================================================================<br> J@pan Inc Magazine Presents:<br> M U S I C M E D I A W A T C H<br> Commentary on Japan's music technology news<br>================================================================<br>
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<a href="mailto:info@pbxl.jp">info@pbxl.jp</a><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br> ----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>CONTENTS<br><br>++ FEATURE: Competition Heats Up For Portable Audio Recorders<br>
<br>++ NOTEWORTHY NEWS: <br> ** ** SoftBank Mobile to release 3G iPhone in Japan on July 11<br> ** Q Entertainment to help localize rock band for Japan market<br> ** Yamaha offers online piano lessons via Skype<br> ** Label Gate offers music via SoftBank player software for PC<br>
** Dwango starts mobile Flash service for artist info<br><br><br>++ FEATURE: Competition Heats Up For Portable Audio Recorders<br><br>The 'must-have' gadget this year for musicians, podcasters, and <br>live music aficionados is the portable digital audio recorder, <br>
and music stores in Tokyo are currently having a hard time <br>keeping up with demand. Five new models from major Japanese <br>manufacturers have been released in just the past six months, <br>with more reportedly on the way. Whereas previous handheld <br>
recorders were intended primarily for business use and recording<br>speech, the newest batch of recorders features 'better-than-CD' <br>sound quality (24-bit digital audio sampled at 96 KHz) and <br>powerful built-in stereo microphones. These little devices have <br>
become a familiar sight at rehearsal studios, concert halls, <br>live spots and other places where musicians tend to congregate. <br><br>In 2004, Roland (through its Edirol subsidiary) became the first<br>company to come out with a handheld PCM recorder that could <br>
record straight to WAV or MP3 with passable sound quality. For <br>a few years, this device - called the R-01 - and its successors <br>from Roland were the only viable option for people looking to <br>record live music. While there were many products from other <br>
manufacturers that were suitable for recording business meetings<br>or class lectures, Roland's R-0x series of recorders were the <br>only ones that could record CD-quality sound and allowed <br>adjustment of volume levels to prevent distortion. The device <br>
quickly became a hit among musicians, who for the first time <br>were able to get good quality recordings of their gigs without <br>having to lug around expensive external microphones. <br><br>As word spread, and the Roland recorders began finding use in <br>
the creation of podcasts and other mobile audio content such <br>as realtones and voicetones, it became clear that this was more <br>than just a small niche market. Now competition is starting to <br>heat up as other manufacturers move in with their own entries. <br>
Last November, Sony released its PCM-D50 recorder, also aimed at<br>the high-end market for musicians and sound creators. In <br>February, Kenwood and Olympus both came out with competing <br>recorders, followed by an updated R-09HR from Roland in March. <br>
In April, Sanyo began selling its latest model, the ICR-PS1000M.<br>A summary of the features and key characteristics of these most <br>recent recorders is presented below:<br><br>1. Sanyo (ICR-PS1000M)<br>Released: April 2008<br>
Storage: Micro SD card only (no internal memory)<br>Weight: 92g<br>Price: JPY 35,000 (US $330)<br><br>2. Roland (R-09HR)<br>Released: March 2008<br>Storage: SD card only (no internal memory)<br>Weight: 174g<br>Price: JPY 40,000 (US $380)<br>
<br>3. Kenwood (MGR-A7)<br>Released: February 2008<br>Storage: 2.6 hours internal memory and SD card<br>Weight: 95g<br>Price: JPY 35,000 (US $330)<br><br>4. Olympus (LS-10)<br>Released: February 2008<br>Storage: 1 hour internal memory and SD card<br>
Weight: 165g<br>Price: JPY 50,000 (US $475)<br><br>5. Sony (PCM-D50)<br>Released: November 2007<br>Storage: 2 hours internal memory and memory stick<br>Weight: 365g<br>Price: JPY 60,000 (US $570)<br><br>All of the recorders listed above are able to record 24-bit <br>
audio at 96KHz, with the exception of the Kenwood recorder, <br>which tops out at 16-bit and 48KHz. Perhaps the most surprising <br>feature of all about these devices is their deceptively small <br>size. At 72 x 155 x 32 mm, the Sony unit is the largest, and <br>
they can all fit comfortably in a pocket. <br><br>For most performing musicians, these handheld recorders have <br>become indispensable tools, allowing them to easily record live <br>performances straight to MP3 and then quickly transfer the audio<br>
files to their websites and SNS pages. Now that there is some <br>serious competition in this space forming among Japan's <br>manufacturers, prices should start to come down a bit and <br>expectations will no doubt be high for the next wave of upcoming<br>
models. In particular, it should be interesting to see what <br>Roland comes out with next. As the pioneer and current market <br>leader, Roland has the most incentive to innovate, and will <br>likely push the envelope a bit in order to maintain its edge <br>
over the newcomers.<br><br>--------NEW GADGET BLOG: TEKRONOMICON.COM------------------<br><br>In collaboration with Gadget Watch, Gadget blog Tekronomicon<br>offers a detailed look at select gadgets - shiny and strange,<br>
from gizmo ground zero in Tokyo.<br>See the gadgets introduced in Gadget Watch,<br>with photos and more at: <a href="http://www.tekronomicon.com">www.tekronomicon.com</a><br><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br>
<br>++ NOTEWORTHY NEWS:<br><br>** SoftBank Mobile to release 3G iPhone in Japan on July 11<br>In brief: Softbank Mobile announced that it has concluded an <br>agreement with Apple Computer to distribute the iPhone in Japan,<br>
and planned to release the first Japanese iPhone on July 11. In <br>addition to Japan, 21 other countries will also see the release <br>of the first 3G iPhone. <br>Source:<br><a href="http://plusd.itmedia.co.jp/mobile/articles/0806/13/news046.html">http://plusd.itmedia.co.jp/mobile/articles/0806/13/news046.html</a><br>
<br>** Q Entertainment to help localize Rock Band for Japanese market<br>In brief: On June 3, Tokyo-based game developer Q Entertainment <br>announced it had entered into a contract with Harmonix and MTV <br>Games to help bring the Rock Band console game to Japan. Known <br>
for Lumines, a music/puzzle game, Q Entertainment will assist in<br>localizing the game for the Japanese market, including the <br>adaptation of popular Japanese songs for the game.<br>Source:<br><a href="http://plusd.itmedia.co.jp/games/articles/0806/03/news112.html">http://plusd.itmedia.co.jp/games/articles/0806/03/news112.html</a><br>
<br>** Yamaha offers online piano lessons via Skype<br>In brief: Yamaha Music Media has started a new service called <br>Piano Navi, in which piano students receive private one-on-one <br>piano lessons using Skype and a web camera. Students first <br>
choose an instructor, the song they wish to learn, and reserve <br>a lesson time online. A single lesson lasts for 25 minutes and <br>costs JPY 2,100 (US $20).<br>Source:<br><a href="http://www.pianonavi.com/">http://www.pianonavi.com/</a><br>
<br>** Label Gate offers music via SoftBank player software for PC<br>In brief: Label Gate, which operates the PC-based Mora online <br>music store, announced that it will begin offering access to the<br>Mora catalog through the PC software distributed by SoftBank <br>
that allows users to transfer songs from their PC to their <br>mobile phones. Users of the SoftBank software will be able to <br>purchase songs from the Mora catalog and play them from their <br>handsets.<br>Source:<br><a href="http://www.labelgate.co.jp/news/20080530.html">http://www.labelgate.co.jp/news/20080530.html</a><br>
<br>** Dwango starts mobile Flash service for artist info<br>In brief: Dwango has started a new mobile service for <br>distributing artist information using Flash Lite. Called 'Flash <br>Magazine,' the new service will focus on one artist at a time, <br>
preparing special content in Flash for each one. The first <br>artist to be featured is the popular J-Pop band GReeeeN.<br>Source: <br><a href="http://info.dwango.co.jp/pdf/news/service/2008/080604.pdf">http://info.dwango.co.jp/pdf/news/service/2008/080604.pdf</a> <br>
<br>-- Steve Myers<br><br>++FEEDBACK<br>Want to comment? It is now even easier to voice your opinion<br>than ever before! Simply post a comment at the bottom of the<br>article: <a href="http://www.japaninc.com/mmw122">www.japaninc.com/mmw122</a><br>
<br>++EVENTS<br><br>-------------------- ICA Event - June 25 ------------------<br><br>Speaker: Henry Ng, Head of Professional Security Services<br>-Asia, Verizon Business<br><br>Topic: Bridging the Security Management Gap:<br>
How to Move from Point Solutions to Process<br><br>Details: Complete event details at <a href="http://www.icajapan.jp/">http://www.icajapan.jp/</a><br>(RSVP Required)<br>Date: Thursday, June 25, 2008<br>Time: 6:30 Doors open includes light buffet<br>
Cost: 4,000 yen (members), 6,000 yen (non-members)<br>Open to all-venue is The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan<br><a href="http://www.fccj.or.jp/aboutus/map">http://www.fccj.or.jp/aboutus/map</a><br><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br>
-Entrepreneur Association of Tokyo<br>- 5-Year Anniversary - Monday, June 16th --<br><br>Title: 'Secrets of Entrepreneurial Success'<br><br>Speaker: Mr. Allen Miner - Founder and Chairman<br>and Group CEO of SunBridge Corporation Group<br>
<br>After being EA-Tokyo's first speaker in June 2003, Mr. Miner<br>will return to share his secrets of entrepreneurial success.<br><br>After joining Oracle in 1986, Mr. Miner was dispatched to<br>Japan where he founded Oracle Japan. After successfully<br>
growing Oracle's business and taking the company public he<br>left in 1999 to establish SunBridge Corporation, a company<br>that provides a variety of growth-enabling services to<br>start-ups and global enterprises.<br>
<br>Please sign up early while seats are available.<br><br>Date/Time: Monday, June 16th, 7:00 pm<br>Location: Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan<br>Language: English<br>Website: <a href="http://www.ea-tokyo.com">http://www.ea-tokyo.com</a><br>
<br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br>Marcus Evans Events - Supported by J@pan Inc<br><br>3rd Annual LNG World, 15th - 16th July 2008, Tokyo<br><a href="http://www.marcusevans.com/html/eventdetail.asp?eventID=13569">www.marcusevans.com/html/eventdetail.asp?eventID=13569</a><br>
This event focuses on key operational aspects of LNG business and<br>current market dynamics to succeed in this competitive market.<br><br>'J@pan Inc readers are entitled to a 10% discount upon<br>registration with Ms. Esther Wong.'<br>
Contact: +603 2723 6736 Email: <a href="mailto:estherw@marcusevanskl.com">estherw@marcusevanskl.com</a><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>++END<br>