Gardus LintEater Dryer Ventilation Cleaning System

I recently replaced my foil dryer vent hose with a semi-rigid metal one. Since I already had to monkey around with the dryer vent (something I hate doing), I figured I would take the opportunity to clean out my duct system. In case you didn't know this already, dryer fires are a leading cause of house fires, and if your dryer vent system isn't efficiently venting your dryer, the dryer can overheat, start a fire, and ignite lint in the system. Such a disaster will almost certainly lead to your house burning down. (Check out this video on just how easily your house can go up in flames from a dryer fire.)

When it comes to cleaning your dryer ventilation system, you have a couple of different options. You can pay someone a couple of hundred dollars to do it professionally or you can do it yourself (and get equal or better results) for about 50 dollars. I chose to do it myself, and after quite a bit of research on the methods available, I chose the Gardus LintEater cleaning system. As you'll see in this review, the Gardus LintEater system is a great choice.

The LintEater System

There are a few different LintEater systems available, but I chose the D1203615 system because it uses threaded rods that are much less likely to come apart inside my vent system. Each rod is 3-feet in length and the system comes with 4 rods, so you can use it to clean 12-feet of ventilation duct. If you need additional rods (I did), you can purchase an extension kit that adds an additional 12-feet. (The links in this review link to a complete system that includes the extension kit. You can save money by purchasing the system and the extension kit as a single unit.) 

Using the LintEater system is easy. The system includes clear instructions complete with photographs (and YouTube videos as well), but in a nutshell, you attach the cleaning brush to the end of one rod and insert the other end of the rod into your electric drill. While running the drill, slowly word the rod into your duct system. When you have inserted the first rod as far as it will go, disconnect the drill, screw on a second rod, and attach the drill to the end of the two connected rods. (You should wrap some electrical tap around the rod connection point as a precaution to make sure that the rods don't accidentally unscrew.) Continue this process until you have used enough rods to reach through your entire duct system. 

Once you've reached the end of your duct system, work the brush up and down as you remove the rods, continuing to run the drill only in a clockwise direction as you remove the rods. (If you reverse the drill, the rods will unscrew inside of your duct system and will likely get stuck inside.) The LintEater system includes a vacuum attachment so that you can use your shop-vac to suck out all of the lint that the system cleans out. I strongly advise you to use the vacuum system to get your duct work as clean as possible. 

My Hints

Here are some of my hints after using the LintEater system to clean out my vent system.

Use Tape

There are two methods you can use with the LintEater system. First is to use two pairs of pliers and tighten the rods as you attach them together during cleaning. The second is to hand-tighten the rods and use tape to prevent them from unscrewing. I found the tape method to work best. I wrapped each rod connection with electrical tape.

Clean from Inside and Outside

I started by cleaning my duct system from inside of the house. After I finished, I cleaned it again from the other end. I was shocked at how much lint I got out of my system using this method, and I took pictures to show you that the LintEater system really does work!

Lint from cleaning the system from the inside. This pile is about 3-inches deep.

Lint from cleaning from the outside. It filled my shop-vac about halfway!

I have to tell you that when I started this process, I figured I wouldn't get much lint out of our ducts because everything looked clean from the inside. As you can see, I couldn't have been more wrong! 

Test for Airflow

There are instructions included with the LintEater system that describe how you can check for airflow. I strongly encourage you to take the time to do this. It's not uncommon for duct work to be completely clogged, and if it is, simply using the LintEater brush won't completely clean out the system. The LintEater system includes an attachment that can be used to clear clogs, so even if your system is completely clogged, you can still clean it out completely. (By the way, LintEater works with rigid ducts, foil ducts, and plastic ducts. If you have one of the latter two, it's highly recommended that you replace your ducts with rigid or semi-rigid duct work.) 

Conclusion

It's uncommon to find a quality product that works exactly as advertised. The Gardus LintEater system is exactly that. It works flawlessly and you'll be astonished at how much lint is lining the walls of your dryer duct work. It's recommended that you clean your ducts at least once per year, and you'll be glad to know that the LintEater system's top-quality construction will make it possible for you to do so easily year after year. I give this system my highest recommendation!

Propellerhead Reason 6.5 (with Radical Piano and Balance)

In the world of DAW software, Reason is unique. Reason models an audio rack in software, including amps, compressers, synthesizers, effect processors, and much more. All of these devices work just like their real-world counterparts. You can choose to have Reason wire up your audio devices for you, but with a press of a key, the virtual rack is flipped around, exposing the back of the rack where you can wire up your devices any way you choose.

How true-to-life is Reason's rack? You'd be surprised. I play in a band, and one of our guitarists has a large rack of high-end audio components. I can directly translate the knowledge I've acquired using Reason to real-world audio gear. Everything from wiring the components to adjusting the sound is modeled perfectly in Reason. However, there is a major difference between real-world components and Reason's rack: the ease (and affordability) of adding components. If you want to add a new effects processor to your real-world audio rack, you'd have to drive to the store (or wait on shipping) and drop a few hundred bucks to make it happen. In Reason, it's a simple click and you're done. The result of Reason's approach is an amazing sense of freedom while composing and producing your music.

Of course, none of these great features matter at all unless the end result sounds the way you want it to, and Reason fully delivers in that regard. Version 6.5 adds a significant number of sounds in the Factory Sound Bank and the Orkester sound bank, and most of these are rich and wonderful sounds that will enhance any musical production. I've used Reason to record music and to play live, and in both settings, it was a wonderful experience, especially after adding the wonderful Radical Piano Rack Extension. (More on that later in this review.)

In addition to the Reason Sound Bank, you can also sample your own sounds right within Reason. Simply click the sample button in one of Reason's samplers (shown in the screenshot below) and record your sample directly into Reason. Sample recording comes to Reason as a result of Propellerhead's decision to incorporate all of the features of Record into Reason instead of continuing to release Record as a separate product. Reason benefits tremendously from this decision. Not only do we get sample recording, but we also get the incredible SSL 9000k mixer, Line6 amps, excellent production tools such as the Neptune pitch corrector, and much more.

Reason's sequencer has dramatically improved over the years, and the Blocks feature really does push it to the next level. Most songs are made up of repeating segments, so Reason allows you to create separate sections containing these segments (Reason calls them blocks) and add them to your song wherever you choose. Blocks are added by drawing them onto the sequencer using the pencil, so you can add only part of a block if you choose. The really cool thing about this approach is that changing your block changes every instance of that block automatically. In other words, if you decide to change a chord progression in your verses, edit the verse block with the new chord progression and every instance of the verse in your song is changed automatically. That might seem like a simple feature, but it completely removes hesitation to experiment with your compositions. Once you start using it, you'll realize that it's practically indispensable.

Another great feature introduced in Reason 6 is the new mixer, modeled after the SSL 9000K mixer. Once you spend some time with the new mixer, Reason's 14:2 mixer feels downright antiquated. Reason's new mixer isn't just fancy knobs and sliders; it sounds outright gorgeous. It will require a little bit of a learning curve, but Propellerhead provides plenty of help in the manual and in numerous videos.

Reason 6 also adds the Pulveriser device for compression, distortion, and otherwise mangle your sound in unimaginable ways. Also new is The Echo for creating luscious stereo echo and delay effects with three modes, including the amazing roll mode. Many more great features await you in Reason 6, including the excellent Line 6 amps for guitar and bass. When used alongside of the Balance USB audio interface, these amps really shine. (More on the Balance later in this review.)

Rack Extensions

Rack Extensions, new to Reason 6.5, appear to be Propellerhead's answer to the lack of support for VSTi in Reason. They do fulfill that role in some ways, but not in others. Rack Extensions are proprietary to Reason and they also require a separate license. If you want to collaborate with others on a project that uses Rack Extensions, everyone will either have to own a license for the Rack Extensions or use the 30-day trial.

This frustration, by the way, is caused by Propellerhead's use of copy protection, and it's the only feature of Reason I don't like. When you launch Reason, you must either have a special USB key inserted into your computer or you must authorize your usage by Internet. As someone who frequently plays live, I find this to be bothersome, and since many of my venues don't have Internet access, if I forget my USB key, I'm in trouble! Perhaps the best solution to this is to purchase a Balance audio interface from Propellerhead, and I'll go into details on this excellent device later in this review.

One of my criticisms with Reason in my last review was the lack of adequate acoustic piano sounds. Reason 6.5 introduces the Radical Piano Rack Extension to address that concern, and it does so nicely. Radical Piano provides you with three sampled pianos, but it's not your typical sampled instrument. You can tweak just about everything, and the result is that you can get just about any piano sound you need for your tracks.

Radical Piano's attention to detail is really remarkable. In addition to velocity, resonance, envelope, ambiance, and more, you can also dial in mechanics effects so that you can hear the mechanics of the original piano in your piece. Doing so isn't always desirable, so you can also choose to have no mechanics effects. You can also choose a blend of piano types (home grand, deluxe grand, and upright) and microphone position. The combinations are virtually endless. If your particular piece warrants it, you can even dial in a bit of tuning drift, a perfect effect when the perfection of a digital instrument isn't the right choice.

In order to test out Radical Piano (along with Reason's other instruments), I recorded this cover of Dan Fogelberg's Half Moon Bay. Everything you hear was played by me on an Axiom 61 keyboard using sounds included with Reason, with the exception of the piano which was played using Radical Piano.

I also recorded a version of one of my new songs, Ivory Road, using Radical Piano and sounds included with Reason 6.5. The harmonies in this song are generated using Neptune, a really cool device included with Reason 6.5. (Don't judge me too harshly. As you can no doubt tell, I'm not a professional singer.)

As I was working on this review, I took many of the piano songs that I've learned over the years and worked on fully instrumented covers. I don't read music. I play everything by ear, so working on covers with Reason is a perfect outlet for my music. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy the experience of being able to reproduce just about any instrument I needed, but I also found the workflow and the sequencer in Reason to be an absolute joy to use. As a pianist, Radical Piano significantly adds to my enjoyment of Reason, and at 99 dollars, it's a great bargain for what it offers.

Balance Audio Interface

I have a Yamaha synthesizer workstation that I use for a lot of my music, but I often find it limiting. For example, my Yamaha has a few trumpet sounds, but I sometimes find that I can't make any of them sound exactly the way I want. I also like to add swells and falls occasionally when playing brass, and my Yamaha just doesn't offer me that flexibility  For that reason, a DAW and a MIDI controller are indispensable tools for me. My DAW of choice (and indeed the only DAW I use) is Reason.

When I first broke into the world of MIDI, I had a bargain USB audio interface for my computer. It sounded terrible, so when I started playing live pretty frequently, I decided to upgrade to a professional quality interface. Based on reviews, I purchased a Scarlett 2i2 interface. I found the audio quality to be good, but the output level was so low that I had to leave it turned up to 100% always, and on our mixing board channel for my keys, the gain had to be turned almost all the way up. The result was no headroom and on some sounds, the levels were still too low.

After returning the Scarlett and a long search for a better interface, I decided to get Propellerhead's Balance interface. I was hesitant at first because of the beefy price tag, but I have been so pleased with the quality of Reason that I felt confident in the purchase. My confidence was certainly not misplaced. Not only is the Balance a quality piece of hardware, but it's also an excellent audio interface. At the most basic level, the output quality of the Balance is just what you'd expect from Propellerhead, but the Balance really shines when you spend some time with it.

First of all, the inputs on the Balance are behind the device, so the controls of the interface are unimpeded by cables. However, there's a more useful reason why Propellerhead chose this design. While the Balance is, like many other similar interfaces, a 2-input interface, it's designed for you to plug in your devices and leave them plugged in. To select one of the inputs, you simply press one of the color-coded buttons on the front of the interface. This is a great system because I can keep my mic plugged into the XLR input, a guitar plugged into the guitar input, a drum machine plugged into another input, and a synth plugged into another. Using one of these devices in one of my Reason songs is as simple as pressing the input button on the Balance and setting my levels.

Speaking of levels, when you're using Balance with Reason, you can take advantage of the unique Clip Safe feature. Clip Safe records a second copy of your track at a lower level. If you end up accidentally clipping during your recording, you can switch out the clipped sample with the Clip Safe sample and save yourself from having to record again. This is a crazy simple feature that should exist in every DAW. Other features unique to Reason users is a large and easy-to-read level meter and a tuner for guitars and basses.

Finally, the Balance interface stores your Reason license so that you no longer have to carry around the USB key with your license on it. This alone is a great reason to choose Balance, but it's certainly not the only reason. Balance is a top-quality USB interface that is certain to please for many years. Out of all of my music purchases over the past few years, Balance is among my favorites because it has made such a positive impact on my music.

By the way, since I perform live, I like to have the volume and levels on my Balance available to me while playing. To do that, I used some 3M Command Strips on my Balance and on my Axiom keyboard. I am able to attach my Balance to the left side of my Axiom and easily adjust volume and levels while performing. Not only is this convenient, but it draws the attention of plenty of musicians who wonder what that really cool-looking device is with the red underside.

Conclusion

Reason 6.5 is a no-brainer upgrade for anyone who is already a Reason user, but it's also a great entry-point for new Reason users. Couple it with the extensibility of Rack Extensions (and Reason ReFills) and a Propellerhead Balance and you've got a powerhouse music production system that rivals any studio. It would be hard for me to overstate how much I have enjoyed using Reason during this review, and I'm confident that it's an enjoyment that will last for many years to come.

Samson Graphite 49 MIDI Keyboard

Gear Summary

Poor build quality keeps me from recommending what could have been an excellent MIDI controller.

Full Review

My main keyboard is a Yamaha Motif, but I recently decided that I wanted to add a second keyboard in order to expand my capabilities.  I decided to get a MIDI controller instead of a synthesizer or workstation because it provides me with so much more variety when performing and composing music. I've had great success with Samson gear in the past, so when I found out that Samson had entered into the MIDI keyboard business, I was excited. I decided on the Samson Graphite 49, and against my better judgment, I ordered one before any reviews had surfaced. Lesson learned.

The Graphite 49 has a semi-weighted keybed. I like semi-weighted keybeds because they are fast while being firm enough to prevent playing keys unintentionally during quick riffs. However, the way that Samson has chosen to implement their keybed is terrible. Samson has glued pot metal slabs under each plastic key in order to give the key additional weight. In my opinion, that's just plain sloppy engineering in itself, but what worse is that the glue doesn't stick all that well to slick plastic, so when my keyboard arrived, several pieces of this metal had fallen off. Three were banging against the keyboard, and at least two others had found their way inside of the keyboard casing and were banging around inside of the keyboard. Now I'm not an electrical engineer, but I am pretty sure that having pot metal banging around inside of a sensitive electronic device isn't a good thing, and I know it's not good to have them banging up against the exterior of the keyboard. 

I actually ended up never even plugging in the Graphite 49. Instead, I put it back in the packaging and returned it to my local Guitar Center where I exchanged it (and some cash) for a new M-Audio Axiom 61. I've been extremely pleased with the Axiom 61, and I'll be posting a review of it here in the near future.

Conclusion

Despite brand recognition, the Graphite 49 just isn't high enough quality for me to recommend to anyone. I might be suitable for someone who needs it for light use, but for real music production or live gigging, I seriously doubt it would hold up.

Up and Coming: Behringer XENYX X2442USB Mixer

My band has purchased the Behringer XENYX X2442USB mixer so that we can plug everyone into our own board during gigs. After I have had a chance to see how it works out for us, I'll be posting a full review, so stay tuned!

TASCAM DR-07mkII Portable Digital Recorder

Gear Summary

I'm a huge fan of the Zoom R16 digital recorder, which I use whenever I need a CD-quality recording of my band. The R16 also includes built-in stereo microphones that make great recordings, but it's bulky to carry to a gig, and recording requires me to set levels, something that's often not possible when my band is on a tight schedule.

The TASCAM DR-07MKII portable digital recorder is the perfect solution for making high-quality recordings of any audio source.

Full Review

I recently heard a radio interview from a National Public Radio producer who had saved audio recordings of voice mail messages her children left her when they were very young. Her kids are now in college, and she relishes the recordings she made those many years ago. In fact, she values those audio recordings more than she does the many videos she has of the kids because the audio recordings are unscripted and portray an honest reflection of the children's personalities. Being a father of two younger children, I started thinking about making some audio recordings of my own kids, so I did some research into digital recorders and discovered the TASCAM DR-07mkII. (I actually use the DR-07mkII to also record my band's gigs and practices, a task for which it is well-suited.)

The DR-07mkII is a handheld digital recorder. It records onto microSD or microSDHC media and can take a card up to 32GB in size. (The device comes with a 2GB card which is enough for many hours of high-quality recording.) It will record in either WAV format or MP3 format. WAV files can be recorded up to 96kHz / 24-bit, and MP3s can be recorded up to 320kbps fixed bitrate or variable bitrate.

The microphones on the DR-07mkII can be used in either XY or AB configuration. (The figure at the left shows them in AB configuration.) AB configuration will give you more natural sounding stereo imaging, while XY configuration will give you much wider imaging. While recording, you can manually set levels or you can let the TASCAM take care of it for you by enabling the auto-level feature. There's also a peak reduction mode that TASCAM says is optimized for music recording and a peak limiter that prevents sudden noises from causing problems.

The list of features on this device is long and you can review them all on Amazon's website. I think it might be more useful to describe my experience with the DR-07mkII.

The first time I used the DR-07mkII was at an open mic night at a local bar. I took advantage of the built-in tripod socket on the rear of the device and mounted it to a small camera tripod. (Doing so is critical with the DR-07mkII. If you even touch the device while recording, the handling noise will practically drown out your source.) I placed the device approximately 15 feet from the speakers and turned on auto-level. The results were pretty impressive. (Here's a recording of a friend, Barry Martin, that was made with the DR-07mkII that night.) The frequency range of the recording was excellent. Stereo separation was superb, and the ambience of the recording was great. The only problem was that even the slightest breath of air across the microphones caused a low-frequency rumble.

TASCAM recommends their WSDR2 windscreen to solve the problem of wind across the microphones. If you want a solution custom-made for the DR-07mkII, that's a good choice, but at almost $40.00, it was a little rich for my blood. Instead, I bought a foam ball windscreen for 2 dollars. It won't fit the DR-07mkII when the microphones are in XY configuration, but that's fine with me because of don't ever record with them in that configuration anyway.

Overall, I'm extremely happy with the DR-07mkII. I think it could easily be improved by decreasing handling noise and it would be great if the on-board speaker produced a little more volume. However, these two things aside, it's quite nearly the perfect solution for making quality recordings on the go.

TASCAM DR-07mkII Portable Digital Recorder