Artiphon first came to our attention in 2012/13 with a strange-looking digital instrument called the Instrument 1 that leveraged the processing power of a docked iPhone to create music. Now the ream is back with a handheld synthesizer called Orba. The last time we checked in with Artiphon, the company had just redesigned the Instrument 1 to give it a […]

The Spark amp from Positive Grid is paired with a voice-activated mobile app that opens the door to real-time practice and learning tools, and allows players to jam along to tracks from streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. And to make things easier, the app can display chords in real time. First and foremost, the Spark is a full-range […]

Vinyl is on the rise, so you may be tempted to dust off your once-retired living room hi-fi setup and spin up a party. But what if you also want to stream digital music from your smartphone and your amplifier lacks a receiver? Provided you have spare analog or digital input ports, you can add one into the mix – […]

Out of the countless on-demand streaming services out there, three stand out: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Netflix. Unfortunately, choosing which one is worthy of your credit card information isn’t an easy task — and with a combined subscription fee that’s north of $40, subscribing to all three isn’t an option for most. Even if you’re cutting the cord, the […]

The modern equivalent to crowding around the family iMac with your closest friend to painstakingly develop the ultimate summer playlist in iTunes is creating a Collaborative Playlist in Spotify from the comfort of your living room — while your buddy tweaks it from their bed on the other side of town. That’s right, you don’t even have to be in […]

High end audio veteran Naim Audio caused something of a ripple on the home audio scene in 2014 with the release of the mighty Mu-so wireless music system. This was followed two years later by a more compact flavor called the Qb. We’re now in second generation territory, and following the launch of the Mu-so 2 a few months back, […]

The vast majority of neural growth for a baby occurs during the last trimester of a pregnancy. When this process is disrupted, due to premature birth, neural networks can be impaired and the baby can ultimately develop neurodevelopmental disorders such as learning difficulties. An exciting new study has demonstrated how specially composed music can aid brain growth in premature babies, […]

Thor Industries used the inaugural RVX show to get serious about production and potential production RVs like the Sequence camper vanand Tuscany Lithium concept motorhome. But it also kicked back and had some fun … a lot of fun. Its custom-designed Heartland Cyclone Ultimate Tailgate trailer pulls up stadium-side, screens all the biggest games of the day on more than […]

String pickers on the road often can’t take their guitars of choice on their travels – due to size or safety concerns – so might carry a more portable flavor to help keep calluses from going soft. We’ve seen many variations on the theme, including a folder from Fender, a strange Strat from Travelerand a novel cross-shaped plank. But what […]

Jammy is a new super-portable digital guitar with the detachable neck by RnD64. Main Jammy features are: Extreme portability: it fits into most of the backpacks and complies with the airlines’ carry-on regulations. It’s all about the neck that can be easily detached making the whole thing only 17” long. Increased playability due to detachable neck: its 15 standard sized frets […]