Avoiding the error of purchasing and using an inadequate amplifier based on misleading wattage claims

At some point in the past, certain power amplifier manufacturers got hip to the fact that the only specification most power amp buyers pay attention to is wattage.

Sadly, they decided that misleading specs were OK as long as it created better sales. Hmm....

For purposes of our discussion, let’s consider two amplifiers. Amplifier A is rated at 1,000 watts (per side), into a 2-ohm load, with .1 percent Total Harmonic Distortion (THD), measured at 1 kHz, while Amplifier B is rated at 1,000 watts (per side), into a 4-ohm load, with .03 percent THD, measured full range from 20 Hz to 20 kHz.

OK…it’s true, I am a lover of vintage gear!!

This is most likely because I am somewhat “vintage” myself, and I make no apologies for that. I bought my first guitar shortly after the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan show and have been “hooked” on music ever since that time. I love vintage guitars, amps, and effects, which leads me to the topic of today’s blog.

My first effects pedal was a Maestro Fuzz Tone. They sold for $29 bucks at that time, and I felt like a real operator because I got mine for $25 (when you are delivering papers 5 evenings a week and getting about $5 bucks for your efforts, that was a huge savings...HA!)

When "they" tell you that the loudspeaker can't possibly be harmed because of the small power output of the amplifier, YOU can tell them this true story!

When a power amp is pushed to its rated limit or beyond, the upper and lower limits of the sine wave seen on the oscilloscope will swing above and below the limits of the amp, and the smooth upper and lower limits of the wave on the scope looked chopped off, hence the term “square wave”.

When a square wave is presented to the speaker, instead of the seamless back and forth motion of the cone, we get a different behavior.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but most frustrations that notation users have with these programs is the concept of using a MIDI controller/keyboard with it. Most feel that by plugging in the controller, they can press record and their notes and rhythms will magically appear in perfect form on the screen. Here is the bad news: it rarely ever works that way.

There is an evil-doer for this problem: LATENCY!

Latency is the amount of time it takes for your computer to recognize you are playing a note and plays it through the speakers. If your computer is not up to speed RAM- and processor-wise, you will experience a very high amount of latency.

Other things that affect this: running multiple programs in the background, even using too long of a USB cable, running your controller through too many other peripheral devices, or even Virtual Instruments can throw it all out of whack.

How does this affect your score, you say? If you are listening to what the computer is notating against your playing, it will really throw you off. Even if it's behind by 1 second, you have to constantly adjust your playing.

However, there is help for you if this is your problem!

Every now-and-then, a new product comes to surface and you say “Man, I wish this would have been my idea!!”. Such is true with “The String Cleaner®” from the guys at ToneGear. Keeping your guitar strings clean, which will extend their life, has never been easier!

The String Cleaner is made of heavy duty plastic that snaps open revealing 2 micro-fiber pads. Slide one portion of the tool under your guitar strings and adjust the other portion over the top of the strings and shut it. Simply slide it up and down the fingerboard and micro-fiber pads remove all the gunk and grime that the strings have accumulated. The pads fit tight so that the entire string is cleaned--all 360 degrees of them. It needs no cleaning solution, and the micro-fiber pads are cleanable, so you can use them over and over again.

I know notation software tends to scare people...well, most software scares people. Finale tends to be the main culprit with this fearful bunch. But I have news for you: Notation software should not be scary to anybody anymore! Finale should not be scary to anybody anymore!

Why? Notation software has gotten to the point that virtually anybody, whether you are a new computer user, master computer user, the creator of the computer, etc, can use it. Seriously! And Finale, the be-all of notation software, has figured out a way to let users do what they want, however they want, without making it overly complicated.

Finale has been around since 1988, and through most of its transitions, it has been notorious for over-complicating tasks. However, it was a very powerful tool, so powerful, most engravers and publishers would (and still) use Finale for their professional needs. However, when Sibelius came into the fray, a good number of Finale users jumped ship and went to the “easy” program.

Records to SD or SDHC media. Two great sounding electric condenser mics and 2 GB SD card included. Awesome practice tool for musicians and is perfect for recording lessons, classes, or lectures.

Fits most popular amp sizes! Cases are available in 1-12" or 2-12" sizes. Lightweight molded design cases are virtually indestructible. Doubles as an amp stand, as amps will sit securely on top of case during stage use. Equipped with casters for easy movement!

Roland’s latest addition to the V-drum line is a powerhouse for electronic drumming. In the ongoing struggle to make electronic drums feel and sound like acoustic drums, the TD-9 takes a bold step forward with all of its cutting features. Roland configured the interface with users in mind by bringing many of the functions users want right up front.