Mixdown Magazine 290 by Furst Media

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#290 — JUNE 2018

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Givea way!

ASTON S VOX M WIFTSHIEL D V50 A AMPLIF C MINI IER

INTERVIEWS — Shinedown, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Ghost, The Fever 333 + High Tension

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REVIEWED — Jackson Mick Thomson, Vox MV50 Heads, MarkBass Marcus Miller, Sennheiser

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THU 4 OCT ENMORE THEATRE SYDNEY FRI 5 OCT EATONS HILL HOTEL BRISBANE SAT 6 OCT forum theatre MELBOURNE NEW ALBUM LAY IT ON DOWN OUT NOW KennyWayneShepherd.com

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CONTENTS 08 10 11 12 14 16 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 26 44 46

Giveaways Industry News Music News Product News Melbourne Guitar Show Cover Story: Panic! At The Disco High Tension Shinedown Ghost The Fever 333 Kenny Wayne Shepherd Musicology Electronic Music Production Guitar Bass Percussion Product Reviews Directory Show & Tell

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Shinedown PG. 18

Foreword

Kenny Wanye Shepherd PG. 20

Ghost PG. 19

The undeniably charming and charismatic Brendon Urie graces the cover this month. The man just oozes cool with every breath, and he really is a one in a million talent. The new record is a stellar listen and totally worth your time. It seems crazy to me that we’re in June already. There have already been a tonne of great records released this year, and I can’t wait to hear what the rest of 2018 has in store. Thanks for reading! NICHOLAS SIMONSEN - EDITOR

PUBLISHER Furst Media 3 Newton Street, Richmond VIC 3121 (03) 9428 3600 EDITOR Nicholas Simonsen mixdown@beat.com.au

For breaking news, new content and more giveaways visit our website.

ONLINE EDITOR Jessica Over jess@furstmedia.com.au

MANAGING DIRECTOR Patrick Carr patrick@furstmedia.com.au

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Aaron Mackenzie

CONTRIBUTORS Rob Gee, Peter Hodgson, Christie Elizer, Nick Brown, David James Young, Adrian Violi, Michael Cusack, Augustus Welby, Luke Shields,

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Alex Watts, Jacob Colliver, Will Brewster, Tex Miller

Alex Watts, Tex Miller, Jessica Over, Aaron Streatfeild, James Di Fabrizio, Adam Norris, Alex Winter, Will Brewster

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JUly ISSUE #291: STREET AND ONLINE DATE: WEDNESDAY JULY 11 AD BOOKING DEADLINE: MONDAY JULY 2 EDITORIAL DEADLINE: TUESDAY JULY 3 ARTWORK DEADLINE: WEDNESDAY JULY 4 For more information on Mixdown Magazine contact us at: (03) 9428 3600 or email nicholas@furstmedia.com.au

info@vinylrevival.com.au 405 Brunswick St, FITZROY. ph 03.9419.5070 128 Sydney Rd, BRUNSWICK. ph 03.9448.8635

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O R I G I N A L D E S I G N S . F E N D E R TO N E .

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GIVEAWAYS Aston SwiftShield Giveaway Combining Aston Microphones’ Swift shock mount and Shield pop filter into one handy bundle, the Aston SwiftShield gives you the perfect set up for your studio vocal mic. Its universal mic mount and ultra-swift proprietary mounting system will take your home studio to the next level of ease. Thanks to our friends at Link Audio, we’ve got an Aston SwiftShield to give away this month.

Last Month’s Giveaway Winners sE Electronics V7 BFG Microphone Giveaway The signature microphone for legendary ZZ Top guitarist and lead vocalist Billy Gibbons captures your voice in the most natural way and features a distinct custom chrome and purple design. Thanks to our friends at Sound & Music, we had a special edition V7 BFG microphone to give away last month and the winner is: Maggie from Sydney, NSW. Congratulations!

Stacks FX Fuzz Gazer Pedal Giveaway

Vox MV50 AC Mini Amplifier Giveaway Vox’s MV50 adds a new level of innovation and a touch of modernity to a classic amplifier design, boasting an incredible 50 watts of power for authentic tube tone at a fraction of the usual size. Designed with an emphasis on analogue, the MV50 is the ideal solution for serious guitar tone reminiscent of old tube amps. Thanks to our friends at Yamaha Australia, we’re giving one away absolutely free.

Featured on Foo Fighters’ latest album Concrete and Gold, the Stacks FX Fuzz Gazer is a must-have for any setup. Twentyfour limited edition gold versions of the pedal were released and thanks to our friends at Maniac Music Factory, we had the 12th pedal of the exclusive range to give away to one lucky reader and the winner is: Bruno from Sydney, NSW. Congratulations!

For your chance to win any of these prizes, head to our giveaways page at mixdownmag.com.au/giveaway and follow the instructions. *These giveaways are for Australian residents only and one entry per person. For full terms and conditions visit mixdownmag.com.au/terms-and-conditions

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INDUSTRY NEWS WILL WE SEE A BOOM IN LIVE MUSIC VENUES IN SYDNEY? Sydney is expecting a boom in live music venues due to lobbying and rallies by the live music industry and the public to get rid of the dreaded lockout laws. The infamous laws saw 176 venues close down, according to an estimate by Labor politician John Graham, who heads the Labor Loves Live Music support group. From this month, the NSW Government has lifted the freeze on new liquor licences for music-showcasing venues in the Kings Cross and Sydney central business district entertainment precincts. It says it is expecting a similar result to when it extended trading hours from midnight to 2am and increased patron capacities from 60 to 100 for small bars, and saw attendance double in numbers. The news follows the recent announcement that Keep Sydney Open, the organisation campaigning against the lockout laws, has launched as a political party and will now contest in both houses of Parliament during next year’s state election. Real change appears to be on the way for the city’s live music scene.

Support Act takes step closer to 24/7 music biz wellbeing hotline …

instruments. The track is on www.everyoneband.com, with 100 percent of all record royalties and all profit from merchandise going to Support Act.

broadcasting on Saturdays at 4.30pm on the Nine Network, will showcase live gigs from around South Australia. Interstate viewers can watch on 9now.com.au.

Australia is taking closer steps to a 24/7 musicians and music industry workers wellbeing hotline. It’s been on the cards for some months, with financial help confirmed by music company Alberts (through its Tony Foundation charity) and Levi’s Australia.

Songwriting has a lucky number

Queenscliff Festival offers emerging artist grants

It is taking more songwriters to band together to write a hit single. Research by UK-based trade magazine Music Week found that in 2016, it took 4.53 people to write the year’s 100 biggest hits. In 2017, the number climbed further, with an average 4.84 people used on the year’s 100 singles.

The Queenscliff Music Festival on coastal Victoria is offering emerging artist grants to musicians from the Barwon Southwest region. The festival is encouraging participants anywhere along the coast from Queenscliff to Warrnambool and Geelong to Colac to apply. Deadline is Saturday June 30 at www.qmf.net.au. Grants can go as high as $10,000 and cover the costs of the recording, manufacturing and promotion of new albums, touring the country, developing new skills through training and mentoring, and the purchase of new equipment.

Levi’s spokesperson Nicky Rowsell said the service would be “the first of its type in Australia” and “a critical first step in helping this growing and widely suffered health epidemic.” At last month’s Music In The House luncheon fundraiser in Sydney, at which Archie Roach was honoured, $200,000 was raised for the wellbeing charity Support Act Ltd (helped by donations from music companies, including $50,000 from Michael Gudinski’s Frontier Touring). Support Act said that plans are coming closer for the 24/7 line, and that some of the money raised would go to setting up a second office, this time in Melbourne. Musicians and industry workers in crisis can contact Support Act on 1300 731 303.

…And gets help from EveryOneBand single Another recent Support Act initiative was the EveryOneBand charity single which was released on Friday June 1. The interactive project combined 2500 musicians and singers (including the likes of Paul Kelly, Izzi Manfredi, Jimmy Barnes and Peter Garrett) along with 240 drummers, percussionists and bass players, plus a squadron of over 263 guitarists headed up by Ian Moss, the Oils’ Martin Rotsey, Diesel, Jack Moffitt (The Preatures), Johnny Took (DMAs), Dave Leslie (Baby Animals), Brendan Gallagher and Murray Cook. Also featured on the track are 60 violin players, 70 pianists and 600 ukulele players, alongside triangles, theremins, banjos, piano accordions, and djembes. There was also input from the public. Producers Mark Callaghan (GANGgajang) and David Nicholas (INXS, Elton John) spent a week working on the final mix. This involved editing vocals, aligning files and creating sub-mixes of the many

Not everyone likes the idea. During the recent MUSEXPO in Los Angeles, prolific hit machine Dianne Warren (Aerosmith, KISS, Bon Jovi) sniffed that she’d never create in such combinations. “I read about such numbers and I wonder, which one of you was making the coffee?”

Showcase applications for Australian Music Week now open Australian Music Week is inviting exportready acts to apply for showcases at its November 7 –11 event in Cronulla, Sydney (australianmusicweek.com). There are 150 spots, and AMW has cut deals with ECMA (Canada), BreakOut West (Canada), Focus Wales (Wales) and Zandari Festa (South Korea) to send reps out to check the Aussie acts with the view to showcasing them at their events.

Netball games to raise money for female charities In March, Sydney DJ/producer KLP set up Ricochet as a way for the community to come together through music and grow via workshops on health, food, beauty, passion and life skills. Now, KLP and music publicist Anna Fitzgerald have come up with Ricochet BALL, a mixed netball competition for the music and creative industries to raise money for female-focused charities. The first game is in September in Sydney. More information at www.thisisricochet.com.

New TV show for Adelaide Adelaide is set to receive a new live music TV show later this month. Jam Live,

Study: Radio jobs tend to attract psycopaths Research published in new book The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies and Serial Killers Can Teach Us About Success shows that radio gigs tend to attract psychopaths. According to author Dr Kevin Dutton of Oxford University, CEOs are top of the list, and journalists are at number three. Apparently, these career choices are based on an ability to control and manipulate people. If you’re a musician, try not to think about it the next time you do an interview.

Inaugural Melbourne Sessions aimed at songwriters, composers The inaugural Melbourne Sessions next month are aimed at emerging and midcareer songwriters and composers. They are dedicated to song craft and professional development through masterclasses, workshops (including one dedicated to screen composing) and networking. The list of speakers is too long to reproduce here, but they include Grammy-winning writer/producer Warryn Campbell (Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Missy Elliott), Chris Cheney of The Living End, Cezary Skubiszewski, Greg Walker (Machine Translations), electronic producer/ multi-instrumentalist Beatrice Lewis, screen composer Bryony Marks (Barracuda,

Please Like Me, Berlin Syndrome) and USvia-Zimbabwe hitmaker Shungudzo (The Chainsmokers, Little Mix, Jessie Ware). The Melbourne Sessions will be held on Friday July 6 at Kindred Studios, Yarraville. It’s presented by APRA AMCOS and the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria.

Are crims using fans to smuggle drugs into festivals? NSW police have claimed that crime syndicates are using music patrons to smuggle drugs into music festivals, where they can make a killing. The allegations were made during court appearances by nine people busted at the Midnight Mafia rave in Sydney last month. The Daily Telegraph reported that one man, aged 21, was allegedly carrying 294 grams of MDMA in almost 1600 capsules. Police say the music fans are targeted because they have no crime records and are enticed by quick money for sneaking drugs in, and handing them over to syndicate members awaiting them.

Festivals considering plastic-free future Falls Festival, Lost Paradise, Unify Festival, Inner Varnika, Party in the Paddock, Rabbits Eat Lettuce, A Festival Called Panama, Strawberry Fields and Grampians Music Festival could all be plastic-free in the future. Representatives from these events were brought together in Melbourne by Green Music Australia and the Music Victoria association to discuss the issue. The festivals committed to share ideas and strategies on changing their practices as well as those of their patrons. Some of the ideas discussed at the meeting were to get patrons to make a “leave no trace” pledge when they bought their tickets. Green Music Australia and Music Victoria worked together to reduce harmful singleuse plastic waste at the 2017 The Age Music Victoria Awards. They introduced reusable water bottles for all artists, staff and volunteers to use while at the awards. A water refill station was placed backstage to help ensure everyone stayed healthily hydrated.

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MUSIC NEWS Beastie Boys Are Releasing A 600-Page Memoir It’s not every day a band announces a whopping 600page memoir like the Beastie Boys, and they’ve even gone the extra mile by adding a cookbook to the contents page. Mike D and Ad-Rock have shared the details of their forthcoming memoir, revealing the book will feature contributions from the likes of Amy Poehler, Colson Whitehead, Spike Jonze, and Wes Anderson. Beastie Boys Book will document the group from their beginnings in 1981 to the release (and messy fallout) of debut album Licensed to III, through to their “rebirth as musicians and social activists.” The memoir, set for release on Tuesday October 30, will also feature rare photographs, original illustrations, a cookbook from chef Roy Choi, a graphic novel, a map of Beastie Boys’ New York, mixtape playlists and more.

Hobart’s Experimental Dark Mofo Festival Returns For 2018

City Calm Down Embark On ‘Echoes In Blue’ National Tour

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Announces 2018 East Coast Tour

Tasmania’s favourite winter solstice festival Dark Mofo is back for another year, and they’re bringing a host of big names along for the ride. UK four-piece Electric Wizard will bring their unique style of doom metal to Australia alongside the musical expertise of St. Vincent, Marlon Williams, and more. Dark Mofo regularly attracts thousands of people to explore centuries-old rituals and the relationship between everything from darkness and light to ancient and contemporary mythology. It’s set to take over Hobart from Friday June 15 - Sunday June 24. Full program details can be found on the festival’s website.

Melbourne synth-wave four-piece City Calm Down are setting off for a huge run of shows this month in support of album number two, Echoes In Blue. In the wake of their criticallyacclaimed debut LP In A Restless House, the band reunited with producer Malcom Besley for Echoes In Blue, which sees them explore a more expansive sonic direction. City Calm Down will visit seven massive venues across Australia before heading to New Zealand for two headline shows. Check out the band's extensive touring schedule and find tickets on their website.

Louisiana blues maestro Kenny Wayne Shepherd has announced his return to Australian shores with a special run of east coast shows scheduled for later this year. Shepherd will tour with his band in support of last year's enormously successful record Lay It On Down, which reached number one on the Billboard blues and rock charts – and stayed atop the blues chart for a massive eight weeks. The tour kicks off on Thursday October 4 in Sydney before finishing up in Melbourne on Saturday October 6, with tickets available through Ticketek and Ticketmaster.

Albert Lee To Perform At This Year’s Melbourne Guitar Show

Catch The Teskey Brothers On Tour This Month

George Clinton’s Parliament Returns With First Album In 38 Years

The Melbourne Guitar Show is back for 2018, and it’s shaping up to be the biggest instalment yet. UK guitar icon Albert Lee is leading the way for this year’s performers, and he’ll be joined by local legend Jeff Lang, young guitar virtuoso Daniel Champagne, and more. There’ll even be a monster exhibition featuring effects pedals, amps, electric and acoustic guitars from some of the world’s leading manufacturers, plus seminars, demonstrations, and exclusive performances. Get your tickets before the Melbourne Guitar Show takes over Caulfield Racecourse on Saturday August 4 and Sunday August 5.

Melbourne soul/blues four-piece The Teskey Brothers are taking their phenomenal live show across the country with eight Australian tour dates this month. They’ll be hitting the road in support of their acclaimed 2017 album Half Mile Harvest, which has already seen its live adaptation begin with performances at Byron Bay’s Bluesfest and Port Fairy Folk Festival through to SXSW in Texas and New York City’s Rockwood Music Hall. The Teskey Brothers will play their biggest Australian shows to date, kicking things off in Castlemaine on Thursday June 14. For tour dates and tickets, visit the band’s website.

George Clinton’s legendary funk group Parliament is back with their first studio album in almost four decades. Medicaid Fraud Dogg is the band’s first album since 1980’s Trombipulation, and follows 2014 release First Ya Gotta Shake the Gate, the latest record from Clinton’s other group Funkadelic. The new album features P-Funk horn section Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis, Greg Thomas, and Benny Cowan. While Clinton looks set to retire from touring in 2019, we’re hoping the funk expert will visit Australia again in support of Medicaid Fraud Dogg after a set of stellar performances during his tour in 2017.

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PRODUCT NEWS Moog Introduces Semi-Modular Grandmother Synthesiser INNOVATIVE MUSIC AUSTRALIA | INNOVATIVEMUSIC.COM.AU Moog has unveiled the brand new Grandmother, a semi-modular analogue synth offering unlimited sonic possibilities. Featuring a quirkily coloured front panel designed to act as a throwback to early '80s Moog models, the monophonic 32-key Grandmother is based around a semi-modular format. This means users can re-patch the synth's internal circuitry via the 41 modular patch points integrated on the front panel, offering unlimited possibilities for modulation, sound effects, and all those classic science fiction swoops.

T-Rex Releases High-Quality Stereo Image Looper

AirTurn Now Officially Distributed In Australia By Innovative Music

New Marcus Miller Head Arrives Down Under

AMBER TECHNOLOGY | AMBERTECH.COM.AU

INNOVATIVE MUSIC AUSTRALIA | INNOVATIVEMUSIC.COM.AU

CMC MUSIC | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU

T-Rex Effects, the music tech company constantly raising the bar for guitar and bass effects, has shared details of its latest handy tool, the Image Looper. Offering simplicity and high quality audio, the Image Looper allows players to record sounds, layer new sounds on top, and play everything back in real-time for a pseudo “band” sound. It also offers two footswitches, each with an LED-bar indicator to ensure the user always knows what the looper is doing.

The expert team at Innovative Music Australia has welcomed AirTurn, the home of the latest in wireless technology, to their catalogue. AirTurn creates indispensable tools for the performing and practicing musician, such as handy electronic devices designed to aid page-turning on your digital score, hands-free. While the music space is AirTurn's major focus, technology solutions are customised for all industries from assisted technology to medical and industrial. AirTurn’s innovative range is available now through Innovative Music.

Bass player extraordinaire Marcus Miller has recently partnered with Markbass to create his signature amplification range. This month, Markbass is proud to announce the most affordable head in the line, the Little Marcus 250, is arriving in Australia. The Little Marcus 250 offers all of the powerful features from larger Marcus Miller heads, including an extended EQ range, mute function, and Old School and Millerizer tone shaping tools, all packaged up in one convenient and wholly affordable unit.

Shure Expands Choices For Iconic SE Sound Isolating Earphones

Music Man Releases Updated Sterling By Music Man Albert Lee Model

Alesis M1Active 330 USB Monitors Arrive In Australia

JANDS | JANDS.COM.AU

ELECTRIC FACTORY | ELFA.COM.AU

CMC MUSIC | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU The immensely popular SE Sound Isolating Earphone line from Shure is set to receive a huge expansion, with selectable Android and iOS functionality arriving for new models across multiple price points. The new lineup boasts variations for music enthusiasts and audio professionals, offering an immersive listening experience thanks to Shure’s Sound Isolating design, which blocks out up to 37dB of noise. Four new colours are on offer, plus two new connectivity options of Bluetooth and a universal communication cable.

Ernie Ball Music Man has taken the HH Albert Lee signature model and reproduced it in a highly affordable, long-awaited Sterling by Music Man variation. This version features the same unique modern/retro design and sleek angles its predecessor is renowned for, and offers a dual humbucker pickup configuration, vintage-style tremolo bridge, and high-end manufacturing with a mahogany body and hard maple neck. The updated HH Albert Lee is available in classy finishes of either Black or Daphne Blue.

The new Alesis M1Active 330 USB desktop monitors have arrived to prove that good things really do come in small packages. This latest addition to the M1 range features 3” aluminium LF drivers, 1” silk dome tweeters, and a whopping 20 watts of system power. Enhanced connectivity is on offer through a USB port, while clever design sees high-density wood cabinets easily suppress unwanted resonance. These compact monitors are fantastic value, and are now available in Australia.

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WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THIS YEAR’S MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW Since its inception in 2015, the Melbourne Guitar Show – an exhibition solely devoted to the most popular instrument in the history of music in all its forms and styles – has gone from strength to strength, with the 2018 show shaping up to be the biggest instalment yet. Over the course of one weekend, attendees will have the opportunity to experience the very finest in all things guitar, from classic and vintage guitars and amps all the way through to modern, boutique, and cutting-edge effects, software and recording equipment. A host of guitar-related products will be on display, made by both your favourite world-renowned brands as well as small independent artisans. All tastes and styles are catered for in what has been described as “the world’s biggest pop-up guitar store.” As well as the gear, the program includes a lineup featuring some of the best local and international guitarists, spearheaded by an appearance from the one and only Albert Lee, who will be in attendance on his 75th birthday tour. For those not familiar with the name Albert Lee, his CV includes playing with some of the biggest names in music history. One such collaborator is Eric Clapton, who described Lee as “the ultimate virtuoso.” Clapton added that Lee’s skill “is extraordinary and he’s gifted on just about every level.” Albert Lee has built his reputation over the past few decades through his work with musicians such as The Everly Brothers and Steve Morse, as well as through his own catalogue of jawdropping solo albums. Accompanying Lee on this year’s massive Melbourne Guitar Show lineup is Daniel Champagne, a young virtuoso who will no doubt become a household name in years to come. Also joining the party are some of our nation’s most talented guitarists, including Jeff Lang, who has been described by Rolling Stone Magazine as “Australia’s best roots music artisan”. Darren Middleton, (Powderfinger), Bob Spencer, Fiona Boyes, Shannon Bourne, James Ryan, Nat Allison, Cat Canteri, Brett Kingman, and Alison Ferrier are also set to showcase their talent at the event, with more artists soon to be announced. In addition to scheduled performances from musicians on the lineup, impromptu jams have been known to happen at the guitar

WHETHER YOU’RE A TOTAL BEGINNER LOOKING FOR SOME ADVICE ON BUYING YOUR FIRST GUITAR OR A SEASONED PRO, THE MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW IS UNDOUBTEDLY AN EVENT NOT TO BE MISSED.

much “hands on” policy, giving you the rare opportunity to try out gear you may have read about but haven’t had the chance to experience for yourself. You’ll also be able to buy products on the day with many exhibitors offering special deals, prizes and giveaways over the weekend. Australian Music Association executive officer and Melbourne Guitar Show organiser Rob Walker said, “After an awesome show last year, we’re looking forward to continuing the tradition the show is creating. We’re very pleased to present Albert Lee on his 75th birthday tour as well as the usual host of wonderful players we present. Our exhibition welcomes back some big names this year and the learning opportunities are plentiful. If you’re in the market for guitars and gear, great live music from some of the best players, the Melbourne Guitar Show is the place to be.” Whether you’re a total beginner looking for some advice on buying your first guitar or a seasoned pro on the lookout for something new (which from personal experience is a lifelong quest), the Melbourne Guitar Show is undoubtedly an event not to be missed. BY MATT DWYER

extravaganza. You never know who’ll be playing with who and where, so be sure to keep your ears open; there’s always something going on at the Melbourne Guitar Show. A large part of the festivities for this year’s show are the special clinics, masterclasses, Q&A sessions and demonstrations set to feature some of the greatest guitarists in the business in an informal and relaxed setting. It’s the perfect opportunity to hear a professional player put the latest guitars and equipment through their paces up close. One of the great drawcards of the show is that an extensive range of companies, stores, distributors and manufacturers will be represented under one roof with a very

The Melbourne Guitar Show will be held on Saturday August 4 and Sunday August 5 at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne.

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THE NEW ALBUM INCLUDING (SAY AMEN) SATURDAY NIGHT & HIGH HOPES OUT NOW

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SINS, TRAGEDIES AND GOING SOLO WITH BRENDON URIE First there were four sets of footprints in the sand, then three, then two, until there was just one. Brendon Urie has carried Panic! At The Disco since he was a teenager, from a band literally playing in the garage to an arena-filling solo project. He’s acutely aware of the public perspective that he’s held some sort of fascist dictatorship over the moniker, picking off people one by one until a sole survivor remained. If there’s anything Urie wants to make clear, though, it’s this: He’s not the enemy. He never was. “I’m so grateful for every friendship I’ve ever made through people being in this band,” he says. “Imagine spending years of your life – years – with someone, working together on something you’re both so incredibly proud of and showing that to thousands of people a night. People you’ve known since college – since high school. A lot of people from that time in your life end up moving away, getting married, starting a new life. Just because they’ve done that, it doesn’t mean you now want to fuck them over. It just means you grew apart. Shit, people do that every day. The difference was that we were in the spotlight, and people held such a connotation to it.” On the eve of the release of Pray for the Wicked – Panic! At The Disco’s sixth album, and second with Urie solely at the helm – the singer and multi-instrumentalist holds no ill will towards those that have outgrown his music, holding on to the memories of 2005’s A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out. A relationship with music can be as complicated as a relationship with another human, and it can grow and develop and even go in different directions. “I can understand why it makes people upset,” Urie says. “No-one knows what happens in the background – and nor should they. Your connection should be to the art, I understand that. It’s hard to try and explain that I never wanted to write my friends off, never wanted to write any of our fans off. I know what went down, and I know it wasn’t as crazy as people assume. If people knew the truth, it would just be so boring. Fuck it, if people want to create myths then I’m going to let them. If people want to pontificate on that, then I implore them to.”

"IF PEOPLE WANT TO CREATE MYTHS THEN I’M GOING TO LET THEM. IF PEOPLE WANT TO PONTIFICATE ON THAT, THEN I IMPLORE THEM TO.” Much like its predecessor, 2016’s Death of a Bachelor, the musical direction of Wicked is pushed into the slickest, poppiest corner of the Panic! spectrum. With Urie overseeing all arrangements, instrumentation and even production, the Las Vegas native feels it’s a role he’s properly grown into. “If anything, it’s a lot like the way that I started out making music in the first place,” he says. “When I was a kid, I had a four-track recorder. I’d put a blank tape in and I’d record myself playing over and over again. I’d start out with the drums and a harmony, then bass, guitars, vocals... it became like second nature to me. To be able to go back to that felt like the most honest thing I could do. To do it any other way wouldn’t do the songs justice.” While Pray for the Wicked was written in solitude, the finished product is a result of Urie reaching out to the outside world. Inviting friends over for parties, Urie would show friends works in progress in order to ascertain what was working. “If you have

a friend that isn’t willing to criticise you, then they’re not a true friend,” reasons Urie. “I didn’t have any greater agenda by doing this – I wanted to create a space where everyone was free to voice their opinion. Come over, smoke some weed, have a few beers, see what happens. If we’re stoked on an idea, we can head right into my home studio, which is next to the pool. The whole process could easily change my mind on a song, which was a really positive thing to have. I’m only as good as the people I surround myself with.” For all of Panic!’s increased success in the solo era, it’s also come with a degree of toxicity among the fanbase. Live shows have faced delays due to crushing against the crowd barrier, often causing serious injuries. Meanwhile, Urie has been ambushed at airports and at the stage door for Kinky Boots on Broadway, where he was a part of the cast for a season. While thankful for the ongoing success, Urie is the first to admit that it hasn’t entirely been smooth sailing. “You take it in your stride, man. You just have to do the best you can,” he says. “It’s one thing for things to be crazy at the live show – that can be kind of exciting, in a way. When it’s in those other situations, though, you’ve gotta be clear. I always say, ‘If you guys can’t hang, then I’m gonna fucking run.’ It’s always that mob mentality – a person can be smart, but people are fucking stupid, man. For my sanity, for my health and for their safety, I have to remove myself from those situations.” It’s been suggested that Urie has gotten older, but Panic! fans have stayed the same age. Urie appreciates the reference: “What can I say, man?” he laughs. “Alright, alright, alright.” BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG

Pray For The Wicked is out Friday June 22nd via Fueled By Ramen / Warner Music.

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MUSIC INTERVIEWS “I’ve always wanted the band to be super brutal,” frontwoman Karina Utomo says. “It wasn’t like we went, ‘Oh, we’re going to be a metal band now.’ I feel like this was the path we were always going to explore.” With that came the catalyst for Utomo upping the ante on her vocal talents. “In the past, I think what’s made it difficult to have High Tension be a brutal band is the fact that I actually have to sing brutally,” she laughs. “A really advantageous thing is that it’s been ten years since my last band, which I would’ve considered to be my first step into the skramz world, and I really needed that time to be able to work on my vocals.”

High Tension Eclipse The Boiling Point There’s an audible sense of agony that courses through every second of Purge, the long-awaited third tank of mosh fuel from Melbourne’s premiere pit lords, High Tension. LP number three sees the quartet shed their former skin and burst from the restraints of a simple punk band – notches of death metal, classic thrash and new wave hardcore dance freely over ten dynamic cuts, the whole record seeped in a stark and unforgiving technicality.

Utomo’s more callous vocals aren’t the only thing that separates the High Tension of today from the one we last heard on 2015’s Bully. Shortly after that album’s release, the band was shaken up by the impromptu departures of drummer Damian Coward and axeman Ash Pegram. Though their combined melodic spark is sorely missed, the new iteration of High Tension – with Lauren Hammel and Mike Deslandes stepping into Coward and Pegram’s respective shoes – is unquestionably tighter, more concentrated and, of course, merciless. “Mike has always been in brutally heavy bands, like Coerce and YLVA, so he totally understood that world,” Utomo says. “It’s the same situation for Matt, and even with Hammel – she plays the drums with so much passion, it’s intense. I just feel really lucky that we’re all on the same page. There’s a lot more determination in the choices we’re making in terms of our sound. It’s been an organic process, getting to where we are now, but we also put a lot more consideration into it all. This is the sound of High Tension, no doubt.” It’s important to note that Purge isn’t just a heavier album due to the sum of its thrash-happy parts. Utomo stresses that every element of High Tension’s soul-crushing narrative comes from the heart and the heart alone, with storytelling an unwanted contraband in the fold of their fury. “With the kind of music we’re making, if it’s not an authentic feeling of rage that we’re experiencing, it just doesn’t feel

“He must have been about 15 years old,” Smith recalls. “He had everything under the sun for us to sign – all our albums, a t-shirt, even our posters.“He wanted to ask a question, so after all the photos were taken I took him aside from the group and said, ‘Shoot.’ This kid told me how much he loved our albums, but he wanted to know one thing about the new one: ‘Can you make it heavier? This interaction ended up inspiring part of ‘Devil’, the lead single from the album in question, Attention Attention. The chorus to the song – a downtuned slice of razor-sharp altrock – sees Smith warning listeners, ‘It’s about to get heavy.’ He’s not wrong – Attention Attention certainly deals with a much darker side of the band, both in terms of its lyrical approach and its overall sound.

Going Global With Shinedown While on tour in support of the legendary Iron Maiden, post-grunge hard rockers Shinedown made a point to meet up with fans before the show. While in line at a London show, one particular fan caught vocalist Brent Smith’s eye.

“The idea of something being ‘heavy’ can be looked at in a lot of different ways,” says Smith. “In terms of music, it can be describing something sonically. It can be heavy from a percussive perspective. It can definitely mean lyrically heavy. The way he was talking about it, though, I understood what he meant. When we got back from that tour, ‘Devil’ was the first song that we wrote for the album. I think it’s kind of a wink to that young man – you wanted it heavy? Here you go.” Attention Attention, which came out last month, is the sixth studio album from the band. Though many in the mainstream will only know them for their 2008 crossover hit ‘Second Chance’, Shinedown has persevered as one of the most active touring bands in hard rock. They still play to massive crowds across the world long after many of their peers downgraded to small clubs, which Smith succinctly attributes to making music that connects with people. “We really did want to make this a global record,” he says. “We wanted to connect this album with our fans from all over the world. It’s a record about humanity. It’s about where we’re at right now – not so much from a political standpoint, but from an emotional one. That was one of the biggest things that we were thinking of when we were

right,” she says, pointing to the live set as a realm she wanted to attack harder than ever. “I’ve actually done a lot of work lately in terms of strengthening up my voice – I’ve been doing vocal warmups and I’ve even started personal training, just so I can play these songs with a stronger core and really bring that rage to life. Because a huge part of this band is the very real emotions that I’m feeling, and if I was just trying to produce that because the music called for it, I wouldn’t be doing myself any justice.” Much of the rage tapped into on Purge comes from Utomo’s own family culture, and her scarred relationship with Indonesian history – namely, the anti-communist purge of 1965 and ’66, during which hundreds of thousands were murdered under the orders of General Suharto, shortly before his reign over the country began. The attack has carried a trauma that still perturbs the Indonesian society of 2018, and as such, Utomo uses Purge as an outlet to wax indignant on the impacts of colonialism and oppression. “One thing I struggled with in writing this album was accessing that genuine rage and sadness,” Utomo admits. “But when I reflect on that particular era and how it’s impacted present day Indonesia, and what I witnessed and experienced growing up – seeing my city go up in flames in 1998 – it just hits me like a bus. And that’s all intrinsic to Indonesia’s history, and I feel like it’s an unresolved chapter of that. There are present day implications with victims of the anti-communist purge, even though it happened in the ‘60s. So without being too explicit as to why it’s such a personal narrative, having High Tension as a medium to write, research and sing about these things that I otherwise couldn’t bring myself to talk about has been really important.” BY MATT DORIA

Purge is out now via Cooking Vinyl.

writing the album.” As for where his own headspace was in the creation of Attention Attention, Smith doesn’t flinch for a second in his response. “I was writing from a very personal place,” he says. “I have to write about what I know – and no-one knows this band like I do. I know me, I know Eric [Bass, bass – yes, really], I know Zach [Myers, guitar] and I know Barry [Kerch, drums]. A lot of this record is about our lives. It’s about the people we know and the situations we’ve been put in. I wanted it to be a story of humanity – when it comes down to it, this album is about the human spirit.” The story that Smith alludes to is one that goes through the entire tracklist of Attention Attention – one individual, alone in a room, facing their demons and leaving a better person. “It’s not a concept record the same way Dark Side of the Moon is, or Operation: Mindcrime or even Tommy,” says Smith. “Those albums have specific characters, specific places – everything has a name. On Attention Attention, the listener has to put themselves inside the room. It’s psychological, but also emotional and physical. Your age, your race, your gender, your orientation – none of that matters to this story. “For us, it’s a record about not being afraid to fail,” Smith concludes. “Often, people pigeonhole themselves and paint themselves into a corner. They paralyse themselves. They’ll believe that they can’t do something because of all the negativity out there. We don’t think people should be defined by their failures – they should be defined by the fact they never give up.” BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG

Attention Attention is out now via Atlantic / Warner.

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MUSIC INTERVIEWS Mixdown has interviewed Ghost frontman Tobias Forge before, although we didn’t know it at the time. Prior to Forge’s outing as the mastermind of the group, journalists were told they were speaking to A Nameless Ghoul, the handle given to all of Ghost’s musicians apart from the various front-Popes. After a messy split and a bunch of legal documents, it emerged that Forge himself was the Ghoul doing most of the interviews. Ghost’s new album, Prequelle, is the first to be released since Forge’s cover was blown, and therefore the first for which he’s doing interviews under his own name, essentially stepping ‘out of character’ to speak as himself. Prequelle appears to present sides of the band that we haven’t heard before, a sentiment Forge agrees with. “I felt that it was important that the next record was not a repetition of Opus, one because I didn’t want to repeat myself, and two, I knew it could go stale very quickly,” he says. “There are extremely few bands of that level who can continue doing the same thing successfully. People might argue that, but I tell ya, you will not grow if you stand still. So I made sure that Infestissumam was exploring new realms.”

A Name For A Ghoul Mixdown has interviewed Ghost frontman Tobias Forge before, although we didn’t know it at the time. Prior to Forge’s outing as the mastermind of the group, journalists were told they were speaking to A Nameless Ghoul, the handle given to all of Ghost’s musicians apart from the various front-Popes. After a messy split and a bunch of legal documents, it emerged that Forge himself was the Ghoul doing most of the interviews.

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The new realms Forge aimed to explore in Ghost’s latest album were realised through the songwriting process. Forge notes that while extending himself brought him into unfamiliar territory, it was a necessary step in continuing the band’s efforts to constantly challenge themselves. “Writing a song like ‘Ghuleh’, I felt a little bit … not uncomfortable, but I was definitely worried that I was taking too big a step,” he says. “But I had already written ‘He Is’ before that, and that was definitely a song that I was apprehensive about because it felt like too big a step, which is why that didn’t happen until Meliora. But after Meliora, I thought, ‘There’s no backing out now.’ “I’ve always been a big fan of Queen and The Who and bands like that who really, really made an effort to write new songs every time. I mean sure, there are always Queen elements,

but there were so many different songs. Don’t get me wrong, as much as I’m a fan of Acca Dacca and love that with all my heart, I also really want Ghost to be somewhat of a band like Queen that does amazing big ballads, but also really good stomping shuffle rock songs. I believe that if you’re going to be a really big band entertaining a lot of people, you’ve got to have a lot of tastes on your menu.” It may come as a surprise to some that Forge is heavily responsible for Ghost’s guitar work. He shares insight into the gear behind the music, admitting he is especially fond of vintage Gibson and Fender guitars. “For some reason I believe that if I play on old guitars, I think I play better and that makes me play a little better. Even though I know I could probably have a very new guitar from a very modern brand that makes a well built guitar and it could probably sound just as good, I have a deep connection with an old Gibson and an old Fender. So you’re hearing two Les Pauls: a mid-‘70s Black Beauty 20-year anniversary that sounds really cool – typical Black Beauty Les Paul type of sound – and also an early ‘80s Flying V that I have, and which is really cool with a typical metal sound. “On the other side, I record an old 1953 Goldtop Les Paul with P90s, which is like a fucking museum artefact that sounds so cool. Very, very special sound and it feels very special playing on it. It’s a bitch to tune and she requires a lot of attention – very much like an old lady. Very grumpy and very hard to handle, but once you get her to sing, she sings fantastically.” BY PETER HODGSON

Prequelle is out now via Spinefarm/ Loma Vista Recordings/Caroline Australia.

MUSIC INTERVIEWS Bands like Prophets Of Rage and Enter Shikari are wielding their arena-filling platforms to draw legions of otherwise unsuspecting punks into the fight against fascism, but what sets The Fever 333 apart is a distinct impulse to be more than just a soundtrack to the revolution. “Here’s the thing,” says frontman Jason Aalon Butler. “The movement that will really change things, or the movement that will reinvent how we see culture, politics and society, I think it’s already in motion, so for me to arrogantly try to take that and show it off as my own – I would be remiss to do so. But that line, ‘The soundtrack to the revolution’ – no, I want to be a part of that revolution. I don’t want to just sit back and write the songs, and then hope that people listen to them and then go, ‘Alright, I’m gonna go protest.’ I want to be at the protest. I want to facilitate these spaces where people can express themselves and where they challenge and reject the things that are set up to oppress them. I want to offer them a sense of empowerment and for them to understand that I am just as disgruntled and frustrated as them, and I’m just as willing to be there with them in that fight.”

The Fever 333 Are Raging Hard Against The Machine To say America’s political landscape is in shambles right now would be quite the understatement. Their President has the wit of an almond, mass shootings are all too common and the alt-right is a fast-rising bastion of racism, queerphobia and general fuckassery.

Though they’ve seen wild amounts of hype pour from the release of their debut EP, Made In America, Butler notes that its fierce anti-bullshit ethos is just the tip of the iceberg, his ultimate goal being to incite more than just some hectic circle pits. “I think in a lot of ways, at least for our millennial demographic, the idea of change is just a talking point,” he says. “And although I feel like it’s a good idea, I don’t really see too much enactment of that; there aren’t many people employing the tools or the efforts to make that change a reality. I’m not saying that every artist needs to go out and say something that changes the world, but in a time where our world is so fragile and volatile across the board, we’re in desperate need of some real, tangible action.” It’s harder to ignore the regressive shitstorm when it’s coming from within your own circle. Though he occupies a very different slice of the music industry’s extra calorific pie, Kanye West is arguably one of the most influential voices in the

“We did a run of about ten shows back in March, and then we went right back into the studio after we were done,” Shepherd reports from his Los Angeles home. “Most of the first half of the year I’ve just been writing and focusing on this new record in between spending time with my family. We hit the road pretty hard in the second half of the year, so it was important I got both in while I had the chance.” When queried on what motivated him to work on new music so quickly after Lay It On Down – which he is still touring – Shepherd counters with a, ‘why not?’. “We just wanted to keep the momentum going,” he explains. “I’m feeling prolific right now with how much I’ve been writing, and I wanted to record it and get it down. It made no sense to slow down while I’ve got the ball rolling already. I tend to just go wherever the creative process is calling me, and right now that’s where I’m at.”

The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Perspective It’s barely been a year since the release of Lay It On Down, the eighth studio album from acclaimed bluesman Kenny Wayne Shepherd. When Mixdown speaks to the 40-year-old singer/guitarist, however, he’s fresh from laying down the foundations for album number nine.

Since arriving in the spotlight as a wunderkind guitarist at the ripe old age of 13, Shepherd has countless world tours and three platinum-selling albums to his name. Even so, the Louisiana native still finds motivation to be as creative as he possibly can. At a time in his career where he essentially has nothing to prove, Shepherd is adamant about being so more than ever. “I’m inspired by real life, man,” he says plainly. “I mean, you can just look around every single day and find something to write about. I’ve got a lot of kids, and the biggest changes in my life have come from them. I would also say that whenever I’m writing, I always make sure it’s got a positive focus. Typically, in the tradition of blues, if a song is about a woman it’s about how she’s evil or she’s done the guy wrong. When I write about a woman, I want it to be about how wonderful she is. I just want to put something positive out there, because I think the world needs as much of that energy as it can get.” Shepherd applies the same logic to his guitar playing as his songwriting. Despite having played guitar for longer in his life than he hasn’t, he agrees with the sentiment that every

media today – a fact made all the more sour by his instantly infamous ‘slavery was a choice’ spiel, which hit Butler especially hard as a longtime fan of the controversial rapper. “I think it’s dangerous for any artist to go out and to speak on these issues if they’re going to speak so ignorantly,” he says. “Because the thing is, social engineering is not an option, and it’s not something that’s been fabricated. There is science behind it that proves these things were socially engineered … As a representative of more than just black culture, but music and artists and alternative thinkers, for him to do that, he’s lending credence to and offering a space for people that want to hurt others. And as an activist and a member of the community, I just think it was fucking stupid.” The Fever 333 are here to counteract the bile-spewing rightwing figureheads that lie in their way. Made In America has done a great job amping up the next chapter of the punk rock revolution thus far, but fans shouldn’t rest their pumping fists just yet. As Butler is quick to point out, there’s much, much more on the way. “I wrote a lot with John Feldmann [Goldfinger] and Travis Barker [Blink-182] when we were working on the Made In America record, so we’ve got a lot of music in the bag already,” he says. “It’s more so just that the release schedule needs to be one that is impactful. When we release something, I want to make sure that it speaks to an issue or has a bigger message to it than just, ‘Yo, buy this record because we want to sell more units.’ So as we move on, I’ll certainly be gauging the climate, politically and artistically, and find a good time to release the next record.” BY MATT DORIA

Made In America is out now via Roadrunner / Warner Music

performance and every tour brings new lessons. “I feel like I’m constantly trying to refine my craft,” he says. “There’s always something new to learn as a guitar player.” “You have to remain willing and open to learning new things. As long as you are, there’s no shortage of opportunities. There are plenty of players out there doing stuff on the guitar that I’d never think to play, or doing stuff that I can’t do.” That’s not to say he’s at a loss at all, though: “I feel like I’m doing a pretty good job for the style I’ve developed for myself in the style of music I play,” he continues. “I might not be the guy that can play a million notes in a particular passage, but I am the guy trying his best to put the maximum amount of passion and emotion into everything I play.” In October, Shepherd and his band will return to Australia for a whirlwind three-date theatre run. Although the tour is brief, Shepherd assures his love for the country is as genuine as it gets. “It’s a place that means a lot to me,” he says. “I’ve played a lot of great shows here, but my wife is also Australian so I’ve spent a lot of time over here with her family. I’ll never forget the first time I came over there – I was playing Bluesfest, and I was so taken aback by Byron Bay and this amazing surrounding that I ended up getting a commemorative tattoo. Australia’s on my body, man.” BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG

Catch Kenny Wayne Shepherd touring Australia’s east coast from Thursday October 4.

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Evolving with you. With a sleek new user interface, a generously expanded switching bandwidth and higher RF output power for the 500 Series, and new multi-channel functionality for the 100 Series, G4 delivers high-quality, reliable audio for musical performances, houses of worship, and theaters. www.sennheiser.com/g4

ADVICE COLUMNS MUSICOLOGY

Producer Focus: Teddy Riley There are few figures in modern contemporary music that could lay claim to creating such a unique variation on an established sound that they are credited with inventing an entire genre. Producer, songwriter and artist Teddy Riley is one of those few, having brought together the disparate elements of dance, house and hip hop beats performed on loud drum machines, played and sampled elements of jazz, swing, and funk, and combined them with smooth R&B vocals to create new jack swing. Riley would grow to define the sound and reinvigorate contemporary R&B and hip hop, leading to major hits by the likes of Michael Jackson, Blackstreet, Keith Sweat and Bobby Brown. No music is made in a bubble, however, and the tendency to credit Riley with entirely creating the new jack swing sound is a disservice to several notable producers who came before him in the early ‘80s. Before Riley’s dominance of the pop charts, several key records produced by the likes of Minneapolis duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, perhaps most notably including Janet Jackson’s Control (1986), paved the way. However, new jack swing, a phrase that would be coined in the headline of a 1987 Village Voice profile piece on Riley by writer Barry Michael Cooper, will always be associated with New York, and specifically Harlem. The ‘new jack’ part of the title was another way of saying ‘new kid on the block/scene’, while use of the word ‘swing’ equated Riley’s productions with the gangster era of 1920’s swing music, marrying the grit of what was occurring on Harlem’s streets with what was happening in the dancehalls. Unlike a lot of hip hop productions at the time, new jack swing utilised heavy drum machine sounds, often using the SP-1200 sampler and Roland TR-808 drum machine with a particularly dominant snare. The programmed hi-hats were often played in 16th note triplets, a particular trademark of Riley’s that gave a distinctive swing to the feel, while additional synthesised percussion was often also featured to add body to the rhythm. Interestingly, while in conversation with the Red Bull Music Academy, Riley revealed that he never used a sequencer to program beats. Instead, he would play along with track, laying the drum machine parts down like any other instrument. “That’s why it took so long for a lot of these records to come out,” said Riley. “‘Cause I didn’t have a sequencer, and when I finally got a sequencer, it didn’t work right for me. It didn’t have the off and on swing that I wanted.” The result was an onslaught of sound that fused the tough, street image of hip hop with the smooth soul of R&B vocals and keyboards, and made it danceable. While the vocals remained the central focus, the percussive rhythms were so loud in the mix that they emulated the nightclub experience, thus making the records produced by Riley and others a natural crossover success for both clubs and radio.

popular in the music you would hear at clubs during that time. When the new jack swing sound came in, it kicked up the BPMs from 94 to about 105. It was much faster and there was more rhythm, percussion, and movements within the drum tracks.” Other producers such as Babyface, L.A. Reid, Public Enemy’s Eric Sadler, Hank and Keith Shocklee, Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy began to score hits with the new sound for artists such as Bobby Brown, Color Me Badd, Tony! Toni! Toné! and Bell Biv DeVoe. “What made it new jack swing was the snare,” said Hank Shocklee to the Red Bull Music Academy. “The snare had to be loud and obnoxious and not in tune with the rest of the stuff. That made it stand out.” 1991 was a major year for Riley, who was asked by Quincy Jones to work on Michael Jackson’s Dangerous album, for which he would ultimately produce half of the songs, including ‘Remember the Time’, ‘Jam’ and ‘In the Closet’, and win a Grammy award for Best Engineered Album (Non-Classical). In the same year, Riley formed a new group, Blackstreet, although it wasn’t until the release of their second album in 1996 that he would score one of his biggest hits with ‘No Diggity’. That single signified a shift in Riley’s sound, which wisely reflected the changing tastes of the times, and to many represented the end of the new jack swing era. More recently, Riley has found success in applying the new jack swing process to the K-Pop industry in Korea, where he moved to work for several years, scoring a hit for Girls’ Generation with their first international single ‘The Boys’ in 2013. “All I did was bring new jack swing and merged it together [with K-Pop], and that’s how we got ten number ones,” he told Fact Magazine. These days, the legacy of new jack swing can be heard once again in the pop charts, though many won’t have recognised it. “All these people that are marrying singing with rap or making a song that’s a rap song into a singing song? That’s new jack swing,” said Riley to Rolling Stone. “You have Bruno Mars, you have Drake, you hear Pitbull? That’s all considered new jack swing.” BY ALEX WATTS

“I remember listening to records in 1985 and the drum sounds were very poppy and had a lot of reverb,” said Kanye West in a Pop Matters interview. “The records had a 2/4 beat structure to them. They were

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ADVICE COLUMNS ELECTRONIC MUSIC PRODUCTION

The Eternal Dilemma Mixer or Audio Interface? Something I see come up amongst beginners a lot is confusion over whether they need a mixer or audio interface. It’s an understandable point of confusion, particularly with lots of modern mixers now featuring USB connectivity, in turn providing similar functionality to audio interfaces. Unfortunately, the answer probably isn’t as clear cut as you might like as the ways in which people make music varies a hell-of-a-lot. To make this article as succinct and clear as possible, I’m going to focus on musicians who don’t intend to make music with a live band or record via a complex acoustic instrument setup. Let’s talk strictly bedroom producers. The biggest factor in the decision between the two is: do you want to make music - with electronic instruments - without involving your computer? Say you have a drum machine, a keyboard synth and a mic. You’re intending to write a the craziest post-future-dub-folk track the world’s ever heard. But rather than doing so in front of a computer screen, you’d rather work near a window and ponder the existential crisis your neighbour’s dog is having while you write. To do this you’ll need to combine the outputs of the drum machine, synth and mic so you can listen back to it while you jam. This is an ideal scenario for a mixer. At its core, a mixer is a device designed to combine and mix audio signals to and from various sources. Most will also provide at

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least a basic set of EQ parameters for each channel of incoming audio to help you polish your mix. For the above example, we need a mixer with five channels or more (microphone output plus stereo outputs from the synth and drum machine). As mixers grow in size (and price), their audio routing capability expands too, incorporating ‘inserts’ for effects boxes, input groups called ‘busses’ and tons more features. Suppose our musician in the above example is totally fine with working in front of a computer. In fact, they’re hoping to record some vocals and combine them with parts they’ve written with music creation/arrangement software like

Ableton Live or Logic. This is an ideal scenario for an audio interface. At its core, an audio interface is a device for getting live audio from various sources into your computer via USB or Thunderbolt, and letting you listen to/record it. Audio interfaces rarely have any EQ or extended mixing functionality - the idea is you use your software to modify and mix the audio. It’s not uncommon for an audio interface to double as a MIDI interface, so you can send sync and control signals to or from your software to your compatible hardware instruments. In the case of our example, they could sync the drum machine’s tempo to his software’s tempo via MIDI.

As I mentioned at the beginning, a lot of mixers now have USB outputs, meaning the mixer can double as an audio interface and send audio via USB into your computer. For some people, having that flexibility to work at or away from the computer is ideal. For others, particularly people for whom music making revolves around using a computer, it’s likely overkill. This is obviously simplifying things - there are tons of products out there that provide solutions to very specific situations. But for you people just starting: No computer = get mixer. Computer = get audio interface. Hope that’s cleared things up for you. BY MICHAEL CUSACK

ADVICE COLUMNS GUITAR

BASS GUITAR

Learn The Fretboard

Gig Bag Essentials

Chords come from scales, and of course there are plenty of types and lots of voicings. Guitar is an interesting example in this case as often we don’t play chords in set inversions due to the tuning and fingering of various chord shapes.

Most of you gigging guys and girls, seasoned players or switched-on bedroom bashers out there will already have a solid setup and gig bag of accessories that you take for those ‘just in case’ moments. For others wanting some info on what to take to gigs/rehearsals/ recording sessions, here are some general thoughts.

Piano players will typically start learning chords with the root in the bass (1, 3, 5) and then learn first and second inversions of these where they start on the 3 or 5. Piano is very visual and you can see these inversions really clearly. Guitar on the other hand isn’t as straightforward. A simple G chord shape that you might learn at first could be voiced G B D G B G and most likely the guitarist will really have no idea what actual notes they’re playing, they’ll just know that it’s a G chord. No worries with that and it’s one of the great things about guitar – making it very accessible and easy to get a start on. For most players it really isn’t until later stages that triads and voicings are learnt/ taught/covered and then it’s clear that some of these shapes aren’t always user-friendly or even possible at all. Anyway, background out of the way. Let’s get onto the next step from last issue of learning/seeing/visualising/discovering chords all over the neck. A Major is played A B C# D E F# G# A. By taking our idea from last month, we don’t just have to see that scale in one of the standard box type positions. If you know the fretboard well it can be all over the neck which enables you to improvise and move around the neck at will. An A Major triad is A C# E, so let’s take that chord and move it around the guitar.

BASSES Figure A puts these A Major triads into play. How many of them have you played? Of course we can then invert them to have the third or fifth in the bass too such as Figure B. These kinds of sounds/voicings can be heard in rock, blues, country and jazz amongst

Obviously, you’ll need to take at least one instrument. One of the (many) great things about bass is that we don’t typically break as many strings as guitarists, so we can often get away with just one bass. Having said that, there is an extra feeling of comfort knowing you’ve got another bass on hand for tonal variety or as a backup if needed. Always remember to keep your instruments in good working order – action, intonation, hardware, electronics all working as they should. Tuning, action and intonation especially can make your playing sound better and make your instrument easier to play (plus engineers, other band members, etc. will appreciate it too). STRINGS, LEADS, PICKS, TOOLS, TEXTAS

Try transposing this idea to other keys (especially keys you don’t know as well) and you’ll be surprised how quickly you start seeing chords all over the neck as well as just notes. Of course it can also work with minor too. Moving to A Natural Minor, we get A B C D E F G A which gives us Figure C as our root inversion voicings.

Again, try inverting these triads to start from the third or fifth and see what sounds/ shapes you can come up with. I’m sure there will be at least a couple you haven’t played before. Next month we’ll move onto using some more complex scales and modes to expand our chord knowledge even further. BY NICK BROWN

Again, these are pretty self explanatory, but I can’t stress the importance of them enough. Have a spare instrument lead at least, and if you’re running pedals or a pedalboard, have multiple spares plus some extra patch leads. Extension cords and a power board also commonly pop up as a necessity, especially on tight stages or interesting venues where power points aren’t always easily accessible. Nine volt batteries are super handy as backup power for pedals and tuners or active basses. Pliers, wire cutters and screw drivers are all worth having on hand, and many companies (music companies and otherwise) make great multi-tools with plenty of attachments, sizes and fittings that can get you out a tight spot when required. Gaffer tape – let me say no more! A tuner – or even a couple of them. There’s no excuse for not being in tune these days. Stands are also a winner, especially in the studio, at a gig using multiple instruments, or on dark stages where there isn’t room to leave your bass sitting around. As clunky as it can be to lug around, there’s nothing worse than a bass sitting precariously up against an amp or in a case in a tight corridor with people bustling past. RIG It’s not always feasible to have multiple rigs and/or take them to a gig/rehearsal/session. So at the least, make sure your rig is in good working order and that electronics are serviced and running as they should. That dodgy pot that you have to spin a few times to get working or the cab that needs a wiggle to get the jack working? Get them looked at. You might be surprised – they might be a small/easy fix and save you extra headaches in the future. Otherwise, spare head to cab leads (of different varieties – speakon/jack, etc.) and spare IEC leads. If you do have the luxury of having a backup rig (or an alternative for recording,) there is an abundance of small heads, pre/power amp/DI options that can easily tuck into a gig bag or the boot of a car if needed. These are just some thoughts to run through when packing for a gig/session/rehearsal or the like. We’ll get into some more detail next month. BY NICK BROWN

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ADVICE COLUMNS PERCUSSION

On The Other Hand For the right-handers of the world, the drum kit is set up (generally) in a certain manner that usually promotes this dominant hand to be the ‘leader’. For the left-handers, the same can be said, presuming the drum kit is the opposite/mirror image of the right hand kit, i.e. the way we traditionally set up a drum kit. Some people are awesome though, and are ambidextrous, finding it easy to use both hands to lead equally. I call these people unicorns. Let’s explore some options that might allow the opposite hand to dominate more during fills and might even lead to some other options you might not have tried.

Thought I’d start with something simple – the three basic rudiments. I always show these three simple basic applications for fills to my students early on. They’re an easy way to start using the rudiments around the drums and explore ways to approach using the other drums on the kit. But for so long, it’s been the right-handed versions. This time, I’m including a left-handed version of each. Looking at Figure A, we have single strokes as 16th notes starting on the snare and moving around the drums, finishing on the floor tom and hitting the crash with the right hand to finish the fill – easy as you like (provided you keep the strokes even) and predictable. If possible, it’s great to have a crash on the right hand side of the drum kit to end fills from the floor tom. The simplest ‘opposite’ or left-handed version of this is to lead with the left hand from the floor tom, finishing on the snare drum, hitting the crash with the left hand to finish the fill. Simple. I’ve used the same idea with double stroke roll (Figure B), but just altered the sticking slightly. Keeping the left hand on the snare drum and leading with the right hand around the drums creates a better use of the rudiment and a reasonably interesting sounding fill off the bat. But it’s the left-handed version that sounds less predictable and arguably more interesting. The same can be said of Figure C using a single paradiddle. We take the same idea as the double stroke by splitting the hands. The first paradiddle is between the rack tom and snare drum; the second is on the snare and the floor tom. This right-handed version does have a familiar sound, so it’s not surprising that the left-handed version, which is literally keeping the hands where they are and leading with the left (begins on the snare), is the more interesting sounding fill. You’ll notice also that for the purposes of illustration, I’ve notated the fill and a groove to go into after each example. This, of course, can be anything but crucially, you can see if you’re to crash with the left hand or right hand. Moving into something more advanced, I’ve listed two ideas or concepts for fills I use regularly. The first (Figure D) is a common accent phrasing idea using right hand accents and the left hand ghosting on the snare. The right hand is essentially free to improvise ideas and the left hand to fill the gaps. I’ve just written one idea here for one bar. I’ve used the same approach for the left hand, but kept the right hand on the floor tom and let the left hand improvise. The last figure (E) is the famous six-stroke roll as played by Steve Gadd – another cracking fill and such a usable idea on the drums. It is very right hand heavy though, and you can really only come out of the fill crashing on the right hand. The left hand version literally just mirrors the idea so you can get the same idea with a slightly different sound. It took a little while to make it feel the same, but it’s great when you have it down. Overall, this idea is really simple, but it allows for a couple of essential things. Firstly, you can get more mileage out of one idea and you’ll hear some new possibilities. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, it gets you moving all over the drums in different ways, and it gives you a chance to work on your weaker hand. BY ADRIAN VIOLI

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PRODUCT REVIEWS POSITIVE GRID

BIAS MINI Bass and Guitar Head LINK AUDIO | LINKAUDIO.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $999

One of the most exquisite experiences known to humankind is the process of having an item of clothing tailored to fit your body. Often subconsciously we express so much of ourselves with the choices we make in our dress before venturing out into the wild each morning. Some people take more pride in their appearance than others that’s for sure, and if the old adage ‘clothes maketh the man’ is anything to go by, those of us who do take that care have a distinct head start over those who lackadaisically slap on any old garb. All ‘what side does sir dress on’ jokes aside, when you don a vestment that fits you and you alone and the fabric and colour suit your mood exactly, you feel it in your soul. You walk taller, address situations more confidently, and you take things in stride that would usually get under your skin. Interestingly enough, this peacock instinct rings just as true in the gear world. From the colour and wear of the finish of your favourite vintage Strat to the height of your stack, there are more variations on the theme of musical self expression than in most other facets of existence. The digital age has brought about a number of products that play gleefully into the hands of this concept. Modeling amps and floorboard units abound, each promising unmitigated combinations and permutations allowing you to dial in the entirety of sonic history at the click of a drop down box. Positive Grid was one of the first companies to bring this hive-mind mentality to the fingertips of smartphone and tablet users the world over in their BIAS Amp line of apps, which have now expanded to include Mac and PC users in

their stable. They subsequently entered the world of hardware a few years ago with the BIAS Head. I had the pleasure of reviewing one as one of my first forays into the modeling world and was struck dumb by the limitless possibilities the physical product afforded me even before plunging into the software. As such, I had a reasonable idea of what I was in for when faced with these two new miniaturised versions I see before me. Before I get to the amps themselves, I have to make mention of the electronic brain of the enterprise, the software. This is, after all, where the vast majority of the tone shaping comes to life. Positive Grid’s software allows you to choose from hundreds of different amp models just as they appear in the real world, anything from the giants of the industry like ‘70s Plexis, British Class A Tube circuits, searing solid-state shredders and a plethora of others. Starting with those blueprints, you can swiftly and easily change out power transformers, pre and power tubes and their age and era of manufacture, capacitors that warm over time, tonal filtering and just about every possible thing there is to tweak about an amp. The cabinet well is just as deep. Speaker cone types and combinations, cabinet thicknesses, mic placement and even the parameters of the simulated room said cab is in is all up for grabs and ready to take with you wherever you’re playing. Whether you’re a guitar or bass player there are literally millions of different combinations on the menu even before you download the impulse responses designed by world-

renowned artists and tone chasers. My head is spinning just thinking about it. While it all sounds a lot, when you pour all of that infinite possibility into something as compact and lightweight as either of these heads, the whole thing becomes strangely easy and familiar. Both the bass and guitar MINI heads come loaded with sixteen factory presets that start the smoke clearing as soon as you plug in. From glassy Princeton clean tones to bluesy break up to abject sonic destruction, there is enough in tow from the get-go to simply set up and start playing. At this point, possibility turns to functionality and renders either or both units a perfect choice for those of us looking to downsize a touring rig, especially when you realise just how much of the 300 watts of output power you’re ever going to need. Once you have designed your own Tonehenge in the app and assigned it a destination on board, you can zero in on the specifics of the room with the staggeringly simple three-band EQ, input gain and Master volume. This is where I genuinely preferred the MINI heads to their predecessor as this achingly simple final touchstone streamlines proceedings for those instances when there is just too much else going on. In sound check, this amount of distillation would prove a handy way to hone in without getting lost in the milieu and without proving to be little more than limitation. In many cases, this is where a lot of modeling units fall down. Any and all of them are, or at least should be, designed with the heady, anxiety inducing arena of live performance at the fore. The last thing anybody wants to do is spend a whole sound check reading

a user manual or scouring the FAQs for answers when the drummer is pilfering the rider. Positive Grid has done well to balance unmitigated possibility with on-the-fly functionality. This, combined with the surprisingly lightweight yet next to bulletproof all-metal housing, makes the MINI heads a particularly road-ready variation on the theme. We all want to leave as distinct and individual a mark on the world as we can. For many of us, looking to music as a chief means of personal expression is a direct reaction to this innate desire. While the digital age has opened up can after can of worms and the burden of choice weighs heavy on those who dare to wander down that rabbit hole, it is incredibly encouraging to know that companies like Positive Grid keep a watchful eye on real world application in designing their units. Both the guitar and bass versions of BIAS MINI heads are two of the most userfriendly modelers I’ve come across, guiding you through the process of fully tailoring your sound to your every waking need. BY LUKE SHIELDS

HITS ∙∙ Limitlessness, simplicity, power and portability MISSES ∙∙ If you want to break them, you can’t

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PRODUCT REVIEWS VOX AMPLIFICATION

MV50 High Gain and Boutique Mini Heads YAMAHA MUSIC | AU.YAMAHA.COM | EXPECT TO PAY: $349.99 It almost feels like a magic trick. You feel deceived. God, it even has the Vox logo emblazoned on the front panel. But how could it be? That logo is the frontispiece atop one of the heaviest, British, class A tube amps in history. This runt is the distant cousin of an AC30? Gobbledygook. How could one fathom that something so tiny could emanate from the same spring of power and glory, envisioned by the same minds that ear-splittingly amplified some of the biggest names in rock history? It just should not be, but it is. Oh, but it is! I set out to write this review as if I was Kafka. Huddled tubercular and wheezing over a rickety desk in a dank and lightless room, blackening pages with all the blustering energy befitting an image so surreal as a Vox MV50 amplifier head. There is something inherently bizarre about these things, after all. A nondescript, black, cardboard box is loaded into the back of your van and you drive home aghast as it twitches silently to itself over your shoulder. The two of you arrive home and it throbs with anticipation as you push a key through the measly line of tape that has managed to keep this beast imprisoned thus far. The lid flops open wantonly and this tiny, shining thing gazes up at you like a sleeping kitten. You’ve been

told it’s an amplifier – 50 watts of high gain and/or boutique amp RMS, no less – but it looks like something you stored marbles in as a child. Nonplussed but inquisitive, you sit it atop some old quad box and bang out an E minor. By God, what a sound – what a high and awe striking wail. How do they do that? Ever the innovators and unafraid wanderers down scarcely trod paths, Vox has had versions of these tiny yet mighty terrors on the market for a while now. The two newest additions to the litter, the High Gain and Boutique types, are in reality far from what you’d call runts. Anyone who has ventured to converse with any of the MV ilk thus far will attest to just how surprising the amount, let alone the quality of tone inherent to the patented Nutube technology at play is. This is exactly the heart of the whole line, after all. It looks like a 12AX7, but heats up like a whole battery of them and, depending on what capacitors and transistors Vox chooses to sit before it, barks like a wounded dog. The HG has an unimaginable amount of crispness in its bite. The tone knob allows it to go from Randall style searing mid-scoop to everything at 12 AC30 and, coupled with the EQ depth switch on the back, stitches in a fair amount of tightness or openness depending on how angry you’re feeling. The BQ has a similar

palette, but with a considerably bluesier bent. Both clean up to almost Fender-like glassiness and each has a distinct sense of self that few other micro heads have managed to harness. How and why have we come to a point where we’ve done away with the idea that a machine’s size might have some direct correlation to its output? The proof is in the disappearing pudding, I guess. Vox has met this question with an increasingly wry and knowing grin. The MV50 High Gain and Boutique micro heads have more attitude and tone on tap than some amps ten times their size, so don’t be deceived or they’ll slip

through the cracks in the floor and you’ll never hear that magic again. BY LUKE SHIELDS

HITS ∙∙ Big quality tonality in a tiny little box MISSES ∙∙ An effects loop and a touch more headroom would make them unbeatable

ERNIE BALL

Paradigm Strings CMC MUSIC AUSTRALIA CMCMUSIC.COM.AU EXPECT TO PAY: $38.95 Breaking strings is the worst. It’s the guitar equivalent of blowing a tyre, dropping your ice-cream on the ground or having your parents walk in on you and your Tinder date. Ernie Ball is justifiably proud of their world-class strings, and they don’t want you to break ‘em. They want you to change them only after the eventual tone loss that affects all strings, not after one overlyambitious bend in the heat of the moment. With that in mind, meet Paradigm Strings. Ernie Ball’s state-of-the-art wire drawing process coupled with patented RPS (Reinforced Plain String) technology dramatically increases tensile strength by up to 35 percent and provides up to 70 percent more fatigue strength than traditional strings. RPS is a different way of securing the string to the ball end, which removes the issue of undue stress on different sections of the wire, including the crucial point right at the beginning of the lock twist where most strings break. This wire process means both the plain strings and the wound string core wires are made up of ultra-fine-grain high-strength steel. Australian Ernie Ball distributor CMC Music provided two sets of Paradigms, an

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electric set gauged 9-42 and an acoustic set, 12-54. I installed the electric set on my Ibanez RG550 Roadflare Red, and the acoustic set on my Ibanez Charleston, and basically tried to thrash the hell out of ‘em. And wouldn’t you know it – I couldn’t break ‘em. On the acoustic, I was able to strum to the point where the guitar just wouldn’t get any louder, with no noticeable stress on the strings at all. Not even the high strings, which I tend to break a bit on acoustic. The reason I chose this particular electric for testing these strings was because its fully-floating Edge tremolo is the smoothest and most sensitive of all my whammy-loaded guitars. It’s great for all sorts of whammy tricks, particularly upbends, flutters, squealing harmonics and fretted-out dolphin noises. I pulled the whammy bar out of the guitar a couple of

times, but I couldn’t make the strings break a sweat. Time will tell how they hold up in terms of maintaining their crisp sound through regular use, but after about a week of solid playing they still sounded nice and fresh. Not as bright as Ernie Ball Cobalts, but certainly great-sounding strings.

HITS ∙∙ You can’t break them MISSES ∙∙ If you want to break them, you can’t

If string-breakage is a problem for you – or if you just don’t want to ever be a problem for you – Paradigm strings are the perfect choice. I also think it’s great that Ernie Ball seems to have really stepped up their game in terms of innovation over the last few years. They’ve always made great strings, but they seem to really be concerned with, “How can we make them greater?” lately, and that’s a very admirable trait. BY PETER HODGSON

PRODUCT REVIEWS JACKSON GUITARS

Pro Series Signature Mick Thomson Soloist SL2 JACKSON GUITARS AUSTRALIA JACKSONGUITARS.COM.AU | RRP: $2099 Slipknot have been massive players on the metal scene for many years. Highly influential for their combination of brutal riffs and energetic syncopated grooves and rhythms, the band has spawned various signature models and endorsements for many of its members. The latest sees Jackson releasing the Mick Thomson Pro Series signature model. A ‘Soloist’ shape with a few tweaks, let’s have a closer look. A through body design, the SL2 comprises a mahogany body, 24 fret maple neck and ebony fingerboard. The recessed neck joint and cutaways are super smooth with plenty of upper fret access and the compound 12 – 16 radius allows for low action and playability. Jumbo frets come standard which I have found to work well for a lighter touch on flatter boards. Available in two colours, this particular model looks great in its gloss white. Black hardware and binding provide a strong contrast with the marker less fretboard adding to its stealthy type vibes. Chunky side fret block markers are on board for those that feel a bit lost without

fretboard inlays (and they are definitely clear). A locking nut has been used for tuning stability along with a locking bridge (and fine tuners). The difference to most locking units is that this example is set up as a hardtail (against the body), not floating, meaning it should hold up to plenty of abuse. Rounding out the guitar is a set of Thomson’s own signature Seymour Duncan Blackouts (AHB-3S), three-way switch and single volume pot. The Soloist has long been a staple of the Jackson line so this guitar shape will be familiar to many. The reverse headstock and comfy edges, bevelling and neck all make for an easy player. Shape-wise, the neck is constructed with a D shape featuring a wide and flat contour (which I really like on this model) as opposed to the sharper rounded

edges. The guitar obviously lends itself to shred and heavier styles of music with the Seymour Duncan pickups having plenty of bit and clarity. Clean is also doable and the three-way switch allows for a cool split tone as well as the standard neck and bridge positions. Low end chug, higher register licks and anything in between are all fair game.

HITS ∙∙ Easy to play, well constructed ∙∙ Price MISSES ∙∙ Signature models aren’t for everyone

Jackson’s Pro series seems like a clever move. Featuring similar looks and designs as their USA Signature brothers, the Pro series drops in at a much more affordable price. The Mick Thomson take on the Soloist packs plenty of punch and will no doubt appeal to rock and metal players wanting a good playing axe that won’t cost huge $$. BY NICK BROWN

NEKTAR

Pacer MIDI DAW Footswitch Controller SOUND & MUSIC | SOUND-MUSIC.COM EXPECT TO PAY: $399 Foot controllers are usually something that you associate with guitarists and to be honest, when I first had this unit land on my desk, I thought it was just another MIDI controller for an effects rig. Then I actually looked at the product and saw what was on offer. I am, of course, talking about the Nektar Pacer, a new foot controller that has been brought out by the innovators at Nektar, who originally delivered the Panorama keyboard that changed the way in which Reason users could interact with their software. With the Pacer, the team at Nektar has again changed the way in which musicians, producers and engineers can interact with their DAW of choice. Of course, many guitarists will have used MIDI foot controllers over the years for controller effects and amp rigs, and it isn’t unusual today for most people working in a home recording setup to play guitar anyway. The two really go hand in – well, foot. With so many guitarists now recording and producing their own music, it makes sense to offer them a solution for interacting with their chosen software in a more tangible manner. After all, if you’re playing guitar, you don’t have a spare hand to operate the computer when recording by yourself, so 28

this is the perfect solution. It’s so simple in concept, I’m amazed we haven’t seen something like this more readily available in the past. But here we are, and DAW control now takes just a tap of the toes to master. Straight out of the box, you know this is a solid piece of kit, and it needs to be with the punishment it is likely to endure. The casing is solid, heavy and doesn’t move when seated on the floor. The buttons, of which there are eleven, are solid too – slightly firm on the press, with a good spring back to their non-latching operation. The controls can be individually assigned for specific tasks if you like, but they are set up to achieve the most obvious of functions, including transport controls,

bank selections and preset options. A large LED display shows you what is going on as far as function and patch options, and each control has an RGB colour option to show what is in operation. The rear of the unit allows for a pair of expression pedals to be added, along with a host of other footswitches to further add to your control. Using this as a guitarist, it all makes sense, but I can say this too: just sitting at the computer with the Pacer on the floor, set up on an angle to my left, it was all too inviting. I found that it made a range of operations even in editing a breeze, and allowed me to use fewer keyboard shortcuts and ride the mouse more when needed. It’s like having a third hand to speed up the editing and recording process, and it works.

It’s a great idea and something that any home recording setup could benefit from, with or without a guitarist in the room. BY ROB GEE

HITS ∙∙ Clever design ∙∙ Solid build ∙∙ It just works, and works well MISSES ∙∙ I wish they had come up with it sooner

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PRODUCT REVIEWS FENDER

The Bends Compressor Pedal FENDER AUSTRALIA | FENDER.COM.AU | RRP: $269 When you think about glass, you think about clarity. You think about windows that shield you from the wind and rain, but also reveal the subtle and resplendent beauty of the landscape you surround yourself with. In the process of doing their job, one side will invariably catch all the dirt and degradation that comes with exposure to the elements, but the best glass will clean up with little more than a once over with a squeegee. In a lot of ways, a compressor should be just like this, a portal through which you allow your audience to experience your tone. It should retain the clarity and detail of the image you’re trying to portray while keeping all the nastiness at bay. Some pedal based compressor designs do a great job of part of that rubric, others go over the top with a whole grab-bag of invisible options, but Fender’s new design The Bends has a perfect balance of everything a compressor should and could be able to do. With the new series of pedals they released at NAMM ’18, Fender has really hit a lot of nails on their respective heads. The whole range, in a nutshell, is a hit list of effects types that Fender’s product designers have in some ways simplified and in others expanded to include features that professional musicians have long gone thirsty for. I’ve written about a few of them now as well as played them all in turn, and the thing that stands out across the board

is just how easy it is to get a precise and unique take on exactly the sound you’re looking for. The Bends is no exception. Compression is by far the most oft misunderstood colour in the rainbow. While its brothers overdrive and distortion are designed to jump right out at you like red and blue in a rainbow, compression is more like ultraviolet. You might not be able to see it, but if there is too much of it around it will burn your tone to cinders. On the brushed black face of The Bends you have a simple set of controls. Drive adjusts your input ratio, Level limits the amount of output, and Recovery juggles a healthy mixture of attack and release in a kind of crossfaded curve that simplifies the way the twin audio paths cure your signal. At its most audible, the compressed sound is a curated mixture of both pedal and rack based units. It has the crystalline, belllike chime of some of the more expensive modern stompboxes, the hefty squelch of vintage designs and the unlimited, lightening fast dynamic control of the kind of studio outboard gear you could trust with an orchestra or a jazz drummer. Being as forward thinking as they are, Fender has also equipped the unit with a wet/dry blend knob, which affords even the more discerning audiophiles another level of subtlety and leaves your clean tone intact. Whether you’re using it to settle the to

and fro of a sloppy pick hand or looking for almost infinite sustain, either way The Bends has you covered. BY LUKE SHIELDS

HITS ∙∙ Clarity, versatility and lightening fast reflexes in a sleek, black box MISSES ∙∙ Independent attack and release controls would make this unit unbeatable

SENNHEISER

EW100 G4-835 Wireless System SENNHEISER AUSTRALIA | EN-AU.SENNHEISER.COM | EXPECT TO PAY: $999 There is no doubt that when it comes to wireless microphones, Sennheiser is one of the world leaders. Their systems can be found being used at the local pub every weekend, to large scale tours, broadcasts and some of the biggest events around the world, like the recent Eurovision contest. It’s because of the quality of build, reliability and flexibility that Sennheiser wireless systems offer that they get chosen for so many large scale events. And with that, there is no reason why you too can’t have the same quality of wireless transmission and exceptional audio quality, no matter what size your audience. With the recent release of Sennheiser’s G4 wireless systems, it is now even more affordable to have the best quality wireless system in class. Let’s have a look at the EW100 system. EW100 systems have for a long time represented excellent value whilst still maintaining Sennheiser’s strict quality demands. I have worked with G1, G2 and G3 systems for the last 15 years and never had an issue, except for the occasional singer who forgets to bring fresh batteries. I was excited to see the latest incarnation of this series in the G4 range. These are not just some annual upgrade to generate new sales. When Sennheiser update these systems it comes from a need to stay the world leader in the wireless arena. So, your system is likely to be out of date in 12 months requiring an upgrade. You’ll see

years and years of use on live stages with these systems. The receivers are in tough, rack mountable cases and the lightweight aluminium transmitters are made to be punished. They are sturdy, solid, dependable and comfortable in the hand. The true diversity transmission of the EW100 G4-835 means you will have no issues when using multiple systems on the one stage. You can quickly and easily set up and link up to 12 receivers with transmitters in the one space. That should be enough for most ensembles outside of a large festival. You’ll find 20 compatible channels available and a wide bandwidth of transmission that offers up to 100 metres of RF transmission. I managed to get mine down the driveway and across the road before I was unable to hear

the receiver anymore, but I certainly could have gone further without an issue. Think of any stage you’re likely to play on and this unit will more than cover you needs, even if you’re standing on the bar at the back of the room, in the venue next door. This system has the same great sounding capsule as offered in their e835 wired microphone for that Sennheiser clarity that we have come to know and expect in both wired and wireless performance microphones. It doesn’t matter where you are in the room, it sounds like you’re plugged in the entire time. With that in mind, it really makes sense to put your wireless sound in the hands of a Sennheiser EW100 G4 system now and well into the future. Obviously, this is the smart choice for when you need a cardioid pickup

pattern, but the 845 model is also available for a more directional capsule. BY ROB GEE

HITS ∙∙ Beautiful, clear sound ∙∙ Capable of working in larger numbers on one stage ∙∙ Great range with perfect transmission MISSES ∙∙ None

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PRODUCT REVIEWS TC ELECTRONIC

SpectraDrive Bass Preamp Pedal AMBER TECHNOLOGY | AMBERTECH.COM.AU | RRP: $449 For an instrument with such limited impact on the length and breadth of the frequency spectrum, it never ceases to amaze me how much bass effects pedals hone in on the particulars of any given sound. I guess it stands to reason; essentially, the less you have to play with the more you have to focus on the toys in your toy box in order to have the same amount of fun as your more overstocked counterparts. In a way, the world of music would be a much less wild, muddy and confusing place if guitar players paid as much attention to the minutiae of tonality as bass players are forced to. If every six stringer’s first pedal was a tenband EQ as opposed to a dirt box, imagine how much more creative they’d have to be to stand out in the throng. But I digress. The preamp has been the ace in the hole for bass players the world over since fader jockeys started insisting on direct injection decades ago. When soundies started baulking, “You don’t need a mic in front of that 8x10 mate, we’ll just chuck you straight into front of house,” our low-frequency fiends ached for a way to satisfy their oft neglected sense of individuality. The answer is a simple stompbox that does what the front end of a criminally unattended amplifier would be doing were it allowed. Denmark’s undeniably clever upstarts TC Electronic present their new SpectraDrive as

the answer to the preamp prayers of bass players everywhere. Essentially, the SpectraDrive is a multi -effects unit that eschews the clink and clutter of most in favour of absolute toneshaping essentials. It is a crystal clean DI box with concurrent ¼” and TRS outs, a ground lift and TC’s signature silent switching system. The four-band EQ is incredibly sensitive and voiced to illuminate the lower half of a frequency graph down to the tiniest nuance as well as find just the right notch in a mix for a bass tone to poke through into the holes left by brighter instruments. The inclusion of a compressor, based on the juicy yet subservient SpectraComp circuit, makes thickening and tidying up dynamics a breeze. Push all of that into the front end of the Tube Drive circuit, replete with a dedicated footswitch, and you’ve got yourself as complete a package as you could ask for. Also decked this unit out with an aux in and headphone out for home practise, and proprietary TonePrint technology means there is next to no way you’ll sound like every other player that came before you. On first glance there is a lot you can do with this little workhorse, almost intimidatingly so. There is just about a Neve channel strip worth of tone shaping on board, and if you don’t know what you’re looking for, it could

be easy to get lost in the wash. On the contrary, the SpectraDrive has a subtle way of doing a lot of the guesswork for you. If you start out with everything at noon and make minor adjustments from there, it is nigh on perfect from the get-go. Essentially, it is only as complicated as you make it. In the SpectraDrive, TC Electronic has combined several of its more popular tricks of the trade in a tidy, one-stop-shop for subsonic satisfaction.

BY LUKE SHIELDS

HITS ∙∙ Clarity and simplicity where it is most necessary, with a healthy dollop of personality to taste MISSES ∙∙ None

IZOTOPE

VocalSynth 2 VST Plugin ELECTRIC FACTORY | ELFA.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $249 For those of you who have used iZotope plugins before, you will no doubt be aware of the wide range of effects they offer to cater for all range of needs in audio production and repair work. There is essentially a tool for just about every audio task in the iZotope range, and those of you looking for vocal effects are certainly not left wanting. With VocalSynth, many loyal users were converted to iZotope’s products and now that the latest update has been officially released, I am sure there is about to be a much wider user group for VocalSynth 2 with the range of effects it has on offer. Let’s get this clear to start with: VocalSynth is a vocal effects unit. Yes, it is a vocoder, but it is so much more than that. It’s a noise gate, an auto-tune, a distortion unit, a chorus and a whole host of bizarre synthstyled effects for your voice. What it isn’t though, is an EQ, compressor and preamp as many people may be looking for in vocal processing. These are obvious choices for the start of your vocal signal chain and iZotope has other tools to take care of these processes, but VocalSynth 2 pretty much does the rest for you. However, if you want to adjust, or totally obliterate, your voice, you can do it with VocalSynth 2. It’s not dissimilar to the original with a few added features, so previous users will get around it pretty quickly and make the most of the

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new stuff. In fact, new users will also get around this plugin pretty quickly too, as it is well laid out and very easy to operate. It even walks you through setup options for integrating with your DAW and with other compatible iZotope plugins to run as a sidechain effect. It’s all pretty neat and easy to abuse, which tends to happen with synthstyle effects. You’ll find the five main effects sections across the top of the window – yes, there’s one more than in the last version, and each of these has basic setup controls on the main panel. You can expand these panels to get access to all the functions and controls within the effects. When they are reduced, you get to see the trendy new mixing section that uses a visual representation of the sound for you to work with. The added array of effects on the lower panel work just like effects pedals and can be easily dragged and dropped to change the order to suit your needs. There’s a ring modulator, chorus, distortion and even a new effect called Shred that chops up the sound and throws it all over the place. It’s like tremolo-meetsnoise-gate-meets-random-number-generator, if that makes any sense at all. If not, you’ll just have to get this plugin for yourself and try it – it is really cool. The chorus is nice and the delay is very usable too, but the real fun happens when you get into the five synth-derived effects in the top section. The

range of presets in the vocoder will keep you entertained for hours before fully getting into the other effects. The talkbox is great for Bon Jovi fans that don’t want a tube in their mouth and a speaker rattling the fillings out of their teeth, providing a huge range of effects from chipmunks to robots to car engines all through your voice. This is a whole lot of fun. BY ROB GEE

HITS ∙∙ Very well priced for the range of effects ∙∙ Excellent audio quality ∙∙ Huge range of effects ∙∙ It has auto-tune, and that’s got to be a hit in some people’s books MISSES ∙∙ None

PRODUCT REVIEWS FISHMAN

Loudbox Mini Charge Amplifier DYNAMIC MUSIC | DYNAMICMUSIC.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $949 If sales of battery powered amps and loop pedals are any indication, Bourke Street Mall must be nearing a 1:1 ratio of buskers to change-throwers by now. With the high voltage guitar heroes of yesteryear giving way to their spongier, more sensitive Sheeran-esque descendants, it seems like every player and their dog wants to take to the streets to profess undying love for a childhood sweetheart through song. For the longest time, Roland’s CUBE Street range has been the go-to for those not able to live off the grid, but these days there are more contenders to the throne than ever before. Fishman has been the pickup and preamp choice for discerning acoustic players almost since their genesis. Its line of Loudbox acoustic amplifiers has risen through the ranks thanks mainly to its unprecedented attention to sound quality, and throwing the Loudbox Mini Charge hat into the busking ring could well see them knock the black, angled box off the top spot. On the whole, Fishman’s Loudbox range is a definite standout in the niche market of acoustic amplification. It has a particular sense of confidence and honesty that is refreshing in a world where transparency is paramount. The three-band EQ in both the instrument and mic channels is perilously sensitive, allowing you to micro-adjust the tone of either side in as precise a way as possible. The Loudbox Mini Charge’s reverb

stage is assignable to either or both sides and its long, dark plate tonality adds a graceful amount of space where it is needed most. If your guitar begs a little extra glitter, the instrument side is replete with a chewy chorus that goes from subtle thickening to classy glisten at its utmost. Comparing them side by side, the Loudbox Mini Charge has its competitor pipped at more than one post. First and foremost, it has its own Lithium Ion battery which, at full charge and a reasonable playing volume, affords you around an extra hour of performance time – plus, you don’t have to scramble to find a milk bar that carries AAs if you get caught with your power down. There is also a battery life indicator, which means you can time your street stage exits more gracefully. At 60 watts it is far and away a gutsier unit; you really have to push hard on the input gain before it starts to break up, as all of that power seems expressly interested in cleanliness over sheer volume. On top of that there are a few accoutrements like DI out, 1/8th” aux in and phase control switch that render it suitable in more than one situation. You could take it on stage and use it as a DI and monitor or just fang along to your favourite tracks in your room; anything and everything you could think to do with an acoustic amp is firmly implanted onboard.

Working at a guitar store in the heart of the CBD, I’ve answered this question more times than I dare to count. If a prospective coin hound is not brave, rich or savvy enough to rig up a system around the beating heart of a marine battery, then Roland has had them covered for the longest time. The CUBE Street has until now been the benchmark for mobile performance functionally, but to my ear there is a little lacking in the sound quality department. With a Fishman Loudbox Mini Charge on display, I can finally give a more discerning customer an option that not only competes in the back pocket stakes, but almost wipes the floor where tonal altruism is concerned.

BY LUKE SHIELDS

HITS ∙∙ Absolute cleanliness and honesty with a longer battery life than its competition MISSES ∙∙ Coffee and tan isn’t everyone’s aesthetic

MARKBASS

Little Marcus 800 Bass Head CMC MUSIC | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU EXPECT TO PAY: $1695 It doesn’t get much bigger than Marcus Miller in the world of bass playing. His career boasts Grammy awards, platinum records, film scores, and playing/writing/producing/ recording with the likes of Miles Davis, Luther Vandross, Bill Withers, Chaka Khan, Herbie Hancock and so many more. He has an identifiable sound, serious chops and groove, and has been hugely influential as a musician (and not just for bass players). So when someone with his status joins forces with a bass amp company, it really must be something they believe in. With Markbass being quite the innovator and one of the market leaders, it seems like a primo combination. Enter the Little Marcus series of bass heads with the 800 watt model sitting on our desk. While there are definite Markbass indicators on the Little Marcus 800, such as the knobs, control layout, size and shape (and there are hints of the Markbass yellow all over), the head has definitely been ‘Millerized’ with a silver coloured faceplate, a stencilled picture of Miller himself, and some additional controls. Left to right, you’ve got a mute switch, input jack and gain control, then ultra low, low, mid, high mid, high (across the bottom row considered EQ 1), with EQ 2 above consisting of controls marked ‘Old

School’ and ‘Millerizer’. Lastly, to the right you have a dedicated line out control and master volume. The back panel features a Speakon speaker out, footswitch input, tuner out, effects loop send and return, post/preEQ button, ground lift and XLR line out. As a Markbass head, it’s got all the punch, headroom and EQ possibilities the amps are known for. At 800 watts there’s a lot of juice on tap, and the extension of this Miller line sees 250, 500 and 1000 watt versions giving you quite the selection depending on your tastes and requirements. For most players, I’d think 800 watts is more than enough for all your gigging and rehearsing needs, remembering the head also has a quality line out (with level control) for running to FOH. The EQ gives you lots of scope for rounder thud or brighter punch, and the Old School

and Millerizer controls sound like they work on the typical Markbass filters (known as VPF and VLE). These add some extra options and can really help balance your sound in different rooms or with different cabs. Marcus Miller has basically done it all in the bass world, and it’s cool to see him hook up with Markbass with this line of amps. Of course, MM has the funk/jazz/fusion/pop/ R&B package down (amongst other things), but this 800 watter could easily work for rock, pop, heavier styles or whatever you to try.

HITS ∙∙ Headroom and volume ∙∙ Typical tough Markbass construction MISSES ∙∙ Not everyone digs signature models

BY NICK BROWN

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SPIDER V

Spider V is the first amp to have a built-in wireless receiver — making it easier than ever to take your performance wireless. It’s a serious addition to your rig that combines incredible wireless freedom with refreshing simplicity. Just plug a Relay G10T transmitter into a Spider V 60/120/240 and start playing.*

Spider V 30 $349.99 RRP

Spider V 120 $699.99 RRP

Spider V 240 $899.99 RRP

Spider V 240HC $849.99 RRP

Spider V 60 $549.99 RRP

• Create your sound with over 200 newly refined amps, cabs and effects • Use LED colour-coded controls to select, build and edit your tone • 128 presets include iconic rigs and classic artist tones — choose a tone and play • Hone your timing and chops with real drummer loops and a built-in metronome * Relay G10T transmitter sold separately. Compatible with Spider V 60, Spider V 120, Spider V 240HC, and Spider V 240 models only. The Relay G10T transmitter is compatible with typical 1/4" output jacks used on most passive and active instruments. Guitars that have non-standard jack wiring may require a 1/4" mono adapter for use with Relay G10T. The prices set out in this advertisement are recommended retail prices (RRP) only and there is no obligation for Line 6 dealers to comply with this recommendation. Errors and omissions excepted.

FIND A DEALER line6.com/dealers

EVENTS AND PROMOTIONS yamahabackstage.com.au

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PRODUCT REVIEWS CORT

L100P Parlour Acoustic Guitar DYNAMIC MUSIC | DYNAMICMUSIC.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $699 If you did a survey of people’s idea of a typical steel string acoustic guitar, I’d think the common response would be something along the lines of a concert, orchestra or jumbo-style guitar – that is, a bigger bodied instrument that we’ve grown to see on TV in the hands of famous musos and what most music stores stock. Guitar history, however, is littered with small bodied examples from early Spanish explorers to Central America, Europe and indeed the United States of America. The Parlour guitar, as it is often referred to, became popular for its smaller size, projection and considerable volume. Whilst typically a mainstay of many brands’ lineups, the Parlour has enjoyed a resurgence over the last few years for anything from country and bluegrass through to singer-songwriters, rock and a range of other purposes and genres. Coming from its Luce series, the Cort L100P follows the traditional Parlour look at quite an affordable price. Styled on the vintage Parlour shaped acoustic body, these guitars are known for their 12th fret neck body joint and overall smaller shape and scale (around 25.3”). A gorgeous darker tinged Blackwood top on this particular model (along with blackwood back and sides) gives the guitar a rootsy, natural look with the mahogany

neck and rosewood fretboard feeling solid. The headstock is of the slotted variety (which is something more commonly used on classical guitars) and is definitely a distinctive identifier on Parlour models such as the L100P.

feeling of control. Arpeggios and fingerstyle technique work nicely, whilst the guitar responds beautifully when digging in for snappier picked lines. Again, the punchy mid-range really adds volume and body to the guitar’s overall sound.

The first thing you’ll probably notice about the L100P is the projection and volume. As a smaller bodied guitar, you might be thinking that means less sound, but indeed the L100P is super punchy and really has some bite. The neck is fairly wide and definitely not something from a half-sized guitar (like some small bodied guitars), but it still feels comfortable with the reduced scale length giving you a nice

The increased popularity of Americana, blues and roots over the last number of years has seen instruments such as mandolin, banjo and ukulele take more of a centre stage. Parlour guitars have seemed to follow a similar path with their retro looks and rootsy tones adding a different guitar voice to many players. The Cort L100P is definitely worth a play if you’re looking for something smaller bodied

of settings such as Acoustic, 12 String, Special, Unique, Modern and User. Each of these settings then has three variations, and of course there’s the ability to store some user presets. A flick through the settings highlights the Starstream’s quick response and tracking times with chords and single notes. The acoustic sounds are snappy, the synth and sustain guitars are cool for adding flavour, and the Sitar and Resonator sounds are more than usable. You then have the option of adding effects – Drive typically for the electric sounds and Reverb for the more acoustic tones. From there you have a Volume and Tone knob to control your sound.

standard electric guitar and still somewhat resembles a double cutaway means it’s not a completely foreign instrument, and perhaps not as crazy as it first seems. It’s still accessible to guitarists of all levels, has a headphone out for silent playing/practising, and is flexible enough to use live or in the studio. For my thinking, the Type-1 is a great starting point for those wanting to explore the multi-sound idea without delving super deep into the synth/MIDI pickup and editing world.

or slightly different. It’ll cut through beautifully at a jam session, offer some added tones for recording, and sit comfortably in a range of musical styles. BY NICK BROWN

HITS ∙∙ Smaller size ∙∙ Projection and punchy tone MISSES ∙∙ Smaller body not for everyone

VOX

Starstream Type 1 YAMAHA AUSTRALIA AU.YAMAHA.COM | EXPECT TO PAY: $1299 “The ultimate instrument for players looking to redefine the electric guitar” reads some of Vox’s press regarding the Starstream Type1. There have been a number of companies that have had a swing at straying from the traditional electric guitar sound and shape with varying degrees of success. Vox, under its umbrella with Line 6 and Yamaha, has been on the money with recent releases, so I’m intrigued to see and hear the Starstream Type-1 in action. Taking the Type-1 out of its gig bag, I’m greeted by a retro-style headstock that looks like it would be at home in a ‘60s or ‘70s rock band. The neck and tuners look very much standard electric guitar fare, but pan down to the body and you get some more spacey vibes. A central wood body is outlined by a type of frame that looks guitarlike, but with hints of modern architecture. On board there are two typical looking control pots, a switch, two humbuckers and a fairly standard looking bridge. At the rear of the bridge, you’ll see two controls, some buttons and a headphone jack. Tuning, plugging in and playing are all typical electric guitar fare. It’s when you’re dialling into the onboard sounds that things warm up. A rotary knob allows selection

HITS ∙∙ Plays like a standard electric guitar ∙∙ Layout is easy to navigate ∙∙ Usable sounds MISSES ∙∙ Deeper editing and connectivity capabilities could be looked at in the future models

BY NICK BROWN

Yes, it is somewhat of a bold offering from Vox; however, the fact that it plays like a

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PRODUCT REVIEWS T-REX EFFECTS

SoulMate Acoustic Pedalboard AMBER TECHNOLOGY AMBERTECH.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $999 Working on the guitar multi-effects design (typically used and aimed at electric players), the T-Rex SoulMate is chock full of effects and tone shaping tools for acoustic guitar. Compressor, boost, delay, modulation, EQ, and reverb are complemented by a chromatic tuner, fiveminute stereo looper, stereo DI outputs, a FET preamp (with phase switch) and auto feedback suppression. I/O is all on the back panel with an input jack with Hi/ Lo impedance, phase buttons and a gain level control. The middle section has an insert for a volume expression pedal, boost, and level out controls, while the outputs feature a ground lift button and both balanced and unbalanced (jack and XLR) left and right outputs. The unit comes in a cool brushed metallic type look and is around the size of a computer keyboard (if that gives you some reference). The SoulMate Acoustic looks slick and understated, with the control layout featuring a more traditional pedal-styled, analogue aesthetic with knobs and switches as opposed to huge screens and multifunction keypad controls. Essentially, the SoulMate is a DI/preamp/ effects board all in one unit. Setup is intuitive and quick, allowing you to dive straight into sound sculpting. Working

like a set of pedals, controls are easy to tweak and you can turn effects on and off with the stomp of a switch. The EQ has a usable range and can really supplement your existing guitar EQ to target certain frequencies or balance a funky sounding room. Adding a little compressor squish for evening out picking or strumming worked nicely on lesser settings, and the added shimmer control can be a nice ambient addition to your reverb tones. Comp, reverb, EQ and boost are probably the most used acoustic effects, so you’re covered pretty well as a start. Then add in the mod, looper and tuner, and it really is a handy package.

amplifying acoustic guitars. The SoulMate can definitely do that, with the added benefit that it has the tools to be subtle and tame those little intricacies that can make loud live acoustic guitars troublesome (feedback, EQing, adding body and size). Just utilising the boost and reverb alone makes life easier, adding ambience and size to your sound and the ability to up the volume for solos or licks. The rest of the lineup is the icing on the cake. Extra points for the soft touch buttons, recessed back panel knobs and twin function EQ pots. A great unit for acoustic guitarists that covers most of the typical live/gigging needs.

Many guitarists want a pristine recreation of their fundamental tone when it comes to

BY NICK BROWN

HITS ∙∙ All in one toolbox ∙∙ High quality features, sounds and construction MISSES ∙∙ Some extra mod and comp controls could be handy

ASTON MICROPHONES

SwiftShield & Shield GN LINK AUDIO | LINKAUDIO.COM.AU EXPECT TO PAY: SHIELD GN - $69 SWIFTSHIELD - $129 British microphone manufacturers Aston have developed a name for themselves in recent years by delivering microphones that are unique in both design and sound. It’s not just their microphones that are changing the classic design principles in the studio, as seen with accessories like their Halo reflection filter and now, the new line of pop filters, the Aston Shields. There are three combinations available in the range, and I got to test out a couple of them that cover all the options on offer. Shield GN This is the basic model, the ‘GN’ standing for goose neck, which allows for ease of placement. The long goose neck is terminated in a sturdy crocodile clip allowing you to fit it to just about any microphone stand in a moment. There’s no need to fiddle about with screw tighteners to adjust position or have it take hold. Plus, there’s plenty of tension in the grip of these clips to ensure the Shield is held in place, even when extended out away from the stand. You can use it with any microphone and suspension mount, with very little issue. The extended length of the goose neck also allows you to use this model with fairly large microphone suspension mounts and still be able to manoeuvre it around the framework without any contact.

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SwiftShield This model incorporates both the pop filter and a suspension mount in one package. The suspension mount uses a similar series of grip pads to other popular universal suspension mounts, with the three rubber pads holding the microphone securely in place. But, unlike other types that require the rubber pads to be screwed into place to secure the microphone, the SwiftShield has two of the three pads connected to spring loaded arms. You simply squeeze the arms apart, slot the microphone into place, and release. These arms open up to allow a wide range of microphone sizes to be cradled within the SwiftShield, so it covers most studio applications. With this model, the pop filter simply clips onto the framework of the SwiftShield, so you can easily remove it for room recording and add it back on for close instrument or vocal work. The lightweight pop filter, the same as used in the Shield GN, has a curved face that wraps around the microphone for coverage at a greater angle. Its metal screen allows sound to pass through clearly with a precise high frequency response, but it certainly reduces plosive sounds that cause popping and overdriving of the microphone’s capsule. Whether used by itself or in combination with the suspension cradle, this

is a solidly built pop filter made with audio quality in mind. What better way to get the most out of your Aston microphone, or any other microphone you wish to use with it. BY ROB GEE

HITS ∙∙ Sturdy build quality ∙∙ Holds position when set in place at any angle ∙∙ Easy application with spring loaded clips in both designs MISSES ∙∙ None

PRODUCT REVIEWS CIOKS

DC8 Pedalboard Power Supply AMBER TECHNOLOGY | AMBERTECH.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $659 A guitarist’s pedalboard is often an ever evolving work. New pedals, different gigs, different patch leads, new signal paths, buffers, wireless, cables and of course, the power supply. This last item, however, doesn’t always receive the attention it properly deserves. You spend so much time researching, trying, buying and playing with pedals to then use them with a $15 power supply and daisy chain from a dodgy online supplier? Doesn’t make much sense to me. Thankfully, there is an ever growing selection of power supplies to cover your needs for boards of all sizes with Cioks being one of the best, in my experience. From its Professional line, let’s check out the DC8. Described as a medium-sized power supply, the DC8 comes in the typical Cioks tough metal casing that feels like it could withstand almost anything. Both the pedal outlets and the IEC input are recessed, which adds some coverage to the possibility of them being pulled out. The unit also comes with mounting accessories for those looking to fasten it to a pedalboard. Spec-wise there are eight outlets grouped in six isolated sections (pairs 5/6 and 7/8 share the same section). As the name suggests, these outlets are DC power offering two 100ma outlets at 9V, two 100ma outlets that can

be run at 9 or 12 volts and the final two sections that can be run at 9 or 12 volts and offer 300ma. The package then comes with a range of Flex cables in various lengths to cover a good cross-section of standard pedal types. Cioks has added LED indicators to each section so you can monitor performance, and the tweaking of each section’s power options is easily done via the DIP switches on the bottom of the unit. The various options are also clearly marked on the underside of the DC8 meaning you don’t have to drag out the manual to remember what’s what. Furthermore, the mains can be switched from 110V to 230V, allowing you to travel without the worry of needing to swap power supplies internationally or lug step down transformers and the like. Cioks really seems to make consistently high quality products that are reliable. I’ve used many different brands of power supplies over the years (including some other big name competitors) and haven’t found anything better than this brand. For my purposes, it’s been the quietest and most reliable power supply across a range of gigs, venues and circumstances, with the Flex cables always keeping up and offering plenty of options – even for those random finicky pedals. Most players typically spend

lots of $$$ on their pedalboards – why not make a great investment with a quality power supply? Especially when they cost less than some of the favourite (insert latest boutique drive/delay/verb name here) pedals on the market. Go Cioks! BY NICK BROWN

HITS ∙∙ Quiet and reliable ∙∙ Tough housing, well built MISSES ∙∙ Some will want more power and/or more cables (but there are plenty of other models and accessories if needed)

FENDER

Level Set Buffer Pedal FENDER AUSTRALIA | FENDER.COM.AU | RRP: $199 Let me tell you a little story, dear reader. Once upon a time in the land of rock and roll, there were hundreds of happy little elves wailing away on twelve-bars in garages to their hearts’ content. They were perfectly happy with the volume they got out of their tweed covered amps and when those tubes started to warm and break up, you could hear their excited squeals ring out across the land. These were simpler times. Then, one day, an evil genius decided to throw a spanner in the works. He had invented a number of small devices designed to situate between the guitar and its electrical destination, changing the sound in many and varied ways. This opened up a Pandora’s box of questions, options and problems for the happy little elves, and not all of them were so easy to resolve. The main problem that came about with the rise of the effects pedal is signal loss over the increased cable length between instrument and sound source. Engineers quickly solved the issue by adding buffers to the output stages of their designs. These act like tiny repeaters, polishing and amplifying the effected signal before sending it on its merry way. Problem solved, right? That is until the ceaseless tide of tastes belched forth the true bypass school of thought. The answer here for many is to strategically place a few units in the chain alongside the

boutique 808 clones and one knob fuzzes to give the sound the nudge it needs to get to the nosebleeds. Fender’s riff on the buffer theme is a particularly handy tool to have in any shed. Rather than just peddle out a sleek, slim-line box of extra rock, they’ve added a few simple controls that open up some really handy functionality. In addition to a particularly clean, silent footswitch, the Level knob allows you to control the peak of the push this box affords you. Simply put, you could use the Level Set as an incredibly clean boost if you were so inclined. The one-two punch of HiFreq dial and two-way Load switch allow you to adjust the colour and power ratio according to the guitar you’re shredding on at any given time. This is where Fender’s dedication to the professional musician is on display. With this anodized aluminium box at the start of your chain, you can go from high output guitars like a hotted-up Les Paul to a more jangly affair like a Tele or an old gold foil pickup as your mood changes. I can see this being totally useful for session or covers musos whose audience demands dozens of different eggs in the same basket. There is a tuner out on the side and that childishly fun rat trap battery cover that goes a long way to making it slide seamlessly into any existing rig.

Call me superficial, but one thing that I particularly like about Fender’s new line of pedals is the way they look. They proudly sit a little bit taller than the rest of the cabinet and wear their rolled edges and switchable jewel LEDs like badges of honour. The Level Set Buffer is a little bit more than your average signal gym – less like a personal trainer and more like a sonic life coach that your riffs see before they venture out into the real world.

BY LUKE SHIELDS

HITS ∙∙ More than just your average buffer, with looks to kill MISSES ∙∙ None

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PRODUCT REVIEWS AUDIO TECHNICA

ATM230 Hypercardioid Dynamic Microphone AUDIO-TECHNICA | AUDIO-TECHNICA.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $299 I do enjoy getting my mitts on a microphone that I have previously not tried out. So, it was a pleasure and delight to have the Audio-Technica ATM230 end up on my desk this month. I get so many vocal microphones for stage and studio to try out; it makes for a pleasant change when I get an instrument specific microphone turn up, and so the ATM230 was winning already, even before I pulled it out of its packaging. Of course, I can’t help but pull any new microphone apart to see what’s going on under the hood. It seems to be a habit of mine that I cannot shake and always gives away a few things right from the start. Removing the grille from around the capsule told me a lot about this Japanese made microphone. It’s impeccably assembled, with threading that is perfect and seals tight, with no vibration in or around the capsule and housing. The elongated grille serves to protect the extended capsule form errant drum sticks quite well, enabling the capsule to be placed well in front of the electronics to achieve the desired pickup pattern. It is in this mounting of the capsule that the ATM230 gets its hypercardioid pickup pattern. There’s plenty of grille area behind the capsule to allow for phase cancellation and side rejection to ensure that this

microphone only picks up the sound of the drum it’s being pointed at. That’s what it’s been designed to do, work in a tight space around a drum kit aimed at either the rack or floor toms in a kit. The compact size allows for this placement and the side rejection of the hypercardioid capsule gives you the sound of just one drum per microphone. Of course, you can place them right up near the skin and the ATM230 will capture the sound perfectly as it can handle very high SPLs without audible distortion or distress on the capsule. The inbuilt stand attachment allows the microphone to be screwed directly onto most microphone stands or drum mic mounting hoops without the need of a separate microphone clip specifically shaped for this unit. The angle adjustment bushing is extremely secure so you can seat this microphone at any angle to achieve any target of sound and know that it will not sag or slip in any way. In all, it’s a solid unit that offers a clean and crisp sound from a source that is only inches away. It’s a perfect accompaniment to any overhead microphone pair to give each drum around the kit that extra definition and punch.

HITS ∙∙ Compact and easy to mount around cramped drum kits ∙∙ Solid construction ∙∙ Very direct audio capture with little side spill MISSES ∙∙ I can’t pinpoint any

BY ROB GEE

FOCUSRITE

Red 8Pre Thunderbolt Interface INNOVATIVE MUSIC | INNOVATIVEMUSIC.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $6649 It’s been a while since I have had my hands on some of the higher-end Focusrite interfaces. I see and use Scarlett models all the time, so it makes for a pleasant change to get this beauty on my desk this month. Allow me to introduce the new Red 8Pre from Focusrite. For those of you looking for a serious track count, Focusrite quality microphone preamps with digital control and ProTools HD compatibility, you can find it all in this one very sleek and very stylish unit. This is a little bit of a number of Focusrite units from recent years all brought together with some clever engineering to create a single rack space or I/O heaven. Let’s start by running through the front panel of the Red 8Pre. What this offers is the ability to draw on controls and information from each of the eight microphone preamps one at a time so you can get as much information as possible right on the front panel. There are three colour screens, each showing a range of features like metering, volume controls, gain settings and suchlike. Eight selection buttons allow you to choose the preamp you wish to adjust. They have a great feel to them, a slight soft touch, with a firm click upon engagement. The same goes for the metering and monitoring selection buttons found on the other side of the screens. The two rotary encoders offer enough resistance

to not slip at a touch, but still have a smooth action for fine adjustments. The only physical analogue inputs on the unit are found on the front panel, too, with a pair of instrument inputs supplied for easy DI work. But when you get around the back, that’s where the fun starts. The Red 8Pre has the capability to offer 64 ins and 64 outs on Thunderbolt connections. That’s a lot of I/O to squeeze into a single rack spaced unit, so obviously something’s got to give, and that is in the physical connections. The bulk of the analogue inputs and outputs are supplied on five DB25 connectors, giving you eight microphone preamps and 16 line inputs along with a further 16 line outputs. Then, between the SP/DIF, ADAT and Dante

connections, the bulk of your I/O can be found. But, you don’t necessarily want to be relying on these connections for microphone inputs when there are eight Focusrite Red Evolution preamps on board already. Not only do they offer that crystal clear presence that we have come to expect from a Focusrite preamp, but they have an “Air” mode that engages an EQ shift to recreate tones similar to Focusrite’s classic ISA transformer based preamps. All your settings can be stored and recalled, with editing software making the process even easier to ensure you always find the right sound. It’s the most colourful way to get into a ProTools HDX or HD Native system, and certainly allows for plenty of expansion with other hardware integrated for larger track counts. This is a serious piece of kit

that delivers a serious result on a small and a large scale. BY ROB GEE

HITS ∙∙ Plenty of I/O options ∙∙ ProTools HDX and HD Native compatible ∙∙ Eight digitally controlled, recallable microphone preamps MISSES ∙∙ Limited physical analogue inputs

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PRODUCT REVIEWS KATOH

Madrid Nylon String Classical Guitar DYNAMIC MUSIC | DYNAMICMUSIC.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $1695 Nylon string guitars are an interesting beast. From the entry level models you often see in schools through to exquisite handmade instruments, they can have a huge variance in specs and quality. Specifically made for the Australian market, Katoh has been producing classical guitars for over 30 years and seems to have created a strong following for their reliable instruments that don’t cost the earth. From their Professional series, let’s have a look at the Madrid. The Madrid arrived in a deluxe plush lined hard case (this particular example being a classy faux brown leather look) that was a super snug fit and a great addition to the overall package. The guitar itself features a solid European Spruce top, solid Indian rosewood back and sides, and a mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard. As a full gloss guitar, the Madrid has an elegant and refined look with additional appointments such as a bone nut and saddle adding that extra touch of class. I was very impressed with the finish and detailing with tasteful binding, rosette and veneer work all looking clean and precise. As a full size classical guitar, the Madrid is light and comfortable, and the neck is substantial without being big and

awkward. The whole instrument feels stable and responsive, and the intonation was great. Tuning seemed reliable and the new set of Savarez strings seemed lively. Open chords, arpeggios and bigger voicings up the neck were clear with nice sustain. For those with more of a contemporary feel, the Madrid also responded beautifully when played with a pick (hopefully that’s not too blasphemous!). Either way, it’s a pleasing instrument for both traditional styles and those wanting a nylon string tone in an atypical setting.

Of course, the Madrid isn’t a super highpriced, custom nylon string – and nor does it purport to be. But as a mid-priced classical guitar, it’s streaks ahead of your typical entry level models and indeed keeps up with many other big branded guitars in a similar price range. The guitar plays nicely and has a clear tone that would suit players from beginner levels through to the more advanced guitarist. I really think the Madrid sits in a great position at its price point and is pleasing both aesthetically as well as in the tone department.

BY NICK BROWN

HITS ∙∙ Focused and clear tone ∙∙ Beautiful finish MISSES ∙∙ None

ALTO PROFESSIONAL

TS312 Powered Speaker ELECTRIC FACTORY | ELFA.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $545 It’s been a while since I last got to hear and test any powered PA speakers from Alto Professional, and before I even had this guy out of the box, it was evident that there had been some serious improvements with the new Truesonic 3 range of speakers. Now, I don’t need to deliver the written version of an unboxing video. We’ve all seen those and don’t need to know how many layers of packaging this speaker has in it, but I can certainly say that when the TS312 was out of the box and plugged in, I was more impressed with it than I originally expected. These speakers are a big step up from the last time I got to test out any PA from Alto, so let’s take a closer look. Now that it’s all unwrapped and the box has been thrown across the other side of the room, I am able to have a good look at what these speakers offer. As far as features on the outside, there isn’t a lot going on. The TS312 has been kept pretty simple with two balanced inputs and a balanced through port being the only connections. There’s just a single volume control for each of the two inputs, along with a simple EQ contour switch to sculpt the sound for different applications. That’s all there is to it on the rear of the unit. It’s neat and straightforward – you just need the outputs of a mixer to run into it on either XLR or TRS connectors. The casing

itself is a marked improvement on older models, with a slick new shape and handles supplied on both sides as well as the top of the box. With the new lightweight design, these boxes are easy to load in and out of any car boot, so you can get them into a gig with no problems at all. The specifications boast an impressive 2000 watts for these 12 inch boxes. Of course, that always makes one wonder exactly what it results in, and with an RMS power rating of 650 watts to the low frequency driver and 350 watts delivered to the high frequency driver, it still packs quite a punch for a lightweight D-Class power amplifier. I’ve always felt that you get a better sound with big, heavy output transformers and wooden speaker cabinets to match, and you don’t quite get the same sound with this speaker, but you don’t get all the weight either. It delivers a clear signal at high SPLs, and offers plenty of bottom end when set up as either a wedge on the floor or on a pole mount. For monitors or front of house, these speakers deliver plenty of volume and bring very little weight to the party. BY ROB GEE

HITS ∙∙ Slick design ∙∙ Simple input section on rear ∙∙ Lightweight cabinet MISSES ∙∙ Doesn’t quite sound like a big, heavy wooden box

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PRODUCT REVIEWS LINE 6

Line 6 Helix LT Guitar Multi-Effects Processor YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA | AU.YAMAHA.COM | EXPECT TO PAY: $1899 Once upon a time there were only two truly limitless things: time and space formed the X and Y-axis of all experience. More and more I think we’re starting to reach a point where ‘options on digital modeling units’ could be added as a third Z-axis. We’ve come a long way from early multi-effects units, which were basically individual pedals sutured together like some cult horror film. The digital age has propelled an exponential expansion not only in the way we think about what’s on our chains, but the scope of their capability. Line 6 was one of the first companies to harness some of the power of possibility and they’ve distilled everything they’ve discovered so far into the new Helix LT. The Helix family is really Line 6’s pride and joy. It is their most malleable, fastest processing and most true to life sounding iteration and continues to be locked in heated battle with products like AxeFX and Kemper Modelers for best in show. The LT is essentially a lighter, on scale and on budget, version of the original floor and rack units. The processors are all the same, functionally identical, and the sounds and their interaction is universal, even to the point of being transferrable from one unit to another should the need arise. It’s just as powerful but the smaller footprint

makes it more accessible to different types of players. My main concern when plugging in this type of unit is the end result. If it doesn’t sound like something I could play in front of people then why waste time? That was much of my issue with many early attempts at the digital smorgasbord. This idea has absolutely been taken into account; even just strolling through the 32 factory presets I found myself lost in sound more than a handful of times. The lengths Line 6 has gone to in presenting all the right sounds to you is incredible. Not only have they modeled classic heads, cabs and mics (you can put a Royer 121 in front of a Marshall Plexi and not bleed money!) but the way that specific capacitors and resistors react to engagement as well. The internal organs of infamous pedals, from the ultra modern to the mythic, are all inside and this is where Helix takes the lead. It makes a massive difference when the wonky waywardness of a '60’s Univibe colours your trip as opposed to something so linear as 1’s and 0’s. With all this limitless possibility at play, editing everything into a functional workflow should for all intents and purposes be a nightmare. One of the biggest innovations to combat this has been cross hardware

compatibility with laptops and iPads becoming cunning co-conspirators. In an interesting twist of fate the Helix brings some of that high-definition. visibility on board with its full colour LCD display. It’s not quite as instant as a touch screen but it is just as intuitive in the way you dial in parameters, build effects chains and set up set-lists of preset banks relative to which band you’re playing with. Plus there is USB and Variax IOs as well so you don’t miss a thing. The initial reservations I harboured about digital modeling units continue to dissipate with just about every step forward in the field. The Helix LT is one of the most userfriendly units I’ve stood before and given

that it sounds, and more importantly reacts, like the pedals that peak my purism it’s safe to say that Line 6 has come through with something worth investigating further. BY LUKE SHIELDS

HITS ∙∙ Incredible voicings ∙∙ User-friendly interface ∙∙ Limitless potential for exploration MISSES ∙∙ It takes a while to start up

SENNHEISER

HandMic Digital SENNHEISER AUSTRALIA | EN-AU.SENNHEISER.COM | EXPECT TO PAY: $359 Nowadays it seems everybody with half a brain and a mixed bag of opinions wants to be a podcaster. Not only has The Internet Age brought about an army of bedroom producers and engineers, but it has also given rise to the concept of DIY journalism, and as usual technology has followed suit. As with music recording, the demand for products that make it cheap and easy to be Brian Naylor or Stephen Colbert from the comfort and safety of your own home has been met with haste by some manufacturers. Others, however, have taken their time in developing a product that meets the quality quotient as well as that of quantity. Take a company like Sennheiser for example, who has made home stereo and recording equipment with a steady and unfaltering eye on fidelity for decades. Would they dare rush to market with a second rate, throwaway mic just for the sake of rising to a trend? Not a chance. On the surface the HandMic Digital is everything a consumer could ask for in searching for a mic to suit the purpose. Its rugged, steel chassis and time-honoured black web grille certainly looks the part for those about to jump in front of a moving camera. Coupled with the fact that it is completely impervious to handling noise and/or wind interference, it seems purpose built for talking at length to the average Joe on the street. The shock-mounted

diaphragm inside draws in a modest 4016000Hz of signal while shutting out everything except the source addressing the good end, meaning almost no pesky ambient noise muddying up your direct signal. Everything from the deepest male voice to the squeak of a wheel is handled expertly and delivered to your IOS device via the Apogee powered interface that comes included with your purchase. I was tempted going into this review to hold the HandMic Digital up to the same set of propeller-headed standards with which I appraise any studio mic that comes across my desk. However, I think to do so is to miss some of the point. Yes, this mic delivers high quality audio signal in a clean and efficient manner. Yes, its frequency

response is narrower than, say, an SM58. No, it does not deliver the tube-driven nuance of a vintage Neumann. All these ideas pale when you remind yourself that this is not, in fact, something that you would lean on in recording your masterpiece unless your particular masterpiece is an exposé on corruption in any given industry or a hilarious rant about aliens living amongst us. This is a device that excels in getting ideas down quickly and efficiently. It is ready to record at the drop of a hat, heavy duty enough to go out on the road, and provides broadcast quality audio wherever and whenever you need it. It delivers on a different set of promises than the mic’s I usually evaluate and in this way it absolutely excels.

Sennheiser and Apogee have both spent their existence among the leaders of their respective packs. In partnership neither has slouched in providing the simple, quick and easy way to distill the world around you that is the HandMic Digital. As sturdy as you’d expect from any professional equipment but without the intimidating price tag, it’s ready when you are. BY LUKE SHIELDS

HITS ∙∙ Sturdy and easy to use MISSES ∙∙ Limited frequency response

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PRODUCT REVIEWS STERLING BY MUSIC MAN

John Petrucci Signature JP160 CMC MUSIC | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $1995 What can I say about John Petrucci that hasn’t been said a million times before? His technical prowess knows no bounds. As the main brain behind prog-metal pioneers Dream Theater, he has trod a path that few axe-men dare (or bother depending on who you ask) to tread and his reputation as proprietor of one of the finest beards in music history definitely precedes him. One fact that many overlook is his discerning taste and eye for detail when designing a guitar for shredders who want to follow in his footsteps. His long-standing relationship with Ernie Ball and Music Man has given rise to no less than ten, if not dozens of variations on the JP theme, each with its own nuance to offer where speed and agility are the chief concern. Interestingly enough, the JP160 I see before me plays and feels like the least ‘out of this world’ of any of the JP branded builds I’ve laid my mitts on. This is by no means a negative. The JP160 spec sheet seems to counter the above preposition. It boasts all the lightening rod trimmings a sweep-picker could want. Its road kill flat, ‘C’ profile neck is as roomy as they come without sacrificing on the leanness that helps you tear up your callouses. Its CITES certified rosewood fretboard is inlayed with the great man’s instantly recognisable shield logo. The solid mahogany body is scalloped at the butt to

allow your forearm ultimate access to all 24 frets and it is the first model to feature a super low profile push/pull Floyd Rose tremolo system. On top of all that there is the fact that the noiseless pickup system is active, offering up an extra 12dB of juice to really get the input stage on your amp cooking. It is fast, light and lean, and looks stylish in its ultra modern smoky silver sparkle finish. Put it in your hands, though, and you’d be forgiven for mistaking it for a more classic rock-focused build. When I closed my eyes it reminded me of some of the more luxurious PRS guitars that I have played in my time. Maybe it’s just me but compared to some of the other Petrucci models I

have reviewed previously in these hallowed pages, the JP160 seemed a little less tense and frenetic. It’s as though of all of Dream Theater’s oeuvre, this particular model is aimed at ballads like ‘Wither’ et al, with their elongated and elegiac overtones, than any of the faster-than-a-speeding-bullet stuff that Guinness World Records are made of. This is the after dark, emotional shredder that comes out when no one else is around to impress which, in my humble opinion, makes it much more of an all-rounder. The problem I find with most metal and speed inspired guitar designs is that many of them are, to a point, one trick ponies. They afford you a certain amount of accuracy and high-octane handling but in doing so lose

a sense of expressiveness. It’s nice to find a model that offers the best of both worlds: a lean, mean shredding machine that is in touch with its sensitive side. BY LUKE SHIELDS

HITS ∙∙ Comfortable, smooth neck profile with an expressive sensibility MISSES ∙∙ Active pickups make it difficult to lean back on the output

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Mixdown Magazine 290

Articles inside

Sins, Tragedies and Going Solo with Brendon Urie