Wired Review of U2 3D

Way back in March of last year I blogged about the pending release of the film U2 3D. This concert movie was produced entirely in 3D by a company called Real D. And it's about U2, featuring them live in concert during the South American leg of the 2006 Vertigo tour. Pretty creative film title, eh?

The highly esteemed music writer (highly esteemed around this blog, at least) Eliot Van Buskirk got to see the film at an Imax in all it's three-dimensional glory and wrote a thorough review of the whole shebang. The short take is that he liked it a lot. The long take is that . . . well, don't read my version of the long take, just go read Eliot's article. And then go see U2 3D.

New One On Me

Now here's something you don't see every day. Dr. Dre has a signature set of headphones. Called "Beats By Dr. Dre" these high-profile cans were speced out by Dre and Jimmy Iovine and are engineered and produced in collaboration with Monster. So not only are these the first signature headphones on the market (at least from a name with sway like Dre's) this is also a first for Monster, and the two parties chose to break this ground together.

I wonder what would happen if you listened to East Coast gangsta rap through a pair of Beats? Would Dre show up at your house with Snoop and take away your headphones?

Are You Tone Deaf? Let's Find Out

Ever been called tone deaf? Prove you aren't. Or conversely, you can prove someone else is.

This cool test for tone deafness comes straight from the labs of Harvard Medical School.

Use your phone to save music

As I noted in the previous post, the future of Internet radio is in immediate danger. A crippling royalty rate increase for webcasters—which is also retroactive to January 1, 2006—is due to go into effect on May 15. A large chunk of internet radio stations will be forced to shut down on that date, but there is still time to act.

Representatives Jay Inslee (D-WA) and Donald Manzullo (R-IL) have introduced H.R. 2060, The Internet Radio Equality Act, which if passed will save the Internet radio industry. Please call your congressperson to ask them to co-sponsor H.R. 2060.

I called this morning after I was informed how to take action in an email from SaveNetRadio.org. It was very easy. The aide who answered the phone was very non-threatening and it took less than a minute to say my piece. Don't be afraid to call, and don't think it will take a long time. It's painless and the possible payoff is huge.

Call Your Representative!

Find out who your representative is by going to the Act Now page on the SaveNetRadio.org website and clicking on "Call your members of Congress" link. Find who your representative(s) is by entering your zip code, then just dial the phone number and follow the instructions provided on the page.

And if you're feeling especially generous with your time, drop an email to Representatives Jay Inslee and Donald Manzullo to say, "Thanks," for their effort.

Can you save Internet radio?

Internet radio has had a stake driven through its young heart by the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board. To make a long story short, the Royalty Board—spurred on by hacks and lawyers at SoundExchange (an RIAA front)—decided to raise the royalty rates Internet broadcasters must pay to broadcast music. While the rate raise is only pennies per song, it adds up to a nearly 150% increase in fees. That's a lot. Increase your rent by 150% and see how quickly you have to move.

To make it worse the fees are retroactive, meaning a lot of Internet broadcasters will have to immediately shell out a lump sum payment for music they've already played. I'm not going to sugarcoat it: things look bad. An appeal of the decision has already been denied.

SaveNetRadio.org is a website that's trying to spread the word and also offers fans of Internet radio a chance to contact their representatives and have them ask for a Congressional appeal of the decision. Take a few minutes, click over to SaveNetRadio.org and use their extremely easy to use website to contact your Congressional representative(s) and ask them to help save Internet radio.

Pro-quality FireWire audio interface for $200

Yeah, that's the stuff right there. Sweet gear on the cheap. In case you've missed it, Musician's Friend is blowing out the Mackie Onyx Satellite.

The Satellite is a very rugged 2x6 computer audio interface that gives you eight separate inputs and six line outs, has two clean-and-clear-sounding Onyx preamps, and high-quality 24-bit/96kHz audio converters. It also ships with a full version of Tracktion for recording, processing, and mixing audio on your PC or Mac. But the coolest part of the Satellite is its totally unique two-piece form factor made up of the Pod and the Base Station. It allows you to easily take your recording interface wherever you go without having to unhook all the wiring and cabling you have it connected to at home. It's a fresh, functional idea that works exceptionally well. All this for $200.

But WAIT, there's MORE!

Forgive me—I've always wanted to do that. Not only is the Satellite only 200 clams, but for a limited time (through the end of April) when you buy a Mackie Satellite from Musician's Friend you're also eligible for a rebate that gets you a free padded carrying bag for the Satellite and a FireWire cable kit. Huzzah! Free stuff!

DRM-free downloads from EMI and iTunes

EMI and Apple have struck a deal to distribute high-quality, DRM-free music through the iTunes Music Store. The 256kbps AAC files will cost 30 cents more per track and you can still download the 128kbps version for the regular 99 cent price.

The wall hasn't fallen, but I think I see a hole.

eMedia for education

For years eMedia has made it easier for computer-savvy individuals to learn to play music with their award-winning multimedia music method software. I've checked out a few of their titles and I have some friends who've used it to learn guitar and drums. It moves at a nice pace and is affordable, with a single title being comparable to a round of lessons with a professional instructor.

Now eMedia has gone and gotten all charitable while furthering the cause of rock 'n' roll at the same time, which in my book deserves some kudos. The company donated a bunch of music software, namely their Guitar Method, Rock Guitar Method, Bass Method and the super-easy-to-use Band in a Box music software app to the Seattle-area Rock School. Rock School is a non-profit school with several locations around Seattle that gives its students a chance to learn about music and creativity. And thanks to eMedia, their curriculum just got a little more high tech. If you're betwen ages 12 to 21, live in Seattle, and are ready to get in touch with your inner Angus Young, then there's a school just for you.

Better hearing through science

Now THIS is cool. Suffering from hearing loss? If, like me, you've spent most of your life playing music—LOUD music—chances are pretty good your ears have been damaged and your hearing has slipped a bit. Thanks to modern stem-cell technology and old-fashioned electricity, scientists may have found a way to reverse hearing loss.

The funny thing about this article though, is that the writer discovered it isn't the traditional sources of hearing loss which fueled this research. No, it's something much more recent: the iPod. It's the audio equivalent of teenage gamers with carpal tunnel syndrome, a medical issue normally associated with middle-aged office workers. Let's not forget, though, that just as in the case of CTS, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Let's turn down the volume, folks. Like the world really needs more noise.