NAMM 2022 Merges Nashville and Anaheim Conventions

Posted on June 1, 2022 by art fernandez: editor in chief

Two shows for the price of one!

The National Association of Music Merchants show (NAMM) is being held this summer June 3-5, 2022 at the Anaheim Convention Center in sunny California. Normally the winter NAMM show is scheduled in January with the summer show in Nashville. These bi-coastal conventions are being combined all together in one big event in Anaheim. Ought to be a really big show! There hasn’t been a NAMM show since January 2020. No thanks to that nasty little virus. As always NAMM has some great music products and events to share.

Here is a brief lineup of the shows major events:

THE 2022 NAMM SHOW & MEDIA PREVIEW DAY RETURNS TO ANAHEIM, CA JUNE 2 – 5, 2022

Thousands of Music, Sound/Pro Audio, Entertainment Technology and
Education Sector Releases & Live Demos, Performances – For members of the Media only!

THE NAMM SHOW – Fri June 3 – Sun June 5 – Returns in-person to unite the music, sound, and entertainment technologies industries. More than 3,500 brands will be on display. Gather news and trends from the show floor; interview CEOs and business leaders; meet artists and tastemakers –
10-6:00PM (Fri-Sat); 10-5:00PM (Sunday), Anaheim Convention Center

Thursday, June 2
OFFICIAL NAMM Media Preview Day – A first-look media reception from NAMM (The National Association of Music Merchants), and a chance for media to demo new releases from top brands, engage in one-on-one interviews, and get a jump start on coverage. Top brands include Adam Hall Group, Shure, Yamaha and more.

The Top 100 Awards – Celebrating twelve years of honoring retailers worldwide who demonstrate exceptional commitment to their stores, neighborhoods, and customers and share in a vision of creating a more musical world through their local communities – 5:30-8:30PM, Hilton Anaheim, Pacifc Ballroom

The She Rocks Awards – Honoring women in the music and audio industries and featuring 6-time Grammy award-winner Dionne Warwick, along with Meredith Brooks, Carmen Vandenberg, Yvette Young, Covet, and more – 6:30PM, The Ranch, 1025 E Ball Rd #101A, Anaheim.

Friday, June 3
The 20th Annual PLSN/FOH Parnelli Awards – The highest award honoring live event professionals, hosted by “Jammin” Jay Lamont” – 6:00PM, Hilton Anaheim, Pacific Ballroom.

Saturday, June 4
37th Annual NAMM TEC Awards – Celebrating the best in professional sound and audio production and hosted by Fred Armisen. Carol Kaye to receive the Les Paul Innovation Award along with Top hitmaker Peter Asher who will be inducted to the NAMM TEC Hall of Fame – 5:30PM, Hilton Anaheim, Pacific Ballroom.

All-Industry Drum Circle – Media and attendees are invited to make music with Remo., Inc. percussion instruments – 5:00PM, The Palm Court (in front of the convention center on Convention Way), Anaheim Convention Center

Sunday, June 5
The Uke Circle – Media and attendees are invited to play ukuleles provided by Kala Brand Music; the event will be facilitated by Ukulenny – 11:00AM, The Palm Court (in front of the convention center on Convention Way), Anaheim Convention Center

Throughout the Show
Future-Focused Ideas & Panels – Workshops, panels, and professional development opportunities, including – Finally! Play Together—From Anywhere, With Ultra-Low Latency, with RealTime Audio’s CEO, Taylor Robinson, and musician/producer Brian Hardgroove; How Musicians Should Use TikTok with Ari Herstand; Releasing New Music in 2022: The Landscape for the DIY Artist; Birth of a Record: Stevie Wonder’s “Music of My Mind;” Loud: A Conversation with Tana Douglas, the First Woman Roadie; Guitar Technology for the House of Worship, and Friday’s Pensado’s Place Residency at The NAMM Show, ft. 24kGoldn and Nick Mac, many others. Access all educational sessions here – https://www.namm.org/thenammshow/2022/schedule

Performances Including
Live music from 150 performers across seven stages – Yamaha’s Friday “Night of Worship” ft. Fred Hammond and Saddleback Worship Group and Saturday’s “All-Star Concert on the Grand” ft. Kandace Springs, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and Tank and the Tangas; Composer Eric Whitacre conducting an in-person choir and live virtual choir event for a rendition of “Sing Gently” at Saturday’s Grand Rally for Music Education; and performances at the She Rocks Awards from ACM nominee Tenille Arts and multi-platinum artist Meredith Brooks; a Saturday performance by The Jam Galaxy Band, featuring the first ever live performance of Desdemona, a humanoid robot, and little sister to the famous Sophia, from Hanson Robotics.

Meet the Greatest Rock Photographers and Experience the Life of Rock Legend Les Paul in Images
Les Paul Thru the Lens – An exclusive traveling gallery of photos highlighting the life and career of music industry icon, inventor, and musician Les Paul, presented by the Les Paul Foundation. Member Center, Hall A; Photographer Henry Diltz – Offering a master class on photography. Diltz is also a musician and has photographed many of rock’s most iconic artists including The Doors, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Jimi Hendrix, Billy Joel, Garth Brooks, and others. Friday, June 3, 10:00AM Room 204A; Photographer Neal Preston – Signing his newest book Queen: The Neal Preston Photographs and speaking about his experiences photographing Queen over two decades. See schedule for times/locations – https://www.namm.org/thenammshow/2022/schedule

Filed under: Music Products, Musical Instrument, NAMM News, NAMM Performances | Leave a Comment »

How I lost My Bitcoin at BlockChain.com And Got It Back!

Posted on September 3, 2021 by art fernandez: editor in chief

Recently I had trouble moving Bitcoin from my blockchain.com account to another address or a my wallet. This actually went on for 5 months from April to August 2021. No one, I mean no one could help me via support at Blockchain.com

What is Blockchain?

Blockchain.com is a cryptocurrency blockchain explorer service, as well as a cryptocurrency wallet and a cryptocurrency exchange supporting Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Ethereum. They also provide Bitcoin data charts, statistics, and market information.

Back in March and April I did two bitcoin transfers to another address. They were successful. Then after that I could not transfer bitcoin. I would consistently get the following error, your Bitcoin transaction failed to send. Please try again latter.

If you have ever seen this you may be in trouble and need to find your private key and create a new wallet someplace else if it happens after successive times.

So I tried again and again for several months, 5 months in fact.
I contacted support, sent them all my screenshot errors and contact information.
No one at Blockchain.com could help find a solution or at least put me in the correct direction.

I was even told by Blockchain.com that my bitcoin was the non-spendable kind.
Which really ticked me off. So another month passed no one could help.
Out of frustration I figured let me just delete this wallet and start over. I deleted the address in the Wallet and Address section of Blockchain, that held all my funds.

All my bitcoin disappeared at Blockchain.com because I deleted the wallet.
However, the Bitcoin was still in my Private key that holds the bitcoin.
I was back to zero dollars zero bitcoin in my Blockchain bitcoin wallet.
However the bitcoin would still be accessible if I could copy and transfer my Private address to a new wallet.

I figured I will create a new wallet with my my Private Key. Which I had to find in my computer. The QR code would not scan. I even tried different bitcoin
companies that have different wallets The QR code would not scan. So again
I figured my bitcoin was gone. wallet would not allow me send bitcoin.
The address and the private key had become corrupted. I believe this was the reason my blockchain.com

This is the screen shot of the corrupted Address and Private key on my Blockchain.com Account. The Private key got corrupted at Blockchain.com.

**Incomplete and corrupted Private Key**

Blockchain could not transfer bitcoin to another address or wallet because the Private Key had become corrupted, The Private key was incomplete. Expected Buffer (Length,32), got Buffer(length 31) This was after I had already done 2 successful bitcoin transfers. One in March and one in April 2021.

April and March Sucessful transfers at Blockchain.com

Was this blockchains fault? Luckily I had a copy of the Private Key from an earlier time in my computer.

A good Private Key with blocked out Private Key address.

I found in my personal computer an earlier version of the Bitcoin Address & Private key with the QR barcode. This one was a complete transaction no errors. Remember every bitcoin address must have its own Private Key, and your Private key is where your Bitcoin or cybercurrency is held. Then you need to store your Private Key in a Wallet.
There are many Wallets out there. I currently use Exodus and I like it. They saved my Bitcoin.

However blockchain.com no longer had this good Bitcoin Address and Private key with QR it had a latter one. So what to do? The QR code would not rescan in blockchain.com

A smart support person at Blockchain got me going in the correct direction.
They suggested that I copy and paste the address and private key to a new wallet.
Since blockchain did not have the copy and paste feature and only the scan feature
I had to find another wallet company.

The address and private key was in a jpeg format I could not highlight and copy.
So the blockchain.com tech support genius told me to type it in an email and email it to myself. He was very helpful and because he was the only one who could think through this problem of a corrupted or incomplete private key. That is what I call it, Corrupted Private Key. Whatever it was I could not transfer Bitcoin out of Blockchain.com

I looked at several different wallets for Bitcoin. I finally settled on EXODUS for a Bitcoin Wallet and I am very happy I did.

I copied and pasted the Private key in my EXODUS Wallet and my bitcoin magically appeared. At this point I could transfer the bitcoin to my Coinbase.com account convert them to US Dollars and then transfer the US Dollars known as FIAT Currency to my bank account.

What is a Fiat? Not just an Italian Car.

A fiat currency is money that is not backed by a physical commodity like gold, but instead backed by the government that issued it. Most modern currencies, such as the U.S. dollar, euro, pound and yen, are fiat money. “Fiat” means “an authoritative or arbitrary order.”

I still prefer government backed currency to cryptocurrency.

Filed under: Bitcoin, Blockchain, Coinbase, Exodus | Leave a Comment »

Synthmaster Creator Bulent Biyikoglu at NAMM 2019

Posted on February 17, 2019 by art fernandez: editor in chief

Synthmaster is a excellently engineered synthesizer music creation software program, for creating your own music compositions, video games, or even background for a major motion picture. At the 2019 NAMM convention in Anaheim, California I had the opportunity to meet Bulent Biyikoglu the creator of Synthmaster and to experience first hand some of its features. There is a Deluxe version, Standard version, Academic Version, and an Apple iOS version for iPhones and iPads, and even a free version.

Synthmaster Deluxe has a sample playback and 8 modulation sources and waveforms. With Synthmaster DELUXE you get 31 expansions and each expansion has 53 sets to create your own original sounds. There is also 1750 presets. Synthemaster Deluxe version has several features the introductory version does not and is well worth the price, MSRP is $379.00.

Who uses Synthmaster?

Composers and anyone that wants an easy to use complex synthesizer based on Apple OS, Apple iOs or Windows OS operating systems. According to Bulent the composer of the new Tom Cruise, Mission Impossible movie purchased the deluxe version to create the sound track.

The introductory version OF Synthmaster starts at only $129.00, is a good starting point and a stripped down version of Synthmaster DELUXE, all you need is midi keyboard and a computer running Apple OSX 10.7 and above or Microsoft Windows 7 and above. I jumped right in and was able to start creating happy noise right away, Synthmaster is very intuitive. You don’t need to be a studio composer you can also start off with the Apple iOs software package Bulent’s brother created. Have fun and get Synthesizing with Synthmaster

Here are the Basic system requirements.

CPU: 2.0 Ghz, Intel SSE3 instruction set
RAM: 2 GB
Windows: Windows 7 and above
MacOSX: MacOSX 10.7 and above
For AAX (32bit): ProTools 10.3.7 and above
For AAX (64bit): ProTools 11 and above

Synthmaster Player for iOS

Synthmaster Player for iOS is the mobile player version of Synthmaster. It is targeted towards users who prefer to use presets rather
than designing their own sounds during music production. Although it is a preset based player, users can edit the following parameters:
8 easy parameters assigned by the sound designer 2 XY Pads assigned by the sound designer Effect bypass states and send amounts Layer bypass states and volumes Master volume, polyphony

The free app comes with 100 factory presets. When users complete registration by entering their names and email addresses they receive another 100 factory presets as a bonus. After completing registration, users can upgrade to the Pro version of the app by
purchasing the “Factory Presets” bank via In-App-Purchase (IAP) for $9.99with the Pro Upgrade all of the 800 factory presets are loaded and also the following features are unlocked:

Users can save the changes they have made to the presets Users can purchase additional preset banks via In-App-Purchase (IAP) Existing SynthMaster users can download their previously purchased Synthmasterpreset banks inside the app, so that they don’t have to purchase them again Existing SynthMaster users can export their own presets in Synthmaster v2.7 and import them into Synthmaster Player for iOS using iTunes.

Built-in Keyboard

The built-in 2 octave keyboard with pitch and modulation wheels lets users play notes without having to connect an external MIDI controller to their iOS. With its Scale functionality, it shows the users the notes on the scale, and with its Chord functionality the user can play a certain chord by pressing a single note.

Midi Settings

SynthMaster Player for iOS supports CoreMIDI and also virtual MIDI. It acts as a virtual MIDI destination for other DAW apps. Midi input device, midi input channel, and receive midi beat clock settings can be adjusted from the MIDI Settings window.

InterApp Audio

SynthMaster Player for iOS acts as an source/instrument in InterApp Audio. We demonstrate in our user manual how to connect it to InterApp enabled DAW apps.

AudioBus

SynthMaster Player for iOS acts as a source/instrument in AudioBus, with state saving enabled. We demonstrate in our user manual how to connect it to AudioBus enabled DAW apps.

System Requirements

Minimum Operating System Supported: iOS 8.0
Minimum Hardware Supported: iPad 3rd Generation, iPhone 5
Recommended Hardware: iPad Air and above, iPhone 6 and above

About: Bulent Biyikoglu

Bülent has been writing software since the days of the Spectrum 48k. His first experience in writing music related software was programming a C64 to synthesize sounds with its SID chip. After he realized that he can’t play the piano well enough , he concentrated on learning the fundamentals of audio DSP while studying Electrical and Electronics Engineering at METU. Throughout college he wrote realtime audio DSP applications in C++, and right after graduation he started working as a software engineer at PG Music in Victoria, BC, Canada. A year later, he moved to Silicon Valley, accepting a software engineer position with Digidesign (now Avid). In 2004 he founded KV331 Audio, and since then he’s been working towards making SynthMaster a worldwide recognized software synthesizer brand. (This information curtesy of synthmaster. https://www.kv331audio.com)

Art Fernandez: Editor-in-Chief

Filed under: Apple Software, Music Products, NAMM News, Software, Video Post Production Solutions | Leave a Comment »

John Fogerty to Be Honored With the Music for Life Award at The 2023 NAMM Show

Posted on March 21, 2023 by art fernandez: editor in chief

Filed under: Percussion Instruments | Leave a Comment »

Black Star Amps are back At Anaheim Convention Center NAMM 2022

Posted on May 26, 2022 by art fernandez: editor in chief

The wait is over! Blackstar introduces St. James series: The lightest all-tube amp in the market

Amps feature built-in reactive load and impulse response for silent recording; Available in 50-Watt 6L6 or EL34 in both head/vertical 2×12 cab and 1×12 combo.

Melville, NY – May 17, 2022 – Blackstar introduces its new St. James Amplifiers, created to meet market demand for truly lightweight and portable valve amplifiers. Developed after months of forensic examination of vintage valve amps, the St. James series offers amps in two formats: an EL34 design creating classic British rock tones and a 6L6 model with crystal clean tones and higher gain, both available as Celestion-equipped combo or amplifier head with matching vertical 212 cabinet. Simple to use but highly versatile, these amps offer an intuitive two-channel setup that delivers Blackstar’s best-ever clean and overdrive tones.
These amps offer a high level of value for the price and are ideal for gigging players in search of a great-sounding valve amp at less than half the weight of traditional valve-driven amplifiers, as well as studio players looking for elite tone with the convenience of built-in tools used for recording applications. The models’ light weight is attributable to several factors in construction and design, namely the candlenut wood cabinet and custom Celestion Zephyr speaker, all without sacrificing the all-valve signal path creating the sound and feel of a traditional valve amplifier.
All four amp models feature two-channel 12AX7 preamp tube circuitry, along with three power switch options to fit the user’s need:
the 50W full power setting, offering the loudest clean headroom;
the SAG setting, proving the softer, vintage-feeling dynamic compression of a power supply ‘”sag,” most noticeable on the loud transients (attack) of the sweetest tube amps;
and a 2W low power setting for recording or smaller gigs, delivering a more overdriven power amp tone by controlling HT (high voltage) and bias in the power stage, delivering a more natural tone than the usual “power soak” load resistor method often used.
Further, the Blackstar St. James amplifiers feature an internal reactive load, providing use of the amp without a speaker connected, mimicking the response of a typical speaker for authentic power-amp tones at home or in the studio. For even further versatility, Blackstar’s new and exclusive Cab Rig simulator technology reproduces the sound and feel of a miked-up guitar cab in incredible detail via XLR or quarter-inch output, and allows further tweaking of the built-in DSP-based presets for speaker/cabinet/microphone/room emulation via the Cab Rig app (accessible via USB connection to a computer). An integrated effects loop, studio-quality reverb and footswitch round allow further tonal options.
The 6L6 combo, head, and matching cabinet are available in black tolex with salt and-pepper fretcloth, while the EL34 combo, head, and matching cabinet come in fawn tolex with gray fretcloth.
U.S. MAP pricing is as follows:
St James 50 Watt 6L6 Combo Amp: $1299.99
St James 50 Watt 6L6 Amp Head: $1199.99
St James 50 Watt EL34 Combo Amp: $1299.99
St James 50 Watt EL34 Amp Head: $1199.99
St James Vertical 212 Cabinet Black: $749.99
St James Vertical 212 Cabinet Fawn: $749.99
For more information, visit https://blackstaramps.com/stjames

Blackstar will be exhibiting at Booth 5723 (Hall D) at The NAMM Show, June 3-5, 2022, in Anaheim, CA.

Access Images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7l8li10qc7j18si/AABl-eDbf_6f_pHAw-NV6fGCa?dl=0

Product video “Blackstar St. James | Let there be light | See how these guitarists reacted”:
https://youtu.be/W4EY0e25oWw
Product video playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCMJ57hR9pI&list=PL2A0kTsjxIuNqTyEOHAEG2FKUqnviKGdz

Filed under: Amplifiers | Leave a Comment »

DONNER

Posted on May 26, 2022 by art fernandez: editor in chief

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Al0pxUs6Ar8h-ZZN2_Cs4JOj2i-hFLeu/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=106560031117763065307&rtpof=true&sd=true”

Filed under: Guitars | Leave a Comment »

No Time to Die or You Can’t Live forever. A James Bond review.

Posted on February 2, 2022 by art fernandez: editor in chief

You Can’t Live Forever?

No Time To Die?

Well Daniel Craig aka James Bond did find a time to die, this time.

How sad! I would have preferred retirement, cocktails with Ralph

Finnes, the new 007, and the rest of the gang at the end.

This ending to the great tradition of the James Bond saga, just did not seem

palatable.

James was no longer superman, he was human, which is the

antithesis of who James Bond is suppose to be.

Ian Fleming would have not accepted an ending like this and neither do I.

Well we can’t call back all the James Bond’s from the past who are

unfortunately human and gone, either.

Let James Bond escape he had already done away with his nemesis that evil

weirdo, Safin, played by Rami Malek, he did his job let James live.

Have James Bond be miraculously rescued by the new 007 from that

mountain with all those Soviet explosives.

Deliver him to his hottie girlfriend and daughter until the British Secret

Service or the CIA come to rescue via helicopter, boat or space craft.

He can retire and live happily ever after.

Who’s daughter was it anyways? I hope it wasn’t Safin’s.

She may come back to haunt us in the the next James Bond movie.

The ending credits of No Time To Die.

“JAMES BOND WILL BE BACK.”

Maybe that was the point we are mortal.

But our personalities and soul are immortal.

The people change but the names remain the same.

or the names change and the personalities remain the same.

Filed under: Movie and Film Reviews | Leave a Comment »

CyptoBrowser

Posted on September 14, 2021 by art fernandez: editor in chief

https://cryptotabbrowser.com/27564262https://cryptotabbrowser.com/27564262

CyptoBrower is an internet browser like Firefox, Chrome, Safari, except with this browser you can earn fractions of bitcoin. Interesting concept, here is the affiliate link so I can earn bitcoin, I would like to see those bitcoins rolling into me so click on the link now.

https://cryptotabbrowser.com/27564262. “Thank you,” Art.

CyptoBrowser is also available for Android phone, Apple iOS and Apple OS. For MS Windows you will need to go to filehorse.com. I have not tried that one yet.

The website is actually https://cryptobrowser.site/en/.

Try CryptoTab—the world’s first browser with mining features. Earn BTC without looking up from watching videos, chatting, or gaming online. Join the community of more than 25 million users all over the world already enjoying CryptoTab Browser.

Filed under: Bitcoin, Internet Browsers | Leave a Comment »

Capital One Credit Card

Posted on June 19, 2021 by art fernandez: editor in chief

https://capital.one/3dYv3JD

Filed under: Affiliate Programs, Credit Cards | Leave a Comment »

US Electoral Votes 2020 Biden vs Trump

Posted on November 6, 2020 by art fernandez: editor in chief

I usually only post news about technology, however this election is extremely important. You can also track the current results at this link from the associated press. https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-e&q=who+is+winning+the+election. The statistics at the bottom are as of November 5th 2020.

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