-
By
Oleg Mitskaniouk |
Posted
November 22, 2022
at
04:22PM
Its fitting since today is Father's Day I'm going to post a article about my own Father's Day present. Normally this would be only a review, but since we're dealing with a classic set of speakers that needed a small amount of refurbishment prior to using them, its more of a voyage to achieve a...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
November 7, 2022
at
09:28AM
I had to rekey my old house before I moved into my new house. Over fifteen years we must of had ten relatives with copies of our keys as well as a couple of missing keys. At the same time our new house had a deadbolt key that had multiple copies made to allow contractors into the home during its...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
October 31, 2022
at
01:30PM
In business and educational environments there is a move to go to virtual environments. In this setup a host computer has client computers connected to it. As far as the users of the clients are concerned they are using a dedicated installation of an operating system and their interface works...
-
By
Oleg Mitskaniouk |
Posted
October 26, 2022
at
01:38PM
Photography has seen an amazing number of new products. Its hard to believe that not too long ago a 1.3 megapixel camera was considered stated of the art. As image quality has improved so have the demands that user put on them. No longer is a 4.3MP resolution enough. Video has become an...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
October 26, 2022
at
11:29AM
Often when dealing with networking products we look at small office solutions or home networking needs. What if you need to network a medium to large office or an educational environment? What if your business is a call center or other data heavy environment? That's a lot of computers, cabling,...
-
By
Oleg Mitskaniouk |
Posted
October 3, 2022
at
06:29PM
Recently, the company I work for decided to switch all sales reps to an iPad Air in an effort to streamline our business versus the bulky laptops we used to have. My immediate reaction was excitement, but then the stress of trying to find the right accessories started to kick in. I would...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
October 3, 2022
at
10:15AM
I got an email not too long ago telling me about the Musi app. I hadn't heard of it previously but I've been noticing that most music streaming apps I've been using have been having trouble with streaming. Currently Musi is only available for Apple products, but I was intrigued that it can...
-
By
William "Bill" Yaple |
Posted
September 30, 2022
at
12:35AM
Ever wanted to know all about audio reproduction, but were afraid to ask? Do Watts and SPL sound like terms normal people would never use in public? You're in luck! The head audio geek at TargetPC, or Bill as I'm known to some, has decided to put fingers to the keyboard to demystify the...
-
By
Oleg Mitskaniouk |
Posted
September 27, 2022
at
06:39AM
When you're building a PC system there's a lot you need to think of. Which processor to get, with what motherboard, which videocard, how much memory...and of course the one thing to hold and make it all work together: the computer case. Today I'll be reviewing the AZZA HURRICAN 2000 full tower...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
September 18, 2022
at
10:47AM
In my endless quest of that just right sound I came across the MXR Custom Badass '78 Distortion. Seemingly, distortion would be the most important word in that product name. But Custom has severe connotations to electronic musicians and well, badass pretty much doesn't need an explanation. What...
-
By
Carlos Rios |
Posted
August 24, 2022
at
10:56PM
When we think about zombie, what follows are usually thoughts such as nuclear weapons, expensive military weaponry and those really cool cars that are upgraded to take on zombies. But that doesn't come in Crazy Dave’s mind. No in fact he has a, unusual weapon. His best weapon, a...
-
By
Oleg Mitskaniouk |
Posted
August 23, 2022
at
10:51PM
Kicking off our first ever guitar review we actually have a bass. Normally I'm a guitar player but when the need arises I can pickup a bass.
Today we are looking at the Ibanez SRFF806 - one of the latest additions to Ibanez's SR line. If you haven't yet take a quick look at the pictures. What...
-
By
Quincy Oshiro |
Posted
June 19, 2022
at
07:21PM
Well, well, well Sony. Looks like your so called "upper-hand" over the next-gen console competition may be gone. Xbox has just announced some pretty exciting news and may have me back on pre-ordering a console now rather then waiting that extra year. Check it out
here.
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
April 28, 2022
at
09:30AM
One of the most interesting products I've come across recently is the Binauric Boom Boom speaker. While we have become accustomed to smart TV's and smart phones we now have the arrival of the smart speaker. The geodesic design promises full spectrum sound with the ability to record from more...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
March 3, 2022
at
07:17PM
We've had good experiences with Addonics and their innovative storage solutions. While an external DVD burner is nothing new Addonics has added the ability to have a hardrive as well as Blu-ray player in one unit. Did I mention it can also burn DVD's? This one solution promises to be able to...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
February 28, 2022
at
10:26AM
I've been soldiering on with the same Sony VAIO laptop for quite some time. I love the keyboard and the screen is very good which are both high on my list of needs. My son is an avid gamer and wanted a laptop to web surf with and play games. We tried installing games on my laptop and found that...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
February 4, 2022
at
07:18AM
Microcomputers literally surround us. They are in our tablets, phones, and even watches. What isn't readily apparent is that so many of those systems are locked in. You can write software for them but are limited by what the manufacturer allows you to do. You can link it to hardware, but in the...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
January 8, 2022
at
06:13AM
Eminence has two distinct speaker lines directed at musicians who want the 'British sound' or 'American sound'. The British sound is the sound we like from rock bands of the 60's and 70's who needed a deeper sound with speaker breakup. Lots of bass and mids usually at the cost of highs are the...
-
By
Jessica Shook |
Posted
August 28, 2021
at
06:53AM
As a veteran PlayStation® gamer and customer I can honestly
say that the console has greatly evolved since its first generation release.
The PlayStation was my first ever console and I've stuck with it through the
years through thick and thin, outright refusing to switch to Microsoft’s...
-
By
Carlos Rios |
Posted
January 12, 2021
at
08:43AM
With the outstanding release of
Grand Theft Auto V on the 7th generation console (PS3, Xbox 360) ,
generating 1 billion dollars’ worth of sales in the first three days, Rockstar
Games was setting their new goal to release the already popular game to the 8thgeneration game system and PC...
-
By
Carlos Rios |
Posted
September 10, 2014
at
09:56AM
Back in 2012 at the annual E3, Ubisoft announced a new IP that won numerous awards and was a highly praised by anyone with the right mind.Titled Watch Dogs, it was set to be released the following year with the PS4 and Xbox One release, however it was delayed until 2014 and with video evidence...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
August 31, 2014
at
10:52AM
When I did the Quilter Toneblock review my son collaborated since he gigs live every week. His input was that he needed a reverb and from that point on he kept using the Quilter Aviator. Give it a month or so and we found the TC Electronics Trinity reverb. I'm a more is less kind of guy but my...
-
By
Kalea Oshiro |
Posted
August 20, 2014
at
02:17PM
I have recently been named as the Chief photographer of my yearbook staff, not only because I know my camera's features inside and out, but I love cameras, and I especially love Canon cameras. They are the easiest cameras to use, and are pretty affordable too. The best model I have used so far...
-
By
Kalea Oshiro |
Posted
August 15, 2014
at
09:21AM
I'm not much of a gamer, and not a very good one either, but I find that there are still ways for me to enjoy my past time gaming. The Wii has always been one of my favorite ways to play games, especially games like Just Dance and Mario Kart. If you are wondering how the Wii and Wii U are...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
July 20, 2014
at
12:58PM
I love taking long road trips. Two thousand miles over a few days is my idea of fun which I know for most people sounds like the beginning of a horror movie. If I get a few extra days to get to my destination I'll take side roads or smaller highways to meet the locals and see what I can find....
-
By
Quincy Oshiro |
Posted
May 2, 2014
at
03:57PM
Sledgehammer Games has just released the trailer giving us a sneak preview of the latest installment in the Call of Duty Franchise. Entitled Call of Duty Advanced Warfare and is set to release on November 4th this year. As a die hard fan of the Call of Duty franchise I cannot wait for this to...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
April 15, 2014
at
09:46AM
Not too long ago I reviewed a wireless network extender from TP-Link. What was noticeable with that device is that the further the extender got from the base signal the poorer a job it did rebroadcasting the wireless signal. In essence, you have to be close enough to get wireless to be able to...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
March 27, 2014
at
04:16PM
The three main ways to make distortion are with fuzz, overdrive, and a distortion pedals. I tend to stick to overdrive pedals for a couple of reasons. First, I can get a lot of distortion/gain from just about any amp or even a preamp like a pedal board. Secondly, I prefer the more singing...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
February 25, 2014
at
10:30AM
I'm pretty good at taking care of my gear so it shouldn't come as a surprise that my last TV - a 50 inch Samsung Plasma - lasted my family about 6 years of near constant use. That TV is now being used in my bedroom but it was getting time to update to a newer set. New features and better picture...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
February 13, 2014
at
10:09AM
Quilter Laboratories have had a very busy couple of years. They've released amplifier heads, combo units, and now a head that offers some different features you won't find anywhere else. Recently they released the Tone Block 200 amplifier which was a big hit at the recent NAMM show. What is the...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
February 7, 2014
at
10:58AM
Apogee's original Jam input device gave 48kHz /24-bit recording to musicians but Apogee recently sent out a press release for their 96 kHz Jam guitar input device. With this you can connect your guitar or other electronic instrument to an iPad or an iPhone. This is what intrigued me: 96 kHz /24...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
January 7, 2014
at
10:32AM
I had thought to originally release this review during the holidays. My logic was that what better than a game played on mobile devices to pass the time during the holidays? As it turned out I had a very busy holiday season with family and work so just goes to show how the best laid apps of men...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
November 6, 2013
at
06:09AM
I've been lucky in my new home not to have WiFi dead spots. This doesn't mean I don't have any, just that in the places I use WiFi the most I'm not in a dead spot. My old home had a lot of them. I'm not sure if it is due to the construction of that home (the new home is also wood frame, sheet...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
October 8, 2013
at
09:54AM
Seems like any recording devices for audio to computer or instrument to computer cost a hefty investment. Its not unusual to see equipment costing $200 or more and that is a price that can really hurt a struggling musician. I came across ClearClick Software's Guitar2USB setup a short while ago...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
September 24, 2013
at
09:49AM
After a week with iOS7 I think we can finally weigh in. We weren't lucky enough to get a pre-release evaluation peek at the OS or new iPhone 5s and 5c so like you we had to download the OS, update, and install. I think that there were conflicting reports out there, some even warning users not to...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
September 10, 2013
at
08:00AM
Most people's first effect pedal is usually a distortion pedal. What comes next? For most of us its a wah wah pedal. The wah pedal isn't just for 60's rock and roll sounds. Ask guys like Steve Vai and Kirk Hammett why they spend so much time getting their wah technique down. Better yet, search...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
September 3, 2013
at
10:45AM
This is going to be our first guitar pickup review. I'm planning to bring you some different options, some very economical and some not so. Since this is our first pickup review I wanted to cover a well used combination that many players use to get a versatile rig: the Seymour Duncan Hotrodded...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
August 28, 2013
at
10:05AM
As we continue our addition of musical audio equipment with our normal tech articles and game reviews it came to me that perhaps a quick tutorial on pedalboards and organizing pedals was needed (clever title eh?). This article isn't going to cover preamp equipment which generally is rack mounted...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
July 10, 2013
at
10:04AM
It occurred to me the other day that while I've done reviews of instrument amplifiers and combos I haven't as yet reviewed a speaker cabinet on its own. Well folks here it is: The VHT Special 6 1x12 cabinet in closed back form. An open back version is available which features a Celestion speaker...
-
By
Quincy Oshiro |
Posted
July 1, 2013
at
06:05PM
OVERVIEW
As a major league gamer it is my duty to keep up with some of the most competitive video games out on the market. You may have heard a recent uproar in people using the term LOL. No it is not the term "laugh out loud" used by everyone today while texting. This stands for "League...
-
By
Quincy Oshiro |
Posted
June 28, 2013
at
05:52PM
OVERVIEW
So not too long ago a few buddies of mine wanted me to pick up a copy of this game "Defiance". They didn't exactly explain the concept to me. I thought it was going to a first person shooter fighting off aliens. Nope, did some research on the game and it was brought to my...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
June 27, 2013
at
02:16PM
The market for instrument amplifiers is incredibly diverse and large. There are the time tested setups like a 100 watt tube head with a full stack of speakers all the way down to the 1 watt tube amplifiers with a built in six or eight inch speakers. Throw in everything in between as well as...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
June 12, 2013
at
10:40PM
Sometimes we get to do an in depth review of a product that requires tons of explanation. Other times we find that the product is so simple yet does exactly what it claims to do. Today I present the Swiss Pick. Not named for a country of birth but more for its resemblance to something that...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
June 5, 2013
at
09:04AM
If you suffered through my recent amplifier tech articles you know I'm looking for the ultimate tone machine in a combo design. I need tone and I'm not willing to compromise on that. You'd think I'm willing to compromise on volume and projection to get the smaller form factor but here's where...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
May 29, 2013
at
10:51AM
My son has a forbidden love that dare not speak its name: the love the delay pedal. I like delay effects but I find them often overused and this is one sound that can definitely get tiring when used a lot. Previously my son was using a Boss delay pedal that worked very well but lacked one...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
May 21, 2013
at
10:58AM
We're approaching the end of this series of articles. I know that it seems very tedious - musicians tend to be the type of people who want to plug in and get a perfect sound. Sadly, it takes a lot of work to get the exact sound you are looking for. That's what this series was meant to do -...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
May 18, 2013
at
10:23AM
I hope you've read the previous solid state vs tube amp article and the amplifier tubes article where I covered tube characteristics as well as some tricks to get better tone. There are some situations where solid state amps really shine through. Towards the end of the article I'll give you a...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
May 13, 2013
at
10:09AM
In my last article we covered the
solid state vs. tube amp argument. My view on this is that you have to use the right tool for the job at hand. If you picked a solid state amp there is still some info in this article you might find interesting. If you picked a tube amp then lets help you get to...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
May 8, 2013
at
10:03AM
Every so often I'd post one of my 'rants' here but I've tended to stay away from that format. Basically I give you my 2 cents worth but not in a review of a particular product. Lately all the mail I've been getting are "why don't you test this amp" or "you seem to have a bent against solid state...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
May 1, 2013
at
10:05AM
A pedal I got recently after my son's praise was this BBE Sonic Stomp. I've heard BBE's rack mount sonic maximizers so I wondered if this pedal could capture what one of those does.
How does it work?
What's a sonic maximizer? I'll let this quote from BBE's website try to explain it:
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
April 29, 2013
at
10:14AM
A good friend of mine Chuck was an early adopter of the original Kindle Fire. After I played with it at work I bought one for my wife after carefully debating the Fire vs. iPad. Of course the iPad has gone through many changes since then but so did the Fire. I had thought it was definitely time...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
April 26, 2013
at
09:24AM
As my son's pedal board kept growing it became painfully obvious he needed a noise suppressor. Without it there was always the noise that is a byproduct of many effects pedals - whooshing sounds, hum, even feedback. The standby pedals I've always used are made by Boss (Roland). One problem I've...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
April 22, 2013
at
09:51AM
Recently I reviewed an Actiontec device that allowed you to use the wiring in your home to broadcast your network. I found it a very clever solution for getting network access from one area of the house or office to another without running new cables. What if you wanted to show everyone in your...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
April 11, 2013
at
09:07AM
I've been using the same Boss overdrive pedal for almost 25 years. When you find something that works for you that's how it goes. I also have an Ibanez distortion pedal on my board that I've had for even longer. While my son was using the Boss overdrive for a performance recently the pedal went...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
April 9, 2013
at
10:02AM
In a world where data and media seem to be everywhere you can run into the peculiar problem that you create files on your computer but need to access them on your i or Android device. I've always just emailed these files to myself which could be a little tedious but that also created the problem...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
March 25, 2013
at
09:59AM
Normally the words bass and combo together means a small amplifier used for practice without many of the features professional musicians desire for their needs. Today we are looking at a possible solution from Hartke. Combos offer a lot of convenience - the speakers and amplifier are housed in a...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
March 14, 2013
at
03:16PM
Guess what the most practical device out of this last CES was? 'The little solar lantern with a big impact.' Think about this. Until millions were left without power after recent disasters how many were aware of the disproportionate amount of electrical power we have available to us? People in...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
March 7, 2013
at
09:04AM
Today we have a rare treat for a review product. I've been using the Bowers & Wilkins P3 headphones for some time now. These headphones aren't the type you use for unrealistically high bass but rather for natural pure sound. Let me explain:
Although we interpret sound as merely what we hear...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
March 5, 2013
at
10:15AM
Obihai Technology just sent in a bunch of neat products to demonstrate their VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology. With VoIP a user can make phone calls to other users using data over the internet rather than through a conventional phone line. Why would anyone want to do this? Cost....
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
March 3, 2013
at
10:38AM
This last CES was a boon for us with great products to work with. Today we are going to look at one product that may be the most useful product of the entire show. EnerPlex was kind enough to send both an iPhone 4s and Samsung Galaxy S III Surfr for review. What's a Surfr? How about an external...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
February 18, 2013
at
10:54AM
Blue Microphones Tiki really blew me away a couple of weeks ago. Today I bring you the Blue Mikey which promises to make recording with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod a whole new experience. This time Blue sent in the Mikey Digital mic. The Mikey Digital is compatible with iPhones and iPads. For...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
February 17, 2013
at
05:34PM
LifeProof recently sent in two of their iPhone cases for evaluation. One for iPhone 4S and one for iPhone 5. Previously with my iPhone I've been using an Otter Box case. I liked that it had a rigid case that was surrounded by a soft rubber case. Sadly, after about of a year of use my Otter Box...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
February 14, 2013
at
10:06AM
Oleg came in contact with Addonics at this year's CES. When I Googleed Addonics I got Addonics: Making Data Storage Simple. To me that's a huge claim for any company to make. Why? We've seen so many types of removable media come and go and various formats that OEM manufacturers have adopted and...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
February 10, 2013
at
03:14PM
Blue Microphones just sent their in their Tiki USB microphone for testing. At first look I was kind of wondering what this interesting little mic could be used for. Then I started to read up on it and come to find out this tiny mic has noise cancelling technology, auto mutes for conference...
-
By
Victor Oshiro, Quincy Oshiro |
Posted
February 5, 2013
at
08:28AM
Recently we reviewed the
Mionix 8200 Mouse. Mionix was kind enough to also send their Ensis 320 Mousepad at the same time. At first a mouse pad may seem like a throwback but after using this unit I was surprised how well it works with gaming and everyday work.
Some History
Lets set the way...
-
By
Quincy Oshiro |
Posted
January 29, 2013
at
10:55AM
Gamers are always looking for an advantage. Optical mice were the first products to give us a leg up over the guys with regular mice. Since then more and more improvements have been made to mice. Ladies and gentleman, I present to you the Mionix Naos 8200!
First Impressions and Game...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
January 28, 2013
at
10:47AM
I just ran into a little situation with my home network. In my older home I can't get good wireless performance throughout the home. Luckily, Actiontec just sent
in their Powerline Network Adapter Kit. I know most people are wondering why
anyone would need this. I’m going to point out some...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
January 9, 2013
at
11:26AM
I recently came across this amplifier on a fluke – a
Craigslist ad with an unbelievable price. If the price is right I’m always
willing to try new guitar gear out even if I already have equipment that fills
that role. Enter the Valveking which I found in fantastic condition – one...
-
By
Victor Oshiro, Quincy Oshiro |
Posted
January 5, 2013
at
02:42PM
Monoprice just sent in their Dolby Digital Amplified Gaming
Headset. Wow – that’s a mouthful. Most gamers are using headsets to chat during
gaming with their teammates. This headset offers much more than that. Imagine
all the sound coming from a headset that also lets you communicate...
-
By
Adel Khalaf |
Posted
December 13, 2012
at
10:03AM
Recently I tested a small solid state amplifier from Dayton Audio that put out impressive sound for its size. Today we are looking at Dayton Audio's B652 6.5" bookshelf speakers. I set these up in my music room in various locations and had some surprises along the way.
Construction
Out of...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
December 1, 2012
at
07:00AM
The Christmas shopping season always brings on a slew of new games. Halo4 is out an you’ll be sure to see many more games hitting the shelf to be put under Christmas trees. Of course every game has tips and tricks that go with it but how to publish these videos on YouTube?
Hauppauge’s...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
November 30, 2012
at
11:13AM
The biggest bottleneck in any system is the HD. There, I said it. Although CPU manufacturers want you to invest in multi processor setups and memory manufacturers want you to buy the latest memory product, often the biggest improvement in every day system performance can be had by installing a...
-
By
Adel Khalaf |
Posted
November 27, 2012
at
12:14PM
Dayton Audio was kind enough to provide us with this test unit just as I had a need for it. I recently upgraded my guitar amplifier to a 33 watt tube amplifier that has several modifications to it. Previously I had used a Line 6 amp with a 1/8 plug in to hook up my IPod. I could play music...
-
By
Quincy Oshiro |
Posted
November 7, 2012
at
10:26AM
There were mixed feelings when Bungie sold the Halo franchise to Microsoft’s 343 Studio. Master Chief and the Halo series have been staples of the Xbox system since the beginning. Imagine Nintendo selling off Mario and Luigi and you can see why so many gamers were surprised with this sale....
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
October 25, 2012
at
10:24AM
We're always trying to expand our coverage and it goes with audio we like to do more than computer audio. Home audio as well as audio reproduction have been added along our way. In that vein, here is our first guitar amplifier review. Vox is a company famous for its roots in the '60's with bands...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
October 20, 2012
at
05:48PM
Azza doesn't build ordinary. How unordinary are some of their products? Today we have the pleasure of looking at a serious case. Would a case able to hold two power supplies or have nine full size bays interest you? What if you could mount your motherboard upside down to best take advantage of a...
-
By
William "Bill" Yaple |
Posted
October 13, 2012
at
10:19AM
Remember the TV ad that went something like, "The worst thing you can do is start your car"? Every time you push your computer's power button, something akin to starting your car takes place. In the case of the combustion engine, cold, thick oil sitting at the bottom of the drain pan can't...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
September 29, 2012
at
03:04PM
I think I was a pretty typical Facebook adopter when I joined three years ago. Having always been a gamer I became interested in the games people were playing in their social network circles. Seemed cool and there were even news stories on NPR and television about games like Farmville so I...
-
By
Oleg Mitskaniouk |
Posted
September 24, 2012
at
03:31AM
V7 is the exclusive house brand of Ingram Micro, one of world's leading technology distribution company targeted towards cost effective computer accessories and supplies to value added resellers and integrators. V7 products includes keyboards, mice, notebook carrying cases, cables, notebook...