Lets review new Beats Powerbeats2 In-Ear Headphones. Manufacturer tells nothing about their technical details, so this already rises suspicion. Judging by their view, 8 or 10 mm drivers are built into them, tips have additional hooks for better weight distribution and better fixing on ears, cable length is 119 cm and mass is 26.7 g. They are protected from sweat and moisture, volume control unit with microphone and phone remote control buttons is attached to cable. Package contains : Beats Powerbeats2 In-Ear Headphones themselves, carrying and storage case, 4 interchangeable tips of different sizes for comfortable wearing by different people, cable fixing clip and user’s guide. All in all, taking into account lack of technical information ( frequencies range, drivers diameter, magnets, impedance, sensitivity and maximal input power ) and very hight price ( 199 USD at the end of Autumn 2015 – for half of this sum there is ability to buy profession studio monitor headphones and for much smaller money amount there is ability to buy very good in-ear headphones with known technical details ), these headphones are not recommended for purchase.
Lets meet with external sound card ESI U24 XL, which is designed for recording, playback and transmitting of completed signal ( because it has no specialized microphone and instrumental Hi-Z inputs and MIDI connectors ). Its frontal panel has : analogue TRS ( 1/4″ jack ) inputs and outputs for left and right channels with gold-plated contacts and their work indicators, one of outputs can be used for monitor headphones. Its rear panel has : coaxial digital RCA input and output with gold-plated contacts, USB port, through which it is powered and communicates with computer, and optical Toslink digital input and output.
External sound card ESI U24 XL ( rear view )
Card supports 96 kHz sampling rate and 24 bits precision of digital to analogue and analogue to digital conversions. For it drivers are released for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 and newer with support of ASIO 2.0 interface and for Mac OS X 10.4 and newer with support of Core Audio interface, via which it tightly integrates with modern DAWs : Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER and others. Card sizes are 10 x 9 cm, package contains : ESI U24 XL external sound card itself, USB cable, optical disks with drivers and software and user’s guide. It is good sound card for recording, playback and transmitting of already completed audio signal with optimal price; but if card will be used for wider spectrum of tasks, then it is better to buy device with wider amount of connectors and functions.
Photo-lens Tokina AF 100mm F2.8 AT-X M100 AF PRO D
Lets review fixed tele-photo lens Tokina AF 100mm F2.8 AT-X M100 AF PRO D, that is released for full-frame and APS-C mounts of Canon and Nikon cameras. Its focus is equal to 100 mm, aperture can be set in f/2.8 – f/32 range ( it is lens of middle level light strength ) with use of 9 diaphragm blades, field of view is 24 degrees, minimal focusing distance is 0.3 m with macro ability and support of focusing on infinity ( with use of this lens there is ability to make photos of astronomical objects and of distant land objects ). Lens supports automatic and manual focusing and aperture control and does not support optical image stabilization ( which camera can perform by itself via sensor shifting, if it supports it ), there is ability to attach 55 mm optical filters to it. 9 lens elements in 8 groups are built into it ( this is relatively large amount for fixed lens ), they all are covered with protective and anti-reflective multi-coating. Its sizes are 73.66 ( diameter ) x 95 ( length ) mm, mass is 540 g, it is eligible to 2-years manufacturer’s warranty. Package contains : Tokina AF 100mm F2.8 AT-X M100 AF PRO D photo-lens itself, frontal and rear caps, storage and carrying case and user’s guide. In technical characteristics respect, this is a middle tele-photo lens with automatic focusing support, which is useful for photos and videos making ( especially if camera can perform image stabilization ). But, if there is no need in automatic focusing, then there is ability to buy tele-photo lens with similar characteristics at much lower price.
Lets review audio novelty SOL RELAYS SPORT – in-ear headphones for sports exercises. Manufacturer tells almost nothing about their technical characteristics, this points thoughts in suspicious direction. Judging by their view, 8 or 10 mm drivers are built into them, they are protected from sweat and moisture and has small mass and low-profile. Their volume control unit has built-in buttons for phones control, they are supplied with changeable tips for comfortable wearing by different people and are subject to 1-year manufacturer warranty. Package contains : SOL RELAYS SPORT headphones themselves, storage pouch and user’s guide. Overall, with lack of technical details from manufacturer and high price ( 50 USD at the end of Autumn 2015 ) it seems, that these headphones are simply marketing money pumping from customers, so, if there are no special sympathy to their design, then it is better to look on devices of other manufacturers with known technical details and more acceptable price.
Lets meet with external audio interface Roland QUAD-CAPTURE, which has full spectrum of connectors and functions for use in small studio. It can process and transmit sound with sampling rates up to 192 kHz with 24 bits precision, internal processing is performed with 40 bits per sample precision; digital signal through specialized connectors is accepted and transmitted with sampling rates up to 96 kHz. Its frontal panel has : instrumental Hi-Z and microphone combined balanced XLR/TRS ( 6.3 mm jack ) inputs ( phantom power +48 V can be connected to microphone input, instrumental input can be switched into linear mode ); amplification control knobs for these inputs with automatic control switch and clip indicator; TRS ( 6.3 mm jack ) output for monitor headphones with Direct Monitor switch, playback volume control, card work mode switch and USB connection indicator. Its back panel has : USB port, through which it powers and communicates with computer; MIDI input and output; coaxial digital RCA input and output; main balanced TRS ( 6.3 mm jack ) outputs; and following switches Ground Lift, phantom power and Hi-Z/linear mode of instrumental input.
External sound card Roland QUAD-CAPTURE ( rear view )
Card’s noise level is -95 dB, dynamical range of analogue to digital conversion is 104 dB and of digital to analogue : 109 dB. For analogue inputs it uses quality VS Preamps, its power unit has low noise level, body is made of aluminum and it supports Direct-Box ( DI ) function for electro-magnetic interference protection on live concerts. Card supports Roland VS Streaming technology and ASIO 2.0 and WDM ( in Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 and newer ) and Core Audio ( in Mac OS X ) interfaces for tight integration with modern DAWs : Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER, Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, FL Studio and others. Its sizes are 185 ( width ) x 134 ( depth ) x 44 ( height ) mm, and mass is 570 g. Package contains : Roland QUAD-CAPTURE external sound card itself, USB cable, optical disk with drivers and software and user’s guide. Roland CAPTURE sound cards in functionality and set hardware are superior to cards of Behringer and other manufacturers, and are on approximately the same level as Steinberg cards and, in reality, together with Steinberg cards has no competitors among these devices at these days. So, if there is need to buy external sound card, then cards of these manufacturers are first candidates for this task.
Compact in-ear headphones MEE audio M7P Secure-Fit Sports
Lets review new compact sportive headphones MEE audio M7P Secure-Fit Sports, designed for in-ear use. Their drivers size is 8 mm, they can reproduce sounds in 20 – 20000 Hz frequency range, impedance on 1 kHz equals to 16 Ohms, sensitivity is 98 dB and maximal power input is 5 mW. They are supplied with 1.3 detachable cable with 3.5 mm mini-jack connector. To its volume control unit microphone ( with 100 – 5000 Hz perceived frequencies range and -40 dB sensitivity ) and phone remote control are attached. Cable additionally has over-ear parts to distribute its weight evenly; pads, cable and its volume control module are protected from sweat and moisture. Headphones are released in 4 color variants : gray, red, blue and green. Package contains : MEE audio M7P Secure-Fit Sports headphones themselves, detachable cable, pouch of according color, 4 pairs of silicon ear-tips of different sizes, clothes clip and user’s guide. Characteristics of these headphones are mainly similar to those ones of other devices of such type, so, this model should be preferred for purchase only in case of sympathy to their design, reliability and convenience of their construction and adequate price.
Compact mirrorless camera Canon EOS M10 with interchangeable lenses
Lets preview compact mirrorless camera Canon EOS M10 with interchangeable lenses, it will be available in shops from 4th November. For lenses it uses Canon EF-M mount, APS-C Hybrid CMOS AF II sensor with 18 MP effective resolution and ultrasonic anti-dust system is set in it. Camera can shoot photos with 5184 x 3456 pixels maximal resolution ( with ISO 100 – 25600 levels ) and save them in JPEG, RAW ( with 14 bits per channel precision ) and RAW+JPEG formats; and can record videos in Full HD ( 1920 x 1080 30/24 ), HD ( 1280 x 720 60 ) and VGA ( 640 x 480 30 ) resolutions, saving them in MP4 format ( with MPEG-4 AVC or H.264 image encoding ). It supports manual control of focus, aperture and exposition and can be used for astronomical photos shooting. It has tilting 3″ TFT screen with 1.04 millions dots resolution, built-in flash and has no viewfinder. It saves photos and videos on SD, SDHC and SDXC flash memory cards and connects to computer via USB 2.0 connection for data transmitting and battery recharging; it also supports Wi-Fi connections for wireless data transmitting and remote control. One charge of its Li-ion battery is enough for 360 photos making; its sizes are 108 ( width ) x 66.6 ( height ) x 35 ( depth ) mm, and mass ( with battery and memory card ) is 301 g; it can work in 0 – 40 degrees on Celsius temperatures range and relative air humidity level up to 85 %.
Camera Canon EOS M10 ( top view ) with Canon EF-M 15-45mm f3.5-6.3 STM IS lens
Camera is shipped with standard zoom-lens Canon EF-M 15-45mm f3.5-6.3 STM IS, with 15 – 45 mm focal distance, f/3.5 – f/6.3 and f/22 – f/40 maximal and minimal apertures ( depending on selected focus ), which is controlled via 7 diaphragm blades ( given model has no aperture manual control ring ), and support of optical image stabilization. Minimal focusing distance is 0.25 m with support of automatic and manual internal focusing. 10 lens elements in 9 groups are built into it, they all are covered with protective and anti-reflective multi-coating. There is ability to attach 49 mm optical filters to it, its sizes are 45 ( length ) x 61 ( diameter ) mm and mass is 130 g. All in all, it is middle-level standard zoom-lens, which is able to do its job before purchasing of more specialized lenses. Camera package contains : Canon EOS M10 – it itself, USB cable, Li-ion battery, user’s guide and Canon EF-M 15-45mm f3.5-6.3 STM IS lens with frontal and rear caps. It is interesting novelty among compact mirrorless cameras with interchangeable lenses, which is able to give competition to similar lenses of other manufacturers, for example, in the sensor size respect ( APS-C ) it is superior to cameras of this type of following manufacturers : Olympus and Panasonic ( Micro Four Thirds ) and Nikon ( 1″ ), reaching Sony NEX level with APS-C sensors.
Lets review external sound card Behringer U-PHORIA UMC202, designed for professional use. It can work with sampling rates up to 192 kHz and 24 bits precision. Its frontal panel has : 2 combined XLR/TRS ( 1/4″ jack ) microphone inputs, to which MIDAS preamplifiers are connected and +48 V phantom power can be connected; for each of them there are linear/Hi-Z work mode and PAD switches, amplification control knobs and signal and clip indicators; TRS ( 1/4″ jack ) output for monitor headphones with volume control, Direct Monitor function switch, power and phantom power application indicators and main outputs volume control knob. Its back panel has : USB port, through which it is powered from computer and communicates with it; phantom power switch; Kensington Lock slot; and TRS ( 1/4″ jack ) linear outputs
It works in Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 and newer and Mac OS X operating systems, with support of ASIO and CoreAudio interfaces, with which it tightly integrates with modern DAWs : FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER, Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase and others. After purchases there are free recording software and instruments and plug-ins are available for download from manufacturer’s web-site. Card is covered with 3 years manufacturer warranty. Package contains : audio card Behringer U-PHORIA UMC202 itself, USB cable, optical disk with drivers and user’s guide. To speak shortly : it is one of the best external sound cards in respect of value/price relation : support of 192 kHz and 24 bits, large amount of connectors and functions and high-quality hardware. So, if there is need to buy external audio interface, then this one is one of the main applicants for this role.
From the ShunuthShe-wolf mountain, or slag hills near Degtyarsk are visible, I rode to them for exploration. At the beginning of a day it was cloudy and cold on the streets. Polevskoy highway is still not prepared for winter : it is not cleared from snow and not covered with salt, so, I rode on it carefully and with small speed, without problems I arrived to turn to Degtyarsk and Revda near Kurganovo and rode on this road. Strong west wind with snow in the face blew above it, road is full of uphills and downhills, but even on downhills wind slowed down movement speed, snowy landscapes and few still not frozen rivers swept nearby. I arrived to Degtyarsk – it is small mining city with ore mining plants, slag hills and quarries in it. Roads are narrow and are covered with snow in it, heavy cars often move on them, so, often I rode on the roads sides. On the way, chain started to freeze in cold and on wind and acquired a wavy form, because of this it started to try to jump from 2nd gear to 3rd one on the frontal system, with periodical slipping and falling inside, this made ride harder and longer and there often was need to ride on the first one frontal gear. Quickly I rode through the city and came to road to Revda : this snowy day asphalt-laying machines stood on it. On the way there is turn to the East with block-post and fence near it, which leads uphill to some industrial quarry and near which heavy cargo cars often move.
Turn to the She-wolf mountain
Next, entrance to Revda city goes on, on which wind, no longer chained with forest and hills, shows his full strength and fury, almost fully stopping me with the bicycle on downhills : city is open and there are lakes near it, so wind gains high speed and strength above them. Quickly I rode to turn to the She-wold mountain, I did not ascend on it this day, otherwise I would completely miss concert in Yekaterinburg, so, I’ll ride to it next Spring, when roads will melt and will be more easily rideable. Maybe from She-wolf Fun mountains are visible, Konzhak unlikely visible from them, but I’ll look in that direction anyway and next I’ll find where to look.
She-wolf mountain
Road in this area periodically narrows and widens, giving ability to ride at high speed on a highway. Near Revda one of the drivers signaled to me in my support, I smiled in reply and rode further. Medicine and Emergency center with ready to take off helicopters is located near the road. All in all 40 km from Revda did not caused any difficulties, Sun even looked through the clouds and lit snowy landscape for a while. When I approached Yekaterinburg, it was already dark and city lighting appeared above horizon, on the entrance in city street and buildings lights met me : ride in the city at dark time with such lighting is one of the biggest pleasures in the life. I rotated pedals as I can, because DO and warmth waited me ahead. On the way to CK Ural I visited a couple of places for my own businesses and arrived to CK itself, I missed first part, but ride was worth it and 2nd and 3rd parts were interesting. This day Different Orchestra played “5 years” concerto, it turned so, I give my congratulations by the way, compositions of different genres and styles were played on the concert and orchestra prepared mix of a most, what it played before. Trip-hop, drum and bass and rap styles compositions were played and works of Depeche Mode and Sansara, Kurara and Ek-Playaz were performed, with participation of 2nd, 3rd and 4th ones. What was in a first part, I do not know for now, but soon videos will be uploaded and I’ll learn from them what I missed.
Snowfall near CK Ural in Yekaterinburg
After concert I dressed my hiking ammunition and went to my bicycle, snowfall started on the streets and it became warmer, horse cold, waiting for me, but I quickly heated him up, ride through the night city, still full of activity, and I’m on the Polevskoy highway in the company of periodically riding nearby cars. On the downhills on biggest frontal gear chain straightened and stopped attempts to jump to other gears and slip. Pedals rotating and Mountain Shield, railway bridge, Kurganovo and turn to Degtyarsk and Revda, on which I rode whole eternity ago, pass nearby. And so I arrived to Polevskoy ( Jupiter, Venus and Mars rose on the East ) and to my home, at last, ate food, warmed myself and went to sleep. This day I rode 160 snowy, windy and cold kilometers. In real Urals freezes I’ll ride on bicycle mostly in Polevskoy, because on such distances technics can not withstand. See you on the next bicycles adventures!
In audio part lets review MIDI keyboard Korg Taktile 49 wih drumpads and arpreggiator. It is high quality keyboard, which has 49 full-size velocity-sensitive keys, 16 velocity-sensitive drumpads, arpreggiator module, 8 of each type programmable switches, sliders and knobs, 7 transport control buttons, pitch-bend and assignable wheels, and touchpad and OEL display. It communicates with computer and receives power via 1 USB port and has MIDI input-output, optional peal can be connected to it. It is supported by Windows 7 and newer and Mac OS X version 10.6.8 Snow Leopard and newer operating systems, in which it tightly integrates with modern DAWs, their instruments and VST plugins : Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER and others. Its sizes are 750 ( width ) x 290 ( depth ) x 83 ( height ) mm, and mass is 3.8 kg. Package contains : MIDI keyboard Korg Taktile 49 itself, USB cable, user’s guide and card with PIN code for licensed software downloading and discounts receiving on various applications. It is high-quality MIDI keyboard with full spectrum of functions for home studio and professional use and it worth its money, especially, if it is bought with discount.
