Mixdown Magazine #302

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MADE BY MUSICIANS FOR MUSICIANS

#302 – JUNE 2019

Giveaway!

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INTERVIEWS — Beartooth, James Blake, Frank Iero, Amyl & The Sniffers + more

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RELAY G10S Guitar Wireless for your Pedalboard

REVIEWED — IK Multimedia iRig Micro Amp, Kali LP-8 Studio Monitors,

Blue Microphones Yeticaster, KRK ROKIT G4 Monitors, TC Helicon Blender, Warwick RockBass Star Bass + more

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• 9V DC power connector for easy pedalboard integration

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THINK BEYOND. Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre

27-29 AUG 2019 Lose yourself in the technology of tomorrow at Integrate 2019.

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

CONTENTS 8 10 11 12 16 18 20 22 26 28 29 30 31 32 44 46

Giveaways Industry News Music News Product News Cover Story: KISS Beartooth Amyl and the Sniffers James Blake Frank Iero Features Studio Special Musicology Electronic Music Production Bass Guitar Percussion Product Reviews Directory Show & Tell

/MIXDOWNMAGAZINE @MIXDOWNMAGAZINE @MIXDOWNMAGAZINE MIXDOWNMAG.COM.AU

KISS PG.16

Foreword I must admit, never in my life did I picture myself editing a music magazine, let alone one with KISS on the cover: yet here we are. Isn’t life weird? Anyway – I digress.

As well as waving goodbye to one of rock’s most seminal acts, we’ve also taken the time this issue to shine the spotlight on some of the best music studios operating around the country. There’s also a whole bunch of awesome interviews, features, reviews and columns to dive into – so what are you waiting for? Welcome to Issue 302!

WILL BREWSTER, ACTING EDITOR

Amyl & The Sniffers

Frank Iero

PG. 18

PG. 20

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

MADE BY MUSICIANS, FOR MUSICIANS STREET AND ONLINE DATE: WEDNESDAY JULY 10 AD BOOKING DEADLINE: MONDAY JULY 1 EDITORIAL DEADLINE: WEDNESDAY JULY 3 ARTWORK DEADLINE: THURSDAY JULY 4 For more information on Mixdown Magazine contact us at: (03) 9428 3600 or email nicholas@furstmedia.com.au

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PUBLISHER Furst Media Mycelium Studios Factory 1/10-12 Moreland Road East Brunswick VIC 3057 (03) 9428 3600

ONLINE EDITOR Will Brewster will@furstmedia.com.au

MANAGING DIRECTOR Patrick Carr patrick@furstmedia.com.au

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Erica May

EDITOR Nicholas Simonsen nicholas@furstmedia.com.au

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Josh Martin

CONTRIBUTORS Rob Gee, Christie Elizer, Nick Brown, David James Young, Adrian Violi, Michael Cusack, Augustus Welby, Luke Shields, Alex Watts, Aaron Streatfeild, James Di Fabrizio, Adam Norris, Alex Winter,

Jessica Over, Eddy Lim, Lewis NokeEdwards, Josh Martin, Taylor Douglas, Ben Eizenberg, Natalie Rogers

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“KISS spare no cost when it comes to putting on one of the greatest rock shows on the planet.”

OnMilwaukee

“... a two-hour orgy of sights and sounds and a relentless barrage of classic-rock hits” inkansascity.com.au

16 NOV • RAC ARENA, PERTH 19 NOV • ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE, ADELAIDE 21 & 22 NOV • ROD LAVER ARENA, MELBOURNE 23 NOV • SUPERCARS NEWCASTLE 500, NSW 26 NOV • QUDOS BANK ARENA, SYDNEY 28 NOV • BRISBANE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

“Unrelenting sound and fury - 20 hits and fan-favourites” Los Angeles Times

“Even if you’ve seen a KISS show before, you’ve never seen a show quite like this one.”

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Their Last Ever Australian Show!

NEW SHOW SAT 30 NOV • ROD LAVER ARENA, MELBOURNE

GIVEAWAYS

Blue Microphones Ember Condenser Microphone Giveaway Engineered to meet the needs of the modern day musician, the Blue Microphones Ember Condenser Microphone is an essential asset for all your recording, podcasting and streaming needs.

Offering a strong, pure signal with a custom hand-tuned condenser capsule to deliver maximum detail, the Ember is perfect for all your pro-audio endeavours. Thanks to our mates at Innovative Music, we have one of these awesome mics to giveaway this month.

Last Month’s Giveaway Winners Baroness Gold & Grey Vinyl Giveaway Gold & Grey is the newest chapter in the story of Baroness. The 17 track album is full to the brim with signature Baroness riffs and melodies, and like all of Baroness’ work features beautiful artwork from vocalist/guitar John Baisley. We had a copy of the new record on vinyl to giveaway thanks to our buds at Cooking Vinyl Australia, and the winner is: Alexsander from Sydney, NSW.

Kyser Care Kit Giveaway

IK Multimedia iRig Micro Amp Giveaway The IK Multimedia iRig Micro Amp is a compact, batterypowered amplifier with a whole lot to offer. Doubling as a mobile interface, the 15 watt iRig Micro Amp features three custom-voiced analogue channels, and pumps out a surprisingly loud sound suitable for bedroom practice or late night jam sessions. Courtesy of our friends at Sound & Music, we’ve got one IK Multimedia iRig Micro Amp to giveaway this month.

The Kyser Care Kit is a one-stop-shop for guitar maintenance.

Featuring Kyser’s String Cleaning, Instrument Polish, Lem-Oil and an assortment of high quality cleaning cloths, it has all you need to keep your guitar looking fine. Thanks our friends at CMC Music, our lucky winner of this awesome giveaway is: Antonio from Adelaide, SA.

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

*How to redeem and full terms and conditions available at www.jands.com.au/promotions Distributed by

www.jands.com.au 8

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Versatile High-Fidelity Wireless

3000 Series wireless system expands the possibilities of performance

• Class-leading, extremely wide 60 MHz UHF tuning bandwidth for maximum versatility • True Diversity operation reduces dropouts • Frequency scan and IR sync functionality for ease of setup • Handheld transmitter offers industry-standard thread mount for use with six Optional smart charging docks

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interchangeable A-T microphone capsules, as well as other compatible capsules

• Unique multifunction button on the handheld and body-pack transmitters can be used to switch to a backup frequency

• New rugged cH-style screw-down 4-pin connector on body-pack transmitter

INDUSTRY NEWS

Tash Sultana sets up own booking agency Tash Sultana has set up their own booking agency, Lonely Lands, with their co-managers Regan Lethbridge and Jaddan Comerford. It’s based in Melbourne at the HQ of Comerford’s UNFD complex. Senior agent is Harry Moore while UNFD’s Desiree Venuto is assistant booking agent.

On the ethos behind the business, Sultana explains: “Our goal is to give great acts the ability to play in the surroundings that work best for them. We’re lucky to have a great team launching LLA who’ve all come from different parts of the industry and with that comes a wealth of knowledge”.

The roster at launch included Ash Grunwald, Bootleg Rascal, CLEWS, Ocean Alley, Pierce Brothers, Tash Sultana, Trophy Eyes, West Thebarton and more.

Brisbane’s $43M venue opens in July The much anticipated new live music venue The Fortitude Music Hall opens on July 26, featuring performances from Ball Park Music, DZ Deathrays and Tia Gostelow. Making guest appearances on the night are Bernard Fanning and Ian Haug (Powderfinger), Patience Hodgson (The Grates), Thelma Plum, Dave McCormack (Custard), Busby Marou, Sahara Beck and Jeremy Neale. “The idea was always to launch with a good representation of Queensland talent,” says co-owner and manager John Collin, former Powderfinger bassist.

The 3300-capacity venue in the Fortitude Valley precinct was initially visualised as a replacement for the iconic 4,000-seat Festival Hall (which was demolished to make way for an apartment block) by avid live music fan and multi-millionaire builder Scott Hutchinson of Hutchinson Builders.

He brought in Collins Falls/Splendour promoters Secret Sounds, who also run the 800-capacity Triffid club, which opened in 2014 and has been solidly booked since. The Music Hall also includes major promoter Live Nation in the partnership to secure them major international acts. Collins additionally told The Industrialist that the Hall was divided into different size spaces, as well as a 300-capacity upstairs ball. “An act starting out can play the bar and build itself up to the different sizes, and also play the Triffid as it grows. We’re about building up acts,” head booker Mark Gibbon says.

Tuning in: Australian community radio Six million Australians tune into community radio each week, according to the State Of The Community Radio Sector Report. That’s 30% of Australians aged 15+ years. They listen for up to 15.7 hours a week and 16% only listen to the 450 community radio stations in this country.

Of those tuning in, 56% are men (44% women), while 5% identify as being of Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander origin and 13% Identify as LGBTI, with their reasons for tuning in primarily being regional news (49%), specialist music shows (34%), programming diversity (24%) and nonEnglish programming (9%).

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Report: headphones, smartphones cause hearing loss A New Zealand report by the National Foundation for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing found that NZ kids could be losing their hearing at a faster rate than the rest of the world through listening to loud music on headphones and smartphones. So much so that a study of 192 students at an Auckland college found that 11.9% needed medical attention. In comparison, the World Health Organisation estimates that that hearing loss affects 5.3% of 12-to-19-year-olds living in middle-to-high income countries.

Docos in space: Emmanuel, Hutchence, Zeppelin Aussie guitar master Tommy Emmanuel’s The Endless Road has its world premiere at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival (8.45 pm at the Cinema Nova, Carlton) on July 26. Director Jeremy Dylan and producer Jaime Lewis travelled from Sydney to Nashville, Havana and London to film the project interviews, which also focuses on the mentorship and father-son relationship between Emmanuel and the late Chet Atkins.

Richard Lowenstein’s full length doco Mystify: Michael Hutchence officially hits Australian cinemas on July 4, with advance screenings planned in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. The Sydney Film Festival will host the Australian premiere on June 6 at the State Theatre followed by a second screening on June 7 at Event Cinemas George St. The Melbourne premiere is at The Astor on June 8 and IMAX on June 12. The film will have its Perth premiere at Luna Leederville on June 12. Lowenstein will be part of Q&A sessions at the Sydney and Melbourne screenings.

There’s also news of an as-of-yet untitled Led Zeppelin documentary billed as telling their story “in their words”. There are fresh interviews with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones, as well as rare archival interviews with the late John Bonham. It is directed by Bernard MacMahon, who was behind the doco series American Epic. Page said, “When I saw everything Bernard had done both visually and sonically on the remarkable achievement that is American Epic, I knew he would be qualified to tell our story.”

New festival for Melbourne The Victorian state budget for 2019/20 provided $14 million over five years for “a new winter music festival which will showcase Victoria’s live music scene and include a mix of free and ticketed events”.

This is in addition to Creative Victoria’s core funding and includes support for a range of programs and operating activities.

The budget also provided $128 million to deliver the third and most significant stage of the redevelopment of the Geelong Performing Arts Centre.

Apple gets hit with class action…

Apple has been hit with a million dollar class action by peed-off customers who claim that their personal iTunes data was sold to third parties. The lawsuit was filed in California’s Northern Federal District. It says that even while the tech giant was boasting on a billboard in Vegas “What happens on your iPhone stays on your iPhone” it was allegedly increasing its revenue by “selling, renting and transmitting with third parties information about the music that each customer purchases from the iTunes Store.

“The data Apple discloses includes the full names and home addresses of its customers, together with the genres and, in some cases, the specific titles of digitally-recorded music that its customers have purchased via the iTunes Store and then stored in their devices.” Apple’s privacy policy reiterates all private data stays within its system. If the court finds the company infringed its own policy it has infringed the customers’ privacy and statutory rights because it did not first get written permission.

…And is getting investigated in Europe The European Union’s competition and consumer body European Commission is said to have begun investigating Apple for anti-competitive behaviour after its Europe-based rival Spotify made an official complaint in March of Apple “tilting the playing field to disadvantage competitors”.

It said Apple are taking a 30% cut of all subscription purchases through the App Store. This forced it to bump up the cost for a Premium Spotify account and was in effect an unauthorised “tax”.

Artists get better treatment from record labels Artists are hitching on the gravy train now that record companies – both major and indies – are starting to make some buckeroos. Latest figures from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) says that in 2017, they spent US$5.8 billion on A&R and marketing. That was about 33% of their revenue, and a jump on the 2015 figures of $4.5 billion. What’s more, an analysis

by Music Business Worldwide also noted deals are now more flexible, with acts going for shorter deals to get control of their copyrights, and demanding up to 50% of a royalty rate rather than the more traditional 15—20% rate.

In the meantime, Sony Music Entertainment’s headquarters in New York introduced two new payment features for its acts – ‘Real Time Royalties’ and ‘Cash Out’ – via its Artist Portal in the northern autumn. The company said these would “allow our artists and royalty participants to view and withdraw earnings faster than ever before”. Real Time Royalties “provide you immediate updates about your global royalty earnings and account balances as soon as we receive financial reporting from hundreds of digital distribution services on a monthly basis”. With ‘Cash Out’, artists can request a withdrawal of all or a portion of their payable balance every month via the Artist Portal.

“There are no fees and no charges to use Cash Out, and we will continue to issue payment of any remaining account balances that have not been withdrawn through Cash Out on our normal payment schedule,” Sony says.

Soundcloud heads for DJ love SoundCloud has struck a number of integration deals to make its 200 million tracks available for steel-wheelers who are also Go+ subscribers. One is with the Pioneer DJ’s WeDJ app. The other is with Mixvibes’ Cross DJ 4. Last December it struck a similar deal with Serato DJ, and plans to do the same with Native Instruments (makers of Traktor), Virtual DJ, DEX 3, and others. In the meantime, Beatport also announced integration with WeDJ through a beta service called Beatport LINK.

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MUSIC NEWS

Africa Express share details of new record Egoli

Sleater-Kinney begin rollout for album eight

Africa Express, the musical collective/non-for-profit founded

by Blur/Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn, has announced the release of a new record this July. Recorded over a number of sessions in Johannesburg, Egoli features appearances from Albarn, Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner, Sibot, Gruff Rhys and a talented array of South African musicians. Egoli is set to hit record stores around the country on Friday July 12 – don’t sleep on this one.

Seminal Washington riot grrrl group Sleater-Kinney have released the first single from their forthcoming eighth record, tentatively titled The Center Won’t Hold. Produced

by Annie Clark (St. Vincent), ‘Hurry On Home’ sees the band stray from their typically punky parameters to create a layered, surging track unlike anything previously heard in the Sleater-Kinney catalogue. The trio have also announced they’ve signed a local deal with Courtney Barnett’s Milk!

Records imprint, which really is a match made in heaven.

Opeth gear up for In Cauda Venenum

Flume, Diplo + more to tour for Listen Out

U2 lock in Australian dates behind The Joshua Tree tour

Swedish prog-metal juggernauts Opeth have announced their forthcoming 13th record In Cauda Venenum, scheduled for release in the latter half of the year. In Cauda Venenum, which translates from Latin into ‘the poison in the tail,’ is set for release via Moderbolaget Records/ Nuclear Blast Entertainment, and acts as the follow up to 2016’s Sorceress. The new record will be released in two different versions one sung in English and the other in the band’s native Swedish. Catch the new record when Opeth tour Australia this December.

Australia’s new favourite hip hop and electronic festival Listen Out has unveiled its lineup for 2019, and it’s an absolute doozy. Performing alongside headliners Flume and Diplo are ScHoolboy Q, 6lack, Denzel Curry, ‘Moo!’ hitmaker Doja Cat, Leikeli47, JPEGMAFIA, Slowthai, Miss Blanks, Wafia and many, many more. Listen Out is set to hit cities across Australia later in September – head online for tickets and further details.

This is big: Irish rock icons U2 are set to bring The Joshua Tree Tour to Australian shores this November. After skipping out the Pacific regions on their 30th anniversary tour back in 2017, Bono and co. have locked in a huge run of stadium dates to celebrate their beloved 1987 record, with shows planned for Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

With Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds set to support the band on all dates, these ones are bound to be special. Head to Live Nation for tickets and further details.

Slipknot finally announce WE ARE NOT YOUR KIND

Holy Holy unveil My Own Pool of Light

black midi to release debut record this month

After months of cryptic social media teasers, masked metal dons Slipknot have finally shared details for their heavily anticipated sixth album WE ARE NOT YOUR KIND. Due out Friday August 9, WE ARE NOT YOUR KIND will be Slipknot’s first record since 2014’s .5: The Gray Chapter, with the band celebrating the occasion by unveiling brand new masks to signify the beginning of a new era. Catch them on tour around the country with Metallica this October.

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With singles ‘Faces’ and ‘Teach Me About Dying’ still doing the rounds on radios around the nation, local favourites Holy Holy have announced their third record My Own Pool of Light.

Recorded over the span of two years, My Own Pool of Light is slated to be released by Wonderlick Recordings on Friday July 12, with frontman Timothy Carroll hinting it’ll be their best release to date - “We always want to make music that’s exciting and interesting, and that makes you feel something, and takes risks. This is the album we wanted to make.”

Yours & Owls returns for 2019 Woolongong’s annual musical big bash Yours & Owls has announced its return for 2019, bringing with it a stacked and incredibly diverse lineup of local and international acts.

Headlined by the likes of Courtney Barnett, Amy Shark, Hot Dub Time Machine and Golden Features, the Gong’s favourite festival is also set to see Sneaky Sound System, Angie McMahon, Meg Mac and Eves Karydas take to the stage at Stuart Park across the weekend of Saturday 5 – Sunday 6 October. Tickets are available now.

Undoubtedly one of the most hyped bands on the planet right now, British math-rock quartet black midi have locked in the release date for their debut record Schlagenheim.

Recorded over five days with Bloc Party producer Dan Carey, the London-based group’s esoteric brand of relentless, angular rock has been forecast by many to be the future of guitar music, so it’s safe to say that we’re very interested to see what comes next from the group. Schlagenheim arrives via Rough Trade on Friday June 21: be sure not to sleep on these young guns.

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PRODUCT NEWS Gretsch Get Fancy With The G6120T Limited Edition Nashville Single-Cut FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA | FENDER.COM.AU Gretsch have unveiled the G6120T Limited Edition ‘59 Nashville Single-Cut, a Bigsby-equipped throwback to the manufacturers rich history of craftsmanship. Fusing a signature Gretsch tone with modern playabilty and performance, the new G6120T features dual TV Jones Ray Butts Full-Fidelity pickups, Gretsch Squeezebox paper-in-oil capacitors for a smooth vintage tone and treble bleed circuit for sonic clarity. Available in the beautiful Dark Cherry Stain finish, the Gretsch G6120T Limited Edition ‘59 Nashville is out now.

Ernie Ball Introduce New Slinky Strings

Ernie Ball Prodigy Picks Shipping Now

Introducing The SSL SiX Desktop Studio Mixer

CMC MUSIC | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU

CMC MUSIC | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU

AMBER TECHNOLOGY | AMBERTECH.COM.AU

Ernie Ball has added three brand new string sets to their popular Slinky range – the Primo, Mega and Mammoth nickel wounds. The Primo and Mega strings provides picky guitarists with never-before-seen half-gauge combinations for added playability, while the Mammoth set offers heavier players with a viable option for drop-tuning without sacrificing the response that Slinkys are famous for. These new Slinky strings are shipping now – why not try out a set today?

After being requested by hundreds of players worldwide, Ernie Ball has expanded its Prodigy pick range to include six shapes and styles, available in either black or white colours. Created from an extremely durable delrin material, Ernie Ball Prodigy Picks offer players with a super secure non-slip surface, while the machine beveled edges and sharp points allow for enhanced articulation and less drag while shredding up the fretboard. Play the full range in a store near you.

Solid State Logic’s lavish new SiX Desktop Studio Mixer is now available to purchase in Australia. Combining over 40 years of SSL’s rich studio history into a compact six channel mixing console, the SSL SiX features two recording channels with SSL SuperAnalogue mic preamps, an inbuilt Listen Mic compressor, twelve line level inputs with channel and master bus inserts and a completely balanced signal path. This incredible console is perfect for use in the studio or onstage, and is available now.

Samson’s XP208W Portable PA Is Available Now ELECTRIC FACTORY | ELFA.COM.AU

ISOAcoustics Debut The Stage-1 Isolators NAS SOLUTIONS | NAS.SOLUTIONS The all new Stage-1 Isolators from ISOAcoustics are perfect for touring musicians looking for a consistent and articulate sonic response every night on the road. As well as being super handy in the studio, these nifty little isolators can be fastened to your combo amp, cabinet, subwoofer or monitors to eliminate vibrational variables and dissonant internal reflections, providing you with the best sound clarity – no matter what venue you’re playing in.

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Samson Technologies have fleshed out their immensely popular Expedition XP Rechargeable PA series with the addition of the XP208W. Boasting a beefy 200 watts of power, the XP208W features a four channel mixer with reverb, voice ducking and a master two-band EQ, and can operate on up to 20 hours of battery life. With built-in casters and a telescopic handle for easy transportation, the Samson XP208W is the perfect portable companion for all your en-route endeavours.

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PRODUCT NEWS

Fender Add New Models To Squier Classic Vibe Series FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA | FENDER.COM.AU Squier’s ever popular Classic Vibe Series has been bolstered with the addition of 12 new guitars inspired by classic Fender models from yesteryear. The update sees the inclusion of new ‘70s styled Stratocasters, Telecasters, Jaguars and Jazz Basses, as well as new ‘60s Jazzmasters, Mustangs and Bass VI models with Fender designed pickups, slick glossfinished necks and updated appointments to suit the modern player. Try out the range in your local Fender dealer today.

Kali Audio Monitors Land Down Under

Radial Engineering Announce the Catapult Mini TRS

Novation Unveil New Summit Polysynth

NAS SOLUTIONS | NAS.SOLUTIONS

AMBER TECHNOLOGY | AMBERTECH.COM.AU

INNOVATIVE MUSIC | INNOVATIVEMUSIC.COM.AU

Praise be to the gods of gear: Kali Audio’s new LP-8 and LP-6 monitors are now available to purchase in stores around Australia. Designed in Southern California, these formidable studio monitors are precision tuned to offer a powerful and transparent sonic response, making them perfect for creatives working in any field. Both the LP-8 and LP-6 also feature unique boundary EQ settings, ensuring they sound great no matter where you place them. Check both models out today!

Equipped with four 1/4” jacks for balanced connection to any pro audio device, the Catapult Mini TRS is the latest addition to Radial Engineering’s esteemed Catapult analogue audio Cat 5 series. Perfect for studios, stages and other applications, the Catapult Mini TRS offers a lightweight, simple solution to allow users to send mic or line-level signals from one location to another without any signal loss, excess noise or interference. Keep your eyes peeled on your local Radial Engineering dealer for when these land.

Novation stole the show at SuperBooth 2019 in Berlin with the introduction of the Summit, a new full-sized, 61 key digital/analogue hybrid flagship synthesiser. Combining the sound engine and design of two Novation Peaks, the Summit offers a tantalising 16 voices of polyphony with the ability to split, layer and switch two patches across the keyboard simultaneously. This looks like pretty serious piece of kit, and we can’t wait to get our hands on it when they arrive in Australia.

Elektron Introduce The Digitone Keys INNOVATIVE MUSIC | INNOVATIVEMUSIC.COM.AU The Elektron Digitone is undeniably one of the finest FM synthesisers available on the market today, and it’s set to become even more accessible with its latest rendition, the Digitone Keys. While the sound engine remains true to its key-less predecessor, the updated synth provides users with an Aftertouch equipped, pressure sensitive 37 note keyboard, as well as modulation and pitch wheels and a bunch of new assignable controls to please the live performer. Find it in stores today.

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Apogee Special Offers Available In Stores Now AMBER TECHNOLOGY | AMBERTECH.COM.AU From now until the end of August, Apogee are offering a range of special product bundles to please pro-audio consumers around the country. Punters who purchase the Duet, Quartet, HypeMiC or USB I/O will receive the Opto-3A Vintage Compressor plugin for free, while buying an Apogee Element 88 or a Symphony I/O MKII Thunderbolt interface will come with a free Apogee Control Hardware remote and an assortment of plugins. Head to your local dealer to find out more about these special offers.

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GOODBYE KISS KISS stopped by America’s Got Talent last September to perform the classic rock staple, ‘Detroit Rock City’.

There’s no denying the band’s multi-generational appeal, but the performance wasn’t a ploy to lure in a new tween audience. They had a major announcement to make – after 45 years, the New York band are calling it a day.

KISS’ last hurrah, the End of the Road world tour, is already in full swing. The band – led by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons – spent the first five months of 2019 roaming North America and are now making their way around Europe. The schedule concludes with run of shows in Australia and New Zealand this November. However, the actual grand finale is yet to be confirmed.

“This tour feasibly could go for a year or two, maybe even more,” says lead guitarist Tommy Thayer. “With the way things have gone on this first leg in North America that we just finished, it’s been phenomenal. Not to sound like I’m hyping it, but the response has been amazing, the fans are loving it, we’ve never felt better about doing a tour. We’re really jacked up and excited because it’s been going so well.”

Thayer is ten years younger than Simmons and Stanley, who are KISS’ two remaining original members. He got to know the band in the mid-1980s while a member of glam metal act, Black ‘n Blue. After Black ‘n Blue supported KISS on tour, Simmons produced their 1986 LP, Nasty Nasty.

Thayer and Simmons then did some co-writing and Thayer played on KISS’ 1989 record, Hot in the Shade. But before officially joining the band, he was employed to work behind the scenes, notably in film production and helping Ace Frehley prepare for the 1996 reunion tour. He eventually became KISS’ lead guitarist in 2002.

“I was a fan to begin with. I got the first KISS album when it came out in 1974,” Thayer says. “I asked for it for Christmas. I remember putting it on and listening to it and thinking this is really great, but it sounds different than I thought it would. I was always intrigued when I saw pictures of the band in the magazine called Circus. Even before I got the album I thought, ‘this band looks amazing. I love the vibe, I love the whole presentation and theatrics.’”

One of Thayer’s first KISS gigs was at Melbourne’s Telstra Dome (now Marvel Stadium) accompanied by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

The performance became the 2003 release, Symphony: Alive IV. Thayer remembers it as trial by fire.

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“WE SPENT MORE TIME PREPARING AND REHEARSING FOR THIS TOUR THAN ANY TOUR I’VE EVER BEEN INVOLVED IN OR ANY TOUR I’VE EVER SEEN A BAND BE INVOLVED IN” “To be in the band as the guitar player and to come in and do a show like that was really over the top,” he says. “I have to say there was a little pressure in that because not only was it a big gig, but it was also being filmed for a DVD and recorded as a live album.

“I had done a couple of things the year prior, in 2002. I filled in a couple of gigs when Ace was not showing up. That’s kind of how it all started. Melbourne and the symphony concert was an amazing experience. I also was involved in the making of the KISS Symphony documentary DVD, because I’d done a lot of work with the band producing and putting videos together.”

The 70-piece MSO may seem indulgent, but the End of the Road shows epitomise arena rock. Not only are the band members wearing their original stage make-up – Stanley as the Star, Simmons as the Demon, Thayer as the Spaceman and drummer Eric

Singer as the Catman – there are pyrotechnics, blood and flying equipment.

“We spent more time preparing and rehearsing for this tour than any tour I’ve ever been involved in or any tour I’ve ever seen a band be involved in,” Thayer says. “I think it’s because the size of the tour and how big of a deal it was going to be. We knew it was going to be a huge tour so that incentivised us to make sure that it’s everything and then some.”

KISS have released 20 studio albums since debuting in 1974, as well as the four KISS-aligned solo albums that came out in 1978.

The band’s catalogue is vast, but there’s a selection of songs you’re guaranteed to hear at every show – ‘Rock and Roll All Nite’, ‘Detroit Rock City’, ‘Beth’, ‘Heaven’s On Fire’, ‘I Was Made For Lovin’ You’ and ‘Black Diamond’.

“I know that sometimes the diehards think we’re not going deep enough with the setlist, but obviously we want to play the songs that are going to get the biggest response that the people really want to hear,” Thayer says. “We spent a lot of time looking at that when we were rehearsing. We talked a lot about what the setlist was going to be and how we wanted to approach that. The songs that we picked are really the ones that work best and make the show the most dynamic and get the response of the crowd going the best we can.”

KISS have made two albums since Thayer joined – 2009’s Sonic Boom and their 2012 full-length Monster – but his role has primarily been as a live performer. He’s been a professional guitarist for nearly four decades and KISS’ Spaceman for 17 years. He’s no longer intimidated by the task, but he’s not immune to a bit of starry-eyed wonder either.

“I would air guitar to KISS in my parents’ living room when I came from junior high school before I even played guitar. So that’s a quite a journey for me,” Thayer says.

“Ace Frehley was obviously a real important part of the band when they started, very beloved. To replace somebody like that you’re filling big shoes, so it takes time for people to get used to me. At this point I don’t really feel nervous anymore. I actually embrace going out and kicking ass.”

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY KISS tour arenas aroud Australia this November. Their final Australian show has just been announced at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena on November 30. Tickets available from Ticketek.

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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 .

T R E M O LO . R E V E R B .

THE SOUND OF FENDER. I N D E P E N D E N T T R E M O LO A N D R E V E R B E N G I N E S P L AC E C L ASS I C F E N D E R A M P E F F E C TS AT YO U R F E E T. ‘63/’65/ P L AT E R E V E R B V O I C I N G S A N D M U LT I P L E T R E M O LO M O D E S W I T H TA P T E M P O G I V E I T S O N I C F L E X I B I L I T Y.

©2018 FMIC. FENDER®; STRATOCASTER®; STRAT® AND THE DISTINCTIVE HEAD STOCK SHAPE OF THE STRATOCASTER® ARE THE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OFFENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA PTY LTD [ABN 34 613 081 191]. ONLY FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA CAN AUTHORISE THESE TRADE MARKS FOR AUSTRALIA.

MUSIC INTERVIEWS “You think I’m strong, but I just pretend,” sings Shomo in the reflective intro to the album’s title track. There’s a symbiosis between the sound of the record and Shomo’s lyrics throughout, as aggression and anger are balanced by vulnerability and a gentler touch.

“There are a lot of songs that maybe the lyrics seem like they’re a bit uplifting or positive when in reality they’re actually really, really dark,” Shomo says. “But for the most part, the song is a vibe and you’ve just got to find it and ride the vibe. For the heavier stuff, I usually tend to be a bit more angry and for the lighter stuff I tend to usually be a bit more tongue in cheek about it.”

Shomo produced the album and took care of the majority of instrumentation. He’d already employed this approach on 2014’s Disgusting and 2016’s Aggressive, but this time he chose to depart from his Ohio home studio. The songs came together during travels to L.A., New York and Tokyo before Shomo hunkered down to record in Nashville’s Blackbird Studio.

Beartooth Breaks Through Disease, the third album from US melodic hardcore act, Beartooth, came out towards the end of 2018. It’s a thematically complex record that centres on frontman Caleb Shomo’s experiences with mental health and depression.

Amyl & The Sniffers: A Sniffstory In Amyl & The Sniffers’ history – or “Sniffstory,” as they call it – you won’t find sweet melodies, pop hooks or production sheen. Instead, the Melbourne natives have always optioned for their sound to be live and loud – particularly when it comes to their high-octane live shows.

“The point was to go around and take trips and try and get inspired by different things to shake it up a little bit,” he says. “And I think it worked. It was a really fun process and it just made for a lot of cool creative moments.”

Shomo’s interest in stylistic progression directly correlates with his intention to communicate his message in a more powerful way. That shows up on Disease in the form of muscular heaviness, segments of fast-paced punk rock riffing and the injection of widescreen melody.

“I definitely try and improve and push things every record, whether that just be melodies or guitar work or even drums – every bit of it,” he says. “Every record you want to be moving forward. You don’t want to be taking a step back.

For me that just means trying to push the envelope a little harder each time.”

“I’m always going to be taking inspiration from things I listen to, but honestly when I get into studio mode I just shut down,” he says. “I don’t really listen to much. I especially don’t listen to music that’s in the same genre.

Majority of the time when I’m making a record, if I’m driving to and from the studio I’m listening to ’80s pop or something completely different. So when I come in I feel like I can be a bit more creative off the cuff for the heavy stuff.”

His production and mixing methods are largely selfdeveloped, and he says this part of the process is even less referential. “I just kind of do what I do. I don’t really try and focus it too much or compare it too much to other things. I just try and make the record the way that I think it should sound. I try and trust that and do the best that I can and that’s really all that I can do.”

Shomo was attracted to Blackbird Studio for its analogue setup, which has given rise to albums by Ray LaMontagne, Alabama Shakes, Paramore, Alice in Chains, Yo La Tengo and many more. The analogue production method was a major shift from Shomo’s digitally abetted home recording approach. The focus on keeping it raw and honest coheres with the psychologically revealing nature of the lyrics.

However, it’s not like Shomo just thrashed it all out.

“I would be sitting there doing a guitar part over and over and over and over. Same with drums, same with vocals, same with everything. It was just like, ‘If this is going to be a more raw sounding record, I need to be really performing well.’ So I was extremely critical on that front. I tried to rely on myself as a musician rather than relying on the editing of digital recording.”

Prior to starting Beartooth, Shomo was a member of metalcore band Attack Attack! He joined as a 16 year old, originally providing keyboards and programming before taking lead vocal duties on the band’s final record, This

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY

When it came to creating the band’s all-important debut album, it was always going to be about how they captured the lightning in a bottle. “We’ve always known that the live show has been our key strength,” says Dec Martens, the band’s guitarist.

quartet make a point of being as true to their raw, gritty sound as possible – so much so Martens barely even touches guitar pedals. “I even felt guilty any time I used a delay pedal,” he adds with a laugh. “I seriously didn’t know if that was the producer’s job or not!”

“We went into making the album wanting it to be as live as possible – almost using the fact that we’re a live band by trade as a bit of a crutch. We did our best not to overthink it, though. We went in and did it all the same way we’ve kind of always done it – not too many takes, making sure we nailed it as quickly as possible. I don’t think this album is the same as seeing us live, but I mean that in a good way... if you know what I mean. I feel like it stands up on its own.”

“All I had for the recording was my Strat running straight into a [Marshall] JCM800. They happened to have one in the studio, and it sounded perfect for what we were going for.

Nearly everything you hear on the album is just that. For a couple of other songs, I was playing a Yamaha Super Fighter.

They’re really cool – they’re basically what the new Yamaha Revstar line is based on. It’s a pretty old guitar, but it still sounds like an absolute beast.”

Unlike the band’s previous recordings, which were mostly done in and around their Melbourne homes, Amyl’s eponymous debut saw the band relocate to Sheffield in England’s mid-west. There, they shacked up with producer and “proud Yorkie” (as Martens describes him) Ross Orton. If his name doesn’t immediately seem familiar, several artists he’s worked with will: Arctic Monkeys, M.I.A., Jarvis Cocker, Roots Manuva and The Fall. A pairing made by the band’s European label, Rough Trade, Martens was excited by the prospect of creating with such a noteworthy producer.

“It all just worked out,” he says. “Ross had wanted to do a Rough Trade album, so we had a Skype session with him and we all thought he was really cool. It turned out that the time he was going to be available was during the time we were gonna be touring in the UK anyway. It all just fell into place, and we had a great experience working over there. I fell in love with Sheffield in the three weeks we were there.

It was starting to get really cold when we got there, but it was still really special.”

The sound of Amyl & The Sniffers is very much a “what you see is what you get” prospect. Put it this way: there’s no chance of a string arrangement or layered synthesisers making their way into an Amyl cut anytime soon. The

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Means War. Songwriting and studio production has been his central concern for over a decade and Shomo’s process has become increasingly self-contained.

Beartooth tour Australia in early July, tickets available via the band’s website.

Martens also makes mention of a “secret weapon” in his guitar set-up, and it’s something he means quite literally.

“I have this boost pedal, and I have no idea what it is,” he laughs. “I bought it second-hand, after I found it at a pawn shop over in Brighton. There’s no identifying things on it, so it’s this complete mystery to me. I really want to clone it and make like ten of them, but the PCB is glued in. If I want to see what’s inside, I’m gonna have to completely disassemble the pedal. It’s gonna take a lot of balls for me to try and do that. I don’t even mind calling it my secret weapon – mostly because it’s a secret to me as well!”

BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG

Amyl and the Sniffers’ self-titled debut is out now via Flightless Records.

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MUSIC INTERVIEWS In true millennial style, Blake is cooking with many different burners: January this year saw him drop Assume Form, his fourth studio album since 2011. The LP was met with critical acclaim for its technical mastery and contemporary list of features.

When questioned about how his co-producing credits affected his own tracks, Blake toed the line between quietly proud and gushingly keen.

“I really have taken away a lot from every time I’ve worked with somebody else, like Rick Rubin or Jay – all these people who’ve really been there and really shown everyone how it’s done,” he laughs. “I definitely learned a lot from other people, and by including their work in this record it’s shown that the product is bigger than the sum of its parts, hopefully.”

James Blake Finds His Form James Blake is undoubtedly one of the greatest producers currently active in the business, having garnered writing, composing and production credits on records of heavyweights such as Beyonce, Jay-Z, Kendrick, Diplo and even The Wiggles.

“I don’t think I would have grown into what I’ve grown into without the amazing collaborators. And the personal changes I went through between the last album and this one. And my girlfriend!” Blake sounds bashful when he mentions his partner, activist and actress Jameela Jamil. “She’s had a huge influence upon how I look at myself as an artist, and was instrumental in helping me figure out where to go next.”

Moving from albums filled with technical proficiency to a heart-warming collection of bangers is one hell of a journey for an artist to go through in less than three years. When asked to explain this change, Blake is uncharacteristically lost for words.

“This LP was an amalgamation of… a collection of…” He stops himself, and takes a moment to breathe. “It was letting myself lose control of the process that allowed Assume Form to happen, rather than taking things directly from the past, you know? It’s more of an experimental one, and obviously I drew from previous work but it does stand alone in a sense.”

One sound in particular stands out in both Blake’s oeuvre and the album itself is his collaboration with Moses Sumney and Metro Boomin, ‘Tell Them’. You can hear both Blake and

“It is now my main priority, but at the same time it is still such a surprise that it became it,” he says. “Truly never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that that’s what I would be doing. It’s kind of crazy how things work.”

Iero’s second LP, Parachutes, arrived in 2016 with support from backing band the Patience. Yet another band, the Future Violents, joins him on Barriers. Comprising Iero’s brother in law and regular collaborator Evan Nestor as well as Matt Armstrong (ex-Murder by Death), Tucker Rule (Thursday) and folk musician Kayleigh Goldsworthy, it’s a dream lineup for Iero.

“This has been almost 20 years in the making,” he says.

“I met Tucker and Matt Armstrong around ’99-2000 and I thought, ‘Oh wow, wouldn’t it be so much fun and so inspiring to be able to start a band with those guys.’ And all this time later I’m finally getting to do that.”

Frank Iero Doubles Down Frank Iero never aspired to be a solo artist.

The former My Chemical Romance guitarist imagined his 2014 release, Stomachaches (credited to frnkiero andthe cellabration), would be a one-off. But with a new album, Barriers, on its way this month, Iero’s now produced three consecutive solo LPs.

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Iero played in My Chemical Romance for more than a decade, appearing on each of the band’s four LPs, and in 2009 he made an album fronting the hardcore band Leathermouth.

Solo records might be his priority, but he relishes the creative possibilities of the band dynamic.

“For the majority of them they’re based around rock’n’roll, but I think that’s just because that’s what I grew up having a passion for, but I’m very wary of ever repeating myself,” he says. “I think that’s when things would get to be a bit of a chore. I don’t find that to be very inspiring or challenging and I think that would detract from why I do it.”

The title of Iero’s new record is a nod to the limitations we commonly impose on ourselves as a form of protection or out of fear. Contrastingly, Iero says fear plays a big part in convincing him to commit to a creative project.

“I feel like that’s when you find out the most amazing stuff about yourself. That challenge of, ‘That scares me. That puts me so far out of my comfort zone I don’t think I’ll be able to succeed in doing that.’ That’s the good stuff. When you find that, that’s when you’ve got to go for it.”

Moses’ signature sounds laid over a distinctly Metro beat, fused together to create haunting melody.

“I had a session with Metro and I invited Moses into the session. I thought it’d be interesting to see what would happen if Moses sang on a Metro beat, so we took turns to sing melodies.

“Moses’ melody was the one that stuck for me, it was just so unexpected and beautiful. He was just completely improvising and I just riffed off that.”

The sum of Assume Form is a sound that’s notably more sentimental than Blake’s previous LPs, with ambient layers setting the scene for his often warm, sometimes dire, and always profound lyrics. Where his previous work was mocked as “sad boy” music by Pitchfork, Assume Form is an exploration of love and contentedness.

Aussie audiences have been admiring Blake’s music from afar for quite a few years now; he last came Down Under in 2016.

He recently announced a 2019 Australian leg off the back of a Splendour in the Grass slot and he’s more than excited to get back on stage.

“When Ben [Asitter], Rob [McAndrews] and I get onstage, we’re holding out for the house-y songs where there’s a bit more room to improvise. Obviously it depends on the crowd – we feed off them – but we love to have a bit of fun. I hate when it feels scheduled because I love the spontaneous nature of pulling something out and seeing how the others respond,” he says.

“It’s exciting, but there’s also always the chance that I’ll fuck it up.”

BY LEXI HERBERT James Blake plays Melbourne’s The Forum July 19 [SOLD OUT] and 20 and Sydney’s Enmore Theatre July 23 and 24 [SOLD OUT]. Tickets are available via Ticketek now.

Steve Albini recorded and mixed the album. Albini’s reputation as a recording engineer precedes him, having worked with Pixies, Fugazi, Cloud Nothings, Screaming Females and innumerable others over the last three decades.

He’s known as a somewhat unconventional operator who encourages a raw production method.

“He’s amazing, but he’s very unique,” Iero says. “He will be the first one to correct you and tell you, ‘I am not a producer, I am a sound engineer.’ He does not want that role of production. He captures the sound in the room.”

Albini was the only person in the studio with Iero and the Future Violents during the recording of Barriers – no assistants or other engineers, just Albini positioning the mics and manning the desk.

“We did 17 songs in 15 days, recorded and mixed,” Iero says.

“Recorded live to two inch tape. That’s a breakneck speed. You can’t do that with somebody that’s not at the top of their game.”

Iero first teamed up with Albini on the 2017 EP, Keep the Coffins Coming, which taught him what to expect from the working relationship and allowed him to prepare for the Barriers sessions accordingly.

“I knew that I had a genius at the helm and I could go on and chase the tones and the sounds that I was hearing in my head. I also knew that I had four very, very accomplished musicians working with me and I didn’t have to worry about micromanaging how they were playing things.

“I knew what these songs needed to sound like and knew what I needed to give and how to direct everything. It just so happened that everybody around me is a genius and made my ideas sound really, really good.”

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY Barriers, the new record from Frank Iero And The Future Violents, is out now via UNFD.

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ABBEY ROAD INSTITUTE

A CRASH COURSE IN PLUGINS If you’ve spent any time dabbling with music production inside a Digital Audio Workstation or incessantly trawling the web to find out how your favourite artist makes their kick drums sound so good, there’s a fair chance you’ve stumbled across a ‘plugin’ before.

In today’s age of creating music ‘in the box’, plugins are an essential addition to any music producer’s process. While they tend to vary in price, function and type, all plugins essentially use digital sound processing to emulate traditional studio tools, such as a synthesiser or a compressor, within the confines of your DAW. Plugins, or VSTs (Virtual Studio Technology) are not only the most practical (and affordable) way for home producers to access high-quality sounds and effects – they’re also favoured by a huge number of professional recording studios and audio institutions, including the students and staff at Melbourne’s own Abbey Road Institute.

“Nothing pleases engineers more than getting their hands on the gear that powers the industry,” says Alexander Braithwaite, a producer, engineer and DJ working with Abbey Road Institute. “While we’d rather have 19 LA2A’s and Urei 1176’s, the emulations from Universal Audio (UAD) are more than powerful enough to service this desire. As they journey through our advanced diploma and their skills develop, so does their appetite for powerful gear and plugins.”

Abbey Road Institute certainly provides more than enough fuel to inspire their students to push beyond the typical parameters of what being a producer entails. As well boasting the entirety of UAD’s acclaimed plugin suite, the institute plays host to many coveted pieces of studio

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hardware, including a jaw-dropping API 1608 console, providing students with all the tools and inspiration needed to shape their personal sonic palates.

“After the students learn the fundamentals of compression, then comes the desire to add a little something special on top.

That’s where the UAD collection comes in,” Braithwaite explains. “The perfect analogue emulation helps students add classic warmth from some of the all-time best compressors.

This ties in perfectly with our API 1608 room, where students can compare some hardware to the plugins to see how faithfully they match up.”

With over 90 painstakingly modeled UAD plugins at their disposal, it might be a bit tricky to know where to start behind the board at Abbey Road Institute. However, it’s fair to say that there is one jewel in the VST crown that stands out from the rest.

“Towards the end of the course, our students are ready to tackle mastering, and what better way to hone in your compression skills than on one of the biggest and baddest master compressors to exist: the Shadow Hills Master Compressor,” Braithwaite says of UAD’s formidable VST emulation.

“At first glance the interface can be rather daunting, but once understood the Master Compressor is a force to be reckoned with.”

While the Shadow Hills Master Compressor is regarded by many to be one of the best compressors in the business, Braithwaite also extols the virtues of the API 2500 Compressor plugin, renowned by many for its versatility and distinctive sonic characteristics. “[The API 2500] is one of my personal favourites for analogue compression,

mainly for the beautiful saturation it produces if you drive the make-up too hard,” Braithwaite reveals. “This compressor is great for students to glue their mixes together, and a great way to add distortion when desired to their productions.”

If the name didn’t give it away, Abbey Road Institute stems from an educational initiative by the world famous Abbey Road Studios in London – the very same frequented by the likes of The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Amy Winehouse and Frank Ocean. Given the world-famous quality of the outboard equipment found within the acclaimed studios, it only makes sense for Abbey Road Institute to utilise a range of plugins inspired by their UK-based namesake.

“Tying in with our Abbey Road parentage, the Chandler Curve Bender is modelled on the vintage EMI TG12345 desk from Abbey Road Studios,” says Braithwaite of UAD’s flexible EQ plugin. “Teaching the students how to delicately apply EQ to a master using this unit is very rewarding, and trains them on the powers (and responsibilities) of proper EQ work with a little forgiveness from its analogue characteristics.”

Possibly one of the most immediately recognisable plugins used by producers today is pitch correction: colloquially known by many as Auto-Tune. While these effects are frequently used by Kanye West and Travis Scott to create woozy, warped vocal textures, Braithwaite notes that Melodyne, a popular pitch correcting plugin, is used by Abbey Road students on a day-to-day basis to add nuance and finesse to their vocal productions.

“With Melodyne, the advanced vocal tuning suite provides students with the ability to reel in wrong notes, poor vowel

selection and sure up backing vocals,” Braithwaite explains, stressing just how widely pitch correction software is used within the creation of contemporary music.

“Our students spend weeks looking at the intricacies of vocal production, and Melodyne is now so vital a skill that you probably won’t hear a commercial recording without it.”

Although Abbey Road Institute certainly place an emphasis on helping their students obtain a career within the music industry, many professionals can attest to the fact it’s extremely rare for an audio engineer to be a one-trick pony these days. As well as all the stock standard lessons in mic placement, compression and mixing techniques, Abbey Road Institute also ensures their students are well versed in a range of other audio tools used in radio, television and film, including automated dialogue replacement (ADR) software such as Revoice Pro. “In the film industry, lining up studio recorded ADR (automated dialogue replacement) with on-set dialogue can be an absolute nightmare. While some filmmakers shy away from ADR entirely due to this, our students are ready to take on the challenge,” Braithwaite says. “With keen ears to match takes with production sound, and Revoice doing the heavy lifting for us timing and inflection wise, we’re able to get films that sound more intelligible and powerful, regardless of how far off the sound design is initially.”

BY WILL BREWSTER View the full list of gear used by Abbey Road Institute online.

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STAGE THREE: MIXING

Making a Track Come to Life With Simon Moro For our third in a series of five articles on creating and releasing a song, Melbourne producer and engineer Simon Moro gives his expert view on mixing. Last month Moro detailed the tracking process and ended his tutorial with the suggestion, “Great songs played well on good instruments in great rooms through decent gear should sound awesome without additional processing”.

Once this is achieved, you’re ready to mix.

For someone unfamiliar, mixing might seem like a fairly straightforward process of getting the levels right, making sure the vocals stand out and the drums and bass sit back appropriately. But the responsibility of the mix engineer is far greater than just the technical specifics.

“The thing about a mix is that it can still be technically correct, yet completely wrong,” says Moro. “A wrong mix fails to connect with a listener or attract radio attention. The right mix gives the listener feelings.”

The labour intensity of mixing will vary based on the number of tracks in the multi-track session. The genre of music is also going to have an impact. For instance, a hip hop song with a programmed beat is going to differ from a live recording of a punk band.

“Hip hop artists spend so much time finding their sounds and making their beats, you

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usually get the vibe right away,” Moro says.

“The process might be more about finding the right saturation for the sounds and getting that analogue magic.

“It’s funny though, sometimes a song with 80 tracks might take two hours to be 90% mixed, while a song with piano, voice, a harmony and a cello might take three hours. If the song has a lot of layers but they are well arranged, the mix can come together quite quickly. If there are only a few tracks, I have to do a lot more to create contrast from verse to chorus, and to encourage interest throughout the song.”

When you think of mixing, the image that comes to mind is of someone sitting behind a massive desk, pulling up faders and soloing particular instruments. The mix engineer has a lot of power, as the mix can change the entire perception of the song.

“This is one of the most concerning parts of the DIY approach. There are a lot of great songs that are getting underwhelming results because the mix is failing. I guess like anything, the first song you mix won’t be as good as the 20th, 50th or 100th,” Moro says.

The essence of a song varies – some rely on their melodic structure, while others centre on dynamics, rhythm and instrumental motifs.

As a mixer, Moro’s goal is to reinforce the emotion behind a song.

“For example, if a song is supposed to feel lonely, designing a reverb that makes a vocal feel isolated and alone is better than a dry vocal that sounds just cool. Just as a dry vocal is going to be the right choice when it’s supposed to feel like the singer is vulnerable, close and connected, no matter how cool that new reverb plugin might sound on it. You have to reinforce the emotions you’re trying to give the listener.”

Mixing isn’t the final part of the process, but generally you want the mixed song to sound fit for radio or ready to be pressed to vinyl.

“These days with so much DIY, I think there tends to be an expectation that mastering is where you get the magic. Think of the mix as the product. At the end of the mixing process, the song should have all of the excitement and feeling it needs to connect with listeners. It’s like the mix is the meal,

and mastering is the garnish and plating up.

“I’d take an experienced mixer’s work, self-mastered, over a DIY mix, pro-mastered.

And that’s just because all of the parts come together in the mix. If the vocals really need to be dry, that can’t be done in mastering. If the guitar needs to be muted, that has to be done in the mix.

“Just like every part of the process, things get exciting when you’ve got the best team across each part. A killer mix, mastered by a pro mastering engineer is going to sound awesome.”

Find out more about Simon’s work at ninetynine100.com

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ADVICE COLUMNS

ENGINEERING PRINCE “Hollywood Sound called us, they said ‘Do you have an engineer and a studio available for the weekend?” recalls Peggy ‘Mac’ McCreary of the moment in 1981 that led to her becoming one of, if not the main, recording engineer to work with Prince during his imperial ‘80s era. The artist was in the final week of recording his third album, Controversy, when some faulty equipment necessitated the move to Sunset Sound, the Hollywood studio where McCreary had been working as an engineer since the late ‘70s.

“The receptionist was really worried about me working with him because he wrote such dirty songs, so my impression of who was going to walk into the studio and who actually did was totally different. He was very polite and quiet and well mannered,” she remembers. “A couple of times he just mumbled what he needed, and I got in his face and said ‘You gotta talk to me so I can hear you’. I thought ‘I’ll never see this guy again’, and then he requested me for 1999.

“I didn’t really understand him, because he wasn’t like anybody I’d ever worked with.

[Then] he sent for me to see him on the road as a Christmas present, to come see him on tour for 1999, and I got it. I got who he was when I saw him perform.”

The timing could not have been more fortuitous, for Prince was reaching a creative peak, operating at an extraordinarily high rate in terms of both quality and quantity - a balance he would spend the rest of his career attempting to strike once more. From 1981-1987 he seemed like a poet scrambling for a pen at the moment of inspiration, often frustrated at the time it took to physically transform an idea into recorded sound. Probably because it was fastest way to do it, and definitely because he thought

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he was the best man for the job, Prince preferred to track his music alone, layering each instrument as a one man band. The one thing he did need, however, was a recording engineer, and with Studio 3 at Sunset Sound becoming his main recording studio until Paisley Park was built in 1987, this meant that McCreary was often the only other person working on the sessions from this important period.

“I’m sure he would have preferred just to be alone, but he did need you to help him,” says McCreary. “Sometimes he would be struggling with something and say ‘Get a sound on that’ and leave the room, and I would get a balance, EQ something, or patch in some outboard gear. He’d need that bounce off of somebody technically, but I think he would have preferred to do everything by himself, but there wasn’t enough room in his brain to bother with technology. I think he didn’t want to master that.”

With too much music being created for a single project, Prince created different avenues for his music as a way to avoid confusing his audience or hurting his chances of becoming, and then remaining, a major pop star, many of which were Prince albums in all but name, with his vocals simply being replaced by the artist whose song it would become. “We did 1999 together, just the two of us, and then we did The Time and Vanity 6, and then he left again and came back for another Time record and Apollonia 6, and then we started working on Purple Rain, which became huge,” says McCreary.

“Not until somebody else came in to sing on it did you realise that it wasn’t gonna be for him. People ask me ‘Did you know what you were working on?’ it’s like, ‘No’. You didn’t get into his head and figure out what he was doing or ask him questions. It’s not like

he even came in and said good morning or goodbye; you did what needed to be done and there wasn’t a lot of chitchat.

“Usually he would come in and start a song and we would finish it in one day, and he was the musician. Sometimes he would write the song in the studio, sometimes he came in with lyric sheets, sometimes he would start on the drums, sometimes he would start on a drum machine, and we rarely revisited a song. Sometimes we would carry it over, like ‘When Doves Cry’, was a two-day kind of song, but usually it was start-tofinish and they were some long days. I worked 24 hours straight with him one time.

“There were times that I would get tired and he could see it. After 15-20 hours you kind of lose focus, and I would set him up in the studio with a mic over the console, I would pull the monitors down and he would sit in there and sing and I could get a break.

I was on a panel with a bunch of the later engineers and they all looked down and said ‘Oh my god that was you! Thank you so much, that was the only time we got a break.’”

While Prince would reclaim many of his dispersed creations in concert — especially, as with ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’, when they had become a hit in other hands — the original vocal versions of many of the nonPrince Prince songs have circulated for years as low quality bootlegs. Before the internet made everything accessible, those dubiously compiled cassettes and burnt CDs represented holy grails for hardcore fans, a peek into the real and imagined riches of Prince’s vault, the place where all recordings were stored.

Obviously, and sadly, now there can be no new Prince music, and instead the vault must be the source of any future releases.

Originals is a new compilation that brings together 15 such tracks, taken primarily

from the frenetic period of 1982-85. Many were slated on various projects at different times, for example ‘The Glamorous Life’, recorded in December 1983, was considered for albums by Apollonia 6 and Jill Jones, but ultimately became the title track of Sheila E.’s debut album the following year, while ‘Manic Monday’ was also intended for the Apollonia album before being given to The Bangles, whose re-recorded version reached #2 on the charts in 1985, beaten only by Prince’s ‘Kiss’. The longest gestating cut on Originals, ‘Wouldn’t You Love To Love Me?’, was originally demoed in 1976, before being re-recorded in 1978, 1982 and 1986, the latter version of which was submitted for inclusion on Michael Jackson’s Bad, before finding a home on Taja Sevell’s 1987 selftitled debut.

“It brings you back, like, ‘I remember that day,’” says McCreary on hearing the demos again. “The guide vocal they sang to, and sometimes he mixed it in underneath. He had such a beautiful voice, and such an amazing range; it was tough to match that.

“I always figured I’d be on stuff for decades, because we did so much that never came out. He was driven to get it out, all the music, and get it down. He once told me he only went home because he knew I had to sleep. [Then] I would come in after months of working with him, drag myself in with my dirty clothes and they’d say ‘Pack it up, he’s gone’. Literally one day he was there and the next day he was back in Minneapolis, so you just never really knew. It was whatever moved him at the time he just went with. That’s kind of what it was like working with him.”

BY ALEX WATTS Originals by Prince is out on June 21 via Warner Music Records.

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MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW

What To Expect From The 2019 Melbourne Guitar Show Year after year, the Melbourne Guitar Show hasn’t failed to impress. Dedicated to the most popular (and arguably, the coolest) instrument in the world, this year’s annual exhibition is shaping up to be one of the best yet. Never been to one before? Here’s what you can expect.

The Melbourne Guitar Show takes place over the course of one weekend (August 3-4) at the Caulfield Racecourse. Expect to feast your eyes on all your favourite brand names under one roof, with the opportunity to demo the latest and greatest axes in existence. The organizers often refer to the Melbourne Guitar Show as “Australia’s biggest guitar pop-up shop”, and honestly – it needs to be seen to be believed. Expect to drool over tantalising mountains of shiny new gear; ranging from effects pedals, amplifiers, state-of-the-art guitar technology, and much, much, more. Almost everything displayed at the show will be available for the public to play; very much aligned with the hands-on character of any music store.

Apart from the usual international culprits, expect to see some of Australia’s most innovative crafts and lutherie at the show.

Keep an eye out for Ruben Guitars, who have a habit of upping the ante every year with their aptly named ‘show stopper’ exhibits. At the 2018 exhibition, they presented a pair of

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bespoke sister guitars constructed from the finest Brazilian rosewood, finished with oneof-a-kind interactive eagle inlays. This year, they plan to display a personalised fan-fretted electric guitar carved from solid quilted maple, in addition to a Celtic-themed acoustic guitar inlaid with precious gemstones and platinum detail on the headstock. You’ll probably catch these stunning guitars on display in tall glass casing, surrounded by a sea of admirers.

Crowd favourite Roland/BOSS will also be making a reappearance at this year’s show, with a focus on their new series of amplifiers.

Apart from their widely popular Katana, Blues Cube, and Nextone series, attendees can also expect to check out their new WAZA Tube Amp Expander, which acts as a variable reactive load box, IR loader, recording interface and more, all bundled into one portable unit. And of course, punters can look forward to demoing their extensive line up of ever-popular stompboxes.

Aside from gear, the Melbourne Guitar Show will host a star-studded cast comprised of both local and international acts across the weekend. Hailing from the United States is Keith Merrow, an established YouTuber, solo instrumentalist, and co-founder of death metal supergroup Conquering Dystopia. Also arriving from the US is blues crooner Dennis

Jones, who is set to charm audiences with his sizzling blues rock, soulful vocals and highoctane stage performances.

In homegrown talent, Ash Grunwald, Sarah McLeod (The Superjesus), Van Larkins, Michael Dolce, Lloyd Spiegel, Phil Manning, Charlie Bedford, Shannon Bourne, Anna Scionti and many more will share the stage on August 3-4, with other performance announcements to come. Whether you’re a metalhead, jazz buff, or simply an old-fashioned rock-androller, there’ll definitely be something for your palette here. The exhibition floor is also no stranger to impromptu jams, so be sure to keep your eyes and ears open.

Apart from performances, the festivities will additionally include live Q&A sessions, masterclasses, demonstrations, and information seminars at the racecourse. When your legs are starting to ache from making laps around the exhibition floor, grab a cold one and sit at one

of the performance venues in the building.

The beauty of the Melbourne Guitar Show lies not only in the abundance of eye-candy, but in the welcoming environment and culture it fosters. Not often are we presented with the opportunity to gather in a place packed with like-minded musicians. It’s a celebration of one of the most iconic instruments in recorded history, presented in an acclaimed festival for all the senses.

Besides, haven’t you always wanted to hear what a ‘Voodoo Chile’, ‘Enter Sandman’, ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’, and ‘Back In Black’ mashup sounds like?

BY EDDY LIM The 2019 Melbourne Guitar Show will go down at Caulfield Racecourse August 3-4. Tickets and details are available at australianmusician.com.au

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STUDIO SPECIAL Julia Jacklin, Silverchair, Ocean Alley, Courtney Barnett, DZ Deathrays, DMA’S and Sarah Blasko are just a few names amongst The Grove’s extensive alumni. Having hosted some of the biggest names in Australian music history, The Grove has built a name for itself as being a one-of-a-kind recording studio with an inimitable atmosphere.

“The Grove Studios was originally built by Garry Gary Beers from INXS,” says Horscroft.

“In 2000, he built Studio 1 – which really put the property on the map for musicians to come and make records. This place was originally called Mangrove Studios, and after it moved hands, it was changed to The Grove. We bought it six years ago and we’ve continued with that name ever since.”

The Grove Studios was constructed with a Portuguese Hacienda design, and boasts four magnificent studios, furnished accommodation and resort-level facilities. Each studio serves an individual purpose, fully equipped with their own loadout of rare and vintage gear.

The Grove Studios Tucked away in a stunning location adjacent to the beautiful Strickland Forest lies one of the most beautiful recording studios on the planet.

The Grove Studios, headed by legendary producer Scott Horscroft, is situated on 25 acres of tranquil greenery – complete with two billabongs, a pool, spa, and a private bushwalking track. It comes as no surprise that this perfect blend of nature and technology have attracted such a broad range of artists across the globe.

“Studio 1 features our renowned 56-channel SSL G series console, and is the main studio that people come and live in – it’s got four bedrooms, a full kitchen and furnished living room, and even a separate producer cottage around the billabong. It’s a beautiful setup that’s secluded from the rest of the property,” Horscroft says.

“Studio 2 was the original studio on the property, where Garry used to make his own records. It also doubles as our academy. We have 20 workstations situated in a very large control room, placed around a Harrison console from the ‘70s – famous for doing albums like Thriller and other famous Fleetwood Mac records. It’s a really rare opportunity for a class to be gathered around such a piece of history.

Studio 3 is the production suite. It’s got a tonne of our vintage synths, guitars and amps. It’s a little more eccentric and delicate. Studio 4 is called The Barn – it’s a really free and open space. It has some great old mic preamps, and we often use it for preproduction or mixing.”

Other than producing records, The Grove Studios’ latest

Newcomers to the mad world of music mixing, sound engineering and all things that womp would do well to step into the Keynote space, either to record their first LP or perhaps just to jam out in one of their many rehearsal rooms. No matter your setup, groove, or consternation; whether you’re a session maestro or a recording debutante; the experienced heads at Keynote Studios can service your jam-o-rific needs.

Gaining access to high-end studio equipment or discovering the best recording or rehearsal methods can often be all too much for younger budding musicians. Keynote’s resident recording specialist Shaggy Judge understands the stress that comes with recording for many bands, but hearing it from him, things in the box couldn’t be much simpler.

“If anything I like to make the band members feel totally comfortable,” Shaggy says. “I try to avoid that whole stress that comes as soon as you pull the mics out… I try to break that barrier fairly quickly so that everyone is relaxed and more focused on the song rather than the environment. Its just something that’s really important.”

Keynote Studio Tucked away in the multicultural suburb of Auburn in Sydney’s inner west, a small recording and rehearsal studio has been plugging away, acting as a beacon for those in the music industry trapped in its suburban sprawl. For over 20 years, Keynote Studios has welcomed rock n roll devotees through its doors, giving each band the opportunity to pursue a full-blown studio experience.

Originally from Perth, Shaggy has over 30 years experience working in the studio. He worked at Planet Studios in Perth, which sadly burned down in 2004 and after that in Putney, South Australia before coming to Sydney’s Keynote Studios around ten years ago.

Being present in the industry for so long has given Shaggy the perfect perspective towards keeping things simple in the studio; comfort inflects everything about Keynote Studios.

“I have little ways of trying to extract the best performance out of the band,” he confides. “We’ve got an area next to the control room where there’s drinks and people can have a smoke, so they don’t have to walk down the stairs or walk outside. That makes it easier for them when they have a break; they’re still involved in the situation. It really helps!”

This relaxed attitude also bleeds into the control room, where Shaggy offers a fully fleshed out studio setup fitted to each user’s specific requirements. In the box with Shaggy is

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project – The Grove Studios Academy – is in its first year of independence. After working alongside TAFE for three years, Horscroft decided to venture out on his own. The Grove Studios is now a registered training organisation and offers two programs: a Diploma of Music Industry (Sound Production), and an Advanced Diploma. According to Horscroft, this was something that was “in the burner” for a long time.

“The first notion of this was born back in my BJB (Big Jesus Burger Studios) days,” Horscroft says.

“We had an idea of developing a school, mainly due to the fact that we had so many junior interns coming in and turning into great engineers, assistants, and producers. What we had – this flow of people coming in and learning the trade – was something really special. We wanted to offer that to more people in a more formal mentorship process. It’s very rare for students to be taught in a functioning business, let alone a place where these great records are being made.”

Each year, a small cohort of students will be granted an expansive glimpse into all facets of the industry, including live sound, film, and music production. Students will be privy to The Grove Studios’ swathe of cutting-edge technology, as well as the opportunity to learn from a star-studded list of guest lecturers.

“All of our producers here at The Grove give lectures on projects they’re working on, and how they’re being put together,” says Horscroft.

“Other than that, we’ve had Adam from Birds of Tokyo to Heath Johns from BMG Publishing – they understand what we’re doing and how it’s special. We’ve never had people rejecting our invite. We pride ourselves on having very active and professional lecturers who provide priceless council and advice for students to really narrow down what avenue they want to work in.”

BY EDDY LIM For bookings and further information, head to thegrovestudios.com.au

a 40 channel analogue desk with pristine preamps, decked out with PreSonus Studio One 4.1 and a Midas interface sound system.

And the process is easy: get everyone into the room and hit it.

“A lot of the time the band is really good,” Shaggy finds. “I had a band in here recently doing some fun things and they just nailed it. They were great! They did about seven songs in three hours and they were happy. Bang! Done! But some bands take a little bit more work than that.”

The setup can be different for each session. Shaggy can generally fit a whole band, up to seven people plus gear in the recording studio at once, and this can often work out great.

“Some people want a really rough live raw sound. Some people want a [more] produced sound… especially rock and pop punk groups want the more raw sound, Led Zeppelin-y, and I can do that, that’s easy.”

The Keynote Studio backline is available with a specialised drum kit ready to rock.

“Basically, they just need to go through with me what it is they’re looking for, and then I’ll set up accordingly to do the best I can to get what they are looking for,” he says.

Keynote Studios also operates as a rehearsal and backline hire provider, as managed by owner John Holland. Keynote’s backline has had a busy time of late, being lent out for cover bands The Killer Queen Experience and The Elton John experience during their tours. Previously, jazz musician James Morrison, former Australian Crawl front man James Reyne, and ARIA Hall of Famers Dragon have all used the Keynote backline.

As Shaggy puts it, “Everything just works”.

BY BEN EIZENBERG Head to keynotestudios.com.au to book your spot with Shaggy today.

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STUDIO SPECIAL “Rockinghorse Studios has been there for almost 30 years,” says Paul Pilsneniks, one of the expert sound engineers who calls Rockinghorse home. “It is fairly iconic in that it’s sort of the premier studio up here in Byron Bay. It’s been around for a long time hosting a bunch of bands. I came to Byron Bay 20 years ago and had been working in and out of there as a freelance engineer before asking to join the team. It’s always pretty much been the one main studio up the top of the hill and since it’s been sold to Taryn and Rob, they’ve gone and built a second studio on the other side of the property, which we call The Workshop.”

Pilsneniks’ personal road to Rockinghorse has been years in the making. His decorated career has seen him work with the likes of The Mars Volta and Powderfinger, granted him the opportunity to visit Abbey Road Studios in London, and seen him put a lifelong passion for music to use every day.

Rockinghorse Studios Tucked away in the picturesque surroundings of Byron Bay is Rockinghorse Studios, a space boasting what is arguably one of the most idyllic recording environments in the country. Still going strong more than three decades since its inception, Rockinghorse remains high on musicians’ bucket lists as a dream recording studio, with a legacy and bright future to match.

“I was always fascinated with how records were made,” says Pilsneniks. “I didn’t even know what I was doing as a kid, but I’d hear songs on the radio and record them on cassette and then if I didn’t like bits in them, I would grab scissors and sticky-tape and chop bits out, which is basically a really crude form of editing. But I guess it was there from day one, you know? Just the fascination with capturing a band and its sound.”

The sound Pilsneniks captures at Rockinghorse is unlike any other. Situated in one of the most enviable locations in all of Australia, the studio’s proximity to Byron Bay and the Gold Coast ensures the natural element can play a huge part in a final recording.

“Unlike a lot of the studios in the cities, with Rockinghorse once you sort of immerse yourself on the property there, you are basically in your own world without any distractions,” says Pilsneniks. “It’s got lots of natural light, which I think is really conducive to being creative. We’ll record a lot of the time often with the doors wide open, just to get the bird sounds and have the natural light coming through and what not.

There’s no distractions because we’re on a property, so it’s not like people are going to be dropping by all the time. You settle

The work produced at the many venues Trackdown has called home over some thirty years is woven not only into the Australian pop culture landscape, but the world for their cutting edge approach to post-production solutions to various music, film and television projects.

“Geoff [Watson] and Simon [Leadley] started the original incarnation of Trackdown when they were in high school,” says Elaine Beckett, Trackdown’s general manager. “It was basically a rehearsal studio, a solution for their own band.”

Soon word-of-mouth spread to other bands in the local area, and before long they were providing rehearsal space and recording four-track demos for some of Australia’s freshest talent including INXS, Midnight Oil, Divinyls, Icehouse (Iva Davies was once a co-owner of one of Trackdown’s spaces), The Church, Do Re Mi, Dragon, The Saints, Mental As Anything, and many more. “The fact that these school boys almost single-handedly started a business that is still running and has turned into the biggest recording studio in Australia is quite amazing.”

Trackdown Studios From humble beginnings as a handmade studio and rehearsal space complete with mattress filled walls, to the grandeur of Australia’s only purpose-built orchestral scoring stage in Sydney’s Moore Park, Trackdown Studios has a rich local history as one of the leaders in the music, film and TV production industry.

in for a week or a month and just get creative. It’s awesome.”

For those traveling to the studio, settling in for an extended stay seems like an option that’s difficult to resist. With onsite accommodation and airport transfers on offer, choosing to fully immerse yourself in the Rockinghorse experience is a no-brainer.

“There’s two types of accommodation,” explains Pilsneniks.

“We have the luxury house up the top, which is seasonal in its rate, and then we offer sort of budget accommodation, which is in the old water tank, for bands. It sleeps up to six people in the water tank and up to twelve people in the house.

“It keeps everyone focused because they’re onsite. You wake up in the morning and you’re not in the studio, per se, so you’re not there 24/7, but you can just wake up, have your breakfast and then wander across and start making music when you feel like it. In the recording process, there’s a lot of downtime for band members once you start overdubbing and they don’t have to feel like they have to stick around.

They can walk across to the house and chill out and play some records or play some video games and then just come back at a moment’s notice if they’re needed.”

There’s a lot to love about Rockinghorse, but can words really do somewhere like this justice? It seems like this is one studio you have to see to believe and for bands considering doing just that, Pilsneniks knows they’ve made the right choice.

“If they want a fantastic sounding record in an amazing environment, they should call and have a chat and we can work out a budget that’ll suit their project.”

BY JESSICA OVER Visit rockinghorse.com.au to secure your session at Byron Bay’s premier recording studio.

Ridge, The Great Gatsby and Lion among many others.

“I’ve been with Trackdown for 15 years and I can honestly say no two days are the same. I do everything from executive producing on our various television projects, to liaising with the musicians and engineers, to the general day-to-day running of the studio.

On the small screen, Trackdown has made a major impact too. Some of their finest work includes Rake, Wake In Fright, Please Like Me and Jessica Jones.

“But without a doubt the project that holds a special place in my heart is the first Happy Feet,” Beckett says.

“It was my first feature film credit, and I definitely learnt the ropes at the highest industry level while working on that one. Trackdown was involved in not only the musical element but the dialogue recording as well. So we had the actors coming in and doing the voices for the characters. We had Robin Williams at the studio day-to-day and to watch him work was quite inspiring.

Some of the artists and bands Trackdown have worked with in more recent years are Tori Amos, The Tea Party, Katie Noonan, Delta Goodrem, The Black-Eyed Peas – just to name a few. Trackdown has also held live showcases for Coldplay, Justin Bieber, Shawn Mendes and John Mayer.

“We worked on Happy Feet Two as well, so to be working with the same people for the second time, it was kind of like getting the band back together,” Beckett jokes. “And my kids can watch them too - they aren’t quite ready to watch Mad Max: Fury Road yet!”

Today, Trackdown boasts an incredible array of production and edit suites in its beautifully designed space located in the Entertainment Quarter, opposite Fox Studios. They include the ADR (automatic dialogue replacement) and Foley Recording Studio, a 5.1 Mix Theatrette, six Pro Tools suites, and 18 dry-hire edit suites. “We also like to hold special events,” Beckett says. “Recently we held an epic 50th birthday complete with roller derby girls and we had Coldplay perform live to an intimate audience of only 250 people. We also hold a lot of film premiere after-parties.”

Trackdown accepts applications for work experience or internships to people with a passion for the industry. “You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone working in this field that isn’t passionate. We’re behind the scenes; the unsung heroes you might say. In fact, I started out as the work experience kid, so you never know!”

BY NATALIE ROGERS Head to trackdown.com.au for more details.

Some of the recent films Trackdown has helped bring to life on the silver screen include Top End Wedding, The Commuter, Pirates Of the Carribean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Hacksaw

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ADVICE COLUMNS

MUSICOLOGY:

DO WE EXPECT MORE FROM A LIVE SHOW IN 2019?

When Netflix announced the impending release of Homecoming, an exclusive documentary following Beyonce’s monumental 2018 Coachella performance, the news took over every social media feed, trended internationally, and sparked a host of articles dedicated purely to the hype behind the release. For musicians who produce a concert film, the general audience they can expect to be waiting in high anticipation is the dedicated fanbase who are likely to watch the film not just once, but on repeat for a week. The difference with Homecoming was clear: everyone was waiting.

What was so remarkable about the response to Homecoming was that even those who generally have little interest in Beyonce’s work were tempted to watch the documentary unfold. Maybe it’s to keep up with conversations in the workplace or comment on the bizarre festival culture that Coachella has cultivated. But one argument that could explain the appeal is perhaps the simplest of all: Beyonce’s Coachella performance was more than just another live show. It was a visual, cultural and all-round phenomenal experience that eschewed any of the usual expectations for a festival headliner and left audiences with the distinct feeling that this was a set that would be remembered for years to come. It took a regular performance and kicked it up a notch, which begs the question: do we expect more from a live show in 2019?

Gone are the days when The Beatles took to the stage at Shea Stadium with their respective instruments and a gusty yet inadequate sound system, drowned out by

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the sound of thousands of screaming fans but still charging valiantly on to complete a set that would go down in history. Nobody could hear them. There were no striking visuals in the background. The stage setup was simplistic and purely logistical at its heart. But those who were there that day speak fondly of the experience; those who wish they were lament their misfortune to have missed the moment. It didn’t matter that the greatest band in the world was practically inaudible. When you were seeing The Beatles live, nothing else mattered.

Take that situation and apply it to 2019.

With the technology now available, it would be almost criminal for a band to struggle against sound issues so exhaustively in this day and age. To perform without a backdrop would be bizarre. The lack of a scripted encore made to look utterly spontaneous would leave audiences wondering why the band wasn’t coming back yet. The idea of what a live performance is supposed to be has evolved into more than a simple hourlong set; it’s become an all-encompassing entertainment experience. But are we right to place these expectations on musicians?

Are we not satisfied with simply hearing a band sing into a microphone anymore?

Of course, if you visit a smaller venue and drop into a local gig, you’ll find the stakes aren’t quite as high. Here, you’ll be treated to what is arguably a traditional live show: the simple presentation of an artist playing music incredibly well. But once musicians reach that next level – once they reach the absolute height of fame – the expectations of what a live show should be seem to rise with it.

Some of this can be attributed to the oftenastronomical ticket prices such musicians charge for their live shows. Punters want more bang for their buck and with the likes of Beyonce, they’re almost guaranteed to get it. At this point, if a musician was to step on stage with no preamble, no light show, no pyrotechnics or pizzazz, they would likely leave fans disappointed. This differs depending on the genre, of course. You wouldn’t expect to see a light show at an orchestral performance, nor would you need all the bells and whistles at the intimate gig of an indie folk group. But for the most part, a rise up the ladder of musical fame coincides with a rise in expectations for what a live show is supposed to be – not in terms of musical talent, but in the incorporation of extravagant accompaniments we just can’t seem to live without.

There certainly appears to be a blueprint to follow these days, to the point that originality can often be scarce and the element of surprise lost to the predictable presentation of songs that follows. This is where Beyonce took things in another direction. By incorporating elements from her culture, through adopting the persona of a marching band, by the sheer genius of creating a Battle of the Bands-style performance at a music festival, Beyonce ensured this Coachella performance wouldn’t be forgotten any time soon.

More importantly, it wasn’t what anyone expected. And that’s the most impressive element of all.

instruments-only performance in the same way we praise an event like Beychella.

This year’s Coachella headliners – Ariana Grande and Childish Gambino – presented two opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of performance. Grande offered a set that followed a standard concert pattern, playing out each song consecutively with different choreography and visual accompaniment.

On the other hand, Gambino presented an experience – just like Beyonce – only he did it in his own unique style, using minimal accompanists and somehow creating an intimate atmosphere amongst a crowd of thousands. But is it fair to say this rendered his performance superior to Grande’s, purely because he offered an experience? Or are we simply not willing to appreciate anything less than grandeur at this point in music?

It’s not an easy question to answer, and nor should it be. There are so many factors to take into consideration, not to mention personal preference. But it does remain undeniable that the bar is constantly being raised for what is expected of a live music event. The real question is what we’ll see next.

BY JESSICA OVER

In one set, an artist can alter expectations for the industry at large and render us incapable of appreciating a simple

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ELECTRONIC MUSIC PRODUCTION

ADAT To The Rescue!

Whether your audio interface is getting a bit long in the tooth or you simply need more inputs, it doesn’t necessarily need to be the end of the line for your audio interface.

There’s these magical, often overlooked connections on a lot of mid-to-high-end interfaces that can save you spending big bucks on a larger and/or more modern unit.

I’m talking about ADAT optical connections.

Alesis Digital Audio Tape format audio is no longer bound to the early ’90s magnetic tape machines it was designed for. Instead it’s become an industry standard optical connection, often called ADAT lightpipe, capable of carrying eights tracks of audio at 24bit, 48kHz quality. What that means is, an interface that has an ADAT input can accept an ADAT expansion unit with up to eight analogue inputs. Most often, these units are sold under the name preamps, like the Focusrite OctoPre of the new Arturia 8Pre. This is ideal if you already have a good quality interface but require more analogue inputs for microphones and instruments.

ADAT can also save your interface from landfill if it has an ADAT output. It’s an unfortunate reality that interfaces are reliant on software and technology at the time of their manufacture, and as they age, connections and software become redundant.

Firewire interfaces, for example, can be had for peanuts now as no modern computer

comes equipped with that connection standard anymore. But, as long as your old interface has a standalone mode (no computer connection required to run) and you have a computer capable of connecting to it to adjust its settings like a MKI Focusrite 18i20 with a USB 2.0 connection, you can put it to work as an ADAT expansion with a more modern interface as the host.

If you record higher resolution audio, like 24bit, 96kHz, you’ll need to make sure your ADAT extension unit features Sample Multiplexing (S/MUX). Unfortunately this will reduce the number of inputs available to four, as it hits the bandwidth limit of the ADAT format.

Unless your ADAT expansion features the exact same audio to digital converters as the host there’ll be a very slight difference in latency but this is likely to be unperceivable to most. Still, it doesn’t hurt to be mindful of keeping your recordings of multitrack instruments (like drums) through one type of AD/DA converter to prevent any (very minor) phasing issues.

Additionally, ADAT opens the door to the opposite of saving money; spending big bucks on high end and boutique preamps like Universal Audio’s 4-710D Four Channel Tone-Blending Pre. It’s an astonishing unit that mixes the best of vintage circuitry and tone with modern convenience. *drools*

BY MICHAEL CUSACK

ADVICE COLUMNS GUITAR

BASS

Got the bends

Diatonic Meaning ‘of, within or from the scale’, a good point for Diatonicism is making arpeggios (triads) from a particular key. Starting with a C Major Scale (C-D-E-F-G-A-B) let’s build these triads (Figure A). Playing them and putting chord names to them would give us C-Dm-Em-F-G-AmBdim. Try playing these as arpeggios and chords both ascending and descending (some chords might take some thought to come with up suitable fingerings).

You should be able to hear the chord progression moving, but remember these all belong to the key of C Major – C Major is the ‘tonic’ chord and sounds like home. Pedalling (or looping/holding) a C note behind this can help to keep the tonic sound in your ear.

This month we’re going to talk about bends. Guitarists from Django to Hendrix to George Benson to Eric Johnson to Tom Morello and so on have utilised the bend as part of their articulation arsenal. For many, bending will be something you’ve always done but for others it’s a daunting mystery world…let’s try and take a few steps to get them under control.

The idea of bending a note is to bend or alter the pitch of the note up to a higher pitch.

Typically, bends are a semitone or tone but you’ll hear people bending up a minor or major third and more (depending on string gauge and hand strength!). Figure A shows the notation of some bends. All semibreves (worth four beats) the first bar bends from E in the fifth fret on the second string up a semitone to F. Next, we have a tone bend from E to F#. Bars three and four are one and a half tones and two tones (E to G and E to G#).

Now why is this important you might ask? There are many good reasons. More than just knowing the notes of the scale, it can help to familiarise you with the chords from that scale.

This can be useful for songwriting and creating chord progressions. Try picking chords from the aforementioned list and creating an order with them – you should get something that sounds good to your ear fairly easily. Of course, you can then use arpeggios rather than or as well as chords to break up the sound.

Figure B is an example chord progression only using the diatonic chords from C Major. This could be interpreted as C Major, G Major, D minor, F Major. Try it as a slow to medium tempo pop/rock groove.

Regarding the actual technique of bending, I’d recommend starting with your 3rd finger on your left hand on the actual fretted note. Then to add strength reinforce the bend with your 2nd finger on your left hand in the fret behind that (in this case the 4th fret). Now pick the note as you normally would (unbent) and then bend the string up towards the lower strings on the fretboard.

Knowing diatonic chords can also help with playing bass lines over chords. Rather than just playing the root note, knowing the appropriate arpeggio (or chord tones) for each chord (and its tonality) can add some extra ammunition to your sound. As can be seen in Figure B, instead of just playing the root notes C-G-D-F we get some more colour and an idea of the actual chord sound when using the extra notes from that diatonic chord.

The important thing with these is to listen for the correct pitch. You can even use a tuner to check that you’re bending to the desired note. This can take some strength and control to hit that note cleanly and confidently each time. Start slowly and then increase the speed to almost bend the note instantly as you pick it. There are many ways to play these (slow and fast bends are very common) so there’s no wrong or right – it’s more a matter of getting used to the technique and the sound.

Improvising is another great use for this diatonic knowledge. Static (one chord) vamps can be fun and allow you room to really explore. Often players get stuck noodling away with just one scale without direction which can then sound a bit aimless for longer periods of time.

Using/superimposing the diatonic chords and arpeggios from that key can be a great way to create colour and movement with not much extra effort.

A good exercise for working on pitch is playing a Major scale with bends. Let’s take E Major (Figure B) and try playing it all on the second string. E Major is played E-F#-G#-A-B-C#-D#-E and uses a combination of tones and semitones (T-T-S-T-T-T-S in fact). Written as crotchets the exercise has one note per crotchet beat. Start slow and then increase speed as you get a feel for the exercise. Of course this can then be transferred to other strings and other scales and arpeggios. It really is a great sound when used sparingly and musically and can be heard in rock/blues/country/metal and more. More bending next issue!

If you’re making some headway with the triads, why not add the 7ths and create some extra colour (Figure C)? That now gives us CMaj7, Dm7, Em7, FMaj7, G7, Am7, Bm7b5. Go back and use the earlier steps again – create some chord progressions and bass lines that use more than the root note (other chord tones), try improvising over a one chord vamp (these can be any one chord from the key of C Major) and superimpose the chord/arpeggio sounds. Lots of options here, more next month!

BY NICK BROWN

BY NICK BROWN

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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 lefthanded 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 STEINBERG

AXR4 Thunderbolt Audio Interface YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA | AU.YAMAHA.COM | EXPECT TO PAY: $3,799

Steinberg are music software royalty.

From DAWs such as Cubase and Nuendo to soft synths like Future Bass as well as to songwriting and production software in Groove Agent and Absolute - they’re at the top tier in every pocket of the market. Cubase is one of today’s most widely used DAWs, and the software giant has exponentially gained users since the release of Cubase 10. Steinberg is not a company limited to software either: they produce hardware in DAW controllers, MIDI controllers and audio interfaces - most recently the AXR4T, Steinberg’s current flagship audio interface. The audio industry is advancing in leaps and bounds, and the AXR4 Thunderbolt 2 Audio Interface pulls no punches in slotting itself at the forefront of a lot of these new technologies. It’s a Thunderbolt, so it’s some of the fastest data transfer available on the market, but it also boasts the ability to record up to 32 bit/384kHz if and when required. There’s a couple of world-class preamps thrown in for good measure, and SSPLL jitter reduction technology. As if that weren’t enough, there’s AXR DSP mixing software, an extra mixing matrix before your DAW with further routing, audio processing and monitoring options. The AXR4 would serve literally any engineer on the planet well, but it’s certainly priced to match. However, with all the features on board and inside the 1U unit, you may never need another interface.

The AXR4, despite the massive list of specs, flagship technologies and features, will only occupy one space in your rack. Therefore, when you inevitably buy a second, they’ll

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only collectively occupy two spaces. The AXR4 boasts a maximum of 28 inputs and 24 outputs if expanded fully via the D-sub or digital connections on the back of the unit.

On the unit itself you’ve got four preamps, all with combo XLR/jacks and all four preamps feature emulations of the Rupert Neve Designed SILK processing found on more high end Rupert Neve Designs preamps and processors. The four onboard preamps have combo XLR/jacks for connecting mics or alternatively for connecting guitars, basses or keys directly and using plugins to record or simply monitor your takes, as the Thunderbolt 2 connecting offers ultra-low latency. The unit’s converters can be set up to 32-bit with a 384kHz sample rate, admittedly higher than usually required but it’s a whole lot of room for oversampling if and when necessary when processing ultra high-quality audio. The unit itself can be expanded with AES/EBU digital connections, or optical connections, or via analogue connections using the D-Sub option. On board, with no expansion, there’s eight line inputs (in addition to the four preamps on the front of the unit, and eight line outputs.

There’s MIDI in/out (to connect to your Steinberg MIDI controllers to use Steinberg’s range of soft synths), a word clock I/O and dual thunderbolt I/O (for daisy chaining units together). It’s important to note, when mentioning the word clock I/O, that the AXR4 features SSPLL jitter reduction technology. In a nutshell, audio jitter is the deviation from the master clock source when discussing sample rates. For example, if a recording is occurring at 44.1kHz (or 384kHz as the monstrously powerful AXR4

can muster), then every digital piece of the signal chain must be clocked and locked to the same sample rate, or the samples won’t line up. Jitter is the audible effect of the deviation when things don’t clock properly.

Even when units are clocked, jitter can still occur because of a variety of variables in your system. SSPLL jitter reduction technology is currently the most advanced anti-jitter technology for audio, and the AXR4 has it on board.

In use, the AXR4 is a breeze, and a pleasure.

The onboard preamps on interfaces are usually fairly uncoloured, and for good reason. You want a nice transparent preamp to colour with other tones or another preamp or plugin. But I’ve got to say, the Rupert Neve Designs SILK feels good. You don’t have to use it, but it’s a nice option to have on board. For those playing at home, the SILK function is a pleasing harmonic distortion that can be blended in to taste.

Sounds become more present and sizeable, but never overbearing. The preamp acts in the same way a preamp may act with a hot signal, without having to push the signal.

The SILK in Rupert Neve Designs products is analogue emulation of an analogue effect, while the SILK on the AXR4 is a digital emulation so accurate that Rupert Neve Designs have put their name to it. And you get four of these preamps on the unit itself. Don’t need it? Don’t use it all the time, but they’re there and that’s worth the investment in itself. Beyond the hardware preamps, the AXR4 features AXR DSP mixing software - a 28/24 mixing matrix that can be used to process plugins and sounds using

DSP instead of your computer’s processing power. The plugins themselves repowered by onboard DSP, and because they’re pre-DAW, they’re latency free. There’s a bunch of great stuff from Yamaha such as their EQ 601, the stereo Classic Compressor 276, a channel strip and REV-X Reverb.

Overall, the AXR4 is a monstrous audio interface that I still can’t believe is packed into a 1U unit. There’s twelve inputs on board, and eight outputs. There’s options to expand it further but you mightn’t need to. You’ve got four preamps ready to be coloured externally or in one unit with the Rupert Neve Designs SILK emulation on all four of the preamps on the front plate. Once you’ve got signal, you can process audio latency free via the AXR DSP processing and Steinberg plugins of famed Yamaha gear. All this, virtually jitter free. The AXR4 is your next interface, but its also the interface you’ll be using in ten years. A solid investment for a stellar piece of gear.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

HITS ∙∙ Anti-jitter technology ∙∙ Flagship product, lots of new tech on this one MISSES ∙∙ Big price tag

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PRODUCT REVIEWS IK MULTIMEDIA

iRig Micro Amp SOUND AND MUSIC | SOUNDANDMUSIC.COM | RRP: $320 Mobile interfaces and micro amplifiers have been making bedroom music quieter, smaller and easier in the last five years. IK Multimedia realised they could collapse the two into one back in 2016 with the iRig Nano Amp. As a seriously affordable and insanely compact home recording solution, it was nothing short of revolutionary. This year the brand has returned with the iRig Micro Amp, a beefier and feature-rich new option to ward off the competition.

Out of the box, the iRig Micro Amp is a sleek little unit that doesn’t immediately betray its price point. Measuring just 210 x 125 x 155 and weighing a teensy 1.26kg, the iRig is small enough that it’d fit in a suitcase for travel. As some other reviewers have pointed out however, the portability is slightly undercut by the lack of a travel-handle.

IK Multimedia have ensured the iRig’s build does not look or feel like a plastic throwaway, with a kind of plain chic. The amp houses a modest 1 x 4” speaker and is powered by a fairly sizeable 15W if you’re using a 9v power supply or 7.5W if you’re going battery powered. This is particularly impressive if you’re comparing it to the ever-popular and pricier Roland Cube’s 10 and 15W models. The battery option is very welcome, with all six AAs remarkably included. Six batteries is a lot however, so I found myself sticking almost exclusively with the power supply.

Pretty much anyone can operate the control panel without an instruction manual; simply twiddle gain, bass, mid, treble and volume knobs to adjust your sound after choosing either a clean, drive or lead channel. The addition of these options from the iRig Nano have made the Micro Amp actually feel like a real amplifier, rather than a novelty. The lead channel had a surprising amount of oomph for its tiny speaker, with a minimal amount of cable hiss. Clean gave a decently transparent and accurate sound profile. The speaker also performs surprisingly well as a music player; simply connect your iPhone or Android phone via a Lightning adapter or aux respectively and hit play on your tunes.

It’s not audiophile quality, but it offers bedroom jammers the opportunity to plug and play along at the same time. At this point though, you will get a little more hiss.

All of this, comes secondary to the iRig’s function as a mobile interface. A microUSB cable will hook you up to either your iPhone/iPad and importantly Mac or PC for you to record straight into whatever DAW you please. IK’s own AmpliTube CS app fleshes out the array of sounds with ten amp and 26 stompbox models, including Fender, T Rex and Orange authorised sounds, to play through your mobile device; the iRig emits these beautifully. A particularly cool feature of the app is the ability to place and mic amps in 3D if you choose to record through

the app. The only pointer for the next iteration of the iRig would be the option for a Bluetooth connection, though this would definitely up the price.

What makes the iRig a real asset is the ability to plug into a DAW on your computer.

The iRig outputs solid 24-bit, 96 kHz quality sound, which is ridiculously impressive for the size and price. I was able to feasibly and quickly build a track in Ableton with relatively little audible difference between that of an upscale interface.

The iRig Micro Amp is a highly functional little package that is a lot of fun for hobbyists, and a serious option for travelling players looking to write and record on the road. Look out for one, if you have a little cash to spare.

BY JOSHUA MARTIN

HITS ∙∙ Serious functionality as a small amp ∙∙ Affordable ∙∙ Great compatibility with DAWs ∙∙ Works as a boombox ∙∙ Easy to use MISSES ∙∙ No travel handle

FAITH GUITARS

Saturn Electro Cut Hi-Gloss CMC MUSIC | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $1,995 The Saturn is one of Faith Guitar’s original acoustic shapes that launched the brand in the early noughties. Like the rest of its brethren, this guitar was designed by master builder Patrick James Eggle, and the superb level of craftsmanship here really speaks for itself. The fundamentals of the brand revolve around their exceptional build quality, rather than fancy bells and whistles. As Eggle himself told me: “If it’s designed right, feels right, and sounds right, you don’t need to do anything else,” and with the Saturn, I couldn’t agree more.

The first word that comes to mind is “solid”.

The Saturn is a hefty dreadnought-style guitar, constructed with solid Indonesian rosewood on the back and sides, and subtly figured Engelmann spruce on top. As per its title, this guitar looks incredibly beautiful with its hi-gloss finish, effortlessly catching the light from all angles. The neck is carved from a pleasing shade of brown mahogany, while the fretboard is made from Macassan figured ebony. Golden Grover Rotomatic tuners adorned with dark wooden pegs add subtle, classy contrast to the instrument – a nice touch. Quarter-sawn spruce tidily reinforces the core of the Saturn, leaving plenty of room for the included Fishman INK3 undersaddle pickup. Like the majority of Faith’s offerings, visual flourishes are kept to an absolute minimum. A 5mm abalone

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rosette, two strips of solid flamed maple binding, and mother of pearl ‘F’ inlay at the 12th fret are the only discernible additions.

The Saturn plays excellently right out of its deluxe hard case, thanks to Patrick James Eggle’s rigorous setup standards. The neck is finished in a comfortable satin layer and is carved immaculately with the right balance of heft and usability. A smooth-shouldered cutaway provides easy access to the upper frets, making both chords and single lines a breeze to play. Most noticeably, the entire instrument resonates as one unit when strummed, rather than a sum of multiple moving parts.

I was slightly surprised at the tones the Saturn produced. For one, the traditional booming qualities of a dreadnought were somewhat lacking; those expecting a deep, focused, and bass-heavy sound may be slightly disappointed. Not that this is a bad thing – while leaning towards the treble end of the spectrum, the Saturn’s tonal response still remained fairly balanced as a whole and definitely suits a wide range of playing styles.

The tried and true Fishman INK3 preamp serves its purpose without complaint. The tuner is both accurate and snappy, with a brightly lit display to cover the darkest stages and the brightest of outdoor gigs.

When plugged in, this guitar began to truly

shine. The onboard three-band EQ allowed me to dial in some of the absent low end, all while retaining the Saturn’s naturally crisp highs.

Overall, the Saturn was a joy to play. It’s an instrument that relies on high quality craftsmanship to get its point across, rather than obnoxious inlays or over-the-top appointments. While I’d personally prefer a dreadnought style guitar with a little more oomph in the low end, the Saturn’s value is undeniable.

BY EDDY LIM

HITS ∙∙ Excellent build quality and quality control ∙∙ Aesthetically gorgeous ∙∙ Great sound when plugged in MISSES ∙∙ Slightly lacking in the low end

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PRODUCT REVIEWS TC HELICON

Blender Portable Mixer AMBER TECHNOLOGY | AMBERTECH.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $269 In this day and age, musicians face a burgeoning number of problems. Be it with the music industry, record labels or management, the road is littered with countless obstacles looking to impede your success. One glaring issue has plagued artists since the dawn of time: sensitive neighbours. TC Helicon aims to alleviate all noise-related headaches with the Blender, a multichannel stereo mixer which promises near-silent jam sessions for the whole band.

The Blender boasts six inputs and four headphone outputs, with a focus on integrating hardware and software together for a seamless creative process. In essence, it’s a condensed version of the now defunct Jamhub, with 3.5mm input and output sockets instead of XLR or TRS jacks. It’s a shame TC Helicon didn’t include any cable tip adapters with the unit, which would instantly accomplish a true “plug-and-play” experience right out of the box. The device can be powered with the included wall wart, or with four AA batteries.

Aesthetically, the Blender resembles a hybrid of an oversized hockey puck and a flying saucer. The device is so light it almost feels cheap due to its fully plastic exterior.

However, the build quality and components used are still satisfactory. The tactile rubber buttons have a satisfying response and are backlit with bright LEDs, which even notify

the user if input levels are clipping. Volume levels are controlled by the large rotary encoder in the centre, which glides smoothly without conflict. Finally, a handful of solid rubber feet on the base of the unit ensures slip-free usage on any surface.

Where the Blender particularly excels in is its functionality – arguably the most important part of any device. Each individual user is able to set their own mix levels from all six outputs. The controls are incredibly intuitive; a simple button press selects between headphone outputs, and the levels are subsequently controlled through the rotary encoder and input buttons.

Band members can even create their own personalised mix using their smartphones and the Blender’s free mobile app, eliminating the need to gingerly tiptoe over long trails of cables. The connection process is remarkably simple and pain-free: one user connects to the Blender, creating a session of sorts, and the rest of the band can then simply join the Bluetooth network created instead of having to individually link to the device. The app’s interface is beautifully laid out and organised. Its controls are responsive and even allows users to assign instrument icons to different input channels for quick recognition.

The global controls located on the Blender are equally useful and pragmatic. A mute

button kills all signals, while a compress function adds a special mastering tinge across all connected instruments; low signals are boosted, while the top levels are compressed. Holding the reset button allows you to quickly revert all customised settings and levels back to factory defaults, presenting a fresh canvas for a new jam session. Last but not least, a talk button allows the onboard omnidirectional mic to broadcast voices across all headphone outputs – perfect to cut through to overenthusiastic band members still bashing away.

The Blender records at a high sample rate of 192kHz and is a perfect fit for any compatible DAW or similar. It can even be directed straight into an iPad running Garageband with a micro-USB to lightning adapter. Sound quality is excellent across

the board – clarity is no issue whatsoever.

Overall, there are few complaints here.

The Blender performs as advertised, and is arguably the perfect gateway into silent room recording and jamming.

BY EDDY LIM

HITS ∙∙ Fantastic, well thought-out controls ∙∙ Simple and fast mobile connectivity ∙∙ Excellent app MISSES ∙∙ Included 3.5mm adapters would be nice

KRK

ROKIT G4 Studio Monitors JANDS | JANDS.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: KRK ROKIT G4 RP5 - $299, KRK ROKIT G4 RP7 - $399, KRK ROKIT G4 RP8 - $499, KRK ROKIT G4 RP103 - $849 KRK have been synonymous with pro audio since the company began. Famed for producing super high-end speakers in the ‘90s and ‘00s, KRK speakers were a world-class reference speaker for top-tier recording studios. The KRK Expose E8 was as synonymous with recording studios as the white-coned Yamaha NS10, and for good reason. A few years ago, KRK began producing budget level speakers that have become a go-to for hip-hop producers because of their bottom end response and hyped top end. The G4 series of KRK ROKITs are the latest incarnation of these speakers.

Physically, they’re modelled slightly more towards the more famous Expose E8 speakers, but the sound and response remains mostly the same. These are great speakers for working with readymade sounds or blowing away clients, but not so much for sculpting or analysing recorded audio of potentially problematic recorded acoustic instruments.

Similar to the G3 series of ROKITs, the new KRK G4 Series have great bottom end response thanks to the bass port beneath the woofer of varying sizes throughout the series. They’re powered, and boast a frequency response from 43Hz up to 43kHz, with new DSP powered room EQ on the back. KRK have done away with pots to attenuate or boost frequencies in tuning speakers to your room, and now the back

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panel of the speaker features a visual LCD to tweak the six-band EQ for maximum options.

Both the woofer and tweeter are now made of matching Kevlar, for a less fatiguing listening experience and maximum clarity.

The ROKIT G4 Series spans from the smallest in the ROKIT 5 up to the Rocket 10-3, which features an extra 3” driver.

In use, the new series of ROKITs sound great.

They are pleasing to the ear – however, that’s not what I want monitors for. I want to hear the issues and problem areas in the rock and metal that I record, and the ROKITs aren’t great at showing me that. What they do however, is provide unmatched bottom end response for a speaker of their size and price. For a producer working with already made sounds, samples and synths, they provide a crisp and rich listening experience that inspires and feels good off the bat.

When working and producing with a client, you want your sounds to sound good from the get-go, and with premade sounds there’s usually not much need for deep diving into problem areas and attenuating issues in sounds or problems that were missed while recording. This new generation of KRKs have a market and boy-oh-boy do they fit it. This new series looks a bit more professional with a squared off finish and less dynamic visual difference between the black enclosure and iconic yellow cones. The G4 Series are still

ROKITs, but they’re more professional.

Overall, the G4 Series of ROKIT speakers from KRK are a great speaker, if they’re the kind of speaker you’re after. They won’t show you every detail and leave your mid-range or top end exposed, but they will make your tracks sound great from the start. They’re not a complete monitoring solution, but they can definitely be a main monitor solution for someone producing and mixing on a budget. These look, feel and sound more like a professional speaker, whereas previous incarnations had begun to feel budget. The ROKITs are moving up in the world – don’t let them pass you by.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

HITS ∙∙ Pleasing to listen to ∙∙ Better looks than previous ROKIT series MISSES ∙∙ Not entirely honest and balanced reproduction of sound

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PRODUCT REVIEWS MARKBASS

MB STU Amp 1000 Bass Head CMC MUSIC AUSTRALIA | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: Stu Hamm has been a force on the bass and general music scene for many years.

Known for his work with Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Frank Gambale (amongst a host of others) Stu has long combined slap and tapping techniques alongside solid grooves and is also a highly respected educator and clinician. Markbass have been hot on endorsements over the last few years and have added to their already impressive lineup of amps with the MB Stu Amp 1000.

Streamlined and intuitive, the STU amp front panel consists of big Master Volume, Solid State Gain and Tube Gain knobs, a seven band graphic EQ, Active and Passive inputs and an On/Off switch. All seems fairly self-explanatory hey? And I get the feeling that’s what Mr Hamm wanted with this amp.

The amp boasts 1000 watts of power under the hood and then an effects loop, tuner out, line out, ground lift and pre/post EQ buttons and two speakon cab outs on the rear panel. The typically sturdy Markbass build is ever present, and as is the yellow and black colour scheme. At three kgs, the amp is relatively portable and not too heavy (not micro but definitely easy to handle) and could definitely turn some heads with its simplicity and option of both Tube and Solid State.

With its graphic EQ and three large knobs, the STU amp looks a little more retro and rock ‘n roll (for want of a better word) than a good portion of the Markbass line.

That’s not to say there isn’t a wide range of tones on offer though. SS allows for clean headroom with an articulate and defined sound. Working the graphic EQ then gets you deeper into the tone, from a boosted low end to punchy mids or bright and scooped tops. The Tube Gain really adds some grunt to warm up your sound or even adding some bark to it. The STU amp can cross over from rock to funk with ease and its size and power make it a workhorse for anything from small rehearsals to big gigs.

While the solid state and tube mix isn’t a new thing, it definitely works well on the STU amp and I could see it being a big selling point – especially with 1000 watts on board. Furthermore, the combination of big knobs (just three of them) and a graphic EQ might be just the answer to players wanting to easily adjust their amp – be it in the studio or a dimly lit stage.

Stu Hamm is a serious player with serious credits and a serious reputation. This isn’t the ‘just put your name on a signature amp’ deal – it’s obviously something Stu had a big hand in. Couple that with Markbass’

reputation for quality gear and you’ve got a great workhorse amp that will work in many musical settings.

BY NICK BROWN

HITS ∙∙ Solid State and Tube combination ∙∙ Graphic EQ can be great for really targeting frequencies MISSES ∙∙ None

The Art of Control

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PRODUCT REVIEWS BLUE MICROPHONES

Yeticaster ProBroadcast Bundle INNOVATIVE MUSIC | INNOVATIVEMUSIC.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $399 Podcasting and live streaming are two more recent forms of media that have popped up.

While not completely new ideas, they’ve risen to popularity with the accessibility of products and platforms the vast majority of people are able to use. Anyone can create a podcast with their phone, and anyone can sign up to Twitch or any other live streaming outlet. We can create content, amass followers and talk shop relatively easily, however the top-tier podcasts and streaming personalities have particularly well-produced videos, podcasts and streams.

The Blue Yeti microphone itself is one of the bestselling streaming and podcast microphones on the market thanks to its intuitive and easy to use design, as well as offering USB connectivity so there’s no need for extra gear or an external interface or sound card. The Yeticaster bundle contains a Yeti microphone that can handle and record at up to 16-bit/48kHz, the Compass Premium boom arm to be mounted either temporarily or permanently to your desk, and the Radius III Custom Shockmount to keep your signal solid and consistent.

The Compass Premium boom arm has a maximum reach of about 80cm, and has handy cable management trenches all along its length. The included C-clamp can securely and quickly fasten to your podcasting or streaming desk or wherever

you do choose to stream from. The Radius III shock mount is designed specifically for the Yeti series of microphones (of which there’s a Yeti, Yeti Studio and Yeti Pro), and stops your microphone taking nasty bumps to itself or the desk that often end up on record. The Yeti has four switchable microphone patterns, all designed specifically for streaming, spoken word and/or podcasting. First off, cardioid is a standard microphone pattern that picks up sound directly in front of the microphone and a little around the sides. Secondly, a bidirectional option, effectively a figure-8 pattern, works well with two speakers facing each other and being recorded simultaneously. There’s also an omnidirectional option that picks up sound in a perfect circle around the entire microphone, and finally stereo, which acts similar to a figure-8 but with a tighter circle and less rejection on the sides. The Yeti microphone will pick up and reproduce sounds from 20Hz - 20kHz, but remember it’s a USB mic so it doesn’t need an interface or other sound card. It does however require Windows 7 or higher/Mac 10.10 or higher, and is simply plug-and-play.

The Yeticaster broadcasting bundle also looks sleek. Its cosmetics are professional and inspires the user to follow its lead.

The boom arm is glossy but inconspicuous

and hides away any cabling you have while staying sturdily clamped to your desk.

The shock mount keeps audio consistent and your microphone safe. The varying microphone patterns are great in practice, and could easily have the Yeti situated in the centre of a table with multiple speakers, or even multiple Yetis all clamped to a desk for an interactive and organic podcast.

You can use different mic patterns to add some room to the recordings, so voices don’t sound too directional and jarring. An upgrade to a Yeti Pro allows you to record at up to 24 bit/192kHz and can also be used as a more conventional microphone for other recordings. However, the Yeti and Yeti Studio suit podcasting and streaming perfectly.

The Yeticaster really is a bundle that contains everything you need. While any of the Yeti microphones are a great buy on their own, the addition of the Compass boom arm and Radius III shock mount are a no brainer, and at a great price. This is a package of products that integrate and improve on one another, all in the name of making podcasting and streaming as easy as possible, so you can focus on creating the most entertaining content you can.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

HITS ∙∙ Package deal ∙∙ All-in-one solution MISSES ∙∙ Radius III designed only for Yeti

PHIL JONES BASS

Cab 27 Bass Speaker Enclosure EASTGATE MUSIC | EASTGATEMUSIC.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $519 Phil Jones definitely has some audio design pedigree behind him. Starting with home builds through to high performance cinema and home audio, live sound reinforcement and PA equipment, near-field monitors and loudspeakers and of course developing bass gear. This evolved from the fact that he’s a player himself, so PJB melds both the technical and musical aspects when designing equipment.

A long time advocate of smaller speakers, much of the PJB range utilises 5” and 7” drivers along with high level design to create their sound. The latest addition is the Cab 27 which features two 7” drivers and a 3” cone tweeter. Rated at 200 watts the Cab 27 is small in stature, measuring 330 x 460 x 330 mm and weighing only 13 kgs. A smaller size doesn’t necessarily equate to less volume though with the cab handling low frequencies (even to the low B of a 5 string as PJB themselves state).

The build quality seems top notch with touch vinyl/carpet styled covering and a steel grille.

The Cab 27 really is compact and could easily fit on the front seat of your car (it would actually fit in the leg room space in the front or back too). That combined with the weight and heavy duty top recessed handle make it a solid option as a grab and go for home, rehearsals and smaller

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gigs. As the sole cab in a small rig the Cab 27 performs beautifully. Punchy midrange, and solid bass response give you the basis for a great tone with enough headroom for smaller settings. The cab provides plenty of note definition and the porting adds some low end without sounding overexaggerated. For added oomph or modular rigs you could of course combine the Cab 27 with further boxes. Again, the beauty of the size and weight of the cab would allow for easy setup if matched with a 4x12 or 1x15 etc.

As a smaller alternative to the Cab 47 and other even larger cabs in the PJB range the Cab 27 is a lightweight, good sounding cabinet that could be used in a range of styles and situations. The price is good, the build quality feels and looks right and you can mix and match with bigger rigs if needed. Rock, funk, jazz – whatever you’re chasing, the PJB Cab 27 is bound to tick all your boxes.

BY NICK BROWN

HITS ∙∙ Size, weight and portability ∙∙ Impressive response and tone from the smaller sized drivers ∙∙ Adds modular options to your rig MISSES ∙∙ None

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PRODUCT REVIEWS AUDIENT

Nero Monitor Controller STUDIO CONNECTIONS | STUDIOCONNECTIONS.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $720 With all the talk of studio monitors in this issue, it’s important to talk about another integral part of your monitor signal chain - a monitor controller. Used to switch between multiple sets of monitors with ease, to dim, control volume and headphone cues, the Audient Nero is a controller that really has it all. After using many Audient products, I shouldn’t have been so surprised at the features packed into this well-sized and sturdy unit. Featuring four headphone outs, all with independent controls, as well as multiple inputs, and options for three simultaneous speakers and a sub, the Nero really is a box ready for even the most professional and/or intricately routed studios.

Beginning with the inputs, the Nero has separate left and right cue inputs that feed all the headphone outputs. There’s RCA and auxiliary inputs, as well as left and right for source one and two, for referencing or feeding any there signal you may want to hear. There’s also an extra XLR input for an external talkback microphone that features phantom power. Once you’ve got signal hitting the Nero, it needs to go somewhere. The stereo main monitor outputs are situated next to the ‘Alt 1’ and ‘Alt 2’ outputs which all provide response from 20Hz up to 22kHz. Beside them are the three stereo headphone outs and your sub output. For a potentially complicated piece of gear, it’s been laid out and designed

beautifully. For extra connectivity, there’s a SPDIF input and optical just in case. The unit is powered by the included +12VDC adapter, with the socket also situated on the rear of the unit. Weighing about 2kg and taking up only 255mm x 155mm of desk space, the Nero could be your final monitoring solution.

Four large and well labelled pots take up most of the right side of the Nero’s front faceplate. Volume 1-4 for the headphone outs are a godsend on a monitor controller, a feature most other monitor controllers do away with. You can switch between sources for each headphone independently (so you can feed artists an alternate mix from the auxiliary in, for example, if the alternate cue mix isn’t already enough) or control different musicians’ headphone feeds for live monitoring while recording. It’s also useful for playback when revising mixes so everyone in the band can have a set of headphones. Next on the faceplate, between the big master/control room volume and input meters, is output selection. You can toggle between having your sub on and off as well as having further routing and preset options and the ‘Main’ or ‘Alt 1’ and ‘Alt 2’ speakers. Below these toggles (that can latch when required) are the mono and polarity switches, used for checking mixes on the fly. The big control room volume knob also sits above the dim and cut

buttons that can switch off the speakers entirely when needed. You can also toggle between your input sources, control the volume of your talkback mic, and control the input of your alt inputs like the RCA auxiliary and optical.

Overall, the Nero really is a solution to monitoring. It’s a no frills design, giving it room to be about as practical as can be, which is exactly what you want from a monitor controller. It features plenty of inputs, plenty of outputs, as well as multiple input types so you can do away with adapters when connecting antiquated or even digital gear. The faceplate is well laid out, and easy to understand so the Nero won’t get in your way. You’ve got everything you could need to monitor at your fingertips, which is where you want it when checking mixes on the fly. The Nero

Wherever songs are made.

is solid and sturdy, both physically and electronically, well-built and trustworthy.

Your whole studio can be hooked up with some inputs to spare for inevitable future investments, and the Nero will keep you monitoring, dimming, switching between sources, mono-ing and talking back.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

HITS ∙∙ Well laid out ∙∙ Well designed, plenty of inputs ∙∙ Backlit buttons when pressed in MISSES ∙∙ None

Studio 24c

2x2 USB-C audio interface

With the transparent XMAX mic preamps, high-end 24-bit/192 kHz converters, and flexible

Studio 26c:

monitoring, there’s a PreSonus Studio USB-C interface that’s right for the job. They’re perfectly

2x4 USB-C audio interface

integrated with the included Studio One Artist DAW and Studio Magic Plug-in Bundle.

Studio 68c

6x6 USB-C audio interface

Wherever songs are made, Studio USB-C interfaces are there.

Studio 1810c

Start making yours at www.presonus.com.

18x8 USB-C audio interface

Studio 1824c

18x18 USB-C audio interface

STUDIO USB-C SERIES AUDIO INTERFACES 192 kHz, USB-C Recording Interfaces

ALL STUDIO USB-C SERIES INTERFACES INCLUDE

PLUG-IN SUITE

OVER $400 VALUE INCLUDED FREE

©2018 All Rights Reserved, PreSonus Audio Electronics. PreSonus is a registered trademark of PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc. Studio One is a registered trademark of PreSonus Software Ltd. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

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PreSonus Studio USB-C Series Interfaces | A4 | built 12/17/18

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PRODUCT REVIEWS WARWICK

RockBass Star Bass AMBER TECHNOLOGY | AMBERTECHNOLOGY.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $1,799 Warwick’s Rock Bass line offers a combination of Warwick designs and features with some cost-saving measures to create basses that retain the Warwick ethos and persona at a lower price point. While mainly known for their modern-ish Thumb, Streamer and Corvette designs, the Star offers something a little different in the way of a semi-hollow bass.

The Star Bass is a double cutaway instrument featuring a maple body and neck with a wenge fingerboard. This particular example was a super hip looking Metallic Gold but Black, Cream and Daphne Blue are also on the lineup if you’re after a different look. The combination of chrome hardware and black controls looks classy against the gold finish and the F holes add some vintage elegance to the overall aesthetic.

It’s a well-weighted instrument too at four kilograms, sitting nicely with a players neck.

In terms of electronics, it’s fitted with a pair of Warwick’s own MEC passive single coil pickups with volume and tone controls for both and a typical three-way pickup switch.

The neck on the Star Bass has a similar feel to your typical Warwick bass and with a medium scale (32”) it’s a comfortable bass to play. To boot, it’s carved from maple and furnished with two thin ekanga-veneer strips. Also of note are the funky down-

angled smooth-action tuning machines; not only do they look great, but they’re even easier to adjust than bog-standard ones. A Warwick Just-A-Nut III and two-piece 3D bridge top off the carefully designed setup.

Plugged in, the instrument sounds full and responsive with warm neck sounds that are great for jazz, round rock tones and even add fuzz and distortion. For some extra rasp, the bridge is brighter and also works well when playing with a pick. Experimenting with the tone controls also adds to the palette. Rolling off the tone on the front pickup almost gets you into faux double bass territory; while rolled off on the bridge, muted pick-playing can create fat synthytype sounds.

models from other brands and a rekindling of other old favourites. To be honest, there isn’t a huge selection of semi-hollows on the market however and there’s no reason the Star Bass wouldn’t help fill that void. Of course, rock and indie players seem obvious candidates but I’ve seen the semi-hollow getting a run in jazz, blues and even country settings. The Star Bass looks great (I love the Metallic Gold!), plays really well and offers some tones you won’t get in a traditional solid body. At the RockBass price, it’s really a great instrument.

HITS ∙∙ Feel and range of tones ∙∙ Cheap price MISSES ∙∙ You might need a hard case if you really want to protect it

BY NICK BROWN

The semi-hollow bass guitar has had a bit of resurgence in the last few years, with new

SAMSON

Expedition XP208W Rechargable Portable PA ELECTRIC FACTORY | ELFA.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $929 Samson is a producer of high-quality microphones, wireless systems and PAs. The Expedition XP208W is all three of these rolled into one tidy package, offering an ultra-convenient four-channel portable PA speaker with an inbuilt microphone and wireless system. The Samson XPD2 wireless system is a great product in its own right, often coupled with lapel or handheld microphones, let alone integrated into a speaker that was already portable enough.

The speaker is connectable via USB and can charge your phone while it’s at it, or play music via Bluetooth. Plug in, punch in some EQ, give yourself some reverb, turn up the backing track and you’re ready to play a gig, deliver an announcement or simply just make some noise. The Samson XP208W is a clear, powerful speaker that can suit a variety of uses, and continues to impress with the onboard controls and convenience.

As a part of Samson’s Expedition series of portable PAs, there’s a lot hidden inside the box of the XP208W. It’s connectable via Bluetooth, or combo XLR/jack on channel one, a 1/4” jack on channel two, and a phone can be plugged in via USB to channel three, all on the rear of the speaker, and all with independent volume controls. The inputs are amplified by a Class-D 200 watt amplifier, suited to most smaller parties, gatherings or smaller gigs such as bars or

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cafes. Weighing in at 10kg, the Samson XP208W isn’t particularly heavy, but it’s robust enough to be sturdy when moved around in cars or stowed away with other gear until it’s needed. A steel grille protects the two-way speaker, an 8” woofer and 1” tweeter, and the speaker enclosure can be mounted on a 1 3/8” speaker stand. The included Samson XPD2 wireless microphone system clips conveniently into the speaker for transport, and the USB inputs can double as an extra input for a Samson wireless microphone, where you may choose to use the voiceover and ducking capabilities inbuilt to ensure both microphones can be clearly heard without interfering with each other (no matter who is speaking!).

The Expedition XP208W has an impressive 20 hours continuous battery life. There’s a universal reverb control as well as universal master volume and two band EQ, giving you the ability to boost or cut your highs and lows. Guitars, either acoustic or electric, can be plugged directly into the speaker for busking or small gigs, and your microphone can be plugged into another channel. A little volume balance on the rear of the speaker and you’re away. Alternatively, it’s ideal for whipping out to make a quick speech at a party or wedding, or to play music at a gathering or event. The speaker could also provide a great powered monitor

solution for musicians using profiling amplifiers and needing a portable but practical rehearsal solution to amplify their Kemper, Axe-Fx or Helix modeling system.

The Expedition XP208W is an easy solution to a quick and portable PA requirement. The included Samson XPD2 wireless microphone system charges while clipped conveniently into the speaker itself, while you play music from your phone via USB or Bluetooth before making an announcement with clarity and confidence. While busking or playing small gigs, you can be ready to go in seconds; dial your reverb, give it a little EQ and you’re set.

Small venues will love you for having such a small and convenient PA that they don’t need to worry about. The Expedition series in its entirety is ready to make easy work of previously cumbersome requirements. The Samson Expedition XP208W specifically is an all-in-one package, a solution to problems you won’t encounter because of its intuitive design.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

HITS ∙∙ Portable ∙∙ Rechargeable batteries ∙∙ Wireless mic included MISSES ∙∙ Only two-band EQ

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RARITIES COLLECTION F L A M E AS H TO P ST R ATO C AST E R ® •Alder Body With Flame Ash Top •Birdseye Maple Neck •Birdseye Maple Fingerboard •Custom Shop ‘54 Strat® Single-Coil Pickups

AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY FROM NSW Guitar Factory Parramatta•Musos Corner VIC A&B Music •Guitar Station•Music Junction SA Derringers Music ACT DW Music WA Sound Centre•Mega Music QLD Guitar Brothers

©2018 FMIC. FENDER®; STRATOCASTER®; STRAT® AND THE DISTINCTIVE HEAD STOCK SHAPE OF THE STRATOCASTER® ARE THE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OFFENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA PTY LTD [ABN 34 613 081 191]. ONLY FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA CAN AUTHORISE THESE TRADE MARKS FOR AUSTRALIA.

PRODUCT REVIEWS BLUE MICROPHONES

Ember Studio Condenser Microphone INNOVATIVE MUSIC | INNOVATIVEMUSIC.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $189 Blue Microphones has slowly but surely become a workhorse company that produce high quality budget microphones. In addition to their famed Yeti series designed for podcasting, streaming and broadcast, Blue Microphones produce professional grade microphones with vintage looks for studio use. The Blue Ember is one such microphone suited for both studio recordings as well as broadcasting or streaming. With elegant looks reminiscent of its very expensive vintage counterparts, the Ember is a cardioid condenser side address microphone that responds well to most sources. It’s very transparent, so it may require some colour, but the sound is malleable enough to be tweaked however you desire. As far as budget microphones go, the Ember is a no-brainer with specs to match.

Responding from 38Hz up to 20kHz, the Ember has a pretty wide range, filtering out only the very bottom of the frequency spectrum - something the mic wouldn’t be used for anyway. It’s a condenser so it requires phantom power, with a nicely coloured preamp feeding the mic power.

The Ember has a very balanced frequency response, slowly filtering out at the super lows but remaining fairly even up until it starts to peter out towards 20kHz. The 38Hz filter stops the mic from picking up any air conditioner noise, traffic rumble or other

low end spill. Weighing in at just 0.38kg, the included mic clip will work just fine, but when using the mic for vocal or drum overheads, a shock mount wouldn’t have gone astray, as with any mic for this use.

The classy, sleek looks of the Blue Ember don’t go unnoticed. The bulk of the microphone is finished in a light powdery blue and the grille catches the light in a pleasing way. The mic wouldn’t look out of place when live streaming, and would add an air of class to its clear and consistent sound. In use, the Ember provides a clear, concise vocal either spoken or sung, but it also provides super balanced room sounds for ambience or drums or other acoustic instruments. On an acoustic guitar, the results are similar to a vocal; spacious and roomy but articulate and honest. The strings sparkle but the tones resonate and harmonies become rich and full. Move the mic a little closer to the fingerboard and it’s all finger noise - if that’s what you’re going for. Whatever way it’s used, the Ember provides a full and balanced reproduction of it at the other end.

Overall, the Blue Ember would be a great addition to any microphone collection. It boasts a long list of possible use, but in practice it would be your mic of choice in any situation you’d need a balanced and

uncoloured recording of the space. It’s a lightweight cardioid condenser with class and a functionality that outweighs its size.

Low end noise is filtered for you, the rest of the response is balanced, and it would take more coloured gear in the signal chain very well. The Blue Ember is an empty canvas, the brush, and I suppose the paint too. A solid investment no matter how you choose to use it.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

HITS ∙∙ Lightweight ∙∙ Good looks ∙∙ Balanced sound MISSES ∙∙ N/A

FAITH GUITARS

FKSE Saturn Electro Naked CMC MUSIC | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $1,095 Guitar manufacturers have never shied away from playing the hits; most companies build their legend off just one or two guitars.

Faith Acoustics are no different, returning with a stripped down and spruced up version of the Saturn shape that launched the brand at the beginning of the millennium.

The FKSE Saturn Electro Naked is quite old-fashioned in many respects; its squareshouldered dreadnought design is almost a blank template for acoustic guitars. No bones are made of its cosmetics either, as with all of the Naked series. The guitar is built with Solid Indonesian Mahogany tonewood, and finished with a neat two-stage satin. Elsewhere, there are no surprises if you’ve seen the rest of Faith’s Naked range; the patented Patrick James Eggle construction, with its quartersawn spruce and X-Brace design are all here, with a nice little product certificate pasted inside the soundhole.The careful simplicity of the FKSE Saturn’s construction coalesces into a kind of dignified prestige that most non-players would regard as quite an expensive-looking guitar.

As you’d expect, the FKSE is extremely comfortable to play. The ebony fingerboard is also easy to navigate, making it a very solid first steel string option for beginners.

Faith are banking on the tone of this guitar to make it an attractive option for more experienced players as well, and it’s not a bad bet. The projective volume and

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sustain is nothing short of stunning for the price point, with lovely warmth to boot. The FKSE Saturn’s tonal range is a little more balanced than the FKVD Venus Electro Cedar we reviewed a few issues ago, with stronger mids. It shares the same NuBone nut and saddle as the latter guitar, a synthetic material derived from TUSQ, again responsible for the sizable resonant movement. The sound of the guitar feels best suited to a guerilla gig setup; its uncomplicated, brash volume will help you plug and play in a cafe or bar setting with ease. I found the guitar didn’t quite hold its tune as well as its Venus Electro sister, particularly when I was playing with a capo, though its intonation remained impressive.

Faith have retained the services of premium transducer company Fishman for the pickup/ preamp system in the FKSE Saturn. It’s a wise decision to not develop it in-house, letting Fishman deliver an accurate sound and a solid tuner, albeit broad. The contour and phase dials on the guitar are also a nice touch, however the nuance they provide to your amplified sound seems a bit gratuitous.

It’s important to remember to turn off the preamp panel, as its battery runs out very quickly. The Saturn does suffer the same bizarrely narrow undersaddle input as the other guitars in the Naked series – hopefully we’ll see an improvement here with future models.

Faith’s Naked acoustic range has surprisingly emerged as a relatively affordable quality option for the beginner guitar player.

Despite the old adage about craftsmen and their tools, a quality instrument can provide the necessary motivation for a beginner to fall in love with the guitar world; Faith’s FKSE Saturn might just be the compromise they need. The Australian price point means this might not be your very first guitar, but it’s a reasonable entry to mid point for those wanting their first quality guitar. The guitar finds beauty in simplicity and ease-of-use, with an impressive tone that would possibly even suit a studio setting.

HITS ∙∙ Dignified cosmetics ∙∙ Great resonant movement, balanced tonal range ∙∙ Relatively affordable MISSES ∙∙ Clunky input

BY JOSHUA MARTIN

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PRODUCT REVIEWS PHIL JONES BASS

Ear Box Monitor Speaker EGM DISTRIBUTION | WWW.EGM.NET.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $359 Onstage monitoring is an interesting topic in 2019. In-ear monitoring has become more accessible, feasible and affordable, while profiling amplifiers can provide a direct signal to onstage monitors, blasting yourself and your bandmates with your meticulously dialled tone as sound bounces around the stage. Traditional amplifier head and cabinet players monitor at the mercy of their environment, muffled as they attempt to stand as close to their amp as they can to get as direct a sound as possible from the cabinet. In-ear monitor users take the alternative route and give in to trebly, harsh signal from their in-ears. Phil Jones Bass, in an endless quest to solve the little issues that we as musicians face, have produced an onstage solution for bass. The Phil Jones Bass Ear Box, a little dual-driver speaker enclosure is an onstage but out-of-the-way monitor designed to give you the attack and articulation you need to play your best every gig that won’t be affected by room acoustics, nor will it bleed heavily into other sound sources on a stage.

The Phil Jones Bass Ear Box is a small piece of gear that weighs in at about a kilo. Dual Phil Jones Bass Neodymium magnet 12ohm drivers push sound from 250Hz up to 20kHz out at ear height once they are mounted to a vertical microphone stand and plugged in via a Neutrik NL 4 cable. The drivers are

mounted inside a sleek, classily finished black splattered box, which will easily hide the monitor away on side of stage while it’s doing its job. Measuring about 18cm x 10cm x 15cm and inconspicuously finished and designed, the Ear Box can hide away on a dark stage once integrated into your setup. It can handle heads up to 1000 watt RMS, so it will be easily integrated into almost any rig.

Straight front bass cabinets (besides 8 x 10s that do reach head height, but are too hefty to cart around to most gigs) usually blast sound to a bass players legs or feet. The Ear Box won’t reproduce a boomy, muffled low end – just the attack and articulation you need to hold down your playing and anchor the band. In a busy club or noisy bar, the mids and highs are the problem area as it becomes messy and mixed in with chatter and background noise; this is where the Ear Box shines. An EQ before the Ear Box itself can further attenuate frequencies and really hone in on what you need to hear. This product serves the user, but spoils the band with a well-balanced stage sound because you can hear the sounds you need onstage, and there’s no need to tweak EQ, spoil your tone for the audience, or turn up your amp and ruin the onstage mix.

The Phil Jones Bass Ear Box really is an entirely new product, but one we’ve needed

for a long time. A large inconvenience and a grey area, between being at the mercy of onstage monitors or in-ear systems has been fixed. The box is inconspicuous enough to hide away, even at the recommended head height. The band won’t hear your monitor unless it’s directed at them, so you’ve got your own little secret weapon. You can hear the attack and intricacies of your playing for better or worse, even when crowd noise is at a high. The Ear Box is designed for smaller clubs and gigs, such as bars, cafes or even little outdoor shows, and while it won’t compete with a blasting drummer in a metal club, it’ll keep you monitoring confidently for pretty much everything else.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

HITS ∙∙ Inconspicuous ∙∙ Serves player and whole band MISSES ∙∙ N/A

KALI AUDIO

LP-8 Studio Monitors NAS SOLUTIONS | NAS.SOLUTIONS | EXPECT TO PAY: $529 Kali Audio are relative newcomers to pro audio. After launching at the start of 2018 they have already begun to shake up the market in budget studio monitors, mostly because the sound and quality of speaker doesn’t scream ‘budget’. The Kali LP-8’s feature an 8” woofer and are the bigger brother of the LP-6s (6.5” woofers), a series of speakers intended to be some of the most balanced and evenly responsive speakers on the market. They’re Californian designed, very affordable and very honest. They’re painfully honest. But, in mixing, if there’s no pain when listening back to mixes you thought were finished, then there’s no gain.

The Kali Audio LP-8’s feature Kali’s boundary EQ settings to assist in tuning your speakers to the room, a balanced sound and fairly solid low-end.

Situated above the 8” woofer is a 1” tweeter that begins responding around the 1.8kHz crossover point. The speaker enclosure, mostly solid black for a professional and inconspicuous look, also features a bass port that provides powerful bass response without being boomy or overbearing. The speakers frequency response is listed as 37Hz-25kHz, which is really all you’d need to hear, and then some. The speaker as a whole is powered by a Class-D amplifier but remains clean and clear throughout the entire frequency spectrum. Besides a little

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bump at the very edge of human hearing, the response of the speakers is remarkably even, and gives a phenomenally balanced and honest representation of sound for you to build mixes on, or attenuate issues while recording. The LP-6 and LP-8 feature Kali Audio’s boundary EQ, a room tuning EQ anyone can figure out. Depending on where your speakers are situated in your room, and what they’re situated on, you can toggle between a series of little on/off switches on the back of each speaker. There’s clearly labelled diagrams of speakers close to walls, on desks, on speaker stand or on consoles for you to toggle between to get the best response out of your speakers.

Getting the best out of these speakers isn’t hard though, and that’s what sells them.

They sound great, you’ll notice flaws and they’re easily fixed without chasing your tail trying to fix problems that no one else will hear. They’re a great option for a main speaker because they’re so balanced. In a small collection of speakers they’d still be a go to, and other monitors may become something you’ll switch to to double check, and that’s about it. There’s a small upper mid bump that may cause you to attenuate a little too hard, but nothing that will ruin a mix. The lows are balanced and the highs are un-hyped, an issue with many budget speakers. What’s more - the mids are honest

in the Kali’s, something even less common amongst budget speakers. Other speakers sound great and exciting, but that’s not what you need while you’re mixing.

All in all, the Kali Audio LP-8s would be great for a mix engineer of any level.

They’ll tell you what you need to know and leave it at that. There’s no hype, except the excitement around these speakers in general, and they won’t break the bank. Get a set for the studio and a set for home. They look professional, feel professional, and the room tuning software is easy to get to grips with. There’s nothing complicated about these speakers, and they make for a less complicated mix.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

HITS ∙∙ Clear mid range ∙∙ Good bass response ∙∙ Great price MISSES ∙∙ N/A

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DIRECTORY

EVOLUTION MUSIC

SKY MUSIC

DANGERFORK PRINT CO

A | 8/2 Northey Rd, Lynbrook VIC P | (03) 8787 8599 E | info@evolutionmusic.com.au W | evolutionmusic.com.au /evolutionmusicaus

A | 4/2181 Princes Hwy, Clayton VIC P | (03) 9546 0188 E | info@skymusic.com.au W | skymusic.com.au /skymusiconline

A | 1-5 Perry Street, Collingwood, VIC P | (03) 9417 5185 E | info@dangerfork.com W | dangerfork.com / dangerfork

(Recording Studios) A | 230 Crown St, Darlinghurst NSW P | (02) 9331 0666 E | bookings@damiengerard.net W | damiengerard.com.au /damiengerardstudios

KEYNOTE STUDIOS

FIVE STAR MUSIC

THE AUDIO EXPERTS

MAKE MERCHANDISE

A | 3/3 Melissa St, Auburn NSW P | (04) 1160 5554 E | keynotestudio6@gmail.com W | keynotestudios.com.au /keynote1

A | 102 Maroondah Hwy, Ringwood VIC P | (03) 9870 4143 E | websales@fivestarmusic.com.au W | fivestarmusic.com.au /fivestarmusicoz

A | 2065 Dandenong Road, Clayton VIC P | (03) 9545 5152 E | sales@theaudioexperts.com.au W | theaudioexperts.com.au /TheAudioExpertsAus

(Screenprinting, Embroidery & Promotional Products) A | Unit 22/7 Lyn Parade, Prestons, NSW P | 0423 740 733 E | sales@makemerchandise.com.au W | makemerchandise.com.au /MakeMerchandise

EASTGATE MUSIC

NEWMARKET STUDIOS

LEARN MUSIC

SOUNDS EASY PTY LTD

A | 1131 Burke Rd, Kew VIC P | (03) 9817 7000 E | sales@eastgatemusic.com W | eastgatemusic.com.au /Eastgatemusic

A | 87-91 Arden Street, Melbourne VIC P | (03) 9329 2877 E | callum@newmarketstudios.com.au W | newmarketstudios.com.au /newmarketstudios

A | 311 High Street, Kew VIC P | (03) 9853 8318 E | learnmusic@bigpond.com W | learnmusic.com.au /kewlearnmusic

(Music Technology & Instruments Retailer) A | Suite G05, 15 Atchison St, St Leonards NSW P | (02) 8213 0202 W | soundseasy.com.au /dsoundseasy

JABEN AUDIO

VINYL REVIVAL

BINARY MUSIC

(Music Instruments Retailer & Education) A | 48 Bloomfield St, Cleveland QLD P | (07) 3488 2230 E | sales@binarymusic.com.au W | binarymusic.com.au /binarymusic

SOUNDS ESPRESSO

A | Shop 2 398 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC P | (03) 9670 8231 E | info@jaben.com.au W | jaben.com.au /jabenau

(Vinyl and Record Specialist) A | 405 Brunswick St, Fitzroy VIC P | (03) 9419 5070 A | 128 Sydney Rd, Brunswick VIC P | (03) 9448 8635 E | info@vinylrevival.com.au W | vinylrevival.com.au /vinylrevivalmelbourne

(Record Store & Café) A | 268 Victoria Road, Marrickville, NSW P | (02) 9572 6959 E | soundsespresso@hotmail.com W | soundsespresso.com.au /soundsespresso

HYDRA REHEARSAL STUDIOS

MELBOURNE MUSIC CENTRE

CONWAY CUSTOM GUITARS

GLADESVILLE GUITAR FACTORY

EASTERN SUBURBS SCHOOL OF MUSIC

DEX AUDIO

MONA VALE MUSIC

TURRAMURRA MUSIC

(Music Instruments Retailer)

(Rehearsal & Recording Studio)

(Music Instruments Retailer)

(Headphone Specialist Retailer)

(Rehearsal Rooms) A | 18 Duffy Street, Burwood VIC P | (03) 9038 8101 E | hydrastudios@bigpond.com W | hydrastudios.com.au /hydra.rehearsal.studios

(Music Lessons) A | 10 Floriston Road, Boronia VIC 7 Sahra Grove, Carrum Downs VIC P | 0421 705 150 E | essm@essm.net.au W | essm.net.au /easternsuburbsschoolofmusic

(Music Instruments Retailer)

(Music Instruments Retailer)

(Music Production Studio)

(Music Instruments Retailer) A | 525 North Rd, Ormond, VIC P | (03) 9578 2426 E | info@melbournemusiccentre. com.au W | melbournemusiccentre.com.au /melbournemusic.centre

(Audio Visual Retailer)

(Screenprinting & Design Service)

(Audio Visual Retailer)

(Music Education)

(Luthier) A | Wynnum, QLD P | 0408 338 181 E | info@conwaycustom.com.au W | conwaycustom.com.au /conwaycustomguitars

(Music Instruments Retailer)

A | 393-399 Macaulay Rd, Melbourne VIC P | (03) 8378 2266 E | mail@dexaudio.com.au W | dexaudio.com.au /dexaudioaustralia

A | 55 Bassett Street, Mona Vale NSW P | (02) 9986 0589 E | info@mvmwarehouse.com W | www.monavalemusic.com / monavalemusic

DAMIEN GERARD STUDIOS

(Music Instruments Retailer) A | 280 Victoria Rd, Gladesville NSW P | (02) 9817 2173 E | mail@guitarfactory.net W | guitarfactory.net / GladesvilleGuitarFactory

(Music Instruments Retailer)

A | 1267 Pacific Hwy, Turramurra NSW P | (02) 9449 8487 E | general_sales@turramusic.com.au W | turramusic.com.au / TurramurraMusic

Not In The Directory?

C O N TA C T

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mixdownmag.com.au

SHOW AND TELL

Simone Dow Guitarist for Voyager What piece of equipment do you have to show us today?

This is my Ernie Ball Music Man JPX seven-string guitar.

How did you come across this particular item?

A long-time colleague and friend who became a rep for Ernie Ball Australia had been asking me to try their guitars for some time. Eventually, I came to really love the look and feel of the Music Man guitars and wanted something with a higher attention to detail than what I was playing at the time. Funnily enough, I picked the JPX purely on specs, as it’s all the woods and features I would have picked if I were to build my own custom guitar. When I opened the case up for the first time and played it, I was not disappointed.

What is it that you like about it so much?

I love how easy it is to play. The feel of the neck is absolute bliss. The dynamics, sustain and tone from the instrument are out of this world. And like I mentioned, it has all my favourite features: ebony fretboard, semi-chambered Alder body with maple top and mahogany neck, not to mention the little things like the body shape and the five-way switch. It ticks all my boxes both in feel and tone.

How do you use it and how has it shaped the way you write music?

It’s my main workhorse for Voyager, used in recordings and all live performances. The biggest thing has been the inspiration it’s given me in terms of my ideas for solos and guitar sections. When you fall in love with an instrument and it’s so effortless to play, everything else falls into place.

Tell us a little about what you have coming up?

Voyager are heading on tour around Australia in July with our good friends Chaos Divine, and we’ve just finished our seventh album which should be released by the end of the year.

Of course, there will be some more music to be teased before the album is released too, which we can’t wait for everyone to hear.

Catch Voyager on the road with Chaos Divine this July.

Ryan Felton Guitarist for Chaos Divine What piece of equipment do you have to show us today?

The Suhr Standard Pro Guitar.

How did you come across this particular item?

I picked this guitar up online from America after wanting this guitar for a very long time. I often normally play seven-string metal guitars, and so I wanted something a little different.

Chaos Divine recorded with a similar Suhr for our Colliding Skies album which ended up being used for so many parts, and I instantly fell in love with them. I knew from then on I wanted one.

What is it that you like about it so much?

Not only does it look stunning, but the tone and playability on these guitars are second to none. The HSH configuration of the pickups makes for endless tonal range options, and the SSH+ humbucker is a beast for heavy tones. The ML single coil on the neck gives a super smooth David Gilmour-type of sound. It’s just such a versatile guitar that is a joy to play. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed playing guitar as much as when I have this beauty in my hands - it’s really hard to put it down!

How do you use it and how has it shaped the way you write music?

The band has just finished recording our fourth studio album, and this guitar was our go-to for almost all rhythms and leads. Used on the single coil pickups, it also gave us some really cool creamy sounds and layers that we wouldn’t have come up without it. It has a floating Gotoh 510 tremolo bridge which was also excellent for solos.

Tell us a little about what you have coming up?

The band has just released ‘Unspoken’, the first single from our new album which has been really well received, and we are closing in on releasing a second single followed shortly by our fourth full length album. We’re hitting the road for a tour across the country with our good friends in Voyager which has been a bit of a dream tour for us since we started, so it going to be a heap of fun. We will be playing some brand new songs too.

Unspoken is out now via Firestarter Distribution.

46

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