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One of today’s bands who are at the forefront of the post-hardcore music scene is Escape the Fate. They are currently enjoying a surge in popularity because of their three albums to date that are being discovered by new fans worldwide. Their fame has reached into the commercial side of the music industry, as they popularized a number of categories or items, even including skeleton gloves.

Escape the Fate is often categorized as a post-hardcore band. What exactly is post-hardcore music? It is actually a deviation, although not too much, from the popular hardcore music genre. However it also got a mix of other music influences such as experimental rock and punk rock. To some people, they actually find it hard to further differentiate post-hardcore from these other influences.

Formed in 2004 in Nevada, Escape the Fate had the following original members: Ronnie Radke on vocals, Omar Espinosa on rhythm guitar, Bryan Monte Money on lead guitar, Robert Ortize on drums and Max Green on bass guitar.

However, the band experienced some personal problems that led to the replacement of some of its members.

One of the first major setbacks they experienced was the sentencing into prison by their lead vocalist, Ronnie Radke. The band later replaced him with Craig Mabbitt.

He was followed by Carson Allen, their one-time keyboardist. Allen left them to join On The Last Day.

Omar Espinosa also left the band in 2007 due to unspecified personal reasons.

Needless to say, it is but a common phenomenon that we see in most bands of this stature to see its members come and go through the years. However, Escape the Fate is a fairly new band and yet they have already gone through such major band member changes. One of the problems they dealt with was the drug addiction of some of their members. Through rehabilitation they were able to get through it.

However, gloomy as a part of their history might be, the band has experienced major successes thanks to their current albums out in the market. These are ‘This War is Ours’, ‘There’s No Sympathy for the Dead’, and ‘Dying is Your Latest Fashion’.

As to their first album, the ‘This War is Ours’, the band members claimed that one of their tracks, “We Won’t Back Down” shows the world the kind of wild party animals that they are. Perhpas it just goes to show what a hard rocker’s life can truly be as often portrayed in their music videos.

Then a few years later, their ‘Dying is Your Latest Fashion’ album came out. That album was a feat itself for the whole band, after all they were at that time, experiencing a few personal problems. To think that they were able to produce such a good album with all that fuzz between them was truly amazing.

With the band seemingly at their most stable form to date, they are now poised to conquer the whole of the punk rock and hardcore rock scene.

Playing with stability and style is now possible, thanks to Ultimate Support’s newest baby, the APEX AX-48 Keyboard Stand.

The Ultimate Support APEX AX-48 was just released by Ultimate Support, adding to their APEX line of keyboard accessories that boast of the streamlined functionality to the classic column-style keyboard stand design. This youngest APEX has piano hinges that flip up, providing more room for its tri-bar arms during transport. Not only that, it also has cable channels that will keep your keyboard cords neatly tucked away during use. With that alone, you know that this baby means business.

Unlike typical keyboard stands, the APEX AX-48 Pro gets rid of the ugly wires and cords during performance. And since the AX-48 can support two keyboards at once and has features that makes set up a breeze, you are not only guaranteed of style, you are also assured that you have made a practical choice. The APEX-AX 48 Pro will give you and your keyboard both a rugged and a reliable look, all ready for your spotlight moment.

The Ax-48 Pro is patterned after its older brother, the AX-90. But its sleek and fresh look readily brings out the star in every performer. Its sleek and fresh design will surely bring the star in every performer. This new addition to the APEX family has maintained the quality and the aesthetics but with an updated column design features.

If you are familiar with the APEX keyboard stands, you will be delighted to see a few familiar essentials in the AX-48 Pro – the same style of a standard column type keyboard stand is maintained as well as the same tri-bar arms system and its adjustable height. It still ha the same support and flexibility as well.

But perhaps what makes the APEX AX-48 Pro the favorite among all other keyboard stands is that, it is very easy to set up and is very easy to tear down. You can easily break it down into a single, slim piece making it very easy to carry from one gig to another. It does not even require a huge amount of space because its hollow column readily becomes its own carrying case. There will be no legs or any parts that dangling around during transport. Its legs will stay connected and slide in and out of the base while thee arms that support the keyboard are kept at the top of the column.

The Ultimate Support APEX AX-48 Pro Keyboard Stand represents more than two decades of research and development. So why trust your precious instruments for something less? Get the Ultimate Support APEX AX-48 Pro Keyboard Stand and see the difference today!

Read another review of the Ultimate Support APEX AX-48 Pro Keyboard Stand.

It is possible to learn guitar without paying a cent. Is it really possible? You ask. With the power of the internet, of course. You no longer need to spend good money to get a tutor and learn how to play guitar with an instructor. In a few simple steps, you can learn how to play guitar online and not shell out a single dime for it. Effortless!

A lot of novice guitarists learn how to play by going online. You can learn to play guitar free with these online lessons, and it is actually much easier than going to real world guitar classes, as you can pause, rewind and have complete control over what you are learning.

The standard guitar lesson online consists of several mediums – online guitar tablatures, video demonstrations and audio/video samples of guitar clips. It can make you feel like an actual guitar legend is teaching you in person. In fact, there are people whose skills are up there with Messrs. Hendrix, Page and Clapton, thanks to online guitar lessons. Back in the dark ages, when expensive guitar lessons were still the norm, nobody would’ve thought of this. Now most people are getting started by learning on the Internet.

It takes dedication and discipline to learn to play guitar free using the Internet. Since you will be learning on the Internet, you need to be responsible with your own learning and practice schedules. If you have the desire to succeed in your guitar playing, you will be greatly rewarded once you begin to read guitar tabs and learn the basics of guitar playing from online courses and websites.

But if you’re truly dedicated to your craft, you can become a pro-level player in just a few months’ time. If you work hard enough, it could just take a few weeks to go from reading tabs to playing one complete song.

The time to start learning is now. Go to the Internet, pick up your guitar, and start the learning process!

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If you are quite 1 the enthusiast when it is about musical instruments and you have 1 your heart set on that good looking guitar you found last week, better begin brushing on those fingers. There are a few ways you can learn on how to develop into an excellent guitarist 1. But let’s start with basics.

First and foremost, you must 1 have your own guitar 1. You need to determine first what type of guitar to play 1. asking for a guitar would be okay 1, but what if you can’t do that on a regular basis? Your training and practice will be damaged.

Then pick a particular song 1 that you like, something that always sets 1 you in the mood 1 for a good mood. Better yet, something that inspires you. Inspiring enough to encourage 1 you to try and play the chords over and over again 1.

Once you determined on which particular song 1 gets you going and still you don’t have a clue on how to put on a tune 1, ask someone who has the knowledge in handling a guitar work it out for you. Let him teach you the tabs. If you don’t have a clue, let someone interpret it for you. Here, teamwork is essential 1. The same person 1 may also be able to aid you in determining 1 which finger goes where to achieve the right sound.

A very good 1 advice on learning to play the guitar is listening by heart. It doesn’t depend on the chords themselves but who lays them. He creates 1 a melody just by listening to every strum of his guitar 1.

Statistics show that almost 1 ninety percent of those who play the guitar admit they learned it the tough way. In fact, playing 1 the guitar is quite harder 1 than it looks. It is by far easier 1 to hear than to comprehend 1. Learning without some background or even a little aid from someone is difficult 1 for a newbie.

If you can’t afford 1 a personal instructor, might as well buy 1 a book about the do’s and don’ts of 1 learning a guitar. Aside from that, it would also be interesting on your part to guess where to put the most important finger on the most important string. Buy 1 step by step guide on acquiring 1 the elementary and most vital chords that usually appear on almost 1 every song and tune.

Then you ask 1, do you still need 1 a guide? It is vital though. You need someone 1 to listen to you. He or she must decide if your fingers are put in their proper places. A reference material or an online tutorial will absolutely be of big aid but it won’t be able to hear if you’re out of tune or if you’re really playing on the right track. Call out for aid and monitoring.

First, concentrate yourself on the elementary chords and not the tough ones. Chords like A, A minor, E, E minor, D, G are easier 1 to work on. There are varieties of songs 1 which have only these chords. Mastering your fingers to switch strings on every change of tempo enables 1 a beginner to develop 1 a faster pace.

never hurry. A lot of great 1 guitarists got the skill only after a long period of years. Apply no pressure on 1 yourself. stay patient when you’re not getting it right 1. The secret in learning is to create 1 a positive attitude.

For the majority of of us in the arts and related sectors, mentoring plays a huge part in the learning process. Even those who pursue a college education will usually mention some mentor as a key to their growth.

I’ve had several music mentors (my primary art form), and they usually fall into one of two categories: those who taught me the art of making music, and those who gave me opportunities to grow in music.

Among those who taught me music, I had 4 private piano instructors between age 9 and my sophomore year of college. Each and every one played a part in my development, but one in particular stood out as a mentor more than the others. While three of my music mentors concentrated mainly on method and expression, my instructor through high school recognized my gift in songwriting, and being a songwriter herself, tailored my training to include theory and contemporary songwriting, as well as classical training. Rather than just take me through a system, she took an interest in me as a musician and sought to develop me as an artist.

As a composition major in college, I also had personal instruction with two composition teachers – and again, one of the two stood out as a mentor in music. He discovered my weak points and strong points as a composer and he provided me with a task that will help me grow. He is more of a coach than a teacher and he is willing to work with every aspect of my humanity not only as a composer but as a person as well.

There were also some mentors along the way who did not really teach me music, but recognized the gift and made room for it. I spent a lot of time in church music surroundings as a young man, and several of the musical and spiritual leaders in those settings gave me access to musical instruments and recording equipment, let me play on the music team (even as a youth), allowed me room to make mistakes, and even found me other areas to play. They were more than cheerleaders to me, they were the people responsible for laying the foundation of my success.

There are two things I seem to remember when I think about my music mentors. First of all, concerning the mentors themselves – the ones who affected me most were the ones who took a personal interest in me and in my development, both as a musician and as a person. Second, I realized that in the course of my growth as a musician, I learned more from my mentors than my college education..Despite the fact that my teachers and mentors are in the college setting, their personal interest in me helped me grow into a better musician than homework and classes.. College helped but my music mentors made the variation in my development.

Audix has recently unveiled the latest highly accurate stand-mount condenser microphone great for test and measurement applications. The Audix TM1 Test and Measurement Microphone will surely redefine the way we see stand-mount condenser microphones.

So what’s so special about the Audix TM1.

The Audix TM1 test and measurement condenser microphone from Audix is known for its linearity, accurate response and consistency. Aside from that, it is very easy to use and is very budget friendly as compared to other condenser mics in the market of the same quality. This new test and measurement condenser microphone from Audix is designed to capture acoustic measurements needed for room analysis in software programs, or for real-time analyzers, or for any other sound-control devices and endeavors.

The TM1 condenser mic is a 6mm pre-polarized condenser microphone that has an omni-directional polar pattern. It also has an extremely flat frequency range, from 20Hz 25Hz, which makes it the excellent mic for sound engineers, sound companies, and even for recording enthusiasts. It looks neat and nice in a four-stage brass body and capsule housing in an elegant nickel plate finish. With the TM1 condenser mic, accidental falls and bumps will be harmless, thanks to its shock absorbent O-rings and heavy duty snap fit mic clip.

The TM1 condenser mic is an omni-directional microphone, which means that its response is generally a perfect sphere and is three dimensional, picking up sound from all directions evenly. Doing that is virtually impossible for any other regular stand-mount microphones. Thanks to the uniquely slim body of the TM1, it allows even the highest of frequencies to be heard without impediments. And because it is omni-directional, it almost never adds to the original sound it captures, and for that, the Audix TM1 Test and Measurement Microphone is known as the “purest” microphone in the market today.

Being an omni microphone is perhaps the greatest feature of the TM1. Because it picks up sound practically from all directions evenly, what you get is nothing but sound in its rawest form. Therefore, the TM1 without a doubt is the perfect choice for symphonic music recording. These highly accurate pick up characteristics are exactly the reason why the TM1 is the best stand-mount condenser microphone for pro recording both for studio and live performance.

Who would believe that for such an affordable price you will get all these amazing features and more it also includes an innovative acoustic foam windscreen that threads seamlessly into the microphone housing for secure and stable operation and a shockmount adapter. No other stand mount condenser microphones can get better than that! So go and get the Audix TM1 Test and Measurement Microphone today! The Gigasonic.com music store offers free shipping on the Audix TM1, check it out.

Native Instrument has released the latest music software that will definitely change the way you see computer audio and music software, giving you both worlds of soul and R&B.

Created together with award winning artist Alicia Key, Native Instruments’ Alicia’s Keys Piano brings Alicia Keys’ very own sound much closer. This software recreates Key’s signature Yamaha C3 Neo grand piano. The music software is a joint project shared by the renowned keyboard software developer Thomas Scarbee and Alicia Keys herself. . Finishing the project within two years, Native Instrument has finally captured the unique Alicia Keys sound.

Alicia’s Keys uses nothing but only the best vintage microphones as well as high-end outbound studio gear, which make this new sampled grand beyond your everyday piano. But despite that, it has several strong features as well as a great tone with everything at a very affordable price.

This new music software utilizes 17GB of high resolution samples paired with 12 discrete velocity layers per note. It sophistically emulates sensitive sonic aspects like key releases, pedal sustain, and sympathetic resonance.

Alicia’s Keys’ user interface also provides complete control over the sound in order to further adjust it to the particular musical preference and personal playing style of the user. On top of that, it also includes studio-quality convolution reverb that gives you several authentic room ambience from small piano chamber to a large concert hall.

The actual Alicia Keys piano is a Yamaha C3, a member of the Neo limited edition series. It is a six-foot grand making its lower register less full and deep compared to a nine-inch concert grand. Yamaha pianos are widely respected for their bright, in-your-face sound, and that the same characteristic is preserved in this music software.

The first time you try it, you will be greatly impressed with the realistic features of this particular music software. The velocity response makes it extremely playable even when you are not as good as Alicia Keys and every range of the keyboard responds well just as it should.

It also has a standard DSP reverb that allows you to run it smoothly on a slower computer. But even without the reverb, the pianos’ natural ambience is remarkable. Perhaps because it had meticulous tuning every unison has exactly the right amount of microscopic tuning, that is why the tone of the choruses are almost perfect, just like an actual piano.

Alicia’s Keys will give you the pop ballad feel that you are looking for richer and more up-front than the Yamaha C7 or the German Steinway. It is by far the most inviting to play and the most flexible to use compared to any other piano samples and virtual pianos.

Make music out of sheer inspiration. You will be able to evoke emotions with every note. Why wait? Try Native Instrument’s Alicia’s Keys Virtual Piano today!

Learn more about Native Instruments’ Alicia’s Keys

Although small in size, the MicroBook is huge when it comes to audio quality. The MicroBook is a USB-powered audio interface that makes studio-grade performance possible at a size of your pocket. Despite being small, about the size of a regular pocket, the MicroBook can turn your Mac or PC into a personal 4×2 recording studio all complete with the needed audio I/O and mixing features for professional recording.

View full specs of the MOTU MicroBook USB Interface.

The MicroBook lets you have a complete personal recording set up whether on a Mac or on a PC. It has four simultaneous inputs for a microphone, a guitar, a keyboard, or any other stereo line-level device. Its mic preamp produces nothing but the most neutral and most pristine sound possible, thanks to its condenser mics powered by a 20dB pad and a 48V phantom power. Not only that, the MicroBook also offers flexibility you can choose among a programmable analog, a digital, and headphone outputs.

Because the MicroBook is small, its mic input ins a balanced ¼-inch jack. If in case you would like to use a mic cable with an XLR plug, there is no need to worry because the MicroBook comes with a XLR-to-1/4-inch adapter. Its Precision Digital Trim allows you to control analog trim on all analog units digitally. This only means one thing you get to enjoy both worlds: the excellent signal quality of analog audio circuitry and the fine-tune precision of digital control. Plus, you get to save and recall the trim settings on your computer.

But the main feature of the MicroBook is its unparalleled audio quality. Its accurate audio quality is a perfect fit to the demands of any professional recording set up. And since the MicroBook is part of the royal family who brought FireWire, USB and PCI audio interfaces in the market, you can be confident that it is a product of decades of great engineering expertise.

Most of the audio interface brands that we see in the market today (even the expensive ones) usually cut corners with unbalanced analog inputs and outputs. Even the expensive ones compromise overall audio performance, making it fall below a balanced circuit. But the MicroBook has well balanced inputs and outputs that ensure only the best protection possible against RF interference, AC hum, and other noise-creating environmental factors.

The guitar input of the MicroBook provides nothing but the appropriate impedance loads for guitars, letting you play through guitar-processing plug-ins in a host software knowing that you will get a natural feel and response. MicroBook’s “mini” eight-inch analog input can be connected to an iPod or any other stereo-level signal. This lets you mix an audio input with other inputs and route such inputs to any output device.

With the birth of the MicroBook, you can now have quality I/O recording, personal audio tracking, laptop-based DJing, among many other applications, on-the-go.

Read another review on the MOTU MicroBook.

The latest mobile recording device from Blue Microphone promises to redefine mobile recording with its new capabilities and unmatched portable sound.

Blue Microphone recently unveiled the newest additional to their line of professional quality microphones, the Blue Mikey. This new microphone and recording device lets you record practically anything; anywhere, anytime.

This new iPod recording device from Blue is so powerful, you can record lectures, voice notes, live music, interviews and so much more without the bulk of typical voice recorders. Aside from that, this new device can also capture every sound, even with audio quality impossible for hand held recorders of the past.

The exceptional recording prowess of the Mikey from Blue Microphone is not that much of a surprise. This is because Blue already has years and years of experience up its sleeve in designing and engineering award-winning studio mics. This fresh from the over recording device features Blue Microphone’s superior quality stereo condenser capsules, a 3-position user selectable settings, and a built-in speaker for playback. Aside from that, the Mikey can also be fine-tuned without ruining audio fidelity. Ensuring that you get as much sound possible, the Mikey’s head can rotate up to 180 degrees, giving you nothing but maximum flexibility and usability. That means that you can position the Mikey recording device practically anywhere, towards the sound sources in different directions.

Like its older brother, Mikey also has two custom-tuned Blue capsules that allow professional quality stereo recording capabilities. Its improved acoustic circuit allows for higher quality recordings of high-volume situations, such as concerts. Aside from its sleek new design, the new Mikey also has a 3.5 mm input line for direct recording of other sound sources such as a guitar or a mixer. It also has a USB pass-through connection that lets you charge and sync at the same time!

Simply plug the Mikey into the dock port of your iPhone, iPod, or iPod touch, and you get a high quality recording instantly ideal for musicians and concert goers alike. To complete the mobile audio experience, Blue has recently confirmed that Blue FiRe, a free, high-fidelity field recording app for iPhone, iPod, and iPod touch is now available at the App Store. Blue FiRe is the product of Audiofile Engineering’s and Blue’s efforts, giving you a complete, high-quality mobile recording experience with the Mikey.

Now with this new recording device from Blue, recording your world has never been easier. why settle for less? Go and get the Mikey from Blue Microphone, today!

Find another Blue Mikey 2 Review.

The industry is about to feel the innovative prowess of Korg with its new compact Korg MIDI devices, particularly designed for music makers on-the-go!

Korg unveils its new series of MIDI controllers, the answer to every artist’s the nanoSeries devices. These MIDI series features three compact products the nanoKEY, the nanoPAD, and the nanoKONTROL.

Expected to be tough, the nanoKEY is no ordinary keyboard it is a 25-note, velocity-sensitive model. Aside from being very handy in recording chords and melodies, the nanoKEY can also be used to send MIDI data, further expanding its power. It boasts of an Octave Shift feature, giving you instant access to the entire MIDI note range. It also has pitch and modulation buttons, so every performance will have that natural controller expression, despite its size.

The Korg nanoKEY is also very small. In fact, you can put it right in front of your laptop, your recording station, on a recording console, or wherever you need a versatile control over your virtual instrument or DJ software. But although it is small, the nanoKEY has a gives you a handful of features when it comes to functionality without cutting corners that could affect its convenient operation.

The nanoPAD, on the other hand, has 12 highly-sensitive trigger pads complete with and X/Y pad, which makes it great for laptop DJs as well as for drum programming its roll and flam functions give a unique interface that projects realistic drum programming. It is USB powered, and is also capable of sending both notes and MIDI control data.

The nanoPAD also has a Chord Trigger function that lets you enter chords onto a single pad, which helps you to make the most of the work surface as you create. The pad also makes a great interface for soloing or muting tracks because it can transmit control change messages. You can turn objects on and off, or trigger clips during your live performances.

Finally, Korg finishes the deal with nanoKONTROL. It has 9 faders, 9 knobs,18 switches, and a full transport section giving you full control. That is why the nanoKONTROL is a great DAW and plug-in control; and with its input mode, laying down your next groove will not be a headache.

The nanoKONTROL has 4 programmable scenes, and each of them lets you set the controller the way you want it. That means you can send 168 different MIDI Control Change messages and MIDI notes using these switches. It has 6 transport buttons, and each can either send MIDI Control Change messages or MMC messages to control functions such as start, stop, loop, or record.

With the new Korg MIDI bundle, you can now have full control over the quality of music that you make. And the best part is, you get all three at the price of one. So what are you waiting for? Get the Korg MIDI Bundle, today!

Check out the Korg MIDI Bundle or browse for other Midi Controllers.