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Lenovo Legion Y740 Review: Mobile, PC-class gaming refined

(Ongoing Review as of 7/15)

The Legion Y-740 is one of Lenovo’s latest gaming laptops, equipped with the one NVIDIA’s Geforce RTX 2080 dedicated Graphics Cards. It’s a Gaming Rig in the body of an Ultrabook, with enough ports to be a Workstation Tower replacement. Does it gave the goods to be your next do-it-all laptop? I have taken the Lenovo Legion Y-740 through paces as a creative workhorse and game console replacement for the last few months and I would like to share my experiences with the sleek, mobile gaming rig.

Build Quality/Specs

Made of thin,sleek anodized aluminium, the Legion Y740 has the footprint of an Ultrabook, with workstation internals. Pretty much anything short of server-side operation is within reach of this beast.

Processor9th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-9750H Processor (2.60GHz, up to 4.50GHz with Turbo Boost, 6 Cores, 12MB Cache)
GraphicsNVIDIA® GeForce® RTX™ 2080 with Max-Q with 8GB RAM
Display15.6″ FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS, Anti-glare, NVIDIA® G-SYNC, 144 Hz, 500 nits, Dolby Vision HDR400
Memory16 GB DDR4 2666 MHz
BatteryUp to 5 hours57 Wh3 cells
Storage256GB PCIe NVMe SSD + 1 TB 7200 RPMDual Drive Configuration (HDD + SSD)
Camera720p HD camera with microphone
AudioDolby Atmos® Speaker System with Soundbar and integrated subwoofer with Smart AMP technology for gaming
Dimensions 14.2” x 10.5” x 0.88” / 361.42 x 267 x 22.45 (mm)
WeightStarting at 4.85 lbs (2.2 kg)
ColorIron Grey
ConnectivityKiller™ Wireless 802.11 AC (2 x 2) + Bluetooth® 4.1RJ45 Ethernet
Ports / SlotsUSB 3.1 Gen 2**2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1**Mini DisplayPort ™ 1.4HDMI™ 2.0RJ45 EthernetKensington® Wedge Lock slot1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2** Type-C / Intel Thunderbolt 3 (DisplayPort, Data transfer)3.5mm microphone/headphone comboNOVO hole
KeyboardBacklit with Corsair® iCUE RGB lighting

The 15.6 inch,Full-HD IPS display isnt a 4K touchscreen with a 10-point digitizer, but then if it was it would be a glossy, sun-glaring mess and a battery hog. The Legion Y740 already has enough on it’s hands keeping battery drain from the dedicated GeForce RTX graphics card and the gamers deLight show provided by the Corsair iCUE RGB lighting to a minimum.

The display’s anti-glare film does wonders deflecting light due to it being a matte screen.The Keyboard is signature Lenovo, meaning it’s as good as laptop keyboards come – only lacking the Thinkpad’s signature red cursor snub – which would have perfected its utilitarian usage.

Benchmarks

With all of the advances in the processing power of today’s smartphones and tablets many people question the necessity of desktops and laptops. The iPad Pro for example,while being faster than most laptops today- but this aint one of them. There are alot of powerful gaming laptops on the market today, and the Lenovo Legion 740 is right up there with the best of them.

Gaming

For those who have had a sip of PC Gamer’s Tea, know firsthand that the graphic capabilities of current generation consoles aren’t quite up to snuff compared to their PC counterparts. The question you’re probably asking yourself if your reading this article is if the Legion Y740 is one of those machines that will make your Xbox and PlayStation playpals give you the envy eye. I uploaded a video of PUBG Mobile running on the Bluestacks game emulator, along with a few screenshots of Gears of War 4 to give a glipse of the Legion Y740 Laptops capabilites below:

  • Gears of War 4

The Legion Y740 is fully prepared for Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality should you decide to invest in VR equipment in the future. The dedicated graphics card and 16GB RAM serves the system well, marking off all required checkboxes for the Windows Mixed Reality experience on Windows 10.

The all Aluminum chasis is booted up for gameplay, with an otherworld vent chamber engulfing the back half of the bottom of the laptop to ensure the inner circuitry stays cool,calm and collected.

Conclusion

Everytime I begin to step away from this laptop I take the first few steps backwards, glancing at it’s vibrant screen and backlit keyboard admirably- there’s something about this laptop that leaves me in awe – it’s that impressive. I dont think there has been this much innovation on a particular laptop model since the Yoga brand, and just like the Legion, it’s also made by Lenovo. And when you remember that they also make the ThinkPad, it becomes pretty obvious why Lenovo has been the #1 PC manufacturer for at least the last 5 years. Here’s to the notion they keep the run going for just as long, surely if the masses catch on to the Legion gaming laptop series.

*Source – Statista

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Review: Auria Pro

Musicians,Engineers,Producers and Arrangers who take the leap to iOSland – ditching their desktop studio setups in favor of their iPads only to feel short handed afterwards. Not because of a lack of quality in the apps on offer, often due iOS’s weak file management system (whole other topic) to the lack of Apps that use similar workflows (UI,Macros,Shortcuts,etc.) from software like Avid Pro Tools, Cuckos Reaper, and Apple Logic Pro X. WaveMachine Labs strive to remedy us a solution with their iPad exclusive – Auria Pro.

Auria Pro is a Digital Audio Workstation for iOS (iPad),with MIDI Sequencing, real-time audio Warping and the ability to record up to 24-input recording (with compatible audio interfaces.) The SSL-styled mixer has flexible routing capabilities, and each track is armed with a Channel Strip that has four plug-in slots for Audio Units and Inter-App Audio enabled effects and instruments.

Wavemachine Labs built Auria Pro a few exclusive instruments, with the Lyra Sampler handling the majority of the sound library for the DAW. They also partnered with plug-in mainstay Fabfilter, who lended their Twin 2 and One synths;throwing a few effects like Pro-Q2 EQ, Timeless 2 and Volcano into the mix.

Fabfilter’s Pro-Q2 EQ
FabFilter Timeless 2 delay/echo effect plug-in

Conclusion

Auria Pro is one of the DAW on the iOS platform that plays it safe, keeping tradition by sharing a similar workflow with it’s desktop counterparts and shying away from the more cutting-edge or unique apps on the platform. Which is not really a bad thing at all if you’re accustomed to working in a big studio environment and want something more suited for traditional tracking of real world instruments, mixing and mastering. Just don’t expect the world if your intent is to produce electronic music like Dubstep or Hip-Hop, as the weak point of Auria Pro is in it’s MIDI and composing tools. If you’re in a band or a music director of a church choir and want to record with your iPad, Auria Pro may become your best friend.

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iPad Pro (2018) Review:

Laptop Alternative or Overpriced Tablet?

The iPad is a device that Apple has been marketing to the masses as a computer. A device that you can play, work, and create on. While the iPad is a device that you can do pretty much anything (except code) on, thanks to an awesome set of apps made available by the talented iOS’s developer community, along with great contributions by Apple as well.

The iPad Pro on the other hand, is the top-tier device in the lineup that Apple has been trying to push to the masses as THE laptop replacement. The laptop-benchmark-beating specs are present, and for the first time Apple has added the industry standard, future -proof USB-C in place of it’s proprietary lightning port as well. Is that enough to place the iPad Pro at the top, the apex of computing? Read on to find out.

The iPad Pro has an 11-inch LED Liquid Retina display with IPS (in-plane switching) has a pixel resolution that comes out to 2388-by-1668 at 264 pixels per inch, with ProMotion technology that boosts the frame rate to 120 from the standard 60 frames per second. Touch ID is absent, so the front is nearly all screen with just enough bezel to allow the iPad to be manageable for it’s size. It’s also (P3) Wide color display compliant.

The display is crisp and color accurate, definitely one of the best on the market. Photographers, Professionals working in industries where color accuracy is paramount, will have a blast working on the go on the latest iPad Pros.

The Bencharks

Geekbench 4 Compute Scores
Geekbench 4 CPU Scores

The Antutu scores are off the charts as well with the latter iPad Pro scoring nearly twice as much as the 2017 iPad Pro 5th generation. Apple’s A12X processor is a beast and a benchmark achievement (no pun intended) far as mobile processing is concerned, but the Intel Core i7 (8th gen) inside the Lenovo Legion Y740 gaming laptop scored 819612 (with 13 tabs open in the Edge Browser while Forza Street downloading in the background), so I wouldn’t say it’s time to take desktop level workloads mobile just yet.

Antutu Benchmark Score
Antutu Benchmark Ranking

This is in large due to limitations in iOS more than anything else, so let’s hope Apple has more iPad focused features come this fall when iOS 13 is released.

Conclusion

So who’s the newest model of the iPad Pro for? The mobile businessman (or woman) who wants the best Apple has to offer, the photographer, visual designer or CAD modeler who wants to make sure the device they use on the go has all the power that they would need. The videographer or musician, who would like to converge the best touchscreen tools into their traditional workflow and setup are the exact demographic that Apple made the iPad Pro for. Creative professionals who want access to the same power on the go as they have in their work environments. In fact, the iPad Pro is such a luxury tier model of the iPad family that it’s hard to justify its price without it being used for work in some capacity. The other, cheaper iPads serve as great media consumption device just fine.

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LG G8 Review – Hands On with Hand ID

LG has reached the 8th generation of their G Series flagship in the LG G8 ThinQ. An Android flagship known for “being a jack of all trades”, we take a brief look at the device to see if it has improved enough to be the best flagship of 2019 or just incremental upgrades to a smartphone series that has struggled since the innovative LG  

This is the LG G8 ThinQ.

LG G8 build and performance

CategorySpecs
Build Materials & QualityMetal (Aluminum) Glass (Gorilla Glass 5 on , Gorilla Glass 6 on ),
IP68 Dust and Water Resistant,
-810G Shock Resistance
Display6.1″ QHD+ OLED FullVision Display
(3120 x 1440, including notch); 564 ppi
19.5:9 Aspect Ratio; 83.1% screen-to-body ratio
RAM6GB DDR4X
Processor &
Battery		 Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 855 Octa-core (up to 2.84 GHz x 1 + 2.42 GHz x 3 + 1.79 GHz x 4)
3,500 mAh Non-Removable
CamerasRear:
Standard Angle Camera -12 MP
Super Wide-Angle Camera -16 MP
Front: 8 MP Standard
ConnectivityNetwork/UMTS/GSM/CDMA
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 5.0
StorageInternal Memory – 128 GB
Micro-SD card slot

The Glass front and back meet the aluminum side railing seamlessly to create a slick unibody build that comes off ultra-premium. There’s no camera hump, as dual lenses sitting under the glass back and the flush fingerprint sensor gives the G8 the slickest backside of 2019. So slick in fact, that you CANNOT lay this device on any flat surface without it slowly sliding off. Make sure you get a case and screen protector ASAP, like the slim-profile Premium Case and *** pictured below*

The 6.1 QHD+OLED display has a resolution of 3120×1440 which comes out to 564 pixels per inch. The P-OLED display is a first for LG’s G series which usually used LCD displays prior to the G8. The deep blacks and bright contrasts on display (pun intended), broad color gamut and bright whites certainly are an improvement over the LCD display. The quality even runs a pretty close race to Samsung, but it not quite there yet on LG’s smartphones. Why the company can’t fully utilize the talent in LG’s Flat-screen TV display division in the mobile devices they produce is beyond me.

The Galaxy S10 (left) and the G8 ThinQ (right) displays on display.

Air Motion and Hand ID: Z Camera innovations or flashy gimmicks?

The Z Camera brings a lot of functionality to the LG G8, and it’s a commendable introduction to 1st generation tech.

…

LG has equipped it’s front camera array with 3D sensors that enable touchless control, security features,and enhaned selfies. The Z Camera, as LG calls it,also has a TOF sensor that sends and receives depth info for more realistic bokeh portraits. But what LG wants you be most excited about, is Air Motion and Hand ID.

Hand ID, allows adds palm reading to your biometric security options by reading the vein patterns in your hand to unlock your phone. Infra-red beams confirm the subject is alive and well hy the hemoglobin in your blood. Cool stuff indeed. Of course, all of this tech coupled with the depth sensor makes for 3D face recognition that could rival Apple’s Face ID.

Hand ID in Action
Face Recognition on the Z Camera is the closest implementation to iPhone’s Face ID on Android.

Air Motion, the ability to control launch apps like the Music App and YouTube, control volume,or start and stop videos as well as answer/decline calls,snooze/dismiss alarms,etc. While it’s cool in theory and even innovative, it’s mildly executed and half-baked. IF you get the hang of it- it’s difficult to reason the scenario the feature would ever come in handy besides showing off what your smartphone can do to friends and family.

Launching YouTube with the Air Motion feature.
Adjusting the volume with Air Motion can be finicky at times.

Overall, Hand ID is awesome and a great addition to the G series and the Z-Camera’s face recognition is something that actually performs like similar to Apple’s Face ID. But Air Motion feels more like a prototype that’s a work in progress than a feature ready for prime time. Maybe software updates can add to the functionality of Air Motion down the line, hopefully.

Performance and Benchmarks

One thing that the G8 has going for itself is class-leading performance. Although the Snapdragon 855 in the G8 scored around 500 points below the iPhone XR’s A12 in Geekbench’s Single-Core Score, it was within 100 points in the Multi-Core score – while besting it’s Android counterparts across the board. The Antutu Benchmark screenshots demonstrate LG engineer’s gift for optimization on its current flagship device.

As you can see, the G8 is at the top of the food chain in Antutu Benchmark, scoring 349383- 17000 points higher than the Galaxy S10+.

…

Conclusion

The LG G8 is a 2019 flagship in every sense of the word. It comes with wireless charging, durability, it’s water-resistant while retaining still it’s SD Card slot, and it has a 3.5mm headphone jack with a 32-bit HiFi quad-DAC. It has all the makings of your next device, it ticks all the premium feature boxes, and adds a few more innovations along the way. But the original retail price…it’s just too high. Not that the G8 isn’t worth it, but for LG to price their devices in the same range as Samsung and Apple flagships at a time when most are critical of their prices, it’s beyond reason. On one hand, I get that they do so to insinuate the quality and value is comparable and LG is a “name-brand” brand. But I feel LG would do so much better if they priced their devices to undercut the market leaders. Right now you can get the LG G8 from Sprint for $8 a month on an 18-month lease plan, or $840 outright. The best long-term deal is with T-Mobile, which offers the G8 for 50% off with qualifying trade-in or by adding a new line, or you can buy it outright for $619.99 (+ tax).

Alternatives

There are lots of worthy alternatives to the LG G8, but we’ll just focus on the ones you will most likely come across at your average U.S. carrier.

Samsung Galaxy S10 or LG G8 ThinQ – The G8 has a battle on hands with the S10. It’s an even match as far as flagship specs go, and some could even argue LG’s Hand ID is more innovative than Samsung’s Ultrasonic fingerprint scanner beneath display. But the way Samsung likes to ‘throw everything but the kitchen sink’ into their flagships, trumps LG’s ‘throw everything at the wall to see what sticks’ approach this time around. What to pick…Infinity-O display with a punch hole front camera that results in 93% fullscreen or P-OLED with a tiny notch that conceals a TOF camera? HDR10+ certified flagship with 8GB RAM for base  or the smartphone with the Hi-Fi Quad DAC and 6GB RAM? Decisions, decisions.

Apple iPhone XR or LG G8 ThinQ – The best selling iPhone of this generation is a logical option to the LG G8, if for no other reason that they are priced similarly at retail. Setting the differences between iOS and Android, the G8 has tons more features than the XR.It has twice the amount of RAM, an extra rear and front camera lens, a 3.5mm headphone jack with a Quad DAC and expandable storage. But Apple’s optimization between hardware and software results in a smartphone that’s a member of the most powerful family of device’s (XR Max).

Google Pixel 3a XL or LG G8 ThinQ – Now that Google has entered a horse in the race that shows they are taking their market share serious and not just releasing reference devices, every manufacturer should be concerned. For $479, the Pixel 3a XL offers a Snapdragon 670, 4GB Ram, 64GB of storage, Android system and security updates straight from Google, and what’s widely considered as the best smartphone camera available today. Luckily, with everyone from T-Mobile to Verizon offering specials on the G8 for as low as $620 – LG has crammed enough features into their latest flagship to entice some new customers.

The LG G8 ThinQ is definitely one of the best phones of 2019 so far.

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Review: Korg Gadget 2

A world of Gadgets, a Universe of sounds

Korg Gadget’s Arrangement View.

KORG. One of the most recognizable brands in synthesis and biggest electronic instrument manufacturers, is one who’s name speaks for itself. The company has been creating keyboards and electronic organs since 1962. They created their first synthesizer, the miniKORG – in 1973. They are most known today for their music workstations like the M1 (1998) and Triton (1999-2004), which helped shape the sound of several modern music genres today.

This goes to say, when a company of this magnitude chooses to parlay decades of expertise in synthesis into music production software – musicians from all walks of life should take notice. Enter Korg Gadget 2.

Initially developed for the iPad and iPhone,Korg Gadget 2 is a music production DAW with a collection of gadgets that span from synthesizers and samplers, from drum machines and guitar amps, to audio recording gadgets to acoustic drum modules to ROMplers. And that’s before you get to the add-ons purchased and instrument unlocks. Their are 39 Gadgets in total. THIRTY-NINE.

Unlike traditional linear DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations), Gadget 2 uses a tracker styled UI where your sequences play from top to bottom. This may or may not appeal to users at first glance, but the workflow is easy to adjust to in a session or two. The Mixer View is an icon away, which integrates with the Arrangement View a’la Ableton or Logic, giving Korg Gadget a pop-up window-free workflow. From the Mixer View you can insert up to five effects onto each track/Gadget, which are only limited by the power of your device.

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Affinity Designer Review: Digital Illustration Unleashed

Veterans of Digital Illustration software – Nottingham’s Serif , releases visual design software for a new era of computing. The Affinity Suite, which consists of Affinity Photo, Affinity Publisher (now in beta) and Affinity Designer – the latter of which we’ll be focusing on in this review. Affinity Designer represents a new start for Serif, originally known for programs such as DrawPlus, PagePlus, WebPlus,etc – users of those legacy programs will not find anything familiar from those apps. Everything from the UI, toolkits and workflow is different – instead of a incremental updates hidden behind a redesign – Designer is built atop a new foundation from the ground up.

Illustration Rules the Nation

Affinity Designer is one of the edgier, future proof graphic design software programs available. This is largely do to the developers working closely with some of the world’s leading designers. It’s strength appears to lie in vector illustration at first glance, but a UI look around reveals powerful bitmap tools that revolve around innovative ‘Persona’ workflows – which I will go more in-depth about in the next section.

There is an iPad version of Affinity Designer, and while it doesn’t quite have the same layout as the desktop version – the tools and features are nearly identical.

The Persona Workflow

Unique to the Affinity Designer is the Persona workflow, enabling you switch between Pixel (Photo) and Vector tools with the click of a button.

The Vector Persona
The Pixel Persona

The Vector and Pixel Persona switches the features in your toolbox, and puts those exclusive to the two workflows front and center. Pen and Node Tools ,as well as Transparency and Fill buttons occupy the Vector Persona – while Freehand Lassos and Smudge Brushes for the Pixel Persona make light work of your bitmap tasks.

My Simpsons Character Draft

Conclusion

In the few months (for desktop,few weeks for iPad) that I have been testing the Affinity Suite and Designer in particular, I have come to the conclusion that there is a new group of contenders for the toolkit of choice by design professionals. Though a few standout imperfections like Apple Pencil/Stylus sensitivity being a bit numb and larger projects taking a bit too long to load,even on an iPad Pro (2018). Affinity Designer is one program with a toolkit that allows for it’s users to jot down results as quick (if not quicker) as the fastest alternatives in the market, while simultaneously offering as many pro trimmings as programs that set the industry standards. The secret sauce Serif discreetly applies lies in the clever tucking away of rarely used and pro features alike, only allowing the essentials to remain visible by default. The end result is a graphic design program that’s easy and fun to use while being just as powerful as more popular illustration tools. One to keep an eye out for.

Alternatives

Adobe Illustrator (Adobe – $20.99/Month)

Illustrator is probably the industry standard when it comes to Graphic Design, if for nothing else but seniority in the market. An overall great design package with many industry-leading features and innovative workflows that have been overshadowed recently by instability issues and unpopular subscription-based pricing.

Xara Designer Pro X (MAGIX – $299)

One of the most complete Design software packages on the market, Designer Pro X offers graphic design, photo editing, desktop publishing, web authoring and animation into one complete package. It excels at graphic and photo design, but the web authoring and animation features leave a bit more to be desired and convolutes an otherwise sleek software experience. Great at what it does, but it cost twice as much as Affinity Designer, Photo, and Publisher combined.

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Logic Pro X Review: Apple’s Flagship DAW upclose and musical

The once multi-platform /now MacOS-only DAW reaches version 10.4.2, which brings a ton of useful features to what has been known as ‘One of the most complete DAWs available’ for music and post-audio production.


What Is It?

Logic Pro X is a step up from the ever-popular GarageBand for Mac/iOS, offering more tools and features for professional musicians, producers and engineers who work with pro audio. It is developed by Apple, and may very well represent the best value for money in the entire world of digital audio workstations.

Instruments & Effects

ES2 (pictured above), and Alchemy (below) are just two of the virtual instruments available in Logic Pro X. While the former is a “versatile synthesizer” with a synthesis engine that has wavetable and analog-modeled oscillators, the latter (Alchemy) is presented as Logic’s flagship sample-manipulation synthesizer.

This is the same Alchemy that was originally developed by Camel Audio (Apple also acquired CamelSpace and CamelPhat, more on that later) and is also available within GarageBand for mac/iOS and its a beast of an instrument. Other noteworthy instruments are Sculpture – a “unique physical modeling instrument that produces tones no other synthesizer can”, the EXS24 Sampler,Studio Strings and Studio Brass, and the Vintage Keyboards collection. Drum Machine/Drum Kit Designer handles your custom percussion ambitions.

Drum Kits Designer let’s you – er’
….design drum kits

Effects are just as ingenious and innovative, such as the new ChromaVerb – which is a high-end reverb plug-in that use “unique modeling to reproduce both natural and otherworldly acoustic spaces”. Other interesting fx include Pedalboard, an amp modeling plug-in, Bass Amp Designer, StepFX, and PhatFX.

Additional Features

Logic Pro X also allows for you to import GarageBand sessions from iCloud, AirPlay, or however you can transfer your sessions from your iOS device. There are other useful features that you can’t really find in other DAWs, like Smart Tempo – which manages tempo across all the content in your project. Without a metronome/click track, you can sync, combine and edit audio regardless of it’s original tempo or variations in speed. Then there’s Drummer, which adds a virtual session drummer , or a beat programmer to your production session;Or the useful Logic Remote ,which turns your iPhone/iPad into a midi controller, control pad, or mixing board.

Logic imports sessions from Garageband for iOS as well,so you can bring you ideas from your iPhone or iPad to the studio for adding the finishing touch.
Logic Remote for iPhone and iPad frees you from the confines of the studio mixing desk.

Conclusion

Logic Pro X is one of the most advanced, complete Digital Audio Workstations available. It’s not available for Windows, but if you have a Mac that you intend to make music with – you’d be pressed to find a program to compete with its $199 price tag. It has the best virtual instrument collection included with the program, and the complete set of editing, production, and mixing tools as you would expect. For developers with ambitions of making the most complete music production software, Logic Pro X is the program to beat.

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Open Labs Stagelight 4 Review

Tons of updates to the UI, speed and workflow  refinements, along with the addition of the SampleVerse instrument adds up to one superb  version 4 update.

The Timeline View is where vocals are typically recorded, one-shots are added and your compositions are refined for the masses

Stagelight is a flexible music production program for Android, iOS, Windows and ChromeOS. It has a dark, but colorful UI/UX that offers two main views the Scene Builder View and Timeline View to create custom musical compositions of your own.

Combine your grooves, riffs, and refine your beats and melodies in the Scenebuilder View
New to the fourth version of Stagelight is Sampleverse , a sampler/synthesizer hybrid instrument. It features the cutting edge MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression)
technology from ROLI. This allows for 5D expression, which gives instruments the ability to bend pitch, slide between sounds, and add spontaneity to your music by achieving things only tedious automation tools could previously accomplish. 

Sampleverse allows for automation and phasing of the Arpeggiator, Oscilliators, LFOs and more. Make custom out-of-this-world sounds no one has ever heard before. 

 

 

Other instruments include Drum Machine, ElectroBass, ElectroPulse, ElectroComposer and VST/AU instruments and effects for PC and iOS.

The program is free to download and try
for all platforms, with the option to upgrade
broken down into platform tiers. The in-app store offers an arsenal of sounds and additional pro features.

Stagelight has an Ableton Live-type workflow, with it’s DJ-oriented session view, and the more traditional timeline view for when you want a more linear workflow. The Sound Library contains nice quality presets and samples along with the right amount of features for beginners and pro users alike.

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iPhone XR review

The iPhone XR – R&B (Red & Blue) Edition.

The iPhone XR (Released October 26th 2018) was released roughly a month after the iPhone XS and XS Max. Apple was smart to not release the XR at the same time as the XS duo, because the former would have surely dwarfed sales of the latter – as the XR may very well be not only the best iPhone Apple as ever made – but one of the best smartphones PERIOD. This all comes down to three things: price, design, and BATTERY LIFE.And for an avid, spec-hungry Android user, I can’t believe I’m saying it. But this revelation comes down to three things: ecosystem , build/design, and BATTERY LIFE.

Display Woes or Display Wows?

The display of the iPhone XR – upclose and personal.

Smartphone critics and tech geeks will balk at the specs of the LED display, and it’s the first and foremost part of the device you will interact with – so let’s focus on it first. The 6.1″ Liquid Retina LCD display has a resolution of 1792 x 828, which looks terribly bad on paper. But the reality is the screen resolution offers 326ppi (pixels per inch), which is still 26 pixels above what the human eye can detect. And no, the XR doesn’t block video resolutions above 720p on YouTube. You can scale up to 1080p, which may be scaled up 720p or slightly scaled down 1080p, due to the 19:9 aspect ratio of the device (and no letterboxing) but the iPhone XR’s screen resolution doesn’t actually limit image quality at all.

You CAN watch 1080p videos on YouTube with the iPhone XR.

Build Quality

The iPhone XR upholds Apple’s reputation for premium devices, even if a few details amount to a perception of being slightly inferior to the iPhone XS/XS Max. The anodized aluminum railing, the IPS/LED display, and single lens 12MP rear camera of the XR isn’t the stainless steel build, the deep rich blacks of the OLED display, and dual-camera setup of the XS duo. But none is these things matter as the difference in materials and additional hardware are simply luxuries for those who want the best of the best. As is, the iPhone XR is every bit up to the standard set by the iPhone X in 2017, yet ups the ante with the most durable glass of any smartphone, and lively,vivid color choices that encompass all of the phone up to the display.

iPhone XR Specs

  • 6.1-inch Liquid Retina display (LCD)
  • IP67 water and dust resistant (max depth of 1 m up to 30 mins)
  • 12MP camera with OIS and 7MP TrueDepth front camera
  • Face ID for secure authentication and Apple Pay
  • A12 Bionic with next-generation Neural Engine
  • Wireless charging—works with Qi chargers
  • 3GB RAM (2.75 usable)

If you are a Techie who swears by devices specs (RAM, camera MP count, and screen resolution), the iPhone XR may seem disappointing at first glance. But that would be do to the lack of understanding about how Android and iOS is built and the requirements for them to both run efficiently. Android needs as much RAM as possible due to the fact that it’s code (Javascript) is run through an “interpreter” from the Machine level to the UI and back. Then each OEM (Samsung, Motorola, LG) customizes their devices by adding features and themes on top of Android which requires more resources. Not to mention all the differentiation in devices,which makes Android more difficult to develop apps for. iOS on the other hand is Native code, which is optimized for all of the internal components. There may be many iPhones, but they all share the same internals -designed and optimized by one company – Apple. This amounts to processor and software development that is head and shoulders above the outsourced-collaborative models of making an Android device.

Geekbench Single-Core
Benchmark
Geekbench Multi-Core
Benchmark

Software and Ecosystem

The App Store empowers many of the worlds creative pros
with tools that rival desktop counterparts.

The A12 Bionic processor beats out most laptop benchmark scores. That means the iOS devices are only limited by the apps and software developed for the platform. And many developers are porting their desktop software over to the iPhone/iPad. Adobe’s full Photoshop for PCs/Macs is due for release this year. From the desktop technician who desires a platform that requires less maintenance without sacrificing processing power, to the mobile road warrior looking to produce professional content on the go that translates to the final product without to much upscale – the iPhone reigns supreme.

Sure you can do light design, draft a word document from start to finish, add some entries to a spreadsheet, heck even edit a YouTube Video and score an original theme for it on an Android device. But the sheer breath and quality of options to offer for iOS through the App Store – and the variety of industries catered to is so complete and broad – it’s only rivaled by legacy desktop software. It’s that good.

And that’s before we get to the countless iOS first-if-not-outright-exclusive apps and games available. The App Store is clearly the leader and pioneer of content ecosystems. From media consumption to content creation, if the App Store was Travis Scott-it would say ,”I put this $h!+ together, I’m the glue!” (Someone said.)

Apple does a great job letting developer know what they are capable of creating by example as well:

Another additional value (that’s not exclusive to the XR) is the fact that Apple’s iWork (Numbers,Keynote,and Pages) are included free for iOS devices in addition to creative apps like GarageBand and iMovie – which enable users to be productive right out the box without having to purchase any third party apps.

Price,Value and Conclusion

Hey, dare I say – having been a previous owner of the iPhone 5s 6,6s,SE, and a seven 7 with various Android devices between them;As well as before and after.Recollecting about all the smartphones I have owned, from the HTC G1, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 5, Note 3, LG G6 and G7,Galaxy S7,LG V30/V35/V40 and all of their strengths and weaknesses….the iPhone XR is the sweet spot in a device line-up that has the best combination of features that I believe general consumers and professional alike are looking for: price to value ratio, build quality, ecosystem, and length of support.

Should you Upgrade?

Is you have anything from the iPhone 8 and below, the XR would be your most sensible route of entry into the X family. It’s processor and battery+screen tech equals a significant upgrade over the X, but I’m not sure an upgrade from the X is necessary unless you qualify for a carrier upgrade.

In a world of $1,000 premium flagships and $500 “flagship killers” smartphones – the most rational choice for most in iOS world is the iPhone XR.

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LG Gram wins CES 2019 Innovation Award

Looking for a light and thin 14 inch ultrabook weighing in at just 1118 kg.? LG’s Gram just may be the device for you.

The 14 inch 2 in 1 convertible model of the LG Gram

What makes this years model so interesting is that it manages to set a new record in mobility without compromising on battery life or power.

LG Gram 14 specs

  • 8th Gen. Intel® Core™ i7 processor
  • Windows 10 Home
  • Converts to 14” tablet
  • Includes Wacom AES 2.0 Pen
  • 72Wh Lithium Battery (up to 21 hours)
  • 16GB RAM & 512GB SSD

LG Gram 17 specs

  • 8th Gen. Intel® Core™ i7 processor
  • Windows 10 Home
  • 17 Inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) IPS Display
  • 72Wh Lithium Battery (up to 19.5 hours)
  • 16GB RAM & 512GB SSD
  • Thunderbolt™ 3 Interface
The LG Gram 17”

The LG Gram 17 is the lightest laptop with it’s screen size ever and was also an Innovation Award nominee while the 14 inch 2-in-1 took the award home.

We will be keeping an eye on the world’s lightest laptop and providing more info once we get our hands on a review unit.


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