KORG Nano Series

While looking for a small midi keyboard to hook up with my laptop, I came across the Korg nano series. This series of a mini controls includes a nanoKEY, nanoPAD and nanoKONTROL. This allows for a great set including a keyboard, sample pad and mixer. The great thing also is that by buying more you can just simply expand what you have. The have a sleek slimline design which helps by not taking up too much room and being powered by USB means for less cables usage. For any amateur producer or for the cost effective live element, these seem like a win.

For further information of what these can offer you, check out their site.

Click for further infomation!

Don't you think it's funny.....

......when in the UK, we get a day of sunshine and all you seem to smell is the smoke of charcoal and burnt meat? Just a silly observation but while im sitting indoors, trying to keep cool with the windows, all I seem to smell is BBQ. The funny observations that we find in the UK.

Oh well, we have had three days of sunshine and I can imagine this is some sort of record for us in the UK to go more than two days with out grey cloud or a spot of rain. Anyway, saying this, the amount of BBQ's will double tomorrow with it being a Sunday and everyone thinking "well its sunny today, let have a BBQ tomorrow." Unfortunately the news is as expected. According to the BBC we have rain, HA!

Rant over.

Summer is here, meaning......

MUSIC FESTIVALS!!

Yes, music festival, something of a regular occurrence in the UK. each year we see more and more music festivals popping up all over the place. for 3 to 4 months of the year, there is not a weekend free of music festivals, whether they be day or full weekend. We all know about the bigger ones such as Glastonbury and Reading/Leeds and these require a good bit of planning in advance to make sure you take what you need and that you can even carry it. But there are also some great non-camping festivals such as Lovebox in London offering you the benefits such as cheaper tickets and cleaner surrounds. 

But anyway, below is a list of useful things to check off before the festival rush!

1. Tent
2. Fold Away Chairs
3. Mallet
4. Extra Pegs
5. Raincoat
6. Bag
7. Waterproof Trousers
8. Warm Clothes
9. Woolly Hat
10. Camping Stove And Kettle
11. Knives, Forks and Spoons
12. Ear Plugs
13. Wellies
14. Imodium Tablets
15. Booze Cargo
16. Baby Wet Wipes
17. Toilet Paper
18. Alcohol Hand wash
19. Toothbrush and Paste
20. Bottles of Water
21. Bin Bags
22. Toilets
23. Waterproof Jackets
24. Sun Cream-After Sun
25. Breath Freshener-Chewing Gum
26. Protection
27. Something to drink-Coca Cola-Orange Juice
28. Snacks-Fast Food-sweets
29. Plates
30. Cups
31. Mobile Phone
32. First Aid Kit
33. Rucksack/Backpack
34. Paracetamols
35. Sleeping Bags
36. Sleeping Matt’s
37. Blanket or Rug To Put on The Ground.
38. Lantern/light
39. Tin Opener
40. Sunglasses
41. Pot/Frying Pan
42. Car Park Ticket
43. Festival Ticket
44. Midge Repellent
45. Antihistamines

Its finally here!!!

So its here, it finally made it across the waters and into the UK. The iPad has been launched today having been set back from its original date in April, due to sales of over 1 Million in the US since its release there. This made it a faster seller than the iPhone. But for a item which to me seems more novelty than useful, I suppose it will only take time before we can really see the full potential of what the iPad really has to offer, in terms of something new.


In the mean time, here are a couple of videos that offer a few ideas of use.







OR


Click here to see the use of and iPad with Velcro. 

When You're Strange

'When You're Strange' is a documentary about the life of 'The Doors' directed by Tom DiCillo, due to be released in April 2010. The film looks to show you the life of 'The Doors' between 1966 and 1971, using only original footage from this time.

Doors keyboardist, Ray Manzarek, has stated that "this will be the true story of the Doors", also stating that the film will be the "anti-Oliver Stone", referring to the 1991 film directed by Stone, which received negative criticism from the band and fans. They felt the film depicted the band to me more serious than it was, and the way Jim Morrison was portrayed was not to the truth.

The Doors are one of my favourite bands, and although I did like the 1991 film 'The Doors', I feel I don't know enough about the band to see how that film portrayed them. I hope this film makes it way over to the UK as I really want to see 'When You're Strange'. Seeing the band in original footage will also make it more real than the film could, and its nicely narrated by Johnny Depp.

View the trailer here, at collider.com

The Email Newsletter

This is a post for my University module - Digital Marketing

This post is to assess email marketing campaigns. More specifically the email newsletter and how they are used to communicate with the person.

I am looking at the 'Juno Download Featured' email, which I receive. This is a weekly newsletter comprising of the featured producers of the week (usually 4-8), which is sent for each genre of music you have selected in your account. Juno Download is a music download website. 

 

This specific email is sent once a week, towards the end of the week, usually Thursday/Friday. This is a follow up to the weekly release email which is sent on a Sunday, the day before music is normally released.

I usually open this email when I know the name of the producer in the title of the email.

The appearance of the newsletter is strong, with a few colours incorporated. It has a black background, a green banner at the top similar to the websites appearance, and a white background against the album artwork and text descriptions allowing them to stand out. 

As stated it provides links of 6-8 featured producers within the music genres you have selected, through the use of album artwork, descriptions and samples of their music. At the bottom the newsletter offers links to the companies twitter, facebook and myspace. The branding of the newsletter links with their website. At the very bottom, there is details of the company and details to unsubscribe.

All the images in the newsletter are hosted via the company’s website (junodownload.co.uk). There doesn’t appear to be any imbedded information in the pictures apart from them being links to certain landing pages.

There are 26 links within the newsletter. These all link to individual landing pages such at the artist’s page and the home page of the site. All the links are assigned to pictures.

The music displayed within the newsletter is custom to the genre choices you have made in your account. However, is not personally addressed to the member, which leads me to think it is a standard email sent to people subscribed to certain music genres.




The newsletter in itself is good, but it appears to be for someone who would regularly look at the website or buys from the website. It is more for information rather than getting people to buy from or visit their site.

Jack Beats in the Essential Mix

Check out this massive 2 hour set from Jack Beats, for the legendary Radio 1's essential mix.

Mixed by the duo, Plus One (Scratch Perverts) and Beni G (Mixologists), this mix is defiantly gonna make you move. With basslines to shake the house and wobble your bones, it's definitely worth having this turned up!


Find the mix here 


Check Out:
BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix
Deepgoa's Electric Sessions