39 minute read
STREET / ONLINE DATE: WEDNESDAY APRIL
by Furst Media
Giveaways Product News Ghost MØ Slash 50 Years of Valencia Tone City Audio Ableton Tutorial School Essentials Special Drum Column Bass Column Guitar Column Reviews My Rig: BROODS
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MØ
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Ghost
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Slash
PG. 18
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#315 – APR/MAY 2021
#313 – DEC/JAN 2021
STREET / ONLINE DATE: WEDNESDAY APRIL 06 AD BOOKING DEADLINE: FRIDAY MARCH 25 EDITORIAL DEADLINE: TUESDAY MARCH 29 ARTWORK DEADLINE: THURSDAY MARCH 31
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periscope mixdown 2021.pdf 1 1.12.2021 15.51
YOU’RE SO WELCOME ROYAL BLOOD
THE WEATHER STATION BICEP, FARHOT + CLAUD 2021 NAMM WRAP-UP
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Elite Acoustics StompMix 4
Our good mates at Elite Acoustics Engineering and Gsus4 have generously donated one of their StompMix 4 stompbox-sized mixers with four inputs and three outputs. Elite Acoustics aim to amplify sound and give players control over it, and no product can exemplify that mantra quite like the StompMix 4. Not every venue can offer the same sound, even night to night, but the StompMix will hold up to the rigours of gigging and touring, while continuing to offer as much or as little mixing and routing as you need from gig to gig. Get in before you miss out!
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
Tone City Audio adds four new boutique pedals to their T-M Mini Series
EGM DISTRIBUTION | EGM.NET.AU Tone City Audio have received plaudits around the world for their rugged build quality and clean, slick eye-catching designs since their 2014 inception and these additions to the T-M Mini Series range only solidifies that. Among the four new additions are the Nobleman - a TS style inspired overdrive pedal, the Matcha Cream – Fuzz, featuring a classic original Russian revised circuit, the Mickey – Distortion, a classic US style powerful high-gain distortion pedal, and the Bluesman – Overdrive, emulating the legendary British Guitar tones of the past. Each pedal runs off DC 9V with true bypass.
Ernie Ball releases six new strap designs
CMC MUSIC | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU Ernie Ball’s world-renowned polypro guitar strap is now available in three new Jacquard weave patterns, while three Stretch strap designs have also been added to the brand’s catalogue. The polypro guitar straps boast machine-stitched leather ends with durable yet comfortable polypropylene webbing. The Stretch straps are great for redistributing instrument weight and are particularly suited to those with existing ailments, aches, or chronic pain. The flexible and cushioned Stretch strap is made from an ultra-durable and lightweight, nylon polyester material that is two inches wide. Both strap designs boast an adjustable extralong design measuring 41 to 72 inches.
CMC MUSIC | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU Faith Guitars has launched a second PJE Legacy Series after experiencing huge success from the first, focusing solely on Patrick James Eggle’s historic acoustic body shapes and “setting a new bar for professional excellence”. The second series features the Mars dropshoulder dreadnought (PJE Kanuga), the Neptune baby-jumbo (PJE Saluda), and the Earth orchestra-model (PJE Linville). The Legacy model line-up is genuinely unique as the fine Canadian sitka spruce or African khaya mahogany tops of the guitars have been kiln-aged through a process of torrefaction, while also featuring book-matched two-piece rosewood back and sides.
Free premium and pro cables to come with Warm Audio microphone purchases
STUDIO CONNECTIONS | STUDIOCONNECTIONS.COM.AU Studio Connections are offering free premium and pro cables on applicable purchases of Warm Audio microphones. The criteria is simple. If you buy a Warm Audio microphone for under $1,000 RRP, you’ll receive a free pro cable. The eligible mics are the WA84 small diaphragm condenser mic, the WA87 R2 large diaphragm capacitor mic, the WA14 large diaphragm condenser mic, and the WA47 Jr FET condenser mic. For mics over $1,000 RRP, you’ll receive a free premium cable. These mics include the WA47, WA67, and WA251 tube condenser mics, and the recreation of the Sony C800G, the WA8000.
Fender announces the second iteration of the George Harrison Rosewood Telecaster
FENDER AUSTRALIA | FENDER.COM Fender has reintroduced an iconic model in their Artist Signature series the George Harrison Rosewood Telecaster. Fender honoured Harrison in 2017 with the limited-edition first iteration of the Telecaster based on the prototype gifted to the Beatles legend in 1968 who used it for the rest of the decade including during the Let It Be sessions and the unforgettable final performance on the rooftop of Apple Corps headquarters. Bought back by popular demand and to be more accessible it features a chambered Rosewood body, a “C” shaped neck with a modern 9.5” radius, and Pure Vintage ‘64 Telecaster pickups.
NEW ALBUM OUT NOW
Line 6 revitalises their amp lineup with the Catalyst series
YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA | AU.YAMAHA.COM Line 6 has revitalised their amp lineup with their new line of digital modelling combo amplifiers in the form of the Catalyst series. The amplifiers use Line 6’s revered HX digital modelling tech to offer Clean, Boutique, Chime, Crunch, Dynamic, and Hi Gain. Other controls can adjust pre-front-end boost, preamp gain, a threeband EQ, a presence control, a channel volume control, knobs for controlling one of the onboard effects, a reverb control and a master volume. The Catalyst can come in 60W, 100W or 200W, while the back panel has a power attenuation control, letting you set the output power at full, half, or half-watt for ultra-quiet playing.
Audio-Technica’s ATH-M20x headphones are now available in a Bluetooth model
TECHNICAL AUDIO GROUP | TAG.COM.AU Audio-Technica’s ATH-M20x headphones now have a wireless Bluetooth option as the ATHM20xBT offers the same sonic performance and durability as its cabled sibling. The 40mm drivers deliver natural, full-range audio and the closed-back housing helps retain lower frequencies, while the newly added buttons on the left earcup allow users to play, pause, and skip audio. The left earcup also houses the builtin microphone for phone calls. They offer an impressive 60 hours of runtime on one charge, multi-point pairing for connecting to more than one device simultaneously, a low-latency mode, and a USB-C connection.
Lewitt launches the LCT 1040 remote-controllable tube/FET condenser microphone
ELECTRIC FACTORY | ELFA.COM.AU Austrian microphone manufacturers Lewitt Audio have announced their flagship LCT 1040 microphone system designed to be the ultimate centrepiece with many years of R’n’D with an extensive list of world-renowned industry professionals. The LCT 1040 is a Tube/ FET condenser microphone with a detachable remote-control unit which connects through a studio standard three-pin XLR and its own external power supply. It features four distinct all-analogue tube characteristics: Clear, Warm, Dark, and Saturated, while externally, this is the kind of equipment you’d be comfortable carrying around with its rigidity.
Focusrite launches its Australian distribution base
FOCUSRITE AUSTRALIA | FOCUSRITE.COM Focusrite has announced the introduction of Focusrite Australia - a single focus for the distribution, marketing, and support of their brands locally. Focusrite and Novation have a long and consistent history of sales in Australia, starting with Innovative Music and Novation more than 20 years ago, and with the addition of Focusrite Pro and Sequential, Focusrite taking this step is a major move. “We are very excited to embark on this next phase of our investment into the Australian market,” says Focusrite Group CEO Tim Carroll. “We would also like to thank our former distributor, Innovative Music, for all their support over the past 29 years.”
Steinberg announce major updates to Dorico 4
YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA | AU.YAMAHA.COM Steinberg has announced the availability of major updates to its Dorico family of musical notation and composition software. Some of the more notable and welcomed updates include a new MIDI import workflow that interprets incoming tracks, and stores the user’s choices for future imports, while also automatically separating the music played into separate voices, producing a much cleaner transcription. Other nifty features include Key Editor in Write mode to make notation shaping easier, on-screen keyboard, fretboard and drum pads, revamped Play mode and Mixer, and native Apple Silicon support.
Ghost
2022 is officially the of our unholy lord Papa Emeritus the IV, the newest incarnation of Ghost frontman Tobias Forge’s alter-ego.
Of course, a new Papa Emeritus means a new Ghost album, which is exactly what the world will receive next month with the release of Impera, the fifth LP from the Swedish metal masters who have gone from (oc)cult following status to arena-filling superstars in less than a decade. Such is the fervour around Ghost that the band has been able to change their style, sound, and image to greater and greater critical acclaim, with an O2 Arena date in London the first of what is sure to be many milestones on this new album cycle. “Of course, we’re aware that these songs are going to be played in front of a lot of people, we very much had to think of how much these songs will play out in a big boomy hall,” says Forge, who is chatting to us from Denver, Colorado where the band is currently engaged in some pre-album dates. “We’ve had people afraid to come to the show, and then also people who refuse to get vaccinated who stand outside the venue because they’re not allowed to come in,” laughs Forge, who sounds stunned that, despite the album not being out, “a few thousand” people are still coming to each show. The tour has been revelatory for Ghost fans, with Forge’s backing band – known as the ‘nameless ghouls’ – debuting a brand new-look, a cyberpunk aesthetic, while new singles ‘Call Me Little Miss Sunshine’ and ‘Hunter’s Moon’ have been getting their live debuts. “The people seem to be really happy about it,” he says, but notes a catch, “every time we start a tour, an album cycle, there’s this tremendous amount of fucking push back. Always, always, always.” Forge is referring to the polarisation around their success, criticism has followed Ghost’s footsteps, ranging from black metal purists to magazine-buying mega-fans, turned off by the commercial appeal of the band’s poppy song-craft which channels the spirit of Blue Oyster Cult as opposed to Darkthrone.
“It ends up being the new black anyway, people have to deal with it,” says Forge of the band’s style. “We get a tonne of shit because people miss what we used to do, and then in a few years they’ll miss what we’re doing now.” Forge notes that he sees that polarisation around him on the road as well, regardless of what the issue is. “We’ve had lots of confusion and mixed messages in the world at the moment around dangers and safety, and on the one hand, you have people who are quite anxious for their safety. “Then on the other side you have those folks who refuse to get vaccinated, they’re all standing outside the venue ‘cos they can’t come in. Given the circumstances though, the tour is going really well.” It’s this polarisation that Forge notes sets this new album cycle apart, with Impera representing a time of contentment in his life as he watches the world around him capitulate. “One major difference between this new record and Prequelle is that I was personally in a very wounded state when I wrote Prequelle – I was very wounded and felt attacked, but the world felt like a more stable place. “Making Impera, the roles were almost completely switched. I felt really content and good with life, but everything around us has fallen out. “I got the idea to write an album about the concept of empires rising back in 2014, but I also wanted to first write an album about the plague which was Prequelle, which was written from an ‘I, a mortal and single human being am being attacked by force.’ Impera is exploring the wellbeing of society. “At the end of the day though, I just want to write songs that are cool and make you feel good, thematic ideas can just be a way to tie together a bunch of different songs that ultimately are for enjoyment. “I just want to help people shake their asses, or foreheads, or both!” The danceability of Ghost has been a major trump card for the band, with their satanic Vatican image juxtaposed by bluesy rock riffs and disco-infused pop-rock goodness. As Forge points out, their success is representative of metal entering a point that rewards bands for going against the grain, noting that it’s something “very close to (his) heart”.
“I always felt proud that when we came out, we had a brief invite into the occult rock thing that was happening at that time, and as soon as things started to move for us we were out of that quickly…we started playing with lots of other bands,” he recalls. “Once we started touring I felt very alienated because at that point, all these ‘core’ bands with a sentence for a name – they were the shit!
“I envied the massive amount of opportunities they had because they were all new, current, same age…I’ve always felt like the odd kid…I felt we stuck out like a sore thumb.” This point of difference has set the band apart from the ever-increasing glut of hyped metal acts, with their last record Prequelle taking the band to the precipice of ‘mainstream’ fame. However, while Forge is quietly confident of the strength of the record, he remains cautious when it comes to attempting to replicate the crossover appeal of Prequelle. “You should be cognisant of those things but within the limits of writing a good record that expresses what you feel,” he says.
“Back when we wrote ‘Dance Macabre’ for the last record it felt very immediate, same with ‘Square Hammer’. “But all the time you’ll think ‘this could do this, this could open this potential door’, but you just have no idea.” “If you write a record that really fulfils where you’re at, and someone walks in and says ‘I don’t hear a hit... well maybe that record doesn’t need a hit. “Commercially, I dare to say that anyone that has experienced any
commercial success at all, they know when you write something you can think to yourself ‘this could be a good song to pitch for radio.’ “I had that sense with a few songs here, thinking ‘this could benefit from not being seven minutes long – maybe we should trim it down. You shoot yourself in the foot if you don’t have that sort of radar operating. “But for every song you have that’s successful, you have ones that you think will open heaps of doors but it might never happen. ‘He Is’ for example, America never went for it, but in Europe, it charted on normal radio!” Despite Forge’s caution, the stage is set for a massive 2022 for the band, with concert markets reopening and a fanbase eager to install Ghost on the throne of contemporary metal. And that, Forge concedes, is a reason to smile. “We’re in the restaurant business – it’s great and it’s fun, but if you get a Michelin star, that’s fantastic…it doesn’t define who you are or what you’re doing, but it really helps.”
BY AL BELLING
Impera will be released March 11 via Loma Vista
MØ
Consider MØ ahead of the curve – although, in this instance, perhaps a little too literally.
Not long after the singer-songwriter came home to Copenhagen to switch off after almost seven straight years of consistent touring, writing, recording, and performing, the world at large would have their hands forced to follow suit. Even through these uncharted waters, however, MØ was able to adjust and recalibrate in order to decide her next move. “It was a very a big change going from 100 to a zero,” she says via Zoom from her Copenhagen home. “I was really just drained, mentally and physically. It was one of those things where my body had been screaming for me to take a break, but I thought it was just stress and that it’d pass. It wasn’t until I took this break that I really experienced sitting with my anxiety and my voice being effectively broken. It was hard, and it was scary. It took a couple of months before I felt like I was in a place where I could really open up about it.” This process was documented in her subsequent writing, which ultimately led to her third studio album Motordrome. It began with MØ sitting at her piano and writing the stark ballad ‘Goosebumps’ which stands among her most vulnerable songs yet. With little production and texturing beyond her voice and the reverberating piano chords, the song would effectively serve as the linchpin for what MØ was going for this time around. “It’s not like there’s any grand conclusions,” she says. “It’s just me, reflecting on what was going on in my mind after going off of the hamster wheel and finding myself again. I started turning this feeling of defeat that I was feeling – this sadness, this gloom – into like a feeling of energy or power. It felt like I was taking control again, and you definitely hear that in the songs that followed like ‘Brad Pitt’ and ‘Live to Survive’.” In tandem with these songs being written, MØ’s vision for the album widened. Much like writing the lyrics of each song, the singer found having her own honest conversations with herself meant she was able to break through. “It was just me having a moment of, ‘well, what do I actually love?’,” she said. “I know it sounds banal, but I just started thinking of these sounds that were cool to me: guitars, really dirty guitars; very dark, 80s-inspired synths; pop music. All of a sudden, I started making an inspirational list of songs and before I knew it I had the framework for the production side of things.” Released in late January, Motordrome sees MØ reckoning with her innermost feelings to a hitherto unseen degree across a selection of songs that – while different in approach from her two previous albums – ultimately ring true to her sophisticated, intricate brand of electronic pop. A slew of collaborators were enlisted to bring MØ’s vision to life, including prolific producer SG Lewis (Dua Lipa) and fellow Scandinavian Caroline Ailin (Katy Perry), effectively creating a circle of trust around the album and its songs. Knowing she would be dealing with such sensitive content, MØ deemed it imperative those working on Motordrome were people she had faith in seeing the project through. “It’s about finding people where you feel like you can be yourself,” she says. “You have to both be in this place where you can really workshop your ideas together. In the past, I’ve tried working with people where it’s difficult to take control, or feel like they get your vision. If you find the right people to work with, then it’s just a way of enhancing, developing and lifting up the ideas that you have as an artist.” She also points out that, despite a list of over a dozen co-writers and co-producers, this was a refreshingly intimate experience for her. “The album that I made before this one (2018’s Forever Neverland), there were even more people involved in it,” she says. The creation of Motordrome, however, wasn’t without its own set of stumbling blocks. “I think that the thing that I struggled the most with was in the details. The foundations for all of it were always there and sounded good, but it was questioning, ‘do we take this in a more guitar-driven direction? More synth-y? More electronic? Fully organic?’ That was a constant discussion. Some of the producers that I work with – for instance, Yangze and Ronni Vindahl – they’re super different from one another. This is a good thing, because then you get something from both worlds. Having said that, it’s always kind of like this ongoing back-and-forth, y’know? It did take some work, but I really feel as though we got there.” MØ’s trust in her collaborators also came in the arrangements. Primarily a singer, her wishes for the sonic direction of each song largely falls to those in the studio with her. “I love throwing up references or sounds, or even describing the sounds that I want,” she says. “I’m all about just really getting into the universe of the song and the feeling of it all. That was especially handy on the song ‘Punches’, because I knew the exact melody I wanted. I asked the players, can you do it like this?” MØ then enunciates the distinctive downward scale that serves as a recurring motif. “They picked it out by ear, and were like, ‘did you mean to do it like this?’ And I did! It was amazing.” With Motordrome now out in the world, MØ simply hopes that those that hear it can see parts of themselves in the parts of her that are scattered throughout. “I hope that people can relate their own life to it,” she says. “When I listen to other artists, I always look for something that I can grab onto, so that I won’t feel alone. I hope people will feel that way with this album, too.”
BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG
Motordrome is out now via Columbia Records/Sony
Slash
Rock music has seen many great bands and musicians come and go for a raft of complicated and simple reasons.
Simplicity is the key for certified guitar legend Slash who needs no introduction as his fourth studio album with Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators has arrived, aptly entitled 4. Having produced their fourth offering in a decade, Slash says the Conspirators is just such a simple, easy band, and it’s been like that from its inception. “It’s a band where everybody just wants to get together and play, and there’s really not a lot of other stuff that gets in the way,” he says. “We get the material together and we go for it, and once a run’s over, then we go and do other things.” “But we always come back to it,” Slash continues. “We love making these records and doing the tours and going out and having a really good time.” Making up the Conspirators is Todd Kerns (bass), Brent Fitz (drums), and Frank Sidoris (rhythm guitar), and their latest offering provided their greatest challenge yet in the shape of the pandemic. Most of the songs were written pre-pandemic but Slash says it wasn’t necessarily just the recording process that was affected, it was everything. “I locked myself in my studio and I was really forced to have to create demos to send to the guys which wasn’t really normal for me, I don’t usually do it like that,” he says. Once restrictions eased and the group got into preproduction, things were almost as they usually were. So, what was different? “We actually did this record completely live with everybody in the room at the same time, with all the amps and everything like we were playing a gig and just recorded like that,” he says. “That was really exciting. I’ve never actually recorded with the guitars and the vocals live before, I’ve always wanted to but then you have to wear headphones and I hate headphones. At the end of the day though it had nothing to do with the pandemic.” The recording took place at the iconic Chet Atkinsfounded RCA Studio A in Nashville which has housed the likes of The Beach Boys and B.B King over the years. Including every little imperfection as it was captured in the moment like covid-laden vocals from Kennedy was something Slash had wanted to do since the ‘80s, and pairing with producer Dave Cobb was a “great marriage”. “Producers just don’t like to do it that way,” he laughs. “You get a lot of bleed on the drum mics, and they don’t trust that a young rock and roll band can actually play well enough that they don’t have to fix everything, so I’ve had producers all these years tell me no. “But when I hooked up with Dave Cobb he was like, ‘yeah man I just want to record you guys live,’ and I was like, ‘you’re fucking kidding me, this is great’.” Transferring the record to the live stage will be as simple as adding a crowd in as Slash says whenever the Conspirators put together new material, it’s “intended to be live”. “That’s really what we’re all about, but this record in particular because of the way we did it, when we go and play these songs in front of an audience, I think it’s going to be really, really cool,” he says. Their first tour since pre-pandemic kicked off in Portland on February 8 and in the lead up, Slash had no secrets as to how he felt about it. “I’m just looking forward to playing. Period,” he says. As the tour goes on and more people can get their hands on the record, they’re going to sneak in more and more songs with a focus on the album’s lead track and fastest growing radio single he’s ever had, ‘The River Is Rising’. When he graces the live stage with Kennedy and the Conspirators, the first thing fans will expect to see is a top hat. The second, and absolutely more importantly is no doubt, his trusty Les Paul axe. He’s been a loyal custodian of the Gibson Les Paul and undoubtedly led the resurgence of them in the late ‘80s. Slash’s Les Paul Standard is very much an ode to the beloved ‘59 and ‘60 Les Paul models of old, but with a few very personal touches, the most notable perhaps being the 4.3kg weight of the guitar. “It’s the old saying, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” he laughs. “When I do a signature model, the specs that I change are only very specific to my guitars. There are certain hardware modifications, the dimensions of the neck are very personal, and they have Slash model Seymour Duncan pickups, but the rest of the guitar is basically just a regular Les Paul.” That standard Les Paul will be featuring on 4 though, in the form of a commemorative limited album edition guitar finished in Translucent Cherry delivered with a unique hardshell case emblazoned with the 4 album logo. The limited run of 250 was quick to sell out. “That’s what happens when you do a record deal with a guitar company,” he laughs. 4 is the first record released on Gibson Records and Slash says he was humbled when they asked if he’d be interested. “I’ve had a great relationship with Gibson for many, many years, so when they asked if I wanted to do this record on their new label I was honoured that they would do that,” he says. The tour will conclude in Orlando on March 26 in which fans will no doubt be treated to some brilliant shows. “There’s a lot of songs we’re going to play that we haven’t played in a really long time, but I’m just really excited about the whole thing, especially about playing the new songs.”
BY ELI DUXSON
4 is out now via Gibson Records.
50 years of Valencia
When this writer was a little sprite back in the olden times, there was something of a pattern observable at the start of every school year: a procession of kids who got guitars for Christmas, rocking up with their new instruments for their first lesson with the wonderful teacher who came to our school once a week (hi Peter Cominos). As a young guitar nerd it was always fun to see who got what.
There were a lot of cheap and nasty nylon string guitars among that lot every year, but clearly Santa favoured many kids because they got Valencias. We envied the Valencia Kids. Their guitars seemed to sound fuller, look nicer and play easier and have a fancier sounding name than the Amenas and Kapoks that the rest of us had. Valencia is an Australian brand established in Melbourne back in 1972 to provide quality student guitars that were easy to play. That’s 50 years and 1.7 million guitars sold into the Australian market alone - a market that’s notoriously competitive. When you’re buying a guitar for a young player to begin learning on, it’s important to spec it so it will encourage them to keep playing and developing, so you want a guitar that doesn’t fight you back, doesn’t sound like a shoebox with rubber bands stretched across it, and can handle the rigours of youthful exuberance. But Valencias aren’t kids’ guitars: they’re beginner guitars for anyone to get acquainted with the instrument. The whole charm of Valencia lies in the fact that when you pick one up, it doesn’t feel like a toy. It’s a living, breathing instrument designed for purpose. This year Valencia celebrates their 50th anniversary - a huge milestone for any company, let alone one occupying a seat at the table in the hyper competitive international guitar industry. Those 50 years have seen Valencia grow, not only continuing their dominance on the domestic beginner guitar market, but having this success translate internationally, with the brand now distributed in 85 countries by 54 of the world’s leading distributors. The secret to their success? A dedication to the finer details of what makes a beginner guitar a pleasure to play and an innate understanding that accessibility and playability are the gateway to a lifetime of guitar playing. It all starts with the right instrument. “We are very proud to celebrate Valencia’s 50th milestone and the contribution Valencia instruments have made in providing happiness, pleasure, and a quality musical experience to millions of people worldwide,” said Kevin Hague of Australasian Music Supplies (AMS). “We sincerely thank all personnel involved, all the great distributors, retailers, teachers, and musicians alike, who with their support and belief over the years have helped Valencia become one of the longest surviving student and beginner nylon classical guitars in the world. With our commitment and passion to help create the musicians of the future we look forward to delivering the legacy of the Valencia experience for many generations to come.” The story of Valencia guitars really starts with Lou Toppano and Geoff ‘Dutchy’ Turner, who began sourcing classical guitars from suppliers in Taiwan and South Korea to sell in Toppano’s Music in Melbourne back in the early ‘70s. Word spread fast and within a few years there was enough demand from schools and colleges, which in turn led to an increase in distribution via Toppano Music’s wholesale operation. By 1978, Hague had formed his own distribution company, AMS, while Toppano Music’s wholesale assets were purchased by Metcalf Wholesale. The two companies worked together in conjunction to distribute Valencia guitars nationwide before AMS acquired full ownership and distribution in 1984 and began a program of really refining the instruments: what woods sound best at this price point? What finishing techniques? What specs? This culture of continual improvement led to enormous growth as well as a few shifts to different manufacturing facilities such as Samick Musical Instruments in South Korea, although a fire at the Samick facility in 1987 necessitated the use of an additional Taiwanese factory where full production was finally moved to in 1989. Some manufacturing was moved to China in 1997 as that country’s facilities and quality control were gaining a good reputation, all while the distribution network continued to grow, particularly after a 1999 debut appearance at the Musikmesse trade show in Frankfurt. Since 2015, Valencia guitars have been made in the company’s purpose-built manufacturing facility in Surabaya, Indonesia. Valencia is in control of the whole design and build process, which means they can move with the times and develop guitars that meet the needs of players as our standards of what makes a great student guitar evolves (case in point, the VC204H reviewed in this issue). The Surabaya facility was expanded in 2019 dedicated to the exclusive production of Valencia guitars and the ubiquitous Mahalo ukuleles. The Valencia product range covers everything from the 100 Series, a full-featured guitar for beginners, through to the imminently available 700 Series, with all handcrafted models boasting innovative ToneFlow bracing, premium woods, and beautiful inlaid rosettes. Throughout the range you’ll find fun colours (the VC101PKS in Pink Sunburst is super adorable), sizes from 1/4 size to full, the option of standard noncutaway or cutaway models that provide better upper-fret access, and various electronics options, some of which include built-in tuners so you can plug your guitar in for performances or recording. But it’s not just standard-style nylon classical guitars: check out the Valencia Series 430 Auditorium, a new take on the nylon string acoustic guitar concept which offers a curvedradius fingerboard for comfortable fretting, plus a larger body shape to deliver more volume and midrange. Guitars can be purchased in a simple branded box or in a pack with various goodies such as gig bags and tuners. Valencia also maintains a really helpful website with tips and info for beginner players, from naming the basic parts of the guitar to teaching you how to tune and care for the instrument. 50 years into the Valencia story and it is safe to say that they are showing no signs of slowing down, constantly refining their product line while remaining committed to that very same ethos that has held them in good stead over the last five decades-providing guitarists with excellent quality and value for money guitars, with great sound and exceptional ease of play. Here’s to the next 50 years!
BY PETER HODGSON
Tone City Audio
How does one just start a pedal company? For Tone City Audio’s founder J. Wong, chief designer and a guitar and pedal geek since high school, it came out of musical necessity and economic frustration.
J. Wong bought his first electric guitar and distortion pedal in 2005 while in high school, and quickly found himself discouraged by the high cost of pedals: how are you supposed to build your dream rig when you’re in school and gear is too expensive? It was a problem that stuck with him through the rest of his time at high school. After heading off to university to study Business Automation Systems, he had one of those great ‘ah-ha!’ moments: why don’t I make pedals myself? He spent all his spare time reading books and resources in English about how to make pedals, and got so into it that it took six months longer than planned to finish his major. Whoops. The first pedal he designed and built was an overdrive inspired by that green pedal we all know, and it quickly drew attention on guitar forums at the time. This led to diving head-first into the pedal design world after university, designing over 40 products for another company, which players loved the sound of but were unhappy with the build quality. He realised that if he wanted his pedal designs to be built to the standards he needed, he’d have to go out on his own. And that’s why Tone City was founded in 2014. Today, Tone City Audio is distributed by EGM Distribution in Melbourne, and you can find them at many dealers as well as at Eastgate Music in Kew (where Marcello will be happy to drop his impressive knowledge of the range). The company has grown steadily, initially with a modest 49 square metre facility and now occupying 700 square metres, scaling up as the company grows. Each product is based on J. Wong’s understanding of what players want and how to get it. Tone City Audio also confers with dealers and distributors to make sure the pedals give players what they need. The company believes music isn’t a luxury but a necessity, and this drives everything they do. Inside, the pedals are hand-wired with NOS components, BBD chips, silicon transistor styled circuits, classic JFETs, OTA, and analogue/ digital hybrid technology. The designs are inspired by modern boutique pedals and famous classics, with names like Dry Martini Overdrive, Wild Fire Distortion, Mad Stone, Golden Plexi (you can guess what that one does), Angel Wing Chorus, and the hilariously named Fuxx Fuzz among the current range of designs. No less a talent than Greg Koch is quoted as saying about a Tone City stomp box, “holy carumbas, that’s a good little pedal. Dog gone it!” (We’re not sure which pedal he said that about, but this writer had a similar reaction plugging in the Blues Man pedal, which is inspired by a certain UK amp with ‘Blues’ in the model name. You can probably figure it out from the name but you’ll definitely recognise it in the tone). There was a clear shift in the pedal market starting quietly about 15 years ago and growing to be a big part of how we play today: the micro pedal. While stomp boxes had been marketed with words like ‘compact’ since the late ‘70s, the new super-slim form factor became ubiquitous. It wasn’t just the space-saving benefits, although you can get away with a much smaller pedal board with a handful of these little baby stompers. It was also the fact that with each pedal taking up less space, you could fit more of them on your pedalboard. The majority of Tone City’s pedals are microsized units. With vibrant colours, high-contrast graphics (which make it easier to see what’s what onstage), and status LEDs built into the control knobs. The pedals are designed to run on power supplies only (a battery would interfere with the design brief). Most of Tone City’s micro pedals feature an array of two or three smaller potentiometers above the main status pot, or the odd microswitch, but the Tiny Spring reverb is beautiful in its one-control simplicity. It’s not all teeny tiny micro pedals though: there are other stompers in the range which use a larger (but still compact) form factor to pack more versatility and control into the Tone City format. For example, the Flexo Drive is an overdrive and boost, with each effect selectable individually and with an effect-order switch to select which effect feeds into the other. And the Model B is inspired by US high-gain amps of the tread plate variety, complete with Vintage/Modern switch and a selectable boost. And the Model V is inspired by a classic UK Class A combo amp but with selectable High Gain and Crunch modes to significantly extend the gain of this legendary amp to what ‘May’ be practically regal levels. And there’s also a series of pedals in between those two sizes, a more traditional stomp box form factor employed for pedals such as the Funny Boy Auto Wah, the Blue Crystal Echo (which brings you the sound of a BBD pedal with 600ms and 1100ms Short and Long delay modes. And of course there’s the Green Tube Overdrive, which traces its lineage all the way back to that original pedal which J. Wong DIY’d back at the very beginning. The Silver Angel Chorus is another unit that traces its history back to J. Wong’s early designs; it’s an all-analog circuit based on a famous BBD chip chorus/vibrato pedal, and the prototype was made 14 years ago. Since then, many of the core components have ceased production but Tone City sourced enough NOS components to bring the design to life in this series. Everything about Tone City Audio pedals feels like it was designed by a guitar player, and you can feel that passion and sense of fun and creativity when you step on the switch and let rip with the riffs.
BY PETER HODGSON
Learning with Ableton Live
I love Ableton Live. There I said it.
Everyday, I use Ableton Live for production, songwriting, and education, and unless something drastically changes in the immediate future, I feel like I’m destined to be an Ableton guy for life. My first DAW was Pro Tools, way back in Digidesign 001 days, circa 1999. An undeniable recording revolution for sure, but back in those days, the proprietary hardware (and the need for my computer to be constantly tethered to it) definitely left me feeling a little less than liberated, creatively speaking. When my trusty 001 finally bit the dust, I was forced to upgrade and purchased an M-Box Pro to remain in the Pro Tools ecosystem. In the package came a copy of some strange “pseudo” DAW called Ableton Live Intro. At the time, I had no idea what Ableton was or what it was all about. ‘Was it named after some quaint overseas town?’ ‘Was this for Live recording or something?’ – These are the kind of questions that immediately came to mind as I held the peculiar disk in my hand. Simply put, Pro Tools was the DAW at the time and I would not hear a word otherwise, so initial interest was low. Nonetheless I installed the software and had a playaround. While I found Ableton Live’s Arrange View timeline made sense, the unique Session View appeared pointless and baffling, so I shelved it for the time being. I was flying blind after all. Some time later I was working on music for an exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria showcasing the iconic work of Punk fashion designer, Vivienne Westwood. A creative block left me devoid of inspiration, drifting aimlessly in the ancient “preYouTube” era. In desperation, I did the unthinkable - “I read the $@&# manual!!!”. An hour or so later, I had a cool mashup of the Sex Pistols’ Anarchy in the UK and I Want Candy, by Bow Wow Wow. My interest piqued, I started to use Ableton Live as a practice tool. I created Live Sets with time stretched songs and pitch shifted tracks to avoid retuning my guitar. I could loop difficult passages without the need to rewind CDs or vinyl and my guitar playing progressed no end. Winning! With each subsequent version, more features were added. I found myself drawn deeper into the clips and blips of Ableton, all the more notable considering I’m more a dyed in the wool instrumentalist (think punk rock, death metal meets jazzabilly guitar shredder. No doof-doof here, thank you very much!). Over time, I learned Ableton simply offered music making tools that were not available in other DAWS, and to a great extent, still does. Fast forward to 2022, I’ve been a music educator for more than 20 years and Ableton Live has replaced my other DAWs for all but the most track heavy audio sessions. Why? The deceptively simple interface for starters. The ability to create shortcuts for any set that I’m working on with a single key stroke so all my bass track plugins open by typing the letter “b”. The same for drums - “d”. What’s going on with the compressor and EQ on the master channel, or 2 bus? I just hit the number “2”. Guitar bus - “g”. You get the picture. Even better, I can control any parameter with … literally… anything, making it a creative playground without peer. Need to recycle a drum loop into mapped samples? Right click and done. Need to convert a recorded kick drum performance to MIDI so you can layer a sample? Right click and done. Want to turn a cymbal into an instrument you can play from a keyboard? Drag, drop, tweak, play. This is the kind of simple, streamlined workflow that Ableton Live encourages. It’s about fun, creativity and efficiency, after all this is music, not rocket science. It’s no secret the design philosophy for the Ableton Live user interface leans sharply towards a minimalist, uncluttered look. This helps reduce overwhelm for newbies and allows the ninjas who walk among us, to stay focussed. As we know, however, the devil lies in the detail so if I was to level a criticism at the approach, it would be that many users are simply not aware of many of the advanced features Live offers concealed behind right clicks and insider knowledge. Perhaps to address this, and more besides, the team at Ableton has created and curated an impressive library of educational resources. Regardless of your DAW of choice, these resources represent an incredible learning opportunity for producers, students, teachers, and institutions. Best of it’s all free! No pay walls! No “signup for spam” grift. All you need is a computer and an internet connection.
