Re: What kind of machine should I buy
Hello and thank you for your questions. I hope I can be of assistance. I must say upfront that since you are on a MindPlace support forum you are going to get a somewhat biased point of view. However, I was a consumer of mind machines long before I was involved with the industry so I understand the questions that people have when making a decision.
MindPlace devices have always encouraged an open ecosystem. What this means is that we always provided free session editors, AudioStrobe decoder, audio inputs, and supported top third party software titles like NeuroProgrammer or Mind Workstation, etc.
Mindalive devices do not take this approach. They support a core number of sessions with an editor available for purchase and no third party support. You better really consider if all of your current and future needs will be met with this device as expandability is not at the forefront.
The Kasina especially expands the number of session options to a huge degree. It supports our exclusive SpectraStrobe full color system, AudioStrobe which is a 2 color system but on the Kasina it is mappable to any pair of the light colors plus color mixtures with random cycles. There is also a built in mind machine format for sessions of a similar type that you would find on the David machines, which includes the full factory content of our discontinued mind machine the Sirius. The editor is free and very simple to use and is in active development.
All of the content on the Kasina is playable from the onboard SD card which makes it infinitely expandable. If you want more storage just buy another card (16gb cards are about $8 these days). The Kasina also has a ColorOrgan feature where you can put any mp3 on the card and the lights can react to the sound.
If for some reason you already have a large music library on a computer or other device, you can play into the Kasina either as USB audio (48khz digital quality) or connect an audio cable from a smartphone etc.
All of the above is what future proofing and expandability mean. I only briefly mentioned the third party software titles like NP3 and Mind Workstation but they are the gold standard for entrainment sessions and fully support the Kasina with full integration in the interface.
You also get the benefit of this forum and passionate personnel who strive to answer questions and share knowledge (hello, I'm one of those people)
As regards CES, honestly, you would be better off to add a Foc.us tDCS device. The developer version for sale now. along with the Kasina would still end up at about the same price as the David but have a much more configurable and robust system overall. We don't support this device directly but I am a user and will answer some questions about it without going into any medical applications.
You may or may not want electrical stimulation as a beginner. It is an area which you want to do research to make a more informed decision if it is right for you. An AVS device (what the Kasina and other mind machines are called) will keep you busy for many months by itself.
On question 3, honestly, most people these days just buy the device at Amazon and try it out for 30 days then return it if they don't like it. You have taken a wise step by interacting with us first on the forum as during this period and beyond we will provide help for the best experience.
On 4, much of the binaural and other entrainment audio available online is using NeuroProgrammer or Mind Workstation. Those software titles will give you all the tools you need to produce your own with dozen of example sessions already included. We also support free editors like GNaural. So in terms of difference, there is none really at least with core technologies used. Each type of entrainment audio has a specific mathematical way it is produced.
Keep in mind that on the Kasina full soundtracks and music are included with most sessions. So it is much more sophisticated.
However, the addition of light flicker is a huge boost in stimulation and many say, enjoyment. The brain is primarily focused on processing visual inputs with a smaller emphasis on sound processing. Like an 80/20 ratio.
To recap, expandability, exclusive technology, active development, passionate support and friendly folks recommends MindPlace products from this biased point of view.
Note you can get pretty close to the basic session types as presented on the David with our inexpensive Proteus system as well. It is not quite as modern as the Kasina with its interface but is still a very capable mind machine.
Hope this helps and I will be happy to answer any further questions,
Scott
If you know something I don't, speak up! If maybe I know something you don't, ask away!
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