Aug 22, 1964 –59 Years ago The Day the Beatles shook Vancouver

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August 22, 1964. Photo by Owen Coppin. From the private collection of Red Robinson

The Fab Four’s first appearance in Canada 59 years ago was cut short because of a near riot

While February 7, 1964 was the day The Beatles crossed the big pond to conquer America, it was on August 22, 1964, the day before the legendary Hollywood Bowl Concert, that The Beatles made their first appearance north of the 49th Parallel. That concert was held outdoors at Empire Stadium in Vancouver, B.C.

The late legendary broadcaster and Disc Jockey Red Robinson, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, had previously introduced the likes of Elvis Presley, Bill Haley and Buddy Holly to the general public. But it was on that night in Vancouver that Red emceed the show that would go down as an unforgettable date in Beatle’s history.

I had the incredible opportunity to interview Red in 2004 when he graciously agreed to emcee a show at the PNE featuring Rubber Soul – The Canadian Tribute a band I was managing at the time.

Robinson, then 27, was at the time the Program Director and DJ at CFUN Radio in Vancouver. “It was a great day,” says Robinson. The concert was held on a football field on the site of the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE), built in 1954 for The British Empire and Commonwealth Games. It was during those games that Roger Bannister and John Landy broke the four-minute mile. [Read more…]

Creative’s Outlier Free Pro headphones a delightful out-of-ear experience

The bone-conduction magic of the Creative Outlier Free Pro is a revolution in sound

Earphones, earbuds or headphones, there’s no shortage of wired or wireless personal devices for enjoying your favourite music or podcasts on the go. These devices are typically designed to be worn in or over the ear.

Enter the Creative Outlier Free Pro, a newcomer on the scene that employs Bone Conduction Technology and is comfortably worn around the head, nestling just outside the ear.

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Legendary Rock ‘n’ Roll DJ Red Robinson dead at 86

Red Robinson introduces Rubber Soul PNE August 21, 2004. Photo by Greg Gazin

Robinson interviewed, befriended and introduced the likes of The Beatles, Elvis, Bill Haley, and Buddy Holly to the Canadian public

Legendary Canadian Rock’ n’ Roll broadcaster and DJ Red Robinson passed away on Saturday at 86 after a brief illness.

I first met Red in 2004 when I asked him to introduce a tribute band I was managing at the time – Rubber Soul – The Beatles Experience – which had been selected to perform on the opening night (Aug. 21) of Vancouver’s Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) to commemorate both the 50th anniversary of the PNE and the 40th anniversary of the Beatles first Canadian concert at what was then the Empire Stadium. Empire Stadium was torn down during the eighties to make way for the PNE.

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Trouble hearing voices on TV? Try ZVOX AccuVoice

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could actually decipher and properly hear the dialogue in on TV and in movies? Yes, it’s baffling. As technology advances and the advent of immersive technologies like surround sound and Dolby Atmos, to enjoy as show, we still might have to crank up the volume, which may help marginally or turn on close captioning. Sometimes we may even have to “rewind” and go back to make out what’s actually being said. Of course, adding long term exposure to noisy environments, a little too much loud music and perhaps a little aging doesn’t help the cause either.

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Last Minute Practical Holiday Gift Ideas from Theragun, Accusonus, Roland, and Samsung

With Christmas just around the corner you may need to make some last minute purchases or gather ideas as to what to do with all those gift cards come Boxing Day. So here are a few very practical selections from Theragun, Accusonus, Roland, and Samsung.

Gift of Pain Relief

Many of us seem to be suffering from many of the stresses of life, so if you’re looking for a gift to help your loved one relieve pain, stress and stiffness of sore muscles there’s a gun for that. 

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Edifier R1280T Quality sound for a modest price

                                                         

 

Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers offer functionality and high-fidelity in a retro package

 

Speakers come in all shapes and sizes. And you don’t need to look far to find some pretty far-out designs. But if you’re in the market for a new high-fidelity pair with a retro flair, the Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers would be a good bet.

The R1280T keeps with the traditional bookshelf design: a pair of wood veneer MDF cabinets with a removable front grill. Behind each grill is a four-inch bass driver with calibrated front-facing bass reflex port to allow the air to circulate freely for more accurate lower range sounds. It has a 13-millimetre silk-domed tweeter tweaked for crisper highs.    Read more below or see full article at Troy Media. [Read more…]

New iRig Keys I/O integrated control for GarageBand and Logic Pro X

iRig Keys I/O

IK Multimedia has just announced a new plug-in is available for iRig Keys I/O that enables control surface integration forGarageBand and Logic Pro X. Using the touch-sensitive knobs and buttons on iRig Keys I/O this allows users to control functions such as: transport control with play, record, fast-forward and rewind buttons; moving the play head forward or backward via the data knob; looping on/off by pressing the data knob, and rotary knob control of the main parameters for effects and instruments in Logic Pro X and GarageBand. [Read more…]

Tech gifts to lighten, brighten and colour your life

Still searching for just the right tech gifts for Christmas? Here are a few bright, colourful ideas that might make the last-minute rush a little easier

Still searching for just the right tech gifts for Christmas? Here are a few bright, colourful ideas that might make the last-minute rush a little easier. [Read more…]

Review: iRig Keys I/O all-in-one portable digital audio workstation

iRigKeysIO_49_25_front

If you’re a budding musician or musician simply tight on space or spends time on the road, then you might be interested in IK Multimedia’s iRig Keys I/O. It’s a brand new self-contained digital audio workstation (DAW) for your Mac, PC, iPhone or iPad. It’s a MIDI controller with full-sized keys (25 or 49), a high resolution digital-audio interface (DAC) suitable for plugging in directly your guitar, bass or microphone, and a built-in pre-amp. All this comes in a self-contained compact lightweight portable unit along with with a bundle of software and apps. [Read more…]

IK Multimedia releases iRig Pre HD – high-def digital mic interface for iOS, Mac & PC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 19, 2017 – IK Multimedia has just announced iRig Pre HD a high-definition, ultra-compact digital interface for microphones with an onboard Class A studio-quality preamplifier designed to deliver top notch audio performance with iPhone, iPad, Mac and PC. It offers the ability to record anytime and anywhere using any kind of professional microphone with a XLR connector, including gain-hungry models and those requiring phantom power. Featuring an integrated 1/8″ headphone output for real-time direct audio monitoring, high-quality internal converters, LED indicators and a suite of professional audio apps, iRig Pre HD is the most comprehensive, portable digital microphone interface for professional applications on the market.

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