- Hey guys, AB here from B&H
and today we're taking a look at 10 instruments
you probably don't know we sell at B&H.
First of all, you do know that we sell instruments right?
Cause there are a lot of people out there
that think that B&H only sells cameras.
I actually had someone ask me,
hey since you guys only sell cameras,
where do you buy the instruments from that you
do the reviews on?
I was like (silly sound) what?
Anyway, thanks for watching this video
and don't forget to subscribe to our channel.
Let's get to that list.
One, theremin.
Sounds kinda like something you would take
for a severe head cold or flu, right?
Ugh.
- Hey there, what seems to be the problem?
- Hey doc, uh, I can't change pitch or volume
when I talk.
- Pitch, mm, you know I've been seeing this a lot lately,
a couple of my patients have the same problem.
I'm gonna write you a prescription
for something called theremin.
- Actually the theremin is an interesting instrument,
featuring two antenni that generate
an electromagnetic field.
To play the theremin, you use your hands
to create gestures and depending on which
antenna you're closest to, you'll be able
to affect pitch and or volume.
If you've ever been to a hipster party in Williamsburg
and you've seen a hippie waving his or her hands
in the air to create music,
but you didn't see an instrument,
you've probably been in the presence of a theremin.
And of course, we sell them here at B&H.
Number two, finger cymbals.
(cymbals clang)
Yes, believe it or not, we carry finger symbols.
Whether you're a professional percussionist,
belly dancer or just someone who can't afford
a full size set of cymbals,
these little instruments can add a really cool
sound to your setup.
You can either learn to play them traditionally
or just use them as accent pieces in your productions.
Number three, pocket operator.
(beeps)
Nah, not like that.
I'm talkin' about the cool little instruments
by Teenage Engineering, that make music making so much fun.
From drum machines to synths to samplers,
these pocket operators crank out
a huge sound for their size
and they're definitely budget friendly.
You can buy the entire line up for less than the cost
of one very good synthesizer.
So they're definitely worth checking out.
Number four, cajon, or as we say in American, Cajun.
(laughs)
Just kidding, it's actually a percussion instrument
originally from Peru and it's a rectangular box
that you sit on and play with your hands
and depending on which part of the box you hit,
you can generate deep tones, like that of a bass drum
or higher pitched sounds like that of a snare drum.
Players will often attach remote bass drum pedals
to the cajon, which frees up their hands
for more intensive playing.
The cajon is a great choice for solo percussionists
and acoustic groups that play Latin, rock, pop
or just about any other style out there.
Number five, have you ever wished for a piece of gear
you could just mess around with and come up
with a musical production,
even if you aren't a trained musician?
If so, the Korg Kaossilator may be the one to check out.
It's a pretty unique electronic instrument
that lets you create music in a wide range of styles.
Some of it's features include 250 internal sound programs,
an internal looper, mic and line inputs,
touch pad controller, key and scale setting preferences,
arpegiators and more.
So you can start making music as soon as you turn it on.
Also, for those of you looking for a cool way
to spice up your live shows,
the Kaoissilator has pad LEDs,
to give it great visibility on dark stages.
Number six, the tumba.
It's not a tumba.
Actually it is a tumba,
which is short for tumbadora
and it's the largest drum in the conga family,
producing rich and deep bass tones.
It's definitely a staple of Afro-Cuban music
but you will also hear the tumba in other genres,
such as jazz, blues, pop and more.
Like other members of the conga family,
the tumba has the ability to be tuned
so whether you're trying to match the pitch
to fit a particular key of a song
or you just wanna play around with alternate tunings
for fun, the tumba is a versatile instrument
no matter which style of music you play.
Number seven, mandolin.
A lot of guitarists who only play guitar,
often wish they could play
an additional stringed instrument,
and if you fall into this category,
you may want to check out the mandolin.
Here are a few reasons why.
A, first of all it's a great instrument
with a distinct sound.
Since it has eight strings,
it's kind of like playing a 12 string guitar
in that whenever you pick a string or fret a note,
you're actually playing two notes at once.
B, the picking technique you currently use on the guitar
is fairly transferrable to the mandolin.
So you can really spend more of your time
focusing on the new chord shapes and note positions
you'll have to learn.
And C, if you've typically only played rock or pop music,
playing mandolin would be a great introduction
to other styles of music, such as Americana,
country and bluegrass.
Number eight, stylophone.
- Now that is cute.
- No, this is not an activity where you play dress up
with your smart phone, okay.
A stylohphone is a miniature analog keyboard
operated by a stylus
and although these used to be sold as children's toys
in the late 60's and 70's,
there are some professional musicians
who've actually used them on their albums,
such as David Bowie on Ziggy Stardust.
Stylophones often feature a control for dialing in vibrato
and an output jack to let you track your performance
to your DAW or your hardware recorder.
So, if you need a musical sound that can give
your music a unique twist,
the stylophone is one to check out.
Number nine, keytar.
If you're keyboardist who's tired of watching
the guitarists get all the groupies,
you may need to look into this instrument.
The keytar is an electronic keyboard
that you wear on a strap, just like a guitarist.
And it gives you the ability to play your instrument
while moving about, if you so choose.
Keytars pack a lot of features as well.
The role of the AX-Edge for example,
has built in effects and dynamics,
arpegiators, USB and MIDI I/O,
a quarter inch of mic input with vocodor
and the option to be powered by a battery.
Whether you're the next prog rock keyboard god
or someone who just wants a powerful, versatile instrument
for studio or stage, the keytar is a great choice.
Number 10, the Digitech Trio Plus.
As a musician, I'm always an advocate for playing
with other live musicians.
But if you're a guitarist who's looking for
a way to practice creatively with backing tracks
without having to dive into your computer software
or hook up your smartphone,
you should check out the Digitech Trio Plus.
It has really smart software that follows
the chords you're playing and it creates
bass and drum sections in one of 12 different genres,
including rock, blues, R&B, hip hop,
dance and more and as it's full name suggests,
the Trio Plus includes a built in looper
with unlimited overdubs so it can be used
as a powerful, live performance tool.
Well, that's it for the list.
If you have ideas about other interesting instruments
that you think people would enjoy playing,
please feel free to leave a comment below.
This is AB and I'll see you next time.