We were stopped in our tracks at the Sony booth this year by the band performing there. LA-based alt-soul sextet Elaine Faye and the Big Bang were holding court with a brilliant acoustic set. They aren’t friends, we aren’t paid to pimp, we just liked them.
We noticed Sony’s new Music Video Recorder display next to us as we stood listening. The handheld recorder was broadcasting video of the live performance on a monitor mounted to the …

We made our annual stop at the Casio press event for the nosh and news during this year’s NAMM Show in Anaheim, Ca. For 2014 the company touted the addition of five new digital pianos to its keyboard lineup: the CTK-6200, CTK-6250, CTK-7200, WK-6600 and WK-7600.
While we’d vote Casio try more creative naming conventions, we can work with this: The WK and CTK keyboards promise new sounds and functions including recording and editing capabilities. We …

This AllDayTech reporter–and proud owner of a Bluebird Microphone–just had to stop by the Blue Mic booth at the 2014 NAMM show to see their latest.
First up was a sneak peak at their new Mo-Fi headphone technology, scheduled for release this spring. Mo-Fi stands for mobile fidelity, which the company describes as “liberating digital music from overhyped playback to true mobile hi-fi on any device.” We were ushered into a darkened private viewing room for …

One of the more useful innovations we saw at this year’s NAMM Show was IK Multimedia’s iRing motion controller for iOS devices. iRing works with IK’s variety of apps for DJs, beat makers, keyboardists and guitar players.
The iRing isn’t a ring, exactly. It’s a bit of patent-pending double-sided plastic designed to be held securely between the fingers at the palm. The user waves and moves the handheld iRing in front of a touch screen to …

DR Strings has teamed with Jamstar™, the developer of a new teaching app for guitar, to create The Color-Play Learning SystemTM. DR is offering its festively hued Neon strings in a multicolor set for use with the Jamstar™ app.
Jamstar describes itself as “a patent-pending audio recognition platform that can HEAR what students play via their device’s microphone and ANALYZE how they performed in real time, enabling them to improve quickly and effectively.”
We stopped by the …

Acura used to strike fear in the hearts of luxury car makers. This upstart Japanese firm offered two cars which were done so well that others were trying to catch up.
Yes, the entry-level Integra and the “near luxury” Legend were the talk. I mean the talk. Many people wanted them, especially the Legend, a car which was good as anything produced in Germany or England.
Acura lost some of its mojo in 1996 when the Legend …

Nissan’s Juke seems to be a hit. I’ve seen many them running about town with various types of drivers from young to middle aged.
This was in the regular fun version. My first experience in the Juke came in NISMO trim, which the company introduced at the Chicago Auto show back in January.

If Juke owners are happy with regular, wait till they sample the extra crispy version. This thing is a blast.
The NISMO (Nissan’s tuner division) …

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox
Starring: Kevin McKidd, Justin Chambers, Michael B. Jordan, Cary Elwes, Dana Delany, C. Thomas Howell and Nathan Fillion
Warner Bros. Animation Blu-ray
Warner Bros. finally got a DC super hero film other than Batman right with the success of Man Of Steel this summer. The company has never had that problem with its DC animated releases. It’s yet to miss on one.
It certainly doesn’t miss with Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox. It proves the …

We know–acronyms. Here’s the breakdown: A major music industry foundation and a renowned audio tech foundation have hooked up. The Technical Excellence and Creativity (TEC) Foundation has hitched its wagon to the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation. NAMM’s acquisition of TEC is a strategic move to meld the best of the technological and music industry nonprofits, expanding their collective artistic and philanthropic reach in the worlds of pro audio, live sound, recording and music.
We’ve had the pleasure of …

Subaru’s sexy BRZ coupe is, well, one sexy new coupe.
The company has come out of its three-box design briefly to offer a stunningly sculpted two door that looks as if it cost thousands more. Yes, this car is a looker –something that turns heads and gets lips asking questions.
Yes, I like it. Yes, it’s all the hype Subaru let build. And yes, you can get decent gas mileage (but who gives a . . .).
Let …