Here's our new toy the Akai MPK mini Play MK3. My son did the unboxing and then on Part 2, I did a demo and I explored the features of this mini keyboard. Then on Part 3, we've used the unit during our live gig. And on part 4, I will use it with my Zoom G1Four as a looper.
Part 1: Unboxing and first impression
Part 2: Exploring its features and quick demo
Hello guys, Im sharing you this because I personally experienced this. So my son's Casio Privia PX S1000 was having problems with the touch response on D2. It louder than the rest of the keys. It seems like the touch response is not working properly. The trouble was there's no nearby service centre to get it repaired. So I looked up on the net for solution. And, I've seen a post on the forum and they said it's the rubber pads for the keys that needs cleaning using cotton buds. So I said to myself that's easy. But the trouble is how to open the keyboard and taking it apart and then putting it back together after.
So, I gathered my strength and courage to do it DIY. And here's how it goes. So first thing you need to do is to remove all the screws. Literally all the screws. You will need to open the battery compartment because there's one screw in there as well.
Now when I removed the screws apart from I put a camera to record what Im doing so I got a reference in case I couldn't put it back together, I also segregate the screws on where I took them so that it will be easy later when I put them back together. So the removal of all the screws wasnt that tricky.
Now the next thing is where I struggled a bit. I can't open the unit. I mean I can't separate the bottom bit and the top bit. But, actually it's just that because the unit was so intact, it hasn't been opened before, so the two bits are stuck together. It just needed a bit of strength for me to pull it apart. And I did.
Next challenge was removing the keys. There's separate screws for this to remove the whole keys. And it's not that difficult. You can see it on the video. There's flat plate on both sides and all you need to do is remove the tiny screws. I think two screws per flat plate. Then there are screws as well on the unit itself, you can't miss it.
So, the keyboards is literally taken apart now. The next challenge is to remove the individual keys. I struggled on this one. But I just didnt give up and prayed I wont break anything. So I sort of forcefully pulled one white key up until i heard like a snap. But it wasn't broken. I managed to pull it out. However, eventually I found out that all you need to do is pinch the end bit of each key and pull it from that end and it's easy.
Then the next thing is to lift or remove that rubber contact pad which was very intact that I couldn't remove it. So what I did was, coz I know which key was playing up, I just slip the cotton bud in and wipe it dry. Just wriggling the cotton bud in between the rubber and contact point. And I put the keys back together starting with the black keys. Then put white keys after.
Then before I closed the unit or proceeded any further, I had to test it first. And to my surprise it fixed the problem.
Good luck guys!
I made this purchase for two specific things and then there's a free gift included as well because of referral or something. And in order to get the free gift, I need a minimum order of £0.10.
So the two things that I specifically wanted was this non-slip shoes. It's ok but there's quite a few issues that I need to address. First is the shoes look bigger even though I purchase my size which is 8.5. I think it's got to do with the design. Then the second issue which is major for me is that when I wore it at work, it's non slip on a dry surface but once I stepped on a wet surface like bathroom or even pavements that are wet, it is super slippery. So I wouldn't recommend this shoes if you're looking for non-slip one.
Another thing because, it's big and slippery, Im always guarding my steps. So, after my shift, my feet were really tired. By the way, as to the waterproof thing that they claim, so far I agree it's waterproof even though the shoes got tiny air holes. I walked in the rain and my socks didn't get wet inside the shoes.
Right, the other product that I specifically purchased was the in-ear monitor earpiece or earphones. It's cheap and looks the same as other in-ear monitor headphones, and does the job the same. I opted for the one with no built-in microphone. Perhaps that's why it's cheaper. I will post a separate review on this one.
The free gift is wireless bluetooth headphones. And I gave it to my son. He's very pleased with it. The hat that I ordered didn't fit me so I also gave it to him. So far so good. My first order is still the cheapest. I think Temu gives super discount for new people joining Temu. Plus it looks like the prices are going up. It's like, they're just doing introductory knock off prices and then gradually putting it back to regular price.
Let me know your thoughts on the comment section below.
Here's my first hand experience using the app Temu. I kept seeing it on facebook ads each time Im browsing. Then my son mentioned it to me as well. So I clicked it for the first time and a pop up spin a wheel appeared. So I tap it and it landed on £100 gift voucher. Then, I was asked to download the app to get my £100 voucher which I did.
But, you wont be able to use or get the £100 voucher, you will need to buy items and with its corresponding amount, you'll get a discount out of your £100 voucher. So for example, I bought around £35 in total purchase and then they gave me £10 off from it and was taken out from my £100 voucher.
Also the voucher is only valid for 24 hours. So it sort of entice me to use it plus before I paid or check out, it suggested to spend another £11 pounds to get £15 off. It's like if I buy £75 worth of products, they'll give me £35 off that will again be deducted from the £100 gift voucher.
It's like having Boots coupon or Waitrose coupon where you get £5 or £10 off on certain items or with your total buy. Another way of looking at it is like you get 40% discount in your total spendings.
It's free delivery but it's like 7 days or may be 5 working days before it arrives.
In conclusion, it is still the cheapest online shopping app at the moment.
The items I bought were:
Wooden guitar neck rest - £6.08
2 pcs guitar pick holder - £0.68
Headache relief clip - £0.89 x 2 = 1.78
10 pcs luminous tree spirits - £2.88
Kitchen hanging trash rack - £0.88 x 2 = 1.76
Mvave 2.4 Ghz wireless in ear monitor - £22.13
total amount paid: £35.31 - £10 (voucher coupon) = £25.31
Bought this wooden percussion pedal on Amazon and it's called Mr. Stomp Cigar Box Stomp Box. It is really a great addition to your existing Cajon setup. Or, if you havent got a cajon percussion box and you just need the sound of a kick drum for your acoustic setup, then this is the solution.
It gives a beat to your folk and country music if you're a solo acoustic artist or a group either duo or trio and you needed that beat to make your sound lively.
Also the wedge design is really great help so your foot and legs doesn't get tired easily. The sound quality of this product is also great. There's instructions on the manual on how to get your sound right or at its best quality. But the unit itself, I would say does a good job on its own without so much of tweaking from your speaker.
Last but not the least, the built of this product is very neat and sturdy. So I would say, it will stand the test of time as well as your stomping.
You can google Mr. Stomp Cigar Box Stomp Box for additional resources and information. There's tons of videos on YouTube as well as on Mr. Stomp's website.
I am really happy with my purchase and have tried it using my Roland Micro Cube, Boss Dr Rhythm DR3 drum machine, Boss pedals, Zoom G1xOn and Zoom G1Four and even my Hotone Siva Boogie mini amp head which requires 18v also worked. So yeah this unit is totally awesome.
Bought this one second-hand on eBay. Lots of disappointed owners of this drum machine are complaining on YouTube about this product. Hence, they are selling it secondhand online.
I bought it coz I really needed a drum machine where I can use it as battery powered and something small and portable. So this one fits that category. Although I might say, when I purchased it, I was a bit confused as well because I've been browsing a lot of drum machines from different brands and on eBay and also watching demos and reviews on YouTube. Until I just compulsively purchased this one because its not for bidding so no need to wait and all that.
Now when it arrived, I was looking for an adaptor but actually this one didnt come with an adaptor, however, it's battery powered so its not a problem and its a plus point for me so I can use this one anywhere. The second thing was how to edit or even just copy the drum patterns. I had to look both on the manual and on YouTube on how to do it.
Right, out of the box, it's pretty straight forward. I just put the 6 AA batteries and turn the power switch on. It doesnt have a built-in speaker so I was looking for headphones out but probably it's my eyesight, so I missed it. Took a guitar cable and plugged it to the mono out of the unit and plugged it into my portable speaker. At first it didnt work. I thought my cable was broken. And then the volume know of the unit that's next to the power switch, I had to turn it clockwise and counter-clockwise. Because as I've said I think it's my eyesight. I couldnt see properly where is volume up vs volume down.
Then, for some reason, I probably nudge the cable or the jack going to the mono out and it did work. So I don't if this is an old unit that has not been used for a while. After few minutes of fiddling with this product, or in fact, more than just minutes, I think it was later in the afternoon that I found out there's phones out. That's when I managed to enjoy the unit coz I can just experiment with it and not disturbing people in the house. After some time, I managed to have my drum beat for like 5-6 songs.
Then later on after few days of using it, I managed to learn how to edit, rename, copy, create beat, etc. And Im still learning with this drum machine. I think it's a really good drum machine. Got lovely sound especially when I plugged it to my Bose S1 Pro and also Im ordering a dual foot switch for this one because I want to make use of the fill in and the shifting from pattern A to B, etc. So watch out for my update on this drum machine.
I know that nowadays CDs and CD player is not a thing anymore but last December, a friend of mine gave ma a CD of Pink Floyd live at Knebworth and Rachmaninoff. Then later he gave me as well Pink Floyd Wish you were here album and Richard Addinsell. But trouble was, I don't have CD player anymore. So what I did was look online for a cheap CD Player and found this one from Asda. It was also perfect timing that my workplace gave me an Asda gift voucher. Hence, I bought this unit.
Right, this one is perfect for the job. Lightweight and portable. Battery powered. It doesnt come with power adaptor. But the only problem is that the battery rans out quickly. May be about one album and it drains the battery or perhaps listening to two albums and that's it. Another thing that is not that great is the earphones that came with it. It looks and feels cheap. Not sounding great as well. So I changed it with my cheap Phillips earphones and it sounded a lot better. But if you use obviously a better headphones like my Bose SoundTrue headphones and my Sennheiser HD100, then it is super lovely.
Overall, for the price and functionality, I am happy with this CD player.
This is one of the common questions asked to me as a Zoom effects pedal user. How to record using Zoom G1Four into my phone? So I decided to make a video and explain on how to record using this pedal.
Things that you'll be needing:
Zoom G1Four effects pedal
iPad or iPhone
Lightning to USB 3 camera adapter (buy original Apple product)
Behringer UCA222 audio interface
RCA to 3.5 mm stereo cable
Headphones 3.5 to 6.5 adapter
Regular headphones or headset (not the headset for the phones)
If possible have a tripod or any iphone/ipad stand
Connect your guitar to your zoom effects pedal then use the headphones jack plug it to the output of the pedal and connect your RCA to stereo 3.5mm cable then plug it to your Behringer UCA222 then connect your Lightning to USB 3 camera adapter to your iphone or ipad. Open the camera of your iPhone or iPad. Then connect your headphones to the Behringer UCA222 as your monitor. There's a volume control on the UCA 222 to adjust your monitor. Then press record.
Yes, it is! From feature to functionality and even portability and loudness. Right first is portability. This amp is small and lightweight. You can just carry it and walk for miles and you wont feel the weight. You can even put it in a backpack. Second is battery operated. You can do busking with this amp, you can bring this anywhere and jam along. In a boat, in your garden, in the park, in a hotel room, literally anywhere and you don't have to worry where to plug it. The features of this amp is awesome. It has builtin effects from reverb to delay, chorus, flange, phaser, tremolo, and amp sim and even acoustic option and microphone option. It has record out which you can connect to a mixing desk, PA system or portable speaker. It has got line in or AUX in for your backing tracks. Tone knob, gain and master volume. And most of all the sound quality of this little amp is really good. Loud enough and a lot of tone variations from clean to lead tone/metal tone.
I finally found the smallest, super lightweight, portable and loud pedal amp. The Mooer Baby Bomb 30. It's not a complete amp but with the right speaker cabinet and the right pedal with it, you can really gig with this mini amp head. Even without mic-ing your amp, it is loud enough and cutting through the mix. It also has a lot of headroom. I wasn only using 1/4 of the volume control and it's pretty much loud.
My setup was Lyon by Washburn HSS and each time Im doing solo, I put it on the humbucker bridge pickup and it always cuts through the mix. I then plugged my guitar to my trusted Zoom G1xOn. Then the Mooer Baby Bomb 30 was connected to my DIY speaker cabinet that I bought from eBay which got a Laney HCM 30 which is 10 inch and 30 watts. It's perfect pair. Mooer Baby Bomb 30 and Laney 30 watt 10 inch speaker.
I will probably try this one at some point using an analog pedal and see how it goes. Will keep you posted.
