Nick Edelstein

Let's be clear. Keyboards are two things: a keybed and a computer. "Controllers" are mostly keybed, while "workstations" are both and tend to be computer-centric. This board has a bit of both though it seems to function primarily as a controller. It's no surprise therefore that everyone keeps talking about the keybed action. In fact, it's why I bought mine. I've always wanted a true, weighted keyboard and have played many which let me down - and always because they weren't quite heavy enough. This one is a little too heavy. Try playing anything Classical such as a Bach invention or a fast repetition of the same note and you'll see what I mean. The response time (think "bounce back") is very slow. That having been said, it does feel great and I presume I'll get used to it over time. If you're thinking it's too heavy because I'm not used to acoustic pianos, let me set the record straight. I'm classically trained and have been playing on acoustic pianos since age 4 (over 30 years ... I won't say how much over LOL!). Not all acoustic pianos feel the same. The upright in my studio has a different keybed weight than my Steinway. This one is simply "heavy" and has a slower response than your average Steinway or Yamaha grand. It's not ideal for all players, but it makes a great studio controller.

When I met Booker T. Jones, he said "I want one of those!" His only reason for not buying one was because you couldn't split the chorus effect on the upper/lower manuals ...until they came out with this model (the 'c' in XK-3c stands for 'chorus'). Anyway, if his endorsement doesn't convince you, take my word for it ... LOL. The Leslie simulator sounds really great. Lots of times I'm at a gig and someone asks "where's your Leslie cab?" to which I point to my board and watch their eyes grow in disbelief. Other features of this organ are the ability to completely and totally customize the tones AND circuit path including switching the order of the tubes. For real.

Single oscillator, LFO, ladder filter, and much more. Well built, too. Great tone.

Grabbed a blue one, love it. Used on a gig where we did a Pink Floyd tune, and I had zero issues replicating the white noise generator complete with filter sweeps. I have a Minimøog Voyager and a Møog Mother 32 euro rack, and I approve the synth modeling sounds on this board. Of course they'll never hold a candle to the Minimoog, but they do a heck of a great job! And have many sounds the Møog boards don't. Folks, this is 1,000 MOTIF sounds with tweak knobs right on the face. What's not to love? It feels like the typical Fatar key bed, which is fine, but most importantly it IS touch sensitive. I was able to play very expressive piano passages easily. I saw one review online where a guy complained the keys are not the same width as acoustic piano keys. He said he had difficulty playing classical passages. Well, I am a classically trained pianist and I have had zero issues. Octaves, sixths, whatever ... easy to play. My hands are large (can reach an 11th on acoustic keys) and I have no issues fitting my fat fingers between the black keys on this board. Best part? If you prefer a different key bed? Hook this up as a slave soundbank via MIDI and you're golden. It's not a toy. It might feel like one, because it's so ridiculously lightweight, but it's definitely a pro board. And the price ... geez. 5 Stars.

Yeah they look pretty, but that's just a perk. These guitars - especially the "10 top" issues like the one I had - are of the highest craftsmanship. Recommended to any player of any style who is serious about their craft. If you plan to display it as artwork, and never play it, do us all a favor and buy a poster instead. These are instruments which deserve to be used and loved. That is why I ended up selling mine after many gigs and studio sessions... I stopped playing my PRS after I got my endorsement from Holland Guitars, and received one-of-a-kind customs made specifically for me. Otherwise I would have never let my PRS go. It was definitely not inferior by any means.

This 12-string model can sound like any other electric 12-string and most acoustic-electrics thanks to its Treble and Bass boost knobs (active electronics circuit). Other options include coil splitter switches, a phase switch, tung oil neck rub. 24 frets. Super thin and lightweight. High output pickups but silent as ever. Extremely versatile.

Incredibly rich, pure blackface tone. I didn't fully appreciate it when I was younger. Now that I've grown as a player - both in amp knowledge and guitar skill - it really shines.

If you like the sound of Fender tube amps, this is your combo. Most of the festivals I have played have these or the Twin Reverb in their backline. It's a staple. Way louder than you will EVER need ... I have played huge rooms like the Hard Rock Casino in Biloxi and the volume did not raise above "4." The dirty channels aren't my thing - I use pedals for that - but the crisp chimey clean channel is awesome. Also, I had mine modded by my luthier at Holland Guitars; he put in a lag switch among other things. If you have the means, or the knowledge, there are some great mods for this amp circuit.

Wheels and handles are nice but the best feature is the front grill (which is easily removable, attached by Velcro). So if you need to swap the speaker out for any reason, you can. But I wouldn't bother. Great speaker. Pushes air really well, sounds great at all sorts of gigs big and small.

Plenty of volume, and some really good tones. The on-board reverb and delay effects are fun for practicing. The gain tones aren't bad, either. Bought one for my lessons studio and have no complaints thus far. Students love it. The USB connectivity is nice, both for direct recording (demo tracks would be my recommendation) and software updates. I'm a tube lover and a tube player exclusively. If this had tubes, I would gladly give it 5 stars.

Great clean and distorted rock tones for direct [demo] recording (plug 1/8" cable into headphone jack, plug other end of cable into laptop mic input). I don't think these are for sale any longer, or at least not this version. I still have mine but it stopped working a couple years ago (road wear). I have not tried the new models. This review is only for the Pro model pictured (dark black rectangle shape).

The app on my phone has more functionality, so I can't say this is the best tuner on the market. I love my Polytune pedal (on my Equipboard) but when my pedalboard isn't around ... Snark provides silent tuning. Mute your instrument, and you can tune whenever you want without anyone knowing. You can also leave it on the entire time, behind your headstock, and glance at it during a song if a note sounds off. Although I have never done that, I know some players like to leave their tuners running.

The first tuner I ever bought. Purchased because it has a mic in addition to the line input (and I play horns in addition to electric guitar and bass). Worked extremely well, without fail, for many years. Anyway, it's ancient technology now and I couldn't even tell you where it is resting, but hopefully R.I.P.

Anyone who thumbs their noses at these products is an extinct dinosaur. The megaphone presets (of which there are many), distorted vocals, reverb and delay effects are worth the cost. Then add the voice doubling, octaves up and/or down, and other harmony effects. Most of you [singers] have doubled a vocal track in the studio. Now you can get that sound on stage. Highly recommend this product to any singer who isn't singing Opera. One of my favorite settings is the Rockabilly slap-back!

This was my first pedal, won in a contest when I was 15. Excellent chorus sounds. Really lush, great for playing Yes or Rush or Police or Eagles ... unfortunately the cheap plastic jacks don't withstand the test of time. Also, I have always felt it to be too noisy. I have rarely used it over the past ten years for this reason.

I love my mic mechanic. It can make cheap speaker systems sound better. It can help inexperienced FOH engineers. But mostly it has just the right amount of pitch correction for you to successfully pull off that modern vocal track that would otherwise be unsingable.

I know a local player who swears by his Sustaniac pickup with the volume knob that clicks into feedback on the "11" setting. All that is nice, but having the feedback effect at your feet allows your hands to remain free (to play notes). I find the FB-2's feedback effect is perfect for when you need a controlled feedback, for example if you just need it for the last couple beats of a phrase. Instead of running back to the amp and hoping to hit that sweat spot on stage you can rest assured knowing the FB-2 has you covered. Also, if you don't have a wah or heavy distortion going, the FB-2 gets you that feedback regardless. It's definitely useful and sounds good in a band mix. The boost is great, too. Whenever I am playing a small gig, or sitting in with some friends, or going direct into a cheap PA system, I use the boost to get nice lead volumes. Many times in these settings the FB-2 is the only pedal between my guitar and my amp (or DI box, PA head, etc). I am not a huge Boss player, but I love this pedal and recommend you try it before dismissing it. It's one of my best "secret weapons."

Just a great phaser. Really lush phase tones. It only has one knob, but that's all you need. Mine is powered by my Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus, via the 9-volt battery adapter cable, fed through a small hole [drilled] in the bottom plate. My only other mod for this pedal would be an LED indicator light. I can never remember if the default setting is "on" or "off" when I power-up my board.

I purchased this pedal early-on in my career because of it's vintage vibe and superb tremolo characteristics. I was doing a lot of studio work with bands, and this pedal ended up on many tracks. Unfortunately when I started using it live I quickly realized it would never work. Trying to manually set the BPM from song to song near impossible, since it doesn't have a display. For live tremolo, you really need a display showing the BPM to match your drummer or else it'll be off (and sound bad).

Best tuner ever. Silent switch, bright display visible even in direct sunlight.

I noticed the M87 on some of the guitar boards in Voodoo Labs' product videos. I decided to give it a try. After all, plenty of [good] history of guitarists using bass amps and effects. And I was already using the MXR Super Comp, so switching to another MXR didn't feel too risky. Well, this is by far a superior product. I'm not technical enough to explain why, but it sounds and feels amazing. Huge step up.

There are tons of volume pedals out there. I've seen some with marked volume levels, knobs, boosts ... All I really need in a volume pedal is off and on and the taper in-between for swells. This model never really goes completely silent, which is why I've given it 4 stars. But everything else is spot on. Quiet - no line noise - and does NOT color my signal. And yes, I've found other volume pedals that color the signal. Main reason I love this one. Does what it says and no extra surprises.

If you don't already know, the Voodoo Labs Pedal Power bricks are famous and - I believe - were the first ever of its kind. Anyway, you can read history elsewhere. Here's why I love it: clean, isolated power for each pedal; two Sag jacks which allow you to dial back the current (to recreate lower battery voltage to get vintage vibes out of certain pedals); and two high current jacks for Line6 modeler pedals or similar types of pedals. Plus, it has an extra outlet (regular 3-prong) in case one of your pedals requires a wall wart. I have used this spare outlet to charge my tablet and/or iPhone, or to power my fans (yes I have fans and if you don't, you should! LOL).

My first review gave 3 Stars because after one year on the road, it broke. Until I got a new synth last week and realized it still works perfectly fine. Apparently, it just doesn't like talking to my Hammond. Which sucks. But hey, it works great with my other board so ... 5 Stars! The pedal itself is a tank. Spring still as strong as the day it came out of the box. But the cable does feel cheap (really thin, which is why I thought it had broken). Good thing I don't throw stuff away! LOL

What more can I say? Classic digital delay. Crisp, clear, and more features then you'll ever need. Nearly every guitarist uses delay these days, but the most noteworthy is probably "the Edge" from U2. I've played plenty of gigs where I needed that sound, and was able to deliver thanks to my DD-5 and a tap tempo switch (with an analog delay in series).

Extremely easy to use. Small footprint. True bypass, no buffer. Just awesome.

Acquired mine from a local recording studio when they closed their doors. I had tracked on it before, and knew it could perform. What I didn't realize was how well it held up over the years. Thousands of sessions later, I have dropped it and tossed it around at home and it still works. Something inside is ratting around, but does not seem to affect the function. Seems well made to me. Four stars only because the range is so tiny. I use my Hammond XK-3c as a MIDI controller when I need more keys.

Used on many a live gig, never fails. Great job passing audio without coloring. If you want FX, it has great quality 'verbs and such. USB out makes live recording extremely easy. No interface required. More and more common today, but when it was released ... not so much. Great workhorse and not too heavy.

I've had them in my rack gear for a few years now, and none have broken. Five stars! haha

I've been using Sibelius since version 1.0, when it was lightyears ahead of the competition. Now, everyone else has caught up quite a bit to the point where Finale is arguably equal. But in my opinion, the basic underlying difference is what makes Sibelius the best notation software of all time. Finale and other programs are (or at least, were) graphics programs. Drag-and-drop type stuff. Sibelius was built with the mentality of a word processor. A lot of my peers like to "play" their notation with MIDI controllers, but I just type mine in with the keyboard. Super fast, super easy and logical. Over the years, I upgraded very few times: v1 > v3 > v7 > v8. The reason I jumped up to level 8 was because it's the last upgrade before the "subscription" changeover (of which I'm not a fan). I have to say, huge step up from v7. I still have v7 on my home desktop, but the UI / look and feel is so different, I find myself going out of my way to drive back to the studio in the evenings just to use v8 on my studio desktop because I prefer it more and more to the v7 layout.

Yes, it's true that most studios keep older versions of PT on backup systems, and for whatever reason certain engineers will prefer certain vintages. I suspect this is because the layout and overall user experience changes slightly from version to version. This is my first version, so I'm using this latest incarnation and loving it. After being in so many studios over the decades and watching engineers work their magic, it's great to finally have my own system. Running on Windows 10 without issues *knock on wood*

Downloaded this program years ago when I needed to convert WAV files to MP3. Soon discovered you could do a lot more than just convert file formats. In fact, I have even edited out clips (from a recorded track that was clipping). I don't know how the compression and all that compares to more 'professional' programs, and I'm not really sure of the difference between Normalization and Gain boost, but ... you can make your tracks louder or softer. You can smooth out the volume overall. You can VERY EASILY trim, extend, merge, cut, and all that. Did I mention it's free?

This bass is in tune no matter what fret you play. Sounds great with both pickups rolled up to 10, playing with your fingers. Light weight makes it easy to play for long gigs. Also, not bad looking. Looks more expensive than it costs.

I have a Shure Beta 58, which is my default microphone. But I have found myself pulling one of these out of the bag many times. I've never actually used it with a Helicon product, even though I own two of their pedals. So I can't speak about the switch function. All I know is the mic itself actually sounds great. And it's not just my voice, either. The female vocalist in my band also enjoys it. For dynamic mics, this is a good one.

I won the Shure "Give It Voice" contest for the Southeast US region, and received a customized Beta 58A. Been using it ever since. After a thousand or so gigs, I can honestly say it sounds great in every room. Never had a moment where I thought "hmm, wasn't crazy about my voice tone tonight."

The most amazing slide you will ever hold, with a special blend of acrylic that cling to your finger as it warms up. Used by Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top). I play the "Husky" which is 1/4" thick wall and 3/4" diameter. I actually sanded down the inside a bit, to make it taper, because I like the taper feel. That's another advantage of this material ... you can shape it easily if needed. Glass and brass don't do that. Here is the product page: http://v-picks.com/product/v-slide-husky/

From DiMarzio's website: "All of our full-size humbuckers except the X2N® and D Activator-X™ are available in two polepiece spacings. F-spacing refers to the wider of the two spacings. For proper string alignment and balanced output, F-spaced humbuckers should be used in the bridge position on all guitars with string spacing at the bridge of 2.1" (53 mm) or greater. On these guitars, if the nut width is 1-11/16” (43 mm) or greater, F-spaced pickups can be used in the neck position as well."

Neck position on my Holland Guitars custom, "Nessie"

Q-Parts makes excellent knobs. They have a lot of variety, and they are easy to install on any volume or tone potentiometer with the Allen wrench (included). If you wanna trick out your guitar, check out Q-Parts.

Regarding the F-spacing, from DiMarzio's website: "All of our full-size humbuckers except the X2N® and D Activator-X™ are available in two polepiece spacings. F-spacing refers to the wider of the two spacings. For proper string alignment and balanced output, F-spaced humbuckers should be used in the bridge position on all guitars with string spacing at the bridge of 2.1" (53 mm) or greater. On these guitars, if the nut width is 1-11/16” (43 mm) or greater, F-spaced pickups can be used in the neck position as well."

Works so well and so easily. Never have strap lock issues ever again! Best on the market, IMO. Better than those red beer bottle washers ... looks nicer too

Purchased when I was playing cello for a brief stint. Worked very well. Recommended by a local [orchestral strings] luthier, FWIW.

Comfortable grip, and the spring resistance seems to be just the right balance between "uncomfortable to squeeze" and "my strings are out of tune."

Four stars because despite all the great features, it's the hardest capo to get on/off your neck. The idea is once it's on it stays on. But I don't play with capo very often. In fact, rarely. So I don't like to leave it on. Plus, leaving it on may prevent the guitar from fitting inside the case (depends on the case, obviously). So only four stars.

Works really well, looks gorgeous as capos come, but I can never put it on with one hand without dropping it. Sort of a two-hand approach for me. Thus, only 4 stars.

I like to play with thick picks, most of the time. I find myself gravitating towards the blue, but sometimes I'm just in the mood to go purple. If you need to play heavy, or loud, or with high energy, consider going purple. Tortex picks are great right out of the package with that powdery coating. This "new car smell" wears away pretty quickly, but they still feel great in your hands. I never drop my picks and it's not because I ain't klutzy.

My first pedal baord was custom built for me by some metal welders here in Atlanta, but they didn't make cases. So I bought this one. Super easy to tear the foam away to fit your gear. Unfortunately all I needed was a rectangle (well, a 3D one... not a cube but you know), and a rather large one, anyway most of the foam got thrown away. But if you have microphones, or other sensitive gear, this is perfect for you. The large one is really big. I would recommend looking at the medium unless you have a LOT of gear - or a pedal board.

Bought for an a capella gig, works great. Well made, quality parts, no issues!

(note: the image shown is not my board) Cheap hardware. Here are my tales of woe: (1) a handle bracket (attaches the handle to the lid) broke only two weeks into a tour. Granted, I was tossing it around and in/out of the bus quite a bit, but that's what it's supposed to do ... anyway I easily fixed this by slipping a coat hanger through the handle (it's hollow) and twisting it around each bracket on the case. Six years later, my good ole' coat hanger is still holding strong. Seriously Warwick? outdone by a coat hanger? OK next evidence... (2) the corner covers, which are really cheap imitations of what you find on speaker cabinets and some hard-shell instrument cases, ripped off while on tour. Again, they probably got snagged on something in the bus or trailer while being tossed around and loaded in/out but ... that's what a pedal case is supposed to do ... Aside from the coat hanger handle, I heavily modded the inside. The inside is a lame flat piece of plywood. However, it has this really awesome black Velcro carpet. So what I did, was carefully remove the black fabric, and custom-fit pieces of foam insulation board (it's like 1" thick, you can buy it from Home Depot cheap). Anyway I cut and layered the foam board to make different tiers for my pedals, so that I could reach the ones in the back, etc. Like a pedaltrain board, except I did mine before they came to market ... anyway ... lay the black fabric over top of the foam board and voila - you've got a really awesome custom pedal board. I have used it for about six years now, stomping and wah-wah-ing my feet off, and the foam board has compressed slightly in some areas, but mostly it looks brand new on the inside. The outside ... not so much. Three stars.

I've heard people say it looks attractive, but I disagree. I've also heard folks say it works really well, but I have found my strings to be out of tune more often than with other capos. I would like to think it has nothing to do with user error, since I have been successful with other capos ... not saying this one doesn't work but you gotta check your tuning every time you use it without fail. Also, not a bad thing, but I feel the spring is a little harder to squeeze than some other brands.

Sometimes when I know I'm going to be doing an excessive amount of pinch harmonics, I'll grab one of these Jazz picks. Works great every time because there's plenty of cutaway for thumb action (the "pinch").

I've heard some folks saying the Sirin is basically an overpriced Minitaur. This is not true. It's fundamentally different with enhanced filters (six steps instead of four) and expanded range. For those thinking it doesn't go "as low" as the Minitaur, technically this is true however the Sirin starts at 20 Hz (the beginning of audible sound). In other words, you aren't missing anything ;)

These sound great on my flying V guitar, which is actually a cheap Harmony that I painted and modded with DiMarzio humbuckers. That thing wails, and these strings add some nice beef to the power chords. Definitely recommended for all sub-genres of Rock.

Not really meant to be studio monitors, but they deliver powerful bass and clear midrange. I have used two as PA mains for gigs, but most of the time I use one as my keyboard monitor. I run the Hammond drawbar organ (which has INSANE bass, for those who don't know) and my synths all through my little mixer into this powered monitor and it handles everything just fine! Never any crackle or distortion of any kind. Pretty amazing since I've had monitors crackle under my organ at some of the "finest" music venues in the country. Not when I'm using the MSR-400. Crystal clear tone. The only drawback: they are kinda heavy!

I have a Hammond drawbar organ, and play it live exclusively. In the studio, still prefer the real deal but many artist-producer-engineers insist on MIDI keys. Why? Well, unlike a live WAV performance, they can edit everything including changing the tone (drawbar settings) as they change their minds. So, I have used this quite a few times in various studios over the years. It always sounds great. Honestly, once the record is mixed and mastered, I sometimes forget which tracks were Hammond (WAV) and which were YC-3B. It can be hard to tell them apart. Definitely the best organ emulator plugin that I've seen.

When these first hit the market in Home Depot stores, I grabbed a bunch in every size. Many years later, I have seen many imposters of different designs and colors, and I suppose they all work equally well. Bottom line is it caught on big time so I must not be the only one using them. Not the only musician, either because I saw their booth at Summer NAMM a few years ago. Anyway these things last forever. I managed to break one once by stepping on it, on a smooth concrete loading dock, but that was after many other occasions of being smashed or stepped on. It actually still works it's just missing a couple teeth.

I have no issues with this horn. It is one of the finest trombones I've ever played, and in the right hands, sounds equally as good alongside Shires and other more expensive brands.

This thing has bounced around the trunk of my car, back seat, all sorts of weather, and my 2-year old toddler has been abusing it for about two years ... still works like brand new AND the finish has held up. Not a single scratch. I don't know how it's possible because it does NOT seem to have any lacquer coating or if it does, very thin ... maybe the wood is some kind of weird composite wood I don't know. All I know is that it LOOKS GREAT and SOUNDS GREAT and wasn't crazy expensive ($60?)

I've had mine for a few years, not a single issue. The USB connection is nice if you need to transfer your vinyl collection to digital (if you are like me, and only DJ with a digital setup). At the office, it functions as a simple player. I have a really nice amp and 5.1 speaker system, so maybe it's hard for me to judge, but the audio quality sounds great - and I'm using the needle from the factory right out of the box.

Been a Canon fan for over ten years. Shot many music video scenes on this model. Also shot an entire series of lesson videos on it. Great functionality, great quality. Worth every penny.