On booths that make you feel from afar like you’re quick approaching the enthralled crowd around a mind blowing street performer as you come down the aisle… Oswalds Mill Audio’s ICFF booth had that effect. Only as you approach, you realize the group of (mostly guys) are clustered and staring at the beauty and silently listening to the sounds of their impressive speakers! While their loudspeakers, amps, record players, and more are all stunning, the OMA Mini’s beauty was burned into my memory ~ so naturally i had to share that with you first!

Their speakers use a beautiful proprietary conical horn, “designed for the neodymium compression driver selected to achieve optimal performance, and cast in aluminum by a foundry in Pennsylvania,” and it’s perched on the woofer enclosures (either birch of bamboo), all designed by David D’Imperio, on a solid carbon steel stand! You can also pair the set up with a Mini Sub, whose face feels slightly hannibal mask like. As for the technical audio details, “The Mini is a very high efficiency speaker, at approx. 95db/1w/1m, and is 8ohm. This means you can use just about any amplifier with the Mini, from very low powered single ended triode amps (SETs) to high powered solid state amps, as the Minis uses professional drivers, not HiFi drivers, which distort at lower levels. These types of professional drivers offer far greater performance, and bullet proof reliability.They do not extend to the first octave, as hifi drivers do, and so you will not get deep bass extension and output to 20hz from the Mini.” Ok, now you totally have to see the other stunning pictures of the OMA Mini on the next page, as well as a peek at their booth…

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Tags: gifts - home - icff - music - NYDW13 - shopping - speakers - technology

Fun detail Shawn noticed when we were driving up Sunset Blvd in Hollywood… those street lamp banners were turned into guitar strings with a Jack Daniel’s Guitar Pick stuck in them! See more pics of it on the next page…

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Tags: guitar - los angeles - music

Love the clean design and packaging of the D&A Guitar Stands and Wall Hangers! Their GigStands fold up sleekly to slip into a guys back pocket (they didn’t quite fit in mine), but when opened become a pop up guitar stand! There are two models, one for electrical, and a deeper one for acoustics. The way it opens and closes is brilliant! There are also two Guitar Hangers, one passive and one active. The the Grip Wall Hanger is the passive model which hangs elegantly. The active Headlock Wall Hanger is open when there is no guitar weight on it, but when you put the guitar down it auto-closes. There are thoughtful designs to all of the models, from great grip to keep your guitar pristine, as well as plate covers to cover the screws in the wall mounts. Take a peek at it all up close on the next page!

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Tags: accessories - gifts - guitar - home - music - shopping

This post is presented by MasterCard. When they reached out to us about sharing some fun Grammy inspired posts, naturally, i turned to our NOTlabs director and music lover, Shawn Sims. First he shared a bit of what we’ve been listening to around the lab in our Winter Inspiration Mix. Now he’s got a bunch of inspiring music videos for us!

Whether its the toy octopus from Wax Tailor’s Time To Go, the never ending panorama shot in The Peach King’s Lonely, OK GO playing music with a car, or the cast of Fraggle Rock making a cameo for Ben Folds Five, there are plenty of surprises in these videos to keep you inspired. Some are simple animations and others highly detailed computer graphics. There are some videos that are shot beautifully and others are packed with high-tech wonders. Bell’s video for Chase No Face is an entire video of projection mapping onto the singers face using the Microsoft Kinect to sense movements and custom software that controls the graphics on her face. Take a look on the next page for all that and more, including dancing ghillie suit people!

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Tags: music - video

This post is presented by MasterCard. When they reached out to us about sharing some fun Grammy inspired posts, naturally, i turned to our NOTlabs director and music lover, Shawn Sims, to share a bit of what we’ve been listening to around the lab!

At NOTCOT we always have music playing, and with the 55th Annual Grammy Awards just around the corner, it seems like the perfect time to share favorites playing lately. Whether you are working hard or just relaxing a bit over the holidays we hope that this mix inspires you too. There is a lot of music on it, including The Lumineers, The Avett Brothers, Mumford and Sons, Alabama Shakes, and the quartet of Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile, and Stuart Duncan, all of whom are nominated for Grammys. There are a few other songs included from artists we enjoy, some older and some new, but all awesome! Check out playlist and some fun videos on the next page!

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Tags: music

This week we popped by the Sonos Space to see “Missing” created by The xx in collaboration with new media producer Aramique Krauthamer, media artist Kyle McDonald and engineer Matt Mets. The installation is created around the song of the same name from their new album “Coexist” and features 50 robotic Sonos players following the movement of visitors as they pass through… The first thing you notice is the glowing cube in the center of the space filled with Sonos speakers hanging inside, all rotating to face the listeners as they move around. They only let a few people through at a time - and with the opening night crowd, it quickly starts to look like a glowing catwalk as people sashay through.

As for how it works - each speaker is suspended from cables and uses a small circuit board and stepper motor to rotate around. Two Microsoft Kinects are mounted in the upper corners that track peoples movements. A computer uses that data to control the direction of movement for each speaker by creating a vector between the person and the closest speakers. The system constantly sends commands to the motors creating the effect that each speaker is tracking you. Even with 10+ people crowded into the installation the system work remarkably well.

See more of the installation and details on the next page!

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Tags: art - gallery - installation - music - opening - technology

Realitat’s Microsonic Landscapes are “an algorithmic exploration of the music we love. Each album’s soundwave proposes a new spatial and unique journey by transforming sound into matter/space: the hidden into something visible.” According to Creative Applications it is created with Processing and printed with Makerbot. Each object represents an album, but it’s unclear to me how tracks are represented… perhaps each ring? or does it all just spiral flow together to the center? or outwards? Also curious, what are the axes representing? Anyhow, it’s a pretty visualization of the albums, somehow… take a peek at more details on the next page.

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Tags: 3D Printing - music - technology

There’s a new way to experience Sonos! Previously, it was difficult to get the full experience of a synced Sonos system without installing it at your home/work, or trying it at a friends. Now, they have launched the Sonos Studio an “acoustically-designed gallery that celebrates music listening. The space serves as the best place in Los Angeles to experience Sonos, with events designed to explore the intersection of music, art and technology through creative collaborations.” When Sonos shopping, it’s great to get a chance to play YOUR music and test out the various systems and combinations in their acoustically optimized space (you’ll notice the installation of foam pyramids lining some walls and the ceiling as well as various slanting walls!) I popped in the other day to check out the new SUB in action (you have to go see the nickel they balance on top not move as the sound blows your mind!)… it’s a fun setup, and there seem to be events, musical performances, and art exhibitions filling the space regularly! Definitely pop into the bathroom to check out the skateboard lined walls too! Take a peek at all the fun on the next page!

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Tags: gallery - gifts - los angeles - music - shopping - speakers - technology

Last night i ended up at Milk Studios in Hollywood for the unveiling or the latest Dom Pèrignon limited edition designed by David Lynch. Of course David Lynch also created the whole experience of the evening… creating a fascinating series of spaces and experiences as each room opened up throughout the night. Starting with champagne on the steps as you enter… to gentlemen in top hats handing you chalk to sign your name on the wall… then passing through a mysteriously glowing foggy tunnel… to explore various dramatically lit dioramas of Dom bottles showing part of the process of how they came to the limited editions… while enjoying delicious molecular gastronomy from The Bazaar by José Andrés… and beyond to the reveal of the new bottles and performances by The Kills and Diplo! It was a spectacular night not to be forgotten… take a picture at the experience on the next page!

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Tags: champagne - events - los angeles - music - video

The BIG Jambox from Jawbone is here! and much like its tinier predecessor, the Jambox, (which we unboxed poolside over a year ago) - if you order it from Jawbone themselves, the packaging is FAR more fun than what you’ll see in retail stores… playful graphics adorn the cardboard box vs the clear plastic cases that showcase the product in stores. So, what’s fun about the BIG Jambox vs the Jambox? As the name says, it’s bigger ~ but also has bass, 15 hours of battery life, play/pause/skip buttons, and their new LiveAudio. While we love having the little Jambox for running around and even in the bathroom to bluetooth music while in the shower… the BIG one, is perfect for the kitchen or outside in the yard… and they both make for the perfect conference call mic/speaker!

Head to the next page to see the full unboxing and a size comparison between the BIG and small!

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Tags: gifts - music - packaging - shopping - speakers - technology - unboxing

Continuing this coachella week of LA music madness, tonight we found ourselves at the picturesque Belasco (“a relic of the early 1900s” ~ and the rooftop of the theater is stunning!) in downtown LA joining Absolut Vodka to celebrate their new first (in a series of three!) original song and video inspired by a drink… first up, The Absolut Greyhound by The Swedish House Mafia… so naturally the surprise guest in the incredibly packed venue was The Swedish House Mafia. Great energy, fun visualizations, delicious drinks, and a gorgeous venue… as well as fun red and blue led’s illuminating mini foam tubes (think swimming pool noodles in tiny form) being bounced around throughout the theater… see it all on the next page including the Absolut Greyhound video and making of (incredibly fun surreal futuristic robotic greyhounds!) and a video of some clips from the dynamic performance (a fun test of the 5D MKIII)…

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Tags: absolut - events - music

Well, that was an interesting night. This dual weekend coachella set up has ended up with a slew of musical amusement in LA for the week in between… and tonight Levi’s threw a haus party hosted by Snoop Dogg in celebration of The Snoop Youth Football League. The Levi’s Haus was packed ~ Snoop spinning all night on macbook pros ~ the bar tending ladies in Snoop YFL jerseys ~ edison bulbs hanging in the trees casting a gorgeous glow ~ fun Water

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Tags: events - los angeles - music

The first new Urbanears headphone design launched at CES this year was the Turncable which i just showed you. Second ~ Humlan! Interesting part of this design… there is a metal headband (love the detail of the urban ears tag actually being cloth sewn through a slit in the metal!) with MAGNETIC ear-speakers? pads? poofs? what would you call them? The simplicity and the satisfaction of feeling them snap into place and slide to adjust feels great ~ and i supposed when not using the headphones, you could even use it as a headband in their rainbow of colors… or even mix and match the usually monochromatic Urbanears. These are launching in fall of 2012! See more pics of the details on the next page!

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Tags: accessories - audio - ces - gifts - headphones - music - shopping - technology

Urbanears always has beautiful color palettes for their monochrome headphones and the most stunning photography/layouts for their lookbooks/displays. This year at CES they showed off two innovative new designs… the first: ZINKEN w/Turncable. These premium over ear DJ headphones have a cable with a 6.3mm adapter (perfect for your turntables/guitars/etc) on one end and a standard headphone 3.5mm plug on the other… and depending which you need, you plug the other into the headphone! Interesting alternative to simply using an adapter to go from 3.5mm to 6.3mm? Take a peek at more pics on the next page…

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Tags: accessories - audio - ces - gifts - headphones - music - shopping - technology

What do you get when you combine a robot arm, turntable, scans and 3D prints of a dancer, music and a light? A modern day zoetrope of sorts! This is 16 Forms by Daito Manabe (direction, 3D data editing, lighting+sound design) + Motoi Ishibashi (robot arm programming) ~ and it was displayed at this year’s DesignTokyo Tide. Take a peek at a video of it in action and more pictures of the installation on the next page.

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Tags: 3D - art - music - print - robot

Toyota invited me tonight to Hatsune Miku’s Los Angeles concert. (It sold out in 2 hours?) Apparently it’s “her” first time outside of Asia and this j-pop 3D holograph superstar has been rumored to be like the next Gaga… how could i say no to this experience to see if vocaloids could take over?

Well, first impressions. I thought she was bigger. Rumors were floating around that she’d be 20ft tall! She was little asian girl sized it seemed. And she felt like a 3D holo-mime in a big screen/box on stage (particularly when she pounded her fists forwards). And things really looked best when you stared at the giant screens that perfectly captured/optimized her 3D look (aka, you might be better off watching the official vids of concerts online). Though i must say the crowd’s energy was something else ~ while everyone was seated (it felt as if we were watching her amazing band play behind a cartoon) ~ there was non stop high pitched screaming ~ and there weren’t nearly as many young girls as i would have expected in the audience. And everyone seemed to know exactly what to do with the glow sticks ~ waving them in sync with certain wrist actions at just the right moments. So, honestly, the hype had me hoping for more, but my curiosity about the tech and real life experience had me fascinated. Where this is heading is definitely curious ~ but Hatsune Miku definitely doesn’t have enough stage presence to pull me in quite yet… perhaps she should have interacted a bit more with humans during the dance numbers to really mix it all… her band members stayed in their respective spots all night. Take a peek at pics of how it felt to watch it in real life on the next page ~ as well as a vid from one of her other shows!

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Tags: 3D - animation - events - music - toyota

On new uses for the iPhone/iPad, or old iPhones… love the idea of adding it to your guitar/music gear as your latest super versatile Pedal! This just came in to NOTCOT.org submissions and was so cool it needed a featured post! New Signal Process BreakOut Pedal - “Boutique audio interface for the iPad and iPhone, handmade in Portland, OR by group of artist tech misfits obsessed with Alice Coltrane records and pranking friends.” Made from high quality hardware, it allows you music to be passed through the iPhone/iPad and right through and ready for your amp ~ “It literally breaks out of the iPhone’s headphone jack, so you can use all your favorite recording, signal processing and sampling apps. It’s mono design fits in perfectly with effects pedals and amplifiers. The internal circuitry solves all signal, feedback and detection issues you may have sending guitar and line signals in and out of the iPhone and iPad, and allows for a plethora of uses, on stage, in the field, and at home, with guitars, mics, amps, PAs, etc.” Awesome, right? See more pics of the ! New Signal Process BreakOut Pedal on the next page!

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Tags: gifts - guitar - music - shopping - technology

When right in the center of downtown Los Angeles, and up on a tiny balcony of the 35th floor penthouse Logitech Loft ~ the city really sparkles at night! During the day ~ there was some secret TV show being filmed, with people repelling right past our windows down from the roof to the pool on the 7th floor… and helicopters buzzing the building from the half dozen helipads on nearby rooftops. Even got a chance to play around with the GoogleTV Logitech Revue early ~ as well as the Logitech peripherals - from the keyboard, mini clamshell keyboard, and video camera. But the occasion of the night? Logitech’s Ultimate Ears sponsored an intimate concert with Anberlin, as hosted by the winner of the Logitech Loft LA Contest - Rob Blasko (@roblahblah). Really the views blew my mind ~ and looking straight down was not for the vertigo afflicted… see more on the next page!

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Tags: events - gifts - headphones - Logitech - music - tv - Ultimate Ears

Such a fun way to spend the day before hopping on the LAX-CDG flight ~ TBWA\Chiat\LA 5353 Music Art Fest ~ an evolution of what was once a company wide picnic, this year TBWA\Chiat\Day threw a party in their parking lot celebrating their team, art, and music accompanied by food trucks (Kogi and Greasy Weiner) and an Ice Cream Sandwich Bar! The music was quite the line up with performances by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Fool’s Gold, Fitz and the Tantrums, and Local Natives. Then there was the art ~ nice idea to have an art show featuring non work pieces by TBWA\Chiat\Day employees, many of which don’t necessarily even work in the creative side! The beer was flowing, the dunk tank was splashing, the music was blasting, and everyone seemed to be having a great time as they popped in and out of the building ~ i guess the only downside (or upside?) to having this year’s event in the parking lot versus offsite, you can hang out AND still work at the same time! Huge thanks to the folks at TBWA\Chiat\Day for inviting me in, honored to have made the “friends of…” list! Check out the fun scene from the top of the parking garage, the giant chicken sculpture that farts bubbles, the pixelated bike, the burnt golf balls and more on the next page!

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Tags: advertising - art - events - installation - los angeles - music - sculpture

On silly little kid stories, when i used to hang out at guitar stores with my dad, i’d be that little girl the store guys would let play with the pick drawers, and they’d always let me have a few… my favorites? Dunlop Tortex! In Green of course! Because i was in that rational “it HAS to be green, its a turtle” little kid mindset, and while knowing it made a difference, i refused to care about how thick it was, what the different colors meant, etc… i just wanted the green ones… flash forward about 20 years, and is it any wonder that my absolute favorite booth encountered at NAMM is Dunlop? The graphic design of the posters and the design of the booth itself were so much fun, the kind of inspiring that makes you want to go design gig posters… and i could have stayed and stared at the panels of custom guitar picks for hours. Also, how exciting is it that there will be a documentary film coming this spring on the Cry Baby? Seeing that awesomely designed poster just made me remember being a little girl balancing on the wah wah pedals amused no end with all the noises i could make… And really, how could i not post the Bad Mutha Fucka Shut Yo Mouth posters… all of the graphics at this booth were really far too fun to pass up. Take a little tour of it all on the next page!

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Tags: art - gifts - graphic - guitar - music - NAMM - shopping

The super sweet folks of Ultimate Ears (an irvine based Logitech company) ~ reached out and invited me to visit them at NAMM ~ and little did i know that when i arrived at their booth, i’d be sat down in an ominous white leather chair, while Dr. Noy in white lab coat and all would make me bite down on a piece of foam while he filled my ears with mysterious blue quick drying goo. Ok, so to be fair, that’s the creepier way of wording it, basically they took impressions of the inner workings of my ears for some custom fit earphones by Ultimate Ears - while i’ve never been much of a headphone connoisseur, they’re catching me up quickly… i’ve been using their 700s since the unboxing and the sound quality has been awesome… but people can’t seem to stop raving about the customs… not to mention i’m fascinated by the idea that they can be customized to your heart’s content (color, graphics, etc) and they fill fit perfectly into your ears (and only your ears! unless you find an ear twin?)… more to come once i actually figure out how i want to customize my customs (any suggestions?) ~ but for now, take a peek at the fun Ultimate Ears NAMM booth! It had quite the crowd, but i tried to sneak a few fun pics of the ear molding process and some of the examples that were out!

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Tags: audio - gifts - headphones - Logitech - music - NAMM - shopping - Ultimate Ears

Popped by NAMM (think CES of Music Making) on Saturday ~ it was so fun to explore and discover some great visual (and auditory!) inspiration. Besides, how often do you get to check out a structure made of orange amps… Check out this great unmissable booth setup. And i’m loving the iconic Orange Amps look and crest design…

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Tags: gifts - music - NAMM - shopping - technology

Joey Roth takes us behind the scenes of his new Ceramic Speakers! 4 years in the making, these beauties started as an idea in college, only to be further developed in 2008, and now they are a reality! While i have yet to hear these myself, Gizmodo and Wired are already commending their “audiophile-worthy sound” ~ and personally i’m smitten by the combination of ceramic, wood, and cork ~ yes CORK! the way the plugs go into the cork before the ceramic is my favorite detail of all. Take a peek at the feature on the next page, including a super cute stop motion video ~ and he’s also giving away a set of these lovely speakers to one lucky reader! Giveaway details are here.

TO “Holiday Feature! Joey Roth Ceramic Speakers Giveaway”! ——->

Tags: giveaway - holiday - music - speakers - technology

I love products to play with during breakfast. Perfect way to start the day? I had a chance to poke at Ultimate Ears (recently added to the Logitech family, and locally based in Irvine!) over breakfast at King's Highway with a guy who works for Logitechin Palm Springs at the Ace and he let me keep them to play with (especially after they'd been in my ears!) and just to be super clear, no, i'm not writing about them because of that! As for why i'm including them in the netbooks section ~ every netbook totally needs a good pair of headphones to go with them ~ since often when netbooking, you can be somewhere pretty public (be it at the cafe or in an airplane)!

On top of the nice sound quality ~ it's the design details of this particular set that grabbed me. I love how subtle, tiny and pill like these Ultimate Ear 700s are ~ they totally reminded me of my chill pill necklace and capsule pills in general when i saw them. So tiny! Not the kind of headphones that basically end up looking like funky earrings... Also while the packaging leaves a bit to be desired (bit too much plastic and not all too interesting box graphic design) ~ the case is perfect to protect your buds in your netbook case or bag and at the very bottom in the inside has the cutest little infographic showing you to wrap the cord around your fingers. Silly, but someone clearly spent a bit of time on the details! Also extremely subtle, the right side earbud is red, the left is black! Take a peek at the unboxing and design details on the next page!

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Tags: audio - gifts - Logitech - music - shopping - technology - Ultimate Ears - unboxing

While in Palm Springs at the Ace, i was told that i HAD to go see the Integratron. How good a word is that? I didn't even know what it meant, but was instantly intrigued. So, while on super secret brainstorm adventure in Palm Springs this weekend, we jumped in the car, took off an hour into the desert not quite sure what to expect... although we did know that it had something to do with amazingness, alien abductions, domes, a sound bath, and something about our neurons getting massaged. Dome + sunset + desert = gorgeous pics.

So while i'm still on my thing about circles lately ~ and concentric circles from directly below... the architecture of the Integratron blew my mind to wander around in... and honestly, i think there must be something wrong with me, because the Sound bath (you lay on the mats in the dome, and they "play 9 quartz crystal singing bowls live, each one keyed to the energy centers or chakras of the body, where sound is nutrition for the nervous system." and it's on Rolling Stone Magazine's 2009 Hot List) ~ i couldn't lay through the whole thing, it made me feel like i wanted to scream and dissonant sounds vibrating through my head just started to hurt. BUT that being said, it was pretty amazing the way they resonated around the space... really staring at the architecture and lighting as the sunset around us was far more fascinating to me. So take a peek at the random pics on the next page... LOVE the colors in the desert sunsets...

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Tags: architecture - music - travel