X-Press Volume Special #1304

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PRODUCT NEWS

DV7 Booster

PEDAL PERFECTION

DV Mark, an Italy-based manufacturer of guitar amplifiers and effect pedals, unveiled six – yes, six – new effect pedals last week at the 2012 NAMM show, the world’s largest musical industry trade convention. Like everything else DV Mark makes, the pedals are 100 per cent constructed in Italy with passion and careful attention to thousands of details. The products include the flexible distortion pedal DV7 Distorsore, the clean boost EQ pedal DV7 Booster, the harmonic-rich DV Fuzzer, and ultracompact DV Mini Boost, DV Mini Dist and DV Mini Drive. For more information on the DV Mark range of products, phone CMC Music on (02) 9905 2511 or visit cmcmusic.com.au.

Greg Koch

FENDER BENDER

The Fender Roadshow is a unique opportunity to see, hear, feel, and play the latest Fender guitars and amps, as well as a selection of the finest custom shop models. During a two-hour show, the prodigiously talented international guitarfiend Greg Koch and his supremely gifted band will demonstrate all the latest Fender gear while playing some rockin’ tunes. At the end of the show there will be plenty of “hands-on” time to check out all the gear for yourself. This special event is an absolute must for all guitarists, bassists, and musiclovers! It all goes down on Thursday, February 23, at The Bakery from 7pm.

ROCK THE MIC

Make room in the mic locker for your new goto mic. The RE320 is the latest addition to the Electro-Voice RE Performance Group of wired microphones – culling key features of the venerable RE20 and RE27 N/D Broadcast Group products into an exceptionally versatile studio and live performance mic. Engineered for stellar performance in virtually any imaginable application, the RE320 delivers excellent results when mic’ing vocals or instruments in the studio or on stage. Designed to meet the demanding needs of project and pro studio operators, performers (live and studio) and engineers, as well as podcasters and broadcasters at any level, the RE320 brings heritage Electro-Voice technology and performance to bear an exciting and versatile new product.

Guitar Apprentice

THE APPRENTICE

Get ready to shred like never before with Guitar Apprentice, a full-scale, electric-guitar-style controller that transforms iPad into an axe-shredding beast. Simply place your iPad into Guitar Apprentice’s fitted holder, open the Guitar Apprentice app, and you’re ready to go. Guitar Apprentice can be played anywhere as it requires no cables or external connections. Guitar Apprentice’s strings can be strummed together or plucked individually, and its 14 fretboard-fret buttons mean you can easily play thousands of songs. This amazing guitar-learning app is also compatible with dozens of popular iPad apps, including GarageBand. Head on over to guitarapprentice.com to purchase the app.

WHAT’S YOUR MOVE?

A change is a comin’! One of WA’s largest music stores Joondalup Music Centre is moving to bigger and better premises on the corner of Winton Road and Mercer Lane, right opposite the store’s popular school of music. To celebrate the forthcoming grand opening of the new store, Joondalup Music Centre is putting up enough equipment to fit out a whole band in the What’s Your Move competition.

The impressive prize list features an ESP VT 1000 Viper Deluxe electric guitar, a Marshall MG101FX12 100-watt combo amplifier, a Gretsch Blackhawk 5 piece drum kit with cymbals and stool, an Ibanez SR200EX electric bass, a Peavey Tour TNT 115 600-watt bass combo amplifier, a Phonic 800-watt PA system, an AKG D5 microphone, and a Yamaha PSR-S650 keyboard. To find out how you can score this awesome setup click on over to joondalupmusic.com.au.

BEGINNERS LUCK Ace Frehley with the new Budokan Les Paul

SEALED WITH A KISS

Making its debut in 1977, the Budokan Les Paul became Ace Frehley’s main guitar when KISS’s fame was exploding around the world. To honour the music legend, Gibson Guitars have recently released a recreation of the one-of-a-kind instrument. Gibson worked directly with Frehley to analyse the guitar and replicate it down to the tiniest detail. Features of the new model include a period correct 3-piece hard Maple top, 3-piece Mahogany neck with volume and Grover tuners with pearloid buttons. The total package includes a custom hardshell case silkscreened with Ace’s signature, a numbered certificate, the famous Eagle sticker, and a presentation binder which also includes a photograph of Ace with his Budokan Les Paul. Head to gibson.com for the full list of specs and prices.

COLOUR ME HAPPY

Yamaha have recently announced striking new colour schemes for their Stage Custom Birch and Recording Custom drum sets. The Stage Custom Birch kit now comes in sleek matte black and striking honey amber finishes. The renowned Recording Custom drum kits are now available in vibrant new deep blue and antique sunburst colours with Japanese Hokkaido birch shells and pristine interior and exterior finishes.

SOUNDS OF SUMMER

CX Summer Roadshow brings a one day trade show to the Hyatt Regency Perth Hotel on Tuesday, March 6. The roadshow features 12 exhibitors, over 20 seminars and events, and an exhibition floor showcasing heaps of new sound, light and vision products that is intimate enough to navigate in just a few hours or even minutes if you are only window shopping. Seminars start in the morning, and the trade show opens at noon. Best of all, it is completely free to attend and there are even free drinks from 5.45pm until 7pm. Contact sean@soundtown.com. au for registration details.

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Learn how to play piano or guitar in just one long weekend at the internationally renowned, “musical myth-busting” Understanding Music Seminar. Over three sessions you’ll learn how to play notes, chords, scales and how to improvise jazz and blues on keyboard or guitar. What’s more, you’ll also learn how to read music, so you can play the music you want to play. Since it began in 1991, more than 8,000 people have graduated from this incredible weekend seminar in 16 countries across 5 continents. You could join them and be playing music quicker than you ever dreamed possible!

This phenomenal music experience hits town on Friday, February 17, ‘til Sunday, February 19. Click over to understandingmusicseminar.com.au to secure your place.

GET GIGING

Soundbooka, a new online booking platform for musicians and DJs, is set to change the way musicians are booked for gigs. Described as a cross between job search website Seek and professional social network LinkedIn, Soundbooka promises to increase musician’s exposure and is designed to make life easy for event organisers, and more lucrative for musicians. The unique platform acts as a personal online booking agent, and allows artists and their managers greater control over their gigs. On Soundbooka, artists are invited to register for free and, once verified, receive exposure in front of venue and event bookers. All artists will be featured through professional profiles with personalised visual, video and audio cues, as well as a full calendar of availability. There is also a feedback functionality that will host a rating for those who have been booked. Click over to soundbooka. com to sign up and start giging.

ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM

Since the original Zoom H2 SD launched in 2007, it’s become somewhat of a staple in the years since.

Now, some four years later, it’s time for a refresh. The recently launched Zoom H2n comes complete with a bolder design, five studio-quality microphones and a foursome of recording modes: Mid-Side stereo, 90° X/Y stereo, 2-channel and 4-channel surround sound. With such an impressive list of new features and capabilities it seems destined to carry the H2 legacy to new heights. Check out zoom.co.jp for the full list of specs.

X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

JOEY JORDISON Slipknot’s Sic Sound

Before gracing the stage at Soundwave on Monday, March 5, drummer Joey Jordison takes they time to talk about his progression as a percussionist with TRAVIS JOHNSON. Growing up in Waukee, Iowa, Joey Jordison’s passion for drumming manifested at a very early age.

“I was seven or eight, yeah.” he recalls.

“It was a while ago. I started on a department store drum kit - basically, you might as well say a toy kit. I was super young, you know? So I started on that, and I beat it to death so bad. I got my chops up on this little kit that I had to keep duct-taping the heads together on, because I kept smacking holes in them. Basically it sounded like I was hitting cardboard boxes, but it didn’t matter, because I was getting my chops up. I had my kit in front of my parents’ stereo and I was playing everything from Black Sabbath to The Rolling stones to Led Zeppelin to The Beatles, all the way up until I started getting into KISS and Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. That’s how I really started to get into the technical stuff. John Bonham and Keith Moon were probably the start of me getting into the technical elements of drumming before I started getting into metal metal. The Who and Bonham are the ones that blew my mind as a kid. I tried to emulate them.

But once I started to get into metal, and the thrash movement came along with Metallica and Slayer and even Anthrax, and the double bass came in.”

And though his early explorations into the realms of metal drew on fairly obvious influences, these days Jordison likes to cast a wider net when it comes to refining his sound.

“It’s basically an evolution,” he explains.

“Now I listen to a lot of avant garde stuff. A lot of jazz and fusion and stuff, to try and develop my style a little... quirkier, I might say? And then, once I started getting into black metal, that’s when my style got up to about where it is right now. But I’m always learning; I don’t just play one style. I don’t play in one particular genre of drumming; I try to mix in as much as possible, and I think that’s what’s really enhanced my style.”

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The other key contributing factor is, as any muso will tell you, simply putting in the hours.

“Well, practice is everything. You can make a shitty Gemco drum set sound good if you know your way around tuning or muffling certain drums, the right heads, but the main thing is the drummer. It’s basically how you hit the drums, the action of your wrist, where to hit the drum pad - of course, if you’re going for a rim shot, that’s different. You’ve got to make sure you’re right in the middle. If you’re going for a rim shot, you’ve got to be on the outside. It’s pretty much like getting enough depth out of the drum, but being quick to pull back right after you hit it. It’s kind of like a release: getting out fast after you hit as hard as you can, and that gives you the best attack. Drums always sound better when they’re hit harder.

“But also,” Jordison continues. “You can’t just hit it with your arm. It’s all in the wrist, and it’s all in the ankle. I play heel up. If I’m in a slow groove, sometimes just to get a heavier sound I’ll play foot down, or sometimes even in a heavier groove, like straight 4/4, say like Psychosocial, just on the main riff, it’s pretty four-on-the-floor, so I’ll play more with my arm instead of just my wrists, because it’s a heavier groove. The faster stuff is definitely heel up and a lot in the wrist. I’m developing the technique based on what the song calls for, and a bunch of different exercises. Don’t just stick to one thing; try to explore different avenues. Listening to different types of music is what helped me. Where I get a lot of style from, weirdly enough, is not just metal but jazz. That’s where I get a lot of my complex stuff, and a lot of the way that I hit the drums. Jazz is a whole different world, but mixed with extreme metal drumming, it becomes a whole new beast.”

Drawing on such diverse influences means Jordison requires a fairly versatile kit, in his case a custom job by Pearl. “Right now it’s the same

Slipknot’s Joey Jordison kit I used on the All Hope Is Gone tour, which is the Reference Series kit, with the whole rack system and everything. All the hardware on the kit that I’ll have in Australia is actually gold plated - actual gold.

It’s not spray painted or a flake finish or anything like that. It really sticks out live, with all the lights and everything. I use Alesis electronic triggers, so I mix half trigger and half acoustic. The kit that I’m using is the same drum set that I use in the studio.

Sometimes I’ll use coated heads if the track’s a little heavier and needs a deeper tom sound, and the snare’s always coated, and I use Emperors across the board for my toms. I have to have it all, and if I don’t have it all, I’m not giving it all. I haven’t got anything just for show - I use everything that I have.

Everything starts with the meat and potatoes of the beat of the song, which is kick, snare, and hat. If I stick with just that, I think I can get by.”

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X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

PRODUCT REVIEWS

WITH CHRIS GIBBS

PRIMACOUSTIC VOXGUARD NEARFIELD ABSORBER

The Primacoustic VoxGuard is a high performance ambient noise absorber designed to surround the microphone and reduce unwanted sounds from contaminating the recording. This nearfield absorber works by creating an acoustic boundary around the microphone that at once contains the voice while eliminating room reflections.

Unlike competing products that employ complex steel parts, making them both heavy and cumbersome, the VoxGuard is light-weight and extremely easy to use. Straight out of the box, the VoxGuard is in one piece and comes with very simple attachment parts for fitting to a microphone stand. The design makes positioning the VoxGuard easy without the usual fear of the stand falling over. This makes the VoxGuard effective when used with round base stands, tripods and even large studio booms as mics can be set on a stand positioned over or under the guard. Once mounted, a rear access cable port allows the microphone to be articulated and directed at a specific source, thus enabling the VoxGuard to also be used as an acoustic screen.

A high-density open cell acoustic

Primacoustic Voxguard Nearfield Absorber foam liner absorbs the voice range while keeping room ambience out to produce a dry rendering.

This is particularly important when attempting to record in rooms with less than ideal acoustics or in noisy spaces. Since the VoxGuard is 50% larger than competing products, unwanted noise is significantly reduced and performance vastly improved.

The VoxGuard is an essential tool for recording clean vocal takes in a home studio setting. It retails for $149.

Zoom H2n Handheld Recorder

ZOOM H2N HANDHELD RECORDER

A high-quality reliable and relatively simple recording device suits regular recording, and Zoom’s H series handheld recorders are designed with regular and frequent recording in mind. The H2n has amazing versatility in its wide variety of recording formats: 24 bit/96kHz WAV files format for the highest audio quality or MP3 format in almost any bit rate when long recording capability and smaller file sizes are the priorities. Even 4-channel, 360° recordings can be made in 24 bit/48kHz format. The H2n records to Secure Digital (SD) media and a 512MB SD card is included. The H2n can accommodate up to a 32GB SDHC card, allowing up to 50 hours of total recording time using the 16 bit/44.1kHz WAV format.

The H2n has dual X/Y configured stereo microphones facing front and rear, ideal for capturing an authentic stereo image. After recording, a built-in 3D panning function gives the user full control over the front, rear, left and right balance. Utilising readily available authoring software, 5.1 surround sound recordings can be created, a feature no other portable digital recorder possesses. The Auto Gain Control (AGC) function and low-cut filter allows the H2n to automatically record at the right level while eliminating unwanted low frequency noise. Alternatively, manual control of the gain levels is achievable with the Low/Mid/High gain selector, with fine-tuning of levels provided by gain control buttons on the front panel.

The H2n also has a number of useful tools that will be welcomed by musicians, including an input jack for external stereo microphones which supports plug-in power, a stereo line input for analog sources such as cassette tapes or LP records and a built-in tuner and an on-board metronome. A desktop stand, microphone clip adaptor, earbuds, a windscreen, USB cable, and a 1/8-inch to RCA stereo cable are also included.

The H2n packs a lot of versatility and features into a very small package, and serves as the ideal recording solution for live gigs, rehearsals and home studio projects. The Zoom H2n retails for around $279.

DEAN USA RAZORBACK RUST TRIBUTE GUITAR

IPB-10 Programmable Pedalboard

IPB-10 PROGRAMMABLE PEDALBOARD

Made in the USA, The Dean USA Razorback Rust Tribute electric guitar is striking to behold with its hand-airbrushed ‘rusted metal’ finish, which adorns the entire instrument. The headstock, emblazoned with the official Tribute crest and the pearl razor fretboard inlays make this one mean guitar to look at.

It’s an angry sounding guitar with ultra-gain and metal guitarists will be very impressed with the overall tonality. The harmonic overtones are rich and well-balanced. Surprisingly, amidst all this aggression there is a gorgeous clarity to the instrument; even at high gain settings a six-string extended chord will sound out unwaveringly. The pickups also react reasonably well to clean amp settings for lighter moments. The guitar holds its tuning exceptionally well and the neck is even and fairly easy to get around on, although some tinkering with the action and pickup height to suit individual tastes is always recommended.

This USA custom guitar normally retails for $5999, Guitar World Cannington have a special deal on this rare instrument for $4999.

The iPB-10 Programmable Pedalboard combines the simplicity of a pedalboard with the flexibility of a multi-effects unit by utilizing iPad technology, allowing truly unique creation and control of guitar effects.

The iPB-10 allows guitarists to create their ultimate pedalboard, all on an iPad. Up to 10 different pedals, can be dragged and dropped in any order, to the pedalboard. An amp and cabinet model can also be added to each setup. There are 87 different pedals, 54 amps, and 26 cabinets to choose from. All adjustments to rearrange pedals, turn them on and off, or to adjust their settings are made by swiping a finger across the iPad screen via the iPB-Nexus app, designed to build and control the pedalboard.

The iPB-10 retails for $749.

ISTOMP STOMPBOX

The iStomp works just like every other stompbox, with one unique and groundbreaking difference: players can completely change the iStomp to be any pedal in the entire pedal line, by connecting an iPod touch, iPhone, or iPad to the iStomp and selecting a pedal from the DigiTech Stomp Shop App. Guitarists can change the iStomp from a distortion to a reverb, a phaser to an overdrive, a delay to a chorus, anything that takes the user’s fancy. The iStomp includes DigiTech’s Total Recall digital delay and Redline overdrive to get players started.

The iStomp technology allows players to test run pedals with their own gear before purchasing, a feat previously only achievable by inconveniently lugging guitars and amps to music stores. Through the app, users can listen to a demo of all the pedals but unlike all other stompboxes any effect can be loaded into the iStomp for five minutes to see how the pedal sounds through individual players’ rigs and setups.

Check with your favourite DigiTech dealer for i-Stomp price and availability.

Dean Usa Razorback Rust Tribute Guitar

PRIMACOUSTIC LONDON 8 ROOM KIT

iStomp Stompbox

The Broadway London 8 room kit is designed for small rooms. Ideally suited for home studios, these kits are an affordable way to start the acoustic treatment of a home studio. The panels are made from high-density fibreglass, offering nearly five times greater absorption than typical low cost foam alternatives. This means that more absorption with less panels, while assuring an even absorption curve throughout the frequency range. The London 8 room kit is available in three fabric colours to help match the panels to various rooms. The only thing that the kit doesn’t seem to have included is a rough guide of where to place the panels for the less-experienced home engineer / producer. The London 8 Room Kit retails for $399.

Many thanks to Guitar World for letting us review their products.

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X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

MUSIC ROCKS AUSTRALIA

APPRECIATE MUSIC THE LOWDOWN: Catering to beginners and advanced students alike, Appreciate Music run four different courses with a practical and relevant approach to developing music theory, harmony and composition skills. Each of the courses runs over 10 weeks and class numbers are limited to ensure facilitators are able to address the needs of individual participants.

Class Act

Combining first-rate music instruction with an ‘all-inclusive’ ethos, Music Rocks Australia is bringing musicians from different backgrounds together to experience the joys of music.

JENNIFER PETERSON-WARD reports.

The brainchild of lifelong music educator Dean Blanchard, Music Rocks Australia (MRA) is a revolutionary music education program dedicated to offering the encouragement and support that will allow musical gifts to surface and grow in the full spectrum of music forms.

After a successful career developing contemporary music programs for the public school system in WA, it became apparent to Blanchard that the academic approach most school systems employ could not reach the bulk of young people who would most benefit from music participation.

“I noticed there was this whole bunch of kids with long hair who listened to Metallica, and kids with hats who were really into hip hop who had a passion for music but just didn’t want to engage with it at school,” Blanchard says.

Using music as a tool for inspiration and skills, MRA are aiming to create “the world’s most inspiring music experience for young people”.

“We go ‘bang, you wanna be in a band?

We’ll put you in a band.’” Blanchard says, “They choose the songs. We don’t have a repertoire. That’s the big difference.”

Blanchard and his team of educators have ensured an all-inclusive program for students, which encourages exploration and takes individual interests and abilities into consideration.

“We really do operate in a different world

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Dean Blanchard and some of his students

THE DIFFERENCE: Theory is often a neglected component of music yet it is essential to success.

Appreciate Music’s harmony and composition classes not only teach students how to understand and appreciate the function of chord progressions, but also give students the opportunity to write their own piece, have it performed by professional musicians, and take away a recording to share with friends and family.

LOCATION: University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley from all other music programs. Everyone’s benefits and WEBSITE: appreciatemusic.com.au we can guarantee success for elite young musicians, CONTACT: 0400 120 375 to absolute beginners,” Blanchard says. “There is no audition and we get results for performance quickly for those without experience or who don’t normally get a shot. Even at the beginners level we are world class.”

Blanchard is quick to point out that MRA can also help established musicians and already-formed THE LOWDOWN: Dedicated to developing top local bands by providing access to quality equipment, young talent, Castlerock Institute of Music specialises in all aspects of music; from teaching beginners how state of the art recording facilities and support.

“The hardest thing for [young musicians] to play their first instrument, to recording their first is keeping a band together. If someone in your band professional music video. Whether you’re a beginner leaves we can help find a replacement,” Blanchard says. learning your first instrument or an experienced “We’re also about to become a recording label. We professional looking for something new, Castlerock are coaching [young musicians] through the whole have the knowledge to help you succeed. process and we’ve got a producer to hold their hand.

THE DIFFERENCE: Castlerock Institute of Music We’re building a bridge between each person and [the runs a number certificate courses in Music Business, recording process],” Blanchard says. “We have a way to Music Performance, Technical Production which record each and every person for $80 a day.” makes them the perfect educators for those looking MRA’s policy of “every child, every time” to carve a career in the music business. Castlerock ensures that everyone who participates in the program also perform a number different non-accredited will be able to showcase their newly acquired skills at educational workshops to help students learn how an MRA event. Past events have been held at some of to use and operate professional stage and recording WA’s best music venues, including The Ellington Jazz equipment. Some of their workshops include lighting Club, The Astor Theatre, The Civic Hotel and The Shed. workshops, recording workshops, musical workshops, “I’ve got students who’ve been with me for DJ workshops, and many more.

4-5 years and they’ve played every venue in town,” LOCATION: Unit 6/95 Dixon Road, Rockingham Blanchard says. “It takes the fear out of it. It’s a huge WEBSITE: castlerock.com.au confidence thing.”

CONTACT: (08) 9529 2021

CASTLEROCK INSTITUTE OF MUSIC

MUSIC ROCKS AUSTRALIA THE LOWDOWN: A vibrant centre of music education and research with strong ties to the community, MRA is a community music school offering individual instrument tuition, ensemble tuition, hip hop/DJ/song creation courses and song-writing courses.

THE DIFFERENCE: There is no audition required to gain entry to any of the programs run by Music Rocks Australia – all you need is a passion for music and the determination to succeed. The teaching system Music Rocks Australia have developed has guaranteed success for a range of young WA musicians – from elite performers, to entry level beginners. By providing exposure to a variety of musical instruments and styles, MRA aims to enhance students’ abilities as performers and lovers of music. These experiences include exciting performance and recording opportunities for student musicians.

LOCATION: Unit 2, 3 Bookham Street, Morley WEBSITE: musicrocks.com.au CONTACT: (08) 9275 2111

VIBRATIONS SCHOOL OF MUSIC THE LOWDOWN: Vibrations School Of Music offer guitar, bass, mandolin, banjo, slide guitar, piano/ keyboards, vocals and drums tuition in all styles and techniques for students of all ages and levels of ability taught by some of WA’s best. Whether you want to hone your already existing skills, to pass a music exam, to progress through a grading method or simply learn a new instrument for fun, find out what playing drums is all about at the Southwest’s premier music school.

THE DIFFERENCE: There are a lot of things you can learn on your own, but nothing beats the knowledge, goal-setting and motivation dedicated teachers can provide. One-on-one classes are available to ensure students of all ages are able to fit music lessons around their school, work and personal commitments.

LOCATION: 100 Spencer St, Bunbury WEBSITE: vibrationsmusic.com.au/school-of-music CONTACT: (08) 9792 4711

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X-Press – First on the street, Wednesdays

STUDIO SCENE To the aspiring rock-star who is blissfully unfamiliar with the recording studio, music is undoubtedly a lot of fun – until the idea of recording materialises. This natural transition from a general and “liquid” perception of a live sound to a “solid”, set in stone recording often proves to be an unexpectedly serious benchmark.

To complicate things further, today’s rapid diffusion of home recording gear is giving artists many options for recording their music and, as a consequence, musicians often seem quite confused about how to approach this essential stage of their career.

According to prominent local hip hop producer Darren Reutens (who has worked on albums with Hunter, Clandestien and Downsyde), there are many valid reasons to record at home over a professional studio. There are also many valid reasons to record in a real studio rather than

at a home studio. One must consider the pros and cons of each one and then decide which is best for the given situation.

“The benefit of home recording is the limitless time of changing parts after hearing your recording, [which means] you can fine tune the musical parts and arrangements, experiment with your equipment more, develop a close relationship with your gear and really begin to carve your own sound. The [downside] to that is that you may never finish anything, or find it hard to finish songs. It’s quite easy to get lost in the technical aspects of the recording, and forget about actually writing a song,” Reutens says, adding that pricey pieces of gear shouldn’t get between you and great recordings: “A lot of great music doesn’t get released for fear of not sounding technically standard. That’s a waste.”

So why is it that most home recordings do not sound anything like those done in professional music production studios? The answer lies mostly in the lack of professional recording experience, understanding of professional recording techniques, and how to build and use a properly designed, acoustically treated recording environment.

A professional recording engineer with a

Pro studio

Home studio minimum of equipment and resources will create an infinitely better recording than the amateur would in a state of the art music production studio.

Music production and engineering is an art form as much as the study of any instrument.

“The benefit of recording in a pro studio is the limitless universe of sound you can choose from. The disadvantage is choosing the sound. And your budget [may] force you to decide quickly and irrationally on something because you have a limit of time in the studio. Also, with a pro studio you’ll definitely need a pro engineer and possibly a pro producer if you’re not too focused on what you really want. Outsiders help because they have gone through the trials and tribulations. It also helps as they can guide you to your goal quicker.

The trade off is that you need to pay them for the experience,” Reutens says.

Since both systems have their advantages and disadvantages, one can determine that a combination of those ideals are best. Many people will record scratch tracks (or jam tracks) and then start the basic recording process on their own.

Then they will go to a pro studio to record more difficult things like drums, piano and vocals. They often mix in the pro studio as well.

Some people find it best to record their whole album in a commercial setting to speed the process up and then take the raw tracks back to their home studio to mix. Many people do the initial tracking such as guitar, bass, drums and vocals at a large studio and then go to a home studio to do the more time consuming overdubs.

As Reutens attests, there are infinite variations to these approaches. What you chose is purely up to you. Just remember that you have to live with the results. “I can tell you that from my experience we are always trying new ways or steps to record as its part of the fun,” he concludes. “It’s art. You get purists and snobs, and people who do it for fun...it differs from muso to muso.” _JENNIFER PETERSON-WARD

GET CREATIVE WITH THE COCKBURN YOUTH CENTRE It is not always possible to get an established music venue to perform, but there are plenty of other options if you are willing to take a different approach to where your music could be heard.

If you’re looking for a unique space to utilise for your upcoming gig, rehearsal or album launch The City of Cockburn’s Youth Centre has got you covered with two great new spaces which are ideal for performing and music making. Musicians can hire the soundproof recording studio that’s been decked out with professional editing and recording equipment, perfect for those artists who want to get their music out there. Located at 25 Wentworth Parade in Success, the Youth Centre also offers music classes and a jam room for hire so that you and your band can rehearse and refine your skills.

If it’s the performing side of things that you’re into, the Mooditj Mia performance hall provides an excellent space for all types of theatre performances and music events. It’s been kitted out with stage lighting and a local sound engineer is available on request to help you take your live show to the next level. Catering to all age groups, this hall can fit up to 400 people and promotes all events as drug and alcohol free.

If these spaces sound like what you need to make the magic happen and get your music heard, don’t hesitate to call the Cockburn Youth Centre on (08) 9411 3888 or email youth@ cockburn.wa.gov.au to find out more info, including pricing rates. www.xpressmag.com.au

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FEATURES

BEGINNER’S LUCK An Equipment Start-up Guide for New Musicians So it’s 2012, you’ve put it off for years; this is the year you are finally going to take up an instrument. Where to start? With numerous retail outlets to visit and more products on offer than ever before, choosing your first instrument can be confusing. However, having a clear idea of what your short-term and long-term goals are for your chosen instrument can really help pinpoint the product that is best for you. CHRIS GIBBS reports.

GUITAR AND BASS

Local punk rockers Golden Staph play Dadas (photo: Daniel Grant)

GAGGING FOR A GIG? Tasty Tips To Take That Step

So anyone can play guitar, right? But getting a chance to play your chosen passion on a stage, in front of warm bodies and eager ears can be daunting to most people. Fortunately it’s not as difficult as it might appear, with the friendly and fertile music scene in Perth an open door to anyone with something to say.

TOM VARIAN runs through a few key tips in knowing where to start, and how to keep getting those repeat gigs.

Today it has never been easier to record yourself or your band at some sort of demo level, so there is no good reason to not give it a crack. Emailing a booker a quick file showing your sound, and that you don’t just fart in to the microphone for 45 minutes, can definitely get you in to a lot more doors. Whether you just record a live take of you guys jamming, or spend the weekend doing some rough tracking and mixing, it’s a painless and fun exercise that can only push you forward.

Get to know the bookers. Perth is obviously a small city, most people living here would call it more of a large country town, with a ridiculously low degree of separation between people. The live music scene is no different, with not only limited venues in Perth taking original, local acts, but even less people are acting as bookers for these venues. You burn one bridge in Perth, and it can have real repercussions in you getting gigs. Even if some bookers in Perth are tools, naming no names, you have to bite your tongue and deal with it. But get on their good side as a band that can pull a crowd and they will be emailing you with offers.

Which leads me to lesson two; treat the Perth scene like a family. It’s a simple rule, but treat other acts as you’d want to be treated. One

way to get a gig is to put on the night yourself.

Organising the support acts, door bitch and possibly equipment. But unless you want to be working your ass off at every gig, you’ll be wanting other acts to put you on their line-up. So make sure when you put a gig on, you choose support acts that are strong enough to do their own shows and in turn invite you to play at their gigs. Treat ‘em nice, play with ‘em twice. As the saying I literally just made up goes.

Though Perth doesn’t have near the countless bars that, say, Melbourne has, we do have the advantage of a small pond to dip in to.

In a smaller pond it is far easier for the fish to stick out, no matter what their size. After only a few months of gigging in Perth, you get a good handle on all the players, venues and bookers that are part of the scene. But on the flip side if you act like a douche bag your reputation will very quickly spread.

That first step may just be a few nights at local open mic nights. This is a great way to network with other newbies and lets you pick the brain of the open mic organiser, who may book paying gigs. Be friendly, smile on stage and fake confidence. You’ll get there, tiny dancer.

ONLINE OR OFFLINE That Is The Question When looking to purchase your next piece of gear is it better to hit the stores or stay indoors? TOM VARIAN offers side-by-side comparison of online stores versus retail outlets.

Buying online is quickly becoming the most popular way for Aussies to shop. The next few years will see a lot of electronic stores in particular shutting down, with Dick Smith already announcing closing down many stores this year. But is buying online the end of the story? Or will specialist items, such as musical instruments, always have a place on our streets, where novices can enter and pick the brains of a professional?

Sure, there are large savings to be made buying certain items online, there is just no way around that fact. But the internet doesn’t let you hold that Les Paul Custom. Or feel the weighted keys of an electric piano, or hear just how god damn loud you can get that Vox AC30. You can’t ask eBay what drum kit would suit a beginner or what guitar string gauge would be right for your experience and playing style, and get a nice friendly answer.

And we can’t forget that music stores are just plain cool. Generally speaking, the guys who work at music stores are local musicians, with a passion for the scene and years of experience to consult. They aren’t some sales-boy from Faceless Mega Outlet who just want to get you out the door with less money than you entered. I’ve had nothing 46

but good experiences at music stores and dropped in to my local guitar store way more than necessary.

Guitar stores, and most music stores in general, are these magical playgrounds where, if you ask nicely, you can play any damn guitar or amp combo in the store. Hell, you could probably go in every day and practice guitar for two hours with no one telling you to buy something or get out. But don’t quote me on that. More to the point is that test driving an instrument can be just as important as test driving a new car.

However, let’s get down to the heart of the matter – money. In this economic climate money saving is definitely a growing trend.

Shopping online is one way Australians have found to get around the “Australian Tax”. You know, that premium price put on every product in Australia.

Unfortunately musical instruments are considerably cheaper in the US. But if you patron the same store frequently, you’ll likely get a regulars discount that helps line the prices up with online.

One large advantage so called ‘brick and mortar’ stores have over websites is your warranty.

Instruments are usually expensive things with lots of moving parts. If you have something go wrong with any part of it, the convenience and ease of just taking it back to the store you bought it from is a large advantage over having to call or email an online store or directly to the manufacturer to get some answers.

It may be a hard road for stores, but the expertise of your favourite, long-haired, music store employee will always be in demand. And so it should.

Guitar can be one of the trickiest instrument to start up on, not only because of the relative physical difficulty of generating notes and chords compared to some other instruments, but also because of the sheer diversity of products available. Basically, a beginning guitarist has three choices: classical, steel–string acoustic or electric guitars. All three types of guitar are available from many brands in packages that include the basic accessories required for the chosen instrument; for example electronic tuners, lesson books or DVDs, guitar picks, leads, straps, and spare strings. A package is the most economical way to purchase a first guitar, and the accessories included from competing brands will vary slightly.

There has long been a belief that beginners should start on a classical guitar, then work their way up to another instrument of choice when basic skills have been developed. Classical guitars are a little easier on the fingers due to nylon strings.They are available in different sizes, making them a good choice for young beginners or smaller-framed adults.

A steel-string acoustic guitars is a good choice for the musical all-rounder, as the general tonality of this instrument lends itself to countless genres of music. The main thing for beginners to be wary of is that although the neck tends to be thinner and easier to manage than a full size classical guitar, the steel strings and higher string tension is a lot harder on the fingers.

In basic terms, an electric guitar has one main difference to the guitars previously mentioned: the need for amplification. Electric guitars also have relatively small bodies, making them a god choice for players of all sizes.

Bass is a much simpler option choice-wise for the beginner and a potentially lucrative option as there are much less bassists in the industry than guitarists,

creating a higher demand for good players. As acoustic basses tend to be rare, and upright basses tend to be an instrument that at bassist would switch to, rather than begin on, an electric bass package is the way to go.

KEYBOARDS

One huge advantage for the musician beginning on keyboard is the ‘instant’ ability to generate a clear note.

Unlike guitar which requires a fair bit of finger and hand manipulation, a pressed key on a keyboard will deliver a correct note first time. So in terms of cultivating general enthusiasm, keyboards are a great choice for beginners.

At entry level, an important feature is ‘touch response’, a feature in which the keyboard responds in volume depending on the strength of attack when playing, creating more realistic dynamics. Keep in mind that these instruments tend to require fewer accessories and as a result aren’t as often offered in packages, so generally a power adaptor, keyboard stand and stool will usually need to be factored into purchasing budgets.

DRUMS

Beginning drummers tend to have a wealth of choices for a first kit. Basically, a starter kit will tend to include a five-piece drum kit (bass drum, snare drum, and three toms), a hi-hat with stand and at least one cymbal with stand (usually a crash cymbal). The two most popular sizes for starter kits are ‘rock’ (22 inch bass drum with larger toms) and ‘fusion’ (20 inch bass drum with smaller toms), although the names of each size do not necessarily reflect what can or should be played on either kit. Both kits are considered full-size, however smaller and younger players may find the reach easier on a fusion kit, and very young players have the option of purchasing even smaller junior kits.

Cherri Bomb

CHERRI BOMB

gone from strength to strength – releasing their EP Stark, signing to Hollywood Records, playing some of the biggest festivals in Europe and scoring support slots for some of the biggest names in the rock world right now.

“We’ve played with some pretty huge rock bands and some of our biggest musical inspirations – Smashing Pumpkins, Filter, Foo Fighters,”Lovelis attests, adding: “ Actually, one time right before the show we had dinner with the guys from Foo Fighters. Besides completely sweet,they gave us some great advice Taken under the wing of superstar being and were really open with us and shared some stories drummer Samantha Maloney (Hole, from the road. It was surreal and totally awesome.”

Yet while Dave Grohl and co have Mötley Crüe, Chelsea Girls), teen rockers shown their support for the young quartet, Lovelis Cherri Bomb are blazing a serious admits her band has had to deal with some rock ‘n’ roll trail that bands of any tough scrutiny from other established outfits. is sometimes hard to be taken seriously, age would be lucky to follow. Ahead but we love“It pushing ourselves. It’s a motivator. We of their performance at Soundwave love a challenge, so whenever someone tells us ‘no you can’t do that because you’re too young’ or 2012 JENNIFER PETERSON-WARD ‘no you can’t do that because you’re girls’ we love to caught up with drummer Nia Lovelis, be able to prove them wrong,” she says. “The other thing about having Sam as our manager is who explained the importance of great that she’s been up against all of the things we’ll mentorship for young musicians. encounter being young, female musicians. She tells us stories about combating people’s lowered With an average age of just 13 years old, all-girl rock expectations of girls in bands, and the criticism quartet Cherri Bomb has been touted as “Rock’s New we can expect. She is an incredible inspiration.”

Generation”thanks to their frenzied, muscular sound Lovelis also divulges it’s often difficult to and no-holds-barred live performances, but as balance band related duties with their school work. drummer Nia Lovelis attests, the young band would “It’s hard work but we just take it a day at have never been able to get where they are today with out the support of their mentor Samantha Maloney. a time to stay on top of all of the work. It was really “My mom and Sam were friends and played hard while we were travelling on the road, all of music together years ago in New York. Sam heard us being cramped in a little van and trying to get about our band and what we were up to and actually homework done,” she concludes.“A lot of our friends asked us to open for her band The Chelsea Girls,”Lovelis say, ‘Wow, it must be so cool to be in a band!’, and it says.“At that point I remember thinking ‘wouldn’t it be totally is, but it’s also a ton of work and pressure to great to have Sam as a mentor to show us the ropes?’” keep your grades up while doing what you love. But Under Maloney’s mentorship, the girls have we wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Bombs Away

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