- What are the effects, or types of effects available?
Tube distortion and EQ.
Noise reduction knob on the back.

- What technology is used? (analog, digital, tube...)
100% analogue

- Can they be edited? through a Mac/PC editor utility program?
Nope

- What connection types are there? (Audio/MIDI)
In & out, like any simple pedal.

- Is it rackable?
Errm, it's a pedal.

- Is the general configuration/setup simple?
Hard to beat this level of simplicity ;-)

- Is the sound or effects editing easy?
Yes, you can very easily get something u like.
The EQ is very powerful and sounds good.
You can get a bit of noise/hiss but, well, this not a Mesa/Boogie rack, it's a pedal.

- Is the manual clear and sufficient?...
I think it has examples of settings but who needs a manual?? It's a pedal!!

- Are the effects good, usable and sufficiently realistic?
Oh yes!

- With what instruments do you use them?
Don't think the bandwidth would suit a bass or anything else than an electric guitar.

Less hiss would have been good but the noise reduction thingy works ok.

Peavey Solid State Professional Bass Amplifier.
Although the DeltaBass of 2000 offers only 160w. Anyone that laughs at this amp is probably
very inexperienced. Sure there are amps with more wattage, some are NOT continuous wattage as
is this amp, but few offer "clean" wattage as does this amp.
The DeltaBass has the most needed connections, front and back. A simple "in" for the ax
of your choice, with a parallel no juice "outplug" for your tuner. It also includes a sound
man's favorite, a three prong "mic" type male plug for the PA system input.
Some of the controls are VERY reliant upon the settings of an adjacent control knob. The
DeltaBass has a set of seven twist type knobs that cover equalization and volume. They dip
into the minus and plus ranges effectively.

When I saw the near perfect layout of the DeltaBass, I knew, quickly, that it would be in
my possession soon. Only experience could possibly know what experienced players want. I
think maybe there are some musicians in tow on the design aspects of the DeltaBass amp.
Within seconds I found the perfect tune collaboration settings for the particular song/sound I wanted. The one thing that impressed me the most was; the perfect pitch delivery
from in to out of the amp. No variance because of lame circuitry. I have used many other
amps in my years, never ever have I had such perfect delivery of the bass note. In other words; If you pluck a "C" note in 440, it comes out the rear of this amp in 440. I have had
variances with other amps. This amp has impressive clarity.
I didn't really need the owners manual with this amp. It is self explanitory!

I play a variety of music styles. The DeltaBass is flexible enough to be a switch-style
amp. I have even heard of folks using it for voice. Though it only has a 3+2 effects band,
the range within these controls is more than adequate for a full parimeter of styles.
I use a Peavey 5 string fretless, a Gibson RD Artist, or an Alvarez flat-top Bass to find
the sound I need for a particular event. If I need sustain I use the Gibson's active electronics that are built in. If I need the lower "B" register, I use the Peavey 5 string, for the softer sounds, of course, I use the Alvarez flat top.
Only slight and quick adjustments are needed to achieve my desired output sound. More
lows and less treble are my most common desires for the Country/Blues sounds. While on a
pick-me-up song might need a twist of the high eq. This amp is quiet until called upon.

I've been on a search for the perfect ride, and I think I found it. Problem is- I can't afford it, more on that later. Sabian's Paragon cymbals are made in Canada, just the man behind these cymbals; Neart Peart of Rush. But you don't even have to be a Rush fan to appreciate this line of cymbals.

First of all, I love the size of this cymbal. Its a beast; 22" in diameter and thick, its like 8 pounds so don't drop it on your foot. One you move up to a 22" ride its hard to go back to a 20". Its thickness means you get a really good 'ping' out of it that cuts through like no other ride cymbal I've ever heard.

It also has an incredible shimmery wash that is subtle but definitely there, and can be tapped into even more by how and where in the field you play the cymbal. There is a complexity in the overtones, very musical. I read somewhere that Sabian used a distinctly different lathing technique on the top than the bottom, that might be a contributor to the sweet and complex tones.

This cymbal might be a bit much for those who are used to mellow 20" rides. Its loud, its bright (though not harsh at all), its cutting, and it shimmers while giving excellent stick definition. It's kind of a cymbal that does everything you want without having to make any trade-offs, but be warned it is an overwhelming cymbal.

Now price; this is seriously one expensive cymbal. I haven't seen it under 350.00. Thats a lot of money, but frankly this cymbal does things that nothing in the Hand Hammered line up can do, and outperforms many of my beloved favorites from Paiste. I would like to see this cymbal go head to head with some of the K Kustom line from Zildjian but until then..... this cymbal is worth the money because it surpasses anything I've played to date. Now where's that credit card I have hidden from the wife....

150 watts. (Not conservative at all, trust me.) Open back 1x12 with stock “blue” Fender speaker . This is a “red knob” model so my understanding is that it’s considered vintage. Two channels – Clean and Overdrive/Distortion with a “boost option”. Clean has Volume, Treble, Mid, Bass and Mid-cut switch. Overdrive/distortion has Gain, Boost, Treble, Mid, Mid-Boost switch, Bass, Contour with “tilt” switch, presence. The amp also has a master volume and reverb. Two inputs, one for channel switching, one for parallel channel mode. The amp also has switches for channel switching, or you can plug into the footswitch jack (which was included) to switch between channel 1 and 2 as well as to select reverb and/or the boost function. Effects loop and speaker out jack on the back panel of the amp as well.

The controls on the front are many, but it's fairly straightforward, especially if you are familiar with Fender amps. The "presence" and "mid-cut" controls are particularly useful. The only drawback is that I don't understand the purpose of the "tilt" control. I usually put the treble on 9 or 10, the mid on 0 and the bass anywhere from 2 to 9, and get great clean sounds, or great distorted sounds with a pedal. The amp is fairly heavy. As with all Fender amps, this is built like a tank. You could probably drop it from a skyscraper and it would keep on ticking. I did have to get the rear input jacks fixed for $20 about 3 days after receiving the amp from Guitar Center. But hey, it was used.

This thing is LOUD ! I don’t think 150 watts is an overstatement ! If you go anymore than 1, you’ve got band-mates and sound engineers sneering at you! Also great for out-competing your annoying rhythm guitarist in the volume department! Clean channel is the typical “glassy” Fender clean that many of us have come to love. The treble can be a little harsh, but hey, it’s a solid state! Overdrive channel is OK, but no one usually gets a Fender for the overdrive/distortion. (See my comments under “overall rating.”) I use the “boost” function on the distortion channel via foot-switch as it provides a great volume boost for solos !

- What type of amplification (Tube,transistor,...)?
Tube

- How much power is delivered?
N/A, this is a preamp.

- What connection types are there?
More than you can imagine: inputs, outputs & loops all over the place.
Ins on the front & back...2 output channels with individual settings...footswitch...this is some serious piece of pro gear.

- What are the setting controls, effects?...
Not sure i can count that high...
5 band graphic EQ + 3 band regular EQ, volume, master, rhythm bright switch, reverb, lead drive, lead master, EQ IN/auto/off, lead mode, lead fat, lead bright, master out A, master out B.
10 rotaries + 5 EQ faders. Never seen anything like it.

- Is the general configuration/setup simple?
Yes, same settings as you're used to on an amp, plus some more than you just have to try...nothing tricky.

- Can you easily get a good sound?
Now this is trickier than expected cos you're tempted to fiddle around and the EQ is very powerful. But you can get good sound if you stop messing around, haha.

- Is the manual clear and sufficient?...
Mine was second hand and i never had the manual.

Some say this has the best clear sound ever when used via the direct out for recording. True that it sounds quite good.

The distortion when pushed to the max gives you that endless sustain you've always dreamt of when listening to Gary Moore...

But Mesa/Boogie sounds Mesa/Boogie. You'll probably love it but you might not. Try it!

In any case, the range of sounds you can obtain here is awesome, and we're talking top of the range here. This is no POD or Boss pedal, folks, this is IT.

Unfortunately, I've never been able to afford a full DW kit. I've only admired them from afar, and played them on many handfuls of occasions by way of friend's kits and music stores.
The DW Collector's Series is their "flagship" line of course and is available in really in configuration of sizes you could dream up, with the option of all maple shells versus all birch shells, a huge variety of finishes from laquers, to satin oil, 'finishply' wrapped finishes, and even graphics, and a choice of chrome hardware or gold.
The set I played most recently was a Collector's 5 piece in a fairly standard configuration: 22x18 Bass Drum, toms in 10x9, 12x10, and 14x12, and a steel 14x6 snare. They had chrome hardware, and featured 'finishply' wrap in Silver Sparkle.
Sitting down at the kit, I noticed the 14" floor tom was supported by legs rather than a RIMS hanging mount which I'm used to seeing on DW kits for toms this small. I prefer for the toms to be mounted off cymbal stands because it prevents it from "creeping" around when playing aggressively like a leg supported tom would do.
Launching into playing, I was instantly reminded of what makes DW such a leader in drummaking. A deep, full, but punchy bass drum sound from the lightly muffled 22" drum filled the room. The maple-shelled toms thankfully, were tuned fairly well and I was welcomed with crisp attack with moderate sustain, very balanced between attack and sustain. DW drums always seem to be very balanced. They are never so lively to my ears that they have to be muffled.
If anything, DW is making even better and better drums these days. I've played Collector's drums before, and if anything the low-end response is becoming even more present- probably thanks to innovations like VLT or Vertical Low Timbre Technology where the plies of the shell are laminated diagonally, avoiding horzontal plies which increase shell tension and raise the pitch. Whatever they are doing, it works. I don't think I've ever gotten such a low fundamental tone from 10" and 12" toms without tuning the heads quite low as I did playing one of the new Collector's kits.
As far as value for the price- when no one else can match what the DWs do tonally, or aesthetically then its hard to compare it with other drummakers. I was a bit put off by the 3400.00 price tag, but this was for the full kit with hardware, not just shells. The 4-piece of Bass and Toms would probably have run 1800 or more. Can you get a drumset cheaper? Most definitely. Are you going to get the quality, tone, projection, and options available in the Collector's Series? No. If you are seriously considering purchasing drums that are on this level, then you already know what I know, and your opinion on value counts more than mine.

The Martin DCX1-E is a smaller bodied acoustic guitar made with mostly composite materials. The top is solid sitka spruce, but the back and sides are a high-pressure laminate or "HPL" with a textured mahogany appearance, the neck is made of "stratabond" which is a fancy way of saying they glued up a bunch of scrap and milled a neck out of it, and the fingerboard is made of something called "black micarta". I have not a clue what that is or if any tree was used for its creation. Even the face of the headstock is some synthetic veneer. This guitar has 20 frets, 14 of which are easily accesible by the cutaway.
It features a Fishman Classic 4 pickup/preamp. I noticed the no-frills approach to this guitar, with it having no inlays, no binding, and a simple rosette. Martin cut all kinds of corners to keep this guitar under 700.00 I guess.

The neck had a nice feel to it, a smooth finish (if you could call it that) that allowed for easy movement up and down the neck. The cutaway is convenient for playing higher than a standard acoustic would allow. The body seemed fairly thin to me, compared to my 1970's Martin Sigma, and it was quite comfortable to play sitting down, or standing up.
I was impressed with the sound as I played it, to the point that it made me scratch my head wondering how they can make a guitar sound so typically "martin-esque" when most of it is not even WOOD!

To be honest, I kinda want to hate this guitar. The materials in it are fairly untested and unfamiliar to me so I don't know how well they will hold up compared to more expensive Martin models that are, umm.... actually made with wood. But I do like its sound. Though not spectacular by any means, it is fairly warm and full, and by all counts very sweet and mellow sounding. It seemed to lack a bit of volume and projection since its got less cavity size than most guitars. Though there are exceptions; my ears usually don't have much patience for most guitars in the $500 range, or even <$1000 range for Martin. So I was suprised when I didn't want to put this guitar down. I could have sat and played it all day because whether it was chords, or single note runs, or graceful fingerpicking there was a sweetness of tone shining through. I genuinely enjoyed this guitar.

- In What Country was it made? (USA, Japan, Mexico, France...)
Like Seagull and various other brands, Norman is basically Godin, so Canadian/US.

This is just a regular dreadnought, but it has a fairly large body and a very thin varnish, so the guitar has bass, it's dynamic (loud when needed) and the top let's the sound through thanks to that thin varnish, something you won't get on most guitars (especially not the black ones with the thick paint...).

The finish is nothing fancy but i really like that basic feel, without being rough: it's not trying to look fancy, and it sounds 'honest'. No messin around!

The neck is ok, although if you want a really easy guitar to play you might want to try a £2000 Taylor... ;-) This is ok, though. The frets on mine were getting worn and it was so expensive to replace them that it was cheaper to change the guitar...!

The neck is quite wide, with jumbo frets. Forget about accessing the higher notes on this one. Norman do cutaway guitars too but they're probably not quite so loud...

The body is quite wide so it can be a little uncomfortable to play when sitting down...

Thanks to the wide body and thin varnish, and choice of woods, this guitar has a very well balanced sound: plenty of bass, of treble and of mids.
Might sound like something you would take for granted but from my experience this isn't often the case. A lot of guitars have no bass or treble and sound aggressive. This one sounds great for pop rhythm, and if you're good enough you can probably get away with a nice solo too, although i haven't really done that much on this one.