Pelham Records

If you are old enough to have owned a Gramophone as a youngster, or indeed have inherited a record collection from a relative who has, then chances are you own some old 78 RPM records. The problem is that most modern record players won’t play them, they tend to be two speed and play only 33RPM and 45RPM records!

This is an inconvenience to anybody who wants to play 78RPM records, anybody who collects old records and wants to test before they buy, and anybody who wants to convert their old 78RPM records to MP3 format. Thankfully, or fortunately, there are a few fantastic vinyl players out there which ARE three speed and therefore DO play 78′s! Some of the best value options are looked at in the article Best 78 RPM USB Turntables.

The turntable that you choose and buy will depend on your precise needs, if you need a portable USB turntable which can be carried around easily and has a built in speaker then check out the Numark PT01USB Turntable Review. A light and portable USB turntable is perfect for those who attend collectors fairs and want to test records on the go, there is nothing worse than travelling 50 miles to attend a fair, buying a few rare records, and discovering damage when you attempt to play them. Also great for camping, because the Numark PT01USB is a battery powered USB turntable!

Listening to music and writing about it makes a pleasant change from my normal occupation of providing guidance about topics such as investment and how you can find the best autoresponder. One of the great pleasures of listening to music is that, as a stress buster, it is almost unmatched. It requires very little effort other than simply turning on some kind of music system and loading the music that you like.

It seems to me that it is a major mistake to try and categorize music into watertight compartments and then pass judgment on what is good and what is bad. Generally speaking, a love of Western classical music is regarded as a “good thing” and a mark of superior culture. Yet, has anybody ever thought that when you think about American music, it is genres like jazz, blues and rock ‘n roll that are top of mind. This is music from the heart without any intellectual or cultural pretensions.

Regrettably, many people seem to believe that music appreciation requires knowledge of music history. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is true that knowing a little bit about the music that you are listening to can add to your mental stimulation. However, you require absolutely no technical knowledge or historical education in order to enjoy listening to music. Music is such an intensely personal taste that you will often find it hard to explain why you like a particular piece of music.

The short answer is that you should not even begin to explain or analyze your likes. Listening to and liking music should be kept as simple as possible without your needing to justify your taste. By all means, make an attempt to learn more about your favorite music but only if you are convinced that this will increase your enjoyment. All you are really required to do is to approach music without any preconceived notions and a desire to truly enjoy the experience.

If you’re looking to purchase a new pair of headphones the first thing you’ll want to know is exactly how headphones work, or you may end up purchasing a low quality pair.  There’s 3 main types of headphones: workout headphones, audiophile headphones and musician headphones.  And while they’re all different, they are also almost exactly the same.

Each of these types of headphones still function the same way.  They utilize what is known as air conduction to transport sound waves from the device, through the speakers and into your ears.  Essentially what happens is the sound moves the air within your ear canal which then stimulates your inner ear.  A signal is sent to your brain and instantly recognizes the frequencies and amplitudes to create a unique sound.  Pretty cool huh?  But what does all that have to do with headphones?  Well, now that you know the basics of sound you can use that to choose the best pair of headphones.

Here are 3 things to look for when determining sound quality of any headphone or earbud.

Frequency Response.  Each pair of headphones will have a specific range of frequencies that it can understand and then pass on to you.  It is very unlikely that you’ll find a pair of headphones that can’t pick up a common frequency.  Typically you’d want to see something like 20 MHz to 20,000 MHz.

Total Harmonic Distortion.  This is essentially just what it says, the amount of distortion of the sound that is generated between the source (MP3 player) and the exit (earbud).  The goal would be less than 0.5% at which point you wouldn’t notice anything.

Sound Pressure Level.  This is basically how loud a the headphones can play the music.  Usually it’s around 120dB, but you would never want to turn your headphones up that loud as you’d damage your hearing.

Now that you know everything about headphones you’re ready to buy the perfect pair!

As a departure from the normal stock market investing advice that I dispense, I thought that for a change, I would talk about musical instruments. As you know, the guitar is a stringed instrument that can be played with the fingers or a pick. Broadly speaking, there are two categories of guitars namely acoustic and electric with several important subcategories. Guitars normally have six strings though there are exceptions such as the 12 string guitar or the Russian guitar which has 7 strings.

Acoustic guitars which have hollow bodies [in common with other instruments like the violin and the cello] have been used for hundreds of years. The main types of acoustic guitars are the classical guitar, the steel string guitar and the archtop guitar. The tone of the guitar is produced when the vibrations of the strings are amplified by the hollow body which acts as a kind of resonating chamber. The classical guitar is extensively used as a solo instrument because the complex finger picking technique enables it to be so used.

Electric guitars, which were first used in the 1930s, use a separate amplifier through which sound can be amplified and manipulated. The vibration of the strings is picked up by magnetic pickups placed under them which transmit the sound to the amplifier through wires. Electric guitars have had a significant influence on modern music and culture and are used in musical genres that range from pop and rock to jazz and blues music.

An interesting blend of acoustic and electric guitars can be found in some archtop guitars where the top and sometimes the back of the instrument is curved rather than flat. They are distinguished by f holes much like a violin. Most modern archtop guitars are fitted with magnetic pickups and can therefore combine the best of the sound quality of both acoustic and electric guitars. These guitars were instantly welcomed by many musicians and have today become a staple of jazz, country music and many forms of blues.