#331

EDUCATION SPECIAL, ABLETON LIVE SCHOOL, NAMM '24 REVIEWED: DAD CORE256, FENDER 70TH ANNIVERSARY PLAYER STRAT, JACKSON JS22 KING-V, MARKBASS CMB 121, + MORE

IN THE EYE OF THE

HALESTORM FR EE

FEATURING DAN GERAGHT Y

UNLEASH A UNIVERSE OF SOUND

With world-class tonal replication, Tone Master Pro is the groundbreaking multi-effects system from the leader in guitar amplification.

©2023 FENDER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Vintage style for the modern era.

©2023 FENDER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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CONTENTS

08

GIVEAWAYS

10

PRODUCT NEWS

14

HALESTORM

16

EDUCATION SPECIAL

26

FIRST LOOK: WARM AUDIO PEDALS

27

100 YEARS OF BEYERDYNAMIC

30

NAMM '24

42

PRODUCT REVIEWS

58

MY RIG: MATT SWEENEY

PG.35

PG.14

PRINT EDITOR Paul French

PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Patrick Carr

PUBLISHER Furst Media Pty Ltd

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

CONTENT EDITOR Lewis Noke Edwards

CONTRIBUTORS Rob Gee, Jamie Colic, Peter Hodgson, John Tucker, Paul French, Greg Long, David James Young, Christopher Hockey, Andy Lloyd-Russell, Lewis Noke Edwards

FOUNDER Rob Furst

MIXDOWNMAG.COM.AU /MIXDOWNMAGAZINE @MIXDOWNMAGAZINE @MIXDOWNMAGAZINE

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kelly Lim ADVERTISING MANAGER Paul French

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MIXDOWNMAG.COM.AU

PG.26

GIVEAWAYS

For your chance to win any of these prizes head to our giveaways page at: MIXDOWNMAG.COM.AU/GIVEAWAYS

Fender Highway Parlour Guitar We’re excited to offer one lucky reader the opportunity to win a Fender Highway Parlour guitar, one part of the new Highway Series from Fender. Building on the stellar Acoustasonic offering, the Highway Series invite readers to “throw away the map and get lost on the open road of creativity.”

The Parlour guitar features a mahogany body and rosewood fingerboard, as well as Fishman Fluence pickups controlled by a Master Volume and Contour control.

PA-10 adapter used with the following products: MG10, MG10X, MG10XU, MG10XUF, MG12XUK Identification • Affected adapters were purchased between June 2021 and Jan 2024 • Affected adapters can be identified by the model number “PA-10” • A 4 digit data code can be found on the rear of the adapter case, indicating the production year and month Adapters numbered between 2126-2319 inclusive are the ones that are affected by the recall.

Why the product is recalled Some of these adapters have developed cracks in the plastic housing. If it came apart it could present a risk of electric shock.

Hazard: A possible electric shock may occur by touching the insides of the adapter.

Action required In response to this issue, Yamaha Music Australia would like all customers using the affected AC adapter to stop using it immediately, and disconnect the plug from the power outlet and the MG series mixer. Yamaha Music Australia will provide a free replacement AC adapter for affected customers. To obtain a replacement AC adapter, please go to our online portal at https://au.yamaha.com/en/ news_events/2024/pa10_ac_adaptor_recall_ and_replacement.html.

Yamaha Music Australia would like to sincerely apologise for any problems that this may cause.

You can reach Yamaha on: Email: mpdorders-aus@music.yamaha.com Phone: 1800 331 130 and select option 1 Scan for more info Scan the QR code here to find out more

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See productsafety.gov.au for Australian product recall information

Win a Kink Pedals Dozer!

We’ve teamed up with Kink Pedals to give one lucky reader the chance to win a Dozer pedal! Kink Guitar Pedals worked with Ross from the Cosmic Psychos to bring you the Dozer Fuzz. In their words: “We took the fuzz circuit from the Shin-Ei 8TR Fuzz Wah, used modern components and put it into a more pedalboard friendly enclosure, complete with top mounted jacks.

If you have ever wanted to capture the signature Cosmic Psychos’ tone, look no further. The Dozer Fuzz also works fantastic on guitar also.”

AVAILABILITY

APRIL 2024

PRODUCT NEWS

The Fantomen, a collaboration between Hagstrom and the Swedish rockers Ghost, feature Lundgren pickups and Hagstrom’s own Resinator wood, a composite material.

Finally, the Hagstrom Tremar Viking is now available in a beautiful blue Cloudy Seas finish with White Sides. A sight to behold.

Hanging with Openhagen HangWithMe

own words, stop your house from looking like a practice space!

For smaller-stringed aficionados, there’s a ukulele mount that’ll work great for your mandolin, banjo or your ukulele. Depending on your choice of HangWithMe hanger, you can choose from Cherry, Oak, Walnut or Black finishes.

Vox’s hand-wired range expands!

breakout adapters), Bluetooth® MIDI and Ableton Link, or connect to your computer and run the MPC software as plug-in within your favourite DAW. OVERVIEW •

Iconic MPC standalone production centre in a new 37 note keyboard form

•

Beat making workflow, sampling engine, sequencer, plug-in synths and onboard plug-in effects

New guitars from Aria!

CMI MUSIC AND AUDIO | CMI.COM.AU KOALA AUDIO | KOALAAUDIO.COM.AU

Hagstrom and their 2024 NAMM offering

PRO MUSIC AUSTRALIA | PROMUSICAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

Hagstrom are a producer of some truly unique guitars. Having been involved in guitar production since the late 50s, Hagstrom’s range both borrows from vintage designs as well as forward thinking modern inclusions. Their 2024 offering, revealed at NAMM, is no different.

There’s Super Swedes available in multiple colours, the Super Swede being Hagstrom’s singlecut electric option. 2024 sees them “Reimagined. Redefined.

Revived.” with a 25.5” scale length, delineating it from traditional single cut designs at 24.75” scale length.

It uses a sustain block tailpiece design, and locking machine heads.

The newly announced Ultra Swede is a more streamlined version of the Super Swede, with a 7/8 body shape and Custom 62 humbucker pickups.

Beyond this, the Fantomen has seen an update with a beautiful new Mystique Burst Gloss.

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MIXDOWNMAG.COM.AU

Guitar hangers can be a really tough purchase. Not only do they need to cradle and support your guitar, prevent it from falling and be easy to use so you can grab your guitar when inspiration strikes, but different materials can harm the finish on your guitar!

Openhagen understand this and seamlessly blend form and function, turning the often-ugly guitar hanger into a beautiful accessory. Imported and distributed by Koala Audio, Openhagen have three main offerings available. Their HangWithMe design is available for acoustic guitars, electric guitars and ukuleles.

Designed by Harrit-Sorensen, the HangWithMe hanger features a foldable design so that when not in use, the hanger isn’t an eyesore. Comprised of solid wood with oiled cork and anodised aluminium, the hanger itself is beautiful and robust while also innovating the hanger.

The main guitar hanger will suit most guitars, acoustic and electric, with symmetric headstocks. The Electric Guitar hanger is more suitable for asymmetric guitars like a Strat or more high-performance electrics. Securely mounted to the wall with two screws, the Openhagen HangWithMe both protects your guitar’s finish thanks to the cork, while the design itself is secured to the wall with an intelligent design that can be folded away if needed. In their

Vox’s hand-wired series have been the most revered of their amps, besides the original vintage stuff, and 2024 sees the range expand with seven new options.

Working to discover the inner workings of the original, hugely successful amplifiers, the new AC Series are available in classic black tolex with brown grilles. Power options range from AC4 through to AC30 hand-wired head and matching 212 cabinet. Different amps are available with either Celestion Alnico Blue or G12M Greenback speakers depending on your preference!

Introducing the Akai Professional MPC Key 37

PRO MUSIC AUSTRALIA | PROMUSICAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

Aria guitars have a huge range of accessible, affordable guitars of all different types, styles and colours, now expanded by a slew of new electric models as well as the new Fiesta by Aria range.

The new Aria electrics borrow from traditional single cut and double cut electric guitar styles, as well as some more unique offset shapes and body style. There’s some right and left handed models, as well as a fretted and fretless bass option depending on your preference (or maybe whatever your collection is missing!)

Various electronics and hardware options are available, like single coil pickups or humbuckers, tremolo systems with various switching options to really harness that tone.

The new range moves from TEG-series of traditional shapes to other specific shapes like a baritone, Nashville-style electric, the Fullerton range as well as some Modern Classics.

ELECTRIC FACTORY | ELFA.COM.AU

MPC Key 37 comes with a collection of Akai plug-ins as standard along with over 100 onboard effects, and wireless integration with Splice, all controlled by 16 iconic MPC pads, a 37-note synth action keyboard, 7” touch screen and 4 real-time Q-link encoders. MPC Key 37 can also live at the centre of your standalone studio; with MIDI I/O, 4 TRS CV jacks (8 TS outputs with

The Fiesta by Aria range encapsulates the best of the acoustic world with nylon classical style guitars in both 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4 sizes, as well as moe traditional steel string dreadnought guitars.

Beyond this, the Fiesta by Aria range also has some folk-y offerings, with both a folk and dreadnought style option!

by ATMOS Made Easy Meet ORIA, the world’s first audio interface and monitor controller designed specifically with immersive audio in mind.

>>> in stores soon

PRODUCT NEWS

Sennheiser announce HD 490 PRO headphones

SENNHEISER | SENNHEISER.COM/EN-AU

At their core, the Sennheiser HD 490 PRO are designed for all-day comfort as well as durability. The headphone’s sound are provided by neodymium magnets and innovative low frequency cylinders for a full-range and balanced response with headroom, clarity and accurate results. The cups feature an open back design for natural ventilation, reducing physical fatigue over long sessions.

Sennheiser are a market leader in modern solutions to making music.

A huge part of the making though, is the listening, both for yourself and for your audience.

SOHO Sound Company in Australia

and TWS (True Wireless Sound).

The 45s have full control on the headphone cups themselves, crystal clear microphone for hands free speech, all arriving safely with 100% recycled packaging.

a long service life. Impeccable workmanship using first-class materials give this guitar cable its enormous sound and frequency spectrum and the typical warm and voluminous vintage sound.

For a sleeker solution, SOHO also have wireless stereo bluetooth solution in the W1. The W1s, “earbuds that can charge your mobile phone”, work via Bluetooth V5.0, with an operating distance of 10m. They respond with everything from 20-20KHZ, allowing for full-range, crystal clear sound.

From Joe:

Finally, there’s a really special one.

The SOHO Cylinders are stereo bluetooth speakers, that can be used in pairs or on their own. Buy a pair for independent use around the house, then combine for wide, full-range stereo sound for a house party.

Torque Case Co. Torque produce world-class hard cases for a variety of instruments.

They provide protection for ukuleles, guitars, violins and mandolins, as well as road cases for things like microphones and rack equipment.

Their range of cases are produced with eco-friendly ABS plastic, nylon exteriors, tolex and more!

The new KLOTZ Joe Bonamassa high end guitar cable

"We've been on tour around the world with the long 12m cables, played huge stages, all the looms are also from KLOTZ and we haven't had a single failure.

That's a real testament to quality.

As a cable on the road you have a rough life, you are constantly being rolled up, thrown into a case and above all, someone is constantly trampling on it. So it's really impressive how well they've held up. I really value my relationship with KLOTZ, I'm very happy with these cables and I hope you enjoy playing them as much as I do. It's a great, very authentic cable, no matter what amp, it's one hundred per cent neutral and transparent." - Joe Bonamassa

the British Beat invasion of the early 1960s. Its close sibling, the silver-framed T652 was adopted

by Marshall, the amplifier brand most universally associated with heavy metal and British rock, soon afterwards becoming the original Celestion driver for legendary Marshall amps such as the 1962, aka the “Bluesbreaker.”

The G12 has long been the gift that keeps on giving; Celestion’s current product family includes many variations with frequency responses and power handling capacities tailored to different musical applications and genres.

The new Celestion 100 sits at the head of this table, inspired by the unique tones of those early alnico speakers, not just the T530 and T652, and some of the earlier models too, including the much rarer B024 and CT3757.

To achieve this, Celestion has formulated an all-new cone, benchmarking it against perfectly preserved vintage cones as development progressed. Edge treatment is thin and light, carefully measured to enhance the cone’s resiliency during excursion, while bringing out the best of the cone’s performance.

Celestion celebrates their 100th Anniversary with the debut of the Special G12 Celestion The Guild Polara & 100 TI832 Tony Iommi Signature Electric Guitar Strings

ELECTRIC FACTORY | ELFA.COM.AU

The SOHO 2.6 Wireless Bluetooth Hybrid Noise Cancelling Headphones are available in both black and white, their 40mm NdFeB speakers providing powerful and crisp sound. The 2.6s offer up to 100 hours of use off a single charge, all charge via USB-C.

To mark Klotz’ 45th anniversary of KLOTZ, they have redesigned one of the best guitar cables in the world. The popular Joe Bonamassa Signature cable now sports new quality connectors from Neutrik with an abrasion-resistant "Joe Bonamassa" laser engraved logo and hard gold-plated jacks. The cable is also optionally available with the Neutrik Silent Plug for absolutely noiseless instrument changes.

At the 2024 NAMM Show, Celestion, the premier manufacturer of guitar and bass loudspeakers and pro audio drivers for sound reinforcement applications, kicks off the celebration of their 100th anniversary with the introduction of an artisanal, 12-inch speaker, the Celestion100. Paying tribute to Les Ward — Celestion’s chief engineer until 1979 — the Celestion 100 channels the legacy and tone of the Celestion’s G12 speakers from the late 1950s and early 1960s including the Alnico Blue, the first speaker ever purpose-built for the electric guitar.

Levelling up, the SOHO 45 Wireless headphones, like their little brother the 2.6’s, feature active noise cancelling technology

The new original KLOTZ cable tie is also a welcome feature, making handling easier in the rough and tumble of the stage and ensures

The Alnico Blue worked so well that it was installed in Vox AC15 and AC30 amplifiers (a favourite of The Beatles) which powered

PRO MUSIC AUSTRALIA | PROMUSICAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

Pro Music is now importing SOHO Sound Company into Australia.

Based in the UK, and born over a beer at the pub, SOHO Sound Company produce personal audio products for music lovers.

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MIXDOWNMAG.COM.AU

CMC MUSIC | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU

ZENITH MUSIC | ZENITHMUSIC.COM.AU

The Polara has been a standout in the Guild solid body lineup since the early 1970s. From hard hitting riffs by Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil and many others across all genres, the Polara is a versatile instrument with a vibe all its own. Available in base model, Night Edition, Deluxe, Artist Signature and USA configurations.

La Bella is also proud to present our first ever signature set inspired by the legendary guitar player Tony Iommi and his custom string gauges. Iommi's unique playing style requires this particular construction, helping him achieve the dark riffs that have helped shaped the sound of rock.

HALESTORM

IN THE EYE OF THE

"We made these songs solely by imagining how audiences would react to different parts live – because, at the time, all we could do was imagine. The uncanny thing is that everything we'd envisioned actually worked when we played them live. We were in shock." a thankfully-common moment of vulnerability when speaking to Mixdown.

“I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to turn it on, so to speak. I just had to put my guitar over my shoulder and try my best to give the people what they paid to see. These fans all knew something was up, and nobody else did.

Each of them came up to me the next day and checked in with me in their own way, and I didn't want to carry myself differently around them – I laid it out that I was really depressed, and feeling lost.

“The very next day, each one of those fans came to the meet-and-greet with handwritten notes for me telling me their own stories and telling me that they were here for me. I learned a valuable lesson on that tour: You get more from the people in your life if you are willing to be yourself instead of putting on a mask and a big facade. Your friends, your family, everyone.

If you show your imperfections, they will show you theirs.”

HALESTORM

WORDS BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG

If you give Lzzy Hale an inch, she’ll take a mile – or, for those that use the metric system, she’ll take 1.60934kms if you give her 2.54cms. If you ask Halestorm’s fearless frontwoman one question, she’ll respond for minutes at a time – she calls it “rambling”, but the constant thought and care going into what she’s saying contradicts such a dismissive term.

S

pending time speaking with Hale leaves you with one lasting impression: She cares. A lot. She and the rest of Halestorm have been given ample reason to, as well – across five studio albums in the last 15 years, the Pennsylvanian hard-rockers have accumulated a deepseated connection with their fanbase. When that was taken away over the pandemic, with the band having to create 2022's Back From the Dead from a distance, Hale found herself staring into a void. “It was like everything had been stolen from me while we were making that record,” she says.

“Seemingly, my life was pretty great – I'm in a band with my best friends, we have a Grammy under our belt, we've toured the world playing music

14

MIXDOWNMAG.COM.AU

These experiences that have stemmed from touring Back From the Dead have greatly influenced the way Hale has approached writing songs for the band's sixth studio album – which, she confirms, the band have already begun work on. She describes the creative process for this as-yet-untitled record as one of her “going further down the rabbit hole” to

further explore her raw emotions and to be OK with not being OK all of the time. “I want to tell it like it is,” she says.

“I feel like I've been given permission to truly be myself now. I want to tell people that listen to this band all of my secrets. I want them to see my dark side. I think it's beautiful. Even if someone has no idea about this band and what we do, I want them to hear these songs and really see me in that moment. I have this inspiration, and I'm going into this record being much more open about the possibilities that may come from it.”

With such honesty and vulnerability in the air, the next line of questioning is pursued.

Hale leads her band as singer and guitarist, an accomplished player recognised in a handful of hugely successful signature model guitars from Epiphone and Gibson. While the tides are slowly turning, does Lzzy Hale still feel the pressure as a woman in such a maledominated industry?

Hale is careful but confident in her response: She knows her role, and she intends to play it to perfection.

“It's not my first rodeo,” she begins. “We've won a lot of battles in the war against women, but it's still ongoing. There are a lot of things going on in the world right now that are making us as a society take ten huge steps

back. It's a weird, delicate time. I will say that things have come a long way since I was first starting to play music, and when I entered a venue they assumed I was either someone's girlfriend or doing merch. I didn't see myself reflected in the hard rock and metal that I loved at the time, so I had to make that space for myself.

“There's a lot that I haven't had to go through as a musician because of the pioneering women in music before me. I am shouldering them in my responsibility when I go out on that stage, for all the female hard-hitters. I plan on representing the power of a woman when I'm up there. I am going to show every man who thinks I don't belong up there how it's done.”

Halestorm will be hitting the stage at Knotfest on March 21 in Melbourne, March 23 in Sydney and March 24 in Brisbane. For tickets, lineup, info and more, head to Knotfest.com

that we love to people that love it. I was under this misconception that I wasn't allowed to not be OK because of these things. Like, who am I to be ungrateful? So many people have it worse than me – who am I to be alone in my feelings? That was all swirling around while we were making this album – and when it came out, every message I got about my lyrics was from people telling me they felt the exact same way. I needed to hear that, but when we went out on tour I really saw it.”

When the band toured in support of Back From the Dead, playing their first shows in years, they were met with fan signs and tattoos dedicated to the new songs at every stop. This is an experience that has stuck with Hale, who felt as though a missing piece of the puzzle had fallen into place in this instance. “There was such a sense of relief,” she says. “On that stage felt like where we were supposed to be – that sense of being trapped in purgatory had been lifted. We made these songs solely by imagining how audiences would react to different parts live – because, at the time, all we could do was imagine. The uncanny thing is that everything we'd envisioned actually worked when we played them live.

We were in shock.”

In another one of her self-described rambles, Hale tells a story about a recent tour through Europe where she and her bandmates were seeing the same group of super-fans more or less every single day. They would tail the band to each city, buy Meet & Greet packages for each show and be in the very front row each night – and, because of that, could see the nights when the exhaustion and emotion of touring's wear-and-tear was getting to Hale. “I was not feeling great about myself,” says Hale in

"I feel like I've been given permission to truly be myself now. I want to tell people that listen to this band all of my secrets. I want them to see my dark side. I think it's beautiful."

MIXDOWNMAG.COM.AU

15

HALESTORM

IN THE EYE OF THE

"We made these songs solely by imagining how audiences would react to different parts live – because, at the time, all we could do was imagine. The uncanny thing is that everything we'd envisioned actually worked when we played them live. We were in shock." a thankfully-common moment of vulnerability when speaking to Mixdown.

“I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to turn it on, so to speak. I just had to put my guitar over my shoulder and try my best to give the people what they paid to see. These fans all knew something was up, and nobody else did.

Each of them came up to me the next day and checked in with me in their own way, and I didn't want to carry myself differently around them – I laid it out that I was really depressed, and feeling lost.

“The very next day, each one of those fans came to the meet-and-greet with handwritten notes for me telling me their own stories and telling me that they were here for me. I learned a valuable lesson on that tour: You get more from the people in your life if you are willing to be yourself instead of putting on a mask and a big facade. Your friends, your family, everyone.

If you show your imperfections, they will show you theirs.”

HALESTORM

WORDS BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG

If you give Lzzy Hale an inch, she’ll take a mile – or, for those that use the metric system, she’ll take 1.60934kms if you give her 2.54cms. If you ask Halestorm’s fearless frontwoman one question, she’ll respond for minutes at a time – she calls it “rambling”, but the constant thought and care going into what she’s saying contradicts such a dismissive term.

S

pending time speaking with Hale leaves you with one lasting impression: She cares. A lot. She and the rest of Halestorm have been given ample reason to, as well – across five studio albums in the last 15 years, the Pennsylvanian hard-rockers have accumulated a deepseated connection with their fanbase. When that was taken away over the pandemic, with the band having to create 2022's Back From the Dead from a distance, Hale found herself staring into a void. “It was like everything had been stolen from me while we were making that record,” she says.

“Seemingly, my life was pretty great – I'm in a band with my best friends, we have a Grammy under our belt, we've toured the world playing music

14

MIXDOWNMAG.COM.AU

These experiences that have stemmed from touring Back From the Dead have greatly influenced the way Hale has approached writing songs for the band's sixth studio album – which, she confirms, the band have already begun work on. She describes the creative process for this as-yet-untitled record as one of her “going further down the rabbit hole” to

further explore her raw emotions and to be OK with not being OK all of the time. “I want to tell it like it is,” she says.

“I feel like I've been given permission to truly be myself now. I want to tell people that listen to this band all of my secrets. I want them to see my dark side. I think it's beautiful. Even if someone has no idea about this band and what we do, I want them to hear these songs and really see me in that moment. I have this inspiration, and I'm going into this record being much more open about the possibilities that may come from it.”

With such honesty and vulnerability in the air, the next line of questioning is pursued.

Hale leads her band as singer and guitarist, an accomplished player recognised in a handful of hugely successful signature model guitars from Epiphone and Gibson. While the tides are slowly turning, does Lzzy Hale still feel the pressure as a woman in such a maledominated industry?

Hale is careful but confident in her response: She knows her role, and she intends to play it to perfection.

“It's not my first rodeo,” she begins. “We've won a lot of battles in the war against women, but it's still ongoing. There are a lot of things going on in the world right now that are making us as a society take ten huge steps

back. It's a weird, delicate time. I will say that things have come a long way since I was first starting to play music, and when I entered a venue they assumed I was either someone's girlfriend or doing merch. I didn't see myself reflected in the hard rock and metal that I loved at the time, so I had to make that space for myself.

“There's a lot that I haven't had to go through as a musician because of the pioneering women in music before me. I am shouldering them in my responsibility when I go out on that stage, for all the female hard-hitters. I plan on representing the power of a woman when I'm up there. I am going to show every man who thinks I don't belong up there how it's done.”

Halestorm will be hitting the stage at Knotfest on March 21 in Melbourne, March 23 in Sydney and March 24 in Brisbane. For tickets, lineup, info and more, head to Knotfest.com

that we love to people that love it. I was under this misconception that I wasn't allowed to not be OK because of these things. Like, who am I to be ungrateful? So many people have it worse than me – who am I to be alone in my feelings? That was all swirling around while we were making this album – and when it came out, every message I got about my lyrics was from people telling me they felt the exact same way. I needed to hear that, but when we went out on tour I really saw it.”

When the band toured in support of Back From the Dead, playing their first shows in years, they were met with fan signs and tattoos dedicated to the new songs at every stop. This is an experience that has stuck with Hale, who felt as though a missing piece of the puzzle had fallen into place in this instance. “There was such a sense of relief,” she says. “On that stage felt like where we were supposed to be – that sense of being trapped in purgatory had been lifted. We made these songs solely by imagining how audiences would react to different parts live – because, at the time, all we could do was imagine. The uncanny thing is that everything we'd envisioned actually worked when we played them live.

We were in shock.”

In another one of her self-described rambles, Hale tells a story about a recent tour through Europe where she and her bandmates were seeing the same group of super-fans more or less every single day. They would tail the band to each city, buy Meet & Greet packages for each show and be in the very front row each night – and, because of that, could see the nights when the exhaustion and emotion of touring's wear-and-tear was getting to Hale. “I was not feeling great about myself,” says Hale in

"I feel like I've been given permission to truly be myself now. I want to tell people that listen to this band all of my secrets. I want them to see my dark side. I think it's beautiful."

MIXDOWNMAG.COM.AU

15

EDUCATION SPECIAL

Back to school with Ableton Live WORDS BY JOHN TUCKER

This month we had the pleasure of interviewing the amazing Adam Maggs, talking about the awesome program Ableton Liveschool. Adam Maggs is the head of curriculum and training, and has sought out Australia’s most innovative artists to create one of the most star studded lineups of instructors. Ableton Liveschool is a one-of-a-kind course, providing learning experiences and collaborations directly from established producers themselves.

education in Australia I truly value the strengths that institutional learning brings, and the baseline skills-benchmarks of government-accredited national education standards. But we chose not to go that route as it’s not relevant to our sector. Instead, doors open because of the music you create or the events you run or the artists you represent.

As a result our program is streamlined to our students' exact goals - and they benefit from our ability to update the curriculum immediately to changes in the marketplace.

Can you detail the way the Liveschool curriculums are laid out?

The curriculum is constantly updated by our roster of trainers, integrating their own learnings after each new release or touring cycle, and consists of five distinct modules:

Adam has amassed an impressive amount of experience in the music space, having taught many now-famous artists, his experience and accomplishments as a trainer as well as his own electronic music production courses mean he is well suited to creating music education material for a wide range of experience levels. As an Artist Adam has used Ableton Live for his own DJ work and productions live at clubs and festivals such as Big Day Out, Field Day, Mad Racket and Parklife among others and has released music through internationally recognised labels such as Moonbootique, FutureClassic and Ministry of Sound.

•

Foundations, covering core skills in creating, remixing, recording, drum production, sound design, music theory and mixing.

•

Foundations is followed by four focus modules (the ‘Focus Series’) that go indepth on Sound Design, Music Theory for composition, Arrangements, Mixing and Mastering.

Can you introduce the mission statement for Liveschool and what you hope people will gain from using it?

•

Part-Time Format (12 Months): It's structured to alternate between blocks of class weeks and blocks of mentorship weeks. By this method you develop your music as you progressively learn new skills, and is ideal for those who work full time or have demanding schedules.

•

Full-Time Format (9 Months): In this version the class weeks are all done upfront (6-8 weeks), followed by 7 months of mentorship. This format suits those who have an 8 week block of time to dedicate solely to music, or have a learning preference to understand the big picture first before focusing on implementation. It’s also ideal for those who live outside of Sydney and prefer in-person learning over our live-online class option.

Our mission is to help people with a passion for music create the music they imagine, learning directly from working artists - specifically, artists with a proven track record and making a genuine impact in the music industry.

Within a year from starting, even as an absolute beginner, to be skilled and fluent enough to self-produce your own tracks or produce for others - and all graduates finish with industry-level music that’s ready to release, with the majority doing their training with us part time.

For those whose goals are to develop a career from their music, we have two post-graduate programs, Release Music and Perform Live.

Seeing as the pricing aligns more with the price bracket of a certificate education from a provider such as RMIT etc, what parallels would you draw with this level of education especially given your experience teaching in such environments at SAE and University of Technology Sydney?

That’s a really interesting question. While our pricing is comparable to certificate-level courses, the outcomes of our program align more closely with diplomas or even some degrees.

Direct comparison beyond that is tricky because our program serves a different purpose. From my time consulting across all levels of music

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Both the part-time and full-time versions of the course contain the same content, but they are structured differently, primarily to cater to various learning styles:

Between the ‘Produce Music’ and the ‘Focus Series’, which would you recommend and why?

Produce Music is the full training program for making music. Depending on your needs, you can do just the first section (Foundations module) or the second section (Focus Series).

•

Produce Music, the full program for complete training, resulting in selfproduced music ready to release by graduation day. This is designed to be suitable for both absolute beginners and experienced producers. Nearly all students take the full program as it covers everything they need.

•

The Foundations module, is the first module of Produce Music - it covers all the major music-creation workflows in Ableton Live, so it is useful as an introduction to music production, or as a stand-alone module for experienced producers who are switching to Ableton Live from other DAWs (such as Logic or ProTools)

EDUCATION SPECIAL HEAD and already have what it takes to finish release-ready productions from there.

•

goals you’ll encounter challenges unique to you, and any you can’t overcome your personal mentor will coach you on how to solve them. This continuous progress and mentor evaluation means each student's breakthroughs are uniquely tailored, and ensures they’re musically, creatively and technically confident in their abilities by Graduation Day celebration where they play what they’ve made.

The Focus Series skips the Foundations module - it is ideal as a stand-alone program if you are an experienced producer with an already-comprehensive skill set in Ableton Live, and your main focus is upgrading your composition, sound design and mixing skills.

What is the required prior knowledge, if any?

Everyone has a unique journey in music, so it’s important that we personalise to your current level, to your preferred music genre/s, and to where you’re headed.

You can enrol no matter what music background is, even if you have no prior experience at all, or if you’re already advanced. The flexible structure, small class sizes and significant amount of personal mentorship allows for you to be met at your level.

Some beginners benefit from gaining solo familiarity and confidence in music before starting their group lessons. And some experienced producers want help ASAP with the music they’re already working on. So we offer an optional pre-course mentorship module at no extra cost.

How are lessons carried out, and how does assessment work?

The student chooses their preferred format, either attending In-Studio (Sydney) or Live Online Classes. And they have the flexibility to switch at any time.

Weekly Structure:

In your playlist 2023 Big Releases, there are some really impressive tracks and a lot of popular Australian artists, what would you say the impact of the Australian music has been on the Liveschool program, and vice versa, what impact has Liveschool had on the Australian music scene?

The contributions of the Australian music scene has had an enormous impact on what we do. Since we started in 2005 our purpose has been to foster internationally-viable music with a uniquely Australian identity, and this has informed who we employ to teach, how we develop the curriculum, and who we connect our students and graduates to.

Across those two decades it’s been amazing to see indie Australian music go from virtually ignored at home to an export industry, celebrated on the world stage, influencing international tastes and preferred by audiences here.

Successful graduates have gone on to become some of the industry heavyweights and their support to us in return means we’ll continue to develop, support and promote local acts so this success flows to the next generation of innovators.

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Pre-Class (30 mins): Optional session where you can ask questions, play what you’re working on, or hear what others are making.

Can you please touch on the post graduate programs such as the release music and live performances section?

•

Class Time (3 hours): Small groups (10 students), hands-on learning of new skills, concepts, and creative techniques. It’s important to do those elements in real time so you can get immediate answers to questions and assistance with your music.

After completing the Produce Music course you’ve got self-made music that’s at a high enough quality it’s ready to release.

•

•

At-Home Exercises (3 hours): Knowledge consolidation is best done in a structured way, but at-your-own-pace so you can pause, rewind, and experiment with ideas. The at-home study materials are artist-guided, taking you through new ways to combine the skills you’ve learned to-date. These can be done in two blocks of 90 minutes or spread in smaller chunks throughout the week.

Music Production Time (3 hours): Time allocated solely to working on your music, developing your unique creative voice, and moving your projects forward.

Support and Mentorship: •

One-to-One Mentorship: At set intervals throughout the year you stop being a student and your weeks are focused on being a producer, with regular feedback and guidance from your personal mentor.

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Technical Support: Our artist support team is available to students and graduates 45 hours a week via email, phone, or Zoom.

Assessment Approach: •

Instead of traditional assessment we take a completely different approach. We start by helping you define and set your music goals. As you work toward those

As with any creative pursuit, it can be satisfying enough having created “product” to a standard that it’s ready to “ship”.

For those who want to go further and take it to market, we have 2 postcourse modules: •

Release Music, in which you develop your business, audience and release strategies and follow through on them.

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Perform Live, in which you develop scalable live shows tailored to fit your music, your audiences, and get it all ready to tour.

What is your point of difference, the unique aspect that creative people should come to Liveschool for?

We do one thing and we do it to perfection. A laser-focus on developing creative abilities and technical skills, in class sizes of 10 students, supported with one-to-one mentorship.

The people who teach and mentor are truly exceptional artists, and our facilities are the legendary (formerly known as) BJB Studios aka Big Jesus Burger, filled with best-in-class modern and classic synthesisers, drum machines and outboard effects.

What is the future of Liveschool?

What it’s evolved to now has already been such a surprise, I’d love to know the answer to that myself! Looking ahead, there’s been such a strong trend of women increasingly participating in producing their own music. At 42% female Liveschool is clearly an outlier, likely because we’ve been at it for nearly 20 years, but industry-wide the stats have been rising and is a future we all look forward to.

Midway through 2024 our First Nations scholarship program will celebrate the first graduates. The talent is mind-blowing and we will continue to work with Spotify Australia to see that program grow. Even sooner, the new version of Ableton Live is imminent, and its incredible new features will have an immediate positive impact on how we teach and how our students create.

And this week, in fact each and every Friday we get to celebrate the new releases by our graduates and community members and share them with the world - so we don’t have to look too far ahead for something to be excited about!

If you are looking for more information regarding Ableton Liveschool you can find it on their website https://liveschool.net

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Gear Icons: Allen & Heath WORDS BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

Allen & Heath are one of those companies, the select few, that you’ll see in just about every musical environment no matter where you are. Be it a dive bar in Melbourne, Australia, or a performance at China’s Pingtan International Performing Arts Center, you’re hearing Allen & Heath. They have solutions for venues, performances and installations of all sizes, and they’ve been selling solutions for decades.

Their range of practical interfaces in the ZEDi range, like the AH ZEDi-8, serve as a wildly versatile audio interface, converter and mixer, all with EQ and routing options available for however you want to use it. This hybrid workflow is a long way from Allen & Heath’s humble beginnings: the quadraphonic mixers of the 70s for the likes of The Who and Pink Floyd. Allen & Heath’s MOD1 console can be seen in Pink Floyd’s Live At Pompeii performance. The Who and Pink Floyd were the stars of their day, and today is no different; Allen & Heath consoles are trusted to mix live performances by Lewis Capaldi, Bring Me the Horizon and Billie Eilish, with droves of Allen & Heath products being used to produced, mix and amplify the stars of tomorrow.

Returning to the ZEDi-8 though, we have an unbelievably functional mixer and interface. In Allen & Heath’s own words, the ZED series as a whole is ”for the makers”. At its core, the ZEDi-8 is a two-in, two-out audio interface.

It has two XLR inputs, with global phantom power, switchable to line/instrument inputs to connect your keys, synth, guitar or bass directly without the need to mic it up. From here there’s high and low EQ for a little treatment, also featuring a low-cut switch and finally a Mix send to balance your channels of audio for live performance or recording; a function that elevates the ZEDi-8 above most others in the competition.

An example of this in use would be a guitar and mic plugged into an Inst and Mic input each, with a sampler or drum machine into one of the stereo channels, allowing you to demo and write, all the while recording your ideas as they come to you.

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Having a mixer for yourself for live performances is endlessly helpful, and a great investment. For writing and producing, it’s helpful to record your ideas to review later, and the ZEDi-8 combines these. You can switch between the USB interface portion of the unit receiving its signal from either the M1 & M2 (Mono 1 & 2) inputs, like a traditional interface, or balance four channels together and record the Master output via USB. Beyond the first two mono channels, there’s two stereo channels, again for keys or synths or even stereo guitar effects (get creative!) These can also be balanced and sent to the master output, to record to your interface or amplify for live performance - or both!

Back to our example though, for a moment, you could record a basic guitar and vocal track through mono channels, isolating the tracks together into your DAW for more control. Then, you could improvise a guitar solo over a section by playing the guitar and vocal through one of the stereo inputs, and recording only the guitar solo via one of the mono inputs. All of a sudden you’re building a song! The functionality allows you to derive great sound from your ideas very easily, with multiple workflows available depending on the level of control you’d like from the end product.

And all of this is just the music functionality!

For podcasts and streamers, the ZEDi-8 allows for two mics, multiple line connections, headphones and USB recording and connection.

Decades of experience producing products for both the studio and live have culminated in the ZEDi series as a whole, the ZEDi-8 specifically

being a uniquely portable though functional solution: you get a whole lot in a tidy package.

Larger solutions include the ZEDi-10FX that has more channels and onboard effects, and even looking beyond the ZEDi series, there’s solutions to whatever your needs may be. Allen & Heath’s history as a live sound heavyweight has led them to their dLive consoles that can offer up to 128 channels into 64 buses, while the hugely popular Avantis series offer 64 channels and 42 configurable buses for incredible function and customizability. A true gear icon, Allen & Heath ensure every product has the functionality needed to solve problems and ultimately provide great sounding audio to the end user, whoever that may be!

Their humble beginnings as a company producing hand-built mixing consoles have led them through a lifetime of problem solving, a company constantly pushing the envelope and packing as much as they can into every product they can. The name of the game is flexibility, and Allen & Heath have it in droves, these solutions leading to flagship products like the dLive console or the ZEDi series of interfaces and mixers.

The ZEDi series, Allen & Heath’s range of ‘mini mixers’ offer function in droves, both providing a great option for mixing a live performance and a great sounding audio interface. What’s more, it’s also a great long term investment to be used as a personal mixer in the future! One of those products you’ll find a use for no matter what your needs are.

Allen & Heath are focused on the sound, and offer a huge array of ways to achieve it, no matter whether you’re wrangling your first demos into shape or riding faders in front of 10,000 people.

EDUCATION SPECIAL technical utility stands like speakers and tablet and phone stands.

Depending on your preference, or simply your needs, Hercules offer either single guitar stands, 3-5 guitar racks, with additional Hercules yokes available to convert a 5 rack into a 7 or more rack, depending on the size of your guitars! Their wall hangers are employed in music stores across the globe, and make them a great solution for a guitar collector, or to safely and securely store guitars and basses for music education at a school, for example.

In Focus: Hercules stands WORDS BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

Even beyond orchestral solutions, Hercules also has a massive range of guitar, keys and bench solutions that’ve been relied on for years.

Music stands are one of those things that’ll come in handy when you need them most, and while a seemingly simple design, the flaws of some will have you scrambling to tighten joints and connectors to ensure they can hold up your sheet music mid show! A good music stand will have you forgetting about the shortfalls of a bad one, instead focused on your playing and performance. Better yet, you’ll need a brand that can securely hold your instrument when it’s not being played.

Orchestral players, as well as guitars and bass players, rely on stands gig after gig.

The Mixdown team visited the Hercules stand at Melbourne’s EduTECH conference last year, a showcase of some of the best products and tech for the education industry, including Hercules and no less! They had an array of their stands available, like handy tablet and phone holders for digital sheet music, content creation or videos, or for musical instruments and sheet music alike!

Take the BS200B Plus, for example. It’s a well-built, solid music stand at its core, but the joint that secures the main shelf is solid and adjustable close to 180°, admittedly more than you’d need, but Hercules offers it regardless. It has a dual front leg for maximum stability, supported by an additional two legs, making it almost impossible for the Hercules BS200B Plus to topple over. In addition to this, the BS200B Plus has Hercules’ EZ Height Adjustment Grip, a single button to release the pressure on the main height element of the stand, easily adjusting it. Letting go of the EZ Height Adjustment Grip mechanism secures it back into place, so you can adjust it on the fly while holding your instrument in the other hand. For schools, orchestras or other users

that might need to use a lot of music stands, Hercules also offer the BSC800 Music Stand Cart for storing (and rolling) multiple music stands. The BS200B Plus Stand is designed with this space-saving solution in mind.

Now we’ve established that Hercules stands can secure the sheet music required for an orchestra or educational institution, what about the instruments themselves? Hercules offer a huge range of stands for instruments of all types, but let’s focus on brass for a moment.

An orchestra, be it at a school or at a top international level, has a huge array of brass instruments at their disposal, that all need to be stored or stowed away when not being played, be it between parts or on breaks from rehearsal.

Hercules has a growing range of stands, beginning with their Travlite range, built from especially lightweight materials and designed to fold-up to be a fraction of their size for travel, while retaining structural integrity.

Extending beyond the Travlite range are more robust stands for larger brass instruments of all kinds, even extending to more obscure horns like sousaphones (sorry sousaphone players!)

You can rest assured not only that Hercules has the stand to suit your instrument, but that it’ll be secured, ready and primed to perform.

The beauty of Hercules stands is their ingenuity.

While obviously robust and ready to be relied on gig after gig, simple additions like Hercules’ EZ-lock systems, spare parts being available if something does go awry and end-users being at the forefront of the mind of their designers. Hercules stands are a must-have for performers of all disciplines, none more so than orchestral players of woodwind, brass or string instruments, relying on both instrument stands and music stands to keep up with complicated arrangements, and the last thing you need is a music stand that can’t keep up with you. Live performance is full of variables, and Hercules help eliminate a handful of these.

The X and Z-style keyboard stands are robust and built to last, while having modular, additional tiers available if you need them. The Z-stands, for example in the KS410B, employ Hercules’ AutoLock system so you can safely, securely and easily fine tune the stand to ensure it feels good to play! Now that your keys are secure, you’ll need somewhere to park that keister, and Hercules has you covered there too with benches like the KB200B Keyboard Bench. The KB200B has an EZ Height adjustment lever with 4 height settings, a Micro Adjuster for fine tuning height settings and adjustable, robust rubber feet.

A range of secure, clip-on phone and tablet holders attach to mic stands, while Hercules also produce speaker stands for PA speakers.

All of these are built with Hercules’ robust and feature heavy ethos in mind.

Hercules have something for every player, as well as storage solutions for institutions that need a lot of stands, or need to store a whole lot of guitars and basses. A little ingenuity goes a long way, their designs taking the shortfalls of other designs and products, elevating them and doing so in a sleek, robust way that makes them adjustable in the middle of a performance, without having to take a hand off your instrument, all the while securely staying put where and when you need them.

The BS200B Plus is a robust stand with Hercules’ EZ Lock design, and you can store and move multiple stands with the BSC800 Music Stand Cart. Orchestral instruments, such as brass and woodwind can be set aside and securely stored in between sessions, with a specific stand for just about every orchestral instrument you might need a Hercules stand for! Beyond orchestral solutions, Hercules also has a massive range of guitar, keys and bench solutions that’ve been relied on for years.

Hercules are an innovator, constantly improving on their own designs, while removing the variables from transporting, storing and securing music instruments – allowing us, as musicians, to focus on our own playing and the music in front of us, with the clarity of confidence in our tools. elfa.com.au/

Hercules EZ-lock systems extend beyond music stands and instruments stands that make them a no-brainer for brass and woodwind players, including the same tech in their huge range of guitar and keyboard stands, as well as more

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EDUCATION SPECIAL (including options for racking multiple instruments), and stands for microphones and keyboards.

What do Jupiter, Mapex, Majestic, Hercules, Altus, Lanikai and XO brands have in common?

WORDS BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

They all coexist under the KHS group umbrella of brands.

Jupiter, who are a market-leader in wind and brass instruments, based out of Taiwan (and distributed in Australia by Musical Merchandisers, also home to XO Brass, Nomad stands, Majestic Orchestra Percussion, Altus and Azumi flutes), are one of the most renowned names in the student, education and professional markets.

While this is a lot to take in, all of this is to say that Jupiter are a trusted and globally respected brand which has the backing of KHS group, one of the world’s largest instrument manufacturers.

This translates to unparalleled bang-for-buck, both in their instruments and the five year warranty that they come with thanks to Musical Merchandisers.

Established in 1960, Musical Merchandisers boasts a rich lineage in the industry dating back to the 1920s, proudly operated by a family that spans four generations.Venturing past the realm of KHS brands, Music Merch, as they're fondly referred to in the industry, also distribute celebrated names like Washburn Guitars and Coyote Percussion.

Jupiter’s range, coupled with a huge catalogue of spare parts, ensure your instrument can be your go-to for as long as you need it. Their offering of spare parts speaks to their commitment to understanding the plight of the musicians, educators, retailers and instrument repairers. Musicians have a lifelong connection to their instruments.

Jupiter is a distinguished name in the world of woodwind, and

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offer a whole range of instruments for players of all levels. There’s multiple options and finishes available whatever your discipline, from the piccolo to flute, clarinet to saxophone, Baritone Horn to Tubas available. Varying levels are on offer from the 500 to 700 student series up to Performance series, allowing for options regardless of budget and skill, with every instrument being able to hold its own against any competing brand in the market.

It’s for this reason that Jupiter are amongst the world’s best; they’re an investment and a great instrument to have alongside you, even as you advance and progress!

Their brass range is even more comprehensive, making up the bulk of a school band or orchestra.

Again, these vary from Standard up to Performance level ranges across a catalogue of trumpets, cornets, flugelhorns, trombones, french horns, alto horns, baritone, euphoniums and tubas. Their range of horns are available in varying sizes for students and players of different ages, with varying finishes available depending on your style or preference. Again, there’s a huge range of spare parts available to

ensure longevity of your playing and instrument, as well as that five year warranty for peace of mind.

Hugely popular for students is the full range of concert brass instruments from trumpets to French Horns and Tubas, and everything in between. Special mention must go to the FiberBrass sousaphones that feature a hybrid body for an easier and lighter carry, without a compromise in sound.

The focus here is that Jupiter have an offering for the entire range of brass instruments, so they’re a one-stop shop, and they’re all built to exacting specifications in Taiwan, upholding Jupiter’s commitment to quality instruments for the budding students, seasoned professionals, teachers and hobbyists alike. Retailers take note!

Jupiter is the key offering under the suite of KHS brands, and are shoulder to shoulder with some world-class instruments and accessory companies. Musical Merchandisers import six brands into Australia from KHS’s family: Jupiter, XO brass, Nomad stands, Majestic Orchestra Percussions, Altus flutes, and Azumi flutes Instruments aside, KHS group also produce Hercules Stands with Nomad Stands being their more accessible house brand which provide some world-class solutions to keeping your instrument safe when not playing, or securing your sheet music for rehearsal or performance, their robust build quality instilling confidence and allowing you to focus on your playing. Nomad Stands’ range extends beyond traditional, brass, woodwind and orchestral and has products for guitar and bass

KHS group, a leading company in the flute industry, boasts two world-class Japanese flute brands, Altus and Azumi, which have garnered acclaim globally among top flautists. Altus is celebrated for its high-end flutes, positioning itself as one of the premier choices in the market. Complementing this, its sister brand Azumi offers an impressive array of flutes. Equipped with Altus head joints, Azumi flutes are tailored for advanced intermediate to professional players, seamlessly bridging the gap in KHS's range between the Jupiter and Altus brands.

Beyond Musical Merchandisers unparalleled brass and woodwind range, they also distribute Majestic Orchestra Percussion. This brand specialises in high-quality orchestral percussion instruments and is distinguished by its worldclass standards and an impressive roster of accomplished artists.

From orchestra bells, chimes and marimbas to vibraphones, marimbas and xylophones, Majestic Orchestra Percussion have an offering for orchestras or school bandleaders looking to elevate their performances and arrangement with specialised percussion.

Beyond more traditional orchestral instruments, H Jimenez also fall under the KHS umbrella of brands, a company focused on building traditional Mexican stringed instruments like bajo quintos, guitarrons, both steel and nylon string guitars and more!

Musical Merchandisers have aligned themselves with only the best instruments from the KHS group’s family. Most notably Jupiter for their comprehensive and accessible catalogue of highquality wind, brass and concert band instruments.

Each brand under KHS group showcases the company's long-standing commitment to excellence, a focus since 1930, particularly in music and music education. As an industry titan, KHS offer reliable and quality choices for students, professionals and school bands with a series of solutions far beyond your first instrument, offering something for every step of your journey." musicmerch.com.au/

Instruments for everyday life.

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EDUCATION SPECIAL to your arrangements, either as a rhythm instrument or even a lead. Get creative!

Lead The Lead settings function much like the Bass, but with different sounds and a higher octave available. This is where you can really get expressive, having laid down the foundation of your song and hopefully looping at this point!

Artiphon Connect App You can connect your Chorda to the Artiphon connect app for even more options. Dive into sampling, looping and performing with your own recorded samples and sounds. Beyond this, you can use on-screen elements to adjust parameters of the Chorda rather than on-device adjustments.

Add effects, save your songs and sounds, share them with friends and more!

MIDI

Artiphon Chorda: An instrument for everyday life WORDS BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

Some instruments are designed in such a way that they flip your way of thinking and music composition on its head, inspiring a new way of approaching music and birthing some truly unique ideas. This is especially important for those learning music, as a way to reinterpret the generally accepted rules and forms of conventional music One such instrument is the Artiphon Chorda which, to put it simply, is a guitarpianodrumandsynth. Does that make sense?

Key, BPM, REC, ARP etc. The other side has the same labels, making the Chorda ambidextrous.

The other labels allow you to switch between Drum, Bass, Chord and Lead.

The Chorda is a musical instrument, its layout of notes not unlike the fretboard of a guitar, though sound is produced via different pads with expressive properties. The Chorda features a touch strip for expression, while you can also express yourself by rolling and tipping the Chorda and using the internal accelerometer.

The workflow is broken up into four instruments, with a few different ways to create sounds and music. Best of all, the Chorda works just fine as a more conventional MIDI controller when you need it to!

Drum

In the hands the Chord is comfortable. It’s not heavy, but it doesn’t feel flimsy or cheap, it's robust enough to really rock with and give your performance some oomph. We at the Mixdown office had sounds happening in seconds, all very musical, and were quickly cycling through the different instruments, touching and gliding across buttons and sensors.

The main buttons are well laid out, with enough space between them to easily avoid hitting the wrong note… though even the ‘wrong’ notes sound nice. One side displays different labels for cycling through settings and parameters like

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Conventionally laid flat for drums to tap out a beat, the Chorda will work at any orientation.

Jumping into Drum settings, you’ve got 12 pads and sounds to work with, from traditional drum set sounds to claps. You can strum the bridge to repeat the last-pressed pad.

Bass The Bass setting offers a nice blend between synth and electric bass, the low end being robust and clear, even through the Chorda’s internal speaker. Here, the 12 pads are automatically tuned to the key of the song, the key being set by holding down the “A Button” and pressing the pad of your choice i.e. Pad 1 is C, Pad 2 is C# and so on.

You can quickly get ideas down without worry of a wrong note - even possibly an accidental moment of genius!

Chord The Chord setting works in a similar way, though plays more complex chords as you’d expect. Use this to add harmonic information

A huge selling point of the Chorda is that it can function as, for lack of a better word, a regular MIDI controller. Sounds aside, it can be used to program and control MIDI instruments and VSTs within your DAW, all with the usable, musical and practical function of the design and layout of the Chorda.

Tap away at drum beats of your favourite VST, or control soft synths with a new level of expression and control. Sure, most MIDI controllers will work, but the Chorda will have you reimagining your sounds in a whole new way.

The Chorda from Artiphon is an instrument in its own right, but more broadly it’s subverting our expectations for an instrument. It’s designed to work with you, both physically by being strummable, tappable and playable, but audibly as well with a slew of sounds all within your control.

On the subject of education, it’s time for everyone to rethink how they make music thanks to the Chorda. There’s some conventions we adhere to, but the Chorda is ripe for a newfound way to express yourself, while also inspiring happy accidents as you move with it. Best of all, save it and loop it to keep building!

Its lightweight and robust design make it great to have on the go, with looping functions available to get you making music fast. The sampler is a special addition as it allows you to take some of Artiphon’s sounds and, coupled with your own, generate something organic and unique to you. Touch strips have existed before the Chorda, but coupled with a gyroscope and accelerometer? Now that’s something special.

Tip, roll and perform with your Chorda, and let the expression of it all take you someplace special. The Chorda moves with you sonically, as well as physically, opening up a whole new world of creative expression. koalaaudio.com.au/

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Places to hear the Wayne Jones Audio 7.1.4 Studio Monitor system: Melbourne Australia | Hollywood USA | Chicago USA www.waynejonesaudio.com sales@waynejonesaudio.com

+61 (0)411 862 366 @waynejonesaudio f c y t

EDUCATION SPECIAL

What are monitoring headphones and why do I need them?

Understanding your monitoring situation, both at the tracking and mixing stage, is the single best thing you can do to instantly enhance the quality of your recorded output and that is no exaggeration.

It’s an important lesson to learn, serving as the perfect entry point for many of the fundamental concepts and considerations surrounding the recording studio that will inevitably follow us throughout our working life.

Forget what you know….

The minute you walk into the studio, you are no longer a civilian. You may notice some pieces of gear that bear a passing resemblance to household items or home Hi-Fi equipment (the likes of which you may have encountered in the outside world), but rest assured, if it’s in a studio, its purpose has since been reimagined and it’s internal circuits reconfigured to fit the context of our recording workflow, all with a very specific end goal in mind.

Their presence in this most holiest of spaces must always be justified at the technical level.

In studio parlance, speakers become monitors, computer

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audio will sound like across the broadest possible spectrum of playback devices. This means they require a driver that is both capable of reasonably low frequency extension whilst also being fast enough to accommodate detailed transient material and diction in a way that is clear and precise, and with enough sheer output to be heard in some particularly loud working environments (like standing in the middle of a live room with a full band playing— something that the M40x excels at!)

It all starts with Isolation…

Engineers are also far more reliant on their headphones than the average listener, so things like build quality, stowability and replacement parts are also important considerations when we are talking about what makes a good monitoring headphone.

So what is it about the M40x that makes it such a perfect example of utilitarian, lunch bucket monitoring headphone?

WORDS BY PAUL FRENCH

I’m not talking about taking out a second mortgage to splurge on a state of the art, acoustically designed control room either.

Rather, something as simple as having a thorough understanding of the important role that headphone monitoring plays in our overall workflow and the nuanced manner in which this affects our creative and technical decision making should be the first point of call for all budding engineers hoping to get a grasp on the craft.

engineer who is finally starting to think like an engineer. It’s also for this reason that the M40x comes highly recommended as the defacto headphone for the Audio education industry, with many institutions recommending it as an affordable entry point with which to work through their course’s curriculum. What’s more - the ATH-M40x are collapsible for easy transport, while also having replaceable cables available. That’s a plus for both music makers and educators who need a reliable and fixable monitoring solution!

screens become monitors, headphones become monitors.

Why? Because as studio engineers, we are in the business of creating and crafting art and content, rather than consuming it, hence the need to constantly ‘monitor’ what is being committed to our medium of choice in order to make informed technical and stylistic decisions and get our audio where it needs to be.

This is one of the biggest differences between consumer listening headphones and headphones specifically designed for studio monitoring; one is voiced to give you the most enjoyable listening experience possible and leave you with a big smile, the other is designed to seamlessly fit into a recording chain at both the physical and auditory level, in turn extracting the best and most reliable results possible.

It's for this reason that monitoring headphones tend to have their own technical requirements very different to that of the average consumer headphone you are probably used to.

A prime example of this kind of professional headphone is Audio-Technica’s other utilitarian classic, the ATH-M40x @ RRP: $199 which has developed a reputation as one of the best value-for-money professional monitoring headphones out there—perfect for the budding

Well for starters, the M40x is a classic example of a closed back ‘over-ear’ headphone, a configuration that has dominated studio headphone design for over 30 years.

Like their name would suggest, the ‘closed back’ design found on this style of headphone means that the sound is contained within the earcup, providing the maximum amount of isolation between our headphone output and any live microphones that may be in the vicinity, which is ideal for allowing for the most pristine capture possible at the tracking stage. This separation also goes the other way, with the one-two punch of the close-back and over ear design serving to better isolate our room sound (a guitar amp for example) from our monitored sound (our headphone output).

This is particularly important for player-engineers or people recording without the aid of a control room, as it means we are able to get a decent understanding of what we are capturing and where it sits in relation to the rest of the composition in real time.

This also means we can hone sounds in context at the source, whilst also allowing us to capture higher quality performances and in the case of vocalists or presenters, better mic technique, all of which make for better recordings.

Be like water….

In terms of voicing, most monitoring headphones tend to be tuned flat in order to provide the most transparent, accurate sound possible. This is because unlike headphones designed for general listening, monitoring headphones are designed as a like-for-like indication of what our

Better Never than Late….

This brings us to our next primary difference between consumer and professional monitoring headphones, the presence of Bluetooth in the consumer space and why this doesn't always fly in the studio. Bluetooth is great for everyday life. It frees up the hands, it’s convenient, but as engineers we are about audio quality first and foremost (often at the expense of convenience) and the small but noticeable latency introduced by bluetooth headphones is often enough to throw a performer off or create phase cancellation between our monitoring signal and the leakage surrounding it, thereby making for less accurate decision making and translatability. It’s also important to take into account the kind of digital compression required for most Bluetooth codecs and how this may compromise our ability to monitor truthfully in the critical studio environment. This is why in the studio, wired reigns supreme.

This is just some examples of what separates monitoring headphones for tracking with your average set of cans (and we haven’t even broached on the topic of reference headphones for Mixing, which is a whole other conversation unto itself.) Suffice to say, monitoring is one of the headiest and most important topics in all of studio practice and with a solid set of monitoring specific headphones (like Audio-Technica’s M40x), you are well on your way to building the kind of solid foundation that can only translate to better sounding audio. audio-technica.com/en-au/

FIRST LOOK

WARM AUDIO WARM BENDER & RINGER BRINGER WORDS BY ANDY LLOYD-RUSSELL

It’s hard to go past iconic pieces of gear, but to state the blaring and painfully obvious, they are both increasingly hard to find and typically attract an obscene price tag, making them unobtainable for the majority of people who would put them to good use.

The past ten or so years has seen a particular type of audio company rise to popularity, not necessarily due to bespoke designs or the weird, wacky or wonderful type of product, but rather specialising in meticulously cloning classic pieces of audio gear, be it a compressor, preamp, EQ or effects pedal. Warm Audio have been at the forefront of this movement of recreation, becoming insanely popular within the pro audio community for making well made clones at a fraction of the price, particularly when trawling through the vintage market. Starting off with a humble selection of products such as the WA-12 preamp, WA-76 FET compressor and EQP-WA EQ, Warm Audio continued down the proverbial rabbit hole, ending up at the guitar pedal end of town, setting out to clone several slightly more unusual pedals.

Any self proclaimed guitar nerd or fan of 60’s/70’s era guitar playing would have been living under a rock if they hadn’t heard of the original Vox Tone Bender. A coveted stomper of gritty fuzz, the OG Tone Benders were played (and made famous) by guitar icons such as Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Pete Townsend, Mick Ronson, Mark Bolan and Dave Davies. Utilised for their versatility, the Tone Bender’s ability to go from edge of breakup tones on a clean amp through to saturated overdrive and raucous feedback and microphonic pickup noise, these pedals guaranteed any guitarist that pushed any riff or solo through these unique circuits to perk the ears of any discerning guitar fan.

Utilising some NOS Germanium transistors including several OC75’s, an OC76 and an

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SFT337, Warm Audio’s Warm Bender is able to create some beautifully authentic vintage fuzz tones straight out the gate inspired by the iconic circuits of the vintage two transistor Vox unit and three-transistor Mercari Sola Sound model. With the addition of a completely new silicon transistor based circuit plus a selectable SAG (aka starved circuit) feature make this fresh take on a classic design more versatile and all the more suitable to the modern player.

The three individual circuits of the Warm Bender include the NOS 76, NOS 75 and Silicon, with simple controls for attack (level of distortion/fuzz) and volume (overall output) keeping this true to the original designs. The aforementioned SAG switch located at the top of the pedal starves the circuit of voltage, creating classic battery starved fuzz tones synonymous with iconic fuzz pedals of the golden era.

The NOS 76 circuit is raw, edgy and gritty, reminiscent of the Vox MKI Tone Bender, which assures to cut through any mix with its iconically far from subtle tone. The NOS 75 circuit brings a (dare I say it… warmth) with a robust bottom end and more woolly, thick flavour of fuzz, much like that of the Mercari & Sola Sound model. This circuit simply demands the attention of riff lords. As for the third circuit, Warm Audio have taken the classic Tone Bender vibe and modernised it with silicone transistors, giving a more distortion/fuzz like quality with natural compression and silky sustain. These three distinct flavours of fuzz provide players with a rich palette to choose from, be it gritty and nasty, thick and woolly or more modern distortion like fuzz with smooth sustain.

Having taken care of iconic fuzz tones coming out of the UK in the 60’s/70’s, Warm Audio have also gone for something completely different. The 90’s made for some pretty interesting pedals, partially from brands not associated at all with pedals, but rather monolithic, gargantuan sounding synths.

Moog first introduced its now legendary Moogerfooger pedals to the world of sonic explorers in 1998, with the introduction of

the MF-101 Low Pass Filter and MF-102 Ring Modulator. The bespoke MF-102 all-analogue beast inspired some of the most fringe and experimental guitar players of the time, most notably Omar Rodríguez-López (The Mars Volta), Trent Reznor and Jonny Greenwood as well as guitar royalty Jeff Beck, creating some explorative, never heard before guitar tones.

Until now, other reproductions of this classic pedal haven’t come this close to the original spec, as Warm Audio have gone to extreme lengths to faithfully recreate this legendary all-analogue signal path, where others have implemented digital processing. This new exciting pedal dubbed the RingerBringer utilises TL072ADR Op-Amps and handselected DMMT3906W and MMBT3904 transistors to deliver an incredibly accurate true-to-spec experience, just like the original.

The RingerBringer certainly looks the part with its custom black panel enclosure and wooden sides, with chunky and robust knobs and switches for control over LFO amount, LFO rate, an LFO Waveform switch, Modulator frequency and mix as well as a universal drive control. The soundscaping abilities of the RingerBringer are near endless, an absolute delight for tone tweakers and sonic explorers alike. Certainly not pitched for guitarists alone with connectivity a plenty, 1/4” CV inputs for Rate, Amount, Mix and Freq are available as well as 1/4” inputs and outputs jacks plus LFO Out and Carrier In/Out. Warm Audio have done a fine job of recreating this iconic 90’s tone machine that is sure to reignite some more experimental noise makers by adding this gorgeous pedal to their sonic arsenal.

Suffice to say Warm Audio have added to their already exciting range of pedals, with the Warm Bender and RingerBringer sure to excite guitars and tone enthusiasts alike. It’s faithful recreations like this that capture the imagination of those familiar with the original inspiration and equally for those new to vintage tones such as these. Exciting times indeed. studioconnections.com.au/

DT 770 & 990

ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF BEYERDYNAMIC:

A REVERSE HISTORY WORDS BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

2024 is one hundred years since Eugene Beyer started a cinema loudspeaker company, then “Elektrotechnische Fabrik Eugen Beyer” that would eventually become beyerdynamic after his son, Fred R. Beyer, took over the family business. A hugely influential company across a few different areas of sonic bliss, the current day sees beyerdynamic as a pillar of the music we make, the sound we capture and the rush we feel when it all comes together.

Most engineers, producers and music makers will know beyerdynamic today, so it makes sense to work our way backwards from a few of today’s select icons of the studio, all the way back to their humble beginnings.

DT 770 PRO X Limited Edition To celebrate 100 years, beyerdynamic have released their DT 770 PRO X Limited Edition headphones. Building on their world-class mixing and mastering headphones, the DT 770 PRO X encapsulate the beyerdynamic spirit: reliable, professional-grade components that harness the cutting edge of technology for the best results at all times.

What’s more, the DT 770 PRO X are as comfy as every other beyerdynamic headphone on the market. Their soft, upholstered ear pads allow for hours and hours of use without discomfort. The DT 770 PRO X are closed-back for superior isolation.

MMX 200 The MMX 200 headphones were released in 2023, with a focus on gaming and streaming purposes, all with beyer’s world-class,

reference quality sound. The MMX 200 builds on the MMX 100 and 150, bringing comfort and a META VOICE microphone to the party, along with world-class frequency response.

High quality sound for gaming means better localisation of enemies and gameplay, so you’re ready for whatever the immersive world has to throw at you. For streamers, there can often be multiple sounds, voices and music happening at once, so clarity of all this will make for more seamless content!

DT 1770 & DT 1990 2017 saw the release of beyerdynamic’s current flagship headphones in the DT 1770 & DT 1990. The DT 1990 feature Tesla driver technology and an open-back design for maximum comfort. They’re built for a focus on a wide soundstage, and accurate representation of the stereo field. This makes them a perfect pairing for the mixing or mastering engineer who needs the most accurate, reference-quality sound.

The DT 1770 & DT 1990 were preceded by the DT 770 & DT 990 headphones in 1985 that, much like the crocodile and the cow shark, haven’t had much need to evolve since they arrived. The DT 770 are a closed-back design for improved isolation while recording or monitoring. A great solution for engineers and producers recording in the same room as musicians!

The DT 990s are open back, providing better comfort for extended sessions. Both the 990s and 770s feature an innovative bass reflex system for extended low end dynamics and clarity.

M 201 1973 saw the introduction of a workhorse microphone that, even today, sits in just about every engineer’s cupboard (at least the ones worth their mettle!)

The beyerdynamic M201 is a hypercardioid condenser microphone, so it can be used for sources across just about the entire frequency spectrum—and then some! Its hypercardioid pattern means it’ll pick up a little ambience for an especially natural sound, and responds remarkably well for drums and room sounds, as well as guitars (both acoustic and electric amps) or even foley and sound design.

DT 100 While still produced today, 1965 saw the release of an instant classic: the DT 100 headphones.

The DT 100s produced today offer superior comfort and a balanced response, without the high end hype that some other headphones can suffer from!

The DT 100s have been used and trusted in studios and broadcast for decades! Why stop now?

M 88 The M88 is a hugely successful microphone, now with a few revised versions that superseded the original M 88 from 1962.

Originally designed as a handheld vocal microphone, its balanced, even response across the entire frequency spectrum made it a great solution for just about any source; be it kick mic or a guitar cab.

The original M 88s were hypercardioid, and newer models feature the same polar pattern, albeit with a more robust grille to protect the microphone’s innards

in the stage and studio. They sound largely the same as they did in the 60s!

M 160 1957 brought a huge innovation to market, beyerdynamic’s M160.

The M 160 ribbon microphone is now highly revered for its smooth response, and much like the rest of beyerdynamic’s range, it’s versatility.

What’s more, the M160 bucks the traditional trend of the figureeight polar pattern. A figureeight pattern usually means the microphone picks up as much behind it as it does the source it’s pointed at. The beyerdynamic M160 instead features a hypercardioid pattern, making it more directional while retaining the smoothness and richness of a ribbon microphone.

M 19 The beyerdynamic M 19 was an early dynamic microphone intended for studio use, arriving to market in 1939. The M 19 featured either a metal grille or a more heavy-duty metal casing to protect the capsule, the latter being used extensively for broadcast because of its robust design.

DT 48 headphones Finally we arrive at one of the first beyerdynamic products to market: the DT 48 dynamic headphones.

The DT 48 were the first dynamic studio headphones. Used for generations of sound engineers and broadcasters, the DT 48 were a part of the beyerdynamic catalogue until 2012.

Eugen Beyer had an affinity for converting his knowledge of acoustics into practical products to capture, record, monitor and ultimately playback sound. beyerdynamic stand out from the crowd in that their products are widely versatile, more so than most! What’s more, that versatility is broadly understood, so they make their products acutely robust because they know we’ll be reaching for them time and time again to get the job done.

Their headphone earcups and pads are removable, washable and replaceable, while their microphones feature robust grilles to protect the circuitry we rely on. Here’s to a hundred years of beyerdynamic, and at least a hundred more! beyerdynamic.com.au/

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HEAD pony. The Fluence Open Core Classic Humbucker provides 3 unique voicings going from molten metal to single coil twang making this guitar one for just about any occasion.

Royal Shiva

“BORN OUT OF A PASSION FOR MUSIC, AND A LOVE FOR GUITAR BUILDING”

SHINING A LIGHT ON ESP GUITARS WORDS BY JAMIE COLLIC

From the brand’s humble beginnings in Japan, ESP guitars quickly came to prominence in the West during the mid-80s via their then New York-based workshops.

By the end of the decade, ESPs were shaking the earth in the hands of players such as James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and George Lynch. Winning over a generation of players who fell in love with the impeccable craftsmanship, playability, and sound of these pedigree instruments.

In the modern day, ESP stands as one of the largest guitar manufacturers in the world.

Providing quality instruments across all price ranges, from the bedroom to the arena there is an ESP suited to every player.

Innovation From day one ESP have endeavoured to embody the cutting edge of guitar design and manufacture, and this pursuit continues into 2024 with the announcement of ESP's new product line.

Bringing over 30 new models to the table each new guitar harnesses its own array of exciting features and tantalising aesthetics, sure to please even the most discerning guitarist.

Deluxe EC-01FT Combining modern playability with vintage aesthetics the EC-01FT isn't your grandpa’s tired old single

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cut. Bringing an exciting new take to the tried and true Eclipse line the EC-01FT is designed to be a simple no-frills riff machine.

A recessed Gotoh TOM bridge, stainless steel frets, and ESP’s exclusive Seymour Duncan Custom 14 humbucker are just some of the features that take the EC-01FT to the next level.

Horizon Custom ‘87 Harkening back to the wonders that were being hatched from the 48th Street custom shop during the late 80s, the Horizon Custom 87 is a deluxe super Strat with an affordable price tag.

But don't let the pricing fool you, boasting USA Seymour Duncan Pickups, a Floyd Rose 1000 series bridge and a delicious arched top, the Horizon Custom 87 emanates authority and feels just as good as its 80s forefathers.

Deluxe XJ HT The LTD Deluxe XJ HT brings the comfort of an offset-style shape to the aggressive modern player.

That's right, rest assured this swamp ash beauty ain't no surf guitar and is ready to slam with the toughest of them!

But that doesn't deduce the LTD Deluxe XJ HT to being a one-trick

A new signature model for Mastodon’s own Bill Kelliher the Royal Shiva brings one of Bill’s own ESP Custom Shop creations to the consumer market just in time for 2024.

A unique double cutaway brings a new level of playability to a traditionally inspired mahogany design. Bills Mojotone Hellbender pickups round out a very sturdy package providing fantastic tones for any genre.

Viper 1000 The Viper has endured a long history with many heavyweights including Sepultura’s Max Cavalera.

In 2024 the Viper-1000 is bringing this modern classic to a new level with its sleek Black Beauty look.

But it's not just about aesthetics when it comes to the Viper-1000, a Tone Pros bridge, LTD locking tuners and Fluence Modern Humbuckers just scream “ready for battle”. A classic mahogany neck and body construction tie it all together with a very nice thin U-shaped neck carve.

Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune Tailor-made for brutality, the Arrow-1007 Baritone Evertune provides players with the scale length required to sling those gut-churning tunings. In addition to this, the Evertune ensures that you can do so whilst maintaining accurate intonation and tuning stability.

Fishman Fluence Moderns' “alnico in the neck, ceramic in the bridge” provide the dynamics and aggression required to punch through the densest live mixes, ensuring that no matter how low you tune, you will always be heard.

GH SV-200 Exodus and Slayer axeman Gary Holt has performed at the peak of thrash’s cutting edge for over 4 decades now and the GH SV-200 is a true representation of what it takes to rip it up on the world stage.

The GH SV-200 allows players to get the vibe of Gary's GH-SV at an even more affordable price, without skimping on quality.

MK EC-FR As leaders of the Teutonic thrash

movement, Kreator know what is required from their stage instruments and this new signature model for frontman Mille Petrozza is built for extreme aggression.

Stainless steel frets, EMG X series pickups and a flat top body give the MK EC-FR a different feel from the standard Eclipse series guitars.

Tailored perfectly to the needs of someone who is on stage singing and playing guitar at the same time night after night.

MLB-4 Pounding the bass for the Cavalera brothers isn't an easy task but Mike Leon slays the task with the help of his signature MLB-4 bass.

The punchy swamp ash body combined with a high-quality Gotoh hardware set make this bass stand out from the pack.

Nordstrand Big-Split pickups don't detract from this bass's thunderous raw tone either, ensuring that the MLB-4 is the perfect companion for any professional bassist or other players looking to step up to the plate.

FL-4 For many, ESP is a name synonymous with metal music and the FL-4 embodies this notion to a tee. The signature model for Fred Leclercq one of metal's most prominent modern producers and current Kreator bassist the FL-4 is sure to get heads banging on any stage.

But the power of the FL-4 goes far beyond its aesthetics, boasting a sleek neck-thru-body design and single EMG 35p Active pickup. The FL-4 is a bass that is sure to bring the thunder!

The Bottom Line Bringing in the new year with a lineup this heavy is certainly a reason for all you headbangers to celebrate.

Distributed in Australia by CMI Music & Audio, be sure to hit the streets and get to your nearest ESP dealer ASAP to properly assess the goods! cmi.com.au/

Having established vintage Dumbles as being your core inspiration, what modern features did you feel were important to introduce to your products for a new generation of guitarists?

A TAILORED APPROACH TO AMPLIFIER BUILDING:

A CHAT WITH AMPLIFIED NATION’S TAYLOR COX WORDS BY CHRISTOPHER HOCKEY

Amplified Nation produce some worldclass amplifiers, all by hand, and based out of Massachusetts. While some historic amplifier designs now fetch eyewatering prices on the used and vintage market, companies like Amplified Nation reimagine these at a much more accessible price point, and all with modern build technology and reliability.

We had the chance to chat to Taylor Cox, CEO of Amplified Nation, about what makes him tick, and continues to inspire him to continue work on some otherwise unobtainable amplifier circuitry.

When did you first fall in love with Dumble style amplifiers and what inspired you to start building your own?

I stumbled upon Dumble style amps back in 2010 after I had started to do repair and restoration work for musicians in the Boston area. A customer had asked me if I could recover an amp in suede, and if I could pick the headshell up at his house. When I arrived, it happened to be for Dumble #084!! The amp was like nothing I had ever heard before; I was blown away. The mystique and folklore surrounding these legendary amps piqued my curiosity and I soon began my quest to build my own.

What do you think makes a Dumble style circuit so special? What sets them apart from all other amps that has made them so sought after?

I believe it’s a combination of many things, but it’s the organic ‘connection’ between the guitar and amp that sets the Dumble style amp apart.

Smooth singing overdrive, infinite sustain, and the way notes effortlessly flip into feedback

aren’t qualities you get from other amps. The Dumble style amps are so musical you can play with less gain but still feel a similar response.

What is the most important thing you learned when working on vintage Dumbles that informed your own products? Did you make any surprising discoveries?

I was shocked to see the way the amps were constructed, meticulously built to withstand almost anything. He [Alexander "Howard" Dumble] made tight physical connections of components before soldering and construction techniques like “PEM” inserts made these amps bulletproof. Of course they weren’t all constructed the same way, but some of the examples I had were very impressive and thought through.

What achievement in terms of your journey with Amplified Nation are you most proud of?

Creating a brand of amplifiers from absolutely nothing but hard work and experience was incredibly challenging. So many late nights in the garage putting things together, hundreds of days of woodworking; I had to work two jobs for over 10 years! My wife and I just kept at it, we took the risks and made the sacrifices even when we didn’t want to. She has been incredibly helpful in keeping us on track, developing a marketing plan, and riding the ups and downs of owning a small business.

If you had to choose one of your Amplified Nation amplifiers to use exclusively, which would you choose and why?

Tough to answer this question…how big is my practice space? Do I also get to choose my guitars? Haha… I love the 100w Overdrive Reverb. It fills the room out and sounds huge. I am a sucker for on-board reverb and I love the control that amp has to dial down the volume.

A close second would be the Ampliphonix and Gain, that amp I did play exclusively for a couple years and the amount of sounds to choose from are limitless.

Most of my customers want the ability to play low volume, so they always ask for a half power switch. I think having reverb and effects loop access is important, and the ability to do some switching by footswitch. Most of the Dumble style amps have the effects loop, but only a few models have reverb and I’m not sure I’ve seen any with half power.

Do you have any plans to expand the Amplified Nation catalogue to include other circuit styles or do you see yourself as having found your niche?

I’ve thought about doing some modded Marshall style builds, but we are so busy right now with our amp line it’s tough to add new models. The higher gain amps are a completely different game and customer base, but I think it would be fun to have more fire breathing monsters in the lineup.

What part of the process of designing and building your amps do you find most exciting?

Have there been any challenges along the way that you didn't expect?

The amps have become the easiest “part” of running Amplified Nation. We know how to put them together and the designs are rock solid. We don’t really have any warranty issues other than the occasional tube failure. The exciting part these days is growing the team and expanding distribution. We have been working on streamlining operations and bringing in new team members. While it’s so exciting to pass on knowledge and develop new builders, it is not without its challenges.

What are your aspirations for the future of Amplified Nation? What do you see for yourself and the brand in the coming years?

This year our plan should add a lot of visibility to the brand and make our amps quite accessible to customers in the US. We are excited to see Amplified Nation grow and become the leader in the Dumble style amp space. We will continue to work with influencers and would love to develop our own content and YouTube channel.

It would be great to expand our offerings, so looking forward to the years ahead.

Having now become so renowned in your field for perfecting your craft, what piece of advice would you give to somebody interested in starting to build their own amplifiers?

Read up on how electricity works, understanding the basics of how it moves and the science behind it. Get some books from the library that will help you understand the general laws of energy. Read up on vacuum tubes and study some amp layouts (easily found online) and learn to read schematics. I would find a community online of tube amp builders and build something simple like a champ or a simple kit so you can familiarise yourself with soldering. The best part about tube amps is the technology isn’t evolving, so there is a finite amount of knowledge and lots of people that can help you learn. Good luck! guitarfactory.net/

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If there was one brand who had everybody talking at this year’s NAMM, it was undoubtedly KORG. The Japanese purveyors of all things synth and keyboard came to Anaheim with a whole bunch of major announcements in tow and boy they did not disappoint. Starting with their announcement that the brand would be reissuing their iconic PS-3300 syntheziser.

If you are unfamiliar with the PS-3300, you'd be forgiven. Just 25 were produced in the late 70s, in turn making them one of the most collectable (and physically largest) synthesizers in existence. Unfortunately for the PS-3300, high production costs (which were more than justified given the incredible, unmatched sound of the finished product) put it out of reach of most players, and those that did come into the contact revered them making it one of those unicorn synths that people dream about.

2024’s NAMM Show saw Korg re-issue the PS-3300 in the PS-3300 FS (full scale).

The PS-3300 FS features 49 keys/49 voice analogue polyphony, expanding on the original 48 keys/voices. Panel memory function allows for 16 programs per bank, with 16 banks = 256 slots overall. The keyboard unit, the PS-3010, is included.

Yoshihito Yamada, Chief Engineer of Korg Analogue Synthesizers, spoke of the new PS3300, saying: “Bringing back to life these legendary machines is not only a process of reproducing circuits and sounds, but also of learning and embracing the essence of the philosophy and development of synthesizers.

Through this project I was able to relive the history of Korg and a critical moment in the evolution of our synthesizers. This was an extremely valuable experience that provided an opportunity for Korg's philosophy and technology to be carried on to future generations.”

controlled with 37 velocity and release-velocity sensitive keys. Built to move with you, the Opsix MkI and MkII have an expensive offering, allowing you to work just about any way you choose to, with a focus on the instrument being an extension of the player.

The Opsix MkII is focused on workflow, its data entry knobs offering quick access to everything you may need. These changes are displayed on an OLED display, and different voices and sounds can be easily mixed and combined for entirely unique output.

Building on its modern offerings, the Opsix MkII also features Korg’s MS-20 low-pass/ high-pass filter, Korg’s PolySix low-pass filter and more. The Opsix MkII can be viewed as six powerful ways of synthesizing: subtractive, semi-modular, analogue modelling, waveshaping, additive and classic FM synthesis.

If the PS-3300 FS and Opsix MkII were the entree, the main course was undoubtedly the announcement of the sequel to what is possibly the most popular synthesizer ever made, the legendary Microkorg.

Originally released in 2002 and influencing everyone from the indie sleaze of the early 2000’s right through to synth-punk and chillwave of the early 2010’s and even to this day, the original Microkorg has been one of the defining synths of the modern era, meaning Korg have a lot to live up to.

If the Korg PS-3300 FS speaks to Korg’s history, a re-issue of a previously unattainable piece of audio synthesis history, the new Opsix MkII builds on Korg’s more recent successful forays into FM synthesis.

Thankfully then new Microkorg (or Microkorg II as fans are calling it) looks every bit as iconic as its predecessor, updating the workflow and user interface for modern times, while adding some new features and patches that are sure to find their way onto plenty of records forthcoming.

The Opsix MkII is an altered FM sound generator, expanding on the original Opsix and offering 64 simultaneous voices. Equally at home on the stage or in the studio. The Opsix MkII has sampling and synthesis in droves, all

The sound engine itself remains relatively the same in terms of being a bi-timbral, 8 voice synthesizer, but where things get particularly interesting is with the addition of a third oscillator with all three boasting saw,

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square, triangle, and sine waves, single cycle waveforms (DWGS), and one-shot sample options. This makes for plenty of tonal sculpting and sound design options.

What's more, the new Microkorg also has plenty to offer in the modulation department with advanced modulation options, including ring, sync, and FM (VPM) all beng selectable for any waveform, not to mention the new multimode filter with continuous filter-type morphing capabilities, for endless tweakability of generated sounds.

If you needed any more indication that it is indeed the year 2024, the new Microkorg has also updated its fairly limited digital screen found on the original, scrapping the former unintelligible layout and printed matrix (“Ptc Nos” anyone!) and replacing it with a new 2.8” colour display from which you can edit sounds, get a full overview of parameters, etc. The ability to visualise the waveform is sure to be a breath of fresh air especially for those who have programmed a Microkorg in the past, to whom this type of visual and tactile functionality is sure to be worth its weight in gold.

Making a return is the single knob functionality and patch navigation found on the original Microkorg and offering a bunch of new and updated preset banks that are in line with the times. Here we see new genres like ‘Dubstep’ and ‘Game' represented as a reminder of what has occurred culturally in the years between the release of the Microkorg 2 and its 2002 ancestor.

Another new aspect of the Microkorg that has undergone a revamp is the all new effects section. Hosting three series of effects, including nine types of modulation, and six types of delay and reverb and 2-band parametric EQ with adjustable low and high bands, working in conjunction with the Microkorg’s tone generators and modulators to give the Microkorg more control than ever before. Can’t wait till one lands on our desk.

★NAMM SPECIAL★

WORDS BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

Takamine have a long and storied history of producing both accessible and high quality instruments, boasting the kind of stellar reputation in the space that can only come from years of producing top notch guitars with the player in mind.

The new LTD2024 continues this tradition and expounds upon it, boasting both beautiful playability and classy good looks that more than tip a hat to a galaxy far, far away. Unveiled at NAMM 2024 and coupled with a short film, the LTD2024 is a limited edition electroacoustic guitar (being especially limited edition in Australia with just six guitars coming to Australia), built from solid spruce and rosewood, and quickly becoming known as the “Solar System Limited Edition”, finished in Penumbra Blue.

The LTD2024 is an electro acoustic guitar with a single cutaway, and harnesses Takamine’s own Nex Cutaway body shape; both comfortable to play and providing controlled, loud sound.

The top is solid spruce, while the back and sides are made from rosewood. The neck is mahogany and the fretboard is ebony, while the bridge is black carbon to harness every ounce of resonance and tonality that we possibly can!

The fretboard inlays display the 8 planets of our solar system (sorry Pluto!) with the sun at the 12th fret.

The LTD is hand-crafted at the Sakashita factory in the foothills of the Japanese Alps, offering both world-class build quality, coupled with supreme finishing. This helps to retain the acoustic qualities of the carefully selected woods, especially once strung up across its comfortable 25.35” scale length and strummed!

Beautiful acoustics aside, the LTD2024 features the new CTF-2N preamp, a preamplifier using the FET technology of the famed “Brownie” preamp with high and low EQ controls, notch control, a master volume, pad control and a bright, well-lit tuner.

External construction aside, the LTD2024 takes its internal construction a step further. The bracing is hand-voiced by master craftsman Tohru Hirokawa. The bracing is shaved thin, to reduce mass and make way for more space for sound to bounce around, all the while

resonating that beautiful Sitka Spruce top.

The African mahogany of the neck provides a solid foundation for profoundly stable tuning, Takamine’s iconic split saddle bridge design adding to this for supremely accurate intonation.

In the hands the LTD2024 is comfortable and easy to noodle on, the cutaway giving access right up to the tippy-top 20th fret. The wellbuilt LTD2024 resonates comfortably against your body, while the body carve of the NEX shape offers something between a big-bodied dreadnought and a smaller parlour—it sings but with a controlled tonality.

The CTF-2N preamp captures this beautifully, providing both control over refining your sound and keeping the LTD2024 in tune. Depending on the venue, quickly dial and refine your sound with the preamp’s controls at a live show, while also offering you the ability to shape and shift the output for the best possible sound while recording.

In addition to the LTD2024, Takamine also launched a few other guitars, namely our favourites: some new G-Series offerings, or the FT340 BS, KC 70 or TH90 to name a few! These span multiple uses, payers and budgets, all the while retaining Takamine’s world-class design principles and quality assurance.

The G-Series have seen a revamp in the release of a white series of guitars. The GD-37CE, for example, is a dreadnought shaped acoustic with a cutaway, featuring an eye-catching pearl white finish, complete with black purfling binding and abalone rosette. Beneath the beautiful finish, the GD-37CE has a solid spruce top and sapele sides for a balanced, though warm response.

Borrowing from the same NEX body shape that the LTD2024 was born from, the GN90CE is a NEX shaped acoustic with a cutaway for clear access to higher frets. The GN90CE has Madagascar rosewood sides and back for a

controlled, snappy response when coupled with a Solid Spruce top.

Different tonewoods can offer vastly different sound and feel, the FT340 BS features a rare and beautiful burled sapele back and sides, on show beneath a gloss finish that highlights the burled finish. Again, the FT340 BS has Takamine’s CTF-2N to harness the full spectrum of rich harmonics available from the FT340 BS. Shifting to a more classically voiced guitar, the TH90 Hirade concert classic guitar. Named after Master Luthier Mass Hirade, the Hirade range offers some world-class instruments for the most demanding players. The TH90 is built primarily from solid rosewood and solid sitka spruce, the solid woods preventing acoustic energy from fizzling out into additional joins in the woodwork. It features an ebony fretboard for a precise and controlled attack, while the oval soundhole continues to refine and shape the acoustic sound that comes from the TH90; controlled lows and shimmering mids and a clear top end. The TH90 is very limited in Australia, so if you like the sound of this, don’t delay!

Takamine’s new range, revealed at NAMM 2024, speaks to their commitment to continue to produce world-class instruments from various woods, shapes, designs and materials.

This combines both the cutting edge of technology, like the carbon bridge that makes its home on the new LTD2024, while borrowing long-trusted designs like the oval sound hole in the TH90 to provide unique, though ultimately world-class sounds and instruments.

Takamine’s LTD2024 is a vision of something special: a company rooted in the pursuit of quality, coupled with eye-catching good looks; be it the Penumbra Blue fade or the chich, piano black finish of the FT341. If you haven’t played a Takamine, you’re simply late to the party!

For local enquiries or to order any of these limited guitars, contact Pro Music Australia.

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and numerous charging accessories, you can rest assured that Shure has a convenient and budget-friendly option when it comes to keeping anything from the SLX-D line ready to go at the drop of a hat.

If this wasn't enough the SLX-D will embrace up to 32 compatible systems within a 44MHz band, ensuring that no matter how you want to calibrate and implement your system you will have the means to do so.

This versatility is only enhanced by the vast array of routing options supported by the SLX-D Wireless range. Regardless of configuration the system is easily scalable and will support up to 32 channels simultaneously.

Pair this with Shure’s Wireless Workbench software, as well as the ShurePlus Channels app and you have immediate control of your setup in real-time.

WORDS BY JAMIE COLIC

No stranger to mic aficionados, Shure has resounded as a top player in the dynamic microphone industry for decades.

From classics such as the tried and true SM57 all the way through to the formidable KSM series and beyond, if you have spent any time in a professional audio scenario you have almost certainly encountered a Shure microphone.

However, some may not realise that Shure invented wireless mic technology in 1953 with the debut of the Vagabond 88. Since this initial breakthrough 70 or so years ago, Shure has remained at the forefront of every significant leap relating to wireless mic technology since then.

The latest step in the journey of this prolific company can be found in the release of the new SLX-D Wireless Microphone system. With the SLX-D system, Shure promises pristine 24-bit audio combined with an easy setup and rock-solid RF transmission. This takes the headache out of implementing a wireless microphone setup in your place of work.

In addition to this, the SLX-D system bestows the user with a plethora of options guaranteeing versatility in any professional situation. From the conference halls to the music venues you will never be let down without a charge from the new Shure SLX-D Wireless Microphone system, regardless of which configuration you decide to adopt.

But before diving further into some key products from the SLX-D range it might be worthwhile to take a moment to appreciate just how far wireless technology has come thanks to Shure.

Wireless microphones have always presented an element of convenience to both technicians and performers. After all, having no messy

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cables littered about the venue immediately eliminates a multitude of potential problems.

Ranging from mild inconveniences to absolute show-stoppers, improper cable management has been a hindrance for many in the industry at one time or another.

Not only this, the demands and requirements related to audio equipment have changed drastically over the decades as not only program material has changed but also the size, shape and capacity of venues in which these sound reinforcement systems are utilised.

However, past wireless systems came with their own share of liabilities and problems. From signal interference, dropouts, limited ranges, and convoluted setups, it often felt like there was some element of compromise when it came to embracing wireless technology. As a result, many opted to stick with the tried and true method of utilising cables in sound reinforcement.

With numerous developments orchestrated

by Shure since the initial inception of wireless mic technology, the days of questioning your wireless are finally over. Shure only cements their stature as the cutting edge in wireless systems with the introduction of the SLX-D Wireless Microphone System and Axient range.

The first feature to note about the new SLX-D system is also possibly the most important.

Pristine 24-bit audio transmissions ensure that your signal is heard loud and clear regardless of which configuration of SLX-D system you have implemented into your space.

The SLXD5 single-channel portable wireless receiver is a perfect representation of this, not only does this sleek and compact receiver sound great, its ease of use and excellent longrange UHF transmission ensure that this is a device you can rely on night after night.

Sound and transmission quality aren't the only two factors where you can rely on any product in the SLX-D line in any professional scenario.

With a staggering eight hours of battery life

Not only is anything from the new SLX-D line reliable, Shure has also taken the utmost care in ensuring that everything is easy and intuitive to set up. This means at crunch time you can focus on the job and not be growing grey hairs in the interim.

The wide range of microphone options in the SLX-D line are all easily synced to their respective receiver, at the touch of a button the user is granted an automated response that will quickly find an open frequency and sync. A guided step-by-step setup leaves no room for error along the way.

The ADX3 Axient Digital Transmitter with Showlink is a fantastic example of Shure's immediate dedication to the advancement of wireless microphone technology. Providing real-time control of related parameters from the mix position the ADX3 features a secure XLR connector that embodies both practicality and convenience in its immediate design. Just plug in your microphone of choice and the ADX3 is ready to go.

The easy-to-read OLED display means that you will easily be able to read the ADX3s display regardless of your immediate lighting conditions. The convenience of this transmitter is only accentuated by its user-friendly menus and control scheme, with Shure even providing USB-C connections for both bus power and efficient charging.

All in all, the SLX-D wireless microphone range builds on Shure’s history of reliable microphones and the cutting edge of wireless tech that they pioneered in the 50s. We relied on them then and we can Shure as heck rely on them now.

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LIGHTWEIGHT & ERGONOMIC BODY • HYPER PLAYABLE NECK • FISHMAN FLUENCE ACOUSTIC PICKUP ©2023 FENDER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

WORDS BY ANDY LLOYD-RUSSELL

Local legends Wayne Jones Audio have earned legitimate approbation from the gatekeepers of pro audio, for their groundbreaking studio monitor designs.

Having been at the forefront of some of the most sophisticated technological integration in the studio sphere, the humble yet powerful family of studio monitors from Wayne Jones Audio has a couple of new additions, pushing their designs and concepts into new territory with their fresh Carbon Fibre tech studio monitors.

Since inception, Wayne Jones Audio have aspired to create the most accurate studio monitor possible. Their no-nonsense design concepts, razor-sharp detail and high end quality components have allowed them to carve out a spot in the top-tier bracket of the (highly thought after as we like to call it!) studio monitor space, with some of the most revered recording studios such as Record Plant LA and EastWest Studios as well as mix engineers and producers including Krish Sharma, André Bowman, Adam Kagan and Warren Huart having Wayne Jones Audio as their studio monitors of choice.

Being a renowned session bass player, Wayne Jones himself has a unique and profound understanding of the requirements an accurate studio monitor has, particularly when it comes to low end reproduction. Having started out designing a bass cabinet out of necessity for his own use in sessions and live work, a quick unravelling of discoveries occurred through the process and spurred Wayne on to designing his now coveted line of studio monitors.

The unique design of eucalyptus pulp Kevlar impregnated cones, Italian-made aluminium bullet tweeters and a meticulously designed and ferociously powerful Class-D amplifier, it’s this unusual combination of high-end hardware paired with endless hours of hands-on cabinet damping that has given Wayne Jones Audio monitors their edge and accompanying praise in pro audio circles. The remarkably punchy and tight low end reproduction that is both accurate and powerful paired with laser focused transients of the bullet tweeter, there are few other studio monitors available today that can tout such authentic accuracy (all meticulously documented and measured) straight off the bat, without the need for additional DSP processing to provide such superb results. The development of the new carbon fibre technology implemented into the two new models have brought about several significant improvements.

The already incredibly impressive spec of the Wayne Jones Audio “Reds” has been taken that bit further - whether we thought it possible or not.

The carbon fibre construction used for the majority of the cabinet (aside from the front and rear panels which are 18mm MDF), provides more consistent acoustic cabinet response over all, with less fluctuation and more evenly spread throughout. Making for a smoother measurement curve when initial cabinet measurements are taken and a flatter cabinet measurement result, the overall audio reproduction is improved just from the new cabinet design alone. Aside from these obvious benefits, the new

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models also benefit greatly from being significantly lighter in weight. For the 6.5” model, approximately 3kg have been shaved off, with the tweeter being reorientated horizontally on the front, bringing it closer to the woofer as well as the control panel being recessed on top of the cabinet.

This allows for easy mounting to the additional mounting bracket to the back of the speaker - a must for multi channel setups, which is exactly where these monitors thrive. A whopping 6kg lighter, the 10” model is significantly more manoeuvrable, so finding the optimum position for these monolithic speakers isn’t quite so backbreaking.

Like the Reds, the new Carbon Fibre models enjoy unparalleled clarity, depth and dimension synonymous with Wayne Jones Audio studio monitors. 650-watts of power is provided to each monitor via the integrated Class D power amp and produces a faultless frequency reproduction of 35Hz - 20kHz, with an incomparable musical low end reproduction.

Continuing the integration with Sonarworks, both of the new Carbon Fibre models have dedicated ethernet ports on their respective control panels dedicated for easy SoundID Reference calibration files to be stored directly on the monitors, if so desired. Being such a widely requested feature from many Sonarworks users, it’s fair to say a big chunk of the pro audio community were elated to see a studio monitor capable of such a task for the first time (Wayne Jones Audio being the first to do so), let alone it being a monitor of this calibre. Of course, like the Reds, all DSP Sharc processing is at 192kHz, assuring users of the precision and detail of any additional processing performed under the hood - as anyone remotely familiar with Wayne Jones Audio comes to expect.

Continually paving the way in technological integration, consistently accurate and meticulously crafted studio monitors, suffice to say that Wayne Jones Audio and the new Carbon Fibre models are sure to leave a lasting impression on the studio community. The lighter construction and more accurate measurements from this new cabinet design bring tangible improvements to an already highly regarded family of monitors - with quality, precision and dedication to the craft of studio monitor design never in doubt. It’s delightful to see a small boutique studio monitor company from Naarm become synonymous with innovation and seamless integration into the modern day studio workflow, making their monitors suitable for any room or mixing environment, no matter how imperfect the space.

★NAMM SPECIAL★

F I R S T L O O K: 4 O I D U T S S I R PRESONUS E come as no surprise the Eris’ hold their own in this very saturated and competitive end of the market.

Having been around for quite some time, it was a welcome sight to see the addition of the Eris Studio range expanded into the family fold, with a fresh new design but a feeling of familiarity to the existing Eris range.

Anyone remotely familiar with the Eris family will likely notice the traditional two-way design, for a defined image and clear accurate sound reproduction, alleviating the pressure from either woofer or tweeter to handle the full frequency spectrum. Not only does this design serve a very practical purpose in relation to sound reproduction, but it also looks fantastic, with the ported front panel and simply elegant woofer and tweeter design looking worthy of any studio setup. The Eris Srtudio 4 monitors are a particular standout with their compact form factor.

WORDS BY ANDY LLOYD-RUSSELL

The quest of finding the ideal studio monitor for any budding engineer, producer, content creator or alike can be filled with both excitement and confusion, with the swathe of gear at the entry level right through to the pro-sumer end of the market being so chockablock full of great monitors, it can be a tough time deciding what’s going to be best for your studio space and needs as a creative.

What’s more, the overall quality and soundstage presented by modern day studio monitors, even at the base level has come so far, with previous arduous arguments over sound quality becoming somewhat negligible, instead focusing on the specific needs or even more simply, brand preference over performance and overall sound quality.

PreSonus have been a commanding brand in the entry level to pro-sumer end of the studio space for quite some time, with their wide coverage of products spanning all the essentials one needs for any well functioning studio or production suite. Offering a broad range of microphones, a solid line of audio interfaces (ranging from compact and portable desktop style units through to 1U rack mountable powerhouses with massive I/O), the ever popular range of FaderPort DAW controllers not to mention the increasingly popular and powerful Studio One DAW. For more hybrid or expanded system requirements, gear such as PreSonus’ range of StudioLive digital consoles and accompanying digitally expandable and network capable stage boxes meet the vigorous demands of touring, broadcast and studios alike.

The output of the Eris Studio 4 is plenty straight off the bat, with 50-watts of power in a Class AB amplifier design pushing a 100dB peak SPL (@ 1 metre) and an equally impressive frequency response of 55Hz - 20kHz is nothing to be scoffed at from a compact 4.5” woven composite low frequency driver and 1” silk-dome tweeter powered studio monitor. Just the right amount of acoustic tuning controls have always been a feature of the Eris range, with selectable 80Hz or 100Hz low cut, ±6dB of mid and high frequency EQ, centred around 1kHz and 10kHz respectively. Finally, the Acoustic Space control is particularly helpful when monitors are placed in less ideal positions such as corners or tight up against the wall, with flat, -2dB and -4dB options. Balanced inputs can be found in either XLR or 1/4” connections and RCA’s for unbalanced signals.

It’s clearly an exciting time for monitoring, increasingly accessible and affordable speakers being spec’d for professional work. They cover almost the entire frequency spectrum, with controls to tune them to your room and retain as flat a frequency curve as possible, the two-way design allowing you to fire the tweeters comfortably at your ear, while the front bass port and woofer serve to help the low end blossom.

The Eris range has been growing, expanding and evolving, arriving now at a speaker like the Eris Studio 4, a professional quality studio monitor at a price that makes it accessible to everyone of all levels of skill.

Aside from this plethora of studio specifics mentioned above, it’s PreSonus’ studio monitor range Eris that we’re getting a peek of, with the exciting announcement of the expansion in the family made towards the end of last year. Having become somewhat of a staple in the home studio sphere, with a simple, elegant design, versatile connectivity, impressive power for their relative size and most importantly, accuracy, so it should

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WORDS BY PETER HODGSON

One of the trends to emerge in the musical instrument industry over recent years is the democratisation of great-quality digital gear at an affordable price.

We’ve long since passed the threshold of only the big kids having the budget for high-powered, super-flexible rigs. NU-X has been at the forefront of this charge, providing musicians with great gear, some of it super-affordable, and some costing a little more – a sign that the company is focused not on hitting price points but on making the right product. The 2024 Winter NAMM show saw the unveiling of a number of new NU-X products from the affordable to the spendier, fancier stuff.

Let’s take a look.

One of the fancier items to be announced in January was the B-8 Professional Wireless System. There are plenty of wireless transmitter/ receiver sets out there populating the lower range of the budget catering primarily to home and jam use but the B-8 is staking its claim for pedalboard space on the pro stage. The system comprises a receiver in pedal form with a whole bunch of additional features beyond just ‘It’s a receiver’, while the transmitter has a small form factor and it recharges by simply popping it onto the pedal unit itself. The system runs on the 2.4 GHz interference-free broadcasting frequency and offers 24-bit 48 kHz high-quality audio transmitting with latency as low as 2.5ms and at a range of up to 50 metres. The receiver also functions as a booster and a digital tuner with Chromatic, Guitar Standard, Guitar Compensated and Bass tuning modes, and there’s a built-in Cabletone feature to mimic the natural impedance and recognisable playing feel of a physical cable. The screen is bright and colourful for a clear readout for stage use and there are flexible routing options including an effects loop and a DI out. The recommended retail in Australia is $649.

NU-X also offers something especially handy for those of us who like to do our own tech work, or anyone who likes to get a little deeper into the workings of their signal chain and the health of their gear: the NMT-1 Multi Tester. This unit features a patch cable tester, DC cable tester, pedal current and voltage meter, and tuner functions. Test your solderless patch cables to make sure you have a solid connection. Check the current draw of your pedals so you know exactly what your power supply requirements are. Tune your stuff. Although not really designed to be a pedal, it’s about the size of one and will replace multiple items on any tech station, and you can charge it via USB to take to gigs and diagnose issues in a hurry.

But many guitarists know NU-X for their affordable range of effects pedals, and there’s plenty new there for 2024. The Mini Core Series MKII Flow Tune tuner pedal with colour screen is available in pink or sky blue casing, and are joined in the series by the HOOK Drum & Loop Effects pedal, a mini looper with auto tempo detection and eleven rhythm styles with independent drum volume level. And the Metal Core Deluxe MKII distortion and preamp pedal can be used as a stompbox or an amp substitute complete with impulse responses, with selectable amp models based on the Friedman BE-100, MESA Dual Rectifier and Diesel VH-4, all for $135 recommended retail.

Meanwhile the Mod Core line of stereo pedals includes the Mod Core Deluxe MKII Modulation, Time Core and Verb Core (modulation, delay and reverb, obvs), each with plenty of different effect types and an RRP of only $179.95. The line also includes the Loop Core stereo looper with

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great visual feedback via a multi-colour display for $229.95.

Amp-wise there’s the Mighty Lite BT MKII portable desktop modelling amplifier with Bluetooth and IR capabilities for $199.95, the Mighty 8BT MKII 8 watt amp (also with Bluetooth, IR and effects) for $299.95, and the mighty NME-5 Trident guitar processor, a fully-kitted digital tone station with dedicated control knobs above the footswitches for oldschool interaction with its top-shelf digital amp models and effects. It’s packed with 27 amp models, four mics, loads of effects and, as NU-X says, “We modelled everything, even the patch cables.” It’s a competitive $799 RRP. Drummers and percussionists are also treated to a new more prooriented unit, the DP-2000 Percussion Pad, which features eight velocity-sensitive strike pads and is loaded with high-quality acoustic drum samples as well as folk percussion and electronic sound samples.

It’s also expandable with your own drum samples, and it includes inputs for external triggers. You can even add a hi-hat pedal and external kick pedal to turn the DP-2000 into a mini e-drum kit.

The DP-2000 is designed for ease of use in the heat of battle, with plenty of thought put into the user interface so you don’t need to break your creative flow onstage. This extends to the visual feedback of the trigger pads, which are equipped with LEDs that change brightness based on the dynamics of your playing and the duration of each sample. NU-X says this helps you create a light show to enhance your stage presence in darkened environments, but it’s also handy for compensating for lessthan-ideal stage monitoring conditions: even if you can’t hear yourself properly, you can still use the reactive lights as a guide for the velocity of your playing.

NU-X has also announced a new stage keyboard offering, the NEK100. Powered from an internal rechargeable battery or an included 12V adaptor, it’s packed with sounds, styles, effects and accompaniment options plus an additional Live Music mode with 20 flavours of music and various effects. Again the user interface is designed to be stagefriendly, with quick access to all functions including options to transpose, set up splits or layers, touch response, pitch bend and Bluetooth.

The Live Music mode is especially interesting for self-accompaniment or practice, with each of the 20 inbuilt song types consisting of four tracks with three phrase options each. And there’s no shortage of available sounds, with over 500 including organ, electric piano, orchestral and layered sounds. The full-sized keys are half-weighted with five touch response curves, and the unit can be connected to a recording setup via USB-C MIDI to function as a controller keyboard for your DAW. There’s another USB-C port for using the included Bluetooth adapter for audio and MIDI, and there are connections for a sustain pedal, Aux In, headphones and a line out. There are also two built-in speakers that NU-X claims pack quite a punch for such a portable unit.

HD 490 PRO

The perfect mix of clarity, comfort, and reliability.

HD 490 PRO studio headphones are built to handle all the complexities of today’s music production. The open-back design delivers an extremely wide, dimensional sound stage and ultra-precise sound reproduction, eliminating audio blind spots and ensuring you’re in full control of every detail. sennheiser.com

D L E H D N A H E N I F E D E ZOOM R E V I S S E R P M I H T I W G RECORDIN S E I R E S S L A I T N E S NEW ES PABLO FRANCOIS

While the NAMM acronym may immediately bring to mind visions of wall to wall guitars and synthesizers being noodled upon by the world’s best players, some of the most exciting announcements are to be found in the broader audio and audio for content sector, where Moore’s Law seems to be flourishing, relatively unimpeded.

This year it was Zoom’s announcement of their new Essentials line of portable recorders that really upped the ante of what could be done in the handheld/field recording space with the H1essential, H4essential, and H6essential all bearing the hallmarks of a landmark release from the Japanese brand.

Of particular note is the flagship H6essential model which comes complete with 6 tracks and a modular microphone system as well as a professional quality LCD display showing real time transient and gain information. This model also ships with a newly designed XYH6e stereo mic capsule configured in X/Y, that can handle up to 135 dB, providing enough headroom for even the most brutal recording applications. The aforementioned modular mic system is equally versatile, letting you swap out the XYH-6e for the stereo shotgun capsule or the EXH-6e dual XLR-TRS input module (both available separately).

For maximum functionality, all models include built-in speakers and 3.5mm output jacks to connect to cameras or headphones. Use the class-compliant USB-C ports for data transfer or live streaming.

An interesting and forward thinking inclusion on the Essential series is the presence of new Accessibility functionality, providing audible assistance and descriptions to help the visually impaired in navigating the menus and settings.

Users can choose between several languages including English, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian or Chinese.

The new Essential series, combines many of the awesome new features found on recent breakthrough Zoom products like the MicTrak as well as the classic H series of field recorders that helped build the brands reputation as one of the leading names in equipment for content manufacturing and taking the strengths of these aforementioned product lines and

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harnesses them into a new generation of digital audio recording recording products with the modern creator in mind.

It was last year’s MicTack series of handheld recorders in particular, that in many ways set the tone for what Zoom had forthcoming in the handheld domain, the brand making the pioneering leap into the world of 32-Bit float recording for streamers, film, music and content users alike.

In practice, the presence of 32-bit Float parlays perfectly to the new essential line, providing users with the freedom to automate more extreme dynamic changes, or flatten them out if need be as well as leaving headroom before distortion for maximum clarity.

For musicians, the H6essential may be the ultimate demoing unit, with the ability to mic up to 4 instruments using the XLR inputs in conjunction with the X/Y microphones to capture the full ensemble and ambience in the most phase coherent way possible. The combination of this amount of i/o flexibility coupled with the borderline endless headroom afforded by the 32-bit float makes it a perfect set and forget options for recording live rehearsals or getting things down on the fly as quickly as possible, without having to stress too much about gain staging.

For filmmakers, the interchangeable capsules (with the option to run a dual shotgun A/B configuration in the form of the SSH-6e Stereo Shotgun Capsule or the option of simply adding more inputs, by way of the EXH-6e input capsule-each sold separately) give the H6essential a level of flexibility far beyond your average portable recorder. The wireless timecode and optional BTA-1 Bluetooth Adapter makes it easy to pair Bluetooth timecode devices and keeps things in sync.

If the Essential series wasn’t big enough news

in the Audio/Content Creation space, Zoom were sure to give the MI world a shake as well, with the announcement of their awesome new MS-200D+ MultiStomp for Guitar.

Featuring 200 built-in distortions and drives from Zoom’s latest generation of effects, including 152 new Zoom Original drives/ distortions, 36 boutique emulations and 12 existing Zoom drives/distortions, all combining to offer the most ever drives and distortions, it’s safe to say the D and stands for drive (or distortion?) and the ‘+’ stands for ‘lots of’.

With up to 250 custom patches, you can create unique distortions by chaining any two effects together, while routing chain effects in series, parallel, or alternate for the ability to quickly switch between two tones, resulting in some unique textures and harmonics as you blend multiple drives and distortions together.

At this point in history, it’s safe to say that the Zoom brand is really the story of two parallel narratives, that being handheld digital audio recorders and multi effects boxes. Yes, there have been other contenders, but none have come close to offering the kind of consistency and flexibility that the extensive range of Zoom recorders and multi effects has brought to the table. This year's NAMM was a showcase of what the brand can do across both verticals and suffice to say, it was a more than impressive showing, for a brand that knows what they do and do it extremely well. dynamicmusic.com.au/

PRODUCT REVIEWS

Fender 70th Anniversary Player Stratocaster FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA | RRP: $1799

In 1954, Fender changed music forever with the release of their second electric guitar design, the Stratocaster. Now, 70 years later, Fender are celebrating their revolutionary design with the 70th Anniversary Player Stratocaster.

Featuring everything that made Fender’s original and largely unchanged creation so innovative in 1954, as well as some brand new modern appointments, this anniversary model is a Strat at its very best.

Featuring an eye-catching, celestial ‘Nebula Noir’ finish, the Strat’s famously comfortable curves have never looked so good.

Originally suggested by country musician Rex Gallion, the guitar’s contoured body took inspiration from the Precision Bass and was a move away from the squared-off and somewhat uncomfortable shape of the Telecaster. Known as the ‘Original Contour Body’ the Strat’s shape was not only the most comfortable to date, but its double cutaway design allowed for unprecedented fret access.

Whilst not instantly embraced for its futuristic look, the Stratocaster eventually blossomed into the archetypal instrument that it is today, embraced by legendary stars like Buddy Guy, Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Holly, Jeff Beck and David Gilmour for its smooth playability and extremely versatile sound. That sound shines as brightly as ever in this 70th Anniversary model thanks to its Pure Vintage ‘59 pickups.

Whilst the original Statocaster featured a three way pickup selector, players soon realised that

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by lodging the switch between positions with toothpicks and the like, they could unlock a myriad of hum-cancelling new tones. In 1977, this eventually led to Fender officially introducing the five-way selector we all know and love today.

In the bridge position, the 70th Anniversary Player sounds clear and bright, exhibiting the classic bell-like tone and biting midrange that has been making waves since 1954. When pushed into overdrive, this position sizzles and screams like only a Strat can, providing all those lovely midrange frequencies that can cut through any mix.

In the second position, the bridge and middle pickups are combined to create an unmistakably funky tone, often described as ‘quacky’, something these Pure Vintage ‘59 pickups really excel at. Luckily this model’s modern five way switch means you can leave your toothpicks at home without fear of knocking it out of place.

The often overlooked middle position in this guitar retains some of that quack but dials it down to a more natural sound that is warm, focused and balanced. Whether set clean or dirty, this position has enough high end shimmer to be heard without ever sounding brittle and is particularly popular with slide players for its even response.

In the fourth position, this Strat potently exemplifies that familiar out-of-phase sound rocked by many famous players. From beautiful spanky cleans to rich and harmonically complex distortion sounds, this position has become

an integral part of what makes a Strat a Strat, despite not originally being part of its inception.

Finally, the neck pickup in this very special Stratocaster is as lush, warm and bluesy as it gets. Deep lows and mellow highs have always made the Strat’s fifth position perfect for jazzy chord work when set clean as well as smooth, singing sustain when distorted. These Pure Vintage p’ups nail that brilliantly.

The original Stratocasters, like their predecessor the Telecaster, featured maple fretboards until in 1959 Fender brought Rosewood boards into the mix. Known for their comfortable porous texture and slightly darker timbre, Rosewood boards became increasingly popular over the years and Fender have chosen to celebrate that with the 70th Anniversary Player model. A perfect match for its enticing new ‘Nebula Noir’ finish, the Rosewood board perfectly rounds off this model’s uniquely sleek aesthetic, which is also punctuated by a dazzling Pearloid pickguard.

In a nod to the Stratocaster’s original specifications, this guitar features Kluxon-style ‘Classic Gear’ tuners which are true to the traditional 50s aesthetic of the instrument. These tuners however, have been updated for maximum tuning stability, featuring an 18:1 gear ratio and a contemporary dual-pin mounting system. Other modern appointments to this anniversary model include an ultra-comfortable Modern C neck shape, a 9.5” radius fretboard and a supremely stable two-point vibrato bridge.

The Stratocaster’s vibrato system was a huge part of what made it so innovative in 1954 and continues to be the gold standard for bridges today. This innovation, in conjunction with an inertia block to ensure no loss of sustain and individually adjustable saddles for each string, resulted in an incredibly functional and stable design. A design that eventually led to far more radical uses of the effect, dive-bombing for instance, than Leo Fender ever would have envisaged.

The 70th Anniversary Player Stratocaster perfectly balances the old with the new, celebrating the instrument’s original design with features such as its traditional single coil pickups, vintage style tuners and even Fender’s original spaghetti logo with its modern tech-specs, glittery finish and black controls.

Originally conceived as merely a more comfortable and versatile update to the Telecaster, the Stratocaster quickly became so much more. In the hands of players like George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler and more recently Cory Wong, the Stratocaster has become an iconic cultural image synonymous with the words ‘Electric Guitar’.

The 70th Anniversary Player Stratocaster is a fantastic celebration of that legacy and continues to push this beloved instrument forward into a prosperous future.

BY CHRISTOPHER HOCKEY

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PRODUCT REVIEWS

Jackson JS Series JS22-7 RR HT FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA | RRP: $499

The Jackson JS series has served as a jumping-off point for entrylevel players for years, with new ideas being poured into the line with every iteration. This vendetta Jackson has embarked on to bridge the gap between the JS line and Jackson’s higher-end offerings continues in 2024 with the introduction of the JS Series Rhoads JS22-7 RR. Straight out of the box the JS22-7 RR HT does a lot to leave a good impression in the eye of the beholder. The combination of the classic Randy Rhoads body style and the SLS headstock makes classic and contemporary collide in a way that is both brutal and aesthetically pleasing. This instrument also manages to exude some style with its sleek black-onblack look and sharp edges.

Pairing these features with the pearloid Jackson Piranha tooth inlays, black hardware and satin black finish ties everything together in a way that will appeal to any metalheads looking for their first foray with a 7-string instrument.

Perhaps giving the JS22-7 RR HT a visual motif that implies that it costs considerably more money than its actual price tag.

But the praise doesn’t end with the visuals when it comes to the JS22-7 RR HT, Jackson has made sure to provide everything you need to get from the bedroom to the stage without breaking the bank. You can tell that considerable thought has been put into the current JS line to ensure that little compromise has been made in

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bringing you a quality instrument at this price point.

Perhaps most noticeable is the incorporation of a 26.5” scale length. This longer scale provides better low-end articulation and also gives players the opportunity to use lighter string gauges without sacrificing comfortable string tension.

This ensures that the player can maintain control while engaging in many of the stop/start staccato riffing styles that have come to prominence in modern metal without sacrificing the slinky feel most players will desire while playing lead lines.

Baritone scale lengths are becoming increasingly common in the lines of all notable metal guitar manufacturers and it is great to see Jackson contribute another baritone entry at this price point.

This allows anyone to try out a baritone guitar whereas in years prior players would likely have to shell out for pro level or even custom options to see if an extended scale length was right for them.

Neck construction on the Rhoads is also rock solid, implementing the use of both graphite reinforcement and a scarf joint within a bolt-on maple design. Not only is this design stable, it also feels great in the hands, having a profile that isn't all that different from Jackson’s classic Speed Neck is yet another bridge between the affordable JS22 series and Jackson’s higherend guitars.

Playability is further enhanced by the JS22-7 RR’s amaranth fingerboard which boasts a nice 12”-16” radius, much like the prolevel Jacksons. This ensures that chording is comfortable down by the nut while still providing the perfect canvas for lightning-fast leads higher up the fretboard. This compound radius is a common feature shared by many of Jackson and Charvel's higher-end guitars and it's fantastic to see that the beginner line isn't missing out on this attention to detail.

The fretboard radius of the JS22-7 RRT combined with its 24 jumbo nickel frets provide the perfect playing surface for big bends and wide vibrato. Ensuring that you can really grip each note without fear of fretting out in the middle of your big solo section. Fretwork on budget-level guitars is often a topic of despair but Jackson seems to have spent enough time on this often-overlooked feature to ensure that any creases are ironed out in the production line.

In terms of electronics, this Rhoads harnesses two of Jackson’s own in-house high-powered ceramic humbuckers. These pickups provide adequate girth and clarity to the signal chain, ensuring that even the most stringent headbanger won't be in a rush to swap out the stock pickups for more expensive aftermarket options.

In conjunction with these two humbuckers, Jackson has implemented a classic control scheme with this Rhoads, utilising

a simple volume and tone control in combination with a 3-way toggle switch. These controls provide more than enough means of tone shaping the dual humbuckers providing this mean axe with some versatility that players will welcome with open arms.

The JS22-7 RRT also manages to pack some punches when it comes to the hardware department. The fixed HT7 bridge provides a great surface for palm muting and is anchored to the Rhoad’s light poplar body. This guitar utilises a string-through design which only helps to enhance the instrument's natural resonance, especially noticeable when strumming the guitar unplugged.

In addition, Jackson has opted to include a set of their own sealed die-cast tuners which are appropriately geared for smooth and stable tuning. The headstock is designed around a 3+4 style tuner layout, which provides an adequate break angle between the JS22-7 RR’s black plastic nut and the tuners themselves.

All in all, the Jackson Rhoads JS22-7 RR HT is a fine contender for anyone interested in trying out an extended range 7 string without having to take out a home loan in the process. Its feature set and playability both mark a high point in entry-level guitars that other manufacturers should strive to abide by.

BY JAMIE COLLIC

IMMERSIVE AUDIO FOR MUSIC AUDIO CONVERSION & MONITORING MUSIC RECORDING | POST-PRODUCTION | LIVE MUSIC MOM

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Features 10 user-programmable keys, a rotary encoder and a GPI input for an external switch.

AX32 is a versatile A/D, D/A and D/D converter with superb sound quality with a versatile I/O structure and optional Dante. Up to 48 analogue audio channels with a flexible digital signal interface, routing and distribution structure.

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720 I/O CHANNELS, DIGITAL ROUTER AND MONITORING COMPUTER INTERFACE

Core 256 is designed to take up very little space. Be amazed by the power you can extract from this tiny unit. Simply the perfect interface for Dante and MADI applications for Dolby Atmos® RMU.

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NEXT-GEN AD/DA/DD & AUDIO ROUTING COMPUTER INTERFACE

THUNDER|CORE AUDIO INTERFACE WITH 256 DANTE IP AUDIO CHANNELS

AX Center the third addition to the Thunder Core series, is a compact audio interface designed to be right between DAD’s Core 256 and AX64 series and offers built-in analogue I/O as well as two optional slots.

AX64 is a versatile and modular, multi-format audio A/D, D/A and D/D converter with 8 slots for the acclaimed DAD audio I/O cards known from the AX32.

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PRODUCT REVIEWS

Markbass CMB 121 Black Line CMC MUSIC | RRP: $899

switches in this layout.

In addition to the aforementioned controls, you will also find the CMB 121’s instrument input on the top panel of the amplifier as well as handy 3.5mm Aux and headphone outputs. The latter two of which have been included to aid the practice of students and beginners alike.

Upon analysing the design of the unit's top control panel, it is fair to assume that Markbass have set out to provide the essential features that a student would require on the journey from home practice, to lessons and even their first working gigs. Upon first glance, it is safe to say that the same approach has been utilised in the design of the CMB 121 Black Line’s rear panel.

Hailing from Italy, Markbass was founded by Marco De Virgiliis in 2001 after previous attempts at collaborations with other bass companies had fallen through.

and Bob Daisely wasn't enough you will be thrilled to note that Markbass even take a no-holdsbarred approach to providing for the student and entry-level bassist.

Despite these initial setbacks, it didn't take long for Marco to get Markbass established and the company sent shockwaves through the industry via their development and implementation of Neodymium magnets in bass speaker designs.

For the first time in the company's 23 year history Markbass has decided to infiltrate the entrylevel market with the CMB 121 Black Line combo amplifier.

Acknowledging how important it is for beginners to have both phenomenal tones and a rugged build quality, the CMB 121 seeks to set a new standard when it comes to entry-level bass combos.

These advancements in speaker technology greatly decreased the weight of bass combo amplifiers and speaker cabinets without compromising the tonal characteristics that bassists desired. Solving a lot of problems associated with more traditional bass cabinet designs, this advancement simultaneously caused roadies to rejoice and chiropractors to lose a lot of money.

In actuality, in subsequent years these designs have become industry standard amongst bass amp manufacturers worldwide.

Ensuring that Marco and Markbass have left their mark on the annals of music history forever.

If providing tones for bass titans like Stu Hamm, Randy Jackson

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With its warm yellow badge, black grille and sturdy cab, the CMB 121 Black Line adheres to an aesthetic template that anyone who knows Markbass will be familiar with.

Bold but not obnoxious, the CMB 121 Black Line exudes an air of quality and leaves a notable impression even before plugging in.

The control layout of the amplifier is situated on the cabinet's top panel, making each control both accessible and easy to read.

A four-band EQ is dictated via low, mid-low, mid-high and high controls. Markbass has also opted to include a master volume, gain control and mid-scoop and boost

rock drummer without splitting signal to the PA via DI. The 12” speaker packs quite a punch in combination with the front bass port and the responsive four-band equaliser enables access to a range of bass tones.

Actually, versatility is a strong point of the CMB 121 Black Line.

I feel that this amp leaves the perfect canvas for the user to dual in any manner of contemporary style bass tones from Rock to Electric Jazz all without breaking a sweat.

The boost and mid-boost switches further accentuate this amp's versatility providing quick and useable ways to alter the CMB 121’s tone stack for some variety or to give a dB boost to the amplifier's output stage.

It is here that you will find the power switch required to turn the amplifier on and off as well as the power port for the required IEC cable. The rear panel is then rounded out by the inclusion of effects loop send and return jacks, and an XLR direct out with a ground lift switch.

While on the topic of sound, it is also worth mentioning that the sound quality of the amps built in DI is more than adequate, void of any sonic artefacts that can sometimes tarnish less expensive units. The FX loop is also decent, not introducing any sort of “tone suck” when engaged and in use.

Despite being somewhat minimal I feel that Markbass have done a fantastic job when it comes to loading this package with everything that the target demographic will require during their first five or so years with the instrument, as well as being a handy bedroom-volume amp to have around for professional musos! Anything more at this point would run the risk of making the experience convoluted and over-complicated at the user end, and everything included is of adequate quality, sure to stand the test of time.

Lastly, coming in at a mere 16kg the CMB 121 isn't going to break your back as you load into your next lesson or club gig. This is a most welcome change when compared to the weight of competitor’s amplifiers, something we have come to expect from Markbass at this point.

But how does this all stack up in real-life playing situations? Be it solo practice, band rehearsal or perhaps even small gigs. Well, I'm pleased to say that the Markbass CMB 121 Black Line satisfies on all fronts.

Sure, at 150 watts it’s not the most powerful bass combo on the market but it is plenty loud to be heard over a hard-hitting

All in all, it is fantastic to see Markbass contributing a quality product for this player demographic where options can unfortunately be somewhat lacklustre. Not only is the Markbass CMB 121 Black Line an invaluable tool for the student bassist, it may even find a spot in the heart of the professional who is looking for an affordable practice amp with high-dollar sound.

BY ROB GEE

PRODUCT REVIEWS

Jackson JS22-7 King V FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA | RRP: $449

There’s not much that’s more metal than a Jackson King V… except a seven-string version. The JS22-7 King V is a poplar-bodied, seven-string electric guitar, boasting the uniquely angular body shape that delineates the King V from the more traditional V. The maple neck, with graphite reinforcement and no less, is bolted to the body, for a controlled and tight response.

Dual High-Output 7-String Humbucking pickups offer tone, with a three-position toggle between them.

The JS22-7 King V comes after a long line of angular masterpieces, the King V coming to fruition after Robbin “King” Crosby of Ratt popularised the design, though he almost played a double Rhoads extensively. Other popular players are Dave Mustaine, Wes Borland, Corey Beaulieu and Scott Ian, so you’re in good company.

The King V presents itself uniquely, the weight of its body shifting it naturally more towards a classical position, whether sitting or standing, lending itself comfortable access right up the 24 frets. The body shape itself presents access to the top of the fretboard like no other body shape, there being literally no guitar body anywhere near the neck joint. The satin finish of both the neck and body aid in speeding around the back of the neck, satin being less sticky that glossy or poly finishes.

The additional string provides the weight and heft of dropped tunings, while retaining those

top strings for leads and solos.

Navigating the fretboard I found myself getting comfortable quite quickly, the body shape forcing me to sit straight up, more comfortably than I usually do (hunched, folded and sore very quickly), the freedom to reach for the top frets really inspiring some unique sounds thanks to the access.

The sound of the pickups is controlled, high output so they take gain well, but balanced and consistent for fast metal riffing and lightning fast shred. The neck pickup position is warm and rounded, lending itself to blues-esque kinda tones, while the bridge pickup offers a brighter response. Ironically, the traditional “Rhythm” and “Lead” options are switched here, the bridge being perfect for fast, articulate metal rhythms while the neck position offers a warm, smooth juxtaposition to otherwise brutal and bitey riffs. While the humbuckers are quite high output, they clean up nicely and retain the same balanced, even response when used for cleaner strumming or lead playing. Rolling off the tone a little reveals a previously untapped warmth!

The poplar body offers a bright, snappy acoustic response, being both generally lightweight while still being of strong build quality.

The maple neck and amaranth fretboard are a great combo, amaranth also being known as purpleheart. It has a controlled bass response and a bright attack, making it a perfect wood

for fretboards and not unlike rosewood, both aesthetically and sonically.

There’s 24 jumbo frets, built for wailing and finding notes at high speed. It’s a hardtail design for accurate tuning, especially drop tuning, with easy adjustment for intonation and set-up. The scale length of 26.5” makes it even more equipped for dropped tunings well below the factory tuning: E Standard with a low B. The fretboard features a 12”-16” compound radius, meaning the fretboard flattens out as you get higher up the fretboard for better access to more contemporary playing styles. Traditionally, electric guitars feature radius’ from 9”-12”, so the Jackson JS22-7 King V will feel like home at the lower frets before the radius flattens out for more comfortable fretting as you climb up the fretboard.

Beyond this, traditional sharktooth inlays litter the fretboards, and a uniquely offset headstock makes for a striking silhouette.

also offering you unparalleled access to all 24 jumbo frets - and beyond! The neck itself has a comfortable, modern, compound radius, uninhibited at the 24th fret thanks to the angular King V body shape.

Sonically and aesthetically, the Jackson JS22-7 King V is built for metal, with select woods for control, and balance, all tied together into a bolt on design to augment this balanced tonality even further. The addition of a low B string (or lower thanks to the scale length!) gives you the extended range of a low-tuned guitar, all the while retaining concise intonation and the freedom to noodle back up on a high E. All in all, the Jackson JS22-7 King V is a tidy, refined package. It features everything you need and nothing you don’t, all the while looking just about as metal as you can get.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

The Jackson JS22-7 King V is a lean, mean riffing machine.

There’s not much to it, though every addition is essential. Dual humbuckers for big, modern sounds whether you select the neck or bridge position, and a three-way toggle switch to switch between either pickup or both!

All of this feeds a master volume and master tone, clean and simple. The body shape itself forces you to play comfortably, whether sitting or standing, while

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PRODUCT REVIEWS

Fender Switchboard Effects Operator FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA | RRP: $799

Professional-grade switching units are usually known for two things: being very convenient and being very expensive. However, thanks to Fender’s new collaboration with loop switching expert Ron Menelli, the convenience of being able to switch like the pros just got a lot more affordable.

The Fender Switchboard Effects Operator is a graceful, efficient switching tool with a conveniently minimalist interface designed to put you in full control of your signal chain. Invaluable for players with large, elaborate pedalboards, the Switchboard allows users to recall multi-pedal presets via five rearrangeable relay true bypass effects loops. Featuring a powerful processor that reroutes your pedals whilst preserving an entirely analog, hi-fi signal path, the Switchboard can be used to access endless combinations of effects in any order and switch single or multiple effects on and off.

Designed to be as user-friendly as possible, the Switchboard graphic interface and encoder knob allows for the creation of presets on the fly, keeping the process mercifully simple. Encased in a subdued but beautiful gold-coloured unit, the Switchboard’s LCD screen displays clear visual graphics to prevent players from losing track of which effects they have on and which preset they have selected.

Loaded with 500 user presets, a built-in tuner, volume pedal and dual high fidelity buffers, the Switchboard is an immensely powerful tool for such a compact unit. Players can also use the Switchboard to control their amplifier’s footswitches as well as MIDI-based pedals, making it a no-brainer for pedal enthusiasts of all budget levels.

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The Switchboard has three main operating modes: Loop Mode, Editor Mode and Bank Mode.

In Loop Mode, players have the ability to control their pedalboard in real time, and craft new presets on the fly. Utilising the Switchboard’s six footswitches, Loop Mode allows for five effects and an external footswitch to be switched on and off from the same device, meaning you’ll never have to trip over yourself trying to quickly tap on several pedals at once again.

Editor mode allows for full control over all the parameters saved to each user preset. In this mode, players can entitle their presets, switch buffers on and off, alter MIDI messages and edit the order and status of their effect loops. Finally, Bank Mode can be used to quickly access 100 banks of user-presets. By using the Switchboard’s footswitches, players can efficiently scroll through banks and instantly recall the presets within them.

Fender’s decision to work with Ron Menelli on this product was a wise one. Menelli has been a leading expert on MIDI and switching technology since 2003 and is well known for his company RJM Music. Largely based on RJM’s Mastermind PBC/6X switcher, the Switchboard has one less loop than Menelli’s original but that’s very little to sacrifice for such a compact and affordable package.

The combination of Menelli’s technical expertise with the chic, user-friendly design of Fender has resulted in a truly great product, especially given its markedly lower price tag. Now players for which higher end switching tools were

slightly out of reach can enjoy the convenience of a professional grade switching system without breaking the bank.

I see this tool being particularly useful not only for any artists with expansive boards but particularly for session players, professional cover bands and other performers of that ilk. The ability to instantly reroute one’s effects and recall complex presets with the press of a button is invaluable for players who need radically different sounds and setups from song to song, and don’t have time to mess around with their pedals.

The ability to create patches for certain sections of songs and save pre-programmed banks for whole setlists means hard working guitarists with multiple bands or ongoing gigs don’t have to reroute their boards between shows or have multiple setups for different jobs.

The main and simplest benefit of the Switchboard and similar devices however, is the ability to turn several pedals on or off simultaneously. We’ve all been there, frantically balancing on one foot whilst trying to click three pedals at once for that big solo or section change. Well, with this new product from Fender being far more accessible to the everyday musician than its comparative products, your tap dancing days can finally come to an end.

For those with a discerning ear and a love for their analog effects, a unit like the Switchboard is also a great alternative to succumbing to the dreaded world of multieffects units. A switching system has all the convenience and

compactness of a multi-effects unit and can serve a very similar function whilst still utilising your actual pedals and maintaining an analog signal path. Truly the best of both worlds.

This means reigning in an expansive board that is starting to become a bit much to manage doesn’t mean having to sacrifice on tone, you can keep all your discrete, specialised effects without having to worry about switching any of them on or off individually.

This level of convenience has previously been fairly inaccessible for the average guitarist so it’s great to see Fender bringing a high quality product like Menelli’s to the masses, and in such a pretty package to boot.

Whilst most switching units and similarly utilitarian devices aren’t generally much to look at, Fender have really applied their trademark commitment to aesthetics to this product and it really elevates the user experience. The classy golden design of the Switchboard is very easy on the eye and the large full-colour LCD screen makes it very easy to use in a live setting.

So whether you’re a shoe-gazing pedal junkie who has lost control of their elaborate creation, a seasoned pro with multiple setups or just somebody who values having the most streamlined signal chain possible, the Switchboard is here to solve all your problems.

The convenience of a top notch switching system is no longer reserved for the stars, so now we can all spend less time tap dancing and more time playing at our absolute best, distraction free.

BY CHRISTOPHER HOCKEY

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PRODUCT REVIEWS

Digital Audio Denmark (DAD) Core 256 CDA PRO AV | RRP: ENQUIRE FOR PRICING

The ever increasing demands for digital connectivity, routing flexibility and sheer number of I/O requirements within broadcast, post production, live and studio spaces within the past few years is staggering. It should come as no surprise that the leading names of AD/DA converters have been working tirelessly to create new and exciting products capable of handling these large scale audio demands, and with the rapid rise and expansion of immersive audio continually knocking on the door, it seems everything is scaling up in a big way!

Digital Audio Denmark (DAD) have continually led the way in highend AD/DA conversion, with a particular emphasis on AoIP(Audio over Internet Protocol) integration ingrained within their respective product lines, not to mention the usual suspects of digital audio protocols of course. The release of their latest family of products— Thunder|Core—has proved just how dedicated DAD are to creating innovative and flexible solutions in bridging all types of digital audio with no finer example of this than their “Tiny Immersive Audio Hero”: the Core 256.

An immensely powerful digital router and monitoring computer interface - the Core 256 well and truly earns itself the title of the ultimate digital bridge. Providing a staggering 720 total channels of I/O including 256 bi-directional channels of Thunderbolt 3 I/O (at 48kHz and 96kHz), 256 Dante AoIP channels (48kHz), 64 channels of MADI I/O via BNC and 16 channels of ADAT (4 channels SPDIF), as well as World-Clock in and out.

The optional expansion slot

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provides a further 128 channels of MADI I/O via the SFP option card, in case one requires even more connectivity. Incredible processing power of 512x64 channels via Pro | Mon summing and speaker EQ processing provides an unparalleled level of intricate control over an entire speaker system, pertaining to the various realms of immersive audio, including but certainly not limited to Dolby Atmos spec - all of which accessible via the 1500 x 1500 matrix, packed with 32-bit floating point processing.

Based on the physical connectivity alone, Core 256 is purpose built with flexibility in mind. As expected with major installs, post production, broadcast, recording studios and live sound environments, numerous digital protocols are typically implemented at numerous stages of a given signal chain, all of which require connection, routing and processing - making the Core 256’s wealth of digital connectivity incredibly alluring in these domains.

As for expansion and connectivity with other devices, this is easily achieved by the ability to daisy chain up to six DAD devices via Thunderbolt 3 - making child’s play of integrating Core 256 into existing systems. So existing DAD AD/DA converter users requiring a simple digital I/O bridging solution need not look further.

Despite its humble half rack footprint, no expense has been spared with the Core 256 in regards to its AD/DA, being as transparent as one would expect from a DAD converter. What you put in, is exactly what you get out, a veil of invisibility cloaks these converters that very few others can genuinely match. The heightened sense of

clarity and distinct lack of sonic influence can almost be a little startling, particularly if more familiar with other converters imparting an influence on source material, whether they mean to or not.

Like all DAD AD/DA converters, control of the Core 256 is via DAD’s proprietary control software, DADman. For the Core 256, connectivity to DADman can be either via Ethernet or a communications channel on the Thunderbolt 3 ports. Setup and routing for an entire system couldn’t be more simplified via the intuitive interface, which is a comfortable and familiar crosspoint style matrix - making complex routing configurations or patching input and outputs to multiple destinations painfully easy. Patching between various digital cross points is all too simple, with the barebones aesthetic of DADman never leaving you lost as to where your patch is located in relation to I/O numbering.

This is particularly helpful when deep in the matrix layout of, say, the 256 channels of Dante. This all collectively makes light work of potentially very complex patching across Core 256’s digital I/O and/ or other DAD products within a system. Aside from its ease of use and intuitive layout, the simplicity and rather unexciting aesthetic of the DADman software indicates only one thing - DAD’s resources are going to the where they should, the converters themselves, not a flashy control software general user interface. Exactly as it should be.

Being Pro | Mon supported, speaker and overall system calibration for the Core 256 can be achieved via this controller and software, allowing for up to 128 channels

of speaker EQ and delay for fine tuning an entire system, anything from mono through to a full Dolby Atmos configuration. This is perfect for a multitude of install, broadcast, live and recording studio scenarios, particularly when complex system wide control and tuning, handled from one centralised hub.

As for overall performance of the Thunder | Core interface, latency is incredibly low - reporting a staggering 670 microseconds at 96kHz set at a buffer size of 32 samples. The fixed latency design makes for incredibly reliable performance in critical environments, particularly when routing of all inputs to one or more outputs. It’s this level of design finesse and reliability that gives DAD converters a leading edge for mission critical audio environments - where stability, reliability and accuracy across all connections are key.

Renowned for their neutrality, openness and seemingly invisible sonic fingerprint, DAD’s converters have earned their place (and praise) amongst top engineers, producers and mixers across the globe for good reason. They do what any high-end converter should do to audio that passes through them: nothing. The Core 256 is absolutely no exception to this solid reputation, offering a high-end solution of digital connectivity, routing and monitoring geared for the most demanding of professional digital audio environments.

BY ANDY LLOYD-RUSSELL

PRODUCT REVIEWS

Electro-Voice EVERSE 12 JANDS | RRP: $2147.20

battery performance and wirelessfriendly feature set that made its 8” counterpart such a success.

Weighing in at 14.16kg and housing a lot more in the way of components, the 12” was always going to be a slightly larger box than its 8 inch kin, but it still is in no way a cumbersome unit.

The lightweight polypropylene enclosure helps keep additional weight to a minimum and the tradeoff in footprint size is made up for and then some, by way of the big leap in sound output between the EVERSE 12 and the EVERSE 8.

Employing EV’s own patented signal synchronised transducer for both the woofer and ferrofluid cooled 1” compression driver, the sheer amount of air that can be moved by the Evolve 12 is something to behold.

Summer is the season of the doof—that goes without saying.

However, unlike seasons past, this year I have increasingly found myself taking a mental note of the kinds of portable PA setups and DIY rigs employed at these kinds of events.

Maybe it's a byproduct of old age or maybe I'm just a massive gear nerd, but there is something truly fascinating about the kind of guerilla logistics these parties entail and the kind of technical considerations that come with putting on a gig somewhere you shouldn’t.

Things like power source, portability and flexibility of built-in features like onboard mixing and stereo linking etc, all become extremely important factors when you’re talking about lugging equipment out to the middle of nowhere and when there is a genuine risk of the powers that be shutting things down at a moment's notice. Needless to say, pack down time is paramount in these kinds of high stakes applications.

Now, we here at Mixdown would never condone putting on a show without the correct council approval, but if you have gone through all the correct procedures

and procured the necessary permits, then all that is left is the sonic considerations. After all, what’s a doof if it's not doofing.

Suffice to say, the new Electro Voice (EV) EVERSE 12 provides all this and then some, serving as the perfect middle ground between mobile, self powering PA rig and floor filling sound reinforcement and all without any sacrifice on audio quality and dispersion in the open air.

Whether you are from a recording or live sound background, hearing the name ElectroVoice is sure to elicit a feeling of instant confidence when it comes to anything pertaining to transducer design. The American manufacturer has long been synonymous with producing some of the highest quality and best sounding microphones and loudspeakers on the market and the brand’s new EVERSE 12 box more than lives up to this lineage for impeccable build quality and exceptional performance.

The newer, larger sibling to the highly touted EVERSE 8, the 12” option is aimed for users looking for bigger sound and maximum projection – perfect for those summer outdoor shows, whilst also making full use of the best-in-class

Driven by a high-efficiency 400 W Class-D amplifier and DSP module developed in collaboration with the world-class audio electronics engineering team at EV’s sibling brand Dynacord, the EVERSE 12 comes equipped with a builtin four-channel digital mixer, complete with studio-quality effects and processing as well as mode/location/subwoofer presets, making it extremely flexible in terms of being paired with additional speakers and subs, or for carting it to various different acoustic environments.

What's made even more impressive is the EVERSE 12’s ability to move this larger and more powerful componentry at no cost to overall battery life, offering 12+ hours at 100dB compared to the 12+ hours at 95dB SPL average on the EVERSE 8 (an improvement of 5dB of output on the same battery life, for a box that provides a lot more in the way of digital features and low frequency extension).

With a Maximum SPL of 126dB and a low-frequency extension all the way done to 45Hz, rest assured there is some notable heft involved at the auditory level. DJ’s mixes can be felt in the chest and through the ground, without the aid of a sub (but if you’ve got one, why not?)

For the bandier types or for anyone looking for the ultimate in small ensemble rigs, the 48V phantom power, feedback suppression and audio ducking, are sure to be handy additions, providing a truly self-contained setup from input to output.

In terms of connections, all the usual suspects are there, including 2 XLR/TRS combo jacks, a charge port for external devices like phones and ipads, a standalone XLR output for linking multiple units as well as a 12V DC power output, perfect for powering a wireless microphone system.

Bluetooth connectivity as well as a 3.5mm stereo input also gives us plenty of choices in terms of media type, so the party doesn’t have to stop once the DJ has.

Another particularly handy addition is the ability to tune your PA remotely via the EV QuickSmart Mobile app to adjust all audio, effects and mix options, meaning you can really optimise your output to suit your working environment with too much back and forth. An intuitive user interface makes it simple to shape your sound to the space, so you can focus on the show.

When it comes to providing scalable, awesome sounding portable PA speakers there is arguably nobody in the game doing it better than Electro-Voice.

From their small-scale column speakers like the recent EVOLVE series, through to the EVERSE 8 and now with the EVERSE 12, the brand have been on a tear of late, redefining the kind of sound quality that can come from these small footprint offerings.

The new EVOLVE 12 with its remarkable output, 400w Class D amplification and swathe of digital features is proof that this same approach can be scaled up to larger boxes and larger parties, all while keeping weight and size to a minimum.

BY ANDY LLOYD RUSSELL

MIXDOWNMAG.COM.AU

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MY RIG

MATT SWEENEY

WORDS BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

The incredible guitarist tells all about his gear. “It’s a fucking chessboard,” exclaims Matt Sweeney, itinerate indie axeman (and lifelong champion of the guitar), from his cozy New York abode.

“That’s what’s cool about the guitar… the fact that it is both so limiting and then at the same time, the possibilities are fucking infinite.”

Sweeney is on the back end of a full day of promo in aid of the star-studded covers album I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to the Velvet Underground & Nico and yet his energy is still at fever pitch. Given the subject matter (Velvet Underground) and his collaborative cohort on this release (Iggy Pop), it’s probably not hard to understand why.

For fans of proto-punk, this is the kind of stuff dreams are made of. In the studio, Sweeney’s enthusiasm for the guitar and the material carried over, even convincing Iggy to pick up a six string and smash out a free-jazzy topline for their rendition of ‘European Son’.

So how did Mr. Pop fare?

“He fuckin nailed it. He’s Iggy Pop, the world’s smartest man. Of course he can play free jazz on the guitar.”

With about five minutes to spare in what was a long and jovial conversation, Mixdown figured it a good time to talk rigs, guitar moves and Neil Diamond with the affable Mr. Sweeney.

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MIXDOWNMAG.COM.AU

1979 Gibson 335 TD “Probably the best lesson from the Guitar Moves series was when Gene (Ween) talked about always keeping the guitar above the dick or below the dick. I still notice that with every band I ever go and see. For me my go to is always my 355 TD which has a coil splitter on it which I love. I always use flatwound strings on it, which is very important. That’s what I always used on Superwolf’s earlier stuff (Sweeney’s collaboration with indie troubadour, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy) back in the day and I’ve kept that theme running all the way through to the new record.”

Neil Diamond’s 1970 Martin D-18 “Dude, fucking Neil Diamond gave me this and it’s the sickest fucking guitar. I think it’s a 1970 and I should definitely never take it out of the house, but it plays so, so well. Me and Bonnie just played a couple of shows and I took my two favourite guitars, the 335 and the D-18, which you are never supposed to do, but they just sound so fucking good. It’s kind of worth the stress.”

Wandering Boy Acoustic “One of my favourite recent acquisitions is actually from Australia. Jack [Tarlinton] who does Wandering Boy, I’ve got two of those and they just have such a great character and feel.

They are perfect for noodling around the house or for making stuff up with. Writing, I think they call it.”

Ampeg B15n “I’ve been using this vintage Ampeg lately that I got off a friend.

It’s the guitar version of the B15 with the coke mirror on the top of it and the really warm vibrato. I just happened to try one, because my friend Emmett has one and that was a revelation. I love how that thing sounds.”

Echopark Germanium Fuzz “I like nasty sounding distortion pedals and fuzzes, and it’s probably my Echopark Germanium Fuzz that gets the biggest response. It sounds disgusting. It sounds gross in the best possible way.”

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