Alesis

Alesis ProTrack review

Some people love the idea of turning their iPod into an audio recorder. If you're someone who has an iPod on you at all times, and you need to record voice memos, interviews, or lectures, investing in a recording accessory for your iPod makes sense. Personally, I'm more of a standalone recorder kind of guy, but I understand the appeal and convenience of adapting the iPod to fit your needs.

Over the years, we've seen products like the MicroMemo succeed at turning the iPod into a handy tool for recording voice memos and interviews, but there haven'… Read more

Cassette tape revival? Probably not

I don't care how much you love the '80s, no one wants to listen to cassette tapes anymore. The wretched things are noisy, they wear out, and unless you've got one of those super-duper cassette decks, skipping tracks means riding the fast-forward button until you feel lucky.

For all their faults, though, there is one bright spot in the history of cassettes: the mixtape. There's just something awesome about a curated mix of music, tediously patched together, song by song, onto a hand-scrawled tape. A robot could burn a CD, but only a human (preferably a lovesick … Read more

MP3 Insider 135: Lady on the mic

Jasmine's back and has no problem falling into her old habits of forcing her opinions on others. This week, she and Donald discuss the new D2 from Cowon, an intriguing new artist package from iTunes, and the joys of 32GB of flash memory.

Also this week: check out a boombox with legs that encapsulates all that was the 80s and get some follow-up info on some CES MP3 players.

Listen now: Download today's podcast… Read more

Give your iPod Touch some recording muscle

If you're in the market for a high-end, portable, audio recorder, but don't have the ducats for something like the Sony PCM-D50, the Alesis ProTrack may be just the thing. The Alesis ProTrack was announced back in June for older generations of the iPod (fifth-generation video iPod or iPod Nano generation two or three), but before it started shipping last month, it was updated to include support for the iPod Touch and other recent iPod models.

The ProTrack includes built-in stereo-condenser microphones, combo XLR/instrument jacks (phantom powered), stereo minijack input, and a switchable audio limiter. Recordings are … Read more

'ProTrack': A handheld recorder dock for the iPod

Companies have tried just about everything to come up with different themes for the ubiquitous iPod dock, whether they be inspired by Legos or bathtub suds. But unlike so many others, Alesis has come up with a combo function that may actually be useful.

Its "ProTrack" is a handheld dock with two built-in condenser microphones that record directly to the media player. Rather than a separate unit that might pull the iPod off the table by an attached plug, the ProTrack is designed to secure the player firmly in its grasp no matter how carried away you might … Read more