News and reviews of audio products, including FireWire and USB input interfaces, podcasting, microphones, and more

Copy music off your iPod

Kirk McElhearn — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:19:00 -0800

There's nothing worse than losing your iTunes library to a hard drive crash. If you have music on your iPod, you can at least get it back with the right tools.

Review: Roth Audio Alfie

Andy Penfold — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:02:00 -0800

The Alfie looks pretty, but its high price tag is more a function of its multi-purpose nature than its sound quality.

Headfunk offers Sidekick Speaker Bags for iPod

Nick Spence — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:32:00 -0800

Headfunk has announced the launch of the Sidekick Speaker Bags for iPod.

Review: Crystal Audio Video SSB-1 surround sound bar

Cliff Joseph — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:03:00 -0800

The Crystal Audio Video SSB-1 surround sound bar is a good-sounding speaker set, but its virtual surround-sound feature doesn't live up to its promise.

Apple launches iTunes Preview

Nicholas Bonsack — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:10:00 -0800

Apple has just quietly launched a service that makes links to the iTunes Store a little more informative by displaying information about the product in a Web browser.

B&W announces headphones, computer speakers

Dan Frakes — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:56:00 -0800

High-end audio vendor B&W has announced the company's first forays into the headphone and computer-speaker markets.

Lyrics licensed but with limitations

Christopher Breen — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:21:00 -0800

Reports of the demise of free lyrics were premature. Unlicensed lyrics may be gone, but more-limited licensed versions are taking their place.

Accessory and app combo bring HD Radio to iPhone

Aayush Arya — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:44:00 -0800

Gigaware’s latest hardware accessory and companion app add HD radio capabilities to the iPhone and iPod touch.

Shazam rolls out paid Encore app, changes free app

Nicholas Bonsack — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Shazam, creators of the popular song-identifying app for iPhone, has released a $5 version with more features and introduced limitations for new users of the free app.

Review: Cygnett Maestro iPod speaker dock

Nick Spence — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:14:00 -0800

Average looks aside, the Maestro produces decent audio reproduction from a speaker dock that won’t offend the ears, or for that matter the eyes.

Skype's legal storm clears up

Juan Carlos Perez — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:28:00 -0800

Skype's cofounders have reached an agreement to withdraw their legal challenges against eBay and Skype's future majority owners.

Beatles ban takes effect at BlueBeat

Jacqueline Emigh — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:38:00 -0800

The owner of online retailer BlueBeat has begun complying with a new court order to stop selling Beatles music online, after offering a quirky defense that he owns the copyright to the songs at issue.

BlueBeat says Beatles songs are its own creations

Jonathan Seff — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:25:00 -0800

The man behind BlueBeat Website, which is accused of illegally selling MP3 of Beatles tunes (among other artists) says that he's only providing original creations and not infringing on copyright.

iPhone Public Radio App brings DVR features to NPR

Jeff Porten — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:31:00 -0800

Yet another in the line of public radio applications for iPhone, the cleverly named Public Radio App adds in DVR-like features for listening to programs when you want to.

Orb for Mac lets you stream your media anywhere

Lex Friedman — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:20:00 -0800

A new Mac version of the popular Orb software streams music, photos, and videos to any Internet device, including iPhone

Novation Launchpad debuts

Jackie Dove — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:30:00 -0800

Novation has unveiled Launchpad, an easy-to-use audio controller that works with Ableton Live 8 performance software to let you create musical compositions.

Review: Sonos ZonePlayer S5

Christopher Breen — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:15:00 -0800

Sonos delivers a good-sounding all-in-one wireless audio player.

The Beatles releasing full catalog digitally... via USB

Lex Friedman — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:52:00 -0800

The Beatles' digitally remastered catalog will be released on a limited edition Apple-shaped USB stick.

Klipsch releases wireless ProMedia 2.1

Dan Frakes — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:03:00 -0800

Klipsch has released a wireless version of the company's well-regarded ProMedia 2.1 speaker system.

Sirius XM launches SkyDock radio for iPhone

Nicholas Bonsack — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:27:00 -0800

Sirius XM's new SkyDock radio is a combination of software and docking cradle that lets you listen to your XM radio on your iPhone or iPod touch

Lala music streaming app awaiting Apple approval

Dan Moren — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:45:00 -0700

Online music service Lala has submitted its app, which allows you to stream tunes from the service's library, to Apple for approval.

Google launches music search

Aayush Arya — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:13:00 -0700

Google’s newfound music searching capabilities will allow you to preview and purchase tracks right from the first page of search results.

Review: Razer Mako speakers

Dan Frakes — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:30:00 -0700

Razer's Mako isn't the most accurate system out there, but its quite impressive thanks to good overall sound, killer bass, a bunch of useful features, and a unique design.

Rock Band rocks out on iPhone and iPod touch

Nicholas Bonsack — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:03:00 -0700

EA Mobile has officially released the iPhone and iPod touch version of Rock Band, its popular console music title.

Apple, Sonos, or Squeezebox: What's best for getting your audio all over your house?

Dan Frakes, Jason Snell — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:29:00 -0700

We love Sonos' Digital Music System and Logitech's Squeezebox, but Dan Frakes and Jason Snell set out to determine if they could build a comparable system from AirPort Express units and other Apple gear. Their experiences can help you decide which is the best system for getting your music around your house.

Review: Harman Kardon Soundsticks II speakers

Dan Frakes — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Long after it original release, Harman Kardon's SoundSticks II remains a standout speaker system. While missing many features found on other computer speakers, the SoundSticks II offers very good sound and an eye-catching design for a reasonable price.

Review: Word War for iPhone

Ben Boychuk — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:35:00 -0700

This game lets you flex your command of English as you and an opponent build words, letter-by-letter, until you can't build anymore. And who knows -- the game just might have some educational value too.

Review: Altec Lansing Expressionist Plus (FX3021) speakers

Dan Frakes — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:11:00 -0700

Altec Lansing's affordable Expressionist Plus gives you a 2.1 speaker system that provides decent performance, an impressive-for-the-money design, and some nice features.

Western Digital launches WD TV Live

Chris Holt — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Western Digital announced Tuesday its new WD TV Live HD Media Player.

Apple denies iTunes LP production fee

Dan Moren — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:04:00 -0700

An Apple spokesperson denied claims that the company is charging a $10,000 production fee for its new iTunes LP format and says that it will be open to major and indie labels.

Review: Edifier E3350 computer speakers

Dan Frakes — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Edifier's E3350 offers an eye-catching design and a nice set of features, but its sound quality reminds you that it's still a budget system.

Review: M-Audio Studiophile AV 40

Dan Frakes — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:15:00 -0700

If you've got room on your desk (or bookshelf), the AV 40 is an excellent set of compact studio monitors that out-performs the traditional 2.0 computer speakers we've tested, and even bests many 2.1 systems when it comes to overall sound quality.

Apple and Eminem publisher settle lawsuit

Dan Moren — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:02:00 -0700

Apple and Eminem publisher Eight Mile Style have settled a lawsuit that went to trial late last month over digital downloads of the rapper's songs.

Review: JBL Duet II

Dan Frakes — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 07:25:00 -0700

JBL's Duet II can't pump out loads of bass or volume, and don't have many options, but if you want detailed audio without giving up much desk space, the Duet II is worth a look.

Review: Creative GigaWorks T40 Series II

Dan Frakes — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:00:00 -0700

Creative's top-of-the-line 2.0 speaker system offers good sound quality, attractive appearance, and varied listening options.

Review: Logitech Speaker System Z520

Dan Frakes — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:18:00 -0700

Logitech's latest two-piece computer speaker system offers convenient features and a unique design for listening from anywhere in the room.

Cleaning an iTunes library

Christopher Breen — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:20:00 -0700

Is your iTunes library full of duplicates, tracks from misnamed artists and albums, and albums lacking artwork? These tools can help.

Eminem publishers v. Apple finally going to trial

Dan Moren — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:30:00 -0700

A case two years in the making is finally going to trial. Rapper Eminem's music publishers are suing Apple for distributing recordings of his songs without permission.

New GarageBand Lessons include Rush, John Legend

Dan Moren — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:23:00 -0700

Apple's added a trio of new artist lessons to its Garage Band Lesson Store, including a pair by Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson.

The Macalope Weekly: Money, money, money

The Macalope — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 07:00:00 -0700

The Zune HD may be many things, but it's not an iPod touch-killer. Nor is there apparently a way to kill the record industry's aspirations, even with a stake through the heart. And aren't accounting rules a killer?

Review: Able Planet PS500MM True Fidelity stereo headset

Peter Cohen — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 04:17:00 -0700

Able Planet's latest headset provides good comfort and microphone performance, although audio quality is lacking for the price.

MOTU releases Digital Performer 7

Jackie Dove — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:55:00 -0700

Mark of the Unicorn has released Digital Performer 7, an upgrade to its audio workstation software, featuring a variety of additions and productivity enhancements, including a new suite of modeled guitar effects plug-ins.

iTunes gains Automatically Add to iTunes feature

Aayush Arya — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:24:00 -0700

With iTunes 9, Apple has brought the ability to have the software automatically monitor and add media content from a folder to the library. The only thing is, its usefulness may be limited.

Apple drops prices on iPod nanos, touches, classic

Dan Moren — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 06:51:00 -0700

Just hours ahead of Apple's "It's only Rock and Roll" event, the company has slashed prices across its iPod line.

Logitech debuts Squeezebox Touch, Radio

Dan Frakes — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 01:00:00 -0700

Logitech has announced two new Squeezebox network music players, both with 4.3-inch, full-color screens. The Squeezebox Touch features a touchscreen version of the display; the Squeezebox Radio includes a built-in speaker and alarm-clock functions.

Mac News Briefs: SkypeCap adds Snow Leopard support

Macworld Staff — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:31:00 -0700

The Skype video and audio capture tool wasn't the only application to add support for OS X 10.6. A pair of programs from Chronos added Snow Leopard support, as did AJA Video's line of Kona video capture cards. Panoweaver 6 for the Mac also debuted Wednesday, while Audio 2 DJ is now available in stores.

The $300 challenge: The blogger

Christopher Breen — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 06:00:00 -0700

Watch as Macworld editor Chris Breen tries to turn his Mac into a multimedia-savvy blogging platform without going over budget.

Native Instruments announces new versions of its core products

Jonathan Seff — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:06:00 -0700

Native Instruments will ship new versions of Kontakt, Absynth, Guitar Rig Pro, and Komplete in October.

Altec Lansing introduces Mix digital boombox

Jonathan Seff — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:55:00 -0700

Altec Lansing's new Mix digital boombox is designed for iPod and iPhone users.

Recording your song on an iPhone

John Brandon — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 06:30:00 -0700

As an amateur musician, I’m always looking for ways to get a song from my head into my computer. With Sonoma Wire Works FourTrack, it’s easy to compose an entire song, record the basic parts, and then export the audio to your Mac for further editing.