Category: ambient music

Every death brings its own measure of sadness, but some seem more part of the natural order of things than others. A respected musician who lived a full life passing peacefully at home in comfortable old age seems different somehow to a musician – or anyone else for that matter – taken in their prime.

We lost many more good people in 2022. Not just musicians but artists, producers, record executives and others who add to the richness of our various scenes. As the year comes to a close it’s time to reflect on those who have gone – but also to celebrate the music they helped create.

Here’s to you and thank you for the music!

Burke Shelley (April 10, 1950 – January 10, 2022)

Burke Shelley was best known as the frontman and bassist with Welsh rock trio Budgie – contemporaries of Black Sabbath and one of the progenitors of heavy metal. His daughter announced that he died in his sleep at a Cardiff hospital, aged 71.

Ronnie Spector (August 10, 1943 – January 12, 2022)

Ronnie Spector was the co-founder and singer with 60s pop icons The Ronettes, who had a tumultuous marriage with producer Phil Spector. She lent her voice to numerous hits including Be My Baby, which Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys has said was his biggest influence and the greatest record he had ever heard. She died after a short battle with cancer and her family said she lived her life with “a twinkle in her eye, a spunky attitude, a wicked sense of humor and a smile on her face”.

Meat Loaf (September 27, 1947 – January 20, 2022)

Born Marvin Lee Aday, Meat Loaf found global stardom after teaming up with writer and producer Jim Steinman. His Steinman-penned debut album Bat Out of Hell remains one of the biggest-selling albums in history and the Bat Out of Hell trilogy sold more than 65m copies worldwide. He also had small but scene-stealing roles in films including The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Fight Club. Alice Cooper called him “one of the greatest voices in rock’n’roll” after his passing – the cause of which was not officially disclosed.

Jon Zazula (March 16, 1952 – February 1, 2022)

Also known as Jonny Z, Zazula was instrumental in bringing the music of Metallica and many other bands to the world. He co-founded Megaforce Records to create a home for the thrash legends after hearing their No Life ‘Til Leather demo. A label rep said he died from complications of the rare neuropathic disorder CIDP, COPD and osteopenia. Daughter Rikki said: “Our Dad lived a life as fast, hard, heavy, powerful, and impactful as the music he brought to the world.”

Ian McDonald (25 June 1946 – 9 February 2022)

Not many musicians get to play a part in creating one hugely influential band, let alone two. Ian McDonald co-founded prog progenitors King Crimson in 1968 and his mellotron, sax and flute formed a huge part of their sound on seminal debut album In the Court of the Crimson King. He left the band shortly after but went on to co-found Foreigner, appearing on their first three albums. A rep said he passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family.

Gary Brooker (May 29, 1945 – February 19, 2022)

Gary Brooker was the frontman of Procul Harem throughout their 55-year history, writing and singing their signature hit A Whiter Shade Of Pale. The band said he died at home of cancer, adding that he “was notable for his individuality, integrity, and occasionally stubborn eccentricity”.

Mark Lanegan (November 25, 1964 – February 22, 2022)

Mark Lanegan rose to fame as frontman with the influential Screaming Trees, who were caught up in the 90s grunge explosion but actually predated it by several years. Lanegan was also a member of Queens Of The Stone Age and The Gutter Twins with the Afghan Whigs’ Greg Dulli, as well as a successful solo artist and author. He died at home at the age of 57, with the cause of death not revealed.

Taylor Hawkins (February 17, 1972 – March 25, 2022)

Taylor Hawkins’ death at the age of 50 shook the music world. He was best known as the drummer for the Foo Fighters but had also been the live drummer for Alanis Morissette and formed side projects including Taylor Hawkins & The Coattail Riders and The Birds Of Satan. Two huge concerts at Wembley Stadium and the Kia Forum in California saw dozens of bands and artists pay tribute, with rock royalty including Paul McCartney and members of the Foos, Queen, Rush, Motley Crue, Metallica and many more taking part.

Chris Bailey (November 29, 1956 – April 9, 2022)

Chris Bailey was the founder and frontman with Australian punks The Saints. The band had their first hit with (I’m) Stranded in 1976, predating debut release by English contemporaries like The Damned and Sex Pistols. He was also a prolific solo artist. The band announced his passing with a statement saying: “Chris lived a life of poetry and music and stranded on a Saturday night.”

Sylvia Lancaster (November 26, 1952 – April 12, 2022)

Sylvia Lancaster was a tireless anti-hate crime campaigner and educator who set up The Sophie Lancaster Foundation following the brutal murder of her daughter Sophie in August 2007. She was a regular at festivals including Download and Bloodstock – with the latter naming its second stage after Sophie. Former youth worker Sylvia was awarded an OBE in 2014 for her work in reducing hate crime and community cohesion.

Klaus Schulze (August 4, 1947 – April 26, 2022)

As a former member of Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Tempel, Klaus Schulze was in at the beginning of the krautrock movement.  He also released dozens of solo and collaborative albums, some under the alias Richard Wahnfried and was widely recognised as a pioneer in electronic music.

Gabe Serbian (May 1, 1977 – April 30, 2022)

Best known as the drummer with San Diego mathcore outfit The Locust, Gabe Serbian also played with Cattle Decapitation, Dead Cross, Holy Molar, Head Wound City and more. He was just 44 when he passed away, with no cause of death confirmed.

Ric Parnell (August 13, 1951 – May 1, 2022)

Although Ric Parnell played drums in blues rockers Atomic Rooster, he was perhaps best known for his role as drummer Mick Shrimpton in iconic mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap. Harry Shearer, aka Spinal Tap’s Derek Smalls, broke the news on Twitter, writing: “Ric Parnell, our drummer in This is Spinal Tap, passed away today. No one ever rocked harder.”

Howie Pyro (June 28, 1960 – May 4, 2022)

Having been a part of the New York punk scene in the 70s and 80s, bassist Howie Pyro (born Howard Kusten) went on to found glam punk band D Generation. He also played with Danzig for a period in the early 2000s. D Generation bandmate Jesse Malin said that Pyro died from Covid-19-related pneumonia yesterday (May 4) following a long battle with liver disease.

Trevor Strnad (May 3, 1981 – May 11, 2022)

Trevor Strnad, frontman and co-founder of melodic death metal band the Black Dahlia Murder, died in May aged just 41. The cause of death was not given but his bandmates shared contact information for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline with the announcement. They added: “His lyrics provided the world with stories and spells and horror and whimsy. It was his life to be your show.”

Ricky Gardiner (August 31, 1948 – May 13, 2022)

Having enjoyed moderate success with his own band, Scottish progressive rockers Beggars Opera, Ricky Gardiner really made his name collaborating with musicians including Iggy Pop and David Bowie. He contributed classic riffs for Bowie’s Low and Pop’s The Passenger, amongst others.

Vangelis (March 29, 1943 – May 17, 2022)

Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou, known professionally as Vangelis, was a composer and arranger working in fields ranging from ambient and electronic to classical. He was known for his soundtrack work, including the theme music to Chariots Of Fire and Blade Runner.

Cathal Coughlan (December 16, 1960 – May 18, 2022)

Irish singer-songwriter Cathal Coughlan co-founded indie-pop band Microdisney in 1980 and formed the acclaimed Fatima Mansions eight years later. Neither band enjoyed major mainstream success but were well respected for their eclectic, inventive and uncompromising approach.

Andy Fletcher (July 8, 1961 – May 26, 2022) 

Andy Fletcher’s keyboards were an integral part of Depeche Mode’s sound for more than four hugely successful decades. The band revealed that Fletch, as he was commonly known, died aged 60 from an aortic dissection – a tear in a main artery from his heart.

Alan White (June 14, 1949 – May 26, 2022)

Although he originally joined seminal prog rock band Yes in 1972 as a replacement for original drummer Bill Bruford, Alan White went on to become the outfit’s longest serving member. He passed away aged 72 after a short illness.

Ronnie Hawkins (January 10, 1935 – May 29, 2022)

Nicknamed ‘The Hawk’, Ronnie Hawkins was an American-born musician who became a pivotal player in the Canadian rock scene of the late 1950s and 60s. He had a flare for showmanship and his live shows incorporated backflips and a ‘camel walk’ move that would influence Michael Jackson’s Moonwalk. His wife Wanda said he passed peacefully, aged 87.

Ken Kelly (May 19, 1946 – June 2, 2022

Ken Kelly was a fantasy artist who lent his epic style to a host of rock and metal album covers. Some of his best known include KISS classics Destroyer and Love Gun, Rainbow’s Rising, Coheed and Cambria’s Good Apollo I’m Burning Star IV Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow and a whole slew of Manowar albums. KISS frontman Paul Stanley posted: “His fantasy art captured the larger than life image of KISS perfectly. Rest In Peace.

Alec Jon Such (November 14, 1951 – June 4, 2022)

American bassist Alec John Such was a founding member of Bon Jovi and appeared on the band’s first five albums. Although they parted company in 1994, Such was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with his former bandmates in 2018.

Manny Charlton (July 25, 1941 – July 5, 2022)

Manny Charlton was a founding member and the lead guitarist with Scottish rock band Nazareth through their 70s heyday right up to the end of the 80s. He also produced a number of their albums, leading to Axl Rose requesting him to work on Guns N’ Roses’ debut full-length Appetite For Destruction. While Mick Clink would end up producing the album, Charlton helmed the original demos, which eventually surfaced as bonus tracks on the 2018 reissue of Appetite…

Paul Ryder (April 24, 1964 – July 15, 2022)

Along with his brother Shaun, Paul Ryder was a founding member of Mancunian indie icons the Happy Mondays. His grooving basslines were a big part of the band’s sound. He died aged 58, the night before the band were due to play the Kubix Festival in Sunderland.

Colin Harkness (1959 – July 21, 2022)

Col Harkness was a founder member of British boogie-rockers Spider, who were frequently compared to Status Quo during their 80s run. The remaining band members said in a statement that their former frontman and guitarist had been in poor health and in and out of hospital in the months preceding his death.

Mo Ostin (March 27, 1927 – July 31, 2022)

Record company executives can get a bad rap but sometimes they really are on the side of the music. This was the case with Mo Ostin, who had a reptation for giving artists creative freedom. In an extraordinary career at Warner, Reprise and more he signed or oversaw the signing of artists including the Kinks, Jim Hendrix, Prince, Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, R.E.M., the Red Hot Chili Peppers and many more.

Nicky Moore (June 21, 1947 – August 3, 2022)

When Bruce Dickinson left Samson to join Iron Maiden in 1982, Nicky Moore plugged the gap. After leaving Samson in the late 80s he joined heavyweight rockers Mammoth – the name being a tongue-on-cheek nod to the fact that all its members were on the larger side. He died at the age of 75 from Parkinson’s disease.

Steve Grimmett (August 19, 1959 – August 15, 2022)

Steve Grimmett’s distinctive style and impressive range was one of the defining features of New Wave of British Heavy Metal stalwarts Grim Reaper through the 80s. He also appeared on a single album with thrashers Onslaught (1989’s In Search Of Sanity) and joined Lionsheart in the 90s. In 2016 Grim Reaper released their first new album in decades (under the name Steve Grimmett’s Grim Reaper) and their final album, 2019’s At The Gates was inspired by Grimmett losing his leg following an infection on tour in Ecuador. The singer had said they were working on new material as of the start of 2022.

Stuart Anstis (May 2, 1974 – August 21, 2022)

Guitarist Stuart Anstis joined British extreme metallers Cradle Of Filth after the release of their first album, making his debut on the 1996 EP V Empire or Dark Faerytales in Phallustein. While he only played with the band for four years he made his mark, especially on enduring Filth fan favourite Dusk…And Her Embrace. Frontman Dani Filth said Anstis was an “amazingly talented guitarist who brought a real sense of magick to everything he wrote in Cradle of Filth”.

David Andersson (February 25, 1975 – September 14, 2022)

David Andersson joined Swedish metallers Soilwork in 2012 and appeared on four albums, including the recent Övergivenheten. He also played in The Night Flight Orchestra alongside Soilwork vocalist Björn ‘Speed’ Strid. The cause of death was not officially announced but the band said in a statement: “Sadly alcohol and mental illness took you away from us.”

John Hartman (March 18, 1950 – September 22, 2022)

The Doobie Brothers were known for employing a dual drumming attack but John Hartman was the sole sticksman when he put the nucleus of the band together with frontman Tom Johnston. He played on all their 70s hit before leaving the band, returning for a brace of reunion albums in 1989’s Cycles and 1991’s Brotherhood. His former bandmates called him “a wild spirit, great drummer, and showman during his time in the Doobies”.

Loretta Lynn (April 14, 1932 – October 4, 2022)

Loretta Lynn was a country icon who recorded 60 albums in a career spanning almost as many years. She only ended 57 years of touring after she suffered a stroke in 2017 and broke her hip in 2018. She collaborated with Jack White on 2004 album Van Lear Rose when she was 72. She died at home in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, at the age of 90.

D.H. Peligro (July 9, 1959 – October 28, 2022)

Darren Eric Henley, better known by his stage name D.H. Peligro, was the drummer for San Francisco punk legends Dead Kennedys for most of their initial eight-year run. He didn’t play on 1980  debut album Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables but made his debut on the In God We Trust, Inc EP the following year. He also played on the Red hot Chili Peppers’ 1989 album Mother’s Milk and fronted his own band Peligro in the 90s and 2000s. According to a post made by the Dead Kennedys, he died from head trauma resulting from a fall at his home.

Mimi Parker (September 15, 1967 – November 5, 2022)

Mimi Parker’s haunting vocals and sparse drumming helped define the minimalist sound of alt-rock trio Low, who were an influential act for nearly three decades. Her husband and bandmate Alan Sparhawk revealed that she died at home from ovarian cancer.

Dan McCafferty (October 14, 1946 – November 8, 2022)

William Daniel McCafferty fronted Scottish rock band Nazareth from their foundation in 1968 until he retired due to ill health in 2013, some 45 years later. He died at the age of 76, a little over three months after his former bandmate Manny Charlton.

Garry Roberts (June 16, 1950 – November 9, 2022)

Garry Roberts was the lead guitarist and a founder member of the Bob Geldof-fronted Irish punk/new wave band The Boomtown Rats. They originally went by the name The Nightlife Thugs but Roberts threatened to quit if they didn’t change it. In a statement the band said they were “driven by that sound of his, a storm of massive considered noise that punched out from his overtaxed amplifier”.

Nik Turner (August 26, 1940 – November 10, 2022)

Nik Turner was one of the founding members of space-rock legends Hawkwind and played alongside Lemmy in the band’s early years. He played saxophone and flute, sang and generally added to the weirdness with his wild costumes and jazz stylings. A statement posted on his Facebook page read: “We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Nik Turner – the Mighty Thunder Rider, who passed away peacefully at home on Thursday evening.”

Keith Levene (July 18, 1957 – November 11, 2022)

Although he never recorded with them, Keith Levene was an original member of The Clash. It was as guitarist with the post-punk outfit Public Image Ltd (PiL) that he came to prominence however, teaming up with former Sex Pistol John Lydon. He passed away at 65, having reportedly battled with liver cancer.

Wilko Johnson (July 12, 1947 – November 21, 2022)

John Andrew Wilkinson, better known by his stage name Wilko Johnson, was the guitarist in Dr. Feelgood – the pub rock band who influenced many of the figures that would rise to prominence in the British punk rock explosion of the late 70s. He went on to form The Wilko Johnson Band and also appeared as the mute executioner Ser Ilyn Payne in the HBO series Game Of Thrones. The cause of death was not confirmed but Johnson had been battling cancer for several years.

Christine McVie (12 July 12, 1943 – November 30, 2022)

When Christine McVie joined Fleetwood Mac as a full-time member in 1970 they were already four albums in, but their biggest triumphs were all still to come. McVie’s keyboards and vocals became an integral part of the band and she remained a constant through numerous line-up changes. After her passing the band said she was “truly one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure”. According to a statement on her Facebook page, she passed away peacefully in hospital following a short illness.

Jet Black (August 26, 1938 – December 6, 2022)

Before plunging into punk rock with The Stranglers, Brian John Duffy was a successful businessman who owned an off-licence and a fleet of ice cream vans (which were later pressed into touring duty!). Luckily, the band were hugely successful with hits including Peaches, No More Heroes and Golden Brown and an evolving sound that was hugely influential on post-punk. According to a rep he died “peacefully” following years of ill-health. Stranglers bassist Jean-Jacques Burnel said: “He was a force of nature. An inspiration. The Stranglers would not have been if it wasn’t for him. The most erudite of men. A rebel with many causes.”

As a casual musician, I like to record original music in my own little home office/studio for my own personal use, and I enjoy experimenting with different ways to create interesting, sometimes unconventional musical compositions. Artiphon’s Orba 2 makes it easy to do exactly that. I’ve had a lot of fun with the tiny synth, and I can envision tons of ways I’ll be able to incorporate it into my studio, because it’s not just a gimmick.

I spoke to Mike Butera, a musician who holds a Ph.D in Sound Studies, and the founder and CEO of Artiphon, a Nashville-based company that designs smart digital instruments. These are “multisensory instruments anyone can play,” according to the company’s website. Butera tells me he wants to make digital music more embodied and tactile, and more accessible to everyday consumers.

The Orba 2 is one of these multisensory instruments: An ergonomically shaped synthesizer you can hold in the palm of your hand. Artiphon sent me an Orba 2, and when I picked it up and started playing around with it for the first time, I couldn’t put it down for hours. I started out by pairing the device with the Orba 2 app on my phone and experimenting with all the instruments and sounds preloaded into the app. Pretty soon I had a sweet-sounding loop arranged with a droning bass and some killer ambient leads over a simple 4/4 rock beat.

The Orba 2 costs $150 and is available to purchase online directly from Artiphon, through Reverb or at retailers like Guitar Center and Sam Ash. It’s easy to pick up and play right out of the box and requires no musical knowledge to start making some really cool-sounding music. This unassuming little instrument is astonishingly versatile and so simple to use, it can make a musician out of anyone — and can make for a unique little gift.

See at Artiphon

What is the Orba 2?

The Orba 2 is the successor to Artiphon’s original Orba device, which launched in 2019. It’s a compact synth, looper and MIDI controller that’s about the size and shape of your average orange, cut in half. The Orba 2 has essentially the same design and interface as the original — with eight multifunctional pads radiating across the top of the device — but with enhanced functionality throughout. 

Perhaps the most notable enhancement with the Orba 2 is that you can record literally any sound in the world onto the app and play it on the device. Strum a chord on your guitar, hum a tune, record the sound of a train whistle, snap your fingers — heck, you can dive into the ocean and record whale sounds to sample on your Orba 2. (But if that’s something you’re actually going to do, please just make sure you use a recording device that’s waterproof).

The Orba 2 also adds an “automatic quantize” function which helps automatically line up your musical creation with the beat when looping music. Automatic quantize is a lifesaver if you don’t have perfect rhythm because you don’t have to worry about being precisely in time — the software takes care of that for you. 

It also gives you drastically more looping time than its predecessor. The original Orba only allowed for eight-bar loops (up to 30 seconds of looping), whereas the Orba 2 ups that limit to 128 bars, or up to five minutes of looping time. That gives you plenty of time to create and loop an elaborate, comprehensive musical composition consisting of drums, bass, chords (rhythm) and lead.

The device includes a standard 1/8-inch headphone stereo jack and a USB-C port for charging and connecting to your computer or other device (but you can also connect via Bluetooth). It’s equipped with a 3-watt speaker on the bottom, which is adequate if you’re just casually playing around with it in your living room, but you’ll want to plug your headphones into it to get the full effect. 

The Orba 2 is compatible with iOS 11 and later, Android 9 and later, MacOS 10.12 and later, and Microsoft 10 (64-bit) and later. 

What can you do with the Orba 2?

For such a simple-looking device, the Orba 2 delivers quite a bit more than what you may expect, with certain limitations.

It’s perhaps best used as a musical sketchpad to help you develop and save your musical ideas. That’s where the Orba 2’s portability and expanded looping functionality really come in handy. You can save your looped songs using the accompanying app and build on them later or just play them back. And it’s small enough that you can have it on your desk or easily tuck it away in your jacket pocket and play it on the bus or in the park — whenever and wherever inspiration hits.

Orba 2’s more than 100 presets run the gamut of musical styles, including anything from traditional synths, bass guitars, piano, violins and acoustic drums to video game sounds, beatboxing, hand drums, vinyl scratches and meditative, ambient sounds. Some presets across modes share the same in-app artwork, meaning that they sound good when played together. One of my favorite presets across modes is called 1981, which can deliver some really nice Stranger Things vibes. Another preset I like is called Ambeeant, which is perfect if you want to create a composition that’s supremely chilled-out and relaxing — like a smooth late-night groove, or something you’d expect to hear in a dimly lit shisha lounge.

You can even create your own presets by recording a sound or developing an instrument from scratch using the separate OrbaSynth app, which you can download from Artiphon. Recording a sound is easy using the mobile or desktop apps, but exporting the sound to use on your Orba 2 requires you to connect the Orba to your phone or computer with a USB cable — which isn’t a particularly convenient solution if you’re out and about and want to record something and immediately play it on the Orba. However, you can save your recordings to export later if you record a sound on your phone and you don’t have your Orba or a cable with you.

One of the things I like the most about the Orba 2 is its responsive gesture controls. The pads on top are touch-sensitive and respond nicely to how hard you tap them. You can also hold your finger on a pad to let a note or crash cymbal to ring out, for example. Or radiate your finger inward or outward to add a bit of vibrato or control things like pitch or volume. Other gestures include spin, bump, move, shake and tilt — all of which can help you augment the notes you’re playing and make some really cool sounds. 

I also like how Artiphon really does a good job of making the Orba 2 more accessible to nonmusicians by programming the lead presets to play the pentatonic scale. This makes it easy to create lead parts that fit melodically with your song no matter what note you hit.

“The reason we did that is so you could build up a little beat and then take a solo on top, and whatever you press, it’s going to sound good,” Adam McHeffey, Artiphon’s chief marketing officer, told me in an interview. “It’s all about immediacy and just having fun as you play. It’s not about dumbing anything down. It’s just about approachability and just really taking your mind off of it and just having fun.” 

If you want to get the most out of the Orba 2, you can use it as a MIDI controller and hook it up to a digital audio workstation like GarageBand, Ableton Live, Logic Pro, Pro Tools and Cubase. I connected my Orba 2 up to GarageBand and that’s where the full potential of this little device really opened up for me in terms of the different kinds of sounds and compositions you can create. I was able to export songs from my Orba 2 into GarageBand, but only as a single track. There doesn’t seem to be a way to export individual tracks. So the best way to leverage GarageBand or any other DAW software with Orba 2 is to start from scratch and create directly within your DAW. 

Fun, but not without flaws

Artiphon has a great thing going with the Orba 2, but there are a few inherent drawbacks as well as some room for improvement. For one, while changing octaves is simple and can be done on the Orba 2 itself, there are only eight keys to play with, which makes accessing a broader range of notes considerably less seamless than if you were playing a traditional synthesizer. It’s a necessary but unfortunate tradeoff for the Orba 2’s compact size.

I also found the main Orba 2 app to be rather buggy overall on both mobile and desktop. It crashed often, especially when I was saving songs and trying to load saved songs onto the Orba, which was frustrating. The apps also lost connection with my Orba at random intervals, so I found myself having to reconnect or re-pair it with my phone and MacBook more often than I would have liked. Another thing I found frustrating was that I often couldn’t adjust the volume of individual instruments in my loops, despite the app showing me the option to do so. At times I wished that I could lower the volume a bit on a booming drum beat I created to let the subtler elements of my composition shine — alas, most of the time, the volume wouldn’t budge from 78% no matter what I tried. This put a real damper on my efforts to mix my compositions into something that sounded the way I wanted them to sound. The software has a ton of potential, so hopefully these little quirks get resolved in future updates.

The Orba 2 has added some excellent and useful features that give it a major leg up over the original Orba, but one feature I hope may be available in future firmware updates is the ability to layer multiple different presets from each individual mode on top of one another. For example, it would be helpful to be able to layer multiple different lead presets on top of one another in a single looped composition — say, if you wanted to have a lead guitar part, but also a piano lead or violin lead. That would give you the ability to add some cool dynamics to your songs. Currently, if you already have a lead part looped and you want to change the lead instrument to something else, the originally looped part will change to any other preset you select. Sure, you can work around this by running your Orba 2 through your DAW, but it would be nice to have the functionality through the app as well. 

Is the Orba 2 worth it?

Overall, I think the Orba 2 is an excellent little instrument if you’re a casual musician (or even if you have no musical background at all) and just want an easy way to create cool-sounding music at any place or any time. But professional musicians will probably want something with a little more depth and range. 

The Orba 2 is unique, and it’s great for experimentation with a virtually unlimited scope of sonic possibilities in the palm of your hand. It’s a worthy addition to your home studio and can help add some impressive dynamics to your music. It’s an awesome tool for coming up with new musical ideas on the fly, wherever you are. And it’s just plain fun. If any of that sounds good to you, then yes, Orba 2 is worth it and you should give it a shot. 

They say Christmas only comes once a year, but one Capital Region city gets double for 2022. There are two separate Hallmark holiday movies featuring the Capital Region’s own Troy, NY this year. One premiered in November, but tomorrow will have the first showing of a lighthearted mystery over the creator of a worldwide Christmas tradition that started in Troy.

Earlier this year, Capital Region pizza staple DaFazio’s was closed for a few days while crews used the Troy eatery as a stand in for a 1950s NYC Italian deli. That movie, A Holiday Spectacular, debuted on November 27^th for the Hallmark Channel’s ‘Countdown to Christmas’. Saturday will see the newest movie – and this one’s set in Troy.

It’s been almost two centuries since the poem we know as “Twas The Night Before Christmas” was first published in the Troy Sentinel. “A Visit From Saint Nicholas,” as it was originally called, had no author credit on December 23, 1823. The currently credited author is Clement Clark Moore, an NYC biblical scholar who said he was the original writer years after “Twas the Night” was published.

In the last 25 years, controversy has broken out as some believe that it wasn’t Moore, but Henry Livingston, Jr. that wrote the Christmas Eve classic. Livingston was a poet and farmer that lived in the Hudson Valley.

The movie is based on a play written by Troy residents Duncan Crary and Jack Casey. The duo sold the movie rights to Hallmark a few years ago. That play, “Livingston v. Moore: Who Really Wrote ‘A Visit From Saint Nicholas?’” was performed in 2013 and 2014 at the Rensselaer County Courthouse with the audience acting as jury. The first year ended with a hung jury; the second year Livingston was named the rightful author.

The Hallmark movie, Twas The Night Before Christmas, takes place during the Victorian Stroll in Troy, as a playwright and two local lawyers hold a mock trial to decide who is the real author once and for all: Moore or Livingston. Also, there may be ghosts. Don’t expect many Capital Region landmarks, though. Twas The Night Before Christmas wasn’t filmed in Troy – it was filmed somewhere in Canada.

According to the Times Union, Crary and Casey are hosting a watch party tomorrow at 8 at Slidin Dirty in downtown Troy. The premiere is open to the public. They say the movie is a great chance to celebrate Troy and mark the city as the birthplace of Uncle Sam and Santa Claus – and why not? They’re both icons. They have great facial hair. They both dig red and white. Take a look at a sneak peek before the premiere:

The Most Popular Christmas Movies of All-Time

The Amazon Echo Dot is easily the most popular and easiest way to enjoy the Alexa ecosystem.

Originally conceived as an alternative to the flagship Echo, the smaller version offers the same Alexa interaction, smart home control, and access to hundreds of thousands of Alexa skills. And thanks to its much lower price, it’s possible to add the speaker to many rooms in your home without breaking the bank.

Starting with the third-generation Echo Dot, Amazon offered an upgraded version with an important advantage: a clock. That made it perfect to add to a nightstand or anywhere else you need to see the time.

The fifth-generation model features the same design but with a vastly improved clock display and other great new features. We’ll take a closer look and see if the time is right for the Echo Dot with Clock.

A Clearer Display With More Information

A headline feature of the new model is an improved LED display. Instead of just being able to display the time like the previous two models, now you can see additional information like a song title, weather conditions, the number of Alexa notifications available, and more.

Compared to my fourth-generation Echo Dot with Clock, the display on the new model is brighter and easier to read, even from across the room. I was also able to view the time clearly in a bright room and from an angle.

You can easily change the brightness of the clock using the Alexa app, and there’s an option for the display to automatically adjust its brightness depending on the ambient light. That’s a great option if you’re using the speaker as a bedside clock. If you desire, you can also completely turn off the display.

In the morning, a new accelerometer on the top of the speaker allows you to simply snooze the alarm with a tap. You can also pause a song, end a call, or stop a timer. It’s another handy way for quick control without needing to call for Alexa.

Being able to see other data on the display is a nice touch, even though you can ask Alexa to hear the same information—but it adds even more ways to use the best feature of the upgraded model.

Somewhat Better Music Quality

Amazon promises better sound quality from the new Echo Dot with Clock thanks to its 1.73-inch front-firing speaker. That’s an upgrade from the 1.6-inch speaker in the fourth-generation.

The sound quality is indeed improved, but not substantially. I played a wide variety of music and podcasts on both the fourth- and fifth-generation speakers. The better bass quality stood out in some songs, but I had a hard time discerning the improved vocals Amazon touted.

If sound quality for music playback is your top concern in a smart speaker, you’d likely be better off spending more to buy the larger Amazon Echo. Alternatively, if you’re looking for vastly better sound in the same small size, Apple’s HomePod mini still rules the roost, as long as you’re an Apple user and don’t mind switching smart home ecosystems.

One major downside to note with the new Echo Dot with Clock is that Amazon has removed the 3.5mm line out jack available in the previous version. With that, users were able to connect the small speaker to a larger option like a Sonos.

That’s a disappointing change. But I suspect it won’t bother most Echo Dot with Clock buyers, as the small smart speaker is more known for its all-around smart home prowess than music playback quality.

Making a Smart Home Even Better

On the smart home front, the new Echo Dot with Clock offers two handy new features. Combined with the motion sensor that arrived in the previous generation, the fifth-generation model is much more than a smart speaker and can be used as a larger part of an Alexa smart home.

First up, a built-in sensor can monitor the temperature inside your home. You can use that information as part of the handy Alexa Routines feature in the Alexa app for iOS or Android. For example, you can create a routine to automatically turn on a fan after a certain temperature is reached.

Another big plus is that the speaker now features eero Wi-Fi technology built-in. With that, you can use the Echo Dot with Clock as part of a larger eero network. As long as you have one eero router running in your home, you can use the Echo Dot as a Wi-Fi extender.

Amazon says the speaker will extend the Wi-Fi coverage in your home by up to 1,000 square feet, with supported speeds of up to 100 Mbps.

I’m running an eero network at my house, but already have two eero devices in my relatively small, one-story home with no dead spots or slow areas to speak of. It’s important to note that using more routers or extenders than needed in a home can actually cause slower wireless network speeds.

Interestingly, when setting up the Echo Dot with Clock as an extender in the eero app, I received an error message. Because of strong Wi-Fi coverage where the speaker was located, the capability was automatically disabled. I tried placing the speaker at a few other spots at my home, but with no luck.

Nevertheless, if you’re looking to save a bit of cash when creating a new network in a larger home, using one or two Echo Dot with Clocks around the home is much more cost-efficient than buying additional eero nodes. Plus, if you already have an eero network and are running into connectivity issues, like with cameras or other smart home equipment outside, using an Echo Dot with Clock could be the solution.

The Best Way to Enjoy Alexa

Amazon’s Echo ecosystem continues to lead the way in the smart home market thanks to the power of Alexa, along with the low price and simplicity of the hardware.

The fifth-generation Echo Dot with Clock is the best way for most people to enjoy Amazon’s smart speaker lineup. While the sound quality isn’t earth-shattering, the upgraded display is a great way to see the time, weather, song titles, and much more.

The addition of the temperature sensor and eero functionality also help cement the speaker’s cost-conscious but feature-rich approach to the smart home. Whether you’re a smart home beginner or expert, this nifty device makes for a great purchase.

It’s the Appetite for Destruction of graying techno fans. Dig in their closet, past the strata of tech house, minimal and ambient layers and you’ll inevitably find a copy of this green-bordered album with a golden man on the front.

The rare release that’s been as important to a genre as it was to the label that released it, Artificial Intelligence was released 30 years ago and Warp is celebrating with a 30th anniversary reissue and a trippy website that takes you into the post-coital golden man’s proto-VR living room.

The 10 track EP of “electronic listening music” features two cuts from Autechre and Speedy J (including “De-Orbit”), plus Richie Hawtin (as “UP!”), Aphex Twin (as “The Dice Man”), The Orb’s Dr. Alex Paterson, Musicology (Michael Golding and Steve Rutter) and Ken Downie (aka I.A.O.).

In honor of the anniversary, we asked AI to illustrate AI by prompting Stable Diffusion to compose “a painting of a robot man listening to music in his living room” and we got this.

Warp’s is probably better.

Warp’s reissue features a vinyl release, WAVs, MP3s and a handful of merch.

“It’s not going to be long before an artist can make an album, film, CD1 and CDO in his or her own bedroom for a few thousand pounds, advertise the “product” to hundreds of thousands of people directly via the computer networks and sell directly to them. This will completely cut out the need for the usual trek around the major entertainment companies looking for finance, and could lead to things getting really interesting.” – Warp co-founder Steve Beckett, 1992

Listen to the full LP above or on Spotify:

Block out unwanted noises with noise-canceling headphones

Whether you like to pass the time on a long flight by watching a movie or enjoy listening to your favorite songs or podcasts on a train ride, having a quality pair of noise-canceling headphones is a must-have for comfortable travel. Noise-canceling headphones also make it much easier to sleep in a noisy plane, train, bus or car. 

Headphones may all seem similar, but certain features can make one pair better suited for travel than another. You want them to be comfortable enough to wear for long periods and offer the most effective noise-canceling technology you can find.

This list offers some of the best noise-canceling headphones to make your next trip as pleasant as possible.

What are noise-canceling headphones?

Noise-canceling headphones are just like regular headphones — they enable you to listen to audio from your smartphone, laptop, tablet or other devices. Some models are wired, so you connect them to the device with a cable. Others are wireless and use a Bluetooth connection to connect to your device.

What sets noise-canceling headphones apart is they help counteract the ambient noise around you, so your audio is clearer and you’re not disturbed. The headphones work by sending out a soundwave to cancel out the soundwaves in the ambient noise. 

Keep in mind that noise-canceling headphones work better for some frequencies than others. They’re incredibly effective for canceling sounds like engine noise on a plane, but higher frequency sounds like a crying baby may still get through if you have lower-quality headphones. 

What makes noise-canceling headphones good for travel?

Many travelers prefer wireless noise-canceling headphones because you don’t have to deal with any cables getting in the way when you’re trying to get comfortable on a plane or train. 

For travel, make sure that your headphones have a long battery life so you don’t have to worry about charging them during your trip. Some models offer up to 30 hours of listening time on a single charge, while others can only run for about 16 hours before needing to be recharged.

Best noise-canceling headphones

Bose QuietComfort 35 Series II Wireless Headphones

Thanks to the high-quality materials and construction, these wireless noise-canceling headphones are comfortable enough for long days of travel. They provide up to 20 hours of listening time per charge but also come with an audio cable to allow you to keep listening, even if the battery runs out. The Bose Connect app allows you to choose your preferred level of noise cancellation. 

Sold by Amazon

Sony Noise-Canceling Headphones

These headphones are fairly affordable, making them ideal for the traveler on a budget. The ear cups swivel to make them more compact for travel, and the battery offers up to 80 hours of listening time per charge. The headphones have a lightweight feel, so they’re comfortable on long trips. 

Sold by Amazon

Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Hybrid Active Noise-Canceling Headphones

These headphones offer active noise cancellation to keep your audio crystal clear. They can detect and cancel out a wide range of low and mid-frequency noises and feature a stronger bass for a better listening experience. You get up to 40 hours of playtime per charge, and the memory foam ear cups are comfortable for long periods. 

Sold by Amazon

Ausounds True Wireless Noise-Canceling Over-Ear Headphones

These headphones are an excellent option if you need to take calls while you’re traveling. The dual mic allows for crystal-clear communication, and the noise-canceling feature enables you to hear perfectly. 

Sold by Amazon

Beats Solo Pro Wireless Noise Canceling On-Ear Headphones

These active noise-canceling headphones provide up to 22 hours of listening time per charge. They’re compatible with both Android and Apple devices and allow you to stay aware of your surroundings while listening to your audio of choice. 

Sold by Amazon

Bose QuietComfort 20 Acoustic Noise-Canceling Earbuds

If over-ear or on-the-ear headphones are too heavy for your taste, you’ll love these earbud-style noise-canceling headphones. They have a special mode that allows you to hear the noises around you with the press of a button when traveling, and their specially designed tips fit securely and comfortably in the ears. 

Sold by Amazon

iLive Active Noise Cancellation Bluetooth Headphones

The adjustable headband and soft cushioned pads on these noise-canceling headphones are comfortable on long trips. The noise-canceling feature can easily be turned on and off, and the built-in microphone allows you to take calls. The headphones have a foldable design and an included carrying pouch, making them easy to pack. 

Sold by Amazon

JBL Live Wireless Over-Ear Noise-Canceling Headphones

These headphones eliminate background noise to help you enjoy your favorite music without disruption when traveling. The battery provides 30 hours of listening time, and the built-in microphone lets you take calls. The folding design makes them easier to carry with you. 

Sold by Amazon

Sony WF-1000XM3 Noise-Canceling Truly Wireless Earbuds

This pair of noise-canceling earbuds is lightweight and easy to wear on long trips. They have a smart listening feature that automatically turns on the ambient sound mode based on what you’re doing, so you don’t miss out on sounds you need to hear. 

Sold by Amazon and Best Buy

Origaudio Wrapsody Premium Wireless Headphones

These headphones come with a soft carry bag ideal for travel, and the 85% isolating outside noise cancellation feature lets you enjoy your favorite music without interruption. The multifunction on-ear buttons allow you to take calls and control your music with ease. 

Sold by Amazon

Brookstone Active Noise-Canceling Bluetooth Headphones

These headphones feature padded ear cups with an ergonomic design to offer greater comfort on long trips. They also let you make hands-free calls and fold for easy storage. The battery provides up to 30 hours of listening time per charge. 

Sold by Amazon

Wicked Audio Full-Size Wireless Plus Active Noise-Canceling Hum 1000 Headphones

One of the best noise-canceling headphone sets on the market, this pair can reduce ambient noise by 97.5%. They feature cushioned ear cups that remain comfortable on the ears for hours, and they fold flat for storage. 

Sold by Amazon

Want to shop the best products at the best prices? Check out Daily Deals from BestReviews.

Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.

Jennifer Blair writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.

Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved.