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Sony Xperia X Performance – 5″ TRILUMINOS Android 6.0 smartphone with Full HD 1080p resolution and 23 MP camera

Among top-level smartphones there is a new device : Sony Xperia X with 5″ curved TRILUMINOS multitouch screen with Full HD 1080p resolution and 23 MP camera. In it following are built in : 4-cores processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of on-board memory with ability to extend via Micro SD flash cards with 200 GB max capacity and 2 Nano SIM cards slots. It supports 2G ( GSM 900, 1800 and 1900 ), 3G and 4G LTE+LTE-A Cat. 9 networks; GLONASS and GPS+A-GPS satellite navigation; and in it orientation and acceleration sensor and fingerprints scanner are built in.

In Sony Xperia X Performance two very good for smartphones cameras are placed : 23 MP main one ( with 1/2.3″ Exmor RS sensor, autofocusing and image stabilization and 24 mm G Lens F2.0 with f/2 diaphragm ) and 13 MP frontal one ( with 1/3″ Exmor RS sensor, image stabilization and 22 mm lens with f/2 aperture ). It supports wireless Wi-Fi Miracast, Bluetooth 4.2 and NFC connections for remote data transfers and communications with other devices. On its external panels following are placed : Micro USB port for connection to computer, external devices plugging in and battery charging, 1/8″ mini jack headsets and headphones connector, stereo microphone and speaker, as well as power and volume control buttons. Battery charge is 2700 mAh – this is an average value for smartphones; device sizes are 70.4 ( width ) x 143.7 ( height ) x 8.7 ( depth ) mm and mass is 165 g; its body is made from metal.

Package contains : Sony Xperia X Performance smartphone itself, USB cable, recharger, headset, warranty card and user’s guide. Smartphone is of top-level, it has according functions and price, I personally would not buy such device and would buy instead optimal Windows or Android smartphone + tablet PC + good camera with interchangeable lenses and for smaller sum; but if somebody needs exactly top-level smartphone, then this one quite fits this role.

M-Audio M-Track 2×2 – new USB audio interface with convenient controls and 192 kHz and 24 bits

USB audio interface M-Audio M-Track 2x2 — USB audio interface M-Audio M-Track 2×2

Company M-Audio presented new USB audio interfaces M-Track 2×2 with convenient controls on body and support of 192 kHz and 24 bits. On its frontal panel there are TRS 1/4″ jack instrumental Hi-Z input, phantom power +48 V switch button for microphone input and TRS 1/4″ jack output for monitor headphones. On top panel there are : gain control knobs for both inputs, with levels and clips indicators; main outputs volume control knob; source signal switch Direct Monitor/USB; volume control for monitor headphones; switch on button with power and phantom power indicators. On back panel of device there are : Kensington Lock slot, USB port for connection to computer and powering, 2 main ( left and right ) TRS 1/4″ jack outputs of card and combined XLR/TRS 1/4″ jack balanced microphone/linear input.

USB audio interface M-Audio M-Track 2x2 ( back panel ) — USB audio interface M-Audio M-Track 2×2 ( back panel )

Device M-Audio M-Track 2×2 can work in Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 and Mac OS X 10.8 and newer with support of ASIO 2.0 and Core Audio interfaces, accordingly, via which it tightly integrates with modern DAWs : Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER and others. With it following software is supplied : AIR Creative FX Collection ( 20 AU/VST effects ), AIR Strike, AIR Xpand!2, AIR Mini Grand and DAW Steinberg Cubase LE.

Together with M-Audio M-Track 2×2 package contains : USB and USB-C cables, disks with drivers and software, warranty card and user’s guide. Audio interface is quite good, has 192 kHz sampling rate and 24 bits per sample precision and convenient controls, it is designed mainly for independent musicians and little studios. Because this device is new and, taking into account M-Audio‘s pricing policy, there is ability to anticipate high price for device, so there is ability to look on also on studio USB audio interfaces of Steinberg, Behringer, Focusrite, Roland, ESI, M-Audio itself and other manufacturers production.

Philips SHL2605 – 32 mm monitor headphones with neodymium magnets and 19 Hz – 21.5 kHz

Company Philips released new dynamic monitor headphones SHL2605 with 32 mm membranes, moved by neodymium magnets, support of sound reproduction in 19 Hz – 21.5 kHz frequencies range, closed back architecture and microphone. Their sensitivity is 103 dB, impedance is 24 Ohms and maximal input power is 50 mW. To both cups 1.8 m not detachable cable is mounted with microphone and smartphones control buttons, built into volume control module, and 1/8″ mini jack chrome-plated plug for connection to sound source.

In place of entering into cups wire of Philips SHL2605 additionally reinforced with resin tubes for increased wear resistance and durability during bending and tear off forces application. It has no clip and slider for tangling and clinging to clothes and nearby objects prevention. Headphones are not foldable, they have no active noise-cancellation function, as some other monitor headphones have; each their cup has only 1 audio emitter. Headband and cushions of device are covered with soft material for comfortable wearing during long-time sounds and music listening; it is supplied only in black color variant.

Package contains : Philips SHL2605 headphones themselves, warranty card and user’s guide. These are good headphones with wide reproducible frequencies range, neodymium magnets and built-in microphone, there is ability to anticipate, that Philips will not overprice its device; there is also need to note, that there is ability to buy for adequate amount of money 40 and 50 mm monitor headphones of other manufacturers. At the beginning of August of 2016 year they cost approximately 22 USD – it is quite adequate for them price, there is also ability to note, that if from device compactness and small mass are needed, then there is ability to buy in-ears headphones, oriented for use during sportive exercises and trainings and everyday compact use. Wherein their cable is often equipped with clip and slider.

Philips – is a company, which were founded in Dutch in 1891 year; now it has 3 large subdivisions, which develop and produce : consumer electronics, medical equipment and lighting devices. At current moment this is one of the largest companies – producers of electronics, in which around 105000 people work in 60 countries of the world. In electronics area it produces wide range of devices : from kitchen appliances to headphones and smartphones. Philips is notable for producing quality devices, providing proper technical information about them without using of large amounts of psychological marketing and for setting of optimal prices for its goods.

Alcatel Pixi 3 8.0 – 8″ IPS Android 5.1 tablet PC with 4-cores processor, 4G and 4060 mAh battery

Company Alcatel presented new Android 5.1 tablet PC Pixi 3 8.0 with 8″ multitouch IPS screen with 1280 x 800 pixels resolution and 4060 mAh battery. It has following modules : 4-cores processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 MSM8909, working on 1.1 GHz frequency, 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of on-board memory with ability to extend via Micro SD flash cards with 32 GB max capacity ( larger ones are, probably, also supported ) and SIM cards slot. It can be used as phone with support of 2G ( GSM 850, 900, 1800 and 1900 ), 3G and 4G LTE networks; it has GPS+A-GPS satellite navigation system and orientation and acceleration sensor.

Tablet PC Alcatel Pixi 3 8.0 ( back panel )

In Alcatel Pixi 3 8.0 good for tablet PCs cameras are placed : 5 MP main one and 2 MP frontal one, it supports wireless Bluetooth 4.1 and Wi-Fi ( IEEE 802.11 b/g/n ) connections for remote data transfers and communications with other device, without NFC support. On its external panels there are : Micro USB 2.0 port for connection to computer, external devices plugging in and battery charging; 1/8″ mini jack headsets and headphones connector; power and volume control buttons; and microphone and speaker. Battery charge is 4060 mAh, which is enough for approximately 6 hours of intensive work – these are good values for tablet PCs. Device’s body is made from plastic, its sizes are 209 ( width ) x 125 ( height ) x 8,3 ( depth ) mm and mass is 340 g.

Package with Alcatel Pixi 3 8.0 tablet PC contains : USB cable, recharger, OTG cable, warranty card and user’s guide. All in all tablet is quite good with large IPS screen, powerful system, 4G and capacitive battery, its price is around 100 USD, which is adequate to its characteristics. There is need to note, that for much smaller sum there is ability to buy Android tablet PCs with simillar characteristics, but with smaller screen and weaker cameras, or Windows tablet PCs with slightly more powerful system, but without ability to be used as phone, without satellite navigation and with weaker cameras.

May it Be, Enya, The Lord of the Rings in DAW REAPER

Today’s article about music creation in DAW REAPER will be devoted to May it Be composition of Enya, which also was used in The Lord of the Rings film. For its creation I downloaded MIDI notes from Internet, thank you goes to their original author, used large amount of instruments and effects and in final version left only sampler synthesizer DSK Overture and effects ESI Chorus, Reverberation and Phaser and built-in compressor to keep basses dynamic range in control. In the source MIDI file there is large amount of tracks, which with rich for frequencies and movement sounds of DAW produce mess, so I left only 4 of them : main strings instruments, flute ( main instrument ), basses and additional strings instruments, which play only in key parts for their strengthening. To make sounds of main and additional strings instruments do not create dissonance, I separated them by stereo channels, this also added volume to composition : to the left there are one instruments, to the right – others. Completed composition in FLAC format, along with project source file and sounds, can be downloaded via this link : May it Be, Enya, The Lord of the Rings in DAW REAPER.

VST instrument DSK Overture and effects ESI Phaser, Reverberation and Chorus and ReaCompressor in DAW REAPER

Source tracks’ MIDI-notes have large amount of overlaps of sounds frequencies, which create audio mess; for example, tracks of string and wind instruments have notes, which move into basses area, wherein basses have notes, which ascend to middle frequencies; so, I removed from tracks all notes, that move outside of ranges. Then applied to sampled synthesized sounds of strings and wind instruments low-pass filters with high cut-off frequency, so that they’ll not move into high frequencies range to main instrument domain – flute. For it I used large amount of different instruments : piano, synthesized flute ( it even sounds more or less good and fits composition ) and other instruments, but exactly sampled synthesized flute sounds fit composition the most. In some of its notes’ sounds there are tambourines, but there is nothing to do about it : instrument is free and high quality in all other respects; clean quality can be obtained with paid sampled synthesized instruments, which use Sound Font samples. There were also large amount of experiments with instruments, effects and their parameters to balance composition and make it sound good ( for example, use of envelope’s Release parameter automation of synthesized in Funxion flute, to make it sound longer at the ends of notes groups, than at the ends of notes inside groups ), I did not described all of them to not increase article size 2 – 3 times and shown only final result.

Hybrid VST synthesizer Funxion in DAW REAPER

In process of composition creation there were large amount of listens, adjustments makings and listens again till composition started to sound in a needed way; then instruments’ volumes balancing, to make them sound together instead of silencing each other, for example, I decreased basses volume, because this composition is not with a basses power, but a melodic one. Then a few amount of tweaks and composition started to sound good enough. This is it for today, check details in project’s file and ask questions in comments, if you have ones. Next time I’ll create variation of other composition to continue development in this area, see you next time.

Saurolophus – duck bill dinosaur from late Cretaceous period with small crest

In a late Cretaceous period 70 – 68 millions of years ago on territory of modern North America and Mongolia ( probably, in other areas of the world too ) lived duck billed dinosaurs saurolophus with small crest located at 45 degrees on the back of the head. They were herbivorous and were able to eat plants on ground level and up to 4 m above it; they moved on 2 and 4 legs; their maximal length was 12 m and maximal mass was 1.9 tons. Crest may had many functions : thermoregulation, gender determination and as basement of skin flaps, as modern basilisk lizards have.

Skull of saurolophus allowed to perform chew-like movements and grind food with large amount of teeth, which were replaced as they wear; on the sides of jaws they had cheeks, that helped them to keep food in mouth. Juvenile saurolophus had much smaller crests, then adults animals had, and it reached as they grow approximately 20% of a skull length. For the first time dinosaurs of this species were found in 1912 year by paleontologist Barnum Brown in Canada; also large amount of complete skeletons and their fragments were discovered in Gobi desert area in 1946 – 1949 years by expedition of Russian and Mongolian scientists, which later were described by Anatoly Rozhdestvenskiy.

Akai Professional MPK Mini MKII 25 – MIDI keyboard with 8 drumpads and keys on 2 octaves

MIDI keyboard Akai Professional MPK Mini MKII 25

One of the Akai’s MIDI keyboards is a device Professional MPK Mini MKII 25 with 8 velocity and pressure sensitive drumpads with backlight and velocity-sensitive keys on 2 octaves. It also has : joystick with 4 movement directions for pitch and modulation control; 8 assignable knobs; built-in arpreggiator; buttons for octaves control, Note Repeat, Full Level and Tap Tempo; 1/4″ jack input for Sustain pedal; and USB port for connection to computer and powering ( it does not require power adapter ).

MIDI keyboard Akai Professional MPK Mini MKII 25 ( back and right panels )

After purchase there is ability to download from manufacturer’s website following programs : Akai Pro MPC Essentials, SONiVOX Wobble, AIR Music Tech Hybrid 3 and MPK mini MIDI Editor; device works in Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 and Mac OS X 10.7 and newer without additional drivers and integrates with modern DAWs Steinberg Cubase, FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER, Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live and others and their VST/AU instruments and effects. Its sizes are 317.5 ( width ) x 181.1 ( depth ) x 44.5 ( height ) mm and mass is 0.79 kg. Package contains : Akai Professional MPK Mini MKII 25 MIDI keyboard itself, USB cable, warranty card and user’s guide. All in all device is good with keys on 2 octaves, 8 drumpads and large amount of assignable controls, there is also ability to look on MIDI keyboards with close keys amount of other manufacturers and choose one, which suits the best for task, in design and in price terms.

Prestigio Grace Q5 – 5″ IPS Android 5.1 smartphone with 1 GB of RAM and GPS navigation

One of the new devices of Prestigio company is an Android 5.1 smartphone Grace Q5 with 5″ multitouch IPS screen with HD 720 x 1280 pixels resolution, 1 GB of RAM and GPS navigation. In it following are placed : 4-cores processor Spreadtrum SC7731, working on 1.3 GHz frequency, graphical chip Mali-400 MP2, 8 GB of on-board memory with ability to extend via Micro SD flash cards with 32 GB max size ( larger ones are, probably, also supported ) and 2 slots for SIM cards. It supports 2G ( GSM 900, 1800 and 1900 ) and 3G networks, without 4G LTE support; it has GPS+A-GPS satellite navigation and orientation and acceleration sensor.

Smartphone Prestigio Grace Q5 ( back panel )

Prestigio Grace Q5 has 2 good for smartphones cameras : 8 MP main one with flash and 5 MP frontal one; it supports wireless Bluetooth and Wi-Fi ( 802.11 b/g/n ) connections for remote data transfers and communications with other devices, without NFC support. On external panels it has : USB port for connection to computer and bettery charging, 1/8″ mini jack headsets and headphones connector, power and volume control buttons and microphone and speaker. Li-pol accumulator capacity is 3200 mAh – this is a good parameter for smartphones; device’s sizes are 70.9 ( width ) x 142.5 ( height ) x 8.3 ( depth ) mm and mass is 150 g.

Package contains : Prestigio Grace Q5 smartphone itself, USB cable, recharger, warranty card and user’s guide. Smartphone is good : with large IPS screen, powerful system, good cameras and capacitive battery, its price is around 100 USD, which is quite adequate for its functions. There is need to note, that for smaller sum there is ability to buy less functional Android and Windows smartphones.

Behringer U-PHORIA UMC1820 – USB audio interface with 8 MIDAS preamplifiers

USB audio interface Behringer U-PHORIA UMC1820

One of the most advanced USB audio interfaces of Behringer company is a U-PHORIA UMC1820 – device with 18 inputs, 20 outputs, 8 MIDAS preamplifiers and support of 96 kHz and 24 bits work mode. On its frontal panel following are placed : 2 microphone/linear/instrumental Hi-Z combined XLR/TRS 1/4″ jack inputs; phantom power +48 V switch buttons for inputs 1 – 4 and 5 – 8; instrumental and linear work mode switches, PAD buttons, clip indicators and gain control buttons for each of 8 inputs with preamplifiers; outputs monitoring block with channels selection button 1-2/1-8 and mono/stereo work mode switch; 2 TRS 1/4″ jack outputs for monitor headphones, with channels selectors 1-2/3-4, ADAT/SPDIF work mode switch for digital optical connectors, MIDI input and output, power and phantom power indicators; as well as switch on button. On its back panel there are : power adapter input, USB port for connection to computer; MIDI input and output; optical digital input and output, able to work in ADAT and SPDIF modes; coaxial digital RCA input and output; 10 analogue linear TRS 1/4″ jack outputs ( 1st and 2nd are main ); and another one 6 combined XLR/TRS 1/4″ jack inputs.

USB audio interface Behringer U-PHORIA UMC1820 ( back panel )

Dynamical range of Behringer U-PHORIA UMC1820 is a 106 dB, it draws maximum 20 W of energy; for it drivers are released for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10, in Mac OS X it works without additional drivers, with support of ASIO 2.0 and Core Audio interfaces, accordingly. Which allow it to work with modern DAWs : FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER, Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase and others; its sizes are 46 ( height ) x 483 ( width ) x 130 ( depth ) mm and mass is 1.8 kg; with it DAW Tracktion is supplied.

With Behringer U-PHORIA UMC1820 package contains : USB cable, power adapter, 3-years warranty card and user’s guide. All in all interface is good with large amount of connectors, high characteristics and quality inputs preamplifiers, it is suitable for large studios, for small ones there is ability to buy device with the same components quality and smaller connectors amount of Steinberg, Behringer itself, Focusrite, Roland, ESI, M-Audio and other manufacturers production.

Pioneer SE-MJ502T – 40 mm monitor headphones with 11 Hz – 24 kHz and microphone

Company Pioneer presented new model of its headphones SE-MJ502T – device with 40 mm membranes, 11 Hz – 24 kHz reproducible sounds frequencies range, microphone and closed-back architecture. Their sensitivity is 103 dB, impedance is 32 Ohms, max input power is 500 mW and mass is 104 g ( without wire accounting ). Cable is attached to both cups and has 1.2 m length, in its volume control module microphone and smartphones control buttons are built in, it is connected to sound source via 1/8″ mini jack gold-plated connector. They are supplied in 2 colors variants : black and white, with Pioneer SE-MJ502T headphones themselves package contains : adapter to 1/4″ jack plug, warranty card and user’s guide. All in all, Pioneer created good device with high characteristics, there is ability to anticipate, that it will not overprice its production, as well as some other headphones manufacturers do.

Category: English