Meinl 20″ MB10 Medium Crash Cymbal

Meinl's MB10 series is made from B10 bronze, which means 90% copper and 10% tin. The high copper content results in a bright sound, and although high copper content usually gives the cymbal a more reddish color, the MB10's look like B20.

Mark Levinson No 53 Monoblock Power Amplifier

Mark Levinson is a state-of-the-art brand, whose products are purchased by consumers whose bank accounts are also state-of-the-art. Levinson makes no apologies for their prices, nor do they have to justify them. The axiom is simple: If you want the best, it costs a lot. The latest addition to their power amplifier line takes a huge leap from the previous designs, which were Class AB, and which usually were biased well into Class A operation. The Mark Levinson No 53 is a monoblock power amplifier that is a switching design, i.e., the output stage is operated in switching mode, but it is unique in that it interleaves eight switchers to produce a fully balanced output, at a realized switching frequency of 4 MHz.

Sabian 22″ APX Ride Cymbal

One of Sabian's more economical lines of cymbals (mid-priced) is called APX. They are made from sheet metal rather than cast, but they still use a bronze alloy (not brass). This particular one is the 22" APX ride cymbal, and I have to say that the ping from this cymbal cuts through like a razor. It has a very sharp and lightning fast attack, with very little wash. So, all the energy goes into the ping. You can ride the heck out of it without developing a wash that buries the ping. So, don't overlook this moderately inexpensive series. It might have what you need.

Bosphorus 18″ Traditional Jazz Crash Ride Cymbal

Bosphorus cymbals are a little hard to find, mostly because they make up part of the 10% of cymbal sales that are not Paiste, Sabian, or Zildjian ("The Big Three"). But, they are out there, you just have to look. This one is an 18", and it is classified as a jazz crash ride in the Bosphorus Traditional series, meaning that you can use it as a crash cymbal as well as a ride cymbal. So, I measured the response both ways.

ADCOM GFA-555se Stereo Power Amplifier

The original ADCOM GFA-555 stereo power amplifier hit the market in 1985. Standby for math calculation. That's 25 years ago. Enough time for a digital music revolution (maybe peaking now). Enough time for the Rolling Stones to release 11 new records (28 for Neil Young). Enough time for most rock bands to burn out, fade away and then stage a comeback. And, enough time for a hifi manufacturer to come and go as well. Here, we review the latest iteration fo this classic, called the GFA-555se.

Meinl 20″ Soundcaster Fusion Powerful Crash Cymbal

Meinl's Soundcaster series is one of their top lines. They are B20 bronze, with elegant hand hammering and lathing, and the surface has one region near the bell that is hammered but not lathed, while the outer region is hammered and lathed, so you get three playing surfaces including the bell (which is not hammered or lathed). It comes in the Brilliant finish, and is a sure fire attention-getter both in looks and sound.

Home Theater Movie Renter’s Guide – December, 2010

The Town (Blu-ray), Peanuts Holiday Collection (Blu-ray), Madea Goes to Jail (Blu-ray), Scooby-Doo 1 & 2 (Blu-ray), The Sorcerer's Apprentice (Blu-ray), The Search for Santa Paws (Blu-ray), Fantasia / Fantasia 2000 (Blu-ray), Cats vs. Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (Blu-ray), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Blu-ray), Twas the Night Before Christmas (DVD), Nanny McPhee Returns (Blu-ray), Lost in Translation (Blu-ray), Inception (Blu-ray), Going the Distance (Blu-ray), A Christmas Carol (3D) (Blu-ray), Diary of a Mad Black Woman (Blu-ray), Why Did I Get Married (Blu-ray), The Wiz (Blu-ray), Meet the Parents (Blu-ray), Meet the Fockers (Blu-ray), Hunter Prey (DVD), Flipped (Blu-ray), Despicable Me (Blu-ray), The Secret Life of of the American Teenager Vol. 5 (DVD), Step Up (3D) (Blu-ray), The Legend of the Guardians (3D) (Blu-ray), Frenemy (DVD), Devil (Blu-ray), Boy Meets World: The Complete Fourth Season (DVD), Madea's Family Reunion (Blu-ray)

Communing with the Great Jazz Saxophonist Charles Lloyd – An Interview

Ever since he emerged a half century ago as music director of the Chico Hamilton Quartet, saxophonist Charles Lloyd has been at the forefront of jazz innovation. One of the first jazz artists to sell a million copies of a recording, which he made with a quartet that included a young Keith Jarrett, and two other legendary artists, drummer Jack DeJohnette and bassist Cecil McBee, Lloyd has done everything from jam with the Doors, The Grateful Dead, and the Beach Boys to birth a new music from diverse cultural and spiritual traditions.

Meinl 22″ Soundcaster Custom Mega Bell Ride Cymbal

The bell of a cymbal is much more than just a place to suspend the cymbal from. It contributes a lot to the sound. The larger the bell, in general, the more musical it sounds. A cymbal without a bell sounds very dry. A typical cymbal has a bell that spans about 25-30% of the cymbal diameter. In this 22" Meinl Soundcaster Custom Mega Bell Ride Cymbal, the bell makes up nearly half the diameter across the cymbal. This results in a very unique ride sound, and it also gives "Bell Riders" a huge surface to work with.

Meinl 20″ Byzance Jazz Club Ride Cymbal

The bell of a cymbal contributes much more to the sound than one migh realize. Nowhere is this more illustrated that in a cymbal that has no bell, such as this 20" Meinl Byzance Jazz Club Ride. It has a dry, light ping that is perfect for small club venues. It has four rivets that add a subtle note to the wash which is very intense compared to the ride ping.