In the world of affordable compact midi controllers, the Photon x25 stands out. With sturdy 360 rotary knobs, an assignable sensor which detects 3d motion, and a built in audio interface, the photon is not short on features. How does it compare to other 25 key controllers? Read on to find out more… Read the rest of this entry »

Hi there,

I’m Alexis and this is my first review for Geardos, to which Scott kindly introduced me to, and I’ll be reviewing what I consider to be the must-have first stepping stone in a budget quality setup, a good basic audio I/O, the M-Audio Firewire Solo. Read the rest of this entry »

Your sound is only as good as your sound card. I decided I needed a card that provided more than the cheaper alternatives I had used before. Since I have a varied arsenal of gear with different connections, I needed a variety of ins and outs. I like my studio to be mobile too, just in case things get a little crazy and I have to pack up and leave town. The FA-66 from Edirol (a subsidiary of Roland focused mainly on sound gear) met my paranoid yet demanding niche. The price came up to about 550$ CAD after tax (considered expensive for the penny pinching geardo crowd) but none the less it stacked up to being a worthy investment. Read the rest of this entry »

When I first purchased my laptop computer, I immediately needed an external sound module to handle my audio recording needs. In an attempt to save money, I decided to go for a cheaper USB based unit instead of a more expensive firewire sound module. The Mobilepre seemed like a good deal at the time, for 200$ CAD it provided basic audio needs as well as 2 preamps. Read the rest of this entry »