iPod nano 1GB

iFingers — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 13:30:00 +0000

iPod nano 1GB review

The Apple iPod nano 1GB is Apple's smallest capacity nano. It will only hold about 250 songs, which is positively small-fry when compared to it's big brother the 60GB 'video ipod', which can swallow about 15 000 tunes. So why bother with the Tiny Tim of the iPod family?

Affordable nano

The 1GB nano is a wonderful thing, it doesn't play videos, won't hook up with your telly for snazzy slide shows, but it will rock your world. The nano is 'impossibly small' but it is positively big on sound and slinkiness. It will fit in most pockets, knickers or strapped to the bulging biceps of fitness freaks. It will go anywhere with the minimum fuss but with maximum clout. It is a little delicate to scratches and to being sat on though.

The sound of the nano

The nano's diminutive form is over-shadowed by it's heavyweight audio punch. It seems as loud and very similar to my 60GB iPod in audio quality. If I have to choose, then the larger of the two has a slight edge but it really is close. It will not hold all of my music collection, but that is only a problem for me on long journeys or on holiday. 9 times out of ten the nano wins over a regular iPod on trips to the shops or on the tube. It's slinkiness makes it a winner, aided by it's solid state memory; it is light, has a good battery life and is cuter than a new born. My only problem is, how can I persuade my daughter to lend me it?

Read my iPod nano 1GB review for iPresents

Apple iPod Video 60GB

iFingers — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 13:08:00 +0000

Introducing the Apple iPod Video

A review of the Apple iPod Video 60GB from a musicians perspective, if you want another more general review check out the iPresents iPod Video Review.

The Apple iPod Video is the latest iPod from the Apple stable and marks the fifth generation of Apple's remarkable music player. As it's moniker suggests, this iPod will do a lot more than play MP3 music. It will hold your digital photos and can now even playback specially encoded video files. It is thinner and more ergonomicaly tuned than any previous regular iPod.

Music Video capabilities

The iPod Video can playback videos encoded as H.264 video: up to 768 Kbps, 320 x 240, 30 frames per sec if you have the latest version of Apple's Quicktime Pro you can save your video in the right format. It plays these back using the 2.5-inch screen and can be connected to your TV (with an optional cable) for a large screen experience. It is for this reason that I bought the iPod Video. I am keen to support videos at Macidol.com in the near future and this was the only way I could check that we have got everything right. I think iPod Video production will become a staple requirement for marketing one's music in the future, and I am sure many of us will have a lot of fun creating such music video experiences. Video's purchased from the iTunes Music Store (will Apple rename the store and iTunes?) use the same 128 kbps bit rate as regular iTMS downloads.

How does it sound?

Sounds great to my ears, louder than my previous two iPods with the standard iPod phones. A lot of people criticise the iPod's headphones, but I think they are ok. I think they should become an industry standard for mastering engineers and music producers. Chances are someone listening to your music will be using Apple's white buds. It drives my Beyer Dynamic DT 770 headphones to a reasonable level, I would prefer it a little bit louder, but then my ears are a little jaded from playing through Marshall amps as a kid.

A great tool for mastering

My iPod's have all been a great tool for mastering mixes. I often will produce several mixes of a song, some with less bass, heavier drums, quieter vox etc. Then I can take my iPod everywhere, try it in different systems and in my car. To try and find the best mix. It is also great comparing your music against contemporary mixes by artists from whatever genre your working in. Is my kick drum as good as Coldplay or Talkin Ape? How does my guitar sound compared to say James Bouchard, Paul Brazier or Jimi Hendrix? It is an extremely valuable mixing tool. Sure you could use any MP3 or music player, but their are millions of iPod users now, so it does make a lot of sense to use the world's best selling player. The iPod will handle AIFF, WAV, Apple Lossless, AAC and of course MP3 files too. A very useful combination of formats.

Who stole the Firewire?

One of my biggest criticisms about this iPod Video is move to USB 2.0. It is such a shame for Mac musicians that Apple have shunned the technology which they helped develop and promote. USB 2.0 in use is fine, speed is only marganly slower than Firewire 400 (tech specs would suggest that USB 2.0 is faster). But if you collaborate with other Mac music makers, unless they have a recent Mac, you'll have to take your audio files and sessions on CD or DVD, which could be a real pain in the bottom. Even the vintage iMac G3 400 had a DV port, so you could be pretty certain that you could load GarageBand Songs, Logic Sessions or plain old AIFF files using iPod disk mode on to your drummers Mac. You could also boot up a Mac using a previous Firewire equipped device too. Obviously the reason for this is to try and capture more PC users, but as a Mac musician, this is not a high priority. Also Apple no longer include a Dock or a charger which is a little cheap in my opinion.

Where does the Mic go?

My previous iPod's had a remote connector which I often used in conjunction with a Griffin iTalk to record ideas and memos. This was extremely useful, the quality was pants for a live band, but at least it was a way of recording ideas when the blessed inspiration struck. Apparently the iPod Video will record in high quality 44.1 stereo or hard drive friendly 22.05khz sample rates. Fantastic! The only problem is that todate no one has made a dock compatible mic to take advantage of this. Time will tell how well this works when they do become available.

iPod Pro

I have often dreamt about an indestructible, mic and line-in equipped iPod which I will call the iPod Pro. This would be great for musicians, journalists and sound recordists everywhere. Maybe one day Apple?

Is the iPod Video good for musicians?

Barring the lack of Firewire and a Mic, I can't really fault it. We are still plagued by iTunes copy protection settings, but with third party solutions like the excellent iPod RIP you can get your music back off your own iPod, which could be useful if your Mac was stolen or lost.

The iPod Video is a joy to use, sounds great, and can hold up to 60GB of music, photos and videos. It will become your best friend and you might even consider selling your axe for such a beauty. It is pretty essential if you want to jump on the iPod music video bandwagen too, so for some of you it'll be as essential as your Mac. I can't give it a higher accolade than that!

Free Video for your new iPod Video

For your listening and visual pleasure I have created a very quick and cheerful version of Crazy Day for you - which you can download for free. Enjoy.

iPod video review discussion

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