Metronome & Tuner in one
I let my girlfriend borrow this for a few weeks thinking I wouldn’t miss it and I was totally wrong. Turns out we both can’t live without it. I didn’t realize how much I was using it to check tempos here and there (and to let horn players borrow for tuning…ahem…). This is a priceless little gadget for musicians.
I bought mine…er…my girlfriend’s at the Sam Ash in NYC a few years back. I see Amazon has it for $25. I think it’s well worth the dime.
Bose Headphones
I was actually given these as a gift, if you can believe that. Great gift, right? I thought so too. I really like these headphones – they have great sound quality, the block out an impressive amount of sound without the expense of noise-canceling technology, they are lightweight and comfortable. They fit really well around my ears and stay comfortable for long periods of time.
They are expensive, like most Bose products, but they’ve also lasted a long time for me. I’ve been using my pair for 4 years now and I’m very happy with them. The foam on the ear cushions is finally starting to flake off a bit, but the sound quality has stayed the same and I expect them to stay nice for quite awhile longer. If I lost them I’d definitely replace them right away.
USB MIDI Connector
This 2×2 USB MIDI interface from M-Audio is perfect for my rig. Most keyboard controllers for sale these days have USB connection built in – which means you can skip the old MIDI interfaces and just buy a USB hub (which could save you around $200+). If you have an older board that only has MIDI connectors and no USB (like my Yamaha P-120), buy this 2×2 connector and you be all set. How simple is that? Another priceless gadget.
I also take this gadget on the road with me, even if I don’t have my keyboard in tow. In the places I work I’m never far from a keyboard, and I’m always working on something in Logic or Finale. If I have this cord in my suitcase I can always pull it out and make that abandoned keyboard in the backroom my make-shift recording studio for the day.
MOTU Ultralite
Without exception, I think the MOTU Ultralite is the best audio interface in it’s price range. I’ve owned one for 3 years now and I have no complaints. I have a friend borrowing it right now to record an entire album. I have no doubt that this gadget is up to the task.
The preamps are crisp and warm, the dials and buttons are rugged and satisfying, and the chassis is trustworthy. The firewire port means that it can be bus powered through your computer (leave that big adaptor at home), but it can also be used as a stand-alone mixer if you need it in a pinch (so bring that big adapter). I’ve lugged this little electronic all over the country between tours and relocations, and it’s never complained. Pair this with a good mic and you’re done. This is a great product.
1/8″ Headphone Adapter
My cellphone is a Palm Centro. There are a lot of fancy bluetooth and non-bluetooth headphones that you can use with a phone like mine, but they can be expensive, or they have a special jack – and either way they can only be used with the phone.
Why not just use your regular headphones? All you have to do is buy this 1/4″ to 1/8″ adaptor and you can. It’s only $1.43 at Amazon, and I found mine at Radio Shack for around the same amount. Just make sure that you get a “stereo” adaptor, or you’ll only get sound out of one ear (I made that mistake once).
Once you have the adaptor, you can plug your phone into anything that you can plug your iPod into – your car, iPod speakers (not the docks, the kind with the 1/4″ jacks), other stereo systems. This is really convenient if you have some new music that you are trying to learn and you want to always have it with you. Maybe you’re learning a new standard, or playing with a new band and learning their charts – or maybe you just recorded a new album and you always want to have the new music with you to show others.
You can do all of this with an iPod, of course, but sometimes you want to leave your iPod at home. Say you go for a run – maybe you want to bring your cell phone for safety and your iPod for music – just bring your phone with this adaptor and put a playlist on the phone.
I know what I’m describing here is an iPhone, or countless other kinds of phones, but this is the cheap way that I do it. It works great for me and costs less than $2.
David J. Hahn
David J. Hahn is a Broadway conductor and keyboard player. He co-founded MusicianWages.com with Cameron Mizell in 2008. Visit his new project, Songwriter.fm and sign up for his songwriting newsletter.
Nice! Definitely items for the wish list…
This is a great list! I would add to it:
Some type of hand-held flash recorder. I have the Roland Edirol R-09 and it goes everywhere with me. The built in mics are great and with the choice of bit-rate (128k mp3 – 4800k wav) I can get tons of record time on the 2 gig flash card (the new ones take cards up to 32 gigs!). There are other varieties such as the Zoom H4 that also take XLR inputs (mine only takes 1/8 in) for use with external mics and even provide 48v Phantom Power if you want it. I take this to all my rehearsals and it provides me with fast, high quality feedback!
There is a long list of various recorders at:
http://www.sweetwater.com/c1006–Portable_Recorders
I second the props to the Motu Ultralite. I’m borrowing one from a friend and it’s as simple as plugging in and hitting record, but you can also make very minute tweaks to perfect the sound. Takes a lot to make it clip, too.
And Jeremy, you’re right about the recorder. I got the Olympus LS10, and being able to record my gigs has been the best way to make my practice time more productive.
OK, I have a question: The MOTU Traveler costs only around 300 quids more. Why go with the Ultralite? I mean, let’s say you could easily afford the extra 300. Is it the size? Does it have features the other one doesn’t?
If you can easily afford the extra 300, then the Traveler is probably a good buy. I bought the Ultralite because that was the price range I could afford.
That said, I do like how compact and portable the Ultralite is. Maybe the Traveler is too – I’ve never seen it in person.
Thank you! One more question: Since I can input several channels, I can easily record them on a Mac (or PC). Are there any standalone options for this? I’m thinking ADAT on a budget here, anything that records the individual channels on a hard disc.
Thing is I don’t like taking my MacBook Pro with me on stage and on tour but I do like recording a gig for mixing later. A full blown ADAT is well out of my league for this purpose. Are there any alternatives?
I use those types of products. Though my headphones are made by the same people who make my studio monitors (Samson). I use a Korg tuner on stage so I can see it from a distance and mute my bass amp signal. I don’t need a metronome because Pro Tools has a click track. I also have great natural tempo (thanks God).
For an interface, I use Mbox2 mini. No problems so far.
These types of music items are indeed required and I do not want to be without them!
Maybe one day I’ll switch to a Mac when I can afford it.
Rick
Why would your phone have a 1/4″ jack? That’s what guitars and **** use.
Do you mean 2.5 mm??
I guess I meant 1/8″ to 1/4″. Wrong preposition.
I’d love to have a set of Bose headphones. I only have a couple mid grade sets now but they do the job. Love the site by the way!