djByron [Dan Byron]husband, father, christian, musician & technophile ( but not a dj )

I just purchased this Canon printer and I’m curious as to what the difference between Canon’s regular ink cartridges ( G-40 BLACK and CL-41 Color) vs their high capacity cartidges (PG-50 Black and CL-51 Color) in pages printed. I just purchased the high-capacity cartridges so once they run out I’ll update this post and let you know.

Normal Capacity Ink Cartidges

Canon PG-40 Black Ink Cartridge

Canon CL-41 Color FINE Ink Cartridge

High Capacity Ink Cartridges

Canon CL-51 High-Capacity Color Ink Cartridge

Canon PG-50 Black FINE Ink Cartridge-High Capacity

My quest for my first guitar amp finally came to an end a couple weeks ago when I finally found and bought a Mesa Boogie Lonestar Special! Man this thing is awesome… Now granted I haven’t been playing for years and don’t have a ton of amps to compare it to but this thing sounds amazing. I’ve been playing it for a few weeks now and I’m blown away by the tone. As of now I’m using my Vox Tonelab SE with the fx loop (all modeling turned off) for delay, chorus, reverb, wah, volume & tuner. It remains to be seen if I end up selling the Tonelab and move to individual stomp boxes (we’ll see). The selectable output wattage is an awesome feature of the amp allowing me to choose from 5,15 or 30 output watts. So now I’m able to get great tone using my Sennheiser E609 mic in a small to medium size venu with out deafining those around me (and keeping the sound techs happy).

I had the chance to play the 1×12″ version of the Mesa Boogie Lone Star Special today at a local music store. Very nice amp with killer tone. Not sure it’s worth the money in the scheme of things but we’ll see after I have some other amps to compare it to. Great tone and two channel design. One of the things that drew me to the amp was the output wattage switch that allows you to choose between 5,15 or 30 watt configurations. However, as I had previously read in a couple of other posts, this really doesn’t do much other than give you options when it comes to head room. The 5 watt setting is very close in volume to the 30 watt setting. I’m begginning to think that I won’t find exactly what I’m looking for with out going to something like the Maven Peal (and I don’t think that’s even an option due to price).

I currently am using the original MBox and love the thing. The portability, sound quality and ease of use is what makes it a great unit. Just plug and record! The only thing that I don’t like about the original MBox that I have, is the fact that it does not have MIDI in/out. I have to use third party hardware to provide the MIDI interface necessary for using software synths. The MBox 2 added this MIDI interface, but before I could pick one of those up I noticed somthing even better.

On my regular trip to the Digidesign website, I just saw that they’ve posted a new interface on their news they’ve dubbed the MBox 2 Pro. What does this interface have that the MBox 2 doesn’t? At first glance it looks like they’ve added better sound quality (thus “Pro” to the name). A couple of additional inputs brings the track count up from 4 to 6 (4 of which can be used as mic/line and the other two are S/PDIF). Firewire connection now replaces the antiquated USB 1.1 interface. Two stereo headphone outs as well as dedicated studio monitor outputs give you additional monitoring options. Below are the specs from the Digidesign web site.

“The Digidesign¬Æ Mbox¬Æ 2 Pro is a portable, high-definition audio/MIDI production system that delivers truly professional sound quality. Packing an impressive variety of connection options into a compact interface, Mbox 2 Pro puts powerful multitrack recording and mixing capabilities into your hands, so you can create wherever inspiration strikes. Mbox 2 Pro also includes award-winning, industry-standard Pro Tools LE‚Ñ¢ software, over 50 effects and instrument plug-ins, and the Pro Tools Ignition Pack ‚Äî a collection of powerful tools to get you started creating right away. ”

Features

• Award-winning Pro Tools LE recording, editing, and mixing software
• Comprehensive Pro Tools Ignition Pack software and audio tool collection
• Professional sound quality
• Powered by FireWire* or included power supply
• Supports up to 24-bit/96 kHz resolution**
• 4 analog inputs (2 XLR/1/4‚Äù TRS combo jacks & 2 1/4‚Äù TRS jacks)
• 6 analog outputs (1/4‚Äù jacks)
• 2 instrument DI inputs on the front panel
• 2 channels of S/PDIF digital I/O (RCA)
• Built-in phono preamp input (RCA) for direct turntable connection
• 1 MIDI input and output (16 channels in/16 channels out)
• MIDI Time Stamping (MTS) support for superior timing and accuracy
• BNC Word Clock I/O
• Low-latency monitoring
• Dedicated studio monitor outputs with volume control
• 2 stereo headphone outputs with independent volume controls
• 48V phantom power for condenser microphones
• Mbox 2 Pro list price: $799 US | Mbox 2 Pro Factory list price: $899 US

* Requires 6-pin connection for power via FireWire.
** Mbox 2 Pro does not support external sync at 88.2 and 96 kHz sample rates.

Ok, so here’s my dillema….
I want to get a tube guitar amp to take my tone to the next level as any guitar player does. However, the majority of where I’ll be playing will require a low to medium volume level. As any quitar player can attest you’ll get your best tube tone when the tubes are breaking up at high levels which is where the dillema comes in.

FIND AN AMPIFIER THAT HAS GREAT 100% TUBE TONE WITHOUT MODELING OR SIMULATION.

Here’s what I’ve come up with so far…

1. A friend of mine turned me on to a botique company in VT called Maven Peal (http://www.mavenpeal.com) that created circutry to not only control output wattage but also a “sag control” that… Well you’ll just have to read about it to fully grasp the concept. I think if money were’nt an option this is what I’d do based on the reviews I’ve read alone. Great tone at as little as one watt but a lot of money..
2. Fender just released a new “recording” amp called the Princeton Recording Amp. This amp is also 100% tube and uses their patented circut to cut output volme…“The trans-impedance power attenuator lets you crank up the amp for full output tube overdrive and set the speaker volume as low as you want (even silent for headphone use)!” - Fender WebsiteThis may be an option but I have some initial doubts before even hearing it… 1) It’s a 10″ speaker so I’m not sure if you’d be sacrificing tone as compared to a 12″ setup. 2) The combo is $999 so we’re not talking chump change here. 3) And finally, they toss around the dreaded term “speaker emulated” in the description so I’m wary. Not sure if this is just for the recording aspect of things or what.
3. One of Mesa Boogie’s newest additions is the Lone Star Special. Other than the fact that output wattage can be toggled between 5,15 and 30 watts this is your typical amp. Concerns here are… 1) That at it’s lowest output of 5 watts we may still be looking at a pretty loud amp. 2) It’s a boogie so is it going to have a very signature sound? 3) Price?I guess I’ll just have to track one of these puppys down and play it to find out.
4. Zvex Nano Head… Uhhh Yeeeaaaa You’ll just have to see this to believe it. There’s a demo video but the long and short of it is that it’s a half watt amp that will fit in the palm of your hand AND power a 4×12 cabinet. From what I’ve read this is a great little amp for getting a screaming marshall sound at low levels but isn’t that great at a clean sound. Not to mention the fact that it’s over $400. Once again I’d have to play one to see if it’s even an option

So this is my current quest… Find an amp that will produce the tone I desire at tollerable volume levels on small stages and at home. Add a comment if you have any suggestions otherwise I’ll keep you all posted.

When I picked up the Shure PSM 400, I also picked up Westone’s UM2 earphones. The reviews spoke of an alternative to the Shure E5’s and they weren’t kidding. I heard the E5’s a while back but wasn’t impressed enough to shell out the big bucks ($499 last I knew). I picked up the Westones for $275 and was blown away. The dual-driver phones have all the volume and range you can ask for and for a lot less than the E5’s. For a hundred dollars more than the E3’s that come with most of the PSM systems this is an upgrade worth doing in my opinion.

I’ve been using the Shure PSM 400 in-ear monitor system for a few months now and love it compared with the traditional floor wedge system.

The Pros:

• No more destructive levels chipping away at your hearing. Comfortable monitor levels are fed directly into your ear while the surrounding noise is isolated.
• When using MixMode you can send a main mix AND your own level to the body pack. Then by using the pan knob you can adjust your level in relation to the mix for accurate monitoring the way YOU want it
• While playing out with the band setup is effortless compared with traditional monitors. Simply plug the transmitter into the appropriate sends (and/or direct out depending on config) and you’re ready to go!

The Cons:

• The only real complaint I have is that every now and then you’ll get a real quick cut in the audio feed. It has never affected my playing because it happens so quickly but it can be distracting

I picked up a Vox Tonelab SE pedalboard for my electric rig back in the fall of 2004 and I love the thing. From time to time I debate if I should get rid of it and replace with some individual pedals but I just can’t get myself to do it. What makes it so great? First of all the thing is built like a tank. All metal. No cheap components here… Secondly, the tone is unbelieveable considering it’s a pedalboard. Given that nothing can replace the real thing (a microphone on a vintage amp cranked to 11) but I play mostly in small venues where that is not an option. This is where the Tonelab comes in…

ToneLabSE features the acclaimed VOX Valve Reactor found on Valvetronix series amps and the ToneLab amp/effects modeler. The VOX Valve Reactor circuit uses a 12AX7 triode vacuum tube together with an actual low-wattage tube power amp circuit, a virtual output transformer, and a dummy speaker circuit that simulates the impedance changes of a real speaker. It also reconfigures itself so that its characteristics are the same as the amps it’s modeling (class A, class AB, negative feedback circuit, etc.) This means that all of the nuances of the original amp model including sound, feel, distortion and presence are reproduced. -voxamps.co.uk

96 user programmable locations allow you to save more settings than you’ll ever use on stage. Each location has an A/B switch allowing you to save two “tones” per setting so really 96 becomes 192 settings if you look at it that way. The manual knobs are great and allow you to easily dial in exactly what you’re looking for!