Musical Instruments

Reviews

When I opened the box, Keith had two broken fingers (right hand,middle & index fingers)The Organ does not fit into the slot of the base of my model nor do Keith's feet fit either.For Keith's feet to fit you would have to push or pull on his legs which might cause them to break. (so I didn't) The silver rack that the Moog tower sits on does not fit either.The fingers are so thin that I can imagine if you just look at them wrong they will break. I am a big fan and was looking forward to having this on my desk. I would not recommend buying this model.

Not that a limited edition sculpture is validation to his talent or his contribution to Rock music, it is nice to see Keith Emerson, specifically and a Keyboard player (instead of only Guitarist) importalized in this way. KnuckleBonz has done a nice job in catching Keith Emerson in his element, with his Moog stack and his Hammond - though not sure why they didn't choose the 'playing the hammond backwards while it's laying on top of him' pose. None the less, a nice peice looks good and makes a statement as a serious fan.

The figure itself is okay, but the glue inside was already out of date. Even though the instrutions say to be careful with the hand's finger, I broke two of them. It would be better if the figure itself was sold already assembled. But anyway it's a delight having this keyboard wizard on the bench.

Reviews

This is a diehard competition of nogood fools and blasphemists. Yah, this stinkpy CD soled millionths but it was a part of a masterplan to infringe the do-gooders and stifle the sermons of the impoverished pallets. Choose your platform NOW and speak and piss in the faces of the floyed lo-vers and so--called maniacs!!!!!!!!!!!! we love you. Frank Sinatra wouldn't have done it other wise! Hannah Gillmore

This cd most likely is an effigy of the silly kind. Its atrocious musical gaffe is enough to distinguish the rotten from the prowess. Its a slow diver and should've never been relaesed!! Pete Hucky

This cd most likely is an effigy of the silly kind. Its atrocious musical gaffe is enough to distinguish the rotten from the prowess. Its a slow diver and should've never been relaesed!! Pete Hucky

I've known Pink Floyd's album DARK SIDE OF THE MOON for many, many years, but although I've been writing Amazon reviews for nearly a decade, I've always been reluctant to post comments about DARK SIDE. What more can I say after thousands of others? How many people are going to decide whether or not to buy this universally acclaimed classic rock album based on my comments? Well, I might as well dedicate this space to two properties of the album that I've always found peculiar indeed. The first is the way it succeeds not so much based on its musical content (its melodies, harmonies and rhythms -- its tunes abstractly considered) as its atmospheric production. Now, I'm a fan of nearly the whole of Pink Floyd's career, and this album would be fine music regardless of the producer, but Alan Parsons's role is what takes DARK SIDE to a completely new level: the sense of space (the SACD quadrophonic mix is worth it), the warmth of the sound, the plain authenticity of the sampled speech and the flawless mixing of one track into the next. Pink Floyd's music had been more overtly psychadelic in the past, but the exploitation of spatialization makes the trippy moments here more out of this world than ever before. It's almost like the band could be playing anything, but the way the sound comes at you is enough to make it a masterpiece. The second remarkable property that I admire about DARK SIDE OF THE MOON is how behind the times it is in many respects -- that's right, I like how it sounds more in tune with the late 1960s than its 1973 release date. In expressing the vibe of that remarkable period of history that had already sadly passed forever, Pink Floyd created a monument, whereas something more clearly Seventies might have lessened its greatness.

Despite the fact that I am not much of a Pink Floyd fan, this album is one of my favorites. If you only ever listen to one Pink Floyd album, this is the one to get. If you haven't listened to it, then you are missing out on a wonderful experience.

Reviews

This Album had a huge impact in so many ways and stil does today. Legendary Psychedelic and Rock and Roll Album.

I've known Pink Floyd's album DARK SIDE OF THE MOON for many, many years, but although I've been writing Amazon reviews for nearly a decade, I've always been reluctant to post comments about DARK SIDE. What more can I say after thousands of others? How many people are going to decide whether or not to buy this universally acclaimed classic rock album based on my comments? Well, I might as well dedicate this space to two properties of the album that I've always found peculiar indeed. The first is the way it succeeds not so much based on its musical content (its melodies, harmonies and rhythms -- its tunes abstractly considered) as its atmospheric production. Now, I'm a fan of nearly the whole of Pink Floyd's career, and this album would be fine music regardless of the producer, but Alan Parsons's role is what takes DARK SIDE to a completely new level: the sense of space (the SACD quadrophonic mix is worth it), the warmth of the sound, the plain authenticity of the sampled speech and the flawless mixing of one track into the next. Pink Floyd's music had been more overtly psychadelic in the past, but the exploitation of spatialization makes the trippy moments here more out of this world than ever before. It's almost like the band could be playing anything, but the way the sound comes at you is enough to make it a masterpiece. The second remarkable property that I admire about DARK SIDE OF THE MOON is how behind the times it is in many respects -- that's right, I like how it sounds more in tune with the late 1960s than its 1973 release date. In expressing the vibe of that remarkable period of history that had already sadly passed forever, Pink Floyd created a monument, whereas something more clearly Seventies might have lessened its greatness.

A themed album about the potential of society's pressures to drive a fellow to paranoid insanity, "Dark Side of the Moon" was a quantum leap for Pink Floyd, launching them out of BBC Top Gear reverie and into arenas and stadiums. At this time, Roger Waters' lyrics weren't yet so weighty or preachy as to mention their subjects by name, so his brilliant words fit extremely well with the beautifully constructed, psychedelic music, mostly the creations of Pink Floyd's music department (Dave Gilmour, Richard Wright, and to a slightly lesser extent, Nick Mason). The lyrics never overshadow or outweigh the music, which even by itself could have made a substantial landmark of a record. Two of Wright's musical responsibilities, 'The Great Gig and the Sky' and 'Us and Them' are evocative masterpieces, and Waters' lyrics on the latter are nothing short of eerily poignant. In fact, these were probably the best lyrics ever given to a psychedelic-oriented rock album, even if by 1973, Pink Floyd's "psychedelic" reputation was ready to fall away to more deliberate pieces of work; 'Money' was the biggest US single of Floyd's career at the time ('Another Brick in the Wall Part 2' was still six years away), and 'Time' is an album-rock radio staple to this day. The use of sound effects and spoken word snippets throughout the record were effective and hugely influential for many acts and albums to follow, but it's the brilliantly constructed, equal-band effort that makes it such a flawless work. Its mystique allowed for "Dark Side of the Moon"'s appearances on Billboard's album chart for a record-breaking fourteen years. Arguably "the 'Sgt. Pepper' of the 70s," this monumental 9-track disc made Pink Floyd a name as commonly spouted as that of the Beatles, though Floyd kept their music somehow greater than the individuals who made it.

Tengo el dark side of the moon en cinta magnetica y en CD y el formato sacd el bastante superior. Se juega con la espacialidad de alguno sinido, la nitides es mayor al igual que la calidad de los bajos. Era lo que esperaba.

I wanted this to come out on DVD-A. I bought my SACD player just for this multichannel mix. I am so happy I have it. And the SACD stereo mix is also top notch.

Reviews

I love this album. There are slow/beautiful songs, and fast/powerful songs. There are stories of life, love, loss, and death. Some you can fall deep into and others that you can rock to. All of them are blended together in one coherent album. This is one of the few albums that I listen to straight through. I am addicted to it. Buy this album.

I love Amy Lee's voice in this album the girl really got talent. Most of the songs in this album are great. If your a fan of rock music than you must have this album in your collection.

I had listened to the CD when friends let me borrow it before, but having my own copy has made it even better. With a great combination of dark undertones and complex melodies, Fallen can evoke a variety of emotions from the listener. I enjoyed it for years before, and I will enjoy for many years from now.

A good friend of mine told me about this Indiana hard rock band caled "Fiber" whose got a black female guitarist. He said they were similar to this, but I've got to say that I loved Fiber much more. They were just so raw and full of energy that it reminded me of why I started playing music in the first place! [...]

After reading most of the reviews, there's really not much that I can add. It is a great album. the only "defect" is that it's all in the same key. Amys voice is incredible. I just bought the CD, and I popped it in when I was driving. After I heard torniquet, I realized something I wasn't prepared for. It's a christian oriented band. ususally I never like Christian music because it's too preachy. The opposite is true here. She relates her beliefs, and trials and tribulations in a way that makes the message palpable. While Creed went overboard with it's Messiah complex, Evanessence delivers the message without ramming down your throat. The band is incredibe too. I wish she would change the key she sings in once in a while, and maybe show a bit more "bad girl" stuff.

Reviews

As a run-of-the-mill pianist, I'm a sight-reader only, meaning that if the music isn't in front of me, I can't play. People who play by ear and improvise cool sounds seem mysterious and genius to me. I always wanted to unlock the secret of improv but the instructional books I bought demanded that I become a scholar of musical theory -- and still I can't remember how many sharps there are in the key of A! This video is different: it really had me improvising music within minutes. How? With a series of simple patterns that you can combine, alternate, play an octave higher or lower, and repeat. She tells you the notes that go together and the notes that don't. It was thrilling! I finally "get" what my play-by-ear friends were trying to tell me: music is all patterns! The video is well shot - shows her fingers in first-person perspective (that is, as if her fingers were your fingers) - and she demonstrates the patterns more than once, slowly, before putting it all together for you. The production value is good; it remains true to its instructional purpose and doesn't distract with dazzling effects. My only criticism of this video is that it was clearly shot in the late '80s, early '90s (check out those shoulder pads!), when New Age music was ambling its way into the mainstream - and into this video. I wish the video had more variety in musical style. Still, if your aim is to play the piano TODAY - not to become a music student - this technique will work for you. (I also bought her second video, Playing the Blues Overnight, and had fun with that, too.) If you stop the tape and practice every time she prompts you, yes, you will be playing the piano overnight. You might never get to bed!

Reviews

Jon Margulies' ABLETON LIVE 8 POWER: THE COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE tells how to make music using Ableton's live performance and studio software, Live 8. All Live users will find it a powerful survey of all the features and effects of Live 8 in a book written not so much for computer experts as for musicians, by a musician.

Reviews

As other reviewers have stated this is an excellent workbook for substractive synthesis. There are other works out there that describe the building blocks of a synthesizer in more detail but the approach Welsh takes, namely the use of harmonic analysis, is unique in a general purpose book. The patches in the book are based on a classic two-oscillator design, which makes sense given that substractive synthesis is the most popular form out there. However, if you feel adventurous the 'Cookbook' will be of tremendous help getting good patches out of an additive synthesizer such as the Kawai K-series or the Cameleon 5000. It helped me to finally abandon my hit-and-miss approach and get great results with these synths. For the absolute beginner I would still suggest something that covers components more in-depth to complement the 'Cookbook'. 'Analog Synthesizers' by Mark Jenkins is good or you can try and find 'Electronic Music' by Allen Strange. And of course there's the excellent (and free) 'Synth Secret' series over at Sound on Sound.

This book covers most of the stuff you get up to a 400 level electronic music course (helped me get through one) without the tedious (and often painful to listen to) history of (mostly bad) early electronic music. All the basic info on what all those knobs on your VST's and FL Studio and (insert softsynth) do is here. Patches are useful and great for training your ear to identify the basic waveforms so when you hear a synth you go "oh, a detuned sawtooth lead. Sounds like a little portamento and delay". If that's the kind of thing you want to be able to do then get the book. If your thinking about getting it because you think that the presets are going to be the holy grail of synth sounds, well, get it anyway. After your initial disapointment, eventually curiosity will creep up on you and you'll read (the very digestable) early sections in small bites to learn some theory, then you'll try some of the presets and you'll get hooked on making the sounds you hear, but "better" (at least to you). I think that's kind of the point to this book. Getting you close enough to the sounds you hear in songs you like that you go "is that all that is?" or "is that what you call that?" To be honest I haven't tried the sound analysis technique yet, looks interesting but I got a lot to work on in just from the first section (theory of programming and effects etc.) and the last section on patches.

This was the first synth book i've purchased but it was exactly what I was looking for. It has general information about the way sounds are made in a synth then goes into the complexity of creating your own sounds. The best part is the "recipe" section in the back third of the book. The author lists many different parameters that you can plug into your synth to generate various sounds (ie trumpet, piano, voice). Overall a great buy for someone looking for the basics on synths and where to start!

I'm new to synth and I am eagerly looking for beginner's books and other instructions. Yet it seems like most of the good books on analogue synthesizers are from the '80s. Nothing wrong with that but (1) some of the explanations are really dated (tape anyone?) which is distracting and (2) the best ones are hard to find and expensive, even as second hand books. The synthesizer cookbook is a great recent tutorial on how to program a synth. It is divided in 3 sections, the first one explains the components (LFO, filters, etc.), the second one is a step-by-step tutorial on how to program a few patches. The last (and largest) section is a patch book with a huge selection to get you started. The patches are generic and can be adapted to any 2 oscillator synth so the book works with any brand, I have not tried all the patches but those I tried I eventually got them to sound good. The CD however is a bit of a letdown. You get calibration files, an album by the author, some software and an odd "kitchen" percussion kit. Okay but recordings of the steps to follow in the tutorial would have been more helpful. Also the author explains that different synths play the patches differently... As a beginner I don't have access to that many synth and sonic illustrations would have been welcomed as well. Anyway the book is really useful, it's clearly written and I can recommend it for beginners. One last note: you're ordering directly from the author (it's self-published) and yet my copy delivered to Belgium promptly.

If you are looking for a basic, well written introduction to subtractive synthesis and concise descriptions of the functions of its various components, I don't think you can do better than this book. This was not the first book I read to describe these topics, but I think the author gets to the core of what you need to know for practical usage better than any other source I have read. Also, the section about how the "basic" square, triangle, and sawtooth waves can all be recreated using sine waves is something that I also rarely see. If you are looking for a list of patches that you can use to get cool sounds out of your synthesizer, this is also the book for you. I don't know of any other book that has this info. Basically the whole back half of the book has programming settings for a variety of different sounds, most of which I thought were very usable. Even though most software synths these days have huge numbers of presets, I find that the exercise of inputting the patches really improves my understanding of my particular synthesizer, and if you listen to how things change as you build them up you will have a much more thorough understanding of how to make the sounds that you want. And all this is without even touching on the real treasure of the book, which is about using frequency analysis software to recreate synth patches from recorded material. It makes a ton of sense and isn't a terribly difficult concept if you take the time to understand it, but kudos to the author for discovering (?) this technique. If I had one criticism, it is that the book definitely has a "self-publishing" feel to it, but it definitely doesn't get in the way of the material. The book is also a bit short, with the patches taking up fully half of the book. And I'm not sure the font size on the patches needs to be as large as it is. However, the quality of the content more than makes up for these minor shortcomings, I would highly recommend this book to beginners or advanced synth programmers who haven't been exposed to the concept of frequency analysis.

Reviews

This book is difficult to read. The author tends to ramble a lot and to spend more time explaining how great Live is (often in very vague language) without actually explaining how to use it. A few paragraphs in the introduction to get people excited about it would have been fine, but a good portion of every single chapter it seems wastes time rambling on about how amazing Live is. Since I've obviously taken the time to read a book on it, do I really need to be told that, over and over and over? Can't I just try it out and make a decision on my own? The author obviously understands Live well and is a devoted and enthusiastic user, but this book badly needs an editor to cut away the fluff and keep him focused on explaining how to make music, rather than how Live is so much better than other production software and is going to "synergize your paradigms in a revolution" or some such.

I just started getting into music production with Ableton Live, and naturally, I needed a book to fully utilize it. Based on the reviews here, I decided on this one. Pros: *Well written and informative. *Doesn't require reading it from cover to cover. The book encourages you to read the first few chapters (or scenes, but more on this later) in order, but says that you can skip around after that to learn specific topics. *Covers a wide variety of topics and styles. I really wanted to learn how to use the Vocorder audio effect and it walked me through the details of using it, and was really helpful. Cons: *The book refers to everything in Ableton Live lingo, and while this is supposed to get you thinking in "Ableton Live" language, I found it mildly confusing. They call chapters scenes, and I found myself wondering what they were talking about sometimes. Summary: It's a great book for the money, it helped further my knowledge of Ableton Live, and I definitely don't regret purchasing it.

This title is not a particularly good guide to Ableton Live. It was the first one published to cover version 8 of the software, so I pre-ordered it. Boy was that a mistake. I should have waited for the "Ableton Live 8 Power!" book instead. I find that when I turn to the book to help me figure out a specific piece of functionality or solve a specific problem it is no help. Point number one, and this is VERY IMPORTANT: This book's index is only SIX pages long, while the index for "Ableton Live 8 Power!" is TWENTY FIVE PAGES LONG!!! (Use Amazon's "Look Inside" feature for each book and see for yourself.) Think of that. When you go to look up a specific topic in the index of this book you are four times less likely to find that topic listed. This has bitten me in the a** more times than I can count. I have been keeping the book on my desktop as I use Ableton and again and again find that the book does not have an entry for the function I am trying to use, or when it does the explanation is not fleshed out. Often I finish a chapter and am left scratching my head because the concepts weren't fully explained yet the chapter is already over. The author spends more time rambling on without detail than he does intricately explaining the functions of the software. Even for the absolute beginner this is a waste of time. I would recommend "Ableton Live 8 Power!" I am ordering my copy today and selling this other book on the used market. Any takers?

I've been using Ableton for two years. I started with 7 and recently upgraded to Suite 8. People starting with the program now are in luck since there are so many video and text tutorials on the net. Despite all the info on the web I still like having books for reference. Sometimes its quicker for me to look up information in a book than it is to look for a tutorial online or sit through a video. Tutorials online also vary greatly in quality. The author of this book is obviously an informed and intelligent user. When I bought Ableton 7 I also bought Ableton Live 7 Power the Comprehensive Guide (Book). I thought "Ableton Live 8 and Suite 8" explained the core program better. I found the information on Ableton instruments (Operator, Analog, Sampler, etc) to be better in the "Ableton 7 Power book." I should mention that the chapter on Ableton instruments is not in the actual book for "Ableton Live 8 and Suite 8." It is accessible at the publisher's website along with some materials. If it is in your budget I would buy "Ableton Live 8 and Suite 8: Create Produce and Perform." If you are new to Ableton this is a good way to get familiarized with the program. If you don't want to read the book from cover to cover it is a good reference to have around when you want to look up something like "groove extraction" or "automation lanes." For the novice who doesn't mind reading this will speed up the learning curve. For the experienced user this a good reference. Ableton is easy to use but it also a deep program. I don't think any two people use it the same. After two years of using it, reading books, watching video tutorials and reading articles online I am still learning. There are some things you won't find in any resource simply because the program itself is creative. I don't use everything the way the programmers intended and there are things that even they probably didn't realize were possible with the program. If you use Ableton 8 frequently I really recommend you buy this book.

This is the best ableton reference book I have ever read. I dont know the author, I dont know the publisher. And seriously, this is absolutely the first book you should read on ableton live 8. I have been using ableton live since version 5. And since this is a program written by germans, the engineering is great, and the reference manuals have always sucked. Every update, I have to go out and buy about three books to help navigate the new features and make sense of the program in all its depth. I have owned and read many, many ableton books. Most of them are painful to read. Well, thanks to this book, I only need to buy one book to understand Live 8. This book is written in the language of the program. It starts to get you thinking like ableton thinks, just in the structure of the book. It was quick to cut to the chase of what I wanted to do in ableton. It has very accurate pictures, guide points, step by step pages. When I needed deeper information on a subject, it was there too. Full color photos- all over the book. the fine details clearly spelled out. Easy to read language. Really amazing guidebook. It made getting up and running with ableton a breeze. Then when I needed to go deep with the program, I was able to find that data further on in the book. Its rare to find a person who is both a technically adept and a great teacher. The author is one of those rare finds. Now lets hope he writes a book for logic pro. -- Wolfie [...]

Reviews

We all can bet that contractual blither-blather is holding back a proper redoing of this film and it's album. Brian Lane, I'm guessing. Otherwise this tripe quality of such great material wouldn't have been released. Ragged print - what a joke. Looks like a VHS transfer from some 3rd generation film after gathering dust for the past twenty five years.

This is classic '70s Yes and it's great to visualize the album. An absolute highlight is witnessing Steve Howe's guitar mastery and 'other worldly' abitlities on The Clap. The whole thing is a 'trip' for the senses and the memories! The recording and colour are great - you won't be disappointed.

This is Yes in 1972, young, hungry and forming their progressive rock legacy. Like all the other elite English bands like ELP, Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, & Led Zep, Yes is maturing, improving their stage presence and really coming into their own as a band. Each member of the band is incredibly talented, the music is brilliant prog. rock, and the energy level is amazing. I have been a huge Yes since 1975 & Yessongs was the first album I ever bought.(I wish I had a dollar for every time I played it.) Yessongs was originally shown as a movie in theaters and I can remember it like yesterday watching it at the midnight show. Sure,the weird images they show during close to the edge suck, The sound of this dvd is off and the picture is far from brilliant, but it is Yes during an amazing time in their career and a must have for a hardcore Yes fan.

Im a big "Yes" fan and I thought this DVD was GREAT!! Early "Yes" footage is awesome with great sound

I first saw this film at a Saturday midnight showing. Early 70's. The sound is not great per 21st century standards for sure. But I think it is as good as it was then. The film does indeed have a "scratchy" feel to it. But in my opinion it adds to it's character. Steve Howe is the star of the show. Rick Wakeman is a close second. All of the members perform expertly at thier individual instruments or vocals. This is a must have for any die hard Yes fan or for anyone who's just starting to "get into" this great band.

Reviews

I'm not sure what I was expected when I got this DVD. I guess I was wanting a little more actual theremin playing (I could have used about 30 minutes more of Clara playing) and less "historical/political context", but over all this was still an interesting documentary. The final scenes showing Theremin walking the streets of New York and visiting Rockmore were both heartbreaking and touching to me. I'm not sure what Theremin's intentions were when inventing the Theremin (if he was thinking of it more as a "legitimate" musical instrument as Rockmore did or if he was more interested in it as an electrical device), but with the hindsight of knowing how little the Theremin is appreciated today (both as a music instrument and an electrical device), Theremin's tale feels almost more sad than anything else. Other highlights included the comments by Robert Moog (who invented some kind of synthesizer and is also one of the better known manufacturers of theremin today), and stories about Theremin's other "creative" musical inventions (who knew there were "theremin dancers"???). Despite generally being quite enjoyable, there were a few scenes that were absolutely horrible. One consisted of a historian/"musician" banging on a piano for what seemed like 2 minutes at least (it was probably less... but the scene was horribly annoying and whatever point he was attempting to illustrate with his piano "playing" was completely lost on me - it was seriously bad... I almost turned it off). The other was of some guy from the Beach Boys (I'm too young to care about the Beach Boys, aside from their being frequently referenced on Full House) being annoying and self-indulgent and randomly swearing for no reason. I assume the point of including him on the documentary was to discuss the use of Theremin in popular music (as in the Beach Boy's song "Good Vibrations"), although he didn't really say anything of any relevance and he lost me at the first "F-Bomb" (I'm no prude when it comes to language, but I certainly wasn't expecting it in a Theremin documentary!!!!). It's a good thing I already have no respect for the Beach Boys, because he certainly would have destroyed it! Overall, This was an interesting look into the life of the creator of the Theremin. It's certainly worth a look for anyone interested in the instrument. However, if you're really just wanting to appreciate the theremin's musical capabilities (as I think I was), download some Rockmore recordings. They're infinitely more satisfying...

A gifted scientist and musician, Leon Theramin was the darling the music scene when he introduced his paradigm shifting instrument in the 1920's. He pioneered electronic music, lived the good life and rubbed elbows with New York's upper crust. He challenged social paradigms as well, marrying a black woman decades before the civil rights movement brought the United States to its senses. Then he disappeared, supposedly spirited away by the KGB in broad daylight. Rumors of his death circulated, but in fact, Theramin spent the next sixty years or so of his life in prison and developing espionage technology for the KGB. This is his story told through interviews and archival footage. Although the documentary doesn't flow as well as it could, Theramin's life story is riveting.

I've not viewed this for awhile but what comes to mind is the account of Russian musical inventor Leonard Theremin's abduction from his NYC studio and brought to the USSR by Stalinist agents, in the 1920's, to be impressed into service to various projects against him his will and restricted freedom for a very large portion of his life and Friends could not get the US government to take any action whatsoever in securing his release or even to protest outrage. He did get to return in time to receive some accolades and honors for his work and know it influenced people who were the age his grandchildren would have been. It all came off as quite heartbreaking sad and tragic.

i had seen this at the movies (3 times) had found vcr's and had given them to my son (a musician in "trout fishing in america") and other friends. i decided it had to be in my permanent collection of dvd's and i have already loaned it, but am keeping track. it is marvelous. nidlet

A fascinating documentary about the developer of the forerunner of the Moog synthesiser Dr Theremin, a Russian physicist who moved to the U.S. in the 1920s. Not only do you get to hear and see the Theremin being played (it is actually not touched), which is fascinating in itself, but you get the story of Dr Theremin's vanishing from the U.S. and his return to Russia in 1938. He is subsequently discovered in Russia and he returns briefly to the U.S. in the 90s, prior to his subsequent death back in Russia in 1994. There are interviews with Brian Wilson and others about their use of the Theremin. This won an award at Sundance in 1994

Reviews

I find it difficult to understand the nearly unanimous enthusiasm for this music and production. I've always liked Depeche Mode, in a casual way. I liked Kraftwerk more back when they both were pioneers. I thought a Depeche Mode DVD would be a good addition to my other music DVD's and a nice one to have when Blondie, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Offspring, and the like just didn't fit the bill. I based this choice somewhat on reviews I read here. I was a little apprehensive from the start of anything titled, "Devotional", and as it seems now, rightfully so. Most all of the songs start with promise, musically appearing to be developing a theme and a direction, then almost universally sputtering out, going nowhere of compelling interest and the lyrics are most effective when most sparse it seems. I couldn't make myself finish most of the pieces while anxiously hoping the next would be better. On the first disc there was just one track I liked; the lyrics of which consisted of five words, three of which I could never decipher though ultimately mattering little. The production, stage designs, and lighting were reminiscent of Cirque du Soleil to me, and the boxes with translucent back lit screens containing various things seemed like a rip-off of Stop Making Sense, which this pompously ceremonious fluff should not dare be mentioned in the same breath with. To me it all felt stilted and over done. When the songs start getting word heavy in a clumsy attempt to advance the whole devotional theme I find myself desperately looking for the exit, which luckily is just one click away on the remote control. It all seems like a caricature of what it could have been. I felt it my duty to add this dissenting, minority opinion, and wonder why my reaction to it all is so at odds with so many reviewers. It may work well for devoted fans, but it didn't work for me. Slick production values in all aspects, including the DVD box. Lots of style, not much life. I probably shouldn't have written this without even viewing DISC 2, but..I just couldn't do it!

Fan of the band, saw them live, and enjoy a great deal of their music, but just not a fan of this show or DVD.

I normally don't write reviews, but I felt compelled to add my thoughts on this one. The concert is OUTSTANDING; the visuals, performance and sound are all incredible. I disagree that the DVD conversion is overly grainy, but I'll admit I've never seen the VHS so I have no frame of reference. As mentioned by someone else in this thread, Dave Gahan sure seems high on something... but, hey, it's rock n roll right? Besides, I think it's hard to deny that he spends an hour and a half absolutely tearing up the stage (and since I had a pint or two in me as I watched, who am I to judge?)! I had originally "dinged" this DVD one star because of audio/video sync issues... I stand corrected! Sadly, I apparently can't add the other star as I sit here and retract my original complaint : ( The real problem was with my optical audio and HDMI setup. I have no sync issues when the configuration is changed. I'll have to learn how to adjust the delay settings on my receiver. Even if you're not really crazy about Depeche Mode (I really wasn't until I saw a couple of their concerts), this concert is awesome. Tons of energy, great sound, and loads of charisma. If you dig watching concerts, this one is for you.

This is one of the best Depeche Mode's video concert, all the songs are great and Anton Corbijn was excelent as director.

I am a big fan of depeche mode and i love their music. I also respect anton corbin and his work. BUT. This video is not the best I have ever seen. Yes, I said it. PROS -The stage was well designed and the backdrop tv screens were very creative. CONS -But this video was not that exciting because it was too long -They showed the crowd way too much. If you like to watch people screaming for hours while you wonder what is happening onstage, then this is the video for you. There also wasnt enough of dm being interviewed. CONCLUSION I have the other two depeche mode dvds called "DM the Videos 86>98" and "Depeche Mode-One night in Paris" and they are both really exciting and well done.

Reviews

awesome mind machine. very well made programs and links up to the program i enjoy on my puter,mind work station by [....]. the only critizism i have is that is made of light plastic but then again what isn't..the factory presets are easy listening to also if you don't mind listening to tones, i don't mind. the audiostrobe glasses are a trip..i would consider the other two mind machines if i didn't want to connect to my puter or create my own sessions..worth the money so far and the forums are very good also for gaining info..

I had been wanting to buy a mind machine after some time dabbling around with software that creates binaural beats. I had used in-built screen flashing in another program, but really wanted to try out a machine so after some deliberation I purchased the Procyon. In general I am very satisfied with the machine. I think you'll only get something out of this if you come to it with an open mind (my wife said go ahead and fry your brain!). As another reviewer mentioned the device itself does seem cheap; you might even think it is a walkman from the late 80s, but don't let that detract from what it actually does. The presets are o.k., but once you feel comfortable with the machine you should try to create your own presets. This is where the major problem is with the machine: the software. The presets are good, but just when you think you are getting into one, you can have quite a drastic shift in tones and lights which has made me jump on a number of occasions. However, this 'jump' soon dissipates as your mind seems to latch onto to the new frequency with surprising ease. You can of course program your own presets, but the software is not the most user friendly (procyon makers, could you make a programmable interface a-la gnaural??). The other major grumble is having to plug external source music through the aux if you want to listen to music at the same time.... Apart from what might seem to be some negative comments above, I do feel that this is a great machine to enter into if you are curious about AVS machines. Recommended.

this device is amazing. the more you use it the more profound the effects. it takes time. its very interesting and if interested you should first study the theory of entertainment with brainwaves. anyways a downside is that the online programs to add new sessions is just too darn confusing. too much stuff to download, zip, unzip, fine tune. its just not my bag...baby. but if thats up your alley then this device was made with you in mind

I had no real idea what to expect but I was hoping for some wow factor besides reducing stress and increasing concentration. I am blown away by the sophistication and simplicity of the device. It's a little cheaply made and the digital readout is a bit old-fashioned but that does detract in any way from this wonderful mini universe. I put it on and at first I was disappointed until I found out I am supposed to close my eyes. Then like a dimensional shift I am transported to an unearthly realm of unsurpassed beauty and weirdness (in a good way). I started with No. 49 and it sat there with the low tones and a vague green light and suddenly it intensifies to colors, frequencies, and manifestations-I saw patterns and visuals that are byond my ability to discribe in language. I believe the pulsations and color sequences invoke the mind to try to make sense of a landscape that is not part of our reality. So the patterns and manifestations are a product of our mind to make sense of it by creating a point of reference (almost like a hallucination). I saw patterns, galaxies, flowers, landscapes, jewels, crystals etc. The tones that run in tandem with the visuals creates a 3 (or perhaps 4) dimesional experience. The rest you'll have to find out for yourself. The headphones are designed to register below 10 hz which is extremely low. The tones that are produced are very specific the the effect they are trying to achieve. I tried the 10 minute concentration booster and it worked! I also tried the night voyage and I ended up falling asleep on the sofa. I advise you to do this in your bed so you don't have to drag yourself to it. I let several people at work try it out and the reaction varied from OMG! to throwing them on the desk because they couldn't handle it. I believe if you are an open-minded person and like extremely saturated visuals (millions of colors are possible!) with possible mild hallucinations, this is for you. If you're a controlled person who hates not being able to make sense of a landscape that is other-worldly, this isn't for you. The best part that I haven't tried yet is that it is completely programmable and can be synchned with whatever music you want to use. Those of you who have tried LSD in the past and liked it-buy this device!

Ok. So I wanted a mind machine, avs device, light and sound machine, brain machine, call it what you will, to help me chill and learn. I whittled the choice down to the Procyon, the David Pal and the Mind Spa. I dismissed the Mind Spa as too girlie-looking, its webpage content as too verbose and try-hard, and the David Pal in the end came across as too much like it had been put together on someone's back table, looked a bit kit-ish. What's great about the Procyon: 16 million colours, 24bit hifi codec for digital quality sound, truly portable size (about a cigarette packet, bit bigger maybe), looks solid, well-built and cool, no built-in obsolescence (upgradable firmware) and downloadable new programs a go-go, cool Ganzframes (contrary to most pictured with the beast, they are reflective, at least the ones I bought on Amazon. Actually, I'm sure some companies that picture the frames which look like pinhole glasses, not hi-tech ones, are losing sales), ease of use, great results. I would not want to be without this. One of the year's better purchases so far. Amazing trip. Love it.

Reviews

Procyon Audio Video Synthesizer System (Mind Machine) This is by far the most advanced and amazing personal light and sound system anywhere. For those looking for a powerful device to enhance your various states of awareness...this synthesizer will not disappoint. I purchased mine directly from their website: www.mindplace.com which offers free priority mail shipping. Their service is excellent.

The is a great light and sound machine! a huge variety of colors. the brightness and color saturation are amazing. a huge variety of sessions to choose from (50). two big downfalls: 1. mine did not come with software, had to go to company site to download editing software.(I like having a disc available.) 2. procyon is NOT MAC COMPATIBLE !!! I was told it was....So, MAC users BEWARE!!! and product information seems to leave out that very important information, even the maual does not list system requirements for software. It needs to be listed as with any other product that offers software.