Okay, so I a couple of several announcements to make.
First of all, since I have the patience of a tweaked-out meth head downing pixie stix, I went ahead and bought the Ion USB turntable mostly because it was the best one I could find locally. I’m generally pleased with it, but it does have some issues:
First of all, the USB support is ass. The computer geek in me should have known this going in. You cannot just plug the turntable’s USB cable into your computer and expect everything to work. While a direct USB connection will allow you to record your LPs with relative ease (i.e. no external soundcard) – listening to records this way is nearly impossible. For some reasons you need some special software (Audacity – which I fucking HATE) and then still you can only listen to the songs if you’re recording them at the same time. And the playback sounds like shit if you do it. So after all of the hassle I ended up just hooking it up through my external soundcard like my Numark was.
After all that though I must say that I am impressed by it. It can play over more scratches than my previous turntables, and I like the pause/play function it has. It’s very sensitive, so it does pick up dust a little more often than my other turntables, but it also delivers a richer, more dynamic sound so it’s a pretty good trade-off.
I like this turntable, but I don’t think I would recommend it to anyone out there, because the USB functionality is pretty useless. Since I already had the equipment needed to hook up the turntable to my computer sans USB cable that really wasn’t an issue for me, but if you don’t you’ll be really bummed out when you try to plug and play this sucker.
Okay, onto some other news (don’t worry the MP3s are coming). I bought the new NIN album Ghosts I-IV this week and I have to say that I’m really digging it. In case you haven’t heard Trent released this collection of 36 instrumentals this week via his website for the low low cost of $5. That’s just for the download, a physical copy costs more. It’s a five bucks well spent for industrial fans, and great background music for when you’re studying, reading, cutting yourself etc.
Okay, now let’s get to the tunes.
Madonna
Don’t Tell Me (Tino Maas Mix)
Don’t Tell Me (Vission Remix)
Don’t Tell Me (Thunderpuss’ 2001 Hands In The Air Anthem)
Don’t Tell Me (Tracy Young Club Mix)
Don’t Tell Me (Victor Calderone Sensory Mix)
I did not know this was a cover tune until I looked it up online. Turns out it was written by Madonna’s brother-in-law Joe Henry, who is a semi-successful country artist in his own right. I guess that explains the country vibe in the video and in the original version of the song. These remixes have about as much country in them as a Duran Duran track.
Duran Duran
(Reach Up For The) Sunrise (Jason Nevins Club Mix)
(Reach Up For The) Sunrise (Ferry Corsten Dub Mix)
(Reach Up For The) Sunrise (Peter Presta Apple Jaxx Mix)
(Reach Up For The) Sunrise (Peter Presta NY Tribal Mix)
Well, speak of the pop devil, it’s Duran Duran. So one time I was at this release party in Pittsburgh for a comic book anthology. The event was also a showcase for a few local bands, including one that featured a member of the local insanity-fest Grand Buffett. This band ended up being Tehran Iran, a punk rock Duran Duran cover band that performed dressed as Arab sheiks. They never broke character throughout their entire show and closed the gig by going into Flock Of Seagulls territory with a cover of “I Ran” (get it!?!?) Totally awesome. And I tell that story because I really have nothing to say about Duran Duran and these good-but-not-great remixes from a 12” single.
Organ Donors
4 Tribes (Wanna Be Startin’ Something) (Clive King Remix)
4 Tribes (Wanna Be Startin’ Something) (Original Mix)
4 Tribes (Wanna Be Startin’ Something) (Supreme Dream Team Remix)
First of all that’s a great name for a band….if they played the organ. This is really some DJ (or DJs, I can never tell) so the name is kind of a let down. These are remixes of a song that is in itself a highly tweaked remix of Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Something.” Quality listening material if for the extended “mamma-say mamma…whatever” chants and nothing else.
The first mix is a little scratchy but as it picks up you can barely hear them.
Don’t be so grumpy 😉 Get on with recording more stuff.
re: Turntable talk – so glad you opened a forum on this issue – I’ve been debating the ION for some time (right now, I run a Technics into a weathered Philips Dual Deck CDR component that can still record, but can’t play back). As for the original version of Don’t Tell Me – Joe Henry’s original (titled “Stop”) drew me to his “Scar” LP – and what an amazing discovery that album was. Absolutely brilliant.
I was actually looking into buying one of those ION turntables. After you are done with said music transferring can you plug it into a stereo?
I’m still old skool I guess. I just picked up a Music Hall MMF5.1, which includes a Goldring 1012X cartridge. Talk about amazing… If you want to truly hear what vinyl sounds like, get yourself one of these. I have been ripping a few things with it lately, and it’s night and day to my older Sony with the Ortafon. Go figure. Vinyl can sound amazing, given the right table. I’m probably not one to comment on USB tables, but in reality, I can’t see them ever sounding as good as tables which are made for the audiophile spectrum (going that way anyway). The idea of a table designed to plug into a PC scares the piss out of me!