Vinyl Record Converter

Weak Shoe Demand Halts Pricey Asia Eva

SINGAPORE (ICIS news)–Asian ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) with 18% VA content prices have fallen 8.5-14% from July highs due to resistance from China and India’s downstream footwear industries amid slowing global economies, producers and end-users said on Thursday.

The product hit record highs of around $2,460/tonne CFR (cost and freight) China, and $2,505/tonne CFR South Asia in July.

When expected pent-up post-Beijing Olympics demand failed to materialise this month, some producers dropped September prices of 18% VA content EVA cargoes in China by 8.5% to $2,200-2,300/tonne CFR China amid mounting inventory pressure.

This represented the first price decline in two years. 

Record high EVA prices amid earlier robust demand from the downstream footwear sector and rising labour costs in China contributed to the demise of numerous small- and medium-scale footwear factories, a Taiwan-based EVA producer said.

September business to South Asia was also concluded lower by around 14% at $2,130-2,180/tonne CFR India, reflecting a $150-200/tonne week-on-week loss.

“The India market is generally the lowest priced market in Asia if demand in China is poor. So some suppliers have to sell at this price,” a Korea-based producer said.

He added that they have not decided if they want to sell at lower prices to South Asia to keep their market share.

“Margins are there but it is so difficult to conclude deals,” a southeast Asia-based producer said, adding that he was avoiding the South Asian market, “because most buyers had no idea what price to buy at and there are stocks still stuck at the ports.” 

“Inventories are building up but it is still manageable. We hope demand will return in October,” he added.

Meanwhile, India-based converters had been turning to substitutes or additives in their footwear manufacturing processes in the wake of skyrocketing EVA prices.

“There is not much demand now although it is approaching the end of the monsoon season,” an official from a local footwear manufacturer said.

“There has been product line shifts and EVA prices had already seen very high levels so prices should normalise now that crude values have come down,” he added.

While the industry may have seen its best days in the footwear application sector, it was still far from doom and gloom for EVA makers as healthy margins in the higher VA content EVA market remained healthy.

Several northeast Asia-based EVA producers have adjusted production ratios at their plants to that of higher 28% VA content material – which goes into the hotmelt adhesives and cable and wire applications – owing to recent global supply shortages.

Others eyed a slice of the growing market for 30-33% VA content EVA for solar panel applications.

Major EVA producers in Asia include Formosa Plastics Corp, Hanwha Chemical Corp, Lotte Daesan Petrochemical, The Polyolefin Company, TPI Polene and YPC BASF.

for more information ,please visit www.ishoesclub.com

Review of The Tonium P666 Pacemaker

The interface of the Tonium P666 is intuitive and takes only about two or three hours to learn. It is also simple and very easy to use. There are two versions of this player. The first is the 60 MB and the other version is the 120 GB. Space in the 60 GM can be used to save all your music projects. However, in the 120 GB the space is huge and capable of storing all your mixes. Something no DJ will be disappointed in. The cost of such a piece of equipment is only $499.00, a bargain to say the least, considering all the features that are available with this device. DJs will be salivating to use, experiment and create with this small piece of music player equipment. It’s easy to record all music projects and transfer them to your computer. The quality of sound alone will blow you away. It surpasses the sound of the iPod and other portable MP3 players.

Tonium P666 Pacemaker Key Features:

*Control playback *Automatic beatmatch *Pitch speed *Beat graph *Timestretch *Create loops *Playback reversal *Cue play: *Control cue *Save cue point *Automatic cue *Vinyl pause *DJ pause *Headphones crossfader *Kill-all (mute) audio effects feature *Control effects *Beat FX *FX color *Effects crossfader *Master EQ *EQ tracking *Headphones EQ *Normalizer *Control recording *Features of recording *Pause recording *Control of volume *Replay gain *Lineout volume limiter *Master lineout volume *Master headphones volume *Headphones volume limiter *Control browsing track *Lineout crossfader *Filters for track navigation

Tonium P666 Pacemaker Pros and Cons:

Very small music player – carry anywhere. *The features of this music player are enormous. *60 GB and 120 GB of storage is effective and reliable. This is definitely good if you create a lot of music and mixes. *Sound quality surpasses any MP3 player you can purchase on the market today. *An easy and simple to use interface. *It has a learning curve of two to three hours and is considered very good indeed. *This is a wireless device and not at all like a traditional turntable and DJs find the capabilities of the wireless very reliable. *Tracks of the MP3 player are converted to the format of the 128AAC which requires less space in your hard drive. The sound quality is also much better than WAV, MP3, etc. *The first version, 60GB holds 15,000 tracks and the second version 120 GB holds 30,000 tracks. *On a fully charged battery there is five hours of mixing time and fifteen hours of playing time.

*The touchpad is a little annoying because of how small this device is. You will accidentally hit buttons you were never meant to touch! *This can damage a mix and cause frustration you do not need. The EQ controls are hard to adapt to.

Conclusion: The Tonium P666 Pacemaker offers the most extensive features you will ever see in a music player and DJing equipment. This product is pure perfection and anyone (especially DJs) will be extremely satisfied when they purchase this award-winning hardware.

Basement Conversion – Redoing your basement

With the turmoil in the economic environment in the world, and the cost of homes and mortgages fluctuating, it is necessary that you make the best possible use of the property you own.  Many homeowners consider doing remodelling projects that include basement conversions, but it is mostly on the bottom end of the priority list. But you should always consider the following benefits of basement conversions.

Redoing your basement to create more living space is a great way to increase the value of your home. Waterproofed cellars and basements can be converted into kitchens, bathrooms, wine cellars, living rooms, studies, or even recording studios. You are limited only by your imagination. In commercial premises, common uses for basements include extra storage / retail space, car parks, bars/nightclubs, and restaurants. The other key benefit of basement conversion is that it eliminates the problem of damp and moldy basement areas. When you finish your basement conversion, the dampness and other troubles originating from it are simultaneously solved.

There are certain factors that you must bear in mind before you take on a project for your basement’s conversion.

1.Utility of the basement space that is, what kind of a conversion you would prefer it to be. An extra bedroom or a library. If you are thinking of a kitchen or bathroom, you need to think of taking plumbing services too.

2.Length of time as the home owner. Converting your basement may not be very cheap but it is worth the investment if you are going to stay for long

3.Your Budget for basement conversion. If you have a big budget you can have a kitchen or bathroom also included in basement, otherwise you can only go for rooms or studies.

Costs for Basement conversions include following:

Electrical: Homeowners living in older houses may find that their electrical system needs a bit of upgrading.

Heating: Since basements are situated below ground, they are usually naturally cooler so an arrangement for heating is must.

Flooring: The most popular choice for basements is usually a carpeted floor. However, if your home is prone to leaks, or you just want to be different, you can always go with hardwood floors, vinyl floors or tiled floors.

Plumbing: If you are thinking of having a bathroom or kitchen too.

Staircase: You will need to buy a staircase to access the basement

Windows and Doors: You need to cover the costs of windows and doors also because ventilation is most needed in a basement.

Converting your basement into finished spaces like rooms is a great way to add the value to your property. You can use these created rooms more efficiently from the hustle and bustle of the other living space. The most important thing to consider while planning to convert your basement is the selection of right kind of company. The lowest price is not always the best way to go, as it can affect the entire comfort of your space. Always look out for the quality to cost ratio and make a wise decision to get the maximum value of your basement conversion.

If you are planning to convert your uninhabitable basement or cellar into additional living space one of the most important aspects of the whole project will be controlling the damp (damp proofing). The other specific characteristics of your basement will require special planning before it can be converted in to durable living area. Tapco HomeDry will advise you from the very beginning on what is the best method of damp proofing your basement or cellar or on any aspect regarding the structural part of the work that may be required.

Looking at Wireless Speakers in Details

Consumer electronics especially in the music realm has come a long way. Only 25 years ago, music was store in vinyl 12 inch records which although had relatively good sound, were subject to rpid wear and tear caused by scratching. Then we the consumer electronics giant Phillips with some help from Sony invented the compact disc. The compact disc or CD took the world by storm with its studio-style digital sound quality and durability. The CD was also smaller than the vinyl and therefore easy to store and transport. In the same manner that music storage evolved and developed, so did the musical players. To play the CD the industry came up with CD players and Discman’s which were the CD Player equivalent of the Sony Walkman. This meant that people could actually carry CD-quality music with them wherever they went and this was a great advantage especially to people who were given to the outdoors. As music moved outdoors, so did the speakers. More consumer electronics manufacturers jumped into the idea of producing speakers that could be used outdoors.

Speaking of speakers being outdoors, electronic manufactures realized that more and more people need to listen and enjoy their music outdoors, hence wireless outdoor speakers. Wireless speakers can also be used indoors and have become popular due to their convenience. Wireless speakers work on the same premise as a radio. The tuner, player or music receiver plays the music and a device inside the player converts the music signals into analog signals. Then a decoder inbuilt into the speaker converts the signal back into digital and into sound. This is done instantaneously to where the listener does not notice the conversion.

Wireless speakers as we mentioned have gained their popularity from the fact they are very convenience. Coming in smaller size than conventional speakers, wireless speakers can be placed inconspicuously under the couch and other places where they are not so obvious and where their appearance does not influence the interior decor of a room. This results to less clatter. They can also be positioned strategically where the sound will be best. Because of their smaller size wireless speakers can also be easily transported.

While they do have obvious advantages, wireless speakers are not without critics. One of them is that although they are referred to as wireless, they do indeed have a connecting cable running from the speakers themselves and into the electrical outlet. This is because they need power. IPod wireless outdoor speakers use batteries and can be a cure for this although the music will last as long as there are batteries (if you are outdoors)

Wireless speakers also work the same way a radio works; by receiving signals from a sending device. While this is common technology, it is not perfect because it is subject to interference. If there are other wireless devices in close proximity with the wireless speakers then this can ultimately affect the quality of the sound.

Software for Ripping CDs

CD ripper software will open up an entirely new way of how you listen to music. With the use of CD ripping software, you can take audio tracks from a CD and them into audio files for use on your computer. You can save them as WAV, MP3, OGG, or WMA audio files. The term “ripping” is the term used to describe this very process.

There are advanced CD ripper software as well, which allows you to convert back and forth between these formats. You can also get software that can record vinyl LPs and cassettes to create those same audio files for your computer.

You can get a variety of ripper software programs online by searching the internet. Most software is user friendly and offers you a variety of options. You should however, do some searching and comparing before you decide which CD ripper program is best for your needs.

Each type of CD ripper software will offer it’s own style and interface. You should always make sure the CD ripper software you choose is easy to use and easy to understand. It doesn’t matter how good the software is – if you can’t use it.

When you explore the options of CD ripper software, make sure you also check the software’s editing abilities. With most programs, you can select the output format for the music. This will include the bitrate, channels, and even the frequency.  

Quality ripper programs will also tag the encoded audio files with medadata, which will contain information about the artist, song title, track number, and even the album title. This will automatically be input for the file.  

Another great feature with some ripper programs is the ability to delete the silence at the beginning or end of song tracks. Some programs will even give you the ability to edit the songs themselves, giving you full control of the sound provided by your files.

For those who enjoy to listen to their music from a CD, a CD ripper can aso be used to select your favorite songs and create a mixed CD. Some rippers will even let you rip audio tracks directly from a CD then burn them to a new CD – without having to save them as a new audio file.

With millions of people ripping CDs these days, CD ripping is the wave of the future. You no longer have to keep your music on your computer, as you can rip them to a CD or even put them in your favorite MP3 player and take the music with you – wherever you go.

About CD Ripper Software

CD ripper software will open up an entirely new
way of how you listen to music.  With the use of
CD ripping software, you can take audio tracks
from a CD and them into audio files for use on
your computer.  You can save them as WAV, MP3, OGG,
or WMA audio files.  The term “ripping” is the
term used to describe this very process.

There are advanced CD ripper software as well,
which allows you to convert back and forth between
these formats.  You can also get software that
can record vinyl LPs and cassettes to create those
same audio files for your computer.

You can get a variety of ripper software programs
online by searching the internet.  Most software
is user friendly and offers you a variety of
options.  You should however, do some searching
and comparing before you decide which CD ripper
program is best for your needs.

Each type of CD ripper software will offer it’s
own style and interface.  You should always make
sure the CD ripper software you choose is easy
to use and easy to understand.  It doesn’t matter
how good the software is – if you can’t use it.

When you explore the options of CD ripper software,
make sure you also check the software’s editing
abilities.  With most programs, you can select
the output format for the music.  This will
include the bitrate, channels, and even the
frequency.  

Quality ripper programs will also tag the
encoded audio files with medadata, which will
contain information about the artist, song title,
track number, and even the album title.  This
will automatically be input for the file.  

Another great feature with some ripper programs
is the ability to delete the silence at the
beginning or end of song tracks.  Some programs
will even give you the ability to edit the
songs themselves, giving you full control of
the sound provided by your files.

For those who enjoy to listen to their music
from a CD, a CD ripper can aso be used to
select your favorite songs and create a mixed
CD.  Some rippers will even let you rip audio
tracks directly from a CD then burn them to a
new CD – without having to save them as a new
audio file.

With millions of people ripping CDs these days,
CD ripping is the wave of the future.  You no
longer have to keep your music on your computer,
as you can rip them to a CD or even put them
in your favorite MP3 player and take the music
with you – wherever you go.

Usb Gadgets: Just Plug Them In!

Oh the wonders of technology.

There have been quite some people who have been amazed with technology. Though there are some who are not usually gadgeteers, they still do get amazed when they get to witness some of the coolest gadgets there is in the market. Well, you do know that the market is full of these — from the most useful to the craziest ones.

Let’s now take a look at the gadgets that you could use with your PC. See, there are gadgets also known as USB gadgets. USB, as we all know, is a port in your computer. This actually stands for universal serial bus. This port in your computer allows you to connect to gadgets and other devices so that they could play right in your computer. Sometimes, there are gadgets which need power. Now, the USB port actually has some power which could give life to these gadgets.

In Gadget Epoint’s collection of USB gadgets, you would find the USB turntable. Yes. There is such a thing. Now, this is a real good one to have around. See, if your dad has quite a collection of old records, there is no need for you to throw them all out. If you have the USB turntable with you, all you need is connect this gadget to your computer. When you have done so, you could put in any of the records you have around. The gadget would convert any songs recorded in that vinyl and they would become an MP3 which you could now save in your computer. Nifty, right? You would not have to say goodbye to the old songs that generations before you have enjoyed.

USB gadgets are some of the most interesting ones that you could probably see in the market. Check out what Gadget Epoint has to offer.

how do you connect cable TV with all of these other audio-visual-sound devices???

we cannot figure this out, but we must! okay, dig: my roommate and i are old audiophile farts. we literally have long-playing records made of vinyl! and we have CDs and a CD player(s), including one part of our stereo system, that will run 100 CDs one after the other. and we have a DVD player & DVDs. and we have a TURNTABLE! and real speakers! and cable TV, with a digital converter box! and an FM/AM receiver!

HOW do you connect all of these elements together (combo DVD/VHS players suck) in one entertainment center (that’s real pretty) so that you can play all of them, as well as so that:

you can get the sound to come out of the big speakers rather than out of the TV speakers?

if you have a good diagram or can scan one, please tell me how i may ask for it via your email!!! Thanks!!!

From Compact Tape to Compact Disc

The CD available on the market since the eighties remains the standard medium for commercial audio recordings even though new mediums are being developed. The audio CDs used are officially called Compact Disc Digital Audio or simply CD-DA as we all love abbreviations.

The logical format of those CDs is described as a two channel sixteen bit PCM encoding at a 44.1 kilo Hertz sampling rate per channel.

The exact sampling rate of around forty four kilo Hertz was actually inherited from a basic method of converting digital audio into an analog video signal for storage on U-matic video tape, which was the most affordable way to transfer data at the time the CD specification was being developed for a music recording use.

But before Compact Discs were used, a different medium was used for audio recording. I know less and less people remember that but compact cassettes were very popular before the Compact Disc came in the market. Cassette being a French word meaning little box. It was actually the most common format used for music between the seventies and the nineties, especially as soon as portable pocket recorders and hi-fi players were introduced in the market. But although the tapes were quite durable, those players needed a lot of attention and care to be able to work properly.

Interestingly, vinyl record sales remained high for a long time before compact cassettes took over the market of singles.

The compact cassette also called tape is simply a magnetic tape which was originally used for dictation and not for music recording. All those compact cassettes included a write protection mechanism to prevent re-recording and accidental erasure.

It was an amazing step forward at the time of its launch and was much better than the first medium developed.

Those compact audio cassettes were first brought to the market by Philips in Europe and the United States at the beginning of the sixties with the aim of audio storage, with the mass production of those tapes starting as soon as nineteen sixty four.

Compact cassette duplication, replication and packaging was used like we use today CDs and DVDs for DVD packaging, CD duplication or replication. But obviously, Compact discs and DVDs can store much more data or music than the compact cassettes.

But in many markets in the western countries, the sales of tapes declined a lot at the beginning of the nineties because of the success met by the compact discs.

The Modern USB Turntable

USB turntable is a great innovation allowing the transfer of LP records into a computer or a storage device for compilation. Learn more about this great modern technology.

Digital music was introduced along with the rise of modern technology. But the lovers of old music frown at these modern inventions for they get to miss hearing the songs they used to love.

Transferring of your LP music to a computer is now possible with the introduction of USB turntables. You just have to plug the turntable through a USB port and use audio software such as Audacity and transfer all your collections. The USB turntable does not need any special drivers or gadgets.

This innovation is a fantastic device to vinyl lovers. It allows the compilations to be transferred to CDs or converted to MP3 for digital playback. Most of the USB turntables are full featured with fast recording capability, anti skip control and noise reduction. The USB turntable can also be plugged into a stereo for direct playback.

Since its introduction, the demand has increased and many DJs and other music enthusiasts have transferred their collection to their hard drives. USB turntables are the best thing that happened to them, and these devices vary in designs and features.

Let us look at the features and functions of some of the popular USB
turntables in the market today.

USB Turntable w/ iPod Dock
This turntable allows the transfer of LP records directly to an iPod even without using a computer. This is quite easy with the built-in iPod dock of the unit. Just plug the iPod into its specific slot and play the vinyl of your choice and then press the record button.

Though it is designed for iPod connectivity, it can also be used alternatively with a computer. The Gracenote software is included for creating your own playlist for playback. This can also be hooked up with any sound system and directly play your favorite LP. This device is Plug and Play compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems. It comes with complete cables for computer and stereo component connection.
Stanton T90 USB Turntable

The Stanton T90 is one of the most full featured among the turntables in the market. It is most favored by DJs who are searching for the best in quality audio. One of the features of the Stanton T90 is the software included. It is easy to use and can produce the best output quality.

Comparing to its predecessors, this turntable has the most feature which makes it an outstanding product for professional audio system. The T90 model has a well designed selector switch with a start and stop brakes. You can also control the speed of any song without affecting the pitch quality. The back portion consists of an RCA port, SPDIF coaxial port, on/off switch and the USB port for connectivity.

In terms of performance, the T90 turntable outperforms other models. The most significant in its performance is the sound quality it produces. The audio built-in card with the device is capable of recording with 16 bit at a quality of 44 kHz which can be increased to 48 kHz.

Since the Stanton T90 can be used for playback and recording, you can immediately play any of your digitized audio and know the results. A great advantage of this turntable is it can simultaneously mix any audio compilation from your computer and the turntable audio using the same output. This means you can combine analog and digital audio into one.

In terms of its design, this turntable has a sleek design with all its components placed in the most ideal locations. The chassis of the turntable is made up of high quality plastic. This is lighter than other models.