FREE!
Made by Musicians for Musicians
#272 — DEC. 2016
MASS
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Gift Gu id Musicia e for ns
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Ultimate Christmas Giveaway P G . 8 FOR DETAILS
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TERMS AND CONDITIONS. All offers and discounted prices in this catalogue are part of a national sales program conducted by Yamaha Music Australia Pty Ltd and are valid only between 1st November 2016 and 31st December 2016 at participating Yamaha dealers which can be found at livingmusicyamaha.com.au. Not all products listed in this catalogue are available at all Yamaha dealers. While stocks last. The prices as set out or referred to in this catalogue apply for the duration of the program and may be sold at this price or lower. The Yamaha dealer participating in this promotion may not have sold these products in the past and where it has sold these products it may have sold them at more or less than the advertised price. Errors and omissions excepted. Only stands, stools and accessories outlined in the product description are included. Participating dealers may charge freight. Lifestyle images are for illustration
THR10 AMP
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VOX AV15 GUITAR AMP
REFACE SYNTHS
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REFACE DX: Go from retro '80s to cuttingedge modern at the flick of a switch. REFACE YC: The unique expression of
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VOX AC10C1 GUITAR AMP
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YAMAHA HS8 MONITORS
469
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Continuing the legacy of the original AC10 this amp has 10 watts of classic VOX Top Boost tone, 10" Celestion speaker, reverb and master volume.
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purposes only. iPhone, iPod, are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. iPad is a trademark of Apple Inc. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc. * The “value” specified for the bonus offer is Yamaha Music Australia’s recommended retail price of these products. The Yamaha dealer participating in this promotion may not have sold these products in the past and where it has sold these products it may have sold them at less than RRP. Free posters only available while stocks last.
E N ROL N OW FO R 2017 aim.edu.au Fee-help available
The leading school for today’s music and performing arts industry.
CRICOS 00665C
Contents 08 10 12 14 20 22 24 25 26 28 30 38
40
41 42 60 68 70
Giveaways Industry News Music News Product News Cover Story: Gregory Porter Sixx AM Baroness Highly Suspect Laura Mvula Jamie T Wallis Bird Tortoise King Parrot Animals As Leaders Advice Columns A Closer Look at: Paoletti Guitars, The Analogue Project with Beatdisc Records Dan Page of DigiGrid, The Making of Allday’s New Album Doyle Dykes Mixdown’s Xmas Gift Guide Road Tests Show & Tell Directory
PUBLISHER Furst Media EDITOR Keats Mulligan mixdown@beat.com.au EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Alex Watts mixdownstaff@beat.com.au ART DIRECTOR Michael Cusack
Laura Mvula - PG. 24
Gift Guide for Musicians
Forward
- PG. 42
Animals As Leaders - PG. 28 for breaking news, new content and more giveaways visit
WWW.MIXDOWNMAG.COM.AU
EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Elijah Hawkins, Alex Pink, Tom Bartha, Elisa Makisalo and Veronica Stamford MANAGING DIRECTOR Patrick Carr GRAPHIC DESIGN Michael Cusack, Dane Kerr CONTRIBUTORS Rob Gee, Peter Hodgson, Christie Elizer, Nick Brown, Elijah Hawkins,
Chris Scott, David James Young, Adam Norris, Adrian Violi, Michael Cusack, Augustus Welby, Luke Shields, Alex Watts and Aaron Streatfeild. ADVERTISING Patrick Carr patrick@furstmedia.com.au
MIXDOWN OFFICE Level 1, No. 3 Newton Street, Richmond VIC 3121. Phone: (03) 9428 3600
When I found out that Santa Claus wasn’t real, I remember it being a particularly traumatic experience in my life. I remember feeling empty, shaken and betrayed, a shadow of my former self. I also remember being about 13 or 14 at the time of this discovery, so I really should have been emotionally mature enough to cope with this news, or at the very least have the cognitive ability to comprehend the various impossibilities that are peppered throughout the story of old Saint Nick – but I didn’t. The fact that it was kept from me for so long is both a demonstration of how aloof I was as a teen and a testament to my parent’s incredible knack for creating and maintaining a web of lies to shield me from harm. Now, as the perfectly adult human person you see before you, I am much less the receiver of presents, and more the giver of them. That’s why we’ve put together our Christmas gift guide, for all those out there looking music related gifts for your loved ones (and yourselves). You’ll find gifts of all shapes and sizes, suited to all budgets and levels of competence. So kick band, read on, and let us help you find the right gift for the musician in your life in this special Christmas issue of Mixdown. KEATS MULLIGAN - EDITOR
6
mixdownmag.com.au
ALL BLUESFEST TOURING ARTISTS ALSO APPEAR AT BLUESFEST ... VISIT WWW.BLUESFEST.COM.AU
DOUBLE JAY ALBUM OF THE WEEK
IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE
‘Weight In Gold’
MILES DAVIS ESTATE PRESENT
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ANDREW BIRD BONNIE RAITT JAKE SHIMABUKURO JOAN OSBORNE THE LUMINEERS MAX JURY NAHKO & MEDICINE FOR THE PEOPLE NIKKI HILL PATTI SMITH AND HER BAND HORSES THE RECORD COMPANY RHIANNON GIDDENS RICKIE LEE JONES ROY AYERS THE STRUMBELLAS TREVOR HALL TURIN BRAKES
melbourne
PERFORM
corner hotel monday 17 april sydney
oxford art factory tuesday 18 april
SNARKY
GRAMMY WINNER
PLAYING MUSIC FROM THE SEMINAL ALBUMS,
PUPPY
MILES WENT ELECTRIC AND CREATED FUSION
“Croon like Nat King Cole, soar like Marvin Gaye and rage like Gil Scot-Heron ... critics hail Porter as ‘a modern great’ .”
GRAMMY-AWARD WINNING ENSEMBLE FEATURING
MILES DAVIS’ ALUMNI* DARRYL JONES*
THE INDEPENDENT UK
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BITCHES BREW, JACK JOHNSON AND ON THE CORNER WHEN
SYD ENMORE THEATRE
(ROLLING STONES)
CHRISTIAN SCOTT BLACKBYRD MCKNIGHT*
(PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC) “Jazz at its most joyful and optimistic, designed to unburden and enliven.” THEMUSIC.COM.AU
MELBOURNE
‘P UT YO UR RE C O RDS ON’ ‘IS THIS LOV E ’ - ‘LIKE A S TAR ’
SYD
RECITAL CENTRE SATURDAY 8 APRIL
17 0 R U S S E L L W E D N E S DAY A P R I L 19
ENMORE THEATRE MONDAY APRIL 10
M E T R O T H E AT R E S U N DAY A P R I L 16
(4PM & 7.30PM SHOWS)
MEL
ROBERT IRVING III* THU APR
13
SAT APR
15
MUNYUNGO JACKSON*
(STEVIE WONDER, STING)
VINCE WILBURN, JR.* DJ LOGIC ANTOINE RONEY* DEBASISH CHAUDHAURI JOHN BEASLEY* FOR FIRST TIME IN AUSTRALIA
SYD ENMORE SAT THEATRE APR MEL HAMER HALL
15
MEL HAMER HALL
SYDNEY
THE HIT OF BLUESFEST 2016 !!
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT GRAMMY WINNER playing thru the vault of classic Stax hits: TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS KNOCK ON WOOD HOLD ON I’M COMIN’ GREEN ONIONS TTIME IS TIGHT RESPECT R ESPECT YOURSELF and many more
SYD THE FRI METRO APR MEL FRI 2APR x MOBO AWARDRECITAL WINNER CENTRE THU APR
20
21
MEL RECITAL CENTRE
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DIRECT FROM NEW ORLEANS
a set rich in pure soul, ‘gospeldelia’ ‘cosmic-soul’ and jazz inflections.
SYD METRO THEATRE WED APR
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MEL RECITAL CENTRE THU APR
13
BRI THE TRIFFID SAT APR
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SYD MEL THE TUE 170 METRO APR RUSSELL MEL TUEtickets 170& info from 02 6685 8310 or go to www.bluesfesttouring.com.au APR RUSSELL
MON APR
10 11
11
Xmas Giveaways For your chance to win any of these awesome prizes, head to our giveaways page at
DiGiGrid Q Giveaway Last month we introduced you to the new DiGiGrid range, and this month we’ve been lucky enough to speak to the brains behind the organization, Dan Page. On top of that, we’re thrilled to announce that as part of our amazing Christmas giveaway, we’ll be offering our readers an opportunity to win a DiGiGrid Q Headphone Amplifier, valued at $759.99, courtesy of our friends over at Sound and Music. Featuring ¼ inch and 3.5mm outputs, it can accommodate any headphones up to 600 ohm. It has four monitoring options: XLR, Ethernet (to connect to the SoundGrid network), Analogue and Bluetooth. It truly is one capable, sleek and powerful solution for your headphone monitoring needs. For your chance to snap this beautiful bit of gear up, head to mixdownmag.com.au/giveaways and follow the prompts.
www.mixdownmag.com.au/giveaway and follow the instructions.
Last Month’s Giveaway Winners
Mooer Reverie Reverb Winner JVB Strings And Accessories Christmas Giveaway This Christmas we’re very happy to be bringing one lucky reader a guitar strings and accessories pack thanks to the good people over at JVB Strings Australia. The winner will receive the JVB JCT615 Capo Tuner - a fantastic product that combines a premium quality capo with a fully functional chromatic tuner, a JVB TMT500 – a 3 in 1 fully featured guitar tuner, metronome and tone generator - , a twin pack of JVB Premium Bronze strings and a twin pack of Premium Electric strings. Its one hell of a prize, and it could all be yours! For more information about these products, and for your chance to win, head to mixdownmag.com. au/giveaways and follow the prompts.
We’ve been looking at Mooer pedals for some time in Mixdown. We’ve been consistently impressed by what these pint-sized pedals are capable of. We were especially keen on this little number though, as if offered such a diverse and usable reverb sounds, and took up precious little real estate on the pedal board. It will be sad to see it leave the office, but we’re comfortable in the knowledge that it will be in the capable hands of: Lilly Cherry of Sydney, New South Wales. Congratulations Lily, you are the winner of this giveaway. We hope you have as much fun playing with this as we did.
Tonerider Octane Alnico 8 Humbucker Winner Last month we were very excited to be giving away an awesome Tonerider Octane Alnico 8 Humbucker. These are seriously awesome pickups, capable of working with a host of different styles. We had a heap of entries to this one, and we’re very happy to be giving away this awesome pickup to: Francisco Mejias of Aelaide, South Australia
Arcade Screen Printing Band Tshirt Competition
Congratulations Francisco, we hope you enjoy your prize.
The Christmas edition of Mixdown this year comes with one of the best competitions that we’ve had the pleasure of being involved in. We’re stoked to be able to say that this month we’re giving away an amazing t-shirt and banner package courtesy of the good people at Arcade Screen Printing in Sydney. This month, we’re going to be giving you the opportunity to win 50 t-shirts for your band, along with a massive 4 – 5 meter printed backdrop for you to take with you everywhere you play. The good folks at Arcade Screen Printing will also throw in a further 20 t-shirts for a runner up! They’ll supply everything, all you need to supply is the artwork. To be in the running for this amazing prize, head to mixdownmag. com.au/giveaways and follow the prompts.
For full terms and conditions visit www.mixdownmag.com.au/terms-and-conditions.
*These giveaways are for Australian residents only and one entry per person. 8
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Industry News
Bad/Dreems, Tkay Maidza, Win At SA Music Awards The annual South Australian Music Awards showcased a great night of consecutive winners such as Bad// Dreems (best group, best release for debut album Dogs At Bay), Tkay Maidza (Best Song for ‘Ghost’ and Best International Collaboration for ‘Do It Right’ with French producer Martin Solveig) and singer MANE (Paige Renee Court) who took home Female Artist and Most Popular Pop Artist.
Aussies Cutting Down On Music Piracy A report commissioned by The Department of Communications and The Arts found that piracy has dropped in 2016. The report determined swaying attitudes towards digital consumption of music, movies, TV shows, and video games. A sample taken of 2400 people aged 12+ yrs over a three-month period, saw that since the Online Copyright Infringement 2016, downloaded content dropped 4% from last year’s 43% margin. Music is the most downloaded content over movies, TV and games but evidently had the largest drop in piracy, from 29% to 26% with 279 million tracks pirated during the three month sample period. Streaming has also gained rapid popularity; curbing piracy over the other four sectors, jumping to 57% from 54%. According to the report, 71% of Australians now stream music and games on a weekly basis.
upon a five cent surcharge on all ticket sales in Australia. This is aimed to go towards helping road crew members (past and present) whom are in crisis. Recent statistics have proved that roadies are most susceptible to mental illness and out of 128 of those who had passed, 27 had unfortunately ended in suicide. Already Air Supply, Paul Kelly and veteran promoter Michael Chugg have come aboard lending support. Now, more promoters and artists are planning to get involved. Ian Peel, who founded ARCA, says, “Five cents a ticket — it’s nothing in the scheme of things.” The money will be put towards medical and funeral expenses for crew members, and in the long run a nursing home for roadies.
Inaugural Unified Grant Winners Announced UNIFIED CEO Jaddan Comerford chose five behind-the-scenes recipients from 200 applicants for the $25,000 Unified grant “to put towards their dreams.” The winners include Melbourne producer Aaron Dobos to set up his own studio; Michelle Grace Hunder & Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore for their film/photo project Her Sound, Her Story (which aims to document the experiences of a women in the music industry); Darwin-based Gossip Design to travel to remote locations in the Northern Territory to share local creatives’ work with the wider community; music photographer Neal Walters towards a photography book; and Melbourne/Adelaide’s Tram Sessions.
Aussie Promoters, Festival, Up For Global Awards The buoyancy of the Australian live music industry (set to reach a net value of $820 million by 2020) has been highlighted in the global live music Pollstar Magazine Awards. Michael Gudinski of Frontier Touring, Michael Chugg of Chugg Entertainment and Rob Potts of Rob Potts Entertainment Edge are among the nominees for the International Promoter of the Year. The iconic Byron Bay Bluesfest has also been nominated for International Music Festival of the Year. The awards are to be held in February in the USA.
Sounds Australia Safe For Four Years
New Board Members For Apra Amcos
After funds were cut at the end the month for music export entity Sounds Australia, The Federal Government has re-aligned their efforts after receiving an onslaught of anger from the music industry, reluctantly choosing to keep funds passively flowing for another four years. Since its beginning in 2009, Sounds Australia has assisted 620 acts at 50 trade events in 20 countries as well as generating 1593 deals for local businesses covering record, publishing, sync and booking agent deals. Sounds Australia is about to venture to South America in order to generate opportunities for touring and marketing in Chile, Argentina and Brazil.
ABC Music Publishing Manager Marianna Annas will be replacing David Albert as the newest addition to the APRA board. Joining Marianna will be the former A&R of Sony NZ and co-manager of Neil Finn and Crowded House, songwriter Malcolm Black as the New Zealand Writer Director. At the AMCOS board, Ian James of Mushroom Music will return as Chair, and Annas as Deputy Chair, while Clive Hodson (Perfect Pitch) joins as board member.
Roadies Push For 5 Cent Ticket Surcharge The Australian Road Crew Association (ARCA) has kicked off a campaign calling 10
Beach Fest 2016 in the United States. While in Los Angeles, Simons has been recording with Kanye West’s producer Anthony Kilhoffer on several projects which will emerge through West’s G.O.O.D. Music label.
Art Music Fund For Composers The APRA AMCOS Art Music Fund returns for the second time in 2017, offering composers the chance to share $100,000, to create new innovative commissioned pieces of art. Head to apraamcos.com.au/artmusicfund for more details.
Kutcha Edwards Wins Melbourne Prize Indigenous singer songwriter and activist Kutcha Edwards has won this year’s $60,000 Melbourne Prize for his “outstanding contribution to music”. Covering four albums and two theatre productions addressing indigenous life, he also took the inaugural $20,000 Distinguished Musicians Award from Victorian College of the Arts and Melbourne Conservatorium. Other winners included Scott Tinkler (Outstanding Musician), Kate Neal (Composition) and Matthias SchackArnott (Development).
Panel: Education, Culture & Art A panel will discuss how education can be better delivered through Art and Culture. Held on Wednesday December 7 at Lennox Community Centre (NSW). The event will host UK hip hop artist, historian, writer, and activist Akala, Bundjalung artist, curator and activist Djon Mundine OAM and rising literary name Ellen van Neerven. The event will be moderated by the famed Rhoda Roberts,who co-founded the indigenous Boomerang Festival. The night will be a fund-raiser, so head to www.communityspaces.com.au for tickets.
Cooking Vinyl, Epitaph, Partner In Australia Cooking Vinyl Australia and Epitaph Records set up a new Label Services partnership that will see Epitaph’s Dave Jiannis join the CVA team in the newly created role of Senior Product Manager. Epitaph’s distribution will remain with ADA in Australia and NZ. The newly formed partnership will see the local Cooking Vinyl team provide dedicated marketing and promotion as a priority for Epitaph and ANTI- releases. Epitaph have recently enjoyed success with A Day To Remember’s Bad Vibrations debuting at #1 and Top 10 albums from I Killed The Prom Queen, Refused, Millencolin and Falling In Reverse.
New Aussie App
Bad Report For Hobart, Canberra, Venues
Australia yet again continues to prove its weight when it comes to creating successful apps. The latest, Vampr, is a LinkedIn-style music app connecting musicians to the music industry. Developed in Melbourne by producer and guitarist of Hunters & Collectors, Barry Palmer and Buchanan singer Josh Simons. Vampr has already won an Audience Choice Award at The Silicon
A report looking into Canberra and Hobart’s entertainment precincts found a high level of sexual harassment, pre-drinking and violence has occurred. The Drug and Alcohol intoxication and Subsequent Harm in Nighttime Entertainment Districts (DASHED), found high unwanted sexual attention (28% in Canberra, 26% in Hobart), and high physical aggression (17% in Canberra,
16% in Hobart). The rate of alcohol-related injuries has increased in these areas compared to other cities (18% in Hobart and 17% in Canberra). From the result, 17.3% of victims have been males aged 18 to 24 in both cities. This has correlated to the rise of pre-drinking by venue patrons before they arrived, which was alarming: with 56% of patrons in Canberra and 68% in Hobart. The report made 20 recommendations, including early 2am closures, naming and shaming venues that breach conditions, mandatory ID screenings and increased penalties or temporary closures for venues that bare high assault rates. A national review of security standards and training for venue staff, and a trial ban on energy drinks after 10pm are also on the cards.
THINGS WE HEAR How many Aussie promoters are bidding for a Paul McCartney tour in 2017? Seal is returning as judge for The Voice Australia next year, along with Delta Goodrem. Though no word on Ronan Keating’s, rumours are that The Veronicas will replace the Madden Bros. Tame Impala will take most of 2017 off after Laneway dates. No, Kate Bush didn’t die last week, as per net reports. In case you missed it, Kiwi duo Flight of the Conchords inducted Crowded House into the ARIA Hall of Fame, they claimed to have a letter from the NZ PM: “Hello. Stop it Aussies! Neil Finn is from New Zealand. Yours, PM NZ aka John.” The long awaited book on the legendary early 70s Sunbury Festivals has finally secured a publisher and will be released next year. The Drones’ Gareth Liddiard won the music component of the eight $160,000 Sidney Myer Creative Fellowships. Rock In Peace: Mick Fettes of the 70s band Madder Lake, 65, who past away from heart problems. Madder Lake gave Mushroom Records early hits as ‘Goodbye Lollipop’ and ‘12lb Toothbrush’. Unfortunately Redgum guitarist, singer and songwriter Hugh McDonald has passed away at 62, after a battle with cancer. Geoff Gray, the singer of the late ‘60s Sydney pop-psychedelic outfit Flake (‘Wheels On Fire’ and ‘Teach Me How To Fly’). South Australia’s Hall of Fame continues to induct more SA names. This month singer Lisa Edwards (a solo act and a member of the John Farnham Band) will be awarded. Also Sarah McLeod and Stuart Rudd of The Superjesus will receive the honours. The first 50 acts for the UK’s The Great Escape include Sydney’s Middle Kids and Tiger Town, and Melbourne’s Gold Class. In addition to its funding from Film Victoria, Richard Lowenstein’s doco of Michael Hutchence, Mystify, also got funding from Screen Australia. mixdownmag.com.au
Music News Brian Eno To Release Album On New Years Day Brian Eno has announced the release of a new album, titled Reflection, which will arrive on New Years Day. In a statement accompanying the announcement Eno traced the album’s lineage as being linked directly with 1975’s Discreet Music, a major release in what would come to be called ambient music. Hailed for bringing intelligence and innovation to popular music in both his role as a musician and producer, Eno has been making music since the early 70s, both as a part of Roxy Music and as a solo artist. “My job as a composer is to set in place a group of sounds and phrases, and then some rules which decide what happens to them,” said Eno of the recording process for Reflection. “I then set the whole system playing and see what it does, adjusting the sounds and the phrases and the rules until I get something I’m happy with. What you have here is a recording of one of those unfoldings.” Reflection by Brian Eno is out Sunday January 1, 2017 on Warp Records via Inertia Music. You can preorder the album now via iTunes.
Flume ARIA awards dominator and electronic music producer Flume is currently touring the country in support of his latest album, Skin. Many of the dates have already sold out, or are close to doing so, so Flume fans are advised to get moving on those tickets. Having cleaned up at the recent ARIAs, taking home pointy statues for dance, pop and independent release categories, Flume, AKA Harley Streten, is riding a definite high at the moment. With Skin’s single ‘Never Be Like You’ going triple platinum in the US, this is a great opportunity for fans to see the production wunderkid back on home turf. TOUR DATES DECEMBER 9 - QUDOS BANK ARENA, SYDNEY DECEMBER 10 - QUDOS BANK ARENA, SYDNEY NSW DECEMBER 15 - SIDNEY MYER MUSIC BOWL, MELBOURNE VIC DECEMBER 16 - SIDNEY MYER MUSIC BOWL, MELBOURNE VIC DECEMBER 17 - ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE, ADELAIDE SA
Cold Chisel Release Live Album Of Classic 1980 Show Australian rock veterans Cold Chisel have announced the next installment for their archival Live Tapes Series. Marking the third volume, the release will showcase their live performance at the iconic Manly Vale Hotel. The Manly Vale show was recorded the same week Chisel released their acclaimed third album East. Setting a new high for Australian pub rock, Chisel’s performance was captured in all its visceral glory on a 2-inch 16-track tape recorder. Amongst the assortment of classic songs, the set also features two adrenaline charged covers of the 60s gems ‘Shakin All Over’ by Johnny Kidd & The Pirates and Bob Dylan’s ‘Knockin on Heaven’s Door’. The Live Tapes – Vol 3 captures Chisel at their peak, encapsulating what made them such a formidable live act in 1980. Cold Chisel’s Live Tapes - Vol 3 will be released on Friday December 2 through Cold Chisel Music/ Universal Music Australia.
Dori Freeman Sounding as sweet as befits her 25 years, but with an ache and yearning to her voice that is rooted in the traditions of country folk, the Dori Freeman has been making waves since the release of her self-titled debut. Having funded the album through a Kickstarter campaign and convinced one of her heroes, Teddy Thompson, to serve as producer after contacting him via Facebook, Freeman has undeniably come a long way. Touted by Rolling Stone as one of the top Americana releases of 2016, Freeman’s sincerity shines through on these sparsely arranged original numbers, owing as much to Rufus Wainright as to Emmy Lou Harris. TOUR DATES JANUARY 28 - SYDNEY FESTIVAL, SYDNEY NSW MARCH 10-13 – PORT FAIRY FOLK FESTIVAL, PORT FAIRY VIC MARCH 15 – CARAVAN MUSIC CLUB, VIC MARCH 16 – NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB, VIC
Grouplove
Puscifer The genre-defying Puscifer will be returning to Australia with their Money $hot – Round Under Tour. Set to kick off in late January, the band are gracing us with their presence off the back of a mammoth word tour and the release of their third studio album. Puscifer will be playing four all-ages shows across the country in January, which will wrap up with a highly impressive Australia Day party at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre on Thursday January 26. TOUR DATES JANUARY 20 – MONA FOMA, HOBART TAS JANUARY 22 – THE PLENARY, MELBOURNE VIC JANUARY 23 – THEBARTON THEATRE, ADELAIDE SA JANUARY 25 – DARLING HARBOUR THEATRE, SYDNEY NSW JANUARY 26 – CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTRE, BRISBANE QLD 12
Grouplove are riding a definite high at the moment, experiencing adoration en mass, as befits their name. Having sold out their recent run of headline shows and smashed some high profile US appearances, such as TV spots on Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Late Late Show, the Los Angeles pop/rock band are about to head our way. As well as appearances at Falls Festival, Grouplove will be playing a pair of sideshows in Melbourne and Sydney on Tuesday January 3 and Friday January 6. The band have also just announced the support acts for these shows, which include fellow Falls headliners Phantogram in Sydney, homegrown alt-pop band Tigertown in Melbourne and Sydney band-of-the-moment Middle Kids opening both shows. TOUR DATES JANUARY 3 – THE ENMORE THEATRE, SYDNEY, NSW JANUARY 6 – MELBOURNE TOWN HALL, MELBOURNE, VIC
A Day To Remember Pop Punk and Metalcore specialists A Day To Remember are returning to Australia for a run of shows in early December. The Floridians were most recently here last December on tour with The Amity Affliction, so they must be fans of our summer, which is understandable. Since they were here they have headlined their own festival in California, toured with blink-182 and released their latest album, Bad Vibrations, on which they worked with Jason Livermore (Rise Against/NOFX) and Bill Stevenson (The Descendents) amongst others. TOUR DATES DECEMBER 10 - RED HILL AUDITORIUM, PERTH WA DECEMBER 13 - AEC THEATRE, ADELAIDE SA DECEMBER 14 - FESTIVAL HALL, MELBOURNE VIC DECEMBER 16 - HORDERN PAVILION, SYDNEY NSW DECEMBER 18 - THE RIVERSTAGE, BRISBANE QLD mixdownmag.com.au
ARTIST: CHARLIE WORSHAM
www.fender.com.au FENDER速; TELECASTER速; TELE速; and the distinctive head stock shape of the TELECASTER速 is the registered trade mark of FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA PTY LTD [ABN 34 613 081 191]
Product News
Audio-Technica’s Announce Their ATH-DSR9BT Pure Digital Drive Wireless Headphones TE CHNI CAL AUDI O GROUP | AUDI O-TE CHNI CA.COM.AU
Fender Announces New Offset Series F E N DE R A U S T R A L I A | F E N D E R .C O M. A U
Fender has announced a new and exciting Offset series of guitars and basses. Bringing together a wealth of knowledge and experience, the new series offers affordability packed in a short-scale, brightly coloured range. Drip feeding fans for months, the first glimpse of the Offset series was caught at Summer NAMM earlier this year, but since then many have been speculating if the actual series would come to fruition. Now confirmed by the guitar giants themselves, Fender’s latest offers an easy-to-use range of guitars and basses that will feature asymmetrical body shapes and short 24” (30” for mustang basses) scale lengths, with hard tail bridges. The series offers four distinct guitars - Duo-Sonic, Duo Sonic HS, Mustang, Mustang 90 and a Fender Mustang Bass PJ. Each guitar and bass is fitted with a C-shaped maple neck, making it ideal for players with smaller hands. The guitar’s slim design is built for enduring energetic stage performances and the minimal build allows a rich increased sustain, which unlike any smaller guitar series in the past.
Audio-Technica’s latest headphones will be the first with wireless Bluetooth technology to use their new Pure Digital Drive system. The ATH-DSR9BT’s design keeps the audio signal completely in the digital domain from the source to the drivers, thereby avoiding the steps that can often introduce distortion or weaken the signal when digital is converted to analogue and vice versa. The headphones support aptX HD, aptX and AAC codecs at up to 24-bit/48kHz signals in Bluetooth mode and deliver HiRes Audio playback at up to 24-bit/96kHz when connected to a digital source with the included USB cable. The ATH-DSR9BT also has a built-in mic and controller for answering calls, controlling volume and music playback.
Samson QH4 E L E CTRI C F ACTORY | E L F A.COM.AU
Anyone who has ever been in a recording studio will understand the importance that a high quality headphone amplifier can make to your performance. If musicians have trouble hearing themselves or each other this obviously has an extremely adverse effect on their ability to play well. Thankfully, Samson’s QH4 headphone amplifier is here to save the day, distributing high quality audio to four individual sets of headphones and each with their own volume control. The amp is sized so that it can work just as well in a desktop workstation environment, with a laptop, smartphone or on location. The QH4 has two balanced ¼” input connectors, a stereo 1/8” auxillary input and output, as well as mono-summing switches and a master mute, for when you need a bit of silence.
The Radial Switchbone V2 Aby/C Amp Selector Gives You Amp Options AMBE R TE CHNOL OGY | AMBE RTE CH.COM.AU
Sakae’s Pac-D Series - Compact Drum Kits That Don’t Sound Small E L E C TRI C F A C T O R Y | E L F A .C O M .A U
Sakae are shaking up the market for smaller scale drum kits with their new Pac-D Series. The line can provide the convenience of portability and space that a smaller scale kit can provide, without skimping on the sound of a proper drum kit. There are both four and fivepiece configurations, featuring lightweight, single brace hardware and wooden bass drum hoops. The kits feature the same type of shells, mounting system and finishes as their other products, so quality is assured. This is great news for drummers wanting to travel with their instruments while being guaranteed a big sound suitable for all types of music.
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For musicians wanting to send their signal to multiple sources, such as different guitar channels or amps, look no further than the Radial Switchbone V2. This device allows you to switch and combine up to three guitar amplifiers without introducing distortion, switching noise or hum into the signal path. Most importantly, the Switchbone V2 won’t introduce any sounds that will alter the natural tone of your instrument. Unlike other switchers that use integrated circuits to buffer the signal, the Switchbone features Radial’s award winning Class-A audio circuit. These circuits are known for their clean signal path, which produces warm, even-order harmonics. The Switchbone V2 is also extremely versatile, as it can be used as a standard ABY switcher, with both A and B outputs used either separately or at the same time. When using two amps, the ‘ToggleMode’ LED indicators flash to let you know which amp was selected last, so that you can either turn that one off, or change the selection on the fly. mixdownmag.com.au
Product News Lovepedal’s Super Six Stevie Mod GLA DES V ILLE GUIT A R FA CT OR Y | GUI TARF ACTORY.NE T
With only 100 produced, Lovepedal’s Super Six Stevie Mod pedal has immediately become a sought-after item. So called because it is built to emulate the tone of a mid-60s Fender Blackface Super Reverb amplifier, this pedal is designed to boost your sound with soft compression and a vintage tone. It features feedback loop-style clipping in its drive, a preclipping section to its bass and a tone damp, passive and post-clipping section to its treble control. This is a unique opportunity to recreate the sound of a classic vintage amp completely and conveniently captured within one pedal.
Platform M Gives You Full Control Of Your Digital Audio Workstation I N N O VATI V E M U S I C | I N N O V A T I V E MUS IC. COM. A U
Icon’s brand new MIDI control surface Platform M is designed to give producers and musicians the hands on feel and control of a mixing console, with the added flexibility and physical advantages of modern ‘in the box’ digital music production. With nine motorised faders, eight rotary dual-function encoder knobs, backlit buttons for mute, solo, automation and transport control, all the primary functions of your Digital Audio Workstation can now be at your fingertips. The Platform M works with most popular DAW’s, with mapping presets for Cubase, Nuendo, Ableton Live, ProTools, Logic, Reason, Samplitude and more all ready to be used.
Experience Deep Resonance With Warmth And Clarity From The Lowden F35 Series GLA DES V ILLE GUIT A R FA CT ORY | GUI TARF ACTORY.NE T
Lowden Guitar’s F35 Series is made for acoustic players who want to appreciate a subtle tone and an exciting dynamic range. The guitars feature the same warmth and focused projection as the company’s 32 and 25 models, but with added clarity, courtesy of the new AAAA grade soundboard wood. Made with East Indian Rosewood back and sides, the 35 models come in a variety of shapes, including the O, which has a deep resonance and the F, which has greater focus and projection. The S shape is described as being perfect for guitar pickers, and can come with either Adirondack or a Sitka Spruce top.
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PRS Guitars Reveals Its Core And S2 Series Electric Guitar 2017 Line I NNOVATI VE MUSI C | I NNOVATI VE MUSI C.COM.AU
Having unveiled their 2017 SE Series last month, Paul Reed Smith Guitars have now announced their all new Core and S2 Series of electric guitars for next year. The announcement brings with it both completely new designs and subtle updates to existing models.Highlights include the new Santana Retro, a version of the American company’s longest running signature series, the Santana. The Santana Retro pays tribute to the original guitars that Paul Smith built for the virtuosic guitarist in the early 1980s. Many of the original design elements have been reintroduced for the 2017 version, including a deep body carve, the original headstock shape and nut placement. The Singlecut McCarty 594 is a single cutaway version of the guitar they launched in 2016. Described by the company as embodying ‘vintage tone and feel while incorporating modern manufacturing techniques that deliver superior playability’, the Singlecut is sure to be well received. The 509 is a new model, designed to add versatility to the PRS Core line. It has five single coil pickups, with the outside four coils grouped together as humbuckers. Featuring an innovative fiveway switch, the 509 is able to provide a diverse amount of humbucker, single coil and blended tones. As pointed out by Guitar World, the 509 is essentially a combination of the company’s 513 and 408 models, which is definitely a good thing.
Roli Introduces Blocks A Lego Style Modular Creation System CMI | CMI .COM.AU
Leading the way in electronic innovation, ROLI have just launched their new BLOCKS, an affordable sample plate that can go as far as your creativity. Labelled as the most accessible and scalable music creation system ever made, BLOCKS encourages collaboration and creativity wherever you may find it. Acting as a modular studio, the device opens up a world of music making possibilities. ROLI’s new creation is made up of individual blocks, offering unique capabilities that anyone can create wherever and whenever. Using magnetic connectors you can customise your BLOCKS, using kits that are adjustable to your budget, skill level, and musical style. BLOCKS have been globally recognised for their versatility, and urban approach to giving almost anyone the ability to create high scale music. Artists such as Grimes, RZA and Steve Aoki have already started making signature sound packs for BLOCKS musicians.ROLI are offering three ranges, including the Lightpad Block, which features a colourful glowing surface to help users glide through an assortment of natural gestures.The Live Block and Loop Block also have an easy to use control system that makes it ideal for making music in real time. You can equip your new BLOCKS with ROLI’s app NOISE, which connects each block wirelessly over bluetooth. “Many areas of life have been transformed by the digital,” said CEO Roland Lamb. “Music, though, remains a universal language that everyone understands, but only a few can speak. BLOCKS will change that, and enable people around the world to experience the joy of music-making for the first time.” 15
Product News Presonus Faderport 8 L I NK AUDI O | L I NKAUDI O.COM.AU
While many of us have gotten used to mixing with a mouse, for subtlety and musicality you really can’t beat the intuitive feel of faders under your fingers. PreSonus’ new FaderPort 8 is here to give you the tactile precision of faders to control your Digital Audio Workstation, complete with automation functions. The compact controller has eight motorised 100mm faders that are touch sensitive and 57 buttons that cover a range of 78 different functions. The design is logically laid out so there is no risk of getting lost in screens, you can simply zoom in on files for editing, adjust click-track tempos with a tap, modify effects parameters and much, much more. It is all designed to aid your workflow and give you professional studio-level control for you DAW within a compact machine. It also has inbuilt support for the Mackie Control and HUI protocols, so the FaderPort 8 will work with practically any DAW, with no driver installation necessary.
DV Mark Multiamp 5.1 Upgrade CMC MUSI C AU STR AL I A | CM C . C O M .AU
DV Mark’s powerful Multiamp is a preamp, effects processor and power amp all in one, designed to provide guitarists with everything they need in one tool. Originally released with three fully programmable channels, and an array of virtual amps, speaker cabinets, microphones and effects, the company have now released a new firmware upgrade to build upon the Multiamp’s already impressive functionality. The upgrade includes some key additions including a new amp model – the AC101 Acoustic Amp, a Global Graphic Equaliser with seven bands, and an updated tuner interface, which can now be accessed with more easy and functionality. DV Mark will continue to work on improvements and issuing updates to the Multiamp as the work on them, building better tools for the future of your sound.
MXR Cables Will Keep Your Tone Pure AU STR A L A S I A N M U S I C S U P P L I ES | A US T MUS IC. COM. A U
MXR instrument cables are designed by musicians, for musicians, with tone and durability in mind. MXR’s ‘sweet spot’ capacitance means that these cables are designed to translate the right tonal harmonics from pickups that enable both guitars and basses to sound big and rich, whether they be acoustic or electric. The oxygen-free copper (OFC) conductors are designed to keep your instrument’s tone pure and the OFC spiral shielding will block unwanted interference while keeping the cable flexible and lightweight. A PVC outer jacket enhances both flexibility and noise rejection while providing additional protection. MXR’s instrument cables are available in 10” and 20” lengths, with straight/straight and straight/right-angle ends, or 6” Patch Cables with flat, low-profile right-angle ends.
API Audio’s New Guitar And Bass Pedals STUDI O C ONNE CTI ONS | STUDI OCONNE CTI ONS.C OM.AU
API Audio has been a name synonymous with high end audio products for almost 50 years, and that reputation is not looking likely to change with their latest releases for their TranZformer series of pedals. The GT Guitar Pedal and LX Bass Pedal follow API’s tried and true signal path in order to provide gain control, compression lift and transformer output. The pedals combine a 525 feedback-style compressor with a 3-band equaliser, and are built to the company’s exacting standards.
Help Your Career Gain Momentum With Blue Microphone’s Snowball Studio AM BE RTE C H N O L O G Y | A M B ER T E C H .C OM. A U
Blue Microphone’s Snowball Studio is a recording package for those who want to easily and effectively record at home without stressing their wallet. The Snowball USB microphone is a condenser mic with a polar pattern that is switchable between cardioid and omnidirectional. This gives you the freedom to record either sounds only directly in front of the microphone, such as vocals, or to increase the pattern in order to capture the sound of more than one instrument. Also included is the Presonus Studio One recording software, which gives you easy-to-use tools to record your own sounds at a professional quality. The layout of the program means that even beginners will quickly be able to layer and edit their recordings, while adding all of the effects you desire. The program comes with some preset templates with effects settings all ready to go for a variety of recording scenarios, including voice overs, podcasting and musical performance. All you need to do is plug in the microphone and away you go. 16
Ernie Ball Extends Its Range CMC MUSI C AUSTRAL I A | CMC.C OM.AU
Ernie Ball started a tradition of offering guitarists what they needed when Ernie started making custom sets of strings in the 60s. The company continues that focus with their continually growing inventory of extended-range sets for electric guitar. Ernie Ball now offers three different gauge ranges for seven stringed guitars, two for eight stringed and now a set for nine stringed guitars. If you’re looking to explore the creative possibilities beyond the usual amount of guitar strings, there is sure to be a range of Ernie Ball’s famously slinky strings to suit you. mixdownmag.com.au
TICKETS
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The 2017 line-up includes: 30/70 AUSTRALIA • 9Bach WALES • A Guy Called Gerald UK • Ana Tijoux CHILE • Archie Roach AUSTRALIA • Bebel Gilberto BRAZIL • Brushy One String JAMAICA • Carabosse – Exodus of Forgotten Peoples FRANCE • D.D Dumbo AUSTRALIA • The East Pointers CANADA • Emir Kusturica & The No Smoking Orchestra SERBIA • Hanoi Masters VIETNAM • The Hot 8 Brass Band USA • Inna Modja MALI • L-FRESH The LION AUSTRALIA • La Mambanegra COLOMBIA • Lamine Sonko & The African Intelligence SENEGAL/AUSTRALIA • Mercedes Peón SPAIN • Nattali Rize JAMAICA/AUSTRALIA • Nhatty Man & Gara ETHIOPIA/AUSTRALIA • Oki Dub Ainu Band JAPAN • Philip Glass Ensemble USA • Rich Medina USA • The Soil SOUTH AFRICA • The Specials UK • Sudha Ragunathan INDIA • Tangents AUSTRALIA • The Waifs AUSTRALIA • Warsaw Village Band POLAND • William Crighton AUSTRALIA and many more! Plus: Taste the World, The Planet Talks, Global Village, KidZone, visual arts, street theatre and more.
10–13 MARCH 2017 BOTANIC PARK ADELAIDE WOMADELAIDE.COM.AU
SEE WEB SIT FOR LINE E -UP
Product News New ‘Amp In The Box’ Pedals From One Control HOT APPL E DI STRI BUTI ON | HOTAPPL E .COM.AU
Japanese pedal specialists One Control have just released two new amp emulation pedals, the Fluorescent Orange Amp In a Box and The Sonic Blue Twanger. Besides having brilliant names and a chic design, these pedals look like the business from a company who clearly have an eye for innovative products. The Fluorescent Orange is based on the Orange amps used by the likes of Led Zeppelin and Fleetwood Mac in the 60s and 70s. Encouraging experimentation, the Fluorescent Orange promises all of the distortion of early 70s Orange amps with none of the noise. The Sonic Blue Twanger, on the other hand, is designed emulate Fender’s Blackface era, and can be used as a preamp, booster or distortion pedal, helping to give your sound an edge. The pedal has four simple controls, Treble, which acts as a tone balance, Rhythm/Lead, and Volume and Master, which control pre and post volumes, allowing you to vary the amount of clean headroom and distortion to signal.
Take High Quality Sound Anywhere You Go With The Laney Audiohub Combo AH4X4 AUSTRAL ASI AN MUSI C SUPPL I E S | AUSTMUSI C.COM.AU
AH4X4 is a lightweight, versatile and completely portable battery powered PA system, designed and ready for use wherever you may be. Laney’s AH4X4 will allow you to take music with you wherever you want, and with up to 24 hours worth of continuous battery power available, you won’t have to worry about anything but selecting the right tunes. The Intelligent Power Management can choose either Regular or ECO power modes to prolong the battery life, or the device can be directly plugged into power. Smart devices can also be paired with the speaker via Bluetooth, and at a mere 6.5kg the speaker is extremely convenient to take to outdoor or indoor events, parties or functions. The system boasts powerful sound projection for audiences of up to 80 people, on board digital effects of reverb and delay, 4 pre-set EQ Channels, a Class D amplifier and 4X4” Speakers.
Yamaha Release New Custom Shell Pack and Drum Triggers YAM AH A M U S I C A U S T R A L I A | A U . Y A MA HA . COM
Yamaha have added some excellent looking products to their already world renowned line, with the arrival of the Stage Custom Bop Shell Pack and two new triggers. The new shell packs are small in diameter and made from 100 percent birch, rendering them perfect for performances in small venues, nuanced or lighter style jazz playing and session work. The pack includes an 18”x15” bass drum, a 12”x8” tom, and a 14”x13” floor tom with coated heads, a ball and socket tom arm, die-cast bass drum claw hooks, and a choice of three lacquer finishes. The company has also released two new drum triggers, the first being the DT50S, which is designed to provide complete isolation between the head and rim for dual-zone triggering of snares and toms. The DT50K trigger attaches directly to the bass drum in order to provide accurate triggering while not interfering with the natural feel and sustain of your drums. Both of these triggers feature a chrome finish to make them some of the most durable acoustic triggers on the market.
New Pedals From Outlaw Effects PRO MUSI C | PROMUSI CAUSTRAL I A.COM
Canadian boutique pedal makers Outlaw Effects have unveiled some new additions to their range of micro pedals. These include The Lasso Looper, which can create an unlimited amount of guitar layers, in rich 24 bit, 44kHz sound. This pedal allows you to record loops of up to 10 minutes and also includes a USB cable so you can export high quality WAV files to your computer, or, in turn, import them to the pedal. The Lasso Looper Software is also included to aid this last function, which opens up a range of creative possibilities for creating a detailed sound with just a single pedal. Also from Outlaw comes the Kerosene Power Supply and the Iron Horse Power Supply + Tuner pedals. Both of these are designed to streamline you pedalboard by eliminating the need for power cords or wall adaptors and comes equipped with eight 9V DC outputs, each offering 300mA of current, and one 12V DC power adaptor. The Iron Horse also comes with an integrated chromatic tuner with an easy to read LCD screen included in the design.
Get Out Of The Box With Icon’s Qcon Pro X DAW Controller I N N O VATI V E M U S I C | I N N O V A T I V E M US IC. COM. A U
While it’s all well and good using a mouse and keyboard, there is a certain amount of natural feel that is lost by not having tactile control of your Digital Audio Workstation. Icon’s new Qcon Pro X is a control surface designed to make sure your mixes have that human touch, putting all of the functions of your DAW at your fingertrips. Connecting via USB2.0, the Qcon has nine motorised faders, eight rotary encoders, LED metering, a jog wheel and plenty more. Adding to its intuitive design, the controller allows you to adjust multiple volume or pan level, mute or solo track simultaneously, while the transport section allows you to record, loop, zoom, or punch in and out of your tracks. Dedicated buttons also allow you to access your entire mix by banking across tracks in groups of eight or one track at a time.
Pittsburgh Modular Lifeforms SV-1 Blackbox – An Analogue Synthesiser For Your Desk I NNOVATI VE MUSI C | I NNOVATI VE MUSI C.COM.AU
Described as a self-contained modular powerhouse, this synth has a whole lot contained within its relatively small, portable steel enclosure. Two patchable oscillators and a state-variable filter are paired with synthesis components including a dual sub oscillator, a four-stage envelope generator, a low frequency oscillator, a voltage controlled amplifier, a MIDI-CV converter, a pair of utility signal splitters and more. Sized to be portable enough to take with you but large enough to create iconic synth sounds, the SV-1 Blackbox brings analogue power with modular flexibility.
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The minute you lay your hands on a Hagstrom and strum it for the rst time, you can instantly feel why Hagstrom has legions of devoted fans and why so many pro musicians have made it their “number one.”
www.hagstromguitars.com
Swede
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Pat Smear
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H-II
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FIND HAGSTROM GUITARS AT: Chapmans Guitars, Orange NSW Guitar World City Arcade, Campbelltown NSW South Coast Music, Nowra NSW Planet TX Music, Moruya NSW Planet Music, Lismore NSW
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Alive Music, Bundaberg QLD Bandland Music, Toowoomba QLD Revolution Music, Windsor QLD Kosmic Sound, Osbourne Park WA
All models include case! www.promusicaustralia.com
GREGORY PORTER It’s December already, which means Bluesfest is just around the corner. On a lineup of staggering dimensions, a name that stands out is American jazz-soul singer Gregory Porter. Porter’s been to Oz a couple of times previously, but this will be his first fully-fledged tour. And having spent much of the last six years touring across the UK and Europe as well as his homeland, Porter and the band are primed for the trip.
“[In November] I finished up my tours for the year. There was very little breaks this year and very little breaks last year and the year before that,” Porter says. “I tour quite extensively all over the world. “[It’s my] first proper Australian tour. I was just there in September. I came maybe four years ago and was working with Australian musicians and I did a show in Sydney, Melbourne and Wangaratta. So it’ll be my third time to Australia, but it’ll be the first time with my band.” The tour set list will put the spotlight on Porter’s Take Me to the Alley LP, which landed in May 2016. It’s his fourth LP and the follow up to the 2013 breakthrough, Liquid Spirit. Along with newer material, we can look forward to an assemblage of favourites from the back catalogue. “There’s been wide acceptance of this record, but also with my shows I never abandon what I was doing before,” Porter says. “It’s a good mix of songs from the new record and older songs. Because [Australia’s] a territory I haven’t been in much before, I’ll do music from Liquid Spirit and Be Good [2012] and Water [2010] as well. I always mix up my songs from all the records.” Porter worked with arranger and producer Kamau Kenyatta on Take Me to the Alley – reigniting the creative partnership that worked so well on Liquid Spirit. The arrangements are wonderfully dynamic and shine a spotlight on the immense talents of the contributing musicians, most notably pianist Chip Crawford, bassist Aaron James and drummer Emanuel Harrold. “It all happens with myself, Kamau and Chip Crawford, we work on the music before we take it to a larger band,” Porter says. “Kamau is clever and he pulls things organically. The horn arrangements many times will come from a scat that I may do while I’m thinking about the melody line. Kamau will just grab that from me and write the melody off of that scat and then embellish it with the harmonies for the horn parts. “So when I hear the horn parts, or the bassline, the rhythm, I hear myself as well. It’s an unusual way to work, but a way that I can be sure that my fingerprint is on the music. It’s not somebody coming and making the music for me.” Although Porter’s been a committed tradesman for the last decade, his workload became especially demanding in the wake of Liquid Spirit’s Grammy winning success. Despite releasing several charting singles – including the Disclosure collaboration, ‘Holding On’ – and performing for audiences at Glastonbury and the Royal Albert Hall, he’s not flippant about his commercial success. “When I write the songs, when I’m in the studio, that’s not the market that I’m necessarily going for,” Porter says. “It’s a market 20
“People think they know what jazz is, but the umbrella is quite wide and large and you have to consider all of the different aspects of jazz. There’s jazz you can dance to, there’s some that’s completely cerebral and you have to sit with a computer to figure out what’s going on. It’s a wide umbrella. You have to really just give it a listen to figure out what it’s going to be like.”
that I feel could accept my music, but there’s a whole bunch of things that are fair and unfair in the world, so I didn’t expect it to happen. “But when they took to songs like ‘Hey Laura’ and the original mix of ‘Liquid Spirit’, I was like, ‘Hey, that’s great.’ I was surprised and grateful that I had acceptance on the radio and with the young, young fans. That was great.” Porter’s success is emblematic of jazz music’s commercial resurgence over the last handful of years. That said, he’s wary of reductively pigeonholing his music. “People think they know what jazz is, but the umbrella is quite wide and large and you have to consider all of the different aspects of jazz,” he says. “There’s jazz you can dance to, there’s some that’s completely cerebral and you have to sit with a computer to figure out what’s going on. It’s a wide umbrella. You have to really just give it a listen to figure out what it’s going to be like.”
Despite the futility of trying to succinctly characterise jazz, there’s no denying that we’ve reached another enlightened era for jazz music. In recent years the likes of Kamasi Washington and Esperanza Spalding have gained massive followings, while everyone from Flying Lotus and Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller and BadBadNotGood are incorporating jazz elements into their recordings. “I agree [that it’s an exciting time], on many different levels,” says Porter. “I think what Robert Glasper’s doing in terms of opening up different genres and different voices, and Kamasi Washington, the support that he’s had with the hip hop musicians on the West Coast, it’s great.” It’s a fertile time alright, but Porter feels no unease about distinguishing his artistry. “Having a bit more of a grounded story and a bit more of a current message in my lyrical content and accessible melodic approach has been helpful in catching the ears,” he says. “The way people listen to music is just different. I’ve always listened to Miles Davis and then Parliament and then Marvin Gaye and then Horace Silver and then some hip hop. I think people are just taking away the artificial impediments of genre and just listening to music. Something that moves them emotionally; that’s what people are most excited about.” Indeed, we’ve experienced widespread taste liberation over the course of this century; thanks in no small measure to the accessall-areas pass furnished by high-speed internet connections. Indictments of short attention spans aside, this accessibility has had many positive consequences, such as the diversification of creative influences. Porter is all for it. “I hope it does go further. I want to see black country singers and just a stretch in general. Recently I’ve been working with a lot of classical orchestras and just having a conversation with some of the musicians afterwards who say they never played this type of music and how they feel wonderful expressing themselves more emotionally. It goes in every direction, from the high brow to the low brow, all of it is being mixed.” BY AUGUSTUS WELBY Gregory Porter will be performing in Melbourne and Sydney while he’s down for Bluesfest next year. Take Me Back to the Alley is out now via Blue Note Records.
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“I have played pretty much every Bass rig in my constant search for the perfect system for my sound... then I discovered LANEY amps and was blown away!” Garry Gary Beers INXS/STADIUM
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Ultra-compact lightweight Bass amp featuring a powerful 500 watt Class D power amp with built in features such as Compression, Reverb, Chorus and Octave effects. It also has T-USB for DAW connectivity.
Lightweight Bass Combo featuring the NEXUSSLS Bass amp with a 12” Neodymium Driver and 1” Exit Compression Driver housed in an ultra-compact cabinet finished in Laney’s highly durable TUFF STUFF impact resistant coating.
Lightweight Bass amp featuring not only 1 but 2 x powerful 500 watt Class D power amps with built in features such as Compression, Reverb, Chorus and Octave effects. It also has T-USB for DAW connectivity.
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Lightweight Bass Cabinet featuring 4 x 10” La Voce Neodymium Drivers and a 1” La Voce Exit Compression Driver with a power handling of 600 watts and finished in Laney’s highly durable TUFF STUFF impact resistant coating.
Lightweight Bass Cabinet featuring 2 x 10” La Voce Neodymium Drivers and a 1” La Voce Exit Compression Driver with a power handling of 300 watts and finished in Laney’s highly durable TUFF STUFF impact resistant coating.
Lightweight Bass Cabinet featuring 1 x 15” La Voce Neodymium Driver and a 1” La Voce Exit Compression Driver with a power handling of 400 watts and finished in Laney’s highly durable TUFF STUFF impact resistant coating. PROUDLY DISTRIBUTED BY AUSTRALASIAN MUSIC SUPPLIES WWW.AUSTMUSIC.COM.AU
Music Interviews
Sixx A.M.
On December 31st, 2015, Mötley Crüe played their lastever show at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It’s been a relatively quiet 2016 for most of the band since their grand finale – vocalist Vince Neil has only turned up in the news due to bizarre altercations with Nicholas Cage and Donald Trump. For bassist Nikki Sixx, however, it’s been one of the most productive years of his life, thanks in no small part to his band Sixx A.M. “By the time that we had finished touring [previous Sixx A.M. record, 2014’s] Modern Vintage, we were at a crossroads,” Sixx begins. “Mötley was coming to an end, and DJ [Ashba, guitarist] had made the decision to move on from Guns N’ Roses to focus on his own music. We struck up this idea to do a double album, which was kind of crazy for us – we’d never even thought to do anything like it before. Once we seriously undertook the songwriting process, the idea of the double record developed further into separating them – Prayers for the Damned and Prayers for the Blessed. It works because it goes both ways – you can listen to them together or you can listen to them as standalone albums.” With the Crüe gone, 2016 marked Sixx’s first year in which
Baroness
Musician, artist and pedal connoisseur John Dyer Baizley is at home in his Philadelphia studio, but he is thinking of his upcoming journey south for Baroness’ first ever headline tour of Australia. “This is effectively our first chance to get on Australian soil and play full sets every night. That’s a big deal for us,” says Baizley. “We’ve been touring now for about a year, off and on doing a lot of fly dates – a few out of town trips – a couple of days here and there,” he says. “That comes after about eight months of steady touring. Honestly, I’m just excited to be playing shows, more or less everyday of the week again, because the routine you get into when you’re doing the on again off again thing is kind of brutal.” Within minutes, our conversation turns to his live setup. In an interview with Mixdown earlier this year, fellow axeman Pete Adams spoke of Baizley’s love for pedals, going as far to call him a ‘connoisseur’, but his pedal knowledge is only the half of it. Unlike the metal guitarist stereotype, Baizley steers clear of monstersized amps – in both size and wattage – opting for combos, and wattages that are more common in bedrooms than the big stage. 22
Sixx A.M. was now his full-time focus. It was a responsibility not taken lightly – the band hit the ground running with the release of Prayers for the Damned, Vol. 1 in April, touring extensively before completing work on Prayers for the Blessed, Vol. 2, which arrived in November. Although the two albums were recorded simultaneously, Sixx and co. still felt there was an element of spontaneity to their creation; pursuing songs in the heat of the moment. “We were definitely moving everything around as we went,” says Sixx. “There was a point where ‘Rise’ was going to be on Prayers for the Blessed and a point where ‘We Will Not Go Quietly’ was going to be on Prayers for the Damned. There were some songs that were recorded without any real plan – ‘Without You’ was one of them. We just knew we wanted to record it because it was a great song. It was a lot of work James [Michael, vocals] – not only was he singing, he was producing both albums. We were putting in so much effort – every day was recording, writing, producing, mixing, doing lyrics, doing vocals.” Sixx sounds exhausted even when thinking about the kind of grind that Sixx A.M. were on in pursuit of a new wealth of material. Their motivation through all of this work and effort? Simple: To deviate from the pack. “Our drive was knowing that there are so many double albums out there where there are some really great songs on it, but the back half is either filler or just sort-of okay,” says Sixx. “We didn’t want that to be our fate, so we put all our effort into making two great albums. We’d write what we thought was a really good song for one record, and then we’d have to even it out by matching it with a song for the other. We really think we did a great job in evening the records out in terms of quality.” Interestingly, for someone with the veteran status of Sixx, the band have spent a lot of time cutting their teeth as either a co-headliner or a support act, rather than taking top billing on the majority of their touring. This has very much been an intentional move on behalf of Sixx and his management, wanting to present
the band in a different light rather than arrogantly assuming marquee status. “A promoter had actually asked my manager about it,” says Sixx. “He said, ‘why would Nikki open the show?’ my manager said, ‘because he knows how to headline.’ “We’ve had so much fun playing with bands like Rammstein, Disturbed, Rob Zombie, Shinedown and Five Finger Death Punch. There’s a challenge to playing to a bigger audience – one that might not know you, or just might not get it initially. You have to work your arse off in that environment, and we like to think it’s one where we’re really starting to thrive. There comes a time where you stop being the underdog, so I think the guys and I are just relishing where we are.” With both Sixx A.M. albums out, Sixx is adamant about staying as active as possible. More new material is to come for the band; as well as continued work on Sixx’s philanthropy through charity Running Wild In the Night, fashion designing with Royal Underground and radio hosting on Premiere Radio Networks. “Mötley was the best thing to ever happen to me – because of it, people became aware of who I was and were interested in the books I write, the radio show I host and the photography that I do,” says Sixx. “A lot of it’s been self-taught, too – I’d never hosted a radio show before, and I still consider myself an amateur in photography. It’s always been important to me to be an artist that’s never chasing money – you do these things because you love it. That’s all.”
“It’s weird, over the years my pedal board has grown but my amps just keep getting smaller and smaller. In the last three or four years, I’ve made the switch from huge high wattage amps with lots of speakers, to two very small, very low wattage amps, which in theory sounds kind of weird, because Baroness is effectively a loud band. I find that these two smaller amps have had more of an impact and are more flexible as amplifiers than bigger ones of yesteryear. “I’m not listening for volume, because that can go up and down, what I’m listening for is a certain kind of characteristic. I find that the smaller combos have a better character for my playing. They feel more expressive and more dynamic than the bigger guys,” says Baizley. “On top of that, I find the standard rock gear for guitar players are Marshalls and Les Pauls. While I have no major qualms with that equipment, it can run the risk of sounding like everyone else’s gear. Whenever possible, I favour something that’s unique and a setup that’s probably not good for someone else, because I want something that works just for me.” It was a decade ago that Baizley got over his arsenal of stacks and high wattage amps. Each of the band’s guitarists toured with three full stacks apiece, a move that Baizley feels was “pointless.” “It was very difficult for our sound guy to handle, what we were doing and ultimately, I felt like I was just watering down my tone by turning the volume up,” he says. Not one to conform, Baizley found inspiration in an unlikely place. “I remember reading something about how Ryan Adams was playing the Fender Princeton combos a lot, and he loved them. His sound has nothing to do with mine, but I read that and looked into it. I haven’t looked back since.” When the subject of effects pedals arises, it becomes apparent why Baizley’s pedal board is so big – it is a rotating roster of delays and custom made fuzz pedals. It is only a matter of time before Australia’s very own Tym Guitars – an institution revered nationwide and
abroad for custom made gear, in particular effect pedals – makes its way into the conversation. “I’ve been collecting his pedals since I first played them, every time he’s got something new out, I’m just dying to get my hands on it,” says Baizley. “He made a double distortion pedal for me a while back. I love the way he emulates, but sort of updates some of the classic stomp boxes of all time like the DOD 250, and all the Big Muff’s he re-imagined. I never go to Brisbane without saying hi to him. “There’s a little scene of dedicated, boutique pedal makers all over the place who are making pedals by hand. In the past two years I’ve started making my own fuzz pedals with a few friends of mine. It’s a company that’s called Philly Fuzz,” he says. “We started out trying to make a germanium and silicon based fuzz pedal that wasn’t too over the top. I like subtlety; I like to blend things in. “Obviously every fuzz pedal can scream when you turn them up, but what I was looking for was something that could be playable in a variety of situations. That inherently became the Heretic Fuzz pedal. I used it heavily on our album Purple and it sounded great, so we decided to make a couple of them, and I sold them on tour. “The whole point was to keep it DIY and punk rock. When we’re selling them, it’s generally me putting the stomp box in somebody else’s hand, and because of that I’ve met so many other pedal enthusiasts, and I’m forever trading fuzz pedals with people. That’s what that scene is all about.” BY AARON STREATFEILD
BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG
Vol. 2 Prayers for the Blessed is out now via Sony Music Australia
Baroness will tour Australia in early December, tickets are available via livenation. com.au. Purple is out now via Abraxan Hymns/Cooking Vinyl mixdownmag.com.au
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Music Interviews
Highly Suspect There seems to be a direct correlation between brothers in rock bands and success, both of which American band Highly Suspect are fortunate enough to have. Following the roaring success of their first album, Mister Asylum, and with two Grammy nominations under their belt, the Massachusetts natives headed south to Columbia to record their follow up, to get away from distractions in the United States. “We didn’t want to work in the same studio, we needed to be in a completely different environment,” says drummer Ryan Meyer. “We worked with Joel Hamilton who was the producer we created the first album with. He has connections and works with several different people in Bogota, Columbia, so we thought, ‘hey we should go down there, just be completely out of the box’. It was a really good idea because we were completely separated from any distractions. We don’t know anyone in Bogota except for the engineers that we were working with and all we had to focus on was the album” “We had to write most of it [in Columbia], none of the songs were really completed yet, so it was a lot of work. Normally we’re
Laura Mvula Reaching the age of 30 comes with its challenges. It’s a time to reflect on your younger years, either to yearn for the golden days of youth, or to slowly ease into maturity. For British soul vocalist Laura Mvula, that maturity seems to have struck at the right time, inspiring her critically acclaimed new album The Dreaming Room – a pop abstraction that was originally born out of frustration with a tag that the singer now intends to shed with all her might. “I wanted to make a bigger sound with this album,” she says. “I got pissed off doing tours and feeling like I was the ‘quiet’ act when everyone else was making more noise than me, so I was determined to make a record that wherever I was going to play, everyone was going to hear me no matter what.” It was a bold move by Mvula, whose artistic and musical style has prompted accolades and awards across the industry since her 2013 debut, Sing To The Moon. But Mvula says the highest of honours came from the late Prince, who despite never sharing a conversation with Mvula, became aware of her attention-demanding presence through a TV performance that spawned a legendary story. 24
very easily distracted by girls and drugs and bars and stuff like that, it’s very different down there. Not a lot of people speak English and our Spanish is elementary at best, so there weren’t a whole lot of distractions.” Though The Boy Who Dies Wolf will come out only a year after Mister Asylum, the dramatic developments in the band’s style and sound are evident, as Meyer points out. “I would say it’s a little more diverse musically. It’s more dynamic, it’s not just rock all the way through. There are a lot of songs that are slower, there’s a song that doesn’t have any drums or bass on it at all, there’s a lot of different things happening there.” They were able to take this different track on the second album because of the strong fan base that they’ve built, and the solid foundation of the debut album made sure that they drew those fans in further than just a first listen. “That was definitely the intention behind the first album. If one thing caught on, people that would look at the rest of the material would still be interested. That’s a very important thing to build on your debut album, to have congruency. When you get that oh-so-valuable first listen, and that person is actually interested and they go and check out the rest of your stuff, you really want to make sure you have something they’re going to like” An important part of the band’s identity is their quasi-motto ‘My Crew Is Dope’, which has become a very important part of their brand, and recently translated into a pop-up shop in Los Angeles selling MCID merch. “We were at a pool party in Cape Cod, just hanging out with all of our friends and I had recently got a tattoo on my leg from a friend of mine who was a rather novice tattoo artist, [but] I like him and I wanted to give him a chance to practice. So I had him do a tattoo on my leg, and then Johnny (Stevens, frontman) was like ‘I’ll have a tattoo too’ and had to think of something on the spot. He decided to get ‘My Crew Is Dope’ on his hand because
all of our friends were at that party and he was like ‘my crew is so awesome, I love all my friends’ and so he got that. So that was the original, before it was even an acronym it was a sentence.” “We’ve only done one [pop-up shop] so far, and that was pretty cool, but they’re really a big part of our vision. You know MCID (My Crew Is Dope), is our brand and we really want to keep developing that and doing the pop-up shops really helps. We’re hoping to do one in the southern hemisphere eventually.” The band have come a long way from playing cover songs in bars around their hometown in Cape Cod, and have started to become pretty regular fixtures on the festival circuit, which is something they love doing. “Reading was awesome, I loved playing Reading. It’s funny that you mentioned Lollapalooza, because [those two] are my few favourite festivals that I’ve ever played, one of the first big festivals we played was Lollapalooza, and that was rad.” Having toured here before, Meyer says that there are plans in the works for making the trip to Australia in early 2017, so fans can keep their fingers crossed for that.
“I was so sad to hear Prince passed away earlier this year – I actually wanted to do my next album with him,” she says. “I was told that he saw me on Jools Holland, and walked to HMV to get my record and actually had a go at the shopkeeper because they didn’t have my record there. Stuff like that is just surreal and I freaked out when I was told that.” The Dreaming Room is Mvula’s confessional, an album that soaks up surroundings and looks to the skies with a new attitude reflected in its instrumentation and production. Mvula attributes much of this change to not only her coming of age as a musician, but the combined collaborative efforts of musical legends who had no second thoughts on lending their talents – namely jazz-rock guitar icon John Scofield and eclectic record producer Nile Rodgers, who features on lead single ‘Overcome’. “I really wanted to come outside of my comfort zone when it came to the writing,” she says. “Writing for the instruments and the album was much more natural this time around, because I always grew up writing for classical instruments. But in terms of using synthesizers, I’d never written for that before, so it was kind of a challenge that motivated me all the time. “I wanted to get the best [musicians] I could for this one, so we called up John Scofield. It was one of those things like where you decide where you wanna record – ‘Where do you want to record, New York? OK, let’s go to Electric Lady. Who do you want to play guitar?’ ‘John Scofield.’ ‘OK, let’s call up John.’ “He was more than happy to do it. Nile was a bit different – he actually came to me, which was shocking. He quite literally phoned me up and told me he really liked my music, and he wanted to know what the biggest songs on this record were. At that time it was ‘Overcome’, and it was actually finished to me. But he asked to let him jump over it, and a few days later he transformed it totally into something magical. I probably listen to that song at least once every two days; it’s incredible.” Mvula’s persistence as an artist has paved the way for other opportunities that she never thought possible, and she
admits that disbelief sometimes gets the better of her in these situations, including at Glastonbury earlier this year where she performed alongside the likes of Coldplay, Tame Impala and Sigur Rós. “There’s something about that experience that is a bit too surreal for me,” she says. “I couldn’t really get into the moment. I’d like to think if I get more opportunities to play at that magnitude that I’d want to be able to feel how I feel when I do my own shows, which is a much more tangible [thing]. Glastonbury is so huge, you know, it’s like a whole culture. I feel very privileged, but it’s terrifying because it’s such a huge scale. “Sometimes I’m overly intimidated by things like that, rather than just being able to share music as I would do at my own shows, which is what I enjoy doing the most. I imagine as I get older it will get easier for me.” Mvula will have to set aside her anxieties sooner rather than later. On her first visit to Australia next year, she will be heading north to Byron Bay to play on the monumental Bluesfest lineup alongside soul greats like Roy Ayers and Bee Gees legend Barry Gibb. Mvula says the nerves have kicked in, but she has never been so intrigued about travelling somewhere to perform. “It’s going to be such a huge experience for me,” she says. “All I really know of Australia is when my dad went there for work when I was only five or six years old – he came back a genuinely changed human being. He was raving on about everything, from the food to the people to just the general vibe. I’ve always been very intrigued. The beauty of the place is endless. But there’s always that natural nervousness because it is the first time I’m going. I hope it’s the beginning of a long relationship. I think it’s long overdue.”
BY ELIJAH HAWKINS
The Boy Who Died Wolf is out now via Warner Music Australia
BY BENJAMIN POTTER Laura Mvula will be in Australia next year for Bluesfest. The Dreaming Room is out now via Sony Music Australia mixdownmag.com.au
Music Interviews
Jamie T There was a five-year gap between Jamie T’s second LP, 2009’s Kings & Queens, and its follow up, Carry on the Grudge, in 2014. The UK songwriter’s decreased live commitments during this period had on impact on the songwriting for Carry on the Grudge – it’s a rather introspective release that felt like an obvious attempt to move away from Jamie Treays’ previous releases. “I wasn’t thinking about playing Carry on the Grudge live when I was writing it and I kind of enjoyed playing it live for that reason,” says Treays. “In the past we always liked to speed songs up live and treat it as a different beast, but with Carry on the Grudge we wanted to keep it all quite like it is on the record.” Treays returned this year with his fourth LP, Trick, a more immediate set of songs that includes a number of explicit lyrical and musical statements. The songwriting process was directly influenced by the Carry on the Grudge tour. “Being on the road playing, I got in the mode of wanting to write something to play live,” Treays says. “I think that was definitely in my mind while I was writing the next record. [Touring Carry on the Grudge] was great, but I think the other side of me wanted to write
a record I could mess around with more live.” Treays didn’t merely return to the songwriting tropes that dominated his first couple of albums, mind you. Trick covers a lot of genre territory, including bits of heavy rock, electronic, hip hop, punk, reggae, pop and folk. “There’s definitely some different stuff on that record that’s out there,” Treays says. “A lot of it was really fun to make because it was jumping out on a limb and experimenting without much over thought about it.” Treays is credited as a co-producer on each of his four LPs. Like Carry on the Grudge, James Dring joined Treays in the studio for Trick, with Treays conceiving the songs and Dring assisting to realise the final products. “I write it and record it and then James comes in and takes the demo and throws some stuff at it, I throw some stuff at it and then we argue for a while and we end up somewhere else,” he says. “James is much better at sorting out drums than I am. He’s an amazing programmer. He was on the Gorillaz Demon Days record and the drums on that are fucking amazing. So I tend to take his lead on things like that, but we know how we work well together and it’s not really talked about. “He’s always welcome to pick up a guitar and I’m always welcome to sit in his chair and do something else. All rules can go out the window, but when we’re working best, I think there are roles and we fall into them and we get things done pretty fucking quickly.” The lengthy gap between Kings and Queens and Carry on the Grudge now seems like an anomaly as Treays delivered another album less than two years later. His relationship with Dring contributed to the quicker turnaround. “There was less faffing around. I tend to write songs while I’m recording them. So when it’s going well, it goes really quickly. And when it’s not going so well it takes fucking weeks. “Having worked together so much in the past and having decided I was going to do the whole record with James – which in the past wasn’t necessarily the case – it came together quickly because of that.”
The production on Trick is quite varied. There are nods to hip hop, particularly in the drum sounds; songs like ‘Tinfoil Boy’ sound aggressive and quite ugly; ‘Drone Strike’ has a frenetic dance theme going on; and there’s other’s with a bunch of rawer, punkier sounds. “A lot of that comes from the initial writing of the song,” Treays says. “There’s a song on the album called ‘Solomon Eagle’, which was a definite nod to RZA production and stuff like. That definitely came when I wrote that song – I wrote that song along to a break [beat], so that defines the sound of that tune. “On one or two tracks we had conversations where it was like, ‘let’s try a flamenco guitar’ or something, but most of them were set in stone quite early on from the songwriting.” Treays’ citation of RZA isn’t unfounded. While The Clash have long been a big reference point for Jamie T’s music, he’s a characteristically curious music listener, which plays an important part in keeping the eclectic song-writing fresh. “For example, Jack Kerouac, I heard he would exercise and run for a month before he did any work and then he would lock himself in a room and do it. In a similar vein, I like to digest music and books and everything for a good four months before I write anything,” says Treays. “If I can get myself up to full speed, everything’s in the back of my mind and I can just fucking fling it out on the page. It’s quite important to read stuff and listen to music to keep your mind busy so there’s stuff in the hard drive for later.” BY AUGUSTUS WELBY Jamie T.’s latest album Trick is out now via EMI. He is touring Australia as a part of Falls Festival, and will also play shows in Sydney and Melbourne, with tickets available through Secret Sounds.
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Music Interviews
Wallis Bird I feel like chatting with Wallis Bird has been a long time coming. I’ve been a fan of hers for several years – ever since a friend opened for her in Germany, which happens to be the Irish singer’s recently adopted home – and across every interview you read, each searing or celebratory lyric, you can’t help but feel she’d just be a great person to spend time with over drinks. That image is reinforced when we speak; for Bird, it is late at night, and to take the call she must step into an empty hallway in the midst of a house party. The interview’s soundtrack is the collision of Irish and German accents, of clinking glass and goodbyekisses. Bird sounds like someone who has finally taken time to stop and enjoy her surroundings, which as it turns out, is entirely the case. “It’s funny you should say that, because that time is now,” Bird says in splendid Irish brogue. “It came to the point where I’d been touring hard for a decade, and I totally believed I could keep going. But my management said to me, ‘I think now is the time for a break, you’ve done far too many gigs in too short a time, lived in
Tortoise There’s a lot of history to Chicago’s genre-defiant Tortoise. On the verge of their 27th year as a band, the mid-western multiinstrumentalists have transcended their image as softly-spoken innovators, blending jazz, prog, electronica and post-rock into their versatile and impeccably detailed compositions. This year marks the 20th anniversary of their second studio album, Millions Now Living Will Never Die. It was a landmark release for the band, almost immeasurable in critical acclaim and now considered to be a pioneering record of the post-rock sound. Most bands would celebrate that fact; perhaps even commemorate their success by playing a show or two in celebration of it. However, the sextet aren’t particularly interested in their past. “I don’t ever, ever listen to our records,” says John Herndon, who makes up one the band’s two drummers, as well as one of its founding members. “So whenever I’m asked about stuff we’ve put out, I honestly don’t really know how to answer it. As much as possible, I try to be in the present and focus on the here and now – to deal with what’s happening now. I will say that, if we’re playing songs from that record, we approach it the same way that we approach any of the material when we’re playing live. That’s 26
too many suitcases and you’ve left clothes unwashed too many times.’ But I would have kept burning the candle at both ends until they stopped me. So it wasn’t my own choice to stop, but it was a pretty good choice that they made me stop. I feel good about it now, it put life into perspective. As soon as I turned 32, I started to look over what I’ve done. I hear at 35 your face changes. How old are you?” Turns out, I’m two weeks older than Bird herself, so I offer to be her Age Correspondent and send back reports so she knows what to expect. Given her debut Australian tour stretches across December and January taking in a host of solo gigs as well as the Woodford Folk Festival, her birthday will be spent Down Under, but the prospect doesn’t bother Bird. Indeed, turns out she has quite an impromptu family already waiting for her here in the wings. “I haven’t been to Australia before, but a tonne of my friends have headed over. So going there, it’ll be like a homecoming without it ever being home. I didn’t have the right context before to visit. I could have gone over, but to be honest, I would have played the Irish card. And I didn’t want to do that. So I waited until we met the right people, and I’m also not in a hurry to do things. A lot of my friends have been travelling all over the world much longer than I have, and it’s made me think, ‘Fuck, why aren’t I doing that?’ But all in good time. Since then, we met really fabulous people, like promoter/booker Cathy Kirkpatrick and Woodford’s Chloe Goodyear. They’re both really special. Now, with all of what I’ve done, that’s been the making of who I am, distilling down to the essence of who I want to be working with. I’ve done the whole licking ashtrays and kissing arses thing, and there’s not a lot of that in me. I’d rather be working. And that just took time. I had the opportunity before, but now it feels right. Took it’s time, though,” she laughs. Better late than never, and while I’m sure Bird would have been warmly welcomed had she breached our shores years ago, there’s likely truth in her commitment to biding time; her live energy is the stuff of legend,
and her most recent album, Home, is one hell of a showcase of her talents. She is being supported by Tullara – that self-same friend who supported her all those moons ago – as she takes her solo show state to state, and while I’m fully expecting the same wild dervish she displays at home, Bird has taken cues from an unlikely source to ensure at least a portion of each performance is hers, and hers alone. “I was watching this thing about Anthony Hopkins, and he said the more you give of yourself, the less you can take away for yourself. If you give away 100%, what can you take back at the end and think, ‘I’ve learned something today’? So give 90%, and be calm with what you’re giving. In a situation where you’re supposed to be creatively open and free and on and giving and forthright all the time, you want to show people your real side. So do 90% for the show, and 10% for you. Writing, you also have to be true. I have to dig down deep and see what the song wants to say. But ultimately, I’m just a vessel. The song is going to tell me what instrument it wants to go to, and I think that’s why I become magnetised to a certain style or beat. That’s how my songs get written. I just learn how to play these instruments that the song wants me to learn. I honestly feel like I’m not even part of the parcel any more, but it still makes me grateful. I just try to stay open to it.”
meant so far as it being different – there are certainly elements of the record there, but it’s something that becomes a lot more vibrant and lively when you’re seeing it live.” Instead of revelling in any kind of nostalgia, Tortoise have instead spent the calendar year taking full advantage of the present. At the end of January, the band released The Catastrophist, their seventh studio album. It was a considerable change of pace – not only their first to incorporate guest vocalists, which included Yo La Tengo’s Georgia Hubley and U.S. Maple’s Todd Rittman, but their first-ever recorded cover, in the unexpected form of David Essex’s ‘Rock On’. Still, people have responded positively to the album, and the band have spent the better part of the year touring in support of it. “We’ve done a lot this year,” says Herndon. “I loved being in Barcelona and playing at Primavera Sound – that was super fun. We did a really great show in Chicago at Millennium Park and London was really special too. It’s been awesome to be out here in support of this record; we’ve been trying to play as much as we can from across our catalogue, from the very first record right up to the new one.” Tortoise are certainly a band that pride themselves on their live show – it’s more or less an extension of what the group does on record, delving deeper and further into their compositions and developing new combined energy through the divine element of live performance. With no two sets being exactly the same, the group are always finding new ways to remain a cohesive, engaged collective when it comes to playing their music in front of their dedicated fan base. “Just the other night, I had a guy come up to us after the show who wanted a record signed,” says Herndon. “We got to talking, and he actually asked me if Tortoise would ever consider putting out a live album. He felt that the live experience was a different animal to hearing us recorded – and I can’t quite explain why that is, but I certainly understood where
he was coming from. There’s just something that we collectively get out of projecting this music that we’ve made in the live setting. The sound of the band on stage is very different from the recorded versions. It’s not impossible to tell if it’s the same song or not, but you definitely notice the changes. I don’t know, it’s just something that we do and people seem to respond to it.” Besides their own shows, Herndon and his bandmates will be seeing out the year with a visit to Meredith Music Festival’s Supernatural Amphitheatre, alongside the likes of Japandroids, Baroness, Peaches and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. “It’s been awhile since we were there,” says Herndon, who was last in Australia with Tortoise in 2010. “We actually have a strange sort of connection with Australia – our first live sound engineer, Casey, lives in Melbourne now. He met a woman from Australia while he was on tour there with us, and she ended up coming back to Chicago with him. They got married, and then moved back to Australia. Whenever we’re in town, we always make a point of going to see him. As delighted as we was for him, we miss having him on tour a lot. It’s going to be so wonderful to get to see him again – you forget how much you miss people until they start living a million miles away.”
BY ADAM NORRIS
Wallis Bird will be touring Australia this month, for more info head to mixdownmag. com.au. Home is out now via Mount Silver
BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG
Tortoise are touring Australia in the first week of December, for tickets head to www.lifeisnoise.com. The Catastrophist is out now via Thrill Jockey. mixdownmag.com.au
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Music Interviews
King Parrot Matt Young – the unpredictable and oft-shirtless frontman of Melbourne’s King Parrot – has had a rough morning. He’s trying to focus on doing a run of promo interviews for the Thrash, Blast and Grind festival taking place in February, but a bigger issue is weighing on his mind – literally weighing down on his immediate surroundings. “There’s a massive tree in my yard,” says Young. “I heard this huge crash this morning – the tree has just fallen apart and crashed right through my shed that’s right next to it. So I’m dealing with that and with jetlag and all the bullshit that comes along with flying back from Europe. Still, I’d rather be doing these interviews than worrying about all of that!” The extreme metal purveyors have toured relentlessly in support of their second album, 2015’s Dead Set, doing several rounds of the country and runs through North America and Europe. It’s the latter from which Young and co. have just returned home from, where they played a mix of festivals and club dates alongside veteran bands Obituary, Exodus and Prong. “We had a blast,” says Young. “All of those bands have 30-plus years of experience, each with their
Animals As Leaders Blame Canada. I mean, you might as well, everyone else is doing it. Even Javier Reyes, the longstanding guitarist for instrumental metal titans Animals As Leaders, is taking some time out of his busy tour schedule to complain about the country. “I’m starting my day in Canada somewhere,” he says, the background hustle and clatter of plates implying he’s in a restaurant. “I’m currently on tour, but we have the day off. We’re somewhere in the middle of the Canadian Rockies. There’s not really much to explore in this town. “It can get really tiring when [we’re touring],” he continues. “There’s just a lot to do. Whenever we have a day off it’s always nice to just unwind and not really do anything. I mean, when we’re somewhere like Niagra Falls or Paris then we like to get out and explore, but not when we’re in Canada.” Reyes speaks in clipped soundbites, rounding off his answers quickly, and often asking for clarification when he feels he doesn’t understand a question. Perhaps it’s understandable that the musician uses words so sparingly, and mulls over his responses for 28
own legacy. How lucky are we that we get to go around this beautiful continent and play with these legendary bands, getting opened up to a much wider audience? It’s been an incredible experience. Everyone treated us really well, and we got to visit some incredible places. We’d never played Romania, Croatia and Hungary before, so that was amazing for us.” When queried on places still left to take on, Young has the land of the rising sun in mind. “We’ve still never done Japan,” he says. “We’ve done some great shows in South-East Asia, but it’s been a dream of ours to get over and play in Japan. South America would be really great, too. We’ve even seen a few heavy bands make it over to Russia, which is definitely something we’d be up for.” Although the success of Dead Set has gone well beyond any of the band’s expectations – it scored an ARIA nomination and a run of sold-out shows in support of its release – it’s also now coming to the end of its cycle. A third album is almost a certainty for King Parrot in 2017, with material already well into development. “It’s coming along nicely,” says Young. “We’ve been demoing a bunch of the songs and working through a lot of ideas. We feel like we’re really getting somewhere with it. At the moment, we’re just fine-tuning it – over the summer months, we’re going to be rehearsing a bit more and hopefully have recording ready to go by about March. It’s exciting for me – as much as I love touring and playing live, I really love getting creative and working on new material to show everyone. Hopefully, it’ll translate live as well as the last two records have.” The band will take a brief moment to rest up and spend time with their respective families over Christmas, and then it’s straight back onto the road for some of their biggest Australian shows to date. King Parrot will be headlining the aforementioned Thrash, Blast and Grind festival; which begins in Brisbane before making its way through to Sydney all the way down to Adelaide. Joining them will be American thrashers Revocation, fellow Melbournites Whoretopsy and Sydney shredders Black Rheno. That’s on top of Tasmania’s finest metal export, Psycroptic, who were partially responsible for the whole
shebang coming together in the first place. “Myself and Dave from Psycroptic are good buddies,” explains Young. “We recently played some shows with them over in North America, and we had such a good time. We did a tour with them back in 2013, so we felt it was the right time to get something going again. It was partly inspired by the downturn of festivals like Soundwave and the false start of Legion, but we also wanted to create something that would be fun for all of us and would be manageable on our end. With this line-up, we wanted to drag in all the elements of extreme music at the moment – grindcore, technical death, sludge, all that sort of thing. We’ll also have a local band opening in every city, too, which we think will be really cool. I think we’re doing this for the right reasons – if this goes well, we might even see to doing it in a regular basis.” Young is feeling very positive about the potential impact something like Thrash, Blast and Grind could have on the metal community. He hopes that it provides a positive step forward, and that other similar events will follow suit. “We know that it’s not going to fill the void left by something like Soundwave,” he says. “As a collection of pretty extreme bands, it might not even appeal to to a lot of the kind of people that went to festivals like that. Hopefully, though, it caters to those that are interested in that sort of style of music. We’re trying to get something cool off the ground, so at this stage we’re just going to see how this first one goes. It’s anyone’s guess where it will go after that, but we think we’ve gotten something pretty unique on our hands.”
so long before dropping them. After all, it is difficult to use language to describe an art form that actively bypasses it. The Animals As Leaders discography represents a complete rejection of over-analysis and the endless word wank that muck-rackers tend to spend their time slinging about the place. It has nothing to do with language and everything to do with sound. An album like their most recent offering, The Madness Of Many, isn’t really about anything to speak of. It bypasses the head altogether and goes straight for the gut, providing a one-two punch that makes up for what it lacks in subtlety, with ferocity. Given that level of technical mania and might, it’s perhaps understandable that the three-piece constantly seek to hone their talents, and that they are forever looking for chances to rehearse. “We practice a lot just backstage,” says Reyes. “We’re constantly practicing and warming up. Sometimes as soon as we finish a show we’ll start practicing for the next one. We have to play a lot.” Given that the band is always working, do the members ever get strung out, or succumb to the performance anxiety that affects so many other artists? “From time to time, depending on the show we’ll get nerves, or just randomly they’ll decide to appear,” Reyes says, before mulling over his next four words for what seems like a lifetime. “But it’s not often.” However, the artist does admit that due to the sheer technical wizardry a song like Arithmophobia requires, he doesn’t usually have time to concentrate on the audience. Perhaps that’s why he’s so genuinely unafraid of them – why he can step out in front of a stadium sized crowd without feeling his heart flutter even once. “I try to get in my own space as much as possible when playing,” he says. “I actually don’t like looking at the crowd often. People make eye contact with you and try to have a moment, and meanwhile I’m just trying to play the most difficult thing I know how to play on guitar. I’m not trying to have a moment with an audience member. So usually I just close my eyes
a lot. I just block it out. I may be headbanging but I’m definitely thinking about my form or my pedal or the next part. There’s definitely high levels of concentration happening, that’s for sure.” But even though he might actively go out of his way to block out the crowd, there are a number of bodies that he keeps at the forefront of his thoughts - his fellow performers, Tosin Abasi and Matt Garstka, with whom he has been working with for years. “We’re definitely trying to make sure everyone is okay at all times,” he explains. “We’re always trying to see that nobody’s having technical troubles. If anything comes up, we need to handle it. There’s only three of us so if one person is having problems we can all hear it. So, if one of us isn’t having a good show it makes it harder for all of us to have a good show.”
BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG
King Parrot are touring nationally in February as part of Thrash Blast and Grind. Dead Set is out now via Agonia Records.
BY JOSEPH EARP Animals As Leaders will be touring Australia in February and March through Live Nation, with tickets available via Oztix. The Madness Of Many is out now through Sumerian Records.
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Advice Columns GUITAR
Easy Intervallic Ideas There are different many approaches that can add flavour to your improvising. One modern sounding idea is the use of intervals or ‘intervallic’ playing. Of course, all music is made of intervals but this thinking is playing intervals and wider jumps rather than linear patterns and scales with all of the notes in a row. Let’s take the A Minor pentatonic scale as a starting point (Figure A). With A, C, D, E, G the Minor Pentatonic has a slight intervallic sound to it already, as it’s not just notes all in a row but it’s sequential, and a sound that our ear is used to, so also a familiar sound. A simple way to sound more ‘intervallic’ with this scale is to then stretch these intervals even further. Figure B highlights this idea, and due to the fingering and layout of the fretboard it’s an easy pattern to get used to. Think how many variations are then possible using this simple idea as a starting point. Figure C uses a predominantly ascending movement whilst Figure D is more of a descending idea. Of course, any of these can be picked with alternate picking or even hybrid picking, hammer-ons and pull offs will help generate some speed and keep things nice and smooth sounding. Let’s move onto another favourite scale for improvising – the Mixolydian mode. Figure E shows a common guitar fingering based around the 5th fret. Made from a combination of tones and semitones it obviously sounds ‘scalar’, so let’s take some of the concepts from earlier and jump around the notes a little more. Figure F takes the A Mixolydian mode and uses a number of jumps and intervallic ideas to break up the scale. A jump from the root note A to the 9th (B) opens the phrase whilst another wide leap - this time an octave from A to A - on the first two beats of bar two set up the sound of the lick. Some of these fingerings may feel a little strange at first, but that’s going to be a part of these ideas, as they aren’t just your typical ‘scalar’ ascending and descending, one finger after another ideas that a lot of us are used to. Start slow and build them up focusing on areas where you might have to use your 3rd finger across a couple of strings, for example. It might take a while for your ear to get comfortable with these types of sounds too. Check out players such as Wayne Krantz, Allan Holdsworth, Joe Diorio, Andre Nieri, Eric Johnson and Ben Eunson, amongst others and create some ideas of your own. BY NICK BROWN
BASS
Are you still open? More open string ideas this month. Figure A uses a pedal D note in a rock style. You can pull off the F and G in the first bar and again the opening F of the second bar. The descending D, C, A, G can either be picked/played or again try some pull offs landing you on the last quaver (a C note) which would then wrap around to the start of the first bar again. Play it slowly as a starting point to get a solid rock feel happening and then try speeding up the tempo for a more NIN or Muse kind of feel. With an E Minor sound Figure B works around the low E string adding an ascending pattern on the A string. Predominantly semi quavers the groups of three give it a staggered feel but starting on low E playing two notes on the A string and then another low E etc. Feel free to try hammering on the notes on the A string and pulling off the high B and A notes toward the end of the first bar. Bar two starts in a similar fashion with a C note creating a change in the overall harmony followed by a descending line in quavers to add movement. Figure C has more of a melodic rhythmic feel. Try it around 60 – 70bpm as a starting point making sure of the semi quaver rest on the first beat. Utilising the open G the first phrase has a descending G Major sound that then creates a rhythmic motif on the low G (third fret low E string). Try pulling off the E to D and B to A in the first bar with a smooth legato feel and then watch your note lengths on the low G notes. This syncopated type of rhythm would work well locked in with the bass drum giving it a one chord G type groove with a little rhythmic spice to mix things up. Finally Figure D goes for a more soul pop feel. Straight ahead rhythm wise with a combination of crotchets and quavers it uses open strings to create dominant 7th sounds. The opening A root note is followed by a high F# into G creating an A7 sound. A similar arpeggio is used next to create an E7 sound (low E followed by C# and D). Bar two then works over a D chord creating some movement again with quavers alternating open D with a descending pattern of D, C, B and Bb which would resolve nicely back to the A at the start of the first bar. As always these are just some ideas – there are sooooo many possibilities both rhythmically and harmonically. Get cracking and see what you can come up with! BY NICK BROWN
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Advice Columns DRUMS
The Balance I remember the days of being a student at university. I was learning to be a professional drummer and was slowly developing an unrivalled distain for any music that wasn’t jazz, complex or simply to the liking of my ever-growing and picky musical ear. Now ten years on, I’m older; a gigging drummer and my opinion on the matter is somewhat changed and less rigid. Naturally, everyone has opinions on the type of music they like or don’t like. Some people are quite happy to voice their opinions on the matter also. However, the average musician will justify the reasons for why they don’t like something vastly differently to a non-musician. The musician will enter into the ring swinging arguments such as that the harmony is too simple and predictable or the melody doesn’t use enough of the Lydian mode. Drummers will chime in with how there’s not enough double bass drum playing or the fills are too easy and so on and so on. Of course, the above statements paint all musicians in bad light and this is not my intention. These opinions are only the opinion of some, and usually there are factors that contribute; experiences as a musician, age, and level of study are some examples. We are all allowed to have our own opinions because music speaks to us in different ways, but what if you allowed yourself to have a more balanced approach and attitude to the music you play and sometimes have to play? The change in attitude came for me when I made the decision to make money from the gigs I was doing. Yes, I loved the creative stuff and original projects, but as my age increased, so did my liabilities and costs. As such, I wanted to make the drums work for me and that meant making some sacrifices such as playing styles of music I didn’t like. Weddings were the first real test, as I was required to play some material that really fell into the category of ‘lame’ in my books. I freely admit that at the time I found it challenging as a musician, because I felt like I was letting myself down and was subjecting myself to music that was beneath me, all the while submitting to the rat race of the cover band. The reality was and is, different though. The crime to myself as a musician was not committing to playing the tune of the moment with conviction and feel. Instead, I’d be rolling my eyes and getting through it. Not a great way to live, even if you are getting paid for it. Sure, I could have been playing the tune I really wanted and how I wanted but at that particular moment, the requirement was to play that simple pop tune and I wasn’t playing what the music was calling for.
Another interesting situation came to light; weddings require you to play an enormous amount of different grooves and styles, and as I rudely discovered, I really wasn’t cutting all of them. Reality check? Yep. Think about it. A standard wedding would require the drummer to play jazz, Latin, reggae, pop, RnB, rock, folk and disco to name a few. This is not to be sneezed at, and every one of these styles has some seriously great tunes if you dig beneath the surface. Think about some of the great players who’ve laid down the foundations for artists like Toto, Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Frank Sinatra, Madonna, Whitney Houston, John Farnham, Bruno Mars, and Beyonce. The grooves are there, and they’re really cool. Of course, you’ll have your preferences but if you get in there and play with attitude – good attitude – you’re going to have fun and may even feel fulfilled. Just because something is simple, does that make it not good? There’s some real substance to the simple material. For me as a drummer, I’m happy as long as I’m playing with good musicians and
it feels good. There’s so much joy and satisfaction with laying down a good groove, and even though some of the songs I have to play aren’t the first choice on my iPod, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re bad songs. It’s a conscious choice that changes that perspective. Let’s face it, getting paid to play the drums is a great thing and sometimes the gig requires you to play music that may not be your cup of tea. However, if your gear sounds good, the musicians you play with have the same attitude and you collectively work together to make the groove feel good, there’s no song that can’t be enjoyed; even if you have played it a thousand times. Besides, you can still do the gigs you really love too and they can be as crazy as you’d like. But, to be a versatile and working musician, you have to keep the balance and commit to whatever gig you do. Just make sure that, regardless of the style of music, you’re making it feel good. Hey, you might even learn something. BY ADRIAN VIOLI
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Advice Columns STUDIO
Isolating Your Capsule Countless time can be spent in the studio working on microphone selection and placement, but there are often a range of other issues that get overlooked, and can be just as important to achieving a great sound. As you improve the quality of the microphone you use, you will need to consider that it may be more sensitive, and so more likely to pick up unwanted environmental sounds. This is one of the greatest problems with home recording, as the room often needs to be improved when you improve the microphone within it. Keeping the microphone safe and secure from unwanted vibrations is also essential, and a good suspension mount and a few boy scout tricks can greatly improve the end result. The key is to keep the capsule isolated from unnecessary vibration, which results in unwanted noise. FROM THE FLOOR UP Before we even consider how the microphone is mounted to the stand, let’s look at the stand itself and where that is placed. Of course, you may be limited to where this is going to be, as you need to achieve an optimal microphone placement and so you’ll be limited to the floor space on which the stand is placed. If you have several rooms that can be used, consider the floor in each and look at how much give it offers. Solid floors like concrete and tiles don’t move much at all, but floating floors and timber floorboards often have a bit of movement in them that relate to not only the people in the room, but also traffic outside. This might not seem like much, in fact you can’t actually hear the floor moving in most cases, but the vibrations caused by this movement, especially from traffic outside the building can directly translate into low frequency rumbling in your microphone signal. And it’s often not enough to just rely on a high pass filter to squeeze this out; treating it at the source is the better option. A thick carpet or rug under the microphone stand, especially with some added underlay will instantly reduce the amount of vibration that gets into the stand, reducing the need for a serious suspension mount to begin with. Of course, if you have musicians recording in the room that like to jump about and get fairly active while they play, you’ll need to go one step further. AT THE MICROPHONE The other point of contact that needs to be dealt with is where the microphone is mounted onto the stand itself. A number of condenser microphones come with specific suspension mounts to take care of this, however most usually come supplied with a rigid mount that offers little to no isolation, and really just serve as an extension of the microphone stand. This is the critical point that needs to be dealt with to ensure low frequency rumbling doesn’t find its way into the recorded signal.
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A suspension mount acts to break up the rigid connection through the use of rubber, or material bands to hold the cradle in which the microphone sits. This allows the vibrations to dissipate into the rubber and not find their way into the housing of the microphone, and thus into the capsule itself. Another point to consider is keeping the capsule free from unwanted air movement, which ends up translating into vibrations and unnecessary sound in your record, whether it be from a vocalist’s breathe, or air movement from a speaker cabinet. Mounting a pop filter in front of the microphone will take care of this in most circumstances, but just be sure that it doesn’t interfere with the suspension mechanism and keeps the microphone separated from the rigid structure of the stand. Of course, this is all relative to the microphone you are using, along with the room and setup. A lot of people get it into their heads that they need to buy the most expensive microphone they can afford to get the best sound. It’s not always the case, and the better microphone usually requires
more work and a better room in order to get the results. Having several lower priced microphones with appropriate stands and isolation for them is going to deliver better results, especially when you are working against some environmental noise and the need to record at lower gain levels to keep this down. When you are working with lower gain structure, the microphone’s self-noise really comes into play, as does any noise from the microphone’s casing caused by resonant vibrations. Of course, this is what happens when recording at home, and even more so when you have to worry about neighbours, so you end up recording at lower volumes too. Every time you turn the instrument or amplifier down, you are essentially turning up the environmental and vibration noise in the signal. Take this into account and be very weary of what is getting into your microphone’s capsule with each setup, as it will directly affect the final results of your recording. BY ROB GEE
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Advice Columns KEYS
The Master Keyboard If you’re anything like me, the recent onslaught of budget friendly hardware synths means you’ve got a whole bunch of little synths and gadgets floating around the studio space in varying keyboard sizes or with no keyboard at all. It can be a big ol’ pain moving stuff around to use - plugging and unplugging leads and power, reacquainting yourself with the keyboard size etc. In most cases I get lazy and use something more convenient. Enter the master keyboard. A master keyboard means having a good quality MIDI keyboard in a comfortable location that, with minimum mucking about, can control any of your MIDI capable synths. It’s a bit of an investment of time and money for what is essentially convenience, but once you’ve set it up and arranged your studio space, it’ll allow for experimentation and use in a much easier manner. MIDI FLOW Lets say you’ve got three hardware synths you want to control with the one keyboard - how do you get MIDI from a single output on the master keyboard to all three synths without unplugging and re-plugging cables? There’s a couple of options; first check if your hardware has MIDI thru ports or if their MIDI out ports can work as thru. If so, then you’re in luck as you can just daisy chain the synths together with MIDI cables and you’re set. Just make sure you set each synth to a different MIDI channel so you don’t trigger them all at once, unless that’s what you want. But if you’re lacking thru ports you’ll need to invest in a MIDI merge device or MIDI hub. The MIDI Solutions Quadra Thru is a simple little solution that simply takes one MIDI input and quadruples it to four outputs, which would suffice for this example. Whether you route your MIDI signal in and out of your interface and DAW is really your call. If you’re a one stop shop bedroom producer, you’d be silly not to as you’ll be able to use your master board to control software synths and keys as well as hardware. CONTROLLING YOUR SYNTHS FROM AFAR Keys are great and all, but not having the sound sculpting capabilities of your synths on hand kind of defeats the purpose. Fortunately, just about all decent MIDI controller keyboards will have at least a handful of programmable knobs and/or sliders and the ability to flip between ‘scenes.’ This means your programmable controls are not stuck to one synth, you can change scenes to another template and control a different synth. On top of that, most DAW’s will have the functionality for you to set up an external instrument device with customised controls, which you’ll be able to save as a preset.
ELECTRONIC MUSIC PRODUCTION
What’s the deck for you? In my experience within the DJ scene over the last 20 years or so I have certainly witnessed a great amount of change. It wasn’t so long ago that DJs were only using vinyl and every club was fitted out with two turntables as a standard. Then CDs began to grow in popularity. And it wasn’t long before they soon began to drift away into obscure flash drives and computer software found its place in the clubs. The result is that the DJs of today now have more choices than ever before. But, with great choice also comes great confusion. It can be difficult to know where to start and in which direction one should head. For the collectors, the vinyl option is always fun, but for the technologically driven, the continual advancements of software will appeal. SPIN THAT WHEEL Like so many others of my generation, I began tinkering with an old turntable that was on its last legs, destroying records and making mix tapes onto cassette. It wasn’t long before this was upgraded to a pair of decks and a mixer; my trusty Gemini 626 is still going strong today, giving me everything I need to mix two records and a microphone in their natural state. Purists will still argue that this is the only way to DJ, but that is perhaps a little like wearing blinkers in our technologically driven society. It certainly is a worthy format for all DJs to learn and one that can be very rewarding, even if just used for listening at home. Tape may be dead, but vinyl keeps making a comeback time and time again. THE FIRST DIGITAL ERA I will never forget the first time I used a pair of Pioneer CDJs in a club. I hated it and went back to vinyl before the third track of that set. But, so many people jumped on the opportunity to carry less to a gig and have access to a greater music library for a fraction of the cost. The CDJ was the beginning of the digital DJ era and set the ball rolling at an incredible pace. As CD players developed for club use, the desktop style was quickly adopted by most users, with large jog wheels to emulate the movement of a record on a platter. These allowed the DJ to cue tracks and even implement basic scratching techniques, and all on a continually spinning disk that never came in contact with the user. This also meant that damage to your media was very limited, so you didn’t have to think twice about playing that rare dub plate for fear of wearing the grooves beyond repair. THE DISC-LESS JOCKEY As Pioneer led the way with CDJ development, other manufacturers jumped on board and further developments saw the end of the actual compact disc in DJ use. Now, with hard 34
WHAT TO BUY There’s a ton of MIDI controllers on the market, but here’s some things to consider when looking to buy a master keyboard. The number of keys - common wisdom is ‘bigger the better,’ but you’re probably not going to need an 88-key monster unless you’re classically trained, 49-61 is sufficient for most. Programmable controls - are you a sound sculpting synthesiser master or are you happy just tweaking the frequency cut-off here and there? Sliders, knobs, foot controllers and drum pads are all options. Velocity and aftertouch sensitivity depend on how expressive your playing is. Connections - for a master keyboard going through an interface and your DAW, just USB will be fine but if you want to surpass the DAW and go straight to synths, you’ll likely need an old school MIDI DIN connection.
Bundled software - some keyboard controllers are designed specifically for, and bundled with software. Be aware you might pay a premium for that, but on the flip side, you might find it’s worth the cost. Budget - obviously. Controllers go from $50 to thousands. For a master keyboard you will want something good quality with solid feeling keys and controls. If you can, get down to a dealership and have a play with some keyboards before you commit to buy. Ideally, this master keyboard will tide you over for years to come, so it needs to feel right to you. BY MICHAEL CUSACK
drives and USB flash drives capable of large storage, it became possible for CDJs to source the music from a USB stick and no longer need an actually spinning disc inserted into the device. This led the way for software based mixing, but offered a stable format without the reliance upon a computer. Now, DJs who still prefer to use a standalone deck, can make use of the inbuilt software to mix between several decks all from the library within a USB drive. The result is the look and feel of a classic CDJ with the control and effects of a more modern computer based system. INTO THE BOX Of course, the most popular choice in recent years has been to bring it all into a software program and use the power of your computer for mixing, data storage and effects processing. The two main contenders for the top spot in the software realm are undoubtedly Serato and Native instruments’ Tracktor, both of which have a host of dedicated hardware controllers to give the user a real hands-on feel to their workflow. But that doesn’t mean you need to discount some of the lower priced software packages either, with most still offering far more control than most DJs had over their mixes ten years ago. However, for those who really want to take it to the next level of mixing, when two or four decks are not enough, the new direction taken by Native Instruments with their STEMS audio goes miles ahead. With STEMS you are able to not only mix tracks in stereo, but split them into four separate parts, with vocals, drums, bass and lead sections all running alongside each other, able to be cut,
effected and shifted around to create a more dynamic and creative performance. So, whether you want to lug around a box of vinyl or rock up to a club with a USB stick on your keyring, there are all sorts of options for the modern DJ. The key is to find the format that works best for your needs and where you will be playing. If you just want to listen to vinyl in your high-backed, leather chair in the lounge room, then a quality single turntable will suffice. But if you intend to integrate your own production and build mixes on the fly in a club, perhaps a mix of STEMS audio and other software is going to be right for you. The important thing is that no matter what medium you choose, you get the audience moving. BY ROB GEE mixdownmag.com.au
MUSIC ARRANGER
The All New MZ-X300 & MZ-X500
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RRP $599 4-Channel USB Interface with Expandable ADAT ins, SPDIF, MIDI & Pro Tools First
RRP $399 2 Mic/2 Line input USB Interface with 4 Line outs, Pro Tools First, SPDIF & MIDI
RRP $849 8-Channel USB Interface with Expandable ADAT ins/outs, SPDIF & Pro Tools First
RRP $949 2 Mic Pre Thunderbolt Interface with Expandable ADAT inputs & MIDI
RRP $1299 4 Mic Pre Thunderbolt Interface with Expandable ADAT inputs, SPDIF & MIDI
ISA One RRP $899 Classic Focusrite single mic preamp with Indepedent DI & VU meter
RRP $319 2-Channel, 4 Output USB Interface with Pro Tools First & MIDI
RRP $269 USB & iPad Recording Interface with Mic/Line Input
RRP $1849 8 Mic Pre Thunderbolt Interface with Expandable ADAT inputs, SPDIF, MIDI & Wordclock
ISA 428 Optional Digital Card
RRP $2799 - 4 ISA Series Transformer-based mic preamps with EQ & DI Inputs
ISA430 & ISA One A-D Card RRP $699 ISA828 A-D Card RRP $899 ISA428 A-D Card RRP $1149
ISA 828 ISA 430 MK II
RRP $4499 - Single ISA Series Transformer-based mic preamp with Expanded EQ & DI Inputs
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The only choice to make when you’re buying an interface is which Focusrite I|O suits your needs
RRP $239 2-Channel, Dual Output USB Interface with Pro Tools First
RRP $159 1 Mic/1 Line, RCA Output USB Interface with Pro Tools First
STUDIO - RRP $349
1 Mic/1 Line, RCA Output USB Interface with Pro Tools First, Studio Condenser Mic, HP’s & XLR cable
STUDIO - RRP $449
RRP $319 iPad Recording Interface-Dock with 2 Mic Pre’s & 48V
USB & iPad Recording Interface with Mic/Line Input, Studio Condenser Mic, HP’s & XLR cable
STUDIO - RRP $449
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STUDIO - RRP $549 iPad Recording InterfaceDock with 2 Mic Pre’s, 48V, Studio Condenser Mic, HP’s & XLR cable
RRP $2449 8 Mic Pre Thunderbolt Interface with HP Filters, Expandable ADAT inputs, SPDIF, MIDI & Wordclock
OctoPre RRP $1299 - 8 Clarett Series mic preamps with AD/DA Conversion
ISA Two
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Focusrite is represented solely in Australia by Electric Factory Pty Ltd focusrite@elfa.com.au. Buy only from authorised Australian dealers.
Features A CLOSER LOOK AT:
Paoletti Guitars Like many of the best creations, Paoletti Guitars grew out of a strong understanding of the past and an artist’s active imagination for the future. Based in Tuscany, Italy, where from the end of the 19th century the Paoletti family once produced Chianti red wine, much of thatthirst has been past down to Fabrizio Paoletti. Having worked for many years as a guitar luthier and amp tech, Paoletti established the company in 2005, taking inspiration from the shapes of many of rock’s most iconic guitars. In the spirit of paying reverence to the past and at the same time making the best use of the materials at hand, Paoletti began to make use of the ancient wine barrels left from the old family business. With many of these being made of 130-170 year old chestnut wood, it was soon realised that this gave the instruments a unique and impressive sound. “We recovered dozens of barrels and started making guitars out of that dusty wood, suddenly discovering that it had incredible aesthetic and astonishing sonic properties,” said Paoletti. The instruments are all crafted by hand with the utmost care, and the company has since been embraced by the world’s market and some of the biggest names in rock’n’roll, including Keith Richards, Bruce Springsteen, Slash, James Hetfield, Brian May, Luciano Ligabue, Richie Sambora, Laura Pausini and many more. The company’s Wine Series are one of their signatures, and consist of the ‘Stratospheric’ range, based on Paoletti’s original prototype of a ’57 Fender strat. Also in this series are the double necked ‘Stratospheric Double Trouble’, the Nancy - the bodies of which are made using single pieces of wood – the Gibson-style LP (AKA the Les Paoletti), and the DC, FV and SG ranges – you figure out the references there. Visually the instruments are a mixture of the old and the new, with the Loft series replicating the chipped paint jobs of well-worn rock’n’roll guitars, while the Stratospheric has an oil finish with a thin layer of nitrocellulose. This is then given a modern Italian look courtesy of the 24 brass rivets that run along its top and 26 along its edges. The strat’s neck is made with a single piece of mahogany, with a nut width of 1 11/16 inches and a scale length of 25 1/2 inches, while the frettboard is made of Macassar Ebony, with 22 medium frets. It has a Gotoh Stratocaster style combined bridge and tremolo, with six individually adjustable saddles, and Kluson style tuners. As if further proof of the artisan nature of the design was needed, under the hood are two custom, hand-wound Paoletti S-RS single-coil pickups in the neck and middle positions, and one Paoletti H-RS ‘Humbucker’ in the bridge position. Each guitar comes with a letter of authenticity and serial number signed by Paoletti himself. Not content to simply make guitars, Paoletti has also branched out to custom made tube amps, made out of that same ancient wood, as well as bass guitars. The four stringed
THE ANALOGUE PROJECT by Audio-Technica
additions to the Wine Series include the Mustang Bass and Skybass designs. Despite his name travelling worldwide and being commissioned by the likes of Metallica’s Kirk Hammet and John Norum from the band Europe, for whom he created a signature model earlier this year, Fabrizio Paoletti still makes all of the guitars with his own hands. Should you desire to have your own instrument custom made from 150 year old Italian wood, Brisbane’s
Quirky Guitars are the Australian distributor and are contactable online. Given that their website lists shipping time as only four weeks, this looks like one of those no brainer situations. BY ALEX WATTS For more information head to www.quirkyguitars.com
Pic by Jay Magee
Rocksteady Records As a relative newcomer in the reasonably saturated market of Melbourne record stores, Rocksteady Records has found that with a focus on all things reggae, a strong connection with the local music community and a dynamic customer relationship, they have been able to make a really strong start in their first six months of existence. As part of the tight-knit Melbourne music scene, owner operator Pat Monaghan is realizing a lifelong dream in being able to give back to his community. “It’s been a very encouraging response from Melbourne and also Australia’s record buying public, getting lots of new customers and lots of returning customers across a variety of age groups,” says Monaghan. “I’ve worked at record stores, or in music, for well over 30 years, I’ve worked at other really great record stores that I’ve learnt a lot from but I wanted to do my own thing that pretty much definitively reflected what I’m passionate about. I feel that record stores and radio stations and record labels and venues and magazines and websites; it’s all part of one creative community and I wanted to give back to the creative community that’s always stimulated and supported me, so this was, and still is, a really good way to do it.” If you opened up a record store ten years ago people would either think that you’re mad, or that you have incredibly good foresight to be able to predict the return of vinyl as a viable industry. Though the current climate does not make it easy to open a new business – I don’t think any climate does – the encouraging signs seemed to give Monaghan the push that he needed. “I think it was always going to be difficult but rewarding. I think the fact that so many people across a variety of ages and walks of lives and interests are enthusiastic about buying music in a physical form on vinyl is definitely encouraging, it’s definitely inspiring, and I guess from that point of view the time was right.” One of the great things about collecting records is the personal connection to the physical object that’s created when you obtain them. The intrinsic personal link that is established can often give the record much greater value to the owner than it could ever fetch when being resold, which is something that is important to Monaghan. “Because it means something to me, are probably all of the early, virtually self-released singles by the Perth/Australian band The Triffids, because they were very important to me when I was growing up. Some of them are probably quite valuable, but they mean more to me than any kind of monetary worth, so from that point of view they’re my most valuable records.” It’s connections like these that are founded in record stores like Rocksteady Records, and flourish in the community that surrounds them. “Record stores, particularly independent record stores, need to have a dynamic relationship with the community that
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they’re a part of in almost an intimate sense, and almost a wide-ranging sense. They should stock records [including] new releases, new pressings by local artists, as well as second-hand records and classics and stuff from overseas. I think you could have a really good relationship with local radio stations, community radio stations, community press, magazines, websites, bands [and] record labels. If you want to break it down, you’re hoping to make a living out of presenting the works of artists to other people, and I think you’re honour-bound to give back as well.” Another company that plays a different, but important role in the vinyl community is Audio-Technica, whose range allows for people at all different ends of the spectrum to find a way to play their records. “I like the fact that it’s good gear, it’s affordable… it’s reliable, and, like I’ve said before, you can enter it at different points depending on your budget and your needs from a customer point of view. Also,
they’ve got really good service, if you’ve got a question or something you just give them a call or shoot them an email and they get back to you straight away. I think, once again, it’s another version of that community thing. It’s not just a high end player, there’s things for like 250 bucks, which if you’re 14 or 15 or 16, as an entry point that’s really good.” As the name suggests, Monaghan’s store has a fairly obvious focus, but that doesn’t mean that it differs too wildly from the other independent stores that we know and love. “I’ve got a fairly keen focus on reggae, whether that be ska, rocksteady, roots, dub or dancehall, things like that. I also have a fairly considered and committed support and passion for Melbourne and Australian music, though this doesn’t differentiate from any other independent store in the world probably, I like to talk a lot about music.” BY ELIJAH HAWKINS
mixdownmag.com.au
Features
DiGiGrid DiGiGrid, the love child of Waves, the world’s leading developer of audio plugins, and DiGiCo, one of the largest manufactuers of mixing consoles in the world, is certainly a behemoth to be reckoned with. With the two companies joining forces to create new audio interfaces that integrate award-winning preamps with the ability to connect multiple hardware devices, we thought it was time to catch up with DiGiGrid’s Brand Manager, Dan Page. Tell us a little about your background as well as that of the company. I’ve been working in the audio industry now for nearly 25 years. I studied the Tonmeister degree course here in the UK, which was at the time the only undergraduate qualification for our industry. This combined a classical music and performance degree with electronics, acoustics, maths and of course sound recording. After finishing my degree, I spent more than ten years designing and building recording studio systems and live playback systems for touring artists. In 2008 I moved to DiGiCo, working with their Digital mixing consoles as a product specialist. In 2013 I took responsibility of the new DiGiGrid brand - an extension of the SoundGrid audio technology Waves had developed, but now much more focused on delivering our solutions to their core studio market as well as the existing live market. What inspired these products? We always felt we had something different to offer the studio market. We knew from our experience leading the live digital mixing console market that we had some great sounding products. Our mic amps, converters, and experience building properly engineered products are all highly respected. Waves as the leading plugin developer had developed an amazing ‘plug and play’ audio networking and DSP technology. And we totally believe that the combination of our strengths, these two technologies combined, really does offer all users something amazing. The original rackmount range was squarely aimed at the pro-user, delivering the DiGiCo sound and the Waves real-time DSP and networking to a new user base. The new Desktop series, a smaller series of interfaces, brings this to a much wider user base. No manuals are required, you can just look at the unit and understand what it’s for. Intuitive and simple control interfaces.
Allday When Mixdown catches up with Melbourne rapper Tom Gaynor, AKA Allday, and producer Charles Daly, it is at Melbourne’s Salt Studios in East Brighton, where they are busy working on the follow up to the 2014 album, Startup Cult. Both Gaynor and Daly are amicable in their replies and seemingly in good spirits, and while much praise is directed towards the studio and its staff, most other topics are dealt with light heartedly. “[Originally] we had some poppy Justin Bieber sounding songs on the album but they sounded just like Bieber’s album, so I had to scrap all those songs,” says Gaynor. For this new recording Daly is reprising his role on Startup Cult as an engineer, producer and collaborator, something which gives him a unique insight into the process. “I think what we wanted out of the album kind of changes as we go along,” he says. “Sometimes tracks get moved to a mixtape because they don’t fit into where the album’s heading. It’s a positive – stuff still gets released, but then it takes a bit longer to replace those album tracks.” “We’re both perfectionists. We spend a lot of time making sure we get the right microphones or the right vibe,” says Gaynor. “I think the recording process is a big part of it too. Sometimes I’m just not feeling it and I’ll go off and sulk. There are a lot of tantrums, that’s probably a big reason it’s taken so long.” “Coming here to Salt Studios was a step up,” says Daly. “Everyone has picked their game up to make this record even better than the last. It has taken a bit longer, but we’re nearly done.” Gaynor and Daly have been taking advantage of Salt Studio’s ‘uDrive’, an offer that allows them to hire studio time without an in-house engineer for wholesale rates and flexible time periods. The arrangement gives the guys access to a fully rigged studio almost any time they need it. “We’ve been recording here on and off for like two years. The last album was recorded in an open room, which wasn’t soundproofed, so there was only so much we could do with the mixes. 40
What are some of the main advantages of opting for DiGiGrid products? We have a number of advantages over the traditional audio interfaces that many other companies make. Firstly, we offer users a premium audio quality. For us this is the most important thing - the dynamic range of the inputs, the performance of the AD and DA converters, the quality of the headphone outputs - true high performance components. One of the key things that many users look for in the recording market is low latency monitoring, and sometimes DSP for running additional plugins. Our integrated SoundGrid Server allows users to add both of these functions to their system. Our DSP provides a total analogue in to analogue out latency, with real time plugin processing, of less than two milliseconds at 96kHz. How will home studio users benefit from DiGiGrid’s products? From a home users perspective, our desktop series offers a quality that they probably won’t have experienced before, but without having to spend premium money. It’s a competitive part of the audio interface market
The first thing we wanted to do was to make it sonically better,” he says. “It’s just chilled, and a great environment. Everyone here is very relaxed and we always get a good sound. We come in, say ‘hey’ to everyone and they’re always in a good mood, except when Trump won the presidency the other day.” The last four years is a testament to the pair’s working relationship, one that has seen Gaynor’s Allday moniker rise in popularity, both in Australia and abroad. “We used to like each other,” says Gaynor. “We have a level of comfort with each other, but we still get stuff done. It’s a great working relationship.” On this album in particular, Gaynor is responsible for all the writing, leaving Daly to handle the engineering and production. But like all good teams striving for the one goal, the lines between roles are often blurry at best.
and users are very keen to ensure they’re investing their money wisely. The D and M smaller interfaces provide a feature set aimed strongly at this home user market, and while they’re getting a smaller unit, they’re not having to sacrifice on the sound. And if they need to expand, they can easily connect any other DiGiGrid audio interface using our simple Ethernet cabling system. If users are recording at home and want to make the best use of their space, it’s so much easier to setup a system using the DiGiGrid units. We use PoE (Power Over Ethernet) technology to power our interfaces, so if you want to run a cable up to a spare bedroom, or down the garden to an outhouse to make extra recording space, a single CAT6 cable delivering digital audio and power to and from the remote location is much easier than expensive long audio cables and power extension cables. Plugins have become so affordable and offer easy to use production benefits, so combining our interfaces with affordable DSP solutions provides the home user with everything they need to record and mix like a pro. How will professional studio users benefit from DiGiGrid’s products? In many respects, the professional user benefits in much the same way as the home user, but on a larger scale. In larger recording scenarios, our multi-input rack mount mic pres provide top quality input options for any recording studio. The Ethernet network cabling also allows the user to place our mic amps and A-D converters closer to the musicians, eliminating long and noisy analogue cable runs. And with the network essentially providing a full digital patchbay, there are some real cost savings to be had using our audio networking technology. Interfacing in the professional environment is hugely important, and we have a range of interfaces that allow all users to take advantage of our benefits. Our DLS and DLI products connect with Avid HD based systems. The IOS, IOX and IOC deliver analogue and multiple digital formats, and the MGB and MGO each offer 128 channels of MADI connectivity essential for broadcast and live integration. And since users can combine any of these interfaces together to build their perfect custom interface, DiGiGrid delivers a complete recording and processing solution for the recording market, the live market and the installation market. BY AARON STREATFEILD DiGiGrid is distributed in Australia by Sound and Music. For more information head to www.sound-music.com
“It’s funny, looking back on a lot of my song credits, Charles has performed so many different bits on them, especially backups,” sayd Gaynor. “I remember at times when [we were] recording a song, I’ll be like ‘I don’t think I can get that’ and then Charles is like, ‘I can sing that high, or low’. It’s great - my engineer’s range is better than mine!” The last few weeks have been spent putting the finishing touches on what will hopefully be an early 2017 release. As to whether the record will follow in the footsteps of Startup Cult’s indie inspired, radio-ready hip hop jams – Gaynor’s not ready to throw the category tag at it just yet. “I don’t really know, it’s probably less poppy,” he says. “It doesn’t really have a song that’s exciting my label. So judging by that, it might just be a bad record.” BY AARON STREATFEILD Startup Cult by Allday is out now on ONETWO. mixdownmag.com.au
Features
Doyle Dykes Doyle Dykes’ word means a lot. The veteran American country guitarist has won the praise of players as legendary as Chet Atkins, Tommy Emmanuel and Eddie Van Halen, and inspired countless guitarists with his effortlessly precise style. Over the years he’s been honoured with signature model guitars by Taylor and Guild. With his reputation he can play anything he wants. And that’s why he’s made the switch to Godin. “I was with Taylor Guitars for about 17 years, and then a friend of mine named Larry Thomas came out of retirement to be the CEO of Fender. He asked if I would help him with the Guild brand. They’d had some ups and downs with that brand through the years. Things were going very well and I had three signature models that came out, but then the big business thing with the conglomerate came in and shut the factory down that made Guild. There was no actual factory to make the Guild guitars, so I thought ‘maybe I should retire from all this.’” At this point Dykes had a few James A. Olsen guitars made and was playing those. But about a year ago, Godin’s Artist Relations manager - who used to be at Taylor - called him out of the blue and suggested he check out Godin. A few guitars were sent out for Dykes to try, and he soon started to notice that there were Godin and Seagull guitars everywhere he looked. “One of my friends in Texas is close with Eric Johnson and he has several of Eric Johnson and Eric Clapton’s guitars, and he said the guitar he plays the most is his Godin!” Dykes decided it was time to go up to Canada and pay the company a visit. “I get to the door and there’s Robert Godin standing there with his hands up in the air saying ‘where have you been? We’ve been waiting on you for years to come through these doors!’” “My style is orchestral and rhythmic, and I take it to a place where it’s more like a piano or a harp too, and not every guitar will take that,” Dykes says. “The Godin just does! And not only the Seagull guitars and acoustic things, which are great, but the Multiac is the one that really got my attention on that first day. And wow. I felt like I was home. My former guitars were very expensive and I had a very expensive twelve-string, but when I played the A12 which was nothing compared to the price of my old guitars, it was
amazing how fast it was to respond, how huge it sounded and how easy it was to carry around.” “They have so much to offer, what they’ve done to take some of these guitar designs to a whole new level, I’ve never seen a guitar that was so easy to travel with and so versatile. When you can take a guitar like the Spectrum that I’m playing tonight the way it marries the single coil Seymour Duncan with the onboard pickups, anybody that can take two different types of pickups like that and make the right guitar to do it with… and who would want to do that, y’know? Most companies would want to sell one or the other but with the Godin this is it!”
he says. “When I knew that something had changed in my life. And that’s when I had the desire to play the guitar, and I’ve never separated those. Music is a very spiritual thing. And it is for most people, even if they’re not a Christian. They fell that. And my opinion is that it’s a gift that God has given to me and it’s like any of the other arts, whether it’s on canvas or whatever it might be. And to me the guitar is one of the most beautiful sounds in the world I asked an audience a couple of nights ago, ‘how many people are learning to play guitar?’ And then I raised my hand too with them. I said ‘I’m not claiming, I’m aiming for this.’ It never ends. It goes on.” BY PETER HODGSON Godin Guitars are distributed throughout Australia by Dynamic Music.
Dykes began playing at the age of 11. “I was raised in the church, and I really became a Christian I was 11 years old,”
Paoletti instruments® was established in 2005 as the natural evolution of Paoletti Fabrizio’s guitar luthier and amplifier tech experience. Inspired by the shapes of the most iconic guitars in rock history he started handcrafting guitars using 130-150 years old chestnut woods, coming from his family's wine barrels reserve after discovering that the dusty wood had incredible aesthetic and astonishing sonic properties. All Paoletti guitars are meticulously handcrafted in Tuscany, Italy. Paoletti Guitars are now available in Australia EXCLUSIVELY through
QUIRKY GUITARS AUSTRALIA www.quirkyguitars.com | facebook.com/quirkyguitars
mixdownmag.com.au
PWGO1LF Strat Loft Relic
PWN01S Nancy SS
PWS02S HSS Stratospheric Wine
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Dunlop Accessories
Gift Guide The nights are getting hotter, the pollen count is sending my hay fever into overdrive and my facebook feed is littered with pictures of my ‘friends’ showing their lean summer bods with suitably summery #hashtags. That can mean only one thing, the silly season is upon us! It’s everyone’s favourite time of year, and if there’s one thing that’s better than sharing a few laughs with your family friends, it’s exchanging gifts with them. That’s why we put together the annual Mixdown Xmas Gift Guide, to help you find the perfect gift for the music-loving people in your life (including yourself). So read on through these pages and get a little inspiration as we bring you our top musical picks for this year’s silly season.
Gravity Picks
Lock-It Straps 2”
Various Prices Gravity Guitar Picks are hand-shaped and polished to elevate tone and cultivate individual guitar playing style. Their household acrylic picks offer minimal resistance when strumming. While their premium Gold Series line is engineered to produce greater volume and enhanced grip.
$53.95 Lock-It Guitar Straps offer the simplest and most effective way to ensure that your guitar never slips . Their polypro straps are first and foremost quality engineering – durable and comfortable in make, while requiring minimal cleaning maintenance, combined with superior, no-fuss locking technology.
Creative Tuning Spider Capo
George L’s Pre Pack 10ft Cable
Dunlop carry a wide range of accessories that are perfect small gifts for musicians. These include the Jim Dunlop J83CDB Tigger Capo ($39.95), which is a clamp style capo with a strong spring action grip that lends itself to easy and quick guitar application. Also available is the J6522 Jim Dunlop Platinum 65 Twin Pack ($55.00), which is a cleaning and maintenance pack to keep your guitar looking and playing at its absolute best. Included is a bottle of J6550 Deep Clean and a bottle of J6552 Spray Wax, plus two cleaning cloths. The DJH01 Jim Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Woodstock Strap ($54.95) features material, patterns and stitching that are based directly on the legendary guitarist’s original strap, as used at Woodstock in 1969. The strap is 2” wide and adjustable in length from 38” to 65”. Finally, there is the J103N – Jim Dunlop Dual Design Straplocks, which are designed to keep your strap locked to the guitar with a special design of locks and screws.
Tonegear Guitar String Cleaner
1SPOT Power Combo Pack
Tone Gear Option Knob Boutique
Pedaltrain NanoPlus & Soft Case
$13.95 The Oknob is a product of simple ingenuity, enabling enhanced control of effects and the use of a pedalboard. With the unit planted onto a pedal, the manipulation of effects in real time via foot is now possible, opening up a world of creative possibilities. Crank gain, alter delay, increase your lowend – the options are endless.
$139 Pedaltrain’s only two-rail pedalboard system packs an immense punch for a significantly compact and transportable unit. With Pedaltrain’s newly developed rail spacing and 4” more space than its Nano predecessor, this board locks onto the smallest pedals on the market. You can’t go wrong with 36” of hook-and-loop pedal fastener, zip ties and a fitted soft case.
$16.95 Tonegear guitar string cleaner nurtures and preserves the tone of guitar strings, providing 360 degrees of unparalleled cleaning action. Without any need for solution or liquid, the cleanable microfiber pads have a long shelf life, designed to foster tone and enliven strings with low maintenance use.
$82.95 With a 1SPOT 9v power supply and an 8-plug daisy chain this combo has no problems bringing to life eight pedals simultaneously – even more with additional multi-plug cables. The inclusion of L6 converter means it can power up Line 6 modelling pedals, while two battery clip converters enable the use of vintage style pedals.
$61.95 The Creative Tuning Spider Capo enables each string to be capoed individually, opening up a plethora of creative avenues and new playing techniques. It offers the ability to play above and below the capo, to change tunings without detuning the guitar, and to play chords unattainable in standard tuning.
$74.95 George L’s are renowned for producing cables with unbelievable sound clarity, quashing any unwanted noise and hum in your rig or the studio. This 10” of tone enhancing .225 cable is bookended by a plated right-angle plug or a plated straight plug, with two stress relief jackets – pre-assembled and ready to play.
Fender Barstools
Fender Wine Opener
Cutting Boards
Ladies LS Pullover
For the avid guitarist who spends as much time in the pool room as they do around their amplifier. Fender has released two separate barstools for this year’s silly season, and both make excellent gifts for the guitar lover in your life.
You can get it strumming, you can get it plucking, you can get it any old how. A hard earned thirst needs a generous glass of the family estate, and what better way to get it open than with these new Fender Wine Openers.
For the guitarist who’s as good in the kitchen as they are in the studio. These cutting boards are simple, understated and sturdy enough to go the distance. Available in tele and strat, these are the perfect addition to the kitchen for anyone who can’t get enough of that classic American shape.
A warm and comfortable jumper with that classic Fender emblem printed across the front. This ladies pullover will be a welcome addition to the wardrobe of you guitar playing friends.
Various Prices
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$35
$45
$90
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Gift Guide Klotz Titanium Instrument Cables
Marshall MS-2 Micro Amplifier
DISTRIBUTED BY: CMC Music Australia
DISTRIBUTED BY: Electric Factory
EXPECT TO PAY: from $89.95 RECOMMENDED FOR: Electric instrumentalists in search of absolute silence and fidelity between the instrument and its sonic destination. SOUND/VERSATILITY: Patented titanium braiding ensures a massive reduction in microphonics and movement noise that lesser leads are guilty of, as well as completely uninterrupted hi-fidelity signal the whole way down the line. USABILITY: Neutrik’s trademarked SilentPLUG connections at both ends are the ace in the hole with these cables. A mute switch is built into each TRS connection that engages when the cable is removed from the jack to obliterate any unwanted crackle, handling noise or ground hum. Essential for anyone changing instruments regularly on stage or in rehearsal. CONSTRUCTION: The exhaustive battery of testing that Klotz engineers run their builds
EXPECT TO PAY: $79 RECOMMENDED FOR: This is the perfect stocking stuffer for the guitarist who has everything. From beginners to seasoned veterans, the MS-2 micro amp is going to find use as a practice tool for any guitarist. SOUND AND VERSATILITY: It’s not the biggest amp on earth, in fact, this is only the half-stack model, so you won’t be ripping up a stage with it, but as a sidekick to the travelling musician or as a bedroom practice tool these deliver a pretty neat sound. USABILITY: As well as Volume and Tone controls, you can also switch between a clean and an overdriven sound on these little guys, so there is plenty of variety to be found in the sound it can create. You can even run pedals in front if you’re keen! CONSTRUCTION: The compact plastic box isn’t built for stage use, but it is tough enough for the intended purpose. The controls feel firm and well mounted,
through assures you that when they offer unrivaled fidelity and dynamics then that’s exactly what you’re buying. So sure of their work are they that each cable comes with a lifetime guarantee. OVERALL: An absolute must for the sonic perfectionist in all of us. Sturdy and reliable construction delivers on every promise of impeccable noise reduction, transparency and immaculate delivery of your signal.
Ernie Ball Ultraflex Cables
MJC Ironworks Bass Strings DISTRIBUTED BY: Seltaeb Music Australia
DISTRIBUTED BY: CMC Music Australia
EXPECT TO PAY: Special introductory prices starting at $27.71 RECOMMENDED FOR: Bass players who are sick of their strings falling foul of metal fatigue, rust and the stresses of time. SOUND/VERSATILITY: A relatively new name in the string game, MJC Ironworks come across as master-craftsmen in an industry dominated by megalithic manufacturers that have been at it for years. Primarily operating in the heavy gauge world of bass strings, they take the black art of string winding very seriously and offer a plethora of sets that purport to stand the test of time. USABILITY: There are two schools of thought where string manufacture is concerned; those who wind around circular core wire versus those who prefer the hexagonal cross-section. The basic difference, for bass players at least, is how stiff the strings are when tuned to pitch. MJC Ironworks opt for hex cores, who’s characteristic is relaxed tension resulting
EXPECT TO PAY: from $24.95 RECOMMENDED FOR: Players looking for a step up from the everyday, entry-level instrument cable in both durability and sonic purity. SOUND/VERSATILITY: Ernie Ball strings have a reputation for brightness, clarity and longevity and it seems their cables are cut from the same cloth. Your signal is as chirping and clean as it is straight out of the back of your guitar. Rugged construction meets sleek, modern design in a level up in instrument cable design. USABILITY: With a considered selection of lengths, colours and styles there’s an Ultraflex cable for just about every application. Heavy-duty outer is great for roughhousing in a live setting, while the high fidelity signal transfer is the perfect partner in the studio. CONSTRUCTION: The 20 gauge copper cable braiding is thick enough to be just about unbreakable on its own, while the dual layers of shielding around both
in easier playability and greater dynamic range. CONSTRUCTION: Each and every MJC Ironworks string is wound under a watchful human eye, ensuring consistently high quality. Cores are strung up under the most balanced tension in order to ensure uniformity, and they all come housed in a stylish tin package guarded by patented RN Protect technology that acts as an electrochemical umbrella – shielding your strings from the elements and the ravages of time. OVERALL: Built to stand the test of time, these are strings for the most discerning bass player. Someone who likes to know that care and attention to detail are behind every vibration in every note they are playing.
DISTRIBUTED BY: CMC Music Australia
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the length of the cable and its patented connection ends makes for super low handling noise and renders the Ultraflex range one of the lowest capacitance cables in its price range. OVERALL: Ernie Ball is by far one of the most trusted names in guitar strings and accessories. Their Ultraflex line of leads and patch cables continues this tradition with high-end durability and transparency at a more than accessible price point.
Icon iPlug.M Condenser Microphone
Ernie Ball Tone Packs EXPECT TO PAY: The special Christmas price of between $39.95 and $45. RECOMMENDED FOR: Guitarists looking for a broad cross-section of tonality in an often-overlooked aspect of the instrument. SOUND/VERSATILITY: Ernie Ball Original Slinkies are one of the most popular string sets in the world, famed for their snappy brightness and pinpoint balance. Their inclusion is probably the best end of the electric smorgasbord to start but the increased clarity of Cobalt Slinkies or the incredibly loud and expressive M-Steel Slinkies offer a range of tones you might not have known you needed until now. The acoustic tone pack offers just as wide a variety in the ever-popular Earthwood 80/20 Bronze, warmth and richness of the Earthwood Phosphor Bronze and unprecedented projection of exclusive Aluminium Bronze. USABILITY: These trios are a great way to rifle through otherwise unexplored catalogues of tone, great for finding your
and the battery compartment is easy to access and seal. OVERALL: These have been around for years now and continue to prove popular because they have that ‘cool’ factor. After all, what guitarist wouldn’t want a Marshall stack, even if it is only 6 inches tall?
DISTRIBUTED BY: Innovative Music
own unique sonic signature. CONSTRUCTION: Anyone who has ever ventured into Ernie Ball’s range of strings will attest to their quality. Their ability to retain ‘out of the box’ freshness for longer than most other brands has become their defining characteristic, setting them apart from the pack time and time again. OVERALL: String choice is about as individual and fluid as the calloused fingerprints of the guitarist making said choice. Opening up the less obvious corners of their range, the tone packs are a great way to try out the myriad variations Ernie Ball have on offer for you to find an even more unique voicing in your favourite riff stick.
EXPECT TO PAY: $74.99 RECOMMENDED FOR: For podcasters, YouTubers and future vocal stars, this is an excellent addition to your iPhone or iPad to improve the audio quality without the need for an additional phantom power source. SOUND AND VERSATILITY: A great sounding handheld condenser microphone with plenty of dynamic range and a decent low handling noise level. The handy On/Off switch allows you to mute the microphone when required too. USABILITY: Easy to use with any iOS device, the battery powered operation means you get the clarity and brilliance of a condenser microphone without the need for a separate preamplifier or power source. A headphone output on the supplied XLR cable allows for easy monitoring too. CONSTRUCTION: Unlike so many other iOS microphones, this one is offers a metal construction. It is not just a toy, but a
well-built microphone ready to take some punishment, just as you would expect of any stage microphone. OVERALL: This is a great option for anyone wanting to improve the recorded sound on an iOS device and is the perfect tool for singers looking to practice and record with a handheld microphone. Let’s face it, who doesn’t want to become a singer? This is the ideal gift for any up and coming vocalist to be. mixdownmag.com.au
Shure MV5 Digital Condenser Microphone
Wall-Axe Guitar Hanger DISTRIBUTED BY: Seltaeb Music Australia
EXPECT TO PAY: $59.95 RECOMMENDED FOR: Anyone from the space conscious housemate to the most ambitious collector/interior designer. SOUND/VERSATILITY: Anyone who has ever walked into a guitar store will recognise the basic function of the Wall-Axe Soloist, however this particular design takes an achingly simple concept and runs a mile with it. Not only will it hang even your heftiest rock box from any wall in your studio or home, it also provides ample allotments for capos, straps and many other essential accessories. USABILITY: It seems the creators of the Wall-Axe Soloist have made a comprehensive list of every single accessory today’s guitarists could want or need and given it a home. Picks slot into the main wall plate, pegs offer a place to hang capos, clip-on tuners, straps and leads. CONSTRUCTION: Sturdy oak shimmers with high gloss poly varnish. High-grade steel and rubber to ensure that the Wall-Axe
DISTRIBUTED BY: Jands
Soloist is not only practical and functional, but a stylish addition to your studio wall. OVERALL: The perfect gift for the guitarist who has, and has a habit of misplacing… just about everything.
EXPECT TO PAY: $209 RECOMMENDED FOR: Recording vocals, acoustic instruments or voice overs. SOUND/VERSATILITY: This is a small diaphragm cardioid condenser that is available in three DSP modes, which are accessible from a convenient button, allowing you to switch between ‘instrument’, ‘voice’ and ‘flat’ modes. It can record at 24bit 48kHz and so is perfectly useful for those recording on a budget. USABILITY: Being a USB microphone, all you have to do is plug in and play. Although it can be attached the stand it comes with, the actual mic is a ball shape and so can be unscrewed, which allows you many more options for mic placement. CONSTRUCTION: It is a solid round ball of a microphone that you won’t have to worry about damaging, but will be easy to maneuver around whatever instrument you are trying to capture. OVERALL: This would be a very useful
Radial Engineering Classic V9 Distortion
TC Hellicon Mic Mechanic
DISTRIBUTED BY: Amber Technology
EXPECT TO PAY: $329 RECOMMENDED FOR: Solo performers or vocalists wanting to control their own vocal effects and tone on stage. This pedal is particularly useful for creating an easy setand-forget vocal sound without the need for a sound engineer. SOUND AND VERSATILITY: With eight preset variations on Reverb, Delay and Echo, this pedal will cover the basics needed to give singers some dimension to their vocal sound. Each setting can be used either subtly or as a feature with a dry/wet potentiometer, while the Tone button triggers an adaptive EQ - meaning it automatically adjusts –and a compressor, deesser and gate. This cleans up the sound a fair bit, and is a good place to start if you have no one mixing the front of house sound. There is also a pitch correction option to help conceal those flat notes in real time, which can also be used to varying degrees of subtlety. USABILITY: This pedal is extremely easy to
EXPECT TO PAY: $379 RECOMMENDED FOR: Guitarists who want responsive and amp-like tones from a pedal that responds to the player’s touch, as well as players who want a single distortion pedal to cover all bases. If you’re after extensive tone-sculpting control, the Classic V9 has it in spades. SOUND/VERSATILITY: First thing first, you’ve got gain on tap here. While that phrase is thrown around a lot, the V9 will take you from naturally overdriven sounds to biting distortion that’ll get you well and truly in the ballpark of a healthy metal tone. USABILITY: Thanks to the V9’s high and low EQ knobs and switches, this may well be one of the most usable drive pedals you’ll come across. The three-position range switch offers varying degrees of distortion, with the low setting suitable for a warmer overdrive sound and the high setting bringing in extra grit and harmonics for a
heavier tone. From there, the drive stage allows you to fine-tune distortion to taste, while the mid and high switches work in tandem with the EQ knobs to match your guitar’s output, pickup style and amp of choice. CONSTRUCTION: Made in Canada, the V9 is built like a tank. It feels heavy in your hand, and the rubberised knobs are a nice touch. You’d be hard pressed to stomp this bad boy out of action. OVERALL: For a finely crafted distortion pedal that offers the capacity to hone in and shape a sound all of your own, Radial’s Classic V9 is well worth considering.
use, with eight variations of Reverb, Delay and Echo to choose from and a foot switch for turning the unit off/on and tapping out timing. CONSTRUCTION: It has a solid metal construction with a rubber base, a metal foot switch and plastic knobs. You won’t have to worry about this being damaged onstage or whilst travelling. OVERALL: This is a useful pedal for solo performers or bands playing at venues without a sound engineer to have in their arsenal, or merely for singers wishing to control their effects settings throughout their set.
AH-Freestyle Laney Audiohub
DISTRIBUTED BY: Amber Technology
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tool for the home studio musician. It is an affordable USB microphone that would be very useful when used in conjunction with an iOS device.
DISTRIBUTED BY: Amber Technology
TC Electronic Polytune Clip 2 EXPECT TO PAY: $109 RECOMMENDED FOR: Guitarists and bassists that want to quickly tune up midset, as well as acoustic guitarists or players that don’t rely on pedal boards and wish to go without a floor tuner. SOUND/VERSATILITY: You’ve pretty much got everything you need from a tuner here. The Polytune’s most famous asset is the ability to check the tuning of your whole instrument with a single strum for a quick adjustment between songs, but you can still traditionally tune string-by-string to narrow in on pitch. The built-in strobe tuner mode offers pitch perfect tuning with +/-0.02 cent accuracy, which makes this a great tuner for properly intonating your instrument too. USABILITY: The ultra bright LED display means you’ll be able to tune under even the brightest stage lights or sunny outdoor gig without any trouble. Portability is a massive bonus, and the swivel display will automatically adapt to the tuner’s position
Gift Guide
DISTRIBUTED BY: Australasian Music Supplies
on the headstock – even if you’re playing left handed. The tuner will automatically detect whether you pick or strum to tune, which results in an intuitive experience. CONSTRUCTION: Small yet sturdy, the Polytune is one of the most well built tuners on the market today. The rubberpadded clip means your headstock won’t be damaged from repeated use, while its spring-loaded grip means it won’t slip off. OVERALL: For a set-and-forget tuner that’s as accurate as it is portable, the Polytune Clip 2 can’t be beat. You’ll wonder how you ever did without one.
EXPECT TO PAY: $339 RECOMMENDED FOR: The streetwise performer, sonic explorer and bedroom shedder alike. SOUND/VERSATILITY: One thing that a lot of all-rounder style amps suffer from is a lack of attention to detail in the tone department. Often flat and uncharacteristic, the Laney AH-Freestyle Audio bucks that trend by offering a broad frequency range garnished liberally with a healthy dose of onboard delay that fills the cone of the 10” speaker with enough throw and presence to stop anyone dead in their tracks. USABILITY: There are options aplenty here. You have three isolated input stages, one XLR mic input, one stereo TRS and one mono all with switchable sends to the delay stage. That 10” speaker is safely tucked away behind a steel grill and either the AC adaptor provided or 6xAA batteries power the whole affair. There’s even a strap and
grommets provided so that if you have to walk the children out of Hamlin, you can do so with the greatest of ease. CONSTRUCTION: While the housing is solid enough to handle just about anything you can throw at it (or throw it at) you won’t need to hire Sherpa’s to lug it around for you. OVERALL: A sturdy and reliable way to get any musician to go out rocking in the free world. 45
Gift Guide Valencia Classical Guitar
Redding 3/4 Acoustic DISTRIBUTED BY: Australasian Music Supplies
DISTRIBUTED BY: Australasian Music Supplies
EXPECT TO PAY: $149 RECOMMENDED FOR: The littlest guitar hero in the household, or the littlest household around the guitar hero. SOUND/VERSATILITY: As the genre’s popularity spread, bluegrass players the world over leant towards guitars of a smaller stature in order to imitate the clunky, down-on-yer-luck twang of their favourite records. Smaller bodies tend to clean up and leave off a lot of bottom end in favour of a cracklier, more mid-focused voice. This is true of the Redding ¾ size, but there’s an extra strum-ability and campfire charm to this build that sets it apart. USABILITY: Supremely portable and not at all imposing due to its size, this guitar is a great little player. It sits comfortably on your lap and doesn’t feel poky and awkward like other reduced scale guitars. CONSTRUCTION: with the ever-reliable spruce across the top with linden back and sides, a smooth, cream bound catalpa
EXPECT TO PAY: $109 RECOMMENDED FOR: The budding young flamenco and/or anyone planting first steps on the road to guitar hero-dom. SOUND/VERSATILITY: Planting themselves indelibly on the smaller end of the guitar size scale, classical guitars rely on the glassy heft of the mid-range for their unique and uncompromising voicing. Valencia have coloured their much loved nylon string models with the softness and clarity of the higher end of the bandwidth lending them a lilting, sing-song quality that is both charming and charismatic. USABILITY: One thing that Valencia has been particularly forgiving with is the neck width. Far from being the imposing plank of rosewood familiar to more seasoned hands, these guitars are slimmer across the whole neck length, which makes them much easier to get around. CONSTRUCTION: My Valencia 200 series was the first guitar I ever owned and it’s one I go back to time and time again when I feel
neck and rosewood fingerboard tops off the Redding ¾ sized acoustic. Gloss poly over the tobacco-burst finish gives it that new guitar sheen as the stately Redding logo sits proudly atop the headstock like a sign above a saloon door. OVERALL: Tiny body - mighty voice. Perfect for the beginner or the seasoned songsmith with economy of space in mind.
Darkglass Duality Dual Fuzz Engine
Ernie Ball Expression Pedals DISTRIBUTED BY: CMC Music Australia
DISTRIBUTED BY: Bass Centre
EXPECT TO PAY: $379 RECOMMENDED FOR: Those looking to add some serious growl to their bass tone. SOUND AND VERSATILITY: Offering two different fuzz circuits and the ability to sweep between them, the Duality is seriously versatile. Then factor in the Blend control and you can keep your sound predominantly clean with most of your straight up bass tone or ramp it up to total pedal sounds. With the Duality dial set at minimum it’s a gated saw-tooth wave type fuzz whilst increasing the knob gets you into higher gain territory. USABILITY: Very easy to get happening, the Duality forgoes over-the-top EQing and endless features for Level, Duality (the fuzz type), Blend and Filter which controls the amount of high frequencies in the effected sound. So pretty simple to use and very easy to get a good, usable starting point tone which you can hen tweak accordingly.
CONSTRUCTION: Modern and slightly industrial looking the Duality seems tough. Like the rest of their range I’ll bet this dual fuzz can withstand more than its fair share of gigs. OVERALL: Suitable for a range of styles – rock, indie, prog and funk really come to mind as a starter. The Blend control is great as you can dial in just a hint of fuzz for some synthy type tones that can help to fill your low end. Otherwise you can really push the Duality to its limits and smash out raucous, razor edged fuzz for solos, big riffs or wall shaking low end lines.
EXPECT TO PAY: $450 RECOMMENDED FOR: Guitarists who stare the burden of choice straight in the face and say, “show me what you got!!” SOUND/VERSATILITY: Ernie Ball’s new Expression Pedal series is one of the more innovative turns pedal design has taken in the last few years. The Overdrive goes from gritty boost to searing lead with a keen eye on the creamier gain stages of classic records, while the Ambient Delay sings with a crystalline atmosphere that sits somewhere between an MXR Carbon Copy and a rhythmic, vocal slap-back. Dial in as much clean blend as you want with the expression pedal component and there’s no limit to the tonal nuance you might find. USABILITY: Longstanding leaders in the field, Ernie Ball have poured decades of expertise into creating one of the smoothest and most playable expression pedals around. On top of that, these familiar, yet not overdone effects voices stack perfectly alongside other pedals on your board. CONSTRUCTION: Impeccably clean,
buffered signal path means there is absolutely no tone suck in the clean stage, while heavy-duty aluminium casing means both are gig ready and able to handle all the battering you can throw at them. The gold and rose gold metallic coating on the Overdrive and Ambient Delay respectively look great too! OVERALL: Another huge, innovative leap forward from a company renowned for not resting on its successes. There is just about no end to the tonal secrets contained within these sturdy and impressive looking units.
ENGL Z4 Footswitch
Crafter UC50 Ukulele DISTRIBUTED BY: Drumpartner/Musicpartner
DISTRIBUTED BY: Drumpartner/Musicpartner
EXPECT TO PAY: $299 RECOMMENDED FOR: People looking to explore the folksier side of their personalities. SOUND/VERSATILITY: As a general rule, ukuleles are not known as one-way tickets to tone city; their size limits them to that familiar, boxy plonk. As with anything though, a little care and attention to detail makes that singular personality all the sweeter, and Crafter’s UC50 definitely sits on that end of the spectrum. The notes are clear and defined and ring with a perfect balance of pride and meekness. USABILITY: The UC50 is almost literally light as a feather, and the matte finish not only looks worldly and genuine whilst handily stopping it from slipping all over your torso. It feels like there’s an extra few millimeters in each fret which makes it a comfortable, relaxed and perfectly playable little song box. CONSTRUCTION: The main tone wood at play here is the effortlessly crisp cedar;
EXPECT TO PAY: $199 RECOMMENDED FOR: ENGL amp owners who need to go from 0 to 100 at the flick of a switch, or two. SOUND/VERSATILITY: While channel switches don’t have a sound of their own per se, there are three main factors that typically determine the success of their design. 1) Silent switches to ensure no unwanted pops or crackles, 2) sturdy, high quality construction and 3) unbreakable durability. The ENGL Z4 definitely ticks all three boxes. USABILITY: Built like the proverbial brick sh*thouse, the Z4 comes with a matched, oxygen free speaker cable that is not hard wired so that you can mount the footswitch to your board without worrying about the excess slack. Switches are perfectly distanced for easy stomp-ability and classic red LEDs are bright enough to illuminate even the darkest stage. Universal pulse signal means that you’re not limited exclusively to ENGL heads making it the
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like coming home. It feels like it should’ve crumbled to dust years ago but that quality craftsmanship is what renders Valencia one of the most trusted names in this particular game since 1972. OVERALL: Whatever your style, be it bad Neil Young covers or Django Reinhardt worship, Valencia Classical guitars are a perfect place to start and never stop.
used to great effect to enhance the distinction and focus of the concert ukulele sized body. Open backed tuners hark back to the glory days of surf-rock instrument construction, and the fact that it comes in a classy, ochre gig-bag rounds out the whole package nicely. OVERALL: A great little box of songs to have bye your side as the sun goes down.
perfect choice for touring guitarists. CONSTRUCTION: Extremely heavy gauge steel chassis houses some of the smoothest, most noiseless switches around. The orbital, brushed faceplate adds a touch of finesse to the otherwise tough as nails exterior. OVERALL: Solid as a rock and reliable as they come, the ENGL Z4 channel switch is sure to add the finishing touch to a heavy duty rig. mixdownmag.com.au
Gift Guide Seagull Merlin Natural Mahogany SG
Zoom Q2n DISTRIBUTED BY: Dynamic Music
EXPECT TO PAY: $399 RECOMMENDED FOR: Musicians who want to share their craft with the world by capturing crisp HD performances that look and sound great. SOUND/VERSATILITY: The new Q2n is essentially a high performance video camera designed specifically with musicians in mind. This has resulted in a device that prioritises audio quality, with built-in X/Y stereo microphones capturing great depth and detail. The 160-degree wide angle lens is perfectly suited for capturing upload-ready live shows, easily dealing with bright stage lighting rigs or a dimly lit room. USABILITY: The mics can handle high sound pressure levels up to 120dB SPL, which means you won’t have to worry about unwanted clipping and distortion when things get loud. There’s also the option to record in 720p or 1080p HD resolution, using the same 24 fps or 30 fps frame rate used in film. The 1/8” stereo input jack makes it easy to add your favourite external mic into the mix too.
DISTRIBUTED BY: Dynamic Music
CONSTRUCTION: The Q2n is a sleekly designed unit and extremely portable. The built-in display offers all the information you’ll need at a glance, with handy switches making operation a breeze. The dark colour-way is a nice aesthetic touch. Like most Zoom products, this is built to last. OVERALL: There’s never been a better time to use the internet and social media to share your sounds with the world. The Q2n is an invaluable tool for any musician wishing to do just that.
DISTRIBUTED BY: Electric Factory
DISTRIBUTED BY: Electric Factory
doesn’t matter, it is built tough enough. OVERALL: Finally, a micro amp solution for bass players, and one that sounds pretty good too. Now, the bass player has no excuse for not knowing the songs in your set as they can always practice, anywhere and at any volume.
Numark Pt01 Scratch Portable Turntable
EXPECT TO PAY: $159 RECOMMENDED FOR: This is the ideal starting place for any would-be DJ, or simply for those of you who want to bring a bit more life to your iTunes library and have some fun playing all your music. SOUND AND VERSATILITY: This is a 2-channel control that is only really limited in sound to what you have in your library. It includes an audio interface, so you just need to connect it to your computer via USB and out into your speaker system and it handles all the sound transfer. USABILITY: This is very easy to get your head around, so you don’t need to be a professional DJ to bring the room down with your mixing skills. With pitch control, EQ, cue points, jog wheels and more on each of the two channels, there is plenty of control without being too overwhelming. CONSTRUCTION: The faders on this are a little rigid, and the jog wheels don’t track like a real turntable does, but for the price
point, this is really well put together, and includes Virtual DJ LE software that is easy to install and very stable. OVERALL: Now everyone can actually be a DJ. Dinner parties are never going to be the same with this unit, and the kids will be able to create their own mixes rather than listening to random playlists. You’re not going to get better at this price, that’s for sure.
Samson RTE2 Bluetooth Headphones
DISTRIBUTED BY: Electric Factory
DISTRIBUTED BY: Electric Factory
EXPECT TO PAY: $189 RECOMMENDED FOR: This cool new device is perfect for vinyl enthusiasts, DJs on holidays, hipsters with a penchant for eccentric novelties and anyone who wants to play or record their records at home. SOUND AND VERSATILITY: The built in speaker allows you to listen to your vinyl with no added hardware, although it isn’t going to bring the house down any time soon. Being battery operated, you can now take you records to the park and listen to the tunes you want at the next summer BBQ. USABILITY: USB connectivity allows you to digitize your record collection if you wish as well as including it in your recording software as a means of sampling. The audio input allows you to connect an iPod or similar and then lay down scratch tracks over the top. CONSTRUCTION: It’s a lightweight plastic
EXPECT TO PAY: $239 RECOMMENDED FOR: With the growing trend of phones coming without headphone outputs, these are going to appeal to just about anyone with a modern iPhone looking for quality sound and ease of use. SOUND AND VERSATILITY: The RTE2 headphones are designed for music playback in loud environments. You don’t have to stay at home in a quiet room to hear you music, take it anywhere with you and enjoy it with great quality audio. USABILITY: Not just headphones, these have a built in microphone for use with your phone too. The battery life is around 10 hours, and charging is easily done via a USB connection. CONSTRUCTION: These are a modern looking, stylish headphone that is not too bulky and sit very comfortably upon the head. Ready for everyday use, they seem to be built well enough to take general abuse and wear.
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its own. Both finger picking and strumming sounds great too. Construction: If you were after an instrument small enough to travel around easily with, the Merlin is an excellent choice. The solid mahogany top paired with a satin oil finish makes for a beautiful look, while the Tusq bridge and saddle ensure it holds its tune. OVERALL: Whether you’re beginning or an advanced player, the Merlin acts as both a great stepping stone for someone looking to move into the guitar, or as a handy instrument to find new ideas on.
Numark Party Mix DJ Controller
Eden Microtour Amp EXPECT TO PAY: $119 RECOMMENDED FOR: From the beginner to the advanced player, the Eden Micro Tour offers something for every bass player looking for a compact and portable practice solution, SOUND AND VERSATILITY: Delivering 2W of power through its custom designed speaker, the MicroTour serves to provide bass players with a true micro version of a bass amplifier with good bass response and volume whilst keeping size to a minimum for portability USABILITY: It’s pretty simple, this super mini bass stack has just a tone and a volume control, so you don’t need to fuss over pulling a good sound. Just dial in the EQ setting to suit your needs and enjoy the tone of an Eden amp, only smaller. CONSTRUCTION: It’s a rigid little box that is going to go the distance, especially as one can see this become a hotel travel companion for many touring bass players. It’s isn’t built for the stage, but that
EXPECT TO PAY: $279 Recommended For: Musicians who want to add an inspiring new element to their studio efforts and those looking to pick up a new instrument at price that won’t break the bank, that’s easy to begin on and hard to put down. SOUND/VERSATILITY: Inspired by the dulcimer, the Seagull Merlin is tuned to DADD with the high D doubled, giving a lush natural chorus effect. The open tuning makes for a jangly, shimmering sound – almost reminiscent of a banjo. A diatonic instrument, the Merlin’s sound is useful for Celtic and Eastern-inspired music, but could easily slot into other styles and genres. USABILITY: If you already know your way around a guitar’s fret board, you’ll naturally be able to translate a lot of those skills to the Merlin. An instrument like this functions best as something that could add a finishing touch on a composition, though that’s not to say it couldn’t lead a song on
shell, but the drive mechanism and scratch arm seem to be up to the job. OVERALL: There are plenty of simple turntables available for Christmas presents, but this one brings some added value to your vinyl collection and best of all, it allows you to take your records anywhere and listen.
OVERALL: As wireless headphones are becoming more of a necessity to integrate modern devices, these are spot on for this year’s audio trends and will make a great gift for any tech-savvy friend or family member. 47
Gift Guide
Protec Stonewood Pedal Boards DISTRIBUTED BY: Hot Apple Distribution
EXPECT TO PAY: Special Xmas price of $142.50-$165 RECOMMENDED FOR: Guitarists in need of a quality housing for their pedal collection. SOUND/VERSATILITY: Your precious pedals will be well protected and easily portable with Protec’s Stonewood Pedal Boards, which come in both a large and a small size, depending on your needs. The pedals are secured internally by a hook and loop tape, which is included.
USABILITY: This is an extremely userfriendly product, and features a removable lid so you can quickly and easily plug in and start playing. The interior is filled with soft padding in order to protect the pedals themselves, and the thickly padded leather carry handle means that this will be comfortable to carry to shows. CONSTRUCTION: Protec’s Stonewood Pedal Boards are of an extremely sturdy design, with a rugged wooden frame, heavy-duty latches and corners, back and bottom-side feet and a textured vinyl exterior. OVERALL: A great option for keeping your pedals safe, secured and in order.
One Control Croc Teeth Patch Cable Kits DISTRIBUTED BY: Hot Apple Distribution
EXPECT TO PAY: Special Xmas price of $145 RECOMMENDED FOR: Musicians who need their own patch cables but don’t want to fool around with soldering irons. SOUND/VERSATILITY: Included in the kits are ultra low impedance Japanese MSL cables, which will ensure the transference of high quality signals. The cables are a generous three meters in length and so will be useful for a variety of patching needs. USABILITY: A lot of musicians lose interest as soon as the idea of soldering
anything comes up; tasks get placed in the ‘too hard’ basket and faulty cables get put in the bin. One Control’s Croc Teeth Patch Cable Kits are here to save you hassle, while ensuring a high quality sound. The kits have 10 chrome plated plugs and assembly screws, which are extremely fast and simple to install. CONSTRUCTION: The plugs are some of the smallest on the market and can be installed as either straight jacks or on a right angle, which is extremely useful for added versatility. OVERALL: This will save your fingers and your head unnecessary aggravation for quite a small amount of dollars.
Mogees Pro DISTRIBUTED BY: Innovative Music
Murat Diril Renaissance Series Cymbals DISTRIBUTED BY: Hot Apple Distribution
EXPECT TO PAY: Special Xmas price of $120-$500 RECOMMENDED FOR: Drummers and percussionists interested in high quality hand made Turkish cymbals at an affordable price. SOUND/VERSATILITY: The Istanbul based Murat Diril make very high quality cymbals with a unique look and remarkable sound. There is an entire range to pick from, including rides, crashes, hats, Chinas and splashes amongst others, and covering a
large tonal selection ranging from light to heavy, dark to brilliant, and more. Created through a unique hammering and lathing system, the result is a superior flexibility, with no perceivable changes to pitch in their linear decay. USABILITY: These cymbals will have any drummer immediately salivating and itching to play them. CONSTRUCTION: Made by hand by Murat Diril, who made his name working with Istanbul cymabls, Meinl and Paiste, the cymbals are made using brand new new copper. OVERALL: These cymbals are worth every Lira and exhibit a subtlety not usually achievable in this price bracket.
EXPECT TO PAY: $199.95 RECOMMENDED FOR: Remember that annoying kid in high school that was always playing drums with pens? That kid. So probably everyone reading this. But in all seriousness, anyone with a passing interest in making music will find fun here, regardless of what instrument they play. SOUND/VERSATILITY: The whole idea is that you can turn anything you’re capable of sticking the vibration sensor to into an instrument or controller. Be it your desk, a coffee mug or an actual instrument like a drum. With the included ios app or VST/ AU plug-in, you can amplify your objects natural sound properties, set your hits up to resonate melodic notes, control a drum machine and, via MIDI control, just about anything else you can imagine. USABILITY: The inclusion of the VST/AU plug-ins tells us Mogees mean business, mucking around with a vibration sensor and an app is fun and all, but an included fully featured plug-in compatible with most
Sonuus I2m Musicport Midi/Audio Interface
Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator PO-20 Arcade
DISTRIBUTED BY: Innovative Music
DISTRIBUTED BY: Innovative Music
EXPECT TO PAY: $149.99 RECOMMENDED FOR: This is the ideal gift for any guitarist who has everything. Let’s face it, who doesn’t want an audio interface that can go with you on your keyring ready to be used at any time? SOUND AND VERSATILITY: CD quality audio conversion for a high impedance signal like a guitar or bass, ready to run into any DAW. Plus, it offers audio to MIDI conversion as well, for both guitar and bass in a variety of modes. USABILITY: This is a true ‘plug and play’ device, with drivers sorting themselves out in moments. It’s easy to set the mode for MIDI data capture depending on what you are doing and tracks fairly well for single note playing. CONSTRUCTION: Lightweight and compact, ready to go anywhere. The included metal ring allows for this to be attached to your keyring and always travel with you. And for the best part, the plastic housing seems
EXPECT TO PAY: $109.99 RECOMMENDED FOR: Anyone who has a passing interesting in synths, sequencers, gadgets or even video games. It’s a difficult time buying gifts for producers, but even the most kitted out studio-owner can spend hours tinkering with this little guy. SOUND/VERSATILITY: For something that looks like a DIY calculator, there’s a lot going on here. An 8-bit digital synthesiser provides the tools to make the chip-tune soundtrack of your childhood. 16 preset sounds are available - percussion, synths and effects - each with their own pitch and waveform parameters to tweak. Use the step sequencer to dial in a pattern and use the parameter lock function to change each sound’s pitch throughout your pattern. Then there’s the fx and chord functions too. USABILITY: It may be tiny and the instructions pretty vague, but getting up and running won’t take long. There is no MIDI sync, but it does have a sync
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to be pretty tough, so it should stand the ‘pocket full of keys’ test. OVERALL: I think Sonuus have a real winner with this product. It is simple, but it does offer more than just audio conversion for guitar with the MIDI conversion a big plus. Any guitarist who likes to record for song writing purposes will love how handy this device is.
DAWs means the Mogees Pro has a very real production and live performance value. CONSTRUCTION: The sensor is heavier than it looks, made from sturdy plastic with a rubber mount, you’d have to really give it hell to break it. The cable is nice quality anti-tangle braided cord. OVERALL: It’s not hard to see why the Mogees Kickstarter campaign was successful, the Mogees Pro is everything a music gadget should be - fun, easy and opens a world of possibilities.
line-in that works with others in the Pocket Operator series and apps like Korg’s SyncKontrol so there’s no reason you couldn’t use this in a serious production sense. It runs on AAA batteries and promises a 1 month battery life. CONSTRUCTION: Despite it’s fragile haphazard appearance, the PO-20 is surprisingly very sturdy, with all sensitive circuitry hidden under the LCD screen. OVERALL: A brilliant little bit of kit. Even the little arcade inspired animations are super cute. It’s truly mind boggling how much functionality can be squeezed out of something so tiny. Perfect for jamming with on-stage, while road tripping, sitting on the couch or in the studio. mixdownmag.com.au
Gift Guide Shure Se215 Sound Isolating Earphones
Presonus Ceres 4.5Bt Bluetooth Monitors Speakers
DISTRIBUTED BY: Jands
DISTRIBUTED BY: Link Audio
EXPECT TO PAY: $165 RECOMMENDED FOR: Sticklers for audio quality who like to listen to music on the go as well as people looking for a low-cost personal monitoring solution. SOUND/VERSATILITY: These SE215s seek to bridge the gap between casual listening and professional monitoring. In fact, the very genesis of this technology comes from tried-and-tested professional monitors used by pro musicians. You could find these equally handy on stage as you would catching the morning train into work. USABILITY: In the age of convenience earphones are a staple for anyone who doesn’t want to be left behind, technologically speaking. The fact that are noise-isolating and tuned well enough to act as a personal monitor system makes them amongst the most versatile in their field. CONSTRUCTION: These are well-built and light weight. The sound isolating sleeves
EXPECT TO PAY: $399 RECOMMENDED FOR: These are a great pair of speakers for anyone who ownes a music playing device with Bluetooth. In other words, just about anyone with a smartphone of some sort will find a great use for these speakers. SOUND AND VERSATILITY: The Ceres 4.5BT speakers were designed to bridge the gap between home hi-fi speakers and studio monitors. They come pretty close to doing just that, delivering a sound that is quite unlike what you would expect to hear from any consumer brand Bluetooth speaker system. USABILITY: These are fairly easy to pair up with any Bluetooth device and stream music to from across the room without any drama. They can still be run with an auxiliary input if Bluetooth isn’t an option, so it means everyone can play their tunes through the Ceres monitors. CONSTRUCTION: These are built into a
offer up to 37dB of isolation, meaning that the sounds you’re trying to hear won’t be interrupted by sounds that you aren’t. It features a detachable cable and multiple sleeve sizes so that you can find the perfect fit for your ear. For those of you who are really gung-ho about using these as monitors, custom sleeves are available through a partnership between Shure and Sensaphonics, to give you the most comfortable and best quality monitoring experience possible. OVERALL: A great product that will suit both the music love and the musician perfectly. It’s also worth noting that Shure have recently released the SE215+, which features a communication pod and microphone, enabling the user to control the playback and make/receive calls without having to rummage for your phone in your pocket or bag.
Presonus Audiobox iTwo Studio
Ashdown Tourbus 10 Bass Amp
DISTRIBUTED BY: Link Audio
DISTRIBUTED BY: Pro Music Australia
EXPECT TO PAY: $349 RECOMMENDED FOR: This is a complete home recording solution for anyone looking to get started in recording their own music. It also represents great value if you were considering a new interface, as it offers so much more. SOUND AND VERSATILITY: The M7 microphone included in the bundle delivers results for both vocals and instruments, whilst the HD7 headphones allow you to critically listen to your mixes and follow tracking during overdubs. USABILITY: The Audiobox iTwo, the centrepiece of this setup allows for two inputs, either microphone, line or instrument and also MIDI in and out. It works with PC, Mac and iOS devices, and will operate with any DAW you use should you not want to use the included software. CONSTRUCTION: The Audiobox iTwo is built in a tough chassis that is more than sturdy
EXPECT TO PAY: $149.95 RECOMMENDED FOR: Bass players wanting a small practice amp for home rehearsals. SOUND/VERSATILITY: The Tour Bus 10 has a simple and easy to use ‘plug and play’ design, made to be a no-fuss bass amp that can deliver a quality sound with a strong core tone. The Tour Bus 10 also features a headphone output for practising without disturbing others, and an MP3/ CD input to allow you to play along with backing tracks or songs you may be learning. USABILITY: With just a simple volume, bass and treble controls, this amp is designed to make it easy to get a great sound and get playing immediately. CONSTRUCTION: The Tour Bus 10 packs essential features into a super small box with a 10W power amp and a 6.5” driver with 8 Ohms impedance. Weighing in at just 4.25kg, this will neither take up much
enough for studio use, or hitting the road for recording on the go. The microphone and headphones all seem tough enough to handle the job too. OVERALL: Of course, these hardware pieces are all brought together by PreSonus’s Studio One 3 Artist software, which is included in the bundle. This represents great value and the perfect starting point for anyone wanting to record at home.
Ashdown Engineering Woodsman Parlour 25W 1 Channel Acoustic Amp
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space at home, nor be a burden to travel with. OVERALL: A great and affordable option for bass students to use for rehearsal in private at home.
Pignose 7100 Battery Amp DISTRIBUTED BY: Seltaeb Music
DISTRIBUTED BY: Pro Music Australia
EXPECT TO PAY: $399 RECOMENDED FOR: Ashdown Engineering have made a name for themselves in acoustic amp design, raising the standards of vocal and instrument amplification for many years. Their latest line is the Woodsman series of amplifiers, designed for acoustic performers and vocalists who require both quality amplification and affordability. SOUND/VERSATILITY: The Woodsman features a clear, acoustic tone as well as several other features designed to assist live performance and minimise your setup. These include tuning, phase reversal and feedback-eliminating notch filters. USABILITY: With inputs for both microphones and acoustic guitar, Woodsman amps are made for both solo or duo acts. CONSTRUCTION: There are three compact models in this range, being the - 25W
sturdy cabinet which is well sealed with very few seems, just smooth lines and a sleek design. OVERALL: I think we have reached a point where most of us are demanding high quality audio playback at all times. So, it just makes sense that you get that at home too. The Ceres 4.5BT speakers aim to deliver just that and bring the studio into your home.
Parlour, the 40W Classic and 65W Jumbo. Each model features a custom-designed 8” Celestion driver. The Classic and Parlour model also feature a horn for increased full-range sound. The 25W Parlour model features a mic channel with independent volume control, a guitar channel with volume, bass, mid and treble controls, digital reverb, and a master volume. At only 4.5kg, this amp will be an easy gig companion for the solo performer. OVERALL: This is a clear sounding, easy to use acoustic amp that will enhance your solo or duo performances and not break the bank.
EXPECT TO PAY: $129 RECOMMENDED FOR: Players looking for something truly unique to add to their bag of tricks. SOUND/VERSATILITY: Originally dreamt up as a cheap, portable practice amp, the now legendary Pignose 7-100 has since become the ace up the sleeve of producers and guitarists the world over, looking for a gnarly little secret weapon. Infamous for its fuzzy, maxed out oink, it is anything but a one trick pony as there is an astonishing amount of clean tone that rivals even the rarest, vintage tube heroes. USABILITY: While it may only have one combined volume/tone knob, the trick with this little bugger is in what you throw at it. The 5” speaker can be cranked and cranky or dialed back to a cool shimmer. Throw it over your shoulder with a guitar strap and go for a wander or plug in an AC adaptor and sit still while it tells you your own stories. It’s an incredibly unassuming yet versatile workhorse.
CONSTRUCTION: Leatherette clad wooden housing opens up like a book to reveal some extra ambience and attitude. Also, try not to chortle as you dial in tones using the distinctive snout shaped knob just below the speaker. OVERALL: The secret weapon behind a bunch of your favourite records, the Pignose 7-100 is a surprisingly great sounding, charmingly ugly, bag of tricks that will never cease to amaze.
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Gift Guide IK Multimedia iRig HD2 Guitar Interface
Pignose PGG200 Guitar DISTRIBUTED BY: Seltaeb Music Australia
EXPECT TO PAY: $449 RECOMMENDED FOR: The world-weary road warrior or guitarist with a penchant for all things off kilter and off the beaten track. SOUND/VERSATILITY: Much like its infamous companion, the Pignose 7-100 5 watt amp, the PGG200 Travel guitar is a gnarly little grunter. Tiny in stature, but with a bark much bigger than you’d expect. The extra option of connecting to an outboard amp is a bonus if the built in 1-watt squawk wears you down. It is definitely more of a prize pig than a one trick pony. USABILITY: Throw it in your backpack and you’ll never be caught riff-less. The 1-watt amp mounted where the pick-ups would usually be is perfect for an impromptu boogie, but if that gets too much for the rest of the hostel then there’s a headphone jack to give everyone a bit of peace. CONSTRUCTION: Maple on rosewood throughout the neck means that if you close your eyes you’d be forgiven for
DISTRIBUTED BY: Sound and Music
mistaking the PGG200 for your favourite full size guitar. Look down however and the miniscule 21” scale will remind you of what you’re dealing with. Just like its namesake, its low center of gravity means it’s next to impossible to knock down. OVERALL: A surprisingly fun guitar to play, perfect for long journeys both in the physical and the sonic realms.
EXPECT TO PAY: $229.99 RECOMMENDED FOR: For any guitarist looking to get great tones for practice at home, at rehearsals or anywhere on the go. This is an ideal addition to any guitar setup whether you are a beginner or seasoned professional. SOUND AND VERSATILITY: The iRig HD2 offers an excellent range of amp and pedal simulations, all powered by your iPhone, iPad or Mac. The pedals are good enough to use in front of any boutique amp and get great results. USABILITY: With the addition of an amplifier output to compliment the headphone out, this device can now be used for more than bedroom practice and can be taken to the rehearsal room or even the stage if you so wished. CONSTRUCTION: A solid little device. It fits in your pocket, or can be mounted to a microphone stand with the clip and velcro strap. The inputs and outputs seem sturdy
SE Electronics X1A Condenser Microphone
Audio Technica LP60 USB Belt Drive Turntable
DISTRIBUTED BY: Sound and Music
DISTRIBUTED BY: Technical Audio Group
EXPECT TO PAY: 149.99 RECOMMENDED FOR: As a first microphone for anyone wanting to record vocals or guitar at home, or as an addition to an existing microphone kit, this is a great recording tool for all musicians and engineers alike. SOUND AND VERSATILITY: The newly designed capsule on the X1A has reduced self-noise to the original and still delivers great clarity and extended frequency response. USABILITY: A no-fuss condenser that offers a 20dB pad as well as a high pass filter. It is perfectly suited to the optional cradle available form sE Electronics too, for greater isolation and better sound. CONSTRUCTION: These microphones are built into a tough casing like all the models in the X1 range, so they will handle anything likely to happen within the home studio.
EXPECT TO PAY: $249 RECOMMENDED FOR: This is the ideal gift for someone who has an old collection of vinyl that never gets played, or even someone that wants to digitize the old record collection that never gets played. A simple to use, fully automatic belt drive turntable designed for easy listening and new memories. SOUND AND VERSATILITY: With a built in phono preamp, the LP60 USB allows you to simply connect to any amplifier, or powered speaker and listen to your old or new records right away. With an included AT cartridge, you’ll hear your favourite tracks like never before. USABILITY: The fully automatic device is very easy to use, with auto-return upon completion of a record; you don’t even need to worry about wearing the needle out if you fall asleep before a record ends. The USB connection makes it easy to hook up to your computer and digitize your old collections.
OVERALL: There isn’t any secret trick to this microphone; it simply offers a great sound for an incredible price. This is the perfect ‘first’ microphone, and one that will last well into the future.
Audio Technica SR5BT Wireless Headphones
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CONSTRUCTION: This is a lightweight build, with a plastic chassis and isn’t really suitable for anything beyond home use, where a little care is needed to ensure plenty of years of listening to come. OVERALL: The LP60 USB offers a great value option for anyone who wants to listen to their records without having to get too technical or invest too much money. It isn’t a DJ tool, but it certainly serves a purpose.
Yamaha Gigmaker 310 Acoustic Guitar Pack
DISTRIBUTED BY: Technical Audio Group
EXPECT TO PAY: $369 RECOMMENDED FOR: These are perfect for anyone on the go who wants high quality audio reproduction from a Bluetooth device like a smartphone. SOUND AND VERSATILITY: The SR5BT headphones deliver stunning audio playback even via the Bluetooth transmission, you’d think you were in a studio listening to the tape. USABILITY: Simple pairing with your device and extended battery life can see you listen for days without the need to charge your SR5BT headphones. Up to 1000 hours in standby mode means you won’t run out of juice when you’re not even listening either. CONSTRUCTION: A slim arm over the top of the head keeps these neat and tidy with comfortable pads that allow for extended periods of listening without fatigue or unwanted pressure on the ears.
enough too. OVERALL: This is the combination of several previous iRig devices, with the best bits of each thrown into one compact unit. If you haven’t gone to the iRig yet, now is
DISTRIBUTED BY: Yamaha Music Australia
Tough enough to get through day to day use, you’d have to really punish these headphones for them to go foul. OVERALL: Audio Technica have delivered in kind with the SR5BT headphones. These are going to be a very much sought after commodity this year with more iOS devices moving away from wire headphone use.
EXPECT TO PAY: $299 RECOMMENDED FOR: Including not only the F310P acoustic guitar, but a Korg tuner, a spare set of strings, a string winder, a strap, a pitch pipe, gig bag and an instructional DVD, this package has everything a beginner could possibly need. SOUND/VERSATILITY: The guitar has a close action that is very easy to play, with a bright, full sound courtesy of its steel strings and laminated spruce top. It is comfortable to both strum, play intricate picking patterns and hold chord shapes up and down the neck. USABILITY: Players of all ages should have no problem with this guitar as it is quite versatile and user friendly. Unsurprisingly for an acoustic at this price point, it does not have a pickup and so can not be plugged in, and there is only one strap button, but you can easily attach the other side of the strap to the neck.
CONSTRUCTION: The guitar is a dreadnaught body shape with a short scale neck, which makes it suitable for younger players. The neck is made of unvarnished nato wood, which gives it a natural feel, and the rosewood fingerboard adds to the playability. The tuning pegs are chrome plated and so are solid enough to stay in tune for longer than may be expected. OVERALL: This is an excellent guitar for beginners and the other inclusions in the pack will mean that you won’t have to return to the shop for any extras for quite some time. 51
Gift Guide Line 6 Relay G10 Wireless Guitar System
Yamaha PSR-E353 Keyboard DISTRIBUTED BY: Yamaha Music Australia
EXPECT TO PAY: $349.99 RECOMMENDED FOR: Beginner-intermediate keyboard players or students. SOUND/VERSATILITY: The PSR-E353 comes with many of the sounds you would expect from an entry-level keyboard, ranging from six variations of piano to organ, string voices and more. For students wishing to experiment with playing in different genres, there are 159 preprogrammed drumbeats, which will make sure you keep time, whether it be over a swing or a waltz. The weight of the keys give the instrument a piano feel that makes it familiar and intuitive to play, and the grand piano sound in particular is quite realistic. The keys are also ‘touch sensitive’, meaning the amount of weight you apply will affect the volume in a realistic manner, which adds to the playability of the instrument. The keyboard also supports MIDI, which opens up whole other range of possibilities for those wanting to use the keyboard in conjunction with their computer.
DISTRIBUTED BY: Yamaha Music Australia
USABILITY: The keyboard’s functions are easy to navigate, with the rhythmic sound bank and controls laid out to the left and the keyboard bank sounds laid out on the right. A small screen is located in the middle to visualise which functions have been selected. CONSTRUCTION: The PSR-E353 is made of hard plastic with rubber buttons and is certainly durable enough for the home musician. OVERALL: This is a very good keyboard for beginner-intermediate piano students and has enough versatility to allow you to begin experimenting with sounds and even layering them over one another with a twotrack recording feature.
Yamaha TRBX204 Bass Guitar
DISTRIBUTED BY: Yamaha Music Australia
an array of musical styles. The controls include a master volume, a pickup balancer knob and controls for bass and treble. CONSTRUCTION: The body is made of Basswood, a particularly even-toned wood often found in metal-oriented guitars. The neck is made of Maple with a Rosewood fretboard and 24 frets. The overall shape of the body is slightly reminiscent of the fabled Tune Bass Maniac but with more of an offset thing going on, and there’s good access to most of the upper frets. The bridge is a vintage-style unit and the tuners are die-cast, quite simple and straightforward. OVERALL: It’s a great playing and sounding bass, very impressive for this price range.
EXPECT TO PAY: $449.99 RECOMMENDED FOR: For solo artists, producers or engineers wanting to make or edit professional quality recordings at home or on location, without spending thousands of dollars. SOUND/VERSATILITY: The UR22mkII USB Audio Interface transfers clean audio signal from its two XLR, line or MIDI inputs and works hand in hand with the included software, a version of Steinberg’s Cubase 8. The pack also comes with a ST-M01 condenser microphone, which has a surprisingly smooth response and would be perfectly suitable for recording vocals or guitars. There are also some Steinberg headphones included, which are perfectly suitable for recording instruments with. USABILITY: Having been in the game for a long time now, Steinberg’s Cubase is extremely user friendly and easy to use, supporting up to 32 audio and 48 MIDI tracks simultaneously. The UR22 itself is similarly simple, it can connect via to your
VOX VT20X Amplifier
Cordoba Mini M Travel Guitar
DISTRIBUTED BY: VOX Australia
DISTRIBUTED BY: Zenith Music
EXPECT TO PAY: $399.99 RECOMMENDED FOR: Guitarists looking for a smaller amp to practice, record, or perform smaller gigs with. SOUND/VERSATILITY: This is a 20 watt combo amp that comes equipped with a new modeling engine, which give you the choice of 11 amps to replicate the sound of, including many old favourites such as the Vox Ac30, Tweed 4X10, the Brit 1959 and more. The amp also features a multistage tube preamp, which incorporates authentic analogue circuitry to give you those warm tones. The sound is very responsive and versatile; the clean signal is clean and delicate, but there are also some nice ‘edge of overdrive’ tones that speak particularly well when turned up loud. The chorus sounds great on the clean sound too, which doesn’t always happen with amps like this. The dirty tones are appropriately grungy and complex, and sound great in those crucial mid-gain
EXPECT TO PAY: $399 RECOMMENDED FOR: Guitarists who are as keen on travel as they are on music. Especially those heading abroad, or travelling without their own car. SOUND AND VERSATILITY: Though this is a small guitar, and plays more or less like a guitar that’s tuned up a 4th, but with a tone that sits more or less between that of a guitar and a ukulele. The construction is sound, and the neck feels great. USABILITY: As you can probably extrapolate from the name, this guitar is aimed at travellers, but the unique sounds that come with the smaller body might make it an interesting instrument for the folk, country or bluegrass guitarist that likes to experiment with different sounds. CONSTRUCTION: This features a solid spruce top with mahogany back and sides, but is available in rosewood and ovangkol variants. OVERALL: This is an interesting instrument.
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when docked into the receiver, and has a clear LED indicator to show its charge status. The jack end also has a clever notch that engages operation only when the lead is completely plugged in. This eliminates the need for an on/off switch, saving on accidentally leaving it in operating mode. The receiver has a 1⁄4” unbalanced and XLR balanced output, giving you options for running to pedalboards, amps, PA systems, mixers, audio interfaces and plenty more. Power is via a compact Micro USB slot, which works two fold; it also works as just a normal USB connection for plugging into a computer if needed for firmware updates and the like. OVERALL: The features of the G10 added with the ease of use and affordability, this unit means that wireless rigs are no longer solely the realm of large touring companies. bring the studio into your home.
UR22 MKII Recording Pack
DISTRIBUTED BY: Yamaha Music Australia
EXPECT TO PAY: $499.99 RECOMMENDED FOR: Beginner to intermediate bass players looking for a reliable instrument with a versatile sound. This guitar is designed to be affordable and sonically excellent. SOUND/VERSATILITY: The Yamaha TRBX204 provides both great playability and impressive dynamics thanks to its formidable active electronics. It features a ‘P and J-Bass’ pickup configuration, providing a slightly wider sonic range. The pickups are ceramic, which generally means tighter lows and a bit of punch in the upper midrange. The neck pickup sounds full and deep, while the bridge pickup sounds punchy and articulate. USABILITY: The four-control circuit includes controls for master volume, balance, and a two-band equaliser for creating a more aggressive tone. This means that the instrument is suitable for
EXPECT TO PAY: $399.99 RECOMMENDED FOR: Any guitarist or band wanting to use an effective and simple wireless system. SOUND/VERSATILITY: Being a Line 6 product you know the sound is reliably accurate and the transmitter can send a signal up to 50 feet away, so this is a very useful system. USABILITY: Of all of their Relay wireless systems, this is the simplest to use, as it is cable and battery free. Featuring a transmitter and receiver, the G10 only needs to be plugged in at the mains with a lead connected from the receiver to wherever you want to send it to. This minimal ‘plug and play’ setup equals a very user friendly system. CONSTRUCTION: Gone is the need for a big pack that clips onto your belt or strap with the G10. At around 8cms in length and just over 2cms at its widest point, the transmitter is very portable. It charges
regions. The high gains are downright brutal, in all the best possible ways, with a satisfyingly natural saturation and articulation. USABILITY: This is as simple and easy to use as any other Vox amp, with the added flexibility of the Tone Room software included. To add to this flexibility, there is also an auxiliary jack, headphone jack, footswitch and USB Type B mini port. CONSTRUCTION: This is made using a tightly sealed cabinet and a proprietary bass-reflex, designed to deliver deep, powerful resonance. OVERALL: Consistently reliable and great sounding, ValveTronix’s new modeling engine sound better than ever and is a very well made update to an already impressive budget line.
computer or iOS device – meaning it can turn your iPad into a pro audio recording device in seconds. and includes 28 effects and185 instrument sounds CONSTRUCTION: The interface itself is housed in a solid metal casing with ridged plastic pots that add to their grip. It feels very solid and could easily take a bit knocking around. The microphone is likewise housed in metal and does not appear fragile. OVERALL: Given the similar features offered by other big brands that come with a much larger price tag, this is a bargain for anyone who doesn’t need to record more than two things at a time or at a higher rate than 24 bit/192kHz.
It’s not suited to everyone, but it’s the perfect gift for the people it is suited to. Incredibly portable, but with a surprisingly booming voice, if you have a friend who’s heading out on the road for a while, this might be the perfect instrument for them to sling over their shoulder for the ride.
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This changes everything. Introducing the TouchMix™-30 Pro With a host of all-new Pro features and even more “Results Made Easy” Presets and Wizards, the TouchMix-30 Pro will forever change your expectations of what a digital mixer should do. New Pro features include: 32 Total Inputs Large (10-inch) Multi-Touch Display Screen Anti-Feedback Wizard Room Tuning Wizard Two Real-Time Analyzers (RTA) USB interface for Mac® DAW Compatibility 32 Track Record/Playback Directly to USB Drive MP3 Playback
Shown with optional Tablet Support Stand and iPad (not included). Mac and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. © 2016 QSC, LLC. All rights reserved. QSC and the QSC logo are registered trademarks of QSC, LLC in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and other countries. TouchMix is a registered trademark in the U.S., China and the European Union.
www.qsc.com/beyondmixing
Gift Guide Keeley Bubble Tron
Keeley Hooke Reverb
MANUFACTURED BY: Keeley Electronics
MANUFACTURED BY: Keeley Electronics
EXPECT TO PAY: $300 RECOMMENDED FOR: Influenced by the sounds of Frank Zappa, this flange and phasing pedal is for guitarists interested in getting a little experimental with their effects. SOUND/VERSATILITY: The Flanger sound is based upon the MicMix DynaFlanger, which was used extensively by Zappa during the late 70s to create envelope-based flanging during his solos. Similarly, this flanger starts and stops based on the attack of your pick, and so will easily work with your own playing style in a musical manner. The only effect that isn’t dynamic is the filter section, through which you can control the different fluctuations of the pedal with the Shape Control. The Sensitivity Control works like a vintage bandpass filter, allowing your guitar to create some incredible synth-style sounds. USABILITY: This pedal encourages experimentation so you will probably want to spend a bit of time playing around to
EXPECT TO PAY: $275 RECOMMENDED FOR: Any guitarist wanting to recreate an authentic classic spring reverb sound need look no further, this has 60s rock’n’roll tone seeped into its circuits. SOUND/VERSATILITY: The Hooke has three main options – Classic Spring, Black Face Trem-n-Verb, and the church organ-like Fugue-Verb. The spring is realistic and can be countered with the tone control, so you can adjust the two until you find the exact character of the springs and tubes in your favorite vintage reverb. The Trem-n-Verb can replicate a deep tube-like thick tremolo with vintage 60s tones, while the Fugue is an unexpected addition that could be the sound you didn’t know you were after. The options don’t stop there, however. If you open up the pedal’s back plate you will find an entire second bank of spring patches to play with, including Spring-Plate, VibroSpring and a Long Decay Trem-n-Verb for all you surf guitar fans out there. Ambience can then be dialed in via the tone and
see which sounds are useful to you. The Sensitivity Control in particular gives you control of how delicately you want to play and how crazy you want the flanging effect to be. CONSTRUCTION: Like Keeley’s other pedals, this is a solid but compact and visual appealing metal box that is sure to be stand up to all of your gigging needs. OVERALL: If you are lead guitar player with an ear for experimentation and are interested in expression from within your effects board then you should definitely check this one out.
Cordoba UP-100 Concert Uke Pack
Shure MV88 Digital Stereo Condenser Microphone
DISTRIBUTED BY: Zenith Music
DISTRIBUTED BY: Jands
EXPECT TO PAY: $199 RECOMMENDED FOR: People who are just getting into Ukelele, guitarists who want to muck about with a smaller instrument or kids who are starting out with stringed instruments. SOUND AND VERSATILITY: Though this Ukelele is a pretty inexpensive instrument, it’s still a serious uke. Cordoba has a solid reputation for producing good products at great price points. For what you’re paying, this kit is not only going to get you started, it’s going to get you sounding good. USABILITY: The package comes with the Uke itself, a carry bag, a digital clip on chromatic tuner, picks and a lesson book. As far as usability goes, this is about as usable as it gets. CONSTRUCTION: This is an all mahogany concert Ukelele put together by an esteemed builder. It isn’t the type of thing you’d find in a showbag. It stays in tune,
EXPECT TO PAY: $299 RECOMMENDED FOR: Songwriters, podcasters, sounds artists – essentially anyone who wants to be able to capture great quality recordings on the go without having to lug around any cumbersome gear or the fuss of a complicated set up. SOUND AND VERSATILITY: This unit captures great sound. Make no bones about it. For most podcasting applications this not only suffice, but excel. The results you can get with it when recording an instrument are surprisingly good too. USABILITY: The microphone can be adjusted up to 90 degrees to ensure you can get the best angle to record with and the plug-and-play design makes it easy to whip out and get going should opportunity strike when you’re out in a field somewhere. CONSTRUCTION: The mic doesn’t come with any leads, instead it plugs straight into your iOS device’s Lightning port. It feels solid when connected, and rugged enough
resonates well, and boasts a clarity you’d expect from an instrument well beyond this price point. OVERALL: If you, or someone you know is thinking about getting into the Ukelele, this is a really great place to start. The kit comes with everything you need to get going. Really, for aspiring Uke players it’s a no brainer.
emulated spring tension knobs. USABILITY: With six different options to play with and a variety of tones possible by adjusting each parameter, there are a lot of variations possible for guitarists looking to add some classic reverb to their sound. It is as obvious to use as it looks and as delightfully complex in sound as you could hope for. CONSTRUCTION: The solid metal casing and on/off switch will be rugged enough for your gigging needs. OVERALL: The warmth, depth and accuracy of this pedal is very impressive, definitely one for fans of classic 60s reverb.
to cope with the rigors of field recording. OVERALL: On top of people looking to record for news or podcasting purposes, this will work best for those who are recording rehearsals or ideas, because while it won’t give you record-worthy fidelity, it’s a strong enough performer to adequately capture the nuances of a performance.
1 Spot PRO CS12 DISTRIBUTED BY: EGM Distribution
EXPECT TO PAY: $375 RECOMMENDED FOR: The Guitarist looking for a ton of power, power supply versatility and/or to combat unwanted noise and hum. SOUND/VERSATILITY: With 12 fully isolated outputs the CS12 delivers distinct versatility and functionality. On board are five voltage options – one 18VDC output, six 9VDC outputs (four of which are switchable to 12VDC), a variable 4-9VCD output, and 9VAC output – meaning one can use numerous pedals simultaneously, while also incorporating the use of Line 6, Digitech or any other aged analogue pedals. USABILITY: The use of switching power supply technology allows for a spatially rich inside – long gone is the big wearisome transformer – which produces unprecedented electrical isolation. This acts to tackle unwanted digital noise, each output galvanically isolated from the next, offering definite electronic separation. Accompanying this ingenuity is the use of analogue circuits, delivering advanced 54
Markbass Nano Mark 300 DISTRIBUTED BY: CMC Music Australia
noise suppression. All that’s left for you to do is plug in. CONSTRUCTION: The CS12 model is beastly in appearance, and rugged in make, housed in hardened steel. It weighs in at just over a measly kilogram, yet has been undeniably developed to stand up to the rigours of touring and regular use. It also includes brackets for mounting under Pedaltrain pedalboards – a welcomed accessory. OVERALL: With clever, practical engineering it brings to the table a formidable level of power primed for multi-dimensional use. Not everyone is going to need its advanced capabilities, however for those working a significant and complex board, it will be the last power supply you buy.
EXPECT TO PAY: $950 RECOMMENDED FOR: Bass players looking to escape the burden on bulky gear without sacrificing an ounce of tone. SOUND/VERSATILITY: For a little over a decade, Markbass have made a point of producing extremely portable bass heads that come packed with a punchy, yet versatile tonality. This newest and smallest iteration of their expertise is no exception; the Nano Mark 300’s voicing is clear and pointed with an incredible amount of projection. USABILITY: Far from lopping off options in order to stuff everything into such a tiny package, the Nano Mark 300 has all of the tone-shaping abilities of its bigger siblings.
Separate input and gain controls send your signal into the EQ stage at just the right temperature; dual mid-range dials as well as low and high end sweep allow ultimate tonal pliability and the master volume allows access to all 300 watts of power. CONSTRUCTION: Weighing in at around 1.5kg and only 20cm across the faceplate, the Nano Mark 300 is probably the most portable bass amp on the market. OVERALL: ‘Tiny yet mighty’ is the Nano Mark 300’s motto, and it more that lives up to this promise. Tonally precise and with more bark than a Jack Russell Terrier, these amps are perfect for the bass player with a long road ahead.
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Gift Guide Crafter Silver Series HTe600 Acoustic Guitar
Crafter GXE600CD Guitar DISTRIBUTED BY: Drumpartner/Musicpartner
EXPECT TO PAY: $1199 RECOMMENDED FOR: The serious and considered guitarist who is looking to tread a darker path. SOUND/VERSATILITY: For an orchestra style body shape, the GXE600CD sounds and even feels much more like a dreadnought. The exploration of cedar as the main tone wood lends the voicing a density and booming earthiness that is refreshingly arresting. This smoky darkness is offset only slightly by the chime offered by the slimmed curves around the sides and the freshness of the D’Addario Phosphor Bronze strings. USABILITY: Not only does it sound intense, but also playing it is more like dancing with The Phantom. The matte finish on the neck and fretboard flows like velvet beneath your grip and its slender profile gives just enough resistance as to leave you wanting more. CONSTRUCTION: Every inch of the GXE600CD feels immaculate to hold, with the solemnity of the craftsmanship eking
DISTRIBUTED BY: Drumpartner/Musicpartner
from every pore. The density of the cedar, which is in part responsible for that throaty quality, makes it one of the heavier guitars I’ve picked up in a while but that little extra effort is absolutely worth it for that triumphant tonality. OVERALL: An unexpectedly beautiful guitar to add to the most sincere collection. Refined, dignified and reverent to play elegant and melancholic to listen to.
DISTRIBUTED BY: Drumpartner/Musicpartner
DISTRIBUTED BY: Drumpartner/Musicpartner
with a decent weight to back up the tone. OVERALL: It can be said that cymbals are to drummers somewhat like effects pedals are to guitarists. Because of that, you can always have a few more to expand your sound. The Vibra range does just that and will certainly give drummers the world over the chance to expand their sound.
EXPECT TO PAY: $1199 RECOMMENDED FOR: Guitarists looking for tonal flexibility in unexpected places. SOUND/VERSATILITY: Just about every amp on the market talks about the myriad of tonal possibilities housed within, few however stray very far from the path that they themselves have beaten. ENGL have for a long time flown the heavy music banner almost exclusively, however in the Gigmaster 15 they have added incredible body, depth and sensitivity to the clean stage without sacrificing the all-important grunt factor. USABILITY: The front panel lays forth all the usual suspects EQ wise with the added option of a mid-boost switch which is less about ‘presence’ and more about girth. Input gain allows you to serve up anywhere from delicate cleans to burnt black overdrive while the separate output level for the Lead channel allows you to balance the two stages evenly. The back
Lakland Skyline 55-01 Bass Guitar
Dingwall Combustion 4 Bass Guitar
DISTRIBUTED BY: Bass Centre
DISTRIBUTED BY: Bass Centre
EXPECT TO PAY: $1799 DISTRIBUTED BY: Bass Centre RECOMMENDED FOR: Bass players with a penchant for beauty who are in the market for a 5-string. SOUND AND VERSATILITY: Super versatile the 55-01 could be right at home for rock, pop, funk, soul, blues and much more. A pair of Bartolini soapbar pickups, 3 band preamp and the ability to switch between active and passive modes mean you can get clear, punchy focused tones right down to the low B. Push the midrange a little to add some honk and you’ll edge into more old school tones. USABILITY: I like the neck profile on the 55-01 which gives you something hold onto without being overly chunky. The control set is easy to get used to with a Master Volume and balance control setting levels and the 3 band EQ for tone tweaking. A comfy player it’d also be a nice introduction for 4 players wanting to test out something with a low B.
EXPECT TO PAY: $1999 RECOMMENDED FOR: The seasoned bass player who’s after a sleek and modern looking bass with versatility. SOUND AND VERSATILITY: Perhaps the modern-ish looks give an impression of Metal, Rock, Djent and Prog styles but you’d be surprised how well the Combustion handles Funk, Pop and even some vintage vibes too. The dual soapbars and active/ passive toggle let you tweak quite considerably and with nice sustain and low end thud you can get a little old school as well as smash out modern punchy tones. USABILITY: An easy player the Combustion feels like a nicely balanced modern bass. Five control pots give you Master Volume, Pickup rotary selector and 3band EQ with a toggle switch for active or passive operation. Other than that it’s the fan fret design which might have you a little hesitant at first. Be assured though, it’s no real huge difference to your playing technique. Indeed, most people jump
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CONSTRUCTION: The mahogany tone wood of the back and sides, as mentioned above, extends all the way along the matte finish neck. Rosewood fingerboard is finished with curlicue inlay that matches that found on the headstock and around the sound hole, which engenders the instrument with a sleek, almost feminine wile. OVERALL: An earnestly playable, elegant and modern guitar at a modest price-point.
ENGL Gigmaster 15 Watt Head
UFIP Vibra Cymbal Range EXPECT TO PAY: From $525 RECOMMENDED FOR: Let’s face it, every drummer out there would love to have more cymbals, and the new UFIP Vibra range is the ideal addition to any cymbal collection to add tone and texture to the overall sound. SOUND AND VERSATILITY: There is a good selection of sizes in the range, with crashes going right up to 21” for a big, powerful sound, along with ride cymbals that offer great lengthy decay and brilliant pop from the bells. USABILITY: As a complete set, or simply used as additions to an existing setup, the UFIP Vibra cymbals offer some great tonal colouration that isn’t found in just any cymbal. These cymbals are not genre specific; they will work well added to just about any kit, for just about any drummer. CONSTRUCTION: The hand-hammered B20 cast bronze are made to an exacting standard. These cymbals are really nicely finished and have plenty of meat to them,
EXPECT TO PAY: $599 RECOMMENDED FOR: Anyone looking for a guitar with a little finesse and a lot of attitude. SOUND/VERSATILITY: Mahogany back and sides with spruce across the top; it’s a combination you’ve heard dozens of times and probably played dozens more, but it’s one that exemplifies the age old adage ‘if it ‘aint broke don’t fix it.’ The Crafter HTE600 is a rich, chiming and elegant sounding guitar with a broad frequency range that speaks primarily to modern rock but is ready, willing and able to give back everything you put in. USABILITY: The neck profile is a deep ‘C’ shape, on the chunkier side of life but not so much that it plays like a baseball bat. The custom Crafter C4T pick-up system is equipped with a four band EQ, phase switch and back lit tuner and is charged with as transparent a voicing as the guitar itself deserves.
CONSTRUCTION: Coming in a range of colours – Antique White, Natural, Black and Three Tone Sunburst Lakland’s finishes on the 55-01 really look nice. Clean and understated I dig the no pickguard look and with quality parts it feels like a serious instrument that’s built to last. OVERALL: Such a good bass at such a good price the Lakland 55-01 definitely deserves a look if you’re in the market for a Pro Level 5 (at a considerably cheaper price!). The kind of instrument that’ll cover you across most gigs with ease it’s a great player that sounds good at a good price.
panel offers a choice of the full 15, 5 or 1-watt RMS as well as silencing the speaker out altogether, which is great for silent recording via DI. CONSTRUCTION: The Gigmaster 15 is built from all the same toughened materials as its more hefty counterparts, all the way down to the 12AX7 power tubes; it just leaves more room on top of the cab for the rider. OVERALL: A powerful, gig ready amp with a gruff exterior that hides unprecedented sensitivity.
on and play normally within their first few notes and play as if they’ve used varying scale lengths all their life. CONSTRUCTION: With their modern looks and fan fret design the Dingwall Combustion basses are a real eye catcher as a starting point. Look further and you get the Dingwall production ethos used on many of their more expensive basses. Dual soapbar pickups, active preamp and a range of specs (colours and Rosewood/Maple fretboards etc) make for a sweet instrument. OVERALL: A super playing the bass the Combustion also stacks up dollar wise against many similar priced (and indeed more expensive) basses. A great introduction to the Dingwall name but not a sub par entry level instrument by any stretch of the imagination. Cool tones, cool looks and a serious player. 55
Gift Guide BluGuitar AMP1
Pedaltrain Classic Pro With Tour Case
DISTRIBUTED BY: EGM Distribution
EXPECT TO PAY: $1499 RECOMMENDED FOR: The guitarist wanting to nail a diverse range of tones and increase their digital functionality, all without the hefty price tag of a vintage amp and/or multiple digital pedals. SOUND/VERSATILITY: The BluGuitar AMP1 is a 100-watt guitar amplifier with a valve driven output stage that fits onto a pedalboard – it’s a pedal that effectively replaces the use of an amp. This is a forward thinking unit that still offers a sweet clean channel and interacts well with other pedals. For recording it offers notable speaker simulation output, and includes a headphone output. Overall it packs a powerful punch for its small stature. USABILITY: With four modifiable channels, switchable and adjustable boost and reverb controls, and three integrated footswitches the AMP1 brings to the fore parameters that all guitarists will be familiar with, all the while delivering great depths of tone – from fat, meaty bass to articulate trebles.
DISTRIBUTED BY: EGM Distribution
Between the multiple overdrive channels, the boost and reverb, it’s really up to you how much you get out of it – there’s a lot on offer here with simple adjustments. CONSTRUCTION: It’s been constructed to fit in a gig bag, and with Easylock technology – Bluguitar’s magnetic attachment system – it can be securely attached to and removed from a single handle on your pedalboard or cab. OVERALL: Some vintage enthusiasts will shy away from this technologically fresh and inventive pedal. However for those looking to try something new, the AMP1 does a tremendous job at replicating a plethora of vintage, classic and modern tones with the use of user-friendly controls.
EXPECT TO PAY: $855 with case RECOMMENDED FOR: The pedal-enthused guitarist boasting a myriad of effects in different shapes and sizes. This is made for regular gigging and effect-laden styles. SOUND/VERSATILITY: With traditional rail spacing separating five rails, the Classic Pro can harness numerous different sounds – there’s room for a wah pedal, multi-processor’s, multiple distortions, modulators, an EQ and tuner… the list goes on. USABILITY: An open front design ensures power supply and switching system mounting is made easy. With 160” of Pedaltrain’s professional grade adhesive backed hook-and-loop pedal fastener and a diverse range of zip ties included with the board, securing pedals is straightforward and, most importantly, extremely effective. CONSTRUCTION: The Classic Pro’s frame is made with aircraft grade aluminium, a dynamic material that is robust with a hard
exterior, yet remains sleek and lightweight (2.72kg). It’s built to take a belting time after time without its functionality ever being compromised. The pedalbaord can be purchased with either Pedaltrain’s remodelled fitted soft case – encased with a sturdy metal zipper and reinforced pressure points – or their newly designed professional-grade tour case, weighting in at just over 11kg (approximately 35% lower than previous models. OVERALL: There’s nothing worse than having a complete pedal setup without the organisation to utilise it properly. The Pedaltrain Classic Pro offers versatility and reliability to get organised – to conveniently order your pedal chain, to make changes on the go, and to be able to lug it from gig to gig with very little fuss. It should be the foundation for any guitarist using multiple pedals on a regular basis.
Marshall Code 50 Amplifier DISTRIBUTED BY: Electric Factory
Mapex Prodigy 5-Piece Drum Kit DISTRIBUTED BY: Electric Factory
EXPECT TO PAY: $749 RECOMMENDED FOR: This is a great option for a young beginner who is looking for a complete kit that isn’t overly large, the 20” kick drum keeps the entire kit to a manageable size, yet still sounds big and punchy. SOUND AND VERSATILITY: The Prodigy is capable of sounding like a kit in a higher price bracket if you tweak the Remo heads properly and get each drum sitting right in the mix. USABILITY: Complete with hardware, hihats and a crash/ride cymbal, this is all
set to annoy the neighbours on Christmas day and continue doing so for many years to come. CONSTRUCTION: The “ball in socket” tom arm attachments make for easy setup and adjustment of the rack toms to suit any player’s style and size. The finish looks neat and the double braced stands should hold up to the intended use. OVERALL: This is a great kit that comes in at a price point of many lesser brands, yet it bears the Mapex logo and the build quality that comes with this.
EXPECT TO PAY: $549 RECOMMENDED FOR: This seems to be the “must have” device for guitarists this year, as demand continues to grow. Whether you are starting out and want an amp with plenty of options, or if you’re an experienced player looking for classic tones on a smaller scale, the Code 50 has what you need. SOUND AND VERSATILITY: With classic Marshall amp modelling, the Code 50 offers you all the sounds of those big amps that you can’t find or can’t use in most situations. They sound pretty spot on too, for a compact combo. USABILITY: As well as great amp sounds and a host of effects, you can also stream audio via Bluetooth to your Code and play along. This takes the Marshall amplifier to the next level. CONSTRUCTION: These are a solidly built combo, but they are not too large or heavy. Easy enough to cart it to a rehearsal, yet rugged enough to handle a
Hagstrom Ultra Swede DISTRIBUTED BY: Pro Music
Soultone Noa Cymbal Pack DISTRIBUTED BY: Electric Factory
EXPECT TO PAY: $899 RECOMMENDED FOR: This is a great starting point for someone wanting to upgrade the cymbals on a beginner’s kit, or for the travelling drummer who needs a smaller cymbal set for portability. SOUND AND VERSATILITY: Made from B20 alloy, like other Soultone cymbals, these certainly sound great for the price point, and the smaller 13” hi-hats make it a bit of a standout against so many other cymbal packs out there. USABILITY: Designed to be airline compliant, this cymbal pack is perfect for 56
travel as it fits within the regulations for carry-on luggage. Now you don’t need to worry about the baggage handlers throwing your cymbals around and destroying them in transit. CONSTRUCTION: A nicely finished cymbal made from the same alloy as all Soultone cymbals. Ready to take a beating and meet the demands of drummers of all skill levels. OVERALL: Without breaking the bank, the NOA cymbal pack offers great quality cymbals in a compact size range that is ideal for touring and travelling to and from rehearsals.
EXPECT TO PAY: $999 RECOMMENDED FOR: Those looking for a powerhouse solid-body guitar with a look all of its own SOUND/VERSATILITY: While at first glance the Ultra Swede conjures ideas of Les Paul, in reality it’s a totally different beast. While you can certainly get classic sustaining humbucker sounds, the coil-split mode offers another layer of versatility – adding some jangly single coil tones to the Swede’s arsenal. The neck pickup is warm without sounding dull, while the bridge pickup shines when paired with a little dirt for singing, expressive tones. USABILITY: The Ultra Swede would be at home with most styles of music, but the
few bumps along the way. And of course, they have that classic Marshall look to the grill and vinyl, only with a modern edge. OVERALL: These were probably the most talked about amplifier of the last 12 months, so it is a sure bet that the guitarist in your family is likely to have this on their Christmas list.
custom 62 pickups push this guitar into the realm of players who feel most at home with a healthy dose of overdrive behind them. CONSTRUCTION: The surprisingly light body is complemented with Hagstrom’s ultra-slim neck profile, paired with a very playable D shape, resulting in a fret board that’ll work well for those with fast and dexterous playing styles. The ‘H-Expander’ truss rod allows for a low action, working in tandem with the Hagstrom’s trademarked Sustain Block Tailpiece to maximise each string’s vibration. OVERALL: If you’re looking for a guitar that can offer some classic humbucker grunt while also covering your bases for singlecoil tones, the Ultra Swede is more than a worthy choice. Coupled with Hagstrom’s Swedish design and history, it’s a cut above the rest that stands out from the pack. mixdownmag.com.au
Gift Guide Hagstrom Viking
Audio Technica LP5 Direct Drive Turntable
DISTRIBUTED BY: Pro Music
EXPECT TO PAY: $1349 RECOMMENDED FOR: Guitarists after a versatile, easy-playing instrument that excels at blues, jazz and rock sounds. Sound/Versatility: The semi-hollowbody build gives a great resonance and bloom to the Viking, amounting to a lush, three dimensional sound. If you’re a fan of classic 335 tones, the Viking has it in spades. However, far from a mere imitation – Hagstrom have ensure this is a guitar that stands on its own. The two Hagstrom-made pickups offer you traditional three-way selection, with the neck pickup suitably rounded and the bridge pickup getting you some serious rock’n’roll bite. USABILITY: Unless you’re after high-gain metal sounds, there’s not much the Viking can’t do. As far as Hagstrom guitars go, this is one of their most popular builds – and for good reason too. The HJ50 humbuckers are versatile beasts, and coupled with the tone knobs cover a wide gamut of styles, making this a guitar you could use in
DISTRIBUTED BY: Technical Audio Group
countless live and recording situations. CONSTRUCTION: Like most Hagstroms, the Viking is built with playability in mind. The 15” radius neck is a joy to get around, and it makes complex jazz voicings that little bit easier to stretch for. As an added bonus, Hagstrom’s ‘Resinator’ wood used in this guitar is a composite material that offers more density than traditional options – eliminating dead spots and offering more harmonics and overtones for a nuanced sound. OVERALL: For a semi-hollowbody guitar that looks, sounds, and plays great, the Viking is definitely worth your while.
EXPECT TO PAY: $799 RECOMMENDED FOR: This is the turntable that record enthusiasts and vinyl snobs alike can all make the most of. Designed for critical listening when only the best will do. SOUND AND VERSATILITY: Shipped with an AT95EX high performance cartridge – specifically designed for this turntable – the LP5 offers the best audio quality and listening experience in the Audio Technica range. USABILITY: Simplicity is the key with this turntable, as it offers only a selection of 33 RPM, 45 RPM and Stop. Other than these three options, the rest is left to the record to tell the story. CONSTRUCTION: The tone arm on this turntable is brilliant, with perfect balance offered to work with the built in stabilizing to ensure no unwanted resonance finds its way into your playback. The solid chassis also goes a long way to ensuring your
Audio Technica LP120-USB Direct Drive Turntable
Yamaha DGX-660B Portable Grand Piano
DISTRIBUTED BY: Technical Audio Group
DISTRIBUTED BY: Yamaha Music Australia
EXPECT TO PAY: $599 RECOMMENDED FOR: For the vinyl enthusiast who wants to digitize their record collection, or for someone looking to get into DJing the way it was meant to be done, the LP120-USB delivers the goods. SOUND AND VERSATILITY: With a built in AD converter and USB output, you can capture all the tracks on your records and drag them onto your computer for future listening and safe storage. The AD conversion quality is great, with the record’s natural character kept true in the process. USABILITY: For home users, or for DJs alike, this is a turntable that is easy enough to set up and works well so long as you set the tone arm correctly. The extended pitch range and quartz lock is a nice touch too, especially when mixing between genres. CONSTRUCTION: This is a sturdy, solid and rather heavy turntable, designed to handle
EXPECT TO PAY: $1599 RECOMMENDED FOR: Both beginner and intermediate piano players will enjoy this keyboard. SOUND/VERSATILITY: The DGX-660B has both the natural feel of a piano as well as the sound, with a great selection of instruments in its memory bank and a range of rooms that can be selected. With the touch of a button your living room can sound like a concert hall with a grand piano in it. Also included is a 6.5mm microphone input to accommodate singing along with any of the tracks played from its library. There is also the ability to record both vocal and instrument to USB, so you can capture your performances. This makes the DGX a very powerful songwriting tool, and when coupled with the new wireless control option that pairs the keyboard, with an iOS device, this could be a big part of your studio setup as well.
all the punishment a DJ is likely to throw at it. Built to a similar design as the classic silver topped turntables of the 80’s and 90’s, this one will also go the distance. OVERALL: The LP120 is a great blend between studio device and live performance tool. Great for DJs, producers and home users alike.
USABILITY: The keyboard has a graded hammer action with a realistic piano-like feel to the 88 keys. They have a nice weight to them in both their depression and release, setting this up as not only a great beginner’s tool, but also as an instrument an accomplished pianist will enjoy playing. CONSTRUCTION: With an installed speaker, sub-woofer, and tweeter as well as a professional cabinet stand, this is no lightweight construction job. OVERALL: In all, this is a great stalwart of the Yamaha range that has had some very clever updates to bring it well into the future.
The Supro 1600 Supreme
Yamaha Revstar RS320 DISTRIBUTED BY: Yamaha Music Australia
DISTRIBUTED BY: Dynamic Music
EXPECT TO PAY: $599.99 RECOMMENDED FOR: Guitarists of all ability levels who are interested in producing a classic rock sound with an instrument made from quality parts without the heavy price tag. SOUND/VERSATILITY: The RS320’s ceramic YDG humbucker pickups capture a standard, yet effective dual-coil tone. They are heavy, deep and powerful – made for rock’n’roll, blues and will even hold up under the duress of some metal styles. There’s a rewarding boldness here; playing on the bridge hints at a classic tremolo with a shimmering presence and a radiant top-end, while switching to the neck embellishes the low-end and midrange for a solid tone, built on depth. The middle pickup touches on a nice balance between twang and punch. USABILITY: The neck profile is thin and for a base model plays consistently smoothly with quite a fast action. It’s an all-round player that won’t stand in the way of movement up and down the neck.
EXPECT TO PAY: $2499 RECOMMENDED FOR: Guitarists after a classic SOUND/VERSATILITY: The name Supro is already written into rock’n’roll history, instrumental to the sound of classic ‘British Invasion’ rock bands likes of Led Zeppelin and The Stones. This tribute amp to the original Supro 1600 follows its predecessor’s design with an all tube tone and a clear, punchy sound with unrivaled clarity. Just like the original 1600, this is perfect for dirty blues, hard rock, clean country twang and even warm jazz. USABILITY: Part of what made the Supro 1600 so popular was its flexibility, but thankfully this new model has not added a load of newfangled gadgets to appease the market. Instead the 1600 Supreme keeps it simple with the classic Class-A 6V6 tone, which can be heard thanks to the 1600 Supreme’s power section, providing a distinctive attack and natural tube compression.
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get the best quality audio playback and accurate speed on the platter. OVERALL: This isn’t a toy, far from in fact. This is the turntable to consider when you want to sit back in your listening chair, with a glass of the family estate and truly immerse yourself in some golden oldies. The ultimate listening experience starts with the LP5.
CONSTRUCTION: The nato wood body provides some fatness and girth to the tone – it’s a dense wood that gets a lot out of its rather compact package. Despite being the being the base model in this series, with a custom solid body, custom pickups and an eye-catching finish, Yamaha have not skimped on the quality of the guitar’s parts or construction. OVERALL: This is a classically made guitar that does the little things well. With customised pickups and a unique build, Yamaha have gone to great lengths in order to articulate a vintage rock sound – one that they have successfully captured in an affordable, no-nonsense package.
CONSTRUCTION: The output stage features a custom, high-powered 10” driver and generally remains true to the workings of the original 1600. There is no beam blocker in front of the 1600 speaker, facilitating maximum throw and crystal-clear treble response from this vintage inspired tube amplifier. OVERALL: An update on a classic amp that could previously only be bought for a small fortune is now available for all to own. 57
Gift Guide
Blue Yeti Pro Studio Microphone
Virtual Jeff Tremelo System DISTRIBUTED BY: Dynamic Music
EXPECT TO PAY: $699 RECOMMENDED FOR: Players who want to add a whammy bar to their instrument, without having to deal with added neck stress or tuning problems. SOUND/VERSATILITY: Amazingly, the Virtual Jeff works just as well on an acoustic guitar as it does on an electric. While the idea of an acoustic whammy may sound strange, once its equipped you’ll realise that this an effect that works equally well for subtle vibrato as well as outrageous octave-swooping dive bombs. USABILITY: Far from a one trick pony, the Virtual Jeff has more up its sleeve than first meets the eye. The added stomp box controller makes it easy to cycle through presets, with four selectable options each for both Mode A and Mode B. This ranges all the way from one semitone, to two octaves down. It all results in a device that can create everything from faux pedal steel sounds to Jeff Beck-inspired dives. CONSTRUCTION: Unobtrusive, ergonomic
DISTRIBUTOR: Amber Technology
and built to last, the Virtual Jeff is designed to give you whammy capabilities that you’re able to control by hand – making for a more expressive sound than simply using a foot pedal. Best of all, it’s well considered production means you won’t have to put your guitar through the ringer to equip one – no routing or modifications required. OVERALL: Whether you play the guitar, bass or even the mandolin – the Virtual Jeff will get you a one way ticket to whammy town. If you’re looking for an upgrade that’s easy to make and keen to explore the next generation of whammy technology – look no further.
Darkglass Microtubes 900 Bass Head
PreSonus Studio One Artist. CONSTRUCTION: This is a heavy microphone, but don’t worry, it comes on a suitably heavy base so it will sit stable on any bench and can easily be angles to suit your recording needs. OVERALL: A combination of traditional condenser and USB microphone, with the option of using either output forms; this is a very cleverly designed microphone that will bring great tone to any recording along with a range of options and possibilities.
Sakae Metal Snare Drums DISTRIBUTED BY: Hot Apple Distribution
DISTRIBUTED BY: Bass Centre
EXPECT TO PAY: $1599 RECOMMENDED FOR: Uncompromising bass players looking for a small-scale amp solution, without sacrificing tone. SOUND AND VERSATILITY: Pristine clean to edgy rumble through to serious distorted tones. Here you will find tonnes of EQ flexibility with the ability to blend the Clean side of the amp with the ‘Microtubes Engine’ to add some dirt. Plenty of versatility to give you options for live and studio work. A great sounding amp! USABILITY: The Microtubes 900 front panel is well laid out with the Clean section of the amp controls on the right and the Microtubes Engine on the left. Otherwise it’s essentially plug and play with some added controls for active/passive basses and then various I/O on the back panel. Could easily be at home in a big touring rig, studio setup down to rehearsals or bedroom jammers.
EXPECT TO PAY: $559 RECOMMENDED FOR: This is the microphone that can do it all, for musicians, podcasters, engineers, interviewers and just about anyone else. Anyone serious about audio quality and looking for ease of use should consider this microphone. SOUND AND VERSATILITY: For use in a range of applications, this is a beautiful sounding condenser microphone that delivers the tonal quality that we have come to expect from Blue. Used as a USB converter, or direct stereo out to an existing preamp, there are plenty of options. USABILITY: The stereo XLR output allows for the Figure of 8 pickup pattern to be used in a two person recording situation with stunning results on two separate tracks. USB connection and monitoring makes it super easy to get great results into any software, like the included
CONSTRUCTION: Clean, modern and understated the Microtubes 900 looks slick and seems to be built tough. Like all the Darkglass gear you should have no worries putting it through its paces. OVERALL: Darkglass have really been on a roll of late and the Microtubes 900 has been highly anticipated by the bass world. It’s finally here and players of all styles should find a sound they like. With its hip looks and smallish form factor it’s a damn cool package. 900 watts and plenty of EQ tweakability make it a serious contender in the bass head market.
EXPECT TO PAY: Special Xmas price of $525-$775 RECOMMENDED FOR: Drummers who are after quality construction and the lively response of a metal snare. SOUND/VERSATILITY: With a range of metal snares including Steel, Aluminium and Black Nickel Brass, there is a lot to be said for including a metal snare in your drum kit. While you won’t get the warm sound of wood, these drums offer a different sort tonality and would be useful in a variety of applications and genres. USABILITY: You will need to experiment a little with how you approach these snares and the impact the sound has on your playing, but that’s half the fun. CONSTRUCTION: As you would expect from Sakae, these are extremely sturdy drums, and are available in 14x5.5 or 14x6.5. The shells are rolled and welded before being chrome plated and the bridge lugs are made of aluminum and are separated from the shell with rubber gaskets.
OVERALL: These are extremely well made and versatile snare drums made by one of the best in the game, well worth checking out for drummers who are looking for something new.
Distributor Details: Fender Australia - www.fender.com.au Hot Apple Distribution - hotapple.com.au Link Audio - www.linkaudio.com.au Amber Technology - www.ambertech.com.au Australasian Musical Supplies - www.austmusic.com.au Bass Centre - www.basscentre.com.au CMC Music - www.cmcmusic.com.au Drum Partner / Music Partner - www.drumpartner.com.au Dynamic Music - www.dynamicmusic.com.au EGM Distribution - www.egm.net.au Electric Factory - www.elfa.com.au Innovative Music Australia - www.innovativemusic.com.au Jands - www.jands.com.au Keeley Electronics - www.robertkeeley.com Pro Music - www.promusicaustralia.com Seltaeb Music - www.seltaeb.com.au Sound and Music - www.sound-music.com Studio Connections Australia - www.studioconnections.com.au Technical Audio Group - www.tag.com.au Yamaha Music Australia - au.yamaha.com 58
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Road Tests
AUDIOFLY AF1120 Six Driver In-Ear Monitors Audiofly | www.audiofly.com | RRP:$849.99
Many of you may not have even heard of Audiofly, I can put my hand up and say that until about a year ago when a pair of their headphones landed on my desk, I too hadn’t head of this Australian headphone company. But, you will all need to watch out for them in the future as they are set to change the way in which many of you listen to music. Audiofly is a company that was developed by musicians looking to design, create and manufacture headphones for musicians like themselves, so they have a special way of looking at a pair of ear buds. Based in Perth, Audiofly is a company that sprang to life in 2012 and like so many of the folk in the west, looked to migrate across to the other side of the country in search of great music and better coffee. Coming from a musical background, the team at Audiofly have developed their products to not only suit the needs of musicians, but also to appeal to those of you who just love listening to the quality audio reproduction of music. You don’t have to be a hipster with a boom box and jeans that don’t reach your ankles to appreciate classic music from years gone past, and Audiofly know this. They appreciate the design and engineering that went into vintage amplifiers and instruments and know why they stand the test of time. So, with this ideal behind them, they have developed a range of products that will continue to deliver great sounding music for years to come. And, at the top of the range in their IEM headphones sits the AF1120s, which, I am happy to report, I got to use exclusively this week. And in the words of someone that I don’t know, “these buds are alright.” 60
FORM AND FIT I’ve used all sorts of in-ear monitor headphones in my time and usually walk away with one complaint, the fit. There is no point having a great quality sound if it is uncomfortable or, in many cases, downright painful to wear certain earbuds for extended periods of time. The team at Audiofly seem to be cluey enough to realise this too, and went about ensuring that comfort was a key element to the AF1120s design. I often have issues getting moulded earbuds to sit right in my grotesquely oversized ears, but there didn’t seem to be any problem here. The Audiofly buds almost fell into place as they were hung over the ears and then settled nicely within the ear canal with the memory foam fittings. Best of all, the ones supplied on the earbuds out of the box hit the mark perfectly for me. There was no need to swap them over and over until I found the right ones, these were pretty much plug and play earphones. With a clever range of rubber cup fittings and memory foam ear tips, you will not only be able to find the right fit, but you will achieve comfort and
excellent isolation at the same time. On top of that, the woven cable that ran down the back was incredibly flexible and offered no discomfort at all when up against the skin. These earbuds are designed for comfort all round and trust me on this one, they deliver in spades. TAKE A LISTEN Of course, it isn’t all about how they look and how they feel. Admittedly they do look pretty snazzy, even though you can barely see them when fitted correctly. No, the real thing to pay attention to with these earbuds is how they sound, because that is why we are here to begin with. Without boring you about the technical jargon, going on at length about the six stage armature drivers set up in a dual three way configuration, I can truly say they sound spot on. There is no room to hide with the AF1120s, as everything gets heard in these buds. The clarity is astounding, with each instrument seemingly stepping out from the mix to be heard one at a time. All you had to do was listen to one element of the music and it jumped right out at you. Finally, the guitarist won’t need to ask to be turned up in the fold-back mix. Not as often anyway. What’s more, there is no false bottom end to make them sound bigger than they really are. It seems to be that so many headphones out there strive to deliver big, powerful bass, as if that is some prerequisite to music sounding professional. Let’s face it, if the track is mixed correctly, you shouldn’t be swimming in bass to begin with, so why would you want headphones that create this illusion? The short answer
is, if you really appreciate what you are listening to, you don’t want it washed out with excessive low end, and Audiofly have got that right. There is plenty of bass when the track delivers, but it still sits neatly in the mix and doesn’t overpower for the sake of big noting performance. If you truly want to hear what is going on whilst onstage, or just when listening at home, in the studio or out at the shopping centre getting a café latte after your morning workout, then you simply cannot look past the Audiofly AF1120 in-ear monitors. From me, it’s a big two thumbs up for these guys. BY ROB GEE
HITS • Wide tonal variety • Perfect balance • Impreccable playability MISSES • None
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Road Tests FENDER Deluxe Nashville Tele Fender Australia | www.fender.com.au | RRP:$1999
Fender is the undisputed home of the solidbody electric guitar. You simply can’t go past the trailblazing nature and subsequent longevity of their Tele and Strat models. For 66 years the Tele has been produced in multiple forms, never failing to surprise or surpass its own lofty expectations. It makes complete sense then that Fender would release the Deluxe Nashville Tele – channelling the sounds of Music Row in the home of country music. The guitar represents a total embrace of the typical Telecaster twang and bluesy warmth, with some juicy Strat-like additions. SUNRISE TO SUNSET A two-colour sunburst alder body is dressed in a gloss polyester finish, accompanied by a maple, modern C-shape neck, and maple fingerboard. It’s complemented by the noticeable grain of the alder body; visually the guitar captures the romanticism of its country music origin and inspiration. The 12” radius neck is noticeably thin, and the fret size is described as ‘narrow tall’. It’s a smooth, easy-player, with a contoured neck heel and a four-bolt asymmetrical neck plate, ensuring that all 22 frets are well and truly in play. The 12” radius fingerboard is, in turn, considerably flat and easy to traverse. There’s no doubting that this is an allround player, made for high velocity leads, winding bends, and resolute rhythm where you can really grab a hold of the neck. Other aesthetic attributes include the nickel/chrome hardware, classic knurled
flattop control knobs and a three-ply black/ white/black pickguard, all of which add to the guitar’s character. A SLICE OF TELE WITH A SPRINKLE OF STRAT There’s no going past the three-pickup design of the Deluxe Nashville Tele. At the bridge and neck are Vintage Noiseless Tele pickups, while in the middle position sits a Vintage Noiseless Strat pickup. The fiveway pickup selector and controls for master volume and master tone are your gateway to these highly responsive pickups – a sonic door that leads to classic Tele twang and brightness, with bumped up sustain and enriched tonal depth. On the bridge pickup the expressive nature of the highs and mids really come to the fore. With some added reverb you can produce some sweet and subtle highs made for fingerpicking and shimmering notes. However, the versatile nature of the guitar allows for greater attack as well, and for richly cutting and more angular passages –
BY CHRIS SCOTT
that classic piercing Tele tone with a great response. On the middle position the Strat pickup is used exclusively to create a buttery clean, with warmth and brightness. By adding a slight amount of overdrive you can dial in a nice hazy crunch and colouration, but it’s also great for clean lead. At position five the bridge pickup harnesses the guitar’s significantly rich tone, producing a lush articulation that welcomes OD for a warm crunch, and is sonically thicker than your average Tele.
HITS • • experience • •
MISSES • A hardcase would be nice
COUNTRY CALLING It’s hard to go past a Tele – and even harder to go past one with an added Strat pickup. This guitar bridges the gap between Fender’s two foundational pieces, successfully capturing that lively country twang with deeper tonal parameters. With the possible exception of metal, this is a worthy choice of weapon for just about every genre.
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Road Tests
CASIO MZ-X300 & MZ-X500
orchestra if you hit the keys hard, or just some strings if you play soft. Each layer can also be controlled via the drawbar sliders.
Shriro | shriro.com.au | RRP: MZ-X500: $1,999.95 MZ-X300: $1,499.95
EDITING SOUNDS Once you’ve decided on a tone you can actually get very deep into sculpting that tone even further by tapping edit. All of the usual suspects on your standard synths are here; envelopes, filters, velocity sensitive etc, as well as the ability to edit the effects. The organ editing options are extensive, with options going as far as running noise and drawbar leakage. It’s a bit of menu diving, but it’s all very painless and fast with the big touch screen. Available effects include a range of reverbs and delays, chorus, flanger and phasers and plenty more too numerous to list. There is a touch screen X/Y pad to help you find the perfect setting for each effect, or you can just adjust in real time. Reverb, chorus and delay can work as sends, which is a great feature to ensure that you don’t lose all the detail in your sound. Once you’re happy with your creation, you can save it as a preset in one of the user tone slots.
The MZ-X300 and MZ-X500 are Casio’s new flagship digital keyboard arrangers, with the MZ-X500 featuring a handful of extra features and sound capabilities. Both models feature 9 drawbar organ sliders that double as a mixer, powerful inbuilt speakers totalling 40 watts of output, 61 velocity sensitive keys, mod-wheel and pitch bend wheel, a 5.3 inch colour touch screen, MIDI and audio recording, auto accompaniment with rhythm control and plenty more. The keyboards are so jam-packed full of sounds and features they’re probably more suited to the ‘workstation’ name with sound editing and interface features that outdo many competitors at this price point, so let’s take a closer look. FIRST IMPRESSIONS Upon turning on either unit, you’re greeted with one excellent sounding grand piano emulation, with a smidge of reverb. The keys aren’t fully weighted, but have a great feel and resistance with minimal wiggle. The two instruments are identical in size and shape, the only difference being that the MZ-X500 have16 pads, as opposed to the MZ-X300’s four. The bodies themselves are plastic but feel very sturdy and well made. I’m ordinarily fairly sceptical of built in speakers, but cranking up the volume on these machines proved they’re certainly up to the task of filling a reasonably large room. The touch screen is bright and easy to navigate for anyone that has used a smart phone before, with all features of both machines easily accessible via their own menus. SOUNDS The bank of buttons labelled ‘Registration’ are sets of preset group sounds, rhythms and effects. Tapping on the ‘Tone’ reveals the four sounds programmed onto your current registration, easily enabling you to turn any of the four tones on/off with a simple tap of the screen. Playing through the registration presets, it’s clear that the sounds are of an excellent and realistic quality. They are multi-layer and velocity switched with high-fidelity samples. There are 96 registration slots available to set-up your own presets with your sound, rhythm, accompaniment and effect combinations. Once you dig into the actual Tone menu you will see tones divided into eight categories: piano, organ, guitar/bass, strings, brass/ reed/pipe, synth, ‘ethnic’ and General MIDI. 62
Piano covers a huge range of sounds from Mellotron and Rhodes sounds, through to your 80s FM pianos and modern acoustic pianos. Organ covers just about every sound you could want, from overdriven rock to pipe to drawbar organs, the later using the physical sliders, with a range of period correct effects like phasers and rotary speakers. The guitar sounds are complete with string and fret noise, covering nylon and steel acoustic, right up to proggy flanged sounds and slap bass. Strings covers various degrees of orchestral realism with the additions of choir and synth strings options. Brass/Reed/Pipe covers all the usual suspects complete with noisy breath sounds - tubas, saxophones, trumpets, pan pipes, oboes, bassoons and synth brass. The Ethnic section is separated into Latin, Indonesian, Chinese and ‘Others’ - a lot of the featured instruments won’t be familiar to your average Australian user, but they’re a lot of fun and sound fantastic. General MIDI is full of your standard General MIDI sounds formed over the last few decades, not to say they aren’t without their uses. The Synth section features a vast range of modern and classic synth sounds and is one of the areas that the MZ-X500 differs from the MZ-X300, with an additional two categories on top of the X300’s lead and pad; bass synth and hex layers. Hex layers feature six sound modules layered onto one tone, and considering that you can have four separate tones playing at once, that’s a large amount of horsepower under the hood. A neat trick with the hex layers is to set sounds to only be triggered at a certain velocity, so you can get a roaring full
THE PADS The four pads on the MZ-X300 can play samples or phrases. The phrases will also automatically transpose to be in key with your auto-accompaniment’s chords if you choose, and can sync with the chosen tempo. The MZ-X500 has 16 velocity sensitive back-lit pads, which expand the functionality significantly with an added chord function and a ‘multi’ function that splits the 16 pads into functions of your choosing. For example, drum sample on one pad, chords on another, including MIDI generated musical inflections to what you’re playing on the keys. All of the options are accessible from the pads menu on the touch screen and both the MZX300 and MZ-X500 can also record custom samples to be played on the pads. RECORDING Being an arranger keyboard series, of course you can arrange a complete song using the inbuilt MIDI recorder. There are 16 tracks, plus the master track available for recording and arranging with a substantial 50,000
note sequencer capicity. The usual editing tools are there - cut, copy, paste and quantise. To bounce the audio out, you just to plug in a USB memory stick and you’re good to go. Records everything played in real-time on the keyboard (including accompaniment Styles, MIDI tracks), plus everything plugged into the numerous audio inputs (which can use the powerful on-board DSP EFX unit) as a .WAV file, as a “one-shot” recorder. FIRMWARE UPDATE Casio is committed to adding new features and sounds to the MZ-X300 and MZ-X500. The latest update is v1.4, which adds 40 new accompaniment rhythms (Australia’s Casio team are the leaders when it comes to the development of these new rhythms) and styles, significantly improving the already well featured library. Feature-wise it adds a playback function to the MIDI events editor, a custom file management system and an MP3 playback function. Updates are available as they are released via casio.com or soundtechnology.com.au. All in all, you get a lot of bang for your buck here. I was incredibly impressed with the depth of sound editing and the range of included sounds. The hex layers function on the MZ-X500 truly pushes the envelope as to what’s possible with the humble keyboard. Deciding between the two comes down to deciding what functionality you need and whether you’ll take advantage of the extra pad functionality and powerful sound sculpting of the MZ-X500. BY MICHAEL CUSACK
HITS • • • • •
MISSES • like a missed opportunity with the touchscreen. mixdownmag.com.au
Road Tests SOYUZ SU-017 Tube Condenser Microphone Studio Connections | studioconnections.com.au | Contact for Pricing
Every now and then a product arrives on my desk that really gets me excited. It usually has to be something very special to get any sort of reaction out of me, and that is exactly what the Soyuz SU-017 tube condenser microphone did this month. Before I even got it fully set up, in fact, before I even had it out of the box, I knew this microphone was rather special. The care and attention to detail that has gone into the packaging alone tell you that this is no ordinary microphone. There have been plenty of renowned engineers and producers raving about the SU-017, and after getting my hands on one, I can now see why. ATTENTION TO DETAIL Hand made in Russia, these microphones signify everything that is great about studio recording. Supplied with a heavy duty shock mount and external power supply, along with an oak case to house the microphone itself, every step of the building of this microphone has led to the end result being nothing short of a work of art. The bold design is similar in looks to certain other microphones around, but the overall finish and compete setup is truly the culmination of the hard work put in by the design team at Soyuz.
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THE SOUND There are a few microphones that have stood out in the course of recording history as being some of the greats, achieving that ’holy grail’ of sounds. The Neumann U-47 is one of those and it is also one microphone that the Soyuz SU-017 has been compared to by a number of producers. Sadly, I didn’t have a U-47 lying about to go head to head with, but I did listen to some comparisons between a U-67 and the Soyuz. The results were very similar, with the U-67 perhaps offering a little more low frequency response, but other than that the SU-017 held its own. In my own tests, I can honestly say this is the most beautiful sounding microphone I have heard in a long time. It is not too brittle
in the high frequencies, yet there is plenty of sparkle and the low range allows you to hear what is going on in the room as far as bass goes. And in the middle there is a brilliant warmth and a certain undefinable quality that just sounds so very sweet. If I had to record with just one microphone, I wouldn’t have any issue if this had to be it. The Soyuz SU-017 is the sort of microphone that doesn’t require much work in the post stage because the results it delivers directly sound so good to begin with. There is plenty of dynamic response, great clarity and rich warmth, it is like three of your favourite microphones all recorded together.
HITS • • •
MISSES • My budget
BY ROB GEE
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Road Tests YAMAHA FSX315C Yamaha Music Australia | au.yamaha.com | RRP: $449
Simplicity is an essential element in any successful learning process. For the uninitiated, basic chord shapes and the ins and outs of playing music are difficult enough without a combative and unforgiving instrument complicating the experience. With this in mind, Yamaha present the FSX315C, a guitar purpose built for even the least calloused hands. THE PERFECT START The vast majority of, for want of a better term, ‘entry level’ guitars are more or less the cheapest, palest imitation of bigger name builds that the designers can manage, without tarnishing the name of the company as a whole. Conversely, Yamaha have long been the go to for affordable instruments that go against the cheap and nasty first guitar trope. The FSX315C is a classic example of this idea as the only thing sacrificed here is the price tag. Composed of Spruce across the face and composite tropical tone woods forming the back and sides, the concertsized body is perfect for younger players as it is easy to get around in order to keep an eye on what your hands are doing. Its small profile also limits the volume of your playing without impeding any of that classic resonance, meaning that you can keep practicing well into the night without keeping up the rest of the house.
MADE OF THE RIGHT STUFF Every inch of the design is based on Yamaha’s iconic FG series, guitars that have proven to be the first love of generations of six stringers. The similarities in tone are particularly impressive with the signature balance and control across frequencies well and truly intact. The only real difference is the size; the body is smaller, the neck is narrower and the sound a few decibels more conservative. Otherwise everything about the playability of the FSX315C is as good as the rest of the family.
Every guitar player was a beginner once upon a time, all your heroes fumbled over barre chords as much as any of us, so why should buying your first rock box mean missing out on the experience of owning an honest and playable guitar. With the FSX315C it doesn’t; build quality, simplicity and playability all combine to put you in good stead while you’re warming up your chops.
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MISSES • bit throwaway when you first pick it up.
settings there’s a resounding smoothness that offers great definition with the use of both chords and notes. While elevating the Volume results in a harmonically rich, vintage grind.
Gladesville Guitar Factory | guitarfactory.ney | Contact for Pricing
WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF With the DC-30, Matchless have built an amp that can produce a genuine British ‘Class A’ tone night after night, jam after jam, gig after gig. On the outside it’s a beastly piece of machinery, weighing in at approximately 38kg and just generally looking like it could stand up to a major beating. The hand-made 11-ply, 3/4” Baltic birch cabinet is rugged and sturdy, finished in an ominous black vinyl. One of the first things you will notice when you turn on the DC-30 is Matchless’ signature backlit nameplate and control panel – the glowing beacon immediately grabbing your
BY LUKE SHIELDS
MATCHLESS DC-30 Amplifier For gear heads, musos and musical engineers the words ‘boutique manufacturer’ are part and parcel of their everyday vernacular. We see them regularly attached to new companies and products – stamped on everything from guitars and amps, to pedals and cables – often as a signifier for ingenuity, quality and care in make. Yet there existed a time when these notions of boutique innovation and excellence were only beginning to materialise. For amps this was in the early ‘90s and coincided with the launch of LA manufacturer Matchless Amplifiers. With their very first design – the Vox AC30-inspired DC-30 – they nailed classic British tones and, as such, put boutique production on the map. To this day the DC-30 still stands at the forefront of their meticulously refined range, a product of superb craftsmanship, time and effort.
HITS • without too much sacrifice.
The second channel is the hotter of the two. Yet for hi-gain settings it maintains excellent definition, never thinning out or falling subject to inconsistent sonic production. It’s fat and well-bodied, harnessing hi-gain settings while upholding a remarkable evenness. With each upward click of the six-position tone control there’s an added thickness and girth – its influence immediate and impactful.
attention. From the get-go it’s an amp that you want to treasure and cherish. Four EL84 power tubes – fuelled by a 12AX7 phase inverter – deliver 30 watts of power through two channels. The rectifier can alternate between one 5AR4 or two 5V4G’s, offering both a sharper response, and one that is delivered with greater curvature and tonal breadth. The preamp tubes used in channel one are two 12AX7’s, navigated with controls for Volume, Bass and Treble. Channel two on the other hand has one EF86 preamp tube and features a Volume control and a six-position Tone switch for easy, yet dynamic altering of tone. At the end of the control line are a Cut control for reducing highs at the output stage and a push/ pull by-passable Master Volume control.
Responsible for articulating all of these tonal parameters are a customized Celestion G12H30 and Celestion G12M Greenback. With a never ending list of professional, high-end features the DC-30 also boasts a half power mode switch (30 watts or 15 watts), an output impedance selector (4, 8, 16ohms), a speaker phase-reverse switch and an effects loop all located at the back of the chassis. STANDING THE TEST OF TIME On channel one we are met with a shimmering clean. The Treble control adds or decreases bite, while the Bass controls the low-end and overall roundness. These are familiar tones, produced with distinct articulation and clarity. With the use of the Cut control you can bump up the highs for beautiful, sparkling chimes. Across all
MATCHLESS IN NAME AND MAKE To this day Matchless Amplifiers continues to be synonymous with the myriad of benefits associated with boutique manufacturing. This is epitomised by the DC-30 – a high-end, handmade tube amp with the tone to match anything else out there on the market. BY CHRIS SCOTT HITS • in tone • shaping controls • • long-term investment set to deliver again and again MISSES • None mixdownmag.com.au
Road Tests PRESONUS Air12 Active Speaker LINK AUDIO | linkaudio.com.au | EXPECT TO PAY - $999
PreSonus is a name that first made its way into the audio world in studio equipment, with recording interfaces, preamps and controllers. However, many of you may not have known this, but over the years they extended their range to studio monitors and from there, grew the speaker offerings in both size and power to meet the demands of professional sound reinforcement applications. The latest offering in this range is the AIR12 from PreSonus which delivers quality audio at great volumes whilst still remaining portable. DUAL POWER The heart of the AIR12 powered speakers from PreSonus is the combined amplifier system. They have employed a Class D power amplifier for the 12” low frequency driver in order to supply plenty of power and keep the weight down. However, for the 1.35” high frequency driver they have instead chosen a Class A/B amplifier to produce a more natural sound high frequency response that isn’t brittle and glassy as can be the case with Class D amplification in this area. The result is a warmer, more natural sound, which still has plenty of air to it, hence the name, AIR12. And, let’s hand it to PreSonus for this, they have advertised these drivers as 500 watts and 200 watts respectively and rated the continuous power for each, and haven’t felt
coated handles on both the top and the sides, it is easy to get about with these. Perfect for any musician or group when portability, volume and sound quality are all essential. For those of you who thought PreSonus were just the guys that made blue coloured audio interfaces, you might want to get out more often, and while you’re at it, check out the AIR12 powered speakers, they’re not bad at all. the need to plump up the ratings with a peak power to make these speakers appear more impressive. You don’t need to meddle with the statistics to impress; you just need to deliver great sound with plenty of volume, which is exactly what the AIR12s do. DIGITAL CONTROL The AIR12s are equipped with a simple digital audio signal processor that makes it easy to customize your sound. There are a range of pre-sets for DJ application,
band use, acoustic instruments and general speech. EQ controls let you boost or cut by 10 dB to compensate for variations in the room. On the rear, it is all pretty simple, with just two combination XLR/ TRS inputs taking two microphone or line level inputs, with a mixed output on XLR. They are built into a sturdy box which has pole mounting and M10 fly points for installation purposes. The cabinet allows for the speakers to be angled on the floor and used as a wedge, and with rubber
BY ROB GEE HITS • amplifiers • • MISSES •
IZOTOPE Ozone 7 Elements Electric Factory | www.elfa.com.au | RRP: $115 until Jan 1, then $149
Ozone 7 Elements is iZotope’s slimmed down, budget and beginner friendly mastering plug-in solution. The idea of a mastering plug-in with very little in the way of technical control over your sound is fairly odd, but actually makes sense in this day and age where automated online mastering services like Landr have flourished. At least with Ozone Elements you have a degree of control and some human ears actually listening to the mix. Over the years Ozone, and now Ozone Advanced, have become the go-to mastering solution software for bedroom producers and professionals alike. However, there’s still a a lot to understand behind the theory and listening practices behind mastering. Accordingly, Ozone Elements has taken the power of the full versions and packaged it in a friendly interface that’ll get you results fast, which is perfect for demos and jam sessions. Rather than agonising over attack and release settings on compressors the user can get on with the fun stuff - making music. Upon loading up the plug-in, you’re presented with the preset browser, two macro controls, a maximizer threshold control and level controls. Presets are divided into three categories: deliveryspecific mastering, genre-specific master and signature presets. Cracking open the delivery-specific presets you’re given 66
a range of options suitable for a wide variety of real world applications like MP3 mastering, vinyl mastering and even a setting for laptop playback. When selected, each preset has a note disclosing instructions for best results and what the setting is designed to do. Also in the delivery-specific category is a sub-folder called all-purpose mastering with presets designed for a certain sound, ie. to emphasise bass, control dynamics, or brighten the overall mix. The genre-specific category is exactly what you’d expect; with presets designed for genres ranging from ‘light folk’ to ‘electronic clarity.’ The signature presets category contains a set of ten presets designed by mastering legend Greg Calbi. I assume at some point iZotope might add to this category, but it’s been a while since release now.
Most presets give you the option of cranking up, or down, the gain of the EQ curve and the Dynamics Amount, which adjusts the blend of your compressed audio vs. the dry audio acting as parallel compression. This is a great tool in itself for newbies to train their ears to recognise what’s good and not good. Maximizer threshold sets the point at which the look-ahead brick wall limiting is applied and applies make-up gain. Basically, lower the threshold and things get louder but you sacrifice dynamics, so it’s a balancing game. Another nifty feature is the gain matching button, which matches the loudness of your bypassed signal to your processed signal so you can concentrate on the actual changes in your mix rather than getting distracted by the increase in volume.
All in all, this is a handy and useful introduction to mastering. Veteran engineers may cringe at the idea of this plug-in, but in reality it does a pretty damn good job for the price, adding a more professional sheen to your demo, DJ mix or even final production. BY MICHAEL CUSACK HITS • Budget friendly • Great variety of presets • Ease of use MISSES None
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I N T R O D U C I N G
SPIDER V T O N A L LY E V O LV E D
Spider V 30 THERE’S A SPIDER V AMP FOR LEARNING, PRACTICING AND GIGGING GUITARISTS
Spider V 120
Spider V 240
Spider V 60
• Create your sound with over 200 newly refined amps, cabs and effects • Use LED colour-coded controls to select, build and edit your tone • 128 presets include iconic rigs and classic artist tones — choose a tone and play • Built-in wireless! Select models are compatible with the optional Relay G10T transmitter • Hone your timing and chops with real drummer loops and a built-in metronome * Relay G10T transmitter sold separately. Compatible with Spider V 60, Spider V 120, and Spider V 240 models only. The Relay G10T transmitter is compatible with typical 1/4" output jacks used on most passive and active instruments. Guitars that have non-standard jack wiring may require a 1/4" mono adapter for use with Relay G10T.
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Show & Tell Josh Simons of
Buchanan What piece of equipment do you have to show us today? A Yamaha AW-1600 Audio Workstation
What is it that you like so much about it? It’s robust and super responsive in a way that a DAW at the best, or worst, of times isn’t - that’s probably the thing I appreciate the most. But it also has a really interesting and quite nice sounding preamp, particularly when running a vocal through it.
How did you come across this particular item? We were looking for a more robust playback system after our first few tours. iPods were restricted to mono if you were to have click in one ear and laptops didn’t handle the vibrations too well, so we needed to look for something else. We researched what other MDs and artists used and I think it was Usher’s crew or someone like that who swore by these machines. In the years since, we’ve moved to Roland sampling pads for the live show, giving our drummer more control. I now use the AW-1600 in the studio for its live sampling capabilities and multiple inputs.
How do you use it, and how has it shaped the way you write music? It speeds up my workflow when demoing. Well before we start tracking any new piece of music, when that moment of inspiration hits, it’s far quicker to just switch on the AW-1600, with all my gear running through it already, and lay down an idea. It’s also very easy to start layering around that idea without getting bogged down in Logic or Ableton or whatever program you’re using on a project.
Jason Leca of
How do you use it, and how has it shaped the way you write music? It’s used on aux channels for extreme dub mixing. It’s my go-to spring reverb now, and you can change the kind of tank to change the flavour of the spring. You can change the combination of where it sits in the chain with other effects to get different outcomes. Pretty much I have it on now for the get-go when writing a rhythm. It just sounds so legit for dub producing.
Kingfisha What piece of equipment do you have to show us today? It is the BeniDub Springamp, connected to an Accutronics spring tank. How did you come across this particular item? I came across this item whilst looking for hi-pass filter clones. I checked out the demo on YouTube and was hooked instantly. It’s made by a lovely guy called Sandro from Spain, who also makes some wicked tunes under the name Benidub. What is it that you like so much about it? The fact that it gives a lovely old school spring reverb sound with the option of using a hi-pass filter ranging from 100Hz to 4KHz. It sounds great on drums, guitars, keys – just about anything.
Scott Darlow What do you have here to show us today? My favorite Yidaki (didgeridoo). Tell us a little about the history of it. I bought it in Surfers Paradise five years ago, it was a tacky tourist store in the strip and a total impulse purchase. It’s made out of Bloodwood and sounds so fat and rich. What is it that you like so much about it? I love the tone it gives. I love that it looks plain, no painting or wood burning or any real decoration, it just is all about the sound and tone. It’s legit. How do you use it? How has it shaped the way you write music? I play this one on recordings, or big shows. It’s long, about 160cm, and heavy, so getting it around is tricky. I use it to write also. I’ll play a bunch of different Yidaki patterns into a loop pedal and then write guitar lines and parts around those didge patterns. 68
not sure if the guy who we bought it off realised how rare they were to get a hold of, but he must have had an inkling as we bought it for cost price! Which is pretty crazy for a machine that was already several years old. When’s the next show? We’re heading out on tour with Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood from December 6-17. I think we’re doing about eight arena shows all around Australia, so a pretty crazy schedule indeed.
Any other interesting points/stories about it? They’re really hard to track down. We found this machine in country Victoria - we’re
Any other interesting points/stories about it? Never leave it looped up into your DAW once you shut down, the spring will reverberate and make the most shocking howl to rival the most horrific Regan-fromThe-Exorcist impression from your speakers. Tell us a little about what you have coming up. Kingfisha will be finishing the year with a string of dates in Queensland, Western Australia and New South Wales.
Any other interesting points/stories about it? Earlier this year, we headlined the Long Walk at Fed square, and the one lasting memory I have is of finishing our closing song, ‘Sorry’, and in that song I finish rocking out on the Yidaki and playing guitar at the same time. I remember opening my eyes and looking down the barrel of this long beautiful instrument as I played it in front of several thousand people, and saw Bill Shorten and Malcolm Turnbull bopping along to the drone of my Yidaki. Tell us a little bit about what you have coming up. I’m headlining the Torquay Carols by the sea event on Saturday December 10, playing The Retreat Hotel in Brunswick on Friday December 30, and then headlining Yurora Music Festival in Sydney from January 8-12.
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Directory EVOLUTION MUSIC
(Music Instruments Retailer) A | P | E | W|
8/2 Northey Rd, Lynbrook VIC (03) 8787 8599 info@evolutionmusic.com.au evolutionmusic.com.au facebook.com/evolutionmusicaus
AA DUPLICATION
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84 Nicholson St, Abbotsford VIC (03) 9416 2133 sales@aaduplication.com.au aaduplication.com.au facebook.com/AADuplicationServices
EASTGATE MUSIC
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1131 Burke Rd, Kew VIC (03) 9817 7000 sales@eastgatemusic.com eastgatemusic.com.au facebook.com/Eastgatemusic
JABEN AUDIO
(Headphone Specialist Retailer) A | P | E | W|
Shop 2 398 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC (03) 9670 8231 info@jaben.com.au jaben.com.au facebook.com/jabenau
HYDRA REHEARSAL STUDIOS
(Rehearsal Rooms) A | 18 Duffy Street, Burwood VIC P | (03) 9038 8101 E | hydrastudios@bigpond.com W | hydrastudios.com.au facebook.com/hydra.rehearsal.studios
MELBOURNE MUSIC CENTRE
MUSIC 440
(Music Instruments Retailer)
(Music Instruments Retailer) A | 525 North Rd, Ormond, VIC P | (03) 9578 2426 E | info@melbournemusiccentre.com.au W | melbournemusiccentre.com.au facebook.com/melbournemusic.centre
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SKY MUSIC
BINARY MUSIC
(Music Instruments Retailer) A | P | E | W|
4/2181 Princes Hwy, Clayton VIC (03) 9546 0188 info@skymusic.com.au skymusic.com.au facebook.com/skymusiconline
FIVE STAR MUSIC
(Music Instruments Retailer & Education) A | 48 Bloomfield St, Cleveland QLD P | (07) 3488 2230 E | sales@binarydesigns.com.au W | binarydesigns.com.au @binarymusic
WILD HORSE GUITARS
(Music Instruments Retailer) A | P | E | W|
1/30 Station Rd, Indooroopilly QLD (07) 3878 4566 info@music440.com.au music440.com.au facebook.com/music440
(Music Instruments Retailer)
102 Maroondah Hwy, Ringwood VIC (03) 9870 4143 websales@fivestarmusic.com.au fivestarmusic.com.au facebook.com/fivestarmusicoz
REVOLVER DRUMS
A | P | E | W|
Brumby Street Surry Hills NSW (02) 9690 0800 info@wildhorseguitars.com.au wildhorseguitars.com.au facebook.com/wildhorseguitars
MONA VALE MUSIC
(Drums Specialist Retailer)
(Music Instruments Retailer)
A | 4a Izett St, Prahran 3181 P | (03) 9521 4644 E | sales@revolverdrums.com.au W | revolverdrums.com.au @revolverdrums
A | 55 Bassett Street, Mona Vale NSW P | (02) 9986 0589 E | info@mvmwarehouse.com W | www.monavalemusic.com facebook.com/monavalemusic
HIGH ST MUSIC
DAMIEN GERARD STUDIOS
(Music Instruments Retailer) A | 442 High Street, Preston VIC P | (03) 9077 8343 E | highstreetmusic@optusnet.com.au W | highstreetmusic.net.au facebook.com/High-Street-Music
(Screenprinting & Design Service) A | 15/17 Hutchinson St, St Peters NSW P | (02) 9550 6965 E | info@arcadescreenprinting.com.au W | arcadescreenprinting.com.au facebook.com/arcadescreenprinting
GLADESVILLE GUITAR FACTORY
(Music Instruments Retailer) A | 280 Victoria Rd, Gladesville NSW P | (02) 9817 2173 E | mail@guitarfactory.net W | guitarfactory.net facebook.com/GladesvilleGuitarFactory
TURRAMURRA MUSIC (Music Instruments Retailer) A | P | E | W|
1267 Pacific Hwy, Turramurra NSW (02) 9449 8487 general_sales@turramusic.com.au turramusic.com.au facebook.com/TurramurraMusic
COASTAL MUSIC
(Music Instruments Retailer & Repairs) A | 5/148 Lake Road, Port Macquarie NSW P | (02) 6581 3016 E | sales@coastalmusic.com.au W | coastalmusic.com.au facebook.com/coastalmusic
BIG MUSIC
(Music Instruments Retailer & Recording Studio) A | 85 Alexander Street, Crows Nest NSW P | 1300 55 24 20 W | bigmusicshop.com.au facebook.com/bigmusicshop
SUNBURST MUSIC
MODERN MUSICIAN
(Music Instruments Retailer) A | P | E | W|
(Recording Studios) A | 230 Crown St, Darlinghurst NSW P | (02) 9331 0666 E | bookings@damiengerard.net W | damiengerard.com.au facebook.com/damiengerardstudios
ARCADE SCREENPRINTING
106 Murray Street, Hobart TAS (03) 6234 5537 nick@modernmusician.com.au modernmusician.com.au facebook.com/modernmusician
(Music Instruments Retailer & Recording Studio) A | 122–124 Coogee Bay Road, Coogee NSW P | (02) 9665 9088 E | sales@sunburstmusic.com.au W | sunburstmusic.com.au facebook.com/SUNBURSTMUSIC. CoogeeAustralia
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Solid wood. No compromise. The Dreadnought Junior is everything you’ve come to expect from Martin Guitar...and more. Discover your new favourite guitar.
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