Johnny Jam

The Analog Edge: Running the Roland RD-2000 Synth Bass Through a Vintage SansAmp V1 I'm excited to share my latest tone experiment, and this one involves pitting a modern digital workstation against a legendary piece of analog-simulating gear: the SansAmp Bass Driver DI Version 1 (Late Model) . The $\text{SansAmp}$ is a classic for electric bass, known for its ability to mimic tube amp tones directly through a DI . But what happens when you feed it a clean, powerful synth bass signal from the Roland RD-2000 ? The result is pure, unadulterated grit. Why This Combination Works A clean digital bass synth can sometimes sound too sterile or polite. The SansAmp acts as a magnificent, compact analog distortion/preamp that gives the synth sound weight, texture, and a dirty analog edge . It transforms the digital purity into a roaring, aggressive, classic tone. The best part is the real-time tone modulation. Since the SansAmp is right there, you can ride the drive and presence knobs ...

はじめに 山田洋次監督の最新作『 TOKYOタクシー (2025) 』を鑑賞し、そのレビュー動画を公開しました。 国民的俳優である 木村拓哉 さんと、日本映画界のレジェンド 倍賞千恵子 さんが共演を果たした本作は、単なるリメイク映画ではなく、 東京 という街と、その中で生きてきた「 女性の人生 」を深く描き出したヒューマンドラマです。 このブログ記事では、映画の魅力と、特に深く考察すべき「 世代間の男女比較 」というテーマについて解説します。 【動画はこちら】全編レビュー＆考察 物語のあらすじ：85歳の女性とタクシーの旅 タクシー運転手の主人公・コウジ（ 木村拓哉 さん）は、娘の学費などで経済的に苦しい日々を送っています。そんな彼の元に現れたのが、85歳の乗客・スミレ（ 倍賞千恵子 さん）。 スミレを東京から神奈川の介護施設まで送るという依頼を受けますが、彼女は道中、「思い出の場所を巡りたい」とコウジに頼みます。このたった一度のタクシーでの道のりが、スミレの戦争、恋愛、結婚、そして 壮絶な過去 をめぐる旅となり、コウジの人生にも大きな影響を与えていくのです。 【ネタバレなし感想】静かに、そして深く響く 本作は、カーチェイスや派手なアクションが一切ない、 非常に伝統的で静かな映画 です。しかし、そこが山田洋次監督の真骨頂。 倍賞千恵子 さんの顔に刻まれた一つ一つの皺が、彼女の生きてきた時代と感情を雄弁に物語っており、その演技はまさに圧巻です。また、劇中で描かれる「男性に支配されていた過去」 と、 「女性が自ら道を選べる現代と未来」の対比は非常に示唆に富んでおり、世代を超えた深いテーマを考えさせられます。 コンピューターグラフィックやアドレナリン系の映画とは一線を画す、じっくりと味わいたい 心の機微を描いた作品 です。 レビューハイライト：なぜこの映画は今必要か 山田監督の視点： フランス映画『パリタクシー』（原題： Une Belle Course / Driving Madeleine ）を原作としながらも、舞台を東京に移し、日本の戦後史と女性の立場を織り交ぜて描かれています。 キャスティングの妙： 誰もが知るスターである木村拓哉さんが、あえて生活に疲れた普通のタクシードライバーを演じることで、物語にリアリティと対照的な魅力を加えています。 美しい東京の風景：...

We've just published our full review of Tokyo Taxi (2025) , the latest heartfelt drama from the legendary director Yoji Yamada . This film is a deeply moving experience and a must-watch for fans of Japanese cinema. In this post, we break down why the performances of Takuya Kimura and Chieko Baisho make this one of the most poignant films of the year. The Film's Story: A Lifetime in a Day Tokyo Taxi follows Koji (played by Takuya Kimura ), a struggling taxi driver trying to afford his daughter's tuition, when he accepts a fare from Sumire (played by Chieko Baisho ), an 85-year-old woman. On her way to a retirement home, Sumire asks Koji to make a series of detours to meaningful places from her past. What begins as a simple ride across Tokyo and Yokohama quickly unfolds into a powerful, emotional history of one woman's life—a story of war, great love, personal loss, and her eventual fight for independence. Our Spoiler-Free Takeaway This is a beautiful, traditional film...

There is no place on Earth quite like HARD OFF in Japan when it comes to finding hidden gems. It's the ultimate treasure trove for retro gamers and vintage gear collectors alike. We just spent an entire afternoon diving into the aisles of one of the biggest locations for an ultimate junk hunt, and the results were unbelievable. We set out looking for cheap games and consoles, but ended up stumbling upon some serious pieces of music history! The Hunt: Games, Guitars, and Bargains This video is packed with amazing finds that cover two major categories: Retro Gaming: We sifted through boxes of titles for the Nintendo 64, Super Famicom, SEGA Saturn , and more—searching for the rare and obscure titles only found in Japan. Vintage Instruments: The real excitement came from the music section! We got up close with a Japanese Vintage Fender , inspected a premium GUILD acoustic guitar (with a $1700 price tag!), and checked out bizarre items like a CASIO EG-5 Cassette Tape Guitar . Did ...

Music Theory "Cheat Codes" to Sound Pro Instantly Are you stuck in the dreaded four-chord loop? Every musician hits a point where their compositions and jams start sounding repetitive. The secret to breaking free isn't just learning more scales—it's learning the "cheat codes" —small, intentional adjustments that instantly add emotion, sophistication, and a professional sheen to your music. We’ve broken down the essential theory hacks you need into three core pillars: Emotional Songwriting, Pro-Sound Jamming, and Fixing Essential Mechanics. Pillar 1: Emotional Songwriting Tricks (The Vibe Changers) These hacks are about using slight changes to standard chord progressions to drastically shift the emotional landscape of your song. Trick Name The Move (Example in C/Am) The Emotion Minor Plagal Play Fm (iv) before C (I) . Nostalgia, "The Sigh," Warmth. Picardy Third Play a sad song in Am, end on A Major . Divine hope, Sunshine after rain. Line Cliché A...