I just got the Lyric mic system and installed it on my Martin 017 and Im impressed. The sound
is very true to the acoustic sound and through a good sound system it's really nice. Installation
was very easy if you already have a hole for the female 1/4 jack where the strap hooks on. It
sounds like your using a good mic on the outside when it's actually on the inside stuck to the underside of
the bridge. There's also a volume and presence control to fine tune the sound. I met Baggs twenty or so years ago
when I was searching for a way to amplify my Guild 12 string acoustic. Back then there was nothing like this and
LR Baggs has constantly perfected his systems. Now, finally I can say he's figured it out. Thanks!

The L.R. Baggs Lyric system mounts to the underside of the bridge plate with simple peel-&-stick adhesive to preserve the integrity of your instrument. The mic leverages the "pressure-zone" principle by positioning the capsule just 3mm from the surface of the top to hear the entire soundboard.
Lyric employs the Tru-Mic noise canceling technology that rejects "boxy" reflections inside of the acoustic chamber.
Main features: TRU•MIC noise canceling technology, No pickup Analog signal conditioning, All discrete mic preamplifier, Soundhole volume control, Mic presence control
This looks like a nice acoustic guitar set-up worth checking out. I was thinking about the LR Baggs M-80 pick-up but
concerned about the pick-up in the sound hole blocking some of the guitars natural sound. I had that problem when I had the Sunrise pick-up in my acoustic. I was hoping Baggs might have something new, especially since the Namm show was coming and I was right. Im glad I waited and this might be the one.

TC has a new looper pedal called "Ditto" coming out. Nice and small, easy to use and records for 5 minutes at 24bit resolution. Im using the Line 6 delay modulator right now but always interested in what else is out there. It would be nice if it didn't eat batteries like their other pedals. Im really into less pedals and keeping the guitar signal clean so with
true by-pass this might be worth checking out. 

There's a new electric guitar from Godin that is midi and wireless. Im always interested in any guitar that can be used like my guitar synth rig. I believe it hooks up through blue tooth to your lap top with no interface, has it's own software which can be up-dated and has a joy stick on the guitar. So all you need is a laptop and this guitar( no wires) and you have a guitar synth rig that may be the perfect rig. Of course you need amplification for live but pretty cool product. The tracking is suppose to be excellent. We will see.

I have been checking out the free version of Spotify for the last few days and Im impressed. You can find just about anything your looking for. They have said their goal is to have every piece of music ever recorded on their site. On the other hand I won't be receiving much compensation for my music that's up there but plenty of exposure is a great thing.
Seems to me , music is becoming or already is free to many people. I hope that people will still support the musician by purchasing their music also. The sound is good on the free and $5 a month version but better on the $10 a month premium version. Im anxious to hear wether the premium version sounds that much better.

I just found out TC will be sending out (for free) a software program that you can use to program their tone print pedals. This is great news as I was not totally satisfied with just the downloaded patches they offered. Im using the Flashback & Hall of Fame pedals set on wet through the effect send & returns of a small mixer and the sound is very nice but now I can make it even better.

Musicians are some of the most driven, courageous people on the face of the earth. They deal with more day-to-day rejection in one year than most people do in a lifetime. Every day, they face the financial challenge of living a freelance lifestyle, the disrespect of people who think they should get real jobs, and their own fear that they'll never work again. Every day, they have to ignore the possibility that the vision they have dedicated their lives to is a pipe dream. With every note, they stretch themselves, emotionally and physically, risking criticism and judgment. With every passing year, many of them watch as the other people their age achieve the predictable milestones of normal life - the car, the family, the house, the nest egg. Why? Because musicians and singers are willing to give their entire lives to a moment - to that melody, that lyric, that chord, or that interpretation that will stir the audience's soul. Musicians are beings who have tasted life's nectar in that crystal moment when they poured out their creative spirit and touched another's heart. In that instant, they were as close to magic, God, and perfection as anyone could ever be. And in their own hearts, they know that to dedicate oneself to that moment is worth a thousand lifetimes.” - David Ackert, LA Jazz Times