Review Date: April 2016 – Software purchased from IK Multimedia Here’s a quick to-the-point, no bullshit review of AmpliTube 4, devoid of the usual regurgitated marketing spiel. At the bottom of the article there’s a video walkthrough that shows all the main features of AmpliTube 4 and includes some getting started tips to help make […]
Reviews
Ibanez TMB-100 Talman Bass Review (+Video)
Review Date: March 2016 – Review unit purchased from Sweetwater Overview Ibanez introduced their new Talman Bass series, the TMB-100 and TMB-300, in early 2015. Then they recently released a short scale version for $179, along with some fancier more expensive models, including some new 5-string options. One thing that’s a bit confusing about these […]
TSE X50 Amp Sim Review and Video Demo
I’ve been trying out a bunch of different amp sims lately, including Amplitube 4 and the Mesa Boogie amps, Thermionik, and TSE X50 (the free Mercuriall and LePou plugins are nice amp sims too). I wanted to put together some reviews and comparisons between them. First up is the TSE X50 plugin from TSE Audio, […]
Review: Ernie Ball Cobalt Guitar Strings are Overrated
Last month I decided to order a pack of Ernie Ball Cobalt strings to try out. I’d never heard of their “Cobalt” strings before so I figured I’d give them a try. At $10 for a pack of 7-string regulars, they cost about twice as much as normal strings. Some reviews that I read claim […]
Review: Rocksmith 2014 Edition, a Terrible Way to Learn Guitar
So a couple months ago I decided to buy the 2014 edition of Rocksmith, the latest version available. I like playing guitar and I like playing video games, so combining the two is bound to be a winning combination, right? Wrong. Rocksmith blows. It blows hard. I can’t begin to express my dislike for the […]
Review: Alesis V25 MIDI Keyboard Controller (+Video)
Review Date: January 2016 – Review unit purchased from Guitar Center Overview Alesis offers a number of different kinds of MIDI keyboards. At the budget end of the scale is the V series that was first introduced in 2014. Their mid-level controllers are the VI series, and the VX49 is the high end model. This […]
Review: Sabian AAX X-Plosion Crash Cymbals 15″ & 16″
I was lucky enough to snag a couple of Sabian AAX X-Plosion crash cymbals last year on sale for $99 each at Amazon. That’s basically half price so I couldn’t pass them up even without being able to hear them in person first. I got the 15-inch X-Plosion crash about six months before the 16-inch […]
Recabinet 4 vs TSE X50 Amp Simulator Comparison Review – Part 1
TSE X50 and Recabinet 4 are two of the best software amp simulators on the market for rock and heavy metal guitars. It’s amazing how close they sound to the real thing when properly configured and mixed. If you don’t believe amp sims can sound as good as the real thing, I suggest listening to […]