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Xara Designer Pro X Review (Windows/PC)

Xara has updated their illustration and design software program Designer Pro to version X (16). Regarded as the app with the “world’s fastest graphics rendering engine” , we took a look at the latest version to see if Xara has evolved or devolved over the years.
Xara is an international company founded in 1981,with headquarters in Berlin and a development center in London. It’s first iteration of Xara was released for the Windows platform in early 1994 as Xara Studio. After quite a few name changes (Artworks, Xara Studio, CorelXara, Xara X, Xara Xtreme Pro) and a couple of license acquisitions (from Corel to MAGIX) – the seasoned design software suite as come of age as Xara Designer Pro X3 (as in version 13).The software is also now a part of the MAGIX suite of products, and offers a whole slew of features in one sleek package of software – that will put the Adobe to shame. Amazingly, there is even a Linux version- known as Xara Xtreme LX available.
Promoted as having the “fastest graphic rendering engine” on the market, Xara Designer Pro offers a stable and fast workflow that enables illustrators to transform shapes from flat 2D items to eye-catching 3D designs in seconds.Change RGB lighting on your 3D objects Maya/3DS Max-style instantly. It only helps that the fast rendering is complimented by a minimalistic UI and a brilliant toolkit and property layout.
 The Pen,Draw and Bezier-Curve Tools are intelligent and intuitive.
Tools that made Photoshop a household name, like Magnetic Lasso and Object Erase Tool are a clicks away.
 Many more intensive bitmap and photo editing tools are available, if you’re into that soft of thing.
Transform,Warp,Transform, or add Bezels to your shapes/text/objects – even 3D to your designs in seconds.
To help keep the program bloat-free,the installation process quick and your Hard Drive clutter-less, all of the extra content is available through the Online Content Catalog. And boy, is it quite a collection. Everything from your usual bland symbols like Arrows, email envelopes to social media brand icons to the unusual like Amazon and PayPal Cart Widgets. There are also contact forms, even full blown website templates!
Designer Pro is technically at version 16, though Xara stopped keeping track at 13 (called Designer Pro X3). This version is simply referred to as Designer Pro X. It comes at $299.99, with a year of free updates from the date of registration.
  Illustration, photo editing, desktop publishing and document creation, web graphics and websites are all possible within one app, and it all comes in a slim – well coded program that makes you wonder why others like CorelDRAW and Adobe Creative Suite feels so slow and bloated. There is simply no reason why Xara Designer Pro X isn’t more popular of a design program, it’s basically Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, and Dreamweaver in one package. It’s even compatible with PS plug-ins. My guess is Xara is a UK based company, and the partnership with MAGIX was done in-part to help with awareness in the US market. Here’s to my desire to see them succeed in this endeavor, because Designer Pro X is simply too good of a program to be ignored.
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The LG V40 ThinQ and it’s Five Camera Lenses

The V40 is the latest and most powerful smartphone LG has released to date. But is that enough to warrant a serious consideration from the shoppers looking to upgrade their devices? 

I have been testing the V40 for three months now, and I’m surprised to find that LG managed to make improvements to it’s V series- even if the upgrades are incremental.

DISPLAY

6.4 ” QHD+ OLED Display
(3120 x 1440, including notch); 538 ppi

MEMORY

64GB internal memory microSD™: supports card up to 2 TB

CAMERA

Rear:12MP Telephoto Zoom 16MP Super Wide-Angle

12MP Standard

Front:5MP Wide 8MP Standard

PROCESSOR:

Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 845

up to 2.8 GHz x 4 + 1.7 GHz x 4 Octa-Core

BATTERY

3,300 mAh Non-Removable

The display is an 6.4 inch OLED with resolutions up to 3120×1440,and it’s HDR10 certified . The display’s ratio comes in at 19:5:9. It’s an awesome display, with deep blacks, pure whites and beautiful,vivid colors. 

What say ye, of the triad of camera lenses on thee backside of thy V40 ThinQ? They’re pretty neat: they have the ability to work in conjunction with one another and separately, and neither of them are useless gimmicks. The 1st main camera is a 12MP 78 degree lens with an f/1.5 aperture OIS (Optimized Image Stabilization) and PDAF (Phase Detection Auto Focus),the 2nd Camera lens is a 16MP, wide angle 107-degree lens with 1-micron and f/1.9 aperture,and the 3rd Camera lens is a 12MP,1-micron, f/2.4, 45-degree lens with 2x optical zoom. But enough geekspeak, let’s look at some sample photos and video below.

 

                                 

We will take a deeper look at the camera and it’s three lens setup later on in the review to see if LG stacks up with another innovative first or useless lenses…

Build Quality

Conclusion

LG’s V -series has always been a multimedia powerhouse, and LG has made all of the necessary adjustments and upgrades to keep the V-40 in the premium smartphone best-of club. The Only real concern is if the 3300 battery is enough to last you a day.

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HP comes out swinging with the Chromebook X2

There’s no other way to say it, Chromebooks have come a long way.

The HP Chromebook X2 is a well-built premium detachable running Chrome OS, which is both the biggest strength and greatest limitation of the device. I say this because Google’s ChromeOS has a reputation for not being good for much more than Web browsing and watching videos. But over the last few years, there have been tons of changes made to being the operating system up to snuff with MacOS and Windows 10. Read on for more info about that, but for now let’s check out the internals of the HP Chromebook X2.

I have to admit the hardware is premium, from the Pogo Keyboard to the aluminum trimmed tablet – the X2’s build quality is top-notch. The stainless steel and ceramic build of the top-screen half, where all of the internals reside, is light thin. The weight of the internals, from the Hard Drive to the Processor – are evenly balanced along the 2K Display. Yes ladies and gentleman,the HP Chromebook X2 is a well designed and engineered device. 

    HP Chromebook x2 Specs

  • Processor: Intel Core m3-7Y30
  • RAM: 4GB
  • Storage: 32GB
  • Ports: Two USB-C, microSD, headphone jack
  • Display: 12.3-inch, 2400 x 1600 pixel
  • Battery: 48Wh, rated to 10.5 hours
  • Dimensions: 11.5 x 8.32 x .33 inches
  • Weight: 3.07 lbs. with keyboard; tablet 1.62 lbs.
  • Keyboard (not backlit) and stylus included

Chrome + Linux + Android Apps = 
ChromeOS for the General Consumer

 

 The HP Chromebook X2 keeps the latest version of Chrome installed, as the OS updates automatically during reboot. As of today (12/6/2018) its running on Chrome OS 71.0.3578.85. The 12.3-inch display packs 2400 x 1600 pixels across its vibrant screen. The Chromebook X2 sports the same display that you’ll find on the Google’s 2017 Pixelbook.  

You wouldn’t be blamed for assuming that Chrome OS is nothing more than a glorified browser with web shells posing as apps – IF this was last year. But now, the light web-centic OS has two tricks up it’s sleeve; Android andLinux apps.

These two features open up productivity and work options that make Chromebooks one step closer to being an all-around, do all platform. The inclusion of the Google Play store means tools like Microsoft Office, Powerdirector (Video Editing) and Adobe Touch Apps, and FL Studio Mobile (Music Production) are now available for ChromeOS – even if these apps arent as full featured as their Desktop counterparts.

 When it comes to multitasking and stability, HP’s Chromebook X2 holds it’s own against the Surface and Macbook Pros of the world.

 

Linux Apps on the other hand, (which were just released out of beta) – is a bit rough around the edges. Programs now have been granted storage access along with Chrome and Android apps, but features like audio or video streaming and recording aren’t available from Linux Apps/Programs as of today (12-7-2018).

 

 

 

Benchmarks and Performance

 The Intel Core m3-7Y30 surpasses just about every Android flagship of 2018 in the Geekbench scores, with an impressive score of 3515 (Single-core) and 6786 (multi-core) .

 

 The single core benchmark comes in a nearly twice the score of the Galaxy Note 8.

 

 

While the multi-core scores we’re a little more modest, the Chromebook x2 did manage to score 300 points higher than the Note 8.

Conclusion

 

The HP Chromebook X2 is an excellent all around 2-in-1, with a build that rivals the Surface Pro, with the thin and sleek build of a MacBook. The addition of Android and Linux apps make for a compelling alternative to more popular computers. Just make sure to add an SD card and not expect much out of Linux Development for now.

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Music Streaming Royalties

pt. 1: Earnings Breakdown

There has never been a time that I’ve worked with other artists, from every level and stage of development – when a conversation about royalties and how they are earned wasn’t welcomed.

One of the most confusing aspects of getting paid in the music industry, is and has always been Royalties. Not to mention the multiple avenues that royalties come in: Mechanical, performance, synchronization fees, and print music (which is pretty much nonexistent in urban music like Hip-Hop and EDM). Now here is a 5th element to add to the mix, Music Streaming Royalties.

Music Streaming royalties come from digital outlets like Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play Music, Tidal,etc. who share a percentage of monies earned from ad revenue and/or subscriptions with artists,labels and rights holders. Besides the fact that there isn’t a set amount you can expect from a stream- each store pays a different amount- there are many other factors that can determine what to expect. Are you signed to a major label or an independent artist? Exclusivity to a specific digital store? What about the minimum streams you have to get (monthly) in order to earn minimum wage? The good folks over at SoSouth gathered the 411 into a easy-to-understand chart table that you can take to the bank below:

 Music Stores Unsigned Artists (Indie) Signed Artists (Major) Total Users (Millions) % of free users Plays Needed to earn min. wage ($1,472)
Napster $0.0167 $0.0190 5 0% 90,000
Tidal $0.0110 $0.0125 4 72% 130,000
Apple Music $0.0064 $0.0073 27 0% 230,000
Google Play $0.0059 $0.0068 10 50% 250,000
Deezer $0.0056 $0.0064 16 57% 260,000
Spotify $0.0038 $0.0044 140 57% 380,000
Amazon $0.0036 $0.0040 66 0% 368,000
Pandora $0.0011 $0.0013 81 81% 1.2 million
You Tube $0.0006 $0.0007 1,000 99.9% 2.4 million

 (List ranking digital stores from highest compensation per stream to lowest)

We hope this chart simplifies digital music streaming, and how artists are compensated. There have been many times an artist, confused by the myriad of terms and algebraic formulas on their report sheets – leading to someone on our staff to have to explain the way MSR’s (music streaming royalties are calculated – for the 110th time! This article was written with the hopes to rid all parties involved of the frustration of not knowing what to expect, and putting unnecessary strain on business relationships in the process.

Remember, music streaming royalties aren’t collected by traditional performance rights agencies like ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC – you have to register with Sound Exchange to collect your Music Streaming royalties.

And remember who put you up on game,Labfreq!

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Make Cinematic Masterpieces with PowerDirector Mobile (App Review)

Cyberlink PowerDirector Mobile: True Video Editing for Mobile has
arrived

PowerDirector Mobile, for Android is
linear video-editing app that makes it easy
to direct your cinematic blockbuster.

The app allows you to combine multiple
video and audio layers (up to 3 video and
audio tracks) to edit angles and takes down
to the frame. There a of video/photo filters
and FX included,broken down into bundles
that can be added with in-app purchases.

There are also a decent amount transitions
collections available, some are included
with the Full HD export in-app purchase,
others are separate Add-Ons.

More In-App Purchases – Sigh

You can get all features unlocked if you
subscribe to the Pro features, at $4.99
month or $34.99 a year.

All FX and Transitions are ported over from the desktop version

PowerDirector Mobile is a formidable video
editor, and for professional videographers, it
may very well be the best video editor on
Android and Chrome OS.

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Hi-Res Music & Audio : The New Recording Standard

Every 25 years or so, the medium for the mass-production of audio gets upgraded to the next big thing.
From the Phonograph which played tin cylinders (1877), to the Gramophone (1900) , which played glass, zinc, and eventually plastic flat discs/records; From Vinyl, which didn’t hit the scene until 1948, the cassette tape that made it’s debut in 1962, to the first commercial Compact Disc made available in 1982- the search for better audio quality transmission has never ceased.
For decades, the standard audio resolution for releasing commercial music has been CD quality – which has a default sample rate and bit depth of 44.1 kHz / 16-bit. Today, with new recording and playback equipment, as well as the arrival of music subscription streaming companies like Tidal- it has become more viable for artists, producers, aggregators, and record companies to release music at higher resolutions. Now, it is possible for consumers to hear studio quality music – music equal to what the artists, producers, mix and mastering engineers hear on devices they carry with them every day.

    

Hi-Res Audio allows up to 6.5X the data transmission as CD-Quality recordings.

For the Up and Coming and established recording artists alike, it’s essential to know that most record companies require the delivery of hi-res masters because they recognize new opportunities to monetize better sounding music. It is also helpful for musicians/producers/artists to get in the habit starting off recordings at the highest resolution possible, so as to future-proof their work.

In this article, we’re going to provide some tips along with a checklist of must-know information about how to take advantage of the current advances in audio.

These are the two logos that audio professionals need to get familiar with, as they let you know when recording and playback of high resolution audio/music is possible.The Hi-Res Audio logo is exclusive to hardware – such as audio interfaces and Monitors, even smartphones and media players. Seeing this logo assures you have the necessary equipment to capture audio at resolutions higher than CD quality. The Hi-Res Music logo applies to music that is delivered at a resolution higher than CD quality. Any production done at 48 kHz/20-bits, digital conversion of an old analog master, or a CD that gets remastered to 96 kHz/24-bits or higher qualifies for use of the logo.

Hi-Res Audio Device Examples

Now you just can’t go around using any device to capture audio and expect it to meet requirements for Hi Res Audio, you have to make sure your equipment is certified for Hi-Res Audio- and the gap from entry-level to elite is wide so choose wisely.

Recording: Most Audio Interfaces today come equipped to record audio at the highest resolution possible, so even without use of the new Hi-Res Logo you can be assured you can set your interface to record as high as you’d like.

                                                 

Anything from the Behringer U-Phoria UM2 (retail price $29.99) ,the TASCAM UH-7000   (retail price $199),

to Universal Audio’s Apollo 8 ($1,799 retail) will get the job done.

Playback: These devices allow you to enjoy music at the quality that the Artist, musician, and engineer intended for the listener to.

DENON M41DAB ($700 retail) – Regarded as the latest and greatest from one of the most trusted brands in Hi-Fi Systems, you can rest assured that you will get an accurate representation of the music you listen to.

LG V20 ($369-599 retail) One of the first smartphones to come with a dedicated quad-DAC, allowing for truly studio-quality recording and playback. This LG V20 is acclaimed for its pristine audio recording and playback capabilities.
 

Sony NW-WM1Z Signature Series 256GB High-Resolution Digital Music Player is one of the more expensive options for playback- with a retail price slightly north of $3,000- which might go to better use than being spent on a gold-plated Walkman.

Tips to remember :

  • To capture Hi Res Audio, Always start off at the desirable sample rate 48 kHz/196 kHz and at least 20-bit. NEVER let the audio signal go below the chosen resolution (from recordings to exports) to ensure true hi-res music.
  • Make sure all engineers, producers and mastering studios are all on the same page as far as chosen resolution is concerned.
  • If you want your songs in Hi-Res format, NEVER convert your files to lossy compressed formats !

Twitter: @trizzaygetem

Instagram: @trizzaygetem

Facebook: trizzaymusic

*Article Originally Published on SoSouth.com

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Become an Author: Create an ebook with Google Docs

Have you been sitting on your life biography, or are you just two chapters away from wrapping up that thriller detective novel
you’ve been telling anyone “bits and pieces of the storyline who would listen? Did you know that you could have that finished draft in the proper format, and ready for masses? That’s right, Google’s word-processing challenger
to Microsoft Word, Docs will have you a published Author in record time.

If your looking to distribute an ebook in the proper format for reading on the Kindles’ and iPads of the world you need your work to be
in .epub format. Use Docs to convert your Word or PDF file in three simple steps:

  1. Once your document is ready for Mass Consumption,tap File in Main toolbar of the Docs app
  2. Click ‘download as’ from the drop down menu
  3. Click ‘EUB Publication (.epub)’ from the pop up menu

Name your file and navigate to the desired location as needed then click save.
The same can be done on the mobile app as well as demonstrated below:
     
Now you’re one step closer to becoming an author!
The Google Docs app is a word processor, with alot in common Microsoft Word – which has few extra features like live collaboration and tight integration with Google Drive,Slides,Sheets and GSuite. it also has an online version that can be added to the Chrome Browser for offline use. Click the link below to download to your device.
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LG G7 ThinQ Hands On

If you hadn’t noticed by now,I have an affinity for LG’s flagship smartphones. From the  camera lenses to the Audio recording features, LG has made professional-grade content creation tools the focus for the last two to three iterations of it’s G and models. As if the 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad-DAC wasn’t enough, a few new Audio enhancing features have been added to it’s latest and greatest flagship device the G7 ThinQ.
Aside from the Hi-Fi Audio that doesn’t kick in unless you have pair of headphones plugged into the (still present) 3.5mm jack, LG is
touting it’s new Boombox speaker that amplifies audio when the phone is placed on a flat surface. By turning the space behind the speaker and battery into a resonance
chamber, LG is claiming a 39% bass enhancement over last year’s G6.

Wrapping up the sonic goodies, DTS:X Audio brings “spatial sound, so audio sounds as if it’s coming from all directions even overhead.”
While this makes for great movie and gaming sessions (I played round of PUBG and could sense the location of others by the sound of
their footsteps), I found DTS:X made audio files sound muted and dull.

On the image front, Dual 16MP rear Cameras offer wide angle lenses as the main feature opposed to a telephoto lens to support
(useless imo) Portrait Mode, and much improved 8MP front facing camera. (Although Portrait Mode is feature for both the rear Cameras and selfies)
Even the screen is touting new technology an, 6.1 QHD Super Bright M+LCD Display which
gets up to 1000 nits in direct sunlight for up to 3 minutes.
The specs run in line with what you expect from a 2018 flagship, Snapdragon 845 processor,64GB of internal storage SD card slot, and 4GB of RAM.
I will be taking the G7 through its paces for
bit, and get back with a full review of the
device shortly.
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Mobile DAW Showdown: FL Studio vs Garageband

 

Two of the most popular Music Making brands in software, FL Studio Mobile and Garageband (iOS), long regarded as “tools for beginners” at best,”toys” by the haters are two of the most powerful DAWs on the market. Today,they are used by every one from beginners to pros and they both have mobile apps that  empower millions to create professional quality music on the go. The only question is which app to choose? Producer and Recording Artist Tremendous answers that question in one word, “Both!” Check out the capabilities of both in the video below:
 
 

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Caustic 3 Review – (Android/OS)

It’s not everyday that a mobile app comes along and matches it’s desktop rivals pound for pound,so when it does happen producers and fledgling beat-makers better sit up and take notice.
Caustic 3 is one of those programs.

Created by Single Cell software,which is a ‘sole-proprietorship’ company led by lone Developer Rejean Poirier. Caustic has reached a stage of laptop-quality matureness at version 3,an achievement that almost single-handedly brought the Android platform up to par with iOS (Check the AppStore reviews below) due to it’s exclusivity to Android- even though the latest iteration of the program was finally released to iOS shortly after it was introduced in the Google Play store.

Caustic consists of 12 (twelve) instruments called “Machines”- the PCMSynth Sampler,Beatbox, Subsynth, Bassline, Padsynth, 8-bit Synth, Organ, Vocoder, and FMSynth. It also has an FX rack which includes 20 effects ,a virtual Mixer,a detailed Master rack, and your traditional song sequencer.

For those familiar with Propellerhead’s Reason, it’s quite apparent when you open Caustic for the first time that it’s been influenced by by the former- both in design and functionality.

The only thing that prevents Caustic from being the best all-around mobile DAW is a lack of true audio tracks, although it DOES record audio-The Vocoder and PCMSynth combined are perfect for one-shots and short phrases, verses and choruses not so much. What Caustic lacks in audio recordng tools it makes up for with a active user community and more support from Sound Designers than any other DAW on any mobile platform.

While the keyboards on each instrument are only useful for previewing sounds,and you can play them directly unto the sequencer-they each have their own piano roll views directly under them for easy pattern programming due to the complexity of the workflow for recording a performance on the sequencer.That and the lack of audio tracks appear to be Caustic’s only weak points.
If you want a music production app that enables you to easily make your own sound, all while including an excellent preset library AND great support from third party sound designers-look no further than Caustic 3.

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