dubstep

Another re-issue from Lacoste's stable of early '80s performance tennis shoes, the Eclair features an outsole designed for hard court use and a chunky as hell midsole that is reminiscent of the Puma GV. If you squint hard enough, it might even tempt AF-1 lovers looking for a spring fling. The upper features suede overlays linked into the lacing for support and the tongue branding is an authentic replication of the Lacoste Crocodile from this era. As part of a triple pack, this jaffa is only a hint of what's to come – if it had a cream centre and choc icing, we'd be in heaven. Smash!

As every woman knows, it isn't necessarily the dress that makes the biggest impression on your wedding day; it's how you look in it. If your hair style isn't perfect under your veil then everyone will notice. The best hair styles for your wedding day are the ones the compliment your dress perfectly as well as your personality. It is so important to the overall beauty of the bride.

Before you choose your wedding hair style, you need to pick the perfect salon in which to get it done at. You should choose one that you are familiar with or someone you know is. The last thing you want to happen is to end up at a salon that doesn't specialize in wedding hair styles. Make sure you make you appointment well in advance, as the larger salons that specialize in wedding hair styles get booked up quickly, especially during wedding season.

Then you need to look at your shape of your face, as well as the dress you are wearing. You also need to know what type of veil you will be wearing and how much of your hair style it will be covering. If you are planning on wearing a tiara or a veil that drops over the face you need to make sure your hair style will not be crushed or look awkward. The best hair style for wearing a tiara is a simple one. You could choose the very elegant bun at the nape of your neck look or you could choose a high bun. You could also go with a very simple part in the middle of your hair style with curls cascading down your back. It will give you a more formal and put together hair style.

If your wedding is more casual, then you could easily put a few flowers in it, or better yet, just let it hang naturally with a few well placed jewel adorned barrettes. Flowers are also a popular choice in wedding hair styles, especially for the more informal wedding, in place of a veil. They make you look innocent and fun without losing any of the graceful and well designed look. You can easily match the flowers in your hair style to the flowers in your bouquet for a whimsical look.

There is also what is known as the Las Vegas hair style which is popular among younger brides, whether they are eloping or not. It has more of a funky, youthful look of a bun or ponytail pulled back neatly with the front bangs loose and curly. It falls on the face in an easy way making you look relaxed and cool.

No matter which hair style you choose for your wedding, make sure you really love it. Have the stylist practice beforehand so there are no surprises the morning of your big day. Consider having different hair styles from your bridesmaids to really stand out. Each person should have a hair style that suits their face and length.

B Johanneson owns and operates http://www.hot-new-hair-styles.com Visit the site for tips on the latest wedding hairstyles and short hairstyles

The bass guitar often works with the drums to dictate the groove for most music genres. Bass guitarists help build groove and keep time. So you want to join "them" groove makers? You want bass guitar lessons, huh? Here we go...

Before you start taking bass guitar lessons, you need to get a bass guitar. You can start with a box guitar but what you'll be playing won't be the real thing. So, if you're serious, get your own bass guitar. You don't have to get a high end bass guitar. An average bass guitar will do just fine.

The best bass guitar lesson for you will depend on the way you learn best. There are folks who like it when a real person teaches them. If you fall into that category, then get a good bass guitar teacher.

Now, when looking for a bass guitar teacher, don't settle for a rhythm guitarist who claims he also plays the bass. If he ain't a bass player, he ain't a bass player. Get someone who does it for real.

If you have a more down-to-earth budget, hiring a bass player for you lessons might be a little too much for you to handle. For those who fall into this class, just go and get good bass lessons on Video CD's and DVD's.

These are great because everything has been systematically thought out and planned. These types of CD's and DVD's also come in grades and levels. So, if you're a beginner, you'll get all the basics you need with a beginner series. The only downside to this is that you will not get feedback on your progress unless you have someone who can assess you.

If you are more comfortable with the computer, you can get bass guitar lessons as software. The best ones will give you the opportunity of tracking your progress. For me, I prefer these software tutors more than all the other options.

So, there you are. You really have no excuse for not starting your journey into stardom now. All the bass guitar lessons you need are just a click or call away.

Bill McRea is the publisher of Guitar Warehouse the best place to Buy Guitar and learn Guitar Playing Techniques. Visit our site for over 60 Free Guitar Lessons and Information about playing Guitar.

Tuning your guitar is probably the most basic, but most important thing you should do before playing your guitar. Making sure your guitar is in tune is something that you should do as soon as you pick it up. This is all part of the process when you are learning how to play the guitar. The first thing you need to do when tuning your guitar is get a reference pitch. This is a process that takes time to learn, but gets easier with practice. One of the most reliable ways of tuning your guitar is by tuning each string to the one below it.

The goal of tuning is to put your strings in tune with each other. Remember to tune up by increasing the string tension. If you tune too far give the string a lot of slack and start the process again. Match the pitch of each string as closely as you can. Once you have that first note you proceed in an orderly manner tuning one string after another. Once you have tuned all six strings, go back and check them again.

As a beginner you may find that tuning is very difficult and very frustrating. You can tune your guitar with an electronic tuner, which is pretty straight forward, and will save you time initially. Just make sure that when you are more confident to tune your guitar yourself, you try to move on to relative tuning methods, otherwise you will not develop a musical ear. Do not neglect learning the skill of tuning for yourself, as it is great for developing your ear. New guitarists tend to break a lot strings by tuning too far.

No matter how well you're playing, you just can't sound good if your guitar isn't tuned properly. What is the point of playing a great piece of music if it is completely out of tune? To keep your guitar strings alive for as long as possible, wipe your strings with a cloth after playing and keep your hands clean. Factors such as regular playing, accidental movement of the tuning keys, and weather or atmospheric conditions can all cause a guitar to go from being perfectly tuned to being out of tune. Even if the guitar isn't severely out of tune, it's good practice to tune it anyway, and no amount of good playing can make an out of tune guitar sound good.

Tuning your guitar is important and necessary when you are learning how to play the guitar

If you're like many of the other millions of Ipod users out there, you take your little Ipod with you everywhere. Every time you expect it to perform flawlessly, and most of the time it does. However, after months and months of use and abuse, years even, your little Ipod isn't so keen on performing like it did when it was brand new, so one day when you wake up and greet your little Ipod with ears ready for music listening it doesn't greet you back. Instead, it frowns on you and tells you to contact Apple for support only to realize your warranty just ran out 3 days ago. Out of luck? No! Luckily there is a solution to the Ipod Sad Face.

1. Hug it tightly and give it a good kiss, because what you're about to do is not recommended by Apple support, but a very big group of bloggers who have found the solution to this problem.


2. Firmly grasp your Ipod.


3. Slam it (charging port down) onto your desk, a dresser, a table, anything around you that is flat, sturdy, and quite possibly won't hurt you Ipod, you can use a mouse pad or something slightly soft to cushion it a little bit, if you feel insecure about doing this, have a friend do it, because they won't have an emotional attachment to your Ipod.


4. Now repeat step 3 two more times, and wait for your Ipod to rise out of the grave feeling rejuvenated and happily greets you with your favorite tunes.

What seems to happen is after using it time and time again, the hard drive connection to the Ipod seems to loosen up so much that it can no longer detect the connection and/or communicate with the Ipod. By slamming it down onto the desk you secure the connection so that way your Ipod can now detect your hard drive.

Make sure you take care when slamming your Ipod onto anything, because you don't want to hurt your Ipod or the 'anything' that you're slamming it onto. I, personally have experienced this problem and followed the above steps to fix it, now my trusty 20GB Ipod Photo is working just as happily as it was the first day I got it.

Steve's Tech Guide - A blog that helps you scratch your tech itch with computer guides, informative how-tos, and important news events.

Many people dream of learning the piano for years before deciding it just won't happen. Fortunately, technology is helping to provide some tools to make it easier than ever to fit learning the piano into a busy schedule. Depending on your learning style, you may or may not need an occasional offline lesson to supplement your online learning the piano materials. It may be harder learning the piano at an advanced age, but it can be just as pleasurable and beneficial in the development and maintenance of the mind.

Nowadays, the internet has come as messiah to those wanting to take online courses without leaving the comfort of their home. That's why it's not surprising to see an increasing number of aspiring pianists turning to the web for piano courses. Now, this is a great option for those who have the patience, dedication and the money for costly CD courses. But what about those who would like to learn piano at their own pace and on their own terms? Wouldn't it be great if there were website's out there that would provide piano enthusiasts with all the knowledge they needed to master the piano without overburdening them? Fortunately there are websites that can help you learn the piano your way, but these can be found few and far between. This means that you really need to do your research, especially when there are so many websites out there trying to take your money, leaving you frustrated and without any skills.

The good news is that once you do find such a site, you can easily learn to play tunes on the very first day of your lessons, even if you've never touched a piano key before in your life. This is possible because, there's no reason for you to feel overawed by the grandness of this instrument because after all, a piano keyboard is merely a row of buttons and if you are able enough to push buttons, you can easily create music. So all you really need is the will to make music and you should be well on your way to becoming a pianist.

Oftentimes, people shy away from making the effort learn the piano just because they were told that in order to learn piano you need to put in tons of hard work. Now, this wasn't exactly untrue a decade or so ago, because students often had to play those painfully excruciating exercises and learn songs they didn't like in preparation for recitals which they dreaded. In other words, back then, learning the piano was made an unpleasant and boring ordeal. In complete contrast to the old ways, today, simple and easy to understand visual cues and "tricks" have replaced the boring lessons in manuals. Practical changes like this among others have made the experience of learning the piano now, far easier and enjoyable than it ever was.

Apart from novices, even experienced performers can benefit from the host of piano learning avenues out there. So if you already know the basics but have a desire to effortlessly execute those rapid fire key runs and fat, intricate chords, you need not worry, simply because, whether you would like to believe it or not, now you can gain access to many covert secrets to unlocking these finger feats and be able to play like your favorite musicians.

Thus to conclude, instead of giving up with the thought that you'll never be good enough, just believe in yourself and look forward to how great you can be!

You can get a more in-depth knowledge about the piano in general and the digital piano in particular by going to the-piano-site.com - The Complete Online Resource For Pianos And Piano Music.

The newly launched Nike 1World project has been created in conjunction with select cool kids in the “sports, music, art and design fields”, presumably hand-picked for their innate panache on a global scale. The scope of 1World has been defined as 18 original shoes, which will be launched month by month via Nike's awesome AF-1 website.

Today the first three have now been revealed – from the rainbow excess of Busy P to the refelective digital camo of Gore-Texer (Nitro Microphone Underground) and finally Rasheed’s hightop with ‘Max Air’, you couldn’t find three more different AF-1s if you tried. Definitely a bright start to this project...
Just go to http://www.nikeairforce1.com and hit the 1World button - all will be revealed in due course!

As a beat maker there are other tools you should consider to take you into that next level once you've chosen your sequencer (or Digital Audio Workstation). First, before I get any further, I would like to remind you that you'll always hear others claim that a certain tool is better than the other. Like I mentioned earlier, it's kind of like the Mac vs. PC discussion: it's never ending! The same holds true for beats, whether it's MPC vs. MV3000, Reason vs. FL Studio, or Cubase vs. Logic. There is no better; only best for you. Try not to get caught up into all of that, because in the end it all comes down to your ability as an artist to use your creativity to create something, while effectively utilizing the tools you have at your disposal. A good producer should be able to become a master of his or her own tools.

A good way determine whether you'll need to expand your production arsenal is by looking at what you already have and the style of music you intend on creating then figuring out what's limiting you. This is the best way of gauging whether you should buy new gear because software and hardware is not cheap and investing in either or both of these things can mean a couple hundred or thousand of dollars spent. This free guide is about making beats on a tight-pocketed budget, so I'll detail what I did and strictly outline some costs incurred as a result. When I did this evaluation myself early on, I realized that the most limiting factor was the variety of sounds I had which clued me into what I needed at the time, which was more sounds to work with.

Sounds:

In addition to containing nearly all the tools you'll need to begin making beats, FL Studio also comes with some stock sounds to get your production game started. Bundled with FL Studio is some drum kits, bass tones, and several other sounds such as strings, synths, percussion, etc. While these sounds may help get you started, sooner you'll find that they get used and re-used fast and you'll need to load up on some newer sounds to stay creative.

Sampled Sounds:

Obtaining newer sounds can be done in several ways. A common technique is by sampling old records and has been popularized by producers such as Kanye West, Pete Rock, and the RZA. There are several techniques used when sampling music. While some people loop grooves and breaks, others choose to segment or "chop" components of the original loop to create something completely different than the original. A master of this technique is DJ Premier. By studying the sound of DJ Premier you'll see that he barely just loops his samples and rather chops them up to the point where the original is barely recognizable. Key to sampling is having a good ear for what to sample. This is why record hunting or "crate digging" is a complex art on its own. Record collectors also known as crate diggers are constantly in search of records for a sound or a combination of unique sounds to create their beats. Whether it's a horn stab, an ethnic instrument's sound, or a drum break, as a hip hop producer, you should develop a keen sense of collecting, using, and transforming sounds. FL Studio has various tools to do exactly this. You can record sounds into FL Studio with either your own sound editor, or using the mixer in FL Studio. If you are a producer who plans on doing a lot of sampling, you may want to consider purchasing a turntable and mixer. And don't forget to save some cash for the records you'll be sampling from!

Sound Modules:

Sound modules are electronic instruments that contain a bank of sounds that rely on an external interface (such as a keyboard controller or a sequencer) to trigger its internal sounds. Usually this is accomplished through MIDI, a protocol typically used in electronic music. A whole book can be written about MIDI, its features, and advantages but since this guide is supposed to get you started rather than confuse you already, I'll keep it brief. In a nutshell, MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface and is an industry standard communication protocol in electronic music. It is used for communication between interconnected electronic music devices through MIDI messages (no audio is transfered), sent from the sending device to the receiver. So in relation to sound modules, MIDI messages are sent from either the sequencer or a keyboard controller to trigger the sounds on the module. In essence, these MIDI messages can be sent in the form of musical notes, and typically dictate how they will be played by the sound module. An example of the properties MIDI messages can send are things like velocity, volume, timings, etc. Sound modules, in rack form, are a good option because they are usually cheaper than buying the keyboard version which essentially contains the same sounds such as drum kits, bass, and other instruments.

For example, The Yamaha Motif ES sound module is several hundreds of dollars cheaper than it's keyboard counterpart, but lacks some features the keyboard version may offer, notably the keys, sliders and knobs, and smaller display. While sound modules can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand, there is yet another solution for us trying to stick to a tight budget, and that's where the world of VSTs come in handy. Now if you're thinking, "Damn, another term I've got to remember" but you'll be glad to know this one. VST stands for Virtual Studio Technology and is basically software replacements for real hardware instruments. Many instrument companies who have traditionally made hardware instruments are now putting them out in software form as VST plug-ins. These VST plug-ins can then be loaded as a channel into FL Studio and played as if it were a hardware device connected via MIDI cable. E-MU, who originally came out with the Proteus 2000 hardware sound module, no longer produce it and have now come out with the Proteus X which sells for about $150. The Proteus X features the same Composer sound bank as the original Proteus 2000 created in 1999. Additional sound banks can be purchased through E-MU's website such as the Mo'Phatt and Planet Earth for only $50 which were both popular hardware sound modules.

Sound Libraries and Sample CDs:

Last, but certainly not least, another potential source for new sounds are from Sound Library CDs. Sound Libraries are usually a bunch of sampled sounds, such as drum kits, bass tones, percussion, stabs, or sound effects collected and compiled by the vendor, usually in .wav or .aif format. These vary widely in prices and can be anywhere from $10 to several hundred dollars, depending on the quality and how extensive the sound library is. While I haven't purchased any sound libraries on CD before, I have heard people who rely a great deal on them and have no doubt that they come in handy. A very intriguing sample CD is one called "All the Breaks" which contains 300 drum breaks all in one CD for your sampling or chopping pleasure. With the wealth of all these news sounds at your disposal you may find you need a more efficient way of auditioning them and playing them. This is where having a MIDI controller may come in handy.

Edward A. has been producing hip-hop beats for several years using his computer as the centerpiece to his home studio. Learn about other software programs in my free online guide on making your own hip-hop beats

If I needed to set up a home recording studio that was quick, easy and cheap first package I'd take a serious look at would be Digidesigns Pro Tools Bundles.

Digidesign has put together 4 of these bundles ranging from around the 600 dollar mark up to about a thousand. (talking big sale price here not list) They are:

1. Digidisign Pro Tools Mbox 2 Bundle

2. Digidisign Pro Tools Mbox 2 Pro Bundle

3. Digidisign Pro Tools Mbox 2 Factory Bundle

4. Digidisign Pro Tools Mbox 2 Pro Factory Bundle

All 4 bundles share these 5 main components:

Mbox interface

Pro Tools LE 7 Software

Studio monitors

microphone

Ignition Pack (bunch of software)

Main difference #1:

Notice that bundles 1 and 3 have the Mbox 2 and bundles 2 and 4 Mbox 2 Pro. The regular Mbox 2 uses USB port connectivity and the Mbox 2 Pro is FireWire. Some may argue that the latest USB technology may be even faster than FireWire, while this may be true for some applications but not for recording music. For recording audio FireWire is faster than USB, which will give you slight audible delay called latency. I often do use a USB Mbox and redirect the monitoring to a mixer which can bypass the latency problem but it won't even be there with the FIreWire boxes.

Main difference #2:

Next are the studio monitors. The 2 lower priced bundles 1 and 3 (same bundles that have the USB Mbox 2) come with a pair of Fostex PMO.4 Powered Studio Monitors. These are slightly inferior to the M-Audio BX5a Active Studio Monitors that come with the slightly more expensive 2 and 4 bundles.

Main difference #3:

The microphone with bundles 1 and 3 is the Audio-Technica AT2020 Cardioid Condenser Microphone. A decent mic and good for digital recording. Bundles 2 and 4 come with an AKG Perception 200 Condenser Mic which has a bigger diaphragm and frequency range than the Audio-Technica.

There are some other differences like the Ignition Pack. Even though all the bundles come with it, the 2 higher priced bundle packs have a few more goodies like the IK Multimedia T-RackS EQ plug-in. This is an excellent EQ and mastering tool which alone sells for about $300. Still, they all include some excellent software like Reason, Ableton Live, Sampletank, and Amplitube.

Like I said, for someone who wants to get recording on Pro Tools right away with everything you need and more, then one of these Digidesigns Pro Tools Bundles has your name on it.

Oh... and they all come with a mic stand and cords!

Johnny Ferreira is a professional musician and home recording studio enthusiast. Learn more about Digidesigns Pro Tools Bundles and other ideas for your home recording studio at http://www.YourHomeRecordingStudio.com

Deva Premal sings with the voice of an angel, the heart of one who has known love and loss, and the soul of an enlightened Master. I have had the distinct pleasure of following Deva and life partner Miten's music for several years, since reviewing their album Embrace back in early 2003. I can also highly recommend their other titles, including The Essence and Love is Space. With the forthcoming The Moola Mantra (release date August 28, 2007), I'm delighted to return to this duo's exquisite brand of devotional chant music that has garnered fans all over the world, with total CD sales surpassing half a million.

The Moola Mantra is perhaps their finest album yet, gracefully weaving Deva's transcendently pure voice, sitar, bansuri flute, dotar, tabla, piano, string quartet and ambient electronica into a richly layered tapestry of sacred chants that honor all traditions, religions, creeds and spiritual paths. Joined by superb musicians including Jai Uttal, Benjy Wertheimer, Manos and Kit Walker, Deva and Miten transport the listener into a world of blissful grace. For nearly 20 years they have traveled all over the world, offering themselves as living examples of male/female energy balance, sharing their music as a sacred tool for healing and intimacy.

I'm happy to tell you that Deva and Miten will be on a concert tour. From August 31 through mid-December throughout the United States, with a stop in Calgary and the Bahamas. They'll be in Santa Rosa California on September 29. I hope to see some of you there. Even after repeated listenings, I find that The Moola Mantra feeds my soul in ways that only my heart understands, and receives my highest recommendation.

Steve Ryals has been writing music reviews since 1994, and to date has published more than 1200. Steve specializes in World Beat, Native American, New Age, Meditation, Contemporary Instrumental, Chanting, Devotional Singing, and more. He currently writes two music reviews every month as part of his Drunk with Wonder Newsletter. To sign up for his FREE newsletter go to http://www.drunkwithwonder.com

CD Decks: The new American DJ DCD 500 Dual CD Player is 649.00 and has tons of features, for instance, the DCD-PRO500 is equipped with 6 Flash Start Buttons, which allow DJs to create, store and recall samples "on the fly" while music is playing. With this feature, the disc jockey can play a loop of, say five seconds, then sample it and save it in stored memory on one of the Flash Start Buttons.

The Denon DN-2600F features 10 seconds of shock-proof memory per drive. This guards against audible interruptions due to external mechanical shocks such as bumps or other hard vibrations, which is especially helpful for the mobile DJ as well as for nightclub-installed applications.

DJ Mixers: We saw quite a few new mixers and I have to say you really do seem to get what you pay for. Like your decks, your fingers spend a lot of time twiddling and sliding on these things so the build quality is important.

The ESO Hip mk2 is an Italian built 3 input modular X-fader which is great value at 150.

The Stanton RM Three has 3-band kill switches and high quality professional long life faders at 239. The Stanton SK 2F is an updated version of the popular SK 2 which features a true optical fader for crackle free operation. If you need more features for a bargain price then you cant go far wrong with Next! Pro100 for 250 which is a 4 channel mixer with an FX loop.

The Ecler HAK320 is a rather retro looking mixer which is aimed at old school turntablists. Although only 2-channel, this mixer is true quality.

If you are looking for a professional club solution the Xone:62 by Allen & Heath is a broadcast quality 6 dual-stereo mixer for up to 12 stereo devices.

The latest Numark EM360 (which we will review soon) has a built in Kaaos Pad, which controls the way an effect is applied and can be controlled completely by the X-Y pad. The pad can also be scraped or tapped to control the effect sound, letting you produce switch-type effects that are impossible with knobs or sliders, and making it possible to control the effects in time with a rhythm or phrase - just as if you were playing a musical instrument.

Samplers: E-MU introduced the ESI-2000, which although is a budget sampler can be expanded into a full-blown big boys sampler.

Yamaha, a latecomer in the sampler market, brought out the A4000 and A5000 samplers, which we loved. The A5000 has a stunning spec featuring 126-note polyphony and is 32-part multi timbral.

Akai have no new samplers this year, but if you are an S5000/6000 owner, the new Operating System, V2.0 is now available for download.

Synth, Sampling and Sequencing boxes

There have been quite a few interesting developments in the GrooveBox style pattern based samplers notably the lovely looking Korg Electribe ES-1.

Rolands MC-307 blurs the boundaries between DJing and playing your tunes. Building on the success of the MC-505, the MC-307 takes the pattern-based sequencing pioneered by the original MC-303 in 1996.

The MC-307 aimed squarely at DJs, with the ubiquitous pitch control slider on the right hand side, as well as push and nudge buttons, which have been designed to emulate the operation of a turntable. This makes mixing in tracks from a live source intuitive and familiar, so you can treat the MC-307 as a third record deck.

Yamaha have a similar brand new product, the SU200 Phrase Sampler and for the financially challenged, Zoom now have the 250 Zoom Sampletrak ST-224.

Sound Modules: Yet again E-MU produce one of the more out there modules in the form of the XL-1, the funky orange box that can really open up your ideas. They also have the B3, which is a complete Hammond organ in a rack, if you like that sort of thing.

Roland have been making monster sound modules for year after year and 2000 is no exception. XV-3080 is just stunning and although expensive worth every penny.

Synths: A strange one this year was Alesis who are normally associated with all the Midiverb, Quadraverb effects, but decided to roll out the Andromeda, an absolute monster of 16-voice digitally controlled analogue synth with a weighted keyboard 72 knobs and 144 buttons. We personally became rather attached to the Korg MS2000 Analog Modelling Synthesizer that has an arpeggiator, vocoder, virtual patch bay and modulation sequencer. Squelchy wiggly sounds abound here!

Effects There have been some FX boxes aimed at DJs this year. We reviewed the Electrix Mo FX where you may coordinate flange, tremolo and delay by simply tapping in the tempo (or receive MIDI clock) and putting each FX block into sync mode and that's it - instant synchronization. To get Fatboy Slim's: "Rockafeller Skank" sound you put your mix through the Mo-FX delay and crank the speed knob.

Software Cubase VST is now up to Version 5, which gives audio and MIDI recording, virtual synthesizers, score editing & printing, 16 / 24 bit capability and internet live sessions. The big trend this year seems to be towards virtual synthesizers, The Steinberg Model E is a fantastic software emulation of a Mini Moog for 149, many others are free!

Native Instruments now produce Dynamo v1.0 which is a preset version of Reaktor which gives you modular style analog synths for about 100.

Steinbergs Media Production System, Nuendo is a 200-track audio recording facility, it's a complete 200-channel audio mixer, and it supports surround sound.

Propellerhead Software who produced the amazing Rebirth and Recycle products now have Reason 1.0. Reason comes in the shape of a classic studio rack, packed with all the gear you could possibly need: Samplers, Analog synths, Mixers, Step time drum machines, Effects, and a realtime multi-track sequencer for fast and intuitive music making. All of Reasons 16 devices have the look and feel of the real thing and you can use each device as many times as your CPU can handle.

Its 299 but you can download a working demo now.

And Finally If you want to put a track together now and you are either, on the dole, a student or have a crap job you will have hated this article. Stop whinging and get a PC (preferably a P133 or better) and buy Making Waves v2.3 for 39.99. Its an audio sequencer that can make great tunes in a couple of hours.

Active Loop Zone tracks are available on Myspace.

Further details can be got by contacting Rick Lomas.

Rick is currently working on various websites selling mortgage payment protection insurance.

The Randy Jackson's America's Best Dance Crew, the hottest dancing competition in US, has declared its winner. Among the 12 competing crews, the JabbaWockeez crew emerged as the victorious group as they crushed Status Quo with their remarkable performance on the finale. The JabbaWockeeZ's members were Jeff Nguyen aka "Phi", 26, from Phoenix AZ; Ryan Shawn Paguio, 26, from San Diego, CA; Ben Chung aka B-Tek, 26, from Mission Hills, CA; Kevin Brewer, 31, from Sacrament, CA; Phil Tayag, 23, also from Sacramento, CA; and Chris Gatdula, 26, from Las Vegas, NV.

The two groups fought their last battle onstage, but still, the JabbaWockeeZ seemed to steal the heart of Americans when millions of their votes declared the group as the ultimate champion. Status Quo's members who are Joshua Green, 20; Ernest Phillips, 21, Jayjion Greer aka "Jin Lao", 18; Jamal Weaver, 20; and Dwayne Hines, 18 (all from Boston, MA) did not lose in vain. They had served one of the best performances in the history of dance competitions in the US.

During episode 7, the three remaining crews which are the JabbaWockeez, Status Quo, and the Kaba Modern had competed and gave their best moves. Status Quo performed the first act. The judges were impressed by the group's amazing stunts, but failed to make an impression with their lackluster choreography.

Episode 6 showed one of the most exhilarating performances on the show. The four remaining crews fought their way up from the dance floor and were required to perform hip hop dances with a mixture of Traditional Broadway acts. The most remarkable performance was done by Status Quo as they showed off their own version of "Hairspray."

The competing crews performed Michael Jackson's "Thriller" in Episode 5. This was done in honor of the artist that has become legendary with his dancing prowess and also to celebrate his album's twenty-fifth anniversary. "Thriller" sold over 45 million worldwide, and it is considered as one of the biggest selling albums of all time.

During Episode 4, the crews were made to dance while portraying their own characters based on movies. The audience and the judges were awed by the amazing performances they had witnessed.

During Episode 3, the crews were made to perform popular dances that possessed remarkable stunts.

The eight remaining crews, during Episode 2, were made to perform an act that is based on popular music video. They must have a unique interpretation that still jives with the video. The competition started with 12 groups (consisting of six members) showing off their hottest moves, they were: Full Out, The Movements, Automatic Response, Enigma Dance Crew, Femme 5, Iconic, Live in Color, Fysh n Chicks, BreakSk8, Kaba Modern, Status Quo, and the JabbaWockeeZ.

The show creator, Randy Jackson, has been in the music industry for more than twenty years. This music veteran and Grammy Award winning producer has started his career as a bass guitar player when he was just 13 years old. He got his big break when he joined the famous band Journey.

The first judge was JC Chavez who started his career as a member of a Mickey Mouse Club. He is also a former of a now disbanded NSync. Shayne Sparks, who is also a judge, is a professional dancer who was known for his jaw-dropping performance every time he was onstage. Lil' Mama, another judge of this popular dance competition show, is an hip hop artist who got her big break when her Lip Gloss hit the radio waves in 2007.

The show was hosted by Mario Lopez, Layla Kaleigh, and DJ Rashida. MTV is giving opportunity to people to show off their grooviest moves and style. If you are interested to join, create a profile and start uploading your videos. Just go to http://dance.mtv.com/ for further details. The casting for America's Best Dance Crew Season 2 is now ongoing.

Ant Onaf is a content producer in association with LearnClubDance.com (http://www.learnclubdance.com), a online retailer of learn to dance DVD and learn to dance video sets.

René Lacoste is above all, a legend. A star on the courts of Wimbledon, Forest Hills and Roland Garros, René was one of the famous Four Musketeers (Jean Borot, Jacques Brugno, Henri Cochet and René Lacoste) who dominated the game of tennis in the late ‘20s and early ‘30s. They eventually led France to six straight wins (1927 through 1932) in the Davis Cup, and Rene became the world number one tennis player from 1926-1927. Nicknamed the ‘Crocodile’ and ‘Alligator’ for his tenacious attitude on the court, Rene is now better known for being the namesake and creator of the iconic 12.12 Lacoste Tennis shirt, which debuted in 1933.

Fast forward 75 years and the brand are celebrating this momentous occasion by launching a series of monotone shoes inspired by their tennis and yachting heritage. Unique to the 75 year collection is the use of the original crocodile which originated in 1933 and is embossed onto the uppers of each shoe. Tastefully executed in a consistent black and white scheme, the pack is a fitting tribute to the original purveyor of cool. July Release...

The Cure first formed in 1976 and would continue for a few decades afterwards. Much like Fleetwood Mac, The Cure would have a few changes in their lineup, with only one remaining through the entire life of the band. The member who was with the band from the start is Robert Smith, who is the guitarist and main songwriter for the group. The main music genres that The Cure focuses on are post punk, alternative rock, gothic rock and new wave. It is quite a variation that many have enjoyed from listening to The Cure in both the past, present, and more than likely, the future.

Despite the other music genres they play, they become one of the most popular alternative rock bands in the world during the 1990s and have sold millions of albums. In fact, a count done in 2004 calculates that The Cure has sold about 27 million albums since it first formed in 1976. Throughout the life of the band, they have been quick in releasing numerous albums. Looking at the fact that The Cure has released a total of 12 albums and 30 singles in the last two years would prove to just about anyone that they are constantly working on their music. When looking at the history of the band, one can see that they have gone through a number of phases where they focus more on one genre than any other, such as their gothic phase during the early 1980s and the alternative rock phase after 1990. It appears, however, that after their change to alternative rock, they have continued to focus more on that particular genre, quite possibly because it is the more popular genre today. While many still enjoy the other genres, alternative rock is appealing to more of the population than the other genres.

From the time the band was formed until 2008, The Cure had been successful in releasing a total of 13 studio albums that continue to sell, even though all none of the original band has remained, with the exception of Robert Smith. The other current members of the band include Simon Gallup, who has been with the band since 1979, though he took a break from the band in the early 1980s, Porl Thompson, who has been with the band since 1976, and Jason Cooper, who is the newest member after joining in 1995. Aside from the four current members, The Cure has seen eight other members come and go, such as Lol Tolhurst, Michael Dempsey, Perry Bamonte and Roger O'Donnell, to name a few. Each member had their own reasons for leaving the band, such as a loss of interest or the want to search for other interests outside of The Cure. The change in members does not appear to have slowed The Cure down much, if at all. Aside from the music they have put out over the decades, they have completed music videos and have won a few awards. They have been successful for the last thirty years and they will probably continue to be successful until the time comes when the band will dissolve.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for used CDs, autographed CDs, and used musical instruments. You can find the best marketplace for used CDs, autographed CDs, and used musical instruments at these sites for used the cure CDs and autographed the cure CDs.