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I received a Tascam DP-004 digital 4-track for christmas.

Initial reactions:

Decent manual
Includes 1gb SD card
Wow, this thing is powerful!
Great mix of digital and analog controls
Very good sound quality
Size is perfect

Solid build quality
Built in mics are impressive
Good battery life on 4AA (I didn’t get the power adapter)

Screen needs to be brighter
SD card location sucks – in the battery compartment
I’d like an XLR input
It didn’t like one of my cheap SD cards

***12/21/09 UDPATE: After playing for a while I now attach the pickup in the standard way between the strings. Having it on the quiver transmitted too much noise.****

With the new tailpiece I didn’t want the pickup on the strings as with my standard tailpiece. So, I drilled a small hole in my quiver then cut small notches in to fit the piezo portion through the quiver. I haven’t used it live yet but it seems to work well.

I just bought the Fishman Pro-EQ Platinum Bass Preamp from Musicians Friend. I love it. It sounds great and helps control feedback.

Pizzicato is much more even across strings and register.

My dreaded Ab on the D string wolf tone is gone.

Strings definitely speak easier.

Thumb position register is much louder! Still a nice tone.

Harmonics are clearer and speak easier.

This is a re-post from March but I find myself using these pencils so often it’s worth repeating. I own about 6 of them and keep around my apartment and at the different schools I teach at.

Us musicians are always using pencils and I’ve seen a number of people look for pencils with softer leads to make marking (and erasing) easier.

Several years ago I discovered drafting / architectural lead holders. Then you can purchase a variety of lead density. They are sharpened either with the cap or with a lead pointer.

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I was at the Chicago Marathon Expo at McCormick Place on Saturday with a friend who was registering for the marathon. There were many companies and shops setup with lots of cool stuff!

Two things I loved (and purchased) are:

The Stick – a self massaging tool.

YRBUDS – Custom fitting earbud covers. Earbuds won’t fall out and they prevent sweat from dripping into them.

Obviously these are marketed to athletes but are useful to us musicians as well. And besides, aren’t we just small muscle athletes?

I received a question from a reader about cases – click here to read more.

I bought this Turbo Tune from Bob Gollihur’s store. It’s a great accessory!