My name is Ale Loy. In this channel I share with you the best gear I use for music, video and graphic production. Microphone, camera, light, computer and input devices are some of the subjects I discuss in my videos. Expensive or cheap items? I don't care! My goal is always to share with you the absolute best value for money, so that you won't have to buy something twice, or shop around forever. I, also, often come up with cheap & easy DIY hacks too! If this interests you, please consider subscribing!
I just purchased a used version of this mouse of ebay. Unfortunately it did not come with a 2.4ghz dongle, the slot in the bottom of the mouse is empty. Would you be able to offer any advice on getting a 2.4ghz dongle. Is an replacement purchasable anywhere?
Unfortunately, I am not even sure if you could get a replacement dongle, to be honest. Perhaps you could drop an email to Kensington? You can still use the mouse via Bluetooth without its dongle at least btw. Sorry if I can't help more, and thanks for passing by ;) Good luck!
Have a VL3 (not VL3X) and just booted up after writing to the 128G SD and it’s exactly the same storage amount. Though it’s still working normally so that’s at least cool. Is there a way to have it realize there is more storage now? Or, can someone send me the VL3X software .img file?
CAN THE SOLEMAN OR ANY OF THE OTHERS TURN ON AND OFF A VST PLUGIN? SO SAY KEMPER IS IN REAPER DAW AND I WANT FOOTSWITCH 1 TO BE A KEMPER FUZZ AND FOOTSWITCH 2 TO BE WAVES REVERB VST OR WHATEVER?
Thanks for this. A lot of great and thoughtful real-life aspects compared. My one contribution is that the Soleman display is almost completely useless if you're outside. Not bright enough at all.
Hi Recently I watched VL3 and EXTREME. I compared the electronic diagrams and the interior of both effects. They are identical. If EXTREME software runs on VL3, why is there no Backing Track option?
That's interesting! I've read somewhere on the "Voicelive Fans" FB group that it's something to do with the serial numbers. If I remember correctly, the FW will read the serial and (I guess) it will lock/unlock certain features accordingly. I was also surprised to find out that the backing tracks wouldn't work. If you manage to figure something out, please let us all know. Thanks for passing by 😉
@@AleSuggests If it depends on the serial number, it would need to be changed to confirm this. I haven't found such an option anywhere. I wonder where it is saved. This can be a tough one.
For the spring sound of the Expert you could open it up and apply keyboard lube to the problem springs. Should work help whether they’re leaf springs or coil springs. Use the thickest grease you can.
Thanks for the comparison! Morningstar Engineering controllers (MC6 & MC6, etc) ship from Singapore. Over the last 3 years I have ordered 4 for various applications. My most recent order was for an MC 6 to act as a remote footswitch for Ableton keyboard shortcuts (a non-midi communication via USB). I live in California. I placed the order Sunday night, received acknowledgment that it had shipped within 20 minutes and received the MC 6 before noon on Tuesday. Free shipping and no sales tax! Best customer service on the planet!! Obviously, I HIGHLY recommend them!
Free shipping? I'm interested in the MC6 Pro so I went into their online checkout: $25 shipping to WY, USA. I'm not complaining but free shipping would be nice!
Hey, thanks for the video. Have you heard or used the Luminite FX, Graviton M1? The specs and general functionality look really interesting, at a good price too. Only thing is no one seems to have heard of it ( apart from one person on Reddit).
Nice to see someone else finally did a detailed comparison of these cameras. I did a comparison video of the HX99 and the TZ95 sine years back (on this account), focusing on other aspects (so our reviews complete each other). I feel that as annoying as the 4K recording limit is, the better picture quality, stabilization, colour reproduction and autofocus of the Sony were simply too important to ignore. I'm still hoping the PMCA-RE hack will remove the limit on the HX99 at some point, but it's still my go-to travel and concert camera.
Hey, it's nice to see you around thanks to Google, then :) Yes, the HX-99 does have clean HDMI out... but it's tricky to use it as they cramped it so close to the tripod screw... but then is when my video hack comes in handy. Hopefully I'll see you again ;)
@@AleSuggests thanks for answering! I am comparing Sony (with bracket hack that you recommended) and Canon PowerShot SX70 HS which is 60 € more expensive, but I think that it might be my choice, it is still in my budget. I want to have camera with good zoom capability and clean HDMI so how I could use it for live streaming also.
Hey thanks for passing by. There is a Facebook group called "TC Helicon Voicelive fans" in which people are usually very kind, skilled and helpful. Why don't you join us there? I hope you'll get it fixed soon!
Yup, that's how the whole trackball journey started for me... wrist pain similar to carpal tunnel syndrome after hours and hours of computer. Hopefully you'll work better with your new TB... and consider that when it comes to pain and posture... the Expert wins hands down (in my honest opinion). Thanks for passing by ;)
Hi Ale, I had a problem with my VLX. When I plugged it into my computer and used VoiceSupport2 it shows up as a VL3 and when I update it to the latest 366 firmware I lose all the backing track functions. I thought it might have had something to do with the SD card, but have found that for some reason my VLX has an invalid serial number and no manufacture date. From what I've been told, VoiceSupport2 and the firmware determines if your unit is a VL3 or VLX by looking at the serial number when it loads. VL3s apparently have serial numbers that start with 145xxxx and the Extremes have numbers that start with 17xxxxxx. The serial number on my unit starts with 28xxxxx, so unless I can change the serial number or get a firmware 336 version for an extreme that doesn't look at the serial number, then I have to stay with the factory firmware which is version 311. It doesn't effect my VLX operation, but I was wondering if anyone else has had this issue and found a solution. Keep up the good work cheers Frank
@@coverband8875 - No I haven't found a solution yet. Apart from showing as a VL3 on voicesupport 2, my VLX has been working brilliantly. So I hesitate to tinker with it.
Content and presentation great in my opinion! Saw the comments about Mortrix not being available. I just checked out their site and found it humorous that the company name is... Heavy Procrastination Industries ApS...
The Ampero Control is the first controller I bought, and I was so sure it would be more than enough. But then... how do you know what are you switching on and off without a dedicated screen? Say you have just 10 banks of 4 presets. How do you remember which is which? You cannot even stick some tape to the side of the switches, because as soon as you change the bank, the switch order changes. Another thing that I missed with the Ampero was the lack of a companion software, yes it's got its iPad app, but it's not easy to backup/restore, copy/paste presets, and say that one day they stop supporting the app? So, even though I wanted to love the Ampero and I prefer its smaller form factor, it turned out that it wasn't enough for me, and I am confident many would share the same opinion. On the paper, the Ampero is a great and capable device, but the devil is in the details I suppose.... those details that usually us as musicians work so hard on when creating songs? Those kind of details that I appreciated more on other devices such as Soleman and Morningstar. IMHO, Midi is already a cumbersome and outdated tech to be dealt with cumbersome HW. Anyhow, if they update the Ampero Control in a v2.0 with a better display, I'll most likely give it another shot. I hope you found the video useful, and hopefully I'll see you around ;)
Just bought a used TZ91 which will be my fourth Lumix camera. In my experience the features are great but the in-camera jpgs are not good. If you're happy with raw processing and, better yet, raw with exposure bracketing, then the results can be superb after a bit of Lightroom tinkering. My 1" Lumix FZ1000II bridge has often given me a better result than my full frame Canon 5D III.
There's a very powerful and not expensive pedal called MIDI Captain by PaintAudio that can do everything the Morningstar units and more and it's not expensive or hard to find
Yes, the Midi Captain is in my radar. The only thing is that its form factor is a little too big for my needs... I'm usually a fan of truly compact controllers to save pedalboard space for pedals that actually make sounds, lol. But I think at some point I'm gonna check it out, especially to test that time engine feature to auto-switch the effects on and off. Thanks for passing by, btw :)
Thank you so much for this video. I was on the verge of purchasing the hotone thinking that I could live with the minimalism, but didn't realize that the display never changed back to the bank. I think I've decided to save up for the mc6 pro. Now I just have to find an extra 2 inches for the extra depth on my board. 🙏👍
I am so glad the video was useful. This is exactly the kind of info I wanted to share out there, as I have purchased the Ampero Control myself just to feel disappointed after a few hours of use because of its display. The MC6 Pro is a great device... but mind that apart for the extra inches of depth, you may need to think about the extra height as well... if you use a lot the pedals on the second raw, you may need risers. Currently, I am also liking the Disaster Area DMC3XL, far less capable than Morningstar, but very compact, and somehow easy to use once you get your head around (I still have the MC6 Pro in studio though). I hope to see you around again ;)
Great video, and thanks for replying to our comments! I'm c5/6 quadriplegic (arm function, but no finger function) and I've used the Kensington Expert for 30+ years in my job (software engineer) and at home. At home I use several ThinkPads (T430 to T470). One of my T470's has a problem (once or twice a week) where the trackball stops working, and I have to reboot the laptop (or maybe replug the mouse, but that's too hard for me). Have you ever seen this problem (I saw that you have a T470 too)? I would like to find a better solution than rebooting. Also, I'm embarrassed to say I've never programmed specific functions on the mouse. I would love to have a click-drag function, so I don't have to click the keyboard while rolling the ball. Can you tell me how to program that, or point me to a help page please? I'm thinking it could be a click of the top-right mouse button to set click-drag mode, since I don't currently use the top right button.
Hey thanks man :) So, I no longer have the T470, nor the Expert. But, my setup is somehow similar, as I use a Kensington Orbit Fusion (one of their newer trackball mouse), and a Lenovo Thinkpad X380. Regarding the trackball that stops working... is it wired or wireless? If it's wired try to use a different USB port on your laptop and see if it's more stable, if it is wireless try to change the batteries (if you use rechargeables, mind that my mouse does not like them and I need to use normal alkaline). To program the mouse, you'll need to go to the Kensington's website and download their dedicated software called "KensingtonWorks". Once you have installed it, it's really straightforward to program anything you like... you'll see! But if for whatever reason, you have some difficulties, just hit me up in the comments, and I'll see what I can do to help you out ;) The Kensington software may even improve your mouse stability, and you may solve both issues with one stone. Here's the link to the download page of the software: www.kensington.com/software/kensingtonworks/ I hope this is all helpful and let me know how you do. Thanks for passing by ;) Ale
Great video - thanks very much for the information and taking the time to go through everything so thoroughly. I'm looking to use a MIDI Pedalboard to not only send MIDI CC and PC, but also send note data in order to play bass lines/trigger samples on my keyboard. Do you know if I'd be able to connect something like a Line 6 FBV3 or Behringer FCB1010 to one of these MIDI pedals to "increase" the number of available footswitches? Thanks in advance.
I'm glad the video was useful. I've never used the controllers to send note data, but I cannot see why you would not be able to connect a Behringer FCB1010 into any of the controllers of the video, because the Beheringer has got midi out 5 din and all the controllers I showcased in the video do have midi in ports. The Line 6 FBV3 is a different story though, because I believe it has only got the USB port... so IF it's USB class compliant, you could still possibly connect it to the USB port of the MC6 Pro, but the other controllers will not support this feature, only the MC6 Pro. If you want my honest opinion... I don't know your setup, so take this with a pinch of salt, but if I were you, I would separate things up. I would program the MC6 Pro (or whatever controller you decide to buy) to send Midi CC/PCs only, and then the FCB1010 to send midi notes only. Programming them separately may be a lot simpler. You could still chain the two devices, so that: FCB1010 midi out -> MC6 Pro midi in -> MC6 Pro midi out -> keyboard midi in .... and the keyboard will still see the midi messages of both controllers... or you could use a midi merger box if your keyboard has only got one midi in. Just download the FCB1010 pdf manual and make sure that it can send midi notes before you buy it, and also download and install the Behringer editing software so you are sure it is still supported on your computer, as it is a bit of an old device. Also check out the Keith McMillen Midi devices (Softstep, etc) they may be quite a bit smaller than a FCB1010, and they are velocity sensitive... but mind if these have only a USB port if I remember correctly, so once again go for the MC6 Pro if you end up grabbing a Softstep. I hope this helps, and thanks for passing by ;)
I must admit, I have a love and hate relationship with the Morningstar software. It is VERY powerful, no other midi controller software will allow you to program your device so deeply so that you could do almost EXACTLY what you want with your controller... but it comes with a price, as it requires some dedication and time to program it. I wish it was a bit faster, and more intuitive
Please help! How do I connect the VL3X to my drummers ears for live band situation? And how can he have a click track running without it comming out through the P.A? Please help!
