5
May
Posted in Reviews by admin |
The ION USB deck turns the past into the future. A remarkably rapid march of time has seen the media for music transformed from vinyl to tape to CD and now to MP3. In the headlong rush there’s a lot of music that’s been left behind, which is where this brilliant piece of kit comes in. Whether you’ve a stack of old 45s, 33s or even 78s (gawd bless you), you can now convert them to MP3s with this USB Turntable.
Obviously it works like any regular turntable, but plug a USB cable into the back of it and then into your computer, and with the software provided you can convert your vinyl into WAV, WMV and MP3s. You can even plug a tape deck into an auxiliary port and convert your old cassettes.
The software makes the transition easy to manage, and is also bundled with a trial version of Bias Soundsoap 2 for cleaning and restoring crackly tracks. It was so nice to get out some of our old vinyls that we hadn’t listened to in years, and then pop them into our iPods to take around with us. The conversion of an album is done all in one go, you simply split up the tracks and name them, and you can even record them at double speed to save time and the software will convert them back to ‘real’ time. It was such a joy to dust off our vinyl and bring it back to life after all these years - we ended up listening to albums we hadn’t heard in years.
The ION USB turntable includes Audacity software for Mac/PC for recording as well as a trial of Bias Soundsoap 2 for cleaning and restoring vinyl.
This product is compatible with any software that supports USB audio input sound cards - simply plug it into a spare USB port - it requires no special drivers for Windows (98,2000,XP,Vista) or Mac (OS9 and above).
Please make sure you keep hold of all the packaging until you have the turntable up and running.
Features
A super sleek adjustable pitch belt drive turntable.
The turntable includes:
A slipmat.
A counterweight.
A platter (no, not for your dinner).
A USB cable.
A pre-mounted cartridge with Stylus.
Includes Audacity software for Mac/PC recording as well as a trial of Bias Soundsoap 2 for cleaning and restoring vinyl.
Line level RCA outputs to connect up to your stereo.
33 and 45 RPM Buttons (78’s are played at 33 and then converted by the software).
Adjustable Anti-Skating control for increased stereo balancing.
High speed vinyl recording
A CD with Mac/PC Recording Software.
Full instruction manual.
Suitable for ages 12 years+.
Requires a PC running Windows 98, 2000, XP, Vista, a MAC running OS9 or higher and a USB port 1.1 or higher.
The USB Turntable is compatible with any software that supports USB audio input sound cards - simply plug it into a spare USB port - it requires no special drivers for Windows (98,2000,XP,Vista) or Mac (OS9 and above).
If you are running Windows XP Media Center Addition, you will need to upgrade to XP Home or XP Pro in order to use any USB Class Compliant device like the USB Turntable.
Please note that the turntable is not compatible with Macs with Pentium chips.
Requires a USB port and mains power to run the turntable.
Size: - Product weight: 12lbs
Turntable: 42 x 37 x 14.
By default the turntable converts tracks to WAV (high quality uncompressed) files. To convert the WAV files to mp3, you can download the free software that the program points you to or alternatively we here at IWOOT tend to use Acoustica Plus for all our music file conversions, because it’s an excellent multi-format music file converter that works direct through windows explorer, and is well worth the ten or so quid it costs.
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19
Apr
Posted in Reviews by admin |
There are several different options in iPod docking stations and the choice is largely one of price and convenience. For the tiny iPod Nano, a simple docking cradle gives the basic stability to the player and allows the Nano to be synched to the computer for downloads while charging. While the simple cradle does not have speakers of its own, an audio-out port allows the Nano in the docking cradle to be connected to external speakers, headphones, or even through your computer to play all your favorite songs while charging the battery. Typically these smaller cradle style docking stations are less than $20.00 US.
Larger docking stations for iPod Video or MP3 players typically have built-in speakers on either side of the docking cradle. These speakers are designed to be ultra high quality to preserve the sound from the iPod itself. Many of the larger docking stations come with surround sound speakers, subwoofers, tweeters and 3-D sound processors for an amazing sound quality from a small package. As with the simple cradle docking stations, the iPod is easily connected to the computer with a USB cable or FireWire connection. This allows synchronizing and downloading of songs while charging the batteries on the iPod and listening to tracks through the speakers.
Some docking stations have optional battery power to charge the iPods, typically using four or more AA batteries. This additional battery feature makes it an ideal choice for having to connect to a computer in areas where there are not enough power outlets, or even for playing and charging your iPod outside or in remote areas. Most of the larger, speaker-equipped docking stations range in price from $30.00 to under $100.00. There are some very unique in-wall docking stations that keep your iPod in a safely recessed dock that is permanently mounted to a wall behind or near your computer, but these are usually quite a bit more expensive. In addition many of the docking stations also have radios and additional features to make them more versatile.
When purchasing an iPod docking station it is important to carefully read what size and type of iPod the docking station can handle. Typically iPod docking stations will have additional inserts to allow them to hold a Nano but not all can hold the smaller, new generation of iPods.
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8
Apr
Posted in Reviews by admin |
There are two necessary components in order to copy a DVD, the hardware and software. The hardware is a DVD burner which can be internal or external. It is now very common to find an internal DVD burner on most new computers. For users with older computers an external DVD burner can be purchased through most office supply stores and just about all computer stores. External DVD hardware is relatively inexpensive and is a somewhat small unit that would be placed next to the users computer and is usually connected via a USB cable and port.
As far as the software is concerned, users have many choices depending on what type of DVD they want to copy. DVD copy software can also be purchased online or your local computer store, and in many cases the DVD burner hardware will also include the necessary software. However, if the user wants to make backup copies of DVD movies, they will, more than likely have to purchase this type of software online.
There are several benefits of owning DVD burner hardware. Its great to be able to burn a DVD of your childs latest karate tournament or big game and send a copy to close relatives and keep in touch. With DVD burner hardware you can make a backup copy of a DVD that you dont want to loose. Another benefit is that DVD burners are generally easy to use.
If you have been putting off the purchase of DVD burner hardware, with prices decreasing, now may be the perfect time to upgrade to a new computer with an internal DVD burner or to invest in an external DVD burner. Once you see how easy it can be to copy DVDs you may just become the DVD copy expert in your family.
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