Mixdown Magazine #322 by Furst Media

#322 – 2022

MUSE UNCHARTED TERRITORIES JULIA JACKLIN MARK OPITZ TELENOVA

FREE

REVIEWED: FENDER PLAYER PLUS AUDIX DP7 EMVOICE ONE PIONEER DJ CDJ-3000 + MORE

CREATE. PRODUCE. MIX. REPEAT. Do you want to start creating your own music, bring your production up to a professional level, or streamline your workflow for short deadlines? Whatever you need, Cubase helps you to reach your full creative potential. From Hollywood blockbuster composers and Billboard Hot 100 producers right through to keen beginners, the world of music production trusts the comprehensive feature set, straightforward tools and unrivalled sound of our acclaimed music production software. Cubase 12 features significant new features and workflow enhancements which make composing, recording, and mixing music even more creatively rewarding. From improved MIDI Remote integration and improved editing tools to enhanced audio-to-MIDI and new effects, Cubase 12 will bring your creative ideas to life better — and faster — than ever.

FX MODULATOR Breathe life into your sounds with advanced, multi-effect modulation.

MIDI REMOTE INTEGRATION In Cubase 12, MIDI controller integration has reached a whole new level.

Yamaha Music Australia proudly distributes Steinberg. Find a dealer at au.yamaha.com

SCAN TO LEARN MORE

VARIAUDIO WITH SCALE ASSISTANT The Scale Assistant in VariAudio makes pitch editing a breeze.

MEET YOUR OTHER HALF

SARAH LIPSTATE

Hand Made Effects Pedals | Akron, Ohio

Brain Dead Ghost Echo

Limited Edition Vintage Voiced Reverb EarthQuaker Devices announce a limited edition Ghost Echo Vintage Voiced Reverb collaboration with international creative studio Brain Dead. Brain Dead has been leading the charge all over the world with their innovative graphics and celebration of art, music, literature, and cinema. This is strictly limited run of only 60 units available in Australia. The Ghost Echo is our spooky take on the haunted amp-top spring reverberation units of yesteryear. This creepy analogue/digital spring reverb emulation machine boasts a terrifying 30ms–150ms of pre-delay, controllable via the Attack knob, for everything from a quick rockabilly slapback to viscous pools of ectoplasmic reverberations.

Available 2 Aug

See it in action >>>

Yamaha Music Australia proudly distributes EarthQuaker Devices

earthquakerdevices.com

Buy a Pioneer DJ CDJ-3000 this August and get a free VM-80 Studio Monitor in Black by redemption.

Promotion valid 1st to 31st August 2022. Full T&C’s Visit: jands.com.au/Promotions.

CONTENTS

10 14 16 18 20 22

Product News

26 30 33 37 40 56

Martin / Tonewoods

PUBLISHER Furst Media A1 1-5 Weston St Brunswick VIC 3056 (03) 9428 3600

Cover Story: Muse James Christowski Julia Jacklin

PRINT EDITOR Paul French paul@furstmedia.com.au

Hagstrom Guitars Mall Music Anniversary

Muse PG .14

Integrate Expo 2022 Columns

ADVERTISING MANAGER Paul French paul@furstmedia.com.au

Reviews My Rig: Telenova

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

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Erica May EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Sam McNiece

Audix Microphones

/MIXDOWNMAGAZINE @MIXDOWNMAGAZINE @MIXDOWNMAGAZINE MIXDOWNMAG.COM.AU

ONLINE EDITOR Eli Duxson eli@furstmedia.com.au

PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Patrick Carr patrick@furstmedia.com.au

Julia Jacklin PG. 18

Telenova PG. 56

CONTRIBUTORS Al Belling, Andy Lloyd-Russell, Adrian Violi, Nick Brown, Erika Fedele, Liam Mcshane, Lewis Noke-Edwards, Rob Gee, Eric Foreman, Luke Shields, Peter Hodgson, Cambell Courtney, Pablo Francois, Will Brewster, James Callanan, Jacob McCormack FOUNDER Rob Furst

THE HSS STRATOCASTER® IN COSMIC JADE

©2021 Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. All Rights Reserved. FENDER (standard and in stylized form), PRECISION BASS, and the distinctive headstock shapes commonly found on the FENDER instruments are trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation and/or its affiliates, registered in the U.S. and other countries.

audio interface a new way of doing things

Eight award winning EVO Preamps alongside advanced converter technology will make everything you do sound better. Add to that intelligent mic preamps, groundbreaking Motion UI control system and enough I/O firepower to tackle even the biggest of sessions - EVO 16 by Audient is designed to make recording easy.

>>> $799 RRP

PRODUCT NEWS

Get a free VM-80 Studio Monitor with your CDJ-3000 purchase this August JANDS | JANDS.COM.AU Pioneer DJ is back better than ever with the bigger and badder CDJ-3000. If you’ve played at a club recently, you may have seen one of these in the wild and been gobsmacked by the larger screen and additional buttons and settings available. The legends at Pioneer DJ Australia are rewarding your decision to level up to a CDJ-3000 this August, offering a free VM-80 Studio Monitor in black for each purchase made through a Pioneer DJ Australian retailer. Head to Jands’ website for more information.

Two new finishes for Sterling by Music Man Axis

Voodoo Lab expands their Pedal Power line with the X8

Steinberg’s latest software updates are stacked with new features

CMC MUSIC | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU

EGM DISTRIBUTION | EGM.NET.AU

Sterling by Music Man assured restless fans they would “dazzle” in 2022, and they haven’t disappointed! The Axis AX3QM represents a long-lasting legacy of iconic guitars combined with modern guitar innovations. Featuring a 25.5” scale fretboard with a 12” radius, HH pickups, a five-way selector, a five-bolt asymmetrical neck, and a vintageinspired tremolo, the Axis pays homage to the history of guitars without compromising any convenience. Brand new in 2022, the Axis AX3QM is sure to turn heads with its new quilted maple finishes, Spectrum Red and Spectrum Blue.

Voodoo Lab has expanded their Pedal Power range with the X8 which boasts eight galvanically isolated 9V DC outputs with a hybrid DC design providing audiophile-quality power. Each output delivers up to 500mA of current to supply power-hungry modern DSP effects, while the low-profile, super-light form factor is a bonus is a perfect fit for small to medium-sized travel boards. No voltage converters are required with it being operable at any input voltage from 100-240AC, making power supply a hassle-free cause wherever you find yourself.

YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA | AU.YAMAHA.COM Steinberg has introduced VST-Live, and updated their Backbone and Spectralayers software. VST-Live is an integrated solution for controlling your entire live performance, including virtual instruments, a live sequencer, DMX lighting control, video playback, and more. Backbone 1.5 is Steinberg’s latest update to their drum re-synthesiser, integrating artificial intelligence to create its own drum sounds. The AI-driven spectral audio processor Spectralayers 9 adds an updated look that makes it easier to navigate features and functions, real-time auditioning, as well as GUI improvements.

Akai introduces the Professional MPC Key 61 ELECTRIC FACTORY | ELFA.COM.AU Akai has introduced the Professional MPC Key 61 boasting all the MPC capabilities and connectivity you need packaged with 61 keys. It additionally features 16 RGB velocity-sensitive MPC drum pads with aftertouch and note repeat to be the ultimate music-making machine, to go with the powerful 128-track MIDI sequencer and eight audio tracks. The seven-inch multi-gesture colour touch screen is incredibly responsive, as 25 instrument plugins can create more than six thousand sounds. Onboard is Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, as well as an audio interface with premium AD/DA converters and the MPC2 desktop software DAW for Mac/PC.

mixdownmag.com.au

JUST DUET.

Built-in DSP The all new Duet has powerful on-board DSP featuring the Symphony ECS Channel Strip developed by Bob Clearmountain.

linkaudio.com.au | P: +61 3 8373 4817

PRODUCT NEWS

New firmware updates for the Line 6 POD Go and POD Go Wireless YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA | AU.YAMAHA.COM Line 6 POD Go & POD Go Wireless just became bigger and better with the announcement of the new 1.40 firmware update, with a new amp, nine new effects (including seven Line 6 originals), and 18 Legacy effects. The new amp is the Line 6 Ventoux, while the new effects include three reverbs, four delays, a modulation effect based on the Ampeg Liquifier chorus pedal, and a dynamics effect based on the Ampeg Opto Comp compressor pedal. Head to Line 6’s website for the full rundown on the Legacy effects and to update today.

The Gravity MS TBA 01 Microphone Arm perfect the working creator LINK AUDIO | LINKAUDIO.COM.AU Attention streamers and podcasters! The content creation space is evidently growing by the millisecond, as does the desire for video content in that space. So, having a setup that’s conducive to combining strong aesthetics with the ultimate flexibility and ergonomic capabilities is imperative. Enter, the Gravity MS TBA 01 Microphone Arm that can be attached nearly anywhere using its versatile clamp. Three joints allow for flexible positioning, while the mic holder can be rotated with one hand in four 90º positions, perfect for your PreSonus Revelator or PD-70 to kickstart your creative journey.

Get a pair of DM-40 Studio Monitors for free with each Pioneer DJ XZ, REV7, or RX3 purchase

Boveda introduces directional humidifier for uncased instruments

JANDS | JANDS.COM.AU

Boveda’s patented 2-Way Humidification Kit received a new twist at this year’s NAMM, with their new Directional Fabric Holder helping protect wooden instruments while they are uncased and on display. Boveda humidifiers typically protect wooden instruments from humidity-based damage while cased. The thick vegan leatherette top shield drives airflow directly into the body of the instrument to protect it from humidity fluctuations, while its patented interior material allows water vapour to pass through to the instrument. It contains a 49 per cent RH Size 70 humidifier, while the underside is soft fabric, so it doesn’t scratch your instrument.

Pioneer DJ keeps the deals coming! Get your hands on a pair of DM-40 Studio Monitors for free with any purchase of a Pioneer DJ XZ, REV7, or RX3 this August. The XZ is an all-in-one DJ controller offering flexible multimedia support to appeal to a wide range of mixologists. The REV7 is a scratch-style two-channel professional DJ controller for Serato DJ Pro which emulates a professional DJM-S mixer + PLX turntable setup. Meanwhile, the RX3 is the latest iteration of a familiar favourite in the Pioneer DJ lineup! Head to Jands’ website for more information.

CMC MUSIC | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU

NU-X’s new wireless range provides something for everyone PRO MUSIC AUSTRALIA | PROMUSICAUSTRALIA.COM.AU NU-X has introduced new models to their lauded wireless range which covers a range of guitars and electronic instruments. The NU-X B-2 PLUS is a pocket-size 2.4GHz wireless system that offers guitar players an easy solution to go wireless. The B-5RC works perfectly with active/passive electric guitar and bass, and acoustic-electric guitars with a piezo or magnetic pickup. The C-5RC is designed for wireless connection of electronic musical instruments with 5.8GHz frequency wireless technologies. Each model boasts an autooff function so you’ll never have to worry about leaving the system on and draining out the batteries.

mixdownmag.com.au

Muse The year is 2007 and Muse frontman Matt Bellamy is clad in a red tuxedo, sitting at a grand piano paying homage to the works of Rachmaninoff in front of 75 thousand people on night two of the band’s stand at Wembley Stadium. The song is ‘Butterflies and Hurricanes’, a particularly epic cut off the band’s 2004 opus Absolution – a collection of neo classical-cum-prog indie ragers that saw the band ascend to headline status at Glastonbury Festival in 2004 – no mean feat for a band just three albums deep.

thumper ‘Take a Bow’, and the band exit the stage with Peter Gabriel-like gusto. It’s a tribute to stadium rock masters Elton John, James Hetfield, and Angus Young, wrapped up in two, gloriously geeky hours of riffs served with a side of Mozart.

An hour or so after the piano interlude of ‘Butterflies and Hurricanes’, Bellamy executes a perfect power slide as ‘New Born’ kicks into full throttle.

The Wembley shows, immortalised in the absurdly thrilling H.A.A.R.P live DVD (short for High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program, a project by the US military conspiracy theorists believe was aimed at altering the weather) confirmed to all onlookers that rock wasn’t dead – it just needed a mad scientist lab coat, and a healthy injection of neo-classical prog to draw in the masses again.

Circle pits swirl, and a short while later the enraptured crowd bids the band farewell to the symphonic club

It also confirmed the band’s status as the hottest live act

But return to Wembley we must – for, like their football field-filling forebears Queen, Genesis, and AC/DC, the band has mastered the art of having a colossal crowd eat out of the palm of their hands.

on the planet, with Bellamy, bassist Christopher Wolstenholme, and drummer Dominic Howard quickly leapfrogging the coolest, slickest pop and indie acts of the day for top festival billing. It begs the question – how the hell did Muse end up here?

“We were just so committed to nailing it, I was just trying to focus on that – while also quietly shitting myself!” “I remember getting home to my apartment after the first night and I was staring at the ceiling, wondering the same thing,” remarks drummer Dom Howard, via a phone call from his London abode.

mixdownmag.com.au

COVER STORY

“For us at that time, we were just so committed to nailing it, I was just trying to focus on that – while also quietly shitting myself!”

“For us it was really refreshing to be working in that space,” explains Dom.

Nail it they most certainly did. It’s this same ‘venture anywhere’ spirit that has served Muse from their earliest days right up to their forthcoming ninth LP Will of the People, with early singles like ‘Kill or be Killed’ and ‘Won’t Stand Down’ showing the band venturing into straight metal territory for the first time, including some shiny new double-kick parts from the usually single-footed Mr. Howard.

“It was a real throwback to the early days of Muse – a small room, relatively low ceilings, the three of us in there throwing shit at the wall and seeing what sticks.”

“I had one of those double kick pedals laying around the studio and thought it might work well with some of the heavier stuff we were working on,” Dom reminisces. “It’s just a double pedal on a single kick drum and I play it as basically as you really can. It can’t really compare to how Slipknot and those real metal drummers employ it. We just tried for a different vibe on that particular song and it worked out well.” Work out well it did with ‘Kill or be Killed’ already becoming something of a live favourite among the Muse faithful. “That one kind of surprised me because it is such a departure from the trajectory of the last few records,” remarks Dom. “To me, it’s the heaviest thing we’ve done since ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ era Muse.” This inclination to zig when others are zagging isn’t new for the band. A simple look back over the last decade of Muse certainly paints the picture of a band not willing to rest on their laurels, with an evolutionary itch that seems in constant need of scratching.

With the pandemic in full swing and Muse’s touring plans temporarily thwarted, the extra studio time also served as a perfect catalyst for rampant experimentation, especially with regards to Howard’s drum sound. Needless to say, the skinsman left no stone unturned. “On the record, there is basically no continuity in drum sounds from one song to the next. I’m always trying different kits and from there, different individual drums, to try and find out what works best for the song. “In the end, every song was played on a Frankenstien of pieces from various kits, a tom from here, a kick from there.” So, with a few weeks still to go before the album officially drops, who knows what the rest of Will of the People might bring? What we can say with certainty is that early signs point to this being the finest work the band has produced in over a decade. With the fog of the pandemic lifting, the stage is once again vacant for a stadium-sized rock act to seize the moment by the throat. Now, where’s that red suit gotten to? BY AL BELLING

Decamping to their studio setup in Santa Monica, the trio workshopped ‘Kill or be Killed’ alongside nine other tracks, covering a broad spectrum of stylistic territory.

MATT BELLAMY’S RIG GUITARS

AMPLIFIERS

CABINETS

PEDALS

• Manson 007 MB

• Diezel VH4 Head • Mesa Boogie Badlander Head

• Universal Audio OX Amp Top Box

• Dwarfcraft Necromancer

• Manson ORYX Custom Fan Fret 6-string. ORYX • Jeff Buckley’s 1982 Fender Telecaster

• Marshall 1959 SLP Handwired Plexi Head Modded

• Manson MB Drone 003 Manson Guitars PF-1 bridge Pickup and Sustainiac Sustainer

• Orange Rockerverb 100 MKIII Head

• 1966 or ‘65 Old Gibson LG-0 acoustic • Manson MB Standard with PF-1 bridge pickup and Sustainiac Sustainer Satin ‘Matt Black’ Finish • Manson MB Standard with PF-1 bridge Pickup and Sustainiac Sustainer Gloss ‘Red Alert’ Finish

mixdownmag.com.au

• Gibson EH-150 (1940) • Vox AC30 (1964) Top Boost • LANEY 100-watt Klipp Head and 4x12 Cab (1972)

• Mills 4x12 Cabinet 4x12 Celestion V30 8ohm • Marshall 1960BX Handwired 4x12 Cabinet 25-watt greenbacks 16ohm

• ProCo RAT • Death By Audio Total Sonic Annihilation • Korg SDD3000 • Peter Cornish TB83

MICROPHONES • Sennheiser MD421 • Royer R-122V • Neumann U67 • Neumann U87 • Shure SM57

PAGE HEADER

James Christowski: Up Close and Personal Growing up I always played in bands and that was definitely very formative and inspired me to commit to a life in music. My world was blown apart in my late teens by the Radiohead King of Limbs remix album which introduced me to electronic music and some of my favourite producers in that world. Deep diving into Four-tet and Caribou’s mixes and playlists exposed me to an eclectic blend of soul, rare groove, jazz, and electro that really influenced my perspective on sounds, pulling together disparate parts of different genres to make things that feel fresh. At the same time I was getting into recording my own music and figuring out how to make a record purely through trial and error. I accidentally stumbled into the producing gig when I put my hand up to mix a track for a friend of mine’s band called Micra. The song was a trippy psych pop song that got some attention on triple j and they signed a deal off the back of it. At the time that was really exciting and it made me realise I could pursue this as a job. I was already super passionate about producing, I just hadn’t considered where it may take me longer term. Now I’ve been full-time on production and mixing (and co-

writing) for around six years and couldn’t be more grateful to be making music everyday. Frank Ocean’s Blonde era music has been completely transformative for me. The expansive sonic worlds created on that record are the pinnacle of recorded music for me personally and something that I strive to achieve in varying ways on the records I work on, and in my own music too. As for producers of guitar oriented music – whenever I hear an incredible-sounding indie record, and I look up who produced it – it seems to be either John Congleton or Shawn Everett. They both have an incredible sense of depth to their records and I obsess over their creative use of distortion. Tom Elmhirst’ mixes are incredible – he has a unique way of drawing as much emotion from a song as possible. My studio is called Blankspace__, I’ve been in there for a decade or so and it’s evolved a lot through that time. I’ve collected a whole bunch of gear over that time so I dig having a wide spanning palette to reach to for the eclectic

material I’m lucky enough to work on. The studio is open plan and I have all kinds of instruments, from an upright piano, a Wurlitzer, a Rhodes, a bunch of synths and some select pieces of outboard gear. The production workflow really depends on what’s being recorded. For my own music specifically I usually like writing on a piano or electric keyboard and arranging the whole song before I track anything. I find that to be the most efficient way for me personally, otherwise I can get caught up in the million different things in the studio to make noise on. One thing that I’m very conscious of in the design of the space is to make speed a priority. I never want to make the artist wait. If they have an idea – we should be tracking it instantaneously. This gives the sessions a strong sense of flow and allows for that excitement of an initial idea to be captured – and I think that’s extremely important in record making. Every single line in the studio from keyboards to drums are patched, and the front end is ready to go. That definitely takes a fair bit of preparation – but is absolutely invaluable. There are pieces of gear that I find myself leaning on for certain sounds, and that are inspiring for a period of time. At the moment I’m loving the Moog Matriarch for left

of centre synth sounds and its grit, but in terms of having a cohesive sound working across different projects – that all comes down to taste. Taste is by far the most important variable in the process. When you can find common ground with an artist and align on a vision for the arrangements and sonics of a record – that’s when you can make something of real substance. As far as front-end recording goes, I’m in the UAD world and think it sounds great. I do have a bunch of hardware pre’s which I love – my favourite being the preamp section of an old Ampex 601 tape machine. It oozes character. There’s a bunch of tubes in it and it’s super slow and gooey sounding. I also have some HA Neve 1073s which are a no-brainer and a UA LA-610 which is really smooth. Honestly, I think the UAD emulations sound as good as hardware – I purely have a bunch of pre’s so I can grab them with my hands and move fast when multitracking things. As soon as humans can interface with computers / plugins in a more tactile way – I would be totally fine being all digital. For monitoring, I run Adam AX7’s with a matching sub. I’ve used Sonarworks (Sound ID) for the

mixdownmag.com.au

last few years and it has been a game-changer for me – it made me really confident with mix translation. My choice of DAWs varies a bit, I work in Logic a fair bit because that’s the program that most artists seem to do their demos in – and if we are building out from that session I usually just stay there. However I enjoy working most in Ableton Live, I love the speed of it – editing and programming drums are lightning fast and it inspires a more contemporary approach to production which I’m drawn to. The new tracking linking feature in Ableton’s latest update has been massive for me. It makes multi-track editing a breeze, where perhaps I used to be hesitant to track things like live drums in Ableton. Also the new comping is the bomb and makes vocal editing super intuitive and fast. I record live drums on a bunch of projects. I like to take a fair few lines on drums so I have plenty of colour to play with when I’m pulling the sound. I have a pretty typical close-mic setup with 421’s on toms, 441 on snare, a 57 on hats, a JZ Blackhole condenser kick out, and a Sennheiser kick in. I have some Aston Spirits as overheads, but most of the excitement comes with the auxiliary lines. I have a carbon-phone mic stuck between the front head of the kick and the snare, and a bunch of different rooms, which get varying degrees of heat. I also like to buss out my kick and snare on my console and run it through a SansAmp for some mid range heft. A Golden Age U47 clone is my go-to mic for vocals, pianos, and as a room. I’m drawn to its rich lower mids, and I like mics that aren’t overly bright because I tend to compress and saturate heavily in the mix – which brings forward a lot of top end detail. For dynamics – I love my vintage white 421’s – they sound great, but I probably gravitate towards them because they look mad! I bought an incredible vintage beyerdynamic mic for $20 that has a really narrow frequency spectrum. It gets a workout on vocals – often on doubles and other layers for some colour. I also like it on hats because it doesn’t capture much top end information which I never seem to want on hats. For my work processes, having consistent hours is imperative to having a sustainable practice. Years ago I used to pull marathon 14/16-hour sessions and think it was pretty cool, but I would be written off the next day. It was totally counter intuitive. I live half an hour away from my studio and that separation helps. I work my eight hours like every norm-core person and get out of the studio, so that I can do my best work every single day. I’m disappointed when I don’t feel on fire in the studio. I want to give the artists I work with everything I have. As for knowing when a project is finished – that becomes pretty intuitive over time, and also becomes more apparent as your style is refined. These days I find myself putting less and less in tracks – but making all the elements that are critical to the arrangement really mean something and speak to the listener.

being fed into it through a side-chain. When used in a subtle way cumulatively across lots of elements of a mix – it really opens it up and carves out space for different parts. I’m also loving the Neold Warble tape plugin at the moment. Less for typical tape effects, but more as a tonal control. It tames the top end nicely and adds harmonic richness to the lower mids which resonates with me. My go-to compressor would be a UAD 1176 for tone and control, LA-2A for the ooze, API buss comp for glue, and FabFilter Multiband to get technical. The Eventide Blackhole algorithm always sounds incredible to me. That’s my favourite for spacious long verbs. As far as delays go, I love the sound of analog delays and tape echoes. Whether that be my real Space Echo 150 for some character or something designed up on Echoboy or Valhalla delay. My wildcard is the Binson Echorec modelled by the Italian company Overloud – sounds killer! An EQ I can’t live without would be Pultec all day. It always sounds so musical to me. The FabFilter Pro Q3 is pretty essential for precision with contemporary sounding music though. If studio laws only permitted me to use one type of effect for the rest of my life though, I would take delay. You can do so much tone shaping with a delay – it can give grit with a really short echo with no repeats when it’s really saturated. You can mock up fake rooms and do interesting modulation effects. So I would probably favour their versatility. You can never have enough gear though, so at the moment I’m pretty interested in the Overstayer Modular Channel Stereo. It looks like it pulls really unique compression and distortion effects. Would also love to try some Amphion speakers at some stage! If I could give any advice based on what I’ve learnt so far, it’s simple - I think the most important thing is to always make music that you want to hear as a listener, and feel truly compelled to make. It’s pretty easy to get side-tracked with the commodification of music and how you can fit into that complex ecosystem. I think great art will always be valuable. There’s a bunch of material I’m really excited about at the moment! I’m currently working on some material for a dream pop band called Lorelei who are incredible (and some accompanying solo projects). I just finished up a track for an artist Gloomie who is a beautiful songwriter, and next week I’m starting the second record for a shoe-gaze/ pop band called Peel – and we always get pretty experimental in those sessions and pull a bunch of new sounds… I’m amped! I’ve also been slowly but surely building up a record of my own that will be in the not too distant future. That’s definitely where a lot of my attention is focused at the moment. Also you can check out my production work on IG – @noisebydemon x

In the plugin world, at the moment I’m rinsing Trackspacer by Wavesfactory. It’s a dynamic EQ which ducks whichever frequencies are

mixdownmag.com.au

PAGE HEADER

Julia Jacklin Driven by drums and bass, Julia Jacklin explores a new presentation of sound in Pre Pleasure. The new release by Julia Jacklin, Pre Pleasure, due to be shared on August 26, has seen the established singer-songwriter branch away from her previous methods of writing music. Pre Pleasure features a stronger emphasis being placed on drums and bass, as well as instrumentation that has originated from other means outside of Jacklin’s usual guitar chords and rhythms. “Paying more attention to bass and drums, instead of guitar and voice, that’s one thing,” says Jacklin. “There is a drum machine on this record, two of the songs have strings, strings are nice, they sound uplifting, there are chimes, a lot of chimes, love chimes, more piano. I think [piano] can have more of a light, twinkly sound. Probably more bass and drums making the songs like you can kind of dance to a lot of them if you want, not that people do.” The alternative approach to writing songs has stemmed from Jacklin’s awareness of often feeling stuck in a rut when it comes to utilising the guitar as a writing tool for her music. “I didn’t write a lot of songs on the guitar because I felt like the guitar is great, but I’m not a very good guitarist,” says Jacklin. “I’m an okay rhythm guitarist, but I don’t have heaps of versatility. I feel like you can get stuck in the same strumming patterns and the same kit, you just end up writing the same stuff all the time. 18

“Every time I pick up the guitar all I want to do is play E and A chords. So, I wrote a lot of it off guitar, but mainly on keys and in my head and then kind of build around it, it started with the melody and words and then put the instrumentation on top.” Admittedly a larger budget and engagement with a band while in Montreal also lent into pursuing a new way of writing and presenting the music that Jacklin had in mind for Pre Pleasure. “There was more room to experiment,” says Jacklin, “Because they know how to do things I haven’t used before. I haven’t had that stuff around where there are a bit more people around and a bit more budget.” The inclusion of band members to work with, who each brought their own individual musical influences and backgrounds, also shaped the album in a way that Jacklin wanted. “Laurie that plays drums is a very versatile drummer, percussionist, super solid,” says Jacklin, “Not like a folk-country drummer that I’m used to. She’s more versatile, very versatile. You can throw anything at her and she can do it. She’s trained, pretty technical. “Ben who played bass on the record is very jazz, he’s not like a rock-based player, he’s very jazzy. But I think Will the guitarist brought the rock energy. He’s a great guitar player, not very technical but just all heart, all soul

kind of thing. Like not soul genre wise, but spiritual wise. Then Marcus can kind of play a bunch of different stuff.” The conglomeration of this eclectic band is resonant throughout the entirety of the album, but especially felt in the opening tracks that, as Jacklin intended with the album, establish a more joyful instrumentation. “I think the only thing I tried to do and stay within the process was just making sure the record didn’t sound too depressing. This time I just wanted more joyful instrumentation. Things that were more uplifting to listen to and to play. That was kind of the one thing I went into the process of this wanting to do.” Although gravitating towards a more joyous sound stitched into the instrumentation on Pre Pleasure, Jacklin describes this newfound pursuit as something that felt right for the new album, and not an explanation for lamenting on past music. “I don’t think it’s been too depressing,” says Jacklin, “I just didn’t want to do that again. I love what I’ve done in the past, I have no regrets, that’s what I did at the time, that’s what I wanted to do at the time, and this is what I wanted to do now. “To have a point of difference and being conscious of what it’s like to tour music in terms of what we do these days. So, wanting to make sure the set had songs that were enjoyable to play. I just wanted to have a few more joyful moments in the set moving forward.”

Despite the juxtaposition of Pre Pleasure with past releases, Jacklin has maintained her personal approach to writing the new songs. This is affirmed in her commitment to writing as much music as is needed and using energy to refine that. “I’m just one of those people who writes 10 songs for a 10song album,” says Jacklin, “I’m not writing heaps and heaps and whittling it down, I’m just working on whatever is going to be recorded, there is a few scraps, I don’t usually finish the song until it’s fully recorded. I’m not very prolific, I haven’t written that many songs in my life really.” The new sound established on Pre Pleasure is something that Jacklin is looking forward to sharing in a live setting. “I’m excited to tour and be with friends again, I’m looking forward to working again. We start the tour on the day it’s released which is cool. Courtney Barnett has curated a festival in America somewhere, that’ll be on the day of the release, which will be cool.” BY JACOB MCCORMACK

Pre Pleasure will be released August 26 via Polyvinyl

mixdownmag.com.au

XS Wireless IEM

About time to level up Make the move to personal monitoring with Sennheiser’s new XS WIRELESS IEM. Defining new standards for simple, flexible, and reliable wireless in-ear monitoring, this system is designed to help you level up your sound – regardless of your experience level. Whether a rehearsal or live performance, on a club stage or for a worship service, benefit from renowned Sennheiser sound and solid wireless reliability packaged into a convenient system – letting you focus on playing your best. www.sennheiser.com/XSW-IEM

PAGE HEADER

Hagstrom Guitars: Showstoppers on Stage and in Film Hagstrom guitars and basses are seen on stages the world over. Since the company pivoted to electric guitars in the late ‘50s, having built up a hugely respected reputation for accordions, Hagstrom has always designed and produced modern and forward-thinking guitar designs. Their history in accordion design becomes more evident in their guitars both aesthetically and sonically the deeper you go. Their designs are unique, feature an unparalleled list of tonal options, as well as looking great on stage, played by the likes of the Foo Fighters, Paramore, and Ghost to name a few. More recently, Hagstrom’s Viking ‘67 II made its pictorial debut in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, the exact guitar in the film having been supplied by Hagstrom’s Australian distributor, Pro Music Australia. The Viking ‘67 II is one of the more recent additions to the Viking range, Hagstrom’s ‘all-rounder’ semi-hollow guitars which are available with a variety of pickups, scale lengths, and colours. The Viking ‘67 II is available in both a Gloss Black finish or Wild Cherry Transparent red, the latter really highlighting the Canadian Flame maple ply that glistens on the guitar’s top. The neck is constructed from the similar Canadian hard maple and bolted onto the semi-hollow body. Hagstrom’s unique designs don’t stop at their aesthetics, the neck features Hagstrom’s H-Expander truss rod along its entire length,

providing superior strength and allowing for more accurate adjustment and a thinner neck. The strength of the H-Expander truss rod, coupled with the composite Resinator wood fretboard make for a distinctly articulate and balanced tone from the guitar. The Resinator wood is more uniform than more natural materials like rosewood or even ebony, so you’re at less risk of imperfections or weaker points of the fretboard affecting the tone across different frets. Adding to the unique sounds of the Hagstrom Viking ‘67 II are the H-52 AlNiCo 5 pickups and Gold Mini Humbuckers for that perfect balance between modern humcancelling and vintage warmth and breakup. Both pickups have coil splits available, and have an independent volume and tone, so you can tweak each and toggle between them via the three-way switch on the lower horn. The Viking ‘67 II is all bark and bite, the gold Hagstrom Trapeze Tail Piece looking great on stage, and the unique six-in-line headstock being an eye-catching but functional addition. While the Viking range, with the Baritone, 12-string, and tremoloequipped Deluxe models available, are plenty to drool at, Hagstrom produces a larger range of both solid and semi-hollow guitars. Some Artist Series models include Impala and Viking models tied to Justin York of Paramore fame, while the Fantomen is a uniquely offset, double-humbucker rock machine that’s slung across the shoulders of Ghost’s Nameless Ghouls. Maybe most famous of all

is the Pat Smear Signature, a reworked incarnation of Hagstrom’s H-Series guitars. More famous standard production models are the Swede and Super Swede, a single cutaway electric available in either solid body or semi-hollow incarnations, while the Impala is a throwback to the ‘60s where guitar builders wanted to give players more tonal options at their fingertips. In addition to rock and blues, Hagstrom is no stranger to jazz, producing a range of Jazz Models with either one or two humbuckers and a single cutaway design for access to those higher frets for chords and voicings that require those giant steps. Most of these guitars feature Hagstrom’s own Resinator wood fretboards, providing balanced sonics and aesthetics across the fretboard. Hagstrom’s H-Expander truss rod keeps your frets level and action as low as you need it! While pickups vary between models, they’re all of Hagstrom’s own design and you can usually find some crafty wiring, routing, or splitting available if the tones produced by Hagstrom’s guitars and basses aren’t unique enough already! Hagstrom manages to pick tonewoods that provide the subtle nuances you need from their massive range, the Jazz and Swede models being warm mahogany while the Viking are various species of maple. Models like the Ultra Max are a mix of both, featuring a maple cap across a mahogany body. More unique additions include bridges and tailpieces of Hagstrom’s own design, coupled with their own tuners, trem arms, and bridges.

Hagstrom is a unique company producing unique guitars. So unique in fact, that a Hagstrom Viking ‘67 II was selected as the biggest star of Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis (in my mind at least) because of its unique and show-stopping good looks. While the Viking ‘67 II is a particularly beautiful guitar, under the hood it features the same design and construction elements that you’ll find across the entire Hagstrom range. Revised truss rod design and refined fretboard materials fill holes in our tone that we never knew we had. A lot of guitar companies produce consistently good guitars, albeit revising the same tried-andtested body shapes and hardware designs. Hagstrom buck this trend by pulling the best of all designs, and revising anything that they decide doesn’t work and overhauling it. This results in consistently good guitars with features you’ll find welcoming and modern, all bundled up into some of the coolest retro-styled guitars on the market. BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

mixdownmag.com.au

AT2040

HYPERCARDIOID DYNAMIC PODCASTING MICROPHONE

Hypercardioid Perfect for recording in a group or in untreated environments

Podcasting, streaming or home recording, you’re guaranteed consistent, broadcast quality results with the AT2040 dynamic microphone. It’s the latest addition to Audio-Technica’s legendary 20 series – the first choice of content creators around the world.

Internal Pop Filter Protect your mic and minimise any ‘popping’ noises

Integrated Shock Mount Reduces vibrations and rumbling while recording

PAGE HEADER

Mall Music’s 40th Anniversary Music retail has gone through a massive change in the 40 years since promoter and artist manager Geoff Bonouvrie set up Mall Music in a tiny store on Sydney’s North Shore with a staff of two. These days, Mall Music is staffed by 28 people over two stores, at Westfield Warringah Mall Shopping Centre in Brookvale and Macquarie Centre in North Ryde, run by his wife Mandy and daughter Simone. But the brand philosophy remains the same: “We never intended to be the biggest, just the best at what we do.” That “best”, explains Digital Marketing Manager Simone Bonouvrie, is expressed in many ways. “It can be about having the best products and the most qualified musicians working at the stores. We are for everyone – a seasonal musician, a professional musician, someone who’s just starting, a hobbyist, or a student. “Right from the start, Geoff set up the stores with a high degree of architectural design to accommodate all customers including Mums with prams, because families buy musical instruments too. Given we’re a family business, we are about our connections with our customers. “When you come into the stores, no matter what level you’re playing at, there are people here who want to have a genuine conversation with you about what’s right for you without being overly sales orientated. You’re going to have a great experience and a positive interaction. You’ll want to feel confident in your purchase. Especially if it’s your first instrument and you’re feeling lost because you don’t quite know what you want. “But you’re going to walk away with the instrument that’s right for you because of all the advice you

got and because we enjoy that interaction with our customers. But having spent quite a lot of money, you’re extremely confident you bought the right one and looking forward to coming back.” Mall Music has won the ARIA Award for Best Retail Store no less than four times. Industry leader Roland set up a Roland Store Experience Centre in the Brookvale store with an interactive store set up featuring Roland instruments and Boss effects and amps. “They had showroom stores in New York, London, Barcelona, and we were the ones for all of Australia,” Geoff says. “It was a great honour for them to select us. “The Roland fitout is a fully interactive showroom in the middle of the store and a Roland representative Pip (Phillip Leason) works here full-time.” Leason, a multi-instrumentalist and producer with a background in rock, electronics, and orchestral, is not there just to sell Roland and Boss products. His after-care includes showing customers getting the most from their gear including the most powerful set-up, getting creative with their compositions and songwriting, tutorials, and how to become better at live performances. “To survive in retail in the digital era you have to have a purpose,” Geoff says. “You can’t survive without a sense of speciality in a particular area. You either have to be the biggest, like a chain store, or be the biggest online store, or you have to stand out for another purpose. The reason we

stand out is because we have that relationship with Roland and Boss. “We’ve been selling their products for the last 50 years but the experience store started in 2021 during the Covid lockdown.” Many 40th anniversary initiatives will be rolled out through this year. One of these will be school showcases at the Westfield shopping centre in spring. “It’s a grassroots initiative that Mall Music does with schools in the area,” Simone says. There are jazz bands, orchestras, strings… Coming out of Covid, it’ll be really special because they haven’t done it for a few years. It gives the students a platform to perform in a non-competitive environment.” Live performances are an integral part of Mall Music. When it began as a record store selling vinyl, cassettes, and CDs, Geoff says that Mall Music was the first in Australia to introduce in-store appearances and record signing sessions to generate sales. “We had Icehouse, Tim Freedman, James Morrison, Angus & Julia Stone, Pete Murray, Delta Goodrem, Tommy Emmanuel, and international acts such as Michael Bublé, Julian Lennon, Willie Nelson, and Kelly Clarkson. The live music link began with Geoff’s start in the music industry. While studying business in Bathurst, NSW, at what is now Charles Sturt University, he started booking Sydney bands to play at the college. After he finished his course, a booking agent he used, Bob Yates, invited him to join his Balmain Music agency. He tour-managed Mi-Sex whom Yates managed, and looked after music venues Yates ran.

the careers of Midnight Oil, INXS, and Flowers. At the time Geoff’s ambition was to become a pro surfer, but late night gigs didn’t fit in with early morning swells so he figured buying a record store would allow him to catch the early waves first. A local music lover named Mandy used to come in and buy records. “She was my best customer so I thought I’d better marry her,” Geoff quips. Mandy became the Managing Director of the Macquarie Centre when it opened in 2014. “I was virtually born on the floor of a music store,” Simone laughs. Also a pianist, she began working behind the counter at a young age. She played keyboard in a local band, and with a Bachelor of Business, built a career building e-commerce strategies for other businesses. Home is where the heart is however, so she says she’s always drawn back to Mall Music and is excited to manage the business for the next 30 years. When CDs began to decline, Mall Music let go of physical music formats and expanded its musical instrument department. It cites its close association with major brands, convenient locations, and using top musicians for its current and future success. The new head of EMI Music Australia, Mark Holland, was a buyer at Mall Music. Fess Parker of The Radiators has been its guitar tech for 15 years. “He’s the best, and people are happy to wait for a guitar set-up by Fess, from the average punter to the well-known rock star.” BY CHRISTIE ELIEZER

The biggest of these was the Royal Antler in Narrabeen (now the Sands Hotel), the sweaty boisterous pub which launched

mixdownmag.com.au

At Home.

Anywhere.

BUILT FOR BIG THINGS Jacob Stibbie | Lead Guitar | Abstract Feedback

INTRODUCING THE NEW ZOOM G6 MULTI-EFFECTS PROCESSOR With state of the art amp modeling, powerful multi effects, and a touch screen interface, the G6 delivers what you need to take your sound with you, anywhere you go.

We’re For Creators

PAGE HEADER

Breedlove Guitars are Back in Australia Breedlove Guitars came to prominence right as the Unplugged phenomenon of the ‘90s was really taking hold, as even non-acoustic players began to think, ‘Hmm, maybe I need a really nice acoustic instead of the cheap basher I’ve been dragging to the beach’. The company’s Concert shape rapidly became a classic, and this distinctive cutaway outline informs the four models in the company’s line-up today. But for a while it was impossible to buy a Breedlove locally in Australia. Now Amber Technology has taken on the Breedlove line in Australia, right in time for a new collection designed to reflect the guitar-maker’s commitment to ecologically friendly, sustainable luthiery. “The team at Amber is pleased to welcome Breedlove Guitars into our musical instrument portfolio,” Amber Technology managing director Peter Amos says. “Breedlove offers guitarists a unique opportunity to combine music with environment, and we look forward to working with the Breedlove team.” Designed in Breedlove’s Bend, Oregon HQ with Chief Product Designer Angela Christensen – who apprenticed under company co-founder Kim Breedlove – the ECO Collection is built using exclusively clear-cut free, salvaged, and individually harvested native and exotic tonewoods. Breedlove owner Tom Bedell personally took it upon himself to visit forests the world over to source raw materials from local families, mills, and suppliers, with the aim of preserving and protecting the world’s forest habitats and the communities

who strive to peacefully coexist alongside them. The line is built around a specially formulated laminate featuring a resonant core tonewood layer of clear-cut free, individually harvested African mahogany, rather than the softer, less musical woods used in standard guitar manufacturing. Breedlove says that this, combined with their research into body shapes, allows the company to build to a target tonewood weight. All ECO Collection guitars feature Breedlove’s pinless bridge design. “For the first time, this new collection allows musicians to play in an environmentally friendly way featuring a solid top guitar with vibrant, renewable, sound enhancing EcoTonewood back and sides,” Breedlove owner Tom Bedell says. “The new Breedlove Discovery S, Pursuit Exotic S, and all-African mahogany Rainforest S models feature fully sustainable, integrated tonewood technology, meaning that great, affordable, natural sound can be good for the earth, too.” The Breedlove ECO Collection is arranged into three models at ascending price points. The beginner-friendly Discovery S Series, the Rainforest S Series which Breedlove says is designed to honour the sounds of the Congo River Basin (in multiple finishes including Papillon, Midnight Blue, Black Gold, and

Orchid), and the Pursuit Exotic S Series, which features a TUSQ nut and saddle along with the most eye-catching of tops including koa and myrtlewood. Side-mounted Fishman Presys I electronics (with built-in tuner, volume, contour and phase controls) are included. Amber is of course also importing Breedlove’s USA-Made in Bend instruments, which are handcrafted, handvoiced, and Sound Optimized – Breedlove’s proprietary system for carefully matching tops and backs sanded to weight, not thickness, and tuned to target frequencies for tone, projection, and sustain. Breedlove was founded in 1990 when pioneering California luthiers Larry Breedlove and Steve Henderson left their jobs at Taylor Guitars in San Diego County and headed for the rural vibe of Tumalo, Oregon, just northwest of Bend, opening a shop in what was basically an old barn. In forging their own identity Breedlove developed advances such as graduated tops, bridge trusses, asymmetrical headstocks, and winged bridges. The company Two Old Hippies, led by Tom Bedell, bought Breedlove in 2010, after the workshop had already been moved into Bend. A larger facility was opened in 2012 and remains the home of the USAMade In Bend guitars, crafting around two thousand instruments a year all by hand, by a team of nearly three-dozen craftspeople. The Breedlove Sound Optimization process is a good example of the innovation that happens behind the scenes so that when you strum a chord, you feel a living, breathing instrument. The process involved experienced

luthiers meticulously tapping, listening, and shaving away tiny curls of tonewood to target specific, measurable frequencies to make each instrument hit its tonal sweet-spot. Each species of wood is carefully milled, weighed, and evaluated, tuning backs and tops not only to each other, but with consideration to the specific qualities of each guitar shape. When Christensen designs a guitar, she’s thinking not only of the set of variables that can be controlled by Sound Optimization, but also the unique relationship between an instrument’s body shape and size and the dimension of the soundhole and how those parameters interact with specific pieces of wood. “Breedlove has continued, really, from the dreams of Larry and Steve,” Bedell says. “Everything we’re doing today is still based on innovation and customisation. Those are the themes that inspire us. We’re constantly learning. It’s just this real passion to create the best sounding instruments possible. “A big part of Breedlove’s history has to do with redefining body shapes. We keep the very first Concert (which Bedell acquired from Larry Breedlove) ever made on display in the lobby!” The Breedlove ECO Collection is arriving at selected reseller partners now, and Amber Technology will release the Breedlove Made In Bend range later in the year. BY PETER HODGSON

mixdownmag.com.au

PAGE HEADER

NU-X’s Conquering Verdugo Series of Stompboxes NU-X is fast becoming a pedal company that is featured on everyone’s board. Rising in popularity thanks to their pedalboard-friendly mini pedals, as well as their larger two-button stompboxes and multi-effects units like the Cerberus, NU-X make quality pedals affordable for every player. The Verdugo range of pedals speaks to these values more than any other NU-X series. Most recently, the Vergudo range has welcomed the addition of Amp Academy, a stompbox-sized amp modeller, and the Tape Echo pedal, which is a, uh... tape echo.

AMP ACADEMY NU-X’s Amp Academy pedal is a fully configurable amp modelling stompbox. It features two multi-function foot switches that can help you navigate the Amp Academy’s long list of amp options, even beyond what you can adjust on one of the eight knobs on the pedal’s main chassis, which itself is finished in a textured black with a golden faceplate. On the faceplate itself, you have familiar controls such as presence, gain, and boost, as well as master output and three-band EQ via the bass, middle, and treble. The Amp Academy can be run direct via XLR or to an amplifier via the power amp, or both! The Amp Academy also features an effects loop to use external effects – like a tape echo!

TAPE ECHO NU-X’s Tape Echo is listed as a tribute to the Space Echo, one of the most popular effects in the history of recorded music. The Tape Echo features two switches, one to turn your selected effect on, and a tap tempo switch. Both

mixdownmag.com.au

switches are multi-function for rec/play/dub and ‘hold for sub. D/ MS’ toggles display options for delay subdivisions. The Tape Echo has EQ to control how bright or dark your delay is, as well as time, repeat, and level to help you push your sound into saturated, warped, and tapey oblivion! There’s the classic reverb control as well, an overlooked element in the classic Space Echo tone. The Amp Academy and Tape Echo add to an already comprehensive line-up in the Verdugo Series of stompboxes from NU-X. While they hone in on more specific sounds (the Amp Academy honing in a massive list of sounds and allowing you to hone in further on presets), the existing range brings plenty to the table, giving you both ‘alwayson’ style effects and charming and characterful sounds for hooks, leads, and unique sounds.

ACE OF TONE The Ace of Tone is a simple dual overdrive stompbox. Featuring two on/off switches and independent drive, level, and tone switches, the Ace of Tone really is an ace up the sleeve. It acts as a subtle amp driver and a lead-boost in one, or a lead-boost and leadboost-boost in one. The left circuit has a fat boost for more body and warmth, while the right circuit has a shine boost to add presence, shine, and sparkle.

FIREMAN While on the subject of gain, it’s difficult to move past the famous brown sound distortion, and the Fireman pedal that honours it. The Fireman has a switch to

toggle between A/B modes and a separate on/off switch. On board are independent volume and gain controls, and universal bass, treble, presence, and tight controls.

DUO TIME While the Tape Echo can handle vintage delay fine, the Duo Time can handle everything else, from spacious ‘80s stereo delay to modern, glassy, sparkling echoes. It has two independent delays on board, allowing for true stereo delay or jittering mono delay that folds in on itself.

ATLANTIC Continuing in the delay trend, the Atlantic is a combo delay/reverb pedal, with each effect having separate controls. The delay has toggle-able ‘60s (tape), ‘70s (bucket brigade), and ‘80s (digital) delay styles, as well as spring, plate, and hall reverbs.

MASAMUNE Once you’ve used any one of the other Verdugo range to shape and transform your tone, it can be boosted and compressed with the Masamune. The Masamune features separate on/off switches for the boost and ‘komp’, as well as handy controls to quickly dial in an extra little push. The Masamune rounds out the collection of more conventional pedals, but continuing on we have a bass preamp and DI, looper, some acoustic pedals, and a rotary speaker pedal.

ROCTARY The cleverly named Roctary simulates a Leslie cabinet. It also gives more control over the octaves being shifted and blended

into the sound, which is largely how Leslie cabinets sound the way they do. The Roctary has six controls for the Leslie simulation, as well as independent octave up and octave down controls for the octave effect.

MLD BASS PREAMP + DI Melvin Lee Davis is one of the most famous bass players of the modern world, having penned the theme for Soul Train and being the musical director for Chaka Khan. His signature Bass Preamp is a simple tone-shaping stompbox with drive and EQ, as well as impulse response options on either the 1⁄4” out or XLR out.

STAGEMAN FLOOR + OPTIMA AIR ACOUSTIC PEDALS Preamps and DIs are equally important for acoustic players. The Stageman offers tone shaping EQ and gain, as well chorus and reverb, all of which can be routed to either the XLR or 1⁄4” output. If even this is too much, the Optima Air does away with acoustic guitars completely by simulating them with handy impulse responses and tone shaping controls.

JTC DRUM + LOOP PRO Finally, the range is rounded out with a looper, the JTC Drum + Loop pedal. Functioning as a standalone looper, the JTC differs in that it offers drum loop options with recallable settings and presets. Control your rhythm level, loop level, and time signature from your pedal board! BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

PAGE HEADER

Talkin’ Wood with Martin Guitars Any seasoned studio engineer knows that a good acoustic guitar can be the glue that sticks a great track together. Whether adding a little percussive jangle or sitting front and centre in the mix, there’s a certain charm about acoustics that’s tough to replicate with any other instrument – stringed or otherwise – making them essential for any producer’s sonic toolkit. While there’s an abundance of acoustic guitars out there that’ll serve this purpose, there’s one particular brand that presents a little more prominently from the pack. With a legacy that spans nearly two centuries, Martin Guitars are a titanic force within the stringed instrument sector, and there are few studio applications where their workhorses won’t hold steady. However, with a 180-year history comes a vast catalogue of creations, and as such, it can be tough to know where to start with this cherished maker. Here, we break down some of Martin’s most iconic acoustic models, assessing how factors like tonewood, body shape, and even string choice can alter their recorded sound.

SHAPING THE SOUND When we think acoustic, the shape that probably first springs to mind is that of the dreadnought: a classic, wide-shouldered beast with a bold tone and plenty of volume. Martin were actually the originators of the dreadnought shape back in 1916, and since then, it’s been key to their brand identity. Chief among Martin’s dreadnought fleet is none other than the D-28, which holds the title as the most recorded acoustic guitar in history. From Bob Dylan and the Beatles

through to Johnny Cash and Joni Mitchell, this high-end model has carved quite a legacy for itself as a distinctive sonic workhorse. Not to be overshadowed, the D-18 is also worthy of a mention in the dreadnought category. It’s best recognised in the hands of Kurt Cobain and Neil Young, while more contemporary aficionados include Jason Isbell, Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold, and Australia’s own Dan Sultan and Matt Corby. These models are incredibly studio friendly, and with a bit of clever micing, you’ll barely need to reach for the EQ when mixing. While lacking the broad dimensions of the dreadnought, the Orchestral Model, or 000 body shapes, certainly don’t lack in dynamics and deliver a gorgeous, articulate tone, making it a favourite among fingerpickers. Notable players include John Mayer and Eric Clapton, and that kind of pedigree really says all you need to know about this shape. ‘Warmth’ is an adjective that’s typically derided among most musical types, but there’s no denying that Martin’s depressionera style models are certainly fitting of the description. Guitars like the 000-15M are beloved for their woody, mellow tone, which can be largely attributed to their all-mahogany construction. With such a gorgeous tone and effortless playability, it’s little wonder why alternative heroes like City and Colour, John Frusciante, and Thom Yorke have relied on them so heavily for their acoustic output.

For those wanting a bit more of an eclectic aesthetic and daring tone, the more contemporary SC-13E is also worth a shout, with its oblique cutaway and distinctive neck join allowing for fretboard reach that few other acoustic models can provide. Tonally balanced and oh-so-comfortable, this new series is suitable for strummers and pluckers alike.

TESTING TONEWOODS Some may claim that tone is all in the fingertips, but any seasoned operator knows that tonewood plays a huge role in a guitar’s recorded sound, particularly that of the soundboard. Evidently, the most popular acoustic top timber is spruce, which dishes up a broad dynamic range and plenty of resonance whether strummed or plucked. Mahogany and koa are also quite common, and are arguably better suited to smaller body shapes due to their rich midrange characteristics. Mahogany is also frequently found used as a back and side timber, and proves to be a suitable foil for the dynamic range of most spruce variants. Beyond the traditional rosewood variations, there are many species to explore including; maple, cocobolo, and, koa ebony which have their own unique character when implemented for the back and sides, so make sure you research the sonic characteristics of each timber before you take the plunge.

DO STRINGS MATTER? It might seem hard to believe, but there’s no denying strings play a mighty role in your overall acoustic tone. Not only do they affect brightness and output, but

inferior strings can also have an impact on neck comfort, which can prove a hindrance during long studio hours. In most scenarios, Phosphor Bronze strings will produce a wellrounded tone that retains evenness once worn in, while Treated strings are a better option for longer sessions where upholding tonal integrity is crucial. Other alloys, materials and gauges are worth exploring and can have a greater influence on the tone of the guitar, especially Monel which is utilised in the Retro range, whereas developments in Flexible Core or Titanium Core are also practical for comfort and offer superior tuning stability, meaning you can shred away without any fatigue. Finally, it should be noted that plectrums also matter. If you haven’t toyed around with finding the perfect pick for you, it’s well worth the investment – we’d urge you to try Martin’s asymmetrical Contour pick if you’re keen to see how different bevels impact your tone. Likewise, Martin’s Luxe Liquid Metal bridge pins are a worthy upgrade for any acoustic aficionado, delivering a subtle boost to brightness and volume that will really go the distance in a recorded setting. We haven’t even managed to cover all the best ways to mic up or mix a Martin, but hey – we’ll leave that up to you. Experimenting in the studio is one of the greatest joys of being a musician, and we wouldn’t want to rob that experience from anyone. BY WILL BREWSTER

mixdownmag.com.au

SEE FENDER.COM FOR DETAILS >>

AT PARTICIPATING DEALERS, PURCHASE A BUTTERSCOTCH BLONDE ACOUSTASONIC® PLAYER TELECASTER® BETWEEN AUGUST 10, 2022, AND SEPTEMBER 30, 2022, AND RECEIVE A FREE ACOUSTASONIC™ 40 AMPLIFIER. TERMS & CONDITIONS APPLY, SEE FENDER.COM FOR DETAILS.

PAGE HEADER

Recording King: Spirit Of The South You may have seen Recording King acoustic guitars and resonator guitars out there in the wild (if you go to acoustic blues gigs it’s literally only a matter of time) but what a lot of people don’t know is that the brand has quite the legacy. The brand was originally created in the 1930s as a house brand for Montgomery Ward, the American mail-order retailer. Now owned by The Music Link Corporation in Hayward, California, Recording King guitars are distributed in Australia by EGM Distribution, who are currently wading through a massive pile of new arrivals and new models. The new Recording King instruments are crammed with top-end vintage and modern appointments including solid rosewood and solid mahogany woods, Adirondack spruce tops, herringbone, tortoise-shell binding, Fishman electronics, hand-spun European resonator cones, and distressed authentic bell brass bodies. First, for those who are new to the wonderfully weird world of guitar, a resonator guitar features a spun metal cone in the centre of the body towards which the bridge directs the string energy and this is what amplifies the sound, compared to a traditional acoustic guitar with a sound hole where the string energy is directed to making the top vibrate. The original idea was to create a guitar that punched through the brash blast of a band back in the pre-amplification days, and it’s a sound that evokes a certain rustic vibe, a rattly, brash, slightly honky voice that works great for slide guitar and finger-picked patterns. It’s also a sound that still has its 28

place today, and while you’ll hear a lot of resonators in country and blues, there’s no rule that says you can’t use a resonator for whatever you want. It may even help you stand out in a unique way. So now that we’ve got that little crash-course out of the way for the beginners, let’s look at Recording King’s resonator models: these vintage-vibed, classic-toned instruments are best exemplified by the Swamp Dog, an eyecatching style-0 instrument with a heavily distressed bell brass body that looks like it’s been dragged out of the mud, cleaned up, and taught to sing. The weathered, oxidised patina gives you the vibe of a well-loved old instrument from the second you pick it up, but it’s all cosmetic: this is still a finely crafted guitar, even if it looks like it’s seen some stuff. The other resonator guitars in the lineup don’t look like they’ve seen decades in a boggy marsh before being cleaned up to entertain boozed-up blues crowds. In fact some of them, like the Phil Leadbetter Signature Squareneck Resonator look downright elegant. This bespoke model for the multiple IBMA Dobro Player of the Year is a wood body squareneck resonator made of highly flamed maple with an interior bracing pattern specifically guided and chosen by Phil himself, featuring Recording King’s European handspun spider cone and a sandcast spider bridge.

The Rattlesnake Small Body Resonator has an all-mahogany body, a thin “C” neck shape, padauk fretboard, and the option of a Fishman Nashville pickup. The Round Neck Maxwell Series Mahogany Resonator Guitar is a relatively straightforward but very characterful instrument with mahogany top, back, and sides, and parallelogram soundwell, specifically designed to give the instrument a crisp attack with minimal overtones, perfect for cutting through a band mix. There are two more bell brass models: the 993 with Nickel Plated Bell Brass Parlor Resonator, and the larger and very eye-catching 991 with Tricone bell. These are the metal-bodied, shiny-lookin’ resonators everyone who ever looked at the cover of Brothers In Arms will feel an immediate pang of recognition for. Recording King also makes plenty of traditional, soundholesporting acoustic guitars across the G6 Series, the Series 11, and Tonewood Reserve series. The G6 series is the most affordable, with the styling veering towards the crisp and modern without getting all uppity about it. These are simplified but not simple instruments.

Series 11 covers two models, both in a gloriously earthy Tobacco Sunburst finish: a Size 0 and a Size 000, each with a solid spruce top, mahogany back and sides and with an ultra thin ZeroVOC satin finish, which is more environmentally friendly than traditional polyurethane and can be sprayed much thinner. These guitars feature Fishman Sonitone electronics. Finally the Tonewood Reserve Series features four instruments which incorporate beautiful aged Adirondack tops across two shapes (dreadnought and 000) with the option of select mahogany back and sides (these models are denoted with the code 318) or select solid rosewood (328). These are the real fancypants, luxury-appointed models with herringbone purfling, triple-ring rosette, and elegantly understated fretboard dots (double dots on both the 12th and 7th fret positions for that vintage vibe). BY PETER HODGSON

The small-bodied G6 Single 0 covers your parlour-guitar, bright-midrange needs, while the larger 000 allows you to get more intricate and detailed with your phrasing and tone. There are also pickup-equipped dreadnought and auditorium guitars in the series, each with cutaways for upper fret access, and a Fishman Presys preamp.

mixdownmag.com.au

PAGE HEADER

Integrate Expo 2022:

Everything you need to know Integrate Expo, a hub for the AV industry with opportunities to see new products, attend talks, network with fellow integrators, and get a feel for what’s coming next in the industry is happening in person for the first time in three years this month. After a challenging time for a large portion of the AV industry, this trade show extravaganza is back in full force, this year teaming up with the annual Security Expo trade show which will uncover further opportunities for AV and networking integrations to the wider industry.

Soren: What makes me and the team tick is actually delivering events. Even though we’ve tried to do so for the last couple of years, we haven’t been able to do that physically. We have delivered a couple of digital versions of Integrate but it’s not quite the same as in person.

To fill you in about what’s happening at Integrate Expo 2022 happening at the ICC Sydney ICC (International Convention Centre) on August 17-19, we had the pleasure of chatting with Soren Norgaard, Integrate’s Commercial Manager for an overview of the expo, what an average punter would expect to gain from going, and a preview of this year’s Women’s Council.

The key thing for us is reuniting the industry, because the industry hasn’t been together for quite some time. I was lucky enough to attend an overseas event ISE (Integrated Systems Europe) and there was a real buzz just getting back together and there’s quite a lot of things that have happened in the industry over those two years since we last held an event in person. The whole situation around AV technology when it comes to working remotely and how it plays into that, there’s a lot of technology that has come into that space.

Mixdown: Hi Soren, what are you most looking forward to from this year’s Integrate Expo?

The key thing is getting the industry back together and creating an event for the industry. Would you be able to tell us about this event? This is the first time we’ve been able to produce a physical event in three years. It’s not for lack of trying or willingness to run a live event. We tried to get one off the ground last year but there was a new variant that hit, things got locked down again and it just became too difficult with the whole interstate thing, getting the industry together with reluctance to travel and fear of getting stuck in another city. It’s pretty exciting, we’re in the position where we managed to pull together quite a nice balanced showcase of who’s who within the industry. It’s also the first time we’ve run the Integrate and Security expo’s side by side. So there’s a fair bit of crossover between those two brands and there’s a reason why we’re doing that. Can you elaborate on the Security Expo collaboration?

That show is about biometrics, CCTV, access control, and even a lot of AI-driven technology. Stuff that overarches between the two, big control rooms and control centres, where you’ve got large amounts of panels and monitors. Those control rooms could be anywhere from shopping centres to authorities such as fire departments and police and are a good example of how AV and security work together. There’s also more of a focus on networks and network security. A lot of the big integrators and consultants, when they’re setting up smart buildings or smart cities, they’re operating in both the security and AV universes anyhow. As a punter, what would I expect to gain from attending? You would gain product knowledge first hand. You would be able to learn about what’s happening from an industry and trends perspective. There’s a fair bit of education happening at the event with a big tech talks theatre with over 14 hours of content over three days which ranges the

mixdownmag.com.au

INTEGRATE EXPO 2022

whole gamut of AV – be it audio, displays, unified communications, state of the industry panel, challenges the industry has faced from supply chain. A lot of people are struggling to finish projects due to componentry and lead times that are quite expensive. I think the networking aspect is very key, having conversations with like-minded people. A lot of the conversations will go, ‘This is the challenge I had’ and someone will pipe in and go, ‘I had that problem a few years ago and this is how I solved it’, so it’s a communal platform for sharing knowledge. It’s really hard to actually get hands-on experience with a physical product in a virtual space. It’s not the same as hopping on YouTube and looking at a product demonstration as you’re not getting that physical feedback. You’ll pick up things you didn’t expect because you’re not going there with a specific product in mind. Expect the unexpected! One of the 14 hours of content is the Women’s Council panel. Can you speak to that and also diversity within the AV industry? The AV industry, like many others in the tech space, is dominated by males and the latest stat I heard was around nine per cent of people in the AV industry are female. It’s actually a really good career path and there are lots of opportunities. We’re trying to promote and spread a greater understanding amongst females how they can get into the industry. Every year we have a panel that addresses that and you can hear from some of the females who have been successful and enjoyed a great career in that space. This year the theme is break the bias – which is also the International Women’s Day theme – and it’s a recognition that the gender bias still exists in society, workplaces, and even subconsciously in many minds. The panellists talk about this and how they’ve overcome some of those challenges, things to be mindful of, and encourage younger women into the industry. BY SAM MCNIECE

FIVE MUST SEE CONFERENCES AND EXHIBITORS State of the Industry Kicking things off in a jam-packed three-day schedule is a discussion on the current state of the AV industry post-pandemic as far as market changes, emerging trends, and the application of AV products are concerned. Featuring on the panel to dissect the industry’s “new normal” is Christopher Holder (Alchemedia Publishing), Andrew Upshon (Dicker Data), Graham Barrett (Harman Professional), Jonathan Seller (Avixa), and Rashid Skaf (Biamp Systems). Wednesday August 17, 10:00-10:50

Hybrid Workplace: Is it Here to Stay? Early discussions were had about the hybrid workplace at Integrate Virtual in 2021 surrounding the exit from lockdown, but with many businesses back to normal operation, what place does that hold in the AV industry moving forward?

AI – Its Impact Now and in the Future of an Organisation The rise and rise of AI has been no secret for a while, and Dr Catriona Wallace of the Gradient Institute in the Security Expo will present the state of the market for AI, IoT, cybersecurity, and 5G, and share how organisations should think about the digital transformation of their current operations and people. Dr Wallace discusses the role of big tech, the good and the bad, and how the ‘Ethical Leader’ must emerge. Wednesday August 17, 11:10-12:00

Teleportivity As Australia’s worker shortage bites into the economy, Australian-owned business Teleportivity, is rapidly expanding into the US market with its locally developed Video Concierge Cloud Platform.

With flexible working arrangements in demand, this panel will focus on how the workspace has changed and how it is going to affect demand, while also exploring how the changes are going to affect design and how AV can evolve to integrate tech and space.

The system allows front of house staff to appear live via a screen, and then jump from screen to screen to assist in navigating through a space. The system has been installed in major US airports such as JFK and Boston and major hospitals.

Wednesday August 17, 11:00-11:50

The company will be exhibiting its latest tech at the Integrate Exhibition at the ICC in Sydney from August 17-19.

Supply Chain Challenges and Future Outlook Following the Women’s Council is an issue that has plagued many, if not most businesses worldwide: supply chain. This panel will discuss the challenges and issues that the AV industry is faced with and the future outlook, while assessing how it impacts businesses and designs, and in turn, changes thinking and operational needs. “In a world that is uncertain, how they find some form of certainty in their business and design.” Thursday August 18, 11:00-11:50

mixdownmag.com.au

PAGE HEADER

Perreaux: From Small Town Beginnings to Global Hi-Fi Success Who doesn’t love a classic underdog story, an unexpected rising of a star. If there was ever such a story to be told from within the upper echelons of the professional Hi-Fi and pro audio industries, it would have to be the story of Perreaux. For those unfamiliar, Perreaux is one of the world’s leading handcrafted preamplifier, power amplifier, and loudspeaker manufacturers, but unlike the majority of other world class manufacturers who typically operate and build their products in Europe, North America, and parts of Asia, Perreaux are owned and operated in a rather more remote corner of the globe.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS Founded by Peter Perreaux in the town of Napier, New Zealand in 1974, Perreaux has always prided itself on producing the most meticulously designed and manufactured audio equipment. Starting with the now legendary GS 2002 integrated Class A transistor Hi-Fi amplifier, Perreaux’s no compromise approach speaks directly to the company’s success and longevity. The magical combination of hand-built quality, carefully selected parts, rigorous testing, and a healthy dose of kiwi ingenuity captured the attention of big wigs in both the audiophile and pro audio communities, with this little known audio company from down under quickly setting the standard for power, performance, and personality. To set the scene, 1970s New Zealand was rather quiet, remote and, well, pretty darn quiet. With virtually all manufacturing of goods done domestically, for the domestic market, New Zealand had very little importing of goods. The chances of securing exporting deals at the time were challenging

to say the least, so those starting a business on home soil were confronted with the stark reality of manufacturing in a small country in a remote corner of the globe. But for Peter Perreaux, it seemed only a $1,000 investment was all he needed to get started.

EXPORT SUCCESS After introducing several successful products in the mid 1970s such as the aforementioned GS 2002 integrated preamplifier, the 4004A – a dual output mono/ stereo switchable 40W integrated amplifier, and the 2100 EXR / 2200 EXR / SP 100 – separate power amps and control consoles, Perreaux managed to secure grants to develop exporting to Australia and the Americas. What became abundantly clear about Perreaux early on was the fastidious design and quality of their products. Through the 1980s, Perreaux was considered the only pro audio manufacturer to not only handpick components (such as their transistors) but to also mill, bevel, and etch all their own metal work. This gave them a distinct and authentically “hand crafted” edge over their numerous competitors. Perreaux’s unparalleled highquality components selection from their handpicked transistors through to their high conductivity 24 karat circuit boards, it was evident that Peter Pereraux was never going to settle for designing and building anything less than a platinum product, in the truest sense of the word. And it is with this in mind that Perreaux products earned its comparisons to wellknown German automobiles – sleek, and meticulously constructed and engineered.

DECADES OF WORLDRENOWNED REPUTATION Having started from an impressive yet humble 22W per channel

Hi-Fi amplifier, for decades after Perreaux has designed and hand-built countless other world-renowned audio products. Throughout the latter half of the ‘70s Perreaux introduced their first horn-loaded sound reinforcement systems and the impressive SA80B power amplifier, released in 1979. Perreaux never being one to shy away from new technology, the SA80B was an early Perreaux product to incorporate MOSFET technology, which they had imported from Japan. This allowed their designs to benefit by combining the sound quality of valve/tube based designs with the efficiency and compactness of solid state transistor designs. The SA80B became a main export product for the company. Into the 1980s, products such as the Model II preamplifier were introduced, as well as the immensely powerful 8000B twochannel power amplifier which was introduced in 1982 – often found powering monitor speakers in recording studios, providing a monolithic 500W per side. Other iconic products included the PMF2150B power amplifier, the cherished SM2 Class-A preamplifier, as well as the sleek Silhouette SX1 Hi-Fi amplifier (1985). Lastly, the SM3 preamplifier, TU3 tuner, and PMF 3150 power amplifier were a dominant trifecta in the mid to late ‘80s. While the designs and aesthetics of Perreaux were quintessentially classic for the ‘70s and ‘80s, they made bold strides into the 1990s with the iconic SM6 “Dog bone” preamplifier. Very much the Rolls Royce of the Hi-Fi world, the SM6 was equally visually striking as it was musical sounding, with matching 200, 350, and 6150 “Dog bone” power amplifiers, it was a series that held its own throughout the decade and into

the 2000s. The SM6P “winged” design with matching 250p and 350p power amplifiers provided a more modest aesthetic to the range, while being immensely popular too.

THE MODERN ERA The Perreaux of today indeed stays true to its rich and renowned history and reputation of being one of the most scrupulous audio designers and manufacturers. Its diverse yet concentrated range of current products includes six preamplifier/power amplifiers, with the SM6 MKII preamplifier being at the forefront of the catalogue, but also includes a mammoth 750W mono block power amplifier, with customisable colours being the name of the game. The three integrated amplifiers range from 80W through to a whopping 300W and the two floor standing speakers (being 2-way and 3-way models) offer pristine sound reproduction as well as a wildly customisable colour palette. With such a rich history and a story that went against all the odds, this now prestigious audio company from Napier, New Zealand has well and truly earned their spot among some of the biggest names in the business. Having risen to successfully exporting to overseas markets in an otherwise domestically dominated manufacturing environment in the 1970s, is a testament to the quality of Perreaux’s products, as well as a profound understanding of the fiercely competitive markets in which they have very much established themselves a part of. It would seem that hand-crafted in New Zealand really does hold its own. BY ANDY LLOYD-RUSSELL

mixdownmag.com.au

PAGE HEADER

Capturing Drums with Audix It’s 2022 and everybody is an audio engineer (or so they will have you believe). But there is still one area that has grown to become something of a metaphorical dividing line, separating the ‘dedicated hobbyist’ from the ‘legitimate audio engineer’ and that is in the micing of acoustic drum kits in the open air.

microphones, a fact that is made even more impressive when you realise that all research, design, fabrication, assembly, final testing, and logistics operations take place in their homebase of Wilson, Oregon.

For many engineers, drums are the instrument where skills and equipment are constantly put to the test with the drum kit providing a steady stream of challenges, both technical and practical.

The brand’s drumpacks in particular have emerged as something of an industry standard in both the live and studio domains and successfully showcase Audix’s strengths as a utilitarian force in the world of instrument mics.

For starters, you are dealing with one of the loudest sources of all in terms of general sound pressure level, with the ability to shred mic capsules and blow preamps with ease. If that’s not enough to make durability a legitimate concern, then we have the added reality that any microphone we hope to use to capture said instrument will most likely be placed in extremely close proximity to a mad person waving a stick.

“I think with the DP7 drum pack in particular, we just landed on something that was just so adept at the task at hand. A stowable, affordable option, featuring unique, durable microphones with user-friendly voicings that paired well with so many PA’s and recording situations.

“For us, it’s always about durability first and foremost, even more so when drums are concerned,’’ remarks Dave Watson, Brand Specialist at PAVT, the Australian home for Audix Microphones. “Drum mics tend to live a pretty rugged existence, whether bumping in and out on a nightly basis in the live domain, or catching a loose drumstick in a recording situation, they are constantly put in harm’s way, which is why build quality is so important when it comes to instrument mics.” This American manufacturer has slowly but surely developed a reputation for providing affordable and exceedingly durable

mixdownmag.com.au

“The fact that the DP7 also includes what is arguably one or our most famous and versatile microphones is just another cherry on top given the price point.” The cherry that Dave is referring to is Audix’s much-loved D6 Kick Mic, a cardioid, large diaphragm dynamic mic best known as the sound of modern metal and rock which takes centre stage in many of the brand’s drumpacks. An atypically voiced microphone with an inimitable attack, the D6 became something of a favourite among live and studio engineers alike for its ‘pre-EQ’d’ voicing, which eschew muddy low mids in favour of a robust low end, and a hyper-defined attack, ideal for modern kick sounds. It’s also one of the few modern microphones that can legitimately lay claim to being a certified classic.

“One of my favourite aspects of the D6 is that it takes the place of a kick in and kick out mic in one. You can get everything you need from the one mic. “In terms of live, if you have a well-tuned system, you can come in cold and with basically a flat EQ, you can be up and running in seconds. In the studio, you have an extremely unique and versatile microphone that can be applied creatively to any number of instruments beyond just kick drums.” This brings us to one of the biggest challenges of all when capturing the drum kit. Even if we are just to think about it at purely a frequency/transient level, the modern drum kit still offers potentially the broadest spectrum of differing sonic envelopes housed in any single instrument – a veritable perfect storm of diasporic tone sources and wildly diverse timbral/dynamic characteristics differentiating one piece of the kit from the next. For Dave, this is one of the main points of difference between the stage and the recording studio. “On stage, it’s all about ruggedness and sound reinforcement. Letting the close mics do the heavy lifting. In the studio, where everything is much more critical, it’s more of a balancing act between the overheads and the close mics and this means a more tactful approach to microphone selection.” Add to that, our hyper-realistic preconceptions of how drums are supposed to sound, both on record and in the live domain, and it’s easy to understand why engineers put so much thought into capturing the drum kit in as versatile a fashion as possible.

It’s generally the instrument that requires the most surgery and heavy-handed processing to sit right, while also serving as the primary reference point to which all other sounds are crafted. This translates to more mics, often in various shapes, sizes, and topographies, accounting for the differing voices of the kit, the need to offset both farfield and nearfield placements, and the inevitable balancing act taking place at the fader and in post. It’s these differences in approach regarding the nearfield and farfield in particular and the inherent nakedness of the open air that Dave believes really separates micing for the stage to that of the studio. “Whereas a lot of the dynamics like the D6 and i5 really parlay across live and studio equally well, I think it’s mostly the quality and precision of the overheads that really make or break a drum sound in the studio. “The DP Elite 8 features the SCX1C’s for overheads and they are beautiful mics, ideal for when that extra level of detail is required or for experimenting with different stereo configurations in the open air.” For many engineers, drums are one of the toughest nuts to crack, but thankfully drum packs like Audix’s DP7 and DP Elite can provide a versatile, cost effective, all-in-one solution to get you up and tracking in no time. Now, how to deal with all that phase. BY PAUL FRENCH

PAGE HEADER

Conserving your CPU One of the most common issues encountered in modern DAW-based production is the overloading of system resources. When we examine this problem more closely, taking the legacy of audio software into account, there are a few key factors that resurface regardless of the era. Despite the incredible solutions currently available such as Apple silicon or Intel Alder Lake processors, along with external DSP systems like UAD, these simply don’t fit into everyone’s budget – especially from the get-go. On top of that, inexperienced users still run into the same obstacles through incorrect CPU management within their DAW projects, even on highend systems. To avoid making these mistakes, let’s look at a few techniques to improve your DAW’s handling of signal flow, latency, and CPU load overall, regardless of the system you’re running.

WHY DO YOU NEED TO WORK ECONOMICALLY? Latency: Not only recording latency, but also playback is affected by the CPU load and RAM allocation within the project. This becomes particularly important when using resource-intensive instruments like Spectrasonics Omnisphere 2 during tracking or mixing, especially should there be multiple instances. Collaboration: Everyone uses a DAW differently and prefers software plugins specific to their own process. When working creatively with other artists or a mix engineer, chances are that even if you are running the same DAW, the plugin libraries will not be an identical match. Progress: Once instrument tracks or channel strips are bounced to audio, not only do they use a

fraction of your system resources but the process becomes a part of your creative workflow. Even if you save your project before doing so, bouncing to audio is a step that commits you to a particular direction with fewer infinitives on the board.

BOUNCING TRACKS TO AUDIO If this isn’t part of your arrangement workflow, it can be quite a task on larger projects. Depending on your process, not every project can simply be batch exported to audio. Your mix engineer or collaborators usually require a rough stereo mix and then each channel will need to be bounced individually in some cases. Plugins that won’t require automation later, such as drums, can be bounced whilst inline effects and any bus processors will need to be bypassed in cases where you want to allow flexibility. If a large component of a signal is contained within its parallel effects, simply bounce these effects returns separately to ensure the sound maintains integrity or becomes a reference point to work from in the future. Once you’ve completed this process a few times, it becomes easier to incorporate it at any stage in your workflow to free up resources.

USING PARALLEL EFFECTS One of the key areas of resource economic production or DAW workflow management is parallel effects processing. However, unless this is done strategically with a particular grouping of instruments or a range of frequencies in mind, it can actually

increase CPU load and complicate your workflow. The most common application of effects returns is on individual drum or vocal channels for reverb. This allows you to isolate the processing on a particular group of channels with EQ and compression, while the sends on each channel give you a precise degree of control over how much wet signal you want to work with. Grouping your channels according to their characteristics and where you want to place them in the mix can also be effective. So signals with a particular transient response pattern can be processed together to create uniformity and consistency – another creative process to use at any stage.

SOFTWARE MONITORING Tracking vocals and instruments requires as low latency as your system can produce and this means increased CPU load. At this point, if you haven’t managed your project economically, this can become an obstacle barring your creative process. Some DAW systems like Logic Pro X have a specific low latency mode for this purpose and you can also decrease your buffer size for higher accuracy monitoring. When using inline processing like compression or parallel effects like reverb, ensure you aren’t using your most CPU-intensive plugins during tracking. If you don’t have outboard compression in your chain, the native DAW compressor plugin is ideal, and reverbs like the Soundtoys Little Plate are resource-friendly, great-sounding, and effective during vocal tracking for distinguishing between live and recorded channels. Generally you want to keep processing to a minimum, so keep this in mind when you’re recording one or more sources.

MIXDOWN & MASTERING This is usually the point where your CPU load is heaviest, so if you’re mixing down your own projects or those of another artist, there are some methods of managing your resources for the best results. Grouping your channel output assignments to busses not only simplifies your workflow, but also frees up CPU. Once you’ve bounced your tracks individually with their basic EQ and compression settings, it can be more effective to apply any additional FX processing to the aux bus rather than each separate track. This process can help isolate the different aspects of your mix and create mix pockets, where everything has its own breathing room. If you want to get more creative, using sends of your aux tracks (busses on your busses) is also effective. Overall, ensure that your system has the processing required for working with channel groups during mixdown and your master output during mastering.

FILE ALLOCATION Keep in mind that every time you bounce out an audio file, it requires more space on your hard drive. As your project reaches completion, these files will grow in length and therefore, size too. Ensure you develop a system for removing and replacing old files to optimise the HD space requirements for each of your projects. Naming your files in detail always helps and remember to save an alternate version of your project before you begin bouncing tracks to audio, especially for those who like to refer to this as a destructive editing process. BY STEFAN WYETH

mixdownmag.com.au

Purchase a Pioneer DJ XZ, REV7 or RX3 all-in-one controller and redeem a pair of DM-40 Studio Monitors in Black for free!

Promotion valid 1st to 31st August 2022. Full T&C’s Visit: jands.com.au/Promotions.

PAGE HEADER

Face to Face with Mark Opitz: Dissecting the Sound of Australian Rock Mark Opitz is a name synonymous with classic Australian rock. In a career spanning decades, he’s produced, mixed, and engineered numerous classic Australian rock albums for iconic acts such as The Angels, INXS, Divinyls, and Cold Chisel. Recently awarded the Order of Australia for contributions to the performing arts in the area of music production, the sounds created by Mark helped to define an entire era of Australian rock music. His break through as a producer came with production duties on The Angels’ 1978 album Face to Face. Developing the signature sound referred to by Mark as ‘sophisto-punk’ his guitar production approach was distinctly identifiable as a key element of the mix. I met with Mark over coffee to discuss the project, and the production approach used to create this sound. Curious about what inspired this approach we discussed the broad motivation behind producing the album. “In that era punk had started to influence the mainstream, but we hadn’t quite arrived at the new wave, hence the term ‘sophistopunk’,” he says. “Vanda and Young had handed me The Angels as a project, and the production aim was to move them towards being more commercially viable.” The Angels’ debut album had almost country overtones before Mark and the band established their distinctive hard rock guitar sound. “I had to reimagine what I was going to do with them from a

production perspective. Listening to Graham Parker’s debut album I recognised that punk had evolved and become more sophisticated. In response to this realisation the percussive eighth-note feel of The Angels’ guitars sound then became a focal point.” Delving into the technicalities of the production process, you get a sense of the attention to detail that has gone into the work that Mark Opitz has produced. A characteristic that has delivered multiple awards, and significant commercial success over his career. What amplifier was used to develop this particular sound, I ask? “Before the Marshall JCM series was produced, we used the Marshall JMP series heads,” Opitz says. “Working with Alberts and AC/DC, I had access to AC/DC’s large amp locker. I spent weeks looking for the combination of the right head with the right speaker. “I went through about eight heads and sixteen quad boxes, individually listening to each speaker and marking it down in a matrix, before settling on the combination of a specific head with a specific speaker. It was then a case of finding the ‘sweet spot’ of the amp. That’s the point where it’s operating without speaker distortion, but at a gain level that’s going to produce the energy of the sound I was after.” So what guitars were used on this album? “John Brewster was playing a Les Paul Gold Top and Rick Brewster used an Epiphone Casino,” Opitz reveals. “Playing style is so integral to getting a quality sound, as you don’t want a guitarist thrashing the guitar. A light touch means that there is less speaker distortion and

a cleaner, more punchy sound. Malcolm Young was a master of this.” The sound of The Angels’ guitars is referred to by the band and Opitz as the ‘nick-nicks’, signifying the driving percussive feel of the playing. I then ask Mark about the microphone selection and placement for capturing Face to Face’s guitar sound, having previously read about the Shure SM57/ AKG C414 off-axis combination Mark had used on other albums. “No, that technique was later on around the Jimmy Barnes era,” recalls Mark. “The guitars for Face to Face were all recorded with a single Neumann U47 FET, slightly off axis. The FET (field-effect transistor) version of the U47 gave a much more direct sound than the older valve U47s. I much preferred the FET sound due to its clarity.” One of the characteristics of the Neumann U47 FET was its ability to handle higher SPL (147dB), as opposed to the valve version which started to break up at around 120dB. This made it an ideal choice for recording loud guitar amplifiers cleanly. “The valve version produced too many additional harmonics, so using the FET was a conscious choice,” Opitz says.

What about the mixing process? “With the guitars, I added a little at 4.1kHz and a little at 10kHz. With the overall mix you have to remember that everything in that era was mixed for mono using a single Aurotone speaker. This was because everything had to translate to AM radio in those days,” Opitz says, critically analysing his handiwork behind the boards in retrospect. “Listening to the mixes now, I would definitely add another 2dB to the vocals, because in the translation to stereo, some of that level is lost. The processing of guitars in the mix was relatively simple. I used an EMT 140 ISO Plate reverb with 1.5 – 2 seconds reverb time, as well as the Cooper Time Cube to add delay to the guitars. Compression was mild at around a 3:1 ratio on the Neve 2254 mono compressor.” The guitar sounds for Face to Face evoke energy in its purest form, taking inspiration from the evolution of punk stylised guitar rock with an Australian twist, with Opitz’s masterwork setting him up as a pivotal figure in the evolution of Australian rock as we know it today. BY BRETT VOSS

So where was the album recorded, and what particular desk / preamps were used? “The album was recorded at Alberts Studios in Sydney using the Neve 8024 desk which had Neve 1073 pre-amps and EQ. There was no EQ going to tape apart from just a 40HZ roll-off,” suggests Mark.

mixdownmag.com.au

COLUMNS

PERCUSSION

The Other Gig Stuff I am fortunate enough to perform in different contexts week to week as a drummer and performer. Sometimes, I’m filling in with a band and my role is to play drums but other times, I’m in charge and running sound too. This could be at a wedding or even doing sound design/MD for a theatre show. Regardless of the context, my role changes and the knowledge associated with the different roles changes too – all in the name of making music. Given it’s the band production special this month, I thought I would touch on a few things that help me on the gig when it comes to the ‘other stuff’ that isn’t actually playing the drums.

DRUMMER/SIDE MAN This is my standard role – playing drums. However, there are things I’m constantly thinking about and some gear that I can’t live without or wouldn’t want to forget. Firstly, there’s the ease of transport/ loading. My drums are in soft cases and pack down small. Why? So, I fit the whole lot on a trolley in one go. I work hard at being lazy. If I’m going to have to walk some way from my car/car park/loading dock, going back for two trips isn’t ideal – Crown Casino anyone? I use a four-piece kit as standard. I have a trunk trolley – I put my small hardware bag on the bottom, my carpet/rug (folded to a square) on top to even the surface out and stack my bass drum, cymbals, floor tom, snare (often in front of the floor tom), and rack tom. I use

mixdownmag.com.au

ratchet style tie downs to hold the whole thing and off I go. It seems like more effort, but I can’t tell you how much this has saved me in the past. Other things that are nonnegotiable for me on the gig are spare felts, washers, sizzles for cymbals, and a hi-hat clutch. I keep these in my cymbal bag. If the gig has a backline kit and you get there to find no felts on cymbal stands and no clutch, you’re completely stuffed. So, I just keep these in my bag as a matter of precaution. I also keep dampening on hand – moon gel, gaffa, and my favourite, leather snare weights. I just want the ability to remove the ring from the drums if I or a sound engineer needs it. I also just have a zero ring and a big fat snare drum donut. These live in my snare bag and come to every gig. Big ballad? Big fat snare in no time. These things are also very useful in a recording session too. Finally – I bring my own microphones. Sometimes, mics are provided for me but most of the time I need to have some. At a minimum, I have a kick drum mic – I use an Audix D6. I will use this mic on every gig no matter what unless it’s a jazz gig at Paris Cat or something. If there’s a channel on the mixing desk, I’ll get my kick mic out. I also tend to do a lot of backing vocals (BV’s) at weddings and a benefit of this is that the drums tend to bleed into my vocal mic and out the front of house. If it’s a bigger room, I will sometimes set up an overhead mic. I don’t get

fancy here though. I’m conscious of looking like an idiot setting up condenser mics that might feed back or pick up everything else in the band, so I will often just whack up an SM57 above the kit above the snare if I feel I need it and it’s effective. Another trick is to come under the ride cymbal, over the kick pointing at the snare. This captures more drums and less cymbals.

DRUMMER/SOUND GUY One of the bands I am in is my own. It’s a function band and we do weddings/corporate events up to a full seven-piece with horns. For the majority of gigs, I am running sound from a mixer next to my kit and the whole band plug into this and I get to be in charge. In this situation, it’s as per scenario one, but there are a few things I try to remember and always do when I’m on sound for a gig. The PA is a standard vocal PA with two RCF HD-12 powered speakers and a single 15” or sometimes two smaller 12” subs. The lead vocalist has a fold back/monitor. Plugging in and setting up the stage is fairly standard, but I do try to use smaller leads to go from the subs to the tops and longer ones to go from the mixer to the subs – just to not have too many excess leads coiled everywhere. Another tip is to try to run cables in one direction and not as the crow flies. We run four vocal mics, a 57 on the guitar, DI for the bass, DI for keyboards, and then two mics for horns if they are on the gig. Gain staging is an

important thing, so I know I’ve got headroom when the gig gets louder. I’ll check levels coming into the desk and ensure they’re not peaking before I turn anything up. I also use high-pass filters on all vocals and the guitar to avoid unwanted low end. I tend to leave instruments as flat on the EQ as I can within reason but sometimes, I’ll make some adjustments. I try to cut rather than boost if I can help it. But a little extra low end in the kick is always nice. I tend to run some reverb on vocals. I’ll also ensure the singer has adequate volume in the monitor and try to set the speaker up in a way that I can minimise the band footprint but also ensure nothing feeds when I turn it up. My mic set up on drums tends to remain the same as before. Keeping things simple ensures there’s less to go wrong. Besides, if I need to fully mic the drum kit, often the room would probably have the need for professional production anyway. There’s a multitude of resources out there to help you learn about doing sound but not everyone will need to do it. However, I wished I knew about some of the things mentioned when I was coming up the ranks – having kick drum mic and a lead, bringing a hi hat clutch, what gain staging is etc. I’ve learned the hard way at times but now, I know I can handle all the other things on the gig so I can then focus on what I need to do – play drums. BY ADRIAN VIOLI

COLUMNS

GUITAR

Band Production: A Guitarist’s Perspective Recording can be an exciting endeavour. The process of getting your ideas and performances recorded, allowing your creativity to shine and then hopefully ending with a finished product for whatever purpose you intend it for.

Yes, things might change slightly when you come to record and flashes of creativity might add to or change parts, but having a handle on the harmony and some main parts creates a solid base to work with.

There are however some considerations that should be addressed (and are often overlooked) before getting into recording mode in the actual studio. These hopefully make the process quicker and allow the creative juices to flow without being restricted by technical or process driven issues.

Furthermore, this might save you some valuable time (and dollars) so you don’t have to sit around trying to nut out the arrangement or actually master your part with the studio clock ticking.

PARTS/ARRANGEMENTS Having parts already written and/or created and knowing the arrangements and forms of the tunes you’re going to record can be really helpful. Recording can really expose your playing and sometimes things that you think you have down live, might actually not be as clean/articulate/tight/ grooving as you think.

GEAR CONSIDERATIONS Make sure your gear is working as it should and that your instruments are set up/intonated/in tune. Perhaps this is a good time to get your amp/s serviced, nothing worse than unwanted noise when you’re trying to track the perfect part. While you’re at it – check your pedalboard (patch cables, power, and pedals) for noise. Remember, the studio can really expose any shortcomings in your gear and sound (especially when you hear it back isolated!).

TONAL CONSIDERATIONS Have some ideas of the sounds you want to use (in terms of your instrument settings, amp settings, and effects). This can be as simple as thinking about which pickup to use and whether parts need to be clean or distorted, through to programming complex patches and presets in advance. Furthermore – know how your gear works and how to alter your sound! I know that might sound obvious but do you know what the pickup settings on your guitars actually sound like? Can you coax multiple sounds out of your amps? Do you know how different pedal order can affect your tone? These things can aid in letting the creativity flow (e.g. – not being held back by not getting the sound you’re after when inspiration strikes or not being able to adjust it if a certain sound isn’t quite cutting it during recording).

tablet) is amazing nowadays, and the ability for us to work almost anywhere on a project without time restrictions means you can spend many an hour refining your work. With that in mind, not having some basic principles in place can actually stifle creativity and make the process more arduous than it needs to be. Some extra preparation in the first place hopefully irons out some issues, solidifies your ideas and approach and lets you relax knowing your gear and mind is in tip top shape. BY NICK BROWN

The availability and access to ‘studios’ (be they a fully fledged facility or Garage Band on your

mixdownmag.com.au

COLUMNS

BASS

Band Production: A Bassist’s Perspective The studio can be a very different beast to playing live. It can be equally exciting and creative, but may also reveal some other aspects of your playing, tone, and technique that you haven’t paid as much attention to. Long before you’re discussing what mic to use on your cab or what compressor plugin will help the chorus section punch more, there really should be some time taken to ensure you’ve covered your basses (!) before pressing the record button.

KNOW YOUR GEAR Echoing the sentiments of our guitar discussion this issue – having working, reliable, noisefree gear is essential. So many hours have been wasted trying to troubleshoot a noisy patch lead or buzzy speaker lead. This can be annoying for yourself but also infuriating for the rest of the band or engineer. Especially if the clock is ticking and you’re paying top $. Further than just maintaining your gear – know the

mixdownmag.com.au

ins and outs of your rig and how to pull different tones. Bridge or neck pickup? Would flats suit a certain part? Perhaps having access to some extra instruments (hit up some mates or utilise the studio’s gear) can add to your tonal palette and give you some extra options when recording additional takes or exploring some creative ideas to have just in case when it comes to comping/editing/mixing.

TIME FEEL Even before the gear, maintenance, pre production, and preparation is one big area that realistically should just be a given! Developing, refining, and having a good time feel is essential for good-sounding parts and efficient use of the recording process. I know this sounds obvious and yes, creative editing can just about make anything work… but – why not just have this happening in the first place. For many players it’s

just assumed that because you can play at a certain level that your time feel is good. Unfortunately, this isn’t always true, and the recording process will then highlight any of these inconsistencies in your playing big time. So, perhaps work on your feel by recording yourself as part of your practice routine (or recording rehearsals/jam sessions etc). Playing to a click in your DAW can be very enlightening (just look at those waveforms in relation to the beat) – many will rush, others will drag, and some will do both. While it can be cool to have a pushy feel or lay back on something it is even more important as a whole to have an awareness of time and how you play. Often what you think is really locked and tight won’t actually be so.

I know there are many classic recordings that feel great yet move all over the place time wise, and realistically, the crux of music is if it feels good then it’s okay. But, many players have this as an excuse for sloppy playing or just being loose without really working on their time and groove. You’ll be surprised how much this can improve your recordings overall by just having an awareness of time and how you play. BY NICK BROWN

Subdividing when counting is great in this situation, especially slower tempos when it feels like there’s tons of room between the beats. The more subdivisions you’re counting/feeling the less room there is for you to waver.

PRODUCT REVIEWS / MI

FENDER

Player Plus Active Meteora Bass FENDER AUSTRALIA | PRICE: $2,099

In 1958, Fender introduced offset guitars to the world with the release of their ground-breaking Jazzmaster, intended to be the flagship of their line of electric guitars. This range of creativelyshaped guitars was added to with the release of Fender’s offsets of the ’60s, including the Jaguar, Mustang, and Jazz Bass. In the decades since, these guitars and basses have become the weapon of choice for a vast array of musical icons – confirming these instruments as legendary in their own right. In 2018, Fender introduced the radical new Meteora – an offset guitar of more extreme proportions that retained the spark and glamour of the iconic Jazzmasters and Jaguars. With the addition of Fender’s new Player Plus Active Meteora Bass, this exciting range now caters to those after a bass with an ergonomic and distinct body shape, paired with the ability to achieve a vast array of tones on the fly. Upon the first visual inspection, the sleek and extravagant design of the Meteora appears to draw stylistic inspiration from some of Fender’s classics – imagine an abstract artist’s interpretation of a Jazzmaster body, combined with a distorted Telecaster Deluxe pickguard, and the neck of a Jazz Bass. Yet, despite these mixed influences, the design of the Player Plus Active Meteora Bass works so well, tying these various elements into a cohesive, spectacular design. The more dramatic and angular forearm contour perfectly matches the Meteora’s aesthetics, as do the knurled chrome control knobs, and the adjustable HiMass bridge. Importantly, the pursuit

of visual allure never detracts from the functionality of this bass. In fact – many features that contribute to the bass’ looks improve its playability, such as the elongated offset design which makes the Meteora a wellbalanced instrument. The Active Meteora Bass’s solid alder body is gloss-finished, and fitted with two Fireball bass humbucker pickups, a set of control knobs to adjust the various parameters of the Meteora’s active and passive electronics, and a HiMass bridge which aims to increase sustain and tuning stability through its solidity. The back of the body contains easy-access battery covers to enable quick replacement of the two 9V batteries that power the 18V active preamp. Overall, the body is relatively light, yet sturdy in construction, making for a comfortable playing experience. While the Meteora’s body offers a versatile and eye-catching aspect to the bass guitar, its neck truly makes it a pleasure to play. Capped with a fingerboard of the same wood, the maple neck is finished with satin urethane, producing a smooth, resistancefree playing experience for the fretting hand. Much like a Fender Jazz Bass, the Meteora has a fairly narrow nut width of about 1.5 inches. By producing a gradual increase in the spacing of the strings as they move from the nut to the bridge, playing riffs and walking basslines in the lower register is a breeze, and the fingers of the picking hand have sufficient space to cleanly move across the strings. With a 12” fingerboard radius, rolled edges, and a Modern “C” profile, the Meteora’s neck is

idiomatic of Fender’s modern bass necks; ergonomic, and made to be played. From the get-go, playing the Player Plus Meteora Active Bass is both a comfortable and satisfying experience. The weight distribution of the offset body makes for great balance when standing up, though there is some slight neck dive when played sitting – par for the course for an offset guitar. The 34” scale length provides a nice balance between tension and tonality, and also enables a seamless transition for players moving to the Meteora from a Fender Precision or Jazz Bass. The HiMass bridge provides increased sustain to the sound, and, in conjunction with the alder body, this bass guitar is nicely resonant – a characteristic that is noticeable to the player, even with the bass unplugged. Though the Meteora’s striking visual design is probably the first thing that attracts a prospective player, it might be the versatile and high-fidelity electronics that are the standout of this fine bass guitar. The Fireball humbucking bass pickups do a brilliant job of capturing the bass’ organic tone, outputting a sound that is articulate in nature, and balanced across the range of the fretboard and between strings. The neck pickup has a lovely warmth and vocal-like growl to its sound, which can then be kicked into gear by switching to the grunt of the bridge pickup. Additionally, the two pickups in tandem produce a glassy cleanness, resulting in a sound that is natural, yet refrains from being too ‘boomy’. While it is clear that the componentry has been well-matched to the overall

design of the bass, the sharp corners of the plastic covers of the Fireball pickups did make playing a little uncomfortable at times when picking the third and fourth strings. The controls area features a toggle switch, enabling the bassist to move between active and passive electronics. The passive sound bears some similarity to the classic Jazz Bass sound, and the active mode enables more precise control of the tonal shape. After passing through the master volume and pickup blend potentiometers, the pickup signal moves through what is effectively a three-band EQ when the toggle switch is engaged in the active position. Featuring separate dials for treble, midrange, and bass frequencies, these controls enable both boosting and cutting at each of the three respective frequency ranges. These various controls ultimately provide significant sonic versatility to the bassist searching for just the right tone in their studio session, and to the gigging musician who needs to make midshow adjustments to keep up with the dynamic environment of a live performance. With eye-catching visuals, quality componentry, and a generous set of controls to enable sonic manipulation, the Fender Player Plus Active Meteora Bass is a highly dependable and versatile instrument. While a new release, the Meteora bass possesses both the construction and sound quality that is typical of Fender basses; and it’s not hard to imagine this model becoming a favourite among the bass community. BY JAMES CALLANAN

mixdownmag.com.au

PRODUCT REVIEWS / MI

KAWAI

ES520 Digital Piano KAWAI AUSTRALIA | RRP: $1,849

Well, it’s been a couple of years since I’ve run my fingers over the keys of a Kawai digital piano, and I am going to preface this review with the fact that I am never disappointed in any of their instruments. It’s not a matter of bias, but the simple fact that Kawai consistently delivers quality in all levels of digital pianos. You need only have a look, a listen, and most importantly, a play of the ES520 and you’ll understand just what I mean. The new ES series of portable digital pianos brings Kawai’s dedication to learning the piano even further, as is evident in the ES520. With a combined stand and three-pedal base unit, this 88-note digital piano is a real joy to sit down to. But, it can easily be moved around due to the lightweight case, so it is just as likely to be found at home, at a gig, or in a house of worship. USB connectivity, Bluetooth app integration, and a clear and precise front panel screen mean you can navigate your way though a host of features with relative ease and simplicity. And of course, both a sleek black finish or a flash white housing are on offer, so you can have a digital piano that fits in with your space and your lifestyle. One thing has become evident over the past 20 years that I’ve been playing around with Kawai digital pianos, and that is their dedication to the key action. You simply will not come across a better design when it comes to replicating a piano’s hammer action in a compact environment. I believe this is the case not only in Kawai’s top of the range

mixdownmag.com.au

digital pianos, when price and space are not really an issue, but right through the range, where compromise is not seen as an option. With that, the ES520 does not let the Kawai digital piano lineup down at all, even with its modest price tag. Under the hood, Kawai have included their Responsive Hammer Compact II keyboard action that goes into incredible depths to replicate an actual hammer action. And how does Kawai do this? Well, they build an actual hammer in for every key, folded over on itself to manage it within the space available. So yes, there is a reason why the ES520 feels like a real hammer action. Every key is weighted accordingly to adjust for the weight of the larger hammers that would be found in a piano as you work down through the octaves. The result is a keyboard action that is a true delight to play upon, with a natural responsiveness and return that lends itself to that of the hammer actions found on models further up in the range. Don’t think for a minute that this is just some sort of gimmick keyboard for the beginner market. The ES520 proves that Kawai is dedicated to offering pianists of every skill level a quality digital instrument that sounds and feels like the real thing. This unique hammer action design doesn’t just make its presence known in the feel of the instrument, but in the sound too. The triple sensor key detection brings a more organic feel to your keystrokes and is especially relevant when playing the same note repeatedly. As the sensors

detect shorter movements in the lift of the key and subsequent stroke, individual notes can be more evenly layered, rather than cutting one another off. This also allows for a greater response to the release of the key, so faster staccato notes can be detected, and the tone of the note changed to better represent the behaviour of a real piano. The end result is a more fluid sounding instrument that delivers a more realistic sound to match the playing feel. And of course, you want to hear all the subtle nuances that the ES520 can offer, with two of Kawai’s great concert grand pianos forming the basis of the built-in sound library. Kawai’s EX concert grand piano and their flagship Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand piano have both been sampled in great detail and are brought to life in the ES520. There are a wide range of other great sounds on board, but you’ll be hard pressed to move away from either of these two exquisite piano reproductions on offer.

We all know that the sound from a piano will fill a room, with subtle differences being heard for each octave as the sound makes its way to your ears. It’s not just a case of left and right, with many reflections and a delicate mix of notes finding their way differently to each ear. That is what Kawai has delivered in this process, the ability to practise in silence, and still feel like you are hearing the piano all around the room. Gone are the days of weighted keys feeling like they are just being held back by a spring. No more does a digital instrument have to sound like, well, a digital instrument. Nor does it need to behave like one. Kawai has proven with the ES520 that no matter what your budget, you too can have the feel, sound, and response of a quality piano. BY ROB GEE

The in-built speakers deliver an accurate portrayal of the instrument’s sound, but it really comes to life when you play through headphones with Kawai’s Spatial Headphone Sound implemented in this unit. Often a let-down of many digital pianos, the headphone is usually overlooked in the design process with a simple stereo signal sent to your cans that leaves the listener rather uninspired. Kawai has taken it upon themselves to change this and bring not only clarity and character to what you hear in your headphones, but space as well.

PRODUCT REVIEWS / MI

NOVATION

Launchkey 88 MK3 FOCUSRITE AUSTRALIA | RRP: $649

The invention of the MIDI keyboard is likely the largest helping hand musicians who work within the framework of DAWs will ever have. They unlock expression and tactility that is just not possible with a mouse and keyboard and allow an immediacy of ideas to flow effortlessly through intuitive controls. Novation has been at the heart of this innovation since their inception with their first product in 1992 being a MIDI controller for a portable music workstation. With over 30 years of knowledge and experience in producing controllers, Novation has finally released an 88-key full-sized MIDI keyboard with heaps of flexibility and plenty of knobs, pads, and faders to control large portions of your DAW. It is part of the MK3 iteration of their flagship Launchkey product line and has all the extended features present on the rest of this iteration. The aptly named Novation Launchkey 88 is a MIDI controller that features 88 semi-weighted keys, 16 velocity-sensitive pads, nine faders, eight pots with buttons, transport controls, an onboard screen, plus stacks of other buttons to control your DAW/external gear. The elegant design looks sharp and sophisticated with the dark enclosure contrasting the bright pads on the device. The keyboard is lightweight and portable, but robust and well made which makes it a great workhorse keyboard for everyday and gigging use. This MIDI keyboard is USB-B bus powered and can connect to external gear via its MIDI out, plus you can get a real piano feel

by plugging in a sustain pedal through the provided port. Most readers would be interested in using this with a DAW of their choice but it also functions as a standalone MIDI controller. You can configure four custom performance modes which lets you assign MIDI CC information to the knobs, faders, and buttons through Novation’s awesome Components web-based software. Keys are semi-weighted which provide a realistic feel for this versatile keyboard. They are velocity sensitive with an adjustable velocity curve to suit your playing style, a nice touch. The keybed felt great during testing and quite responsive to my playing which will suit a wide range of keyboard players from beginners to the more adept. The pads, knobs, and faders all felt very tactile and responsive as well, which allowed me to be more engaged in my creations during testing. The knobs are not endless encoders but fixed which might not be everyone’s cup of tea as when moved, will jump to the value on the knob, but for me personally, when controlling hardware synths it is really nice to have a reference point as to where the upper and lower limits are when the devices might not have a visual representation of the position. For controlling external gear or soft synths, you can harness the Launchkey 88’s arp and scale functions to liven up your productions. The arpeggiator can be latched and then further tweaked by changing its octave range, arp speed, and direction, plus altering its behaviour through the mutate and deviate

functions which can transform a simple arpeggiated melody into a complex and varied sound. The scale mode will transpose your playing to fit within a key which you can set quite easily on the device, assisting less experienced keys players in creating harmonious melodies. There’s also a built-in chord mode which gives a few different ways to play chords. Firstly there’s scale chord which lets you select from triads, 7ths, 9ths and 6/9ths in a given scale which you can trigger from the pads and still have access to play the keyboard with your other hand. There’s a user chord mode which lets you set up your own chords and assign them to individual pads to make chord progressions a breeze, and finally a fixed chord mode which lets you set and play a chord across the keyboard with the root note being whichever key is struck. A little hack here is that you can set different MIDI channels for the chord and keyboard outputs which will allow you to trigger multiple digital/analogue instruments with separate interactions. Perhaps the best feature of the Launchkey 88 is its deep Ableton integration. The pads, knobs, and faders all sync up to your project giving you control over triggering clips, device controls, and channel volume and mute allowing you to focus on your performance and not pick up the keyboard and mouse. Logic and Cubase also have dense integration right out of the box with this MIDI keyboard and there’s basic functionality with any other DAW that uses HUI (Human User Interface Protocol) – which includes Pro Tools, Studio One, and Reaper.

Part of this integration with Ableton, Logic, and Cubase includes a dedicated button for access to retrospective MIDI recordings in each DAW. I don’t know about you but when this feature was released in Ableton 10 it was potentially the best update ever. There had been so many times previously when messing around that I played something I thought sounded great but in attempts to recreate it, I was unable to get the magic of the playing back. This feature is like having a secret recording engineer that will hit record before you even think you’re ready to play. Awesome. The unit ships with Ableton Live Lite, XLN Audio Addictive Keys, AAS Session bundle, Spitfire Audio LABS Expressive Strings, Klevgrand R0Verb and DAW Cassette, plus access to Novation Sound Collective for a continuous supply of new plugins and software instruments. With all this you’ll be free to make stacks of interesting sounds including realistic piano and strings. Overall, this feature-laden MIDI keyboard/controller has a heap of features that will appeal to beginners and experienced music makers and producers the world over. The sleek design paired with great key feel and plenty of integration and customisation options will allow your music making to flourish and enable a seamless creative workflow, with whatever way you choose to use it. BY SAM MCNIECE

mixdownmag.com.au

beyerdynamic.com.au/pages/free-byrd

 (ANC)Digital Active Noise Cancelation  Impressive speech intelligibility for calls  Up to 11 hours battery life on a single charge  Charging case with Qi® charging  Bluetooth® 5.2 with Google Fast Pair ®  Voice assist: Alexa® and Siri® built in  Codecs: Qualcomm® aptX™ Adaptive & AAC  Two colour options: Black or Grey

Free BYRD provides that premium beyerdynamic sound experience, anywhere, anytime. Smart features include:

NEW

MOVING SOUND

PRODUCT REVIEWS / MI

FENDER

Player Plus Stratocaster HSS FENDER AUSTRALIA | PRICE: $1,949

Fender’s Player Plus series was one of the biggest announcements of last year. With a huge campaign featuring some of the biggest upand-coming names in rock, funk, and pop, the Fender Player Plus series of electric guitars and basses not only re-defines Fender’s most accessible range, but it reminds us what Fender is here to do: listen to artists, revise their own designs, and push players, instruments, and the industry forward. Building on the wildly successful Player Series, which has filled guitar racks, nailed tones on records, and fulfilled dreams since 2018, the Player Plus series aims to build on not only the Ensenada factory’s staple, but on Californianmade guitars such as the American Professional and American Ultra series that have reigned supreme over the last few years. The Player Plus Series as a whole features new Telecasters, Jazz and Precision Basses, and Stratocasters, available in a wild array of colours and finishes from the eclectic Belair Blue and Tequila Sunrise to the classic three-tone Sunburst. This Strat features a maple neck and fretboard, vintage-styled mint pickguard, and a Player Plus Humbucking pickup in the bridge with poles styled similarly to Fender’s famed widerange humbucking pickup. A humbucker in a Strat is an increasingly common occurrence, but they’re not always as highly spec’d as the Player Plus Humbucking that is featured on a few different models across the Player Plus range. The combination

of Player Plus Noiseless single coils in the neck and middle position with a humbucker in the bridge, make for a wide range of available tones, and a guitar more tuned for modern rock with the ‘oomph’ that just can’t be mustered from a single coil in the bridge position. Straight out of the included deluxe gig bag, the Player Plus Stratocaster HSS was set up well, featuring a comfortable Modern “C” neck shape and 12” radius across the 22 medium jumbo frets. The finishing on the frets themselves makes for an easy play, and the satin urethane neck that is borrowed from Fender’s American ranges serves as a comfortable and modern-feeling neck. The maple of the neck itself is dark and suits the vintage finish, making for a cohesive look for a guitar with a lot of modern additions under the hood. While the mint guard and widerange humbucking make for that traditional vintage look, the addition of a push/pull tone pot to split the coils of the humbucker make for a more modern wiring, ironically to offer a more traditional single coil Strat tone from the bridge – a vintage but modern design that helps push Fender’s design focus forward. What’s more, the Player Plus Series as a whole takes everything we love about the Player Series and adds to it. Starting at the headstock, the Player Plus guitars generally feature locking tuners across the board, a subtle but welcome addition to retain classic looks, but with modern tuning stability for all

players. The Fender spaghetti style logo on the headstock is printed in metallic foil, a tip of the hat to the classy design of the American Ultra ranges. While those models that include humbuckers can buck that 60-cycle hum just fine, the addition of Player Plus Noiseless pickups found throughout the Player Plus instruments is a welcome addition. While not being strictly humbuckers, Noiseless pickups assist to make noisy single coils quieter without sacrificing the tone of single coil pickups. The Modern “C” neck shape is common across many ranges of Fenders, but nestles nicely between thicker “U” shaped and super modern superStrat style neck shapes. The Player Plus includes a deluxe gig bag and accessories to set-up your new Strat to your exacting specs. Head to toe, the Player Plus Stratocaster HSS is a solid-bodied electric with a 25.5” scale length and 12” fretboard radius. Two Player Plus Noiseless single coil pickups handle neck and middle position duties, while a Player Plus Humbucking defines your bridge position. These are all controlled by a five-Position blade and a push/pull tone pot. Deluxe sealed locking tuners and 2-Point Tremolo with individual saddles handle tuning stability at their respective ends of the guitar, while the bolton neck design and alder body/ gloss polyester body combo offer just enough resonance.

and construction that Fender has prided themselves on redefining for over 70 years. What Fender also aims to do is offer their most forward-thinking designs at every price point. The Player Plus definitely sits itself in midtier pricing, but doesn’t lack in specifications, build quality, or modern design. If you’ve been watching Fender for the last few years, the Player Plus Series is the amalgamation of all of it, and at an unbelievable price. Fender have melded their forwardthinking and modern electronics with classically-styled good looks and tried and true pickups, neck shape, and pickup switching. The Player Plus is simultaneously classic and traditional, but entirely versatile and modern in one fell swoop. Your new guitar will arrive well set-up out of the factory and arrive safe in a new bag, and will inspire everything you want in a Fender, but also everything you didn’t know you needed. BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

The Player Plus Stratocaster HSS is just one example of the forward-thinking design, build,

mixdownmag.com.au

PRODUCT REVIEWS / MI

STERLING BY MUSIC MAN

Cutlass CT50HSS-PPS-R2 CMC MUSIC | RRP: $1650

The guitar world is well and truly sorted for pastel blue and pink Superstrats with roasted maple necks and two-point tremolo systems, right? Naaaaah, there’s always room for more. And the Sterling Cutlass CT50HSS, based on a USA-made model by Sterling’s big brother Ernie Ball Music Man, can certainly make a case for itself as having a right to take on this particular guitar style. Music Man, after all, was founded by one Mr. Leo Fender, who had some pretty well-regarded ideas about solid body electric guitar design. So what exactly has the CT50HSS got going for it, and why does Sterling think you should include them on your pink-HSS-Superstrat consideration list? The charm of the CT50HSS is in the way it deftly straddles the two worlds of vintage and modern. Sterling refers to the Cutlass as ‘the modern player’s classic guitar,’ a nickname that drops a few hints. Here’s a guitar based on a refinement of Leo’s Stratocaster outline, 25.5” scale just like its ancestors, with details that definitely recall some of Leo’s other developments such as the Music Man StingRay guitar and bass, and yet it’s definitely its own instrument. The body is made of poplar, a wood that is said to have snappy and complex tonal properties. (For a while there, lower grades

of poplar were used in more affordable guitars, but the highergrade stuff does pop up on fancier guitars, late luthier Buddy Blaze built this reviewer a poplar 7-string that absolutely rips). Finish options are Daphne Blue Satin (DBLS), Pueblo Pink Satin (PBPS), Rose Gold (RGD), Firemist Silver (FSV), Dropped Copper (DCP), and Vintage Cream (VC). The neck is roasted maple – that is, maple that is heat-treated to strengthen the wood. Maple is already a darn tough chunk of tree, but the roasting process makes it even more reliable for the stresses a guitar neck will face during its life. The fingerboard is a consistent 12” radius all the way up and down, providing a modern, flatter surface compared to a traditional guitar of this type. The frets are mediumsized, and these two features together keep the Cutlass from straying too far into modern shredstick territory. The hardware includes the Music Man five-bolt neck attachment, a dual-action truss rod adjustable at the body end of the neck, a two-point fulcrum tremolo with vintage style saddles, and Sterling-branded locking tuners. Interestingly the famous 4+2 Music Man headstock is slightly oversized here, giving the guitar a little more mass and offsetting a little bit of that, ‘Why does this guitar feel so small?’ vibe that Music Man designs usually have.

The pickups are a trio of Sterling by Music Man-designed units, two single coils and a humbucker controlled by a five-way pickup selector switch and pots for master volume and master tone. Somewhat bummerly, the humbucking pickup does not split into single coil mode, but one thing you will notice when you plug this guitar in is that the pickups are all carefully calibrated to more or less match each other in output, with the humbucker voiced more towards the vintage than the modern. The single coils sound very detailed but also with a lot of body; many guitars of this type can sound a bit brittle, but these pickups seem to hit the sweet spot. They handle overdrive well, retaining their character and individuality when things get sweaty. But that same spirit is maintained at cleaner settings too. The humbucker sounds very direct, bright, and tight, with a pleasant upper-midrange clarity that reminds me a little of an ES335. You could play a whole set of Steely Dan songs on this guitar and have a great old time. And the tone knob is voiced very musically. Turn it back to just a nudge above zero and you’ll get a wonderfully expressive, almost voice-like quality to your lead lines. Too many guitar companies seem to treat the tone control as an afterthought but it’s really useful here.

This is not meant to be a shredder’s axe, and as such it puts up a little bit of a fight in terms of playability thanks to those medium frets and uniform fingerboard radius rather than choosing a compound radius. It’s not a difficult guitar to play but it won’t let you get away with sloppy playing and half-assed bends. Also, the whammy bar isn’t snug in its slot so it has a tiny bit of travel before it properly engages, barely noticeable unless you’re a veteran whammy-wanker who is used to more immediate wigglestick action. But tuning stability is exceptional even when you go kinda nuts on the bar. This is a unique take on what is currently a somewhat pervasive guitar trend, and it feels very much like a serious, ready-to-work guitar rather than a toy. If you’re in the market for a Superstrat but you baulk at some of the ‘super,’ this guitar has plenty of vintage vibes with enough modern sensibility to not feel like your grandpa’s guitar. BY PETER HODGSON

mixdownmag.com.au

FENDER

Hammertone Delay FENDER AUSTRALIA | PRICE: $229

It may not have been the first cab off the rank, but when Delay pedals hit the market many moons ago, it must have blown people’s tiny minds wide open! The glory days of tape-based, multi-head echo machines landed smack bang in the eye of the ’60s maelstrom and, hand in hand with fuzz boxes and overdrives, helped define the parameters of many a tonal quest that continues to this day. By the heady ’70s, synthesisers had shown up and the dawn of digitisation, and in turn minimisation, of sound devices was officially underway. Bucket brigade circuits came marching into town, and it wasn’t long before manufacturers were able to eradicate the inherent flaws and limited lifespan of magnetic tape, squeezing arguably one of the more far-out sounds known to mankind into a functionally sized unit fit for widespread consumption that managed not to skimp on the expansive, horizonbroadening sound coveted by Pink Floyd fans everywhere. Skip ahead one generation to the ’80s, the first fully-digital delay hits the market and from there all bets are off. Today the humble delay pedal is much less the sky-high outlier that it once was, as it has firmly implanted itself as a staple of any and every self-respecting rig. The Hammertone Delay aims at a discerning, more sensible echo connoisseur. Technically speaking,

mixdownmag.com.au

it is more closely related in timbre to a cleaner, more present digital signal path than the crotchety old tape machines or well-meaning yet considerably darker-tailed bucket brigades, while managing not to leave either behind. Relative to the Space Delay from the same series, this offering is simultaneously more crisp, agile, and versatile in that it is designed to offer not one variation on a theme but three representations of a famed artificial acoustic space. Position one on the type toggle is a simple digital fingerprint that goes from chirpy slap back to long, Eno-inspired width. Position two is a simple, tastefully dark analogue delay for if and when you too need to hang your oversized hat on the Joshua Tree. Position three reaches back further into history with a vintage-inspired, rockabilly-baiting tape echo. As with its spacey brethren, the mod switch sends things seasick and helps to smooth out some of the presence in the tails to create a more ambient, washedout texture, especially at longer feedback rates. Interestingly, this particular pedal is the least kooky of the Hammertone line. In a lot of ways, this makes it the most essential in the sense that if you think of this series as a big bag of tricks, then this is the trick you reach for when you just can’t quite get your sound over the line. Delay has

historically not only been utilised for its ability to send a song into the stratosphere but also for its propensity for getting things moving in a practical, behindthe-scenes sense. Lead guitarists love the way that a short repeat can thicken up a solo and set that shining moment a little wider than the rest of the band. On vocals, the clarity in the upper-mid-portion of a frequency graph of the effected signal makes for a less muddy mix and helps to set a reverb send just back from a singer’s voice enough to help it not get lost in the wash. All of these tricks and more are well and truly on tap here and it would not surprise me if that means that the rest of the Hammertone Brat Pack would be lost without the clear-mindedness of this Donatello to the other three Ninja Turtles. All of the pedals in this series that I have tried have felt tough as a house brick. The slightly smaller than usual chassis has a reliable heft to it that inspires confidence in its longevity while the topmounted jacks and true bypass signal path mean it is scrubbed up and ready to join your team of sonic surgeons in the operating theatre. Fender obviously has the working musician in mind here and this steady footing, coupled with Swiss Army Knife functionality, sharp price point, and aesthetic simplicity means that picking one up is as much a no-brainer as uncovering its quirks is fun.

It feels a little reductive to write about a pedal so packed with features with such a utilitarian tone but I feel like such is the success of this design. Too many timebased effects, especially delays, stretch immediately into the furthest reaches of the galaxy or try to laundry-list each and every combination of the whole history of tempo in a DSP for which you need an engineering degree and a solid month hunched over in a darkened room to navigate. While there is absolutely a time and place for those cavalier spelunkers, it is refreshing to plug in a pedal and know exactly how to manipulate it and have it come good on the promise of playing an all-important supporting role at the cornerstone of your empire. That is not to say that you can’t take it far and wide, oscillating off into the twin sunset of Tatooine as I enjoyed doing. Simply put, appreciated the fact that here is a pedal that feels reliable and relatable both structurally and sonically. An old friend who has come to help you move house or the oil can that greases the squeaky wheel, the Hammertone Delay should be a welcome, useful, and helpful addition to a broad spectrum of boards. BY LUKE SHIELDS

PRODUCT REVIEWS / MI

BREEDLOVE

Pursuit Exotic S Concertina AMBER TECHNOLOGY | ENQUIRE FOR PRICING

Based in Oregon, Breedlove has been making meticulously handcrafted guitars for 30 years now. Besides meeting the obvious goals of constructing quality acoustic guitars that are optimised for both playability and sound, Breedlove also have a passion for nature – a passion which is epitomised in their Eco Series. These qualities are all tangible in the Pursuit Exotic S Concertina; a small-bodied yet big-sounding acoustic guitar that is constructed from sustainably sourced tonewoods, marking this as an ideal option for the guitarist that cares about their impact on the world – whether it be musically, or from an environmentally conscious standpoint. Eye-catching is a term that immediately comes to mind when describing the aesthetic of this Breedlove Concertina. The deep, alluring grain of the solid myrtlewood top is coated with a transparent tiger eye finish that once again asserts the earthy image that represents the values of Breedlove guitars. The back and sides are composed of layers of myrtlewood again, as well as African mahogany, which is the wood also utilised for the neck of this guitar. Black-stained ovangkol wood is used for the fretboard and the bridge, which interestingly has a pinless design; making for a sleek, modern look. The top, back, and fretboard are all decorated with a stunning Tortoiseshell-look binding – a call back to the look of some classic acoustic of years gone by.

As an offering from the Eco Series, Breedlove has put much thought into the selection of materials that are used to produce the Pursuit Exotic S Concertina. The woods are sustainably sourced, originating from individually harvested timber, as well as from salvage, in an effort to reduce the impact on the forest that building guitars might otherwise have. In a nice touch, a detailed list of the origin of all natural materials used to build this guitar is transparently available on the Breedlove website.

playing spanned chord shapes is less of a burden, and there are no friction issues in traversing up and down the fretboard. While the body joins the neck at the twelfth fret, the cutaway makes it reasonably comfortable to play almost every available note on the fretboard, even for guitarists with smaller hands. Emphasising the intention of this guitar to be one for the players is the pinless bridge design, which makes changing strings easier, and enables a lower profile at the bridge that is conducive to muting techniques.

With a concertina shape, the Pursuit Exotic S Concertina is one of Breedlove’s small-body offerings, taking the place of what would traditionally be a parlourstyle guitar, albeit with markedly improved comfort and sonic characteristics. Using Breedlove’s Extensive Sound Optimization engineering and EcoTonewood, this guitar is said to be optimised to have materials that perfectly match the shape of the guitar. With a scale length of 24 ¾”, and a nut width of 1.69”, this guitar has familiar playing dimensions, and the inclusion of a cutaway to improve access to the higher frets makes the Pursuit Exotic S Concertina a comfortable piece of gear to play.

Putting the Pursuit Exotic S Concertina through its paces, it was highly comforting to find that the pursuit of a sustainably sourced and manufactured guitar did not result in compromised sound quality. After all, the beautiful resonance and dimension is what draws us to play the acoustic guitar to begin with. The overall frequency response is fairly balanced, highlighting the sweetness of the performance without getting muddied up by unwanted sympathetic resonance.

In addition to the compact dimensions, the overall shape and craftsmanship of the Pursuit Exotic S Concertina make it a breeze to play. This guitar bears a classic Breedlove neck; one which has a slimmer profile and boasts a semi-gloss finish, meaning that

In line with the design intention, this guitar does a fantastic job at providing the player with what is essentially the modern take on a parlour guitar. The general tonality is bright and articulate, allowing all of the nuances from either the plectrum or the fingers to be propelled out of the soundhole and into the listeners ears. While low-end levels were not near as high as what a dreadnought might produce, notes of the lower register were clearly audible,

and had an organic depth to their sound. The Pursuit Exotic S Concertina produced some nice warmth within the middle range, noticeable when strummed hard, gently plucked, or rhythmically Travis-picked. Rhythm guitar playing produced sounds that were particularly pleasurable – a nice complement to the slim neck profile. To add a layer of versatility to this rich-sounding, sustainably sourced guitar, Breedlove has fitted it with Fishman Presys I electronics. This system offers a range of handy features for the playing guitarist, such as a built-in tuner, and switches to adjust the parameters of contour and shape. While a recording studio session would definitely benefit from the use of a condenser microphone to capture more of the body’s warmth, the provided electronics do a sufficient job of enabling clear amplification of the Pursuit Exotic S Concertina for any live situation, from open mics to large gigs. The Breedlove Pursuit Exotic S Concertina is a thoroughly thought-out acoustic guitar that delivers the player a high level of playing comfort and sound quality – while impressively having little detrimental impact on the environment in doing so. With a balanced sound, smooth playability, and a versatile pickup system, this is a great choice for players of all levels who are after an attractive, small-bodied acoustic guitar. BY JAMES CALLANAN

mixdownmag.com.au

PRODUCT REVIEWS / MI

RECORDING KING

RGA-G6-CFE5 EGM DISTRIBUTION | RRP: $899

Since the 1930s, Recording King has been producing high-quality acoustic guitars and banjos. While the ownership of the company has since changed hands, their careful craftsmanship and many of the traditional manufacturing methods have continued to their present models, which now possess modern features for the modern player. The Grand Auditorium Cutaway guitar from Recording King’s G6 Series is no exception to these qualities, offering musicians a wellmade acoustic guitar that projects well, and has sweetly balanced tonal characteristics. The body of the Recording King G6 Grand Auditorium is constructed with stunning mahogany back and sides and capped with a solid spruce top, with the natural grain of these woods visible under a light, glossy clear coat. These tonewoods together form what is a fairly typical shape for a grand auditorium guitar – plus the cutaway – with the larger lower bout and tighter waist respectively aiming to increase the projection of volume and playing comfort of the guitar. The neat fit and finish of this guitar nicely complement its overall aesthetic and ornamentation, such as the matching tortoiseshell design of the pickguard, body binding, and soundhole rosette inlay alike. The mahogany neck – attached to the body by a sturdy dovetail joint – is capped by a revebond fretboard, with this material also utilised for the

mixdownmag.com.au

bridge. The pau ferro headstock veneer is inlaid with a classic look ‘Recording King’ logo, a design that harks back to a simpler time in guitar manufacturing. Picking the guitar up for the first time, it is immediately apparent that Recording King has placed priority on the playing comfort of the G6 Grand Auditorium. While the neck of a typical acoustic guitar often joins to the body at the twelfth fret, this model joins at the fourteenth. This positioning, in addition to the generous cutaway at the upper bout, means that the player has genuine and comfortable access to the entirety of the 20-fret fretboard. The neck profile may be described as slightly chunky, being reminiscent of what one would expect from a ‘50s to ‘60s style neck, though not to the point where guitarists with smaller hands would be burdened. Thanks to some tastefully wide string spacing, this guitar excelled at providing balance in different playing scenarios; from strumming and rasgueado to plucking and fingerpicking, as well as in playing both chord shapes and single note leads with the left hand. The larger neck profile, in addition to the nicely wide string spacing would likely make transitioning from a nylon-string classical guitar a fairly seamless process. This impression of playing comfort in the neck’s construction reassuringly carried through to the body of the G6 Grand Auditorium. Compared to a dreadnought of a similar size, the smaller waist of

the grand auditorium is conducive to a more natural position when played sitting down, without compromising tonality in doing so. Lastly, the familiar string height and spacing at the bridge made changing between right-hand picking techniques an effortless experience. In accordance with its typical shape, the G6 Grand Auditorium has quite a balanced sound, with some extended response in the lower-middle ranges. Overall, this guitar sounds to produce a ‘scooped’ frequency response, with some of the middle and upper-middle frequencies subdued, allowing the depths of the lows and the clarity of the top end to shine through. These tonal characteristics provided a nice dimension to the sound, particularly apparent when strumming or arpeggiating larger chords that spanned all six strings. Perhaps the most notable sonic characteristic of the G6 Grand Auditorium is just how well it projects – this thing is loud! When considering that the lateral string spacing is ideal for fingerpicking, this is a perfect pairing, as fingerpicking can at times be quieter than desired on a smaller-bodied guitar than this one. This guitar’s ability to move air is likely due to the fully scalloped X-bracing which backs the solid spruce top, optimising the resonance of the guitar without providing dampening to its skeleton. It was reassuring to observe that the balanced tone of the RGA-G6-CFE5 was

fairly consistent at different volumes – from quiet and articulate fingerpicking, through to accompanying vocals by strumming open chords with a plectrum. When the G6 Grand Auditorium’s bellowing acoustic volume is not sufficient alone, this guitar is also fitted with Fishman Presys I electronics. While a selection of condenser microphones would definitely be preferable in attempting to capture the sweet warmth of this guitar, particularly the lower frequencies behind the bridge, the included electronics do an absolutely suitable job of enabling clear amplification of the acoustic sound through an amplifier. Additionally, the Fishman Presys I provides the guitarist with a few nifty options; such as phase and contour control toggles and a built-in tuner, making this guitar well suited to both studio and stage playing environments. The Recording King G6 Grand Auditorium Cutaway is a wellconstructed acoustic guitar that provides the player with increased fret access and overall playing comfort to a classic body shape. With a detailed, scooped sound, and the inclusion of versatile electronics, this is a great option for the modern guitarist after a high-quality grand auditorium at a competitive price point. BY JAMES CALLANAN

PRODUCT REVIEWS / MI

FENDER

Hammertone Reverb FENDER AUSTRALIA | PRICE: $229 Fender has come a long way since the introduction of their original valve Reverb Unit back in 1961, and in 2022, the demand for a desirable reverb effect is as high as it has ever been. From the metallic drip of the ‘60s surf music boom to the velvety ambience of 21st century dreampop, Fender’s reverbs have been there for the working guitarist, every step of the way. While a slight departure from Fender’s typical reverb sounds, the Hammertone Reverb effects pedal maintains the quintessential qualities of the company’s amplifiers and effects: this is a sturdy, reliable, and highly functional effects pedal. In keeping with the name of this range, the pedal’s aluminium housing is decorated with a robust hammered finish – epitomising the idea that the Hammertone effects are designed to be workhorses of the pedalboard. The three dials for adjusting the time, damp, and level are a classy touch, paying homage to the original iconic Fender ‘F Logo’ control knobs. Paired with the two toggle switches to control reverb type and tone, the Hammertone Reverb is a fairly simple affair – requiring little-to-no messing about to achieve a great sound, straight out of the box. The power supply input, and ¼” in and out audio jacks are all located at the top surface of the pedal, facilitating a more compact side-byside configuration of effects pedals on a board, if the player so desires. The pedal also features truebypass switching, ensuring that no tone is lost in the chain between the guitar and the amplifier. The Hammertone Reverb features three different reverb effects: hall, room, and plate, which are selected by the three-way toggle switch. The lack of a spring reverb effect is an interesting omission, particularly considering Fender’s iconic spring reverbs of yesteryear, however, the versatility of each of the three reverb types included means that using the Hammertone Reverb is about as far from lacklustre as one could possibly imagine. Alongside the powerful, wide-ranging damp and time parameter controls, these three types achieve reverb effects spanning from gentle ambience, right through to ethereal enchant. 50

Placing the ‘type’ toggle switch into the upward position engages the hall effect – a gorgeous reverberation that allows the more delicate elements of the midrange to linger on, resulting in a smooth sustain and decay. This effect emphasises the clarity and top-end sparkle without being overly bright, and is underlaid by luscious and sweeping mids and lows. This sweet balance of frequencies that the hall setting generates enables quite a bit of versatility, and thus, suitability for a multitude of genres. When set to a short reverb time, this effect adds a lovely thickness for jazz and neo-soul cleans, while a longer reverb time paired with a fuzz or distortion pedal can easily achieve those classic dirty shoegaze tones. Plug your favourite single coil guitar’s neck position through the Hammertone hall reverb and into a clean amplifier channel for instant aural nirvana. Moving to the room effect has some clearly audible differences with regards to frequency response compared to the hall setting, but the same glorious essence of the reverb remains. The room sound appears to generate more of a scooped tone – with both high and low frequencies bearing greater emphasis. As a result, note definition and picking accents are crystal clear, and these qualities are complemented by a gentle thump in the low end.

Playing arpeggios was extremely satisfying, as the differences in tonal characteristics across the span of the strings added depth and dimension to the overall sound. Rounding out the effect types is the plate reverb emulation, which boasts a stunning chime in its sustain. Shimmer is a word that comes to mind when describing this mode, as the highs and high-mids seemingly reverberate into the abyss. At the same time, the lower frequencies begin to diminish, which enables long reverb times to be utilised without too much worry of unintentional muddiness while strumming big chords. The tone switch has a great application for this mode, allowing the user to either bring out or diffuse the high-end, but in each use case, the plate reverb is a delightful effect, particularly in its emphasis of the amplifier’s natural harmonics. Despite the lack of a spring reverb option, the Hammertone Reverb does a brilliant job of providing reverb to an amplifier without an inbuilt spring tank. Testing it into the front of a clean tweed-style amplifier, this pedal was able to provide accurate and articulate ambience to the overall sound, albeit without the classic drip sound of an analogue spring reverb. Additionally, using this effect into the front of a more

overdriven amplifier yielded great results, producing a creamy, saturated sound, particularly with the luscious frequency response of the hall mode. The Hammertone Reverb also excels when being used as more of a feature effect, as one might require for the more spacey genres of shoegaze, dreampop, and slowcore. The versatility between the different reverb types provides a varied selection to choose from, and the powerful damp dial and tone switch enables the guitarist to fine-tune their choice. It was nice to observe that there is no apparent drop or increase in volume with the engagement of the effect, which allows for the seamless introduction of the Hammertone Reverb into the middle of a song. With a sturdy build, three different effect types, and the controls to allow precise tuning of their sonic characteristics, the Hammertone Reverb embodies all the qualities that make Fender guitars, amplifiers, and effects so popular. This is a great choice for those wishing to add an organic reverb to their amplifier, and would also make a great addition to the pedalboard of any guitarist looking for some versatile ambience. BY JAMES CALLANAN

mixdownmag.com.au

PRODUCT REVIEWS / MI

PIONEER DJ

CDJ-3000 JANDS | ENQUIRE FOR PRICING Pioneer DJ, the industry leader in professional digital DJ equipment, is back better than ever with the bigger and badder CDJ-3000. If you’ve played at a club recently, you may have seen one of these in the wild and been gobsmacked by the larger screen and additional buttons and settings available. For the uninitiated or unaware, Pioneer DJ equipment is the industry standard with basically every club, festival, and venue that has DJs using their kit. Inherently, a CDJ is an audio player that lets you select and play audio files from USBs, CDs, and SD cards. The magic happens with the ability to manipulate the pitch (speed) of the track to match it to the music already playing, but we’re well past that being a new feature and Pioneer DJ has consistently added new features to their devices over the past 28 years since the original CDJs were released. In a strange twist, this CDJ is actually the first of its namesake to not bear a physical CD slot. Usually for other Pioneer DJ products that lack a CD port (namely the XDJ series) they have strayed away from using their flagship CDJ product name, but no longer. CDs are merely a fragment of past generations of DJs, with USBs, and SD cards being the format of choice as they are easier to transport and extremely more flexible to perform with. In focusing on the important areas of the hardware, Pioneer DJ has upgraded the jogwheel, making it smoother to operate, reducing latency on use and adding a new LCD screen on the centre of it which displays the album artwork for the track you are playing, a playhead representation (for the scratch DJ) alongside mode and beat sync settings. This is a neat touch which provides access to information about what’s happening on the deck when you’re using the touch screen to browse tracks. Speaking of the touch screen, that got a large update too, literally. The nine-inch full colour HD LCD touchscreen is larger, brighter, and more functional than ever. Selecting tracks can be done on the touch screen as there’s enough space to, even with my large fingers and the encoder on

mixdownmag.com.au

the right side of the screen is still there for precision scrolling and selecting as well. The interface has been redesigned with all browsing options along the top of the screen in which it moves from left to right from source selection, through menus, to track selection. When selecting tracks there’s now an option for font size and to display the full waveform while in the browser which makes this their most accessible CDJ yet. With the larger screen, Pioneer DJ has added a master waveform along the top which displays the master player’s waveform in real time. This feature is a huge bonus which lets you see what’s happening in not only the loaded track but a track loaded on another deck concurrently for beatmatching and to enable smoother mixes as you know when the next track is going to drop or enter a breakdown. Key sync is one of the new features on offer from this multimedia player which enables you to change the key of the track to match the key of the master track (the track that is already playing). You can even pitch the track up and down almost a full octave independently to create harmony or dissonance if you know what you’re doing, which enables all your tracks to be in key (or not in key). Pioneer DJ’s new tweaks and enhancements to the CDJ are not only on the surface level, they’ve added a new Micro Processor Unit (MPU) which puts its processing power rivalling newer smartphones. This added power allows for a smoother performance especially in regards to track loading and playlist scrolling which is about as seamless as it can get. In addition to this, all internal audio processing is performed at 32bit/96kHz regardless of the source material’s audio quality. This upscaling hides artefacts that might be present using their new key shift feature on lossy MP3 files for example and provide a bettersounding experience when using the master tempo setting. Although there is a range of new features, people familiar with Pioneer DJ’s CDJ range will feel right at home on this deck. There

might be a slight learning curve as some functions have moved places but the overall function is still the same. There’s more hot cue buttons on the CDJ-3000 which are laid out left to right below the touch screen, a new eight-beat loop button next to the standard four-beat loop, plus new beat jump buttons which allow you to move forward or backwards in time a specified amount of beats. The play and cue buttons which often get a fair bit of wear and tear have been updated to be more durable which is a plus for any owner of this device.

and loading tracks makes using the device smoother, and the new jogwheel along with hot cues buttons enables you to more precisely use the device to mix up a storm (or trainwreck, no judging here!).

Pioneer DJ has also introduced a new feature exclusive to the CDJ-3000 aptly named CloudDirectPlay which allows you to stream your music from Dropbox straight to the device. To set this up, you will still need to carry a USB with an authentication key which will unlock your cloud-based DJ library through rekordbox.

BY SAM MCNIECE

All in all, the CDJ-3000 from Pioneer DJ is an excellent new industry standard that will proliferate clubs, pubs, and festivals for years to come. With rock solid performance and a high quality build, this media player is the product to beat and will keep spinning for years to come.

With all these new settings and updates, Pioneer DJ has outdone themselves with an upgrade that has been well overdue. The faster response times when searching

PRODUCT REVIEWS / MI

PIONEER DJ

XDJ-RX3 JANDS | ENQUIRE FOR PRICING For those familiar with the RX3’s predecessor, the RX2, will immediately be comfortable with the size and format of the RX3, with a near identical chassis. However, the brushed metal decks contrasted with the jet black mixer section immediately stands out, looking slick and pro. Firstly, we have to talk about the most glaringly obvious, the newly designed 10.1” touch screen. Not only does the colour, depth, and dimension of the screen immediately impress, but how it sits at the top of the mixer commands attention and entices the users into getting hands on straight away. Diving into the menus and scrolling through playlists is an absolute breeze, with the clear layout and formatting taken directly from the CDJ3000, keeping things familiar to existing Pioneer DJ users. The screen is now able to show more information of each track, being able to display 12 tracks on screen, opposed to the previous eight tracks on the RX2. With a deep and bold waveform display, the overview section of the screen is lush and packs in all the relevant track info one would expect to see, with the waveform displayed on the top of the screen showing the 3-band EQ waveform, also taken from the CDJ-3000. This can of course be changed back to the old school blue waveform or RGB setting if required. For those who have analysed a song with the phrase feature within rekordbox, will be able to have this info displayed on screen too. The overview part of the screen can also be used as a needle search, which then displays on the waveform above, making searching through a track quick and concise. A standout new feature of the screen lies with the status or beat FX modes. When in status mode, the dedicated part of the screen corresponds to the selected performance pad modes (more on these shortly) and are conveniently displayed on screen, such as hot cues or beat jump divisions. Jumping across to beat FX mode is where things get particularly interesting. Scrolling through the beat effects within the mixer section and landing on a favoured effect, this can be

tweaked and then saved to one of the four available banks on the left of the screen. In essence, this saves effects presets which can be accessed with a tap of a finger. This is worth its weight in gold when needing to apply favourite effects on the fly, perhaps in quick succession in a track, it’s pretty dope! Lastly, in beat FX mode, on the right side of the screen lies the X-pad, much like that of the DJM900’s, which feels great, is nice and responsive and conveniently located on the screen. Diving through playlists is lightning fast with a new playlist feature, ‘playlist banks’. This allows playlists to be saved into the four available banks and are able to be navigated between with speed and ease. This is super useful if scrolling through endless folders and playlists on a USB during a set isn’t your thing. Instead, you can quickly scroll, find your desired playlists, save to an available bank/s and are then immediately accessible directly on the left of the screen. A tiny gripe with this feature is that the banks aren’t named after their corresponding playlists, so you either need to remember what playlist you put where or quickly select a bank to see what playlist it is. Four playlist banks are available for each of the two USB slots, but playlists from each USB slot can’t be moved over

to the other USB bank. Again, a minor inconvenience but perhaps something that could be updated in the future. The freshly upgraded performance pads bring some tasty new features and functionality. Being slightly more protruded than previous iterations with bold coloured rims, the eight performance pads per channel each have an additional mode each, making an epic 16 modes per channel available. These modes include hot cue/gate cue, beat loop/beat loop 2 (triplets, odd time signatures), slip loop (traditional roll)/release FX (for additional builds and energy into set, beat jump/beat jump 2. There’s heaps of performance options here, allowing for a tonne of creative ideas, builds, and transitions at the hit of a pad. Seeing a feature such as gate cue come into a Pioneer DJ product like the RX3 is a welcomed addition and one Serrato DJ Pro users or DJs who enjoy using performance pads to finger drum, will surely find this new feature most appealing. The updated mixer section is comprehensive, concise, and really nicely laid out. Within the headphone section is a dedicated cue button, allowing for auditioning of tracks within

headphones super fast and easy. Other new and updated features in the mixer section include a handful of additional beat FX and two new sound colour FX, taken directly from the club-standard DJM900NXS2 mixer. The metering displays look great and the overall layout is really easy to navigate. The brand new jog wheels have some flashy new features including built-in displays. The displays on each jog wheel can display custom images from tracks taken from the root directory of a connected USB stick, a nice feature allowing users to really make the XDJ-RX3 uniquely their own. The jog wheels themselves are beautifully smooth, elegant and are the same size as its predecessor, essentially being the same as those found in the DDJ800. As expected, the jog wheels are not mechanical like CDJ’s, but are rather capacitive controller jog wheels and can be adjusted between heavy and light weight and feel. Overall the XDJ-RX3 packs some serious punches and brings professional and classic Pioneer DJ class to one of the most highly anticipated DJ products of the last few years. BY ANDY LLOYD-RUSSELL

mixdownmag.com.au

PRODUCT REVIEWS / MI

LUDWIG DRUMS

Vistalite 50th Anniversary Kit DYNAMIC MUSIC | ENQUIRE FOR PRICING It wouldn’t be a conversation about the GOATs of drum manufacturers without Ludwig’s name being thrown in the ring. In this regard, Ludwig are basically the Fender of drum kits, both being industry standards and producing consistently quality products time and time again. Hell, Ludwig themselves say they’re “the most famous name on drums” and with their legacy, how could you not? Dating back to 1909, Ludwig has produced some of the most iconic pieces of drum related equipment, including their Black Beauty Snare Drum first released in the 1920s, which are still produced to this day. By 1923 Ludwig were the biggest drum manufacturer in the world and they hit the masses in the ‘60s as The Beatles’ Ringo Starr performed on live TV bashing on a Black Oyster Pearl Ludwig kit. Ringo was so proud of owning this drum set that he left the Ludwig logo upon the skin of the bass drum (something not common at the time). From this success Ludwig grew exponentially and bolstered their place at the top of the market with quality, durable drum sets that have stood the test of time. Fast forward to 1972 and Ludwig dropped their first incarnation of the highly revered Vistalite series, sending shockwaves across an industry that had primarily relied on birch and maple for over a hundred years. These new, moulded acrylic shells served as a coming of age for synthetic shell design, a far cry from the acrylic shells experiments of Bill Zickos and the like. These were robust, lightweight, and featured a distinct but nonetheless desirable tone which proved an instant winner in the drumming community. The Vistalite kits were soon showing up on stages around the world, cutting an iconic figure among the sea of glam rock pomp and increasingly complex stage production. But the Vistalite’s legacy is based on more than looks alone. Alas, it was their ability to produce little in the way of overtones that made them such a hot commodity, across various genres and styles. The quintessential ‘70s kit, the

mixdownmag.com.au

Vistalite’s projection and durability saw them make many a convert of those more accustomed to wood shells. Suffice to say, the stigma had been lifted and a new classic was borne. Like their predecessor, the new look 50th Anniversary Vistalites feature the same distinct attack and enviable projection, and they look cool. Very, very cool. They are manufactured under strict guidelines pertaining to shell integrity and with refined factory practices that ensure today’s Vistalite produces pure, unabashed tones through a fully-stabilised shell and dual reinforced seams to ensure long lasting stability and consistency. The newly machined 45 degree bearing edges are also a sight to behold and absolutely scream durability and longevity. Unmiked, the Vistalites were plenty loud and bright, proving a perfect concert kit for being heard over a loud band or ensemble. The shells themselves are reasonably weighted when compared to more traditional wood designs, but this is to be expected of acrylic drums. As to be expected for drums of this ilk, they behave themselves extremely well in regards to tuning and timbre.

With absolutely no dampening and combined with their clever construction, they were a breeze to tune; the resulting tone slightly dry and very focused. There’s plenty of attack on display, but the lack of overt overtones are such as to not make you instantly hunt for dampening. Instead, you get a pleasing tone at any tuning range with an openness that makes you want to use a lighter head, because that slight dryness controls the sound. In the mix with the band, the toms sound a little EQ’d even. On first impressions, the rigidness of the rack tom made me want to think there was a chance this drum may be lacking in tone somewhat, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. This drum is a monster and has every bit of thump and punch to it when tuned low. There is plenty of body to the sound and a good amount of sustain from the shell without ringing out uncontrollably. When tuned higher it gets a great snap to it that really cuts through the mix, and it goes even further when you tune it right up. It has a ripping snap to its tone that I personally found ideal for tuned up reggae sounds for great effects should you wish or tuned lower for a real meaty sounding thump that would be right at home in any rock outfit.

The same holds true for the LS901V Vistalite snare, whose unique and snappy tonality make it a valuable addition to any drummer’s arsenal. Again this drum can convincingly voice in a variety of tuning options making it an extremely versatile option across multiple genres. In most instances, you can’t go astray choosing a Ludwig kit, and the 50th anniversary Vistalite is no exception. Available in Fab, Pro Beat, and Zep configurations and with 22”, 24”, and 26” kick options, there is plenty of personalisation available here. With so much flexibility allowed to customers in diameter, depth, and colourway, there’s truly something for everyone here. The ‘70s finishes are purely optional, but the singular, pure voicing and Ludwig proprietary design make the 50th Anniversary Vistalite a bonafide winner, aesthetics aside. BY PABLO FRANCOIS

PRODUCT REVIEWS / AUDIO

PERREAUX

300iX SOUND AND MUSIC | ENQUIRE FOR PRICING

The Hawke’s Bay wine region in New Zealand’s picturesque North Island is known for its exquisite expressions of the Syrah grape, rivalling the best that the northern hemisphere has to offer. In much the same fashion, the Hi-Fi company Perreaux, originating from Napier, Hawke’s Bay, is known for its exquisite amplifiers, rivalling the best that the northern hemisphere has to offer. Since its inception in 1974, Perreaux quickly grew a name for itself by designing the amplifier equivalent of muscle cars, marrying power and elegance in indestructible gunmetal rigs. This isn’t hyperbole – marketing stunts saw Perreaux amps run over, thrown from trucks, dropped from loading docks, and lugged back into showrooms remaining fully operational. The warm MOSFET transistors combined with the sheer amounts of power on offer found Perreaux power amplifiers at work in roaring bar systems just as often as they were in muscular home setups. Perreaux’s latest offering in their range of integrated amplifiers is the 300iX, a complete Hi-Fi solution to fit any setup imaginable. A far cry from the Lego brick designs of old, this elegant audiophile amp is housed in a new look, sleek metal chassis, with an uncluttered control panel that is agreeably minimalist. What isn’t quite as minimalist is the dizzying rainbow of colours the unit is available in: if you’ve just painted everything in your studio canary yellow and are worried your new amplifier might stand out – fear not, Perreaux have your back. With so many finishes on offer there really is something for everyone

here (with Racing Green being a favourite of the Mixdown office). All units are hand-painted to your exact specification, glossy or matte, which is another classy touch. In the hand, the 300iX is indeed a hefty unit, taking up about as much space as two briefcases stacked atop one another, and weighing in at around 30kg, but at no point does this bulk feel unnecessary or just for show. One listen to the 300iX’s incredibly high quality output, coupled with its endlessly clean headroom and distortion properties, and it’s obvious that no corner has been cut in regards to sourcing the finest quality components and circuitry for this release. The heavy-gauge tinned copper cabling found on Perreaux’s own proprietary toroidal power transformer being just one example of the kind of the premium components on display under the hood. The 300iX has an extensive list of audio inputs, taking balanced XLR analog, Power Amp RCA analog, USB, digital XLR, two optical inputs, two coaxial inputs, five unbalanced RCA inputs. The phono inputs cater directly to vinyl aficionados with the preamp stage suitable for both moving magnet and moving coil cartridges. For output, you can choose between speaker wire output (with two pairs of binding posts should you choose to bi-wire your speakers), unbalanced RCA at both line and preamp levels, and a 6.25mm headphone out with a dedicated class A amplifier (which we will get into later). The 300iX also takes a CD-quality Bluetooth stream input, for those with wireless proclivities. The amplifier comes with a dedicated remote control (like all

good Hi-Fi gear should!) but can also be controlled with Perreaux’s very handy remote app with an Android or iPhone device. On the face of the 300iX is an OLED display indicating the current input source, volume, and sample rate where applicable. Five buttons below let you control the amplifier’s settings, which can also be controlled via the remote control or the Perreaux remote app. The amplifier ramps volume changes gradually by default, such as when you hit the mute button or switch between input sources, giving you a kind few seconds of warning when switching to a very hot input source. You can change the speed at which this ramping occurs, or turn it off altogether, in the menu. The level that the mute button drops the amplifier to can also be changed, letting you turn it into more of a dim control if desired. Perreaux’s 300iX is their most powerful integrated amplifier on offer, delivering a huge 300+ watts into eight ohms. Contrary to the brawn, the total harmonic distortion is a minuscule 0.004 per cent at 1kHz into eight ohms. With this kind of power, the 300iX will handle even the most demanding passive monitors with finesse. To test the kind of precision with which the amplifier handles dynamics and transients, I hooked up my trusty NS-10M monitors, notorious for their extreme recoil in the midrange, and spun up the most highly processed, aggressively transient music in existence, modern day K-Pop. While hooking up NS-10s to a premium amplifier like this is akin to wearing runners with a suit, the 300iX drove them with ease,

pumping out the glossy pop with incredible depth and accuracy. With 300 watts to work with, the NS-10s sounded immediate and crisp rather than harsh, a feat that few amplifiers can accomplish. Also of note is the quality of the DAC unit on the 300iX, bearing that instantly recognisable depth and precision that we tend to only find in converters of the rack mounted variety. In no mood to cut corners, Perreaux has included a dedicated Class A headphone amp capable of driving headphones of impedances up to 600 ohms. The headphone amp, Perreaux’s own SXH2 design, runs from a dedicated power supply, and is perfect for cross checking mix decisions on the fly in a studio context. Equally useful is the ability to sync devices directly to the 300iX, which is ideal for auditioning high quality reference tracks with a minimum of fuss. These two features work in concert, making the 300iX an ideal ‘centre of operations’ for all your monitoring needs. There has always been plenty of overlap between mix engineers and the audiophile world and this has been at the core of the Perreaux brand identity since their emergence in the ‘70s. The 300iX, with its dizzying array of outputs, integrated headphone amp, and high quality conversion/streaming capabilities make for a winning combination of classic audiophile amp design and modern functionality. BY LIAM MCSHANE

mixdownmag.com.au

PRODUCT REVIEWS / AUDIO

AUDIENT

EVO 16 USB Interface STUDIO CONNECTIONS | RRP: $799

To put it plainly, Audient don’t always receive the recognition they deserve in the pro audio world. Working tirelessly to make products for the working creative, their designs are functional and expandable, while offering professional-level quality and sleek looks. While the last few years have seen them offering more accessible and entry-level equipment, these pieces feature the same design methodology as their high-end consoles. Audient takes what we’ve learned from about a hundred years of recording and design equipment to harness that in increasingly accessible ways with modern routing, aesthetic, and function. You could run an entire recording signal chain of Audient from preamp to converter, and rest assured that you’ll have access to that signal at high quality via auxiliaries, sends, and returns. They extend this to their rapidly growing EVO series of interfaces, designed to be super simple to use so you can focus on the recording and music making rather than the routing, gain staging, and playback. The Audient EVO 16 is a 24 in, 24 out audio interface with award-winning EVO preamps and Audient conversion. The EVO range offers something for every level of recording engineer, and gives access to the same highquality preamps, conversion, and routing options. The front of the EVO 16 features two combo XLR/jack inputs

mixdownmag.com.au

(with JFET transistors no less!) for easy recording direct when you need to. The back of the unit features another six inputs, all with the same combo XLR/jack configuration, and additionally, there’s up to 16 channels of input via ADAT. There’s ADAT outputs as well, making up the advertised 24 inputs and 24 outputs available on the EVO 16. The EVO 16 also has eight line outputs, the first two of which are dedicated for monitors and controlled via the front control panel with a handy and classily lit control to adjust your monitor output. The EVO 16 also features two independently controlled headphone outputs on the front faceplate, both of which are rated for <50Ω so you can send that drummer plenty of signal without a worry. There’s a dedicated world clock out, as well as USB-C connectivity, and a handy screen that shows your input level on the first eight inputs. The EVO 16 is a handy 355mm wide, so it can fit easily into a laptop-sized bag or sleeve, but rack ears are also available if that’s more convenient! For added convenience, the EVO 16 features Audient’s low latency software mixer for routing and sending signal without reaching for the unit itself. In use, the EVO 16 is great. The EVO preamps are clean and clear, offering 58dB of gain. The black chassis of the EVO 16 is well built and can handle being travelled with if need be, while the clearly

labelled gain control selection allows you to toggle 48V phantom power or mic/instrument control. Audient EVO 16 also features the Smartgain algorithm, a unique program that quickly analyses and adjusts gain to the perfect level. While creativity can take over and different signals can be pushed or pulled while recording, the Smartgain is a great addition for quickly setting yourself up with a starting point. Smartgain uses peak analysis to quickly adjust gain to optimal levels for recording, both avoiding massive spikes and allowing enough dynamics to avoid that noise floor. Once the signal has passed through the preamps, the converters themselves sound great. No colour, just 121dB of dynamic range allowing you to listen critically and helping your monitors sound the best they can! The EVO 16 helped shift my focus from routing, setting gain, and monitoring to just hearing the performance played back. When working alone, it was ready to go when I was, allowing me to capture whatever fleeting creative moment I was having, and in a session it would be just as ready. The routing is simple, and a clearly laid out faceplate makes for easy control, while high quality preamps allow for the capture itself.

know what to do with, they make products for the music makers. They’re a company giving access to better quality products at better prices, while also making intuitive designs that offer everything you need to quickly make either critical mixing decisions, or broad strokes while recording. Even when they’re not bringing anything sonically, their simpleto-use products make the set up faster and more efficient. The EVO series as a whole exemplifies this, and the EVO 16 leads that charge with all guns blazing. Eight EVO preamps on board, with space for an additional 16 preamps via ADAT, while also offering 16 additional ADAT outputs to accompany the eight line outputs on the back, easy to read graphics, easy to navigate controls; the Audient EVO 16 makes most other products feel a clunky mess, and we can do away with that kind of energy when creating. BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

Audient are a company who are so focused on creating products that benefit the user, they may be overlooked. From their tiny, bedroom-producer-focused interfaces, to rolling consoles with more channels than you

PRODUCT REVIEWS / AUDIO

EMVOICE

Emvoice One EMVOICE | ENQUIRE FOR PRICING

While artificial intelligence isn’t a new concept in music, its increasing presence can be a daunting one. With algorithms designed to churn out masters, preset chords packs becoming intelligent, more basic functions such as peak limit analysis and adjustment, waveform re-analysis, and DAW functionality becoming part of our everyday process, artificial intelligence is beginning to creep into the music making process sonically rather than just as a functionality. Emvoice is one of the latest of a small collection of vocal-focused plugins using advanced synthesis to create vocal sounds based on input, the same as you might coach or encourage a real vocalist to do. While producing reasonably high quality and produced sounds, Emvoice differs in its ability to hover around pitch and timing, just like a human would. The basic plugin has four different voices/personalities, each with matching presets that affect the performance of that specific voice. Emvoice offers each singer individually, their website having a short bio on each based on their range and natural timbre and tone, including their natural range and extended pitches available. Thomas, for example, is a natural vocoder sound with a range from C0 to C5, while Jay, Lucy, and Keela are more natural-sounding voices with varying ranges. In use, Emvoice immediately sounds great, so let’s jump into it.

Emvoice is easily installed and doesn’t require any complex routing in your DAW for it to work. Those familiar with vocal tuning software will feel right at home in Emvoice’s interface, resembling a standard DAW MIDI screen with notes on the y-axis and time on the x-axis. It’s important to note that Emvoice must be written and programmed within the plugin’s interface, as most DAWs don’t include options to add words below the notes. Emvoice will, however, follow your DAW’s cursor selection. Emvoice is simple to use. There are clear prompts to enter words and lyrics once you’ve written in some notes using the pencil tool, and pitch can flutter between different notes across a word or your singer can ease into or out of words. What’s immediately evident in the preset window is Emvoice’s ability to seamlessly integrate with recordings of human voices. There’s an ‘Alternate Take’ option that differs just enough to sound like a singer having another crack at a line, or the ‘Loose Tuning’ which hovers just imperfectly enough around a note to give the impression of a real performance, or, most scary of all, emotion. Lucy, Jay, and Keela all offer preset sounds that vary between Deep Electro and Hard Tuning for super-human like sounds, as smooth legato and loose tuning give a more perfectly imperfect result. Doubler A, Doubler B,

and Alternate Take are great for layers, the different ‘performances’ modulating to create a thick doubled effect that you may do for a real vocalist. Technologic and Low Octaver replicate some more commonly used vocal techniques and sound more heavily affected. While Emvoice may not replace finished vocal tracks entirely, it really shines in the production and mixing space, allowing songwriters to easily demo song ideas with great sounding vocal performances, and mix engineers to drag and drop MIDI to layer a vocal sound beneath synths and ambience. A choral sound is easily achievable with a little MIDI programming and a couple of ‘duplicate-track’ shortcuts, and these can take centre stage or fall back behind a main vocal performance. Sounds like the Hard Tuning and Deep Electro are intentionally over-tuned, but settle in nicely among a few layers of more imperfect vocals, anchoring the entire choir into harmony or unison. Emvoice is marketed as a ‘next generation’ vocal synthesis plugin. While other plugins use advanced algorithms to draw on samples installed within your computer, Emvoice accesses thousands of samples via a cloud-based system, and is ready to play back your vocal almost immediately, even in situations where internet access isn’t ideal. What differentiates Emvoice is that it’s tiny samples of real singers, as opposed to entirely

synthesised sounds that imitate a human performance. Words are assigned to phrases with the Emvoice plugin, based on your input, and Emvoice will reach for the most suitable samples for playback. It’ll also underline words or symbols that it doesn’t understand. Even more interesting is Emvoice’s ability to add English phonemes to create words and phrases that may not exists within the engine already. This is great for a little “Ohh la la la”, or “Woah oh oh” that your next single may be lacking! Overall, Emvoice is ridiculously easy to use. Installing and bringing up my first instance of Emvoice took moments, and I was up and running, albeit finding myself trying out all the different sounds immediately rather than making music. But this is what Emvoice inspires: creation. Previously unexplainable ideas can now be articulated to bandmates or labels for songwriters who may not be able to hold a note themselves, or extra layers of performance and ambience can add a really interesting dynamic to your synth and textures in songs. Emvoice gives you four singers on staff, all with a unique tone, voice, and with massive ranges. This kind of artificial intelligence and vocal synthesis may seem daunting, but Emvoice couldn’t have made it simpler. Now go fire your singer! BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

mixdownmag.com.au

PRODUCT REVIEWS / MI

YAMAHA

AG01 USB Microphone YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA | RRP: $499 The world of home recording has come a very long way in the more than 30 years I have been involved, and there have been certain key players along the way that have taken new ideas and developed them into innovations that have changed the way we go about a process. I think it goes without saying that Yamaha is one such company that has made huge advances in home recording, not only catering to the advanced user, but making it very easy for beginners to get started. Concepts like adding USB interfaces to their MG Series of mixers and including a basic Cubase licence with the unit have made it possible for so many musicians, creatives, and dreamers to get their ideas heard. But of course, they are never content with delivering the same product over and over and are always looking for new innovations. Well, the AG01 is one such innovation that further makes home recording an option to an even wider user group. The USB microphone is by no stretch of the imagination a new concept. We’ve seen it in various guises for more than 15 years now, but it has never offered so much versatility as the AG01 does. Yamaha have done a tip of the hat to online streamers and created a microphone that is going to give them greater flexibility and creativity. But, it’s not just a YouTube microphone, this piece of hardware is just as happy in front of a guitar, tracking vocals, recording a piano or capturing a lecture. It’s a workhorse like no other, one could go so far as to say it is the Swiss Army Knife of recording microphones, except, it’s Japanese. Available in a satin black or white housing, you can choose the AG01 that works with your décor. Of course, this comes into play when used for video where the microphone can be seen, but it just becomes a matter of personal preference when used in the home studio. And it certainly has a place in the studio, with the AG01 being a large diaphragm condenser microphone with built-in AD converters capable of delivering 24 bit/192kHz audio directly into your recording software. And look, it sounds really nice too. You could

mixdownmag.com.au

use this for vocals, acoustic guitar, hand percussion, piano, woodwind instruments, and a whole host of other applications. I was tempted to get the cello out and see how that sounded, but no one wants to hear me play cello. So, as a straightforward USB recording microphone, it ticks the boxes for sure. But, it’s in the architecture of the device that the AG01 goes so much further. On the underside of the microphone is a host of connections. Two USB ports are supplied, one for five-volt power, the other for connectivity to the host device. A headphone output allows for playback monitoring, a stereo line input is available through a mini jack, and a TRRS mini-input and output combination port allows the AG01 to be linked up with your smartphone for recording and playback in place of the phone’s built-in microphone and speakers. These connections all have plenty of space for the cables to run out of with the built-in desk stand keeping the base of the microphone on the desk and the capsule up close to the height of your mouth.

With a number of different setups available, you can record YouTube videos via the AG01 and monitor directly from the headphones, you can feed audio in for overdubs on videos for either vocals or instruments, conduct live video streaming through a host of software platforms, and even use it as a conventional audio interface for recording or capturing music. As with so many products from Yamaha, Cubase LE, Cubase AI, and Wavelab Cast software packages are included with the AG01. This gives you a great arsenal of audio editing and recording tools to help you create the sound you want. But, if you just want an improved audio capture when streaming or recording into a video platform, there is no need to launch these programs as well. The AG01 has some pretty cool built-in DSP functions that make it really easy to improve the sound of your voice or instrument with the swipe of your fingertip. Using the AG Controller app on your smartphone or device, you can unlock a range of features including EQ, compression, and reverb with simple presets available if you just want your

sound to instantly appear better, without having to play around with settings in the app. It’s like having a lazy sound engineer in your pocket all the time. Gone are the days of setting up a microphone, preamp, mixing desk, effects rack, and audio interface with about 30 cables to join everything up. It’s all taken care of in this one unit, ready to record into your new software, straight into your phone with video, or streamed directly onto the internet. The only decision is whether you invest in a cool-looking articulated microphone stand or go with the included desk mount. Either way, you’re sure to find a quality sound with relative ease and room to grow should your setup require expansion. If you’re in the market for a new microphone, or even your very first microphone, then check out the Yamaha AG01, it might just have everything you need, and a few extras too. BY ROB GEE

PRODUCT REVIEWS / AUDIO

AUDIX

DP7 Drumpack PRODUCTION AUDIO VISUAL TECHNOLOGY | ENQUIRE FOR PRICING

For a relatively young company in pro audio, Audix have certainly earned their pro audio stripes. The level of recognition and dedicated customer following the company has acquired from their beginnings in 1984 is reflective of their stable, innovative, and evolving pro audio products.

say, the assortment, intended design, and evident durability of the included accessories is pretty impressive, which is often an oversight or just poor construction. But Audix seems to have placed some emphasis and attention to detail on this, which hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Audix can be credited as pioneering some pretty revered and certainly widely used microphones that regularly grace the stage; the OM5 and D6 being just a couple that immediately spring to mind. It’s no wonder one can expect to see Audix microphones across the wide spectrum of stages, from small local clubs through to large scale arenas.

There are indeed some worthy mentions in the pack, some of which I’m sure many would already be familiar with, and the D6 is certainly one of those. While this microphone might not present itself as an aesthetic masterpiece, hell does it pack some serious punch! What I immediately like about the D6 is its rather bespoke EQ curve; perfect for low-endfocused sound sources, be it a kick drum, floor tom, bass cab, or the bottom of a Leslie cab. Very much a “get the job done” type of mic for many a FOH engineer, the D6 is equally at home in the studio environment. Typically requiring less additional processing than many other mics of its type, the D6 brings both presence and low end punch, immediately producing gratifying results. Sure, some may argue that the attack the D6 brings out in a kick drum is a little over pronounced, but this can be easily combated with EQ or, just by moving the mic. If I was in a bind and only had the option of one microphone on the kick, the D6 would be a top contender.

While world-renowned singer songwriters such as Alanis Morissette and Bonnie Raitt have Audix mics accompanying them on stage, what Audix has become synonymous with over the years is providing some of the punchiest, focused, and detailed drum sounds both on stage and in the studio. It is no wonder that a throng of drumming royalty such as Thomas Lang, Thomas Pridgen, Travis Barker, Todd Sucherman, David Garibaldi, and Stanton Moore relish the numerous Audix mics on their respective setups. The wide range of mics within the Audix line cover all matters of options for live and studio situations, but their array of mic packages is something to be marvelled at. I for one can’t think of another mic manufacturer that offers quite so many well presented and thought out packages, ranging from simple entry level four-piece drum mic packs through to the DP7 and the flagship Studio Elite 8. The DP7, as I’m sure you’ve already deduced, is a sevenpiece microphone set, packed with some of Audix’s top-tier microphones. Although the DP7 is a perfect match for a multiple mic capture of a drum kit, the array of included mics lend themselves to multiple other applications and sound sources. The mics included in the pack are the sought-after D6, the i5, 2x D2, D4, and 2x ADX51, as well as numerous rim mounts, clips, and shock mounts. I must

The i5 is marked as the dedicated snare mic within the pack. Its ported head is a little reminiscent of some vintage Sony dynamic mics, just with a more modern housing, which I like. With high SPL handling of over 140dB SPL, a pronounced bottom end capture, and some raised upper-mids and tops, the i5 captures snare drums really nicely, without sounding muddy or too spiky in the top end. Overall, I’d happily throw up the i5 in the studio or on the stage any day of the week. The mixture of dynamic and condenser microphones within the DP7 offers a wealth of potential options, not just for drum applications but for guitars (both acoustics and amplified cabinets), as well as pianos, brass, bass, and voice. The pair of ADX51s lend themselves to plenty of

applications other than a stereo pair of overheads, making this mic pack that much more versatile. Producing some of the best performing, most purposefully designed mics available today, Audix’s attention to detail, reliability, and overall performance are qualities which permeate throughout their line of microphones, and this rings true with the DP7. With such a fastidious and dedicated team and facility based in Wilsonville, Oregon, it’s no surprise Audix microphones emit this aura of scrupulous design, purpose, and reliability, and being designed, assembled, and tested in the USA, this package delivers bang for buck.

most engineers into a good spot, but being able to have all your bases covered with just one set of microphones is not something to be undersold, but rather underpins Audix’s ethos. I’d be stuck to give you a reason as to why I wouldn’t take the DP7 either into the studio or out on the road. Its versatility and durability alone are worth the price of admission. BY ANDY LLOYD-RUSSELL

Even just the D6, i5, and ADX51s alone would be enough to get

mixdownmag.com.au

PRODUCT REVIEWS / AUDIO

AUDIO-TECHNICA

3000 Series IEM System TECHNICAL AUDIO GROUP | RRP: $1,499 As a live sound engineer, artists rocking up with their own set of in-ear monitors is becoming the new norm. Live electronic acts who want to hear their low-low bass frequencies accurately as well as bands who want a really loud mix on stage without running into feedback issues from all the live microphones will bring or spec an in-ear monitoring system for their live performance. In the past, in-ear monitoring systems were reserved for largescale touring acts due to their expensive initial cost not being financially viable for local and semi-professional musicians. As times have changed, wireless audio systems have become more streamlined, easier to implement, and most importantly, pretty affordable for even small-time local acts. With artists yearning for a simple to implement, high-quality inear monitoring system for live performance and rehearsals, along comes the new 3000 Series IEM from Audio-Technica. This affordable wireless in-ear monitor system comes packed with an ATW-T205 stereo transmitter, an ATW-R3250 stereo receiver, and a pair of ATH-E40 in-ear monitor headphones which is enough to kickstart your journey into taking control of your monitor sound. Modelled after their popular 3000 series wireless UHF microphones systems, the form factor of this product is sleek and professional. The all black aesthetic paired with OLED displays on both receiver and transmitter gives a clear and accurate readout of all the essential data necessary for operating the system including name, battery level, frequency, group and channel selections and if there is audio being transmitted. The stereo transmitter is rackmountable which makes it a viable option to integrate into a touring setup while concurrently being small enough to be discreet if deployed on stage. The receiver features multiple screen display options that provide the information you need depending on the setting. For example, if you’re the sound engineer and you don’t need the artist to see information about what specific frequency is set, you can display the channel name mixdownmag.com.au

instead which means they will always know which receiver is theirs. The lightweight enclosure features a double-sided latch for opening the battery compartment which will prevent you from accidentally opening it mid gig. Audio-Technica have added professional level features to this set, with the transmitter able to automatically scan and find suitable frequencies for wireless audio use, not to mention the inbuilt high and low frequency EQ shelf, limiter, gain, and balance controls on the receiver. There’s a mono balance mode which allows you to mix the left and right channels in mono on each receiver which enables the artist to customise the level between two different audio signals which could be their vocals and the band’s instruments, for example. The bundled in-ear monitor headphones, ATH-E40s, utilise Audio-Technica’s proprietary dual phase push-pull drivers which provide a high level of clarity and definition while concurrently isolating you from the outside environment. There are multiple silicone eartips which made them fit securely and comfortably inside my ears during testing. The sound these earbuds carried through the wireless system was immense, a well-balanced sound that provided immersion across the full frequency spectrum while not ever hyping the high or low frequencies. A unique part about these in-ear monitor headphones

is the easily detachable cable which first, prevents you from breaking the sometimes fragile IEM cables getting snagged on something and secondly, making the cable easily replaceable and interchangeable. Not only that, but these have a standard 3.5mm headphone jack on the output with a low impedance (12 ohms) which means they can double as your everyday headphones by simply plugging into any consumer grade device (like your phone). With an inbuilt network connection, the IEM Transmitter included in the bundle can be controlled remotely using AudioTechnica’s wireless manager software. With the software you can rename your transmitters, scan the frequency band to look for used frequencies, and finally, and most importantly, generate a coordinated frequency plan to avoid these used frequencies and send that information to the transmitters. This can save you time and effort testing to find frequencies that don’t generate interference or intermodulation between different frequencies, a real winner in terms of usability and functionality. Using the receivers with highquality rechargeable batteries I was able to use the system for just over six hours continuously, which would allow you to use them for soundcheck and the gig without worrying about it dropping out on you. I also experienced no

dropouts during testing walking around my home out onto the street about 50 metres away, which has almost convinced me to get a set for my home studio so I can walk to the other end of my place and listen to a mix I’m working on while cooking a meal! Perhaps a great part of this set is how easily it can scale to suit your needs. Say you’re a solo performer and you purchase one for yourself and then you decide to start performing with another musician. You can simply purchase another receiver and you’re both able to access the same monitor mix. You could even set up two separate mixes and send them in mono to the one receiver and now each of you can have independent mono mixes with a single transmitter, the monitoring possibilities are vast. All in all, this in-ear monitoring system from Audio-Technica is a quality professional product that will appease both small and large scale implementations for artists and venues. The robust construction paired with solid RF connectivity options and most importantly, clear and precise audio transmission that drive the included IEM’s fantastically, makes the 3000 Series IEM system from Audio-Technica a fantastic choice for those in the market for upgrading their audio monitoring. BY SAM MCNIECE

PRODUCT REVIEWS / AUDIO

PRESONUS

Revelator io44 LINK AUDIO | RRP: $352.93

With the rise of streaming, podcasting, and the demand for more affordable and portable audio equipment, more and more we are seeing hardware geared towards this market, and the PreSonus Revelator io44 is one of these devices. Designed with live streamers in mind, the Revelator io44 is an excellent choice for an interface for streaming, podcasting, or music production. Its small form factor and solid construction makes it ideal for both permanent and portable studios, with built-in DSP processing helping to alleviate the taxing nature of audio processing software. While the Revelator io44 is primarily targeted at live streamers, it is just as applicable in a musical context. It is especially handy for musicians on the go or working with limited space. The interface has a single mic/instrument combo input, a TRRS input for headphones that will also allow recording from a headset mics – especially good for gaming and streaming – as well as a TRS line input for recording phones, MP3 players, DJ mixers, and anything else with a line level stereo output. Everything you may need from a small, portable interface. Bundled with the unit are integrated DSP effects, for real time processing of incoming signals which are of high quality and didn’t affect recording latency to any noticeable degree when testing. The internal DSP processing frees up your computer’s processing power,

allowing for smoother operation of other programs, whether that be other plugins, streaming software, or CPU intensive video games. Included are EQs, compressors, limiters, reverbs, delays, and a range of vocal effects. The Universal Control software, which comes as a free download from the PreSonus website, allows you to easily control these parameters and save them with up to six user presets, with a further eight premade presets. A nice touch which permits those both familiar and unfamiliar in advanced audio processing, to get a clean, professional-sounding recording right out of the box. Presets can also be saved and shared among other Revelator users, meaning there are no lack of presets for any situation or context. Setting up and using the Revelator was a very easy process. After downloading the Universal Control software, it was as simple as plugging the interface into the computer. The interface and the software instantly started working as intended. Immediately, we had singal through the device, Universal Control and Ableton, the DAW we used for our tests. The signal was clear thanks to the XMAX-L digital preamps, which provide low noise and lots of headroom. The interface allows for recording up to 96kHz at 24 bits for high quality and professionalsounding recordings. From our tests, the factory presets did a great job of cleaning up the signal and reducing noise, giving us an instantaneously

professional-sounding recording. When using a gaming headset with a built-in mic and one of the built-in presets, the clarity of the signal was significantly improved while minimising hums, hisses, and pops. When testing with a single coil Fender Strat, the ‘electric guitar’ preset did an excellent job rolling off that infamous single coil hum, while still maintaining the sonic characteristics of the instruments. On the device there are a range of tactile features. A small OLED screen provides crucial information and navigation of the features of the interface. It is controlled with a single rotary button that scrolls through different parameters and allows you to set these parameters to your needs. Also included are a pair of ‘preset’ buttons that toggle between two predetermined presets with just the press of a button. Allowing you to recall your favourite channel presets with the press of a button. Another useful feature of the io44 is the loopback functionality. This allows for the recording of computer audio, whether that be video games, videos, or music, onto a seperate channel within the interface and into your recording software. Having individual recordings of each element makes the editing and balancing of sources much easier during post production, while also streamlining adjustments to levels during real-time performances, such as live streams, as all audio sources are monitored within the same location. Level adjustments

are able to be made from both the device and within the Universal Control software. Included with the interface is the Studio One Artist software, PreSonus’ proprietary digital audio workstation, meaning that those who purchase the Revelator io44 will immediately have access to a tracking and editing software. Also included is the Studio Magic bundle, which compiles a range of VST plugins for deeper editing and processing options during post production. The Presonus Revelator io44 audio interface is an excellent choice for those looking to get into streaming, podcasting, or wanting to take their studio on the go. The small footprint and solid build lends itself to those who do a lot of travelling or those who don’t have much home studio space to work with. The ease of use is great for streamers and podcasters who may not have extensive knowledge of audio processing, with a range of presets providing professional recording options with the press of a button. It also appeals to the seasoned musician and producer, with an array of effects and deeper editing parameters to really dial in that desired sound. Not to mention the included Studio One and Studio Magic software, the Revelator aims to provide everything you need to get started in either streaming, podcasting, and music production from the get go! BY CAMBELL COURTNEY

mixdownmag.com.au

PRODUCT REVIEW / AUDIO

FOCUSRITE

Vocaster One & Two FOCUSRITE AUSTRALIA | RRP: $299 (ONE), $449 (TWO)

The podcasting space has become one of the biggest growth areas over the past few years with a vast majority of streaming services now offering podcasts in addition to music. This growth has unleashed a wave of products that cater specifically to providing people with an affordable way to set up and achieve professional results for their podcasts. In light of this virtual onslaught of content being generated, the market leaders in the affordable audio interface space, Focusrite, have released their Vocaster range, suited for this exact crossover between professional-sounding results and an affordable product aimed at entry-level podcasters. These new devices act as audio interfaces and a live podcasting solution with a bundled control software which claims to be the “easiest way to bring studio-quality sound to your podcast”. Let’s see how it stacks up. Connectivity wise, the Vocaster One features one XLR mic in, two TRS outputs, one headphone port, a TRRS input/output for connecting a phone, and a 3.5mm jack output, while the Vocaster Two features all this, plus an additional XLR microphone input, headphone port, and Bluetooth – both bus powered via USB-C. The top panel of these audio interfaces have a very clear layout featuring volume controls for headphone outputs, buttons for mute and enhance, alongside a button for activating the gain control for each input. There are very clear LED lights around the edges of the central knob which show the input level of each microphone input with a defined red section to see if you are clipping. Having all these buttons within arms reach is a blessing while you’re recording as you can conveniently mute while you’re flipping through paperwork or about to cough to create a better experience for the listener, and save time in post. The small form factor of the Vocaster One and Two is impressive, packing all these connections and features into a compact enclosure makes them easy to travel with and will enable you to record your podcasts from just about anywhere you can find a quiet space. The buttons feel

solid and the knobs smooth to the touch which is great news from this affordable audio interface, as this is where some of the cheaper products lack in. The Vocaster One is best suited for individual hosts who sometimes have external guests join them remotely, while the Vocaster Two is better for an individual host who has guests in person, or a duo who always record podcasts together. Both feature flexible internal mixing via the Vocaster Hub and controls for certain features on the physical device. Perhaps one of the best features of the Vocaster range is the accessible and functional control software which can be used to mix and control all features on the device. The aptly named Vocaster Hub gives you control of both microphone inputs independently including phantom power (48V), gain, mute, enhance – which functions as an all-in-one signal processor – and auto gain, in addition to a mixer which lets you mix all your audio sources in one place. The microphone preamps boast 70dB of gain which is more than enough to get a decent level out of pretty much any broadcast mic you might already have or are looking to purchase. After setting your mic gain, you can try out one of the enhance presets to implement some EQ and compression at the touch of a button. The four presets available are clean, warm, bright, and radio, all with a unique sound character. For the budding podcaster with little experience in sound engineering or without a budget for a sound engineer, these presets will help elevate the quality of your podcast to new heights and add a consistency to your sound. Say you have a friend wanting to call in and join your podcast live, the Vocaster range provides you with a few options to get there, not just one. You could connect your phone via Bluetooth (Vocaster Two only) and call them using whichever app you prefer, utilise the TRRS connection for the same effect, or you could use the loopback function on your computer to route audio from your favourite video conferencing

software to and from the device. All three of these options can also be used to play other audio from their respective connected source, but because the Vocaster Hub features two loopback channels, this option would be best utilised for adding sound FX, controlling background music, and even playing pre recorded segments on your live podcast seamlessly from your computer. The layout and design of both the Vocaster One, Two, and its control software make it a great choice for creating a live podcast without having the headache of running through a complex DAW, but its digital outputs can also be recorded for editing and mastering at a later date. The 10/14 channels available to route as you please include a mix-minus (basically the whole audio coming from the device but not the loopback channels) for adding a video guest so they don’t hear themselves echo, a show mix of all inputs, and independent channels for each input. Obviously this device can also be used as a standard audio interface with the DAW of your choosing for recording and sending audio to your studio monitors.

Overall, both of these interfaces feature quality Focusrite microphone preamps with digital functionality in the Vocaster Hub that’s easy to use and powerful enough to create professionalsounding podcasts with minimal time investment on the mixing process. For all those readers out there who have listened to Joe Rogan and thought, ‘I could do that’, these interfaces are a fantastic way to get your story out into the world with a price tag that won’t break the bank. There’s a lot of flexibility on offer from these small form factor podcasting interfaces which will provide a solid foundation to kickstart your podcasting journey, or supplement the one you’ve already started. BY SAM MCNIECE

mixdownmag.com.au

PRODUCT REVIEW / AUDIO

PRESONUS

PD-70 LINK AUDIO | RRP: $294.11

The content creation space is evidently growing by the millisecond, with the demand for content bursting at the seams and creators having to keep up with the ever-expanding scenes. The influx in digital content demand has afforded lots of people a new income stream or a new hobby while instability and unemployment was at an all time high. Podcasts, being the relatively new medium they are, are experiencing something of a boom period when it comes to their equipment with many prestigious and respected audio manufacturers coming to the party, lending their unparalleled understanding of transducer technology and high-end studio nous, to the increasingly demanding technical requirements of the modern podcast. The world of professional broadcast has spent the last 100 years refining their recording methods and workflows, which means that when it comes to the production of dialogue heavy content, the broadcast engineers have it down to an art form, to the point where we as the viewing public often take their brilliance for granted. While we may not have access to their six-figure equipment budgets, there is a lot we can learn from these masters of the craft, especially in a burgeoning field like podcasting that borrows so heavily from traditional media in terms of workflow and equipment design. With podcasters being so reliant on audio quality to get their message across. Mic selection may be the most important technical decision within all of that. After all, there is every likelihood you will end up with a half-dozen of the same model, if everything goes according to plan. When it comes to choosing a mic for a podcast, a little planning goes a long way, and making the right choice at the beginning of your project can definitely save you a tonne of time at the backend, so it pays to invest some time and research into your options before pulling the trigger. Manufacturers across the world are working harder to keep ahead of the curb as this rapidly paced space continues to evolve, from

plug and play type devices to affordable “broadcast quality” mics. The demands of a good quality broadcast style microphone include crystal clear capture, a supremely tight and focused unidirectional polar pattern, with superb rear rejection, effectively eliminating any external or extraneous noise that isn’t the voice in front of it. Equally, the demand for equipment that is both high quality and compatible for use across multiple platforms is ever increasing and a clear leader and innovator in this space is PreSonus, with an absolute standout in this arena: the PD-70. If you’re unsure about which microphone to choose for your spoken word applications, this microphone should be on your list. Just as we have seen a maturation in the world of USB mic, podcast mics too are having their day in the sun, any PreSonus PD-70 dynamic mic can stretch with the glut of awesome pod mics out there at the moment. With its rugged construction and arm attachment making it perfect for broadcast studios or podcast setups alike, the PD-70 is built to last, with its strong robust chassis, giving the impression of being able to take a knock or two without

incurring much in the way of major damage. After all, we all know how passionate broadcasters/ podcasters can get! On spec, the PD-70 holds its own with a broad, full band frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz and a nice presence lift from around 2kHz to 10kHz, keeping the voices spoken or sung into it clear and defined. Its cardioid polar pattern keeps things focused, boasting an incredibly tight unidirectional pickup and outside noise to a minimum. Like broadcast before it, podcasting is a medium which lives and dies by the clarity of its audio and the cleanliness of its diction, with the end goal being to create as much of a direct, intimate line of intelligibility between presenter and audience as possible. There’s nothing worse than listening to a podcast where the external noise is almost as loud as the voice itself, which not only is horrible to listen to, but sounds unprofessional and DIY, and not in a good way. Thankfully the PD-70 takes care of this with ease and produces a professional-sounding capture of the sound source placed in front of it, with all the nice proximity effect and low-end reinforcement you would want out of a microphone of this type.

It’s easy to say that the PD-70 is one of the best value for money microphones of its kind. The initial costs of setting up a content creation space can be daunting, wanting to get professional results without breaking the bank. Bundled in with the PD-70 is PreSonus’ own StudioOne DAW software with over $1,000 worth of effects and VSTs to begin or enhance your music production journey. Also included is the Studio Magic bundle, which compiles a range of VST plugins for deeper editing and processing options during post production. For podcasters, broadcasters, voiceover artists, and radio hosts the PD-70 is a solid option producing the expected results of a microphone of this style, smooth, clear and crisp, and for some voices, the exact special sauce required. BY ERIC FOREMAN

mixdownmag.com.au

©2022 Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. All Rights Reserved. FENDER (standard and in stylized form), MUSTANG® are trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation and/or its affiliates, registered in the U.S. and other countries.

PAGE HEADER

MY RIG:

Telenova “Josh is such a control freak that in the studio, he’s running around like a mad man like he’s part of Queens of the Stone Age,” quips Telenova guitarist Ed Quinn about bassist Josh Moriarty. Telenova’s steep rise is nothing short of phenomenal, with the trio that was grouped together at a songwriting camp set to release their highly anticipated second EP Stained Glass Love. With their initial formation coming just before the onset of the pandemic, the group persisted through the harsh Melbourne lockdowns to get a “head start” on the beginning of their career. “Ed and I didn’t have that much respect for the rules,” Josh laughs. “We just continued to get together at my studio, Ange was a lot more diligent in following what Premier Andrews had to say but Ed and I were like, ‘Fuck this, if everyone else is allowed to work at whatever capacity they are, suddenly because we’re musicians, two of us can’t get together at my home studio and write music?’ He was my intimate partner!” Spending almost an hour with two thirds of Telenova, we thought we’d sneak some gear chat in there as only we know how!

BASS Hofner Violin Bass “I had another band and the bass player ended up just buying one of those cheap Hofners, I remember it just sounding so good, but then he quit the band and we had two guitar players, I was one, and the other guitarist was like, ‘Well I’m not fucking playing bass’. So I just became the bass player in that band and bought what our old bass player had. It’s quite an easy transition from guitar to a Hofner because they’re so small and you can be quite nimble and play it a bit like a guitar but still with a bit of a bass brain.”

PEDALS Line 6 Helix LT “My pedalboard used to be an absolute nightmare,” Ed says. “Then Josh did the research and got me a Helix LT, and that basically has everything

that we need in one stompbox. It’s so beautiful. You don’t even need an amp! Josh is the one that’s always fiddling with it like, ‘No no no, turn the tremolo rate down, turn it down! Turn it up!’ I’m totally cool with that.”

Tech 21 SansAmp “The tones in the Hofner are so good, it’s pretty simple,” Josh says. “I was using an amp and I’d just have a compressor and then like a fuzz pedal and a few things like that, but now I’m just using the SansAmp, just going straight out of the that because we’re all on in-ears so we just decided instead of hiring an amp for Ed and an amp for me every time, let’s just use amp mods, or just the SansAmp and Ed’s Helix and everything’s the same every time. The Hofner just has such a tone, you palmmute it with a pick, it sounds fat and sweet so I’ve just been doing that.”

SOFTWARE Ableton “We use Ableton (to trigger percussion parts live), click play, even if it’s like three songs in a row, we’re at the mercy of Ableton to keep the set going, launching straight into the next song. It’s risky, not very rock and roll, no time for 25-minute improv jazz solos,” Ed laughs. “We always have this plan to get a drummer in but because the samples we use are so refined and so keyed to the song, every single band we saw play with a drummer made it sound like an 18-yearold school band and we were like, ‘You know who doesn’t give a fuck whether there’s a drummer or not? The audience’.” BY ELI DUXSON

Line 6 Helix LT Tech 21 SansAmp

s Bas olin i V r fne Ho

Ableton

mixdownmag.com.au

DURABLE GOODS FOR THE MODERN MUSICIAN YEAR

WARR ANT Y

YEAR

WARR ANT Y

9V ADAPTER / COMBO PACK

CS 6 LOW PROFILE MULTI VOLTAGE | 7 MULTI VOLTAGE POWER SUPPLY | 12 MULTI VOLTAGE POWER

CONVERTERS

MUTI-PLUG CABLE

R-ANGEL CABLES

EXTENSION CABLES

VOLTAGE DOUBLER & VOLTAGE CONVERTER

MA METER

T H E

P O W E R

O F

S O U N D

| Semi-weighted keybed with aftertouch | | Sound pallet featuring 25 plugin instruments & over | | 100 state-of-the-art Effects | | Vibrant 7” Color Touch Screen w/- Multi Touch & Gestures for clear navigation | | 16 RGB Velocity-Sensitive MPC Drum Pads w/- Note Repeat | | Assignable Touch Strip Controller | | 4 assignable Q Link knobs for creating & performing signature sounds | | Audio interface w/- two Mic / Line Input, high-end preamps inc. phantom power | (Also accepts Class Compliant audio and midi interfaces)

Akai Professional is proudly distributed in Australia by Electric Factory Pty Ltd 51 Northgate Drive Thomastown VIC 3074 akaipro@elfa.com.au