Mixdown August #244

M A D E

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F O R

M U S I C I A N S

ISSUE 244

AUGUST 2014

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INTERVIEWED: I AM GIANT SHIHAD HOWLING BELLS MIKE FORTIN (RANDALL AMPS) MUSIC EDUCATION FEATURE

IO TRIGGER D U A FI M

RO ER P NG

GIVEAWA Y:

ROAD TESTED: PEARL EXPORT EXL DRUM KIT PAISTE MASTERS SERIES CYMBALS M-AUDIO HDH50 HEADPHONES MC SYSTEMS CGN DYNAMIC DELAY PEDAL DYNAUDIO BM5 MKIII MONITORS BLACKSTAR ID:CORE STEREO 40 MAYONES COMODOUS 6 STRING BASS

DRAGONFORCE

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The P-255 makes no compromises in sound, functions or possibilities for live situations with details like EQ sliders, Sound Boost and control panel lock functions.

And recording your own performance is easy with USB flash drive audio recording.

On our way to new sounds.

P-255 Highlights • Graded Hammer (GH) keyboard with 88 keys and synthetic ivory keytops • 24 voices • 10 rhythms • Pure CF Sound Engine • 256-note polyphony • Damper and string resonance • 3-band equalizer • Sound Boost • USB TO HOST and DEVICE connections • MIDI IN / OUT

Optional Accessories:

P-255 Controller app The P-255 Controller app for your iPhone or iPad offers innovative possibilities to discover the functions of this digital piano in a highly intuitive manner.

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• Save your favourite songs in the app and take them with you wherever you go.

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CONTENTS 6

GIVEAWAYS

8

NEWS & TOURS

12 THE INDUSTRIALIST 14 PRODUCT NEWS

FORE WORD

22 JOE SATRIANI 24 DRAGONFORCE

28 MIKE FORTIN (RANDALL AMPS) EDUCATION FEATURE: AIM 29 JMC, NCAT 30 UNLEASH YOUR INNER ROCK GOD, WHAT’S THAT SOUND KEYS 32 ON THE DOWNLOW, BANGIN THE TUBS 34 (D)IGITAL (J)OCKEY, HOME STUDIO HINTS 35 WHAT’S MY RANGE AGAIN 36 DRUM & PERCUSSION SPECIAL 42 ROAD TESTED

Aleksei Plinte Editor In Chief

I AM GIANT

HOWLING BELLS

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PUBLISHER Furst Media

COVER IMAGE Jon Luini

EDITOR IN CHIEF Aleksei Plinte mixdown@beat.com.au

GRAPHIC ARTISTS Gill Tucker, Micheal Cusak, Robert Smith, Ruby Furst.

PRODUCTION MANAGER Gill Tucker

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A NEW MG VALUED 12XU 12-CHAN AT $529 N READ TH .99 RRP EL MIXER E REVIEW LIKE US facebook.ON FACEBOOK com/yama habacksta ge

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INTERVIEWED: VISTA CHINO CHIMAIRA US US CCUS IRCU CIR CI CIR TEEERR CIRC TTTER ETT ET LETT DEADD LETTE POND S JAGWAR MA ANDY FISENDEN TE TTTTE EETT OONNET SSOONET ISSON IS ISSO BIS GREGG BISS RO RO ARO LAAR MUULLARO MU FAAMUL DOM FAMU

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FOR MORE INFORMATION ON MIXDOWN MAGAZINE CONTACT: ALEKSEI ON (03) 9428 3600 OR EMAIL MIXDOWN@BEAT.COM.AU

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SEPTEMBER ISSUE DEADLINE AND STREET DATES: STREET AND ONLINE DATE: WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 3 AD BOOKING DEADLINE: MONDAY AUGUST 25 EDITORIAL DEADLINE: TUESDAY AUGUST 26 ARTWORK DEADLINE: WEDNESDAY AUGUST 27

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I AM GIANT

It’s that time of year again where Mixdown HQ is turned into a beat factory, a “drummers paradise” so to speak, when our residing neighbour complaints skyrocket!

From full on drum kits to cymbal packs, hardware, sticks, accessories and everything that a percussionist could need, we put a massive range of product under the microscope this issue in our annual Drum and Percussion Special starting on page 36.

It’s ironic that we run our Drum and Percussion Special and low and behold our coverstar is fret slayer and all round 6 string guitar lord Joe Satriani! It’s almost as ironic when you first learn that Jim Marshall from Marshall Amplification was in fact an accomplished drummer and not a guitarist, but them’s the breaks! Alongside a massive list of accomplished artists including another 6 string legend, Joe Bonamassa, we are joined by heavy hitters Opeth and metal meddlers DragonForce.

Australian rock’n’rollers Shihad also drop in and indie pop-rock stalwarts Howling Bells talk new recordings and touring. We also get to catch up with New Zealand’s I Am Giant, making waves as they land upon our shores this month and get an inside look into Randall Amplification with Head Design Engineer Mike Fortin.

Speaking of an inside look, if you’re contemplating studying music in one form or another, check our Education Feature with some of our favourite music education providers including JMC Academy, AIM (Australian Institute of Music) and NCAT (Northern College of the Arts).

We’ve also got more tour, industry and product news than you can poke your sticks at and some awesome new product hits our Road Test section. This issue I even learnt some pretty cool hints and tips myself, via our insightful monthly columns. Dig in and Enjoy!

IS M

25 JOE BONAMASSA

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Drum & Percussion Co-op (02) 9517 3457 (New South Wales) www.drumsandpercussioncoop.com

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Guitar Factory Paramatta (02) 9635 5552 (New South Wales) www.guitarfactory.com.au

Drumtek (03) 9428 5550 (Victoria) www.drumtek.com.au

The Drum Shop (08) 9204 7577 (Western Australia) www.kosmic.com.au

The Drum Shop Newcastle (02) 4925 3155 (New South Wales) www.thedrumshopnewcastle.com.au

World of Music Brighton (03) 9557 8600 (Victoria) www.worldofmusicbrighton.com.au

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Zildjian introduces a timeless addition to its K family. Handcrafted by Zildjian artisans in small batches, Kerope was developed in response to today’s musical trend toward cymbals with rich, dark sounds and thinner weights. This versatile cymbal is perfect for all types of players, from jazz to indie rock.

SOUND LEGACY

MIXDOWN NO. 244 / AUGUST 2014 / PG. 5

LAST MONTHS ROTOSOUND STRING GIVEAWAY WINNER:

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ACEBOOK.COM/MI X AT F

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V I E G A N W W A O YS D X I M M-AUDIO TRIGGER FINGER PRO GIVEAWAY

This month we have the very awesome M-AUDIO TRIGGER FINGER PRO Step Sequencer and Pad Production Centre to Giveaway to one very lucky Mixdown reader. With 16 RGB Trigger Finger pads, including 4 banks for 64 pads in total and a standalone 64 Step Sequencer, plus more options for sample and tonal control than you can clap your hands to, this is going to take your production to the next level.

TO ENTER THE COMPETITION SIMPLY:

Many thanks to all those that entered last month’s giveaway to win a year’s supply (25 packs) of the new Rotosound Electric Guitar Strings. If you answered correctly that the strings were manufactured in England (UK) and you followed the entry details correctly, well done!

But, there can only be one winner and this month it is Anton Abeyasinghe. Congratulations! We’ll get in contact shortly and work out your gauge of choice for maximum shredding enjoyment!

Many thanks to our Mixdown Magazine supporters and good friends over at Galactic Music and Rotosound Australia for helping facilitate the giveaway.

1. Like our Facebook page www.facebook.com/ mixdownmagazine and share our M-AUDIO TRIGGER FINGER PRO Giveaway post.

2. Email your full name and postal address to mixdownstaff@beat.com.au and answer the following question (which you can find in our Road Test section this issue, where we give the new M-AUDIO TRIGGER FINGER PRO a run for its money).

QUESTION: How many tracks via the step sequencer can you sequence independently? *This giveaway is for Australian residents only and one entry per person. All winners agree to have their name and photo published in the magazine and online with their prize.

For more awesome monthly Mixdown Giveaways, be sure to LIKE our Mixdown Magazine facebook page at www.facebook.com/mixdownmagazine and regularly check our Giveaways page on www.mixdownmag.com.au for your chance to win more awesome monthly giveaways.

Even if you’ve sold your soul down at the crossroads, you’re still going to need a case.

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MIXDOWN NO. 243 / JULY 2014 / PG. 7

NEWS & TOURS THE WAR ON DRUGS

DAMON ALBARN

Philadelphia-based outfit The War On Drugs will be hitting our shores this December with a couple of shows anchored around an appearance at Meredith Music Festival.

The War On Drugs’ heady and uplifting guitar music works equally well in the wide outdoor spaces associated with music festivals or in a sweaty club environment, as they’ve resoundingly proved on past visits to Australia. The War On Drugs is, and always has been, the brainchild of enigmatic frontman and songwriter Adam Granduciel, but years of solid touring all over the globe in the wake of Slave Ambient’s release has upgraded the four-piece into

Damon Albarn, one of the most intuitively gifted and inventive musicians in modern music, will be performing at Melbourne’s iconic Palais Theatre on Friday December 12, to celebrate the recent release of his critically acclaimed new solo album, Everyday Robots. Underlying Albarn’s originality and depth, the album features guest appearances from Brian Eno and Natasha Khan of Bat For Lashes, and is the first record to be released under his own name. His new live band The Heavy Seas will be joining him onstage, and includes guitarist Seye Adelekan, drummer Pauli The PSM, guitarist Jeff Wootton and Mike Smith on keyboards. Albarn’s eclectic musical style and observational lyrics have made him one of the world’s most influential and consistently interesting contemporary musicians.

First heard alongside Blur bandmates Graham

a bona fide rock band, and this newfound solidarity shines brightly throughout the bands latest album Lost In The Dream. Some skeptics say that The War On Drugs can never be won – we say get amongst it and fight for your right to be hauled skywards by the eternally uplifting power of rock’n’roll!

TOUR DATES December 10 - The Zoo, Brisbane QLD December 11 - The Hi-Fi, Melbourne VIC December 13 - Metro Theatre, Sydney NSW

CREO

Sydney based alt/rock 4-piece Creo have just released their brand new single ‘Afterglow’, and are preparing to take the East Coast by storm with a run of tour dates. Sporting a getyour-feet moving rhythm section, layers upon layers of oozing guitars, and a chorus soaked in that signature vocal sound that is guaranteed to incept your mind for weeks, ‘Afterglow’ is another promising sign this young band has the material to back up their hard work ethic.

Recently playing to a packed out GoodGod Small Club and earning their spot on bills with the likes of British India, Gung Ho, and Glass

TOUR DATES December 12 - Palais Theatre, Melbourne VIC December 15 - Opera House, Sydney NSW December 16 - Opera House, Sydney NSW

ELBOW

Towers, Creo have also gained momentum throughout the country with multiple tours and rotation on radio stations across Australia.

TOUR DATES August 13 - Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Newcastle NSW August 15 - New Globe Theatre, Brisbane QLD August 23 - GoodGod Small Club, Sydney NSW August 27 - Music Man Megastore, Bendigo VIC August 29 - Old Bar, Melbourne VIC August 30 - Rad, Wollongong NSW

One of England’s finest bands, Elbow will showcase their sublime sound in a limited run of intoxicating live performances following the release of their latest album, The Take Off and Landing of Everything. Completing a recent UK arena tour and currently playing select festival dates, including last month’s Glastonbury festival and upcoming V Festival dates, Elbow return after an Australian absence of more than two years. Revered for their emotive tunes, they craft melodies simultaneously rousing and melancholy; rich layers of orchestration skilfully intertwined with beautifully eloquent,

BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB

JOHN MURRY

Bombay Bicycle Club are heading to Australia’s East Coast for headline shows this Spring, following the February release of their latest album, So Long, See You Tomorrow.

Featuring singles ‘Carry Me’ and ‘Luna’, the timeless record was penned and produced by Steadman in the band’s London studio over 18 months, telling a story from the first track to the last. These will be Bombay Bicycle Club’s first

John Murry fell for Australia when in the country earlier this year for performances at the Sydney Festival. Murry will return this August to record his next album in the secluded surrounds of the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria with Australian producer Mark Stanley and Irish producer Karl Odlum (Kila, Glen Hansard & The Frames, Lisa O’Neill). The combination of emotionally unsparing, high-minded thinking, streetwise poetry, and gutbucket execution is visible on Murry’s full-length album, The Graceless Age. Murry’s new EP, Califorlornia, soon to be released in Australia, continues his evolution showing

PG. 8 / MIXDOWN NO. 244 / AUGUST 2014

Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree through the band’s wry commentary on English life on classic albums Modern Life is Rubbish, Parklife, and The Great Escape, the 46-year-old Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter, producer and composer’s career also encompasses the massive global success of virtual band Gorillaz, and writer and producer credits on Bobby Womack’s acclaimed The Bravest Man In The Universe.

Tickets on sale now, don’t miss out!

Australian dates in almost two years.

TOUR DATES September 25 - The Forum, Melbourne VIC September 27 - The Tivoli, Brisbane QLD September 28 - Metro Theatre, Sydney NSW

sentimental lyrics, highlighted by Guy Garvey’s unmistakable vocals. Their sixth studio album, The Take Off and Landing of Everything, delivered the band the highest charts debuts of their career including the top spot in both the UK and Ireland, and #12 on the Australian ARIA chart.

TOUR DATES October 25 - Sydney Opera House, Sydney NSW October 28 - The Forum, Melbourne VIC October 30 - The Tivoli, Brisbane QLD

off more modern rock curves and building on the buzzing, very alive production direction he embarked on The Graceless Age. Whilst here Murry will perform two intimate shows in Melbourne and Sydney to launch the release of his new EP Califorlornia.

TOUR DATES August 20 - The Basement, Sydney NSW August 22 - The Spotted Mallard, Melbourne VIC

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NEWS & TOURS KINGSWOOD

Melbourne indie-rockers Kingswood have unleashed their latest single ‘I Can Feel That You Don’t Love Me’ from the forthcoming album Microscopic Wars. Recorded at Blackbird Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, the debut longplayer sees the band team up with Grammy Award winning producer Vance Powell, and is set for release Friday August 22nd. ‘I Can Feel That You Don’t Love Me’ reveals Kingswood’s raw emotive side. With feverish lyrics and cool refrains, guitarist Alex Laska steps up to take over lead vocals for the first time. The success of their first EP Change of Heart hurled the band onto stages across the country with their refreshing free and wild style. Known for their

MILLIONS

thrashy guitars and bluesy vocal melodies, the members of Kingswood have been playing in bands together since their teens, and soon found themselves performing at Big Day Out, as well as winning the coveted ‘Triple J Unearthed Splendour in the Grass’ competition and touring nationally for their last single ‘Suckerpunch’.

TOUR DATES Their massive list of August, September and October dates can be viewed at kingswoodband.com and kicks off on August 20 at the Pirie & Co Social Club, Adelaide SA.

Since the double-whammy punch of their introductory 2012 EP’s Nine Lives, Six Degrees and Cruel, we’ve barely heard a peep from the lads. But behind the scenes it’s been a case of constant writing and re-writing, jamming and tweaking the songs for their eagerly-awaited debut album. The band have road-tested and refined their tunes on national tours with San Cisco, Peace and The Jungle Giants. And now finally, here it is - the debut album Max Relax - titled as guitarist Ted Tilbrook says, “After the colloquial term for what we all say we do with our lives outside of the band”. Millions decamped to London in late 2013 to craft the record they’d spent so long working towards and dreaming about. To get the album in shape, they

LUNATICS ON POGOSTICKS

NIGHT BEATS

Teen rapscallions Lunatics On Pogosticks announce the release of a new EP, Slug Cat and Snail Dog. In support of the release, the grunge trio will head out on a tour of the East Coast this September. After two years, two EP’s, a smattering of singles and a handful of house parties, the band took out the 2013 Unearthed High Competition with their stomping single ‘Picasso’s Saddest Love’, hand picked by Triple J. As competition winners, the band professionally recorded a single in the ABC studios. The result was ‘Blood Clot’, a power-pop tune, immediately catchy with a fierce-but-polished sound that captured the band’s garage-scuzz style perfectly. Their current single ‘Less Than Sober’ was added to full rotation on Triple

Seattle based skeleton masters of psych, Night Beats head down-underworld on their first ever Australian tour. Visiting our swamp lands, Night Beats make the John Curtin their home on September 12 and will bend, dissolve and intertwine their fuzz for your bliss drenched ears.

Renowned for being a phenomenally tight world class live act, this is a show, nay experience that is absolutely not to be missed! Night Beats have relentlessly toured on a scooby-doo wagon of mystery over the last few years, taking in over 20 countries both solo and with a string of fellow

J in April, following performances on Falls Festival and Live It Up Festival. Lunatics On Pogosticks have supported British India, Dune Rats, Grinspoon and New Navy, as well as headlining at venues along the east coast, as attention to the band grows.

TOUR DATES September 4 - Collector Hotel, Parramatta NSW September 5 - Gallery Bar, Sydney NSW September 6 - Great Northern, Newcastle NSW September 19 - Revolver, Melbourne VIC September 20 - Crown & Anchor, Adelaide SA

PG. 10 / MIXDOWN NO. 244 / AUGUST 2014

TOUR DATES August 16 - Goodgod Small Club, Sydney NSW August 21 - Workers Club, Melbourne VIC August 22 - Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane QLD

seekers, like The Black Lips, The Zombies, The Black Angels and The Jesus and Mary Chain.

They’ve blown bulbs at SXSW, Austin Psych Fest, Sasquatch Festival and more. Joining Night Beats for all shows will be Sydney band The Laurels, in their first shows of 2014.

TOUR DATES September 12 - The John Curtin, Carlton VIC September 13 - Jive, Adelaide SA September 14 - Oxford Art Factory, Sydney NSW

ANTHONY FANTANO ‘THE INTERNET’S BUSIEST MUSIC NERD’

MIAMI HORROR

Miami Horror are back in a big way with new single ‘Wild Motion (Set It Free)’ and a national tour this September. ‘Wild Motion (Set It Free)’ oozes the recognisably catchy and upbeat vibes which Miami Horror have taken ownership of since 2009’s debut EP Bravado and hit single ‘Sometimes’.

Yet with ‘Wild Motion (Set It Free)’, the band have reached a new pinnacle of their song-writing. The track showcases the ever-growing production talent of the band and producer Benjamin Plant, the huge soothing vocal harmonies of singer Josh Moriarty and a monumental vintage-sounding riff that sets the scene for the band’s new direction. The new single has been unleashed in conjunction with the

called in a family favour and enlisted UK legend Glenn Tilbrook as producer. They also found time to sneak out of the studio for a few select UK gigs, including a dream-come-true support slot for Babyshambles. The band are now ready and raring to take their debut album to stages across Australia. They’ll be hitting the road in September on a national run with label-mates Ball Park Music, and also have some special shows of their own.

announcement of a national tour as they stay busy working toward the release of their long-awaited second album which is set for release late this year.

TOUR DATES September 16 - Spiegeltent, Brisbane Festival, QLD September 18 - Zierholz, Canberra ACT September 19 - Oxford Art Factory, Sydney NSW September 20 - Plantation Hotel, Coffs Harbour NSW September 25 - Fowlers, Adelaide SA September 26 - 170 Russell, Melbourne VIC September 27 - Red Earth Arts Festival, Karratha WA

Renowned music nerd and critic Anthony Fantano from The Needle Drop is coming to Australia for the first time to bring his music knowledge and criticism to us in the form of live presentations featuring multimedia. Known for his well-rounded opinions and entertaining delivery, Fantano’s talks include the future of the music industry, merits and subjectivity of album reviews, how context impacts musical taste, the commodification of indie, and classic albums. Fantano’s video-based review style has caught the attention and respect of

musicians, music fans, and industry professionals alike, having garnered over 50 million views on his YouTube channel. Be sure to get in quick to see “the internet’s busiest music nerd!”

TOUR DATES September 10,12 - BIGSOUND, Brisbane QLD September 14 - The Toff in Town, Melbourne VIC September 17 - APRA|AMCOS HQ, Sydney NSW

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TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING VIP PACKAGE DETAILS GO TO LIVENATION.COM.AU

MIXDOWN NO. 244 / AUGUST 2014 / PG. 11 SATRIANI.COM

THE INDUSTRIALIST MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS WITH CHRISTIE ELIZER

FOR CONTENT SUBMISSIONS TO THIS COLUMN PLEASE EMAIL TO CELIZER@NETSPACE.NET.AU founder Gavin Jones’ company lost Government funding of $3.6 million. A despondent Jones later took his life. Also due to Government funding axings, the Boomerang festival in Byron Bay had to be postponed to October 2015.

16 AUSSIE LABELS SIGN GLOBAL DIGITAL DEAL

BIGSOUND ANNOUNCE NEW SPEAKERS A dozen speakers including top A&R executives and two artist keynotes from legends Neil Finn (as pictured) and The Church will be incorporated into Bigsound 2014’s already impressive lineup. The list of international industry attendees has also tripled with A&R heads from Atlantic Records (US), Burger Records (US), Transgressive Records (UK), Neon Gold (US), Sony ATV Music Publishing (US), Mom & Pop Music (US) and The Syndicate (US) amongst others joining agents from festivals and live music venues from around the world. The event also welcomes a keynote speech from Bluesfest Director and co-founder Peter Noble as well as panelists, US YouTube blogger Anthony Fantano founder of The Needle Drop, Reggie Ba-Pe III from China’s Sonically Transmitted Disease, Anuj Gupta from India’s Only Much Louder amongst others. Queensland Arts Minister Ian Walker said this year’s BIGSOUND was shaping up to be one of the best ever.

Sixteen Australian labels were among 750 global indies who signed the London-based Worldwide Independent Network’s (WIN) ‘Fair Deals Declaration’. It commits to treat their artists fairly in agreements about the digital sales. They promised to (1) explain to them their share of download and streaming revenues in contracts and royalty statements; (2) account a good faith pro-rata share of revenues from digital services; (3) encourage digital services to provide better info on the use and revenues; (4) support artists who oppose unauthorized uses of their music; and support the global position of the indie label sector. The Aussie labels were Cooking Vinyl, Voice Kontrol, Rubber Records, Future Classic, Intertia, Remote Control, Public Opinion, Mushroom Group, Resist Records, The Orchard, We are Unified, Elefant Tracks, WJO, Obese Records, ABC Music and MGM.

FORECAST: AUSSIE MUSIC BIZ TO GROW OVER NEXT FIVE YEARS Australia’s entertainment and media market will grow by 18% to be valued at $40 billion in 2018, according to Price Waterhouse Coopers’ (PWC) Australian Entertainment and Media Outlook 2014-2018 report. The three main sectors of the Australian music market – physical distribution, digital distribution and live music – will grow at an annual rate of 0.6%. Of this, digital will post the biggest growth courtesy companies as Spotify and Beats Music. The digital sector will grow from $498 million in 2013 to $658 million in 2018. The report said that Australia’s live music sector remains active, however a fluctuating dollar and cooling festivals market means that international touring is no longer a guaranteed success.

RESEARCH ON PITFALLS FOR ENTERTAINMENT FOLK

APPLY FOR ARTSTART Applications for the Australia Council’s ArtStart program are now open for 2015, offering up to $10,000 to artists who completed an accredited creative arts course (Certificate IV or higher) in the past three years and carving out a career in artforms.

Over the past five years ArtStart funded over 1,000 artists for services, resources, skills development and equipment. Deadline: Sept 22.

BOSE SETS UP CREATIVE FUND As part of its campaign behind its new headphones and earbuds, audio brand Bose Australia has set up a $20,000 “creative fund” to promote and support Australian talent. It is sharing the stories of those working in various sectors. These include singer songwriter Guy Sebastian, DJ Tigerlily, surfer and photographer Cloudy Rhodes and Sydney artist Jess Bush. The aim is to encourage up-and-coming talent to share their stories through social media using the hashtag #ListenForYourselfAU.

INDIGENOUS ACTS GET THE SPOTLIGHT Dan Sultan leads the nominations for this month’s National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMAs) with five mentions, while Busy Marou, Jessica Mauboy and Gurrumul also fared well. For full list of National Indigenous Music Awards nominees go to Musicnt.com.au. Now in their third year, the awards are held at Darwin’s George’s Green Amphitheatre on Friday August 15.

In related news, Darwin hip hop crew DT3 were voted the people’s choice at the 2014 NT Song of the Year. This year, 344 songs were entered.

Last month was a terrible one for the indigenous music sector. The Deadly awards, held in September at the Sydney Opera House, were cancelled after PG. 12 / MIXDOWN NO. 244 / AUGUST 2014

Alarmed by the level of financial and health hardships of people working in the performing arts – in particular the high level of suicide – the Entertainment Assist charity association is conducting research into the pitfalls of working in the industry. The study, Working In The Australian Entertainment Industry: Key Factors In Longevity And Transition will be done with the College of Arts, at Victoria University. It will be threefold – face to face interviews with industry folk, an online survey and a strategy on how to apply the findings.

NINE EVENTS REBRANDED AS NINE LIVES Nine Entertainment Co (NEC)’s Nine Events business is rebranded as Nine Lives. Set up in 2011, Nine Lives’ businesses include Ticketek Australia, Ticketek New Zealand, Eventopia, Softix, Nine Rewards and Allphones Arena. They will continue to operate under their current names. However, the touring and events division will be renamed Nine Touring and Events.

ROW OVER ‘AGENT OF CHANGE’ DELAYS A row broke out between live music advocacy group, Save Live Australia’s Music (SLAM) and Victoria’s Minister for Planning, Matthew Guy. SLAM’s Helen Marcou said that the music community “has lost faith with the Minister’s inaction on implementing the Agent of Change principle in the planning system to help protect live music venues and musicians livelihoods.” Guy said he would introduce the Agent of Change in the Summer. Guy responded that he was “very disappointed” with SLAM’s claims and that Dept. of Planning and the Liquor & Gaming Minister are working on an appropriate policy. Meantime, four Melbourne venues – Cherry Bar in the City, TagoMago in Thornbury, The Reverence Hotel in Footscray and The Gasometer in Collingwood – are hit with noise complaints or about to face them due to developments near each venue. To sound proof themselves, Cherry Bar started a crowd-funding campaign on PledgeMusic, and TagoMago has had to host a benefit concert. Their battles continue.

POISON THORN LAUNCHES FOR ALT AND METAL ACTS Phil Israel, founder of Possum Records, has launched Poison Thorn Records for alt-rock and metal bands from Australia and abroad. “There’s a wealth of undiscovered and highly talented artists out there,” he said. “We aim to uncover the best of this talent and provide the artists with an opportunity to expose their muse to a wider audience.” Label manager is Amber Ferguson, Poison Thorn is distributed by Universal. Send music via a Soundcloud link to info@poisonthornrecords. com or CDs to PO Box 1524, Bowral, NSW 2576.

NEW EDM LABEL SETS UP Sony Music Australia EDM director Jon Hanlon and New York-based Aussie DJ/producer Maarcos launched progressive house and big room label Fuze Records. Its first release is the single ‘Pyro’ on July 21 by Maarcos aka Mark Kwong, ex-producer and member of Those Usual Suspects. Hanlon, who manages Maarcos, also runs Konkrete Agency, which represents Hardwell, Nicky Romero and Laidback Luke. Fuze will hold branded live events.

ADELAIDE FESTIVALS UNDER FIRE Major Adelaide festivals and music events which breach noise limits can now be ordered to install sound monitors which will cut power automatically after a “certain level”, according to a new measure adopted by Adelaide City Council. It is believed that 110 decibels will be that level. A call by councillor David Plumridge to increase bonds to keep within the limit to $40,000 was dismissed and in fact cut down to $5,000. Earlier this year, Council claimed Soundwave was over the limit for 33% of the time, and forfeited its $10,000 bond. It got six noise complaints, but three of these were from one person.

TOUR PROMOTER HEATHEN SKULLS CLOSES After six years, tour promoter Heathen Skulls has folded. Founder Robert MacManus explained that his financial situation has changed in the last 12 months due to heavy competition in the Australian tour scene.“I’ve decided to pull back from touring as the risks involved are just too steep. At this point in time due to other pressing commitments, I no longer have the time or the financial resources to meet the demands of touring or to keep Heathen Skulls sustainable.” Tours by Toxic Holocaust and Reagen were axed as a result.

South By Southwest holds free meet’n’greets and a panel of SxSW vets from its music, film and interactive sectors on advice for those attending the March 2015 event with a Q&A. They’ll also talk about bands applying to showcase (submissions now open at http:/sxsw. com) while registrations begin on August 8.

They’re on in Melbourne on Tuesday Aug 12 at the Corner Hotel and in Sydney on Wed Aug 13 at the Newtown Social Club. Both are 5.30 to 9 pm.

AUSSIE/JAPANESE WATERMARKING TO TRACE PIRATES A new watermarking technology invented by Deakin University’s School of Information Technology and Japan’s Aizu University will provide law enforcement and copyright owners a secret key to trace the history of a music download back to the original pirate. It works by concealing watermarked data like the publisher’s name, signature, logo, ID and track number inside the track itself. The new software is the hardest to crack, conceal and corrupt of similar technology and the audio quality is not affected, emphasizes lead researcher, Associate Professor Yong Xiang. He estimates 95% of music downloads in this country were originally pirated, with 2.3 million Aussies regularly using illegal file sharing networks.

The technology also allows the copyright owners to prove the files are theirs. Professor Michael Fraser, director of the Communications Law Centre at the University of Technology Sydney, an expert in digital piracy law, it allows the music industry to chase pirates rather than consumers, which it has generally been reluctant to do.

HELPMANNS AT CAPITOL THEATRE The live performance industry’s gala night, The Helpmanns, are on August 18 at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre and broadcast on Foxtel’s Arena channel.

Flume, Tame Impala, Hunters & Collectors and The Presets are nominated for Best Australian Contemporary Concert. Nominated for Best Contemporary Music Festival are Vivid Live, Bluesfest, Laneway and Falls Music & Arts. Up for Best International Contemporary Concert are Beyonce, Eddie Vedder, Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band and Pink.

MUSIC INDUSTRY COLLEGE TO OPEN NEW CAMPUS Brisbane’s Music Industry College launched a Pozible campaign to raise funds for its new campus, which opens in October in Fortitude Valley. The new facility will allow students to hold weekly under-18 gigs. The Pozible campaign is to build and equip the live performance space.

THINGS WE HEAR mixed, mastered and annotated--in definitive new editions, curated and remastered under the direction of Eddie Kramer (Hendrix’s long-time sound engineer) over the next three years.

PANDORA HITS 2 MILLION IN AUS, NZ Pandora hit its 2 millionth registered user in Australia and NZ last month. The internet radio service launched here in Dec 2012 and hit the 1 million mark in Dec 2013, doubling it less than seven months later. The 2 million listen to 29 million personalised stations, 75% on mobile and connected devices. They posted 90 million “thumbs” (like Facebook “likes”) with two new sign-ups every second. Each day Pandora A/NZ streams 384 hours’ worth of music.

SXSW ADVICE PANEL

• Billy Corgan hinted on the Smashing Pumpkins site that they might be here playing one of the Summer festivals. Mogwai said in a Reddit session they were heading this way, but didn’t offer any clues as to when.

• The Experience Hendrix LLC, the Hendrix family music company which owns and administers the Jimi Hendrix music rights, and Legacy Recordings, the catalogue division of Sony Music Entertainment, have acquired the full and complete rights to 88 studio and live recordings made by Curtis Knight & The Squires featuring Jimi Hendrix in 1965-1967, putting an end to all claims on the recordings once held by PPX Enterprises and Ed Chalpin. The 88 recordings include a mythic live performance on December 26, 1965, at George’s Club 20 in Hackensack, New Jersey, as well as studio tracks cut by Curtis Knight & The Squires with Hendrix in July 1967.

Legacy Recordings and Experience Hendrix plan on releasing these historic recordings--properly

• Is Tom Jones set to perform at the AFL Grand Final?

• Ex-Powderfinger bassist John “JC” Collins will open a 800-capacity live music club called Triffid in Brisbane in November.

• PledgeMusic signed with 123 Agency to develop fund tours, recording and merchandise for its roster.

• Adelaide City Council will continue is financial support of WOMADelaide, the Adelaide Festival of Arts and the 2015 Cabaret Festival as part of $2 million in grants and sponsorship funding over the next 12 months.

The new album

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SHIHAD.COM MIXDOWN NO. 244 / AUGUST 2014 / PG. 13

PRODUCT NEWS DRUMCRAFT ANNOUNCES NEW PRICE POINTS FOR ACOUSTIC KIT LINE UP

The new price points fr om DrumCraft will shatter previous expectations about what a consumer should get for their money and also be gr eat news for local retailers against the ever increasing threat of offshore web alter natives. The new DC Series 3 pr eviously $899 will now be $599, The new DC Series 5 pr eviously $1299 will now be $999, the DC Series 6 full Bir ch kits pr eviously $1599 will now be $1199. Pr ofessional Birch and Maple kits previously $2398 and $2798 will now be $1599 and $1799 r espectively and also come with free hardware! If you hadn’ t considered DrumCraft before, it’s time to take a closer look!

TYCOON PRO TIMBALE RANGE

Recently arrived; the new range of T ycoon timbales covers everything fr om mini drum-set timbales to traditional models, signatur e range and the new deep shell series. A gr eat addition to any drum-set, the 6” and 8” mini timbales are fun and versatile, adding unique colour to the sound of any drum-kit set up and ar e also super affordable at $199. T raditional models include 13” and 14” in chr ome, brushed chr ome or antique copper shell timbales. Also available are the Ralph Irizarry 14” and 15” Signature model in stunning black satin f nish. If you want something a little dif ferent then check out the extra deep shell series, these guys really roar! All drums are professional quality exquisitely f nished, come on a heavy-duty height adjustable tilting stand and

For more information on the Drumcraft range of products contact Dynamic Music by phone on (02) 9939 1299 or visit www.dynamicmusic.com.au

MC SYSTEMS LYN DYNAMIC PHASER PEDAL The LYN Dynamic Phaser is the latest r elease in Australian manufactur er MC System’s Apollo range of Dynamic Response ef fects pedals. The LYN is a four stage classic FET phaser , utilising a 100% analogue signal path to deliver unique phase effects. The implementation of MC Systems unique Alternate and V -Switch controls mean that you also have the equivalent of 4 pedals in one, while staying in the analogue domain.

The Alternate switch lets you stomp between two completely dif ferent rates, while the true bypass V-Switch also accesses a second depth control which is dependent on how har d you hit the switch. Finally, the LYN’s unique ‘Def nition’ control, helps you r eturn a contr ollable level of top end clarity to your effected signal.

For more information on the range of MC system products contact CMC Music Australia by phone on (02) 9905 2511 or visit www.cmcmusic.com.au

M-AUDIO AXIOM AIR SERIES MIDI CONTROLLERS

also include a fr ee cowbell, mounting bracket and timbale sticks. The best part is probably the price, where alternative brands would set you back over $1000 for similar drums, T ycoons pro timbale range is from RRP:$499–$599!

For more information on the Tycoon range of products contact Dynamic Music by phone on (02) 9939 1299 or visit www.dynamicmusic.com.

ALTO TRUESONIC TS112A LOUDSPEAKERS The Truesonic Series was designed fr om the ground up to be the most transpar ent loudspeaker money can buy . Rigorous testing and thousands of hours of listening have gone into making sur e that what you pump into a Truesonic speaker is exactly what you get out.

Everything you see (and some things you don’ t) from the inter nal signal path and components used to the sculpted cabinet and meticulously designed waveguide was developed in service of accurate and transparent sound. Every active Truesonic speaker benef ts from the use of a Class D amplif er integrated into the cabinet.

Class D amps ar e generally lighter than Class A and AB amplif er designs, which ensur es that you won’t break your back as you lug your speakers from the practice space to the van to the club and back again. Even though Class D amps are light, they’r e capable of generating signif cant power, and do an excellent job of eff ciently converting that power into usable wattage without generating the type of heat associated with other designs. All of these factors, combined with a phenomenal dollar-perwatt ratio, mean that Truesonic speakers literally pack a huge bang for the buck.

For more information on the range of Alto products, contact Pro Audio Group Australia on (02) 9521 4844 or visit www.proaudiogroup.com.au

ZZ TOP LIVE AT MONTREUX 2013 DVD & BLU-RAY

M-Audio’s f agship range of MIDI contr ollers llers and keyboards are now even better value with with a massive price r eduction across the entir e Axiom Air range. Of fering unprecedented control, incredible ease-of-use and combined with empowering softwar e the Axiom range form the ultimate studio centr epiece. Program beats, loops, and grooves using easily assignable trigger pads and solid, r esponsive keys.

Illuminated knobs, a long-thr ow fader, plus an array of dedicated transport and softwar e navigation buttons give you hands-on contr ol PG. 14 / MIXDOWN NO. 244 / AUGUST 2014

and oll unites of your sessions a ndHyperContr HyperC erC Cont ntrol ro unit un ites your ite it your hardware and software by automatically mapping the controllers with no set up chor es to perform so you can start working faster . Completing this powerful package is Ignite, the music cr eation software from Air, which provides a powerful way to quickly capture an idea and create music.

For more information on the range of M-Audio products, contact Pro Audio Group Australia on (02) 9521 4844 or visit www.proaudiogroup.com.au

If yyou’ve never seen ZZ T op live or seen them a thousand times you have to check out the new Live At Montr eux 2013 available on Blune ray and DVD. The band has made a number o visits to Montr eux over the years and this of from the 2013 Festival is undoubtedly cconcert o one of their f nest live performances. The set list on blends tracks from early seventies albums such ble as Tres Hombres and Fandango thr ough their eighties blockbuster period with Eliminator and eig Afterburner and up to their most r ecent release Aft and return to their blues r oots with La Futura. an The middle section of the concert featur es a Th jazz-blues tribute to the late Montr eux Festival founder Claude Nobs with guest appearances

by Mike Flanigin on Hammond Or gan and Van Wilks on guitar.

Live At Montreux 2013 is available through Shock Entertainment and available for purchase via ScreenPop Australia by visiting www.screenpop.com.au

MORE YOU

An all-in-one, kick-ass personal PA, vocal monitor, instrument amplifier and vocal reverb unit, it puts your music and your needs for control front and center.

Finally, you have more you. ▸ 6.5˝ 2-way coaxial Tannoy speaker and 150W of premium musical clarity and power. ▸ 3-Channel Digital Mixer with TC-Helicon Vocal Processing, including Reverb, intelligent EQ and Compression. ▸ Instant mic-stand mounting with our unique oneclick Easy Grip system.

MOUNT IT ON YOUR MIC-STAND MIC-STAN

USE AS WEDGE MONITOR

– OR DESKTOP SOUND SYSTEM

POWERFUUL INSTRUMENT POWERFUL AMPLIFICATION AMPLIFIC CATION

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www.tc-helicon.com/voicesolo-fx150

Distributed in Australia by Amber Technology

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www.ambertech.com.au

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sales@ambertech.com.au

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1800 251 367

PRODUCT NEWS VOX AC4C1-12 AND NIGHT TRAIN NT15C1-CL

Soon to hit stores in Australia are two cool new amps from Vox. First is the AC4C1-12 all-valve combo. While previous models were equipped with a 10-inch speaker, this new model features a 12-inch Celestion speaker that delivers even more low-end and volume. With diamond grille cloth and basket-weave vinyl exterior, this Class A tube amp can be enjoyed whether you’re practicing at home, performing live, or recording.

The second amp is the new Night Train NT15C1CL combo amp, which sports the trademark Vox

diamond grille cloth and Vox gold badge. The NT15C1-CL covers all kinds of tube, ranging from clean to crunch as well as high-gain sounds and everything in-between. Keep a look out for these new Vox amps arriving soon.

TC ELECTRONIC DITTO GOLD LOOPER PEDAL

Love gold? So does TC Electronic. That’s why they’ve made a limited run of their most popular mini-pedal, the Ditto Looper. Ditto Gold is a limited edition and includes all the same features of the normal Ditto, with the big exception being that it’s gold. Ditto Gold will retail for the same price as the normal Ditto and only 5000 units will be sold worldwide. Don’t think for too long or you’ll miss out! Ditto Gold is expected to arrive in Australia in September 2014.

For more information on the range of TC Electronic products contact Amber Technology on 1800 251 367 or visit www.ambertech.com.au

For more information on the range of VOX products contact Yamaha Music Australia on (03) 9693 5111 or visit www.voxamps.com.au

TC-HELICON PLAY ELECTRIC VOCAL FX PEDAL SLAM BASS DRUM MUTE PAD

Drummers needing a solution for quiet practice, but still wanting to use their own drums need not look any further. The Slam Bass Drum Mute Pad is a large rubber pad with three adjustable straps that allow you to connect securely to your bass drum when practicing. The pad itself has been designed to have a more realistic playing feel, offering players a certain amount of ‘give’ when struck. It’s not a hard playing surface and

does promote a more natural playing style from the drummer. This pad is a cost effective way of helping to find solutions to the ever-problematic issue of noise while practicing.

For more information contact Jade Australia on 1800 144 120 or visit www.jadeaustralia.com.au

Play Electric is the exciting new addition to the TC-Helicon range. Hot on the heels of the already massively popular Play Acoustic, the Play Electric is the perfect balance of Helicon and TonePrint to rock your world! The Play Electric’s professional vocal FX includes pitch-correction, adaptive tone shaping and three-part harmony guided by your guitar chords. The VLoop function offers up to 60 seconds of mono loop time and even Undo and Redo functions for perfect layering on-the-fly. Guitar FX are provided by

Packed with ZZ Top Classics including: La Grange • Tush • Sharp Dressed Man • Legs Out Now on DVD & Blu-Ray Available where all good DVDs are sold.

PG. 16 / MIXDOWN NO. 244 / AUGUST 2014

TC Electronic’s TonePrint technology, and offer styles from Flashback Delay, Hall of Fame Reverb and Corona Chorus. Guitar amp emulations from VoiceLive 3, including “no amp” and “Acoustic Shape” bring out the life and tone in your guitar so you can focus on your performance.

For more information on the range of TC Electronic products contact Amber Technology on 1800 251 367 or visit www.ambertech.com.au

MIXDOWN NO. 244 / AUGUST 2014 / PG. 17

PRODUCT NEWS ERNIE BALL M-STEEL GUITAR STRINGS

Ernie Ball’s M-Steel electric guitar strings ar e unlike anything you’ve played befor e. Short for ‘maraging steel’—M-Steel wound strings ar e comprised of Ernie Ball’s patented Super Cobalt alloy wrapped around a maraging steel hex core, producing a richer, fuller tone with powerful lowend response. M-Steel plain strings ar e made from specially temper ed steel for maximum fatigue resistance, resulting in a louder, stronger string. A patented winding of steel ar ound the ball end of M-Steel plain strings reduces slippage,

resists breakage and stays in tune better than conventional plain strings. The loudest, most expressive strings ever cr eated, M-Steel strings provide increased output, fr equency response and strength.

VIC FIRTH MOBILE APP Presented by the world’s largest manufacturer of sticks and mallets, the Vic Firth mobile app is your passport to the ever -growing library of detailed product information, educational tools and jawdropping interviews and perfor mances from the world’s f nest drummers and per cussionists. Best of all, the Vic Firth mobile app is completely free!

After downloading the app, you will have access to all of the fr ee Vic Firth mobile publications, with new issues appearing automatically in the library as they become available.

For more information on the Vic Firth range of products, contact Australasian Musical Supplies on (03) 9549 1500 or visit www.austmusic.com.au For more information on the range of MC system products contact CMC Music Australia by phone on (02) 9905 2511 or visit www.cmcmusic.com.au

ZILDJIAN ‘ON THE RECORD’ VIDEO SERIES NEW CYMBAL PACKS FROM ZILDJIAN

Zildjian have recently launched a new video series called ‘On The Recor d’. The series featur es live play-through videos of Vic Firth artists such as Ben Gordon of Parkway Drive, Mat Nicholls of Bring Me The Horizon, Daniel Platzman of Imagine Dragons and Dan Searle of Ar chitects plus more kick things off in a big way with many mor e soon to be added. Each video is shot using multiple cameras giving you the best possible angels and insight into each player’s playing technique. You The Avedis Zildjian Company has announced the addition of a new range of cymbal packs to their 2014 collection. Included in the range is the K0800 K Zildjian box set featuring 14” K HiHats, 16” K Dark Crash Thin, 20” K Ride, 18” K Dark Crash Thin (RRP: $1495 saving over $680); the KCH390 K Custom Hybrid box set featuring 141/4” K Custom Hybrid Hi-Hats, 21” K Custom Hybrid Ride (RRP: $1349 saving over $500); the A20579-11 A Custom box set featuring 14” A Custom Hi-Hats, 16” A Custom Crash, 20” A Custom Medium Ride, 18” A Custom Crash (RRP: $1349 saving over $300); the A391 A Zildjian box set featuring 14” A New Beat Hi-Hats, 16” A Med

Thin Crash, 21” A Sweet Ride, 18” A Medium Thin Crash (RRP: $ 1295 saving over $490); the ZHT 390 box set featuring 14” ZHT Mastersound Hi-Hats 17” ZHT Fast Crash, 20” ZHT Medium Ride16” ZHT China (RRP: $799 saving over $200); ZBTP390-F ZBT box set featuring a 14” ZBT HiHats, 16” ZBT Crash, 20” ZBT Ride (RRP: $599 saving over $300).

can also view each of the artist’s setups as well as watch interviews to hear each drummer speak indepth about some of their most infamous tracks.

To check out the series, head to www .zildjian. com/fortherecord/ontherecord.

For more information on the Zildjian range of products, contact contact Australasian Musical Supplies on (03) 9549 1500 or visit www.austmusic.com.au

MARTIN DC-AURA GT AND GPC-AURA GT GUITARS

For more information on Zildjian range of products, contact contact Australasian Musical Supplies on (03) 9549 1500 or visit www.austmusic.com.au

DC-AURA GT

RYAN BURT AND THE AMITY AFFLICTION JOINING PEARL AND ZILDJIAN FAMILY

GPC-AURA GT

Enjoying the huge success of their r ecent tours and album r elease, Ryan has stated that he is “stoked to be joining the Pearl and Zildjian families”. The band has r ecently returned from a run of shows in Eur ope which included the renowned Download Festival. They head of f on their next Australian tour early September , on a headlining tour featuring UK’ s Architects and California’s The Ghost Inside. As with their PG. 18 / MIXDOWN NO. 244 / AUGUST 2014

previous releases, the band’s new album is doing great things with their latest full length LP Let the Ocean Take Me available now.

For more information on both the Pearl and Zildjian range of products, contact Australasian Musical Supplies on (03) 9549 1500 or visit www.austmusic.com.au

The all-new Dreadnought and Grand Performance Aura GT models fr om Martin Guitar arrive in Australia this month. Featuring all solid East Indian rosewood bodies with a satin f nish and a polished gloss solid Sitka spruce top highlighted with a two ring pearl r osette. Added features for both models include certif ed African Blackwood bridges and f ngerboards with hexagon pearl inlays. The chrome ratio tuners allow each string to have its own gear ratio, making tuning easier .

The skeleton button adds a jewel like appearance and lessens the weight of the tuners. Both models come equipped with Fishman F1 Aura Plus electronics and a hard shell case.

For more information on the full range of Martin Guitars contact Electric Factory on (03) 9474 1000 or visit www.elfa.com.au

pure energy

The New Neumann KH 310A Three Way Studio Monitor is in a class all of its own.

With state of the art technology, the KH310A delivers cutting edge performance and extreme accuracy at surprisingly high reproduction levels.

The result is a sweet spot that only Neumann can deliver.

For more information on the Award Winning Neumann Range, or details of your nearest stockist, Freecall 1800 648 628, or visit the Neumann website at www.neumann.com

PRODUCT NEWS SIGMA DMC-STE ACOUSTIC GUITAR

Sigma guitars are proud to release a new and very affordable Dreadnought Cutaway to their already wide and varied range. With an RRP of $485, it boasts a Solid Sitka Spruce top and Mahogany back and sides. Other features include a Mahogany neck, Indian Rosewood bridge and fingerboard and a bone nut and saddle.

Beautifully covered in a satin finish, it carries a Fishman Isys+ pre-amp with Volume, Bass, Treble controls and an on-board Tuner. Sigma Guitars

was established in 1970 using designs of worldfamous, classic acoustic guitars which endure to this day. There are over 100 models in the current Sigma range, providing an extensive range of options to suit players of almost all styles.

For more information on the Sigma range of products, contact Jacaranda Music on (08) 8363 4613 or visit www.jacarandamusic.com.au

NATAL LIMITED EDITION ACRYLIC DRUM KIT

Natal Drums created this Amber Acrylic kit to pay homage to Bonzo’s classic drum sets.

These beautiful drums are inspired by the kit Brian Tichy and Natal developed for the Bonzo Birthday Bash concerts and of course come in monster sizes: 26x14 Bass Drum, 14x10 Tom, 16x16 and 18x18 Floor Toms with a 14x5 Snare.

Tichy’s love for John Bonham’s playing, and his favorite band Led Zeppelin, inspired him to stage four Bonham Bashes in Los Angeles each year featuring drummers such as Steven Adler, Chad

Smith, Gregg Bissonette, Virgil Donati, Mike Portnoy, Rikki Rockett, Mark Schulman, Glen Sobel and countless more. There is only one of these thumpin’ kits available in Australia and you can find it at Drummers Paradise in Melbourne, but be quick as this won’t last!

For more information on the full range of Natal products contact Electric Factory on (03) 9474 1000 or visit www.elfa.com.au

HERMIDA AUDIO TECHNOLOGY DOVER DRIVE PEDAL MOTU’S NEW 1248, 8M AND 16A HIGH-END AUDIO INTERFACES

Taking notes from Billy Gibbon’s chunky rhythm to Eric Johnson and David Gilmour’s soaring leads, the Dover Drive is a touch sensitive pedal that walks a tightrope between an overdrive and a fuzz. Made in the USA and featuring True Bypass, Internal Bias control, Tone control and the ability to run off 9V power or battery this little pedal is built like a tank, has all the essentials and an incredible sound. Aimed to make your solos scream into the heavens and your riffs pound into the southern cooked trenches, this dynamic

box gives you a round and creamy tone, smooth enough for jazz, tight enough for progressive rock, fat enough for blues and much more. Rolling back on your guitar’s Volume and Tone knobs will open up even more tonal possibilities.

For more information on the range of Hermida Audio Technology pedals contact Gladesville Guitar Factory by calling (02) 9817 2173 or by visiting www.guitarfactory.net

MATCHLESS LIGHTNING GUITAR AMP

The sound of the Matchless Lightning is that classic EL84 “British Sound”, with a big scoop in the midrange you will quickly see how well it sits in the mix against other instruments, its clarity and voicing will slice through everything and give you incredible presence in the mix.

Actual tonal possibilities are very extensive and it produces loud output volumes not normally associated with a 15 watt rating. The Pro-grade single channel preamp with its interactive tone controls is coupled to a serious dual-EL84 PG. 20 / MIXDOWN NO. 244 / AUGUST 2014

power section with a tube rectifier. All models have active EQ to attain an excellent array of complex tones. The tone stage is based off the early Top Boost circuit with some modifications unique to the Lightning. The Bass control adds a heavier sound and increases the midrange as you turn it up, which is very beneficial with different styles of pickup that have a thinner sound, or fatter pickups that need the Bass rolled off for more clarity. The Treble control will of course add more top end and brightness, and subsequently it will decrease the midrange a very important feature to help tailor the sound of your pickup. The foundation of the Lightning is to produce a flawless clean sound, but as you increase the Volume control you will start to get into clean and dynamic front end breakup.

Turning the Volume control all the up will give a perfect distortion sound without over saturation ideal for a hard rock sound where clarity and presence is needed.

For more information on the range of Matchless Guitar Amplifiers contact Gladesville Guitar Factory by calling (02) 9817 2173 or by visiting www.guitarfactory.net

MOTU has announced three new Thunderbolt audio interfaces with complementary I/O configurations, A/D/A conversion with very high dynamic range, 48-channel mixing, DSP effects and AVB Ethernet audio networking for system expansion.

A NEW TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM Based on a new, shared technology platform, the 1248, 8M and 16A differ only in their analog I/O configurations. As the most versatile of the three, the flagship 1248 offers 8x12 balanced TRS analog I/O, four mic inputs with digitally-controlled individual preamps, two front-panel hi-Z guitar inputs, two independent phone outs and stereo RCA S/PDIF digital I/O. The 8M provides eight balanced TRS analog outputs, plus eight mic/ line/instrument “combo” style inputs individually equipped with digitally controlled preamps, 48V phantom power, pad and MOTU’s hardware-based V-Limit overload protection. The 16A is packed with 16 In and 16 Out balanced TRS analog connections . All three units provide two banks of optical digital I/O, word clock I/O and computer connectivity through either audio class compliant USB 2.0 or Thunderbolt.

Equipped with the latest-generation ESS Sabre32 Ultra converters, analog performance has been engineered for even the most demanding listening situations. The balanced TRS analog outputs provide a measured dynamic range of 123 dB, latency is very low, with round trip performance of only 32 samples (0.66 ms) at 48 kHz and ach unit provides comprehensive metering for all inputs and outputs on a large backlit LCD screen.

48-CHANNEL MIXING WITH 12 STEREO BUSSES The units are equipped with latest-generation DSPs that drive a 48-channel mixer designed after large format mixing consoles. The mixer provides 7 stereo aux busses, 3 groups, a reverb bus that can alternately serve as a 4th group, a Main Mix bus and a separate Monitor bus that doubles a solo bus. Effects include classic reverb, 4-band modeled analog EQ, modeled vintage compression and gating. A flexible matrix routing grid makes it easy

for users to route audio to and from the mixer, the computer and audio network streams, including the ability to split a single input (or input pair) to multiple destinations.

SYSTEM EXPANSION AND AVB ETHERNET AUDIO NETWORKING Users can add a 2nd MOTU interface to their system with a simple CAT-5e Ethernet cable or build a system of three to five interfaces connected to the five-port, 1-Gigabit MOTU AVB Switch. No special IT expertise or network configuration is required, as AVB is designed to be plug-and-play.

By daisy-chaining additional AVB switches largescale networks can be installed easily using existing Ethernet cabling infrastructure and long cable runs up to 100 meter between devices and switches.

Multiple computers can be connected throughout the network, and all devices and computers on the network can route audio to/from all others.

WEB APP, WI-FI CONTROL, AND STANDALONE WIRELESS MIXING Any available network port on any unit or AVB switch can be connected to a standard Wi-Fi router to give complete access to device settings, audio routing features and the 48-channel mixer from web app software running on their laptop, iPad, tablet, and smart phone — even multiple devices simultaneously — from anywhere in their home, studio, or facility. Unlike other audio interfaces, which are controlled from a software application running on a computer, the control software for the 1248, 8M and 16A is a web app served from the unit itself to any web browser running on any web client connected through Thunderbolt, USB, Ethernet, or Wi-Fi. Through Wi-Fi, for example, each musician in a band could control their own headphone mix from their own iPad, with no computer necessary, even when operating just a single interface such as the 1248.

For more information on the entire MOTU range contact Network Audio Solutions by calling 1300 30 66 70 or visiting www.networkaudio.com.au

MIXDOWN NO. 244 / AUGUST 2014 / PG. 21

JOE SATRIANI LORD OF THE GUITARS

Photos by Chapman Baehler

Across 14 studio albums Joe Satriani has redefined instrumental guitar, led the charge in popularising shred, introduced all sorts of techniques to the guitarists’ lexicon, and spearheaded innovations in gear that have influenced countless luthiers and modders. While Joe is always looking forward - to the next guitar, the next gig, the next album - 2014 finds him also taking stock of how he got to this point. This year has already seen the release of The Complete Studio Recordings, a 15-disc box set which brings together each of his albums (the studio disc of the two-CD Time Machine album is represented) plus a disc of alternate mixes, unheard tracks and rarities. And he has also released Strange Beautiful Music: A Memoir, which explores his creative output albumby-album, offering unprecedented incites into the conception and execution of his albums, the origins of the G3 tour, the success of Chickenfoot and of course those early days teaching guitar to the likes of Steve Vai, Alex Skolnick, Kirk Hammett and Larry LaLonde. With plenty of touring booked for this year already, Joe has just announced a tour of Australia for November.

So, you’re heading back to Australia!

We are, f nally! We’re back on a solo tour . By the time we get to you guys, it’ll be the f nal lap of the Unstoppable Momentum tour that we started last year. It’ll be gr eat - we’ll be well-seasoned by the time we play those shows.

With the guys you’ve got in the band I can imagine that it’s always evolving.

You don’t hire guys like this, unless you’re going to use what they bring to the table right?

Yeah! They’re always fun to play with. Mar co [Minnemann, drums] and Bryan [Beller, bass] ar e of course in The Aristocrats, who are touring when we’re not touring. They have this musical telepathy which is great, and they’ve all worked together with Mike [Keneally, keys and guitar]. As a matter of fact they’ve all worked together in a variety of formats including a trio [KMB], and of course Mike and I have a long history. So ther e’s a lot of good stuf f between all four of us and we can draw it out of each other.

How do you pull together a setlist for these shows?

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I guess the way that we put together a setlist for us - or I should say for me - ref ects the fact that I’ve been hanging around a long time, and the success that I’ve had means that my audience has known me for the decades. So on the one hand you don’t want to play the same songs that you’ve played over and over because there are some people who have seen me very often. But the audience on any given night is divided in many different ways. There are people who have never seen me befor e and probably will never see me again, this is the one time. And if they go to see you and all you do is play the weir dest, most obscur e music you can, you’ll lose them! And as a perfor mer you’ll notice that halfway thr ough the show . “This just isn’ t working,” y’know? And also, on the f ip side of that is when you’re playing “Satch Boogie” again, some people will drift off because they’ve seen it already!

So you can’ t really please everybody because everybody’s got a right to expect something very different. I remember, this stuck in my head on this one tour, we were playing the song ‘Always W ith Me, Always W ith You’, it was a fan favourite and one of the top three memorable songs from my catalog that the average listener wants me to play. And we started to jam on the end of it.

We thought as musicians that it would be fun to play something like ‘W ith A Little Help Fr om My Friends’ and go off into this crazy jam and then bring it back home. And then one time, after a really good performance, I noticed on some social media sites some people wer e saying “Oh, they played my favourite song but then they went off at the end. What were they playing? I didn’t like that!”

So that’s the other level, which is, some people in the audience want you to play exactly what they know you for and others want you to absolutely blow it out. It’s best to go with your feelings.

Do you ever listen back to your own stuff purely for its own sake?

It’s a funny thing. I gotta say that I don’ t listen to my own music once I’ve made the r ecord. I move on. My family will tell ya that they hear me playing music that I’m working on way too much, y’know? I remember I was working on the song ‘Thr ee Sheets To The Wind’ from the last album, and that song took a very unusual jour ney because I wr ote it on guitar and it had a nice palatable melody on guitar , but when I got the idea to use horns I literally spent like three weeks, f ve hours a day, just doing all sorts of different horn arrangements and blending the guitar in. And of course I dr ove my wife crazy cos she’d hear that song way too much. Y’know , the average person does not consume music in the same way a musician does. We can sort of focus in and let all the other stuff go by us while we listen to the attack of the trumpet. So that’ s what I’ll do. But once we recorded it and I gave myself a hi-fve for completing the vision, I thought ‘Well now I have to forget about it because my reality is now what it sounds like live.’

And that’s my reality as a perfor mer; I walk out on stage with a band and I have to for get what we achieved on the album and think about what I can achieve with the live band night after night.

We’d better talk some guitar specifics while I’ve got you. How’s the three-pickup JS model coming along?

Yeah, it got pushed a little in line. W e have another guitar that we’re working on but I have fnally passed that pickup hurdle and a lot of other considerations.

They are on it! It’s great that we have had so much happening in the last six months with the JS line and I’m still pursuing that one with the three pickups. I’m hopeful! They make some great, great guitars. They played into the r ebirth of the seven-string for that generation and now they’re into eight, and that’s just mind-boggling. I’m not sur e I’ll ever pur chase one because I f gure I don’ t want to hurt my hand. It’ s too much to think about, eight strings, y’know? I was thinking by the time I f gure out how to play eightstring, some guy will come out with a nine-string.

Ibanez did that at NAMM this year! They’ve now got two nine-string models.

They do? Wow! They did me a favour by not telling me. So is it a lower and an upper string compar ed to a seven-string?

Now, it’s a lower string and another lower string.

Wow! Goodbye bass player.

BY PETER HODGSON

TOUR DATES November 4 - The Tivoli, Brisbane QLD November 6 - The State Theatre, Sydney NSW November 8 - Palais Theatre, Melbourne VIC November 9 - Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide SA November 11 - Astor Theatre, Perth WA

Apply now Trimester 3 commences Sydney & Melbourne

08 09 14

Australian Institute of Music For more information visit aim.edu.au or call Sydney: 02 9219 5444, Melbourne: 03 8610 4222 MIXDOWN NO. 244 / AUGUST /6PG. CR C RIC C2014 OS 00 OS 06 65C 23 65

DRAGONFORCE PUSHING THE LIM LIMITS MITS S The mighty Dragonforce have always brought the epic energy, triumphant power-metal riffage, anthemic choruses and intense shred to their work, but what makes their new album Maximum Overload stand out a little from the rest of their catalog is their willingness to step outside of their established sound just far enough to keep it fresh. Vocalist Marc Hudson has well and truly settled in now (he joined prior to the recording of previous album The Power Within, and Trivium’s Matt Heafy contributes his vocal power to three tracks as well. And for the first time Dragonforce have worked with an outside producer, Jens Bogren, who has also produced, mixed or mastered the likes of Soilwork, Symphony X, Pain of Salvation, James LaBrie, Devin Townsend.

Throw it all together and you have Dragonforce’s biggest-sounding album yet.

Dragonforce’s guitarists wer e initially split on the idea of using an outside pr oducer, even one as r espected as Bogr en. “I actually didn’ t want to, personally, because we’d pr oduced all our records before,” guitarist Sam T otman says.

“We’ve always sounded good so why should we use a pr oducer?” And Her man [Li, co-guitarist] was like “Nah, we should try something new” and I was like “What if it sucks and it’s worse than the other albums?” So we had a little bit of ar guing about that. But now looking back on it I’m r eally glad we did, because even though I think all our other records are really good, at the same time because we’ve been on our own for so long we could end up getting stuck into a hole without even realising it and getting behind the times.”

For Herman it was a chance to focus more on the guitar work. “W e learned a lot fr om someone who was actually a pr o, and the appr oach was def nitely different in that I don’ t have to worry about all the pr oduction, checking the other peoples’ stuff, making sure everything is done. So that was easier for me. It’ s probably the easiest album I’ve made. It’ s the least drama I’ve had to deal with, so I can just worry about playing properly.”

The Dragonforce song writing style is very distinctive and it r emains intact on Maximum

Overload, even if the sonics are a little more eurometal. “I just like fast music,” Totman says. “I still am. I was raised on death metal and I always liked that typical drum beat we always use. I would listen to a Slayer album and I would like the fast songs, but the slow ones not so much.

The speed of it came from that. If you take one of our songs and just listen to the rhythm guitar it’ s actually quite thrashy, so that was the basis for it.

Then the melodic stuf f comes from Iron Maiden, those guitar harmonies and stuff. It’s basically Iron Maiden sped up, and all the solos ar e everything I ever listened to. Even if you listen to har d rock bands they’ve all got gr eat guitar players Paul Gilbert, Andy T immons, those guys, and they def nitely can play faster than us, it’ s just not so constant, I guess!”

At the heart of the album’ s guitar tone is a surprising piece of kit: the BOSS GT -100 Multi Effects unit. Previously the band’s sound has burst forth from the Rocktr on Prophecy, but this time the BOSS won out. “It’ s just a mor e powerful unit,” Herman says. “The Pr ophecy has got a really good sound but it didn’ t have the ef fects I needed. I need har monisers, I need a slicer , I don’t want to plug another thing in the loop now so I’ve got a slicer in the GT-100, and I can send a MIDI signal to change the BPM of the system and

change the timing of the delay , so I don’ t have to program in dif ferent delay settings for every song any mor e.” Guitar-wise, Herman mainly stuck with his signatur e Ibanez E-Gen models, including his LA Custom Shop 7-string version.

“It’s basically the same guitar , same pickups but seven strings, and a chameleon f nish. It’s a really nice guitar. I got two of them built based on the old Ibanez 540S7 back when they had really thick necks. One of these models I got fr om 1991. I brought the neck to LA and said ‘I want the same neck but 24 fr ets.’ Li has also started using the tremolo-stabilising Zero Point system, a featur e of the E-Gen’ s bridge that he had pr eviously removed–until playing one of Steve V ai’s guitars with a different, but similar stabilising system and realising the benef ts.

Totman’s guitar tastes ar en’t as specif c as

Herman’s: “I love Ibanez guitars. They’r e really nice to play, but apart from that I don’t have much knowledge about guitars at all. Pickups and stuff, I wouldn’t have a clue. So I said to Herman, ‘I don’t know about gear and sound and stuff, just tell me what’s good.’ So I’m using the signatur e model that Ibanez was nice enough to make for me, and that seems to do the job. And I did use this other guitar. We got a 30-fret guitar off Ibanez so I used that, and we’ve got some seven-string stuf f on there so we’ve got an RG seven-string too. That’s as far as my knowledge on guitars goes!”

things up. It’s almost like I’m latching on to how I’ve always been writing music, what I like, and I want to keep that intact. That’s been intact since the f rst record. I understand the sensitive people who have loved the band but maybe don’ t like the new stuff, but I don’ t like either for them to feel like we’re turning our backs on them. W e’re still doing what we want to do, we’r e writing songs with the same process we always have, and besides, when we go out on tour we’r e going to play the heavy shit they want to hear too. There’s going to be a mix of material. So people will get their f x, but when it comes to new music that sounds like the old records, it’s simply not gonna happen. We want to move on, y’know? But that’s not necessarily saying we’re never going to do a death metal scream. That might happen, y’know?

trying to express themselves, and the whole reason people like them in the first place is because they like how they express themselves - and also it’s not like the new album will walk across the shelf and break the old ones.

Exactly. It’s like people saying it’ s not Opeth any more, like they have the power to decide when it’s not Opeth any more because it simply doesn’t f t their idea of what we are, but I think that’s a bit unfair. I think people should be happy that Pink Floyd are doing a new r ecord, and they should just shut up and enjoy it! For me, I look forwar d to it, very much.

It’s like the backlash against the new Pink Floyd album coming out later this year. They’re just

Pale Communion is out on Roadrunner Records Australia on August 22.

BY PETER HODGSON Maximum Overload is out August 22 via 3Wise Records.

OPETH SCALING SOUNDS Opeth unashamedly alienated some of their fan base with their 2011 album Heritage. While a large portion of their fans were drawn to the Swedish masters for their progressive death metal leanings, Heritage was primarily inspired by 70s fusion in the style of John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra - and there wasn’t a single death-growl to be heard anywhere. And now, with Pale Communion, Opeth has moved sideways again, a little away from some of the jazzier moments of Heritage and towards more of a 1970s progressive rock feel, while still a million miles removed from death metal. It’s an album which will challenge some fans while thrilling others, but the overall impression from a chat with frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt is that he’s driven solely by his artistry, and this is what he’s feeling right now.

This is such a headphones record.

That’s good, I like to hear that! I’ve been talking to the guys in the band and people in general about how people listen to music these days. Are they listening on ster eo speakers and amplif ers and stuff like that, or on the headphones? I was worried if people wer e getting the chance to listen to it on nice headphones instead of shitty computer speakers.

One thing that stood out to me immediately was the guitar solo in the first track, how it if you’re listening in headphones you’ll hear it drift off slightly to the left of the stereo image just for a second before coming back. Those details really help to add some magic.

Yeah, and you’re not going to hear that on your computer. It’s really an audio experience to listen to it in a pr oper way like you did or thr ough a good stereo system. There’s also a surr ound mix which I haven’ t heard yet. But ther e’s a lot of things going on in the mix. Both Steven W ilson and I have a lot of ideas for the mix.

Was there a particular song or moment that dictated where this album was going to go?

You could say that. The f rst song I wrote set the standard for the r est of the r ecord - or at least I got some type of idea what I wanted to do with

PG. 24 / MIXDOWN NO. 244 / AUGUST 2014

the record. That was the last song on there, called ‘Faith In Others.’ I wr ote that song and it ended up being quite a melodic song, which gave me something of an idea for the r est of the record. I wanted to focus on vocal melodies and melodies overall for this album than I’ve done before.

The vocal harmonies are really beautiful.

Perfect. A lot of metal fans might be sad to hear that I went into old man’ s rock territory. I was listening to Cr osby, Stills, Nash & Y oung, and I was intr oduced to David Cr osby by Steven Wilson who played me his f rst solo record, and obviously he was in The Byr ds and he’s a master of vocal harmonies. I picked up on that and there was a time when I was writing this r ecord where I f gured I wanted to do harmony vocals all the way through. Like, only harmony vocals.

There’s always going to be the guys who are like ‘Where are the death vocals?’ but you also have a lot of fans who will follow you anywhere you take them.

Well, I hope so. W e get a lot of shit for our choices musically and I’ve had some fans even tell me to my face, ‘What ar e you doing? Why ar en’t you writing the good stuf f any mor e?’ And I’m sorry to hear that but we don’t play it safe. It’s not like we deliberately want to be strange and fuck

BY PETER HODGSON

JOE BONAMASSA TONES OF COLOUR Joe Bonamassa’s albums are great - every single one of them, especially his new one, Different Shades of Blue , which is out soon. But if you’ve only heard him on record, you’ve only heard half the story, and if you’re a Bonamassa fencesitter then the live experience will completely win you over. Joe is returning to Australia in September for four shows featuring a special ‘Joe Bonamassa supports Joe Bonamassa’ format: the first set will be all acoustic with one band line-up, and the second will be all electric with a different group of musicians (including former Dream Theater/Black Country Communion keyboard player Derek Sherinian). We caught up with Joe while he was in Sydney recently working on a recording project with Mahalia Barnes.

“It’s original material and I’ve owed it to my fans for a while to do an all-original r ecord,” Bonamassa says. “To take the time to write and to be an artist that r ecords his own music. So it’s been a gr eat experience. I went to Nashville and worked with some gr eat writers, and it took a year to put together but I’m r eally glad we did it. When I go to write, I’m ther e to write. That’ s my job: I was in Nashville to write. And the reason why I don’ t own any home r ecording equipment is that by the time you set something up the idea has gone away. That’s why I have this little thing called Voice Memo on the iPhone. If I have an idea and I’m wher ever, I’ve got it right away . And the eff ciency of that is much better . That’s what I did on this record and the good ones stick in your head while the ones that are kinda marginal just go by the wayside.” By the time the tour r olls around to Australia there will be a decent amount of songs from the new r ecord - about f ve or so - between the acoustic and electric sets.

One of the perks of being one of the most revered guitarists of a generation is the growing list of Joe Bonamassa signature gear out ther e, including guitars by Gibson and Epiphone, pickups by Seymour Duncan and pedals by Jim Dunlop. It’ s a privilege that the guitarist doesn’ t take lightly.

“There’s no bigger honour that to see kids playing

that guitar,” Bonamassa says. “No bigger honour. I take great pride in it. There are a couple of things I take gr eat pride in and I’ll tell ya, one of them is when kids ar e playing guitar and they say they started playing guitar because of me. And it makes me feel old, but it makes me feel eally r honoured at the same time. They’ll say, ‘When I was 10 I started playing guitar because I hear d your r ecord The Ballad Of John Henry.’ And I go ‘How old are you?’

And they say, ‘I’m 19 now .’ And I’m like, ‘Damn, that album was halfway through my career!’”

Joe continues; “But a paradigm shift has happened, where 1999, 2000, when you talked about bluesrock music you talked almost exclusively about a Fender Stratocaster . And you talked almost exclusively about some sort of variation of the Texas Blues guitar gunslinger. And when I say that, I say it with great affection but there’s only so many times you can listen to that same shuff e played on that same Strat with that same wear mark, y’know the wear mark I’m talking about? Between the front pickup and the middle pickup? Like the big pattern where they play it har d, and some of those cats probably wore that out taking some sandpaper to the guitar just to lubricate the pr ogress… and I think there’s a paradigm shift wher e people talk about the Les Paul again, in ter ms of blues-rock.

Slash has always been there. Rock guitar has never

Photo by Rick Gould

been an issue, but blues-rock, yeah. When I started playing Les Pauls exclusively I was like the r edheaded stepchild, but it was so fun!”

Aside from his sweet signatur e gear, Bonamassa is a collector of rar e, iconic or otherwise dr ool worthy guitars and amps. “Have you ever seen the Tom Wheeler amp book with the blue cover? Ever seen that r eally mint Tweed Twin on the cover?

Well that’s mine and the thing is, I can’ t be as arrogant as to pr esume that just because I play it on stage and it gets scuf fed up that I’m wr ecking a piece of Fender history . I just can’ t get my head around that. But I have the tool kit and the ‘collection’ collection, and that is what it is. That’ s something that will be given away, auctioned off or something. I mean I have a full set of tweed amps that are mint.” So does he feel pr essure to be an ambassador for the blues or classic gear? “I don’ t see it as that. I’m playing thr ough new equipment

that sounds f ne; a new Twin Reverb sounds f ne, a new Gibson Les Paul sounds f ne. The Gibson Custom Shop is making some of the best Gibson guitars they’ve ever made. The Fender Custom Shop is making fantastic guitars. The Kemper , the modelling, the technology is fantastic. T o me, I miss the sputters and the organic nature of an old amp or old guitar, the reasons why they were sold off in the f rst place was, ‘This old thing, it’s cranky!’ but I like when gear is cranky.”

BY PETER HODGSON

TOUR DATES September 14 -The State Theatre, Sydney NSW September 17 - Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide SA September 19 - The Palais Theatre, Melbourne VIC September 21 - Perth Concert Hall, Perth WA

I AM GIANT “ONE STEP FOR MAN, ONE GIANT STEP FOR…” First of all, let’s settle a recurring misnomer concerning I Am Giant’s nativity.

The band’s commonly referred to as a Kiwi hard rock act. Yet, while founding members Shelton Woolright (drums) and Paul Matthews (bass) have their roots in the New Zealand rock scene, the ‘NZ’ tag isn’t technically apt.“We actually formed in London,” Woolright says. “The Kiwi’s really stick their teeth in and claim us, but actually on paper I’m the only Kiwi in the band. Me and Paul formed the band – Paul was born in England.” British vocalist Ed Martin completes the lineup and I Am Giant continues to be based in London to this day.

Conducting business fr om the norther n hemisphere hasn’t negatively impacted on the band’s commercial fortunes in New Zealand. Their second LP Science & Survival dropped earlier this month and debuted at number two on the national albums chart. “It is a pretty good feeling,” Woolright says, “especially in this day and age with not really that many platforms for rock music to get exposure. To be on the actual charts and even in the top f ve is quite a feat. We’re proud and we’re also really stoked that we’ve got a decent fanbase who are actually supporting us.”

The record itself carries forwar d the melodic har d rock sound introduced by the band’s 2011 debut, The Horrifying Truth. However, what distinguishes Science & Survival is moments of particularly pounding instrumentation, as well as the widest screen choruses in the band’ s catalogue. The even application of these two cor e elements is essentially I Am Giant’ s signature, but W oolright says it wasn’ t a fundamental objective at the band’s outset. “I think why we sound like we do is because there’s a few different individual f avours, from what we listen to and stuff like that. Paul and I come from heavier backgrounds. Ed, with such a clean voice, it softens the music up. Ed listens to a lot of different music. You’ll catch him listening to something like TV On The Radio, whereas Paul and I will be sitting in the back [of the van] listening to Soundgarden.

“I remember The Horrifying Truth, when we wrote

it, I thought it was quite heavy . But recorded and with Ed’s singing, it’s actually quite soft alternative rock.” Hearing the sound develop in this manner might have come as a surprise to W oolright and Matthews, but they didn’ t attempt to corr ect the dynamic contrast. Rather, they quickly r ealised it could be used to their advantage. “Straight away we knew it was going to be good. It was something different. It was like ‘sur ely if we can get this to work it’s going to be unique,’ and it is a little bit.

Far from simply grinding it out week-in, week-out We haven’t reinvented the wheel by any means, in London, I Am Giant have built a considerable but it works. It’s great!” live following in several Eur opean countries. “Our fanbase is mor e in Eur ope,” Woolright states.

I Am Giant ar e unmistakably a guitar -centric rock “You know, we’ll play a decent venue in London band, so perhaps you’r e wondering what the to 500 people and then we’ll go over to Poland guitarist has to say about these stylistic details. and we’ll play a huge festival to tens of thousands Well, curiously enough, the band’ s never had a of people.” Still, ther e’s nowhere that they’r e permanent guitar player. The f rst record features celebrated quite so much as New Zealand. It’s easy guitar playing from Aja Timu, while guitar duties on to assume that the widespr ead adoration coming Science & Survival were shared between Matthews from their departed home land would lur e them and UK guitarist, Michael Triponel. Surely this lack back there, but Woolright says they’re committed of stability is a major hindrance when it comes to to keep working at it in England. “The UK’s a really touring. Conversely, Woolright explains that they hard market. We knew that going up there. It’s one cope just f ne utilising an assortment of axemen. of the biggest territories in the world, so we had “At the moment we’re using a guy in New Zealand, to brace ourselves and knew it would take a lot of we’ve got a guy up in Ger many, we’ve got a guy work. But we’ve had some r eally cool breaks, like in the UK. I’m sur e we’ll settle at some point, but on MTV and Kerrang! TV and we’ve been played at the moment it’s something we don’t really think on [BBC] Radio 1.” too much about.”

“We’ve still got a lot of work, but we’r e not going Indeed, appointing dif ferent players in dif ferent anywhere, so we’ll just take as long as it takes. regions actually incr eases the band’ s mobility.

We’re happy, we know that the band’s working, it’s

just a matter of cracking some of these territories.”

Yes, no matter wher e they ar e in the world, the most important thing is that the members’ r emain dedicated and enthusiastic about the music being made. The Science & Survival World Tour kicked off in New Zealand last week and the band comes our way this month. W oolright speaks eagerly about showcasing the r ecord’s substantial advances to audiences all over the world. “It comes down to the songs. Y ou write good songs, people ar e going to f nd them. W e really feel we’ve done something a bit special on this one, so hopefully people will hear that.”

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY

TOUR DATES August 6 - The Rev, Fortitude Valley QLD August 7 - Amplifier Bar, Perth WA August 8 - Cherry Bar, Melbourne VIC August 9 - Spectrum, Sydney NSW

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SHIHAD AT THE ALTAR OF THE RIFF Few bands this side of AC/DC have managed a knack for instantly identifiable, eminently air-guitarable riffs. Australian rock’n’roll stalwarts Shihad are one such band who have enjoyed a consistent career of killer albums and shows, but new album FVEY stands above their immense catalog as the one that will solidify their position on this mantle. This album encapsulates everything everyone has always loved about Shihad - the riffs, the song craft, the energetic performance, the melody, the thought-provoking lyrics. But yes, there’s something more with FVEY and this month we caught up with guitarist/vocalist Jon Toogood to chat about it.

First thing we all want to know is, ‘where the hell do these riffs come from?’

Okay, we’ve been experimenting with this tuning which is basically standar d E with the bottom string dropped to a bass-r egister A. So you’r e doing the A, an octave A, and then the rest of the guitar is tuned normally. And it’s quite hard to play because the low string is r eally f oppy, but once you get used to it, it makes this wall of sound.

You get a decent amp and tur n it up loud, and then you play with a gr eat bass player like Karl and a great guitar player like Phil, and when you all play in unison and ar e in tune it sounds like Satan’s bass player! It’s just a huge sound. But then when we started writing this r ecord, my guitar went on a f ight and it got thrown around and the bottom string had dr opped even lower to a G# or something and it was like this weird discordant thing going on. And the f rst thing I did with it was I wrote the riff to ‘Fine Lines,’ which is the second track on the r ecord [sings rif f]. “It’s basically like a detuned ‘Immigrant Song’ by Led Zeppelin.

And it was like ‘Alright, that sounds gold - let’ s do the whole r ecord in this tuning.’ And it was!

We’re doing the top end of the bass guitar in the riff and Karl is doing the bottom end. As long as everyone is playing in tune and in time and tight it just makes this huge sound.

The bass seems very prominent on this record and you can hear everything Karl is doing. Do

you, Phil and Karl agonise over how the tones are going to sit together?

No, everything on this record is totally urgent, like ‘Do it. Now go. Now go!’ The thing is, on the last tour we basically had T om’s studio in Brunswick and what it’ s meant is that because we’r e competent in the studio we got a little bit lazy , man. It’d be like ‘Cool, I’m coming to the studio, sweet… um… let me just check some emails and make some calls… I’m gonna go get a cof fee.’

And everything was lazy. And the thing is, we’re a fucking rock band. And a r ock band is supposed to be urgent, so a few things went into changing the whole way we make records and one of them was f rstly, Jaz Coleman [Killing Joke] was going to produce the r ecord. He pr oduced Churn, our f rst album, and he’s very anti-radio, anti-industry, very ‘Let’s make it fucking heavy and don’ t give a shit about anything.’ And his attitude was ‘W e’re not making an album. We’re making a brand new setlist that you can go on stage anywher e in the world with and trash any band that tries to step on you.’

What guitar gear are you using?

We were using a mixtur e of our nor mal Orange heads and an original Mesa Boogie Dual Rectif er.

The original Dual Rectif ers were fucking mint.

And then they br ought out the T riple Rectif er, and even the later Dual Rectif ers were too compressed-sounding, but the original ones, it

Photo by Rebecca Houlden just roars, y’know? So for writing and r ecording heavy music the combination of Orange and the original Mesa Boogie Dual Rectif er… yeeeeeaah!

We ended up getting a Mesa endorsement years ago and the thing is, when you’r e travelling you always know that the hire companies are going to have a Triple Rectif er. If you’re playing gainy music I’ve always found them to be super compr essed and they just didn’t bite, they didn’t bark out. And the thing is, we originally started as a speed metal band. Slayer. Metallica. When you’r e f rst starting out you do the usual thing of tur ning the preamp volume up really fucking high and the pr oblem is that you think you sound like the god of thunder but it sounds like a bumblebee f ying into a window, and it’s not r eal. But then a couple of

things happened to the way we looked at guitars.

One was supporting AC/DC and hearing Malcolm Young’s guitar rig onstage and going ‘Ther e’s no distortion on that at all! It’ s a clean guitar sound!

How does AC/DC sound so heavy? Oh it’s the way he plays the guitar .’ He’s hitting the guitar r eally hard when he needs to but pulling it back when he doesn’t. But he’s also turned up really loud so he’s got the master tubes working. The only pr oblem with that is if you play badly, everyone hears it!

BY PETER HODGSON

FVEY is out on August 15 via Warner Music NZ.

HOWLING BELLS THE Q QU QUEEN UEEN OF O HEARTS S Even though we still claim them as an Australian band, the truth is, moody pop rock quartet Howling Bells have never been based “Down Under”. Back in 2004 the Sydney natives ended their former life as “Waikiki” and rebooted in London, bearing a new name and an advanced stylistic identity. We catch up with frontwoman Juanita Stein this month who recalls it was essentially a do or die move.

“I literally made a pact with myself to never r eturn back to Australia until we had an entir e record to show for it,” she says, speaking on the phone from her North London home. “W e stepped thr ough some pretty muddy spaces until we did get into the studio and recorded that f rst record.”

It’s now eight years on fr om Howling Bells’ selftitled debut and the band’s fourth LP, Heartstrings, has just hit the shelves. Various media outlets have touted the r ecord a comeback LP , thus implying 2011’s The Loudest Engine was something of a misstep. Stein doesn’t necessarily concur with this notion, but she understands where the suggestion stems from. “The Loudest Engine was def nitely a departure from the second r ecord,” she says.

“Unless you’re sticking to a very , very rigid artistic path I think you’r e toying with people’s emotions.

They come to expect one thing from you and then when you suddenly make a really sharp left turn it’s a little unsettling.

“I have my favourite bands [too] and I get kind of bummed when they do something drastically different. But as the artist, I also understand the need and the hunger to try something different, or at least invest in something that feels a little bit different.”

So what has the foursome – completed by Stein’ s brother and lead guitarist Joel, drummer Glenn Moule and new recruit, bassist Gary Daines – done differently this time around? First of all, comprising ten tracks and clocking in at just over 30 minutes, Heartstrings is the pithiest of the band’ s four releases. It’s still a rather varied collection, but the songs come forth with striking immediacy.

“You get older and you tend to fuck ar ound a PG. 26 / MIXDOWN NO. 244 / AUGUST 2014

lot less.” Stein explains. “Y ou don’t mince wor ds anymore, so to speak. I just feel like, artistically , I know exactly what I want to say and ther e’s no point in misinterpreting what it is I need to say.”

This record also marks the f rst time Howling Bells have been free from record company instructions.

The added independence made it much easier for Stein to adopt this lucid creative tact.

“Art is not very good at being boxed in,” she says.

“To have to work to a timeframe and cr eate music on tap is very, very challenging. I really enjoyed this particular process because it just happened when it felt like it was ready to happen.”

Interestingly, once the muse beckoned, the absence of bigwig commanders actually allowed things to happen very quickly. “All the songs were written in a very short period of time and the r ecording was only ten or 11 days. So everything about the record felt really succinct and very direct.”

Accordingly, the employment of an instinctive songwriting approach has essentially r esulted in a distilled showcase of Howling Bells’ various strengths. Heartstrings encompasses stadium atmospherics, punchy outlaw rock and sparse piano balladry. However, the gr oup weren’t adhering to a strict stylistic agenda. “I think we wer e conscientious of doing what we feel we’r e best at, and that’s kind of atmospheric moody r ock,” says Stein. “It’s taken a few years to come back to that point, but it’s not like we sit down and talk about who we are and what style or direction we need to go in. You just need to let that happen.”

What ultimately distinguishes Heartstrings is an emphatic sense of purpose, which was somewhat lacking from the two preceding LPs. Following The

Photo by Rebecca Houlden Loudest Engine, the band members r ecognised a need to refresh and put Howling Bells on hold for a couple of years. In the interim Stein gave birth to her f rst child and more recently she’s joined former Kaiser Chiefs drummer Nick Hodgson and singer Anna Goodall in the London based psych-pop band, Albert Albert. Meanwhile, Joel Stein moved over to Berlin to explore his songwriting potential, which resulted in his new band Glassmaps.

“Watching other people was r eally refreshing for me,” Stein says. “Obviously I’ve been playing with these particular people for about a decade now and you do become very comfortable with the way the people ar ound you work. So it was very interesting to break out of that and get an insight into how other musicians play and create music.”

Taking a step back also allowed the foursome to take stock of their primary goals and aspirations.

These have inevitably alter ed somewhat since

shifting hemispheres a decade ago, but the esolute r commitment to making quality music remains.

“Ten years down the r oad you don’t harbour that same burning ambition,” Stein says. “Now it’ s about artistic survival and expr ession. Back then it was about needing to pr ove a point. For me now , it’s def nitely more about consistently expr essing myself; otherwise I start to feel very choked.

“It’s also just about r elaxing. I think what’ s comes from the length of time that we’ve been playing in a band, and also becoming a mother . A lot of things take a back seat and it’s incredibly freeing.”

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY

TOUR DATES September 6 – Amplifier Bar, Perth WA September 11 – Howler, Melbourne VIC September 12 – Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney NSW

Study with the award winning JMC Academy.

AUGUST OPEN DAYS. Register online now.

Oct 2014 and Feb 2015 intakes.

Degrees and Diplomas in Music, Audio Engineering, Entertainment Business Management, 3D Animation, Game Design and Film and Television Production.

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Your creative future starts today.

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MIKE FORTIN O RANDALL AMPLIFIERS OF S

Randall Amplifiers has been home to many talented engineers over the years, starting with Gary Sunde and even including Bruce Egnater who invented the MTS modular series. In particular the company has long been an innovator in the world of high-gain amps. So who do you turn to when you want to kick it up to a new level? Randall Brand Director Joe Delaney enlisted the services of world-renowned heavy metal amp engineer Mike Fortin to reinvent Randall for the 21st Century. Coming from the likes of Korg/Marshall USA and Yamaha (and of course his own Fortin brand amps), Mike understands distortion. Randall purchased two of these designs - the NATAS and MEATHEAD - and these are now known as the THRASHER and 667. But that’s not all; Fortin has used those amps as springboards for new designs too, including the SATAN signature model for Six Feet Under/Feared guitarist Ola Englund, the NULLIFIER for Anthrax’s Scott Ian, and the forthcoming CAGE 103 for Metallica’s Kirk Hammett. We caught up with Fortin to chat about what makes his amps tick.

Let’s start at the beginning. How did you get started?

Well, it’s not something where somebody gets out of school and says, ‘Y’know, I wanna build amps for a living.’ I was always a musician so I started playing guitar in about ’85. I played in a lot of bands. I also went to college and graduated in ’94 with my Bachelors in Electronic Engineering Technology.

Musicians always seem to try to keep doing the same thing they love to do, whether it’s to play on stage or be affiliated with people who are in the industry, so my whole working experience has been working for other music industry-related companies like Marshall, Korg, Yamaha, Sam Ash. After I moved from Montreal to the Toronto area I ended up starting my own business while I was working at Yamaha, Fortin Amps, basically as an outlet because I couldn’t find a gig doing it anywhere else. There are not many places where you can go work as a design engineer doing guitar amps. You can count ‘em on one hand in North America and it seems to dwindle more every year. Through a mutual contact, I got referred to Joe at Randall when they were looking at people to add to the team. He checked out some of the amps and then we started

discussing things in greater detail. It took a while but I really like what I do. I’m really lucky to hook up with these guys. It works really well.

And from a creative point of view it must be really liberating to basically be handed the keys of Randall and told to go nuts!

Yeah, they gave Joe 100% faith: ‘You’re the brand manager. Whatever you see fit to do, then do it.’ So it’s just him and me and that’s it. There’s no other Design Engineer or anybody else on staff for the designing aspect of it. We work quickly and well, and seem to get a lot of things accomplished in a short amount of time. In 2012, 2013, the first NAMM Show that we showed, we had a lot of product and it seems like it just keeps going.

You brought over a few Fortin designs - were there further tweaks to those?

Oh yeah. There are changes I wanted to do that I never got to implement in my own designs. Randall purchased the NATAS and the MEATHEAD designs from me, and those served as platforms for the THRASHER, the Scott Ian 120, the SATAN, of course the 667, and Kirk Hammet’s CAGE 103 which is in

the final stages of approval now. A lot of models were based on that, and they’re all variations on that same basic design.

When you’re working with these guys, what kind of language do they use to communicate their ideas?

Everybody seems to have their own language and you’re trying to figure out what they’re going for. Musicians have a different way of trying to express themselves when they’re trying to describe something that happens electronically. I find the best thing to do is to work closely with the artist, have them play through a bunch of amps so I can zero in on what they’re looking for or things that they like, as opposed to the endless ways of trying to explain the one concept. There are some artists I work with for whom English isn’t their first language so it’s even harder, so playing amps in a controlled environment is a great way of nailing that down.

What’s the Kirk Hammett amp gonna be like?

He has five MEATHEADS that I built for him. A couple of them are three-channel versions which

gave rise to his CAGE 103 which is also three channels. Essentially it’s the MEATHEAD design with some variations in the tweaking on the channels, power amp settings and that sort of stuff.

And now it’s down to cosmetics and tube types. The CAGE 103 came out really great. I like it and I know they like the way it sounds, so it’s just down to the cosmetics phase now. But they’ve been touring so much, it’s how they make a living. Nobody makes a living selling albums any more and they’re always out on tour. Hopefully we’ll be able to nail this stuff down in the next month or so.

It must be mind-blowing to step back and hear Metallica’s music coming out of your amp.

Yeah! I got to see them play through it when we first went over and met them. James was playing through a NATAS and Kirk was playing through a MEATHEAD, so we got to hear them both play at the same time through those amps. That was a very surreal moment!

BY PETER HODGSON

education feature:

aim

(AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF MUSIC)

COURSE PROFILE: BACHELOR OF MUSIC (AUDIO) Meet Jason De Wilde, Head of Audio at AIM. Jason commenced working for the Australian Institute of Music in 2009 as a lecturer specialising in recording techniques and studio technology. Jason has been previously involved in audio education since 1989 and has Australian and international experience in managing audio and creative media colleges. He is also a freelance music producer/engineer with a wealth of studio experience.

Where are you located?

Our Sydney campus is located at 1–51 Foveaux Street (right next to Central Station) and our Melbourne Campus is located at 120 King Street, in Melbourne’s CBD. With what goal in mind was this audio course established?

Our goal at AIM is to offer the most comprehensive audio engineering program in Australia, allowing graduates to gain the skills required for a demanding audio industry. The course is designed for individuals wanting to follow a career as a Sound Engineer, Music Producer or other audio specialist. Graduates provide audio expertise working on sound for major events, productions, live concerts, theatre, film, television, and digital media.

How is the study load distributed?

There is a very flexible study program at AIM. Students can choose to undertake this course full-time (duration: two years) or take on a lighter study load, allowing them to fit their study around other commitments. Every trimester, students register for the units they wish to study, depending on their circumstances.

PG. 28 / MIXDOWN NO. 244 / AUGUST 2014

What skills can students expect to master from this course?

Students will be proficient in the technical, critical listening, and professional skills required for various roles relating to audio. Students gain experience and skills in a number of audio “environments” including the recording studio, concert and theatre sound environment, sound design and music programming, as well as specialist film sound areas. AIM audio projects incorporate students from other departments, such as composers and performers. This helps to develop teamwork and communication skills, an essential part of any production.

What kind of projects are students given the opportunity to work on as part of the course?

There are a number of practical pathways that audio students can undertake, and therefore the projects are varied. However, all audio students commence with mixing projects before moving on to solo-musician recording projects. They then undertake a number of band recording productions (with and without drums) in our larger studios. They are required to do a surround sound recording project before moving on to recording an entire EP for an artist. Students also undertake many “in the box” projects using digital audio workstations. This includes remixing, voiceover work, mastering skills, and film sound mixing. Students also get to work on other AIM projects including post graduate recordings, live performance recordings, and the annual “Best of AIM” CD— promoting the talent within the student body.

Have there been any artists, well known producers or audio engineers that AIM students have had the opportunity to work with recently?

Our lecturers! Our students have the opportunity to work with them every day. We have a number of very experienced and high profile engineers who are the main lec-

turers here at AIM; Glen Phimister has 2 ARIA awards, worked with members of the Beatles, INXS, Olivia Newton John and has 30 years industry experience.

Guy Gray is currently working at Studios 301, worked with many international artists including David Bowie and The Rolling Stones. His recent recording and mixing work on the Taiwanese block-buster movie“Seediq Bale”, won’ Best Original Film Score ’ award at the 48th Golden Horse awards. Guy specialises in orchestral recording work. Gerry Nixon has an extensive background at Studios 301/EMI, working with many successful Australian artists such as Cold Chisel, Icehouse, The Models and Mental As Anything.

What sets this course apart from other institutions offering similar audio engineering courses?

Our lecturers are not recent graduates. They are highly experienced people who have been working in the industry for many years and have a wealth of industry insight. They are professional, knowledgeable and deeply passionate about sound engineering.

The other area where AIM is different to other audio schools is the inbuilt collaboration with students from all departments. AIM is a mini music industry and students work with performers, composers, actors, and music management students. Students never have trouble finding people to work with them, and there is a huge culture of collaborative effort here.

Do you have any systems in place to help graduates with securing employment?

Internships with Studios 301 and Trackdown Studios are good examples. Frequent external projects get

distributed to students so that they forge relationships with the industry. AIM was also a sponsor at this year’s Splendour In The Grass music festival. We had 9 audio students working backstage with the production crew on the main stages and also undertaking front of house duties at one of the smaller stages.

Facilities available for audio students: All 7 studios have Pro Tools HD, Logic, Reason, and other assorted plug ins. Studios include various consoles such as: SSL G Series analogue console, Tascam M700 analogue console, Digidesign Control 24 digital control surface, Digidesign Icon digital control surface with surround sound monitoring, Digidesign C24 with surround monitoring, Toft analogue console and Behringer MX32 digital console. The AIM auditorium has a major concert PA rig for live sound classes.

BY ROB GEE AIM OPEN DAYS: AIM’s Sydney Campus Open Day is on Saturday August 16 and the next intake period commences September 8, followed by intakes in January and May of 2015.

CONTACT DETAILS: Phone: Sydney Campus (02) 9219 5444 or Melbourne Campus (03) 8610 4222 Website: www.aim.edu.au Email: enquiries@aim.edu.au

education feature:

jmc academy ALUMNI PROFILE: DANA BROEKHUIZEN Degree and Graduated: Bachelor Entertainment Business Management 2007

of

Since graduating from JMC, what have you been up to in the industry?

After graduating from JMC I interned and worked at numerous jobs in PR and events management to gain further on-the-field experience. I achieved an entry level position with one of the biggest caterers in Melbourne thanks to my studies and experience, and began work in corporate events and weddings. Since then, I took on an events coordination role in the Whitsundays, took on my first management position with a start up events venue in Sydney, was taken on as Groups & Incentives Manager by Club Med in their Bali resort. I have just moved to Bintan Island, Indonesia in the same role with Club Med. What skills did you gain through your studies at JMC that are helping you on your current career path?

My course at JMC taught me a variety of skills in a broad range of subjects, none the least being resourceful and flexible. From basic accounting and book-keeping to full on tour itineraries and festival plans, we covered a lot of real world scenarios that are easy to apply to my job. Doing the course helped build my confidence and people skills, as we worked with the other departments in the school to create projects and the final assessment task at the end of the year. Teamwork, sharing knowledge, working together, compromise, time management, industry and inside knowledge, technical expertise, resourcefulness, creativity,

ncat

research skills, gathering information, it all came together in our projects, and I apply them every day in my events job to this day. Our class was also quite international, we built what are now global connections and were introduced to a variety of people who were doing and interested in the same things on a global scale.

What did you like most about studying at JMC? The variety of topics, the real world anecdotes and examples used, and the practical application of the skills we were learning in class. We learnt the benefits and nitty gritty of website design – and then designed our own website. We discussed the rock n’ roll tours that our lecturers had organized and been on, and then created an in-depth realworld tour plan for across the US. We learnt about Business Plans and their importance, and then created one for our own business that we could pick up and put straight into use. We explored research methods and topics, and composed a survey to judge the practicality of our business.

Every topic came with a practical and realistic way that we could apply it to our own business or job.

The setting was also very casual and informative, with our lecturers comprising of those that had worked with the likes of Ice House and the big tour and publishing companies. Again, they were able to tell us accurately how the industry worked and evolved, from an insider’s perspective. The theory we learnt was backed up with their experiences, and they were able to connect us to many contacts in the industry. From these lecturers, I was able to (amongst other opportunities) volunteer at The Age Harvest Picnic. Here I gained further contacts

which eventuated into me being a key founder of the Lara Food & Wine Festival in my home town, an event now in its 7th year which took on 10,000 visitors in its inaugural year and eventuated to feature personalities such as Matt Preston, Catriona Rowntree and Gabriel Gate.

Highlights of your career to date?

The first big highlight was working interstate on a navy ship XBox gig for Fall Out Boy. I’ve also had the chance to work at major events in Melbourne such as the Spring Racing Carnival, Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, AAMI Kooyong Classic, Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, Big Day Out, etc.

I’ve also been able to be involved in the filming of a few MasterChef episodes. Having the skills, education and experience to score an overseas job in Bali doing events is also a standout! The move overseas has definitely been the best thing for me, as my confidence and skills have improved to no end.

Any advice you have for anyone wanting to enter into a career in events?

It’s exactly what everyone says - work your butt off, gain experience in as much as you can, get to know people in the industry, love what you do and don’t give up. There is no secret – it’s all about timing, people and persistence. Create favorable circumstances and make your own opportunities.

JMC OPEN DAYS: August 9 - Brisbane Campus, 10.30am or 1.30pm.

August 16 - Sydney Campus, 10.30am.

August 23 - Melbourne Campus 10.30am or 1.30pm.

CONTACT DETAILS: Phone: 1300 410 311 Website: www.jmc.edu.au

(northern college of the arts)

COURSE PROFILE: MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MAKING AND REPAIR As the name suggests, the Northern College of the Arts & Technology offers a specialist hands on education in all areas of Arts & Technology study areas. The College’s Musical Instrument Making and Repair curriculum is the only qualification of its kind in Australia. The course covers both traditional and emerging digital technologies. Opportunities are available in the guitar industry, practicing repair or instrument set up, manufacture and design. Programs offer both traditional woodcraft and high volume manufacture techniques.

Who are the teachers for this course and are there any guest lecturers involved?

We are very lucky at NCAT Instrument Making to have years of professional experience on our side.

Bon Nardella is the Program Manager, who apart from a successful music career in production and performance brings many year of expertise in instrument repair and set up.

As well as the full time staff having a wealth of experience, NCAT also brings in a variety of guest lecturers and practitioners. Over the last few years Ian Noyce, Jack Spira, Benedict Stewart, Andy Allen & Patrick Evans (Maton Guitars), have all been involved in either advisory roles as industry experts or directly teaching students.

Do prospective students need prior wood working skills or certificates to do your guitar building course?

Because of the nature of the course being so holistic and thorough, we cover all of the necessary skills from the starting point. This not only happens woodcraft, but also in the repair, setup, business, drawing, design and 3D skills. Of course, as with all hand skills, the more prior ability students have when they enter, the easier they will find it and the more they will be able to excel in their chosen area.

Are industry placements available as part of this course?

One of the great features of the NCAT course is

the partnership we have with Maton Guitars.

This translates into industry advice and a work placement program. Students spend two weeks working at Maton, moving through a variety of stations to get a feel for the production process, whether that is in instrument building, finishing or set up. Over the last 6 years that the course has been in operation, many students have gone on to work at Maton or alternatively set up their own businesses. Students are also encouraged to find related work on their day off. As a special note, one of our graduates, Shane Briggs has been invited to show his instruments in Berlin later this year.

What skills can students hope to acquire from this guitar building course?

Students begin by completing an extensive OH&S program, incorporating theory and workshop induction. Over the year, students learn to make a bolt-on electric guitar, a dreadnaught style acoustic guitar and design and construct a custom made instrument of their choice. As part of the course students learn to complete perspective drawings, isometric and concept drawings and use their skills to develop a product range. They also learn to generate computer aided drawings and create custom templates and jigs and develop custom logos and inlays for their instruments.

These designs can be exported to the Laser and CNC routers. Students learn stringed instrument set-up from guitars to ukulele and violins. In the Repair and Set-up class, all of the classic models are investigated and tips given on improving the playability and sound quality. We look at timber repair methods, sanding techniques, paint and finishing methods, acoustics and sound transfer.

The course also covers the development of a business plan. Special guest lecturers deliver workshops in their areas of expertise. This year we will have Jack Spira coming to demonstrate some of his highly specialised Rosette design and construction methods.

What are the options for part-time studies with this course?

There are number of hobby courses around the country, but this is the only place where students can gain a nationally recognized qualification. We run a full time Certificate IV course and there is also the option of a one day a week program where students can either gain experience or of complete a Certificate III. Because it is a government-funded program the cost is also very minimal. Students up to the age of 21 can access the program for $2000. This covers all of the materials and access to high-end machinery. Mature age students are also welcome. After building their instruments, student can graduate with a Tele style electric, a Dreadnaught acoustic, and a custom designed guitar of their choice to take away; all covered in the cost!

workshops on set up, repairs and spraying.

As well as a thorough grounding in Luthier skills, students get to design their own custom instrument, produce it and take it home.

How is the guitar building course structured and how long does it take to complete?

The program runs for 30 weeks with students attending 4 days a week. Subject are: Instrument Construction, 3D Modelling & CNC, Drawing & Design, Repair & Set-up, Business.

By Rob Gee

Any specific projects students will have the opportunity to participate in throughout the duration of this course?

There are always a great selection of guest lecturers and practicing Luthiers presenting to the students. This year has seen some new additions with Ruben Becker “The Guitar Man” and Jeremy Clingan from “Clingan GuitarTone”, delivering

Guitar building facilities available for learning and production?

The facilities at NCAT are second to none. The college has a $17M Technology centre, filled with high-end machinery including; CNC routers, Multi Cam flat bed router, and a number of laser machines. All of this sits alongside traditional wood-working and guitar making equipment.

With all of this equipment it gives us the opportunity to expose students to traditional instrument Maker’s hand working skills right through to the latest mass production methods of guitar making.

NCAT OPEN DAY: NCAT’s Senior Information Seminar is happening at their Murray Road Preston campus in Melbourne on Tuesday the 19th of August from 6pm.

CONTACT DETAILS: Phone: (03) 9478 1333 Email: ncat.vic.gov.au Website: ncat.vic.edu.au

PG. 29 / mixdowN NO. 244 / august 2014

UNLEASH YOUR INNER ROCK GOD ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL GUITAR FESTIVAL

The Adelaide International Guitar Festival is a unique monolith on the Australian guitar landscape. More like the great European festivals in terms of its approach rather than a G3-like celebration of electric guitar power, it pays homage to the instrument by celebrating the broad palette of sounds it’s capable of, with particular emphasis on world-class virtuoso guitarists outside of the well-trodden rock realm - while also drawing in some of the best that the rock guitar world has to offer too. Over the years the event has included the likes of Ralph Towner, Jorma Kaukonen, The Assad Duo, Pepe Romero, The Atlantics, Richard Clapton, David Lindley, Kaki King, Vernon Reid, Bob Brozman, Xavier Rudd, Adrian Belew, Hoodoo Gurus, The Derek Trucks Band, Lior, Troy Cassar-Daley, The Party Boys, Slava Grigoryan, Ash Grunwald, Grinspoon, Guy Pratt, Manuel Barrueco, Yamandú Costa, Dhafer Youssef, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Christa Hughes, Ben Fink, Karin Schaupp, Oscar Guzmán, Tommy Emmanuel, Jeff Lang and many, many more. This year’s event featured a great assortment of guitarists from a wide range of genres, so here are my highlights: Debashish Bhattacharya. An absolute master of Indian classical music, which he perfor ms on a collection of unique instruments including his ‘Trinity of Guitars’ - his lap-slide chaturangui, 14-stringed gandharvi and the anandi, a four-string slide ukulele. Debashish also used a Gibson Super 400 which had belonged to his guru Pandit Brij Bhushan Kabra. Accompanied by Subashish and Anandi Bhattacharya on per cussion and vocals respectively, the performance was hypnotic, soulful and utterly captivating. It’s tempting to look for links between Debashish’s slide guitar sound and the blues that we’r e probably more used to hearing, but ultimately this style of music has an extr emely long, nuanced legacy and is a world unto itself.

Debashish’s humour, both verbally and within his

playful musical interactions with Subashish and Anandi, was utterly endearing.

Chris Finnen and Phil Manning’s performance was a gr eat one-two punch of legendary Aussie guitarists (well, Finnen wasn’t born here but moved here when he was young). Manning opened with an acoustic set featuring some blues classics befor e Finnen joined him with his slightly Indian-inf uenced slide guitar, before taking over with an electric set (later joined by Manning). Finnen’ s tone, phrasing and knack for ear -catching tricks (har monics, wahwah, weird noises) was spellbinding. T ruly one of the greats. While Finnen and Manning played “Hey Joe,” Debashish and band str olled in and stood next to me wher e I eavesdr opped (okay, they had

GUITAR to yell so I had no choice) on them commenting on how great and natural both guitarists were.

The Festival Gala featured the Australian String Quartet performing Boccherini’s “Quintetto No. 4 Fandango” with Pepe Romero; Slava Grigoryan performing (careful how you say this) “The Gar den of Forking Paths,” which was written for him and the string quartet by Shaun Rigney and inspir ed by Argentine poet Jorge Luis Borges; and the Máximo Pujol Trio playing Pujol’s own suite for strings, guitar and bandoneon, “Luminosa de Buenos Air es.” The evening began with the 23-str ong Aurora Guitar Ensemble playing a set of playful compositions under the guidance of Dr Paul Svoboda. Grigoriyan’s performance was more meditative and textural than we’re probably more used to hearing him; Romer o demonstrated his complete mastery of rhythm and phrasing; and Pujol’s Pizzola-inspired piece was an inspiring, multi-layered, exhilarating ride and one of the highlights of the festival.

On the f nal night of the festival I caught Stochelo Rosenberg Trio. The night was again kicked of f by the Aurora Guitar Ensemble augmented with local Adelaide players to cr eate the 80+ member Adelaide Guitar Festival Orchestra, joined at the end by Slava and Leonard Grigoriyan. Svoboda and his crew should be applauded for giving so many guitarists such an amazing experience of playing for such a big audience, and choosing and arranging such varied and fun material. It was probably an odd pairing, given Stochelo’s world-class virtuoso gypsy jazz skills offsetting the more direct, measured pace of the Adelaide Guitar Festival Or chestra’s set.

Rosenberg and his new trio (featuring the incredible

DEBASHISH BHATTACHARRYA Sébastien Giniaux on second guitar) ripped through a set of amazing gypsy jazz tunes, including quite a few Django Reinhardt numbers, pushing each other to higher and higher levels of virtuosity. Rosenberg’s performance was exactly what I needed to see at the end of the festival: an incredible musical experience in its own right as well as motivation to get home (after a road stop at the Naracoorte Caves, because underground chambers full of fossils ar e totally metal), pick up my guitar and play.

BY PETER HODGSON For more information on the Adelaide International Guitar Festival visit adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au/guitar-festival

WHAT’S THAT SOUND

THE MANY FACES OF YAMAHA

KEYS

A visit to a local studio in recent weeks saw the best part of a wintery afternoon wasted away talking about what keyboards were missing from my collection and what keyboards I wasn’t willing to part with. Obviously, when you are chasing a certain sound from a classic synthesizer, you are often left at the mercy of the second-hand market in order to find that particular keyboard and sound. One such keyboard that weighed heavily on our conversation was the DX7, the classic FM synthesis monster that saw Yamaha take a serious market share upon its release.

BAGGING A BARGAIN We argued that now was def nitely the time to snap up an original DX as there are still a fair few around at a good price, but also mused upon the idea of the price starting to go up in the near future. There always seems to be that right time to buy any second hand piece of music gear and that time has about passed for those who want to have that original DX sound. So, for those of you who want the original beast in its heavy brown steel frame, there has never been a better time to add a DX7 to your collection. Said studio owner falls into this category , and having used software variants for some time pointed out that “the DX7 is something that r eally needs to go on the rack at some point”. After all, ther e is something about that original unit and the sound it offered.

CHOOSING YOUR WEAPON So, if you too have decided that a DX7 is indeed a necessity in your arsenal of keyboar d sounds, now you need to decide whether you will hunt out the original. Or look for some of the mor e obscure additions to the DX line. Following the success of the original DX7, Y amaha went about presenting us with mor e than 10 new variations. Probably the most strikingly dif ferent of these was the module system that came with either a desktop or rack housing, allowing you PG. 30 / MIXDOWN NO. 244 / AUGUST 2014

to install up to eight TX modules within the one housing. Essentially this gave you the power of eight separate DX7s in one. The ability to create multiple DX sounds at once, made this a desirable option, but it was hinder ed by the painful programming method that was involved due to the compact interface. Ultimately , an external controller was required to get the most form these units and, set up in a studio rack with MIDI control, the TX systems offered more power than the keyboard, but didn’t really present itself as a live option as such.

This is wher e the DX7 Mk II r eally became popular. With three different versions r eleased, they offered an advanced sound set and mor e powerful engine. Not happy with just this though, Yamaha also br ought out a TX system based on the Mk II in case you wer en’t getting enough from the new keyboards. But, then they went one step further with the DX5 that showed size was no issue and then the DX1 that took the monstrous frame of the DX5 and added wooden ends and a mor e advanced keyboard with after touch. These two models wer e essentially two DX7s in one keyboard. And their size suggested that perhaps Yamaha had literally squeezed all the hardware from both units into one housing.

For those after something a little more compact, the DX27 was a keyboar d I used to see a lot of, one of many in the extended range of DX

models that were designed for a lower budget and in a smaller frame.

Essentially, the idea behind all of these as far as the sound is the same. They all hark back to the original DX7 and all push the boundaries of FM synthesis within their abilities. For those of you wanting to get your hands on that classic glassy DX sound that r eally became very much a part of the 80’s sound, you can’ t go wrong with any DX keyboard or module you choose. For those who cannot decide, perhaps an attempt to get the whole set could prove fruitful in keeping you busy for some time.

MORE POWER AND LESS SPACE As to be expected, a keyboar d that was this revolutionary was destined to be cloned in software format and ther e are all number of FM synthesis plug-ins that attempt to give you that true DX sound right fr om your computer’s engine. By far, the outright leader in capturing the spirit of a number of the DX keyboar ds is Native Instrument’s FM7 software. Well, at least it was until NI decided to r elease FM8 and took their own clone even further with the addition of an arpeggiator, real time morphing and a mor e advanced pre-set browsing system and user

interface. Everything that we love about the sound of the DX7 has been captured by Native Instruments, but none of the limitations. Y ou can generate as complex a sound as you want, even running multiple instances of the plug-in to take it further. The control that this software allows with the ability to automate the change of features and settings within your track, puts it miles ahead of the original har dware. There are more pre-sets to get your imagination going and mor e complex algorithms to push the concept of FM synthesis further than Yamaha every really managed. Best of all, you don’t have to worry about the space it takes up. You can operate 20 separate DX units within one track and you don’ t even need to set up a single keyboar d stand. So again, I leave you all to face the decision of softwar e versus hardware. If nostalgia takes over , you are likely to end up with a big, heavy and very brown hunk of metal in your studio that you will get endless enjoyment fr om. But, if sensibility wins, then a simple plug-in on your hard drive might just suff ce and exceed you expectations.

BY ROB GEE

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ON THE DOWNLOW ARRANGING YOUR LICKS

BASS

I’m always looking for ways for the bass to take contr ol of the song, pushing its harmonic as well as rhythmic energies. One way to do that is to arrange a song so that the bass is playing something rather dir ect while the guitars are playing a more textural role, like Rush might do in dividing Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson’s bass and guitar parts, r espectively, or how Mastodon might arrange a chorus. Another way is a style that I frst hit upon when learning Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ “Scar Tissue” on guitar to teach some students. In f guring out John Frusciante’s sparse yet mood-setting intr o, I really got to thinking about how the relationship between two notes can def ne a musical mood in a way that a mor e complex, multi-note chord can’t always convey because it can sometimes become a bit cluttered. It was only natural to transfer this over to the bass.

My favourite way of using this style is to play a root note and the major or minor third - but then zoom that higher note up a whole octave so it’ s sitting way above the range of the root note. This prevents the two fr om clashing with each other , and is a gr eat way to pr ovide more melodic/ harmonic information than a simple r oot note alone. This style has also got a bit of Phillip Glass to it, in ter ms of being rather minimal yet saying a lot. I also like to avoid the f fth when playing this kind of stuf f because it has a bit too much ‘neutral’ about it.

Figure 1 uses a simple G to E Minor tonality; the f rst two bars featur e a G note as the r oot and a B (the major thir d) as the upper note, while the remaining two bars have an E on the r oot and a

minor third (a G) as the higher note.

Figure 2 is based on the same idea but we’ll swap one of the low notes for its octave-higher equivalent. This method puts a little mor e focus on the higher notes while still holding down the low end, giving you a bit more of that ‘the bass is the lead instrument’ vibe.

Figure 3 is much mor e punk-inf uenced, with a descending four-chord Bm/A/G/F#m motif. Half way through we’ll f ip it around so the higher note is on top just to see how the focus changes. It’s interesting to note that the f rst way seems a little mor e ‘fun’ almost a ska kind of feel - while the second has a sort of melancholy air about it, more like something Peter Hook might play in Joy Division.

Of course, this is just the tip of the iceber g and you don’t have to just do this stuf f with major and minor chords. Pick out a few random chords, strip them of all but their root note and their most

distinctive, def ning note and see what happens.

BY PETER HODGSON

BANGIN’ THE TUBS THE ANATOMY OF A CYMBAL Ever wondered how cymbals ar e created? Why they sound the way they do? It’s always been a bit of a mystery , but every time I hit a cymbal or closely examine one, I get thinking about what decisions the builders made to create it. Let me introduce you to the basic craft of making cymbals.

DISCS Figure 1. The making of a cymbal starts as a thick, boring looking metal disc weighted specif cally depending on the type of cymbal to be made – ride, crash, splash etc. The contents of the alloy itself is kept secr et under lock and key by the different cymbal companies as this is the fundamental r ecipe of the cymbal and the company sound regardless of what is done to it in the manufacturing process. Change the alloy combination and the overall r esult will change. Typical ingredients include Copper , Tin and Silver.

PG. 32 / MIXDOWN NO. 244 / AUGUST 2014

1.

travel and the audible sound they create. Over the years, cymbal makers have experimented with these techniques. If you can imagine – very lar ge hammerings vs small delicate hammerings will yield a very dif ferent tone to the ear . Hammerings can also lower the fundamental pitch of a cymbal.

Figure 3. The cymbals ar e hammered as desired and then lathing begins – a pr ocess which includes spinning the cymbal and using a specialised metal tool to take a very fne layer of alloy fr om the surface of the cymbal. The result is the shiny, gorgeous looking objects we Figure 2. The discs are heated in an oven to lust after in the stor es. A skilled cymbal smith over 800 degrees Celsius to make the alloy soft will be able to apply a set amount of pr essure enough to work with. Then they ar e squeezed to taper the cymbal and shape the thickness through huge rollers to begin f attening them making it thinner at the edge and thicker out. The heating pr ocess is repeated and the toward the bell for a r esponsive instrument. cymbals are cross rotated through the r ollers The lathing pr ocess is usually r esponsible for each time getting thinner and thinner until the the more brilliant, brighter sounds we know desired thickness is achieved. The r epeated so well. Combine this with high polishing for heating/cross rolling method interlocks the an even brighter sound. Some cymbals ar e weaves in the alloy and pr ovides the strength partially lathed or left in their natural state needed to withstand being struck. At this point yielding darker and dryer sounds. China there is a bizarrely shaped thin piece of metal. cymbals are more unique and their distinct sound is generally due to the dramatic curve From here the bell of the cymbal and its overall in the structur e of the cymbal as well as shape is pressed in. The size of the bell generally hammerings/lathing. The cymbals’ edges ar e dictates how the cymbal will open up. A lar ge cut and smoothed to the exact intended size bell will yield a lot of sustain and smaller bell, at this point. the opposite. This is wher e it gets inter esting.

Some cymbal companies do everything by As you can appreciate by now, there is so much hand and some use machines. Regar dless, that goes into making a cymbal and how the the processes and the r easoning behind the slightest thing can r esult in a dif ferent sound processes from here on are the same. The aim – hence why no cymbal sounds exactly the and the reason cymbals sound so different from same. I have only bar ely touched the surface. one another is due to hammerings, gr ooves, They can have similar qualities but each one lathing and some extended techniques. is unique!

HAMMER TIME When you hit a cymbal, the soundwaves travel along the cymbals’ surface. The mentioned techniques alter the way these soundwaves

DRUMS

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(D)IGITAL (J)OCKEY TAPPING IN THE BEATS

DJ NOVATION LAUNCHPAD

It is quite obvious that drum machines of the past are now all but a distant memory as the digital revolution continues to develop. No longer do you see a DJ running a compact sampler and drum machine into spare channels on the mixer to compliment the arsenal of vinyl they brought to the club. Nowadays, with digital DJ software expanding, the DJ’s ability to blur the line between production and performance software, we see DJ’s delivering powerful constructs in a live set that have been cleverly built in the studio before.

THE DJ AND THE DRUMMER INTERTWINED The equipment of the DJ is ever evolving, so too is their role in live performance. No longer is a DJ just a juke box with the ability to deny audience requests. Today’s digital DJ controls and creates their sound live within the set. They can become an entire electronic dance group and the most important part of any dance group; the drummer.

Let’s face it, for an EDM DJ it all comes down to the beats!

WORKING TOGETHER There are a wide range of options for the modern DJ when looking to integrate their own beats into a live set. This will generally depend on what DJ software you chose to work with, but compatibility has become less of an issue as these platforms are developed. Now it’s easy to host one application within another, or run them simultaneously to work together. This is especially so for those who choose to work with Traktor DJ software. It has been built to work with just about any other software, but especially for deep integration with Maschine.

Obviously, Native Instruments have built these two software platforms with a final goal in mind and that is a completely integrated DJ system that allows full control over just about any feature without the need to touch your computer. These have both been designed to work with their own controllers

that open up a world of possibilities. It is with the Maschine hardware controller that the DJ can really take the role of the live drummer in their set and play single hits or trigger pre-recorded loops. So, as the mood changes, or in order to change the mood of the room to begin with, the DJ can strike out the drums for any track and feed this into a loop mode to build the base of a track from scratch on the fly.

SERATO DJ SOFTWARE

EXTENDING CONTROL There are all number of software packages that are preferred by the modern DJ, one of the most popular being Serato. It comes packaged with one dedicated controller right out of the box.

The decision to extend control comes down to finding a solution that works best with your needs.

Novation saw this opportunity some time ago when additional control was needed for Ableton users and their range of controllers that started with the Launchpad soon became a popular choice among DJs the world over. Now, this range has grown with a controller to suit just about any need, including cross-over controllers that combine keyboard and pad units. These have been successfully adapted to work with Serato software, especially with their Dicer controller that mounts on the edge of a turntable for additional effects control. But it is the Launchpad range that allows the DJ to really take a more percussive approach to their live performance.

WHERE IT ALL STARTED It’s hard to talk about these sorts of controllers without paying homage to the machines that really started the whole trend. Obviously, it can still be seen in the modern layouts and designs of many units that the beginning of all this was all thanks to Akai. The MPC changed the way we looked at using samples in a production sense and dragged them into the performance realm. As the MPC developed through the early years, a more powerful engine developed under its hood, but it could never

AKAI PROFESSIONAL MPC STUDIO

really compete with the power that has come from taking DJ performance into the computer. So, it is not surprising that Akai still stand tall amongst the others with their current range of MPC units that take the more modern design. Still holding true to their original look, the modern MPC now presents as a range of controllers teamed up with a software package that offers more control than the original MPC users could have ever hoped for. Those who used the MPC to develop hip-hop sounds in the 90’s to work with DJs back then will find it hard to stray away from the beloved Akai name and venture into other products. What needs to be thought of is how each package presents its features to meet your needs. Don’t worry about keeping it all under one house either. I find the best combination of software and hardware, is to mix it up. You will always find a range of controllers working together that will give you all the control you are ultimately looking for. It is just a matter of finding the perfect combination. Get out to your local retailers and ask the questions, research online and better yet, go to shows and jot down what your favourite DJ’s and producers are using live on stage.

BY ROB GEE

HOME STUDIO HINTS

PROGRAMMING DRUMS

In the last 15 years I have made the transition from Cubase to Pro Tools as my main DAW of choice, yet I have always dabbled with most other platforms for certain projects as well. The one constant that has remained the same within my changes of software and hardware controllers to integrate with it has been how I program my drum sounds. Ever since a copy of the original Reason program landed in my hands just weeks after its release, I have never turned back. I simply have not been able to find a way of working with a drum machine in a software form that is a friendly and as versatile as the Redrum found within Reason.

TIMELESS BEATS It is true that even as Reason has grown over the years, the original stalwarts of the software remain as a reminder of just how clever this software package was to begin with. There have been all number of additions to the now hefty array of instruments and effects within Reason, but the original instruments have remained untouched.

This is not through laziness or oversight on the behalf of the team at Propellerhead, but more so because of a recognition that they got it right to begin with. And when it comes to programming drums, oh yes, they got it right the first time.

Those of you who are familiar with the film ‘The Shining’ will recognize the reference in the drum machine’s name, but don’t worry, trying to work it out will not drive you crazy.

STEP INTO THE RHYTHM For those of you who love the classic step sequencer style of drum programming, the Redrum makes it really easy to build complex patterns in a snap. Adjusting tempo, groove and feel are simple and you can easily knock out a collection of patterns in no time with nothing more than a mouse to control the software. Once you have built up you patterns and banks, the sequencer makes it so easy to lay them out to fit in with you track. This is how I first started working with the Redrum and found it a real treat for getting dance style drum beats to lock into a groove that I was working on. It reminded me of working with all my old Roland drum machines, except it was now not only easy, but totally painless too. Not to mention PG. 34 / MIXDOWN NO. 244 / AUGUST 2014

the fact that I was no longer limited to the sounds of said drum machines, you could delve into the Reason Factory Sound Bank and pick and choose as you pleased.

REWIRED FOR FULL EFFECT I, like most users of Reason have always run it alongside my other DAW. I do use it as a standalone platform for song writing purposes, but in the end it ultimately gets set up with the Rewire function to feed into my current DAW. In the current setup, it runs into an auxiliary channel of Pro Tools. The Redrum drum machine is a 10 channel unit that allows for 10 separate instruments to be triggered and so has the ability to operate with 10 separate outputs if you feel like getting really gritty with your effects routing. I tried operating it like that for a while and just became too lazy to be bothered working with all the different channels for each drum sound. This became more common still when I began using multiple instances of the Redrum and so I simply revert to the stereo output of the unit rewired into a single stereo auxiliary channel. It keeps things simple and that is what the Redrum is all about.

CHANGING WITH THE TIMES Although this is the original design from the first release of Reason that still populates the rack today, it has grown in how it can be operated.

When you don’t want to use the step sequencer, as I rarely do these days, you are able to get into some very in depth programming within the piano scroll style sequencer within Reason itself.

Recording MIDI data is simple for when you want to trigger the sounds from a keyboard or, better still, from a drum pad setup. But, when you want to get right down to the finer points, it is still so easy and intuitive for programming individual notes with the mouse and the assistance of a handful of keyboard shortcuts.

What has grown is the sound bank that comes with Reason.

Although there are still a few suspicious samples I still enjoy using from the original sound bank, I have all but worn them out now and the growth of the sample library over the years has really been what has allowed this piece of software to remain a workable tool for all this time without any real upgrade at all.

With the Reason Drum Kits ReFill that is available, as well as further sounds for you Combinator drum machine, which I rarely use, you also get 96 new kits for the Redrum. This add-on patch for the Redrum brings it full speed into the present and further cements it into the everyday working procedure of so many producers around the world.

Often, you don’t need to go for the latest and greatest solution in software. It is the continued presence of Redrum with each update of Reason that proves that a timeless classic will always shine no matter what the working environment it finds itself in.

BY ROB GEE

STUDIO

WHAT’S MY RANGE AGAIN? CHOOSING A KEY OR REGISTER THAT BEST SUITS YOUR VOICE

VOCALS

Have you ever sung a song and it just didn’t sound or feel right? Well, there is a good chance that the key of the song didn’t suit your voice. For example, Johnny Cash who is naturally a very low singer wouldn’t attempt to sing ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ by Freddie Mercury from Queen in the original key. It is just far too high for Johnny Cash. If Johnny Cash was to cover ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, he would definitely have to sing the song in a lower key, possibly one full octave lower.

A good example of this is the song ‘Natural Woman’ which was written by Car ole King (who is in my opinion one of the best song writers ever).

The song originally appear ed on her absolutely amazing Tapestry album but was later cover ed by Aretha Franklin who is one of the greatest singers of all time. Carole King is an Alto and Aretha Franklin a Soprano. Ar etha Franklin originally r ecorded the song in the same key as Car ole King. But the producer said that the song lacked passion, feel and that it just didn’t sound right. So when Ar etha Franklin covered this song she changed it so that is was in a higher key to suit her voice. And that is the version that you hear today . It pr obably wouldn’t have been a number one worldwide hit for Ar etha Franklin if the song wasn’t taken up in key.

THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS… 1. Please come to ter ms with and embrace the tone and sound of your own voice and accept your natural range. In other wor ds how low and high your voice can go. You can work on extending your range higher and lower by training it with various scales and techniques but please be patient everyone’s voice and vocal range is dif ferent. Kind of like a f ngerprint, they are all unique, beautiful and distinctive.

2. Teachers generally categorise singers into thr ee different types.

For Males: Bass (low voice), Baritone (middle voice) and Tenor (high voice) Females: Contralto (low voice) Alto (middle voice) and Soprano (high voice).

Try to f nd out what your voice is fr om the above categories mentioned. If you ar e having singing

ARETHA FRANKLIN

lessons your teacher should tell you what type of voice you are in the f rst one or two lessons. If not, ask them what vocal type you are. If they cannot tell you or do not know then it is probably best to f nd a new teacher! Once you know this infor mation you can now go and choose songs to sing or write songs in a key that best suits your vocal range.

3. Choose a vocal r egister that feels comfortable and that you enjoy singing in. If you’r e struggling to sing the song in it’s original key up in your higher range or you start sounding strained, constricted, forced and it does not feel natural - try singing in a lower key. The same goes for when you are singing in your lower range. If you ar e sounding muddy, muff ed, unclear, lack volume or sound unnatural you are probably singing in a key that is too low.

Remember, it’s much mor e impressive to sing a really basic song in a range and register best suited for you that brings out real emotion and expression than it is to sing a technically diff cult song which you can ‘almost do well’ but has no depth. T o be a “Wow!” singer it r equires excellent song choice and one that is in the right key for your voice.

WHAT’S MY KEY? Many singers ar e often eager to emulate their favourite singing idols but for get that these challenging songs wer e written either by the artist themselves to suit their voice or written by someone else to cater to the artists voice. They are not written to suit your voice. Sure, keep practicing singing these more challenging songs at home as it will help improve your voice if done correctly, but choose songs that are in your key when performing.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with singing in different keys, sometimes even a half step dr op can be the dif ference between hitting that r eally big high note in the middle of the song or your voice breaking under pr essure. Remember, it is not about how high or low you can sing - it’ s not a competition - it’ s about how well you can sing a song that suits your range and r eally brings out your authentic voice.

Not enough cr edit is given to using dif ferent registers or sounds of the voice when singing songs. The best way to sing a cover song is to sing it in a r egister that suits you. That way you take more ownership of the song by delivering it with your personality and style. Again, don’ t be afraid to experiment and change up the sound and vocal register of a song. Just because Dave Gr ohl sings loud and dirty doesn’ t mean you have to do that.

For example you could appr oach a Foo Fighter song in an acoustic set with mor e clean middle

voice sounds rather than belting every second phrase. Also appr oach each song depending on the type of gig you ar e doing. For example, if you are singing in a r ock band and it’ s loud and har d your might want to cry mor e using throat register and crossover register. But if you a doing an acoustic gig you may have to adapt and use mor e falsetto or head voice to suit the envir onment or the mood for the same songs, especially those high notes.

So remember, it isn’t about imitating your favourite artists range or tone - it is about f nding out what will best suit you and your voice. Knowing your range is imperative when it comes to singing. In some cases this will require you to change the key of your chosen song whether they ar e covers or originals. Whatever you do, just listen to and feel what is best for your voice.

BY PETER VOX

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Receiver options:

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BLX4 Receiver

BLX88 Dual Receiver

BLX4R Rack Mount Receiver

MIXDOWN NO. 244 / AUGUST 2014 / PG. 35

I NTRODUCTI O N It’s that time of year when we pull focus from the rest of the band you see frontand-centre of stage and show some love to the guys hitting the tubs up back, the drummers.

Our highly experienced team of drummers and percussionists have taken the wheel and personally road-tested and reviewed the latest drum gear to hit the market.

They’ve spent their time hitting, beating, smashing and reviewing a whole range of full drum-kits, snare drums, cymbals, sticks

T H E

and accessories to bring you professional insight into what to look for with your next piece of kitl.

Our annual Drum and Percussion Special has you covered if you’re looking to build onto your existing set-up, or looking for a whole new kit.

Remember to head down to your local music retailer to test, try and buy the right gear that will suit your playing needs.

D R U M

K E Y Hi-Hat Clutch Crash Cymbal

Crash/Ride Cymbal High & Middle Toms

Tom Mount Bracket

Snare Drum

Cymbal Stand Hi-Hats

Hi-Hat Pedal

DISTRIBUTION DETAILS Bass Drum

DISTRIBUTOR

PHONE

WEBSITE

AUSTRALASIAN MUSIC SUPPLIES ELECTRIC FACTORY JADE AUSTRALIA YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA DYNAMIC MUSIC SENNHEISER AUSTRALIA

(03) 95491500 (03) 9474 1000 1800 144 120 (03) 9693 5111 (02) 9939 1299 (02) 9910 6700

WWW.AUSTMUSIC.COM.AU WWW.ELFA.COM.AU WWW.JADEAUSTRALIA.COM.AU WWW.PAISTE.COM WWW.DYNAMICMUSIC.COM.AU WWW.SENNHEISER.COM.AU

DRUMCRAFT SERIES 6 DRUM KIT

Floor Tom

RRP: $1599

Bass Drum Skin

MAPEX ARMORY DAISY CUTTER SNARE DRUM

RRP: $399

PRODUCT TYPE: DRUM KIT DISTRIBUTOR: DYNAMIC MUSIC

PRODUCT TYPE: SNARE DRUM DISTRIBUTOR: ELECTRIC FACTORY

RECOMMENDED FOR: Drummers of all levels and players wanting a great rock sound, projection and the full sound that only Birch can give.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Drummers of all standards and playing ability, looking for a loud metal snare built for cut and projection without wanting to hand over the life savings.

SOUND & VERSATILITY: The Series 6 has a classic, full, rock tone. Bass drum is big and punchy and the toms have warmth and projection with a slightly shorter sustain – thank Birch for that. Snare drum (14x5 standard / 10x5” and 12x5” are available) is warm with a good tuning range. You can go low and fat or high and cracky. The smaller snares are also worth a look for the real ‘pop’ factor.

SOUND & VERSATILITY: Loud! The Daisy Cutter is certainly up for the challenge of tackling the Marshall stacks in the rehearsal room and at the gig. Amongst its volume however, is a welcomed sensitivity and fairly dry, complex sound overall. The hammerings really alter the way the sound travels on the shell. You would rarely need dampening as overtones are very well behaved. The drum was comfortable in a variety of tuning levels, making it more versatile than one might initially think.

PLAYABILITY: The kit has a very usable sound that would suit a variety of musical applications. Birch just seems to behave well under tuning and moving from room to room. They feel good to play and all the fittings give confidence that the kit would be gig-worthy. The drums are loud too so they do the work for you.

CONSTRUCTION: The Series 6 is made from Birch with 8-ply shells that are cross laminated to provide less tension in the shell itself. The drums feature a 6/7 45 degree inner bearing edge and a 1/7 45 degree outside counter cut. The edge is sharp for resonance. Each 6 series comes with Zero Gravity mounts on the drum minimises the amount of metal touching the shell and provides complete rotation adjustment. The kit also features heavy duty hardware, choice of chrome or black powder-coated shell hardware, die-cast bass drum claws, triple tom holder bass drum mount, Nickel Drumworks throw off on snare drums and Remo drumheads as standard. Available in Rock or Fusion sizes with 7 quality finishes.

OVERALL: This is a good kit. Drumcraft are really making a name for themselves in the market.

There’s nice attention to detail and the price is right. Genuine Remo heads is a nice touch too.

Check out the Series 6 soon, you wont regret it.

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AUGUST AUGUST 2014 2014

PLAYABILITY: The drum feels nice to play and all the fittings work well. The throw off isn’t quite the buttery smooth version you get on a Black Panther drum but works fine just the same. The drum tuned easily and with minimal fuss. The Daisy Cutter would be an easy drum to live with.

CONSTRUCTION: The Daisy Cutter is a 1mm steel monster. The high polished shell is 14”x6.5” and features heavy, large hammerings and a bearing edge rounded to 45 degrees. You get solid Mapex quality fittings such as 2.3mm power hoops, tube lugs and a piston throw off. The Daisy Cutter looks fantastic too. The shell gives real presence and makes the drum look more expensive than it is.

OVERALL: The Daisy Cutter is fine piece of work. It looks great, has bags of volume, low end from the extra depth and a dryness that makes it totally easy to work with day to day. Overall, it’s a winner in this price bracket.

MAPEX ARMORY EXTERMINATOR SNARE DRUM

RRP: $399

RRP: $349-$499

ISTANBUL MEHMET NOSTALGIA CYMBALS

PRODUCT TYPE: SNARE DRUM DISTRIBUTOR: ELECTRIC FACTORY

PRODUCT TYPE: CYMBALS DISTRIBUTOR: DYNAMIC MUSIC

RECOMMENDED FOR: Drummers of all levels and players who want to step away from the standard maple shell; desiring projection, a full sound and plenty of cut.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Intermediate to professional drummers. Players looking for an alternative to the usual cymbal companies. funk, fusion, rock styles.

CONSTRUCTION: The 14x6.5” Exterminator features the usual Mapex quality we’ve come to know. You get a great combination of Birch and Walnut in a 7ply shell. The finish is awesome too with an ebony stain over figured wood. This really allows the grain to show through. You also get rounded SONIClear bearing edges, chrome hardware/fittings, a piston strainer with vertical throwoff and 2.3mm power hoops. Yes, it’s a looker to boot.

CONSTRUCTION: These Istanbul’s look classic with small, condensed tonal grooves, with a lathed top and bottom with light to moderate hammering. The bells are pronounced and the finish is close to brilliant, providing a striking look overall.

SOUND & VERSATILITY: Sound is very balanced with a nice amount of low frequencies. You can thank the Walnut for that. Overtones are present at lower tunings, but the drum is easy to tune and you can get the sound you want at a variety of tuning ranges. This makes the drum versatile as you can have low and thuddy or up high with a good crack.

PLAYABILITY: The Exterminator has quality and easy to use fittings, meaning you won’t be stressed about living with the drum from day to day. It’s a simple and elegant design. The rounded bearing edges give a nice feel too without losing sensitivity.

OVERALL: This is a great drum for the money. It’s got some of that Black Panther DNA but without the higher price. The look will certainly please the critics too. The Exterminator can be a destroyer of ears or a subtle touch. Worth checking out.

KAHZAN TRIBAL SERIES 19”/20” CRASHES

RRP: $249 (19”), $299 (20”)

PRODUCT TYPE: CYMBALS DISTRIBUTOR: JADE AUSTRALIA

SOUND & VERSATILITY: The Nostalgia range is suited to many styles. The 70s 21” ride (RRP: $499) is loud, very bright, washy, crashable and musical with a bell that’s not too loud. The 18” crash (RRP: $349)is a great thing – lower pitched than you’d expect, opening up easily with darker qualities but a bright sound overall. The 14” hats (RRP: $449) have a nice classic sound; crisp, short with a great ‘chick’ with either stick or foot.

PLAYABILITY: Any player would feel comfortable with the Nostalgia series. The ride projects very well so you don’t need to really hit it hard and can relax knowing you’ve got more there if you need it. The crash is very useable and versatile and the hi-hats are remarkably clean with no ping and a gorgeous, bright tone.

OVERALL: I really liked these Istanbul cymbals. The price is also favourable and the sound they produce just reiterates that you don’t need to always go to the more obvious cymbal companies for your instrument. The Nostalgia’s are clean, crisp and great value for money as they sound more expensive than they are. Really worth a look.

PAISTE MASTERS SERIES 24” DEEP RIDE AND 20” DARK CRASH

RRP: $999.99 (24”) $779.99 (20”)

PRODUCT TYPE: CYMBALS DISTRIBUTOR: YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA

RECOMMENDED FOR: Hard-hitters and rockers. Players wanting really big crashes and drummers who like a bit of dirty in their cymbal sounds.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Intermediate to professional drummers. Players who love a dark cymbal with projection, looking to broaden their sound spectrums.

CONSTRUCTION: The alloy composition of the Tribal series cymbals is approximately 78% Copper, 20% tin and 2% trace elements. They’re handmade in China using century old techniques.

The new additions to the range are the big and brutal 19” and 20” crash cymbals. They are very thick and have some unique and radical hammering/lathing.

CONSTRUCTION: These cymbals look amazing. The 24” Deep Ride is massive with a traditional finish top, a raw, un-lathed underside and pronounced bell. It has radical hammerings and is very heavy. The 20” Dark Crash is less complex in its look, medium-thin in weight with lighter, yet no less radical hammerings. Masters cymbals are made from CuSn20 Bronze.

SOUND & VERSATILITY: Loud. Really loud! These Tribal crashes will literally take your face off meaning that some drummers will be rubbing their hands together. The trade off for the volume is the versatility at lower volumes. Once open though, their eye watering volume is accompanied by a certain trashy quality that make them very angry sounding indeed.

SOUND & VERSATILITY: The Deep Ride has a much defined, heavy stick sound. It’s very clean and yet dark. The bell is very clear and projects well. It’s a big sound with a good sustain but very little crashability. It’s a heavy ride at heart. The 20” crash is very dark, slightly on the thicker side, loud and complex.

PLAYABILITY: They really do play more like ride cymbals. They have large bells that really cut.

Think of them more as crash/rides. In fact, as a designated ride cymbal, they’d do very well.

Though, if you’re a hard hitter all the time, they’d work well as a secondary crash – lower in pitch with incredible projection.

PLAYABILITY: The Dark Crash, due to its size, actually enables some decent riding capability with lighter stick definition and a warm bell. The broad sound makes it useful as a secondary crash or as a main instrument combined with big drum sounds. The Deep Ride is really heavy, and realistically, not as versatile for a heap of different situations but it’s not the really traditional harsh and overly pingy, heavy ride you’d expect.

OVERALL: These cymbals are fairly one dimensional in their intent but this will really suit some drummers. For others, they might suit well as a crash ride but the reality is that they’re too thick to really be incredibly versatile across all styles. Worth looking at though if projection is what you’re after.

OVERALL: These cymbals are wonderfully complex and their sound can’t be easily defined. There is depth to their sounds and drummers will find that they get to know the cymbals over time, which will dictate the way they play them. The entire Masters range is worthy of a look – and listen.

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KHAZAN KP1 BULLET CYMBAL PACK

RRP: $299

DREAM IGNITION CYMBAL PACK

RRP: $699

PRODUCT TYPE: CYMBAL PACK DISTRIBUTOR: JADE AUSTRALIA

PRODUCT TYPE: CYMBAL PACK DISTRIBUTOR: DYNAMIC MUSIC

RECOMMENDED FOR: Beginner to intermediate drummers. Players looking for an affordable way of getting into the game, playing rock or louder styles of music.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Drummers conscious of their cymbal budget; beginners looking for their first ‘good’ set of cymbals and drummers looking for versatility from a budget range cymbal.

CONSTRUCTION: Comprised of approximately 62% Copper and 38% Zinc, the Bullet Series cymbals are handmade in China. You get a 14” hats, 16” crash, 20” ride and a bonus 10” splash. You also get a bonus cymbal bag so it’s good value for money. Packs are available with an 18” crash also.

CONSTRUCTION: The Ignition series is Dream’s first cymbal pack. Unlike the majority of entry level cymbals, these ones are still the cast cymbal B20 alloy that the rest of the ranges use. The pack includes 14” hi-hats, 16” crash and a 20” ride with a bonus cymbal bag.

SOUND & VERSATILITY: The Bullet series are fairly heavy sounding. The 10” bonus splash is almost bell like in its sound and takes a harder hit to open up. The 20” ride was the most musical with a decent wash, a nice crashable nature and a huge sounding bell. The 14” hi-hats were very bright and crisp, though quite heavy in feel and not a huge amount of sustain when open. The 16” crash was the only real downside as this one had a fair bit of ‘gong’ in its sound and didn’t sustain well.

SOUND & VERSATILITY: The hats are very crisp and the most musical of the three in this group.

They have a strong ‘chick’ with either hand or foot, with a nice spread when open with slightly trashy overtones. The crash is thin and not overly hammered yielding a fairly angry and very trashy nature – perhaps too trashy. The ride projects well with a clear bell, trashy overtones and a nice wash with moderate stick definition. The surface area yields a variety of tonal options, depending on where you strike with stick.

PLAYABILITY: The Bullets play like normal cymbals but are really designed for drummers who hit harder. Their thicker construction means that they’ll withstand a beating but realistically at the price of ultimate musicality.

PLAYABILITY: A hybrid of the Bliss and Contact cymbal lines, the Ignition series is very approachable with a good blend of lightness for musicality and weight for projection. The hats are really usable and frankly fantastic for this price range and the ride is very crashable, making a second crash not a necessity.

OVERALL: Ultimately, these cymbals won’t rock everyones world but when you consider the price and the amount of cymbals you actually get, they’re a better option than what you’d get with most kits. For drummers starting out, you can re-cymbal your entire kit for a great deal less than you think.

OVERALL: The Ignition pack does an excellent job in the price point. The cymbals are obviously derived from a more quality alloy and really, if you didn’t know you’d think they were more expensive. It’s only the crash that gives away the game a little bit but the hats and ride are really good, and some players will really like the trashiness that the crash brings.

PAISTE PST7 UNIVERSAL SET

PAISTE PST7 EFFECTS SET

RRP: $699.99

RRP: $299.99

PRODUCT TYPE: CYMBALS PACK DISTRIBUTOR: YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA

PRODUCT TYPE: CYMBAL PACK DISTRIBUTOR: YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA

RECOMMENDED FOR: Drummers looking for an affordable range of cymbals with a traditional sound, look and feel. Hard-hitters who like projection and a classic rock sound from a cymbal.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Drummers looking for an affordable range of cymbals with a traditional sound, look and feel. Drummers who like a classic bright sound and like to rock out.

CONSTRUCTION: The Universal Set features 14” hi hats, 16” and 18” crashes and a 20” ride cymbal. All are medium to heavy in feel and look. The PST7 range is based on the CuSn8 Bronze alloy, which is closely related to the 2002 range. They look very similar too, with a bronze colouring and clean look that has modest hammerings/tonal grooves with a classic finish.

CONSTRUCTION: The PST7 range is based on the CuSn8 Bronze alloy, which is closely related to the 2002 range. Not coincidently, the PSTs look very similar; with that characteristic bronze colour and clean look that has modest hammerings/tonal grooves and a classic finish. The effects pack features an 18” china and 10” splash. The splash is thick in feel and the china has a flat, integrated bell and aggressive curve.

SOUND & VERSATILITY: The hi hats were impressive. With a medium top and a heavy bottom, they’re crisp and bright with a heavy feel. There’s loads of projection and a nice ‘chick’. The crashes are loud and bright with a classic sound. They are thick though so you really need to hit them. The ride is a bit of a beast actually, with a loud, pronounced bell, strong stick definition and a distinct ‘ping’ that really cuts through.

SOUND & VERSATILITY: The splash is fairly thick and can be a little hard to modulate at lower volumes. There’s a quick decay and a lot of projection meaning it would do well in louder settings.

The china projects very well with a big sound but it’s not particularly responsive. That being said, the quality of sound is trashy and powerful – more suited to rock and heavier applications.

PLAYABILITY: The cymbals are all medium/heavy in feel, meaning they project well and cut through. The downside is that they aren’t as responsive at lower volumes and the ride doesn’t really crash well, which restricts versatility for some styles. When you’re on it though, all the cymbals are loud, full and bright.

PLAYABILITY: Both cymbals are on the medium to heavy side of the spectrum meaning they don’t open up that easily at lower volumes. They are made to withstand a beating though and in the right setting, they’d do fine. Just yearned for a little more response at times.

OVERALL: The Paiste PST7 set presents a good argument. Some drummers will love the confidence they get from a thicker cymbal and some will love the fact that there’s the word Paiste written on them. Regardless, the Universal set does present good value for money in this price bracket, especially when you get two crashes.

OVERALL: The Paiste PST7 effects set is a good place to start for those wishing to add a china and a splash to their existing set up as they present good value for money. It’s a good thing that Paiste are offering these two independently of other sets for that reason, as effect cymbals are often the last thing to arrive on the set.

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PAISTE PST7 SESSION SET

RRP: $699.99

PRODUCT TYPE: CYMBAL PACK DISTRIBUTOR: YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA

REMO EBONY EMPEROR DRUM HEADS

RRP: $29.95-$55

PRODUCT TYPE: DRUM HEADS DISTRIBUTOR: AUSTRALASIAN MUSIC SUPPLIES

RECOMMENDED FOR: Drummers looking for an affordable range of cymbals with a traditional sound, look and feel. Players craving projection and cut with the feel of a slightly lighter cymbal.

Casual studio applications.

CONSTRUCTION: The Paiste PST7 Session range features 14” Light Hi-Hats, 16” and 18” Light Crashes and a 20” Light Ride. These cymbals are lighter in feel than the standard PST7 cymbals.

They’re based on the CuSn8 Bronze alloy that is derived from the same alloy used in the famous 2002 range. The PSTs do look similar too with a classic bronze colour and moderate to light tonal grooves and hammerings.

SOUND & VERSATILITY: The hi hats are bright, crisp and clear. They’re very obviously lighter in feel and sound and are very musical. Both the 16” and 18” crashes open up easily but really speak when they’re played harder. The sound is bright, yet warm and with clear projection. The 20” has strong stick definition and a really loud, strong bell. Plenty of cut and projection on tap. It doesn’t crash particularly well though and could be lighter to really match its label.

PLAYABILITY: Although the Session series are labelled as ‘light’, in reality, they feel slightly thicker and play more like a medium-light cymbal. This reduces some of the responsiveness at lower volumes but ultimately these PST7s are much better as all-rounders than the heavier and more rock-focused standard crashes.

OVERALL: Of the PST7 cymbals available, the lighter Session series are a much better choice for drummers wanting one set of cymbals to cut a variety of situations. Everyone likes cymbals that project and cut but often this is at the expense of musicality. The Session series help to solve that problem. They’re not that light by any means but definitely the best choice in the range for any studio work or lighter gigs.

REMO SILENT STROKE DRUM HEADS

RRP: $19.95-$45

PRODUCT TYPE: DRUM HEADS DISTRIBUTOR: AUSTRALASIAN MUSIC SUPPLIES

RECOMMENDED FOR: Drummers who live in apartments and who are constantly concerned about the neighbours telling them to stop playing the drums. Drummers after the perfect quiet practice solution.

CONSTRUCTION: The silent strokes are a single ply mesh material in place of the standard film on regular drum heads and crafted with Remo’s usual excellent head making techniques.

SOUND & VERSATILITY: As you can imagine by the name, there’s not a lot of sound when you strike these heads. However, the resonant head still rings ever so slightly on the drum creating a very subtle note. As it’s still a head, you can tune up and down as normal, making them very versatile.

PLAYABILITY: At lower tuning, the silent strokes can feel closer to normal drum heads but can rebound heavily at higher tunings, particularly on the bass drum. This means that in reality, they can have a bit of an electric kit ‘mesh head’ feel, but on bigger drums they’re really good.

OVERALL: Fantastic! Really, this is the best attempt at silent practice ever. They feel good to play, you can tune, you can still hear tone and you can lay into them just as you normally would without the neighbours busting your chops. Great stuff.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Rock, studio, funk and fusion players, or anyone wanting to minimise overtones and maximise a full but usable sound.

CONSTRUCTION: The Ebony Emperors feature two-plies of 7.5mm ebony and clear film. As apposed to the Suede Emperors, they have the usual polished look that regular Emperors have and the reliable Remo quality construction. The Ebony Emperors also get that classic look of drum sets in the 80s and certainly make an impression.

SOUND & VERSATILITY: These heads sound killer. Immediately, you get taken in with their warmth and focused sound. It’s a full sound too, with some nice low and mid range tones combined with the punch you get from a regular Emperor.

PLAYABILITY: The Ebony Emperors, due to their focused sound, do a great job of minimising unwanted overtones, and due to their construction also allow you to tune at a variety of tensions meaning that they could really cut it in the studio doing low and fat or high and punchy. They provide a nice feel when struck and increased durability overall, which is always a good thing if you gig a lot.

OVERALL: These Remo Ebony Emperor heads are great. You can get a great sound straight away with minimal effort, as overtones are very controlled. Combined with a fantastic look, they are a very worthy alternative to the standard Emperor.

MANO PERCUSSION DRUMMER’S WOODEN RHYTHM BOX CAJON

RRP: $139

PRODUCT TYPE: CAJON DISTRIBUTOR: AUSTRALASIAN MUSIC SUPPLIES

RECOMMENDED FOR: Percussionists, drummers or any musicians wanting a cost effective way of getting in the cajon game. Great for percussionists in duos and trios.

CONSTRUCTION: The 44x29x29cm Mano cajon certainly looks the part. It features a natural finish, a Rosewood veneer front, smooth, sanded edges and comes with a small foam square to place on top as a seat – handy for longer gigs. You get a large sound hole for projection and mic placement, adjustable wires and a small ring of bells for more attack. It also has small rubber feet for stability and protection from damage from the floor.

SOUND & VERSATILITY: There’s decent slap and some bass response but ultimately, could probably do with a bit more. That said, this instrument would still be very versatile across many situations and as most musicians will put a microphone in the back, you’ll get what you need.

PLAYABILITY: The cajon feels nice to play. You get the adjustable wires inside the drum giving a more authentic sound and some further versatility. The slap sounds are slightly harder to achieve than I expected and aren’t as pronounced overall, so you will need to work on your technique a bit or again, adjust the wires until you feel they’re right.

OVERALL: It certainly won’t rock everyone’s world but it is still a nice thing to play and really, for some players it’ll be just what they need. It’s certainly an affordable option, and even comes with a padded bag with shoulder straps.

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PEARL JINGLE CAJON

RRP: $279

TYCOON 29 SERIES CHISELED ORANGE CAJON

RRP: $249

PRODUCT TYPE: CAJON DISTRIBUTOR: AUSTRALIASIAN MUSIC SUPPLIES

PRODUCT TYPE: CAJON DISTRIBUTOR: DYNAMIC MUSIC

RECOMMENDED FOR: Percussionists, drummers in acoustic duos, trios looking for more variation in sounds and strength and reliability from that of a standard cajon.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Cajon players looking for an alternative sound and value for money; beginners to intermediate players; anybody looking to try their hand at cajon playing but don’t want to spend a fortune in the process.

CONSTRUCTION: The Pearl Jingle Cajon features a fibreglass shell with a sound port at the back, a responsive snare system inside and two different sized, stainless steel, Brazilian-style tambourine jingles that attach to the cajon via small suction cups. The whole box is covered in Pearl’s Carubinga exotic wood lacquer and there are rubber feet to keep the instrument off the floor avoiding damage and support resonance.

SOUND & VERSATILITY: The bass response is very good and slaps are easy to achieve. The snares respond instantly providing sensitivity at all velocities. The jingles provide a crisp and clean sound that blends well in the mix. The versatility is there because you can adjust how much the jingles move and respond.

USABILITY: The Jingle Cajon is actually quite clever. The jingles twist open or closed to be able to adjust how much sound you want from them, affectively creating four cajon’s in one – jingles, small jingle, large jingle or both. Each time you get a unique feel, sound and vibe making it possible to change your approach depending on the song or piece.

OVERALL: Pearl have done a good thing here. The Jingle Cajon is worth a look as the jingles really do offer some more scope and their design means you can use them as you feel, rather than having to have them as a permanent thing.

VIC FIRTH VICKICK BEATERS

RRP: $39.95-$49.95

CONSTRUCTION: This Tycoon cajon is solidly made indeed. The front board is made from Beech and the main body is individually hand carved from aged Siam Oak hard wood and models hundreds of chiselled indents for a unique and very earthy look. The cajon also features a sound hole and four snare wires running the length of the front board. There’s also rubber feet that prevent damage from the floor and promotes bass response overall.

SOUND & VERSATILITY: The Chiseled Orange Cajon has very pleasing bass tones, which are easily attainable and the snare wires make the slaps tight, sharp and pronounced. It’s a musical sound that is usable right away. The wires are fully adjustable too so you can dial in as much of the snare sound as you like with the included allen wrench.

PLAYABILITY: As mentioned, the cajon responds easily and effectively with solid tone across the board. It’s comfortable to use and the construction gives you confidence in its durability.

OVERALL: The Tycoon 29 Series Chiseled Orange Cajon presents very good value for money. The look is pleasing to the eye and the bass notes – a necessity in a good cajon – really deliver. Worth a look if you’re in the market.

VATER XTREME DESIGN 5B DRUMSTICKS

RRP: $16.95

PRODUCT TYPE: BASS DRUM BEATER DISTRIBUTOR: AUSTRALIASIAN MUSIC SUPPLIES

PRODUCT TYPE: DRUM STICKS DISTRIBUTOR: ELECTRIC FACTORY

RECOMMENDED FOR: Session drummers and players looking for the ability to have real variation in their bass drum sounds without having to change their heads. Intermediate to professional players.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Drummers of all levels but mostly for those who prefer the feel of a 5B grip and a longer stick. The XD-5B is a stick that would handle the gig with ease.

CONSTRUCTION: The Vic Firth VicKick beaters are offered in three configurations – fleece, felt and wood. The fleece is essentially a big, fluffy wool ball, the felt is your more conventional type bass drum beater material and finally, with the same shape as the felt beater, there’s a hard, wooden Maple option. Both felt and wood have a unique spherical shape with two playing positions – flat and radial, where the thinner part of the beater strikes the head.

SOUND & VERSATILITY: The Vic Firth kick beaters are extremely versatile as a whole but each one is designed for a specific purpose. The sounds vary substantially from flat to radial. Flat brings a wider and fuller sound where as radial is more focused and articulated. Both are great.

The fleece has its own thing happening with basically no attack at all and a soft, full, warm sound.

PLAYABILITY: The shaft of each beater will fit all pedals and is strong and stable. The radial position is also suited to double pedals for clearance. With a quick twist of the beater, you have options for the bass drum sound you’re after and all feel great to play regardless of the tension of the head.

OVERALL: Most drummers wouldn’t immediately consider the beater of the bass drum for their sound and would look to change heads first. These Vic Firth beaters are great as they provide ‘options’. In the studio especially, these would be fantastic.

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CONSTRUCTION: The Hickory made XD-5B is 16.5” in length and 0.610” in diameter. Just slightly over a standard 5B stick in the grip, the XD features a heavier taper leading towards a barrel-style tip. The XD is also available as a nylon tip.

SOUND & VERSATILITY: The barrel tip gave fantastic clarity on the cymbals and great rebound too. The sound is projected and brighter. The XD might be a bit too much for a jazz gig but by contrast it gave more sound on those types of lighter cymbals.

PLAYABILITY: Even though the weight, length and tip suggest that this is a stick for rockers only, in reality, the XD-5B is very approachable. It feels great in hand and the barrel tip yields a nice feel from cymbals and drums. It felt good immediately to me. You do need to be into a slightly longer stick though.

OVERALL: Vater have made a really good stick here. It feels very well balanced and not as top heavy as the name might suggest. I actually think that players of all genres would enjoy this stick as opposed to just heavier players. Definitely worth a look. I’m investing!

KICKPORT FX SERIES

RRP: $69.95

SENNHEISER E602-II KICK DRUM MIC

RRP: $215

PRODUCT TYPE: SOUND ENHANCER DISTRIBUTOR: ELECTRIC FACTORY

PRODUCT TYPE: DRUM MICROPHONE DISTRIBUTOR: SENNHEISER AUSTRALIA

RECOMMENDED FOR: Drummers looking to increase bass and overall tone response from their toms and snare using the same KickPort principle already being used in bass drums.

RECOMMENDED FOR: This microphone is purpose built for use within a kick drum to capture its distinct sound. It can also work well on bass amps, but excels under high sound pressure levels with a kick drum.

CONSTRUCTION: We’ve come to know the larger KickPort for bass drum heads. Now the FX series introduce smaller 2” and 3” versions for the rack toms, snares and floor toms. Each port comes with template-reinforcement rings and vibro-bands, which hold the port in place and also do a good job of applying some dampening to the drum.

SOUND & VERSATILITY: The FX series KickPorts fit any brand of head or drum. Installed in the batter heads, they provide a lower, punchier tone with more depth and definition. Installed in the resonant heads, the drums project more without interrupting the integrity of the batter head.

CONSTRUCTION: This microphone is a little tank. It may be fairly light-weight, but it is built into a solid housing and is ready for the beating it is no doubt going to get as it is kicked around the stage and studio. Built to last and built to continue to sound great, you will get many years of low end punch from these microphones.

SOUND & VERSATILITY: When you are trying to capture not only the snap of the beater on the skin, but also the low end thump of the drum’s chamber, you need the right tool to do that. This microphone delivers both elements and allows the user to sculpt the desired sound from its wide frequency range.

USABILITY: Installing the FX series in your heads is really the same as what you would do for your bass drum. They can easily be installed in either the batter or resonant heads of toms, snares or floor toms depending on the sound you’re after and the KickPort’s rubber rings hold it in place on its own, meaning they’re easily removable. You will still have holes in your heads though. The FX ports can be used on the bass drum batter head too.

USABILITY: It really comes down to experimenting with these microphones. Mounted to a short boom stand, you simply need to find the sweet spot and correct angle within the drum to get the desired sound. Angling it off-axis delivers great results, and even driving it right up to the skin can capture certain desired effects.

OVERALL: At first look, the obvious concerns would be that you have to cut into your existing heads to install the FX series KickPorts and whether you would like them or not. In reality you would really just need to try them. But if you’ve tried one in your bass drum, you know the technology works so this is the logical next step. That, and there’s a stack of guys using them.

OVERALL: There are a number of kick drum microphones on the market that is for sure. The e602II is one that doesn’t try to be more than it is and simply delivers results every time. You don’t have to do any work to the EQ for it to sound great, but you still have the freedom to sculpt it for a desired tone if you so wish.

SENNHEISER E614 CONDENSER MIC

RRP: $289

XTREME DRUM BAGS

RRP: $14.95-$45

PRODUCT TYPE: DRUM MICROPHONE DISTRIBUTOR: SENNHEISER AUSTRALIA

PRODUCT TYPE: TRAVEL CASES DISTRIBUTOR: AUSTRALIASIAN MUSIC SUPPLIES

RECOMMENDED FOR: As an all-rounder in the compact, pencil-condenser style of microphone, the e614 is great for a variety of percussion instruments as well as hi-hats on the drum kit when high sound pressure levels are a problem and a crisp response is required.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Drummers of all levels; gigging drummers who prefer bags rather than cases; drummers on a budget but still intent on protecting their gear.

CONSTRUCTION: Built into a rugged housing that is fairly small for the style of microphone, the capsule is well protected and will handle the occasional strike from a stray drum stick without too much worry. All the microphones in Sennheiser’s Evolution series are built to a standard that is far beyond their actual price range.

SOUND & VERSATILITY: Able to handle very high SPLs, this microphone can go just about anywhere and work its magic. Used as a pair for overheads they sound crisp and lively, but they really come into their own when used for hi-hats to deliver a rich sizzle and super-fast transient attack.

USABILITY: Being so compact, these are extremely versatile when working within the confines of a crowded drum kit. They are best mounted on a stand though, as it keeps unwanted vibration from the kit at bay, and is very easy to slide this between your toms and hats on a long boom to find the perfect placement.

OVERALL: This is a great little microphone and one that should appear in every mic kit for a range of applications. It shouldn’t just be typecast as a hats mic; it can work well with a wide range of percussion instruments and even deliver great results on woodwind and piano applications too.

CONSTRUCTION: All Xtreme bags feature extra heavy duty black nylon waterproof yarn. Further protection comes from 10mm foam padding (15mm on drum bags), and heavy duty zips. Bags also come with easy, comfortable carry handles, straps and a cymbal pocket with an embroidered Xtreme logo. Cymbal bags have wheels, luggage-style extendable handles and multiple pockets.

VERSATILITY: The Xtreme bags cater for a wide range of drums, cymbals and hardware. Their depths are generous to accommodate older style drums as well.

USABILITY: Zips are solid and strong, which give you confidence. The cymbal pockets in the tops of each bag give you that little extra welcomed storage. The additional depths also allow for some clever packing if you need to cut down the amount you’re carrying.

OVERALL: For the money, these bags absolutely rock. They have all the sizes available and for the session drummer, with a lot of gear in storage, you can literally keep everything packed without spending the earth. It also means that beginner drummers can protect their first kits too, which has been a hard thing to do in the past. These cases are a winner, Check them out!

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DYNAUDIO BM5 MkIII STUDIO MONITORS I have always loved the range of studio monitor speakers that are delivered to us from Danish listening gurus Dynaudio. Holding true to their cultural roots, these speakers have always been as much about studio integration within their design as well as audio quality. Dynaudio have proven that there is more to a great monitor speaker than just a great sound. It is how that unit fits in with our studio environment and how it works with us that completes the total listening experience and it’s what makes these speakers as great as they are.

MADE IN DENMARK There is something special about any product that is designed and manufactured in Denmark.

Removing the units from their boxes I was greeted with a sticker on each one proclaiming “Made in Denmark’. So, before I even set them up, I knew these were going to be special. It’s the way in which design and delivery come together that makes these a great concept.

They come boxed up with a pair of IsoAcoustics speaker isolation stands to ensure that when setup, you have proper isolation from your desk to ensure the speakers can work unhindered. These stands also allow for the speakers to be properly angled to allow you to direct the sound right to the sweet spot. Desk mounting the speakers

now allows you to angle them up so they fire directly towards you ears and not into your chest as so many other monitors can do.

IN ACTION With a 7” woofer, these speakers are a little bit misleading by name. Before I looked at the specifications, I assumed I would be listening to 5” speakers, but it seems you get even more than you expect with these models. So, the extended bottom end is a healthy surprise when you fire them up. The sparkling high frequencies leave very little to the imagination too. If you have an error in your mix, you are about to hear it with these monitors. They deliver a fast, punchy transient response, and try to remain relatively uncoloured in their delivery of your mix. I could listen to these speakers all day without fatigue, but I would be driven to work harder on my mixes as there would be no doubt that the BM5s would open up all sorts of issues for me. In essence, that is what a good studio monitor should do.

If it covers your failings, it does you no justice at all. The honest truth is what the BM5s give you, whether you like it or not.

RRP: $1145 (each)

DISTRIBUTOR: Amber Technology PHONE: 1800 251 367 WEBSITE: www.ambertech.com.au SPECS

FREQUENCY RANGE: 42Hz-24kHz MAXIMUM PEAK: 118dB SPL INPUT TYPE: RCA and XLR POWERED: 50w LF and 50w HF driver HEIGHT: 12.5” HITS

• Clever rear porting for use in smaller rooms • Immaculate delivery of sound right across the frequency range • IsoAcoustic speaker isolation stands included MISSES

BY ROB GEE • Possibly beyond some people’s budget, but worth stretching to get there

M-AUDIO HDH50 HEADPHONES In my work, I do get to try a lot of headphones.

An And with all the options I come across, I generally end up reverting to a pair I bought about 15 years ago that still do me well today. So, it is rare that ag I co come across a new pair of headphones that are so comfortable that I actually consider hanging up the old favourites. Today was one of those tim times when I eventually managed to remove the packaging from a new pair of M-Audio HSH50 pa high definition headphones. These cans are so hig com comfy I could consider simply wearing them as ear muffs, especially given that winter is giving us a re real flogging at the moment. In fact, I might just try that idea tomorrow.

CO COMFORT AND CONCEPT I lo love the way these headphone fit. They certainly aren’t light, but once placed on your head in are the right position you barely notice the weight.

They don’t pinch the ears like many headphones Th can do and they are easily adjustable to fit just about any size and shape of head. But it isn’t just ab the feel in which these headphones excel. They have been very cleverly designed with a range hav of uses in mind. Included with the headphones are two cables, one curly and one straight. The curly cable works well within the studio and the cur stra straight cable features a built-in microphone with a connection tip designed for use with wit sm smartphones enabling you to seamlessly move

between listening to music to speaking on the phone. Better still, you can connect the cable to either the left of right side of the cans to allow you to work without the cable getting in your way. This is a clever little touch that I rarely see in headphones and shows M-Audio have really thought these through.

SPARKLING SOUND Of course, it really all comes down to how they sound in the end and the results are in. They sound damn good. They can be driven for fairly high SPLs, but sound their best when you let off the gas a little and allow them to work with your ears rather than assaulting them. I love how they do not try to deliver excessive amounts of false bottom end in order to give off the impression of a better sounding driver. They are very clear in their musical delivery and allow for every subtle nuance in the mix to be heard. Every individual will be looking for something different in the headphones they choose, but it is hard to fault how these cans sound. Even after an extended listening session, they continued to work with my ears. You will just have to hear them for yourself to decide.

BY ROB GEE

RRP: $399.99

DISTRIBUTOR: Pro Audio Group Australia PHONE: (02) 9521 4844 WEBSITE: www.proaudiogroup.com.au SPECS

FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 12Hz-24Hz MAX SPL: 114dB @ 1kHz IMPEDANCE: 16 Ohms CABLE: 6.8 ft (2.1m). 1/4” adapter included HITS

• Ridiculously comfortable • Combination of straight and curly connector cables • Offers the ability to connect cable to left or right side • Cable with built-in microphone included MISSES

• Straight cable is perhaps a little too short

ZILDJIAN KEROPE SERIES CYMBALS master at what he did, able to create thinner and more resonant cymbals with increased durability.

As time passed, although he wasn’t directly in line to be the president of Zildjian, he inherited the company from his brother Avedis II and headed Zildjian for 44 years to much acclaim.

Zildjian. A company on the cutting edge of cymbal design and the marquee that has a rich history of producing some of the most famous lines of cymbals for the most famous of drummers. Perhaps the most famous of them all is the K Zildjian line. In recent years the company have attempted to create more vintage sounding K’s in homage to their past. The brand new and latest of these is the K Zildjian Kerope range.

BACKGROUND Kerope Zildjian was a cymbal craftsman for the company during the late 1800s. His skills were revered in many different countries. He was a

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LOOK The new Keropes have a distinctly vintage and worn in look with an antique type discolouration.

Think old school photo. This was Zildjian’s aim all along. The range features 14” and 15” hi hats, 18” and 19” crashes and 20” and 22” rides. The hi hats and crashes have a fairly smooth surface with spaced out tonal grooves and moderate to small hammerings. Both sides are lathed but curiously, as mentioned, they don’t look shiny and new. The rides feature some more deliberate and complex hammerings, particularly the 22” ride which looks fantastic and worked over compared to the rest of the range. All the cymbals have fairly moderate bells with a slight flat spot on the top which are left slightly raw in their look. Overall, these cymbals have bags of character – and we haven’t even played them yet. Perhaps worth noting though, is that their looks really invite you to do so.

SOUND The hi hats are light in feel and very musical. Not particularly loud but have volume when opened up a little. In fact, the open ‘slushy’ type sound is really good. Controlled and warm with dark undertones.

As they’re lighter, there was some ping from the 15’s but the 14’s had a better ‘chick’ sound. The bigger hats were lower pitch and would be great to record with. The crashes are very dark, lower in pitch with a touch of angry in there. They’re ever so slightly trashy but not enough to make them unmusical.

They open up easily and maintain a slight dryness that enables you to ride them. The bells, in fact are quite pronounced. The rides are wonderfully complex. There are layers of sounds. Dark, warm, trashy undertones with great stick definition and amazing character. They crash easily but the decay is enough to make them uncontrollable at faster tempos. Both are lower in pitch and have a wide spread. The only thing that may not excite some players is that like the Constantinople’s, the bells on these cymbals are smaller and not particularly pronounced. They are present though.

Overall, these new Keropes are special and worthy of the K name. They’re a delicious addition to the Zildjian family.

BY ADRIAN VIOLI

RRP: $649-$889

DISTRIBUTOR: Australasian Music Supplies PHONE: (03) 9549 1500 WEBSITE: www.austmusic.com.au SPECS

HATS: 14” and 15” CRASHES: 18” and 19” RIDES: 20” and 22” HITS

• Contain a lower pitched, dry tone, consistent with K-series Zildjians.

• Crashes are trashy, but can be used to ride on.

• Looks and sounds like vintage cymbals.

MISSES

• Bell on the rides are not very pronounced, harder to really dig into.

SENIOR & SPECIALIST NO TUITION COSTS

INSTRUMENT MAKING & REPAIR ELECTRIC | ACOUSTIC LMF40308 CertiямБcate IV in Musical Instrument Making and Repair

TUESDAY 19th AUG 6.00PM

PR LIGHTING XPAR 336 LED LIGHTING CAN

I have seen and used my fair share of lighting cans over the years and in recent times many of those have been of the LED variety. There is no doubt that the use of LED technology has changed the face of stage and production lighting. You only need to consider the benefits of this form of lighting and it is easy to understand why so many manufacturers are delivering a large range of LED products now and slowly steering away from traditional lamps. So, I thought I was just going to be in for another LED can that behaves like the rest when I unboxed the PR Lighting XPAR 336. Well, I was wrong.

COMPACT FRAME This unit has been assembled into a shell that is smaller than many LED cans currently on the market. It is lightweight, as it should be, but it is very compact. This is a big plus when you want to squeeze as many units onto a lighting rail and space is at a premium. But don’t worry about the size limiting the output of the XPAR 336. It is loaded with extremely efficient LEDs and so throws out a beam that equals and even betters many larger cans. Not only that, you still get a relatively sharp edge to the beam, it doesn’t end up looking too washed out as some LED cans tend to do. Obviously, you do not get the sheer cutting light that a deep PAR56 can would deliver, but the benefits far outweigh this small factor.

SEE THE LIGHT Fired up, you get to see the full power of this little unit. With DMX control, you can easily move through the colour options to discover that there are a lot of them. What this can benefits from is the combination of red, green, blue and white LEDs housed in the front facia. So, you are able to get a wide range of colour variations including a pure white light. Some other cans create a white from a clever mix of the coloured LEDs, but it is

never really white, usually having a blue or green highlight. The PAR 336 gives you a spectacular white along with a really vibrant red that that is so rich in colour, it is hard to imagine so few LEDs are creating it. Easily controlled by DMX, but can be manually adjusted for a ‘set and forget’ use as well. In short, this is an all-round winner.

BY ROB GEE

RRP: $705

DISTRIBUTOR: Jands Australia PHONE: (02) 9582 0909 WEBSITE: www.jands.com.au SPECS

WEIGHT: 2.3kg POWER: 200-240V AC, consumes 120W@220V LIGHTS: LED, 36 total COLOURS: RGBW linear colour mixing CONTROL: DMX512, 3 pin interfaces. 16 preset and 16 user memories FEATURES: LED board temperature display, fixture usage time display HITS

• Lightweight and compact design • Generates very little heat and draws very little power • Huge range of colour combinations • True white light option MISSES

• Slightly washed out beam, doesn’t pinpoint as well as a traditional can would

YAMAHA ABSOLUTE HYBRID MAPLE DRUM KIT

The Absolute line has been one of Yamaha’s most successful – the maple custom particularly so.

It’s a classic sound that players have used as the benchmark for years. Some of the best drummers in the world play Yamaha. The company has been around for decades and for good reason – they make good drums. So naturally, when this company brings out a brand new creation and claims to have made an instrument that drummers can use to express their every creative idea, we all pay attention. Introducing the new Absolute Hybrid Maple.

HYBRID YOU SAY? The new Hybrid Maple is the next step for the Absolute series drums and the technology stems from the flagship PHX. It was conceived over a number of years using the help of the artists on the company’s roster as the critics. The fundamental of this kit is the wood combination. Shells are 7ply thick. They feature one ply of a native African Hardwood called Wenge in the centre squeezed between six plies of Maple (three plies either side). Other features on this new kit are the optimised bearing edge shape that differs from the bass drum (30 degrees R1.5) to the snare and toms (45 degrees R1.5), Hook lugs for easy head changing and high tension tuning, vent holes, vintage ‘natural’ finish on the inside of the shells, a lightweight and smaller low-mass tom holder base, new YESIII tom mounts for optimum resonance and 3mm Aluminium Die-Cast Hoops.

The new Hybrid Maple is a stunning piece of kit with ten gorgeous finishes available and some truly good looks. I got to try the kit in the Solid Black finish. Everything from the awesome hardware and fittings to the choice depths look the business. The hook lugs and die-cast hoops make the drums look really tough too. This was Yamaha’s aim – make the drums a thing of beauty. Without a doubt, they’ve achieved this. Yamaha offer a variety of sizes to choose from including kick drums from 18”-24” and toms from 8”-18”. There’s the usual rock or fusion configurations also. As always, you can rely on Yamaha’s excellent mounting and hardware systems.

HIT ME The drums speak wonderfully and there’s a real sensitivity across the kit enabling a wide spectrum of volume and dynamics. My kit featured Remo Ambassadors and the thinner head enabled the drums to really sing. The YESSIII helped here for sure. The sound is long and sustained, loud and full with a clarity that I haven’t heard on a Maple Custom before. The hardwood ply in the core of the shell provides more power and richness and the Maple, as always, provides clear tone. The bass drum is big and punchy with nice low end; the optimised bearing edge making sense, lowering the tone overall. The snare drum sounded great too. Nice, smooth throw off and fantastic tone across the tuning range. The die cast hoops provide some great attack whilst looking and feeling great.

Overall, this new Yamaha deserves some attention.

There’s a noticeable quality that oozes from these drums. It’s like the Maple Custom we’ve all come to love but with that little something extra. It’s a real winner in my books. Check it out.

BY ADRIAN VIOLI RRP: $5950

DISTRIBUTOR: Yamaha Music Australia PHONE: (03) 9693 5111 WEBSITE: www.yamahamusic.com.au HITS

• New tom mounting system allows toms to really sing • Kick drum is full of punch with plenty of low end energy • Hybrid of both hardwood and Maple gives the kit power without sacrificing tone • Sounds as good as it looks MISSES

• None. Yamaha have really nailed what it takes to make beautiful looking and sounding kits.

BLACKSTAR HT-5210 GUITAR AMP COMBO

Blackstar’s HT-5 established itself as a classic really quickly. You can find it in bedrooms, studios, rehearsal rooms, teaching rooms and even stages (thanks to its cabinet-emulating direct output) pretty much everywhere. This little firecracker of tone packs a whole lot of wallop into not a lot of space, and it’s served as a pretty sturdy foundation upon which Blackstar has built its reputation. You can’t really criticise such a fine and affordable amp but it would be nice to have a little more power, right? So Blackstar has beefed up the HT-5 with a pair of 10” Celestion speakers while maintaining the already-classic HT-5 tone.

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SPEAK UP The HT-5’s electronics are based on a single ECC83 preamp tube and a 12BH7 output tube.

The original version’s 10” Celestion speaker isn’t exactly going to fill Madison Square Garden, nor is it able to take advantage of the great digital stereo reverb, so here you get a whole extra speaker with all the stereo flexibility that such an addition affords.

Sonically the amp is voiced to provide big amp tone in a small package, with controls consisting of volumes for both clean and overdrive channels, a gain control for overdrive, plus global bass, middle and treble, ISF and master volume controls. The ISF is Blackstar’s proprietary tone control system, which shifts the emphasis of the tone from USAcentric (hard left) to UK-centric (hard right). You can also get some very unique tones by balancing the two in interesting ways.

The HT-5 also includes a foots witch for selecting between the Clean and Overdrive channels, a headphone/line out jack with speaker cabinet emulation that is switchable between 1X12” and 4X12” speaker cabinet models, and a series effects loop which is switchable from +4dB to -10dB. There’s a mono effects loop but inbuilt stereo reverb - Blackstar listened to players who wished the original HT-5 had reverb, so they created the HT-5R, and this amp continues that tradition.

SPREAD ‘EM The tone is surprisingly loud for such a tiny amp.

The clean sounds are somewhat neutral which is good for those of us who like to colour their sound

with effect pedals, but this relative neutrality also makes it a fine substitute for an acoustic guitar when you just need a really, really clean tone.

The ISF can make this channel sound somewhat Beatlesy or jazzy as well (and the reverb is great for the latter). The distortion sounds range from low-gain grit and growl to high-gain roar. The HT-5 can sound surprisingly heavy for such a little amp, and if you scoop the midrange and set the ISF to around one quarter UK, three quarters USA you’ll get some pretty usable death metal tone. Turn the mids up a little bit and move the ISF back towards the UK and you’ll find a great modern metal sound that’s ideal for Avenged Sevenfold or Bullet For My Valentine riffage. Lower gain settings bring out a Led Zeppelin-like punch, and because the amp is powered by real tubes you’ll hear a lot of dynamic range when you mix up your pick attack. Basically, it sounds like an HT-5 - but the twin speakers, stereo reverb and stereo auxiliary input (so you can jam to tracks with much more realism) all make this feel like an even better amp.

GIMMIE FIVE The HT-5 is a great little amp in the studio, the teaching room, the loungeroom and even the club stage. It’s more flexible than it looks, and the reverb is great, especially in stereo. The only real downside is that the effects loop is still mono. It’d be great to be able to plug a stereo delay or pitch shifter into the back of this amp.

RRP: $899

DISTRIBUTOR: National Audio Systems PHONE: (03) 8756 2600 WEBSITE: www.nationalaudio.com.au SPECS

FEATURES: • Innovative 5 Watt valve combo • 1xECC83 and 1x12BH7 valves • Unique push pull power amp design • Award winning HT Pedal preamp • Two footswitchable channels • 2x10” Celestion speakers • Enhanced tone controls • Patented Infinite Shape Feature (ISF) • Fully equipped for studio or practice • Digital Stereo Reverb • Speaker emulated output with 1x12 or 4x12 voicing • Effects loop with effects level switch • Footswitch included • Classic Blackstar styling HITS

• A whole world of different sounds.

• Great stereo reverb.

• Sounds great LOUD. MISSES

BY PETER HODGSON

• Only a mono effects loop? Damn.

ATH-M50x With its unmatched combination of sonic accuracy, musical presence and superior build quality M-Series has become a key tool of the trade for audio professionals worldwide.

Mirroring the M-Series, Audio-Technicaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new feature rich IM inner-ear monitors provide the complete package miniaturised for on-stage use by performing artists. Visit your local Audio-Technica dealer and audio-technica.com.au for more.

MIXDOWN NO. 244 / AUGUST 2014 / PG. 45

M-AUDIO TRIGGER FINGER PRO In a market seemingly awash with USB controllers and interfaces for just about every purpose, it is always refreshing to see a new addition that really holds its head high and stands proud against the competition. As the combination of software platforms with dedicated hardware controllers is now the choice of most producers, it is good to see that M-Audio have taken their time in approaching this concept and have done it right. So, while many manufacturers rushed to create all number of “me too” products to keep up with the competition, M-Audio have paced themselves and come in as a last minute entry with a real standout: the Trigger Finger Pro. THE BUILD So, as I first removed the unit from its packaging, I was astounded at how well this thing has been put together. It is a really tough piece of hardware that has a good weight to it. A metal rail is mounted on the underside to angle the face slightly, but this can be removed to lay the unit flat on a desktop if you wish. Either way, it sits solidly and firmly in place so you can give it a real flogging. All the buttons have a nice snap to their operation and although they are a little stiff, the rotary encoders and faders feel pretty sturdy too. The 4 x 4 drum pad section offers really springy pads that react well to soft pressure as well as sharp taps.

EASY INTEGRATION The team at M-Audio have certainly thought this one through. You do get the typical design elements that would be expected on a similar controller in the 16 drum pads and transport controls. You also get four faders and four rotary encoders as well as a separate pressure sensitive encoder for menu scrolling. Rounded off with an adequately large LCD screen, it enables you to

operate the unit with a minimum of interaction n between yourself and the computer. And this is what you want in a unit like this, the ability for you u ot to use the computer’s engine for its power, but not feel like you are just working in a software world. d.

It needs to have the feel of control that you would d er expect from a hardware device and the Trigger Finger Pro with the included software like Arsenal,l, n Airdrums and Hybrid 3 gives you that feeling. Even best is the row of 16 buttons along the bottom of the unit that will have users of old step sequencers rs o and drum machine salivating in how they get to n, control the synth and drum software. In my opinion, er M-Audio has hit it out of the park with the Trigger Finger Pro. It might have been a long time coming, g, but it surely was worth the wait.

VISIT PG .6 FOR YOUR CH ANCE TO WIN THE M-AUDIO TRIGGER FINGER PRO!

BY ROB GEE RRP: $699.99

DISTRIBUTOR: Pro Audio Group Australia PHONE: (02) 9521 4844 WEBSITE: www.proaudiogroup.com.au SPECS HITS

• Seriously tough hardware construction • Great combination of classic drum machine and modern DAW controller • Great selection of included software • Easy to navigate without looking at the computer all the time MISSES

• Faders and pots are a little stiff, but that is just nit-picking

PAISTE MASTERS SERIES CYMBALS

DISPLAY: Large backlit LCD PADS: 4 banks, 64 pads in total USB: USB powered and MIDI. TAKE CONTROL: Assignable knobs, switches and buttons allows you to control 48 software parameters STEP SEQUENCER: 64-Step sequencer with standalone mode that can track 16 tracks independently, includes 5-pin midi input for external gear.

COMPATIBILITY: Works with all DAWs, with midi learn capabilities and works with virtual instruments in standalone mode.

JANDS STAGECL COMPACT PACT LIGHTING CONSOLE FOR LED ED

instead with a clean, glassy sound with some darkness in there too. The bell is very strong making this ride not for the faint hearted.

DARK CRASHES I got to sample 16”, 18” and 20” Dark Crashes.

They look beautiful and your gaze follows along the grooves and hammerings. All are very dark and earthy when struck. They project remarkably well with very full and punchy sound. They’re quite loud actually and are slightly thicker in feel, which really contributes to the volume. The 16” and 18” are more traditional in their playability – washy and broad, but the 20” has some really nice ride capabilities with some light stick definition and integrated bell.

Paiste are really kicking goals at the moment. In years past, other cymbal companies unfortunately tended to get a look in first. Paiste were always there in the background but now any drummer who is in the know understands that Paiste are extremely serious contenders for the next cymbal in their collection. Of all the new (and exquisite) lines available, I got to try some examples from the Masters range. Masters were originally a collection of 12 concept ride cymbals made with the CuSn20 Paiste alloy and designed to cater to a variety of musical situations. This alloy is also known as Traditional Bronze and used amongst the other lines too, but crucially, it’s the key ingredient to the Masters unique sound spectrum. Paiste Masters feature some radical hammerings, defined tonal grooves and a natural finish. All the cymbals look amazing with loads of character. They just entice you to try and hear what they sound like.

24” DEEP RIDE The Deep ride is an absolute weapon to behold.

Developed with JR Robinson, it’s positively massive and has bags and bags of presence. It has a sole purpose behind its looks though. It’s extremely heavy in weight, features deep hammerings and tonal grooves with a large bell. The top of the cymbal is lathed with a bright traditional finish but the underside is left raw and earthy to darken up the sound. Stick definition is immense and very pronounced. The ride actually has a long sustain but there’s little wash or crashability, replaced PG. 46 / MIXDOWN NO. 244 / AUGUST 2014

15” DARK HI HATS These hi hats are just gorgeous. Featuring a medium thin top and a medium heavy bottom, they have a beautiful, dark, crisp ‘chick’ with a touch of wash. They project wonderfully when open too. Overall, the sound is rich and complex with great responsiveness and sensitivity. They feel big and sound lower in pitch; that dark nature making them so usable in a variety of situations. I really liked these hats.

Overall, the Masters series offer some really interesting and unique sound possibilities. They are very loud when needed and also sensitive making them versatile. The dark and trashy qualities they possess work with many musical styles and will help any drummer develop their own sound. The Masters – or any of the new Paiste lines are really worth checking out if you haven’t yet.

BY ADRIAN VIOLI RRP: $569.99-$979.99

DISTRIBUTOR: Yamaha Music Australia PHONE: (03) 9693 5111 WEBSITE: www.paiste.com HITS

• Thicker look, heavier feel, louder sound • Visually, these cymbals are beautiful • Rich and complex sounds from all hats, crashes and rides MISSES

• These are heavy cymbals.

As most lighting ghting rigs move towards toward ds using usin sing i g more more e and and ighting options, there has come a need more LED lighting for DMX controllers ntrollers that specifically address the features that these lights offer. But, even more so, as so many compact ompact rigs are now being bein used by ubs and venues as well as houses of bands, small clubs worship, a simple e and most importantly, affordable ed to get the most from the LED option was needed rigs. Because not only intensity and movement can be controlled in an LED, these new controllers needed to take into consideration colour control as well. In saying this, Jands have delivered the perfect selection of controllers built into a compact frame at a respectable price. This should bring more life to so many lighting rigs in a flash.

MANUAL CONTROL The first step in operating this unit is the manual control of each lighting channel. It is so simple, even a sound engineer could do it. You have the ability to snap on and off each light, or fade them in and out to start with. Then, with one row of rotary encoders you can blend through all the colour options for each channel, or snap from one colour to the next by pressing the encoder. Another row of encoders allows you to adjust the colour hue from white through to the deepest saturation, again having the option to press it to snap from one to the other. These functions can be completed one channel at a time, or in banks by easily grouping the channels for greater control.

DIGGING DEEPER Manual control is only the tip of the iceberg. You always want to be able to adjust any light on the fly, but the best benefit from this unit is when you get stuck into building recallable scenes and begin automating your lighting arrays. This is where the magic happens and pre-prepared shows can come to life. With the touchscreen and large selection of encoders and faders, it is easy to navigate through the menus to build and recall your shows when you need them.

I is It is rea re ready dy for dy forr sstage use and is built to withstand rigours of touring in a tough case. But, at the the rigo ssame time, it is compact and lightweight, so you can take it with you, as packing it down or setting it up only takes a few minutes. This unit is going to change the way in which LED lights are controlled in so many applications where previously it was just too cost prohibitive to do so.

BY ROB GEE

RRP: $1995

DISTRIBUTOR: Jands PHONE: (02) 9582 0909 WEBSITE: www.jands.com.au SPECS

POWER: 12v DC +/- 10% 2A POWER CONSUMPTION: 24w max PROCESSOR: Atmel ARM9 DRAM: 128mb FLASH: 256mb CONNECTIONS: Ethernet, USB 2 DIMENSIONS: 520x300x70mm GRAPHICS: 4.3 inch touch screen HITS

• Lightweight and easily portable • Still built into a rugged frame ready for road use • Easy grouping of channels for extended manual control • Intuitive automation features for building a show quickly MISSES

• Some buttons don’t have the greatest touch to them

ROAD TESTED

BLACKSTAR ID:CORE STEREO 40 GUITAR COMBO MC Systems CGN Dynamic Delay & LAX Glass Chorus EFFECTS PEDALS apparent that Blackstar had put a lot of work into nailing the stock factory settings of each channel to be musically useful. This is refreshing because a lot of the time you’ll find that stock settings on digital gear are pretty extreme. Here there’s plenty of subtlety and detail. The two clean channels sound nice and three-dimensional (even before you engage the excellent reverb), and the crunch channels have just enough grit and growl. I was able to coax some positively Jimmy Page-esque tones out of the Crunch mode with the gain at about halfway and some subtle reverb. Super Crunch is great for heavier hard rock, while OD 1 excels at modern metal rhythm tones, and OD 2 is great for Satriani-like leads, especially with clever use of the delay and ISF controls and a little editing in the Insider editing program.

Blackstar amps are famously versatile and userfriendly, but there’s always room for any company to innovate. And innovate they have, with their ID:Series amps and now the ID:Core line. The thing that’s so revolutionary about the ID:Core line (stereo combos in 10 watt, 20 watt and 40 watt) is that on the surface they’re as easily tweaked as any other Blackstar amp, especially due to the handy ISF (Infinite Shape Feature) control which gives you a range of tones from UK to US and any point in between. But the free Insider software lets you fully unlock the potential of the amp.

ONE STOP ROCK SHOP More than ever before, Blackstar has really nailed the idea of putting the power at your fingertips.

This amp can be as complicated as you make it or as simple as you want it to be. Some players will be perfectly content with the incredibly usable stock sounds. Others will want to get in there and tweak each model just a little bit, while others will want to go nuts with custom-created amp/effect combinations. Whatever you want this amp to be, that’s what it is, from practice buddy to studio tool to live tonal mothership.

THE WIZARD OF ID On the actual amp the only controls are for Gain, Volume and ISF, but the software lets you tap into all sorts of extra parameters like Bass, Middle and Treble, different power valve models (EL84, 6V6, EL34, KT66, 6L6 and KT88), and greater flexibility over control of your effects beyond the simple Modulation, Delay and Reverb type and level controls. The software also lets you share patches with other ID:Core owners or download artistcreated sounds. The amp includes six different voices accessible via a selector knob: Clean Warm, Clean Bright, Crunch, Super Crunch, OD 1 and OD 2. There are four modes each of studioquality delay, reverb and modulation effects, and there’s a USB Audio jack so you can use the amp for recording, along with a Stereo MP3/Line In for playing along with tunes, and a speaker-emulated line out/headphone jack. There are two 20 watt speakers pumping out the rather theatricallynamed Super Wide Stereo, designed to give you an immersive playing experience when rocking out along with your tracks or when messing about with the stereo ambient effects.

BY PETER HODGSON

TONE TALK I plugged in with my Gibson Les Paul Traditional with Seymour Duncan Seth Lover humbuckers for testing, starting with the Clean Warm mode and working my way up. It immediately became

RRP: $899

DISTRIBUTOR: National Audio Systems PHONE: (03) 8756 2600 WEBSITE: www.natioanlaudio.com.au SPECS

SPEAKERS: 2x20w combo EFFECTS: 12 Stereo effects VOICE: 6 Classic channels OUTPUT: USB for computer recording, Speaker emulated line-out for headphone practice or recording PRESETS: Save your tones and share patches with other users HITS

• Well-voiced effects • Easy computer interface • Nice direct recording tones MISSES

• A little more onboard control would be nice • Speakers sound a little honky

MAYONES COMODOUS 6 STRING BASS

Poland’s Mayones makes extremely fine, highquality guitars with a very distinctive look and style, great tone woods and amazing playability. But their basses are equally distinctive and high quality. The Comodous 6 is a breathtaking instrument - quite literally, because everyone I showed it to had the same shocked reaction to its sheer size, odd shape and the striking nature of its top. Aah but as anyone who’s played a Mayones guitar will know, you can’t judge one on looks: it all happens when you pick that first note.

WITH A SIX-STRING ON MY BACK The Comodous is available in 4, 5 and 6 string versions. Mayones is basically a custom shop, so you can get all sorts of options in your personal Comodous, but the review model features an Eye PG. 48 / mixdowN NO. 244 / august 2014

Poplar top, sitting on a profiled Swamp Ash back and Wenge middle (imagine a sandwich in cross section). The neck-thru design means that the neck itself is also the centre section of the body, and it’s made of 9-ply Maple/Mahogany. The fretboard is made of Rosewood with no inlays, and there are 24 medium jumbo Ferd Wagner frets and a very flat 20” radius. The scale length is 34.25”. The tuners are Schaller M4s and the bridge is a two-piece Mayones X2 brass bridge. Electronics include a pair of Bartolini pickups (the specs we were sent said Aguilar) and an Aquilar OBP-3 active preamp with volume, balance and passive tone controls along with active midrange and concentric treble/ bass controls, plus an active/passive mini-switch.

The preamp is powered by a 9v battery tucked into the back.

a delay pedal, turning the simple act of switching on the effect into a part of your performance. I do suspect that many players will prefer to use this one in regular mode rather than V-Switch mode most of the time, and would instead make ample use of the Alternate switch. Then again, there’s a certain charm in using it in V-Switch mode and using one feedback setting for the majority of the song but a much higher, longer one for a dramatic moment or at the very end of the song.

HITS

• Lots of control • Great construction MISSES

• Stereo would be nice.

MC Systems’ new Apollo range of effects pedals is designed in Australia by electronic music specialist Warren McAlister and combines rugged, stageready construction with a really innovative new functional twist. Each of the eight pedals within the range features a patent pending ‘V-Switch,’ a dynamic true bypass system which lets you vary the amount of effect dependent on how hard you stomp on it. That means you can introduce deeper modulation, longer delay modulation or more gain, for instance, just by stomping harder. And a second footswitch allows you to quickly alternate between two preferred settings for a particular parameter. For instance the Overdrive has two preset levels, while the Chorus offers two different delay times. It’s not a system that will appeal to all players - some would probably prefer to set-and-forget and not worry about turning their pedal-stomping into a part of their actual performance. But for those who wish to explore the technique, it really opens up a whole new dimension to your sound and performance.

And if you don’t wish to use the feature but you still dig the Apollo series pedals’ overall tones, you can simply choose to turn the V-Switch Enable switch to ‘off’ and use only the top of the two V knobs.

CGN DYNAMIC DELAY The Dynamic Delay’s controls include Regen and V-Regen knobs, a delay level control, and two time controls which are tied to the Alternate switch. Don’t let the name trick you - this is not a ducking delay where the echoes are quiet while you’re playing but swell up when you’re not: rather the dynamics come into play via the V-Switch which gives you different feedback (Regen and V-Regen) levels depending on how hard you stomp. Otherwise it’s a pretty standard but nice-sounding delay. The magic is in how you interact with it. It doesn’t seek to reinvent the wheel in terms of tone (and it would be nice to have stereo outputs, if we’re being picky), but the Dynamic Delay is a radical new take on how we interact with

ACTIVE/PASSIVE AGGRESSION There’s no getting around it: this is an imposing instrument which might be a bit too big for some players. But provided you have the posture and hand size to get a grip on this six-stringed monster, it’s an extremely powerful musical tool.

Before we even get into the tones, let me point out that the neck-through construction provides an exceptionally even response from fret to fret and from string to string, with no dead spots or unwanted overtones. Whatever you play, wherever you play it on the neck, it’s going to sound nice and smooth. The passive mode gives you a very simple, straightforward tone which is great for traditional rock, blues and soul sounds, deep and complex, a little dark, and perfectly voiced to allow your audience to feel your basslines. There’s plenty of sonic variety between the blend and tone controls. But when you flick that switch to active mode you open up a whole world of exploration and expression. The Comodous can sound very hifi, with crisp, zippy highs and deep, deep bass. Or you can introduce warm, vocal mids which are great for jazz soloing or for filling out the sound around a strummed dreadnaught acoustic. And if you like to slam your bass through overdrive or distortion, the active mode gives you nano-level control over the frequencies you want to emphasise or constrain in pursuit of your perfect sound.

IT’S ALL HERE This is a world-class, professional-level bass which covers every musical situation you could possibly imagine, from fingerstyle slap-and-pop

LAX GLASS CHORUS The Glass Chorus offers a wide range of studioquality chorus effects from the subtle and delicate to the utterly wild, but it doesn’t stop there. It also offers a unique ‘Glass’ function, a control which introduces a variable amount of sparkling treble to counteract the treble loss of a typical chorus pedal. Other controls include Depth and V-Depth pots (tied to the V-Switch) and, in association with the Alternate switch, Rate and Alt-Rate pots. These let you set two different chorus speeds which you can switch between at the tap of a foot, which is great for exploring Leslie-like rotating speaker textures.

If you’re not going that far, the LAX is great for Andy Summers-style clean tones, Alex Lifeson-esque overdrives or Steve Vai-like leads. The V-Switch capability depends on the creativity of the player to make the most of it (or you can turn it off if that feature doesn’t figure into your musical vision). This is a cool new take on the way we control chorus effects, taking it from a generally passive ‘turn it on and let it go’ type of effect into an active, real-time-controllable one that can become a part of your composition.

BY PETER HODGSON

HITS

• Lots of expression between switchable depth and rate levels • Great construction RRP: $245 (each)

DISTRIBUTOR: CMC Music Australia PHONE: (02) 9905 2511 WEBSITE: www.cmcmusic.com.au MISSES

• Again, stereo would be great.

to plectrum-aided death metal. The looks may not be for everyone and perhaps you’d prefer a 4 or 5-string version, but Mayones’ vision for this bass is fully sound, and fully realised.

BY PETER HODGSON RRP: $4999

DISTRIBUTOR: Ubersonic PHONE: (03) 9580 2060 WEBSITE: www.ubersonic.com.au SPECS

NECK: 9 ply Maple/Mahogany BODY: Eye Poplar top Profiled Swamp Ash back & Wenge middle FRETBOARD: Rosewood PICKUPS: H-H / Aguilar Soapbar (DCB-G Dual Ceramic Magnet Passive Set) Aguilar OBP-3 active preamp HITS

• Lots of versatility between active and passive modes.

• Very playable upper fret access.

• Flawless build quality.

MISSES

• Very heavy.

• The neck might be too big for some players.

• Love-it-or-hate-it Eye Poplar top.

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TC ELECTRONIC ALTER EGO X4 VINTAGE ECHO PEDAL

TC Electronic’s TonePrint line of pedals is a great innovation: when it was first launched, various rock stars and industry pros were handed the keys to a special program which allowed them to design custom effects which could then be loaded into the pedal by everybody (via USB or a handy mobile app). But then the program was made available for everyone, and now anybody who wants to tweak their tone and then share it with the world can do so.

The Alter Ego X4 Delay is related to the smaller Alter Ego delay, which was born when Andy and Aaron of ProGuitarShop got their paws on the TonePrint software for the Flashback Delay and created two exclusive new delay modes worthy of their own pedal. Now the Alter Ego X4 Vintage Echo takes this pedal and blows it out, in a similar way to the awesome Flashback X4 Delay.

STEP BACK IN TIME ProGuitarShop’s influence doesn’t stop at the tones; the graphics of this pedal are also designed by them, with an elegant script logo and baby blue accents based on the Tel Ray Super Organ Tone unit (more on that later). But where the compact Alter

Ego pedal has two ProGuitarShop sounds, the X4 version blows it out to a whopping twelve exclusive, hand-selected sounds ranging from a tribute to the classic Binson Echorec to a salute to the sweet Roland Space Echo, the venerable Echoplex and naturally - a custom version of TC Electronic’s own 2290. The sounds are accessed via a 16-position dial, where four positions are reserved for the TonePrints of your choice. The stock sounds include a few variations on particular modes (two Echorec-inspired and two Echoplex-based settings, for instance).

There are pots for Time, subdivision (quarter notes, dotted eighths or a mixture of both), feedback, delay level and looper level (with a looper/delay switch).

The looper gives you up to 40 seconds of playback with an undo function. The four footswitches double as looper switches for record, play, once and undo.

In delay mode those switches let you select three presets, while the fourth switch is tap tempo for synching your delay times up using your foot. As for the connections, there are stereo inputs and outputs (left jack is mono), an expression pedal jack, 9V DC power jack, USB port, and MIDI In and Thru so you can sync the delay times or change presets.

ECHO CHO HO O The sounds are heavily focused on vintage echo tones, going much deeper into ‘old-tone’ than the Flashback X4 does. The Echorec modes in particular are beautifully dirty, funky and expressive like the real thing; the first mode is the same one found in the original Alter Ego while the second adds a twist. In the case of the second Echoplex mode, the repeats get brighter - the opposite of an analog delay - as they fade out. It’s a very cool sound that works great

with ringing chords. The Space Echo nails the classic chorus shimmer of that legendary unit. The Memory Man inspired unit has updated chorus and vibrato modes and more of an 80s Andy Summers feel than the vintage weirdness of the Echorec and Echoplex.

The Copykat mode is great for short, slapback delays as well as adding a little grit to the input signal.

But the real surprise here is the brilliant TR Organ setting, which mimics an oil can delay (these use an actual can of oil in combination with a motor for an electrostatic recording process. It creates a distant, murky, part-reverb/part-delay sound unlike anything else, great for rockabilly and blues, and especially awesome for organ-type likes. There’s also a model inspired by the BOSS DM-2 analog delay with short delay lengths and darker repeats. It sounds so much like my childhood guitar teacher’s DM-2 that it’s kinda eerie! There’s also a great Echo Flange mode which brings out the weird (based on the ElectroHarmonix Echoflanger). And the Reverse mode from the Flashback is featured here with the addition of modulation for freaky psychedelic tones.

LET ME REPEAT MYSELF This is an incredibly nuanced pedal which doesn’t just mimic classic delay tones; it full-on reproduces them.

It creates many truly beautiful sounds and quite a lot of ‘ugly but beautiful’ ones too. And if you love the vintage vibe but you wish you had access to some modern sounds too, FlashBack TonePrints work in this pedal, so you could have a whole four presets of whatever modern sounds you like in addition to all of these world-class vintage recreations.

RRP: $549

DISTRIBUTOR: Amber Technology PHONE: 1800 251 367 WEBSITE: www.ambertech.com.au SPECS

• Twelve exclusive delay sounds crafted by TC Electronic and ProGuitarShop • TonePrint enabled • Beam enabled • Three Presets • Tap Tempo • 16 Delay Types • 40 second looper with undo function • Independent loop and delay engines • True Bypass (optional buffered) • Analog-Dry-Through • Expression pedal input • Stereo input and output • MIDI enabled • Subdivision selector including dual delay • 9 Volt DC power supply included HITS

• Super-authentic vintage sounds • Useful and easy-to-operate looper • Stereo ins and outs MISSES

BY PETER HODGSON

• Absolutely none! Nailed it!

PEARL EXPORT EXL DRUM KIT PEARL EXPORT EXL DRUM KIT Affectionately known as the ‘best-selling drum kit of all time’, the Pearl Export has returned. Talk to any drummer and they will not only know the name Export but will have probably played one or even owned one. It’s not really Pearl drums without the Export in the family so it’s great to see it back. The EXL variation offers some amazing new finishes.

The new Export comes in three basic configurations - the well-remembered 12/13/16/22 but also fusion sizes. I played a configuration of 10/12/16/22 with a 14 x 5.5” snare drum. A 20” bass drum is available.

Shells are Reference inspired and made from a 6ply 7.5mm combination of Poplar and Asian Mahogany.

DOES IT LOOK GOOD? It’s a good looking kit, brand new high gloss lacquer finishes are available for EXL models. These include Natural Cherry, Black Smoke and Honey Amber.

These really bring out the grain in the wood and do look great. It doesn’t have the lug extension down the length of the shell like the old Export, instead they have been replaced with slick new slim line lugs. This coupled with the OPTI-LOC mounting system that has two tension rod attachment points and another through one of the drum’s two air vents provides more resonance and good tone. A nod to

RRP: $799-$1199

Exports of the past are the two tom arms mounted in the bass drum. Whilst this is fine enough and simple to set up, the provided arms are not the swivel head we’re used to from Pearl now. You get some slamming HWP-830 hardware with the Export including a P-930 kick pedal that features the styling and performance of the Demon Drive with interchangeable cam tech from the Eliminator as standard! You also get a straight and convertible boom/straight stand, which is awesome as a second cymbal stand and is often an omission for kits in this price range.

DOES IT SOUND GOOD? The sound is really good for an entry level kit. The shells, coupled with the mounting system do a good job of producing tone and playability easily.

As always, I’d recommend a skin change from the standard ones as this would transform the kit even more. That said, I was able to get a sound I liked and the toms were singing. For drummers looking for the full fat rock tone, some top end heads will be the go. The bass drum was a highlight with some real low end and welcomed thud. Combine this with the effortless motion of the (excellent) P-930 pedal and it’s a winner. The snare drum doesn’t quite have the depth of sound that you get

DISTRIBUTOR: Australasian Music Supplies PHONE: (03) 9549 1500 WEBSITE: www.austmusic.com.au SPECS

in higher end kits but it’s still a pretty sweet snare and reskin will make it even sweeter. The drum preferred medium to high tuning with the standard head yielding some crack and punch. Throw off was nice too.

Overall, Pearl have really done well offering a good blend of usable features, sound, a very competitive price and solid hardware. You do get a lot of drums for the money. It’s got everything you need and some welcomed additions such as that hardware and those finishes. The Export has got to be a contender if you’re in the market for your first kit or even a work horse for a variety of gigs. Check it out!

BY ADRIAN VIOLI

• • • • • • • • • •

Snare Drum Bass Drum w/BB-70 Mount Floor Tom Toms w/ Opti-Loc Mount P-930 Pedal BC-830 Convertible Boom/Straight Stand C-830 Straight Stand H-830 Hi-Hat Stand S-830 Snare Stand TH-70I Tom Holder x 2

HITS

• Incredible value for money • Great quality hardware included • Bass drum sounds great MISSES

• Snare doesn’t sound amazing, but still great value

ERNIE BALL MUSIC MA MAN AXIS SUPER SPORT SEMI HOLLOWBODY ELECTRIC GUITAR up in our February issue but now we can get much more hands-on. mo

The he Ernie Ball B Music Man model started life as the Edward ward Van Halen guitar around 25 years ago. After Eddie’s association with that company ended, the guitar design lived on with a few changes as the Axis, while a new variation called the Axis Super Sport was also introduced. Compared to the Floyd Rose-loaded regular Axis, the Super Sport typically features a fixed bridge (a Music Man vintage tremolo is also an option) and five-way pickup switching (with single coil modes in positions two and four), but is still very much an Axis. The Semi Hollowbody version was introduced at the NAMM Show this year.

We had a brief look at it back in our NAMM wrap-

PG. 50 / MIXDOWN NO. 244 / AUGUST 2014

HOLLO HOLLOW, WHAT HAVE WE HERE? HOLLOW The Axis A Super Sport Semi Hollowbody is available iin two pickup configurations: MM90 (Music Man’s version of the P90) with an ash body and book matched figured maple top, or a two custom DiMarzio humbuckers on a basswood body, also with a book matched figured maple top. We’re reviewing the latter. The body is bound in cream while the back and sides are opaque black, giving the guitar a rather classy air. The neck is made of select Maple (finished in gunstock oil and handrubbed with special wax blend) with the option of Maple or Rosewood fretboard (maple on the review model), and there are 22 high profile, medium width frets. The neck joins the body with a five-bolt configuration, while a sculpted neck joint provides great access to the upper frets. By the way, how’s this for nice attention to detail; the humbucker version comes strung with .009-.042 gauge Ernie Ball Slinkys while the MM90 model is shipped with .010-.046.

SUCH SPORT One of the reasons the Axis is still such a hit after all these years is because of these particular DiMarzio pickups. There are other pickups that are rather a lot

like these in the DiMarzio catalog (the Tone Zone in the bridge position and Air Norton in the neck) but neither of those pickups is exactly the same, and the subtle differences really add up. The bridge pickup has more bite and less bass than the Tone Zone, and the neck model has smoother pick attack than the Air Norton. In the semi-hollow body of this guitar, these pickups are darkened very slightly compared to the solid body version, and this makes it a little better suited to vintage styles - albeit a hotter take on vintage tone - rather than the hot-rodded LA street machine tone of the Axis. The tone of the neck pickup is very full, deep and round, while the bridge pickup has a dry, direct punch to it. The single coil modes are quite nice too, with plenty of zip and spank, meaning you can get some great country and blues tones out of this baby too. And there’s still enough humbucker raunch to get some great hard rock tones.

SUPER, THANKS FOR ASKING If you want a Floyd Rose-loaded Axis, buy a Floyd Rose-loaded Axis. But this take on the Super Sport gives you a very versatile guitar, not as sonically aggressive as the Axis and definitely a little more versatile.

BY PETER HODGSON

RRP: $3495

DISTRIBUTOR: CMC Music Australia PHONE: (02) 9905 2511 WEBSITE: www.cmcmusic.com.au SPECS

NECK: Maple BODY: Basswood FRETBOARD: Maple or Rosewood PICKUPS: MM90 or DiMarzio humbuckers HITS

• Flawless playability • Great clean and single coil tones in addition to killer humbucker voices.

• Awesome tuning stability.

MISSES

• Neck pickup could be a bit dark for some players.

• Placement and angle of the pickup switch make it a bit hard to access.

MIXDOWN NO. 244 / AUGUST 2014 / PG. 51

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