Blog

I have 3 pairs of inner ear earphones for daily use.

A pair of Philips Model Unknown but the exterior is similar to the picture below. (Bought in 2011 or earlier)

A pair of Raxconn RX-108BK. Bought with from a deals website (Bought December 2011)


A pair of Audio Technica ATH-CK323M. Thinking that my Raxconn has spoilt. (Bought Feburary 2014)

Guess who won?

The Raxconn RX-108BK that i bought on a deal on December 2011. The cheapest, the longest lasting and the best.

Why? To make it simple, the sound - base and acoustic is full and solid. No "hollow" or "outer space" effect. Looks like the cheap and "not well known brand" earphones may not be lousy.


Some numbers for comparison:

Raxconn RX-108BK
Driver Unit: Ø8.6mm
Impedance: 16Ω
Sensitivity: 90db(at 1KHZ 0.126V)
MAX. Input power: 10mW
Frequency range: 20Hz~20KHz
Plug: 3.5mm

Audio Technica ATH-CK323M
Driver Diameter: 8 mm
Impedance : 16 ohm
Sensitivity: 100dB/mW
MAX. Input power : 40mW
Frequency response: 20 – 23,000Hz
Connector: 3.5mm gold-plated stereo mini-plug (L-shaped)

I was looking around for sound proofing / absorbing solutions for my room when i stumbled upon this. No more dull and plain solutions.

Acoustic Treatment Foams for your walls. 12 pieces, 4 colours and they look great!

Great for Home Studios! 
Professional Acoustic Treatment at Affordable Prices
1 pack contains 12 sheets
Each sheet is 12" x 12" and 2" thick
Covers up to 12 sqft of your Studio
*Overall NRC: 0.65
 More information here http://sg-jamming.blogspot.sg/2012/12/acoustic-foams-for-sale.html

Supplied from this company. They also provide treatments and solutions that look so great that they look like artistic decorations on a plain wall. http://www.viergeacoustic.com/

Here is the tutorial... in thai. I took a look and i found it clear enough to be understood. In the 1st place i do felt that there should be no language barriers when it comes to music.
Chords:
Cadd9: 0203
G: 0232
Em: 0321
D: 2220

Reference: http://www.daveabbott.com/ukulele/chord-chart/svg/gcea.html



And here is her performance. Appreciate her efforts with the subtitle and chords aligned below.

In this tutorial there is a use of Cadd9 chord. That is new to me too. I went to find out more, and it simply means is a C Major chord, with the 9th note (CDEFGABCD) . So you just need to play GDEC.

For more info: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080603123950AA5sjdI

Finding out more on a song that used on a major event earlier this year.

Here is the ukulele tutorial on it.
No capo, 6 chords and a little fanciful for the strumming patterns.
Chords:
C: 0003
B: 4322
Am: 2000
G: 0232
F: 2010
G: 0232
Strum: up, down, chuck. Up, down, up, down, chuck.

I would say that this is a little bit tough for the beginner. Good luck!

Here are the chords for the ukulele

It is quite simple... but i believe it needs some alteration to the lyrics.
Chords:
G: 0232
D: 2220
Em: 0321
C: 0003

Taken from: http://www.e-chords.com/chords/justin-bieber/mistletoe
Correct lyrics: http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/j/justin_bieber/mistletoe_ukulele_crd.htm

If i have time, I will post the correct version with lyrics later

Here is a demo on the strumming pattern if you are interested. However i think it can be better :)

Chords:
C: 0003
G: 0232
Am: 2000
F: 2010



Lyrics: http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?42644-The-Way-You-Are-David-Choi-amp-Kina-Grannis-(Have-Picking-need-help-with-Chords)

http://www.violinist.com/discussion/response.cfm?id=9648

Hmm good question. My violin was bought from my teacher at about 2000. Let me think about the name.

I have recently started naming my things.. I have named my marimo "Mario" and a cactus "Hope". My Pentax Kx also has a name - "Bloody Bumble Bee"

So my violin will be named - Miss Mil

How to play a ukulele? It is very simple.

1. Buy a soprano ukulele
2. Make sure it is in tune with CGEA
3. Play all 4 strings at a time with your right index finger.
4. Press something on the fret with you left hand to play a chord. I would recommend that you start with a C Major chord. Refer to the following picture.


5. Practice with basic strumming pattern.
6. Practice with change of chords with strumming at 4/4

That's all. Practice and have fun!
For more information you may refer to http://resource.takelessons.com/how-to-play-ukulele-chords/

What is rosin?
Rosin is a need for bowed instruments. It is a transparent yellowish / blackish piece of "chalk" applied to the bow to introduce friction when the bow is played on the strings.


When to apply rosin?
When you feel that the bow produced very soft or faint notes, even when you applied pressure.


How?
Rub full bow to rosin evenly, from frog to tip and tip to frog. Repeat.


*It is important is that one should not touch the bow hair or the chalky left over on the violin.*


Why?
Simple equation: Rosin + Moisture = Non-removable sticky yellowish product.
This product, if found on your bow would spoil your bow as the affected area would no longer produce the best results when played.


So?
Clean the white chalky substance found on the violin after practices and do not touch the bow hair with your hands, even if they are dry. (Anyway, you are suppose to deal with the violin only with dry hands). Of course, the rosin itself (also the violin), should be kept at a dry and good consistent temperature.

What are the strings on the violin?
There are four strings on the violin, namely "G", "D", "A", "E" from thickest to thinnest, where "A" = 440 Hz.


Pitch Range?
From G3 (G below middle C) to C8 (the highest note of the modern piano.)


Materials?
Various types of metals. Of course, better metal would cost more.


Price range?
They are normally sold in a set from approximately $5 to $50. I use the $50 strings and i have a set of $5 string for spare, in case of emergency.

There is a lot to consider when buying a violin. A summary is as follows.


1) Budget.
There are many factors affecting the price of a violin. Eg. Material, craftsmanship, origin. A beginner should be able to get a student violin under $200.


2) Size.
I think many do not know, but violin comes in different sizes. From 1/32 to 4/4 (Adult size). It is necessary to have violins of different sizes to cater for users of different built. The height of the user varies accordingly to the user's arms length. And yes, if you grow, you have to change your violin.


3) Looks and finishing.
You might not know, but the best looking violin with cool colours and thick vanish may not be able to produce it's best sound. Plastic coats would restrict the violin to produce a clear, loud and crisp quality of a music piece. Do also note the material -wood. It should look normal, with no holes and no gaps between the joints.


4) Fine tuners.
Someone did tell me before that the lesser the fine tuners there is on a violin, the better the violin is. He is somehow right. But i guess he do not know the reason. It is because that a good violin would not go out of tune easily, so there would be no need to do any frequent / major tuning. (I mean it will not go out of tune that often). There would most probably be only a fine tuner needed on the "E" string as it is thin and hence easy to break when not handled with care.


5) Shoulder rest.
It is an additional piece that is highly recommended for beginners to allow them to maintain the violin at a horizontal level - projects the sound effectively. However, do note that as the shoulder rests would need to grip at 4 locations on your violin with it's rubbered leg. It would affect a minor bit on the sound quality. Also, do remember to get one with the correct size for your violin.