Category: Reviews

Reviews by Mark Urso

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Enya EA-X4 Pro Carbon Fiber Guitar

Enya EA-X4 Pro Carbon Fiber Acoustic Guitar

This review (w/video) of the EA-X4 Pro Carbon Fiber Acoustic Guitar is intended for people somewhat familiar with the instrument. Still, I’ll go over the basic functions and features for those just hearing about this new product. I receive no compensation for my review. I picked this guitar up a couple weeks ago. It arrived from a USA origin within 4 days in very good shape. I changed the strings to Thomastik 10s, but otherwise it’s out of the box, requiring no adjustment.

A full video review is below. Continue reading “Enya EA-X4 Pro Carbon Fiber Guitar”

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The World’s Most Blatant Steal: Behringer (re)Introduces the Mackie Big Knob, and Puts it on Steroids!

When Mackie came out with its “Big Knob” series of monitor controllers (designed as big volume knobs to save you from having to walk over to your powered speakers and turn them up and down), it was a brilliant invention; and first of its kind!

Not any more.

“Behringer,” a sister of the well-respected “Midas” gear and knob company, has obviously studied the Mackie Big Knob units very carefully, and their new offering, years after Mackie invented the thing, is basically an exact copy of the Mackie front panel layout Continue reading “The World’s Most Blatant Steal: Behringer (re)Introduces the Mackie Big Knob, and Puts it on Steroids!”

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Tennessee Whiskey and Its Effect on the iPhone 6 Video Performance, Featuring Malaena and Duke Robillard!

DJI Osmo Pocket Gimbal
vs
DJI OM-5 with iPhone 6

Here we have a fine local group in Connecticut that goes by the name “Malaena.” It’s a six-piece act and you’ll see they have a team of strong vocalists, including a bass player who sounds just like Van Morrison!

This was a casual outing, where I tested a DJI OM-5 gimbal arm that holds an iPhone. As a result, I was shooting this video in 1080p with my iPhone 6, which is actually software upgraded to an iPhone 7.

But that didn’t help!

The video performance of the older iPhones is poor in comparison to the DJI Osmo camera, and the Osmo will go to 4k and do even better. The iPhone footage is grainy, with no color depth Continue reading “Tennessee Whiskey and Its Effect on the iPhone 6 Video Performance, Featuring Malaena and Duke Robillard!”

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Gear Review: Boss VE-8 Acoustic Singer

Review: Boss VE-8 Acoustic Singer

Something’s got to go in between your microphone and your PA system! Over years of working with doo dads and widgets, I can testify, there are many devices that belong nowhere in your setup. But if you find that thing that goes after the mic and before the speaker, it may turn out to be more important than either the mic or speaker! Continue reading “Gear Review: Boss VE-8 Acoustic Singer”

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Lump – 20th Century Kids (Music Video)

The Story

Before we dive in to this quick lesson in how to properly attack your audience (to create excitement and obtain the coveted big applause at the end), a two-minute excursion into the best part of the 1990’s, I have two observations I’d like to share. Then the video … (maybe a couple …)

Two Observations

1. This is just like Boston punk rock from when I was in college in the 1980’s, and I hope it’s as much fun for you to discover today as it was for me back then! This is the industrial evolution of the bands I was recently enjoying on my original vinyl record “Beserkley Chartbusters, Volume 1,” which I remember like yesterday buying in Chestnut Hill, MA, a record that would become a collectible masterpiece, a basket of some of the most offbeat oddballs who somehow graced the radio waves but you’ve still never heard of.

This song, the original “Lump” (1995) by the band “The Presidents Continue reading “Lump – 20th Century Kids (Music Video)”

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