|
You’re either looking at a mixer or thinking of buying one but either way you need to know exactly what it’s for and how to use it. Few bits of band kit carry more mystique than the mixing desk – it comes with its own language and resembles the flight deck of a large airliner. Don’t be put off by the jargon and the complexity, its really quite a simple beast once you’ve played around with it a little – and trial and error is the way that most of us come to terms with our mixers. Trial and error though can lead to costly errors and waste valuable time. I recently tried to record my band live but couldn’t be both playing and on the desk, and only discovered afterwards that the engineer hadn’t sent the signal to the DAW… All the complicated setting-up and checking was right but two and a half hours of live gig weren’t captured at all because a simple matter of pressing one tiny button was overlooked – but… there you go, it’s that easy to go wrong.
If you already have one, read this article with it in front of you. If you have yet to take the plunge, look up the one that interests you and check the specification, keep this handy while you read.
What is a Mixer?
A mixer, mixing console, mixing board or desk is a device that allows you to balance, position, effect and equalize various different audio channels into one sonic image – a mix. You can add FX to selected channels, position instruments to a location in the stereo field (pan), route channels to external FX units and shape the sound of each channel with a dedicated equalizer allowing you to adjust the bass, treble and mid range.
The first piece of ‘band’ kit we bought, as opposed to individual pieces of kit, was a Behringer mixer. Lots of venues have their own, as an integral part of the PA system, but many don’t, or – if they do, they often turn out to be less than perfect – with channels that don’t work, sticky faders, dodgy connections. The first gig we played, we found on setting up that the house mixer didn’t work at all ie – no PA. We simply plugged in our trusty beast and left it to our own sound engineer to sort out. At other gigs it’s proven a better desk than the resident one or it’s mixed our stage sound for us. Inexpensive digital mixers, like ours, include microphone pre-amps, phantom power and the ability to record from the desk. It can be used to get tracks onto a home pc for DIY recording projects and a wide variety of loops, samples and FX that can be triggered live. Get one. Now. What follows will make a whole lot of sense if you are looking at a mixer – and hopefully much more sense than the manual does.
Why do we need a mixer?
Acoustic sounds – voices or musical instruments – are often collected through transducers – microphones and pick-ups. These produce weak electrical signals which must be amplified to line level. Amplification is performed by a pre-amplifier (“preamp”). At line level, signals can be more easily manipulated by devices such as mixing consoles and tape recorders. Manipulation at line level is what the mixer desk is for – it takes a number of signals (vocals, guitars, bass, drums etc) and allows you to balance and blend them into an audio mix, an output signal blended from all those inputs. Output signals are then sent to a power amplifier, where they are amplified to levels that can drive loudspeakers, which then convert the signals back into sounds that can be heard through the air. When you consider the variety of different sounds (vocal, percussive, electronic etc) and volume levels that a band produces, the need for a mixing desk to put it all together as a cohesive, balanced sound is easy to see.
Mixer Terminology
So, you’re looking at the desk, a bewildering array of knobs and sliders with strange, alien names. Sound engineers excel at creating new names for otherwise familiar things and concepts – our sound engineer once stared blankly and uncomprehendingly at a question I raised about ‘output leads’ and after several minutes of this said cuttingly – “You mean ‘feeds’. You should have said so”. There were other words, mostly shortish ones denoting body parts and sundry related activities. Such are sound engineers. So, you’re looking at the desk and you ask…
… What is a Channel?
A channel is an audio input that goes to a fader. A typical mixer channel will have an input selectorfor choosing mic (microphone) or line signals (such as a guitar output), a trim knobfor adjusting the input level (volume), and dedicated EQ(equalization) controls to alter the bass, midrange and treble bands of the signal (see above). A channel usually has sends which send part of the signal to an FX (effects) unit (or other destination). Finally a channel may have a bus selector switch which switches the channel output to a bus.
… What is a Fader?
A fader is a sliding level control that can be used to vary the loudness of any mixer channel. The name comes from “fading in” and “fading out” tracks. Look at your mixer – Is there a little “infinity”symbol at the bottom? Infinity means “zero” in mixer-speak. I did warn you about Sound Engineers’ terminology… See the heavy line nextto the solobutton? That is the marker for 0dBvu, sometimes called the “nominal” or normal level. It signifies that at that point the signal that exitsthe fader is the sameas the signal that enteredthe fader. If you lowerthe fader from that point you attenuate(ie reduce) the signal. If you raisethe fader from that point you add gainto (or boost) the signal.
… And What’s a Bus?
A bus is a faderwith its own dedicated output. You could also say that a bus is a major pathway from all channelsto a single faderconnected to an output. You can send everything going to that faderout of the mixer to another piece of gear – You can also bring the signal back in to the mixer on spare channels. Why would you want to do this? External FX processing for example – sending the signal for effects to be applied by an external unit then returning the processed signal so it can be sent on to a pa or other destination. On mixers with buses, there are routing buttonson each channel that lets you route the whole signal to one of the buses. The main busis often called the ‘L/R bus’. Other buses are often grouped in pairs, like the 1-2 bus and 3-4 bus. There may also be another switch that lets you route these bus fadersto the ‘master fader’. Typical uses of buses are to send a track (or groups of tracks) to a digital multi-track, or to a sound card or audio interface. Yet you can also be very creative with them, sending them to samplers, groove-boxes with analog inputs, surround encoders, separate compressors etc. Some buses may have channel inserts.
… Channel Inserts?
An insert is a pathway out and then back again into a single fader, letting you return the external signal to the mixer without using more channels. Use an insert to patch in an external piece of gear that only affects that one channel. Typical uses of inserts are patching compressors, outboard EQs, exciters, pedals, multi-track recorder input/outputs, and FX boxes. Lots of people route channel inserts to a patch-bay where they can plug in various devices conveniently. A well-featured mixer will have inserts on individual channels, busesand the master fader.
What is a Pan Pot?
Easy! A pan pot, is a little knob marked ‘pan’… OK, you’ll want to know what it is for – it is a panoramic potentiometer and it allows you to place the signal it applies to (see ‘channel’) anywhere in the stereo field, from extreme left to extreme right, and all stops in between. It helps you separate the sounds in the mix – very handy when you find yourself with flute, sax and harmonica playing guests.
What are the Mute/Solo buttons for?
The mute button silencesthe audio on a channel (so you can hear other stuff in the mix, from other channels). A solo button silences everything exceptthe signal on a channel so you can hear that channel in isolation. Our (un)sound engineer has been known to mute a channel not currently being used (lest someone inadvertently wreck his mix by coughing on a live mic or smacking a guitar into a mic stand. It’s reasonable, but not when he goes off in search of more beer and the next song up requires that channel… be warned.
What are Routing Buttons?
Routing Buttons switch the audio signal down the pathway to the buses. Think of them as an output selector. If you press the ’3-4′ routing buttonand pan it (rotate it) all the way to the left / counter clockwise, the signal goes out by bus out 3. If you press the ’1-2′ routing button and pan it all the way right / clockwise, the signal only goes out bus 2. If you press 1-2, 3-4, and L-R and pan to the center point, the signal goes out through all 6 outputs. I recommend you try all these options just to know what the results are – we had our desk for 6 months before we realised how useful this could be.
What’s a Send – and a Return?
A send is a major audio path that goes out of the mixer. There is, usually, a knob on each channel for each send so you can direct variable amounts of that channel to the pathway. These knobs send a variable amount, a little or a lot of each channel to a single mono output. A send can function as a separate monitor mix and is used forstage monitors. In a recording situation, the send typically goes to an FX unit. The signal is brought back to the mixerby the returns, and can be added to the main signal. A send is effectively a sub-mix. You don’t have to bring back the sends to their returns. You can bring them back to an empty channel and continue to process with EQ, or on to a bus fader. You can use the returns like any other line input, patching in synths, other mixers, computer sound-cards, a CD player, decks and anything else you can think of.
Can you use a live console/mixer for recording to your DAW(digital audio workstation)?
Yes! Use the buses (now you know what they are) to get an isolated signal to your DAW, sound card, or audio interface. They all work the same way. Or use the inserts to connect to the DAW with unbalanced cables (see below and also your mixer manual will explain these). Shut off the global EQ. Things to look for – does the mixer have all the ins and outs you need? Does it have enough buses? Do you need direct outs? How many sends and returns, pre-amps, do you need? How is phantom power implemented? Are all the connections balanced (see below)? Which are not? This is a recording issue and beyond the scope of this article but any good home recording guide will give you the information you need. 90% of the digital mixers now available will do the job well – the size of the mixer, in terms of the number of inputs, is likely to be the variable factor but then – how many channels will you need to record at once?
How Big a Desk Do We Need for our Live Work?
The number of inputs is the key issue but note that 24 channels may only give you 12 analogue inputs and those are the ones you need for your mic’s and any Dis (direct inputs). Bear in mind that if you are mic’ing drums that could involve 3 to 5 mic inputs or more. Behringer typically indicate the specification of the mixer in the model name – for example the Xenyx 2222 has a USB interface (that’s the Xenyx bit), 22 channels, 2 buses and 2 master outs. The 2442 has 24 channels, 4 buses and 2 master outs. The former gives you 10 analogue inputs, the latter 12. Not all manufacturers use such descriptive model names however so be sure to read the specification data first.
Balanced and Unbalanced Cables
The XLR (mic’) lead is balanced, similarly speaker leaders, and the guitar/instrument lead is unbalanced. Three wire system, balanced, and two wire system, unbalanced. In the balanced lead the positive and the negative don’t contact the earth whereas in the unbalanced lead the negative and the earth are one and the same thing. The earth – (ground) is exactly that. The green earth wire goes to a copper stake in the ground so that any short circuit between the positive and earth will send the current to ground, but because the positive and the negative don’t contact the earth it is said to be floating ‘above ground’. The shield acts as a protection from interference by sending any extraneous electrical interference like hum, to ground. Unfortunately in the unbalanced circuit negative is ground! This makes your choice of stage box (multi-core cable) important as good ones feature a built-in ‘ground-lift’ that cancels that irritating hum which can drive sound engineers to distraction – and beers.
Unbalanced
The two signals of an unbalanced connection are referred to as “signal” and “ground”. The ground is the zero reference while the signal has a voltage level that is above or below zero. This voltage level determines whether the signal is a 1 or a 0 (VGA, Audio & Video are Analog signals, the analog signal can have a voltage level anywhere between the high and low voltage levels). Coax cabling reduces exposure to cross-talk.
Balanced
Balanced signals are often called “current loop” signals and travel on “twisted pairs” (UTP for Unshielded
Twisted Pair or STP for Shielded Twisted Pair). The two signals in a balanced pair are like opposite charges of each other. What that means is if one wire has 12 volts, the other wire will have -12 volts. As the signal travels the pair, one wire radiates a magnetic field but as its partner wire generates an opposite field, the two fields cancel out. This cancelling is how balanced signals eliminate ‘cross-talk’. Since Twisted pair wire is usually cheaper then Coax wire, balanced signals are more popular. Make sure that you have the appropriate cables and always have back-up. As with so many things in your live set-up, the cheap buy often turns out to be the most expensive over a period of time but a misplaced boot can swiftly kill the best shielded cable.
Your mixer can make a huge difference to your band’s on-stage sound and getting to grips with it will teach you a lot about sound engineering and how to get the best out of your kit. It can also lead you into the fascinating world of recording – and be a huge help in writing and developing your own songs. Along the way you can discover the fun to be had with samples and other ways to enhance your live sound. Good luck!
Behringer Vmx100 2 Channel Mixer Counter Image
Behringer Vmx100 2 Channel Mixer Counter Image
Behringer Vmx100 2 Channel Mixer Counter Picture
Behringer Vmx100 2 Channel Mixer Counter Photo
Most helpful customer reviews
28169 of 28456 people found the following review helpful.
 Kindle vs. Nook (updated 6/2/2011)
By Ron Cronovich
When I wrote this review last August, there was only one Nook, which is now called “Nook First Edition.” It continues to be available, but there are two new Nooks. The Nook Color was introduced last fall – it’s basically a tablet computer, and runs the Android software that is popular on many smartphones nowadays. It’s twice as heavy and costs twice as much as a Kindle, but compared to other tablet computers, it is a very good value.
And now (early June 2011), a new e-ink based Nook is coming out. It’s called the “Nook Simple Touch.” It is just now starting to ship, so obviously I don’t have one and can’t tell you anything about it that you can’t learn by reading online reviews. But the reviews are very favorable, so if you’re considering a Kindle, you should take a look at the new Nook Simple Touch, too.
But the Kindle is nonetheless still a compelling option. It’s a mature product, very well designed and easy to use, performance is very zippy, it’s competitively priced, and no e-ink based reader has a better, more readable display than the Kindle, not even the new Nook Simple Touch. Also, the Kindle universe is quite extensive: the Kindle store is great and has many thousands of free e-books as well as good deals on most other e-books, and once purchased, you can read your Kindle books on nearly any device you own (computer, phone, tablet), not just your Kindle. And there are tons of great cases and other accessories for the Kindle.
So, while my review compares the Kindle to the older Nook, I’ll leave it here because it has a ton of information about the Kindle, a great e-reader that deserves your attention, and because the original Nook continues to be available. That said, I urge you to NOT buy the original Nook. It was a respectable e-reader when it came out in 2009, and still had some value when I wrote about it in August 2010, but it is clearly inferior by today’s standards.
———— my original review ————–
If you’re trying to choose between a Nook and a Kindle, perhaps I can help. My wife and I have owned a Nook (the original one), a Kindle 2, and a Kindle DX. When Amazon announced the Kindle 3 this summer, we pre-ordered two Kindle 3′s: the wi-fi only model in graphite, and the wi-fi + 3G model in white. They arrived in late August and we have used them very regularly since then. For us, Kindle is better than Nook, but Nook is a good device with its own advantages that I will discuss below. I’ll end this review with a few words about the Nook Color.
First, reasons why we prefer the Kindle:
* Speed
In our experience, the Kindle is very zippy compared to the Nook. Page refresh speed (the time it takes a new page to appear after you push the page-turn button) was WAY quicker on Kindle 2 than on Nook, and it’s quicker yet on Kindle 3. Yet, I read a whole book on the Nook and didn’t find the slower page refresh to be annoying – you get used to it, and it’s not a problem.
For me, the more important speed difference concerns navigation – moving the cursor around the screen, for example to pick a book from your library, or to jump to a chapter by selecting it in the table of contents. On Kindle, you do this by pushing a 5-way rocker button, and the cursor moves very quickly. On Nook, you do this by activating the color LCD touchscreen (which normally shuts off when not in use, to conserve battery). A “virtual rocker button” appears on the screen, and you touch it to move the cursor. Unfortunately, the Nook cursor moves very sluggishly. This might not be a big deal to you, but it really got annoying to me, especially since my wife’s Kindle was so quick and responsive.
In November 2010, Nook got a software upgrade that increases page refresh speed and makes navigation more responsive. I returned my Nook months ago, so I cannot tell you if the Nook’s performance is now equal to the Kindle’s, but Nook owners in the comments section have convinced me that the software update improves the experience of using the Nook. If performance is a big factor in your decision, visit a Best Buy and compare Kindle and Nook side by side.
* Screen contrast
You’ve seen Amazon’s claims that the Kindle 3 e-ink has 50% better contrast than Kindle 2 or other e-ink devices. I have no way of precisely measuring the improvement in contrast, but I can tell you that the Kindle 3 display definitely has more contrast than Kindle 2 or Nook. The difference is noticeable, and important: more screen contrast means less eyestrain when reading in poorly lit rooms.
In well-lit rooms, the Nook and Kindle 2 have enough contrast to allow for comfortable reading. But I often read in low-light conditions, like in bed at night, or in a poorly lit room. In these situations, reading on Nook or Kindle 2 was a bit uncomfortable and often gave me a mild headache. When I got the Kindle 3, the extra contrast was immediately noticeable, and made it more comfortable to read under less-than-ideal lighting conditions. (If you go with a Nook, just make sure you have a good reading lamp nearby.)
* Battery life
The Nook’s color LCD touch screen drains its battery quickly – I could never get more than 5 days out of a charge. The Kindle 2 had longer battery life than the Nook, and Kindle 3 has even longer life: in the 3 months since we received our Kindle 3′s, we typically get 3 weeks of battery life between charges. (We keep wireless off about half the time to save battery power.)
* Weight
Nook weighs about 3 ounces more than the new Kindle, and you can really feel the difference. Without a case, Nook is still light enough to hold in one hand for long reading sessions without fatigue. But in a case, Nook is a heavy sucker. The new Kindle 3 is so light, even in a case, we find it comfortable holding in one hand for long reading sessions.
Reasons some people might prefer the Nook:
* In-store experience
If you need help with your nook, you can take it to any barnes and noble and get a real human to help. You can take your nook into the coffee shop section of your local B&N store and read any book for free for up to one hour per day. When you take your nook to B&N, some in-store special deals and the occasional free book pop up on your screen.
* User-replaceable battery
Rechargeable batteries eventually lose their ability to hold a charge. Nook’s battery is user-replaceable and relatively inexpensive. To replace Kindle’s battery, Amazon wants you to ship your Kindle to Amazon, and they will ship you back a DIFFERENT Kindle than the one you sent (it’s the same model, for example if you send a white Kindle 3, you get a white Kindle 3 back, but you get a “refurbished” one, NOT the exact one you sent them). I don’t like this at all.
However, several people have posted comments here that have eased my concerns. Someone looked up statistics on the Kindle’s battery and did some simple calculations to show that it should last for 3 or more years. Before that happens, I will surely have upgraded to a newer Kindle model by then. Also, someone found some companies that sell Kindle batteries at reasonable cost and have how-to videos that demonstrate how we can replace the battery ourselves. Doing this would void the Kindle’s warranty, but the battery will probably not fail until long after the warranty expires.
[update June 2011: The batteries in the Nook Color and Nook Simple Touch are not replaceable, but the battery in the original Nook is.]
* ePub
Nook uses the ePub format, a widely used open format. Amazon uses a proprietary ebook format. Many libraries will “lend” ebooks in the ePub format, which works with nook but not kindle. However, a free and reputable program called Calibre allows you to translate ebooks from one format to another – it supports many formats, including ePub and Kindle. The only catch is that it doesn’t work with copy-protected ebooks, so you can’t, for example, buy a Kindle book (which is copy protected) and translate it to ePub so you can read it on a Nook.
* Nook’s color LCD touchscreen
The original Nook has a small color LCD screen on the bottom for navigation. This could be a pro or con, depending on your preferences. It makes the Nook hipper and less drab than Kindle. Some people enjoy using the color LCD to view their library or navigate. I did, at first. But after two weeks of use, and comparisons with my wife’s Kindle, I found the dedicated buttons of the Kindle easier and far quicker to use than the Nook’s color touchscreen. I also found the bright light from the color screen distracting when I was trying to read a book or newspaper (though when not in use, it shuts off after a minute or so to conserve battery).
* expandable capacity
Nook comes with 2GB of internal memory. If you need more capacity, you can insert a microSD card to add up to 16GB more memory. Kindle comes with 4GB of internal memory – twice as much as Nook – but there’s no way to expand that. Kindle doesn’t accept memory cards of any type. If you mainly use your device to read ebooks and newspapers, this shouldn’t be an issue. I have over 100 books on my Kindle, and I’ve used only a tiny fraction of the memory. Once Kindle’s memory fills up, just delete books you don’t need immediate access to; you can always restore them later, in seconds, for free.
A few other notes:
Kindle and Nook have other features, such as an MP3 player and a web browser, but I caution you to have low expectations for these features. The MP3 player on the Kindle is like the first-generation iPod shuffle – you can’t see what song is playing, and you can’t navigate to other songs on your device. I don’t like the browser on either device; e-ink is just not a good technology for surfing the web; it’s slower and clunkier than LCD screen technology, so even the browser on an Android phone or iPod touch is more enjoyable to use. However, some commenters have more favorable views of either device’s browser, and you might, too.
* ebook lending
If you have a Nook or a Kindle, you can “lend” an ebook you purchased to someone else with the same device for up to two weeks. The Nook has always had this feature. The Kindle just got this feature as of December 2010. Most but not all purchased ebooks are lendable, due to publisher restrictions.
* PDF support
Kindle and Nook both handle PDF files, but in different ways. When you put a PDF file on your nook, nook converts it into an ebook-like file, then you can adjust the font size, and the text and pagination will adjust just like with any ebook. But you cannot see the original PDF file in the native format in which it was created. Kindle 3 and Kindle DX have native support for PDF files. You can see PDF files just as they would appear on your computer. You can also convert PDF files to an ebook-like format, and then Kindle handles them just the way the Nook handles them – text and pagination adjust when you change the font size. Unfortunately, some symbols, equations, and graphics get lost or mangled in the translation – even when viewing PDF files in their native format on the Kindle. Moreover, the small screen size of the Kindle 3 and the Nook is not great for PDF files, most of which are designed for a larger page size. You can zoom and pan, but this is cumbersome and tiresome. Thanks to commenters who suggested viewing PDF files in landscape mode on the Kindle (I don’t know if you can do this on Nook); this way, you can see the entire top half of the page without panning, and then scroll down to the bottom half. This works a little better.
SUMMARY:
Nook and Kindle each offer their own advantages. We like the nook’s user-replaceable battery, compatibility with ePub format, and in-store experience. But we strongly prefer Kindle 3 because its performance is zippier, its higher-contrast screen is easier to read, and it’s smaller and lighter so it is more portable and more comfortable to hold in one hand for long reading sessions.
* Nook Color
Everything I wrote about the Nook in this review applies to the original Nook (which continues to be available), not the new Nook Color. To me, the Nook Color is in a different product category than the Kindle or original Nook. Nook Color has an LCD screen, like an iPad or most computer monitors. That’s a big disadvantage for people like me, who get headaches from reading a computer screen for long periods of time. Amazon’s Kindle product page has an informative section on e-ink vs. LCD displays.
But many people don’t have problems reading from computer screens, and the Nook Color is getting glowing reviews in the press and by owners. For the money, it offers a lot of functionality such as a good web browser and the ability to play games and watch movies. But keep in mind: it costs a lot more than the Kindle, it weighs nearly twice as much, it doesn’t come in a 3G version, and (unlike the original Nook) the Nook Color doesn’t have a user replaceable battery.
1941 of 1976 people found the following review helpful.
 I Wanted a Dedicated E-Reader, and That’s What I Got
By Matthew E. Coenen
I’m a first-time Kindle owner, so I have nothing to “compare” the latest Kindle to. I don’t own a Nook. I don’t own an iPad (and, in any case, that’s comparing apples to oranges). I don’t have a Sony e-reader. ‘
This will be a short, simple review.
I received my Kindle about a week ago and haven’t been able to put it down.
Things I like about my Kindle?
1. The e-ink display is amazing.
2. Using the 5-way controller is simple and effective.
3. Page turn speeds are faster than I thought they would be.
4. It’s lightweight, even with the attached cover (I have an Amazon cover with a built-in light)
5. Page-turning buttons are quiet and well-placed.
6. Recharge time is fast.
7. I can order a book and start reading it in less than 60 seconds. Nice!
8. Portability… I can take 3,000 books with me when I travel for work and not require additional suitcases or baggage fees.
Things I’m not too keen on?
1. Buttons are too close together and are laid out oddly.
2. Lack of individual number buttons is frustrating.
3. Power button on the bottom? Not a bad thing. Just an odd thing. (Same for the headphone input). I usually rest the “bottom” of a book on my lap when I read.
Things I hope change in the future?
1. How books are organized… When I put a book in a collection (which is actually a “tag”), it still appears in the main list. It’s not actually “moved”, it’s merely associated.
2. The look of the main screen. I’d like “folders” or some other way to display “collections”.
3. Ability to create personal “screen savers.”
4. E-book pricing, though Amazon has little control over this. Still, most titles are the same price as or less than their hardback/paperback counterparts. (And I’m not opposed to paying more for convenience and portability).
Things that don’t bother me regarding other reviews?
1. The browser is experimental. Amazon has created a dedicated e-reader, and it’s meant to be used to read. Period. Not browse the web. If you want to browse the web, get a computer — not an e-reader.
2. The Kindle is not an mP3 player, either. Yes, it’s nice to have some classical music playing in the background while I read, but I don’t need to see the title of the song, album art, etc. (And you can skip from track to track on the Kindle using shortcut keys).
3. Lack of a “color” or “touch” screen.
In summary, for $139, I’m quite thrilled with my purchase and have arleady read multiple books on it. In fact, I think I’ve read more in the past week than I’ve read in the past month.
9141 of 9343 people found the following review helpful.
 Worth the money. Not perfect, but very very good for start to finish novels in good light
By Jeffrey Stanley
The Kindle is my first e-ink reader. I own an iPad, an iPhone, and have owned a Windows-based phone in the past that I used as an ereader.
My overall impression of the device is good.
The good:
I’d honestly rather read linear (read from page one to the end, one page at a time) fiction from it than a book, because I can’t always get comfortable with a book. Hardcovers are sometimes a bit heavy, and paperbacks don’t always lie open easily. The Kindle is incredibly light and thin. I can hold it in one hand easily. The page turn buttons are conveniently located. Page-turns aren’t instant, but they’re probably quicker than turning a physical page in a printed book (there are just a lot more page-turns unless you choose a small font). The contrast is better than other ereaders I’ve seen. There is zero eye strain in good light. My eyesight isn’t the greatest and I like being able to increase the font size and read without glasses. I love being able to browse the Kindle store and read samples before deciding to purchase. The “experimental” browser is surprisingly usable, but isn’t great. It is useful for browsing wikipedia and blogs. The biggest drawback to the browser is the awkward pointer navigation, using the 5-way pad. It syncs your furthest read page over the internet so you can pick up where you left off using your iPhone or iPad.
The so-so:
The kindle store could use more categories and sorting options. You can’t sort by “top rated,” and there is no category for “alternate histories,” for example. Finding a very-specific type of fiction relies on keyword searches, which don’t do a great job. The wifi sometimes doesn’t connect before it times-out. You rarely need the wifi, but it is annoying if you change a setting, answer “OK” to the prompt to connect, and the thing tells you it failed to connect two seconds later (the exact moment it indicates that it did finally connect, then you need to go back to update the setting again). Most settings don’t require a connection, but it is a minor annoyance. Most of your time will be spent reading, and of course your books are stored on the device and a connection is not required. Part of me wishes I’d bought the 3G model, because the browser is good enough that having lifetime free 3G wireless would be worth the extra money. Magazines don’t look very good and are not very easy to navigate. There is minor glare in some lighting conditions, mostly when a lamp is positioned behind the reader’s head.
The bad:
The contrast is fair to poor in dim light. It is much easier to read a printed page in dim light. In good light, contrast is on par with a pulp paperback. In dim light it feels almost like reading from an old Palm Pilot (resolution is better than an old Palm, but contrast is bad in dim light). The screen is small enough that the frequency of page turns is pretty high. Even in good light, the light gray background is less pleasant than the eggshell background of a printed page. You must tell it to sync before you switch it off, if you expect the feature allowing you to pick up where you left off using other devices to work correctly. The copy protection prevents you from using the files on anything other than Kindle software or devices.
Vs iPad:
IPad is a lot better for magazines, reference materials, and illustrated materials. Kindle is worlds better for reading novels. IPad is pretty heavy, making it more difficult to hold in your hand or carry with you everywhere. Kindle is much more portable and easier to hold. IPad has some amazing children’s books and magazines, which take advantage of its multimedia features. IPad is unreadable in sunlight and glare is bad in bright light. Kindle is as good as a printed page in bright light. Ipad serves as a creative tool, a computing tool, a gaming tool, and a communication tool. Kindle is only a novel machine. I don’t regret buying either one of them. An iPad won’t replace books, but a Kindle can, if the book is text-only.
I highly recommend this device at its new low price if you are a frequent reader of novels. I love my kindle. Just don’t expect it to be more than it is. Leave the magazines and such to the tablet computers.
See all 26570 customer reviews…
|