Phil O'Keefe

Focal Listen Professional Headphones Often when something says "professional" in its name, it isn't - are these cans an exception? by Phil O'Keefe The French take good audio very seriously. Want proof? Look no further than Focal. They've been making scientifically researched, well-designed and well-respected speakers since the late 1970s. Today they make everything from home audio speakers to car stereo drivers, headphones, and high-end professional studio monitors. Focal has an excellent reputation overall, so when I was asked if I wanted to check out a pair of the new Focus Listen Professional headphones, I jumped at the opportunity. Let's see what they have to offer. What You Need To Know Focal's Listen Professional stereo headphones are a replacement for their previous Spirit Pro model.The Listen Pros feature a closed-back, circumaural design - they're intended to sit around the outer part of your ears rather than sitting on top of them like supra-aural headphones do, and their closed-back design improves isolation and minimizes "bleed."The ear cups are made of high-density, heat-sensitive memory foam and are covered with a red microfiber cloth material, which to me feels much more comfortable and a lot less "hot and sweaty" than your typical vinyl or leatherette style ear pads. The memory foam is 7/8" (22mm) thick. Focal says that the memory foam helps not only to improve comfort, but also with "soundproofing" and isolation. So how good is the isolation? Quite good overall. You should be able to use these as tracking headphones in the studio without worries.The inside of the semi-flexible adjustable headband features a padded silicone liner that distributes the weight on the top of you head without pain or unreasonable pressure. The ear cups press in fairly firmly, and even after a couple of months that didn't lighten up appreciably, although it's not too objectionable. The Focal Listen Professional's headband is foldable, allowing the headphones to be collapsed into a smaller size for storage and travel. I have a fairly large head (7 1/4" hat size) and there was plenty of adjustability in the headband to get things nice and comfortable, with a bit of expansion capability left in reserve. Unless you have an extra large head, they should fit you fine.Inside the ear cups you'll find a layer of felt over each driver, and the felt is marked with red L and R indicators, making it easy to get the ear cup orientation correct when you go to put the Listen Pro headphones on. Or you can just remember that the cable is attached to the left ear cup… Weight is kept down to a very reasonable 10 ounces (280g) through the extensive use of plastics for the majority of the construction, but nothing feels cheap or flimsy. The plastic has a matte surface and is finished in such a way that it doesn't easy show fingerprints. Focal Listen Professional headphones have 40mm transducers with Mylar / Titanium cones.Impedance is rated at 32 ohms. Sensitivity is rated at 122dB SPL @ 1kHz / 1Vrms (which seems fairly optimistic to me), and the frequency response rating is given as 15Hz - 22kHz with no +/- tolerance listed.The Listen Professional headphones come well-accessorized. First of all, you get a rigid, zippered carrying case. The case has a molded pocket that holds the folded Listen Professional headphones, along with another pocket to stow your two cables. There's even a small loop inside the case that's designed to store your ILOK dongle so you can easily take that along with you too. Inside the case you'll find a pair of OFC cables - a 16' (5m) coiled cable and a shorter 4.5' (1.4m) straight cable. The coiled cable has a beefy 1/8" (3.5mm) TRS plug (along with a 1/4" / 6.35mm adapter), while the straight cable is designed for universal smartphone compatibility and features a TRRS style mini plug, an inline omnidirectional microphone, and a remote switch that allows you to play / pause, rewind, fast forward, answer calls, etc.The cables attach to a socket in the left ear cup - just insert the plug and turn it a quarter turn and it locks in position. Since cables are the number one thing to go bad on headphones, I always appreciate it when they're easily replaceable. Limitations While they're otherwise quite comfortable, the circumaural ear cups are a touch on the small size - their interior dimensions are roughly 1.5" W x 2" H. You may not notice unless you have fairly large pinnae (outer ears), but if you do, you might feel a bit claustrophobic; I felt like the edges of my ears were barely able to fit inside the ear cups (like they're supposed to), and that they were occasionally being pressed on a bit; it's not nearly as bad as as what you experience with supra-aural headphones, and the memory foam helps keep things comfortable anyway, but some people might notice a little pressure around the edges of their ears.The Focal Spirit Pro headphones that the Listen Professional models replaced had some reported issues with the headbands cracking, and while only time will tell as to whether or not the Listen Professional headphones will prove to be more durable, I saw no signs that gave me cause for concern during a heavy-use, three month testing period. Conclusions I really like the Focal Listen Professional headphones quite a bit. The inclusion of both a long coiled cable and a shorter smartphone compatible one will make them suitable for use in a wider range of listening situations - you'll find yourself reaching for them not only when you're working in the studio, but also when you're on the go and using your laptop, tablet or smartphone. They're sensitive enough that they can be driven to decent levels even by the often weak headphone amps built into such devices, although as you'd expect they still perform better (and play louder) when you use a decent quality headphone amp to drive them. The overall tonal balance is reasonably good for cans in this price range. The low mids are a little on the soft side and the high mids are somewhat forward, but this isn't anything too drastic, and probably contributes to their good sense of detail. The low end, while fairly extended, isn't the beefiest you'll ever hear, but it's surprisingly detailed and tight for a pair of closed back headphones, with less of the typical bloat in the bottom that closed-back headphones typically exhibit. The stereo sound stage is also nice and wide - again, impressively so for closed-back cans. There's a sense of openness to the sound that is more commonly found in semi-open back headphones. Are the Focal Listen Professional headphones deserving of the professional moniker? Absolutely. Despite having the over-used word "professional" in their name, they really are up to the demands of professional use in terms of comfort, sound quality and durability. I'm sure we'll be seeing them turning up in the possession of many recording engineers, and they're also bound to be a popular choice for studio tracking room use too. Whether you are looking for headphones for personal listening enjoyment or for professional use - either on the go or in the studio, you really need to give a pair a listen for yourself - if you do, there's a very good chance you'll want to give a pair of Listens to yourself! -HC- Want to discuss the Focus Listen Professional headphones or have questions or comments about this review? Then head over to this thread in the Studio Trenches forum right here on Harmony Central and join the discussion! Resources Focal Listen Professional circumaural closed-back stereo headphones ($299.00 "street") Focal's product web page You can purchase the Focal Listen Pro headphones from: Sweetwater Full Compass Systems Vintage King Amazon __________________________________________________ Phil O'Keefe is a multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer / producer and the Senior Editor of Harmony Central. He has engineered, produced and performed on countless recording sessions in a diverse range of styles, with artists such as Alien Ant Farm, Jules Day, Voodoo Glow Skulls, John McGill, Michael Knott and Alexa's Wish. He is a former featured monthly columnist for EQ magazine, and his articles and product reviews have also appeared in Keyboard, Electronic Musician and Guitar Player magazines.

Ampeg Opto Comp Analog Optical Compressor Whether you play guitar or bass, Ampeg wants to be your main squeeze by Phil O'Keefe Lately Ampeg's really been beefing up their pedal line - you may have read my previous reviews of their Scrambler Bass Overdrive and Classic Analog Bass Preamp pedals. Ampeg has also made more than a few guitar-centric products over the years too, and this time, they are taking a less bass-centric approach to their latest pedals. The two new pedals - the Opto Comp and the Liquifier Analog Chorus (which we'll also be reviewing soon - stay tuned!) are certainly going to be interesting for bass players, but guitarists should also take note too since both of these new pedals are equally suitable for use in guitar rigs. For now, let's concentrate on the Opto Comp and see what it has to offer to both guitarists and bassists. What You Need To Know The Ampeg Opto Comp Compressor pedal is housed in a zinc die-cast box that measures 4.5" L x 2.6" W x 2.2" H and weighs 0.6 lb.The graphics and overall look of the pedal totally eschew flash; instead the pedal sticks with a very businesslike and utilitarian appearance, with a simple white paint job accompanied by black labels for the controls. The silver Ampeg logo is raised, which adds a touch of class.As you've no doubt guessed based on its name, the Ampeg Opto Comp is an optical compressor. The detector circuits of optical compressors use a light source that gets brighter with louder input signals, and this, coupled with a photocell that senses the changing brightness, is used to control the compressor's gain reduction. Optical compressors have a smooth sonic character, usually with a slower attack time and gentler, more musical release than IC or FET based compressors. The input and output jacks are side mounted. The Opto Comp was designed to work with a variety of electronic musical instruments - it's not just for bass, so feel free to also use it with guitar or even keyboards. Input impedance is 1MOhm normal, or 166kOhm with the -15dB pad engaged. Output impedance is 200 Ohm.Internally there is a small computer-style three pin jumper (indicated with a red arrow in the photo below). The pad is disengaged in the factory default setting (pins 1-2), but can be repositioned to the -15db setting (pins 2-3) for use with instruments with active electronics and hot outputs. Also inside you'll find the foam-lined battery compartment. Access to the inside is achieved by removing four screws and the bottom plate of the pedal, which comes with four rubber feet pre-attached to it.Power can also be supplied to the top mounted 2.1mm center-negative power receptacle using a user-supplied power supply. The Opto Comp draws around 25mA of power at 9V DC. The Opto Comp features true bypass switching. A purple LED illuminates when the compressor is on. A second green LED acts as a gain reduction meter and shows you what the compressor is actually doing - turning on when the compression kicks in, it gets brighter on louder peaks and with harder playing, and slowly dims and eventually turns off as the compressor runs through its release cycle. The more gain reduction and compression that's occurring at any given moment, the brighter this LED will be. In keeping with the norm for most optical style compressors, the control selection of the Opto Comp is fairly simple - just three knobs. The First is the Compression knob. This controls the compression ratio, and has a range of 1:1 all the way up to 10:1 when it's turned up all the way. When the knob is at the twelve o'clock position, the compression ratio is 3:1.The Release knob sets the amount of time it takes for the compressor to return to a no gain reduction condition after the input signal is no longer hot enough to continue to trigger the compressor. It can be set anywhere from 75 milliseconds (fully counter-clockwise on the knob) to a maximum of 600ms.Since a compressor reduces the signal's overall dynamic range by reducing the volume of the louder peaks, a makeup Gain control is needed to bring the overall volume back up to unity. The Gain control on the Opto Comp takes the output level from muted (when turned down all the way) to +14dB, so it has enough oomph in reserve that it can boost the signal above unity gain, making it useful as a solo boost too.Sound quality is very good, with a natural and musical sound that many other compressor designs can't match. Another plus is that this is a very quiet pedal by compressor standards, with an 80dB signal to noise ratio (100Hz @ 1.0 Vrms). Limitations There is no tone control. Like most compressors, the Opto Comp can shave off a bit of the highs and dulls the sound slightly. A tone control would allow you to compensate for this.There is no blend control either, so you can't blend in a bit of your uncompressed signal along with the compression. This is more crucial with "faster" compressors that completely kill the note attacks, and you may not miss it as much with an optical compressor like the Opto Comp.There is no way to adjust the compressor's attack time or threshold. Conclusions If you're looking for a compressor with an ultra-fast attack or tons of knobs, you probably want to look elsewhere, but there's a lot to be said for simple, effective controls and the smooth, relatively gentle optical compression that the Ampeg Opto Comp delivers. It's obvious that Ampeg was going for simplicity and ease of use with this compressor pedal, and it's hard to get a truly bad sound out of it. While you can find compressors with more knobs (such as individual attack and threshold controls), Ampeg kept things simple and straightforward, which is an approach many players prefer, yet you still have a reasonable amount of control with the knobs that are included. The qualities that an optical compressor design bring to the table are on display here - the attack is a bit slower than what you may be used to from many other compressor pedals, giving the pedal a bit gentler character and allowing some of your initial note attack to come through before the compression clamps down on the signal. The release is also very sweet and musical. While some players might wish for a tone control, the Opto Comp does its thing with only the slightest hint of dulling to the highs, so while a tone control (and a blend knob, for that matter) is usually nice to have, it's not as essential here as it might be on some other compressors. The Opto Comp is also a relatively quiet pedal for a compressor too, which both guitarists and bassists will appreciate. It works great with both instruments, allowing for not only dynamics control but also adding sustain and fullness. It may not have the most knobs or features when compared to some other compressors, but it does its job very well and at a very attractive price. If you're looking for something a little less brash than your old Ross-style compressor, or if you're an optical compressor fan in general, you should definitely take a close look at the affordable Ampeg Opto Comp. -HC- Want to discuss the Ampeg Opto Comp or have questions or comments about this review? Then head over to this thread in the Effects forum right here on Harmony Central and join the discussion! Resources Ampeg Opto Comp Compressor ($139.99 MSRP, $99.99 "street") Ampeg's product web page Ampeg Opto Comp manual (PDF file) You can purchase the Ampeg Opto Comp Compressor from: Sweetwater Guitar Center B&H Photo Video Musician's Friend Full Compass Systems __________________________________________________ Phil O'Keefe is a multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer / producer and the Senior Editor of Harmony Central. He has engineered, produced and performed on countless recording sessions in a diverse range of styles, with artists such as Alien Ant Farm, Jules Day, Voodoo Glow Skulls, John McGill, Michael Knott and Alexa's Wish. He is a former featured monthly columnist for EQ magazine, and his articles and product reviews have also appeared in Keyboard, Electronic Musician and Guitar Player magazines.

Stylophone GEN X-1 Analog Synthesizer This is definitely not your grandfather's Stylophone by Phil O'Keefe You may have heard the name Stylophone before. The moniker goes all the way back to the late 1960s when it was used for the original Stylophone - an affordable monophonic electronic "keyboard" that you play with an attached stylus. That original unit was viewed by some as just a kid's toy, but it still managed to find its way on to recordings by artists like David Bowie and Kraftwerk. But the new Stylophone GEN X-1 under review here isn't a reproduction of that first stylus-based electronic noisemaker - it has a lot more features and capabilities that the original lacked. Such as? Read on to find out! What You Need To Know Like the original, the Stylophone GEN X-1 features a metal panel with a "keyboard" layout, with regions marked out for 24 keys. This is located on the top panel, and the user triggers notes using a metal-tipped stylus. The stylus can be coaxed out of its recessed holder by gently pressing on one end of it. The stylus is attached to the main unit with a cable, and touching the tip of the stylus to the metal keyboard completes the circuit and triggers the selected note.In addition to the two octave keyboard section, there is also a "Sound Strip" controller directly above it that can also be used to trigger sounds. It's particularly well-suited for use with Theremin type sounds and for glissandos. It can be triggered with the stylus or with your finger, although this takes steady, firm pressure - which is somewhat hampered by the strip's narrowness and how deeply set into a recess in the top housing the Sound Strip is.Anything playing on the Sound Strip takes priority over the keyboard and overrides it.The styling of the modern Stylophone Gen X-1 is similar to the vintage unit, and it retains a bit of that "old transistor radio" vibe. The main housing of the Gen X-1 is plastic and measures approximately 7.5" W x 1.75" H x 5" D.The Stylophone GEN X-1 is powered by four AA batteries (a set of batteries is included with the unit) and a fresh set of alkaline batteries will last you for several hours. The power switch is located on the left-hand side of the unit.The Stylophone GEN X-1 is an all-analog synth, and according to the folks at Dubreq, its main oscillator generates a ramp waveform. This can be processed by the synth's envelope section and resonant lowpass filter. A LFO is also provided for modulation, along with an analog delay. In addition to the basic ramp wave, there are two buttons on the left side of the unit that provide square wave sub octaves. Both one octave down and two octaves below the fundamental are provided, and these can be used either individually or simultaneously for really thick, fat sounds.Furthermore, an X key (also mounted on the left side panel) provides Pulse Width Modulation, with the PWM speed being controlled by the GEN X-1's LFO section. This can also be used simultaneously with the octave buttons. There is a small (< 2") built-in speaker so you can hear what you're playing. It doesn't have the greatest fidelity, but it's fine for having fun on the go. If you really want to hear what this little synth is capable of (and it can generate far beefier low frequency sounds than the built-in speaker might lead you to believe), the way to go is to either run the headphone out to a pair of headphones or to an external amplifier. You can also use this right-hand panel Headphone connection as a line level recording output. Also on the right side of the unit is a Aux In jack. This allows you to run an external signal through the GEN X-1's Filter controls (cutoff and resonance), and LFO for amplitude modulation and tremolo-type effects. You can also apply the built-in Delay to the incoming audio and use all of its controls to manipulate the sound.The envelope section of the GEN X-1 has three controls - an Attack knob, a Pitch knob, and a Decay knob. As you might expect, Attack adjusts how quickly a note starts - from instantly, to a much more gradual "ramped" attack that fades up over time at higher settings. The Decay control has a similar effect over the decay (but not release) time. The Pitch control is used to determine how much the envelope will also simultaneously affect the pitch of notes, which is great for "sweeping pitch" sounds. The resonant lowpass filter section has only two knobs - one labeled Res (Resonance) and the other to set the filter Cutoff frequency. There's a fairly broad range available, and you can do classic filter sweeps easily.The Stylophone GEN X-1 also has a LFO section that provides pitch modulation for internal sounds and amplitude modulation for sounds arriving at the Aux In jack. You can select between triangle and square waveforms with a slider switch, while Rate and Depth controls let you adjust the speed and the amount of modulation.The Stylophone GEN X-1's built-in analog delay features a slide switch to turn it on or off, along with a D-Time (Delay Time) knob, a F-Back (Feedback or "repeats") knob, and a Level control so you can adjust the ratio of original sound and delay. Maximum delay time seems to be right around 600 milliseconds, which is longer than I was expecting, and plenty long enough to have some fun with. The delay adds quite a bit to the unit, especially since it can help sustain sounds and ease legato playing, allowing you to get the stylus in position for the next note without the sound of the previous note decaying completely before you do. The delay will "run away" (self-oscillate) if you turn up the Level and dime the Feedback control. You can then "play" the resulting sound by adjusting the D-Time and Level controls in real time. Limitations There are no MIDI capabilities of any kind, so you'll need to perform your parts using the stylus in real time - there's no way to use an external keyboard or sequencer with the Stylophone GEN X-1, and no on-board sequencer is included.The headphone / line out of the Stylophone GEN X-1 is rather noisy, and there's a fair amount of hiss, but then again, some users will no doubt find the noise and somewhat grungy and lo-fi sonic character to be one of the GEN X-1's more appealing attributes rather than a limitation.Batteries are the only way to power the Stylophone GEN X-1. There is no jack for a power adapter to plug into.There is no rubber on the bottom of the case, so it isn't very "sticky;" the unit slides around a lot on slick tabletop surfaces. I found that laying a dish towel between the table and the GEN X-1 helped to keep it in place. Of course if you're holding the unit in one hand and playing it with the other, or sitting it on your lap, this won't be an issue.The master tune knob is located on the bottom panel. Tuning the unit (which needs to be done occasionally due to oscillator drift) is done with this, in conjunction with a rear panel-mounted trim pot This is similar to the original Stylophone, but it would be more convenient (and offer more opportunities for creative use) if these controls were mounted on the top panel. Conclusions Cheap, cheerful, and fun, the new Stylophone GEN X-1 is a surprisingly capable and musical little noisemaker that begs you to experiment, learn, and have a good time! It is an excellent low-cost introduction to analog synthesis for neophytes, as well as a device that even pro musicians will not only have fun with, but that they can use (along with a DAW) to make serious music with. I'm sure some people will even find a way to make use of it in live performances. I do wish the tuning controls were more readily accessible, but that's a relatively minor complaint. It also takes a bit of practice to learn how to use the stylus to its full potential. I found that if I put the stylus dead-center on the line separating two "keys" the pitch glitched a bit and jumped up a full octave, which is kind of fun, and I'm sure that my stylus playing will improve and become more fluid with even more practice - but even a complete novice will quickly be able to trigger beeps, blurps, and cool sounding sci-fi sound effects, and will quickly master playing basic musical melodies and beefy bass lines. Like a toy, this is supposed to be a fun and easy to use product - and it most certainly is fun - but it's far from being "just" a toy. Whether you're looking for a gift for a young musically-minded person or a pro musician, or even a little something for yourself, the Stylophone GEN X-1 is sure to be a big hit and provide hours and hours of musical entertainment and enjoyment. -HC- Want to discuss the Stylophone GEN X-1 analog synth or have questions or comments about this review? Then head over to this thread in the Keys, Synths and Samplers forum right here on Harmony Central and join the discussion! Resources Dubreq Stylophone GEN X-1 analog synthesizer ($69.99 "street") Dubreq's product web page Dubreq Stylophone GEN X-1 quick start guide (PDF file) Dubreq Stylophone GEN X-1 manual (PDF file) You can purchase the Dubreq Stylophone GEN X-1 from: Direct from Dubreq Amazon Perfect Circuit Audio Video tour __________________________________________________ Phil O'Keefe is a multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer / producer and the Senior Editor of Harmony Central. He has engineered, produced and performed on countless recording sessions in a diverse range of styles, with artists such as Alien Ant Farm, Jules Day, Voodoo Glow Skulls, John McGill, Michael Knott and Alexa's Wish. He is a former featured monthly columnist for EQ magazine, and his articles and product reviews have also appeared in Keyboard, Electronic Musician and Guitar Player magazines.

T. P. Dodd Inc. Pedal-Lock It's time to stop your pedals from getting away from you by Phil O'Keefe Have you ever set your keyboard up on a tiled floor or wood stage? If so, you've probably had the experience of having your keyboard's pedals not staying where you put them. Even though many pedals have a rubber bottom on them that is designed to keep them from slipping and sliding, on some floor surfaces, they have a nasty habit of doing it anyway, which is both annoying and distracting, and can even cause your performance to suffer. Well now there's something that promises to fix the problem - lets see how the Pedal-Lock works, and how well it lives up to that promise. What You Need To Know The Pedal-Lock is a rather clever solution to a problem that most keyboardists will have experienced at one point or another - the tendency of expression, volume and sustain foot pedals to slide across the floor while you're trying to use them.The Pedal-Lock consists of two long strap-like pieces of material with hook and loop style fasteners. The material is wider at one end, with a slit cut into the center to allow the other end to pass through it and form a loop. The product is designed to loop over the two legs of your keyboard stand and spans the floor in between the legs, and each strap is then connected to the other with the hook and loop fasteners.An additional piece of hook material is included. This is backed with an adhesive. You simply apply this to the underside of the pedal you want to keep in place, and then place the pedal itself into position at any point along the main strap that you want. The hook and loop material keeps the pedal positioned where you placed it.The Pedal-Lock straps are black, with white lettering for the product name and website silkscreened on to the material. Installation is very fast, and you can fold most X type stands up without having to remove the Pedal-Lock straps if you don't want to. To instal, simply wrap the strap end through the slit at the other end of the strap, and around the foot of your keyboard stand. Do the same thing on the other stand leg with the other strap, then pull the ends of the two straps towards each other and fasten them together. Apply the hook material to the back of your pedal, and then position the pedal where you want it on the connected straps. The standard version of the Pedal-Lock is designed for keyboard stands with legs that measure up to 34" wide. If you have a larger stand with legs that are spaced further apart than that, you can get an optional expansion strap ($7.95) that will allow the Pedal-Lock to work with stands that are up to 70" wide. An added benefit is that the stand is generally more stable and secure with the Pedal-Lock straps installed. Additionally, you can use the straps to bundle your cables together on your way to and from the gig when you're not using them on the stand.Pedal-Lock strap systems are made in the USA and carry a 30 day, 100% money-back guarantee. Limitations Only one piece of Velcro hook material for the underside of a pedal is provided. If you have more than one pedal that you want to use - say, a sustain pedal and an expression pedal - additional 2'x4" adhesive Velcro pedal attachments are available for $1.95 each.In some cases, you may need to remove any rubber feet from the bottom of the pedal in order to assure good contact between the Velcro on the bottom of the pedal and the Pedal-Lock straps. Conclusions This is a must-have for keyboardists who use pedals of any kind, but it will also appeal to other musicians too. Pedal steel guitarists will want one to keep their volume pedals in place, and some guitarists may want to use one with their amp stand to lock their switching and effects pedals into position too. This is a super-simple yet highly effective solution to the very common and frustrating problem of footpedals that slide away from you. You could make your own if you're handy with a sewing machine, but the cost of the pre-made Pedal-Lock solution is reasonable enough to make it a very attractive alternative to the hassles of DIY, and they look nice too. It's an effective system that is very affordable and that scores high on the frustration reduction vs price paid scale. Get one of your own - you'll be glad you did! Just don't forget to measure your stands first, and make sure you order the extra pedal attachment pieces for any additional pedals you want to keep in place. -HC- Want to discuss the Pedal-Lock or have questions or comments about this review? Then head over to this thread in the Keys, Synths and Samplers (KSS) forum right here on Harmony Central and join the discussion! Resources T. P. Dodd, Inc. Pedal-Lock ($19.95 "street", including free shipping in the USA - the extension strap for stands 35"-70" wide is an additional $7.95, and additional Velcro strips for the backs of the pedals themselves are $1.95 each) Pedal-Lock product web page http://www.pedal-lock.com/index.php You can purchase the Pedal-Lock directly from T. P. Dodd Inc.'s website at www.pedal-lock.com __________________________________________________ Phil O'Keefe is a multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer / producer and the Senior Editor of Harmony Central. He has engineered, produced and performed on countless recording sessions in a diverse range of styles, with artists such as Alien Ant Farm, Jules Day, Voodoo Glow Skulls, John McGill, Michael Knott and Alexa's Wish. He is a former featured monthly columnist for EQ magazine, and his articles and product reviews have also appeared in Keyboard, Electronic Musician and Guitar Player magazines.

Mackie MP-120, MP-220 and MP-240 In-Ear Monitors Isn't it about time you made the switch to IEMs? by Phil O'Keefe In-ear monitors really have become all the rage, and today it's not uncommon to see them in use in a wide variety of venues, both large and small. The reasons for this have to do with the multiple advantages that In-Ear Monitors (IEMs) offer - including lower stage volume levels, increased monitor audibility and clarity for the singers and musicians, small size, and much less weight and space requirements when compared to side fill and floor wedge monitors - not to mention the elimination of stage monitor "spill" that can interfere with the front of house mix. Mackie has long been known for their live sound and studio monitor speakers, but this is their first foray into the world of IEMs. Let's take a look at the three new models in the MP series that they've recently introduced - the MP-120, MP-220 and MP-240 - and see what features they have in common, and how they differ from each other. What You Need To Know All three models share several design details in common. For starters, each earphone is built into a rugged black plastic housing. All three models share the same basic (roughly triangular) housing shape, with the Mackie "running man" logo printed in white on the outer shell. Visually, they're very similar.The model name and L / R indicators are printed in white on the inside of each IEM, near the ear tip for easy identification. All three models come with the same "audiophile-grade" cable. This is internally braided, with a solid outer shield. The cables are round and beefy, but not excessively thick or cumbersome.The cable is Y shaped, and a small slider can be adjusted to shorten the length of the Y arms to bring the cable closer to your head, if desired. The cables terminate with a right-angle, gold plated 1/8" stereo plug. At the other ends, the cables attach to the IEM housings with swiveling and detachable MMCX connectors. Not only does this allow you to rotate and adjust the cables easily, it allows you to replace just the cable should it become damaged without having to purchase a whole new set of IEMs.Additionally, the cable ends nearest to the housings are rigid; about three inches of their length can be bent to whatever curved or straight shape you want. This makes them easy to adjust to a curved shape for "cables over the ear" wear or straight for "cables in front of the ear" wearing styles - whichever you prefer.Three different types of ear tips are included with each of the MP series IEMs, including foam, double flanged silicone rubber and round silicone rubber tips. Additionally, three different sizes are provided for each style, giving you a wide selection of not only tip types, but sizes too - this is important because proper fit is the key to getting the best sound quality and isolation from the MP series IEMs. Mackie gives you other useful accessories too, including a rugged hard molded storage case with a large latch to keep it closed and a plastic carabiner style clip so you can easily attach it to a gig bag or other gear. You also get a gold plated 1/8" to 1/4" adapter, and a small, multi-language instruction manual, a safety instructions card, and a second card with "hip tips about your tips." That's a lot of design details that the three models have in common - what are the differences? The main differences are the drivers that each model comes equipped with.The MP-120 features a single precision dynamic driver. The MP-120 has a rated frequency response of 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 32 Ohms impedance, and a sensitivity rating of 102 dB.The MP-220 uses dual full-range dynamic drivers for enhanced clarity and improved bass response. It also has a rated frequency response of 20 Hz - 20 kHz, while the impedance is rated at 8 Ohms. They're also a bit more sensitive, being rated at 104 dB.The top of the line MP-240 also uses a dual driver approach, but this time it's a hybrid design. A crossover divides the signal and feeds a single dynamic driver that handles the low frequencies, and a balanced armature driver that takes care of the mids and high frequencies. Like the other models, they have a 20 Hz - 20 kHz frequency response. The impedance is rated at 16 Ohms, and they're even more sensitive, with a 108 dB rating.In addition to their intended use for in-ear monitoring on-stage, all three models are also equally useful and enjoyable for general purpose music listening with your phone or other portable audio device. Limitations Switching the ear tips can be a bit of a pain. They're relatively easy to remove, but getting the new ones put on can take a bit of fiddling around. I found that putting one side on at an angle, then rolling and gently stretching the other end over the end of the barrel while holding the side you attached first in place seemed to work best. Fortunately, once you find what fits and feels the most comfortable for you, you won't have to mess with this very often other than for the occasional tip cleaning or replacement.Since the storage case is fairly compact, care should be taken when wrapping up the cables and inserting them into the box so you don't accidentally close the case on part of the cable and crimp it. I like to use a twist tie to hold them together once they're wrapped to keep them compact and avoid the possibility of damaging the cables accidentally. Conclusions While changing out the ear tips is a bit of a hassle (as it is with most IEMs), with the wide range of tip types and sizes provided, chances are excellent you'll find a pair that fits well and feels comfortable to you. With the proper tips, fit and isolation are very good with all three models. It's not quite as good as what you might get with custom-molded earphones, but the price is far less too, and you don't need to make a trip to an audiologist to be fitted for them. Up to 40dB of isolation is available with all three models of the Mackie MP series, making outside sounds far quieter, and allowing you to hear the monitor feed with less interference from external noises. The cables seem to be beefy and sturdy, and unlike some IEMs I've tried, noise transfer over the cable from moving around is not a significant issue. I like that they can be adjusted for different wearing styles - many people will probably prefer the over the ear approach, since it keeps the cable behind you, where it's not only less visible, but also out of the way of any instrument you might be playing. It's also great that they're detachable and replaceable - this means the Mackie MP IEMs will most likely still remain in service long after IEMs with permanently attached cables have been tossed out. The single-driver MP-120's are nice sounding earphones, and if you're on a tight budget they'll get the job done and won't let you down, but there's a noticeable increase in sound quality when you step up to the MP-220's; no doubt due to their dual dynamic driver design. They're a bit louder and also a bit cleaner at higher volume levels too. A similar increase in clarity, fidelity and detail comes with a move up to the top of the line MP-240's, although you'll definitely be paying more for that performance too. Is it worth it? Only you can decide that - but for my money, the increased fidelity and sensitivity that comes with the top of the line MP-240 is definitely worth it - especially for engineers, audiophiles and those who are just plain picky about getting the best sound quality possible. For those on a budget, the MP-120's will be fine, while others will opt for the middle ground that the MP-220's offer, with their increased fidelity over the MP-120, but lower cost than the MP-240. No matter which model you pick, you'll be getting a rugged, good sounding, great fitting pair of IEMs that will be in it for the long haul. -HC- Want to discuss the Mackie MP series IEMs or have questions or comments about this review? Then head over to this thread in the Live Sound forum right here on Harmony Central and join the discussion! Resources Mackie MP-120 IEM ($99.99 MSRP, $79.99 "street") Mackie MP-220 IEM ($149.99 MSRP, $129.99 "street") Mackie MP-240 IEM ($199.99 MSRP, $169.99 "street") Mackie's MP series product web page You can purchase the Mackie MP series In-Ear Monitors from: Sweetwater MP-120 MP-220 MP-240 Full Compass Systems MP-120 MP-220 MP-240 Guitar Center MP-120 MP-220 MP-240 B&H Photo Video MP-120 MP-220 MP-240 Musician's Friend MP-120 MP-220 MP-240 MP Series IEM overview Getting the best sound and fit __________________________________________________ Phil O'Keefe is a multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer / producer and the Senior Editor of Harmony Central. He has engineered, produced and performed on countless recording sessions in a diverse range of styles, with artists such as Alien Ant Farm, Jules Day, Voodoo Glow Skulls, John McGill, Michael Knott and Alexa's Wish. He is a former featured monthly columnist for EQ magazine, and his articles and product reviews have also appeared in Keyboard, Electronic Musician and Guitar Player magazines.