Mixdown Magazine - November #247

M A D E

B Y

M U S I C I A N S

F O R

M U S I C I A N S

ISSUE 247

NOVEMBER 2014

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IN FLAMES THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM PERFECT PUSSY HUSKY THE SMITH STREET BAND EDUCATION SPECIAL FEATURE TC ELECTRONIC ALTER EGO V2 EFFECTS PEDAL AVID DUET RECORDING INTERFACE DV MARK JAZZ 12 GUITAR AMPLIFIER FISHMAN FLUENCE PICKUPS NOCS NS900 HEADPHONES CUSACK TAP-A-DELAY EFFECTS PEDAL STRAUSS SUPERBLUES SSB-30 GUITAR AMPLIFIER SHURE QLXD/BETA 58 WIRELESS MIC SYSTEM MATON 808 ACOUSTIC GUITAR PREMIER GENISTA BIRCH DRUM KIT PRESONUS E5 STUDIO MONITORS VOX AMPLUGS

IDI CONTROLLER K4 M 5M

Y! M-AUDIO OXYG A W EN EA 2 GIV

PG. 38

FALL OUT BOY

MUSIC

NE OBLIVISCARIS

COLDRAIN

salE

on now! visit LIVINGMuSICYAMAHA.COM.Au for particIpating stores & FuLL CATALOGUE

CONTENTS 6

GIVEAWAY

8

NEWS & TOURS

12 THE INDUSTRIALIST

FORE WORD

14 PRODUCT NEWS 22 GEORGE CLINTON & PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC 24 FALL OUT BOY IN FLAMES 25 NE OBLIVISCARIS THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM 26 COLDRAIN PERFECT PUSSY 28 HUSKY THE SMITH STREET BAND 30 EDUCATION SPECIAL 32 (D)IGITAL (J)OCKEY HOME STUDIO HINTS 33 WHAT’S MY RANGE AGAIN? 34 ON THE DOWNLOW BANGIN THE TUBS 36 UNLEASH YOUR INNER ROCK GOD WHAT’S THAT SOUND KEYS 38 KEYS SPECIAL 44 ROAD TESTED

It’s nearly that jolly time of year again when we stack up our coins, compile a wish list of new equipment we’d love to add to our ever growing collections and drop sly hints to our family and friends of what Summer festivals we’d love to attend. Yes, we’re at the tail-end of the year and that can only mean a plethora of awesome new gear news, reviews and artist interviews.

Speaking of which, the grand-daddy of funk, the jam master, the almighty George Clinton and his Parliament Funkadelic drop in for a chat to talk new records and touring down-under for Bluesfest early 2015. We also catch up with heavy hitters In Flames slaying our shores this month and seasoned American rockers Fall Out Boy who are soon to join us for Soundwave 2015. The brutal beings that make up Ne Obliviscaris (touring throughout November and presented in conjunction with Mixdown) also tell us of their growing profile.

Three of Australia’s best music education providers get a grilling with course and alumni profiles, a must read, if you’re looking to study and work in the music industry in one capacity or another.

And finally, if you’re into keyboards and MIDI controllers, production and/or live performance, you must check out our Keys Special where we highlight some of the fantastic models currently on the market. Our Product News, Road Tests and columns fill the void everywhere else, and if this still isn’t musical enough for you – visit our website [www.mixdownmag.com.au] for all the latest breaking tour news, video clip releases and more.

ALEKSEI PLINTE EDITOR IN CHIEF

PG. 4 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014

PAGE 38

IN FLAMES PAGE 24

PUBLISHER Furst Media EDITOR IN CHIEF Aleksei Plinte mixdown@beat.com.au EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Keats Mulligan PRODUCTION MANAGER Michael Cusack

THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM PAGE 32

CONTRIBUTORS Adrian Violi, Rob Gee, Peter Hodgson, Peter Vox, Christie Elizer, Augustus Welby, Michael Edney, Lachlan Kanoniuk, David James Young.

GRAPHIC ARTISTS Michael Cusack, Ruby Furst

ADVERTISING Aleksei Plinte E: mixdown@beat.com.au Phone: (03) 8414 9704 MIXDOWN OFFICE Level 1, No. 3 Newton Street, Richmond VIC 3121.

Phone: (03) 9428 3600

PG. 5 / mixdowN No. 246 / oCToBER 2014

LAST MONTH’S WINNER

This month we’re giving you the opportunity to win a very cool M-Audio Oxygen 25 MK4 MIDI controller with thanks to our good friends over at Pro Audio Group (Australia).

Thanks to everyone who entered the Yamaha APX 500 giveaway and especially to the legends over at Yamaha Music Australia for giving us this quality acoustic to offer our loyal readership.

We had an overwhelming amount of entries, and while we wish we could give each of you a guitar... there can only be one winner. Congratulations to our lucky reader Ricky Centofant of Melbourne, Victoria. We’ll be in contact shortly so you can get back to business, writing all those hits!

‘LIKE’ US

M-AUDIO OXYGEN 25 MK4 GIVEAWAY

This killer little piece of hardware would make a welcome addition to any studio or live performer. It includes 25 full size velocity sensitive synth action keys, pitch and mod wheels for playability, and 8 velocity-sensitive pads with 8 assignable knobs and a fader control to put your musical ideas at your fingertips. To win this versatile little beast and breathe some real oxygen into your creativity and music, see below on how to enter the draw.

HOW TO ENTER:

STEP 2. E-mail your full name and postal address to mixdownstaff@beat.com.au and answer the following question.

WHAT SOFTWARE BUNDLE DOES THE OXYGEN 25 MK4 COME PACKAGED WITH? a) Ableton Live Lite b) SONiVOX Twist c) Air Music Tech’s Xpand!2 d) All three listed above. *Hint: you can find all the information you need to answer the question in our news piece about the product at www.mixdownmag.com.au/2014/10/31/m-audiooxygen25MK4.

STEP 1. Like our Mixdown Facebook page www.facebook.com/ mixdownmagazine and like/share our M-Audio Oxygen 25 MK4 Giveaway post.

*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

BOOST YOUR IMAGE Introducing the 3 Series Powered Studio Monitors, the first to incorporate JBL's groundbreaking Image Control Waveguide.

Matched with high-performance JBL transducers, the patent-pending Image Control Waveguide lets you hear detail and depth like you've never heard before. The micro-dynamics in reverb tails, and the subtleties of mic placement are clearly revealed. And the sound stage is so realistic it creates a tangible sense of a center channel. A broad, room-friendly sweet spot means everyone in the room hears the same level of dimension and transparency in your music. Adopting technology developed for our flagship M2 Master Reference Monitors, the 3 Series are surprisingly affordable, so you can hook up a pair and boost the image in your studio.

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www.jands.com.au PG. 6 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014

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NEWS & TOURS BEECHwoRTH mUSiC FESTiVAL Beaches

On Saturday January 24 2015 (Australia Day Long Weekend) at Madman’s Gully Amphitheatre on the farmlands of the former Mayday Hills Lunatic Asylum and in the heart of Beechworth, the second Beechworth Music Festival takes place.

BMF organisers have curated a line up for you, the punter, to unlock your senses and indulge in the best of local, regional and national artists.

BMF supports local businesses, community and donates to a great local cause.

Line Up: Beaches, Jen Cloher and Band, The Bennies, Ron S. Peno and the Superstitions, My Left Boot, LuLuc, The Hounds Homebound, Rubber Band, The Sugarcanes, Pearls, Benny Williams, Liv Cartledge, DJ Mermaid, Wangaratta Ukulele Band, Geoff Jackson, MC Cat McGauran 3PBS FM TickeTs go on sale via The BMF weBsiTe on 29 ocToBer 2015. visiT www.BeechworThMusicFesTival.coM For More deTails.

FACE THE mUSiC 2014

LULUC

Brooklyn-based Melbournians Luluc have announced the supports for their homecoming tour beginning in November. The Indie-folk duos return comes after a succession of musical achievements, namely recording their new album Passer By with The National, touring with J Mascis and signing to Sub Pop. For their Victorian shows Ryan Downey will be in support, bringing his haunting music to Castlemaine, Melbourne and Hepburn Springs.

Tom Cooney will be in support in Brisbane, Betty & Oswald in Sydney, The Vanishing Shapes in Newcastle, Francesca Sidoti in Katoomba, Benedict Moleta in Perth, David Craft in Fremantle, Naomi Keyte in Adelaide and Calypso Brown in Hobart. Don’t miss Luluc when

they bring their hushed harmonies and uplifting melancholy to an intimate venue near you.

ToUR dATES noveMBer 27 – Bridge hoTel, casTleMaine vic noveMBer 28 – norThcoTe social cluB, MelBourne vic noveMBer 30 – old hepBurn hoTel, hepBurn springs vic deceMBer 3 – Black Bear lodge, BrisBane Qld deceMBer 4 – newTown social cluB, sydney nsw deceMBer 5 – caMBridge hoTel, newcasTle nsw deceMBer 6 – clarendon guesT house, kaTooMBa nsw deceMBer 10 – Four5nine, perTh wa deceMBer 11 – Mojo’s, FreManTle nsw deceMBer 12 – jive, adelaide sa deceMBer 13 – grand pooBah, hoBarT Tas

PHiLAdELPHiA GRANd JURY

Steve Albini

One of Australia’s most important music summits, Face The Music has announced its full conference program for 2014. It’s a list that is as diverse as it is interesting, encompassing prominent figures from all areas of music and entertainment including the infinitely famous sound engineer and musician Steve Albini, pioneer of electronic music Edgar Froese of Tangerine Dream, seminal techno collective Underground Resistance and Australian rock hall-of-famers Daddy Cool just to name a few.

The music industry will come together for one

of the most important events on the Victoria music calendar when Face the Music returns to Arts Centre in Melbourne. A whirlwind event comprised of presentations, discussions, networking, music making workshops and tools to assist music enthusiasts and professionals alike in understanding the industry.

For More inForMaTion and a Full lisT oF speakers aT Face The Music, visiT www.FaceTheMusic.org.au.

GoLdEN FEATURES

Sydney’s masked producer Golden Features has announced his debut headline tour for late 2014. Spanning across the nation November and December this year, these shows will reveal a new dimension to Golden Features’ signature brand of dark, cajoling electronica; an incendiary visual showpiece, which joins the dots between his aesthetic and identity as a musician, performer and visual artist. Golden Features’ self-titled debut EP is an exploration of contrasting sounds and drenching moody bass with glittering, ethereal hooks. Originally released as a free download in early 2014, the EP was re-released by Parlophone in March in Australia and by Warner Brothers in September in the US. Golden Features’ debut headline tour will put the final brushstrokes on the digital

It was late last year when Philly Jay’s reunited and gallantly stepped back onto the live stage. It was hot, it was sweaty, it was loud, it was chaotic, it was right. And now Philadelphia Grand Jury are back again. However this time around, they’re not just touring around for the hell of it. No. This time, hitting the road to raise enough funds to record the follow-up album to 2009’s Hope Is For Hopers, tentatively titled Ulterior Motif. Literally days after the final show of this distressingly short tour, the band will be packing as many instruments as they can fit into their luggage and flying to Berkfinger’s Golden Retriever Studios in Berlin to record. So if you’ve been craving a new

hit single to follow on from “The Good News” or a new anti-party party anthem to take the torch from “I Don’t Want to Party (Party)”, then now is the time to put your money where your mouth is.

Well, actually, just put your money in the Philly Jay’s pockets, please. It will go to very good use.

ToUR dATES noveMBer 08 – ding dong lounge, MelBourne vic noveMBer 12 – Beach road hoTel, Bondi nsw noveMBer 13 – caMBridge hoTel, newcasTle nsw noveMBer 14 – alhaMBra lounge, BrisBane Qld

RAdio BiRdmAN

artwork he has created and give people the opportunity to absorb exclusive new material from his follow-up EP in a live setting.

PG. 8 / mixdowN No. 247 / NoVEmBER 2014

ToUR dATES noveMBer 14 - sTranded FesTival, gold coasT Qld noveMBer 15 – anyway, MelBourne vic noveMBer 20 – The helM, sunshine coasT Qld noveMBer 21 – oh hello, BrisBane Qld noveMBer 22 - chinese laundry, sydney nsw noveMBer 23 – The clarendon hoTel, newcasTle nsw noveMBer 28 – sTar Bar, Bendigo vic noveMBer 29 – elecTric circus, adelaide sa deceMBer 5 – The garden, wollongong nsw deceMBer 6 – Toucan cluB, Mandurah wa deceMBer 7 – seTs on The Beach FesTival, perTh wa deceMBer13 – TriniTy Bar, canBerra acT

Legends of high energy Australian rock’n’roll Radio Birdman have announced supports for their upcoming Australian tour. Featuring Rob Younger, Deniz Tek, Pip Hoyle, Jim Dickson, Dave Kettley and Nik Rieth. The band will be playing a limited number of shows this November, with these shows being a unique opportunity to catch a band whose music has influenced a multitude of current contenders. Tickets are still on sale, so grab them quickly!

ToUR dATES ocToBer 31 - caMBridge hoTel, newcasTle nsw noveMBer 01 - Manning Bar, sydney nsw noveMBer 02 - corner hoTel, MelBourne vic noveMBer 03 - corner hoTel, MelBourne vic noveMBer 07 - The hi-Fi, BrisBane Qld noveMBer 08 - The gov, adelaide sa noveMBer 09 - roseMounT hoTel, perTh wa noveMBer 14 - Manning Bar , sydney nsw

y a Pl y l t n e differ

c i s u m f o e t u t i t s n i N A I L A R T S U A aim.edu.au @ 5 1 0 2 r o f w enrol no

222 urne: 03 8610 4 o lb e M , 4 4 4 5 9 21 all Sydney: 02 9 c r o u .a u d .e im ation visit a For more inform CRICOS 00665C

NEWS & TOURS THE BENNiES

To say 2014 has been a bit of a whirlwind year for The Bennies would be somewhat of an understatement. In the midst of a mental touring schedule, The Bennies will release their brand new EP, Heavy Disco digitally on Poison City Records on November 11 before a January 16 vinyl release. Featuring five tracks recorded at party fever pitch, it’s immediately apparent that the new songs were written on the giddy apex of a touring high. Seamlessly blending genres into memorable party bangers Heavy Disco is the raspberry UDL in a bathtub of Crownies. Content to operate under the cloak of Australia’s live music underground for many years, The Bennies never seemed particularly likely candidates for a crossover. Following the release of Rainbows In Space via Poison City Records in 2013, the band have toured relentlessly, with a touring schedule

YoUNG mAGiC

that would bring tears to the eye of the most seasoned roadie.

ToUR dATES November 11 – The Tivoli, brisbaNe QlD w/ NoFX November 13 - DarwiN ski Club, DarwiN NT w/ NoFX November 14 - ThebarToN TheaTre, aDelaiDe sa w/ NoFX November 15 - meTro CiTy, PerTh wa w/ NoFX November 17 - 170 russell, melbourNe viC w/ NoFX November 18 - barwoN heaDs, GeeloNG viC w/ NoFX November 20-21 The Forum, melbourNe viC w/ NoFX November 22 – The Tivoli, brisbaNe QlD w/ NoFX November 23 - The CoolaNGaTTa hoTel, QlD w/ NoFX DeCember 30- Nye oN The hill, PouND Creek viC February 21 – souNDwave, aDelaiDe sa February 22 – souNDwave, melbourNe viC February 28 – souNDwave, syDNey Nsw marCh 1 – souNDwave, brisbaNe QlD

THE LEmoNHEAdS

Young Magic is the sonic pairing between Indonesian vocalist, Melati Malay and Australian producer, Isaac Emmanuel. Though based in New York, the eclectic outfit has recorded music whilst traversing the four corners of the earth, and now their headed down under to share the fruits of their labours with Australia. The band took the stage at Iceland Airwaves and began touring globally including as the main support for Youth Lagoon and Purity Ring. February 2012 saw the release of their full length, Melt. The group’s expansive live show continued to grow throughout 2012 and 2013 with performances

at Berghain, Austin Psych Fest and The Brooklyn Museum. In 2014, the duo present a new gift from their explorations in their second full length album, Breathing Statues. The new LP navigates through a labyrinth of phantom harmonies and crystalline beats.

ToUR dATES November 21 – oXForD arT FaCTory, syDNey Nsw November 22 – shebeeN, melbourNe viC November 23 – sTrawberry FielDs, melbourNe viC November 27 – blaCk bear loDGe, brisbaNe QlD November 28 – elsewhere, GolD CoasT QlD

SUGAR moUNTAiN FESTiVAL Nas

US indie rock legends The Lemonheads should need little introduction, with the veteran band’s only constant member Evan Dando having spent so much time in this country over the last 25 years that he’s virtually an Australian citizen. In recent years The Lemonheads haven’t released any new original studio material since 2006’s self-titled effort, but of late Dando has been holed back up in the studio with the likes of founding member and early co-songwriter Ben Deily and ex-bassist Juliana Hatfield. Alongside their appearance at Meredith Music Festival, this December they will

be playing alongside accomplished local acts Jen Cloher and Spookyland, bringing us new music mixed in with their classics - it promises to be a special affair for long-term fans and newcomers alike!

ToUR dATES DeCember 9 - CorNer hoTel, melbourNe viC DeCember 11 - meTro, syDNey Nsw DeCember 12 - The Zoo, brisbaNe QlD DeCember 12-14 - mereDiTh musiC FesTival, viC

its wings and encourage some of the world’s greatest talents to head down to Melbourne for a unique one of a kind performance. Also on the line up: ODESZA, Soul Clap, Horse Meat Disco, The 2 Bears, Anthony Naples, Dan Deacon, Terrible Love feat. Kirin J Callinan, How To Dress Well, Midnight Juggernauts MJX Pty Ltd , Bo Ningen, Dexter, NO ZU + Sal P (Liquid Liquid), Chela, Banoffee, Slum Sociable, Rat & Co, Wax’o Paradiso, La Pocock and Noise In My Head. suGar mouNTaiN FesTival Takes PlaCe oN saTurDay JaNuary 24 aT viCToriaN ColleGe oF The arTs. For TiCkeTiNG iNFormaTioN visiT www.suGarmouNTaiNFesTival.Com

THE dRUmS

TY SEGALL

Ty Segall will undertake his biggest Australian tour to date this December atop an appearance at the Meredith Music Festival. Ty first visited Australia on his Goodbye Bread chapter in 2011 – the crest of an eighteen month marathon on which he toured relentlessly and dropped four new records: his breakout solo releases Twins and Sleeper and the collaborative Hair and Slaughterhouse no less.

Joined by the full band line-up of bassist Mikal Cronin, guitarist Charlie Moothart and drummer Emily Epstein, the self-described “loud, gnarly, screaming” four-piece are world renowned for

Melbourne’s most progressive music festival has just announced the most impressive lineup it’s had in its short history. In 2015 the Sugar Mountain line up will boast internationally acclaimed acts such as Nas performing Illmatic, Body/Heap (Kim Gordon and Bill Nace), Ariel Pink, SWANS as well as local talents in King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Twerps and Oscar Key Sung just to name a few. Since partnering with the Mushroom Group and moving away from its first home at The Forum Theatre to larger and certainly more unique surroundings at The Victorian College of The Arts, Sugar Mountain has been afforded the opportunity to really stretch

their devastating performances, topping twominute burners with distortion-fuelled epics in a live show that’s as far-reaching as Ty’s catalogue itself.

ToUR dATES DeCember 11 - The bakery, PerTh wa DeCember 12-14 - mereDiTh musiC FesTival, viC DeCember 14 - CorNer hoTel, melbourNe viC DeCember 17 - oXForD arT FaCTory, syDNey Nsw DeCember 19 - The Zoo, brisbaNe QlD DeCember 20 - The NorTherN, byroN bay Nsw

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Brooklyn nice guys The Drums are heading back to Australia once again this November. Having undergone lineup changes, critical acclaim, worldwide touring and a whirlwind career, their return comes off the back of their latest offering, Encyclopedia, which has already seen a better response than the releases that preceded it. To love The Drums is to love contradictions, and Encyclopedia only further explores this notion.

Whilst retaining the perfectly executed surf-pop sound of its predecessors, celebrating the kind of nostalgic indie-pop that makes people want to jump for joy – it also offers a sound paradoxically melancholic. The album explores a shadowy maturity through their signature infectious

pop oscillations, seeing maudlin lyrics brought to life by the group’s familiar doo-wop-pop. The boys have just premiered the second single from the new album ‘I Can’t Pretend’, a steadily-paced effort, relatively direct in structure, leaving no doubt that the emotions underpinning every word are genuine. Encyclopedia is available now, and The Drums are gearing up to tour the living suitcase out of it.

ToUR dATES November 29 – The hi-Fi, brisbaNe QlD November 30 – meTro TheaTre, syDNey Nsw DeCember 2 – The CorNer hoTel, melbourNe viC

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THE INDUSTRIALIST MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS WITH CHRISTIE ELIZER

FOR CONTENT SUBMISSIONS TO THIS COLUMN PLEASE EMAIL TO CELIZER@NETSPACE.NET.AU APRA AMCOS DISTRIBUTES $27M

The Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and Australian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS) jointly paid royalties of $256.2 million over 2013/14. This was for 205,343 songwriters, composers and publishers around the world for 783,070 songs. 35,464 of its 87,000 Australian and NZ members received payments for public performances of recordings. APRA’s foreign income for overseas use of A/NZ songs increased by 24% to a new record of $27.1 million, while 124,000 businesses across Australia and NZ now hold APRA licenses to play music in public. Digital revenue (downloads, streaming, video on demand, websites) remained static at $43 million – a result of unlicensed sites, particularly in Australia. APRA allocated $914,875 to 117 grants for music industry projects.

…AND SIGNS FIRST WORLD DEAL FOR DJS MUSIC

APRA AMCOS is the first performing right organization in the world to use Pioneer Corporation’s online product KUVO to capture the music played by DJs in nightclubs and festivals for royalties. It will supplement current data through club charts, broadcast logs and music recognition technology.

SPLENDOUR AND FALLS GENERATE $41.4M FOR BYRON REGION

This year’s Splendour In The Grass and Falls Music & Arts Festival Byron generated $41.4 million in the Northern Rivers. Of this, $24.1 million was of benefit to Byron Shire. The Economic Impact and Benefits 2014 Report produced by RPS Australia East, reported the two created the equivalent of 308 full time jobs. They generated $2.9 million in wages and salaries paid to residents of Byron Shire and $1.8 million paid to residents in the Northern Rivers. They generated 22,900 room night stays in Byron Shire accommodation and 6,125 room nights in other parts of Northern NSW.

PADDINGTON TOWN HALL REVIVED FOR LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

Under a City of Sydney plan, Paddington Town Hall may become a hub for live music, theatre, comedy shows and cabaret nights.

The City is calling on venue managers, creative organisations, producers, artists and musicians to submit ideas to turn the main auditorium into a performance space. Expressions of interest open Tuesday Nov 11. For more info visit www. tenderlink.com/cityofsydney.

PANDORA ALLOWS ARTISTS DATA ON LISTENERS

Pandora’s new Artist Marketing Platform (AMP) allows its 1,100 Australian and NZ artist’s data on how their music is tracking, the age of who’s listening, which cities they live in, and which song is spinning the hardest. Knowing what their audience is will help artists plan their next tour, select the next single or target their crowd when marketing.

a two-day event, because of all the great acts offered. For 2015, they turned down 150; 120 he wanted to book.

MORE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN LEGENDS TO BE INDUCTED

Five more South Australian legends will be inducted into the SA Hall of Fame on November 11. They are Evan and Idris Jones of The Mixtures (whose ‘Pushbike Song’ was a smash in the UK in the 70s), children’s entertainer Peter Coombe, singer Bev Harrell and Mick Wardley of Mixmaster Studios. The inductions are the work of the The Adelaide Music Collective (AMC), set up by drummer Enrico Mick Morena this year. The inductions are held at Goodwin Institute in Adelaide where attendees also listen to SA talent. With this month, 32 names have been honoured. They included John and Rick Brewster of The Angels, the late Jim Keays of the Masters, guitarists Rob Riley and Chris Finnen, Fraternity, John Swan, Glenn Shorrock, Redgum’s John Schumann and Hugh McDonald, and radio legend David Day.

10% TAX ON CROWD FUNDING

Crowd funding has been such a boom for the music industry, so it was inevitable that someone would piss on the picnic basket. In this case, the Australian Taxation Office told Parliament that as crowd funding is essentially services in exchange for revenue (donations) it should be up for 10% GST.

CROWD-FUNDING FOR REGIONAL QUEENSLAND LIVE MUSIC

Queensland music development, mentoring and event management organization fRETfEST is involved in a number of initiatives to help emerging music talent. They include ESCALATE – Take Your Band To The Next Level as well as the Regional Song Contest which is backed by Maton Guitars. Its latest initiative is to provide gigs for young bands from Queensland regional and outer suburbs in community centres and town halls. To get it off the ground, a crowdfunding campaign started at www.pozible. com/fretfest.

SING A PROTEST SONG AT MULLUM AND FALLS

Mullum Music Festival (Nov 20-23) and Falls Byron (Dec 30-Jan 3) want to hear more protest songs. Submit an original or cover of an “I’m pissed off” song, and you get a 20 minute set on the fests to channel your Dylan, Franti and Bragg desires. Go to mullummusicfestival.com, deadline is Nov 3.

FIVE MUSIC FESTIVALS FOR NSW TOURISM AWARDS

Five music festivals are up for the 25th NSW Tourism Awards on November 27 in Sydney.

They are Vivid Sydney, Bluesfest Byron Bay, Tamworth Country Music Festival (TCMF), Boomerang and Deni Ute Muster.

LANEWAY LOOKING AT MORE COUNTRIES?

Laneway Festival, held in Singapore, NZ and Australia, could expand. Co-owner Danny Rogers told Sydney Morning Herald there’d “been conversations” (read: offers) about staging it in Glasgow, California and northern Asia. The problem is “trying to figure out what we can and can’t do, really. To do this all year round, I don’t want to fall out of love with what we do.” Rogers is also musing on Laneway as

WA HIP HOP ALBUM RAISES $122K FOR CANTEEN

A 2-CD set featuring Australian hip hop acts as Hilltop Hoods, Drapht, Layla and Koolism raised over $122,000 for youth cancer charity CanTeen. The Australian Hip Hop Supports CanTeen album, released late last year, was the brainchild of Perth MC Robert Hunter, who died of cancer before its release. Project coordinator Porsah Laine said the album continues to sell, “still pulling in between two and four thousand dollars every quarter for

Hamish Anderson

AUSSIE GUITARIST HAILED BY BB KING, GARY CLARK JR

Melbourne guitarist and songwriter Hamish Anderson has gained acclaim from US guitar greats like BB King and Gary Clarke Jr since he decided to spend more time in America. King asked him to open on his US tour. Clarke put the Australian axeman on the top of his list when asked on RevoltTV which guitarists under 30 interested him. This month Anderson is back in Australia to release his new Restless EP and tour.

* Up to 100 Alt J’s fans arriving at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre found their tickets were invalid after buying them through Gumtree off a serial scammer.

* The Australian Independent Record Labels Association’s new CEO is Dan Nevin. He started at indie retailer Radical Records, moved to Shock Entertainment and REDgroup and most recently digital music manager at JB Hi-Fi, responsible for its Now streaming music service that launched in 2011.

* Russell Morris is relocating to Nashville for a time next year to work on two albums, one of which is the third in his trilogy of successful blues records.

* How will Live Nation buying 51% into Big Day Out owner C3 Presents affect rumoured plans to change BDO’s name to Lollapalooza Australia? * Why does a new AC/DC video, shot in London, not feature drummer Phil Rudd but UK skinsman Bob Richards? Rudd was called away at the last minute on the second day of the shoot but they’re not saying why.

* Is Garth Brooks planning a three month Australian tour in mid-2015?

* The US man claiming to be NSW-born Izzy Azelea’s husband say they got “married” in Texas so she could stay in America. * The Superjesus are writing new material. In the meantime Moving Pictures’ current set unveils three of a dozen new songs. There’s a desire by them to make a new album. But when it is recorded is a big question mark. * Taylor Swift did a piano-centred version of Vance Joy’s ‘Riptide’ for BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge show saying it was one of her fave songs from 2014. * Port Macquarie new Wildwood Music Festival will be annual after the first one, headlined by Ash Grunwald, drew a big crowd. Promoter Simon Leigh, a local booker, has been planning such an event for 15 years. * Sticky Fingers got evicted from the Union Club Hotel after their sell-out gig, with venue manager Jos Bradley telling the Illawarra Mercury their antics had been “disgusting” and “childish.” He claimed they were late, abused security, thrashed the in-house gear and one had pissed on the balcony.

MORE AUSSIE ACTS LAND O/S DEALS

PG. 12 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014

A new boutique PR agency run by musicians to help other musos has launched in Melbourne. It was set up by Michael McKiernan of the band Red Beard, who also worked as booking agent for various agencies. He says musicians most understand what other musos go through, with musician/booker Matt Coleman (of Sydney band Smoke & Mirrors) and musician/venue manager Morgan O’Brien also involved.

Evergreen Artists also offers consultant services for management and booking.

* Support Act’s Pozible fund raising campaign Bandwagon’s tally hit $145,069 last month.

Its target was $100,000 with artists and execs providing services and items as acoustic sets, paintings, mentoring, birthday calls and concert and festival tickets. Donations continue at http://supportact.org.au.

Bon Scott

With Iggy Azalea, SIA, Vance Joy and Five Second of Summer doing big business abroad, there’s considerable interest in local acts. Last month alone, seven more got signed as they expanded their careers globally.

Young Sydney band Little Sea are with Sony Music worldwide (except for the US and Mexico) with an EP and debut album on the way.

23-year old Melbourne singer songwriter Fraser A. Gorman has a single out worldwide through America’s Marathon Artists with an album to follow.

Sydney trio Little May wrapped up record

MUSO-FRIENDLY PR AGENCY EVERGREEN ARTISTS LAUNCHED

THINGS WE HEAR

Little May

MELBOURNE COUNCIL TO HELP SOUNDPROOF VENUES

In a first for an Australian council, the City of Yarra in Melbourne introduced funding to help soundproof venues. It has a pool of $25,000 from which any of its 50 live music venues can get $2000, or $5000 if the venue matches it dollar for dollar. The City covers inner city musical hubs such as Collingwood and Fitzroy, so it’s not surprising noise complaints are a problem. The grant covers installations, noise measurement devices and fees for consultants and building surveyors. The grants need to be increased as venues spend up to $50,000 to keep complaints at bay.

deals with Island Records in the UK and Capitol Records in the US and bookings with USA’s Paradigm Agency.

Sydney DJ, producer and singer songwriter Alison Wondertland joined US label Astralwerks which will release her Calm Down EP on November 11.

Melbourne singer songwriter Wilding did a collaborative single with UK band Super Furry Animals’ Cian Ciarán out through SFA’s Strangetown Records.

Also landing agency deals was rapper Tkay Maidza with America’s Agency Group for international bookings on the eve of dates in the U.S. and the U.K. After a successful 17-date US tour covering 12,000 kms, Newcastle duo The Gooch Palms got signed to North America’s Panache Booking. They return to the States in early 2015 to tour, record and release a second album. In San Francisco, they cut two tracks for Detroit label Urinal Cake.

CanTeen. Those involved in the project were honoured last month in WA at the 3rd Robert Hunter Cup match between West Coast and East Coast rappers.

Meantime, despite legal objections from AC/ DC and Bon Scott’s estate, Bon Scott — The Legend of AC/DC Unauthorized biopic is continuing. Producers say recent legal wins allowing unauthorized movies about Jimi Hendrix and Judas Priest give them a Fair Use protection.

* Apart from being a singer songwriter, Newcastle’s Nick Saxon also indulges his love of adventure travel and photography as a reporter for the National Geographic Channel. His new single ‘Sherpa’ came from an encounter with an old man while trekking the Himalayas to Temboche Monastery. * Sydney community radio station FBi is looking for new summer presenters, go to http:// fbiradio.com, entries close on November 2.

PG. 13 / mixdowN No. 247 / NoVEmBER 2014

PRODUCT NEWS AIM (AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF MUSIC)

Make sure you make the time to visit Australian Institute of Music’s Open Day, happening on Saturday November 15 at their Melbourne CBD campus. As a prospective student, you will experience the vibrant city campus come to life with free workshops, master classes and live performances. Catch local Melbourne act White Summer tear up the stage for a live performance, sit in on the industry panel forum to hear guests share their advice and insights on

how to break into the entertainment industry, or go on a tour and have a chat with friendly AIM staff and students. The AIM Open Day is the perfect opportunity to get a glimpse of what it’s like to be a student at the leading school for today’s creative industry.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF MUSIC VISIT WWW.AIM.EDU.AU

AVID PRO SERIES AAX PLUG-INS

PREMIER APK HERITAGE DRUM KITS

The number one British drum maker, Premier Percussion, continues to lead the way with innovative designs and new configurations.

Most of its stunning, higher level kits are being built in the UK again, but the company has not taken its eye off the starter and semi-pro markets. One of Premier’s lower-priced flagship models, the APK Series is recognised as an outstanding name for excellent value for money and superior build in great quality semi-pro kits. Whilst still maintaining the highly popular standard modern-day set-ups, APK now comes in the new Heritage Series configurations which

provide more classic and traditional set-ups at fantastic prices. These kits are easy to set-up and tune out of the box and with their 100% Birch shells, they offer a great full-bodied tone suitable for any music you want to play.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PREMIER APK HERITAGE KITS, CONTACT MUSIC CONNECTION ON (08) 8331 8920 OR VISIT WWW.MUSICCONNECTION.COM.AU

M-AUDIO M-TRACK EIGHT AUDIO INTERFACE

Avid have announced the introduction of two new audio plug-in options in the Avid Artist Suite, giving audio professionals the tools they need to create the highest-quality mixes. The new Avid Pro Multiband Dynamics and Pro Subharmonic audio plug-ins, part of the newly expanded Pro Series, deliver on Avid Everywhere by giving customers the efficient, flexible, and high-quality tools they need to quickly and easily create optimized audio mixes that stand out from the crowd. Avid Pro Multiband Dynamics and Pro Subharmonic are designed for professionals who demand the highest-quality tools for audio post and music production. These new plugins build on the openness and flexibility that are key tenets of Avid Everywhere, featuring compatibility with AAX Native 64, AAX DSP 64, and AudioSuite 64 formats for Pro Tools, HDX,

Pro Tools, Native, and other systems running Pro Tools 11 and higher. These new plug-ins join the existing Pro Compressor, Pro Expander, and Pro Limiter options to form a complete suite of audio processing tools that offer professionals a powerful, easy way to handle complex audio post sessions and low-latency monitoring during multi-track recording sessions. Additionally, Avid Pro Series plug-ins are capable of working with 7.1 surround sound formats, enabling users to efficiently create the high-quality, complex mixes that clients today demand.

PG. 14 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE RANGE OF AVID PRODUCTS CONTACT AVID AUSTRALIA BY PHONE ON 1300 734 454 OR VISIT WWW.AVID.COM

Add a professional edge to your studio with the M-Track Eight from M-Audio. This eightinput USB 2.0 audio interface enables you to track large music ensembles, record the band, or mic an entire drum set with pro-grade audio components and a myriad of connections.

Eight combo XLR+1/4” inputs accommodate nearly any source, from phantom-powered microphones to your favourite guitar, and eight dedicated outputs offer versatile playback options. The XLR inputs are designed to work with microphones and other Lo-Z sources, and the phantom power switch enables you to use condenser microphones by delivering 48v phantom power to the XLR inputs (Channels 1-4; 5-8). M-Track Eight also has two conveniently located inputs on the front panel that can be switched to allow instrument-level signals, so you can plug your electric guitar or bass

directly into M-Track Eight and start recording.

Individual gain knobs with meters help ensure the proper input level by providing real-time visual feedback. M-Track Eight features pristine and precise audio recording with up to 24bit/96 kHz resolution. Each input channel is equipped with a high-headroom input that features M-Audio’s sought-after Octane Preamp Technology. The result is a robust signal path for clean, professional sound. In addition, each input comes with dedicated line-input circuitry so you can record and track with your favourite external preamps.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE M-AUDIO M-TRACK RANGE OF PRODUCTS CONTACT PRO AUDIO GROUP AUSTRALIA ON (02) 9521 4844 OR VISIT WWW.PROAUDIOGROUP.COM.AU

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www.proaudiogroup.com.au PG. 15 / MIXDOWN NO. 246 / OCTOBER 2014

PRODUCT NEWS

BLACKSTAR miNi AmPLiFiER & ExTENSioN CAB

AVid EVERywhERE

Avid have introduced a major addition to its suite of proven and trusted control surfaces for sound recording, mixing, and editing, further delivering on Avid Everywhere. The compact Pro Tools S3 desktop control surface is a streamlined, versatile mixing solution that gives sound engineers the powerful, intelligent control they need to work more ergonomically and efficiently, create the highest-quality mixes, and expand mixing capabilities and job opportunities. When used together, Avid Pro Tools S3 and Pro Tools Software—both part of the Avid Artist Suite of creative tools powered by the Avid MediaCentral Platform - deliver

the most streamlined, economical, and tightly integrated approach to mixing and recording in smaller-sized studios or mobile settings. The Pro Tools S3 control surface is designed to help sound engineers: expand mixing capabilities and take on a diverse range of projects, meet strict project deadlines, mix on-the-go, work the way they want, and fit well into any studio and workflow.

For more inFormation on the ranGe oF avid products contact avid australia by phone on 1300 734 454 or visit www.avid.com

JmC ACAdEmy’S NEw BAChELoR oF SoNGwRiTiNG

Blackstar have released a 3W amplifier that is innovative, cutting edge, and targeted at the low-end impulse purchase segment of the market. It will redefine the benchmark for this type of product and clearly separate them from the ‘toy/novelty’ style products currently available. Here is a fully functional 3W amplifier, that when combined with the extension cabinet, becomes a 6W stereo setup perfect for full range music playback. Their low cost, plastic housing and the option of battery or mains operation will place these amps in the ‘accessory’ segment

of the market, but the inclusion of ISF and a digital ‘tape’ delay means they will significantly outclass and outperform all of the competition.

The inclusion of an MP3 input and Emulated/ Headphones output make them perfect for practicing, or as an MP3 speaker dock.

For more inFormation about the blackstar mini amp and extension cab visit www.nationalaudio.com.au or on (03) 8756 2600.

FUJi GEN (FGN) J-STANdARd GUiTARS

Songwriters hold a vital place in the musical marketplace, even amongst the competing agendas of contemporary rock, indie and teen pop. The field of songwriting has grown exponentially over the past few years, providing a promotional launching pad (as well as a potentially lucrative income stream) for songwriters. JMC Academy Songwriting and Contemporary Music Performance lecturer, Shannon Brown, explains ... “songwriting is a skill that is rarely taught and whether you’re a relative beginner or an experienced musician, it’s important that artists learn the practice of brainstorming ideas, overcoming writer’s block and expressing themselves more effectively in words as well as through music”. As technology continues to evolve in the music industry, it is also important to be technically savvy with industry standard computer software to further your career as a songwriter in today’s digital age. Music Technology and Music Production Analysis in the Songwriting curriculum will enhance your knowledge of the latest digital

score writing programs like Sibelius and refine your recording skills when recording in Avid Pro Tools. This course also offers invaluable one-on-one weekly tutorial sessions with an experienced professional tutor and your instrument of choice in the Instrument Studies program. JMC Academy’s hands-on songwriting course is an addition to its full suite of Creative Industry Degree and Diploma courses including Contemporary Music Performance, Audio Engineering and Sound Production, Film and Television Production, Entertainment Business Management, Animation, Game Design and, also new for delivery in 2015, Digital Media.

Fee-Help is available for approved students.

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For Further inFormation on careers in the creative industries and enrolment visit www.jmcacademy.edu.au or phone 1300 410 311.

Coming out of Japan and built by one of the world’s finest guitar companies, Fuji Gen Gakki, the new J Standard Series from FGN is grabbing the imagination of guitar and bass players all over the world. Every guitarist and bass player wants a fine Japanese-made guitar in their collection and this is the opportunity to do so without breaking the bank. Fuji Gen Gakki has always been renowned as one of the best in the world at building guitars for other household name companies. Using this fine heritage and by initiating new ideas, Fuji Gen (FGN) developed their own fantastic range of high-

end guitars with models such as the Masterfield, Expert and Virtuoso. Now the company has developed the new J Standard as a low-priced, fully Japanese-made range of classic electricguitar shape inspired models utilising all of Fuji Gen’s attention to quality, tone and beauty, but at an affordable price..

For more inFormation about the FGn ranGe oF Guitars, contact music connection on (08) 8331 8920 or visit www.musicconnection.com.au

PG. 17 / mixdowN No. 247 / NoVEmBER 2014

PRODUCT NEWS M-AUDIO VOCAL STUDIO PRO PACK

BLUE MICROPHONES MO-FI HEADPHONES

Vocal Studio Pro is the all-in-one solution for your computer-recording projects. Lay down vocals on your latest tune. Narrate your next podcast. Add a voice-over to your multimedia production. Vocal Studio Pro does it all. The unique combination of high-performance hardware and easy-to-use software makes it possible. Simply plug the microphone into the interface, connect the interface to the computer, put on the headphones, and you’re ready. Completing this powerful package are two complementary software selections: Avid Pro Tools Express and Ignite by AIR, the all-new music creation software. Together, they deliver a comprehensive path for transforming the ideas

Blue Microphones are masters of the art of microphone production, so you wouldn’t expect that they’d venture into any other realm of hardware production unless they were confident that they could produce a piece of hardware that matches the quality of the microphones they’ve been producing for so long. So when we hear that Blue Microphones are no longer just a microphone manufacturer and that they are now manufacturing headphones, naturally we get a little excited. The Mo-Fi headphones are Blue’s first foray into the headphone market, and surely one of their crowning achievements. They are the epitome of distinctive style, professional buildquality, form-fitting comfort and amazing sound.

in your head into musical works and ideas you can share with the world. The package includes the M-Audio M-Track Interface, M-Audio large diaphragm vocal microphone, Avid Pro Tools Express with iLok USB key, Ignite by Air, a mic clip and an XLR microphone cable.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE M-AUDIO RANGE OF PRODUCTS CONTACT PRO AUDIO GROUP AUSTRALIA AT WWW.PROAUDIOGROUP.COM.AU OR ON (02) 9521 4844

ERNIE BALL ALUMINUM BRONZE STRINGS

With the release of Ernie Ball’s Aluminum Bronze Strings, significantly improving the quality of your guitar sound could be as cheap and simple as changing over your strings. Over the past few years Ernie Ball’s engineers have been working away, developing a new alloy that trumps the tone provided by its predecessors. It’s the first significant innovation in acoustic strings in the last forty years. Engineered from an optimal blend of copper and aluminium specifically tailored for acoustic guitar strings, Aluminum Bronze Acoustic Strings feature more projection and clarity than traditional bronze strings, while also providing improved corrosion resistance.

Aluminum Bronze Acoustic Strings are made with Ernie Ball Maraging Steel hex cores and Aluminum Bronze wrap wire which provide more pronounced lows coupled with crisp brilliant highs.

PG. 18 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ERNIE BALL ALUMINUM BRONZE STRINGS CONTACT CMC MUSIC ON 9905 2511 OR VISIT WWW.CMCMUSIC.COM.AU

Mo-Fi has two main modes of operation.They work as a normal ‘dynamic’ headphone powered from an external headphone amp (that is, any device that has a headphone output). Though on top of that, the Mo-Fi headphones are equipped with an internal audiophile quality amplifier to ensure that the sound quality is as good as it could possibly be and to ensure consistency for the user.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE RANGE OF BLUE MICROPHONES PRODUCTS, CONTACT AMBER TECHNOLOGY ON 1800 251 367 OR VISIT WWW.AMBERTECH.COM.AU

TC ELECTRONIC FLASHBACK TRIPLE DELAY

The Flashback Triple Delay from TC Electronic offers a whole new realm of creative control to their already admirable range of hardware.

This new delay has three separate delay engines contained within the one unit that can be used independently of one another, or simultaneously in either serial or parallel, making this pedal the most flexible yet.

Within the pedal are sixteen different delay types, each with eleven subdivisions, giving the user the ability to find their own favourite sweet spot with unparalleled accuracy.

Aside from the super-stylish colours and visuals and the intuitive controls, the Flashback Triple

Delay has a list of the features that you’ve come to expect from TC Electronic: Stereo I/O, analog dry through, true bypass, expression pedal input, MIDI I/O, tap-tempo, metal chassis and toggle buttons and plenty of headroom.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE RANGE OF TC ELECTRONICS PRODUCTS CONTACT AMBER TECHNOLOGY ON 1800 251 367 OR VISIT WWW.AMBERTECH.COM.AU

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PRODUCT NEWS NEUmANN U 47 FET coNdENsER mic

dV mARk dV40 112 comBo AmP

Neumann has resumed production of one of it’s classic microphones, the U 47 fet. The microphone was originally manufactured from 1972 to 1986, and since then has been a staple in many well-know studios. While it was used chiefly as tool for soloists, it was also widely regarded as a great microphone for the recording of bass heavy instruments and loud amps. The U 47 fet is a condenser microphone with a cardioid directional characteristic and fet 80 circuit technology. This year Neumann has recommenced production of this classic piece of hardware under the name ‘U 47 fet Collectors Edition’. Following the original production documents and schematics, and delivering the product in a high quality wooden case with sophisticated packaging, the U 47 fet Collectors Edition would be a welcome addition to any studio.

DV Mark has released a range of medium to high powered amps that are sure to turn some heads. The DV40 112 is a 40 watt, all tube, two channel amp powered by a matched pair of EL34s into a DV Mark custom 12” neodymium speaker. Though the amp is capable of giving you anything from a picturesque, sparking clean tone to a grim, dirty distorted growl, the whole combo weighs only 16kg thanks to smart design

For more inFormation about the neumann range oF products contact sennheiser australia on (02) 9910 6700 or visit www.sennheiser.com.au

and rare earth driver magnets. The combo has a very simple and effective control section that gives the amp unmatched versatility. This is something you’re going to want to take a closer look at.

For more inFormation about the dv mark range oF ampliFiers contact cmc music on 9905 2511 or visit www.cmcmusic.com.au

coLLiNGs ciTY LimiTs ELEcTRic GUiTAR NcAT 2014 GUiTAR ExPo

This guitar is a beautiful creation, crafted with the finest seasoned ‘Tiger Eye’ quilted Maple and Honduran Mahogany. It’s lightweight and combined with a carefully hand-set Mortise and Tenon neck joint. This guitar is designed to balance perfectly and also features a comfortable mid-bout contour. The CL Deluxe features ivoroid neck and peghead binding and custom in-house ivoroid top hat knobs and pickup rings.

It comes with a gloss nitro finish; 12” radius; bone nut dot inlays, Jason Lollar hand made

Imperial humbuckers, CTS 500K pots with Xicon caps, Tonepros AVR-II bridge and tailpiece and Gotoh tuners. It’s an exquisite piece of hardware worthy of being in anyone’s collection. Check it out.

For more inFormation on the range oF collings guitars contact gladesville guitar Factory on (02) 9817 2173 or visit www.guitarFactory.net

isTANBUL mEHmET siGNATURE cYmBALs On Saturday November 29, NCAT (Northern College of the Arts) will stage their second Guitar Expo at Deakin Edge – Federation Square.

There will be over 50 handmade guitars from established makers (luthiers) and graduating students from the NCAT Certificate IV in Musical Instrument Making and Repair course. There will also be a range of demonstrations regarding instrument set up and neck shaping. As was the case last year, there will be a string of high profile performances and workshops throughout the day some including; Rebecca Barnard and The Rockwiz Orkestra, Hetty Kate and James Sherlock, Steve O’Hern Matthew Fagan with a ukulele workshop and even Cuban musicians and dancers who make up the Yumeros collective. NCAT developed the Instrument Making & Repair program six years ago and is the only training facility in Australia that offers qualifications in instrument making. This was put together with the assistance from their industry partners Maton Guitars Australia. Since then other industry bodies including Muso City, Cole Clark, and the AMA are in full support of the program. The makers who will be displaying at the NCAT 2014 Guitar Expo are Maton Guitars

Australia, Andy Allen (Maton Custom Shop), Cole Clark Guitars, Benedict Stewart, Bolitho Brothers, Tim Kill, Gary Rizzolo, Clingan Guitar Tone, Andy Thompson - T Guitars, Shane Briggs, Richard Howell, Jeff Crisp, Jack Spira, Southern Tonewoods, Benedict Puglisi (Double Bass) and the NCAT Instrument Making and Repair team.

The expo will prove as an invaluable opportunity for graduating students to network amongst makers, resulting in students picking up custom orders for instruments and making their debut into the instrument making world.

Visit ncat.vic.edu.au for more information about NCAT’s instrument making programs and further details of the 2014 Guitar Expo.

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guitar eXpo date: saturday november 29, 10am-5.30pm. location: deakin edge – Federation square, melbourne cbd open day: august 2015 intake dates: ongoing campus address: 62 murry road, preston 3072 phone: (03) 9478 1333 e-mail: ncat@edumail.vic.gov.au website: ncat.vic.edu.au

Istanbul Mehmet are an acclaimed cymbal manufacturer, producing exquisite handmade cymbals using techniques that date back to the 17th century. The Istanbul Mehmet range of rides are about to hit our shores, and they’ll bring with them some serious quality. Among the varieties soon to arrive are the MC Jazz series, the Mehmet Legend, the Legend Dark, the 61st Anniversary Classic Ride and the Mikael Z Tribute Ride. These are well crafted cymbals that offer unparalleled quality, built with care using

traditional techniques. If you want to get the best sound out of your drumming possible, you need to take a look at these cymbals. Keep your eyes peeled in the coming months as we get our hands on some to review.

For more inFormation about istanbil mehmet cymbals contact dynamic music at www.dynamicmusic.com.au or on (02) 9939 1299.

Pro Tools | Duet and Pro Tools | Quartet

Your personal professional music studio Your extraordinary talent and songwriting won’t get the attention you deserve if your music sounds mediocre.

Stand out from the crowd with the new Pro Tools ® | Duet and Pro Tools | Quartet. Featuring the best from two leading innovators—award-winning, industry-standard Avid® Pro Tools | Software and the legendary sound quality of Apogee audio interfaces—you get everything you need to create professional-level productions, from first note to final mix.

Pro Tools | Duet 2x4 music creation system

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Available from the following retailers: NSW

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© 2014 Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Product features, specifications, system requirements, and availability are subject to change without notice. Avid, the Avid logo, and Pro Tools are trademarks or registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks herein are property of PG.contained 21 / MIXDOWN NO.the 246 / OCTOBER 2014 their respective owners.

GEORGE CLINTON AND PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC FUNKIN UP BLUESFEST ONE JAM AT A TIME

“Funk!” It’s more or less the first word out of George Clinton’s mouth, and it’s probably a word that hasn’t been left unsaid on any day for practically all of the 73 years he has been alive. It should be stressed, however, that Clinton’s not just shouting the word at random. Not yet, at least. It’s in response to the question of exactly what’s kept the Parliament-Funkadelic collective going strong after so many years – especially when they’ve shared bills so often with bands that have come and gone. Funk is the answer.

“Funk is in all of the music that supposedly came after Parliament and Funkadelic,” says Clinton.

“It’s in hip hop, it’s in electronic music – it’s in everything. As long as there’s some funk in something, we’re gonna be a viable force to deal with. We love doing what we do. We ain’t going nowhere. To us, it’s always a party. There’s always a reason to keep funky.”

Of course, what’s even more impressive about the lasting power of the Parliament-Funkadelic clan is how crowded the musical climate has become around it. Dozens upon dozens of artists will share the stage with Clinton and co. for the upcoming edition of Bluesfest, many of whom were not even alive at the peak of their success. It begs the question, does Clinton still keeps his ear to the ground in the realm of contemporary music. “I keep my eye on any music that parents or older musicians are saying ain’t real music,” he says. “When I hear ’em say that, that’s when I start watching. Usually, that’s gonna be the next music. The music that gets on people’s nerves … it’s usually gonna be the next thing that’s happening, so you best be down as quick as you can, otherwise you gonna be old and out of step.”

It’s now been about six years since we heard from Clinton in a recorded sense – his last studio album was a selection of covers and collaborations, entitled George Clinton And His Gangsters Of Love, which dropped in 2008. It won’t be long, however, before we’re inundated with what Clinton calls “the doo-doo”. “That’s what we call the new shit!” he cackles. Not only will you be hearing from Clinton very soon in this regard, you’ll also be reading about him,

too. “I just did a book of my life,” he announces.

“It’s got an album to go with it. The title of the book is Brothas Be, Yo, George, Ain’t That Funkin’ Kinda Hard On You? That’s one of the songs on the album. I been working on this p r o j e c t for 20 years. The album’s got 33 songs on it, and a lot of songs have come together in the last few years; songs that I been real fond of. I been working on fighting these court cases, and now with the book coming out, I feel I get a chance to explain my side of all of that stuff. I feel vindicated already.”

Not much is known about the new material so far, except a) there’s a lot of it; and b) there’s a chance you’ve probably heard some of the tracks if you’ve seen Parliament-Funkadelic in action in recent times.

What we’re set to discover, also, is that the collaborative spirit of Gangsters Of Love will continue into this

PG. 22 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014

material. Clinton elaborates on one particularly special guest that we’ll be seeing in the not-toodistant future. “I just did a song with Kendrick Lamar,” he says. “Talking to him, I found out his grandparents were both into P-Funk. It was passed on to his parents, and now down to him.

To hear somebody that young know so much about it – y’know, I feel blessed. Kids hate their parents’ music! For some reason, funk survived through the generations.”

Talk turns to Clinton’s upcoming visit to Australia.

He’s played here several times over the years, but he recalls one fascinating moment from his very first visit. “I remember coming, but I don’t remember what year it was. I went to a party with the Prince of Bali after the show. He gave me a ring that I still have. He was killed in a coup a few months later. I’m looking at the ring right now.”

We move toward a more recent memory – comparatively, at least – of when ParliamentFunkadelic performed a now-legendary set at Bluesfest for what some say went for up to five hours, before the power was eventually shut off on the stage. “Oh yeah!” The memory is instant in Clinton’s mind, before he heads off on a different tangent entirely. “That’s something we used to do quite often, where we would play until they pulled the plug. In New Orleans, they let us play for seven hours. It was daybreak, and they were serving whisky on the street. The place was packed, so they opened the doors and let us play out into the street.” So, exactly how does one last through a seven-hour show, George?

“Two can leave, three can leave, go get a drink, get back in there,” he says. “It’s always shifting in and out. Back then, there was 26 of us.” And just so we’re clear, how many are ParliamentFunkadelic touring with these days? “22!”

BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG

GEORGE CLINTON AND PARLIAMENT-FUNKADELIC ARE PLAYING BLUESFEST 2015 WITH BEN HARPER & THE INNOCENT CRIMINALS, THE BLACK KEYS, ZAC BROWN BAND, ALABAMA SHAKES, TRAIN, PAOLO NUTINI AND MANY MORE AT TYAGARAH TEA TREE FARM FROM THURSDAY APRIL 2 TO MONDAY APRIL 6, TICKETS ONLINE AT WWW.BLUESFEST.COM.AU

SIDE SHOWS APRIL 1 – ENMORE THEATRE, SYDNEY NSW APRIL 3 – 170 RUSSELL, MELBOURNE VIC APRIL 8 – POWER STATION, AUCKLAND NZ

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FALL OUT BOY CLOSING IN Fall Out Boy are currently in the thick of recording their next album, but in the meantime they’ve released the track ‘Centuries,’ which represents an evolution of the band’s sound while still being recognisably Fall Out Boy. Containing a vocal hook from Suzanne Vega’s ‘Tom’s Diner,’ the single sold a butt load right out of the gate, and its success bodes well for the band’s slot on Soundwave 2015. We caught up with bassist/lyricist Pete Wentz to talk touring and song writing.

So you’re coming back to Australia, this time for Soundwave!

Yeah! We’re stoked! We haven’t played on a festival in Australia yet and this one is a pretty big deal.

We grew up as a band and came of age playing festivals, and in some ways that’s where we’re at our best I think. When you’re playing a festival crowd you’re playing to a lot of people who probably aren’t there to see you, so you have to earn them.

So for us traditionally it’s what we thrive under. So we’re stoked to come down and do it.

And of course Soundwave is a good one to play at because it’s Australia which means there aren’t many gigs but there’s plenty of time in between to go and have adventures.

Totally! We’re stoked to go on those adventures and run around. I think it’s really cool to be able to play with Marilyn Manson - he’s a guy we grew up listening to.

You guys just released a new single, and I dig how you teased its release with a little cryptic Morse Code thing online…

Yeah! Years ago, before we took some time off, we always had the idea to do these shenanigans and viral marketing, where you have to pay a troll under the bridge to give you the magic egg to get the thing or whatever. In the time we took off there were a lot of bands and movies that did that, and somehow that becomes bigger than the piece of art itself sometimes, or better, or more thought through. So we thought we’d try to do anti-

marketing or, like, no marketing. So Morse Code is about as simple as you can get. It was just “Here’s the song name. Now we’re going to put out the song.” You don’t have to do the tricks!

It’s a cool song too, with the ‘Tom’s Diner’ sample.

On paper it seems like it wouldn’t work. I love that song but it’s a sad song in a weird way… but then when it’s strung together it makes sense.

It juxtaposes the chorus in a weird way. I’ve had ‘Tom’s Diner’ in my head since the 90s so it’s cool to get it out there again.

The great thing about the original version of that song is that it’s a cappella so you can kind of put your own chords behind it in your head.

Right, totally! That’s the thing. We were able to incorporate it into our song’s progression, but at the same time there’s an attitude to the delivery of the vocal that I think could rub the wrong way in the wrong song. It’s interesting.

So how far along into the new album are you guys?

I have about five songs recorded and about ten total written. So I think we definitely could have an album out in January, I would hope.

Is ‘Centuries’ an indicator of what the new stuff will sound like?

I think so, in the same way that ‘My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)’ was an

IN FLAMES

indicator of the last album, or ‘Sugar, We’re Goin Down’ was an indicator of From Under the Cork Tree. Those are the songs that we’ll build a body of work around, but then there will be other things.

Like, that’s probably the dead centre of the way the record will sound, but there will be other things far to the left of that and far to the right of that. We’ve always been a band that cares about our body of work. Our albums are important to us. They’re not something to just throw away. So the whole album’s not going to sound like ‘Centuries’, but that’s a good indicator of where we’re at and what the stuff will sound like sonically. We’ve benefited from great mixers and producers like Butch Walker.

Sometimes it sounds bigger when you add less to it. Sometimes that’s hard for a young band to wrap their head around.

I’ve noticed that the songwriters I interview tend to fall into two categories: they either pluck the songs out of the air somehow, or they agonise over every detail and are miserable until they get it. Where do you fit?

I feel like Fall Out Boy is a band that’s somewhere in the middle of that. ‘Centuries’ just appeared.

‘My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark’ did not

appear. It showed up and it was underdressed and not ready to party, y’know what I’m saying? I guess it’s less agonising but more like ‘Now the bridge will be here… no, let’s try this,’ and you keep playing with the Legos until they fit. Unfortunately sometimes they don’t fit. Sometimes those songs just don’t end up anywhere and that’s where they end up hitting the cutting room floor.

What basses are you using at the moment?

I’m using my signature Fender. I have two from the Custom Shop so they’re a little bit jacked. They have Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound pickups and they’re a little more jacked, but they’re not far off from the Squier version. I play the Squiers onstage quite a lot. I run a pedal or two but I run DI with a SansAmp, and then a hot fuzz pedal to get just a little bit of a distorted sound.

BY PETER HODGSON

FALL OUT BOY WILL BE PERFORMING AS A PART OF SOUNDWAVE IN FEBRUARY. FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.SOUNDWAVEFESTIVAL.COM

IN TONGUES

In Flames continue to push their sound into new directions with latest album Siren Charms - and they’ll be bringing that sound to Australia this month with Florida’s mighty metal juggernaut Trivium. It’s a perfect pairing, as Trivium’s Matt Heafy has gone on record many times as saying that if it wasn’t for In Flames, he wouldn’t be doing what he’s doing. But there’s no such thing as In Flames - at least not in terms of a static sound. The band has never made the same album twice, and their latest, Siren Charms, is probably even further out there than anything they’ve done before. It represents the pinnacle of their latter-day focus on melody and song writing, with some of their most mainstream-friendly material ever.

“We’re not very good at writing between albums, on tours and stuff like that,” vocalist Anders Fridén explains. “That’s why every album is different, in a way. We get new influences, we grow as people, and I feel music should be evolving. It’s not something that should be stuck in a corner, at least to me. I believe it should be embracing the future. We had to set a date, we had to get a studio booked, and then we started writing.” When it came time to write Siren Charms, the band headed to Hansa Studios in Berlin, an exceedingly famous studio where David Bowie recorded Low, Heroes and Lodger. Fridén found the new surroundings to be a breath of fresh air, especially after the band had recorded in its own studio for so long.

And the Bowie connection was appealing too.

“He disappeared from drugs to be by himself, although I guess he did a lot of drugs there with Iggy Pop,” Fridén laughs. “But for us as well, we also needed to get away from our safe environments at home. I need to be by myself and totally mentally go into a place where I can create, and I can’t do that at home with all the things you have around you, so Berlin was a great place to do this album.” The band showed up for the sessions with ideas, sketches, parts of songs and “a big bag of riffs,” spending the twist two weeks putting the basic skeletons of the

songs together before beginning the recording process proper. For Fridén’s part, he had nothing ready to go at all going into the sessions. “I had four weeks to create from nothing. I had nothing!

I had blank paper. No ideas, no nothing, and the songs just spoke to me in a certain way. I did it, it worked out …and then I passed out afterwards.

That’s the way it should be. You should give all you have.”

Fridén’s vocal technique ranges from clear, distinctive clean-toned singing to the most brutal of screams - but don’t ask him how he does it.

“I have no idea what I’m doing, to be honest.

I’m super home-schooled. I never aspired to have the best vocals and I would never be part of Australian Idol. I would probably get written off pretty fast. But for me, it’s my voice, it’s my instrument, it’s what I use - and I want to be able to reach out through the speaker and grab the listener. And often me and the vocal producer will go with the right feeling, rather than, say ‘the perfect G,’ y’know? That’s boring to me!

Obviously you shouldn’t sing totally off or that would be weird, or play totally off-beat, but all those small imperfections here and there can create something that’s more interesting. When I get the song idea, 80 perfect of it has been done and then I have to use my various brushes to

PG. 24 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014

make it more ‘me.’ I have a lot of different voices and the producer has a lot of different names for them. ‘Bring this guy forward. Oh I haven’t heard that guy before - bring him out!’”

The album has been complete and waiting for release since the beginning of the year, and Fridén says he’s glad to have had some time off between the intense recording process and the promotion side of things. “Now that we have some distance, I’m really happy that we made the choice of releasing in September,” he says. “There were talks about us releasing this album in May which I think would have led to the band imploding in a couple of years. It would have been too tight if we did that because I was exhausted after the whole thing, and going straight into promotion and more tours would have been really difficult. But now I can listen to it and feel happy. I’ve done everything I can. I took this album to a place where I wanted to be.

And it’s the relief, for me. Now it’s for everyone to judge; it’s not a secret, I don’t have worry and it’s out of my hands. I can’t control it and it can go anywhere, so now I don’t care any more! It’s

up to you, it’s up to other people everywhere. I can’t control it and that’s great. That’s the way it should be. It shouldn’t be forced into peoples’ heads.” And now fans are free to interpret it in all sorts of unique ways that you didn’t intend.

“Exactly, that’s the way it should be. I like to use a lot of metaphors, and it means something to me but if you hear something else I would never tell you it’s wrong. Because then I feel your feeling, I feel what it meant for you, and that could destroy the feeling for the music that you have. It’s not one person that owns music. It is for freedom and it should go places.”

BY PETER HODGSON

TOUR DATES NOVEMBER 19 – THE TIVOLI, BRISBANE QLD NOVEMBER 21 – UNSW ROUNDHOUSE, SYDNEY NSW NOVEMBER 23 – 170 RUSSELL, MELBOURNE VIC NOVEMBER 25 – HQ, ADELAIDE SA SIREN CHARMS IS OUT NOW. IN FLAMES TOUR AUSTRALIA WITH TRIVIUM. FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.INFLAMES.COM

P

NE OBLIVISCARIS

R E S E N

BREAKING GROUND

T S

The time for Ne Obliviscaris is now. They’ve been active for a decade, with an ever-growing legion of fans, but the buzz around their new album Citadel (and the success of a crowdfunding campaign to support a world tour) indicates that the band is about to break through to a new level.

Their music is a progressive mix of metal and melody, death growls and violin, and Citadel captures it all in full-blown technicolor. We caught up with drummer Dan Presland a couple of weeks out from the album’s release (and an Australian tour with Beyond Creation) to talk about what it’s like to be on the verge of a new level.

The response to the advance stream of Citadel has been huge. It feels to me like the band is on the brink of ‘levelling up,’ if you know what I mean.

That’s a funny way to put it! It feels great. I’ve been inundated with positive feedback and positive responses. I’ve even had a couple of buddies say ‘Tempest’ is the best song they’ve ever heard, and I’m like “Whatever” and they say “No, really.” It’s kind of overwhelming in a sense. I didn’t expect there to be the hugely positive response that it has been, and hopefully that continues.

Is there anything you can do to prepare yourself mentally for ‘We could be touring this for quite a while…’?

I guess that for all of us this is what we’ve wanted to do for a long time and hopefully the opportunity is presenting itself and we’ll continue to ride that opportunity until it reaches its destination. I guess we’ve been ready for this for a long time. The timing is good.

What kind of preparation goes into making an album as well-formed and diverse as Citadel?

I guess you could call the preparation our ten years experience together, or eight years as this collective. It’s just getting into the jam room.

Someone will bring an idea forward and if we like it we’ll continue with it or maybe try and change its direction at some point, or if we don’t like it we’ll just scrap it. It’s a pretty democratic

process. We just get into a room and nut things out and take it from there.

Music this complex isn’t the kind of stuff you can bash out in an afternoon, right?

Surprisingly, there were some pretty long sessions where we pretty much did, like the second half of ‘Pyrrhic,’ which is kind of that post-rock part. That was done in an afternoon at my house in a jam room, so sometimes you can!

In terms of the recording process is there any cool musicianly, geeky stuff you can share with us?

A drum-nerdy thing I was really happy with, was that we actually put microphones on the top and bottom of the floor toms and it gave us a bit more headroom. There are a couple of moments where it’s just the floor toms flowing and we boosted the low end a little bit. If you’ve got speakers that can go quite low it really rumbles, and that came out really, really well. We’re very happy with that. So that was a particular moment for me in the recording process.

Where did you record?

It was at Pony Music studios in Hallam, which is where we did Portal of I. Geoff [Mison, Pony Music owner] is awesome. He’s a really big supporter of Ne O and he’s got quite a good selection of drum mics there.

You’re about to head out on tour of Australia with Beyond Creation, What are your touring plans?

Well at the moment we’re basically preparing.

Their new album is killer, I’m a real fan of their music so I can’t wait - hopefully it should be a really great show. After that we’ve got about six weeks off and then we head out to Soundwave.

We’re focusing on booking our European tour at the moment. We’re just lining up the European festival season and seeing how we go there. It might be a bit of an extensive stay in Europe. We’re not sure yet, but it could be up to two or three months. We’ve only got a few things confirmed at the moment, but there are a couple more we’ll be announcing that I’m really excited about. And then maybe after that, start of 2016 we’ll be heading out to North America

which will hopefully include Canada and South America, and somewhere in there we have to fit in Asia as well.

BY PETER HODGSON CITADEL IS RELEASED ON NOVEMBER 7 VIA SEASON OF MIST.

TOUR DATES NOVEMBER 21 - 170 RUSSELL, MELBOURNE VIC NOVEMBER 22 - UNI BAR, ADELAIDE SA (LIC AA) NOVEMBER 26 - THE BASEMENT, CANBERRA ACT NOVEMBER 27 - BALD FACED STAG, SYDNEY NSW NOVEMBER 28 - THE CAMBRIDGE HOTEL, NEWCASTLE NSW NOVEMBER 29 - THE BRIGHTSIDE, BRISBANE QLD DECEMBER 6 - AMPLIFIER BAR, PERTH WA

THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM A NEW KIND OF HURT

Back in 2012, The Gaslight Anthem released their fourth LP, Handwritten.

Not only was it the New Jersey band’s fourth record in just five years, Handwritten also brought in higher sales figures than any of its predecessors.

After hitting the top ten in eight countries, the band set off on a massive global tour encompassing larger venues than they’d ever seen before.

Following the success of Handwritten, it seemed likely The Gaslight Anthem would choose one of two options: capitalise on their enhanced profile by churning out another record of a similar nature or take some time off to reassess before proceeding any further. However, neither option captured their gaze. Instead, The Gaslight Anthem returned this August, boasting a revised stylistic outlook on album five Get Hurt.

“We’ve kind of been in that cycle since we started this band,” says The Gaslight Anthem guitarist Alex Rosamilia. “We put out our first record, toured on it for a few years and then wrote another record, toured on it for two years, and wrote another record and toured on it. With this record, instead of playing the safe option we went pretty far out.”

In the past, The Gaslight Anthem have been accused of working within immediately discernible and limited stylistic confines. Get Hurt does just about everything it can to upend this view. Right from album opener ‘Stay Vicious’, it’s clear things are going to be different this time around. “That was an extremely conscious effort,” Rosamilia says. “That’s why we made it the first song on the record. We wanted to show people that we were on our way to something different or to say ‘what we’ve been doing, we’re not going to really attempt to do any more.’”

In contrast to the band’s trademark heartland punk rock sound, ‘Stay Vicious’ is a chunky riffrocker, which resembles the likes of Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots. From here, the record proceeds to adopt a variety of previously unseen guises.

“It’s part of the band that’s always kind of been there,” says Rosamilia, “but it’s something that we never really did. We didn’t think that we

would… not be allowed to do it, but that we’d be able to pull it off.”

Get Hurt is still unmistakably The Gaslight Anthem. Brian Fallon’s earnestly delivered, rugged lead vocals sit front and centre, backed up by Rosamilia’s inquisitive lead guitar work.

“The way that our personalities come out through our instruments – it sounds like Gaslight because it’s our personalities,” Rosamilia says.

“There’s things I do on guitar, there’s stuff that Benny does on drums, Alex on bass, Brian with the lyrics and so on. Those things are not consciously there, that’s just the way that we are.

Sorry to use the extremely clichéd phrase, but we ‘go with the flow’, as it were.”

Speaking of going with the flow, since forming in New Brunswick, New Jersey in 2006, The Gaslight Anthem haven’t taken any significant period of rest. It’s rather unusual for contemporary bands with major label deals to produce five albums in seven years. But heeding to convention simply isn’t how The Gaslight Anthem roll.

“We’re constantly writing new stuff, and working on stuff,” says Rosamilia. “You have to be fresh all the time. It’s really easy to get stagnant if you’re not trying to better yourself and write new stuff. I’m not saying that everything we write gets used. Some stuff we write is absolute garbage [laughs], we put it away and we don’t ever hear it again.”

In order to hang on to their prominent position, the band’s quest to continually get better must go hand in hand with making music that appeals to their mass listenership. Evidently, The Gaslight Anthem haven’t run into any major dilemmas in this respect, but Rosamilia says it’s not something that plays on his mind during

album construction.

“I never read reviews, I don’t read the opinions of fans and stuff. I’m here to put out music that I write. If it does well that’s fantastic and that’s what I want, but if it doesn’t then that’s everybody else’s opinion.”

The guitarist mightn’t be particularly concerned about satisfying a commercial criterion, but he is left to the mercy of one extremely harsh critic.

“I go through like a three month period of self loathing between finishing the record and when the record comes out,” he reveals. “Thinking ‘everything I did is miserable, I shouldn’t even be a musician,’ every time we put out a record.”

Considering this habitual onset of crippling selfdeprecation, it’s a wonder Rosamilia’s persevered as far as he has. Unfazed, he contends that this attitude is crucial for making artistic progress.

“If you weren’t a perfectionist, that’s where you can become stale. When you think everything you do is going to be fantastic, you’re not going to try as hard. You have to constantly be doing

something that you feel uncomfortable with, because that’s what makes you a better musician.

“If you spend your time only doing the simplest things or the things that are easy to you, what you’re doing is eventually going to get worse because you’re going to start doing it almost out of muscle memory. I think that’s truly important, when you’re creating something. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, yeah?”

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY

THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM WILL BE BACK IN AUSTRALIA FOR A STRING OF SHOWS IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2015. FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.THEGASLIGHTANTHEM.COM

TOUR DATES JANUARY 29 — THE TIVOLI, BRISBANE QLD JANUARY 31 — THE ENMORE, SYDNEY NSW FEBRUARY 3 — THE FORUM, MELBOURNE VIC FEBRUARY 5 — HQ, ADELAIDE SA

PG. 25 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014

COLDRAIN THE NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK Prior to the complete unveiling of Soundwave 2015’s enormous lineup, festival promoters used the earliest announcements to introduce five lesser-known acts. First cab of the rank was Japanese metalcore five-piece Coldrain. Coldrain might be an unknown name to Australian audiences, but that’s hardly the case in their homeland. Formed in 2007, the band’s a veritable linchpin of the Japanese metal scene. In fact, their success has had an important effect on the country’s growing heavy music scene.

“Every year it gets a little bigger,” says Coldrain singer Masato Hayakawa. “There’s more bands, more younger bands and more kids playing in bands covering those songs, so it’s getting wider and wider. It’s cool to see kids that are starting to make their original stuff, trying to sound like us.

That’s how genres are built.”

A few other Japanese metal acts, such as Crossfaith and Pay Money to My Pain, have made an impact during the last decade, but Coldrain didn’t start out surrounded by a thriving metal scene. The band members’ initial exposure to this style of music came via the late-‘90s/ early2000s nu-metal boom. “I got into listening to heavy stuff when I listened to Limp Bizkit, Korn, Linkin Park, Slipknot,” says Masato. “When we started out we were all big nu-metal fans.”

These days, Coldrain’s combination of heavy riffs, aggressive screams and cunning chorus melodies warrants comparisons to metalcore heavyweights, like Asking Alexandria and Bring Me The Horizon. However, Masato says the melodic leaning stems from the Japanese pop music they listened to growing up. “We always wanted the melodic aspect plus the heavy music.

It’s cool because I think the Japanese influence towards pop music and the Western-style heavy music is what builds our sound. “The Japanese oriental style is somewhere buried there,” he adds. “It’s not something that’s going to be standing out, but it’s definitely something that’s

put in there at a small dose, [so] that people will feel a difference from Western bands.”

Although Coldrain’s third LP The Revelation was released in Australia just last week, it came out in Japan over a year ago (where it debuted at number seven on the national charts). Recorded with American producer David Bendeth - who’s known for his work with Paramore, Underoath and Papa Roach - it’s no accident that this record’s bringing Coldrain international recognition.

“When we recorded The Revelation,” Masato says, “[Bendeth] was like ‘this record is definitely going to be released worldwide’. He said he was going to be ‘thinking about the world, you guys can think about the Japanese market. That’s what’s going to make the new sound.’ We did definitely aim for the world and I can’t wait to see how everyone reacts to the record in Australia.”

Aiming for broad accessibility encouraged the band to decorate the arrangements with synth lines and string parts for the first time. They weren’t seeking to make an altogether nicer album, however. “David tried to make the record sound darker,” says Masato. “He said, after listening to the tracks and after listening to the lyrics, he always aimed for us to sound darker. So it turned out a little darker than what we originally went for and I think it sounds cool.”

Coldrain’s early announcement on the Soundwave lineup gives Australian listeners

plenty of time to get acquainted with The Revelation before next year’s festival tour. To say that Masato is enthusiastic about their inaugural trip down under would be a major understatement. “We can’t wait to be there. So, so looking forward to it. I can’t wait until 2015 already.”

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY

TOUR DATES FEBRUARY 21 – FLEMINGTON RACECOURSE, MELBOURNE VIC FEBRUARY 22 – BONYTHON PARK, ADELAIDE SA FEBRUARY 28 – BRISBANE SHOWGROUNDS, BRISBANE QLD MARCH 1 – OLYMPIC PARK, SYDNEY NSW COLDRAIN WILL BE PERFORMING AS A PART OF THE SOUNDWAVE FESTIVAL IN FEBRUARY. FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.SOUNDWAVEFESTIVAL.COM

PERFECT PUSSY UPSTATE UPSTARTS If you feel as though you’d never heard of Perfect Pussy until a little over a year ago, that’s because basically no one had. Hailing from Syracuse in Upstate New York, the band originally convened in 2012, but remained a largely inactive project until mid-2013. Prior to coming together, Perfect Pussy’s five members had each spent a number of years toiling in their hometown’s punk, hardcore, indie-rock and noise scenes. This project was actually conceived as a novelty, but it wasn’t long before the individual members’ varying musical persuasions started to generate a curiously unique sound.

“It’s just one amongst many things that we have going on right now,” explains bassist Greg Ambler. “Every other band we’re in is kind of a niche band. Me especially – I’ve always been in very anti-music bands, like powerviolence and grindcore, so it’s really only for one kind of person. [With Perfect Pussy], we were going to do what we wanted to do, as opposed to being a niche band.”

Following last year’s debut EP I’ve Lost All Desire For Feeling, in March, Perfect Pussy unveiled their debut album Say Yes To Love. It’s easy to describe the record as one 2014’s standout releases. However, slapping together hardcore instrumentation with washes of feedback, experimental synths and Meredith Graves’ emotionally urgent lead vocals, it’s not so easy to describe what Say Yes To Love sounds like.

“We’re five very different people from very different backgrounds,” says Ambler, “so there really is five totally different elements brought into it. People come together so often, and they’re like ‘I want to start a band that sounds like this,’ or ‘I want to write a song that sounds like this.’ [Perfect Pussy] is a general un-acceptance of current ideals. No matter how progressive punk is, there’s always room to build.”

While Say Yes To Love is the sound of a band working together towards a collective end, the input of each individual is also clearly discernible.

Despite being a conflation of disparate elements, however, it’s not a confounding listen.

Throughout the record’s frantic 23-minutes, there’s plenty of memorable song craft. “There’s a lot of different things that people can take from it,” Ambler agrees. “And at least enough for it to be relatable, for someone to find a personal element. Whether it’s one end of the spectrum or the other. That’s something we noticed, but it’s not anything we honed in on.”

Released via trendsetting Brooklyn indie imprint Captured Tracks, upon its release the album garnered high praise from the likes of Pitchfork and DIY Magazine. As a result, Perfect Pussy have spent the majority of 2014 on the road.

Not surprisingly, achieving this relatively instant notoriety completely caught the band off guard.

“We were getting so many requests come in that I ended up way over-booking us,” Ambler says.

“For two months we were out and we didn’t have transportation lined up or anything. It was snowballing way out of control. So we ended up getting our friend who’s a booking agent to help us out. “It’s pretty much destroyed my entire life,” he laughs, pathologically. “So, there’s that.

When you’ve been touring for a year, you’re like ‘I can’t bear to travel anymore.’ I have so much anxiety and mental health issues that I’m dealing with. And we’re all dealing with being with each other so constantly.”

PG. 26 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014

Given that Perfect Pussy is, in essence, a synthesis of several distinct personalities, Say Yes To Love hints at several directions the band could pursue in the future. For instance, there’s signs of technical hardcore (a la early Dillinger Escape Plan), no wave-indie (a la early Sonic Youth) and more accessible post-hardcore (a la latter-day Fugazi). Meanwhile, Ambler says that working on a follow up isn’t the number one priority just yet. “What we’re trying to do now is focus on other projects and figure out where our own individual strengths lie. We talk about how we’re going to write another record eventually, but at this time it’s fucking impossible to think about getting together to do something like that and how it would even turn out. It would be so much different than what this band is in a nutshell – which is this beautiful disaster. “Like I said, it’s five very different people being led in very different directions by our industry and it’s become harder and harder for us to overlap.

We’re all in circles, but the coolest thing about this band is where our circles overlap. That’s the tiny space where we all agree. Those have become fewer and farther between as this year’s progressed.”

Ok, so perhaps we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves and expect another record of thrilling originals, post-haste. The fact remains; Say Yes To Love is a convention-defying punk rock record that stands on its own two feet. Thankfully, following a couple of months break from the road, Perfect Pussy will cruise down to Australia for next year’s Laneway Festival. The mention of this trip sparks genuine enthusiasm in Ambler.

“I’m so excited to go to Australia. After we take a little bit of time off it’ll be cool to come over and maybe have fun playing music again.”

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY

TOUR DATES JANUARY 31 – BRISBANE SHOWGROUNDS, BRISBANE QLD FEBRUARY 1 – SYDNEY COLLEGE OF THE ARTS, SYDNEY NSW FEBRUARY 6 – HARTS MILL, ADELAIDE SA FEBRUARY 7 – FOOTSCRAY COMMUNITY ARTS CENTRE, MELBOURNE VIC FEBRUARY 8 – ESPLANADE RESERVE & WEST END, FREMANTLE WA PERFECT PUSSY WILL BE TOURING AUSTRALIA AS A PART OF THE LANEWAY FESTIVAL. YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE AT WWW.LANEWAYFESTIVAL.COM

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Trade Contact www.musicconnection.com.au sales@musicconnection.com.au Graeme Craske Ph: (08) 8331 8920

Trade Contact www.musicconnection.com.au sales@musicconnection.com.au Graeme Craske Ph: (08) 8331 8920

HUSKY THE HILLS ARE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF...

Given the way we often scan through new releases these days, it’s easy to overlook the amount of work that goes into making an album. Presenting a batch of songs that interact with each other in a familial manner requires hefty chunks of driving inspiration and perseverance through significant self-doubt.

Husky’s second record Rucker’s Hill was released in late October. It comes three years after the Melbournians’ breakthrough debut Forever So, and, as keyboard player Gideon Preiss explains, preparing the album was no walk in the park.

“We want to make good records, so definitely we feel pressure,” he says. “There’s just so much that happens, to write and produce and record and mix and all the artwork and all the publicity that needs to happen to make a record. It’s a huge process.”

With Forever So, Husky climbed to an enviable position, building a large hometown following and scoring a record deal with the Seattle’s revered indie imprint Sub Pop. The record also sent Husky off on a hefty international touring campaign. Following 18-months on the road, Rucker’s Hill was recorded in several stints, at a number of separate locations, over the last two years. “It was a combination of using our home studio and using other studios,” Preiss says. “We stumbled upon an amazing studio called Echidna Studios out in Christmas Hills, overlooking the Yarra Valley. It’s a beautiful studio with big open spaces and some great acoustics. We did a lot of the demoing and the writing and the early recordings of the record out there. We also worked with Sydney producer Wayne Connolly out of his studio at Alberts in Sydney. The gear is amazing there. You’ve got access to all these great instruments – keyboards, guitars, vintage microphones and vintage preamps. We also recorded my upright Kawaii piano at home. We worked out of Sing Sing. We moved around a bit.” Beyond the logistic necessity of piecing together Rucker’s Hill in various locations, doing

so has diversified the record’s personality. “The feeling, the vibe, the energy of the space that you’re in, all these different things seep into those recordings,” Preiss says. “I feel like the sessions we did out in the hills have a different feeling to the sessions that we did at Alberts. I think it does vary the kind of sounds that you end up creating.”

Rucker’s Hill possesses a lively sense of freedom, which recalls late-‘60s/ early-‘70s folk-rock. The band’s stylistic persuasion is matched by their choice of recording technology. “We definitely lean towards older vintage gear,” Preiss says.

“That includes instruments – we love vintage guitars, we love the old vintage keyboards and the early analog synths. That goes for microphones and preamps and amplifiers and all that sort of stuff. We just prefer the quality that kind of equipment creates. I think the way that we record is pretty organic,” he adds, “particularly given the way that a lot of artists record these days. I think what we do is pretty true to the way that bands have recorded and been recorded for the last however many years.”

This preference for a less artificial recording approach doesn’t mean Husky are opposed to digital technology. Much like Forever So, Rucker’s Hill was recorded on Pro Tools. However, this time around they refrained from layering instruments ad infinitum. “Forever So was a very texturedfolky-dreamy record,” Preiss says. “There were

limitations with that record in terms of performing it at our live shows. We definitely learnt that we needed some more lively tunes that are more dynamic, which would create a more dynamic show. I think that we were conscious of that with Rucker’s Hill.”

Along with frontman Husky Gawenda and Wayne Connolly, Preiss is credited as the record’s coproducer. Perhaps being a member of the band is enough to qualify as co-producer, but Preiss explains he had an instrumental role in bringing the record to life. “You’ve got to wear a different cap for the production gig. You’ve got to see things from more of an objective overall perspective, as opposed to the perspective of a ‘keys player in the band’. At the time [of recording], I was very into George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass.

Particularly for guitar tones, I referenced that a lot. I’m always listening to Beach Boys, for how they arrange and get all these beautiful textures into their songs. I was going through quite a big

Elvis phase at that time as well, so I was into a little more simple arrangements and simple textures.”

Now that the elongated record-making task is behind them, and Rucker’s Hill is available for public consumption, Preiss can reflect on the entire process with pronounced enthusiasm.

“We made Forever So in isolation,” he says. “At the time we had very little going on in terms of any kind of recognition for what we do. We did so much touring and so much learning and developing as individuals, and as a band. It was really exciting to sit down and be able to start afresh and make a new record. Out of all of the things that we get to do, creating new music is the most exciting part.”

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY HUSKY WILL BE TOURING IN SUPPORT OF RUCKER’S HILL THROUGHOUT NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER. VISIT WWW.HUSKYSONGS.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION.

THE SMITH STREET BAND FOREVER FLOATING Despite perpetual touring, at home and now making inroads overseas, The Smith Street Band have managed to put forth a steady stream of recorded material, harbouring potent ammunition for their raucous live performances.

Latest LP, Throw Me In The River, saw the band retreat to a secluded Otways location, accommodating their most spacious recording yet, imbuing their penchant for shout-along anthems with potent fresh air. Ahead of the band’s European run of dates, frontperson Wil Wagner speaks on the album’s genesis.

With the success of their 2013 EP Don’t Fuck With Our Dreams gaining an influx of new followers, it’s difficult to place Throw Me In The River as a follow-up to that release or it’s predecessor fulllength Sunshine And Technology. “I’ve never really thought about it like that,” Wil says. “We recorded Don’t Fuck With Our Dreams live in a couple of days. It was all quite immediate, with recent songs all about the same topic. That was because we didn’t have time to make a record.

That seems like a fun thing we can do – an album one year, then a live-recorded EP the next year when we don’t have time to make a record. I think this is the first full-length we’ve made with the band we’ve had for the past couple of years, where we’ve been a four-piece. We haven’t actually made a record like that. I wouldn’t consider it a follow-up.”

The thematic elements of Throw Me In The River often touch on darker territory, however imbued by a perspective of past tense – with triumph winning out both lyrically and in songcraft. “I have quite bad anxiety and depression, and I’ll write when I’m in a bad state as a way of dealing with it, like a therapeutic kind of thing.

I guess a lot of the darkness comes from dark times. There are a few things I might not have been that comfortable talking about on past records – sadness and depression – but I feel I should talk about it, because I’d like to make our music honest. Maybe other people can relate

to it. It’s definitely darker. There are things on the record about a specific break-up, so that might be a case of looking back. I’m older and more experienced, so you’re writing about past experiences more rather than about going out and getting fucked up with your mates. There is more sadness on the record, but that also comes from being on tour so much and away from home. I’m someone who needs to be alone sometimes. Otherwise I can be an arsehole to everyone around me for no reason. I grab those chances on tour where I have ten minutes to myself to pound something into my phone or scribble something on a serviette. Some of those darker lines might come from when I’m desperate.”

Maintaining a steady prolific streak, Wil manages to write whenever the opportunity arises, even under duress. “I definitely struggle with writers’ block. I try to write everyday, a portion of a song, either a verse or a chorus. But even if I’m writing something, and it’s shit, it’s still good to keep up that habit so when something good does come, a riff or a chorus idea, I can make better use of them, like stretching before a game of footy. You need to have those muscles ready when you have that moment of inspiration where it’s like “Fuck, I need to get these lyrics down now”. I tend to write quite maniacally. A lot of the songs on the record started out as fucking ten minute stories with two chords underneath them and then I’ll

PG. 28 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014

whittle them down. There was one song that was so long I split it into two things. Every idea I have I try to write down. I’m always trying to figure out new ways to play chords, there’s always a guitar within arm’s reach all day. I would write as much as I did even if I wasn’t in the band. It’s my hobby as well as my job. I fucking love everything about playing guitar,” Wil says. “I’m lucky that I enjoy it all as much as I do.”

Recording in an idyllic Otways hideaway in the community of Forrest, the band relished their surrounds, bringing with them fully-realised songs to put to record. “We actually did the drums before we went out to Forrest. You can do everything in a temporary studio except drums – you need a lot of space and microphones.

We did the drums at Sing Sing in Melbourne, which is a really nice studio, then took those tracks out to Forrest. All the songs were written, maybe a few lyrical changes happened. But the environment and amount of time we had was a

massive thing. You could fret over a guitar part for two hours, then you could just walk up a hill, look at a kangaroo, then think ‘fuck, who cares?’, instead of freaking out at 3am in a studio about a guitar part you know you can play, but can’t at that moment for some reason. Recording is so fucking stressful if you let it be so fucking stressful. It was such a beautiful space, the whole town was incredible, giving us baked goods, letting us ride on the local fire truck. It was just crazy, it couldn’t have been a better country town experience. I think we’ll try and record everything we do now in that house,” Wil says.

“It was perfect.”

BY LACHLAN KANONIUK THE SMITH STREET BAND WILL BE TOURING NATIONALLY THROUGHOUT NOVEMBER IN SUPPORT OF THEIR LATEST RELEASE THROW ME IN THE RIVER. FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.THESMITHSTREETBAND.COM

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PG. 29 / MIXDOWN NO. 246 / OCTOBER 2014

E d U C AT i o N F o C U S :

JMC Alumni Profile: Emma Jenkins

Degree and Graduated: Bachelor of Entertainment Business Management, 2014.

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

Upon graduating earlier this year, I made my way to SXSW festival in Austin to further my learning and to experience what it was all about. Since returning, I have moved to Sydney and am currently interning at Secret Sounds Connect, learning about the world of festival sponsorship and rights properties. Not wanting to relax too much, I am also assisting with Inca Roads Festival in rural Victoria, aiding with artist liaison through to the event to be held in November.

What skills did you gain through your studies at JMC that are helping you on your current career path?

The skills gained through my studies at JMC have been extremely valuable. Last year I acted as Stalls Coordinator for the Spring Fling Festival in North Melbourne, the skills that proved to be most valuable were planning and management

skills, particularly the understanding of legislation and health and safety laws necessary in order to run a safe event. My understanding of copyright and contract law has been of great advantage, it has allowed me to adapt quickly within my internship at Secret Sounds Connect, as it deals mostly with rights properties and their assignments. Having always held a passion for events and previously working within the industry, the course allowed me to expand upon my existing planning and management skills, adding to that promotion and marketing knowledge, I now feel quite competent in giving my ideas life.

What did you like most about studying at JMC? The small class sizes meant we were lucky in receiving personalised learning. Lecturers knew us by name, and we were able to really engage with the content, asking questions and receiving in depth feedback. The content was up to date, in keeping with the current industry, the lecturers were extremely knowledgeable and experts within their field, holding valuable industry experience.

Highlights of your career to date?

It is only the beginning, but so far attending SXSW has been a definite highlight. The experience I am currently gaining at Secret Sounds is proving relevant to my goals. My role as volunteer manager for Peats Ridge festival and Stalls Coordinator at Spring Fling Festival have reignited my passion for events and planning, whilst also filling me with a sense of pride and achievement.

Any advice you have for anyone wanting to enter into a career in the music industry?

I hardly feel like the person to be handing out advice, given that my career is only just beginning, however, the biggest piece of advice I would give is to realize that you aren’t simply going to be given a job. As is the case with most industries, this industry is all about hard work, dedication and passion. A big factor that I feel is necessary is the willingness to work for free or start at the bottom. There are an abundance of opportunities for students or passionate individuals out there. Volunteer as much as you can, try internships, it’s not only about that foot

in the door and putting your fresh knowledge into practice, but also about giving different things a go. There are so many directions you can take within the industry, and the best way to find out which one you are good at/enjoy most is to try it. I am still on this path and enjoying every moment of it.

For more inFormation about the bachelor oF entertainment business management visit www.jmcacademy.edu.au or Phone 1300 410 311.

E d U C AT i o N F o C U S :

AIM (Australian Institute of Music)

CoURSE: ComPoSiTioN ANd mUSiC

Having begun as the Sydney Guitar School in 1968, founded by Dr Peter Calvo, AIM now offers the most diverse range of music diplomas, music degrees, and graduate music studies available anywhere in Australia. With a reputation as a leading independent education provider, AIM also offers High School Certificate (HSC) studies and individual music lessons through its Open AIM courses. The Composition and Music Production course is one that provides a creative environment for composers, songwriters, electronic musicians and music producers to gain their own unique blend of technical, musical and professional skills, as a pathway to create original music in tomorrow’s music industry. We catch up with AIM to learn more about their course and new methods of teaching.

Firstly, where are your campuses located?

We have a brand new campus in Melbourne’s CBD at 120 King Street. Our founding campus is located at 1-15 Foveaux St, Surry Hills in Sydney.

What kind of positions or roles will graduates be qualified to work in when completing the Composition and Music Production course?

Graduates will have the necessary skills to be a professional songwriter, composer, electronic performer or producer, recording producer, and engineer for their own creative projects and for other artists. A creative career in film and TV is an example of a pathway students can take, which includes composing, sound design, foley artist, mixing engineer, and programming sounds to film. Graduates can also explore electronic music in a performance or production based environment. Graduates are equipped with skills to excel in the electronic music industry.

How is the course structured?

The course is a two year full time course, split into four main parts, major study, academic studies, ensemble and associated study. In a student led environment, major study provides the creative output as students engage and interact with the content, through creative portfolios, critical listening and analysis, use of integrated digital environments, studio and recording projects, mixing and mastering.

Academic studies provide a solid foundation of musical concepts and ideas. Ensemble is a collaborative and professional environment, where students actively contribute to a group project, based on the student’s style, sound or interests. The associated study component consists of electives, where students choose subjects focusing on specific content, such as Copyright and Management electives, instrumental studies and performance studies.

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

The Composition and Music Production course

provides an array of experienced and prolific teaching staff. Some faces you see walking our halls include electronic artists Eric Chapus (aka Endorphin), music producer Daniel Denholm (Washington), orchestrators and arrangers Anton Koch and Miroslav Bukovsky, engineers and producers Greg Simmons and Luke Gordon, composer/producers Ken Francis, Clive Harrison and Drew Crawford, and film composers and performers Caitlin Yeo, Amanda Brown and Phillip Johnston.

Are there any specific projects students will have the opportunity to participate in throughout the duration of the course?

Composition and Music Production students are constantly working on creative projects as part of their study, from the conceptual ideas of the project, to a finished product as a recording or a live performance. Students can also participate in collaborative projects outside of their study, such as our collaboration with The Sydney Film School. Students can undertake the composer, producer, sound designer and mixing engineering roles of a high quality film project.

Composition and Music Production students also have the opportunity to design, organise and run their own live showcases, where CMP students have the opportunity to perform their material live. The CMP department also supports internships with professionals, for example, most recently a number of CMP students are contributing to Luke Gordon’s and Mark Havryliv’s music production software ‘Score Addiction’.

What facilities are available for AIM students?

Students have access to a state of the art recording studio, music production suites, concert halls, electronic music hubs, on campus library with a great online resources, cafes, common areas, ensemble spaces and rehearsal room. Students also have access to portable production gear.

PG. 30 / mixdowN No. 247 / NoVEmBER 2014

What studio gear and mentoring is available for learning and production?

The production facilities are an interconnected hub of recording studios and music production suites. The recording studios offer the best in analogue and digital recording, with a diverse collection of recording spaces. The music production suites are the most recent addition

to the production facilities. They are creative spaces for students to compose, write, record, produce, mix, and master.

For more inFormation about the australian institute oF music, visit www.aim.edu.au or contact them directly on (03) 8610 4222 or at enquiries@aim.edu.au

E D U C AT I O N F O C U S :

NCAT Alumni Profile: Andy Thomson

Degree and Graduated: Certificate IV in Instrument Making & Repair, 2012.

What drew you to the art of Guitar Making?

It all started when I worked in a guitar store in NSW. Being a drummer, I was actually employed to sell drum sets, but the owner of the business, Phil Haworth, was a very well respected guitar maker and repairer, and I would always find myself hanging around the repairs bench and not in the drum department. I think I must have annoyed him that much that he asked me to help out with the easy stuff and it went from there. I haven’t sold a drum set since.

How long have you been Guitar Making and what related studies have you completed?

I have only been building for 18 months or so.

I moved from Sydney to Melbourne to study and started my own little business on the 1st of November last year. NCAT was the College at which I studied the Cert IV in Instrument Making & Repair. It was a ten month course that provided me with the background knowledge and a chance to build three guitars.

Whats your Business? And where can people find you?

My business is T Guitars. I build electric 6 string guitars and 4 and 5 string basses. You can have a look at www.tguitars.com.au, or on Facebook and Instagram.

How would you best describe your building style and your guitar’s aesthetics and sound?

My building style is ‘No Bullshit’. Not exotic, boutique or “custom”. I’m not one for caring about rare tone woods from the deepest Amazonian tundra, or timber cut from a log found locked in an Icelandic glacier for 4000 years. Not me. I want the guitars I build to look, feel and sound great, and I believe the shape of a scratch plate can do more for the overall

aesthetic then if the tops quilted or not. The first customer to order a guitar from me last year put it best. He said “In my collection of guitars I’ve got Les Paul’s, Tele’s, Strat’s, Rickenbacker’s, a P-Bass and more old guitars. This will definitely stand out, but it won’t look out of place”. I’ll never forget that.

What’s the most rewarding part of making a Guitar?

Going to a local gig and seeing one of your guitars being played. You can’t beat that feeling.

I’m getting some noted players interested in my builds and am getting some really positive feedback.

What advice would you give to someone considering a career in Guitar Making?

You could create an account on any guitar maker’s forum and see how that goes. Or go and have chat with an actual builder and see what it’s all about, because I’ve only ever found them to be friendly and happy to share their knowledge.

Either way, do it. It’s good fun.

Where can people learn guitar making skills?

There are plenty of Luthier run courses around the country where you can spend a number of weeks building individual instruments. They’re pretty popular. However NCAT in Melbourne run a full time Certificate IV course. It’s the only place where students can gain a nationally recognized qualification, and there is also the option of a one day a week program where students can either gain experience or complete a Certificate III. It is a government-funded program, so the cost is also very minimal. Students up to the age of 21 can access the program for $2500. This covers all of the materials and access to highend machinery. Mature age students are also welcome. There are no tuition fees.

After building their instruments, students

can graduate with an electric, a dreadnaught acoustic, and a custom designed guitar of their choice to take away.

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, a Multi Cam flat bed router and a number of laser machines. All of this sits along side traditional wood-working and guitar making equipment.

With all of this equipment, it gives students the opportunity to gain exposure to traditional instrument maker’s hand working skills, right through to the latest mass production methods of guitar making.

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

We were 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 and Patrick Evans (Maton) have all been involved in either advisory roles as industry experts.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT NCAT’S INSTRUMENT MAKING & REPAIR COURSE VISIT WWW.NCAT.VIC.EDU.AU AND FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ANDY THOMSON AND T GUITARS VISIT WWW.TGUITARS.COM.AU

MIXDOWN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014 / PG. 31

(D)IGITAL (J)OCKEY KEYS IN THE CLUB

DJ

I think we can all agree that a DJ is, and always will be so much more than just a juke box. Playing music to fill a venue can be easily done by a machine, but there is no interaction between the crowd and the music, so there is no spontaneity and there is no performance. That’s what the DJ brings to the party. Not just the music, but the way in which it is presented and served to the audience. So, it is understandable that as technology develops, modern DJs are looking for new ways to integrate this into their sets. Yes, you can deliver a powerful performance with just two turntables and a battle mixer, but why stop at just this when so much more can be brought out in the music.

More importantly, why restrict yourself to play records of other people’s music when you can bring, present and perform your own within the set?

EXTENDING CONTROL We all know that the advent of the portable computer into the club scene has brought about huge changes to the way in which DJs are able to perform. There used to be a time when early in the evening at large parties, a couple of acts would perform live before the DJs got going, with a large array of drum machines, samplers, sequencers and keyboards to be set up and packed down. These acts where always put on the bill fairly early. It just made for an easier event when you could swap out DJs in between tracks later in the night, and didn’t have to unpack all that gear. So, live electronic music really got bundled up into the first part of the evening, when the venue was mostly empty and it never really got the recognition it deserved. Well, all that has changed.

This is the time for all DJs to work an element of live performance into their sets as no longer are all the cables, leads and boxes required when you have a laptop and a decent controller. And, just as so many MIDI controllers are developed for studio production, there are almost as many designed to allow you to bring this production with you on the road and into the venues with a minimum of fuss and a maximum benefit to your set.

LAUNCH IT Novation presented us with a new range of keyboards last year that bridged the gap between the studio and the road when they introduced their Launchkey series. Not only were these a MIDI controller for use with your computer, but they were one of the first to successfully integrate with iPads, allowing the use of their app to improve portability and creativity. Running in the success of their Launchpad controller that took the Ableton world by storm, they very cleverly created a set of controllers that lend ideas from the classic MIDI controller keyboard design and married them with the pad concept of the Launchpad.

This brought new life to how the user could control Ableton, with that being the main choice for live music production software and so the target for a controller like this, but still allowed it to work with a range of apps and software packages too.

MPC LEGACY Akai have always been a product developer that sees their products end up on the front line when it comes to music performance. The MPC was the mainstay for many electronic music

producers in the live realm throughout the 90’s, and it continues to live on through a range of products delivered by Akai today. The MPK series takes controller features from the MPC and adds them to a keyboard for a greater diversity.

When Akai saw the potential for using this is a live environment and not just in the studio, the MPK Mini was born. This is world away from the MPC, it is a whole new ballgame in fact, but you can see where the original inspiration came from. What Akai have tried to do with this is to get as much control onto as little real estate as possible so it could be accommodated into a cramped DJ booth and worked in with a laptop for extra convenience. 10 buttons, 8 pads, 8 encoders and 25 keys are all crammed into the smallest of frames to create a device that sits in front of a laptop humbly and adds no further width to the setup. Albeit a rudimentary device that doesn’t offer the range or control of

others in the Akai stables, it still gives the user far greater control over their music that just a mouse can ever offer.

What we have seen in recent years is a great variety in MIDI controllers designed to meet the needs of mobile musicians and DJs the world over. Just about every studio controller has been redesigned in some way or another to reduce the size and increase the portability. But, there are many features that will remain the same. The humble keyboard always remains a stalwart in electronic music control simply because of its grace and beauty in design. Yes, a large bank of pads does offer a certain way of working with various software platforms, but the fluidity of a keyboard and the chromatic layout that it features will always remain the greatest musical link between man and the computer.

BY ROB GEE

HOME STUDIO HINTS KEY CONTROL

STUDIO

The humble MIDI keyboard has come a long way since myself and many of you; I am sure, first laid hands on one. Nowadays, it is more of a central hub around which production and workflow is centred and it takes on a variety of roles in your music making toolbox. More than just a set of keys for playing in a few lines here and there, the MIDI controller keyboard now seems to be the central piece of equipment in most home studio setups, whereas not that long ago the mixing console would have held court. Now, with all that modern MIDI controllers offer, we could be witnessing the slow death of the mixing console and the further development of bigger and better controller keyboards. Recent releases from a range of manufacturers certainly suggest this is the way of the future.

NEKTAR’S DEEP INTEGRATION I think the company Nektar probably hit the nail on the head with their ‘deep integration’ concept that was developed for their Panorama series of keyboards, designed specifically to work with Reason. What this offered was a two way line of communication between the keyboard and the DAW. Now, rather than just the software receiving commands from the keyboard, the keyboard took information from the software to present to the user on the hardware surface. An LCD screen in the centre of the keyboard’s main panel relayed information back to the user regarding mix and edit functions that were being carried out. Because of this feature, generic controllers, like the bank of 8 rotary encoders, could now show the user values and functions on screen without having to reference the computer itself. This feature greatly helped in bridging the gap between hardware and software, and made it feel more like you were controlling actual devices rather than just a computer program, creating a more organic workflow. It wasn’t long before Nektar advanced this technology and updated their deep integration to include Steinberg’s Cubase software as well, allowing these keyboards to make the most of two of the most popular DAWs on the market.

M-AUDIO’S FRESH AIR One manufacturer that has been on the front lines when it comes to MIDI controllers for longer than I can remember is M-Audio. These guys are an institution when in MIDI development and have given us a range of products over the years that have caused quite a stir amongst end users. Now, with their latest offering in the Oxygen range of controller keyboards, they pack more features in than I have ever seen at the price point they sit at. M-Audio hasn’t gone for innovation this time, but instead has taken what they know and packaged it in a compact and lightweight format to suit any budget. I think back to when I first decided to move away from fumbling around with the MIDI capabilities of the synths I had and decided to invest in my first dedicated MIDI controller. This was before the turn of the century, which seems a lot further away than it actually was when I put it like that.

But, what was on offer then for twice the price of some of these current controllers barely got me 49 keys and a pitch bend wheel. Now, rotary encoders, faders, drum pads, transport controls and edit/function buttons are the norm. It is this sort of development that makes me wish I was just starting out spending money on equipment.

KOMPLETE CONTROL Another keyboard worth mentioning for MIDI

PG. 32 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014

control in the new Komplete Kontrol Series from Native Instruments. These are a really interesting unit in that they go even further than Nektar’s offerings as far as deep integration is concerned, but they only do so for use with the later versions of Komplete software. When it comes to working with the Komplete software bundles, these keyboards come into their own.

It becomes a hardware synthesizer that simply uses the computer as the engine. You can easily browse through sounds and edit them right from the top panel of the keyboard and not even need to look at the computer to do so. It takes all the instrument programs from Komplete and places all their sounds into a library for use through the keyboard. Additional functionality is obtained with an LED system that lights up different colours above the keys to indicate various features. You can use this to define keyboard splits, mark out playable notes within a key you wish to perform in or a host

of other tools. You can even cancel out notes not found within the specific key so if you play the wrong note, it simply shifts it up or down to bring it back into key again. This has just redefined the way in which we interact with our software platforms through a keyboard.

When all is said and done, there are so many features now available on modern controller keyboards that you need to really stop and consider just what it is that you need while writing and performing and focus on that. Many people will be happy with a simple 25 note range as they use it more for the controllers and rarely play notes, whereas others will want 88 notes and maybe even with fully weighted keys for a real piano feel. You need to weigh up all your options and try not to get carried away by flashing lights and large feature lists.

BY ROB GEE

WHAT’S MY RANGE AGAIN? KNowiNG YoUR VoiCE

VOCALS

What do Mick Jagger, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, James Hatfield, Beyoncé and Adele all have in common? Even though they all sing in completely different genres, they each sing with passion and feeling. They have fantastic technique, their own unique style, voice and personality. Most importantly they all thoroughly enjoy the genre of music that they sing in.

How many times have you personally experienced, heard or read about that a band has broken up or a member has left the band because of musical differences? Countless times, I’m sure! You need to pick a genre of music that you truly enjoy and have an immense passion for. Purely because if you don’t enjoy the genre of music that you are performing, you won’t want to continue doing it for very long and you will lose motivation quickly.

KNOW YOUR RANGE Now that you have decided on a genre of music that moves you and that you are truly passionate about, you need to find out what your voice can do and what range and keys best suit your vocal abilities.

Please do not be intimidated by the ability of other singers, the genre or style of music that you are influenced by. For instance, the Rolling Stones were hugely influenced by early American Rhythm and Blues. Their first album was entirely comprised of Rhythm and Blues covers, except for one original composition. On this very first Rolling Stones album, Mick Jagger transposed some of the keys of the songs higher and lower.

He arranged them to best suit his vocal range and ability so that he could sing them with maximum effect, passion and feeling. A great example of this is their version of ‘Route 66’.

It is important to find out your range. If you are a male you will have a Bass, Baritone or Tenor voice register. For females your voice register can be Contralto, Alto or Soprano. This simply means whether your voice sits in the low, middle or higher range. It is also very common for these vocal registers to overlap; for instance a male

Mick Jagger

may be a baritone light tenor, which is a mixture of the middle and higher ranges. Your singing teacher should tell you what type of voice you have on your very first lesson, as this important information will ensure you pick out songs in keys that will best suit your vocal ability. In every genre of music there are always low, middle or higher range singers, you just need to find your voice and use it to the best of your ability.

LISTEN TO YOUR VOICE When you are singing, hear where your voice sounds and sits the best within your range. If you sound thin, strangled, muddy or constricted, you are probably singing in a range or a key that doesn’t your natural voice. If it sounds bad, don’t use it. Sing in the part of your voice that makes you sound the best.

FEEL YOUR VOICE Pay particular attention to how your voice is feeling. If you feel pain, discomfort, scratchiness, burning, irritation, fatigue or your voice feels strange in anyway, something is wrong. You are most probably singing in a key or in a style of music that is not conducive to your vocal health.

Nor will you be able to present the song to the best of your ability or sing for an extended period of time.

Realistically, with correct technique you should be able to sing at a good volume for 1 to 2 hours without your voice fatiguing. Your voice should feel like it has had a good workout. You should also feel that after some vocal rest - say an hour or two - that your voice feels refreshed and that you are able to continue to sing for a few more hours.

SING WITH PROPER TECHNIQUE It does not matter what genre of music you are singing. You always need to remember to sing with proper technique or your voice won’t last very long. You need to train your voice in the same way an athlete trains their body. Your voice is a muscle, and you can damage it, fatigue it and wear it out if you don’t use proper technique or have adequate strength and stamina to last for as long as you’d like it to.

If you think that you are having technique and stamina issues it is important to seek the professional advice from a great singing teacher.

A good teacher should cover the subjects of breathing and support, and will customise scales to train, strengthen and improve your vocal abilities as well as give you vocal warm up and cool down exercises.

BY PETER VOX

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mixdowN No. 247/ NoVEmBER 2014 / PG. 33

ON THE DOWNLOW PROCESSING YOUR TONE

BASS

Most of us are inspired to start playing an instrument because of something we’ve heard on a recording. The problem there is that what we’re hearing isn’t just a straight audio capture of an instrument: it’s been treated and processed to arrive at the final version of the sound that we hear when we press play. So a lot of beginners feel discouraged when they come to the realisation that what’s coming out of their amp isn’t quite what they like to listen to. There are two schools of thought on how to wrap your head around this and come to terms with it: one is to keep plugging straight into an amp and rocking out like usual, letting the engineer take care of the final sweetening. The other is to take matters into your own hands and apply some additional processing right there within your rig, so you’re presenting the audience, and yourself with a completed, finished-off bass sound. Here are a few ways to do that.

COMPRESSION The idea behind compression seems simple; by raising the volume of the quietest signals and reducing the volume of the loudest ones, it squishes everything down into a more even dynamic range. But compression can be used as an effect too. If you want more punch you can set slower attack times that let the initial few milliseconds of your signal pass by unprocessed, with the compression then kicking in for the rest of the note. Or you can get full, sustained notes with an almost synth-like quality with very low attack times and slow decay times. One of my favourite compressor tricks is to utterly squeeze the crap out of the signal so that it sounds purposely pinched, and then use this as a special effect at strategic moments. Check out the Eden WTDI Compression pedal pictured.

LIMITING Limiting is related to compressors, but a limiter simply prevents the signal from passing a certain high level: in other words, it lowers the volume of the loudest signal, but doesn’t affect the lowest ones. This is a great way of preserving the dynamics of your playing, but still maintaining a level of control over unwanted peaks, and it’s

especially useful for styles where it wouldn’t be appropriate for an over-enthusiastic bass thump to cut through the mix. Generally you’ll notice that if you apply compression or limiting to your signal, it’s like a magic ‘studio-sound’ button.

EQ EQ is a tricky one. We all have a tendency to set our EQ at home when playing by ourselves, but the problem with that is that once you get into a band setting you could find that the frequencies that really do it for you could be clashing with another instrument and this could ultimately harm the overall sound of your band. If you have a graphic EQ, dip about 3dB at 220Hz to get a little less low-end mud; add about 6dB at 80Hz for a fatter sound (or dip a little out at this frequency if your sound is too big); and boost 3kHz by about 4dB to get more attack (or again, reel this frequency back a bit if you want to diminish the attack and instead place emphasis on the body of the note).

SONIC MAXIMIZER There are other audio processors that do similar things to the BBE Sonic Maximizer, but this unit is so damn useful and has such a dramatic

It also augments the high and low frequencies to make up for inefficiency issues inherent in many speaker designs. Once you’ve played with one for a while, turning it off makes it sound like you’ve suddenly placed a pillow over your speakers. It’s that drastic. And it can be a great asset to rock, slap-and-pop and metal styles.

effect on getting a studio sound out of a live rig that it basically deserves its own category. This family of devices adjusts the phase relationships between the low, mid and high frequencies by adding progressively longer delay times to lower frequencies: in other words it makes sure that each range of your signal is hitting the speaker at a slightly different time, so they’re not all trying to jam through the damn thing at once like the Three Stooges stuck in a doorway.

BY PETER HODGSON

BANGIN’ THE TUBS

ACCENTED SINGLE PARADIDDLES OVER 16TH NOTE TRIPLETS I thought I would share an interesting, challenging and potentially exciting concept with you. How excited you get will really depend on how much you love the humble paradiddle, because yet again, it is the star of the show. I’ve done columns on accented paradiddles before, but this one is designed to take things a step further. How far you take it is up to you. In essence we are going to take some simple accent patterns that fit over the standard single paradiddle and apply them over a different subdivision. In other words, a paradiddle that fits nicely over 16th notes doesn’t fit so nicely over 16th note triplets (two groups of three notes to make six per beat), so this is precisely what we’re going to do!

WORK IT BABY FIGURE 1 looks at our paradiddle (RLRR LRLL RLRR LRLL) with an accent on the start of every group of four notes - RLRR LRLL RLRR LRLL. If you look at the notation below this, you can see accents spaced in groups of four over groups of six notes. All I’ve done is taken the paradiddle and placed it over sextuplets or 16th note triplets – six notes per beat. You can also see that now, in order for the bar to be complete; you end up with three full rotations of the paradiddle – RLRRLR LLRLRR LRLLRL RRLRLL. In order to get this happening you’ll need some sort of time reference – like a metronome, so you know where you are in the bar. You can also try playing your bass drum on the start of every sextuplet to solidify that you’re not playing regular semiquavers.

MOVE IT BABY FIGURE 2 is where the real work starts. Now we play conventional accent patterns over this new subdivision – all the while keeping the paradiddle sticking underneath. You can see by looking at the exercises, that I’ve concentrated the first two (A and B) on just right hand or just left hand accents, progressing to both hands accenting in succession.

At this stage too, we’ve played everything solely on the snare. The final part of this concept is to

move the accents across the drums – namely, the toms and the cymbals. Start by putting all right hand accents on the second rack or floor toms (right side of the kit) and left hand accents on the first rack tom (left side of the kit). If you are feeling adventurous, you can place all right hand accents on the ride (or second crash if you have it) and all left hand accents on the main crash with a bass drum under the whole lot. This will make things sound fatter.

USE IT BABY Whilst this is a great concept, it must be remembered that you should practice in context. A fill is completely useless unless it can used in a musical situation. Learn the fill, play a groove and try it. That’s the only way you’ll think to use it when it matters – on the gig. Otherwise it’ll just be a fancy fill you learned one day in the practice room. Have fun!

BY ADRIAN VIOLI

PG. 34 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014

DRUMS FIGURE 1

A ! !!

B

16th notes

# "

"

"

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R L R 16th notes Triplets

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FIGURE 2 - VARIATIONS

B A 6 6# # 6 # #6 # 6 # # 6 # # # 6 # #6 ! " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " ! ! " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " !! ! ! ! !

R L R R L R L L R L R R L R L L R L R R L R L L

R L R R L R L L R L R R L R L L R L R R L R L L

C D 6 6 6 6 ## # # 6# # 6 ## # # 6 ## #6 ## # ## ! " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " ! ! " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " !! ! ! ! !

R L R R L R L L R L R R L R L L R L R R L R L L

R L R R L R L L R L R R L R L L R L R R L R L L

E

F 6 6 ## 6 ## # 6# ## 6 ## # 6# # 6 ## # ## 6 # ## ! !! " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " !! !! " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " !!

R L R R L R L L R L R R L R L L R L R R L R L L

R L R R L R L L R L R R L R L L R L R R L R L L

FIGURE 3 - APPLICATIONS

A ! !!

Accents on Toms 6 6 #6 #6 # # # # " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " "

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B ! !!

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Accents on Cymbals w/Bass Drum 6 6 # # # # # 6 # 6 $ $ $ $ $ $ " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " "

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UNLEASH YOUR INNER ROCK GOD THE POWER OF OPEN C TUNING

GUITAR

As I write this, the mighty Devin Townsend is currently wrapping up his Australian clinic tour. I caught the Melbourne event and I walked away thoroughly inspired. Much of the clinic was focused on philosophical approaches to song writing - and personally I much prefer clinics like this over ones that are all ‘here are some exercises for you to do at home’ - but Devin also explained his preferred tuning of Open C. A while ago I asked Devin to explain his approach to the guitar and this tuning, and he summed it up really well.

“What do I see guitar as? Well I see it as a bunch of things. I see it as a tool. I see it as a weapon. I see it as a bunch of blocks. I see it as a bunch of patterns. I see it as a bunch of baggage as well.

And because I’ve been in this weird tuning for so long, I see it as almost exclusively a writing tool as opposed to anything else. Inevitably someone will put a guitar in your hands and be like, “Well, play something.” But I use it to write songs, y’know? I’m a guitar player, of course. I saw an interview with Steven Wilson where he’s like, “I’m not a guitar player,’ but I mean, he is a guitar player! I’m a guitar player. I love the guitar.

But I agree with him in the sense that I’m not a guitar player in the way of my identity being invested in my ability to do things on it. I’ve got a certain capacity for technique that allows me to articulate pretty much anything that comes into my head, and a lot of the things that come into my head are rarely the types of things that require acrobatics. But when people put a guitar in my hand and they’re like, “Solo!,” what am I supposed to do? So I’ve got a reservoir of ten or twelve shapes that I’ve been playing for 30 years that I’ll pull out. But the reason why I have those in a place technically that allows me to perform them marginally well is that those shapes I can apply to almost any idea that I have, whether it’s the sweeping or the tapping or the string skipping or the riffing, those shapes allow me to play any thought that I have. And that’s what I do! It is truly a vehicle for me to articulate my emotional or artistic process, and that’s where

it ends.”

So let’s have a closer look at this tuning.

It essentially gives you a one-finger major chord, which is great for creating big walls of sound that you can then augment with other instrumentation. But notice that three strings are tuned to C: that means that if you play, say, an E note on the 4th fret of the lowest string, you’ll find another E on the 4th fret of the other two C strings. Ditto for notes on the two G strings (By the way, the system breaks down when you get to the E string, but let’s ignore that for these purposes). This opens up all sorts of textural possibilities because you can play huge stacked power chords simply by laying one finger over the lowest four strings.

Or you can fret octaves which you can then slide around in a more efficient way than the regular ‘power-chord-shape-but-with-one-unplayedstring-in-between’ fretting that you would use in standard tuning.

Another great asset of this tuning is that you can create scales using pairs of strings. FIGURE 1 shows you how you can play a complete F Major scale by using the same exact pattern on each pair of “C and G” strings. You’ll note that if we keep with the pattern, the last note of the scale is doubled up as the first note of the next pair of strings, which means you can do some really cool note displacement stuff. But FIGURE 2 is similar to what Devin described as ‘A Major Scale Kinda Thing’ which omits the fourth note of the Major scale, as well as that doubled-up note, instead

giving you a scale that can feel midway between Major and Lydian, since it doesn’t contain the defining note of either.

Following this are four little ‘scale-like’ patterns that you can experiment with. These are really handy because the wider interval between the C and G strings means you can get some pretty dramatic leaps that might not be apparent if you’re playing in standard tuning. You can apply these ideas to any tuning that includes multiple octaves of the same notes: for instance you

could stack octaves of, say, C and F - CFCFCF - would be a really cool one to experiment with.

As with any tuning, the goal is to know the tuning so well that you no longer need to think about it, it simply serves as a conduit for your music. And yet tunings like this can open you up to melodic and harmonic ideas that might not have been apparent before.

BY PETER HODGSON

WHAT’S THAT SOUND THOMAS DOLBY

KEYS

It’s hard to talk about pioneers in electronic music, people who have made their mark and created their own sound, without mentioning the mad scientist himself, Thomas Dolby. The man who brought us ‘She Blinded Me With Science’ in 1982, is one of those special musicians who took to the keyboard and experimented with just how far its boundaries could be pushed. Nowadays, he finds a more classic sound in his music making, with his TED project, but is never far from the Thomas Dolby that we were all exposed to many years ago. It has been said that Thomas Dolby has over the years “blurred the lines between composition and invention”, and I think truer words were never spoken. He is an artist that has taken the art of making music and single handedly evolved it into some crazy experiment that sees to coming together of instruments and equipment never before dreamed of.

MORE THAN JUST A NAME As a youngster growing up in England, Thomas Robertson was always experimenting with keyboards and tapes to create new blends of sounds and music. His friends nicknamed him Thomas Dolby, so named after Dolby Laboratories who created the noise reduction process for music playback. Although strange that his noise-making should attract the name of a noise reduction process, nonetheless it stuck and soon became his stage name. When his 1982 record gained popularity, Dolby Laboratories took him and his record label to court to seek an injunction and stop him from using the name.

The court found that Dolby Laboratories had no right to the stop Thomas Dolby form using the name, so he was allowed to continue, so long as he didn’t release any electronic equipment under the name. And so, the mad scientist of modern music was set loose on the world.

BUILDING BLOCKS Dolby has a way of working when creating his music that starts out with little more than an idea that is allowed to grow until it becomes an aural artwork. He begins with an idea, a loop

even, and then adds a bassline, a drum pattern and anything else that comes to mind. For someone who is seen to be very synthetic in his music, it does fall back to a very organic way of working that simply allows ideas to grow upon themselves until a final product is derived. Lyrics are usually added later in the project when they come to mind, but rarely does he start out with a vocal or a story to tell. Rather, he starts out with a sound and takes it from there.

It is a very unique sound that Thomas Dolby created but one that was not completely removed from many other producers of the era.

There are many similarities to Art Of Noise who, led by Trevor Horn of ‘Buggles’ fame, were also known for their experimenting with combining unlikely sounds to create a musical outcome.

Where Art Of Noise focused more on sampling and recording environmental sounds to create music with, Thomas Dolby delved more into creating sounds with synthesizers and other instruments that also seemed unlikely to begin with. Because of this, their music does bare many similarities, whilst still both having a very different sound.

Because this style of music doesn’t necessarily

PG. 36 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014

lend itself to high chart placing, Dolby soon found a greater appreciation for his work in collaboration and session work that also extended too many behind the scenes roles in film and television scoring. ‘Howard the Duck’ immediately comes to mind, for those of you who have a penchant for bad 80’s movies.

Working in a number of collaborative projects over the years, Dolby didn’t so much as refine his sound; rather he extended it as fast as his grasp of technology allowed him to. This culminated in the 2006 launch of his The Sole Inhabitant tour that brought Dolby back as the one-man-band and allowed him to take control of a range of keyboards and studio gear in an impressive stage show that was part pantomime and part musical performance. Here, he revisited sounds and songs of his past with new technology and new

songs. Analogue drum machines still feature as a means of percussion, but the greater range of sounds available with both the vocoder and the range of synthesizers he has to work with shows a real development of sound over a career in experimentation. Perhaps more palatable than his early work, The Sole Inhabitant is in many ways a tribute to so many other pioneers of the electronic music era. I see and hear similarities with Devo, Horn and Jarr in this work that may or may not be intentional. That said, no matter how likely any similarity is, there is no doubting the fact that the sound of Thomas Dolby is very much a unique idea. When you hear it, you will know that sound, it is Thomas Dolby.

BY ROB GEE

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XYGE O O LLER I NTRO -AUD

M

O MIDI C ETAILS MK-4 PG. 6 FOR D SEE

Hot at your fingertips this month is our annual Keys Special! Yes, it’s that time of the year to explore the latest in keyboards, including both studio and stage pianos, as well as the impressively evolving world of synthesisers. If you thought this was all, you are deeply mistaken. We have also covered a range of MIDI controllers, which have recently become more prevalent in live shows, and serves as a great tool for studio use.

Whether you are contemplating upgrading your current set-up, or a beginner looking to get started on the keys for the first time, our team of experienced pianists have compiled an impressive guide that is sure to take the weight off your next purchase. So put those hands to good use and flip through this month’s special, then head down to your local retailer and try them out for yourself!

DISTRIBUTION DETAILS ELECTRIC FACTORY - (03) 9474 1000 www.elfa.com.au PRO AUDIO GROUP (AUSTRALIA) - (02) 9521 4844 www.proaudiogroup.com.au YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA - (03) 9693 5111 au.yamaha.com

M-AUDIO KEYSTATION49 MIDI CONTROLLER KEYBOARD PRODUCT TYPE: USB KEYBOARD CONTROLLER DISTRIBUTOR: PRO AUDIO GROUP (AUSTRALIA)

SPECS:

RECOMMENDED FOR: This keyboard is perfect for the home recording beginner who wants to add a simple MIDI controller to their basic setup. Being lightweight, it can also serve as a useful live performance tool when you need to keep you gear to a minimum.

SOUND AND TONE: With the included Sonivox Eighty Eight Ensemble software package, you get a really good replica of a Steinway 9 foot piano right at your fingertips Running off the simple presets in this software without even delving deep into it, you can hear how good this piano emulation sounds.

PLAYABILITY: It’s a bit of a shame this is only a 49 key instrument as you get an 88 key software instrument to go with it, but that aside, it is easy enough to navigate. Jumping up or down an octave or two is simple with the buttons located above the pitch and modulation wheels.

PG. 38 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014

CONSTRUCTION: A lightweight, simple build with very little that can go wrong in it. All the buttons respond well, the pitch wheel is a little slow to return, but aside from that, it is pretty darn good considering the price.

OVERALL: At the end of the day, you are getting a $150 dollar software instrument for the price, which means you are essentially getting an amazing keyboard controller for free when you register your software. So, what’s to complain about? For me, this is just a nobrainer; if you simply need some keys in your setup for playing or recording, this will be the perfect, affordable purchase.

NO. OF KEYS: 49 full size, velocity sensitive keys.

SIZE: 195mm (W) x 810mm (H) x 75mm (D) WEIGHT: 2.1kg MIDI CAPABILITY: USB only. iOS compatibility using the Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit (sold separately) CONTROLS: Pitch bend, modulation and octave controls.

Basic transport controls included to control your favourite DAW POWER: USB powered BUNDLED SOFTWARE OR ACCESSORIES: Includes Ableton Live Lite, SONiVOX Eighty-Eight Ensemble, a virtual piano instrument that captures a 9-foot CD327 Steinway piano, AIR Music Tech Xpand!2, a multitimbral all-in-one workstation.

M-AUDIO OXYGEN49 MIDI CONTROLLER KEYBOARD

RRP: $279.99

PRODUCT TYPE: USB KEYBOARD CONTROLLER DISTRIBUTOR: PRO AUDIO GROUP (AUSTRALIA)

PLAYABILITY: The layout of all the controllers here is a pretty standard affair.

Let’s face it, there’s a formula for how most electronic musicians like to work with their controller keyboards, and M-Audio have delivered it to a tee.

RECOMMENDED FOR: As both a live performance keyboard and as a studio production tool, the Oxygen 49 offers a wide range of features to ensure you get whatever task you have at hand completed.

SOUND AND TONE: Bundled with Sonivox TWIST synthesizer software and Ableton Live Lite, you get a great range of sounds from the Oxygen without even needing anything on your computer beforehand.

The Sonivox VST is a really wild sounding soft-synth that’s quite unlike anything else.

CONSTRUCTION: Although housed in a plastic chassis, there seems nothing wrong with the way this keyboard has been put together. The drum pads are tough and responsive, the faders don’t stick at all and the keyboard itself feels nice enough with a slight springy action.

OVERALL: All things considered, this is one hell of a controller for the price point. M-Audio has done well to produce this unit and keep it valued where it is. You could say the Sonivox inclusion more than covers the cost with what you get out of that even before you take into consideration the keyboard itself.

SPECS:

NO. OF KEYS: 49 fullsize, velocity sensitive.

SIZE: 814mm (W) x 94mm (H) x 243mm (D) WEIGHT: 2.9kg MIDI CAPABILITY: USB only.

CONTROLS: 8 velocity-sensitive trigger pads, 8 assignable knobs, 9 assignable faders, transport controls for your DAW. Pitch bend, modulation, and octave controls. DirectLink automatically maps controls to popular DAWs: Ableton Live, Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase, and more.

POWER: USB powered only.

BUNDLED SOFTWARE OR ACCESSORIES: Includes Ableton Live Lite, SONiVOX Twist, a powerful spectral morphing synthesiser and AIR Music Tech Xpand!2, a multitimbral all-in-one workstation.

YAMAHA CP4 STAGE PIANO

RRP: $2999

PRODUCT TYPE: STAGE PIANO DISTRIBUTOR: YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA

PLAYABILITY: The wooden keys feel very much like a grand piano under your fingers. In fact, without going from one to another straight away, it is hard to tell that this is in fact a keyboard, and not a traditional piano. The response you get from the keys, and the way they are so precisely balanced up and down the 88 notes is faultless.

RECOMMENDED FOR: This is it when it comes to live performance in a stage piano. The CP4 is perfect for use on stage, or even in the studio when you simply want to rehearse, play live or record with great feel and high quality sounds.

SOUND AND TONE: The voices used in the CP4 are astounding. They are the best piano voices I have heard from Yamaha to date, especially the grand piano. They have so much expression and added detail in a way Yamaha have captured the multi-sample sounds.

CONSTRUCTION: For what seems to be a very heavy unit at first glance, as has been the case with so many stage pianos before this, the CP4 is incredibly light for what it offers. Further to that, I love the XLR outputs on the rear for running direct into a PA system without the need of additional DI boxes.

SPECS:

NO. OF KEYS: 88-key natural wood graded hammer action.

SIZE: 1332mm (W) x 161mm (H) x 352mm (D) WEIGHT: 17.5kg NO. OF PROGRAMMABLE SOUNDS: 433 voices INBUILT EFFECTS: Yamaha Virtual Circuitry Modelling effects MIDI CAPABILITY: MIDI Input / Output RECORD FUNCTION: Audio recording to USB memory stick.

FOOT CONTROLLER INCLUDED: Yes BUNDLED SOFTWARE OR ACCESSORIES: N/A

OVERALL: If you want quality grand piano and electric piano sounds on stage, it is hard to look past this keyboard. I had my favourites in the past, but they were all too heavy, Yamaha has set a new standard in stage pianos with the CP4.

PG. 39 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014

YAMAHA MOXF8 SYNTHESIZER WORKSTATION

RRP: $2299

PRODUCT TYPE: PRODUCTION SYNTHESIZER DISTRIBUTOR: YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA

PLAYABILITY: This keyboard is a dream to play. It has the Yamaha Graded Hammer Standard action in the weighted keys, which feel very much like a real piano keyboard. Working with the sequencer and voice selection is simple and easy too, allowing for complex sounds to be developed with ease.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Music producers and live performers who want a serious tool with a rock solid synth engine and a workstation interface will love this keyboard. It should be found in every production studio the world over, as working with this synthesizer is so great it will change your entire workflow.

SOUND AND TONE: The flagship MOTIF synth engine is behind the MOXF8, with PCM sampled sounds, Yamaha Mega-Voices as well as synthesizer modelling voices. There is very little this keyboard cannot do. The electric piano sounds are to die for.

CONSTRUCTION: This is a big, heavy synthesizer due to the weighted keys, but that is unavoidable given the nature of an 88 note keyboard. That said, the case is rock solid and houses the keyboard so it’s ready for use not only in the studio, but out on the road too.

OVERALL: Anyone who likes the sounds in an MX, MOX or MM synth is going to go ape for this beast. It takes everything that Yamaha has been working on in synthesizer development in recent years and packages it all into one monster of a keyboard. Put simply, I want one and so will you.

SPECS:

NO. OF KEYS: 88-key graded hammer standard SIZE: 1320mm (W) x 168mm (H) x 405mm (D) WEIGHT: 14.9kg SOUND: Digital recreations of pianos, EPs, strings, winds, orchestral textures, guitars, basses, drums, vintage and modern synth sounds. 1,152 presets + 72 drum kits POLYPHONY: 16 part multi timbral and 128-note polyphony FILTER: 18 digital filter models ARPEGGIATOR: 7,981 arpeggiator patterns and 4-part interactive arpeggio engine SEQUENCER: 16 track MIDI sequencer SAMPLING: N/A INBUILT EFFECTS: 97 Yamaha Virtual Circuitry Modelling effects MIDI CAPABILITY: Full MIDI CC spec, MIDI Input /Output/Thru jacks and MIDI over USB. PC INTEGRATION: Bi-directional USB Audio/MIDI DAW interfacing BUNDLED SOFTWARE/ACCESSORIES: USB cable, Steinberg Cubase AI

YAMAHA MX61 SYNTHESIZER

RRP: $949.99

PRODUCT TYPE: SYNTHESIZER DISTRIBUTOR: YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA

PLAYABILITY: The beauty of this instrument is that you can use it in your studio as a MIDI controller keyboard and make use of all the controls found on the device in you software. You can also record the audio from the MX61’s engine direct into Cubase for a lossless quality in the sound.

RECOMMENDED FOR: This keyboard is a real hybrid that tackles a range of uses very well. It acts as a controller keyboard for your DAW, but it also works as a stand-alone synth with a great range of sounds.

CONSTRUCTION: Built into a similar frame as the older Yamaha MOX series of keyboard synthesizers, but this time with a dark finish. You can be sure that even though it is a lightweight case, it will still kick on for many years of live and studio use.

SOUND AND TONE: With piano and synthesizer sounds taken from the MOTIF sound library, this simple keyboard has a great range of sounds to audition. It is easy to navigate through the sounds too, with 16 category buttons enabling you to break down the sound library and find what you need fast.

OVERALL: I love how this keyboard ticks the boxes in a number of categories.

This is the perfect choice for anyone who is unable to decide between getting a hardware synthesizer or a MIDI controller keyboard. It does both, and integrates their capabilities as well.

Best of all, this is all done with a MOTIF engine inside.

PG. 40 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014

SPECS:

NO. OF KEYS: 61 semi-weighted, velocity sensitive keys SIZE: 984mm (W) x 112mm (H) x 299mm (D) WEIGHT: 4.8kg SOUND: Yamaha MOTIF XS series digital sound engine realistic acoustic sounds like piano, electric piano, strings and drums to complex 8-element synth sounds. 1106 presets.

POLYPHONY: 16-part multi-timbral and 128-note polyphony FILTER: Digital filter models ARPEGGIATOR: Yes, seperate arpeggiator for each performance voice SEQUENCER: 16 track MIDI sequencer INBUILT EFFECTS: Reverb x 9 types (42 presets), chorus x 17 types (88 presets), insertion effect x 48 types (267 presets) x 4, master EQ (5 bands) MIDI CAPABILITY: Full MIDI CC spec, MIDI Input /Output jacks and MIDI over USB. PC INTEGRATION: Bi-directional USB Audio/MIDI DAW interfacing BUNDLED SOFTWARE/ACCESSORIES: Steinberg Cubase AI

YAMAHA P255 DIGITAL PIANO

RRP: $2199

PRODUCT TYPE: STAGE PAINO (WITH INBUILT SPEAKERS) DISTRIBUTOR: YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA

PLAYABILITY: With Yamaha’s GH graded keyboard, the lower keys are slightly heavier than the high keys to give the key-bed a more natural feel, just as would be the case when playing a real piano and having to drive hammers of different weights.

RECOMMENDED FOR: This digital piano from Yamaha is ideal for anyone who wants to play piano at home but doesn’t have the budget, nor the space for a real upright or grand piano. From beginners to advanced piano players, this is a worthy instrument.

SOUND AND TONE: With the use of four separate speakers housed atop and behind the cabinet, you get a full and natural sound from this digital piano. The internal sound bank is taken from some of Yamaha’s best piano sounds and compliments the speakers perfectly.

CONSTRUCTION: With Yamaha build quality and reliability, this keyboard is yet another example of a well-made instrument that has been designed to last well beyond the user’s needs.

OVERALL: Moving up from Yamaha’s lower priced digital pianos, the P-255 is an excellent piano for those looking for a better feeling keybed and higher quality sounds. This is an ideal home piano for a range of uses.

SPECS:

NO. OF KEYS: 88-key graded hammer (GH) keyboard with synthetic Ivory keytops SIZE: 1333mm (W) x 148mm (H) x 351mm (D) WEIGHT: 17.3kg SOUND: Pure CF sound engine - 24 presets divided into grand piano, electric piano, organ, clavinet/vibraphone and others.

POLYPHONY: 256 voices INBUILT EFFECTS: EQ, sound boost, chorus, phaser, rotary speaker, tremelo, auto-pan, reverb (Room, Hall1, Hall2, Stage) INBUILT SPEAKERS: 2 x 15W amps power round speakers with built in tweeters RECORD FUNCTION: 10 song, 2 track recording (MIDI), Audio (16 Bit, 44.1Khz, Stereo) RHYTHM TRACKS: 10 preset rhythm tracks + metronome.

BUNDLED SOFTWARE OR ACCESSORIES: Includes music rest and sustain pedal, free P-255 Controller App (iOS) available to download (requires i-UX1 connector)

YAMAHA TYROS 5 ARRANGER WORKSTATION

RRP: $7495

PRODUCT TYPE: WORKSTATION AND PERFORMANCE KEYBOARD DISTRIBUTOR: YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA

PLAYABILITY: With so much going on with the Tyros 5, it’s actually surprisingly simple to navigate around the front panel. Selecting voices, changing styles, adding patterns and recording are all a logical process as the intuitive layout works with the player and not against them.

RECOMMENDED FOR: For professional music producers and performers, this is the ideal workstation to give you all the tools you want within one unit. Ideal for house of worship installations to provide complete musical solutions.

SOUND AND TONE: The Tyros 5 features the pinnacle of Yamaha’s sound libraries complete with their Mega-Voice sounds that make these Yamaha keyboards so desirable. The level of multi-sampling that is involved with these voices gives them so much depth and clarity.

CONSTRUCTION: As this is the flagship model workstation from Yamaha, it’s been built to a very high quality. I have used these keyboards on a number of occasions and never felt there to be any issue with the build quality in both the keyboard or the optional speakers.

OVERALL: Tyros is obviously not the keyboard for everyone. Being a workstation of such design, it is ready to suit specific users and will meet their needs with plenty to spare, Additional upgrades in sounds and styles can tailor the Ttyros to suit your specific musical needs. This is the real deal, professionals only need apply.

SPECS:

NO. OF KEYS: 76 weighted keys, with initial touch + aftertouch SIZE: 1347mm (W) x 142mm (H) x 450mm (D) WEIGHT: 16kg POLYPHONY: 16-Part multi timbral and 128-note polyphony SOUND: Acoustic emulation and accompaniment emulation piano, electric paino, organ (+Organ World), ensemble voice. AWM stereo sampling. 1279 presets + 480 XG Voices + 37 Drum/SFX Kits INBUILT EFFECTS: 892 variations of reverbs, chorus’, compressors, EQs, noise gates, distortion,vocal harmony effects, vocoders and other vocal effects + virtual circuit modeling recreating vintage effects units MIDI CAPABILITY: MIDI A I/O, MIDI B I/O SAMPLING: Custom voice SEQUENCER: 16 track MIDI sequencer + multi-track audio playback RECORD FUNCTION: Recording time (max.) 80 minutes, recording format .wav (WAV format: 44.1 kHz sample rate, 16 bit resolution, stereo). 500GB hard disk PG. 41 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014

NORD LEAD 4 PERFORMANCE SYNTHESIZER

RRP: CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALER

PRODUCT TYPE: PERFORMANCE SYNTHESISER DISTRIBUTOR: ELECTRIC FACTORY

PLAYABILITY: This keyboard has been cleverly designed to ensure quick and easy use on stage for maximum results. Program recalling is simple and allows for you to access the sounds you want, when you want them. Added performance features like the Hold and Morph functions allow you to create great soundscapes with this unit.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Live performances when a range of wild synth sounds are needed. If you want to make an impact on stage both visually and aurally, then you really can’t go past the red case that signifies a Nord is in the house.

SOUND AND TONE: The engine within the Lead 4 is nothing short of exemplary. It has that classic Nord sound, with the ability to twist and tweak every aspect on the fly to build your own unique tone.

CONSTRUCTION: Like any red keyboard out there, these Nords are designed to be taken out on the road and return time after time. Beautifully adorned and built to take the rigours of liver performance, these keyboards are all they claim to be.

OVERALL: Aside from the pitch bend and modulation controls (I’ve never been a fan of Nord’s interpretation of these), there is nothing else I can fault on this keyboard. It looks smart, sounds great, and works a treat. This is the next generation in the development of the Nord Lead and it lives up to everything its predecessors would expect of it.

NORD LEAD A1 ANALOG MODELLING SYNTHESIZER

SPECS:

NO. OF KEYS: 49 velocity sensitive keys SIZE: 864mm (W) x 94mm (H) x 272mm (D) WEIGHT: 5.3 kg SOUND: Subtractive synthesizer with 2 oscillators per voice. All the classic waveforms are present, Saw, Square, Sine, Triangle, Pulse and PWM + 128 wavetables on OSC 1. 396 presets.

POLYPHONY: 20 note polyphony FILTER: 12, 24 and 48 dB low-pass filters + high-pass and bandpass filters. Transistor and diode ladder filter simulations of classic analog filters ARPEGGIATOR: classic arpeggiator with up/down, random and poly chord over a 4-octave range. 4 arpeggios can be run at the same time INBUILT EFFECTS: 5 effects in chain (bit crush, overdrive, talk effects, compressor, comb filter) plus delay or reverb MIDI CAPABILITY: Fully spec’d MIDI CC and SYS EX + MIDIclock. MIDI I/O jacks + USB BUNDLED SOFTWARE OR ACCESSORIES: Nord Sound Manager Software

RRP: CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALER

PRODUCT TYPE: ANALOGUE MODELLING SYNTHESISER DISTRIBUTOR: ELECTRIC FACTORY

PLAYABILITY: The soft action of the key-bed makes for a fast playing keyboard that lends itself well to the style of instrument this is. With all the controls on the left side of the case, you can comfortably tweak with your left hand, whilst still playing with your right.

RECOMMENDED FOR: The studio producer who is looking for that Nord sound. It brings the control and precision of a digital synth in line with the tone and freedom of an analog device to deliver a powerful production tool.

SOUND AND TONE: Aside from all the obvious stuff going on under the hood, including the amazing pre-set sounds included, what really deserves a mention is the filter section. A band pass, high pass and four different low pass filters with Drive, Resonance and Frequency control that all scream and give this synth real character.

PG. 42 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014

CONSTRUCTION: Built to the exacting standards you would expect of a Nord, this model does away with the wooden end caps in place of a slightly less bold metal plate. This makes it a slightly smaller footprint, perfect for squeezing into an already overcrowded studio where sound, not image, is the most important element.

OVERALL: Nord don’t make a huge range of instruments, but what they do make is great quality, and the Lead A1 is no exception, a brilliant studio synth that will still hold its own on any stage.

SPECS:

NO. OF KEYS: 49 velocity sensitive keys SIZE: 802mm (W) x 260mm (D) x 92mm (H) WEIGHT: 4.85kg SOUND: Oscillator models of multiple waveforms (traditional analog, extended analog, pulse waveforms, real-time algorithmical waveforms with additive, FM and formant synthesis). 400 presets POLYPHONY: 26 note polyphony, 4 part multi-timbral FILTER: 12 and 24 dB low-pass filters + high-pass and band-pass filters. Transistor and diode ladder filter simulations of classic analog filters.

ARPEGGIATOR: classic arpeggiator with up/down and random.

INBUILT EFFECTS: 6 effects in chain (flanger, phaser, ring modulation, chorus, ensemble and drive) plus delay and reverb for each timbre MIDI CAPABILITY: Fully spec’d MIDI CC and SYS EX + MIDIclock. MIDI I/O jacks + USB BUNDLED SOFTWARE OR ACCESSORIES: Nord Sound Manager Software

COMPOSE. ARRANGE. PERFORM.

BUY ANY TYROS 5 AND RECEIVE A

BONUS

*

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OR

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Optional speakers available separately

SEE, HEAR AND EXPERIENCE TYROS5 AT YOUR NEAREST DEALER: ACT Better Music

02 6282 3199

SA

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02 9824 2211

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02 9755 9999

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02 9648 1199

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07 4951 3437

yamaha.net.au

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UPPER MOUNT GRAVATT

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* REFER TO TERMS & CONDITIONS, OFFER AVAILABLE BY ONLINE REDEMPTION ONLY: YAMAHABACKSTAGE.COM.AU/PROMOTIONS/YAMAHA/TYROS5.ASP

PG. 43 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014

ROAD TESTED AVid PRo TooLS dUET RECoRdiNG iNTERFACE

RRP: $1375 DISTRIBUTOR: SOUND DISTRIBUTION PHONE: (02) 8007 3327 WEBSITE: www.sounddistribution.com.au SPECS

Many of you will be well aware of the Apogee Duet; it has been one of the more popular two-channel interfaces for the discerning audio enthusiast. Offering Mac users high quality audio I/O in a compact device, the Duet has always been slightly limited though in its user base. So, Avid and Apogee have teamed up to create a professional recording solution that combines the power of Pro Tools 11 software and now expands its user base to the PC world as well.

NEW HORIZONS With Windows users now invited to take advantage of the power of the Apogee Duet, the Avid bundle is sure to get a few eyebrows rising. There has been little competition in the high end two-channel interface market for Windows users recently, Avid realized this to be the case and wanted to offer a high quality interface to work with their software platform.

For me, this is exciting as I am now unboxing an Apogee Duet for the first time, having never previously considered doing so. Out of the box, there is only a minor difference between this and the standard Duet with the new version branded Avid Pro Tools Duet. Other than the difference in the logo printed on the casing, there is no difference to the hardware in how it operates or functions to the standard Duet.

IN USE This is a really sleek little interface. Built into a casing that is about the size of many interface remote controls, you get maximum quality from minimum desk space. A single rotary encoder that doubles as a button is all that adorns the top panel, with the inputs and outputs coming from a rear mounted breakout cable. Two XLR/TRS combination ins and two TRS outs keep it nice and simple. A headphone output on the front

of the unit allows for easy monitoring without tangling you cables. There are two touch pads on the top panel as well which can be configured for a variety of functions and four-strip LED meter shows levels clearly.

For those of you looking for a simple and compact front end device for Pro Tools, this new release from Avid is certainly worth looking into.

This almost reminds me of the original Mbox package from years back, but with a greater focus on AD quality so that you get the most form you software. Just because you only require one or two inputs, does not mean you should have to buy a large interface to get high quality.

The Avid Pro Tools Duet puts quality together with portability in a very stylish box.

BY ROB GEE

Pro Tools activation card included AAX plug-in bundle 24-bit/192kHz sound resolution Two combination mic/instrument/line inputs Two 1/4” balanced line/speaker outputs Stereo headphone out USB MIDI I/O for MIDI keyboard or DJ controller Premium Apogee AD/DA conversion Optimized mic preamps provide up to 75dB of transparent gain Soft Limit distortion and clipping protection OLED display HITS

• • • •

Compact, sturdy build High quality I/O with excellent connectors Bundled with Pro Tools software Mac and PC compatible

MISSES

• Delicate, fragile connection between unit and breakout cable • MIDI connection by USB only and no DIN connector

TC-HELiCoN PLAY ELECTRiC VoCAL EFFECTS PEdAL

Vocal effects and harmonies can really add to the professionalism of a live performance, but they’re hard to implement, especially for the singing guitarist. It’s difficult to get harmonies happening between band members sometimes: bad monitor mix, one or more vocalists having an off night – and that’s before you start to think about how this will all actually sound to the audience, which is the most important thing. TC-Helicon has tackled this problem head-on with the Play Electric, a floor-dwelling device aimed at giving the singing guitarist two things: interactive control over the creative execution of their vocals, and control over the quality of the final sound as heard by the audience.

FEET, DON’T FAIL ME NOW Play Electric is basically a multi-effects unit dedicated to the singing guitarist, whether they play electric or acoustic guitar, solo or in a band or duo (there’s also a model called Play Acoustic, which is specifically aimed at the needs of the acoustic guitarist). It features professional-level TCHelicon effects, including state of the art harmony processing. And because TC-Helicon is associated with TC Electronic, one of the finest guitar effect makers in the business and the company behind legendary units like Stereo Chorus Flanger, TC 2290 Digital Delay and G-System, Play Electric is overflowing with guitar effects and amp simulations.

The amp models are from the VoiceLive 3 processor and there are effects from the TonePrint range of pedals, including the Hall of Fame Reverb, Flashback Delay and Corona Chorus.

Each preset - whether it’s one of the onboard ones, one of hundreds you can download or one you make yourself can be enhanced with the dedicated HIT button, which adds additional vocal effects as you need them. For instance, if you only need a harmony in the chorus, or if you need a megaphone effect for three words in a verse, you can add those effects to your existing sound via the HIT button without having to dial in an entirely new preset. And you can store selected presets as ‘favourites’ to make setup easy. There are inputs for microphone and guitar (Guitar In and Thru jacks are included, in case you want to send the modelled sound to its own amplifier or bypass the effects completely), and Play Electric has the ability to sense the note or chord you’re playing on guitar and to then create a harmony based on what it hears! Play a D chord, sing a note over it and you’ll get a luscious harmony, then change to a Dsus4 and part of the harmony will shift too. The effect can be surprisingly complex, and it really aids in creating the illusion of several singers. There’s also pitch correction, which you can use for everything from the most subtle tidying up of errant notes to the full-on robot effects. There are also doubling effects which can be made to sound more natural or more artificial at your discretion.

SHUT UP AND SING! Just like TC Electronic guitar gear, part of what’s great about the Play Electric is that the presets aren’t ridiculously over-the-top like some other multi effect units. Some presets have very subtle effects on the ‘Hit’ button – a little doubling here, maybe some reverb there – which gives your music a little extra push for a big chorus or a moment here and there. Or there are more overt effects like additional harmonies or a megaphone effect. The

PG. 44 / mixdowN No. 247 / NoVEmBER 2014

pitch correction feature is handy, especially when used either very subtly or in complete overkill mode.

The guitar effects are good, although it can take some tweaking to make the amps sound natural.

They’re certainly useful in a cover band or duo situation where you need a lot of sounds without fuss, and they’re great for demoing song ideas, but it’s nice to have the option to bypass them too if you’d rather use your own amp. And embedded stereo RoomSense mics allow you to detect the pitch of instruments nearby, replace the cabled mic for headphone practice, or give you some muchneeded ambience in your headphone mix. There are some other handy features as well: MIDI jack (yes, you can ‘play’ vocal melodies on a keyboard), foot pedal jack for adding even more control, an auxiliary in for practicing or taking control of your live backing tracks (with a useful Vocal Cancel mode for singing over existing recordings), a headphone jack, stereo outputs, and a USB connection, which you can use to update the software and to share new patches.

AND VOCALS FOR ALL Although this is a great unit for singing guitarists, there’s also another very handy use for it: nonguitar-playing singers can use it to put control of their vocal processing - and particularly their harmonies - at the feet of their band mate or musical director so they can focus on performance, or to simply take a feed off the guitarist in order to control intelligent harmonies. And even singers who don’t play guitar or have a guitarist to work with can use the aux input to detect the pitch of backing tracks. Ultimately, anyone who needs to create harmonies from a musical source can benefit from this great little gadget.

BY PETER HODGSON HITS

• Easy to control • Great vocal effects • Awesome intelligent harmonies MISSES

• None!

RRP: $749 DISTRIBUTOR: AMBER TECHNOLOGY PHONE: 1800 251 367 WEBSITE: www.ambertechnology.com.au SPECS

Complete vocal path including Tone, Harmony, HardTune, Reverb, Double, Delay, μMod (chorus/flange, etc.), and Transducer (megaphone/distortion FX) Global Adaptive EQ, Compression, De-ess, Gate and Pitch Correction Note-perfect Vocal Harmonies using Auto Chord Detection from guitar input 2 Voices of NaturalPlay Harmony, plus 2 voices of humanized Doubling TC Electronic guitar FX with styles from Flashback Delay, Hall of Fame Reverb and Corona Chorus Dedicated Guitar and Vocal FX access/edit buttons Separate vocal and pro-quality guitar outputs or stereo mix VLOOP™ performance looper for vocal and/ or guitar with undo and redo Loop time: Stereo: 15 seconds with Undo (30 seconds without). Mono: 30 seconds with Undo (60 seconds without) RoomSense microphones for monitoring and practicing Key/Scale harmony mode for setting specific song keys via the footswitches Plug in and practice with your mobile device via AUX or stream tracks and record over USB including a Vocal Cancel function USB for audio streaming and connection to VoiceSupport, our free app for firmware updates, preset management, and tips & tricks Compatible with the MP-75 Modern Performance Vocal Microphone and Sennheiser e 835 fx microphone with Mic Control Optional Switch-3 for additional performance control Headphone output

ROAD TESTED AVID PRO TOOLS QUARTET RECORDING INTERFACE

Although many of you would find that two inputs is sufficient most of the time, I am sure you all have those moments when you know you could make better use of a couple of extra inputs, or even a spare pair of outputs on your audio interface. This is exactly the concern that Avid and Apogee have addressed with the Avid Pro Tools Quartet. Taking the Apogee Quartet interface and bundling it with Pro Tools software is one thing, but making it available to both Mac and Windows users really turns this into a versatile tool for home and professional studios alike.

EXTENDED REACH Like with the Avid Duet, Apogee have produced this interface to the same specifications as their standard Quartet, but it bears the Pro Tools branding and works on the Windows platform as well as Mac. What the Quartet offers is the ability to extend your recording capabilities when you most need it. Four analogue inputs on combination XLR/TRS connectors allow you to truly make the most of your intimate recording sessions. But, if that wasn’t enough, you have two optical inputs as well. This

means you can use external preamps and run them via light-pipe into the Quartet for further inputs.

Depending on the sample rate you are working on, you could run up to 12 simultaneous inputs with both ADAT connections giving you four inputs at 96 kHz. That makes for a pretty awesome input device for its size and price.

THE FLIGHT DECK Offering more inputs means a bigger hardware device, obviously, so the Quartet has a little more space on the somewhat imposing case to offer additional control. You get a single rotary encoder/ button for volume control and data entry but additional functionality is also added with three configurable touchpads. You can easily select between speaker and headphone monitoring too and quickly jump from one input to another with the touchpads located below the LED monitoring section.

My only real gripe is the lack of a physical DIN MIDI connection on the device. Although, in this day and age, with most new MIDI devices are heading towards a USB interface, it is still nice to be able to

easily connect legacy hardware up to your interface to keep it all running through one device. That said, it is a minor issue and anyone running serious outboard MIDI gear probably has a dedicated I/O device for this purpose anyway. So, that aside, this all comes together as a powerful recording system.

With the Pro Tools iLok included so you are ready to go after installing the software, high quality home recording and production is now so much more of a reality.

BY ROB GEE HITS

• Serious home studio front AD/DA • Wide range of I/O including word clock output • Easily expandable inputs with two optical ins MISSES

• Slightly imposing desktop design • MIDI connection by USB only and no DIN connector

RRP: $2350 DISTRIBUTOR: SOUND DISTRIBUTION PHONE: (02) 8007 3327 WEBSITE: www.sounddistribution.com.au SPECS

Pro Tools activation card included AAX plug-in bundle 24-bit/192kHz sound resolution Four combination mic/instrument/line inputs Eight channels of ADAT/SMUX input via Toslink Six 1/4” balanced line outputs for three speaker sets or 5.1 monitoring Stereo headphone out USB MIDI I/O for MIDI keyboard or DJ controller Premium Apogee AD/DA conversion Optimized mic preamps provide up to 75dB of transparent gain Soft Limit distortion and clipping protection OLED display

DV MARK DV40 212 COMBO GUITAR AMPLIFIER is designed to be a ‘next generation’ reverb, with an emphasis on being sweet-sounding and natural. The previous incarnation of the DV40 had an Accutronics spring reverb.

The speakers are a pair of DV Mark Neoclassic 12” drivers, and the cabinet is surprisingly light (only 20kg, which for a combo is practically nothing). Construction quality seems generally good, although I did notice the covering peeling away from the front panel.

DV Mark has revamped its DV40 212 combo for 2014 with some very cool new features including a cosmetic revamp, which addresses one of the main criticisms of that amp: the layout. Before the controls were located on top of the unit, now they’re punched up on the front and are aligned in an easy-to-use fashion. Now each channel is off in a little section by itself, with the master, presence and reverb controls in between. But let’s step back and take a broader look.

TAKE YOUR MARKS The DV40 212 is a two-channel 40 watt combo amp, designed for either intimate gigs or louder

concerts. Each channel has its own dedicated tone stack with bass, middle and treble controls as well as a gain control and a volume control.

Channel 1 is the Clean channel and channel 2 is Drive, although there’s a fair amount of overlap as we’ll soon see. Channel switching is via a little front-panel switch or with a footswitch which connects via a TRS jack in the back. There’s a series effects loop too, with a level switch (0/15dB) for selecting between rack and stomp effects.

The tubes include a single ECC83 in the preamp section, with a pair of EL34s and an ECC83 in the output section. The reverb is digital, and

THIS IS 40 The first channel is capable of everything from a clear, sparkling bell tone, to a mean and punchy countrified clean with a decent amount of overdrive. From memory it seems to push out a little more gain than the previous version of the amp did, and you’ll even get up to a ‘George Lynch rhythm tone’ level of crunch out of this channel. The cleans are so beautiful and distinct that you’ll probably find yourself spending more time than you planned to just exploring what the clean channel can do. It’s great for jazz, blues and country, and it’s got plenty of grunt for AC/DCstyle rhythms as well. The dirt channel sounds big and fat, with plenty of available gain from light overdrive to Vernon Reid-esque saturation. It’s not a particularly tight-sounding channel so you might not want to use it for brutal syncopated palm-muted metal riffs and downtuning: the low end is a little bit too full and thick for that kind of thing. But if you’re after a full-bodied lead tone, muscular chords - say, more the Mastodon end of heavy tone than the Pantera end - you’ll find a lot to love here. It responds beautifully to changes in pick attack and phrasing, and equally well to volume control level changes.

The reverb sounds very ethereal and spacious.

I think I prefer this to the old version’s spring reverb, since spring reverb has such ‘classic rock’ connotations (not that that’s a bad thing) that perhaps some players might prefer this more studio-style ‘verb. Oh the DV Mark logo lights up green when you’re on the Clean channel and red when you’re on Drive. How cool is that!

DV ON THE RADIO The DV40 212 isn’t a modern metal amp - it lacks a high gain channel in the chugga-chugga metal sense - but if you play blues-rock, fusion, indie,

RRP: $2295 DISTRIBUTOR: CMC MUSIC AUSTRALIA PHONE: (02) 9905 2511 WEBSITE: www.cmcmusic.com.au SPECS

Power Output: 40W Preamp Tubes: 1x ECC83 Power Tubes: 1x ECC83 + 2x EL34 Channels: Two Controls (each ch): Gain, Master Controls (common): Presence, Rev EQ Controls (each ch): Bass, Mid, High Speaker size: 2 x 12” DV Mark NEOCLASSIC Speaker impedance: 8 ohm Footswitch input for channels switch and rev Send FX level switch 0/-15 dB Voltage selector: 120V/240V Dimensions: 70.5cm (W) x 27cm (H) x 58cm (D) Weight: 20.1 Kg HITS

• Improved reverb • Cool lights • Flexible Clean channel MISSES

• No bedroom level: it’s either loud or louder • Rough finishing.

classic rock, psychedelia, stoner rock or even certain kinds of vintage metal, there are plenty of tones in here for you to really dig into. And if you were on the fence about the previous version of the amp, this new iteration might just push you over the line.

BY PETER HODGSON

NOVEMBER 2014 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / PG. 45

ROAD TESTED

STRAUSS SUPER-BLUES SSB-30 GUITAR COMBO Amplifiers were first produced under the Strauss name in 1962, when the company was formed in Melbourne by John Woodhead and Gary Nessel. Their amplifiers were there at a time when it was hard to get gear from the USA or UK, so they represented unique Australian takes on what guitarists of the day might want. Billy Thorpe used the 300 watt Strauss Warrior amp to blitz the ears of all at the legendary Sunbury Rock Festival, and for a while Strauss amps were everywhere. But the company ceased production in 1973 and for a very long time the only way you could find a Strauss was by trawling the used market. But today the name has been revived by Jade Australia, another company with a long history of providing gear to Aussie musos.

DAMN RIGHT I’VE GOT THE BLUES The Strauss SSB-30-BLK Super-Blues is a 30 Watt all-valve combo amp. It has a single channel, although it’s much more flexible than you might expect from a single-channel amp due to some clever features. The controls include treble, middle, bass and presence controls for your tone-shaping, along with a master volume, a gain control, a ‘Fat’ switch and a real spring reverb tank. There’s also a top-mounted series effects loop (labelled Preamp Out and Power Amp In, which is kind of an old-school way to do it, and therefore a nice nod to Strauss’s oldschool history).

The tubes include three Ruby Tubes 12AX7s in the preamp section and a pair of Ruby Tubes 6L6s in the power amp. The speaker is a highquality 12” Eminence beast. The construction quality seems generally quite good, although the top-mounted handle is a little too thin to be comfortable, and that can be a problem when you’re trying not to drop an amp on your toe.

STILL GOT THE BLUES For testing I used my Taylor Solidbody with three mini humbuckers and my Fender American Vintage ’62 Stratocaster reissue. I decided to set the amp to ‘kill’ and then rein it back from there.

With the gain maxed out, the sound is round and smooth rather than hairy and harsh: it’s great for that Tommy Emmanuel-style lead tone where you need detail and articulation but not at the expense of warmth. The Fat switch certainly does thicken things up but it’s more of an overall ‘tonal choice’ thing rather than a way of faking a second channel. It certainly added some girth to my Strat’s vintage-output single coils.

Rolling the gain back introduced a level of high-end shimmer that wasn’t present before and really brought out the ‘string zing’ from my Strat, and the chewy, edgy grit of my Taylor.

Add the Fat switch and you’ll get a distinctive, clean tone that is perfectly suited to SRV-style blues or country: turn the Fat switch off and you’ve got a great platform for effect pedals.

The reverb control only has a usable range of a few clicks before it overwhelms and saturates your sound, but those fine points before it gets there sound really nice and lush. The effects loop is very handy for adding some delay or sending an output to another amp for big stereo sounds.

HOW BLUE CAN YOU GET? This is a very affordable amp which does a lot of things quite well. It never quite crosses over into ‘$10,000 boutique amp’ levels of tonal complexity but at this price point it’s not trying to. It’s just a well-voiced, flexible, portable, crankable amp which carries on the Strauss legacy with respect.

BY PETER HODGSON

RRP: CALL FOR PRICING DISTRIBUTOR: JADE AUSTRALIA PHONE: 1800 144 120 WEBSITE: www.musocity.com.au SPECS

Power Output: 30W Preamp: 2 x Ruby Tubes 12AX7 Output: 2 x Ruby Tubes 6L6 output valves Channels: One Speaker size: Eminence 12” Controls: Input, Gain, Fat Switch, Treble, Bass, Mid, Volume, Presence, Reverb, Features: Power Amp In, Preamp Out, Standby, On/Off Switch

DV MARK DV JAZZ 12 GUITAR COMBO The requirements of a jazz guitarist are much different to those of a blues, rock, country, indie or metal guitarist. Essentially, a jazz guitarist needs an amp that can deliver pristine cleans, and one that can emphasise the natural tone of the guitar with just enough of the amp’s own character to add some smoothness and depth too.

ALL THAT JAZZ The DV Mark’s DV Jazz 12 is a 45 watt solid state combo amp with onboard reverb. It’s a classy little box that almost looks like it’s dressed in a tuxedo. The controls are all top-mounted and you get a full suite of EQ: treble, middle and bass, plus a volume control, reverb level control and an auxiliary input jack for plugging in an iPod, CD or mp3 player. It’s the same preamp and power amp section as the smaller 8” speaker version that’s available, but this one features a 12” DV Mark Custom speaker. The reverb is DV Mark’s latest generation digital reverb, which seems to be the same kind that’s included in the DV 40 212 combo reviewed elsewhere in these pages.

On the rear panel you’ll find a balanced XLR Line Out for sending a signal to a mixing desk for studio and live applications. There’s also an internal speaker on/off switch so you can silently practice using headphone (and there’s also a 1/8” mini plug for headphones on the back). Don’t worry: because this is a non-tube power amp, you can’t cause all sorts of electrical apocalypse by turning off the speaker the way you would with a valve amp. Oh and there’s a speaker out for connecting to an 8 ohm extension cab.

By the way, this is an extremely light amp, which is great news for performing guitarists who hate lugging gear around. You could carry your guitar case in one hand and the amp in the other and never get that awful “uh oh, I’m off balance - do I let my guitar hit the wall, or my amp?” feeling that we’ve all known and dreaded at rehearsal studio load-ins.

A LIGHT TOUCH For testing I used my Gibson Les Paul Traditional with Seymour Duncan Seth Lover humbuckers, which are faithful recreations of the earliest Gibson PAF humbuckers from 1955. What I discovered immediately was that the DV Jazz

12 really prefers to be presented with a neck pickup sound. This is to be expected of course, since the neck pickup is where the vast majority of jazz guitar playing occurs. The bridge pickup sounded thin, twangy and slightly honky through the DV Jazz 12, yet the neck pickup sounded full, multi-dimensional, almost piano-like and yet with a sweet softness around the edges. It’s an extremely listenable sound that just makes you want to keep playing for hours.

The digital reverb adds a lush bed of ambience, and higher levels seem to thicken up the reverb effect rather than simply make it overwhelm the program material. It’s one of the nicest-voiced digital reverbs I’ve ever come across, especially when you’re using such a pure clean sound with it.

JAZZ YOU WERE This is a surprisingly loud, complex-yetsimple-toned amplifier which is great for live performance, recording, or just getting jazzy around the house. It helps that it looks like a classy piece of kit, and it’s so damn light that you’ll want to take it everywhere just in case the mood strikes you for some full-bodied, ambient, sonorous tone.

BY PETER HODGSON

RRP: $1050 DISTRIBUTOR: CMC MUSIC AUSTRALIA PHONE: (02) 9905 2511 WEBSITE: www.cmcmusic.com.au SPECS

Preamp Amp: Solid State Power Amp: Analog Controls: Master, Bass, Mid, High, Rev Power: 45WRMS@8ohm / 60WRMS@4ohm Speaker size: 1x12” DV Mark Custom Impedance: 8 ohm Size: 43.5cm (W) x 42.5cm (H) 30.5cm (D) Weight: 8.6 kg Other Features: Aux In, Headphone Out, XLR Line Out, Speaker ON/OFF

PG. 46 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014

HITS

• Great reverb • Loud enough for most situations • Mixer output MISSES

• None!

HITS

• Creamy lead tone • Clear clean tone • Handy effect loop MISSES

• Skimpy carrying handle • Only one channel • The reverb can get out of control really easily

NOCS NS900 PROFESSIONAL DJ HEADPHONES PRESONUS ERIS E5 ACTIVE STUDIO MONITORS misinterpret what I am saying here though. These are not in any way lacking due to their frequency response, they are simply not designed for critical studio listening. In a loud DJ booth when you need to hear your cue tracks, these headphones will perform very well, reminding me of certain German models that have been popular the world over.

Every now and then a new contender makes their mark in the fight for headphone supremacy. This battle is usually fought in the DJ realm, where the weak are usually quickly separated from the strong and those that remain do so for a reason and not because they bear the name of some rap star or come in a range of fancy colours. So, I am always willing to entertain the idea of a new contender, introducing NOCS with their NS900 headphones.

JUST LISTEN When all is said and done, headphones are really about sound. Form and function are also important factors to be considered, but ultimately sound should always be the deciding factor. So, I immediately went to my personal selection of tracks that separates the strong form the weak when it comes to testing a set of headphones. Pleasantly, I got what I was hoping for with the NS900s. As a set of DJ headphones, I wasn’t looking for a perfectly flat frequency response, but rather one that allowed me to hear the essential elements in the track and to be able to do so with plenty of headroom too. Don’t

THE LOOK AND FEEL OF IT ALL Well, let’s try and forget the looks. Yes, they are sleek and stylish, but that is about as far as it should go. These are a tool, so functionality should trump aesthetics here, and though they look good, it shouldn’t be the drawcard of the product. They are built really well, and that is important. The headband takes a lot of stress and will easily take any punishment you throw at it. The compact ear pads don’t pinch the ears or allow them to heat up with extended use either. They are easily adjustable for length, but sadly don’t allow the user to invert them for single ear monitoring. That said, they can be remounted to the frame to offer this monitoring method, but it require disassembly and cannot be done on the fly.

Bundled with a carry bag and a range of cables, the NS900 will not only work for you in a DJ booth, but they can connect to your iPhone or iPad as well with a comms connecter, allowing a built-in microphone in the specific cable to work with your phone. Of course, as they are Swedish designed, form and function is appealing with these headphones, but at the end of the day, the sound will prevail.

BY ROB GEE RRP: $299 DISTRIBUTOR: ELECTRIC FACTORY PHONE: (03) 9474 1000 WEBSITE: www.elfa.com.au HITS

• Crisp transient response at low and high volumes • Lightweight, comfortable design • Works with DJ consoles, iPhones and iPads MISSES

• Limited flexibility in ear pad placement

low frequency delivery to make them sound bigger than they actually are. The front ported design allows them to be used close to a rear wall, but being of the slotted nature, the porting doesn’t tend to chuff as air is expelled from the cabinet, keeping physical operation noise to a minimum.

In all, these monitors tick all the boxes for a pair of home studio speakers in their price range. I wasn’t overly excited about the gain and EQ pots on the rear of the unit, but then again, you really only need to set them once and never really touch them again.

So, with that in mind, the flat design of the knobs is probably a good thing in that it stops them from getting damaged if you move the speakers about.

BY ROB GEE Presonus have given us a range of active studio monitors over recent years, and with each release they refine not only the drivers creating the sound, but the system backing it to work better in a range of small rooms and home studios. What we are now presented with is the latest in Eris active studio monitors from Presonus. The E5 is designed to be the ideal monitoring tool for a compact home studio.

CONTROLLED SOUND What the Eris speakers try to do is make it as simple as possible for you to get a linear frequency response in your home studio. Obviously, every room is different so this is no easy task, but Presonus have taken a lot of the guesswork out of it for the end user. There is a three stage switch that allows you to tailor the sound of your monitors to suit the space you are working in. So, whether your monitors are near the walls of the room, or more central, you can adjust the low frequency response at the flick of a switch to match their positioning and take away the increased low frequency response you get from placing speakers in a corner.

JUST RIGHT Given a small room, once you have set the acoustic space controls and got you input gain set to a level that suits the rest of your system, you should find these to be a very workable pair of monitors. They do not deliver too much volume, as it is not needed for near-field monitoring, nor do they create a false

RRP: CALL FOR PRICING DISTRIBUTOR: NATIONAL AUDIO SYSTEMS PHONE NUMBER: (03) 8756 2600 WEBSITE: www.nationalaudio.com.au SPECS

Connections: Balanced XLR, balanced 1/4 “ TRS, unbalanced RCA line-level inputs.

Acoustic Tuning: Mid, High, Low cutoff (Flat, 80Hz, 100Hz), Input gain.

Speaker: 5.25” with 1” silk-dome tweeter Driver: Kevlar low-frequency Power: 45W Amplifier: Class AB SPL: up to 102 dB Frequency Response: 53Hz to 22kHz Enclosure: Vinyl laminated, medium density fibreboard.

HITS

• Easily allows for simple adjustment depending on room shape • Includes a range of input connections • Offers a precise audio playback within the capabilities of the LF driver • Front ported for greater use in small rooms MISSES

• Gain and EG pots are hard to align evenly between both speakers

NOVEMBER 2014 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / PG. 47

ROAD TESTED PREmiER GENiSTA BiRCH dRUmKiT Chrome lugs, Die-cast ISO tom mounts (only on the Maple variant), 2.3mm triple-flange hoops, Roklok Tom Mount and Supersonic Premier drum heads. Crucially, you get a full set of double braced awesome hardware with memory locks and including a second boom/straight stand and bass drum pedal. Overall, it’s a convincing argument so far.

Premier drums have been around for decades with some extremely successful lines. In the 90s, perhaps the Genista Birch was the most popular, with the flagship Signia close behind. Striking looks and punchy tones meant that everyone was interested. Well, ladies and gentlemen, the Genista has returned.

IT’S ALL IN THE BUILD The original Genista was an exclusively of Birch construction. Premier has re-released the kit with the option of two shell types – American Maple or the classic and original Birch. I got to have a go on the birch variant in a Stage 22

configuration featuring a 22x18” kick, 10x8”, 12x9” quick toms, 14x14” floor tom and a 14x6” matching snare drum. There are a lot of other very useful configurations to suit with shorter toms and smaller bass drums, as well as full rock set ups with two floor toms. You can also add on drums as you please, pretty handy really. There’s also some great wraps, lacquers and finishes available including some striking sparkles such as the Burnt Orange I tried.

Each Genista features 5.6mm 7 ply internally lacquered shells the toms and floor toms undersized by 3mm for easier tuning. You also get the awesomely oversized Genista Diamond

THAT PREMIER FEELING The kit immediately felt good to play with a little give in the heads. The overall sound is full and punchy. In a way, it’s almost a fraction EQ’d. Birch has always had this characteristic to me. You get more focused tone with fewer overtones. The undersized toms are easy to tune and responded to minute adjustments well. The Bass drum was nice and full with a fat tone. Interestingly, it sounded fatter when I stood up and leant forward meaning that your audience is really getting the full sound. The snare drum, despite being an 8 lug drum, still responds well to tuning and yields a really full tone with a heap of balls.

There’s decent crack when cranked higher but really, the drum preferred medium to low tuning.

I put a zero ring on the snare when tuned low and it was deep and oh-so studio like. You can thank the 6” depth for that. I would prefer a 10 lug snare to be able to handle higher tensions though. The throw off was smooth enough but not life changing.

OVERALL Overall, Premier have done a good job bringing this kit back to life. Some will buy just on the looks alone. The lugs really do have great presence. I would be curious to hear the Maple version to compare, but for me, Birch is a really nice alternative with a fuller tone. It’s also great that the price of this kit isn’t astronomical either.

BY ADRIAN VIOLLI

RRP: 2769.99 (Birch), $3079.99 (Maple) DISTRIBUTOR: MUSIC CONNECTION WEBSITE: www.musicconnection.com.au HITS

• • • •

Punchy Sound, Great looks Full hardware Configuration options Good Value

MISSES

• 8 Lug Snare Drum • No floating toms on Birch variant

mAToN SRS 808 ACoUSTiC GUiTAR Maton is an Australian guitar success story: their guitars are used by players all over the world, from Tommy Emmanuel to Josh Homme (even Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong and Guns N’ Roses legend Duff McKagan have been known to hoist Maton axes). The new SRS808 is another in a long line of fine Maton acoustics that blend the traditional with just enough of the modern.

Let’s check it out.

DO ME A SOLID The new SRS 808 has a solid Blackwood back and sides for warmth and fullness, and a Western Red Cedar top for high end clarity. Maton has employed a forward shifting of the X braces, and the shifting of scallop peaks to nodal points around the soundboard to help enhance the vibration of the top. The sound hole rosette is a Sapele ring, and there’s tasteful black binding around the top and back. The neck is made of Queensland maple with an Indian rosewood fretboard and 6mm mother-of-pearl dot inlays.

The shifted X braces allow for the inclusion of a second, parallel tone bar, and this permits the scalloping of both tone bars and spreads the load while reducing mass.

“Adjusted bracing heights as well as a locked 15 foot radius for the arch of the back, gave us the plate resonance separation we were looking for between top and back,” Maton says. “We now have the full, open, lower frequency response we were looking for as well as a crisp, well defined treble response.”

Electronics are handled by an AP5 Pro preamp.

This system incorporates a piezo element as well as a suspended microphone, giving you the zing of the strings as well as the warmth and resonance of the body itself. Each signal has its own independent volume control, and there are global sliders for treble, bass and volume, plus a pair of knobs for the midrange: the FQ knob is a mid sweep which governs the frequency, while the MID control is the level control. The FQ control’s frequency spread covers 600Hz to 2.4kHz.

doesn’t take a huge wallop to get a great tone out of this guitar: it sounds fantastic when you play softly too. And upper fret access is actually a little easier than it looks. In fact, the whole guitar is extremely playable right out of the box, with nice low-medium string height that makes it easy to wander up and down the entire neck with no discomfort. The neck shape itself is also very welcoming to long playing sessions.

It’s especially finger-friendly for wide chord voicings that might find you stretching by five or six frets. This is a great guitar for fingerpickers, strummers, flat pickers… anybody who wants a sweet-toned acoustic - not boomy and punchy like a dreadnaught, but with lots of nuance and detail for ‘solo accompaniment’ work.

The construction quality is flawless, from the nice solid neck joint to the firmness of the tuners to the finishing of the frets. And the piezo/mic/preamp system is well implemented, unobtrusive and perfectly tuned for great tone no matter what you play it through. The sweepable midrange really kicks it up a notch. A tuner would have been a nice touch.

808 STATE This will be the ultimate small-bodied guitar for many players. It really brings it all together: tone, playability, looks and construction quality.

BY PETER HODGSON

BRACE YOURSELF This is a very sweet-toned instrument with a gentle, but clear high end, muted bass and a vocal and a harmonically rich midrange. The dynamic range is nice and wide too, yet it PG. 48 / mixdowN No. 247 / NoVEmBER 2014

RRP: $2099 DISTRIBUTOR: MATON GUITARS PHONE: (03) 9896 9500 WEBSITE: www.maton.com.au SPECS

Woods Used: Top: Cedar Back: Solid Blackwood Sides: Solid Blackwood Neck: Qld Maple Pick-Up: AP5 PRO Case Included: Maton Hard Case HITS

• Stunning playability • Great natural dynamics • Flexible preamp MISSES

• No tuner

ROAD TESTED

PACK OF THREE

RRP: $199 (single), $399 (three pack) DISTRIBUTOR: DYNAMIC MUSIC PHONE: (02) 9939 1299 WEBSITE: www.dynamicmusic.com.au

FiSHMAN FLUENCE SiNGLE widTH PiCKUP FOR STRAT When you hear the name Fishman, you instantly think of amazing guitar pickups. And rightly so as they are known to make some of the best pickups for acoustic guitars as well as associated preamp systems to compliment these pickups.

But, most of you would not generally think of tricking up your Fender Strat with a Fishman, unless you were going for that piezo in the bridge that might struggle to translate. Well, all that is about to change as Fishman have finally dipped their feet into the electric guitar market with their first magnetic pickups for Strats.

CLASSIC IN-FLUENCES What these pickups offer is a whole new take on the classic “copper coil around a magnet” design. Given the variations that can occur with different windings of a pickup, and the damage that can occur when a copper coil is mistreated, Fishman dropped this idea for what they claim to be 48 layers of traces around the magnets. This presents a more even static field and delivers a noiseless reproduction of the signal captured

SPECS

Voice 1 Peak Frequency: 4khz Voice 2 Peak Frequency: 3khz Magnetic Material: Alnico Iv Magnetic Circuit: Rod Magnets Typical Gauss Strength At String: 260 Gauss Pole Spacing: 52.2mm Output Impedance: 2k Current Draw: 2.4ma Battery: 9-Volt / Fbp100 Battery Life: 200 Hours

from the string’s vibrations. It all sounds a little technical, and ultimately requires a battery to run the system, so instantly there will be some tone junkies out there who will be fearful of these pickups before they have even heard them. But, let’s not get lost in the past and allow ourselves to miss out on what Fishman have brought to the table in their first attempt at amplifying the electric guitar.

HOT AND COLD What the Fluence pickup gives you, is the ability to get multiple sounds from a single pickup without having to vary the amount of copper coils or the size of the magnets. You can get two very different voices in these single coil pickups to suit a range of uses. The first being a classic, vintage tone and the second a hotter, Texas style voicing that still has plenty of high frequencies and still sounds very much like a Strat pickup. Easy to wire in, these pickups drop in to replace standard pickups and don’t need any modification to the guitar at the installation

SINGLE

HITS

stage, so you can swap them in and out of each and every guitar you own, if you like. Or, just buy a set for every Strat in your collection and be done with it. If you like high output, low noise pickups in your Strat and are a little tired of how all the others sound, perhaps the Fishman Fluence could be the next pickup for you.

BY ROB GEE

• Easily wires in like a standard pickup • Noiseless, even tone without irregularities • Multiple voicing from single pickups MISSES

• These are going to be a hard sell to tone junkies • Batteries always feel like a nuisance in a magnetic pickup

CUSACK TAP-A-dELAY EFFECTS PEdAL Delay pedals come in all sorts of flavours - retro, modern, analog, digital, but sometimes you want a little bit of digital-style control over an analog-style tone, and this is where a lot of delay pedals fall flat. The true analog stuff is too unruly for the kind of fine control that digital can give you, while the digital stuff usually sounds too polite to really pass for analog. What to do, what to do? Well, the Cusack Tap-A-Delay might just have a solution for you.

This purple and green pedal offers up to 750ms of delay time. It features dials for level, mix, feedback, delay and an eight position modulation rotary control, while there are two three-position mini-toggle switches (Mode and Divide), two momentary-style footswitches (Tap Speed and Bypass) and two LEDs (Tempo and Status). You can connect other devices that accept an external tap control for other Cusack devices - it works as either an out or in, so somebody else can tap your delay - for example, maybe your drummer can keep a tap switch close by so they can deftly adjust the tempo of your delay. Or you can control the tap tempo of your singer’s own delay unit. The Divide switch allows you to subdivide the tap rate between eighth note, dotted eighth note and quarter note settings, while the Mode setting interacts with the Tap Speed footswitch for what Cusack calls Braking - this causes the pedals delay time

to increase or decrease depending on where you set the mode switch, and it can create some truly trippy sounds.

The modulation options include zero modulation in position one, then gradually increasing moduation between positions 2 and 6. Position 7 increases the delay on a virtual tape, making the repeats increase in both pitch and tempo, while position 8 does the opposite. Once either reaches its maximum or minimum delay speed, it snaps back to the start of the cycle, which is a really cool effect that adds a bit of a random vibe to your music. So there’s plenty of warm, random, analog-feeling sound to be explored here, yet with a wealth of tap control options and modulation settings that take it far beyond what a regular analog delay pedal can do.

It’s a bit of a bummer that the Tap-A-Delay is mono, since ping-ponging stereo outputs would be an absolute riot, but the sheer number of usable sounds, both controllable and chaotic, makes such concerns vanish into the distance just like the delay repeats. It’s a musical, fun and expressive pedal that doesn’t always clue you into what it’s going to do next, but that’s part of what makes it so much fun. This is really a delay pedal that plays you just as much as you play it.

BY PETER HODGSON

HITS

RRP: $275

• Original sounds • Unique configuration options

DISTRIBUTOR: GLADESVILLE GUITAR FACTORY PHONE: (02) 9817 2173 WEBSITE: www.guitarfactory.net

MISSES

• No stereo

HERMidA AUdiO ZENdRiVE EFFECTS PEdAL The Hermida Audio Zendrive pedal was originally produced in small numbers by Alfonso Hermida, who worked for NASA prior becoming a pedal designer. He designed the Zendrive when trying to capture tones inspired by Robben Ford, finally locking down a final version in 2004. The originals sell for high figures on the used market, but the Zendrive is now made by Lovepedal in a much more affordable form.

The Zendrive has four controls: Volume, Gain, Tone, and Voice. Battery access is the oldfashioned way: unscrew the bottom of pedal.

Otherwise there’s a 9v DC jack below the input jack. For testing I used a Michael Kelly 1957 guitar, a Telecaster-like design with a flame maple top, Michael Kelly humbucker in the neck position and Seymour Duncan Little ’59 in the bridge (with coil splits for each pickup), through my Marshall DSL50’s clean channel.

The first three knobs do pretty much what you’d expect, although they seem carefully voiced to never, ever make you suck. The fourth is really fun because it utterly revoices the pedal. Turn all the way to the left and the sound becomes very dark and deep, yet it never looses power. Go all the way to the right and it becomes extremely edgy and cutting, with that same hair and grit around the edges that you would expect from a very high-quality valve amp turned up very, very loud. The Zendrive has a cutting upper-midrange

poke, and this voicing is slightly deceptive in that it makes you feel like you’re playing through more gain than you are, perhaps at louder volumes than you are as well. It seems to goose the guitar sound in just the right frequencies to give you that same kind of confidence in your playing that you feel when you’re hiding behind a wall of gain, and yet it preserves every little detail and nuance and makes you want to play at your best.

There are some really amazing tones lurking in the extremes of the Tone and Voice pedals, especially when you max out one and turn the other right down. In other words, if you’ve got the Voice control cranked to its edgiest, you can soften the corners by turning down the Tone control. Or if you’ve cranked Tone to ten, you can get a smooth, creamy, sunny-sounding solo voice by turning Voice all the way down. There are also various ‘sweet spots’ here and there that you’ll find as you explore different balances of these two controls, and some of them are emphasised more when the gain is lower rather than higher. It’s kind of amazing that a pedal designed with one particular sound in mind is so very interactive and adaptable, but there it is. And the Zendrive pumps out enough output to work really nicely as a boost pushing an overdriven amp into distortion.

This is one of those pedals that rewards you for

investing time in it and for listening to it and reacting to it rather than simply playing through it. It’s definitely one for those who want to be heard rather than players who want to mesh into the musical landscape.

BY PETER HODGSON

RRP: $229 DISTRIBUTOR: GLADESVILLE GUITAR FACTORY PHONE: (02) 9817 2173 WEBSITE: www.guitarfactory.net HITS

• Powerful midrange cut • Flexible Voice control • Well made MISSES

• None. Awesome pedal.

NOVEMBER 2014 / MixdOwN NO. 247 / PG. 49

ROAD TESTED

SHURE QLXD24/BETA58 WIRELESS MICROPHONE SYSTEM such system, the Shure QLXD24, is one that I’ve wanted to test out for a while now, given that I have used just about every other Shure wireless system of late and I was keen to give this one a run-in. The good news is that this month I’ve had the opportunity to do just that, and I was rather impressed with the results.

With the digital dividend about to kick in for radio transmission here in Australia, it is good to see a range of new wireless microphone systems hitting our shores that work within the new confines of the digital transmission laws. One

UP AND RUNNING Within a few minutes of having the box open, I had the QLXD24 ready to go. I love it when simplicity in design results in a quality product like this. There’s a lot going on under the hood of this half rack spaced receiver, but you need not worry about any of that, as it is designed to do the thinking for you. Upon start-up, the QLXD4 receiver scans for available frequencies, then it takes a matter of moments to sync it up to your receiver and you are ready to go. That’s it. It is about as closed to plug and play as you can get with a wireless system.

Should you be operating a number of these units, you can manually assign them to certain channels and sync them separately to their appropriate devices. If you are taking it one

step further, Ethernet networking is available with mobile monitoring so you can control every aspect of the digital signal chain should you wish. But, for my purposes of running a single unit, it is so much simpler to just let the QLXD4 do the thinking for me.

We recently checked out the TC Electronic Alter Ego X4, a vintage-vibed delay unit occupying the same footprint as the mammoth Flashback X4 Delay. The Alter Ego X4 is a larger pedal that’s perfectly designed for stage use, but perhaps you don’t want a single pedal with such a foot on your pedalboard. Perhaps you want a more conventional compact delay pedal that’s still packed with vintage tone. Well, my friend, meet the Alter Ego V2 Vintage Echo.

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN The Alter Ego V2 Vintage Echo is built into the same style enclosure as the Flashback Delay, Hall of Fame Reverb and other pedals on that

AM I REPEATING MYSELF? The Alter Ego V2’s tones are incredibly warm and ‘non-digital.’ A lot of care has gone into making them as funky and distinctive as the original

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

COMPATIBLE SYSTEMS PER FREQUENCY BAND: 17 per 6 MHz TV channel, 22 per 8 MHz TV channel AUTO SET UP FEATURES: Scan AUIDO REFERENCE COMPANDING: No PC CONTROL: Yes RECEIVER NETWORK ABILITY: WWB6 RACK HARDWARE: Included

IN THE HAND In this system, I tested out the QLXD24/BETA58 wireless transmitter. With a pair of AA batteries inside they are supposed to run for about 9 hours, depending on conditions. So, what did it sound like? Just like a BETA58 essentially, perhaps with less noise, yet still retaining that BETA58 high frequency response. The 24 bit digital transmission means you get pretty much everything that goes in at one end coming out the same at the other. A full frequency response is delivered, just like if you were using a high quality cable, nothing is lost, even the lower frequencies. The only real issue was that I had to give it back!

HITS

BY ROB GEE

MISSES

• Quick and easy setup • Excellent transmission range without interference • Outstanding frequency response from digital converters • Sounds just like a BETA58

• None!

TC ELECTRONIC ALTER EGO V2 EFFECTS PEDAL ilk. It features nine exclusive deal sounds crafted

by TC Electronic and ProGuitarShop based on specific iconic vintage delays (some of them quite rare and not usually found among the usual gang of suspects of analog-inspired digital delays). There’s everything from sweet saturated EchoPlex-style repeats to the magnetic drum delays of the legendary Echorec, an exclusive modulated take on TC’s own 2290 delay unit and more. There’s also a TonePrint memory slot so you can download a preset via USB or smartphone (hold your phone up to your guitar’s pickups, hit a button and the preset will be sent as digital chatter through your guitar to the pedal) - or you can make your own with a desktop program on your computer. There’s also a looper mode, with 40 seconds of looping There are four knobs: time, feedback, level and mode. And a subdivision mini-toggle lets you select quarter notes, dotted eighths or a dual delay combination of both. There are stereo inputs and outputs, so you can discreetly process a stereo signal or split a mono signal into stereo delays. And like all TonePrint pedals, you’re given the option of true or buffered bypass depending on your signal processing needs. And the dry signal stays all-analog.

RRP: CALL FOR PRICING

units they’re based on, and this means some of them will have an acceptable level of grit and growl, or warble and flutter: whatever is most appropriate for the sound being modelled. But the option of stereo operation really opens the unit up to wider experimentation than would be possible with a vintage unit. Naturally it sounds great in an effects loop whether you’re running a clean or a dirty tone, but one of the real joys of this pedal is when you plug it through a clean amp’s front end to really warm up the tape-style delays. The 2290 reverse mode is plenty of fun for psychedelic sounds, and the model based on the BOSS DM-2 is uncannily similar to my memories of the original. There’s a great Space Echo mode too which is perfect for Devin Townsend-like background spaciness.

ECHOES OF THE PAST If you’re after clean, electronic-sounding digital delays then you really owe it to yourself to check out the Flashback or Flashback X4 because they’re just loaded with modern sounds and they deliver them in a really clean way. But what really makes the Alter Ego V2 kick butt is the way it captures the smears, smudges and artefacts of old-school pre-digital delay units. Many players will want both types of effect in their rigs, but if you’re after one delay that can do it all - up to about the early 1980s - the Alter Ego V2 is a must-try.

BY PETER HODGSON

RRP: $349 DISTRIBUTOR: AMBER TECHNOLOGY PHONE: 1800 251 367 WEBSITE: www.ambertechnology.com.au SPECS

9 exclusive delay modes custom tuned by ProGuitarShop and TC Electronic 11 delay types including looper Audio Tapping 7 seconds of delay 40 second looper Stereo in & out True Bypass Analog-Dry-Through Delay Time, Feedback and Repeat controls Spillover on/off Easy battery access Small footprint High quality components Road-ready design HITS

• Authentic tones • Stereo ins and outs • Lots of control over each sound MISSES

• Expression pedal control would be cool.

VOX AMPLUGS synthetic, but the delay and reverb settings are really handy, especially since this kind of rightin-your-ear sound really benefits from a little ambience.

The idea behind Vox’s amPlug range is simple: “Plug in, rock out.” The Vox amPlug range plugs directly into your guitar, has minimal controls, and very, very little that can go wrong. (Turned down the volume before hitting the power button? Got enough juice in the AA batteries? Then you’re good to go). The original amPlug line features eight different models: Night Train, Twin, AC30, Classic Rock, Lead, Metal, Acoustic and Bass.

The redesigned amPlug 2 range is made up of four models: AC30, Metal, Classic Rock and Bass versions.

Compared to the original amPlug range, the amPlug 2 line has been redesigned with a more authentic-looking, left-justified Vox logo and a swivel jack which is better able to plug into a variety of guitars with unique jacks including Fender Stratocasters and Ibanez Jems/Universes, which could be a little squeezy with the old system.

Each unit features three little thumbwheels: on

the guitar models these control volume, tone and gain. There’s also an effect button which scrolls between three different effect presets - in each case there are three modulation, three delay and three reverb presets. There’s also an auxiliary input and a headphone output. In the case of the bass model there are controls for volume and tone, while the third knob is the level control for nine inbuilt rhythm tracks to jam along with: hold down the little button on that one while scrolling the wheel and you can adjust the tempo of the track.

Very clever.

AC30 This amPlug does a great job of capturing the essence of the classic Vox AC30 tone in a bite-size form. It’s probably not going to fool Brian May or Jimmy Page, but it sounds great on its own merits with a good range of tones from ringing cleans to big fat overdrives. The modulation feels a bit

PG. 50 / MIXDOWN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014

CLASSIC ROCK Designed to recall classic British 100 watt stacks (you know the ones I mean), the Classic Rock amPlug actually has a bit more gain than you might expect of a purely classic rock tone. It’ll take you all the way into 80s hard rock territory and its mid-boost mode is great for soloing. The modulation seems like a better fit here than on the AC30 version, and again there’s a great range of gain. You could cover all of Van Halen’s ‘Hot For Teacher’ with this bad boy.

METAL The Metal amPlug nails the extended low end and compressed gain structure required of metal, but it’s also surprisingly good for semi-clean tones of the blues-rock variety, especially if you use humbuckers. But its real reason to live is to crank out ridiculous amounts of gain, and it does that very well. I hit it with high-powered humbuckers and it didn’t break a sweat. It’s very handy for those atmospheric Slayer ‘spooky section’ clean tones as well as more modern metalcore rhythm crunch.

BASS The bass model is a little more restrained in its sound-sculpting abilities since it has no way to

adjust the gain: you’re pretty much stuck with a clean sound and a tone control. The tone control has plenty of usable range to dial in everything from a deep round sound to a sharp Megadethian clang, and the nine rhythm tracks cover all sorts of grooves. In that sense it becomes even handier than the guitar amPlugs: it feels like you’re actively doing something for your playing rather than jamming out for fun.

These are all handy little units and they all cover a surprising amount of territory for something so small. The fact that they all use all-analog circuits will appeal to a lot of players who are turned off by the idea of digital modelling units and modelling apps: everything you hear is generated the oldfashioned way, and responds accordingly.

BY PETER HODGSON RRP: $59.95 DISTRIBUTOR: VOX AUSTRALIA PHONE: (03) 9693 5111 WEBSITE: www.voxamps.com HITS

• Wide range of tones • Now fits more guitars • Idiot-proof design MISSES

• No control of effects parameters

PG. 51 / mixdowN NO. 247 / NOVEMBER 2014

THAT REFRESHING CLASSIC SOUND

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PG. 52 / mixdowN No. 246 / oCToBER 2014

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