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Getting The Most From Your Home Stereo

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There have been many advances in home sound-systems over the years. From the days of all crowding around the radio to catch the odd note, to blasting out tunes that can cause earthquakes. Volume isn’t everything however, and recently people have been striving better for usability and sound quality. So what are the most important developments and gadgets in modern home sound provision?

Wireless Speakers.These are by no means a new invention but until now the quality of them has left a lot to be desired. Wireless speakers enable you to play music wherever in the house and garden, without being restrained by wires. They are perfect for parties where you can play music in every room without having lots of different tunes playing and the annoying disruption this causes.

Super Sub Woofers. For those of you who don’t know, a sub woofer is the part of a sound system that provides the base. It has previously been that case that the larger the sub-woofer, the larger the base that it can produce, which has always been an issue for car owners who have wanted their vehicles to sound like a live concert in happening inside.  The newest subwoofers however take up about half as much room as their bigger brothers, but produce the same bass power, making them perfect for transporting around or fitting in your room without being intrusive. If you are brave, you could even hook one up to your stereo and use it as a very effective alarm clock.

Surround Sound.  No true music fan can go back to listening to mono sound once they have experienced surround sound.This is achieved by placing speakers all around a room, but additionally different elements of the sound are played through different speakers, making them all very clear. The sound then combines in the middle of the room to give an unmatched audio sensation.Although surround sound has been available to the mass-markets for almost two decades, so many people are yet to embrace the technology and get the most out of their sound.





Fender Basses – A Rich Legacy

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In the 1950s, Fender put out the very first mass-produced electric bass guitar that anyone could get to start their music career.

The Fender bass guitar was an instant success among professional traveling musicians. The first musicians to tour with the bass guitar were Roy Johnson and William “Monk” Montgomery. These two men collaborated with the broad-minded Lionel Hampton. Together, they debuted the Fender bass guitar triumphantly, making it very popular among their peers.

Gibson, soon after the Fender Precision Bass was offered, created a bass that looked different, more like a violin, than Fender’s. From this time forward, electric musical instruments transformed into an crucial component of popular music, and would stay there for the foreseeable future.

The Fender bass still seems and feels the same, other than a couple modifications. The original electric bass guitar models created by Leo Fender in the 1950’s were such fine instruments that they have become classics. Today, those original models, as well as those from the next couple of decades, are in great demand by musicians. Fender experimented with some models that were changed from that basic model, and reviews were unfavorable. This experimenting proved that Fender hit the nail on the head with the original pattern.

While the huge conflict about which makes a better bass guitar, you can now locate bass guitars in many shapes and materials. This choice is solely up to the judgment of the musician playing the bass. Ebony and alder are exotic woods, but other materials along with graphite are quickly becoming the more popular materials to employ for bass bodies. The sound of each different type of guitar varies, and as such you should try out each one in order to know your preference. Additionally, a lot of professionals choose whether or not the neck should have frets. This provides a distinctive effect on the guitar’s sound, as a bass missing frets will have the strings vibrate on the wooden neck itself.

Whether you favor wood, graphite, frets, or no frets, bass guitar playing is a fun and crucial element in music that completes the full sound.

Rise Against Delivers: Much More Than a “One-Hit Wonder” and Punk Band

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Punk rock group Rise Against is on a fast rise in America’s music scene. The band started as in Chicago in 1999, and changed its name in 2000 before it struck a record deal with Fat Wreck Chords, headed by Fat Mike of NOFX. These days, the group is continuing to record under the Geffen label, which is part of Universal Music Group.

Bandmembers include Tim McIlrath, on lead vocals and guitar, Brandon Barnes, percussionist, Joe Principe on bass and Zach Blair, also on guitar. Everyone except Brandon Barnes is heavily involved in PETA and is a devoted vegetarian. Early on, the band had a few changes, but its core members are now solid and cohesive, partners both personally and professionally.

The band had its first contract with Fat Wreck Chords, a place many top acts have gotten their start. The band has toured hard and its hard work has begun to pay off. Music and merchandise began to flow and to attract attention as the band played with groups like Strung Out, NOFX, Sick of It All, and AFI. In 2003’s Warped Tour, major record companies began to notice the group and came to call on them. By 2004, the group had had one of its biggest accomplishments, making the first of its albums under the Geffen label. In 2004, their album, Siren Song of the Counter Culture, was released.

With that, the group began to appear on the Billboard charts, and finally got a gold record. In 2006, they recorded The Sufferer and the Witness. This album hit the Billboard charts at number 10 and sold almost 50,000 copies during its first week. Some of the top songs for the band during 2004 through 2006 were Prayer of the Refugee,” “The Good Left Undone,” “Give It All,” and “Swing Life Away.” In 2008, their album Appeal to Ransom was released. It contains such hits as “Reeducation through Labor” and “Audience of One.”

Rise Against keeps on touring and works constantly in the studios and on stage, and has released there own brand of Rise Against merch. Their efforts have produced a much bigger fan base, but the edgy punk sound has mellowed to some extent. Fans don’t really care about this, though, because the group’s talent and drive continued to be the catalyst for their great musical talents, and they are continually on show. In 2009, the band will tour again in Canada and the United States, with punk bands Billy Talent, Rancid, and the Riverboat Gamblers.

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