Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Numark TTUSB Review








PROS / It has antiskating and pitch adjustment.

CONS / It has difficulties removing the imperfections on old records.

VERDICT / The turntable and software make it easy to convert LPs to digital formats, but make sure the records are in good shape or the conversions might have issues.


The Numark Turntables TTUSB is an LP to digital converter that comes with the program EZ Vinyl/Tape Converter that walks you through the process of turning your LPs into digital audio files. We especially enjoyed this software because it takes all the guesswork out of converting LPs. You plug your turntable into your computer via USB and the program takes you step by step through the process. This allows first-time users to successfully convert LPs to digital formats without a hitch.

During our conversion tests, we had mixed results. One of our LP conversions was unlistenable, with static and scratches that got increasingly louder toward the end of the song. The conversion of a brand new Jack White LP didn't have any abrasive scratching, but it did lack volume and definition compared to a digital download of the same song. The panning was also off, where the guitar solo in the song was far less prominent than in the digital download.




We also converted a 45 by The Beatles. We chose this particular album because it was not in good shape. It has its share of scratches and is slightly warped. This didn't do the vinyl converter turntable any favors. The turntable picked up plenty of static as well as some distortion when the entire band accompanies the piano. There were also some panning issues where the guitar solo was much further in the background than it was in the digital download. There were other turntables we tested that sounded overall worse than the Numark, but many others had more successful conversions.

The Numark TTUSB has all the makings of a quality converter turntable. It features a belt drive motor to reduce noise during conversion, anti-skate control that keeps the needle from skipping, and a counterweight to help put the right amount of pressure from the stylus on the vinyl. It also has a pitch adjust slider on the tabletop in case you need to make minor adjustments to the sound of your record.

This USB turntable does not have built-in speakers or an automatic start/stop feature that stops the platter from spinning once the record is done playing. It comes with all the cables you'll need.

Monday, April 17, 2017

Which Selling Technique Will Best Benefit Your Business?



Not all products or services are created equal in terms of the strategy you use to sell them. And, not all customers are created equal, in terms of how sophisticated they are about your product line and how much they may need your product or service.
What's more, selling into different levels of an organization often requires different types of selling techniques, in order to get customers' attention. Below, I've summarized the three most typical selling techniques used today.

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

6 Practical Steps to Learning How to Build a Startup



Despite the rush in every academic institution to offer more courses on entrepreneurship, I still haven’t found it to be something you can learn in school. Of course, you can pick up the basic principles this way, but the problem is that the practical rules for success are changing so fast that no academic can keep up. The best thing you can learn in school is how to learn.
The successful entrepreneurs I have met and worked with over the years all seem to share that passion for learning, and they see rapid market change not as a problem, but as an opportunity for them to move ahead of the crowd in changing the world. Making big money is usually the last thing on their mind, and most are happy living on Ramen noodles in a sparse apartment.
From a practical standpoint, there are many ways to learn about business change, and the opportunities that may spring up at any moment. Here are six steps that every aspiring entrepreneur should take full advantage of:

Monday, March 6, 2017

Should a Startup Ever Splurge on Logo Design?



How much should you spend on a logo?

I recently asked a friend that owns a branding agency this very question, just to gauge a reaction, and his response was, "how much does it cost to build a house?" Clearly there's a bit of "wise guy" in such a retort, but the reality is he's correct. A logo can cost as little as $5 or upwards of half a million dollars through a top-of-the-line, full-blown branding and marketing agency.

So where should you and your logo pursuits fall in this enormous span of financial resources?