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Reviews (6)
Mar 24, 2021
Great old school sci-fi just as I remembered it!
1 of 1 found this helpful I remembered this film from back when I first saw it during my childhood, when it was titled “Five Million Years To Earth” for U.S. release. I searched for it over the years only to come up empty. The film came to mind recently and I decided to search for it once again and that is when I learned the original UK title was “Quatermass and the Pit”. It is the exact same movie I recalled from childhood and it is even better than I remembered! There was no CGI back then and I’m glad there wasn’t. The film deals with several very advanced sci-fi themes for its day and I find the old school special effects are a stunning contrast to the ubiquitous, anything goes green screen magic prevalent these days. The DVD came brand new and factory sealed as advertised. I watched it twice already and enjoy it more each time. This is akin to those great old “Twilight Zone” episodes, the type of movie I’d scour the TV pages for and stay up all night to watch if I had to in the years before DVRs and streaming were even dreamed of. This is a bit of sci-if nostalgia that is as good or better than any of the over produced sci-fi movies we have today, and it has a great plot to boot! And with excellent performances from the cast across the board! If you are a sci-if buff l am sure you will love this movie. Highly recommended!
Oct 13, 2018
Best "thing" I ever bought?
3 of 3 found this helpful We had an English teacher who hated the word "thing" because there was always a better word to describe an object than "thing", or so he said. With the myriad voices and settings on the Aerophone AE-10, I'm sure even he would agree there is no better word to describe this pan-musical object than "thing".
I bought the graphite model. It's quite attractive. I've only had it a few weeks and I've been so busy playing it, I haven't even scratched the digital surface yet.
On the design; if you know how to play woodwinds, it's close enough so that it's very easy to play after only a little practice. Real keys are a very nice touch. The bite and breathe sensors really are quite realistic. The mouthpiece and playing the Aerophone mimics an acoustic woodwind close enough to be useful practice, IMO. And with a pair of good headphones, you can do pracitce anytime, anywhere in total silence!
That's all good because I can't put it down.
It will also take some time to get used to - and to get through - all of the voices and settings. But that's all part of the fun. Luckily, Roland included an easy return to factory settings selection for when you feel the need to get the voices back to home base.
I updated to the latest Version 3.0 firmware as soon as I took it out of the box. It comes in a nice compact padded soft case with accessories including power cord, neck strap, mouthpiece cover, cloth bag for the Aerophone,"scrunchy" to absorb moisture below the mouthpiece, and a case strap. The instrument drains condensation efficiently through a weep hole at the bottom. I also blow through it after turning it off and wipe it gently. And rinse and dry the mouthpiece then let everything air dry with the case open like I would my sax.
You have to provide your own USB cable and jack cord. I have a little 5 watt tube amp and all of the voices sound truly amazing through tubes and a 12" speaker.
I like the overall physical design and electronics (Roland's voices are fantastic) but they could have placed the control buttons and screen out of the way of the right thumb. I'm used to the placement now but Roland should include a key combination to "lockout" the control buttons to prevent unintentionally changing settings while playing. An adjustable thumb hook would hve been nice. And a low battery warning on the screen. It would have been really nice if you could use your own mouthpiece, maybe with a synthetic reed, but I guess that's really too much to ask, isn't it?
Little picky stuff like that doesn't detract from the sheer joy of playing this instrument. The Aerophone frees you to express yourself musically in ways you never imagined.
There are instruments in there whose names I had to Google. And it's so lightweight (only 2 pounds with six AA rechargeable batteries installed) I can play it for hours with my SaxHolder. It's physically much easier to play than an acoustic saxophone, sitting or standing. Only time will tell but I realize it won't last anywhere near as long as a good saxophone. Considering what I'm getting for the street price, that's fair enough, IMO. I'd definitely buy another one if this one ever stops working. Who knows what Roland can dream up for Aerophone 2.0?
I'm going to play more now. I don't "game" but I'd say the Aerophone is the closest you'll ever get to musical gaming. My acoustic sax is getting jealous.
Best thing I ever bought? Quite possibly, yes.
Feb 24, 2017
Comfortable high quality watch band
I bought this watchband to replace a thinner leather band I had on my Omega watch. This new band is more substantial and more comfortable. The longer I wear it, the better it feels. It's so comfortable, I forget I have it on my wrist! Fit and quality are excellent. This original Omega band looks great on my vintage Omega.