Tools for shaking the air
Everyone has a hobby. A healthy pursuit of a hobby can enrich ones life and help give purpose to the time off we get. For some (and most of our readers), building and tinkering with PCs and electronics is a hobby. Like some other hobbies (like skiing), building PCs can become really expensive really quickly. The same goes for music.
My Technolust this week speaks to that love of vibrating air in creative and pleasing ways, so lets get to it.
Yamaha SV-150 Electric Violin
When I was in the fourth grade, every student at my elementary school had to choose between learning to play the violin, or sing in choir. As a kid, I wasnt comfortable in front of people, and I thought that singing was just too much. I chose to learn to play violin. I kept playing the violin all the way through high school. I didnt get very good at it, but I did enjoy playing with the orchestra, especially when we had wind instruments and percussion practice with us.
Its hard to list a decidedly acoustic instrument as a technological want, but then I remembered that electric violins exist. This fine instrument, Yamahas SV-150, would be at the top of my list if I were to purchase an electric violin.
When it comes to violins (and most other music instruments), its easy to part with a significant chunk of change well before you get into the realm of "maximum" quality. The SV-150 isnt the most expensive model in Yamahas "Silent Violin" line, but it has features that someone wanting to rediscover an instrument would want.
First off, the whole model line of violins is silent. If youve ever had to listen to someone learning to play, you have an idea of just how amazing this feature is. Being able to hear myself without the embarrassment of knowing other people are suffering through the noise as my fingers stumble along the fingerboard is reason enough to own this instrument.
But wait, theres more.
In addition to having a standard 1/8-inch (3.5mm) jack, the violin also has a digital metronome, built-in tuner, and an SD card reader. The SD card reader allows you to play back music tracks into your headphones, and mix that sound with the output from the pickups. Thats no trivial feature, as it is often much easier to practice if you know what the rest of the orchestra is playing. This especially rings true when youre playing the for the second violin section, which only rarely plays the melody.
With an MSRP of $1,600, the SV-150 is definitely an instrument to lust after, especially if youre looking to learn or rediscover the violin.
What would the SV-150 offer me that I dont have now?
I lost my violin some time ago due to a storage unit, a military deployment, and a friends divorce. Its a long story. The end result is that an instrument that I owned for over a decade is gone. Ive longed to replace it ever since it was lost.
Ive always favored string instruments over the others, and learning to play again has been on my bucket list for a while. With this instrument, my fiancée and roommate wouldnt have to suffer though the learning process.
Pioneer CDJ-2000MK2
Despite what some people say, spinning music as a DJ is its own art form, though highly distinct from performing music on an acoustic instrument. I first began DJing back in 2010 as a hobby, and I was hooked. The hobby is extremely expensive, especially when it comes to players and mixers. And if theres one CD player a DJ aspires to have, its the Pioneer CDJ-2000.
This model, the CDJ-2000 Nexus costs a pretty penny with an MSRP of $2,000. Each. Remember that to spin a set, youll need at least two players, so getting a pair of these will set you back $4,000. Yeowch.
To be fair, you get a lot with the CDJ-2000 Nexus. You can play music from CDs, DVDs, USB, and SD cards. On top of that, you can use the thing as a physical interface for music performance programs like those offered by Ableton or Serato.
The CDJ-2000 Nexus has an onboard sound card as well, so if youre using the device to control DJ software, you dont need to fall back on your laptops built-in sound card. You can output that audio to good old RCA, digital output at 24-bit 96kHz, or USB, depending on need. Basically, this player can do do just about anything you need it to. Want to go "old school" and use the player by itself? Fine. Want to use it with a laptop? Great. Want to use it as a MIDI controller to control a light show? Go for it, if youre feeling froggy.
When used as a standalone player, the CDJ-2000 is a very capable platform. It displays ID3 tags and titles for current tracks, as well as the waveform for the track being played. Thats really handy if you want a visual cue for a sound effect or beat drop. The player also has a beats per minute (BPM) counter and supports setting a master tempo, which will attempt to detect tracks BPM and match them to the tempo you set. This makes controlling pitch a cinch. The player also has an array of loop controls, including the ability to create loops of 10 minutes or longer.
When its all said and done, you cant get much better DJ gear than the CDJ-2000. In many ways, I consider it to be the CDJ equivalent of the legendary Technics SL-1200 series.
What does the CDJ-2000 Nexus offer me that I dont have now?
My first DJ setup was a Numark Mixdeck that I bought back in 2010. The power supply (or some other part) has since failed, preventing the deck from powering on. As great of an beginner piece of equipment the Mixdeck was, Id like to have better gear if I were to get back into DJing. (Even if its at the risk of becoming an antagonist on Portlandia.)
Sennheiser HD8 DJ Headphones
We review a bunch of gaming headsets here at Maximum PC, and editor-in-chief Tuan Nguyen tried on a pair of $55,000 Sennheisers at CES. DJ headphones tend to sit in the space between consumer street and gaming headsets and expensive audiophile cans. And in this space, the Sennheiser HD8 DJ is one of the best pairs of DJ-oriented aural air vibrators you can get. This headset comes with the standard set of DJ-friendly features: ear cups that swivel around for any wearing position, removable (and replaceable) cables, good isolation, and high levels of comfort and durability.
If youve never actually played the role of DJ, seeing DJ headphones that swivel so that only one ear is covered can seem like some sort of funny stereotype. Dont be misled: this serves a legitimate function. By covering only one ear, the DJ can hear whats actually coming out of the speakers as opposed to what shes listening to in the mix. This allows her to beatmatch, match pitch and time fades. While you can do this in-headphone, comparing the single-ear-cup is a better reality check of how things sound.
Since this is such a key feature, a headset that allows a lot of swivel and has a sturdy swivel assembly is crucial. The metal pivot rings on the HD8 allows for up to 210 degrees of pivot. Thats a lot of freedom to put the cups and headband where you want them.
Removable cables are a big plus for any expensive headset, whether youre a gamer, DJ, or audiophile. Removable cables means replaceable cables, and will save you money since you dont have to buy a whole new headset if a cable is broken or frayed. This headset comes with two cables, a straight one and coiled one. Both cables have 1/8-inch (3.5mm) jacks, though the headset also comes with a 1/4-inch (6.35mm) adapter.
Removable cables can save your headset from crashing to the floor if you (or someone else) trip over your headphone cable. (This happens a lot.) If the cable is removable, it can be yanked out, and youll just be mad, not sad that youve broken a pair of expensive ear cans. Some of this can also be mitigated by a solid build, which the HD8 has with metal construction.
What does the HD8 offer me that I dont have now?
While I love them to death, my trusty AKG K-181 headset is starting to show its age. The Sennheiser HD8 represents a great upgrade thats a little out of my price range at about $300 street.
Id love to get back into spinning tracks now and then, and CD players are only part of that equation. Even if I didnt have any speakers, having a good pair of headphones made with DJs in mind is one of the minimum requirements.
Is there anything youd love to have to help you shake the air around you? Let us know.
From maximumpc
