PreSonus, manufacturers of some of the world’s most renowned Audio Interfaces, Control Boards, Mixing Consoles, Preamps, and Microphones – releases the Revelator USB mic for project studios , gamers and podcasters. We take it through the paces to see if it adds something new to the market and offers new and rare features. To find out where the Revelator stands in the grand scheme of a recording setup, keep reading.
The Revelator Mic is USB-C powered, and connects to Mac, PC, Android and iOS devices. For Windows and MacOS, it has a software hub that adds the ability to broadcast a feedback signal (useful for podcasts) and source mixing (game streaming). But the most useful and powerful feature, is the Revelator’s ability to save up to 5 audio effect Presets directly into the microphone.
Top to Bottom: Preset (light blue), Monitor (dark blue), Volume (Press for Mute)
The Revelator Mic comes with 5 effects pre-installed, Plain/Dry, Broadcast, Slap Echo, Female Voice, and Screamer – which reminded me of a Megaphone. Any or all of the presets could be replaced with a new effect by connecting the Mic to your device with the software installed simply by connecting to two devices using the included USB-C cord.
The Revelator’s Default Preset is effect-free, and it has a flat and dry audio signal that provides clear and crisp vocals or field audio. Broadcast adds a rich EQ, Low Pass Filter, and AutoDuck all in one to give that ‘Radio Announcer’ sound. Female Voice is a Chipmunk-y, high pitched effect; as Screamer and Slap Echo have more self-explanatory Preset names.
Revelator is a part of a suite of products from Presonus that offers an all in one solution for audio recording from the Home to full-fledged Recording Studios. Like in the picture above, where you can see the Revelator as part of a modern home recording studio. It comes with a table stand in the box, but it’s compatible with any standard mic stand, so it can be an all-around ‘Swiss Mic’ for recording any type of sound.
Makeup has been around for centuries. To note that as of the mid 2000’s many trends have come and gone from the infamous Instagram brows, to contouring and highlighting, baking, over-lined lip liner or even winged eyeliner to name a few. As recent as this pandemic one particular makeup product has taken the makeup world by storm . Today I will be introducing, Maybelline Fit Me Tinted Moisturizer on whether or not this should be considered a staple in any women or man’s makeup kits. Is this trend a beauty or an absolute bust ? Let’s find out.
Ever since the pandemic has been on the rise while mask have taken over our daily lives. Many women and man find it hard to wear tons of foundation or any makeup to be exact. With that being said tinted moisturizers are the perfect compliment to foundation. The added moisture along with a slight tint of color gives off a natural effortless look. It is also easy to blend using a brush, beauty blender, and yes of course your hands.
For those who want more coverage this tinted moisturizer is buildable without feeling heavy on the face. I also noticed that this pairs well with a translucent power over top for a matte finish. I prefer a more dewy look on days where I want my skin to look plump and hydrated. There are many ways you can wear this product. If you’re more into a natural look just to even out your skin. Or you want a full glammed look for a night out without having to pack on loads of foundation but still want to look good. This tinted moisturizer is the way to go.
Depending on which drugstore you choose to shop at this tinted moisturizer cost only $10.99. Some store even price it at $9.99. Either way it only cost $10 or less to get such a good value for this product. Maybelline also offers it in 14 different shades for all skin tones. Compared to other high end tinted moisturizers this one surely stands it’s match. Not only is it affordable the coverage is better than others.
My verdict is this, I will say that although Maybelline tinted moisturizer is good. I would consider this product to be a beauty. Many can argue that it can be a bust, though that depends on personal opinion when it comes to makeup and how one likes to wear it. To me it’s perfect for my makeup needs. I will be repurchasing this tinted moisturizer for many years to come. I do think it is a staple in anyones makeup kit.
Musical ideas can happen at any time. Rhythms and melodies tend to come at you while your during the most mundane tasks, like mowing the yard or cleaning your space. While memory has stood the test of time as our internal scratchpad, technology has gotten more capable, more compact, more accessible each generation.
Many people don’t know the smartphones and tablets they carry on their person everyday is several times more powerful than the most iconic 4-track recorders, drum machines and groove boxes. When an iPhone or Galaxy device is running GarageBand, Cubasis or FL Studio Mobile, paired with a modest MIDI controller like the ATOM SQ by PreSonus or the Akai MPK Mini – the creative abilities are on par with a recording studio that would have cost tens of thousands 15 years ago.
To celebrate the times and plethora of tools available for creatives and musicians alike, we’re sharing a hip-hop/trap beat made in Steinberg’s Cubasis 3 on an iPhone 13 Pro and opened in the same app on Android to confirm compatibility. Check it out in the video:
Demonstrating the power and potential we all have within our reach at any given time with the capabilities of our smartphones alone, Tre’mendous shares his Cubasis session with aspiring creatives and allows us to follow along in the session, remix, or record your own vocals to one of his beats titled “Out Your Feelings”.
For only $79 Lenovo True Smart Wireless Earbuds are an absolute essential purchase. The earbuds feel great and seem to be better than most other buds on the market. They automatically connect whenever you open the case. These earbuds have multipoint pairing for multiple devices. At this budget friendly price Lenovo offers solid noise cancellation, comfortable ear rest and grip, along with exceptional bass quality. If your budget is limited and you are looking for a good pair of earbuds to purchase. Lenovo’s True Smart Wireless earbuds is the perfect choice.
To truly put the wireless earbuds to the test, I used it for multiple 20-30 minute workout sessions throughout the week. I noticed during my workouts that the earbuds stay in my ears the whole time without falling out compared to other wireless earbuds. Overall, I found the Lenovo Smart Wireless earbuds to be surprisingly comfortable. They included four pairs of silicone tips, and the fitting process was easy.
I got a solid 3 days of usage before the battery ran out. That’s only wearing it for 20-30 minutes at a time. Charging the earbuds is super simple and fast. Once it’s fully charged the earbuds can last you days before having to charge it again. Which is convenient for those who don’t like to charge their devices everyday just to use them. Lenovo’s earbuds are Apple products user friendly. Setup was easy-breezy. Using the same method, switching back and forth between your iPhone and other devices is seamless.
So to answer the question, Yes it’s certainly worth the $79. Compared to other wireless earbuds under the $100 price range. The Lenovo Smart Wireless Earbud delivers a variety of convenient features not found on many other wireless earbuds. These earbuds feature a nice structured ear pieces, easy open and close case, along with it being comfortable to wear for long period of time.
There are many options on the market for cloud storage. Some are integrated into our devices Operating Systems, extending the physical storage by embedding virtual extensions of your smartphone or laptops space within its software. Many people only interact with the services that come with the devices they own – iCloud for iPhones and Macs, Google Drive for Androids/Chromebooks, and OneDrive for Windows PCs. More savvy users test out third-party cloud products that strive to offer the best Cloud Storage available, as opposed to settling for previously mentioned services which sometimes seem more like an afterthought – an add-on treated like a premium feature leveraged to gain extra revenue from existing customers. A few third-party products may instantly come to mind as suitable alternatives – Dropbox for example, but one that should be on your radar comes from a Swiss company known as pCloud.
pCloud is a Cloud Storage provider – and one that stands out due to the fact that they’re based in Switzerland, for privacy-conscious users – but the standout difference between pCloud and its competitors is they offer a perpetual license. pCloud’s claim an industry-first with their Lifetime plan, which many users say offers the best Backup experience and cost-efficiency. You only pay ONCE and get to organize your entire digital life for a LIFETIME. All premium features are available and you get to enjoy the beauty of collaboration and relieve that your most important asset- your information, is properly protected.
pCloud’s Lifetime account is an industry-first in the Cloud Storage sector.
Standout Features
pCloud has quite a few unique features that separate them from the alternatives, starting with Unlimited Capabilities. There’s no limitations to the file sizes that you can upload to your account, and the Upload and Download speeds are unlimited as well. File Management is convenient also, offering superior search and filter capabilities, and th r a even a Trash Bin that preserves files you’ve deleted from your account for 14 days for free users, Premium/Lifetime users get 30 days.
File Sharing is versatile and full-featured, with the ability to Share Folders with colleagues and team members. You can invite other Cloud users to private folders, all while controlling the levels of access by setting View, Edit, or Manage permissions to the folder. You can also stop access to any shared folder or change the permissions whenever you desire. You can also share dynamic links to people without a Cloud account, that will always give access to the latest version of your file. Lastly, using Direct Links to files in the public folder, you could even use Cloud as a hosting service to create static HTML websites or embed images!
Back up and Transfer your files from Third-Party Services easily and quickly
This is where things start to get funky, in a good way. pCloud also has third-party integration. Once you have created your pCloud account, you can back-up your files from third-party services like Google Photos, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox and Facebook! I found this feature to be surprisingly convenient and useful.
Premium Add-Ons
There are a few features that are kept back for the Premium and Premium Plus users. The most notable being the ability to share BRANDED LINKS. Thats’s right, links to file that you share with the public can be branded with a unique look and feel – down to the logo, and custom message to greet the recipient. It’s truly a standout feature that we even use here at Labfreq to share content with our readers.
Make any Download a White-Labed Branded Link
File Versioning is unique to Cloud at the time of writing this article, allowing for Revisions to preview your file edits and restore previous versions if necessary. While file versions are also kept for free users for up to 15 days also, the feature is extended to 30 days for Premium to Lifetime users. You can Rewind back to any previous versions of your digital collection and restore or download and of your non-encrypted files or accidentally removed content. ETH (Extended File History) allows for you to record all file changes up to 365 days back in the past – and easily recover your content within a year of deletion or edit.
Security is at the forefront of pClouds feature set, with TLS/SSL encryption which is applied the moment you transfer a file from your device to pClouds servers. But the built-in security can be hardened with the Cloud Crypto add-on.
Cloud Crypto folder
pCloud Crypto, is client-side encryption which no-one – not even pCloud – will have the keys for file-decryption. Set a password for your Crypto folder and you are the Supreme gatekeeper to what your place in it.
Pricing
Pricing for pCloud comes in three tiers- for the Individual, Family, and Business users. For the Individual, Annual pricing is $49.99 for the Premium 500GB account, and $99.99 for the Premium Plus 2TB accounts, and $175 for the Premium, $350 for the Premium Plus lifetime accounts. A Business Plan is available for $9.99 monthly and $7.99 annually, adding 1TB per user for up to three users. The Family Plan is available for $500 lifetime only.
There are a lot of power players in the Cloud Storage game, many that can afford to throw hundreds of millions – if not billions – into ad budgets to popularize their services over a start-up that might be in business solely to provide cloud storage as a service – like Dropbox or iCloud. But you would be mistaken for assuming those services are better simply because they are better marketed and are more readily assessable due to them being integrated into your devices. I’m happy to reveal that is not the case in this instance, as deep pockets, a large product lineup, and a large workforce work against Big Tech in this case. pCloud is one hell of a standout option in a sea of myriad, redundant choices.
PreSonus has released the ATOM SQ a TR-808 styled groove box/MIDI controller, to accompany their 1st gen Atom Drum Machine. Here we take a look at the former to see if it’s a worthy addition to the line up and how it compares to the latter. Let’s get it!
The ATOM SQ has a more robust, durable build than it’s predecessor – not that the original Atom was a slouch at all. The body is firm and solid with no creaks or pops when you flex anywhere on the frame, the buttons are tight and the knobs are stiff. No wobbly or flimsy parts, PreSonus has done the Atom SQ justice – when picking up the device, placing it on your set up table and powering up the device it gives the impression it means business.
There are 32 velocity and pressure sensitive pads that are laid out like Roland’s TR-808 grooveboxes, yet the ATOM SQ goes a step further by incorporating an assignable multifunction touch strip. There are also two Octave buttons to the left of the pads. Transport controls occupy the left side of the controller’s panel, below eight assignable bank buttons.
The LCD screen is a crisp, Context-sensitive display, which gives visual info on parameter information,note repeat, swing, and much more.
ATOM SQ is tailor-made for PreSonus’ stellar DAW Studio One 5, offering tight integration and no mouse navigation of all parts of the interface, – including instruments and effects.
The ATOM SQ + Revelator Mic + Studio One 5 = All you really need
PreSonus also made sure the ATOM SQ has Ableton Live integration built-in, for control that’s just as extensive as it is with Studio One.
Conclusion
PreSonus ATOM SQ and Cubasis 3 on the Pixel 6
ATOM SQ is a shockingly impressive MIDI controller, that works with Studio One the way a standalone device does. Besides typing in the name of your song or session for the first time, you can create compositions with the SQ and Studio One (Ableton Live also) without touching your computer. And it works nearly as good out the box with apps like Cubasis and FL Studio Mobile on Android and iPhone/iPad. If you’re looking for a MIDI controller/ groove box styled instrument for more expressive control over the virtual instruments in your music production software – few are as versatile and fully featured as the ATOM SQ.
On its 4th version, FL Studio Mobile 4 has finally come into it’s own from under it’s desktop sibling. The linear-timeline based mobile-first DAW is not a stripped down version of FL Studio, but an companion app that stands on its own very well.
UserInterface
Whereas the x86-based FL Studio for Mac and PC can be very overwhelming by it’s multi-windowed, complex user interface – FL Studio Mobile is 100% scalable, with flat vector-friendly graphics opposed to the desktops bitmapped GUI. This makes for a very modern, if simplistic look and feel – similar to Ableton Live.
The GUI contains control aspects that slide out from the bottom (Drum Pads or Keyboard), right (selected instrument or effect) and left (Track Controls) edges of the screen. It’s a well arranged interface, with enough depth to satisfy the most demanding audio professional.
Drum PadsKeyboardMixer ViewTimeline View
Instrumentsand Effects
Many of the desktop VSTs and effects from Image-Line’s collection is present. DirectWave – allows you to use presets saved from the desktops version; Slicer, is a stripped-down version of sample chopping Slicex; Transient Bass, along with GMS (Groove Machine) are two of the newer synths included. SuperSaw and Minisynth are the two exclusives to FL Mobile, with the legendary pattern based Drum Track – (which FL Studio is popular for) rounding out the Instruments.
The list of Effects included are more extensive, with more than 20 effects included. The options are broad, ranging from the essentials like reverb, delay, EQ and compressors – to more advanced and creative ones like Autoduck, Spacer and Auto-Pitch.
Standout features
FL Studio Mobile’s standout features include a full automation for any parameters on a track’s timeline, instrument or effect. On iOS, you can use Audio Units and IAA-compatible apps within the DAW.
Importing samples from my Sound Library from pCloud
Perhaps the most useful, is the ability to import your own sounds and samples from outside the program. This allows for more advanced beatmakers, producers and musicians the ability to create a more custom sound of their own. Connect to external storage, or even import sounds uploaded to, Google Drive or OneDrive.
Lastly , the ability to purchase the complete Preset and Sample Libraries for each of the virtual instruments is possible – from the built-in store – giving access to many exclusive sounds from desktop counterparts of the built-in instruments.
FL Studio Sound Shop
Conclusion
FL Studio is a very powerful DAW, bringing advanced desktop level music production abilities to smartphones and tablets. There are few music making apps that can match the capabilities of this program, and those who are FL Studio users on desktop platforms looking for way to make music on the go will be doing themselves a disservice to overlook this app.
ThinkPad, ThinkBook, IdeaPad… Lenovo has a product naming pattern going on here if you’ve noticed. Today we’re looking at a first here at Labfreq – the Slim 7 Carbon – our IdeaPad debut.
Specs
The Slim 7 Carbon is a 14-inch laptop rocking the signature, sleek “IdeaPad” design language with aspirations for ThinkPad X1 Carbon-level durability. Upon opening the lid of the device, the vibrant display with punchy hues and deep blacks immediately stood out from the usual cooler matte look/feel seen on most laptops. It helped that it’s Touchscreen, the glossy screen giving the colors an almost polished feel.
Specs
IdeaPad Slim 7 Carbon 14
Processor
AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800U Processor (1.90 GHz, up to 4.40 GHz Max Boost, 8 Cores, 16 Threads, 16 MB Cache
4 x speakers with Dolby Atmos® Speaker System Smart amp Digital signal processing (DSP)
Camera
IR + time of flight (TOF) camera
Connectivity
802.11AX (2 x 2) Bluetooth® 5.1
Ports
USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 2 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (DisplayPort™ 1.4 + PD 3.0) Headphone / mic combo
Special Features
One of the more unique additions is the Lenovo AI Chip, making features like Smart Rapid Start for fast, hands-free login, Smart Adaptive Sensors for automatic display tuning, and Smart Presence Detection that automatically wakes up or locks the PC possible.
The 14-inch, QHD+ OLED display with 90Hz refresh rate has a 16:10 aspect ratio, offering more screen space for productivity boosts. It also features Dolby Vision™ HDR, color accuracy with 100% DCI-P3, and deep blacks from VESA®DisplayHDR 500 True Black (whew!)
There’s also Dolby Audio, which adds the ability to listen to and create Spatial Audio experiences. Preloaded software was minimal, with Alexa, Dolby Vision, Lenovo Vantage, McAfee, and Office 365 pre installed.
Conclusion
The IdeaPad Slim 7 Carbon is a very capable ultrabook, packing an AMD Ryzen 6000 SoC, with a Nvidia graphics card – AAA gaming is possible with this laptop. The 16:10 display ratio leaves headroom for fitting more info on the screen. For anyone looking for an AMD-powered laptop with decent gaming specs, the Slim 7 Carbon just might me the perfect fit.
Cloud Storage has evolved from a niche perk to an essential contingency, particularly with companies making the move to more hybrid/remote workflows. Some cloud storage providers are more popular than others, due to the fact they are integrated into popular ecosystems (think Android, ChromeOS, iOS/MacOS, Windows.) But does the market share of these services reflect the fact that they are truly the best on the market, or is it bulit-in convenience? Here we explore the most popular (and powerful) Cloud Storage service providers and their feature set – to see which offers the best bang per buck. in Alphabetical Order):
Google Drive
One of the more popular products on this list, Drive is possibly the most used – being integrated in Google’s ecosystem. It comes with 15GB of free storage, linked to your Gmail account. This space is shared between your emails in Gmail,pics and vids in Google Photos, along with whatever you saved in Drive. Though its widespread use is mostly due to it being an extension of the Internal storage on Android and Chromebook devices, many companies and individuals have raised concerns around privacy. The storage capacity can be upgraded through paid subscription tiers, ranging from 100GB for $1.99/month to $49.99 for 10TB/month.
Features:
File storage, sharing, and access from any device
File streaming directly from the cloud to Mac or PC
Offline access to files
Shared team drives
Google search technology for files
Cloud-native collaboration apps (Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides)
Collaborate on Microsoft Office files without converting file formats
Supports over 100 file types
Integrates with dozens of tools and apps like Adobe, DocuSign, Salesforce, Slack, and more
Desktop app and mobile app
Access from Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android devices
Dropbox is the oldest product on this list, and the one that inspired companies like Apple, Google and Microsoft to get into the Cloud Storage game. It’s collaborative and file sharing features make it a popular, near-standard in the workplace and it edges out cloud services lied to big Tech ecosystems with top-tier encryption.
Dropbox uses stronger encryption to keep stored files safe with Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 256-bit encryption — the same encryption standard used to protect top-secret data. (Google Drive only uses 128-bit encryption for example)
Dropbox has three subscription tiers: Standard, Advanced, and Professional – which prices range from $12.50/month to $20/month for the Advanced.
Features:
Cloud file storage and backup
File sharing and large file transfer
File recovery and version history
Document collaboration and editing through Dropbox Paper
Syncing across devices
Password sync and storage
Desktop app and mobile app
HelloSign eSignatures
Integrates with tools like Zoom, Canva, Slack, and more
Access from Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android devices
Apple’s cloud service isn’t as available on third-party platforms as much as the others – pretty much Apple devices and the Web. It allows users to store data such as documents, photos and music on remote servers for download to iOS, macOS or Windows devices. It also enables to share and send data to other users. It is also helpful to manage Apple devices if it is lost or stolen. It was launched in 2011. While it offers some of the lowest fees in this list, the price to value ratio is lower than the others – due to being more or less unavailable outside of Apple’s walled garden of products
OneDrive is Microsoft’s cloud storage service, and its tight integration with Windows assures it has a massive user base. It gives the convenience to users for storing files, personal data and for sharing files. It offers 5 GB free storage space. It was launched by Microsoft in 2007. It is mostly used by professional workers to store the data related to work which might need more security.
The most secure cloud storage provider on the list, pCloud is a relative newcomer that has apps for every major platform, including Linux. It offers up to 10GB of free storage, and is also the only provider on this list that offers a lifetime subscription for a one-time purchase.
Features:
Up to 10 GB of free storage
Ability to sync from popular online services
Unlimited transfer speeds -Custom Branding Links
Embedded Music player (Sorting by artist, album; Shuffle; playback);
-Share link customization (expiration, password protection, upload/ download privileges);
While all of the products on this list are reliable and robust, Dropbox and pCloud offers the more agile and cross-platform services – while Apple, Google, and Microsoft’s cloud storage are mainly extensions of the Internal storage on their own branded devices. Google Drive and Onedrive is a bit more open and available on other platforms than iCloud, but those are still edged out by Dropbox. pCloud takes the crown, edging out Dropbox by a slight margin with features like Branded Link Sharing, 30day file revisions, Client-side zero encryption, and the ability to buy a lifetime membership, which makes it the only Cloud service provider to allow you to buy Cloud storage outright.
IdeaPad Duet 5i arrives to challenge the Surface and iPad head-on
Expanding on the success and popularity of their Duet line of tablets for ChromeOS, Lenovo is expanding the design to the IdeaPad series to create a classy and stylish Windows 11 tablet.
The IdeaPad 5i speaks the same design ethos as the Chromebook Duet, which we reviewed last year.
IdeaPad Duet 5i comes equipped with a 12-inch, 2.5K IPS touchscreen display in taller 16:10 format, bundled with a Bluetooth keyboard, optional Active Pen 3, with up to 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processors. Check out Lenovo to learn more.
