• More than 50 software instrument presets you can use to perform rhythm and backing tracks with a keyboard in a variety of styles
• Build unique tracks with loops for rock, blues, metal, jazz, and country songs
• Choose from new, fully playable acoustic (including an “unplugged” acoustic bass guitar) and electric basses covering some of the most popular studio tones,
• Play a variety of new software drum kits, covering everything from jazz brushes to classic 1970s studio sound to heavy metal
• Using your keyboard, you can strum, pick and perform more than 10 playable guitars and other stringed instruments, including a bluegrass banjo, an blues acoustic guitar, a dobro, and three new electric guitars, with harmonics and power chords

Songwriters and vocalists take note: the Rhythm Section Jam Pack provides you with the ultimate backing band, one that will never get tired. Of the 2,000 Apple Loops that come in Rhythm Section, half consist of drum beats you can use to introduce variations on grooves — with fills, alternate patterns and numerous other innovations. And the remaining 1,000? Guitarists and bass players will find bass lines, chord progressions, and guitar and keyboard riffs designed to support and enhance the performance of the singer/songwriter.

Rating: (out of 6 reviews)

List Price: $ 99.00

Price: Too low to display

Did anyone else miss out on the fact that Best Buy sells musical instruments now? I had no idea, but apparently over 80 stores across the country now carry your standard rhythm section fare of drums, guitars, and basses, along with a full DJ gear section and live sound equipment. They seem to be working towards crafting the store into a venue as well. Past performers  at the Union Square position include 50 Cent, Dr. Dre, will.i.am, and Rihanna. But playing a show in a Best Buy? Is that’s what cool these days? Cool enough for pop music I guess. You can follow the store on Facebook for updates on whose playing.

But the best part about all this (yes there is a best part) is that this store has an exclusive deal with Roland to carry the Roland Ax-Synth. That’s right. Keytars are back in business baby!

SACD and DVD-A: A feast for your ears when you hear them over Oppo's stellar BDP-83.

Oppo’s new BDP-83 player spins just about every type of “silver” disc under the sun: CD, SACD, DVD-Audio, DVD-Video and Blu-ray. Cool!

I brought a stack of SACDs and DVD-A discs to the CNET listening room to check out the BDP-83 with our Denon AVR-3808CI receiver and Aperion Intimus 4T Hybrid SD 5.1 speaker/subwoofer system. I’ll cover the high-resolution audio performance of the Oppo here, read Matthew Moskovciak’s full CNET review for the rest of the story.

“The Allman Brothers Band at Fillmore East,” recorded on March 12 and 13, 1971, was a trip. Sure, the original mix was stereo, but I loved the way the SACD’s 5.1 mix opened up and clarified the sound, especially the band’s two drummers, Jai Johanny Johanson and Butch Trucks. The entire rhythm section’s dynamics and pulse came alive on SACD, it’s more in the background on CD.

On one hand the 5.1 mix is fairly subtle, but the sound’s open quality and spaciousness was remarkable. The sense of being in the 2,000 seat concert hall was a thrill that you can’t get with stereo. And no, you can’t get there by playing stereo in Dolby Pro Logic II, a discrete 5.1 channel mix, if it’s any good, will always sound better.

Led Zeppelin’s “How the West Was Won” double DVD-A set was very different. How? The band’s dynamic energy was even more present and the front three speakers soundstage depth and dimensionality were better than the Allman Brothers’ disc. Too bad the bass was thicker and muddier, which was probably the way it sounded at the 1972 Zep shows. I didn’t like the surround mix much, mostly because I couldn’t understand why Jimmy Page’s guitar was sometimes coming out of the surround speakers. Strange. But it’s still the best sounding Zeppelin disc I own.

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Originally posted at The Audiophiliac

Before you get guitar instruction dvds, remember that you are going to give this person your time and more importantly, your money. So make sure the teacher is a good one before you invest. Go online, see if you can find any write-ups on them, check the papers, ask around, talk to friends. But make sure the teacher is a good one and has a good reputation.

Don’t turn your guitar practice time into extended guitar solos. If you have a track of say, six minutes at your disposal, use it to practice licks and short solo breaks, the age of the twenty minute solo is long gone. Also, make use of your backing tracks to improve the basic aspects of your guitar playing like your timing As with some other folk styles from various parts of the world, the guitar was originally just part of the rhythm section. The guitarist could be heard playing the odd bass run but apart from that he was in the background.

It’s easy to pick up bad habits from them. It may be that this pro is a natural like you, but one that didn’t take lessons, or spend months and years perfecting his technique. So I recommend you get guitar instructional dvd. Don’t get frustrated at this point. Take a deep breath and take comfort in that you have made the first step in learning how to practice the guitar seriously.

As a beginner learning to play the guitar can seem like a pretty steep hill to climb. There are notes and chords to learn and correct finger placement and technique to establish. Don’t be discouraged to quickly by letting these things get you frustrated. These tips should help you get started, and if you’re serious about taking some guitar lessons for beginners don’t waste another second and check out this review for an award winning guitar course that I recommend. Another characteristic of Metal guitar is the use of drop tunings.It gives you a totally different kind of control over your strings, your sound is more aggressive and you can do more with hammer-ons and tapping.

guitar lessons dvd FIRST rule: It’s ok to be sad. Really. Gotta pay your dues if you wanna sing the blues and you know it don’t come easy, as Ringo Starr once sang. If there’s one thing universal about human nature is that we all experience the blues, we all have our own share of sadness and heartbreak. Add your heartbreak to that guitar, you’re on your way to sing the blues. Surprised this isn’t the first rule? This is the technical side of things.