mines it came across as a toy instrument ( i didn't watch any demo vids prior to receiving it) . but as soon as I popped some triple A's in it and started hitting the buttons I instantly realized the PO12 is certainly not a toy , its like a TR909 for your pocket! I take it everywhere I go , to the park , restaurants , walking trails . its just great for jotting down super punchy drum lines and jamming out on the go . it syncs up to other gear like the SQ10 so you could have massive live sessions with it.
PS: I am just so impressed with the design of all the pocket operators in general , how in the world did they manage to put all these features in this tiny calculator like thing ??!

Truly a timeless beast with unlimited potential

The Yamaha Dx7 can create some of the most otherworldly sounds that blur the line between synthesized tones and acoustic-like tones . there is truly nothing like it .

Preferred Settings + Usage: