SPOTLIGHT: The Casio SK series keyboards, carries great nostalgia for many of us who grew up in the 80s and 90s.
My friend got one for his birthday, and after spending an entire day at his place sampling burps, coughs and farts, I knew I was destined to become an electronic musician. If this is your story too- let us know below in the comments section.
The SK line’s distinctive design and sound evoke memories of early bedroom-made electronic music and hip-hop production, making it a sought-after collector’s item. The SK sound quality is characterized by its lo-fi charm. Everything sampled into it sounds like crap, but in a good way!
There’s a thriving community of musicians and collectors who appreciate the SK-2 , SK-5, SK-8 et al for their historical significance and cultural impact.
Used prominently on my 2008 release of AUDIOCOSM by Jarrod Barker, the SK-8 was used as a sampling beat box and also one or two of its famous presets were used in a loop to create swirling matrices of sound on a number of tracks. I found this keyboard in a thrift store in 2007 buried in the children’s electronic toys. It was $2.99 CAD and even had the battery cover. This fortuitous discovery was the spark that led to the writing and recording (on a boat no less!) of AUDIOCOSM.
The rare white version of the SK-10.
At their absolute basic, the SK line are fun keyboards and a great introduction tool to lo-fi sampling. But there is much more.
After recording a short audio sample (recorded either via the built in monophonic microphone or by plugging in an audio source using the 1/8″ female jack) you can choose from various envelopes (settings that affect how the sound starts, how long it sounds and how it ends) and also select whether to reverse or loop samples. These toy synthesizers are a treat when connected via guitar effects pedals. A good outboard effect can transform these keyboards into something much more powerful and believable. If that isn’t enough you can explore the factory preset sounds some of which sound more realistic than others but all have usefulness in the correct setting.
Most SK’s have a decent enough piano, vibraphone, flute, trumpet and clarinet sounds. There are also built-in speakers that are loud enough for mobile use such as camping or beach hang outs and of course the SK’s run on batteries. They also have line out feature which bypasses the onboard speakers allowing you to record them into your favorite DAW or standalone recording machine….an analog 4 track is a great bedfellow.
The Mod community and the SK (circuit bending)
Due to it’s relative affordability (used prices have continued to rise in the past 10 years) the SK series of keyboards have been embraced by electronic musician modifiers. Their basic construction and ease of internal access makes modifying them a lot of fun. The creativity of modders seems to be endless- everything from MIDI control to individual audio outputs to real time control of sound chips using dip switches or rotary controls.
Join that thriving community by buying this one from our friend at Tone Tweakers today! For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.
Have you ever dreamed of owning a piece of fine art but felt that it was out of reach financially? An art auction may be the answer to your dreams! Art auctions are an excellent way to purchase original artworks without breaking the bank. With the right approach, art auctions can be a great way to build a collection of art and save money.
The benefits of an art auction
For those who are looking to add to their art collection or simply just want to try something new, art auctions can be an excellent way to obtain art. Art auctions offer a unique opportunity to purchase artwork from all over the world at competitive prices. With a broad selection of works to choose from, they provide an exciting and engaging experience.
One of the main advantages of attending an art auction is that buyers have the chance to buy authentic artwork without the risk of buying a counterfeit piece. This can save buyers both money and time since they don’t need to worry about being scammed by an online seller.
Auctions also provide an opportunity for the buyer to get to know the artist and their work, as well as to discuss any questions with auctioneers or knowledgeable collectors.
How to participate in an art auction
Attending an art auction is a great way to find unique and valuable pieces of art. But it can be intimidating if you’ve never attended one before. Here are some tips to help make sure your first experience at an art auction is a successful one. Before you attend the auction, take some time to research the artwork that is being offered. Learn about the artist and the piece you are interested in. Knowing what you are bidding on can help you make informed decisions during the auction.
The difference between an art auction and an online sale
Auctions and online sales both offer a great way for art collectors to purchase artwork, but there are some key differences between the two. An art auction is a live event where bidders compete in a competitive environment to purchase pieces of art. Bidding is fast-paced and participants must be willing to pay the highest price in order to secure the artwork they desire.
Online sales are much different in that they are usually conducted over a longer period of time. Instead of a competitive environment, buyers have the opportunity to browse through the artwork and make their selections at their own pace. This allows buyers to take their time, research the piece, and evaluate whether it’s worth purchasing or not.
Furthermore, buyers may be able to negotiate a lower price as they may not have to compete with other bidders. Another difference between an art auction and an online sale is that auctions are typically reserved for more expensive pieces of art, while online sales tend to feature more affordable artwork. As a result, those who want to purchase high-end artworks may find it more beneficial to attend an art auction than to purchase from an online store.
The Morgan Motor Company announces the launch of the Plus Four LM62, a model which celebrates the company’s legendary class win in the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans. Based on the standard Morgan Plus Four and limited to just 62 examples, it pays tribute to the Morgan Plus 4 SuperSports – known by its registration TOK 258 – which took victory in the 2.0-litre class of the gruelling endurance race six decades ago.
The renowned TOK 258 was finished in dark green, while a particular shade of red was popular on motorsport Morgan vehicles of the time, and these two colours have inspired the hues available on the Plus Four LM62. A Heritage White hardtop – just like the one fitted to the famous race car – comes as standard, marking the first time this item has been available for the model. Further paying homage to the victorious Morgan is an LM62 graphics pack, which includes roundels with the number ’29’ – as per TOK 258 – as well as an LM62 rear badge, silver-painted wire wheels, a Le Mans-style fuel filler cap and a domed rear panel. These touches are complemented by driving spot lights, body-coloured A-pillars, a black splitter and cowl mesh, polished stoneguard, black mohair sidescreens, a sidescreen bag embroidered with the LM62 logo, and an active sports exhaust with black tailpipes.
Inside, the model is adorned with an LM62 metal plaque, displaying the car’s unique build number from its run of 62 examples, along with LM62 laser-engraved black saddle-leather door pulls and headrests embroidered with the specially designed LM62 graphic. Bespoke satin lacquer rubber mats with black vinyl edges, painted steering-wheel centre, and a Tawny wood centre-tunnel top and dashboard come fitted to the LM62 as standard, while heated black leather Comfort Plus seats with horizontal pleating, perforated seat centres and matching stitch colour, complete with leather wrapped seat backs complete the interior aesthetic.
To further personalise your Plus Four LM62, options include a soft-top hood, LM62-specific photographic build record, and an LM62 accessory pack which includes two-eared wheel spinners, a Moto-Lita steering wheel, headlight tape, and a chrome interior rear-view mirror.
Steve Morris, Chairman and CEO of Morgan Motor Company, said: “The 1962 Le Mans class-winning Morgan Plus 4 holds a special place in the hearts of Morgan enthusiasts, employees and owners around the world. It marked one of Morgan’s greatest motorsport achievements, the car covering more than 2,200 miles at an average running speed of almost 94mph, and triumphing – like David vs Goliath – over our bigger, and better funded, rivals of the time.
“With the Morgan Plus Four LM62, we pay homage to this famous vehicle and incredible moment in time, 60 years on. Limited to just 62 individually numbered examples, the bespoke touches and enhanced level of standard specification make these cars an enticing proposition for customers wanting a piece of Morgan history.”
The Plus Four LM62 is available from Morgan Dealers globally, in left- or right-hand drive, and with the choice of manual or automatic transmission, the Plus Four LM62 is on sale now. In the UK, it’s priced from £78,995 ($134,224.81 cad). For pricing in other regions please consult your local Dealer.
About Morgan Motor Company:
Morgan Motor Company is a British manufacturer of handcrafted sports cars. Located in Malvern Link, UK. The world-famous Morgan vehicles offer a unique blend of charisma, quality materials, craftsmanship and performance. Morgan has been handcrafting coach built traditional British sports cars that are thrilling to drive and unique within the marketplace since 1909. In March 2019, Investindustrial purchased a majority share of the company, and by doing so invested in the long-term future of the Morgan Motor Company building cars in Britain. The Morgan family, along with the senior management team and the wider workforce, retain a shareholding of the company and work alongside Investindustrial. Morgan produces around 850 models, of which over 70% is exported. Its model range – comprising of the 3 Wheeler, Plus Four and Plus Six – is sold through 50 official dealerships in 32 countries.
PORTLAND, OR. August, 2020: Discogs, the world’s record store, today released its list of the Top 10 Most Popular Records released in July 2020.
The following rankings — the 10 most popular albums overall and the 10 most popular albums by genre — are determined by how many people worldwide have added these items to their record collections on Discogs. Discogs’ abundant data is made available from the over 400 million items cataloged in the Collections of its 7.3 million users. On average, the Discogs Community is adding 7 million items to their Collections monthly and has passed 12.8 million releases in its open-source user-driven Database.
PORTLAND, OR. July, 2020: Discogs, the world’s record store, recently released its latest Top 30 Most Expensive records list for items sold in the Discogs Marketplace during May. The complete list for May 2020 can be viewed on the Discogs Blog, while the following are the highest priced records sold with all prices in US dollars (multiply by 1.36 for current CAD dollar exchange rate) :
1
Jay Richford & Gary Stevan – Feelings
Sold for $5,660.00 Label: Carosello Format: LP, Album Country: Italy Released: 1974 Genres: Jazz, Funk / Soul |Styles: Jazz-Funk, Easy Listening, Soul-Jazz, Psychedelic
2
Charlie Parker – Bird Blows The Blues
Sold for $4,999.00 Label: Dial Records Format: LP, Album, Comp Country: US Released: 1949 Genres: Jazz | Styles: Bop
3
The Queers – Love Me
Sold for $4,000.00 Label: Doheny Records Format: 7″ Country: US Released: 1982 Genres: Rock | Styles: Punk
4
Willie Tee – Teasing You Again / Your Love, My Love Together
Sold for $3,813.00 Label: Gatur Records Format: 7″ Country: US Released: 1972 Genres: Funk / Soul | Styles: Soul
5
Michael Rabin With Leon Pommers – Mosaics
Sold for $3,527.00 Label: Capitol Records, Capitol Records Format: LP, Album Country: UK Released: 1959 Genres: Classical | Styles: N/A
6
Nick Drake – Five Leaves Left
Sold for $3,409.00 Label: Island Records Format: LP, Album, Gat Country: UK Released: 1969 Genres: Rock, Folk, World, & Country | Styles: Folk Rock
7
The “Group”* Featuring Cecil Washington – I Don’t Like To Lose
Sold for $3,236.00 Label: Prophonics Studios Format: 7″ Country: US Released: 1966 Genres: Funk / Soul | Styles: Soul
8
AC/DC – Can I Sit Next To You, Girl
Sold for $3,139.00 Label: Albert Productions Format: 7″, Single, Promo, A-l Country: Australia Released: 1974 Genres: Rock | Styles: Hard Rock
9
Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On
Sold for $3,000.00 Label: Tamla, Tamla Format: LP, Album, Gat Country: US Released: 1971 Genres: Funk / Soul | Styles: Soul
10
Delaney & Bonnie – The Original Delaney And Bonnie
Sold for $2,752.00 Label: Apple Records Format: Acetate, LP Country: UK Released: 1969 Genres: Rock | Styles: Southern Rock
In 2016, consumers spent an estimated $14.3 USD billion on gifts for Father’s Day alone, not to mention billions more on gifts for other occasions like birthdays and winter holidays. Traditional “guy gifts” include things like power tools and sporting event tickets. However, if you’re looking for a quintessential men’s gift that’s truly timeless, then you may want to turn to the WatchBox by Govberg app for an assist with what to get for the deserving dudes in your life.
This apt app serves as a resource for locating the exact gift-able watch he’s sure to love. Or, if you also enjoy beautiful timepieces, then this app can help you discover what’s currently available in the marketplace. Whether for yourself or as a gift for another, WatchBox by Govberg is an elegant and streamlined way to curate collection-worthy watches—something the folks behind this app know a great deal about. Established a century ago, Govberg Jewelers is a premier purveyor of luxury timepieces, known for their unrivaled offerings that include limited-production models by leading watchmakers; an extensive pre-owned inventory; and decidedly service-minded industry experts.
The app offers several different features a true timepiece enthusiast will find useful. This includes access to up-to-date news from the watch world. This information is gathered in real-time from all over the globe, aggregating and delivering articles and video reviews from a myriad of popular blogs and magazines devoted to Swiss watches, including all of the industry’s leading brands.
Users can also discover the worth of different watches. Whether you want to sell a watch, buy a new or pre-owned model, make a trade, or are just curious about what a new or used (secondary market) watch you own is currently selling for, the WatchBox by Govberg app boasts pricing tools like a database packed with information on over 80,000 watch models. This includes a 12-month price history for each. With this foundational and in-depth knowledge base, you can intelligently buy, sell, and trade luxury timepieces and generally communicate with other users—or even Govberg’s own watch buying experts—right from the app.
Danny Govberg
The advent of this app’s secondary market watch pricing tools, in particular, is significant. According to Danny Govberg, CEO of Govberg Jewelers, “Prior to the WatchBox by Govberg app, dialogue about the value of pre-owned watches wasn’t addressed elsewhere in a consistent, transparent manner; nor was it designed to support and educate the consumer. While manufacturers establish MSRPs for primary (new) watches, there was no resource, no Kelley Blue Book or Zillow, for the pre-owned, or secondary, market watch category to help consumers feel at ease. That changes with this app…For the first time in the watch category, Govberg is providing transparency into what pieces trade for on the secondary, or pre-owned, market.”
Quite fascinating is the proprietary algorithm the app uses to estimate and compute market value. Govberg explains, “It evaluates historical and active sales records spanning the secondary market–online sales platforms, auction sales and Govberg’s own data. The data represents final sales to end users, and is not an appraisal nor offer to buy, but rather an educated starting point to assess the secondary market value of a particular model. All pricing makes assumptions on the quality, service history and completeness of a timepiece with original box and paperwork. The data strength takes into account the number of data points captured, the variability of the prices seen on the secondary market, how current the data is and the quality of the source/vendor within the market.”
Impressively, this app will even store information and photos of your existing watch collection. This can be a useful tool to keep up with warranties, service history and to maintain a record for insurance purposes. Also of practical use, you can even schedule watch maintenance and repairs from within the app.
According to Govberg, “As more customers see watch ownership less about having a time-telling device and more as a hobby for collecting the world’s most intricate instruments, WatchBox by Govberg supports the growing watch enthusiast with instant access to valuable information so he can make the best decisions to begin, grow, trade or sell his collection.”
Relative to gift-giving, instead of spending hours upon hours hunting for an idea in general—or for a specific timepiece—that the recipient might like, you can simply turn to this easy-to-use tech. You’ll save time, money and the guesswork often involved in finding the perfect present for those “special someones.”
Govberg perhaps summarizes the usefulness of this technology best, noting, “Whether you want to keep up on the latest industry news and product releases, manage your watch collection for social sharing or insurance purposes, or buy, sell or trade a new or pre-owned watch, WatchBox by Govberg is the ultimate toolbox for today’s watch collector.”
The free WatchBox by Govberg app is available for download for iOS devices on the App Store and Android devices in the Play Store.
For The Silo, By Merilee Kern, ‘The Luxe List’ Executive Editor.
As the Executive Editor and Producer of “The Luxe List,” Merilee Kern is an internationally-regarded consumer product trends expert and hospitality industry voice of authority–a travel, dining, leisure and lifestyle expert who spotlights noteworthy marketplace innovations, change makers, movers and shakers. She identifies and reports on exemplary travel destinations and experiences, extraordinary events and newsworthy products and services across all categories. Reach her online at www.TheLuxeList.com, on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/LuxeListEditor, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TheLuxeList and on Instagram at www.Instagram.com/LuxeListReviews.
***Some or all of the accommodations(s), experience(s), item(s) and/or service(s) detailed above may have been provided or sponsored at no cost to accommodate this review, but all opinions expressed are entirely those of Merilee Kern and have not been influenced in any way.***
