Artist Endorsements and Sponsorships: The Right Approach
There are some helpful resources online about this topic, but many of them come from the artist or creator side of the proverbial fence. We here at Hosa work with many artists and creators, and get approached every day by people looking to build a direct relationship. While we can’t speak for other companies, we’ll go over some fundamentals that will make for the best approach when you’re ready to send that email.
Every Situation is Different
Companies come in all shapes and sizes, which means they have different sized budgets, marketing departments, staff, and requirements before working with artists. Some companies may require contracts, others a hand-shake agreement. Some may offer free product, others may only offer some kind of artist pricing structure. There is also the possibility there are certain metric thresholds that you’re required to meet beforehand, such as subscribers, follows, views, sales, streams, etc.
Important Things to Know and Do
We’ll list off 9 fairly universal things that will help you get off on the right foot and make companies more receptive to your approach.
Research the Company
If you’re attempting to create a relationship, you should already know about the company, what they do, and preferably already have experience with their product or service. There’s a big difference between someone who has a history and experience with them vs someone looking to try it for the first time.
Think of the Company’s Interests
It’s always helpful when the company you’re approaching can see that you understand some kind of equal value provided. Be as specific as you can with ideas so the artist rep has a good understanding that you’ve given this a lot of thought and value the mutually-beneficial aspect of the relationship.
Have a Plan
Like in the last suggestion, have your ideas already crafted to present. Know what it is you’re asking for and what you are offering in return. That could be promotion on social media in posts or videos, at events on banners, showcasing products in a tour or clinic atmosphere, etc.
Be Specific
Once you have your plan, be specific about your request and also the return value you’re offering, but also be open to alternatives if they’re proposed or required. The less specific you are, the less an artist rep knows where to start or what you’re going to do and may not take the time to respond.
Self-Awareness
Even though you’re emailing a company, you have to remember that you’re talking to another person, and they will be paying attention to how you present yourself. It’s okay to be smaller and growing, but it’s not okay to exaggerate your audience or buy followers/likes/engagement because those can be detected quickly and come off as dishonest.
Make it Easy to Find You
A good idea is to have a link or a document to copy from which includes clickable URL links to anything requested. Don’t just send @ handles or tell them they can Google your name or band, because you’re asking the person on the other side to do the work to find you, and that increases the odds that they may not.
Don’t Just “Fish” for Free Stuff
We get it, lots of companies send promotional products to artists and creators in order to advertise directly with their audience. However, remember that this is viewed as a relationship, which may be long-term or short-term. If it seems like all you want is something free for yourself and you don’t value that relationship, chances are very low that you get any type of response.
Have Confidence in What You’re Offering
If you’re approaching a company, you should have some honest understanding of the value you bring. You don’t have to over-promise or exaggerate. Part of that value is how you show sincere confidence in what you’re able to bring. Actions always speak louder than words, so this should be supported and emphasized with some kind of established content or example, such as a previous post or video that shows how you present other products and brands.
Spell Check and Format Properly
It may seem kind of silly, but we promise it’s not. While we’re all musicians and creative types, this is still a professional email and request. You should take care to spell correctly and use proper fonts and colors. It’s a simple thing to show respect to the recipient, and they notice.
Don’t Make Assumptions
It’s ok to take “no” as an answer, or accept less. Remember, if you value this relationship enough to make that initial approach, then you should understand that relationships can change and grow over time.
Business is Nothing but Personal
You’ve probably heard the old cliche that, “It’s business, it’s not personal” when in actuality, the polar opposite is true. You’re emailing another person who will read your email through their own prism and respond to you through theirs, as well. If you’re respectful, patient, personable, and reliable, people will notice. The music business is the people business.
Hopefully that gave you a little insight from “behind the curtain” that companies like Hosa are looking for, but a lot of these tips are just generally good rules to follow in many aspects of life. While we’d love to work with every artist who is interested in Hosa, there are only so many we can accept every year. If you have any interest in applying to be a Hosa artist, you can find our online form here.
Hosa
New Hosa Desktop Microphone Stands
Hosa Debuts Desktop Microphone Stands
Ideal for the streamers, creators, and podcasters
Buena Park, CA, May 2021 — Hosa is pleased to introduce two new microphone stands, ideal for the streamer, creator, and podcaster. Both offer familiar designs to complement any space requirement or setup, whether stationary or on the move.
The Hosa Desktop Microphone Stand features a light, foldable die-cast steel tripod base for quick setup and teardown wherever needed. The stand is height-adjustable from 4 to 6.75 inches (110-168 mm) and can hold up to 0.75 lbs (0.34 kilos). The non-slip rubber feet add increased stability, ensuring the stand won’t slip on even the most slick surfaces.
The Hosa Desktop Microphone Boom Arm features an easy C-clamp and scissor-style design for maximum adjustment on any table or desk. With an adjustable angle from 0 to 160 degrees, any position is possible to maximize even the most compact spaces. The all-metal construction creates a solid base, holding up to 4 lbs (1 kg) for stationary, multi-purpose setups.
“Hosa has long offered popular microphone stands and stand accessories at accessible prices to musicians and creators,” adds Jose Gonzalez, Hosa’s Director of Marketing & Product Development. “With the explosion and ease of home content creation, this was a natural fit, and one that longtime Hosa customers have been asking for.”
The New Hosa Desktop Microphone Stand is available at an MSRP of $14.95, and the Hosa Desktop Microphone Boom Arm is available at an MSRP of $71.95.
Getting Started with DI Boxes
DI Boxes: Getting Yourself Started
If you’ve spent any amount of time in recording or watching studio recording breakdowns, you’ve likely heard the term “DI” or “DI box” thrown around quite often. It’s so commonplace that often it’s accompanied with little-to-no explanation.
What is a DI Box?
DI boxes, or “DI’s” (standing for Direct Inject) are primarily known for use in guitar and bass applications in the studio. However, their function is to correct mismatched impedance signals between instruments and equipment. For example, guitars have a high impedance, unbalanced output that is prone to pick up noise and degrade signal over longer distances. A DI box will convert that signal to a low impedance, balanced signal that will be compatible with outboard equipment and reduce noise for longer runs.
What is Impedance?
In simple terms, impedance is the opposition of a circuit to electrical current, or how much the circuit impedes the electrical flow. Unbalanced signals, like those in a guitar’s output jack, would have higher impedance and thus need to be converted for use in microphone preamps or mixers without picking up a lot of undesirable noise.
High-Z vs Low-Z
“Z” is the letter and mathematical value given for impedance. When you see “High-Z” or “Low-Z” labeled on an input or output, it’s telling you the type of impedance signal coming from that respective input or output. The Hosa DIB-443 Sidekick Passive DI Box, for example, has a switch on one side for you to select an instrument (High-Z) or line-level (Low-Z) input, and a “Low-Z” output on the other end.
DI Box for Guitars
The most common use for DI boxes are with guitars. In a studio setting, these are most often used to track a clean guitar signal at the same time as an affected signal through an amplifier. This helps the performer play and react to the sound being recorded while preserving the original signal should that need to be altered or reamped later. This can save a lot of time without having to re-record or perform already recorded parts.
DI Box vs Reamp Box
These two are often confused for each other, or at least why each must exist independently. The reason you want to use a designated Reamp box for any reamp functions is because it’s built to perform the opposite function, taking a low impedance signal and converting it to a high impedance signal that guitar amplifiers are supposed to receive. Reamp boxes can also be useful in very complex live setups where you send the guitar through a DI into line-level processing that then needs to be converted back to instrument-level to feed into an amplifier on stage. With so many players opting for digital and computer processing, that kind of setup continues to grow in popularity.
What is a Wet/Dry Signal?
In guitar terminology, a “wet” signal is a fully affected sound. If you have your guitar running through pedals, effects, amplifiers, or anything that alters the original clean signal out of the guitar, that is considered a “wet” signal. The “dry” signal is the unaffected signal from your guitar. DI boxes allow you to preserve your “dry” signal even while manipulating it with other pieces of equipment.
Passive vs Active DI Boxes
If you’ve spent any time looking at DI box options, you’ll have noticed there are “active” and “passive” options. The most common DI boxes are passive, which use an internal transformer to isolate ground-level voltages and eliminate any ground loops. The impedance will be matched to that of a low-Z microphone preamp. Passive DI boxes are straightforward and simple in design, making them the less expensive option.
Active DI boxes, on the other hand, include an active preamp, creating more headroom than passive DI boxes. This includes a “signal boost” for the preamp, which also helps preserve a stronger signal for very long cable runs, though any boost will often be accompanied by some kind of sound “coloration”. Active DI boxes can be a favorable option for keyboard players or instruments that use active electronics. These will require power, whether in the form of a battery or external power supply.
Things to Look For in DI Boxes
DI boxes perform a relatively limited function, so there’s not much deviation between models. However, here are things you would most commonly see and what function they perform.
Ground Lift
Balanced signals are designed to cancel noise by carrying 2 duplicate signals with reversed polarity. However, introducing more equipment and even the environment itself can add hums and noise to balanced signals. The “ground lift” on a DI box disconnects pin 1 of the XLR on the output in order to break the ground loop, if necessary. As a general rule, the switch should be left in the “ground lifted” position unless otherwise needed.
Thru/Bypass
Sometimes referred to as “throughput”, this output is for the unaffected signal to pass. This is necessary for any guitar tracking where you need a “wet” and “dry” signal to be recorded simultaneously, or you have multiple signal paths. On the Hosa DIB-443 Sidekick Passive DI Box this would simply be called the “output”.
Pad
This is a built-in attenuation on any DI box, reducing the levels somewhere around -20db. A pad is especially valuable to keyboard players that use line-level outputs rather than instrument level. Typically, this would mostly be reserved for any active electronics going into the DI box.
Cables You’ll Need With a DI Box
While there is some variation, most common uses begin with instrument cables. Instrument cables are shielded to resist noise and interference since they carry unbalanced signals. If you are using the thru/bypass, you would need another instrument cable running to your signal chain.
While the outputs in a DI box are usually XLR, once the DI box has converted the high impedance signal to low impedance, you’d need a balanced interconnect with the proper connector types for your equipment.
To purchase the Hosa Sidekick Passive DI Box or learn about the functions and features, visit the product page here.
Hosa
Hosa Partners with Gigging Innovators Gruv Gear
Hosa Partners with Gigging Innovators Gruv Gear
Hosa will distribute bags, cases, straps, and accessories in the US
Buena Park, CA, May 2021 — Hosa is delighted to announce they will be joining forces with Gruv Gear for USA distribution of Gruv Gear products.
Established in 2007, Gruv Gear has quickly become a trusted brand for gigging and touring musicians for their innovative bags, carts, and accessories. What started as a personal passion project has quickly evolved into an ever-expanding line of unique solutions that professionals around the world rely on every day.
Hosa will be stocking a range of Gruv Gear’s unique and inventive products including:
Tech bags and cases specifically designed with mobile creatives and jetsetters in mind, such as the Club Bag and SLNG FretWrap string dampeners for guitarists, bassists, and players of other stringed instruments
Adjustable, padded guitar and bass straps, including the ergonomically designed John Patitucci Signature Strap
“We connected with Hosa way back in 2010 when we first launched our company,’ shares Jay Baldemor, President of Gruv Gear. ‘I’m thrilled to join forces to bring our products across US retailers in a bigger way! Mayumi, Jose, and the rest of the Hosa team have been awesome and I love their passion for excellence; we’re honored to be working with them.”
Mayumi Allison, CEO of Hosa says: “Gruv Gear has been dedicated to creating innovative products since its inception. Today, the Hosa family is excited to embark on a journey to get Gruv Gear’s products to more people than ever before. We are confident the combination of Hosa’s reach and experience in the music instrument space and Gruv Gear’s product innovation will make this a fruitful partnership for years to come.”
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Noise Engineering is a small modular synth company based in Los Angeles, California. They’re sort’ve like Legos for sound. And so you can take these different things and connect them with cables to produce really any sound you can imagine.
Hi, I’m Stephen McCaul and I’m Kris Kaiser and we’re the owners of Noise Engineering. I think getting the right module in the customer’s hand is really critical and that’s a question of the sound, whether a question of workflow – whatever the customer really wants or needs. And so we really like to work with customers and say, “What are you trying to do with this? What really matters to you in this product?”
When we make a module, well we usually have at least twenty things in the queue at any time. We come up with the concept, we come up with a list of features – what we want it to be. The ideal size. We design the layout – if we’re happy with that, we come up with art. We work on the schematic – we send it off for a prototype when it’s ready and then we start testing. We continue to revise the firmware, and when we are happy with it – we put it out into the world.
When a customer emails us or comes up to us and tells us how much they love our products – it’s really rewarding. You know – we put a lot of effort into these modules and it’s really great to hear that people are enjoying them.
Our products literally do not work without cables. Each module has a number of empty jacks on it and to make a modular synthesizer work, you need cables. For us, a reliable cable is really important. I have fielded a number of questions from customers thinking that their module was broken when it was just one of their cables that had gone bad. So clearly, we have a large us case in our business.
Hosa cables are great because they stand the test of time. They’re a known brand, they’re a known quantity, they’re durable, they make the exact cables that we need, they’re cost effective, they come in lots of colors.
Hosa cables really make out jobs easier. I love them. They’re strong. They’re well built. They’re long lasting. They’re great prices. I definitely recommend Hosa cables. Yeah if you’re looking for new cables for your modular system you should definitely check Hosa out.
Popular Hosa Cables and Accessories for Synthesizers
– Unbalanced Patch Cables
These cables are designed to interconnect pro audio gear with unbalanced mini phone jacks. They are ideal for use with modular synthesizers and sound modules. – Knucklebones
Knucklebones are the ideal way to multiply an outbound signal. They work great in modular synthesizer rigs where creativity and fun are dependent on the available patching options. Use them to send a sequence to various modules or to add musical layers to an existing signal. – Monkey Bars
The Hosa Monkey Bars Patch Cable Holder is designed to keep patch cables organized and within reach. It is ideal for modular synthesizer rigs and recording studios of all sizes.
Hosa
History of Gaming Setups – 80’s, 90’s & 00’s
History of Video Games – 80’s, 90’s, & 00’s
Video games have been around for decades. From arcade systems, to home consoles, to handheld and mobile devices, they’re often at the forefront of computer technology. Nearly two thirds of all Americans have household members who game regularly, making video game console history relevant weeknight trivia.
Though the first of their kind was introduced in the 1950’s, video games had not made a mainstream splash until the late 70’s/early 80’s. Today, we’re going through the most notable trends in the history of video games from the 1980’s to today.
The Birth of Publishing Houses | 1980’s
For the most part, 1980s games were simple clones of existing arcade titles. The history of video games changed with the introduction of third party publishers. The relatively low publishing costs for personal computer games allowed for bold, unique games. In 1983, the video game industry experienced a market crash like no other. The transition of arcade gaming to consoles that were home-friendly was in full effect: marking the beginning of video game console history.
“Activision’s success as a third-party developer for the Atari VCS and other home consoles inspired other third-party development firms to emerge in the early 1980s; by 1983, at least 100 different companies claimed to be developing software for the Atari VCS.” – David Crane Interview 2016 / Video Game Crash of 1983.
What was the first video game console? | 1980
The Odyssey was manufactured by Magnavox and released in North America in September of 1972. It’s considered the very first home video game console. Ralph Baer, a German-American engineer, created a ping-pong style game. Baer’s creation inspired gaming pioneer Nolan Bushnell of Atari to create his own version: the much more popular and world-renowned Pong, programmed by Al Alcorn.
Video Game Console History | 1980’s
Sega SG-1000 (~2 million sold) | (1983)
At the time, Sega was a subsidiary of Gulf & Western – one of the top five arcade manufacturers. The Sega SG-1000 was the first of its kind to be made specifically for households.
NES Family Computer (~62 million sold) | (1983)
“The NES featured a number of groundbreaking games, such as the platform game Super Mario Bros. and the action-adventure games The Legend of Zelda and Metroid. As one of the bestselling consoles of its time, the NES helped revitalize the US video game industry following the video game crash of 1983.”
A huge part of the NES’s success was its innovative business model. NES licensed third party publishers to create & distribute the NES’s games.
Nintendo Family Computer Disc System (~4 million sold) | (1985)
Player One’s controller can pause the game, and Player Two’s controller has audio controls. The cartridges were half the size of the NES’s, and were inserted in the top instead of through a door in the front (like on the NES). Instead of looking like a vertical cartridge, like the NES, it more closely resembles a SNES cartridge.
Atari 7800 (~2 million sold) | (1986)
The 7800 was initially released in southern California in June 1984, following an announcement on May 21, 1984, at the Summer Consumer Electronics Show. Thirteen games were announced for the system’s launch: Ms. Pac-Man, Pole Position II, Centipede, Joust, Dig Dug, Nile Flyer(eventually released as Desert Falcon), Robotron: 2084, Galaga, Food Fight, Ballblazer, Rescue on Fractalus!, Track & Field, and Xevious.
PC Engine TurboGrafx (~10 million sold) | (1987)
One of the most “hybrid” consoles of all times. Created by Hudson and NEC to be the versatility of a PC with a sole operation of gaming like a console. The PC engine utilized an 8-bit processor with 16-bit graphics, merging much of the stronger tech from the time without reinventing the wheel for its developers.
Sega Genesis (~35 million sold) | (1987)
30.75 million first-party Genesis units were sold worldwide. Many games have been re-released in compilations or on online services such as the Nintendo Virtual Console, Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, and Steam
Not Just a Fad | 1990’s
Three decades in as an industry, the 1990’s was a decade of innovation for video game console history. Not only were the 90’s the highest grossing period for the history of video games timeline so far – but a rise in technology made the potential vision for video games more clear.
It was a decade of transition from sprite-based graphics to full-fledged 3D graphics. The 90’s gave rise to several genres of video games including the first person shooter, real-time strategy, survival horror, and MMO. And though arcades had still been popular during the 90’s, they would be soon on the decline with the popularity of household consoles.
Video Game Console History | 1990’s
Super NES (~49 million sold) | (1990)
The SNES received largely positive reviews and was a global success, becoming the best-selling console of the 16-bit era after launching relatively late and facing intense competition from Sega’s Genesis console in North America and Europe. It continues to be popular among collectors and retro gamers, with new homebrew games and Nintendo’s emulated rereleases, such as on the Virtual Console, the Super NES Classic Edition, and Nintendo Switch Online.
Philips CD-i (~1 million sold) | (1991)
The attempts to develop a foothold in the games market were unsuccessful, as the system was designed strictly as a multimedia player and thus was under-powered compared to other gaming platforms on the market in most respects. Earlier CD-i games included entries in popular Nintendo franchises, although those games were not developed by Nintendo and Philips had established an agreement to co-develop a CD-ROM enhancement for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System due to licensing disagreements with Nintendo’s previous partner Sony (an agreement that produced a prototype console called the SNES-CD).While Philips and Nintendo never released such a CD-ROM add-on, Philips was still contractually allowed to continue using Nintendo characters.
Sega CD (~2 million sold) | (1991)
While the Sega CD became known for several critically acclaimed games such as Sonic CD, Lunar: The Silver Star, Lunar: Eternal Blue, Popful Mail, and Snatcher, its game library contained many Genesis ports and poorly received FMV games. 2.24 million Sega CD units were sold by March 1996, after which Sega discontinued the system to focus on the Sega Saturn.
3DO Interactive Multiplayer (~2 million sold) | (1993)
Despite having a highly promoted launch (including being named Time magazine’s “1993 Product of the Year”) and being a host of cutting-edge technologies, the 3DO’s high price and an oversaturated console market prevented the system from achieving success comparable to competing consoles from Sega and Nintendo. As a result, it was discontinued in late 1996.
Sega Saturn (~9 million sold) | (1994)
The Saturn was initially successful in Japan but failed to sell in large numbers in the United States after its surprise May 1995 launch, four months before its scheduled release date. After the debut of the Nintendo 64 in late 1996, the Saturn rapidly lost market share in the U.S., where it was discontinued in 1998. Having sold 9.26 million units worldwide, the Saturn is considered a commercial failure; the failure to release a game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, known in development as Sonic X-treme, is considered a factor in its poor performance. The Saturn was succeeded in 1998 by the Dreamcast.
Sony Playstation (~102 million sold) | (1994)
The PlayStation signalled Sony’s rise to power in the video game industry. Its release elicited critical acclaim and strong sales; in less than a decade, it became the first computer entertainment platform to ship over 100 million units. Its use of compact discs heralded the game industry’s transition from cartridges.
Nintendo 64 (~34 million sold) | (1996)
Development of the console began in 1993 under the codename “Project Reality”. Although the design was mostly complete by mid-1995, its launch was delayed until 1996. The console takes its name from the 64-bit processing unit. It was launched with three games: Super Mario 64, Pilotwings 64 and Saikyō Habu Shōgi (exclusive to Japan). Time named it Machine of the Year in 1996, and in 2015, IGN named it the ninth-greatest video game console of all time. The Nintendo 64 was discontinued in 2002 following the launch of its successor, the GameCube. The Nintendo 64 was critically acclaimed upon release and remains one of the most recognized video game consoles.
Dreamcast (~9 million sold) | (1998)
Although the Dreamcast had a short lifespan and limited third-party support, reviewers have considered the console ahead of its time. Its library contains many games considered innovative, including Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Phantasy Star Online, and Shenmue, as well as high-quality ports from Sega’s NAOMI arcade system board. The Dreamcast was also the first console to include a built-in modular modem for internet support and online play.
Are video games a sport? | 2000’s
An era of rapid technological development, the 2000s delivered a wide array of changes in animation, gaming, and website design. After all, this was the start of the Internet Age – paramount in the evolution of smartphones, computers, and social media.
Video Game Console History | 2000’s
Playstation 2 (~155 million sold) | (2000)
The PS2 is the best-selling video game console of all time, having sold over 155 million units worldwide. Over 3,800 game titles have been released for the PS2, with over 1.5 billion copies sold.
Nintendo Gamecube (~22 million sold) | (2001)
Reception of the GameCube was generally positive. The console was praised for its controller, extensive software library and high-quality games, but was criticized for its exterior design and lack of features. Nintendo sold 21.74 million GameCube units worldwide before the console was discontinued in 2007. Its successor, the Wii, was released in November 2006.
Xbox (~25 million sold) | (2001)
The original Xbox was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe. It was Microsoft’s first foray into the gaming console market. The integrated Xbox Live service launched in November 2002 allowed players to play games online with or without a broadband connection. Xbox Live was a success due to better servers than its competitors and its features such as a buddy list, and milestone titles like Halo 2 released in November 2004, which is the best-selling Xbox video game and was by far the most popular online game for the system.
Xbox 360 (~86 million sold) | (2005)
Xbox 360 is the sixth-highest-selling home video game console in history, and the highest-selling console made by an American company. Although not the best-selling console of its generation, the Xbox 360 was deemed by TechRadar to be the most influential through its emphasis on digital media distribution and multiplayer gaming on Xbox Live.
Playstation 3 (~87 million sold) | (2006)
During its early years, the system was negatively received, due to its high price ($599 for a 60-gigabyte model, $499 for a 20 GB model), a complex processor architecture, and lack of quality games but was praised for its Blu-ray capabilities and “untapped potential”. The reception would get more positive over time. The system had a slow start in the market but managed to recover, particularly after the introduction of the Slim model.
Nintendo Wii (~102 million sold) | (2006)
The Wii repositioned Nintendo as a key player in the video game hardware marketplace. The introduction of motion-controlled games via the Wii Remote led both Microsoft and Sony to develop their own competing products—the Kinect and PlayStation Move, respectively. Nintendo found that, while the Wii had broadened the demographics that they wanted, the core gamer audience had shunned the Wii.
Wii U (~14 million sold) | (2012)
Response to the Wii U was mixed. It was praised for its innovative GamePad controller, improvements to online functionality over the Wii, backwards compatibility with Wii software and peripherals, and price; however, it was criticized for its user interface and functionality, and the GamePad’s short battery life.
Playstation 4 (~106 million sold) | (2013)
The PlayStation 4 was released to critical acclaim, with critics praising Sony for acknowledging its consumers’ needs, embracing independent game development, and for not imposing the restrictive digital rights management schemes like those originally announced by Microsoft for the Xbox One.
Xbox One (~41 million sold) | (2013)
The Xbox One received positive reviews for its refined controller design, multimedia features, and voice navigation. Its quieter and cooler design was praised for making the console more reliable than its predecessor on-launch, but the console was generally criticized for running games at a technically lower graphical level than the PlayStation 4.
Nintendo Switch (~68 million sold) | (2017)
By the start of 2018, the Switch became the fastest-selling home or hybrid console in both Japan and the United States. As of December 2020, the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite have sold more than 79 million units worldwide. Switch sales have been strongly tied to sales of Nintendo’s first-party titles, with six games; The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario Odyssey, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Pokémon Sword and Shield, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons having sold over twenty million units each.
History of Video Games Today | 20’s
As video game consoles are constantly evolving, so do the accessories that help ensure its reliability. At Hosa, we carry the most efficient USB Cables & Adapters in the market.
Hosa Announces Audio Engineering Scholarship Winner
MI to Be Jungwon Shin’s Launch Pad
Buena Park, CA, April 2021 — Hosa Technology, Inc., the leading provider of analog and digital connectivity solutions for the modern musician, is pleased to announce Jungwon Shin as the winner of the seventh annual Hosa Audio Engineering Scholarship at Musician’s Institute in Hollywood, CA.
Jungwon Shin, a native of South Korea, wrote the winning essay outlining his career goals as a producer & audio engineer. Jungwon has previous professional experience as an audio engineer and a wide interest in every style of music, including R&B, Soul, Rock, Lo-fi music, and Hip Hop.
Asked why he chose to study in the Audio Engineering Program at Musician’s Institute, Jungwon said, “I want to learn about mixing and mastering in detail. Every teacher at MI is great, so that’s why I chose to study here. My dream is to make my own album. And to be a great vocal teacher and engineer.”
Mayumi Allison, CEO of Hosa, added the following, “We are excited that Mr. Shin is the winner of this year’s scholarship. At Hosa, we believe in helping the musicians and audio engineers of tomorrow find success and believe that begins with education.”
Hosa extends our congratulations to Jungwon and are honored to be part of his journey in the music industry.
The Hosa Technology Audio Engineering Program Scholarship is available to new students enrolling in the Audio Engineering Program at MI. Eligible students must provide a completed application along with an essay detailing their career goals in the audio industry. The awarded tuition credit is applied to the initial quarter of the program as long as the recipient maintains satisfactory progress.
Hosa
Shielded Cables – Braided vs. Spiral Shielding
Shielded Cable – Braided vs. Spiral Shielding
Cables today have an infinite number of designs and purposes. Outside of musical equipment, cables of the same build help run video, computers, and telephone and video networks. Cables using more than a single conductor tend to use twisted pair construction. One major area where construction still differs from cable to cable is in its protection; its shielding. Today, we’ll be discussing the differences between braided and spiral shielding. It’s important to note that each type has its own unique advantages and disadvantages so we’ll let you be the judge on deciding which one is the best fit for you.
Twisted Pair Cabling
First, let’s talk about what’s inside of a typical cable. Twisted Pair cabling is the industry norm used for multi-conductor cables on the market. By standard definition, “twisted pair cabling is a type of cabling in which two conductors of a single circuit are twisted together for the purposes of improving electromagnetic capability.” But what does it mean?
In short, a twisted pair can be used as a balanced line – which greatly reduces the amount of noise transmitted through the cable. What the “twisting” provides – in theory – is that the currents in each of the cables are near equal. The twisting simply ensures that each is equal distance from the interrupting source – which would in turn, affect them equally. On the other hand, twisted pair cable’s resistance to interference depends on the twisting scheme to remain in place, and so its efficiency can vary.
Now let’s look at shielding, the first line of defense against external interference in a traveling signal.
Spiral Shielding
This is a spiralling shield of strands of copper running parallel that is made fairly inexpensive. Since the ends of the cable do not need to be untangled, its build can be done pretty quickly.
Because the strands are in a spiral – it is easier to extend. The stretching, theoretically, makes the strands less likely to break when pulled. When the cable is bent or twisted, the spiral strands can gap apart – allowing exposed areas – resulting in frequency interference. For example, patch cables are generally bent and twisted the most – so spiral shielding may not be the best fit for such use, whereas for guitar cables, it’d make more sense.
Advantages of Spiral Shielding
typically cheaper to make
easy handle and installation
Disadvantages of Spiral Shielding
easier for frequency to slip through exposed areas
breakage is much more frequent
Braided Shielding
Braided shielding is the most “traditional” form of shielding. Braided cables are woven – thus making it much more difficult to assemble. Typically, braided shielding is stiffer and just as flexible.
Advantages of Braided Shielding
as strong as it is flexible
can be installed next to products without power loss
performs best at low frequency
Disadvantages of Braided Shielding
does not guarantee 100% coverage as its coverage is dependent on how tightly it is woven
typically, a bit bulkier
If You Wish To Learn More
Part of audio quality is in cancelling or limiting noise that the conductor picks up between sources. In the case of balanced cables, shielding is less important because they typically transmit line-level audio signals that don’t need to be boosted, and part of their design is to carry two identical signals in opposite polarity before reversing one in the end, which cancels the noise. Hosa carries both a variety of cables with braided and spiral shielding.
For more information on cable shielding and signal flow, check out our video on Do Cables Matter?
Hosa
Artist Spotlight: Miles Dimitri Baker
Why Quiet Matters (in Cables)
Cables have a pretty thankless job. The best ones work all the time and you never hear about them. And that’s exactly what they should do. Miles Dimitri Baker, guitarist and part of the band Interloper, said it best:
“You can’t have noise. It’s, like, not an option. So if someone asks [which cables to buy] I’m going to say Hosa because that’s what I personally use on all of my gear.”
This month, we were fortunate enough to meet with Miles in his home studio and he fills us in on his creative process and why Hosa cables are the best fit for him.
Miles Dimitri Baker, Artist and Guitarist, Interview
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
One of my favorite things about music is obviously the emotion it can create. It gives you a feeling, you know you hear a song and it can take you back to a place in your life, like a memory or it can give you a feeling whether it’s like sadness or triumph or any of those types of emotions. Music has the power to do that.
Hey, I’m Miles Dimitri Baker. I’m a musician, I play in the band Interloper and I also teach music. And this is my cat, Sabrina. I like the things I’ve been able to do with it, honestly. You know, I’ve been able to put music out and people enjoy what I do which, I think, for most people – at the end of the day people feeling appreciated, you know, is a basic human need. So I feel really lucky and fulfilled that way.
The creative process for me can be different. It almost starts, sometimes, like a calculated approach. For certain things, you know, do I find this certain chord progression in like its purest form – you know, through position triads or 7th chords. Do I find that, like, appealing? And then it becomes like a manipulation process – of like – how can I make this actually sound cool, in like, an actual musical idea. You know, taking sort’ve like a more like calculated, sort’ve scholastic approach to it and then like really manipulating it. That’s a lot of times my approach for it and then other times, you know, you really get that where you’re hearing something and you’re like, “Oh wow, I need to record, like, right now.” And that’s really exciting, turning that and developing it. Same kind of approach, like, “what’s really going on here?” What do I hear next, if I don’t hear something next, maybe I’ll hear, like, the structure of it. Maybe, what harmonically is going on that, maybe I can use to get to this next section that I have yet to have an idea for.
Every little thing that becomes like an ease abuse type situation. It’s the smoothness in which that workflow is interrupted by saying like, “how do I do this or I need to go get this, or whatever.” You know, I have the ability to run things however I want.
Every single piece of gear I have in here is using Hosa cables (laughs). Literally everything. Every single piece – from the monitors to all of my rack stuff to any sort of connection running to like, this cab. Speaker cables, power cables, it’s all Hosa. You know, they’re durable, they sound good, they’re quiet – that’s another thing that’s worth mentioning with cables. Some cables are noisy. If you’re trying to track like a DI guitar, or you know, re-amp something, you can’t have noise. Or if you’re running cabling through FX things like a reverb pedal or delay pedal, you know, your tuner to your guitar. You can’t have noise, you know? It’s like not an option so it’s nice having dependable things. It’s like, I literally use them for everything – so if someone asks I’m going to say Hosa because that’s what I personally use on all of my gear.
Popular Hosa Cables and Accessories for Guitarists (H2)
– Hosa Edge Guitar Cable
Every electric guitarist needs a guitar cable. Our Edge series are designed to provide a lifetime of outstanding performance.
– Goby Labs Guitar Care Kit
Inevitably when you use music and audio equipment, you’re going to get some wear and grime build-up and potentially expose yourself to unwanted germs. Our Goby Labs Guitar Care Kit can help with that.
– Pro Headphone Extension Cable
Our Pro Headphone Extension Cables are designed to extend the reach of hard-wired headphones. These are especially useful when playing your instrument away from your console or DAW.
Hosa
Best Gaming Setups
Best Gaming Setup & Equipment
Gaming Industry
The gaming industry has grown to a near $200 billion market that continues to push the boundaries of technology and entertainment. Once a niche market, the industry has undoubtedly launched into the mainstream. E-sports, in 2021, is just as respected as any other major professional sports organization – with personalities and content creators just as big as any other high level athlete. The industry continues to grow and there aren’t any signs of it slowing down.
The gaming industry’s competitive nature has allowed the sport to grow tremendously – creating opportunities for not only competitive gamers, but coders, programmers, designers and artists of all kinds. Today, we’re going to take a look at two different gaming setups: one for gamers just starting out and another for gamers looking to get into the competitive part of the sport.
What Do You Need for a Gaming Setup?
Gaming Equipment and Parts
Before heading out to make any purchases, there are definitely some key gaming equipment and accessories you should know about that will make your gaming setup efficient.
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The Central Process Unit is the principal part of any digital computer system, generally composed of the main memory and control unit. This enables your computer to interact with all of your applications and programs installed. Generally, the faster your CPU, the easier it is to use the computer.
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
Have you ever wondered why the images or videos on your computer screen take a while to load? The problem is likely your GPU. GPU’s are designed to accelerate the rendering of 3D graphics.
Random Access Memory (RAM)
This is your computer’s short-term memory storage. It stores information that is being actively used, so it can be accessed even more quickly.
Motherboard
The motherboard is the backbone that ties the computer’s components together at one spot and allows them to talk to each other. Without it, the computer’s CPU, GPU, etc could never communicate to each other.
Power Supply Unit (PSU)
The PSU converts mains AC to low-voltage regulated DC power for the internal components of a computer. Modern personal computers use switched-mode power supplies.
Hard Disc Drive (HDD)
HDD is storage that lives internally in your computer. Because it is part of the computer, its data is stored and read on the disc. It works similarly to that of a turntable – with an LP record and needle on the arm.
Solid State Drive (SSD)
Generally, SSD’s are much more expensive than HDD’s. The reason being they have no moving parts and are compact. They can be the size of a stick of gum, yet can hold more storage and be accessed quicker than an HDD.
Casual Gamer Intro Setup
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
GPU: RTX 2060 Ti (or better)
RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 8 GB
Motherboard: ASUS Prime A520M-A
PSU: Corsair RM650
HDD: Seagate BarraCuda 1 TB
SSD: Samsung EVO 860 250 GB
~$900
If you’re new to the market, there are a few reasons why we recommend these base setups. Aside from the price – which we believe is the most bang for your buck – these setups, we feel, would guarantee a smooth, non-interruptive gameplay. However, we highly recommend adjusting your setup to fit your needs.
Your Gaming Space
Lastly, when planning your gaming setup it is imperative to know exactly what you will need to ensure all of the parts connect. At Hosa, we carry the most efficient USB Cables & Adapters in the market. For example, if you’re looking to mirror your monitor or displays, use HDMI cables. If you have a USB hub and want to charge your phone, try our USB to USB-C cables.
