Mixdown Magazine #276

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#276 — APRIL 2017

Made by Musicians for Musicians

THE LONG AND STORIED ROAD OF

THE SMITH STREET BAND +Mastodon, Ali Barter, Real Estate, Cash Savage & The Last Drinks & more FEATURES — Jason Ayers, The Sydney Drum and Percussion Show, Loog Guitars, Hagström Guitars

REVIEWED — Audio-Technica LP-3 Belt Driven Turntable, Positive Grid Bias Delay Pedal, Ernie Ball Paradigm Strings,

Zildjian Custom K Special Dry Cymbals, Fender PM-1 Standard Dreadnought Guitar, Belcat Portable Wireless Amplifier + Loads More

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

SEE PAGE 3

Yamaha.com/revstar

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 $399.99 RRP

Spider V 120 $799.99 RRP

THERE’S A SPIDER V AMP FOR LEARNING, PRACTICING AND GIGGING GUITARISTS

Spider V 240 $999.99 RRP

Spider V 240HC $949.99 RRP

Spider V 60 $599.99 RRP

• 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, Spider V 240HC, 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. The prices set out in this advertisement are recommended retail prices (RRP) only and there is no obligation for Line 6 dealers to comply with this recommendation. Errors and omissions excepted.

FIND A DEALER line6.com/dealers

EVENTS AND PROMOTIONS yamahabackstage.com.au

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK facebook.com/line6australia

*

MAY 23 HAMER HALL MELBOURNE - TICKETMASTER | MAY 25 STATE THEATRE SYDNEY - TICKETMASTER MAY 26 PERTH CONCERT HALL PERTH - TICKETMASTER | MAY 29 CONCERT HALL QPAC - QPAC

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Contents 08

Giveaways

10

Industry News

11

Music News

12

Product News

18

Cover Story:

Cash Savage

Mastodon

- PG. 21

- PG. 20

The Smith Street band 20

Mastodon

Foreword

Bob Evans 21

Cash Savage

22

The Music of Cream Real Estate

23

Ali Barter While She Sleeps

24

Columns: Guitar Bass Guitar

26

Columns: Electronic Music Production Percussion

28

Columns: DJ Home Studio

30

Loog Guitars Maintaining the Hagström Legacy

31

The Sydney Drum and Percussion Show Jason Ayers

32

The Analogue Project by Audio-Technica

38

Product Reviews

52

Show & Tell

54

Directory

Get Social:

Ali Barter - PG. 23 for breaking news, new content and more giveaways visit

WWW.MIXDOWNMAG.COM.AU FACEBOOK.COM/MIXDOWNMAGAZINE

@MIXDOWNMAGAZINE

As a teen I was enamoured by the thought of one day working in a record store. It might have been because comparisons were routinely drawn between myself and John Cusack’s character from High Fidelity (mainly because I was skinny and pale).

The thought of spending my days sharing my thoughts on music and exploring other people’s seemed like heaven to me. It still does. For a brief while I did work in a record store, helping out here and there, and when I get a chance now I go back and help some more. I think it’s important that they’re maintained. They’re single handedly preserving the tangible artefacts of present day independent music. I look forward to listening back to my records when I’m older and remembering which point in music’s long and storied history I was there to witness first hand. Without record stores those memories would have gone unremembered.

I’m especially thrilled to put out this issue of Mixdown, because it contains a very special feature in it. An exploration of independent record stores in aid of the upcoming Record Store Day. It’s a huge event for record stores across the world. Without the financial injection it brings, they might not be able to survive at all. On top of that we have some amazing interviews with some great local artists (as well as a few from overseas), some great product reviews as well as our monthly advice columns.

Happy Record Store Day!

KEATS MULLIGAN - EDITOR

@MIXDOWNMAGAZINE

MADE BY MUSICIANS, FOR MUSICIANS MAY ISSUE #277: STREET AND ONLINE DATE: WEDNESDAY MAY 10 AD BOOKING DEADLINE: MONDAY MAY 1 EDITORIAL DEADLINE: TUESDAY MAY 2 ARTWORK DEADLINE: WEDNESDAY MAY 3 For more information on Mixdown Magazine contact us at: (03) 9428 3600 or email mixdown@beat.com.au PUBLISHER Furst Media

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Tex Miller

Cusack, Augustus Welby, Luke Shields, Alex Watts.

EDITOR Keats Mulligan mixdown@beat.com.au

MANAGING DIRECTOR Patrick Carr

ADVERTISING Patrick Carr patrick@furstmedia.com.au

ONLINE EDITOR Alex Watts mixdownstaff@beat.com.au ART DIRECTOR Michael Cusack

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GRAPHIC DESIGN Michael Cusack, Joshua Barclay CONTRIBUTORS Rob Gee, Peter Hodgson, Christie Elizer, Nick Brown, Elijah Hawkins, David James Young, Adam Norris, Adrian Violi, Michael

MIXDOWN OFFICE Level 1, No. 3 Newton Street, Richmond VIC 3121.

Phone: (03) 9428 3600

mixdownmag.com.au

Raise your voice.

XS Wireless 1 & 2 microphone systems.

As a singer, speaker or instrumentalist, you want to connect with your audience. Focus on your message – not on the equipment. Be confident. To meet those demands, Sennheiser created the XS Wireless microphone system.

Thanks to its intuitive, one-touch scanning and synchronization, XS Wireless 1 combines exceptional ease of use with great sound quality. If you’re ready to take the next step, XS Wireless 2 offers additional control, flexibility and ruggedness to withstand the toughest live conditions. It’s time to raise your voice.

For all microphone options visit sennheiser.com/xs-wireless

Giveaways Last Month’s Giveaway Winners

Audio-Technica LP3 Turntable Giveaway

The Hagström Ultra Swede Giveaway Continues

In celebration of Record Store Day, we’ve teamed up with our friends over at AudioTechnica to bring you an amazing Record Store Day giveaway. This year, to help you get the most out of your brand new RSD releases, we’re going to be giving away a brand new ATLP3 Belt Drive turntable. For more information on how you can make this awesome prize your own, turn over to 32 and out out special Record Store Day feature.

Last month we announced a huge competition that will see us giving away a brand new Hagström guitar. If you haven’t entered yet, there’s still time, as this competition is going to be running until the first week of May – so get out there and take a look at this wonderful guitar. It will only take a small amount of your time, and it could result in you being the proud owner of this brand new Hagström Ultra Swede. The Hagström Ultra Swede electric guitar features a slender body, an ultra-slim neck profile in an easy ‘D’ shape, and the rich, powerful sound of the company’s Custom 62 pickups. The Ultra Swede is everything that makes a Hagström special. There’s still time to make this guitar yours.

For your chance to win any of these awesome prizes, head to our giveaways page at www.mixdownmag.com.au/giveaway and follow the instructions.

THE SE ELECTRONICS REFLEXION FILTER PRO WINNER The Reflexion Filter Pro from sE Electronics is designed to improve the life of the home studio engineer, helping to isolate your microphone from any unwanted frequencies. What you get with the Reflexion Filter Pro is a natural sound absorption that creates the perfect environment for a microphone to operate in. Last month we announced that we had one of these units to give away, and we’re very pleased to say that this month the lucky winner of this prize is: Jake Vining of Melbourne, Victoria.

Congratulations Jack, we hope you can put this great prize to good use. Thanks to everyone who entered, and thanks to the good folks over at Sound & Music for making this happen.

*These giveaways are for Australian residents only and one entry per person. For full terms and conditions visit www.mixdownmag.com.au/terms-and-conditions.

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mixdownmag.com.au

LIMITED EDITION EXOTIC COLLEC TION

RESCUED WOOD, READY TO ROCK ©2017 Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Fender® is a trademark of FMIC. All rights reserved. FENDER.COM.AU

Industry News people or less, and don’t trade after 2 am.

These venues presented a ‘lower risk of alcohol related incidents’ and offered ‘more options for Canberrans to enjoy a night out’.

Brisbane Hosts Music Summit

Archie Roach Honoured At APRA Awards

Archie Roach will be honoured with the 2017 Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music at the 35th APRA awards. The ceremony will be held on Monday April 3 at the International Convention Centre Grand Ballroom in Sydney. Performing on the night will be Paul Kelly with A.B. Original & Dan Sultan, Kate Miller-Heidke, Tkay Maidza, Holy Holy, Julia Jacklin, Cloves and Busby Marou.

In the meantime, Roach’s late wife Ruby Hunter will be remembered as part of the inaugural YIRRAMBOI First Nations Arts Festival held in Melbourne from May 5 - 14. There’ll be a series of concerts and exhibitions honouring her between May 5 -14 at Arts Centre Melbourne.

Record Store Day Ambassadors

The Australian Music Retailers Association (AMRA) has appointed its ambassadors for Record Store Day. Robert Forster, Mark Gable of The Choirboys, A.B. Original, Catherine Britt, Federal MP and club DJ Anthony Albanese, popular Instagrammer Steve Kouta and music industry executive Tim Dalton will be flying the flag for the annual event. Saturday April 22 will be the tenth Record Store Day celebrated in Australia and over 180 stores nationwide will be participating.

ACT. To Introduce ‘Small Venue’ Licence

The Australian Capital Territory is planning to introduce a new licence fee tier as part of an overall review by Attorney General Gordon Ramsay. The license has been designed for smaller venues that hold 150

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The Music Industry Summit in Brisbane, held on Friday May 19 at the Crowbar will look at how to succeed in a changing climate, write better songs and put together an international tour to target your demographic. Speakers are Canada’s Devin Townsend and his manager Andy Farrow, Graham Nixon (Resist Records and manager of Parkway Drive), Tim Price (Collision Course) and Eli Chamravi (Wild Thing Presents).

Parlour Gigs Expanding Overseas

Parlour Gigs, the Australian initiative where households book acts to play at their homes has grown 680% in the last six months, and is about to start involving New Zealand. Co-founder Matt Walters confirmed it is also looking at entering the US market. Phil Jamieson, Jordie Lane and Henry Wagons are among those who’ve used playing in homes as alternatives to booking tours via traditional booking agents.

Criss, Kulick, At Kiss Konvention

Two Kiss identities will appear at the Kiss Konvention at Wick Studios in Brunswick, Melbourne on May 13 and 14. Original drummer and co-founder Peter Criss will have a signing and photo sessions both days and a Q&A session on the Saturday afternoon. He plays a show at the Sofitel, his second last gig before a final one in New York after which he retires. Long-time Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick will also be present at the convention.

Aussie Government Retreats On Catalyst

After a two-year lobbying campaign by the arts sector, the Federal Government has announced a retreat and declared that its controversial second funding scheme, Catalyst, has been dismantled. Under then-Arts Minister George Brandis, $105 million was pulled from the main funding body Australia Council and planted in its own scheme Catalyst. This funding axing affected the short and long term plans of many small to medium sized arts associations, many of which collapsed as

a result. The arts sector flexed its muscle, with protests, petitions and a Senate inquiry. Most of the money has been returned to the Council.

WA Music To Benefit From New Government

Labor’s huge victory in the Western Australian election will be a boon for West Australian music. As part of its election campaign, the party promised to set up a $3 million Creative Mind Fund to support the local music industry. It will seek to introduce planning reforms to protect existing live music venues; assist with development of new venues; introduce new grants for emerging acts and amend the Liquor Control Act to add a new public interest assessment category, which allows for a venue’s tourism, community and cultural benefits to be considered in licence applications.

Members Of Cable Ties, Wet Lips & Future Popes Form New Record Label

Three heavy hitters of the Melbourne music industry – Amanda Vitartas from publicity company Future Popes, Grace Kindellan of the band Wet Lips and Jenny McKechnie (Cable Ties/Wet Lips) – have announced that they are forming a new label, Hysterical Records. The group have stated that the new enterprise was founded ‘to provide a voice for a diverse collection of artists that fit outside the mainstream and to provide creative inspiration and challenge societal and industry truisms’. Alongside Wet Lips themselves, the label has announced its first signing with fellow Melbourne punks Shrimpwitch who will be releasing their debut EP through the label in May.

Live Nation Expands

Adding to their seven music company buyouts made in 2016, Live Nation have made six more acquisitions in just the first three months of this year. In the past 13 months, Live Nation has taken control of promotions, touring, production and ticketing companies, including the UK’s Isle Of Wight Festival, South Africa’s largest music touring promoters Big Concerts and a controlling stake in Secret Sounds Group. They’ve also taken control of InDMusic, who specialise in YouTube multi-channel networks, to expand their interests even further. Across all the various companies, Live Nation are now managing over 500 artists, which is more than double the amount of three years ago.

THINGS WE HEAR AMP’s Tomorrow Fund is for the 4th year offering $1 million in grants to creative folks (including musicians). Apply until May 16 for grants of between $10,000 to $100,000 for projects, and can cover a range of activities, including training, travel and equipment costs, living expenses, rent and research. Last year it awarded 53 grants.

The Spanish promoter of an AC/DC gig last May was fined €15,000 for not providing refunds to fans who didn’t want to see the band with Axl Rose rather than Brian Johnson.

Much to the disappointment of Netflix’s 5.75 million Australian subscribers and its 33.3 million global payers, it has no plans to offer music or live sport any time soon.

Sydney metal band Flaming Wrekage say that during their Indonesian tour, authorities cancelled shows, confiscated their passports and threatened them with deportation – claiming there was irregularity with their visas.

Silverchair drummer Ben Gillies is suing a Melbourne gym and one of its personal trainers for forcing him to bench press a weight that he warned was “too heavy”.

He claims it seriously injured his right shoulder, which will affect future tours and forced him to turn down invitations to take part in TV shows such as I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and Celebrity Apprentice.

Surf-made troubadour Ash Grunwald hits the small screen this month on the new Fox Sports series Latitude Zero. Heading to the Latitude Zero resort in the Telo Islands with a group including Luke Egan, Rabbit Bartholomew and Mark Philippoussis, the two-part series explores the role that surfing plays in their lives and is produced by renowned surf filmmaker Andrew “Shorty” Buckley.

Just a few months after opening his Launceston business, Man Cave Tasmania owner Phil McCafferty had six Epiphone guitars worth $5000 stolen. The thieves were quick: they had come and gone within six minutes of security arriving.

Anyone with information should contact Tasmania Police on 131 444.

mixdownmag.com.au

Music News Julia Jacklin To Play Biggest Headline Shows To Date After a busy 12 months, which saw the Sydney singer-songwriter tour the UK and US and release her debut album, Don’t Let The Kids Win, Julia Jacklin has announced her biggest headline shows to date.

Jacklin will play at Melbourne’s Corner Hotel and Sydney’s Metro Theatre with Melbourne’s best weirdo-jazz punks Jaala as main support in both cities. Elizabeth Hughes will be opening her show in Sydney.

TOUR DATES Wednesday May 24 – The Corner Hotel, Melbourne, VIC Thursday May 25 – The Metro Theatre, Sydney, NSW

Allah-Las Announce Australian Tour

The All Seeing Hand Announce Australian Tour The All Seeing Hand, the New Zealand trio known for blending turntables, drums and Mongolian inspired throat singing into their own unique sound, have announced plans for an Australian tour. Kicking off in April, the trio will play a range of east coast dates, showcasing their intense live show that utilises disonance, chaos and ritualistic performance.

The news follows on the heels of the recent announcement of the band’s fourth album, Sand To Glass, which is out this Friday.

Los Angeles band Allah-Las will be touring Australia for the first time in May, showcasing their brand of vintage rock, garnished with lashings of country and psychedelia. The tour will catch the band directly after their appearance at Coachella, as they run through tunes from their acclaimed 2016 album Calico Review as well as their previous releases.

TOUR DATES Friday May 12 - The Zoo, Brisbane QLD Saturday May 13 - The Northern, Byron Bay NSW Sunday May 14 - Miami Marketta, Gold Coast QLD

Bob Evans National Tour Having wrapped up 2016 touring alongside Josh Pyke, Bob Evans has just announced that he is hitting the road throughout April, May and June on the Lonesome Highways tour. Having released Car Boot Sale last year, Evans says that these shows will be a very intimate and up close and personal. “I’ll be playing songs from across all of my records, a few covers too. I’ll take requests and then screw them up. We’ll all be firm friends by the end of the night.” Alongside this tour, Bob Evans is offering fans a complimentary six track EP with all tickets purchased through his website and online outlets.

TOUR DATES Thursday April 13 – Bloodhound, Brisbane QLD Friday April 14 – Tattersalls, Lismore NSW Sunday April 16 – Nimbin Bush Theatre, Nimbin NSW Friday April 21 – The Brisbane, Hobart TAS Saturday April 22 – Dan’s Bar, Franklin TAS Wednesday April 26 - Karova Lounge, Ballarat VIC Thursday April 27 – The Curtin, Melbourne VIC Saturday April 29 – The Chippendale Hotel, Sydney NSW

Kiss Member Peter Criss To Play Second Last Show Ever In Melbourne Founding KISS member Peter Criss is headed to Australia for the last time. Over the weekend of May 12, Criss will play an intimate performance at Melbourne’s Hotel Sofitel, backed by long time collaborator Mike McLaughlin, as well as local rock group Sister’s Doll. Besides the performance, ticket holders will receive a three course sit down dinner and a limited edition collector’s bag and mementos. This will be Criss’ second last show ever, with the final one happening in New York City in July. In addition to performing, Peter Criss will also make an appearance at the KISS Konvention at Wick Studios in Brunswick on Saturday May 13 and Sunday May 14. Also appearing at KISS Konvention 2017 will be Four By Fate, a supergroup featuring members of Ace Frehley’s Comet, Skidrow and Cheap Trick. mixdownmag.com.au

Wednesday May 17 - Oxford Art Factory, Sydney NSW Friday May 19 - The Curtin, Melbourne VIC Saturday May 20 - The Curtin, Melbourne VIC (2 x shows)

TOUR DATES Thursday April 20 – The Front Bar, Canberra, ACT Friday April 21 – Lizottes, Newcastle, NSW Saturday April 22 – Hardy’s Bay Cub – Central Coast, NSW Wednesday May 3 – Clarendon Guest House, Katoomba, NSW Friday May 5 – Camelot Lounge, Sydney, NSW Saturday May 6 – The Brass Monkey, Cronulla, NSW Sunday May 7 – Heritage Hotel, Bulli, NSW Thursday May 11 – The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba, QLD Friday May 12 – 5 Church St, Bellingen, NSW Saturday May 13 – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane, QLD

Evan Dando To Tour

Clap Clap Riot Australian Tour

The Lemonheads frontman Evan Dando has announced that he will be performing a short run of Australian shows in support of the reissue of his debut solo album, 2003’s Baby I’m Bored. The album saw Dando step away from the indie-rock sound that saw The Lemonheads become one of the most iconic American bands of the 90s, instead embracing deep autobiographical alt-country songs. This tour will see Dando revisit this material, as well as selections from his entire catalogue.

Kiwi indie-rockers Clap Clap Riot are heading to Australian shores in April off the back of their freshly released single ‘Tired of Getting Old’ from their much anticipated third album Dull Life. Following their 2016 single ‘Help Me’, Clap Clap Riot are back with the vibrant track ‘Tired of Getting Old’ which captures the retro charm of the Auckland five-piece. The single is a first taste of their upcoming album Dull Life, which has been produced by Tom Healy, known for his work with Tiny Ruins and Pop Strangers, and mastered by Jared Hirshland who recently helped to put together Anderson .Paak’s acclaimed Malibu.

TOUR DATES Monday May 29 – Badlands, Perth, WA Tuesday May 30 – Oxford Arts Factory, NSW Wednesday June 1 – Howler, Melbourne, VIC

TOUR DATES Thursday April 27 – The Bearded Lady, Brisbane, QLD Friday April 28 – The Grace Darling, Melbourne, VIC Saturday April 29 – Brighton Up Bar Sydney, NSW 11

Product News

New Drum Products From Vic Firth Australasian Music Supplies | austmusic.com.au

Elektron Analog Heat Sound Processor

The Sydney Drum & Percussion Show Is On Next Month Australian Music Association | australianmusician.com.au/sydney-drumpercussion-show-2017

Innovative Music Australia | innovativemusic.com.au

The Analog Heat is Elektron’s first stereo effects processor, combining analogue distortion with a two-band EQ, and stereo multi-mode analogue filters. The compact unit has a range of eight different stereo analogue distortion circuits, ranging from discreet to in-your-face, as well as modulation sources including an assignable envelope and assignable LFO. All of these tools are designed to allow the user to easily mould rhythmic textures and beats, applying the effects to any sound source, be they samplers, drum machines or synths. Using Overbridge, a technology that integrates hardware and software components, allows the Analog Heat to be used as a VST/AU effect plugin. When connected to a computer, the unit can function as a two-in-two-out sound card, even while processing DAW audio, allowing you to continue to make music wherever you go.

Vic Firth have released their latest line of drum sticks – the Modern Jazz Collection.

Developed over the course of several years and in collaboration with several high profile artists, the series ranges from highly experimental to straight ahead. While these sticks are labeled are called Modern Jazz they are exceptional in any musical setting, having been developed collaboratively with Jeff Ballard, Greg Hutchinson, Joe McCarthy and Lewis Nash.

The inaugural Sydney Drum and Percussion Show will be held on Saturday May 27 and Sunday May 28, taking over the Rosehill Gardens Pavilion as Australia’s biggest trade show for percussive instruments. Taking its cues from the Melbourne Guitar Show, the event is comprised of pop-up stalls, performances, clinics and demonstrations from the most talented drummers and percussionists in the country. The show is designed to be a hands on experience, with attendees encouraged to take an part in trying out many of the new and exciting products on display. Far from a formal industry event, the program is designed to be of interest to novices and professionals alike, with several major brands taking part, as well as the opportunity to see some instruments and names that might be less familiar. There will be special deals running throughout the weekend, so attendees will have some rare opportunities to purchase some new bits of gear and watch artists from a range of genres and backgrounds demonstrating the instruments on display.

The Blue Microphones Spark Digital Microphone Amber Technology | ambertech.com.au

Markbass Release The 121 HR Bass Cabinet CMC Music | cmcmusic.com.au

Markbass have added the Standard 121 HR to their Standard Series of tuned ported bass speaker cabinets. The unit is a 1x12” cab designed for punch and portability, but with a warm, focused and natural sound. Weighing only 12.2kg, the Standard 121 HR is adaptable to many different stage situations, as its wedge design enables it to be used as a floor monitor or to be placed on its side. It can handle up to 400 watts of power and so can be used in combination with any Markbass head, or as an extension cabinet for the CMD 121P combo.

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New From Remo Australasian Music Supplies | austmusic.com.au

Remo have unleashed a slew of new drum products including the Ambassador Classic Fit Drumheads, which feature slightly narrow flesh hoops and step designs to address over-sized drums made prior to the mid 60s. They are ideal for older vintage drums that are out of round with thick overlapping drum coverings. José Pasillas from Incubus has contributed original artwork to the Artbeat Artist Collection, with designs on Cajons and Tambourines.

The Powerstroke P3 Felt Tone Bass Drumheads, including the Fiberskyn and Hazy models, incorporating the traditional style of dampening a bass drum with a strip of felt into an easy to install, all-inclusive drum head that is ideal for vintage and contemporary kit applications.

The award-winning Spark Digital USB condenser microphone has remained extremely popular since it was first released as the world’s first studio mic with USB and iPad/iPhone connectivity.

Featuring the same hand-tuned cardioid condenser as used in the company’s popular Spark microphone, the Spark Digital is suitable for vocals, guitars, pianos, drums - you name it. Spark Digital’s analogue electronics are Class A and fully discrete with a transformer-less output leading to a very accurate reproduction of the original sound source. The unit features a handy headphone output and volume control make it perfect for mobile recording. mixdownmag.com.au

Smorgasbord Of Tones

NEW

It’s All About Time The new series of affordable stomp boxes covers all essential guitar effects, with a sound quality to satisfy both the aficionado on a budget and the new kid on the tonal block.

Create pristine beds of ambience with The Prophet Digital Delay, gorgeous runaway delays with the all-analog Echobrain Analog Delay and deep splashy oceans with Skysurfer Reverb.

RRP $109 Available Through All Good MI Retailers!

Distributed in Australia by Amber Technology www.ambertech.com.au | 1800 251 367 | sales@ambertech.com.au

Product News

The Fender Limited Exotic Collection

Focusrite Scarlett 18I20 USB Audio Interface

Fender Australia | fender.com.au

The Fender Exotic Collection aims to capture the company’s early years, recalling original prototype models and expanding upon some of their most popular electric instruments. These include models from the American Professional, American Elite and American Vintage series, all made with a variety of unique woods, such as rescued mahogany, Shedua, Malaysian blackwood and reclaimed pine. These include three pine models made from 100 year old wood – the Limited Edition American Professional Pine Jazzmaster, Limited Edition American Vintage ’59 Pine Stratocaster and Limited Edition American Professional Pine Telecaster. The Limited Edition American Professional Mahogany Stratocaster, Limited Edition American Elite Mahogany Tele Thinline and Limited Edition American Professional Mahogany Tele Deluxe Shawbucker are made from reclaimed mahogany from Honduras. The 2017 Limited Edition Shedua Tope Stratocaster has a Shedua top - a wood commonly used for acoustic guitars – with a rich-tone okoume body, while the 2017 Limited Editon Malaysian Blackwood Telecaster 90 features a Malaysian blackwood top. Rounding out the collection is the 2017 Limited Edition American Professional Jazz Bass FMT, made with a figured maple top and quartersawn neck.

Ninevolt Pedals Change Name To Animals Pedals And Announce Skreddy Range Hot Apple Distribution Australia | hotapple.com.au

Launched in 2015 in Japan, Ninevolt Pedals philosophy was all about creating an affordable pedal range that didn’t compromise on the overall sound. Having previously released the Skateboarding Bear Metal Distortion and the Relaxing Walrus Delay, Ninevolt Pedals has rebranded as Animals Pedals and is set to release an exciting new Skreddy design range. The new range is predominately focused on a couple of new fuzz pedals as well as the Car Crush Chorus/Vibe and Major Overdrive.

Electric Factory | elfa.com.au

The Scarlett 18i20 is an 18-in, 20-out USB audio interface with pristine sound quality and extensive expansion options. Working flawlessly with all major DAWs on Mac and PC, the unit is rack mountable, with round-trip latency as low as 2.74ms, and allows for separate stereo headphone mixes. The 18i20 has eight combination inputs, with newly designed instrument inputs that can handle even the hottest of signals. Two of these are included on the front panel for easy access, with six on the rear so that you can leave any instrument or effects processor permanently plugged in and ready to go.

Jackson Guitars Launches The Juggernaut Series Jackson Guitars | jacksonguitars.com.au

Misha Mansoor, the lead guitarist of progressive metal band Periphery, has joined with Jackson Guitars to create a new signature series – The Juggernaut. These are comprised of the Juggernaut HT7 and HT6, two sleek models described by the company as ‘the next evolution of shred guitars’. The HT6 and HT7 guitars have been built to Mansoor’s exact specifications and combine elements of Jackson’s Dinky and Soloist models to create something equally familiar feeling and totally unique. The Juggernauts feature a similar body shape to the Dinky and Soloist designs, with a slim horn and a handshake heel that makes it easy to reach the upper frets. Custom Jackson MM1 pickups are used specifically to cater to Mansoor’s dynamic style of playing, and are controlled with a five-way switch and also includes a push-pull tone knob. The guitars also feature a hardtail bridge for extra sustain, resonance and stability, and are available in a range of finishes. Having initially collaborated two years ago to create the Misha Mansoor USA Signature Model, Jackson and Mansoor then recently expanded the line to include the Pro Series versions.

Preorder The Ernie Ball Paradigm Strings CMC Music | cmcmusic.com.au

We previously reported on Ernie Ball’s groundbreaking ultra-durable Paradigm electric and acoustic guitar strings, which represents the company’s most advanced string technology to date, and happily these will soon be available in Australia. Paradigm are the first strings to ever come a fully backed guarantee – if they break or rust within 90 days of purchase Ernie Ball will replace them free of charge, and feature a combination of the company’s proprietary Everlast nano treatment coupled with a breakthrough plasma process that aids corrosion resistance. Paradigm are now able to be ordered through authorised Australian dealers and will be available from the start of May. 14

PRS Release Limited Run Of Guitars Made From Reclaimed Wood Electric Factory | elfa.com.au

PRS has announced that it will be releasing a very limited edition run of guitars made from reclaimed wood that is over 100 years old. The Reclaimed Limited series will be comprised of two models, the CE24 Semi-Hollow and the S2 Vela Semi-Hollow, using wood species that are native so southeastern Brazil’s Atlantic Forest: Peroba Rosa and Brauna Preto. The Peroba Rosa was selected for the top wood, its density giving the semi-hollow body construction of both models a punchy, yet warm sound. The Brauna Preto, which is typically used in supporting posts for some of the old buildings from which it was sourced, was used in the fretboards because of its tight-grain and sustain. The guitars were then finished with a natural satin nitro, with blemishes from nail holes and discolouration being left in the top wood in order to showcase the unique history of each instrument. mixdownmag.com.au

Product News

The New Keeley Electronics Filaments Overdrive Pedal Keeley Electronics | robertkeeley.com

American pedal manufacturer Robert Keeley has been making high quality pedals for years and the announcement of their latest release, the Filaments Overdrive pedal is something to get excited about. Featuring six knobs and three switches, this pedal is incredibly user friendly and easy to understand. Featuring level, presence, gain, bass, body and treble, this pedal gives you well rounded control over your sound.

JBL Announces A New Addition To Their Portable Pa Systems Yamaha Announces New BB Bass Range Yamaha Music Australia | au.yamaha.com

The Mapex Saturn Tour Edition Kit Electric Factory | elfa.com.au

Mapex Drums have announced the Saturn V Tour Edition kit, an expansion of the exiting Saturn V drum line. Delivering modern performance with a classic look, the Tour Edition kit features the same maple/walnut hybrid shell and SONIClear Bearing Edge that is responsible for the distinctive sound and tuning ease of the Saturn V. The Saturn V Tour Edition is available in four classic wrapped finishes: Black Strata Pearl, White Marine, Vintage Sparkle, and Black Pearl, and is available in different configurations, including super shallow bass drums such as 24 x 14.

Sennheiser XS Wireless 1 Sennheiser | en-au.sennheiser.com

Yamaha has announced the latest in their BB series of bass guitars, designed to deliver the same quality sound and build that they have built their reputation on over the last 40 years, but with a smaller body and increased playability. Featuring customwound pickups with a higher output gain but with the same well loved BB voicing, the new line-up of BB basses are a testament to Yamaha’s commitment to musical excellence.

The new models have subtle contour changes and a reduced body weight with standard sized pickups for the first time in a BB, as well as a Maple fingerboard option on mid-range models. The new BB series will be available in Australia from June.

Blue Microphones Encore 100 Microphone Amber Technology | ambertech.com.au

Sennheiser has expanded its product line with a new wireless radio microphone series – the XS Wireless 1. The XSW 1 series is made for artists on a budget who are ready to upgrade their stage microphones to wireless, with an easy and fast set-up and reliable transmission. The series is comprised of six wireless microphones with automatic frequency management and one-touch synchronisation. All of the controls are designed to be quick and easy to use, with an intuitive and simple design. The XSW1 utilises Sennheiser’s evolution capsules as well as antenna switching for reliable reception. The receiver sets can provide up to ten compatible preset channels in eight frequency banks. mixdownmag.com.au

Blue Microphones’ Encore 100 is a studio grade dynamic microphone ideal for reproducing vocals or instruments in both live and studio scenarios. The hand-tuned capsules deliver exceptional clarity, while the internal wire copper windings offer optimal frequency response. The cardioid polar pattern delivers off-axis rejection and high SPL handling and minimises the risk of feedback.

Jands | jands.com.au

Announced at the recent Prolight and Sound conference as part of Musikmesse 2017 in Frankfurt, JBL has just announced a new addition to its portable PA system. As previously reported by Mixdown, the Eon One Pro takes accessibility one step further with this system with the introduction of battery powered operation and a wider range of connectivity and control. The Eon One has been praised for giving users the ability to make one trip to the car when loading into a venue, by putting the entire PA system in one box. Utilising the built in seven channel mixer with Bluetooth audio capabilities, musicians and presenters alike are now able to their stage show anywhere. The mixer features Hi- Z inputs as well as phantom power to allow users to connect a variety of instruments up to the system. The ability to tweak bass, reverb and treble, allows users to further refine their sound. The Eon One Pro also features USB charger connection as well as an integrated tablet stand.

The Elektron Digitakt Innovative Music Australia | innovativemusic.com.au

Elektron have been making high-end drum machines since 1998, but the Swedish company have taken a left turn with their latest product, moving away from their analogue drum machines such as the Analog Four, towards something new. The Digitakt is presented as a digital beat making tool that comes equipped with a ‘live-friendly’ sequencer, sampling capability, and the ability to control other equipment via MIDI. The Digitakt has eight internal audio tracks and eight dedicated MIDI tracks, 64 MB worth of sampling memory, and a USB 2.0 port. It also comes with support for Elektron’s Overbridge software, allowing the drum machine to be fully integrated with your computer.

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Product News

Takamine Announce New Pro Series Models Pro Music Australia | promusicaustralia.com

Waterloo Guitars Announce The WL-S Deluxe

Based in Japan, Takamine Guitars has been producing high end guitars for over 50 years.

This month announced two new additions to the Pro Series acoustic range. The EFM7LS is a limited edition for 2017 guitar featuring a solid Lutz spruce top as well as Solid Indian Rosewood back and sides. The result is a great sounding guitar when amplified or played acoustically. The EF450C-TT meanwhile utilises the Thermal Top technology in which the spruce wood for the guitar top is made in a high heat, low oxygen environment. Combining a maple neck as well as a striped ebony fingerboard, the guitar is rounded out by a lovely brown sunburst finish. The NEX body style makes the perfect compliment for the finger style guitarist.

Gladesville Guitar Factory | guitarfactory.net

The Waldorf KB37 Keyboard

Mad Professor Amplification Comes To Australia

Link Audio | linaudio.com.au

Mad Professor Amplification Australia

The highly intuitive and versatile Waldorf KB37 keyboard allows users to drop in and control Eurorack modules of any brand, and easily play them on the keyboard. The KB37 is a compact and rugged performance instrument that can house up to 107 HP of modules in its conveniently angled panel. Featuring a high-resolution and temperature stable 16-bit CV interface, the keyboard provides extremely flexible control of your modules. The MIDI channels are programmable, making the KB37 the perfect partner for both studio and stage.

Finnish guitar amplifier manufacturer Mad Professor Amplification are now available in Australia, after signing a new distribution contract with Dunphy Imports. The company has specialised in high quality guitar amp and hand wired pedals since starting out in 2002 and for the first time this range of pedals including the Bluebird Overdrive Delay, the Tiny Orange Phaser, the Evolution Orange Underdrive and their range of Old School guitar heads and amplifiers can be found nationally.

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Handmade in Austin, Texas, Waterloo Guitars takes inspiration from the classic guitars of yesterday such as a 1930’s Martin or Gibson. Bill Collings has always been into creating that rawness and grit from the mid 1900’s guitar into his own manufacturing. The WL-S Deluxe features a soft ‘v’ neck profile, with a carbon fibre T- bar, solid cherry back and sides and a solid spruce top combine to create a guitar inspired by Stella parlour guitars. Indian rosewood fingerboard and golden age restoration tuners combine with a solid mahogany neck as well as deluxe acrylic floral inlay, to provide a beautiful playing experience.

mixdownmag.com.au

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We created the dry sound over a decade ago and have now remastered these raw and earthy cymbals for today’s modern music styles. Each cymbal delivers a dry, funky sound with a fast attack and lots of trash for a unique expression. Once again, Zildjian has taken the art of cymbal making to the next level and has left its imitators behind.

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THE LONG AND STORIED ROAD OF

THE SMITH STREET BAND

2016 was a big year for Wil Wagner.

Amidst touring on the back of The Smith Street Band’s third album Throw Me In The River, Wagner accomplished quite a few personal life goals, the majority of which you can hear in the track ‘25’ from their new album More Scared Of You Than You Are Of Me. “All of these songs came out of an incredibly difficult part of my life. The year of being 25 was really fucking rough. I had a really destructive relationship, and we were touring so much that my mental health was struggling,” Wagner says. “I was missing all these things back home and a friend of mine died. All these big sad life moments happened, but I think that song is about the good things like learning to clean up after myself, and quitting smoking and trying to get my shit together in the wake of all of this other nasty stuff.”

Opening with ‘Forrest’, a track that was written for their previous album, More Scared Of You is loud, abrasive and rough around the edges. The lyricism is honest and at times short, and talks about the demise of a relationship.

Recorded at Panoramic House in California just outside of San Francisco; the natural beauty of local wildlife and scenery made work a little hard on occasion. “It was a little hard to not just drink beers and look at the horizon. It was pretty special. I’d wake up and see families of deer frolicking out in a foggy field.”

Working with Jeff Rosenstock, who has been a long time collaborator with TSSB, the band also decided to get John Agnello and Greg Calbi to mix and master the album. “He mastered Born To Run, that’s all you need on your CV for me,” says Wagner.

“I remember the moment that we asked him, someone came in and was reading his production credits and when they read Born To Run, I said “that’s the end of the conversation, if we can afford him, he’s going to do it”. It was amazing that he did our stuff.”

Wagner has always been open about his struggles with anxiety, which has weaved its way into his songwriting over the course of four albums, yet it holds a particular importance in the track ‘Passiona’. Wagner at times is blunt, and on this track he sings ‘I’m having panic attacks on television.’

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“I remember the moment that we asked him, someone came in and was reading his production credits and when they read Born To Run, I said “that’s the end of the conversation, if we can afford him, he’s going to do it”. It was amazing that he did our stuff.”

“We did this show called Rock Palace and it’s been running since the 60s,” recalls Wagner of playing live German TV during the Throw Me In The River European tour.

“I think that it’s similar to Rage, where it has this huge late night cult following. We were three months into a tour and I was just not feeling good. My anxiety was going crazy and you have to play for a full hour on live television. I was playing this guitar that was so gaffataped that it was hard to play. Around that time, I wasn’t doing well and afterwards I was just panicking. The next night, I got halfway through the show and then I had to leave the stage halfway through our set. It was quite a stressful, scary little time. I was trying to get some solace from people back home and I wasn’t getting any from the girl I was seeing at the time.

“A chunk of that song is about playing in the middle of this field in France, with a crazy old guy who couldn’t speak any English and he gave us food and drink.

The good thing about touring is you can have all these crazy, unique experiences especially touring through Europe.”

Despite limiting Wagner’s creativity, in a round-about way anxiety plays its role in the creation of his material. Helping to develop ideas as well as being used as a coping mechanism. “I’m always thinking about stuff and always working, trying to stay on top of things,” he says “I think that my mental health leads to writing more. To me, the only remedy for when I’m feeling down or sad is to pick up a guitar and play. It’s so beneficial and cathartic to my life to be able to do that. As much as it’s a struggle sometimes, I wouldn’t swap my head for anything.”

Over the course of his career, Wagner has written predominately from personal experience. Although it can be difficult to convey emotions at times, it’s some of his most poignant lyrics that have become fan favourites worldwide. “I write very personally and find it difficult to force emotions onto the page,” he says “That’s the blessing and curse of being a songwriter, all of your bad experiences you can analyse and get out of your system by writing, but sometimes you need to go through some stuff to write albums.

It’s a double edged sword.”

Previously revealing to Mixdown that his ’76 Fernandez copy is his guitar of choice both on the road and in the studio, Wagner loves to ‘guitar safari’ whenever he’s in town. “Two things I love in guitars is P90’s and Japanese bodies. I knew before I even held it that it was mine. It’s a gorgeous guitar. It’s the original neck, but it’s really thin. It almost feels like a new Telecaster neck. It’s completely unfinished and so it’s filthy from all the touring over the years. Long after it gets beat up beyond repair, I’ll be hanging onto that for a long time to come.”

Finding the ‘dream team’ to help bring their records to life, the future of The Smith Street Band is very healthy. A positive work ethic and vibe from all involved on More Scared Of You Than You Are Of Me, has created a succinct album that contains heartfelt stories and important social commentary on the music scene today. “You see a lot of bands these days that have been a band for three months and they get really big and take off like planes.

Some people whose career takes off in such a crazy way don’t have lasting success.”

“That’s what we’ve seen anyway. We’ll keep plugging away making music that we think is good and songs that we are really proud of.”

BY TEX MILLER More Scared Of You Than You Are Of Me is out now through Pool House Records/Remote Control Records mixdownmag.com.au

Music Interviews come my way. I’m thankful for all of it, because it kept me very creative in the world of music. It was just by happenstance, and I think that’s a good way to create.

If some of my best friends are inspired to create something with me, that can only be a positive thing. Those are all the ingredients to create art right there.”

The Busy Life Of Mastadon

Emperor of Sand arrives at a tumultous time within the band’s personal lives. After the aforementioned family illnesses, a concept record began to form around mortality, redemption and survival. Sanders, who wrote a fair amount of the album’s lyrics, says that it’s at once the most abstract and conceptual Mastodon record as it is the most forthcoming and explicit. “This has never been a band to shy away from its emotions,” he says.

There’s only one Troy Sanders – allegedly. There’s pretty solid grounding for a conspiracy theory concerning there being multiple clones of the silver-haired bassist running around out there; which would explain his levels of productivity in the last few years. Shortly after Mastodon’s last album, Once More ‘Round the Sun, Sanders was off working with Soulfly’s Max Cavalera and The Dillinger Escape Plan’s Greg Puciato on an album under the moniker of Killer Be Killed. After touring Australia with both bands, Sanders moved onto a new project featuring members of Queens of the Stone Age and At the Drive-In entitled Gone is Gone. The band released a self-titled EP last year and a debut album, Echolocation, in January. If that wasn’t enough, we’re now at album number seven for Mastodon, entitled Emperor of Sand.

“Take an album like [fourth album, 2009’s] Crack the Skye, where we dove into an extremely personal story that we were willing to share with anyone that was interested. The four of us are very proud of things like that – if it felt vulnerable or like we were sharing too much, we pushed forward. It’s very therapeutic for us. We knew very well going into this record that there was going to be a very emotionally heavy theme.

The entire band was affected heavily by our various family members being ill. There was a lot of cancer going around, and we were watching our loved ones go through horrific therapy and even death. When we were creating this record, that’s what was weighing on our mind. Mastodon writes from the heart – we channel everything into this band.”

“It’s opportunity,” Sanders reasons. “That’s what fuels it. I’ve never sought to do more than I already do with Mastodon, honestly. We put out our Once More ‘Round the Sun back in 2014, and then did a solid amount of touring in support of that. We had to take some time off to deal with some illnesses in our respective families, but then we took about six months to write Emperor of Sand; which we recorded back in October. Mastodon has been busy, but other opportunities that have been too good to pass up have definitely

The album was produced by Brendan O’Brien, who coincidentally also worked on the aforementioned Crack the Skye. Mastodon appear to have developed a strong bond with the acclaimed producer behind records by Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Pearl Jam, making O’Brien a no-brainer to work on Emperor of Sand. “We’re very happy to work with Brendan,” says Sanders. “He’s very knowledgeable of us as both musicians and as

week they can usually go and see some international artist. A lot of country towns rue the fact that people just don’t go there, or the last time a band came through was five years back. That’s cool, but I think you really have to love touring, to love that lifestyle to do a lot of regional places. I always have, and will continue to. I think if you only ever play in capital cities, you’re going to run out of places to play and things to say real quick.”

The Choices Bob Evans Makes Kevin Mitchell – or Bob Evans, depending from which side you approach him – strikes you as the kind of guy you’d have an easy beer with in the quiet corner of your local.

He’s a colourful speaker, a straight-shooter who seems perfectly at ease talking about his music, his kids, or the landscape of live music across the sweep of Australia.

Through both his solo work, and his seminal 90s band Jebediah, he’s seen a lot that this country has to offer, and on this latest tour he’s set to see a whole lot more.

“I think [the Australian character] does change a little bit more than people give it credit for, place to place” Mitchell says. “The people of North Queensland – I’ve been watching all this cyclone footage – there’s a different character there than you’ll find in Perth, or in Melbourne. Like any place, there are elements of that character that are good, and elements that are bad. There’s the beauty and the ugliness no matter where you go. But when I’m hanging out in country pubs, seeing the audiences there, they can be the easiest to please because they’re not so spoilt with opportunities to see live stuff. People who live in Sydney and Melbourne take for granted that any night of the 20

Mitchell’s ‘Bob Evans’ persona was developed back in 1999, mostly as a way of distinguishing between the material he was performing as Jebediah and new material that he’d begun working on. Should you look back at the previous press Mitchell has undertaken to promote his solo self, more often than not you’ll find him described as a ‘romantic’; which is nice, I hazard, but also a little ambiguous. He laughs.

“I guess doing stuff under the Bob Evans moniker, it was like putting on a disguise, to be honest. To try and hide the fact that this music was being made by that guy from Jebediah. That whole romantic thing – and I think I have in the past described myself as romantic – there are some things that you say that stick with you. And that’s fine, and I stand by it, because I think when a lot of people hear the word romance, their mind will go to love and Valentines Day, new romantic music from 80s pop groups. But when I think of romance, I think of it in much broader terms than that. I guess that’s why I can be a bit of a sucker for nostalgia as well. I love breakup songs, breakup albums even more. That feeling of the beauty and sweetness of feeling sad. That’s all part of it. I romanticise things all the time. Even doing tours like this, going out being alone on the road, having a beer at some country pub that looks just like it did in the seventies. All that stuff is romantic as hell to me, I just love that stuff. That’s part of my nature, and has been my whole life.”

Though Mitchell will indeed be alone on the road for some time now – roaming the East Coast from April to June

people. To work with him again meant we knew we could dive in deep and really achieve the sonic feel of the kind of record that we wanted to make. To approach this deep subject matter, the same way that we did together on Crack the Skye, meant that there was a real trust there. He has a lot of really cool gear that assists in achieving the right sound, too. We’re on the same wavelength – he’s from the 70s, we’re from the 70s, we love gear from old to new.”

Emperor of Sand was recorded between The Quarry in Kennesaw, a city in north-east Georgia; as well as Hollywood’s Henson Recording Studios. The band went all out for the recording, with Sanders locking down some key gear to create his distinctive, thick bass sound.

“Bill [Kelliher, lead guitarist] and Brent [Hinds, guitarist/vocalist] brought about a dozen guitars each, and I brought eight basses,” says Sanders.

“I have a signature Silverburst Jaguar through Fender, which I used on a lot of songs. There was also my Warwick [Streamer], which handles the lower tuning really well. I also got to toy around with my Moog Taurus bass pedals more than I’ve done before – I was trying to find tasteful moments throughout the record to have that enormous, super subsonic sound. I try to use as many pedals as I can in the studio because it’s fun to explore those sounds. I have a signature distortion pedal now, actually. It’s made by Wren and Cuff and its called Elephant Skin, which I helped create. All the distortion is done through that pedal on this record.

There’s always a lot going on when Mastodon play, but I like to leave my mark.”

BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG Emperor of Sand is out now through Warner Music Australia.

– when it comes to his actual gigs, he has ensured some rather deliberate company. The Lonesome Highways tour will feature entirely female supports, something Mitchell has been championing for the last five years. He, quite reasonably, sees no reason why he shouldn’t help in his own small way to balance a gender discrepancy that has carried on far too long.

“Well, I think it’s pretty fair to make the assessment that in music, much like most parts of society, the female voice is not heard as much as the male,” he says. Though his tone is not angry, he is suddenly much more serious.

“People who don’t like to hear that will say, oh, I just like what I like, it just so happens everything I like is male.

But personally, in my own little world of touring, I don’t want my night out to be a fucking sausage party. I’m genuinely happier as a person, and I’m having a better time, if there’s a sense of gender balance in a room. I’ve been having female-only support acts for the last five years, it’s just no one has ever made mention of it before, which is fine. It’s better if people just think that it’s normal. But I’m one of fucking so many dudes with guitars singing about shit. I just feel like it’s a better night out, and hopefully my audience finds this too, when you have some variety. Obviously me making that decision isn’t going to change the world, but I feel that it’s important.

If there’s any small thing that I can do to make female voices heard, I can do that by choosing a female musical guest. If that’s a choice that I have, it’s a choice that I’ll make.”

BY ADAM NORRIS Bob Evans is touring nationally from April 20. For a full list of dates head to bobevans.com.au. Car Boot Sale is out now through EMI Music Australia. mixdownmag.com.au

Music Interviews quite nice when the actual One Of Us tour wrapped up and we could start putting more of our older stuff, as well as the new stuff [into the sets], and we didn’t have to stick to the album as such, we could chuck a couple of other things in there, just to lighten it for myself”

Cash Savage On Process And Pressure With three albums, a stack of shows and a loyal, growing fan base under her belt, Cash Savage is starting to yield the rewards of years of hard work. Having had a pretty full on 2016, Savage has been enjoying taking some time away to work on writing her next album. Her intent is to record overseas in June, and there may even be some new songs ready for the upcoming run of Australian shows in May, but Savage makes no guarantees. “I’ve been pretty relaxed about getting back into writing, because the last album really knocked me around a bit,” says Savage. “So I’ve just been happy to not put too much pressure on myself. I say that, but in about a month I’ll just be freaking out that I should’ve put more pressure on myself.”

It’s hard to tell what the new material will bring for Savage and the band, but it’s unlikely that they’ll shy away from the deeply personal content of One Of Us, regardless of the effect that it had on Savage. “The subject matter was emotionally taxing, and I don’t mind that, but I guess I didn’t really think about what it would be like to write a song about my cousin and my friend’s suicide, and then have to go all over the world and play it to people… it was

mixdownmag.com.au

Songwriting isn’t an especially regimented process for Savage, with some songs taking months and others being finished in a much shorter time frame. Anyway you look at it though, the key to a good song seems to be to relax. “It sorts of depends. I mean one of the songs I didn’t finish writing until the night before [recording], but I’d been writing it for a year. One of the songs I wrote all the lyrics for sitting in a bar over about 30 minutes, and then sort of had some music that I was mucking around with and tried it out and it worked together, so there’s no hard and fast rule for me. I found as I’ve got a bit older just to be a bit more relaxed about it, because if I freak out about writing then I’m not necessarily productive.”

Though not willing to put any constraints on her songwriting, once the band gets in the studio, Savage likes to put some rules in place. “When we made One Of Us, one of the constraints I put on it was that it had to be recreatable with the six of us. I told our producer that he had to use us, but we had a couple of exceptions there. The drummer that sometimes plays with us, Jordy, he came in and did some stuff.

Also, a lot of the musicians in the Last Drinks are multi-instrumentalists, so restricting it to the six of them isn’t necessarily much of a restriction. But I did say that I wanted more vocal stuff, so it was easier to recreate with voices rather than with new instruments.”

These restrictions were a massive change from the last album, where the band entirely stretched out and really aimed for a massive sound. “We actually had a massive choir in one section of it, and that’s sort of

why I put that restriction on. We’re down one member since Hypnotiser, we used to have a trumpet player as well, and he’s quite incredible and can make a lot of different sounds. In some respects, [One Of Us] is a little more stripped back than Hypnotiser, though it may not sound it to anyone who is listening to us for the first time.”

The band will return to Melbourne at the start of May to kick of a run of east coast shows, and it will no doubt be a happy homecoming. Playing shows all around the world hasn’t dulled Savage’s love for the Melbourne scene, in fact it might have made her appreciate it a little bit more. “I feel like every city has its own vibe, and they’re all really different. I found being in Paris really similar to being in Melbourne, which is probably one of the more wanky things I’ll ever say. I feel like Melbourne crowds make you work for it and I think it makes good bands. If you can get a crowd to come and see you in the other cities then maybe they’re a bit easier to please, but Melbourne crowds have always made us really work for it, and I don’t mind that. I think it’s part of the reason why Melbourne bands are so good, because the crowds are so hard on them. It’s our community and our radio stations and everything else [that makes the scene great], but I also think that the crowd can claim a little bit of that. You know, those crowds at The Tote are just amazing, I’ve never really experienced a crowd like that anywhere else”

BY ELIJAH HAWKINS Cash Savage and the Last Drinks will be touring up the east coast from May 6, for more information visit cashsavage.com.au. One Of Us is out now through Mistletone Records.

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Music Interviews “Nowadays, they’re not really teaching musicians to be musicians,” Baker says. “They’re saying ‘let’s just play along with the song’ and that’s not how musicians learnt to play in the old days – they didn’t play along with songs, they learnt how to read music and practice and learnt how to play their instrument.

“Back in the jazz days when drummers learnt to play, the left foot was very important. Nowadays, drummers get on the kit and they hear a rock song and their left foot sits still – they play bass drum, snare drum and right hand and just play along with the song. Once you’ve learnt how to play drums like that it’s hard to go back and learn everything from the start.”

Reinvigorating The Music of Cream If you were to ask Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce or Ginger Baker what they thought of 21st century music-making, they’d likely either give you tongue-in-cheek ambiguity or a straight answer filled with regret.

Emerging from the trailblazing era of the 60s, Cream rose to prominence bound by not only unmatched charisma and stage malleability, but instrumental precision. They were first and foremost masters of their craft, inventing conventions that have lasted for generations.

Subsequently, digesting modern-day methodology is a tough pill to swallow for Kofi Baker, son of Ginger. Blood-driven by the pride and dignity of his father’s ingenuity, Baker believes educational impatience is overshadowing the push for technicality.

The Growth Of Real Estate New Jersey indie rockers Real Estate have returned with their fourth LP, In Mind – the follow up to the critically adored Atlas. In the three-years between albums, frontman Martin Courtney released his debut solo album, guitarist Matt Mondanile spearheaded a Ducktails LP and bassist Alex Bleeker released an album with his band the Freaks.

Then in mid-2016 Mondanile announced his departure from Real Estate, with Julian Lynch coming in as his replacement.

It feels like a long time since Atlas’ 2014 release, however Courtney says there was no uncertainty about the band’s future.

“We played shows for Atlas for probably about a year and a half and then we stopped and I definitely took a few months away from really thinking about Real Estate. I was finishing up the solo record at that point. I think it was good to get away from it for a little bit.”

In Mind is neither a repeat of Atlas nor a rehash of the band’s earlier two albums. But despite Mondanile’s absence – which precludes his distinguishable lead guitar work – the new record is distinctly the work of Real Estate. Courtney conceives the group’s songs, and his sensibilities form the crux of the band’s stylistic identity.

“I think the songs that I write for this band are more my natural style,” he says. “When I was working on the solo record, the point of 22

Bringing The Music of Cream to Australia for the first time as part of the band’s 50th anniversary, Baker’s dogged in not only evading the devilish tribute band status, but conveying the spontaneity that rendered Cream unmatched. “We’re going to bring the experience of Cream back, which means we’re going to do a lot of jamming, a lot of improvisation and a lot of giving it everything we’ve got – that’s what Cream was all about.

“We’re going to bring this jam, rock music thing back to life, which no one’s doing,” he says. “People have tried to do Cream but they’re not doing it with the fire that Cream had, they just try to copy Cream, which is not what Cream was about. Cream didn’t copy Cream, Cream played different every night and their live stuff was so much different to their studio stuff. You can’t play a tribute to Cream because Cream didn’t copy themselves.

attitude to bring and we know what they were about.”

Snobbishly titled so because Baker, Clapton and Bruce were the cream of the musician crop at the time, Cream enjoyed a helter skelter tenure between its formation in 1966 and dissolution in 1968. With their debut album Fresh Cream exalting them to the top of the blues rock tree, every recording and live performance from there was a bonus.

Despite their musical uniformity, Cream were never able to completely escape the narcissism that embodied its building blocks. While Clapton was their ace of spades when it came to talent, acrimony never left Bruce and Baker, and their combustible relationship was the band’s ultimate demise.

However, from one era’s closure comes the the dawn of another, and Cream’s farewell tour in October and November 1968 was known for its nascent supports, including Taste, Yes and Deep Purple. Glenn Hughes, the former bassist of the latter act, will be joining Baker, Bruce, Johns for The Music of Cream showcase, along with Miles Davis collaborator Robben Ford.

Not having played with Hughes or Ford before, Baker is unsure how the show will pan out. “We’re going to get together in LA a couple of days before the tour and see what happens,” Baker says. “I’m sure he (Hughes) will step up to the plate, he’s a great player and a great singer. I’m hoping we can maybe put a few originals in the set and maybe come up with a few tunes but we’ll see what time permits.”

BY TOM PARKER

“So what you have to do is take the experience and take the attitudes of what these guys had, which me, Malcolm (Bruce) and Will (Johns) really only know.

There’s not a lot of people who have been as close to my dad, Jack and Eric than us, so we know what

The Music of Cream will tour Australia in late May with information available at musicofcream.com

that whole record was to get out of my comfort zone and try new things and write songs in different styles that I wasn’t used to.

“So when I started writing songs for Real Estate again I was like, ‘I’m going to start writing songs again the way they come naturally to me.’ I think the fact that [In Mind] immediately sounds like Real Estate is because all of us are playing on the new record, minus Matt. And also it’s just really natural for me to write songs that sound that way.”

maybe it would be a step back or something. But we had a few calls with him and explained to him why we wanted to work with him and he eventually came around. And in the end the relationship worked really well.”

Real Estate albums are typically layered entities, and In Mind is no different. The arrangements comprise various interweaving melodies and rhythms supplied by the band’s two guitarists and Bleeker’s bass playing. For the most part, these elements work towards creating a pleasant exterior. But while there’s not much in the way of discord or aggression, there’s often a sense of wistfulness or melancholy naiveté dwelling beneath the surface.

The break between albums led to an increased feeling of excitement among the band members, which kick started the album making process.

“I think because we have played so many shows together we feel really comfortable playing music together and we work really well together as a band,” Courtney says. “So it was exciting to be back with those dudes working on new music.”

The album was produced by Cole M. Greif-Neill, who’s known for producing artists such as Nite Jewel, Ariel Pink and Julia Holter. This was the first time anyone from Real Estate had worked with him.

“We were tossing a lot of names around as producers.

There were a lot of good ideas, but once his name came up that’s who we wanted to work with,” Courtney says. “We reached out and sent him the demos and it seemed like he really liked the demos, but he took a little convincing to actually take the project on.

“I think because he was so used to working on things that weren’t the standard five dudes rock band, he thought

Atlas was produced by Wilco affiliate Tom Schick and its predecessor, Days, featured production from Woods’ Jarvis Taveniere. However, Courtney was reluctant to relinquish creative control on Real Estate’s first three LPs, which meant the producer’s role was largely technical. This changed when Greif-Neill came on board.

“It was more like he was being involved in every aspect of the record, which was something that I wasn’t used,” Courtney says. “I’ve spoken to other producers who told me, ‘If you work with me I’m going to be involved in every aspect,’ and that’s really turned me off in the past. I don’t want somebody getting involved in the lyrics and all that kind of stuff. But with Cole it felt a little more natural.

“It was baby steps in that direction, but it felt like he was a member of the band. He’s basically the same age as us in the band and he comes from playing in bands that we’re fans of and feel like they’re part of the same scene as us. It felt like we could trust his ideas. Especially in the mixing and editing process, his fingerprints are definitely on this record. He was definitely more involved than any producer we’ve had in the past.

“We probably would’ve been able to do a record without a producer, but I think it would’ve been a very different album. Whether or not it would be better or worse, I’m really happy with the way this record turned out.”

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY In Mind is out now through Domino.

Real Estate are playing at Splendour In The Grass as well as shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide in July mixdownmag.com.au

Music Interviews way we work is that I bring basic chords, melody and lyrics to him. He helps to fill it out from there. Parts like drums, bass, lead guitar lines... they’re things I don’t naturally write, and they can take a song from being really simple to big and bodacious. I can have a basic idea of what it is that I want, but when I’m working with Oscar I have the ability to make those ideas come to life.”

Ali Barter For her long-awaited debut LP, A Suitable Girl, Ali Barter wanted to create something that intrinsically reflected who she is as a musician, a songwriter, and as a person.

Interestingly, it’s for this very reason that one of the key ingredients of the album is its co-writing. A Suitable Girl saw Barter worked with a close group of collaborators, including Magic Dirt’s Adalita Srsen, multi-genre multiinstrumentalist Jonathan Boulet and singer-songwriter Bertie Blackman. “I love collaboration,” Barter says.

“I write really simple songs, so it’s nice to bring the bare bones of a song to someone and build it up from there. If I write a song and reach a point where I don’t know where to go, that might be when I reach out to someone to collaborate. It could be a whole section that we write together, or it could just be one word that takes the song in the next direction. Sometimes magic happens in song writing sessions, sometimes it’s a disaster. It’s always fun, though, and it’s interesting to learn another writer’s process.”

One of Barter’s key collaborators is Oscar Dawson, a Melbourne-based producer, composer and guitarist. He’s best known for his work as one half of folk-rockers Holy Holy, but he’s also been working with Barter since around 2013. For Barter, it’s the way that Dawson perceives and envisions music that has assisted so significantly in making her songs what they are. “He’s a really generous collaborator,” she says.

“He’s such an incredible musician, so he brings a lot to a song. The

Barter has been performing under her own name for around five years, releasing two EPs and a string of singles in the lead-up to the release of A Suitable Girl. Although the LP finally saw the light of day this March just gone, its writing was a long time in the works. “I went on a trip to LA in the middle of 2015, where I wrote a lot of songs for the record,” Barter explains. “That’s where ‘Cigarette’ started, where ‘Set Them on Fire’ started and where I wrote ‘Far Away.’ That song in particular was a pretty big one for me, because I wrote it over there with two guys called Sydney Wayser and Harlan Silverman, and then brought it back home to work on with Oscar. It was really easy – we just kept things really simple.”

‘Far Away’, which was released as a single at the start of last year, laid the blueprint for how Barter and co. would proceed. “That process really felt like a catalyst for the rest of the production of the album,” says Barter. “In the past, Oscar and I have tinkered around with things a lot.

It’s taken us a long time in the past, because we’ve been going through all these guitar tones and synth parts and effects. By recording a song really simply over two days, that really influenced the direction of this album.”

It should be stressed, however, that just because the production and arrangement approach to A Suitable Girl was simple, doesn’t mean it’s a plain record by any stretch of the imagination. From downtuned riffs to bubblegum pop, it’s a very diverse and sprightly album that is indicative of both Barter’s inspirations and how she channels that influence through her songs. “I think I really wanted to explore fuzz in terms of my guitar sound

someone else’s studio. We thought it was the wrong energy to place on the record. We love the creative space we made.”

Learning from Brainwash, the band’s second full-length, Long went into the recording process determined to play a more significant role in the album’s production.

“I was really specific with what I wanted You Are We to sound like. With Brainwashed and This Is The Six, I let the producer do his job, because I was new to all of it,” he says.

While She Sleeps On Reclaiming Control Fed up with the failings of the many fingers in the music industry pie, While She Sleeps has taken the bull by the horns. Guitarist and backing vocalist, Sean Long reveals why the old cliché ‘if you want something done right, do it yourself’ still rings true in 2017.

While She Sleeps, might not necessarily fit the DIY stereotype, but they went to lengths to convert a warehouse into their own recording and rehearsal space, dubbed Six Audio. It’s out of this studio that the band wrote and recorded – with the exception of drums – its third full-length record, You Are Me. Due out April 21, the crowd-funded album sees long time friend and engineer Carl Bown return to the helm.

“He really understands what this band is about,” Long says. “We don’t need to discuss what to do with the sound anymore, or the songs – he’s so on our level because we’ve known him for so long and he’s done all of our albums. He’s a big part of it for sure.We didn’t want to build a studio to write in and just disappear to mixdownmag.com.au

“You Are We has turned out exactly how I told Carl I wanted it to sound. I went in with a specific set of ideas and sounds. I wanted it to be as heavy as possible, but a lot of time when you want a heavy and raw sound, you tend to lose a lot of clarity and gain a lot more noise. Obviously that’s what some bands want, and don’t get me wrong, I love that.

“For me, there is a big part of Brainwashed that is noisy, which is great for the overall energy, but for You Are We I wanted to get rid of that,” says Long.

“I wanted it to be bigger, cleaner sounding and not as harsh to the ears. I didn’t want the cymbals to be cutting your teeth out – basically I wanted to get rid of the high-end mess that was gathering at the top of the mixes.

Further enforcing the band’s do-it-yourself mantra, both Long and Bown learned how to master their own audio, in an attempt to avoid the shortcomings of a third party. Having the advantage of proximity, and understanding the band’s inner workings with Bown at the controls, it was essential to fine tune the sound that Long had in mind.

“I hate mastering,” he says. “There’s nothing I hate more than spending four months doing the most beautiful thing you can do, then you give someone like

for this record,” she says. “I’ve always been enamoured by bands like Nirvana and the Pixies, so I wanted to look at how they use dynamics – those quiet verses that make way for those huge choruses. The guitar plays a big part in that – playing very clean, very simple parts and then letting loose on the distortion. You can hear that in a band like Weezer, too, who I’m a big fan of. It all factored in.”

Fans of Barter’s multifaceted indie stylings will have a chance to see her in action very soon on a month-long jaunt around the country. Starting in mid-April over in Bendigo and finishing in late May with a date in Newcastle, Barter will be performing with her full band; who, despite some recent line-up changes, are as strong as ever. “Last year, we toured as a five-piece,” says Barter. “It’s shifted into a four-piece this year and for this upcoming tour. We did have a couple of beautiful girls that would alternate in being our fifth member – doing back-up vocals, playing keyboards and adding in a bit of percussion as well. We don’t have that luxury this year, unfortunately, but thankfully the guys in my band are all very talented. Not only are they beautiful singers, they’re able to take those keyboard parts and transpose them for the guitar. We’ve been able to make it sound really great – we’ve really gotten the hang of it.”

BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG

Ali Barter will be touring nationally from April 13. For a full list of dates head to alibartermusic.com A Suitable Girl is out now through Inertia.

five grand to put it through a compressor; it’s criminal.

It has to be done, ‘cos that’s just the world we live in.

“While we were doing mix changes, we were also doing master changes. Every time we would get a mix back from Carl, he was sending us masters. We would then go back into the mix, change what needed to be changed for it to alter the master. It’s what allowed us, for me, to get a less ruined version at the end of the product.”

Over its ten year existence, the band has endured its fair share of let downs and upsets with record labels.

Long reflects on the band’s history, not with bitterness, but with a newly found awareness and positivity.

“We’re slowly realising this illusion that you need all these people to look after you, when you can just do it yourself. Especially with record labels – we were with a big label and we weren’t making them enough money, so we weren’t getting enough attention from their team,” says Long.

“This band is our life; anyone you work with aren’t going to love it as much as you, ever. If it breaks, it’s our lives that break, but if it breaks for them, it’s just another band or another job. That’s when we started to see through the cracks. We started to see that not everyone has your best interest at hand.”

BY AARON STREATFEILD While She Sleeps support In Hearts Awake on a national Australian tour, kicking off in Perth July 10, along with Crossfaith and Polaris. Tickets are on sale now. You Are Me is out April 21 through UNFD. 23

Advice Columns GUITAR

BASS GUITAR

More Notes Per String

Improvising

We’ve been working on building some technique and speed over the last few issues, and we’ve also talked about alternate picking and playing in a legato style. So let’s look at some ideas to put those into practice this month.

One of the tough things about guitar, and indeed any instrument, is being limited in what you play by what you know and what you can physically do. With great facility and knowledge of the fretboard you hopefully should be able to move around the neck with ease irrespective of how many notes you’re playing on each string, which direction you’re moving, whether it’s an up stroke, downstroke, hammer-on or pull-off, it is always handy to start with some examples to get the ball rolling.

Even though solos on bass aren’t as common as other instruments (guitar, piano, saxophone etc), it’s not something to be afraid of. Often the fear comes from not knowing what to do and what scales/arpeggios/sounds to use. Let’s start with a couple of common scales then to get you moving. Figure A is the classic minor pentatonic scale (‘pent’ meaning five, so it only uses five different notes, although it can obviously be repeated and played in consecutive octaves), this example being one octave of G minor pentatonic.

Two notes per string is cool and works beautifully with that classic guitar sound, the minor pentatonic scale (Figure A). Yes you can alternate pick every note but it also lends itself to hammer-ons and pull-offs due to the two notes per string. It’s a great starting point, sits nicely under your fingers and with a bit of practice you should be able to develop speed fairly quickly.

Whist the minor pentatonic scale is really usable and utilised by many instruments, not just guitar. So, keeping the two note per string idea in mind you can try changing some notes for a different sound. Figure B changes the C natural to a C# and also adds in an F# and a B natural. This creates a mixolydian type sound that could work over Dominant 7, 9 and 13th chords amongst others. The movement and right hand picking (or hammer-ons/ pull-offs) stays the same with just some extra stretches in the left hand.

Notice any limitations though? Perhaps you’re thinking that it’s quite a bit of effort and movement to get the two notes out on each string? Another option to add some extra notes and try three per string. Players such as Frank Gambale, Allan Holdsworth and Tom Quayle are masters of these type of ideas, make sure you check them out.

Figure C takes the idea of using three notes per string to cover some extra fretboard territory, this time in A dorian. If picking, you can use economy or sweep picking (alternate picking with sweeps in the same direction when crossing strings). Otherwise you could try a more legato approach by just picking the first note on each new string or a combination of all of the above. Figure D is again based on A dorian, but sounds a little more interesting. Try coming up with some ideas of your own (in all keys) and I’ll be back with some more ideas including four notes per string next month.

Run the scale ascending and descending getting your ear used to the sound. You’ve probably heard it before in some form, be it improvised solos or well-known riffs and licks that have used it (or elements of it) in their construction. Try hammer-ons and pull-offs too for a different feel and sound and of course you can use fingers or a pick, or even slapping. The minor pentatonic scale is spelt 1, b3, 4, 5, b7 (8) and it’s important to be able to both play and work out the scale anywhere on the neck.

Figure B extends G Minor Pentatonic by starting on a low F (a tone below the root note) and then ascending up two octaves. Try some different fingerings to get used to the position shifts and remember – this is just a suggested (and common) pattern, if you know the notes (G, Bb, C, D, F in this case) you can play the scale anywhere on the neck.

What type of chords does this work over? When can I use this scale? How do I know what key a song is in? These are some of the common questions that typically arise next after putting some time into learning the scale.

Analysing chord progressions and learning what scales are used where and when takes time and is a huge topic in itself. As a brief starting point G minor pentatonic can be played over G minor chords (hence the minor part of the name) and will also work over chord progressions that use chords from the key of G minor. There are then a heap of exceptions to these rules too. Figure C, D and E highlight some possible chord progressions to try when improvising with G minor pentatonic.

The G minor pentatonic scale is also sometimes used over a 12 bar blues in G (and indeed a G Major or Dominant 7 chord) which can cause some confusion. Again, there are many schools of thought on these ideas and many other scale options too. Try it for yourself and use your ear – some notes may not sound like they fit as well as others which will move us to seek out other ideas which we’ll get into next issue.

BY NICK BROWN

BY NICK BROWN

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mixdownmag.com.au

Advice Columns MANUFACTURING YOUR OWN INSPIRATION

Dealing With Writer’s Block The past few months I’ve been in a bit of a musical slump. It happens, I sit down, make the same beat and use the same techniques, realise it’s the same as everything I’ve done in the last while and go back to playing playstation or whatever. It happens, writers block, burn-out, call it what you will. It’s hard to be inspired all the time.

I know myself well enough now to know that to escape the slump, something has to change. I’m not someone who writes music with emotion or feeling in mind – it’s the gadgets and processes that attracted me to electronic music. So in the past, I’ve often relied on new equipment or software for inspiration. Due to current life events, finding the money for that is kind of out the question.

So here’s what I did - I set myself a challenge. Use one synth, in my case a Novation Bass Station II, for all sounds and make a track. No software instruments, no sample libraries, no vocals etc. – every sound within this track must begin its life in this one monophonic synth.

To my surprise, building a drum sample rack out of synthesised bleeps, bloops and fizzles turned out to be really fun. It also forced me to get to know my synth much better, exploring every modulation routing and possibility. Having to really think about what a clap sounds like and how I could replicate that with a synth was difficult, but rewarding. It reminded

me that tinkering with synths is what brought me to electronic music in the first place. Processing each sample (I did allow software effects and compression, I’m not a complete madman) and getting them to work as a drum kit was also weirdly therapeutic.

I was also surprised that a track was becoming a reality quite quickly - the distraction of choosing instruments or samples simply wasn’t there. Finding fun and creativity within self-imposed restrictions turned out to be really productive. Plus, playing a raw analogue synth by hand, happy accidents occurred.

Within a few hours, I had a finished song.

It wasn’t the greatest thing I’ve ever done, but it was different, and it was fun to make. Since that day a couple of weeks ago, I’ve continued my exploration of the synth and have numerous tracks, some of which, I’m actually pretty stoked with.

Maybe this won’t work for everyone, but I thought I’d share the experience. If you’re finding you’re treading water in a sea of samples and soft-synths, maybe try stripping things back. Give yourself

some rules – DAWs are so good these days that the almost limitless options can be overwhelming. This way you find freedom within limitation, without the paralysis of choice.

whatever. The options are almost limitless and you may find yourself armed with more knowledge and some interesting sounds. In the words of Captain Planet: the power is yours.

After I’ve tired of the synth, I reckon I’ll apply this challenge to my dusty old Alesis HR-16 drum machine and see how I go. But you could do it with anything; a guitar, your voice, a 12-inch record, a soft synth, sampling kitchen utensils..

BY MICHAEL CUSACK

to cover a lot of bases. Yet, so many of us have a stack of snares and multiple kits.

have a home base from which to branch off and return to. If I solidify myself in a base sound/style I love to play all the time, I can adapt from there to cover other styles but I’ve got a base sound. I might keep changing my mind but it’s certainly an interesting concept and I’ll probably have fun trying to get to the bottom of it. I’ll still play like me at least.

PERCUSSION

Finding Your Own Voice Finding your own voice on the drums can be a long, arduous and laborious process. There are a lot of influences that can alter your course too and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only drummer that is bothered by this. I suppose another question arises here – do we actually all need to pursue finding our own voice?

At the beginning, whether we’re young kids or starting older, we simply don’t have the knowledge or experience to know how to even play the drums let alone understanding what sound a drum or cymbal can give us. We haven’t listened to enough music to be learned in different styles or musical language. All we can do at this stage is imitate – everything from ways to play to set ups and brands of instruments. I bought my first good drum kit – a Sleishman – purely because my teacher had one and I liked the way it sounded at live gigs. I never actually tried tuning one or experimenting with the tonal variations I could get out of the snare drum. I was merely using the limited knowledge I had to get a good drum kit.

Obviously, with maturity on the instrument comes a more finely tuned ear and a preference of what sounds good or not.

From there arises the desire to solidify what kind of drummer you want to be and what you want to sound like. Master drummers Steve Gadd and Dave Weckl for example both have very distinct sounds.

For me, Gadd in particular during the 80/90s had a very influential ‘studiolike’ sound that so many of us tried to 26

replicate. For both, the sound has evolved over time.

All of what I’ve mentioned so far is all well and good, but to be completely frank, I change my mind about what I love so bloody often it’s not funny. I love cracky snare drums but also love deep and fat sounding snares. I love huge crashes and vintage sounding drums but also the smaller, crisp nature of fusion sounding drums/cymbals from the 90s or gospel drummers of today. I couldn’t imagine just having one sound/voice. This makes finding my happy medium rather difficult. Also, I’m not in a position to have a massive drum kit with 40 pieces to set up at every gig either but that really doesn’t accomplish that much either really.

Lets go the other way for a second. If you only have one sound – your sound – does this make you a less versatile as a drummer in the real world? Let’s face it, one weekend it’s a pub gig, the next a wedding or a jazz gig. Can one kit or sound rule them all? It’s a tough question to answer, but to be fair though, even the masters’ sound develops over time as their own tastes change and one drum kit can be used

IS IT ALL ACTUALLY NECESSARY? As mentioned, this idea of finding your own voice lies in making a conscious decision to do so and deciding what sort of drummer you want to be. In the end, if you want to be able to cut a variety of gigs, you’ll need to have a few different sounds up your sleeve – there’s no way around it. If you really want to focus on one style or sound, that needs to be your choice and within that style, your sound will develop.

If you become a famous drummer, people will hire you for your thing so you can do what you like. For me, I think I need to

BY ROB GEE

mixdownmag.com.au

Advice Columns DJ

More Than Just Mixing Tunes I can still remember warehouse parties in the 90s when getting to a big, almost empty venue early in the night not only meant you could secure a decent base camp on the expansive dancefloor, but it also allowed you to see something a little different in the line-up. Oddly enough, it was in the early hours, usually before midnight, that the turntables would often go untouched and the DJs that would perform would be set up in front of the decks or to the side on a separate stage space. Why they were scheduled earlier was not necessarily due to their ability or the crowds response, but more so from a logistical standpoint, as it was easier to move from one act to another later in the night when they were all using the same pair of turntables. When dealing with a complicated array or drum machines, sequencers, synths and other gadgets that all require setup and pack-down time, this didn’t fit into the flow of the night. It seemed that live techno music often got pushed forward in the playlist, often going unheard to almost empty dancefloors.

Today, things have changed.

The traditional idea of the DJ is really a thing of the past. It seems that since the introduction of computers to the mixing rig, the DJ almost has no choice but to bring into the mix everything they can with an almost endless amount of sounds and tools available to them. So, the large table of hardware that was once required for a DJ to perform their own music live is now bundled into the laptop that also has their mixing software and often their entire music library. There is really no reason why any DJ who produces their own music shouldn’t introduce it into the mix, be it at the start of the night, in the heat of a crowded dancefloor, or at the very end when only a few brave souls are left kicking their heals about.

This does take away a little bit of the romanticism involved with setting up some hardware and performing live with it. I know there is still plenty of work that goes

into performing live with the laptop as the sole engine, but I have come from an era when getting analogue synths and drum machines to sync up was a challenge in itself. I can’t help but feel more enthused when watching a DJ that performs with a number of hardware devices, especially when it removes them from the sequence and requires a real live performance of the score to complete the ensemble.

There was an array of hardware samplers that used to be readily available. The rawness that came from the live capture of a sample and its introduction into the mix always gave every DJs set a feel that was very much ‘in the moment’. This is something that I have found in Teenage Engineering’s OP-1 synthesiser, with its ability to not only receive FM radio, but to capture it in real-time with the sampling feature. Alright, so bear with me on this

one, but it isn’t as crazy an idea as it sounds, once you turn it over in your head a few times.

To truly bring an element of the ’now’ to any DJ set, adding the production and sampling capabilities of the OP-1 allows the performer to deliver a set that is totally in the moment, with additional sounds and samples coming from the radio reception at the time. If a DJ is lucky enough to be performing over the turning of the hour, then the news could be found on the radio and some interesting and truly unique sound bites can be brought into the mix with a skilled hand. This means that every set delivered to an audience with the OP-1 would be unique and completely in the moment. As the world outside of the club moves on, so too would the music. This is just a small portion of the capabilities of this unique music creation tool and one that showcases a hands-on approach to live

electronic music creation in a club. This would integrate with the existing mixing software and sound library to deliver a total sound, but the possibilities that the OP-1 bring to the table in advancing a live set with both samples, sequenced beats and synth sounds are endless. I think it is safe to say that just when you think you have a grasp of what is going on in the DJ booth, the game changes yet again and even newer, and greater, technology becomes available. The goalposts are continually shifting, so it will be the few truly creative DJs out there that will make the most of the opportunities that every new gadget allows. It isn’t enough to just play tracks and fade them into each other.

Let’s all think ahead and see what comes of it.

the original pair – don’t think you need more power to balance out the additional speakers.

Two much power from your sub will just result in mixes that lack low frequencies on other systems. Studio monitor room correction devices, like KRKs Ergo system are a great addition to any monitoring setup to get the balance between the monitors, the sub and the space correct. Sadly these sorts of systems get very expensive when looking into surround setups, usually designed for professional post-production suites and never really with the home studio in mind. But introducing a stereo speaker management system into your surround mixing setup is a great way to get the sub sitting right. From there you can set the centre and rear speakers to balance out with the main left and right pair. It’s not ideal, but after shelling out for additional speakers, this is a very cost effective way of making the most of your system and not overloading the bottom end unknowingly. The result gives you a balanced system that allows you to mix both

music and video soundtracks in 5.1 surround sound with very good results.

BY ROB GEE

STUDIO Waves 360° Surround Tools software

Going Into The Surround We have all encountered surround sound by now. Many of us have systems set up in our living rooms with the TV as the centrepiece, trying to replicate the cinema experience in the home. I would hazard a guess that many of you have not considered this for your home studio monitoring setup, yet plenty of you will be creating music for video and film, without the right tools for the job. And it is not just for film that surround sound is being implemented, with music videos and live performances now regularly being mixed in 5.1, it is becoming more of the norm to have a surround system in the studio. With most major DAW software platforms supporting 5.1 mixing, it makes sense to take advantage of this modern listening ideal, even when just mixing for a stereo result.

I think it is safe to say that the biggest mistake made when setting up a 5.1 surround studio mixing environment in the home studio is the imbalance of the speakers used.

It’s understandable that this occurs when you consider most people’s reference of a 5.1 surround system. Generally, in a home theatre system, the centre and rear speakers are smaller and less powerful than the two main speakers, only providing ambient and environmental sounds to create a sense of space. It often results in an uninformed purchasing decision that sees some people using smaller monitors for their rear speakers in a surround mixing environment. This causes a range of issues and can best be addressed by not doing it in the first place. Having speakers that deliver not only different sound pressure levels, but also different frequency responses around the room doesn’t allow you to mix your surround image properly. You wouldn’t try to mix a stereo recording on two different studio monitors for your left and right speakers, so why would you even consider using different speakers for your rear or centre sounds in a 5.1 mix? Different speakers require a lot of 28

calibration to get them all to behave in a similar fashion, and even then, only a similar behaviour is the best outcome, not a perfect balance. Yes, you will have less volume and direct sounds coming from the rear speakers, but you need to hear them in relation to the front speakers to understand how much of the mix needs to sit in their realm. If they are underpowered or delivering different frequency responses, you’ll allocate the mix levels to them incorrectly and when heard through a home theatre system it will stand out even more.

The other consideration is what sub you bring into the mix to achieve the right balance. As with a stereo mixing setup, there are certain subs that work well with your monitors and others that do not. Brands like Genelec offer built in monitor control with crossovers for surround mixing in the matching sub, but this isn’t the case with most monitors that are found in home studios. When you decide to go surround, the first thing is to ensure your additional speakers are the same as your stereo pair. Then add a sub that would complement

Most home studios are dealing with a range of complications that aren’t usually faced by professional production houses. The main issue being the room itself, as it is rarely ideal for a stereo speaker monitoring setup, let alone five speakers and a sub, So finding a compromise is the most important factor.

Use speakers that work within the space you have. You don’t need five giant 8-inch drivers blasting your ears from only a few feet away, especially when the sub is taking care of the lower frequencies. You can very easily get a balanced sound with 5-inch or even 4-inch studio monitors with the correctly balanced sub. Think about the space you are actually mixing in, not the space you want to listen in.

Then get a system that matches that space as best you can.

BY ROB GEE mixdownmag.com.au

Features

Grass Roots Guitars How Loog Guitars Is Inspiring The Next Generation Of Guitarists.

Some of you may have seen these slightly quirky instruments before. They’re popping up in YouTube videos and starting to appear in stores around the country. What Loog guitars represents is a very real beginner’s instrument that’s going to be a whole lot of fun in the hands of a seasoned player too.

I don’t want to liken these guitars to the ukulele craze that’s been taking over the planet the last five or six years, because they are not ukuleles. Yes, they may be adorned with only three strings, but in essence, the Loog is very much a guitar and performs as something of a stepping stone to playing a six-string instrument. The radical shape of both the electric and acoustic models looks pretty sharp, and the size is ideal for small hands to get around. That said, I know of plenty of adult players that would have a great time ripping it up on a Loog, especially with a nice valve combo, a slide and a little blues action.

Part of the process of owning a Loog guitar is that you’re learning how to play a new instrument. Whether you have been playing guitar for years, or you’re a complete beginner, the Loog is still going to be a new instrument to you. Designed to be a stepping stone for beginners before they tackle a full scale six-string guitar, the Loog is a far better root in this sense than a ukulele, as the tuning sets you up for playing the guitar later on. With the first three strings of a standard tuning guitar offered to begin with on the Loog, it is easy for beginners to grasp the concept of playing chords without overcomplicating the matter. Take into account that the neck is also a lot slimmer (and shorter), making it easy for little hands to get around the fretboard. Add to this the reduced tension on the strings and you can bypass the need for the young ones to start out on a nylon guitar and get into playing steel string acoustic or electric right from the start. This gives the Loog that little extra ‘cool’ factor, as it isn’t that boring classical guitar that none of the kids want to play.

For those of you who can’t settle on just one idea, Loog cater for all. As well as the electric model, which is available in six different colours, there are also a couple of acoustic models to choose from. A steel string option will come in handy as a travel guitar for many six string players who just want to noodle, and a soon-to-be-released nylon string model will also be available in a range of colours. The nylon Loog guitar follows the

trend of mini guitars and delivers a smaller version of the already reduced size of the Loog.

For those old rockers who have a thing for nostalgia, or for the kids who want to keep up with their parents’ guitar collection, it has to be said that the coolest Loog in the range is by far the clear Lucite body version. I couldn’t help but think of the classic Dan Armstrong Ampeg guitar when I saw this one. A little part of me jumped up and down, quietly yelling “I want one!” just as most guitarists do when they see a flying V guitar for the first time. If you are going to bring the kids up to be rock stars, this is one way to get them set on the right path. And if you’re really just buying the Loog for yourself, then why not get the

one that appeals to your inner self. It may have just three strings, but it has a whole lot of character and plenty of soul when treated right.

“In the last two years we’ve also had a project that actually looks back. We call it Retroscape.

That involves the reintroduction of the original classic Hagström models from the 60s. The relaunch of the Impala and Condor and H-II and H-II, they’re new to the current lineup, but they’ve very authentic recreations of these older Hagström models.”

“We never really feel like we’re finished with something,” Smith says. “We’re always looking to make improvements and we’re making changes to the line all the time.”

“Next year will be our 60th year. Hagström started making electric guitars in 1958. That long history gives us a level of authenticity that some of the newer brands may not have and also a source of original product design that we can draw on for reintroduction.”

On that note, some intriguing items are set to be added to the Hagström product line in the near future. “We’ll be seeing a couple of bass models later this year that are original Hagström designs,” Shand says. “One was dating back to 1967 and another one was done in the 80s for ABBA. Both of them are very, very cool bass designs.

“At [the musical instrument fair Frankfurt Musikmesse] we are launching a brand new body shape for Hagström under the model name Fantomen, which is Swedish for the phantom.

It’s an offset, irregular shaped body that we’re collaborating on with a big band.”

Hagström has relationships with a variety of contemporary musicians, but there’s a key factor that differentiates these relationships from that of other brands. “Because we’re small we don’t have a custom shop,” Shand says.

“So the guitars that Pat Smear plays on stage with the Foo Fighters, the guitars that Justin York and his brother Taylor will be touring with when Paramore comes back out – they’re right from the factory. That means the instrument that’s on stage with Pat or with Paramore is the instrument that kids walking into the shop will be able to buy. “Kevin Parker from Tame Impala, he’s been playing a Hagström vintage Impala. We shipped him a couple of Impalas that he just picked up and he’s recording his next album with them. “Hagström guitars aren’t cheap, but they are reasonably priced. We don’t cut corners in terms of quality. Even our entry level models that sell for $350-400, they’ve got the original Hagström truss rod, the original Hagström tailpiece. We’re not going generic.

There’s a lot of care and detail built in.”

BY ROB GEE Loog Guitars are distributed throughout Australia by Dunphy Imports. For more information about the guitars, and where you can find them, visit loogguitars.com.au

Maintaining The Hagström Legacy Swedish guitar manufacturers Hagström recently boosted their presence in the Australian market, which is part of the brand’s ongoing global expansion. But the company’s not only expanding its worldwide distribution at present; there’s also constant effort going towards enhancing and improving the product line.

Mixdown speaks to John Shand and Craig Smith, the Managing Director and General Manager respectively of Tricor AB/ Hagström guitars, about the current company outlook.

“One of the missions that I had coming into the company was to raise the profile of Hagström in markets outside of Europe, and obviously that’s where Australia fits in,” says Shand. “We’re being very methodical to find the right partner for the brand. We’re looking for people who understand the history and the quality and are able to be pioneers for us in markets where Hagström may not have a history that goes back a long time.”

Part of this effort involves overcoming the erstwhile lack of recognition for Hagström in markets outside of central Europe and North America.

“The factory in Sweden had closed down in 1983, so it had been gone for about 22 years,” Smith says. “Some people remembered it, but a lot of young players had never heard of it. So it was having to start right from the beginning in some aspects and dig into the past, but then revitalise everything.”

Smith came into the picture in 2007 and Hagström has since made considerable advances with both product development and brand exposure. But they haven’t been in an unnecessary hurry.

“Quality has been a really important issue for us – working with suppliers and with the factories to make sure that everything is done the way that we want it done,” Smith says. “It’s [about] being patient and just making sure that we’re following through with developing a really great product for a reasonable amount of money.”

Aiming to become a global presence hasn’t slowed down product development, mind you.

Rather, Hagström has remained open to design ideas that will appeal to modern guitarists while also retaining the brand’s signature character.

“Our Ultra Swede model for example, which is smaller bodied, has ceramic pickups, (a) higher output, (and a) more modern, very thin neck – that’s a combination of some of the classic Hagström features into a platform that’s a little bit more suitable for a particular style of shredding player,” Shand says.

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BY AUGUSTUS WELBY Hagstrom is Distributed

by Pro Music Australia mixdownmag.com.au

Features

Lozz Benson On the Beginnings of the Sydney Drum and Percussion Show While there are several events on the calendar for other types of musicians to get together, geek out over the latest instrument releases and see some of their heroes demonstrating said products, until now the world of percussion has been criminally under represented on the Australian trade show circuit. However the inaugural Sydney Drum and Percussion Show is set to change all of this when it comes to Rosehill Gardens Pavilion next month. We caught up with musician Lozz Benson to find out more.

Having been organised by the Australian Music Association, the group behind the very popular Melbourne Guitar Show, the expo will take place over the course of a weekend, offering clinics, demonstrations, seminars and performances from some of the most talented drummers and percussionists in the country. Benson is one of those performers who not only has held down rhythmic duties for the likes of Urthboy and Pat Capocci, but helms her own rockabilly and blues act That Red Head.

Benson can be found most nights of the week gigging with one of her many projects, which also include Drummer Queens, The JHD Revival Band and Rackett, and has developed a reputation as one of the foremost rockabilly drummers in the country. This was recognised when she won the AUDW Best Female Drummer Award and the Drumtek Best Up And Coming Drummer competition.

It was the latter award that led to her being asked to showcase at the upcoming drum show. “My involvement with that has led to Frank [Corniolo of Drumtek] asking me to be a part of the drum expo in Sydney,” she says.

“Part of the prize is winning some equipment and I’ll be playing those brands at the show. When I won the award I got endorsement from two particular brands, which include DW, MEINL and Promark sticks. I’ll be playing a DW drum kit and playing a set with my rockabilly band, then I’ll be playing a couple of things on the drums.”

As with the other performers on the day, Benson’s set will be a chance for drum fans to see a professional musician demonstrating their particular set of skills and area of speciality. “This particular band that I’ll be playing with on the day is my own project, which is named after me it’s called That Red Head because I have red hair,” says Benson.

“It’s primarily rockabilly and blues. I feel like even though I love all different kinds of music one of my favourite types of music is metal and punk - I think playing-wise what I’m really good

Jason Ayres

as a historical archive. “It started off impulsively as I wasn’t yet sure of what I was after,” he says. “So I pulled the trigger a few times and lived to regret it.

Like fine whiskey or wine, there’s a lot to learn before you become an aficionado.

“I also have a number guitars that I’ve bought because they are so rich in history.

The Gibson Banners from the World War II era are certainly amongst my favourites.

They were built during a time when mainly women worked in the Gibson factory as the men were off at war and supplies were scarce. So they made do with what they had. Fantastic sounding instruments came out of this era. At this point though, I’ve stopped searching for more and I’m just letting the good guitars find me.”

On the Nuances of his Vintage Gibson Acoustics It’s one year since the River You Cry EP and Perth songwriter Jason Ayres is about to release another five song EP, Got My Heart. It’s his third consecutive EP of originals, and this one sees him venturing into the province of alt-country.

“I think the EP format makes me feel like it’s less definitive, so I’m able to explore musical ideas and songs with less fear of being pigeonholed,” Ayres says. “And it’s enabled me to gently creep into alt country and folk in my own time.”

Rather than persisting with the solo acoustic mode of his previous few releases, Ayres worked with a full band ensemble on Got My Heart. Increased confidence in his abilities as a bandleader triggered this move. “I feel like I’m more able now to guide other musicians to the sounds and feels that I’m after,” he says. “And I’ve also learnt when to back off and let them bring their own personality to the music too. And perhaps a desire to never go stale in the studio [made me want to work with the band].” Ayres’ expansive collection of vintage guitars is widely envied.

The new EP was made exclusively with vintage Gibson acoustics – and there are some rare beauties in his collection. mixdownmag.com.au

at is shuffles and blues.

“It’s just a trio; it’ll be a double bass, a guitar and then me; I’ll be singing as well. We’ll be doing original material, just a couple of tunes so I can show a couple of different feels or grooves that I feel that I’m good at or that I really enjoy playing – your typical Chicago blues shuffle, your typical rockabilly Stray Cats straight-ahead type feel.”

Some of the biggest brands in drum manufacture will be showcasing their products at the trade show and Benson is excited about not only performing but having the opportunity to see and try out some of the instruments first hand, as well as a chance to see some other world class drummers do their thing. “Up until recently I wasn’t really a gear head, but after winning the competition and sussing out a couple of these brands I’ve really been getting into cymbals and drums,” says Benson. “I’m (also) excited to see some particular drummers - Thomas Lang for example, and Virgil Donati’s playing.”

There will also be several seminars and workshops happening throughout the event, covering a range of topics that will appeal to different drum aficionados. “That’s really exciting, learning about what technologies are available to us right now in the form of electronic stuff and triggers. I’m sure they’ll be covering everything from orchestral and traditional stuff so I think there’ll be something for everyone,” says Benson.

“There’s going to be a bunch of seminars and demonstrations and it’s really going to be a lot of information and education. They’re just trying to put on a big day – you’ve got performances, you’ve got workshops, you’ve got stuff for gear heads, you’ve got stuff for

“The main guns used to hold this record together include a 1950 Gibson Southern Jumbo, which brought the old oaky warmth to the rhythm sections; a 1957 J-45, which has been beaten to within an inch of it’s life, but she sings with deep throaty bottoms; and a 1941 Gibson J-55, which comes to life when you use your fingers so she got a couple of feature spots too. “The old guitars certainly bring an unmistakable depth to the recording. Like an old voice which has lived a thousand lives, and none of which have been easy.”

This isn’t nearly the extent of Ayres’ guitar collection, which has partially come together thanks a zealous spending habit. Though, it’s more aptly viewed

While Ayres’ many classic guitars all offer different individual characteristics, he does highlight some favourites from the collection. “Some like to be tickled, others like to wrestle, and each one inspires me to write differently,” Ayres says.

“I let the guitar guide me on that.

Some standouts would include a 1940 Gibson J-35, the predecessor of the ever lasting workhorse the J-45. Not only is it a piece of history, but it has a giant open voice like Pavarotti. “Another favourite is the 1951 Gibson SJ-200 – the king of the flat tops and the top of the hill in those days. Bob Dylan’s Nashville Skyline may have influenced this purchase a little bit, but it just oozes tone. Ayres speaks of Bob Dylan as a life changing influence.

Dylan’s long refused to be pinned down, constantly changing his artistic manner and eluding definition. This aspect of Dylan’s

people that are interested in different genres.

These shows don’t come around often and a lot of work and effort goes into making them exciting and educational,” says Benson. “So if you can make it, you should definitely get down because there’ll be something for everyone - if you’re a beginner, or you’re advanced, and it’s family friendly. It’s going to be an awesome day out, so if you can book it in, book it in.”

BY ALEX WATTS The Sydney Drum & Percussion Show will take place on Saturday May27-Sunday May 28 at the Rosehill Garden Pavilion, Sydney. For more information head to australianmusician.com.au/sydney-drumpercussion-show-2017. Tickets from oztix.com.au

personality is greatly appealing to Ayres.

“Dylan has been, and forever will be an enigma, for sure. The ever-elusive personality is certainly something that will keep me listening to his records and appreciating what he has done over the years as a performer and a writer.

It’s not in my nature to be mysterious and intentionally elusive so I wouldn’t seek to emulate this. I’m more of a heart on the sleeve kind of guy, but I will forever be evolving and improving my craft. And the day that I think I know it all, is the day that I’ll hang up my guitar and retire, because the end of my road would have arrived.”

Ayres has supported all sorts of big names from home and abroad in recent years, including Hot Chocolate and Anastacia, Kasey Chambers and James Reyne.

Witnessing the adoration of these artists’ fans motivates him to seek out a similar sort of following.

“There is certainly magic in the air when a renowned artist starts playing the opening lines to their well known songs. It’s electric.

The connection with the audience is real, and something that any artist at any stage desires. Being in front of thousands of people and performing my own songs and being able to capture their hearts and minds is a feeling like no other, and certainly what I will continue to work towards.”

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY For more information about Jason Ayers, head to jasonayers.com. Got My Heart is out now.

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THE ANALOGUE PROJECT

BY AUDIO-TECHNICA The aim of Record Store Day is to bring music enthusiasts and collectors of physical recorded formats together in a celebration of independent music retail. Over its ten year duration, RSD has grown to become a worldwide event, with some of the biggest bands on the planet releasing limited edition releases specifically for sale on the day, the majority of which are guaranteed to sell out immediately. It is the biggest trading day of the year for most stores, and something akin to Christmas for record buyers. More than simply about moving units, many stores choose to celebrate the day by putting on instore performances and using the opportunity to highlight local acts and the community in their locality or area of expertise.

So as Record Stores around the world gear up for the tenth anniversary of Record Store Day, Mixdown has teamed up with Audio-Technica to chat with some of Australia’s most iconic stores about their history, community and being an independent retailer in the current retail climate.

Beatdisc Records Since 1995 Beatdisc Records has been serving Sydney’s West with deep punk cuts and local releases, helping to foster and sustain the underground scene. In that part of Sydney it’s the only true record store still in existence; while riding the waves of the CD boom and the vinyl revival, and hosting some of the city’s most epic in-store shows, it has been fuelled, throughout, by a vibrant local music community. As Pete Curnovic, the store’s owner says, it’s the personal connections developed through Beatdisc that have been central to its longevity.

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In November Beatdisc celebrated 10 years since they first opened their doors for in-store shows. With a reputation for showcasing blistering local talent and the odd international set, in-store’s continue to be a large part of the shop’s musicinvested, scene-devoted identity.

“It’s very important, and I think that’s where we built the community from,” says Curnovic. “A lot of people have met through the shows that we do and bands have formed from that, we’ve always had a good punk rock following.

“Some of my best mates that I hang out with all the time have come from owning or working in the shop.”

“I’m good friends with Andy who runs Poison City, so almost every year we’ve done a secret show with one of the American bands that have played [Poison City Weekender].

One of the US bands that’s played here [is] called Pity Sex. There was I think, 90 people here, which was just incredible for a band that we sell heaps of records [for]. To have them play here in Western Sydney was just really special.

“Punk rock has always been vinyl related as well, so our new vinyl grew from that. And you always had second hand stuff coming through - your 70s and 80s rock. We get told almost weekly that our prices are really good and we’ve always tried to be very reasonable, so I think that has something to do with it.

We’re still excited about the music we stock, the music, we put out and the vinyl put out on the racks.“ Beatdisc are located at Shop 11, Queensland Arcade, 181 Church Street, Parramatta, NSW. beatdisc.com.au —

Greville Records Located just minutes from trendy Chapel St, Greville Records have been in their Prahran location in Melbourne for more than 30 years, and in that time they’ve seen pretty much all there is to see in the record collecting world. The store is something of an institution, servicing a neighbourhood that’s gone through some significant changes since it first opened up, when the area was only just on the brink of gentrification. Thrown a lifeline by the recent upwards swing in vinyl sales, Greville are now finding that their store is regularly filled with new customers, something they say is a welcome change.

“It’s fun because it’s not just old buggers talking endlessly about Bob Dylan and Neil Young anymore. We’re getting lots of

— “It’s fun because it’s not just old buggers talking endlessly about Bob Dylan and Neil Young anymore. We’re getting lots of young people coming in. Last week I had a nine-year-old girl asking for Justin Bieber on vinyl, and it’s like ‘whoa, this is really different’.

— young people coming in. Last week I had a nine-year-old girl asking for Justin Bieber on vinyl, and it’s like ‘whoa, this is really different’.

But I’ve also got lots of young people, music fans, who’ve probably got 60,000 tracks on their phone, but they’ve decided that they want to track down particular records and buy them. It still amazes me when a 16-year-old buys a free jazz record.

“Record stores aren’t the community they once were. Once upon a time if you wanted to know what gigs were going on around town, what records [to buy], you had to go into a record store, but then the internet came along. It is starting to pick up again though. We’re all music fanatics, and everyone who comes in here, if I say ‘can I help you’, they’ll jump on you [for that help]. It’s completely different, if I go into a petrol station, all I want to do is fill the car up and get out of there as quickly as possible, whereas people in record shops do enjoy interaction. I think if you can offer that, if you’re always trying to help people, and selling the right things, or even sometimes telling them about other shops where they’ll be able to find what they’re after, I think that’s the edge that a shop like this has.

“One of the great things with records, is there’s just so many different pressings of things, and we’re always coming across unusual things… I source my records anywhere I can overseas, I like going to Japan because they have very high quality pressings and they treat them well too. mixdownmag.com.au

SPECIAL FEATURE: The Analogue Project by Audio-Technica

Beat Disc Records

Heartlands Records

Mojo Record Bar

Greville Records

Rodriguez, who is very popular at the moment, one of his albums was released in Japan and I found a copy of it and bought it. I rang the guy who put out the reissues and he’d never heard of it, Rodriguez had never heard of this pressing. Word spread around and someone overseas offered me a ridiculous amount of money before I even pulled it out of the box, so that was exciting. It can be fun having [rare records], but I’d much rather be selling 75 $10 (ones).

Greville Records is located at 152 Greville St, Prahran VIC. www.grevillerecords.com.au —

Heartland Records Heartland Records have been a staple on the Melbourne record store map for almost 25 years. During that time owner Paul Cook has seen a lot of changes occur in music retail, including the store’s location.

“We moved here about four years ago,” says Cook. “We used to be opposite the Victoria market. We were there 20 years, so all up nearly 25 years in the business.

Started off with a market stall, and doing record fairs and mail orders and advertising, that kind of stuff, and just sort of fell into a shop, and then ended here in this larger shop, which is nice.

“When I started it was the 90s, which was tough already, and then they phased out vinyl, [and] you could only get it from certain places. We always sold a lot of vinyl, but I never thought it would come back like it has. It’s good, there’s plenty of choice, lots of stuff coming out, [it’s] quite exciting.

“The old shop, we were known for gothic and metal and Britpop and indie, they were the main things. But here we’ve crossed over more, we’ve got a bigger jazz section; a bigger 60s section; rap; a bit of mixdownmag.com.au

everything really without having a huge selection of one genre.

“We have the second hand racks as well but most of our stuff’s new, I’m much more comfortable with that. “[For Record Store Day] We have all the releases and specials, price reductions, things like that. It sounds like a money orientated thing but it’s not - it’s much easier to just try and sell records, because it’s that full on that you can’t really do anything else. It’s mayhem, you can’t move in here and they’re all really nice and behaved. There’s a queue right down the street and they all come piling in. It’s good though, that in conjunction with vinyl coming back’s really kicked things along for the shop. I think Record Store Day in conjunction with the vinyl revival has definitely made a difference, I mean you can see how many shops there are in Melbourne, the amount of record stores there are, it’s crazy.”

Heartland Records is located at 420-422 Victoria Street, North Melbourne. heartlandrecords.com.au —

Mojo Record Bar It’s hard to fault the logic in deciding to open a record store with a bar attached to it – the two business ideas almost seem made to go together. Though Mojo Record Bar’s location in Martin Place might draw in a slightly different crowd to other record stores in Sydney, the passion for music and the drive to create a community is evident once you enter.

“It’s probably different to a lot of other record stores just because it’s attached to the bar and where it is,” says owner Dan Hoskin. “It’s kind of in a more financial, business crowd type area, so we don’t get that much younger foot traffic which a lot of the stores in Newtown would get. But

you still get people in that crowd who are interested in new music. What I’ve definitely noticed in the past year is that our best customers in the store are not regulars in the bar.

“Once you’ve got a little community going around a shop, it’s pretty invaluable. We don’t really have that hugely here at the moment. I look at more established stores that have had a more solid management and a certain couple people running it for a while, [and they] have created a little scene around their store, which is something I’d eventually love to get going here with more in-store gigs and stuff. In that way people get to know you more and they become invested in the shop.

“I guess the fact that I’m the only one working here means that if somebody comes in after something particular I’ll be able to help them out pretty quickly.

If they come in the next day, it’ll be me, or if they call, it’ll be me, or if they email, it’ll be me, it’s a very personal experience, which a lot of people have liked.

I had a guy last week come in, he was after a record for his housemate’s birthday I think, and I was helping him out trying to figure out where he could get it from and he said ‘I think you’re the most responsible record store person I’ve dealt with in Sydney so far’, just because I knew what was going on and how to do everything and could do it right there and then.”

Mojo Record Bar is located at 73 York Street, Sydney. mojorecordbar.com —

Rocking Horse Records As iconic in Brisbane as the Gabba, Rocking Horse Records opened in 1975 and has been an integral part of the community ever

— “It went through a difficult time there’s no doubt about it. I mean all record shops did when people were downloading music, and that’s all they were doing, they weren’t buying physical product.

With the turnaround of people now interested in buying records again – but also CDs again – that has been a big shot in the arm for record shops, there’s now a future to it.”

— since. Ric Trevaskes has been around the store since 1982 in different roles, returning in the last 18 months as a partner.

“Rocking Horse has been an import shop since 1975,” says Trevaskes. “It’s a very iconic shop in Brisbane, because its been one of the only shops – well, it’s been the only survivor. But it’s also been one of the only shops that’s been able to import records from all around the world and get anything that’s available.

“We stock all the local records, a lot of the local records that come from Brisbane are self-released and that’s the only place that people can sell them is in Rocking Horse, because local artists don’t particularly sell very well online unless they’ve got a good profile. People come [here] to be able to see a whole selection of what’s available in Brisbane.

“Rocking Horse has always had such a great range and has always covered all bases as well, so it’s been strong for jazz and blues, but also gets all of the new releases and covers classic rock and mainstream music very well. But certainly focusing foremost on independent music and punk and post punk and so forth.

“It went through a difficult time there’s no doubt about it. I mean all record shops did when people were downloading music, and that’s all they were doing, they weren’t buying physical product. With the turnaround of people now interested in buying records again – but also CDs again 33

SPECIAL FEATURE: Audio-Technica’s The Analogue Project

Rocking Horse Records

Rocksteady Records

Son of Run

The Record Store

– that has been a big shot in the arm for record shops, there’s now a future to it.”

Shops like ours are stocking and talking our customers into buying decent turntables, so they can get a good reproduction from those records, which will ensure they come back because they’re going to hear something different to what they’re hearing on their phone.

“That’s the only way that Rocking Horse has survived - or any record shop survives - when customers choose to shop and take the advice of the people behind the counter as recommendations of what they should be buying. Quite often when you walk into a record shop you’re listening to something that you’ve never heard before, or you never would have the opportunity to hear before, and listening to it on good gear; through a good turntable and speakers.”

Rocking Horse Records are located at 245 Albert Street, Queen Street Mall, Brisbane. www.rockinghorse.net —

Red Eye Records Some people’s opinion on those who work in record stores is informed by John Cusack’s caricature of a record store owner in the High Fidelity. However, this uppity, uninterested, know it all is usually pretty far from the truth.

In fact, Matt Huddy – owner of Sydney’s Red Eye Records – has built the store up to its now legendary status by being, for all intents and purposes, the complete antithesis of the character Cusack made so famous back in 2000. With a willingness to go above and beyond for the customer, he’s seen plenty of change in his time at the helm, from the days of the digital revolution right through to the current vinyl resurgence.

“When I started Red Eye, it was predominantly CDs. We did have a vinyl section that we never actually got rid of, 34

— “I’m currently working on a project with a customer who is after a cassette by a band called the Twenty-Twos who played at the Mossman Hotel in the early ‘80s.

They disbanded back then, but luckily I found out that someone I know has a band who at the time were on the same label, so I’ve contacted him to contact someone from the band to try and source that cassette.”

— but seeing the vinyl resurgence, which really started for us about 10 years ago, we had to add a second rack and then a third rack. Our last store was a two-story building, and we had to have vinyl racks going up the stairs because we had no more room for them.

The change from going to having 200 LPs in the shop to what we have now – which is hundreds and hundreds – is great. I’m a massive vinyl fan. I love CDs too, [but] it’s good to see the bigger format, the beautiful artwork [on records].

“We have customers that are after obscure, rare and long out of print titles [and] they usually come to us because other stores, most of the time, only focus on catalogue titles.

We source things that go back to the 1950s and we deal with people across the planet.

So we’ll go to Germany, Sweden, America, anywhere we can to find what the customer wants.

“I’m currently working on a project with a customer who is after a cassette by a band called the Twenty-Twos who played at the Mossman Hotel in the early ‘80s. They disbanded back then, but luckily I found out that someone I know has a band who at the time were on the same label, so I’ve contacted him to contact someone from the band to try and source that cassette.”

“We do that all the time, we go further than just contacting our record companies.

We’ll source things from overseas, from other sellers, so I’m really hoping that this works out and that this guy can get his

cassette that he hasn’t heard since 1982 or something.”

Red Eye Records is located at 143 York Street in Sydney. www.redeye.com.au.

—

Rocksteady Records Having opened Rocksteady Records less than a year ago, Pat Monaghan immediately found sure footing by forging a strong connection with the Melbourne music community, maintaining a dynamic customer relationship, and focusing on groove based music.

“It’s been a very encouraging response from Melbourne and 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 at, 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 a really good way to do it.

“I think it was always going to be difficult [to open up the store], but rewarding.

I think the fact that so many people across a variety of ages and walks of life 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.

“Record stores - particularly independent record stores - need to have a dynamic relationship with the community that they’re a part of in almost an intimate,

and wide-ranging sense. They should stock records - 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.

“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.”

Rocksteady Records is located at Level 1, Mitchell House, 358 Lonsdale St., Melbourne. www.rocksteadyrecords.com.au —

Record Paradise Based in the heart of Brunswick, Victoria, Record Paradise is home to one of the biggest pre-loved and new vinyl collections in Melbourne. As the name suggests, Record Paradise is an exotic space music lovers can escape and spin their favourite tunes.

Co-owner Renae Maxwell has enjoyed countless memorable encounters at Record Paradise, and reflects on the importance of community in the music scene.

“The store was established in 1955. Warren [Warburton] established the Record Store at 100 Chapel Street in St Kilda and that was during the transition of 78 records to LP records. He actually closed mixdownmag.com.au

SPECIAL FEATURE: The Analogue Project by Audio-Technica

Utopia

Northside Records

Record Paradise — People like Marlon Williams have played here and just sung like an angel. I remember it was an industry showcase with about 60 people here, and normally it is pretty chatty and everyone has a couple of drinks, and [his voice] just silenced the room.

— down that store and reopened it in the 90s. We took over in 2008, so it has been about 9 years now. From being a second-hand record store that was selling a few new CDs, we are now probably about 50/50 with new vinyl.

“Things happen here all of the time. People drop records off, so I guess a few stars drop in all of the time. I had Mikey Young [Eddy Current Suppression Ring and Total Control] lying down on the ground fixing a turntable with a soldering gun. To me that was a moment I would never forget. It was pretty comical and funny. Joshua Homme once came in, that was pretty exciting!

He filmed an episode of Rage here in the shop. He was great, a bit like a superhero… he had this glow to him.

People like Marlon Williams have played here and just sung like an angel. I remember it was an industry showcase with about 60 people here, and normally it is pretty chatty and everyone has a couple of drinks, and [his voice] just silenced the room.

“My partner and I both do community radio, and have so for 15 years. For us it is an important part of connecting. Even through doing a graveyard shift, you’re physically isolated from other people, there is this connection to people who are into the same thing as you. I guess I have always felt this isolation and connection at the same time, and use my love for music as a way to be able to break that down a little bit. It might sound weird because I’m in a room full of strangers, and somehow I’m feeling really connected.

The store, however as accidental as the mixdownmag.com.au

Red Eye Records name was, it is this sort of exotic space that we can go to where we are allowed to connect with art and literature through a different means. With the internet, it really relies on that. It relies on your writing things and expressing yourself in a certain way. I rely totally on people coming into the shop. I connect with people who drop records off. I don’t read press releases. I pick up on the influences from the people I talk to. I feel like there are a lot of people like me, and this why this place can exist. It’s why I will dedicate my life to making sure spaces like this aren’t located only in a virtual realm.”

Record Paradise is located at 15 Union Street, Brunswick VIC. www.recordparadise.com.au.

—

Son of Run Coming to fruition in July of last year, opening a record store was the lifelong dream of owners Michael Ibrahim and Bethany Adam. Combining everyone’s two favourite things, coffee and music, Son of Run forms the hub that Belgrave’s lively arts and music scene dearly needed.

The family-owned business may not have the history other stores have, but they do provide a space for music enthusiasts to come in, dig through their expansive collection of records and enjoy the finest roasted coffee in town – an experience that Bethany believes has been missed by customers for far too long.

“I think vinyl has come back because people have been disconnected for a long time. Everything has been done digitally through phones, media and computers, and people are actually coming back to tangible experiences.”

“It’s an experience to take a vinyl out of its sleeve, put it on the turntable and lower the needle down. It’s a tactile

experience. You’re experiencing the music. You physically have to put it on, rather than just [listen] to a playlist on the computer in the background. I think people are coming back and wanting those things in their lives again.

“Vinyl music has always been a passion. We never really crossed over to the digital world when it comes to music. We have always listened to it on vinyl. Michael has always been a big collector of vinyl and we have a house full of them. When it came to deciding what to do [with the records], I sort of said to Michael ‘You either need to sell the records, or open a store.’ And so we opened the store.

“We stock all genres of music – from classical to French, alternative, rock, soundtracks – anything and everything. We have a library of over 10,000 albums. Currently we have about 3,500 in store and we just rotate our stock. We put new albums out each week.

It’s just going really well in Belgrave. There’s a big artistic and musical community in Belgrave and we thought if [the store] is going to work anywhere outside of the city, it’s probably going to work here. And it’s been really well received by the community.”

Son of Run is located at 1675 Burwood Highway, Belgrave VIC. facebook.com/son-of-run —

The Record Store The Record Store is located just east of the Sydney CBD, right in the thick of Darlinghurst’s cultural melting pot. It immediately stands out from the surrounding buildings thanks to a graffitied exterior wall, which is liable to be re-designed overnight. The store’s been there since 2003, seeing through plenty of changes in the pulse of Sydney’s music scene. It’s by no means the only record store in town, but with a heavy focus on DJ gear and 12 inch club singles, it’s always had a unique personality.

“We’ve got a Diggin’ Sydney guide with over

30 shops,” says co-owner Stephan Gyory.

“In terms of electronica, we’re probably the only shop that sells house and techno and electronic music and what have you, and 12-inches.” The Record Store initially established itself by catering to the needs of club DJs, and it retains this function. However, they haven’t stubbornly ignored the fluctuating trends. “In the heyday of when DJs used to have to use 12”s there were 14 shops up here,” Gyory says. “They all had a separate specialty, but then one by one they went. We used to be specialists in breaks and drum and bass, but then breaks ceased to be popular and house and techno [became more popular]. Having said that, breaks is now rearing its head again.

The sound always wanders around.”

In recent years, the vinyl stock has significantly broadened, appealing to fans of everything from house and techno to dubstep, drum’n’bass, jungle, funk, soul, hip hop, jazz, blues, rock, indie and reggae.

“We’re a proper record store now, as well as being a DJ shop. We sell albums and second hand and turntables and headphones and needles and that kind of stuff. But we still maintain our electronic heritage – 12-inches is probably a third of what we do.”

People come in and go, ‘Why don’t you have this Cold Chisel record? Or why don’t you have this Beatles record?’ I’m like, ‘Man if you know what you want, you can get it anywhere.’ So what’s the raison d’être? You have to look at what distinguishes you, and it’s always in the community. That sounds glib, but you can sit in your bedroom and download music, and go to a gig and get wasted and shout in someone’s ear and never get to know anyone in your community. But if you’re rubbing shoulders in a record store – we do mixes every second week, we’re always drinking beers. It’s a place where people get out of their own particular little part of the dance music community and where they can socialise.”

The Record Store is at 255B Crown St, Darlinghurst NSW. The store opens at 11am Mon-Sat and 12pm on Sunday. www.recordstore.com.au.

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SPECIAL FEATURE: Audio-Technica’s The Analogue Project

Utopia Records Utopia Records taps into the very core of what it means to be a heavy metal and hard rock fan. These are genres fuelled by colossal bands, and the unflinching allegiance and burning passion of their followers. Since its establishment in 1978 the specialty record store has cultivated, and epitomised this binding relationship.

From its modest beginnings, to the massive George St location, and the current Kent St basement, Utopia has and always will be, the undisputed ‘home of metal’.

“I still see customers who I saw in the store when I was a customer as a 15-yearold kid in 1980, coming in and buying the early Iron Maiden singles and the first album. A lot of those same people still come in today. So guys who were my age, guys that were a bit older. But the other thing is we’re now no longer a Sydney heavy metal scene record store. We’re a world scene record store.

“We get kids coming in from Brazil, a lot of kids from Nepal. They come in with tears in their eyes. They’ve heard about the place for thirty years because trust me, in Nepal, there’s no place like that. There’s no Utopia in Nepal... some of the iconic stores around the world have gone and we’re kind of like a destination spot for heavy metal fans when they come to Australia.

“So the store opened in 1978. Our big thing we like to brag about is that was actually two years before Dead Kennedys or Iron Maiden released their first albums.

So we’re kind of there for the, not the very initial punk revolution, but definitely the second wave and the American wave. And we were definitely there for the new wave of British heavy metal, which as we know,

— “When we did one Slayer interview in-store it was amazing because there were more than a thousand kids there, and I was looking after the line until it started, and my job was just to like make sure the kids were coherent enough to talk to the band and then meet them.”

— spawned thrash metal and death metal and all the other different types of sub-genres of metal. So Utopia opened at the best time to open a heavy metal store in the history of the world, obviously. And we just went from strength to strength.

“When we did one Slayer interview in-store it was amazing because there were more than a thousand kids there, and I was looking after the line until it started, and my job was just to like make sure the kids were coherent enough to talk to the band and then meet them.”

This one kid just like looked at me and he lost his mind and he just started going, ‘man you don’t understand how much you mean to me. You’ve been the reason for my… I got over drugs.’ He was just so star struck that he didn’t even – in the 3D world – he didn’t even realise I wasn’t the guy he thought I was. You know… The singer from Slayer was just there laughing his guts out.

He goes ‘man, you’re in the band, you’re in the band.’”

Utopia Records is located at the Cnr of Kent and Bathurst Street in Sydney CBD. www.utopia.com.au.

—

Northside Records Northside Records occupies a unique position in the landscape of Australian independent record stores. Owned and run by the enigmatic Chris Gill, Northside has grown over its 15 years of operation to become a focal point for groove based music in Melbourne, and Gill as a facilitator for events and releases in the local soul scene.

“I started it because Melbourne didn’t have a very strong soul scene back in 20012002, like maybe one or two bands. Now there would be kind of 40 or 50 and that whole row is all local soul bands on 45,” says Gill pointing at one of the store’s racks. “So we’re in a better place now than we were.

“It’s very difficult to maintain and continue a retail store in town but I think, so long as you know why you’re doing it - you’re doing it predominately for the culture, for culture’s sake - then you’ll survive and you’ll keep going. The store is great because once you’re in this store, you’re standing next to people who also like music. So you’ve got that thing in common initially. The amount of customers I have that are musicians is amazing, because of course, all the musicians get the 10 per cent musicians discount. Often musicians will meet other musicians, or musicians will buy other musicians’ music, not only to support, but to check out and to see where they’re standing amongst the music of Melbourne.

“That helps a lot in terms of spreading the word about - of course music from all over the world - but we do make a point of shining the light on local stuff. When artists come through town we go out of

— “I started it because Melbourne didn’t have a very strong soul scene back in 2001-2002, like maybe one or two bands. Now there would be kind of 40 or 50 and that whole row is all local soul bands on 45,” — our way to let them know they’re being supported here and that there’s other bands who also like what they do, and to show that other bands, local Melbourne bands, are doing the same sort of music as them.

“Record Store Day 2017 is the 10 year anniversary of Record Store Day, it will be a big one. Every independent record store in the world gets a party on Saturday April 22nd. Northside will be doing a 45 with Allysha Joy, the lead singer of 30/70, she’ll be performing as well. Cookin’ On Three Burners will be launching their latest 45, which is an original song, and then a cover of Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’ on the flip.

We’re going to have Briggs from AB Original do a signing in the store. We’ll have lots of DJs throughout the day and two, three or four bands performing.”

Northside Records are located at 236 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne. www.northsiderecords.com.au —

GIVEAWAY

Audio-Technica LP3

This Record Store Day Audio-Technica have teamed up with Sydney artist Sindy Sinn (Young Henrys, Harley Davidson, The Rubens) to create a Limited Edition slip mat For Record Store Day. Only 200 have been printed and limited quantities are available at participating record stores nationwide. Contact your local store on Record Store Day to find out how to get one. For more info go to audio-technica.com.au.

On top of that, we have one of them to give away ourselves with this awesome AT-LP3 Turntable!

To celebrate Record Store Day 2017, the folks over at Audio-Technica Australia are giving a way the LP3 fully automatic belt-drive stereo turntable – to make sure you have the best listening experience possible when you bring home all your special Record Store Day releases. With a built-in switchable phono/line pre-amp and anti-resonance, die-cast aluminum platter with 4 mm thick rubber mat, this turntable makes the perfect companion for the dedicated record collector without breaking the bank.

For your chance to get your hands on this amazing prize, all you need to do is head to mixdownmag.com.au/giveaways and follow the prompts.

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mixdownmag.com.au

Monitor. Mix. Master.

Long heralded by online reviewers and top audio professionals, and backed by a cult-like following of serious music fans, the ATH-M50x offers an unmatched combination of audio and build quality for exceptional performance both in the studio and beyond.

For the full range of Audio-Technica products go to audio-technica.com.au Follow Us @AudioTechnicaAu

Product Reviews BELCAT Bel-8040A Portable Wireless Amplifier Jade Australia | jadeaustralia.com.au | Expect To Pay: $699 with handheld mic or body pack

Smaller and more portable seems to have been one of the favoured design concepts over the last few years. Smaller guitar amps with more power, micro guitar pedals, mini mixers and tiny front of house speakers that still kick. Belcat have jumped on that bandwagon with the Bel-8040A Portable Wireless Amplifier, a possible solution for everything from public speaking to small gigs, to parties, music playback, jamming and rehearsals.

A handy cube shape, the 8040A feels tough in a rugged black casing with a super solid handle. The front grille is a solid steel mesh type that looks like it could cop some stray hits without a worry and the back control panel is covered somewhat by two rounded steel handles. All in all it seems solid yet portable and light enough that anyone could carry it easily enough in one hand – great for gigs, rehearsals, quick load ins, outdoors and more. Adding to the protection and portability factor the whole unit comes in a padded carry bag. A cushy black waterproof material there’s a cutout in the top so the carry handle is accessible, an adjustable shoulder strap and pockets either side for the wireless mic, antenna and power supply.

ERNIE BALL Paradigm Strings CMC Music Australia | cmcmusic.com.au | Expect to pay: $38.95

Breaking strings is the worst. It’s the guitar equivalent of blowing a tyre, dropping your ice-cream on the ground or having your parents walk in on you and your Tinder date. Ernie Ball is justifiably proud of their world-class strings, and they don’t want you to break ‘em. They want you to change them only after the eventual tone loss that affects all strings, not after one overlyambitious bend in the heat of the moment.

So, with that in mind, meet Paradigm Strings.

Ernie Ball’s new state-of-the-art wire drawing process coupled and patented RPS (reinforced plain string) technology dramatically increases tensile strength by

38

Marketed as a ‘portable wireless amplifier’, there are a range of possibilities for this little unit. And it’s as easy as sitting it down and switching it on. It also has a recessed speaker slot on the bottom so can be mounted on a speaker stand if that’s your preferred option too. Input-wise you get a combo jack/mic in, along with the onboard wireless mic and an additional aux in for connecting an mp3 player, laptop, or preamp. The control layout then consists of level controls for wireless, mic, aux in, USB/Bluetooth and echo, alongside treble and bass controls and a master volume.

As you might have guessed you can also connect your own devices to the 8040A via Bluetooth or utilise the USB input for playback.

it’s a great and cost effective solution for many music and live sound situations and small enough to carry, pack and store away without too much fuss.

The Bel-8040A really excels with its size, portability and flexibility as a wireless amplifier. Whilst there isn’t huge scope in the onboard EQ, it is clean, clear and quite powerful for smaller settings. There is an extra output if you wanted to plug into an extension speaker or additional system for some extra oomph too. The included wireless mic is fine for general use but a discerning vocalist will most likely want to use something of their own. Overall

BY NICK BROWN

up to 35% and provides up to 70% more fatigue strength than traditional strings.

RPS is a different way of securing the string to the ball end which removes the issue of undue stress on different sections of the wire, including the crucial point right at the beginning of the lock twist where most strings break. And the new wire process means both the plain strings and the wound string core wires are made up of ultra-fine-grain high-strength steel.

Not even the high strings, which I tend to break a bit on acoustic.

in terms of innovation over the last few years. They’ve always made great strings but they seem to really be concerned with how can we make them greater? lately, and that’s a very admirable trait.

Australian Ernie Ball distributor CMC Music provided two sets of Paradigms, an electric set gauged 9-42 and an acoustic set, 12-54. I installed the electric set on my Ibanez RG550 Roadflare Red, and the acoustic set on my Ibanez Charleston and basically tried to thrash the hell out of ‘em.

And wouldn’t you know it; I couldn’t break ‘em. On the acoustic, I was able to strum to the point where the guitar just wouldn’t get any louder, with no noticeable stress on the strings at all.

The reason I chose this particular electric for testing these strings was because its fully-floating Edge tremolo is the smoothest and most sensitive of all my whammy-loaded guitars, and it’s great for all sorts of whammy tricks, particularly up-bends, flutters, squealing harmonics and fretted-out dolphin noises.I pulled the whammy bar out of the guitar a couple of times but I couldn’t make the strings break a sweat. Time will tell how they hold up in terms of maintaining their crisp sound through regular use, but after about a week of solid playing they still sounded nice and fresh.

HITS • Portability • Powerful sound • Bluetooth functionality MISSES • Not much in the way of onboard EQ

BY PETER HODGSON HITS • You can’t break them MISSES • If you want to break them, you can’t

If string-breakage is a problem for you - or if you just don’t want to ever be a problem for you - Paradigm strings are the perfect choice. I also think it’s great that Ernie Ball seems to have really stepped up their game

mixdownmag.com.au

Product Reviews ZILDJIAN K Custom Special Dry Cymbals

decay. The bigger ones are lower in pitch, but have the same qualities. The china is again, the same formula but feature that undertone that only a china cymbal can have. To be honest, unless you’re a super china lover, the trash crashes will have everything you need for accents. The splash is super short and perhaps the driest cymbal. It’s not too loud either – it does its thing and then decays away immediately. The surprise of the range is the FX hi-hat top. Add this to the 14” standard hi-hat bottom for the loudest chick, with the foot I’ve ever tried and a super dirty, trashy, high-pitched effect with an exuberant amount of clarity.

Australasian Music Supplies | austmusic.com.au | Prices vary

Zildjian introduced the ‘dry’ cymbal concept over ten years ago and for some drummers, it’s been their go-to sound. The Special Dry series from the K Custom line was the first real step towards a complete family of dry cymbals. Players flocked to incorporate these cymbals into their set ups and, building upon the success of the initial series, Zildjian have updated, upgraded and re-released the new Special Dry range.

The K Custom Special Dry cymbals from Zildjian promote a dark and trashy sound with a deep level of musicality. Featuring hi-hats, crashes and rides as well as a range of effect cymbals, Zildjian have gone to town with the sizes; especially the crashes, which will not disappoint lovers of big cymbals.

Constructed from the top secret Zildjian 80/20 Bronze alloy, the cymbals retain the burnt, un-lathed and natural look of their predecessors, with three types of hammerings and scoring. The look is raw and earthy, but unlike the last Special Dry range that were completely natural, the bottoms of these models are fully lathed. Each cymbal has a unique sized bell to match the natural properties of the shape. The trash crashes and trash china are literally riddled with two different sized holes and there’s even an FX hi-hat top that has its own unique hole pattern.

RIDES | 21” & 23” I love that there’s two larger sized rides in this range. The 21” ride retains the rawness of the original Special Dry ride, but with a lightness and more integrated bell, and it’s crashable too. The 23” is actually sightly heavier than you’d expect, with a clear amount of stick definition and a clearer, bigger bell. You can crash it, but not quite as much as its smaller brother.

CRASHES | 16” – 22” These are a stroke of genius in my mind.

Somehow, Zildjian have been able to create crashes that are light, speak really quickly and decay reasonable rapidly, with a distinct dry, trashy quality and a stack of volume.

Yes, the crashes are actually really loud when you lay into them, which allows for more versatility. The agro just increases with the size, all the way to 22”. The larger cymbals were awesome – full-bodied, super sensitive to the touch and loud. They’re trashy but not so much to be unusable as a primary crash.

HI-HATS | 13” – 15” The hi-hats are beautiful. The 14”s have a wonderful, almost perfect ‘shurp’ when opened and a musical ‘chick’ with played with either foot or stick. The 15”s, as expected, have a wider sound and lower pitch with a little less definition overall, but are really nice to leave a little open for a dry slushy sound. The natural finish takes away that real cutting, bright frequency that can be so off putting – particularly in the studio.

Neither size are particularly loud though, and do require a little heavy handedness if you want volume. This might be just what some players are after though, because you can be really relaxed with your velocities.

EFFECT RANGE | Trash Crashes 17” – 21” | Trash China 18” | Splash 10” | FX HiHat Top 14” Here’s where things get interesting. The trash crashes are angry and loud. The formula is the same as the crashes, but those holes give even more rawness and a super fast

PEARL Masters Maple Complete Series MCT Drum Kit

mixdownmag.com.au

HITS • Very versatile • Incredibly playable MISSES • Not going to find their way onto everyones kit

I must say, I loved the bass drum too; the shorter length delivered a controlled punch that really lets you feel the attack. There’s a nice amount of low-end frequency that comes through the whole drum kit. I tried a 14x6.5 matching maple MCT snare drum as well, and it’s worth mentioning because the attributes I’ve described above remain true for the snare. In its mid range there’s a beautiful width, depth, volume and a meatiness that just needs to be heard.

Then you can crank it up or have it low and fat if you desire - a great drum to match a seriously cool drum kit.

Sitting under their flagships of Masterworks and Reference, and aimed at drummers who don’t need umpteenth options and full customisation, Pearl has streamlined things with the Masters Complete Series with just two variants to keep things simple – MCT and MRV. I got a chance to have a look at the MCT and it’s something of a gem in a world of so many choices.

The MCT isn’t short on the goodies for construction either, featuring factory Remo UT heads, Opti-Mount Suspension System tom mounts, CL Bridge lugs and 2.3mm SuperHoops. You also get the ever-reliable chrome hardware, such as the SP-30 spurs, the air suspension LB-40 floor tom legs

BY ADRIAN VIOLI

a serious amount of punch and volume from the toms and the bass drum. The tuning range opens right up too, allowing for a lower fundamental note, should you wish.

Australasian Music Supplies | austmusic.com.au 20x14 / 12x8 / 14x14 – RRP $2095 22x16 / 12x8 / 16x16 – RRP $2245 22x18 / 10x7 / 12x8 / 16x16 – RRP $2295 24x14 / 13x9 / 16x16 – RRP $2495

MCT is the replacement for the previous MCX. The shells are made of thin crosslaminated 6ply/5.4mm North American Maple, which are thinner than previous models. The striking standard finishes include Matte Black Mist, Vermillion Sparkle (Red), Bombay Gold Sparkle, Absinthe Sparkle (Light Green) and Satin Natural Burst. You can also order Inferno Red Sparkle, Burnished Bronze Sparkle and Matte Caviar Black should you desire.

Zildjian have come up with a range that not only compliments their other cymbal ranges but also speaks for itself. These cymbals are easily integrated into anyone’s set up, from just one cymbal to a whole bunch. Some players will love to go to town using these in random combinations from hi-hat/crash or stacks. For me, I like dry cymbals, but these new ones also allow for a touch more sustain than you’d expect, which makes them more versatile in my books. The big crashes are to die for too. Zildjian have been smart with providing such a big range of sizes because there’s something for everyone.

and insulated diecast bass drum claw lugs. Bass drums also come with a pre-cut hole should you wish, and even a muffler pillow. Overall, the drums look great – uncomplicated, well proportioned and handsome depth of detail finishes.

I love that you have the option of buying a shorter bass drum in a configuration, and you can also buy individual drums too.

But really, these configurations will offer something for everyone and the prices are sensational for a kit of this calibre.

The peeps at Pearl have put some thought into their recommended configurations for the MCT. Matching 14x5.5” and 14x6.5” snare drums are sold separately but the following are available straight up: 20x14 / 12x8 / 14x14, 22x16 / 12x8 / 16x16, 22x18 / 10x7 / 12x8 / 16x16, 24x14 / 13x9 / 16x16.

I got to try the 20x14 / 12x8 / 14x14 configuration and immediately the thinner shell with 28% thinner plies delivered a wider and more open sound than its predecessor. The option of resonance is always welcome and you have it with the MCT. The combination of the new shell with SuperHoops, as opposed to the heavier die-cast variety aids this openness. There’s

There’s a real sense of quality and reliability to Pearl drums and these Masters just feel well made. I loved the combination of punch and openness that the new shells offer, and the projection too.

BY ADRIAN VIOLI

HITS • Amazing value • Well made MISSES • None

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Product Reviews FENDER PM-1 Standard Dreadnought All-Mahogany NE Fender Music Australia | fender.com.au | Expect to pay $1,199

In 2016 Fender expanded their foray into acoustic guitar production with the launch of the Paramount Series. A line of acoustic guitars developed to harness difference-making design traits, with fresh new features and inspiring aesthetic touches, bringing new life to the tradition of unadulterated acoustic sound. While the Limited, Standard and Deluxe models are equipped with preamps, the PM-1 Standard Dreadnought All-Mahogany NE is one model that does without – guided by a ‘less is more’ approach that makes it the most intriguing guitar out of the bunch.

The word ‘classic’ pervades every inch of this guitar’s construction. Solid mahogany back and sides, headed by a solid openpore mahogany top give the impression that the PM-1 Dreadnought NE was cut flush out of the tree from which it came.

The deepness of the earthy mahogany and its dotted grain provide the body with a natural semblance that is quite the sight. Matching the organic finish is a rosewood fingerboard and mahogany neck. A black-and-white checkerboard purling offsets the deep mahogany of the body for an old school dose of character and vintage charm. The aesthetic appeal of the PM-1 Dreadnought NE is that it has a truly realised identity, solidified by

the traditionally inspired headstock - a throwback to Fender’s acoustics of the 60s. Add to that the one-ply tortoiseshell pickguard and you have a guitar that, at least aesthetically, has been nailed every step of the way.

The Dreadnought shape makes for a large body, yet the PM-1 Dreadnought NE is extremely light in hand thanks to the open-pore finish. It all depends on which body shape you are suited to best, but coming from a guitarist who rarely plays Dreadnoughts, I found it more comfortable than most, and a body that you could really lean into and fully embrace. The neck on this acoustic is a Modern C, equipped with vintage-style sized frets. The narrow stature of these frets promote accuracy to pinpoint expression and articulation; the Modern C

neck is smooth and satisfying, paving the way for chord voicings, versatile fingering and expansive playing.

Mirroring the organic nature of the guitar’s design is a tonal range that is direct, resonant, unadulterated and naturally warm. The low-end isn’t bellowing or dense, but rather full, spherical and resolute. Highs, on the other hand, have a melodic sweetness and a tangible clarity.

Together they form a balanced tonal output – one that leans ever so slightly to the low end – but is made dynamic by the fact that each string projects sound with pure articulation.

The natural tone and articulation of the PM-1 Dreadnought NE make it a blank canvas for which guitarists can project

their very own sound. By approaching the design and construction with a clear idea in mind, Fender have been able to showcase the beautiful simplicity and refined subtleties of expert craftsmanship.

BY CHRIS SCOTT HITS • The vintage look is simply stunning, with the open-pore mahogany a big winner • Nice and natural tone will suit a plethora of playing styles • Comes with a solid and sturdy hardcase MISSES • The absence of a cutaway may be a deal breaker for some

WATERLOO BY COLLINGS GUITARS WL-K Acoustic Guitar Gladesville Guitar Factory | guitarfactory.net | Expect To Pay: $3,695

Inspired by depression era guitars, Waterloo by Collings Guitars visits a time of basic and far from perfect instruments.

The WL-K is an attempt at the best parts of a rich American past without the rag tag assembly.

The inspiration for Waterloo stems from the American made guitars of the 1920s and 1930s. It was at this time that large and reputable guitar manufacturers widened their market to suit affordability, and add to the bottom line during tough economical times. To do this they produced a range of cheaper instruments, and courtesy of mail order catalogues, did so under various sub-brands. It allowed major manufacturers, like Gibson and Martin, to move product at a fraction of the price of their premiere instruments.

They were made fast, rough and played that way - some barely played at all. The more triumphant of the bunch were raw and gritty sounding instruments, and despite their slap-together manufacturing process, had a natural and distinguished tone.

Collings sight Gibson’s 1930s budget offshoot brand, Kel Kroydon as one of the WL-K’s big influences, and it’s clear why Waterloo sought counsel from these jangling beauties – its far from perfect construction created a bittersweet aural 40

personality, and although simply built, spouted complex tonal characteristics.

This is what Collings, with its Waterloo sub-brand has set out to achieve – simple guitars with a gut-full of soul that unlike its distant ancestors are crafted with precision and care.

At first glance, the features of this guitar are illuminated by a basic and neat aesthetic; the WL-K is a pleasure to gaze upon. It’s the little things that Waterloo have replicated that make this worthy of attention - from the light, and thinly lacquered body, to the branding on the head stock; the Kel Kroydon influence is apparent.

It would be forgivable to assume that the guitar’s its light weight is aligned with the opinion that this is an inexpensive, throwaway guitar. Be not fooled by the quantity of wood, for this gem is all

quality. What this guitar lacks in weight, it makes up for in sound and playability.

The Collings legacy of producing premium quality is no exception here - this instrument is made with a love for the craft. It truly is an American (made) beauty.

One piece of advice – leave your picks at home, people! This one’s for the flesh alone. Made with a thin spruce top and mahogany bottom, the body resonates transparent mids and bright highs; there really isn’t a need to put plastic to nickel.

This is where this guitar shines bright. It’s responsive and longs for expressive playing of the finger-plucking variety.

The oval shaped neck is a comfortable size, allowing free reign up and down the 24 7/8“ scale. Accompanied with shallow action, lead riffing and barred chords are a walk in the park. Thin body bracings and carbon fibre T-bar can be thanked for it’s

delicate frame, but do little to inhibit its responsiveness.

Make no mistake; though they’ve based the design on some of acoustic guitar’s more gritty predecessors, Waterloo has focused on taking all of what made these instruments renowned and left behind that slap-together manufacturing of those mail order times. The WL-K is a fine guitar, and although a fraction of the premiere Collings brand guitars, it’s far from a school music room instrument. Worthy of the price tag, it’s a piece of gear that is sure to improve over time, if that’s even possible.

BY AARON STREATFEILD HITS • Versatile and easy to play with a tone to die for.

MISSES • Its fragility mixdownmag.com.au

Product Reviews AUDIO-TECHNICA ATH-LS50is In Ear Headphones Audio-Technica Australia | audio-technica.com.au | Expect To Pay: $129

It’s been a few years now since I first got to test-drive a pair of Audio-Technica in-ears. They made a bit of a splash back then, taking on the more popular names of high-end consumer gear.

The first concern many may have when considering the ATH-LS50is earphones is that they do appear to be somewhat bulky and unwieldy. However, you want an earbud that is lightweight and goes unnoticed when worn, and that ‘s where the LS50s deliver. Although they appear big and heavy, they weigh very little and sit within the ear quite without any noticeable exposure. The important thing to take into account is getting the right fit with the included selection of rubber cups in a range of sizes. When you find ones that snuggly hold within your ears without exerting pressure, you barely notice you’re wearing them. With the short cable that is included, it’s ideal for connecting to a phone or music device in your pocket or backpack without too much excess cable.

You’ll know when you have the LS50s properly fitted; The good fit will result in a great sound with plenty of bottom end and an impressive detail in the lower mid-frequencies too. The higher frequencies don’t have that harsh tinny quality that plagues lower quality in-ears, so you don’t

end up with a painful ringing in your ears after a short while of listening. Overall, it’s a nicely rounded soundstage, and the volume achievable without noticeable distortion from the dual driver system was very good, perfect for blocking out those noisey kids on the train.

A fairly standard, but still appreciated feature these days.

As a music playing tool aimed at everyday use, these certainly do the trick with plenty of clarity and power.

BY ROB GEE

HITS • Lightweight, snug fit • Plenty of bottom end in their sound • Microphone for smartphone integration MISSES • The colour is a bit ‘out there’

Additionally these are equipped with a microphone fitted to the cable and a TRRS connection for use with smartphones.

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Product Reviews

TC ELECTRONIC EchoBrain Analog Delay Amber Technology | ambertech.com.au | Expect To Pay: $109

As far as delay sounds go, most guitarists fall into one of two camps. The first being those who want crystal clear digital sounds, and the latter who are chasing a bit of warmth or grit. TC Electronic’s EchoBrain is designed with those players in mind, offering a classic all-analogue bucket brigade design that’ll keep your repeats nice and toasty — perfect for recreating the vintage tones of the 60s and 70s.

The first thing you’ll notice about the EchoBrain is its satisfying weight and solid construction. With three large knobs to control time, mix and repeats, it’s a solid example of how keeping things simple is often best. Within today’s climate of endlessly tweakable delay pedals with copious amounts of knobs, it’s refreshing to see an effect that’s bucking the trend and doing its own thing.

With the time and repeat controls set at their shortest, you’ll get a tasty slapback delay that’s perfect for some old school twang, rockabilly and country.

Because of the analogue degradation of the repeats, you can crank up the mix without it overwhelming the original signal. This is particularly handy with longer delay settings, with the overall effect turning into a wash of sound. Once you find the sweet spot on the mix knob, the result is nothing but lush.

With up to 300ms of delay time on tap, the EchoBrain offers more than enough room to move for most players. Maxing out the repeats knob will get you into some gnarly self-oscillation, proving that this pedal can push things out into the experimental spectrum too. Messing with the time knob will alter the pitch of the oscillation, ranging from shrieking highs to a low-end rumble that sounds like a helicopter in full flight.

Lower settings on the time control with a light touch on the mix will offer a pleasing faux-reverb tone, while dialling up the mix a little more is enough to add a touch 42

of warmth and width to an otherwise dry signal. Capping it off, the top mounted jacks are a nice touch, as is the EchoBrain’s compact size.

We’ve reached a point in guitar technology where modern day creations can represent the sound of the past in an easy to use, affordable format, and the EchoBrain is a prime example of that.

simplistic design makes the Prophet a joy to plug in and play. Leaving the time selection at a lower setting will result in some tasty faux-reverb tones, as well as coming in handy for fattening up rhythm guitar parts. At higher settings, you’re able to create more atmosphere and drama within your playing, with simple chords transformed into a long-reaching chorale that lingers long after it’s first strummed.

HITS • Simple design • Faithfully recreates vintage tones that we all know and love

At its lowest setting, the repeats knob can get you in the range of some classic country and rock tones — albeit, without the high-end roll off that comes standard with analogue or tape delays. For modern styles of heavy music or metal, this can be just what the doctor ordered.

MISSES • For what it sets out to do, there’s no criticism here

Prophet Digital Delay

Capping it off comes the all important mix setting. With three separate subdivision options, getting this control right will define whether those delayed arpeggios come off tight and right, or overbearing.

got three knobs to twiddle with. Reverb — which controls the level of decay — tone, and mix. Altering the tone knob will blend in or filter out the highs, while adjusting the mix knob will define whether you want to sound like you’re playing in a small room or a stadium arena. When it boils down to it, this is really all you need to get a fantastic reverb tone.

Kicking things off with the spring setting, you’ve got yourself a one way ticket to the sounds of classic blues, funk and soul. A splashy spring reverb is one of the most iconic sounds in a guitarist’s arsenal, and the Skysurfer will get you in the ballpark of these classic tones without having to deal with a dedicated reverb tank or outmoded vintage gear.

The hall reverb setting adds a whole new layer of dimension to your tone, and is perfect for adding a thick ambience to your playing.

Amber Technology | Expect To Pay: $109

Some of the most iconic delay sounds of the 80s and 90s were created with the help of immersive digital delay, and the prophet has this in spades. From tight, reverberating snapbacks to long-reaching and mesmerising swells, this pedal will have you covered. An essential tool for players looking to add a touch of ambience to their playing, the Prophet offers nothing but a pitch-perfect recreation of your original guitar tone. That means no colouration, no tricks, just an honest to goodness method of fattening up your sound while staying true to the source.

From atmospheric post-rock tones to punchy modern delays, the Prophet is well worth a look. Versatility is key here, with an added emphasis on intuitive controls and design. A handy toggle switch will let you instantly set the subdivisions of the delay, so you can easily jump from eights and sixteenths to 3/8. This will easily allow you to recreate some of the most recognisable digital delay sounds from the guitar canon, particularly nailing that bouncing effect that comes from locking into the appropriate BPM and palm muting on the bride, albeit letting a few select notes ring out for added dynamics.

Utilising a basic control selection of time, mix and repeats — you’ll find that the

For crisp, pristine delays that are immersive as they are three-dimensional, the Prophet is a hard choice to beat.

HITS • Subdivision selection is easy to use and offers a wide range of sounds MISSES • Tap tempo would come in handy to really make the most of the Prophet’s features

Skysurfer Reverb Pedal Amber Technology | Expect To Pay: $109

There’s nothing that goes better with guitar than reverb. From the classic spring reverb sounds that we all know and love, the hall and plate studio sounds that evolved with technology — it’s a subtle but essential effect for all guitarists to explore. TC Electronic’s Skysurfer aims to present a one-stop-shop of basic reverb sounds that’ll prove an asset for any player looking to add width and depth to their sound.

The SkySurfer offers three reverb options for you to choose from: spring, plate and hall. Within those three options, you’ve

Plate is a dynamic setting that is touch sensitive, and responds well to dynamic playing. It’s a setting that’s well known for sounds covered within iconic albums such as Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, but to say that it’s merely a recreation of old school sounds would be doing an injustice to it.

Overall, one of the greatest strengths of this pedal is how it refuses to overly colour your original tone. While there are parameters there to alter treble and bass if you see fit, the Skysurfer is truly a studiograde reverb pedal that will keep your full signal intact. Lush, diverse and expansive — it’s truly a strong investment for any guitarist looking to flesh out their sound with a top-quality reverb pedal that won’t break the bank. Capping it off comes true bypass switching and sturdy construction, making this a pedal that’s well worth adding to any pedalboard.

BY JAMES DI FABRIZIO HITS • Solid Construction • Studio-grade reverb MISSES • A modulation knob would be a nice touch

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For the full range of Audio-Technica products go to audio-technica.com.au

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Product Reviews NUMARK TT250USB Turntable Electric Factory | elfa.com.au | Contact for pricing

There have been plenty of new developments in turntable design in the last 30 years, but it seems that many of us are unable to pull ourselves away from the design models that came to fame in the 1970s. Like many other turntable manufacturers, Numark understands that, so their TT250USB turntable bears a remarkable resemblance to another famous design, but it does carry a few modifications that are what makes it the clever DJ tool that it is.

Like the Technics SL-1200, the TT250USB has a similar black casing in a matte finish that looks very nice straight out of the box. All the usual tricks are there - the pitch adjustment fader is on the right, next to a target light that can be raised or lowered when needed, showing the edge of the platter for registering speed variances between turntables. On the left side, the start/stop button is found along with the 33 and 45 buttons, right where you would expect them to be hiding. Given this familiar layout, most DJs would be able to operate this unit with their eyes shut, assuming they discover the power switch on the top right of the unit that sets it apart from other similar turntables.

This is a direct drive turntable with a good anti-skating tone arm that has a decent

counterweight and smooth action. It has plenty of pitch correction range available and a good solid build. What this guy also brings to the party is a USB connection that allows you to easily run the main output signal into your computer without the need for an inline phono preamp, and thus record your vinyl collection to your hard drive for future listening. It also allows for DJ applications where a turntable is wanted to integrate sounds from a record into a recording or performance software platform.

BY ROB GEE

HITS • Classic design • Classic control • Modern interfacing MISSES • The traditional power switch

AURALEX Iso-Tone Turntable Isolation Platform Electric Factory | elfa.com.au | Expect To Pay: $159

I’ve run into all sorts of issues with operating turntables in all manner of environments over the years. When flying a rig from a warehouse ceiling, or having it supported from the same structure as a stage, you run into a range of various isolation issues depending on the situation. The same goes for setting up turntables at home, be it a single unit for general listening or a pair for DJ mixing in a party or practice environment. I’ve gone through all the tricks over the years and still have found myself resorting to some MacGyver-style techniques to make the best of some bad situations. It’s a shame I didn’t have a pair of Auralex Iso-Tone turntable isolation platforms 20 years ago, they would have solved a lot of issued and saved me a fortune in gaffer tape and other materials.

Essentially these things are a big wide slab of foam that supports a carpeted block of wood. While there is a little more going on with them in the selection of the materials, that does about sum them up.

The results, though, is what they are all about. Let’s consider unwanted vibrations that can cause all sorts of issues with needles jumping across the records. The Iso-Tone platforms take a lot of this shock out of the surface that the turntables are 44

seated on and stops it before it gets to the turntable’s legs, keeping the needle safely in place.

Aside from decoupling the turntable for the surface it is placed on and so reducing shock coming through, it also produces a more stable platform for the platter to revolve upon. The motion of a turntable when placed on a solid surface can create noise and unwanted disturbances through your needle as it fights against the surface it is mounted on. The gentle give that is offered by the firm foam

base of the Iso-Tone platforms allows the turntable to naturally move in sync with its motor’s motion and create a more stable environment for the record to rotate above.

The result is a clearer sound that gets through to your preamp with less operating noise and less stress from the needle pushing sideways into the edge of the grooves. It’s a simple design, but it works.

HITS • Better sound from our vinyl • More stable turntables with less needle skipping MISSES • None

BY ROB GEE

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Product Reviews POSITIVE GRID BIAS Delay Pedal Link Audio | linkaudio.com.au | Expect to Pay: $599

Delay is a crucial effect in so many ways.

It can help place your guitar sound in a spatial context to help it sit within - or stand out from - a mix, or it can be used as a more overt, ear-catching effect. Or you can go the Edge approach and use it as a rhythmic component of the riff itself.

Positive Grid understands that your delay is what you make it, and that’s not just marketing speak (in fact, I just came up with that and I think I’ll hang onto it): BIAS Delay lets you actually design thousands of custom delay pedals from scratch.

HITS • Intuitive and easy to use software • Huge scope for designing your own effect • Solid build MISSES None

This pedal seamlessly integrates with BIAS Pedal Delay for mobile and desktop, and is ToneCloud-ready for sharing presets. In a way you can almost think of it as a hardware extension of all the wonderful sounds you cooked up on your digital devices.

On the hardware side, there are digital, analogue, tape, space, swell, reverse and tremolo modes, plus three preset slots.

There are knobs for mix, feedback, time, mod, depth and rate plus a reverb control - a great addition because delay and reverb integrate so well with each other. There’s also a tempo subdivision switch between eighth notes, dotted eights and eight note triplets. There are footswitches for three presets plus a tap tempo switch too.

Around the back are stereo inputs and outputs, an expression pedal jack for real-time control of any parameter, a USB port, MIDI in-thru and a wireless button to connect with BIAS Pedal iPad via Bluetooth.

BIAS Delay is completely workable as a standalone pedal: if you never ever plug it into a computer you can do a hell of a lot, from warm analogue delays to spaceysounding modulated ones, and you can easily program and flip between presets. If you’ve always been a bit programming-shy, this is a very worthwhile pedal to own.

But if you live for deep editing, this is going to flip you out. You can design your own custom delay pedal at component level, including things like saturation and analogue tone controls on the incoming signal, a virtual power source, and two graphic EQs to place at various points in the signal chain. Saturation and analoguetone controls add density and girth to the Delay Stage’s input signal. Adjust your pedal’s virtual power source to deliver 18 volts for a relaxed, supple sound, or 6 volts. Use the Delay Stage’s treble and bass controls to shape the tone of only the delay signal from bright to midrange-y to bass-heavy. Two eight-band graphic EQs can be placed at various points along the signal chain. It’s insane just how deeply you can go into the editing stage.

And that’s where BIAS Delay is likely to find its biggest fans: those who really want to shape and define their own sound. It’s very good as a standard delay pedal with lots of options, but it’s great as a customisable pedal.

BY PETER HODGSON

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Product Reviews FENDER Charvel Series Charvel Guitars | charvel.com.au

Eddie Van Halen, Richie Sambora and Randy Rhoads are just a few of the monumental names that were wielding Charvel axes in 80s, etching the brand’s name into the history of rock and heavy metal for ever more. The Californian guitar manufacturer’s new flagship USA Select series taps into the very essence of what made Charvel so appealing back in its 80s heyday – a throwback to fiery pickups, menacing hardware, and the weapon-like, industrial feel of old.

CHARVEL USA SELECT SD1 The San Dimas body shape on this guitar is slick and slender. The 80s-inspired body perimeters offer a deeply sculpted glancing pocket, a roomy offset cutaway and wellbalanced weighting. It has an alder body with a Satin Polyurethane finish, a maple fingerboard and a one-piece quartersawn neck – the latter of which is finished with a hand-rubbed urethane gel that feels natural and unobtrusive. With the deep cutaway, all 22 of the jumbo frets are easily engaged; making it easy to use the entire neck.

Hardware-wise the SD-1 is equipped with a Floyd Rose Original bridge, Charvel branded tuners and a black dome style control knob, all of which are in pitch black. The inclusion of a Floyd Rose Tremolo is big, with the extra tuning stability a key part of the guitar’s character and intended use. This is an axe that implores aggressive use of the tremolo. With a Floyd Rose on board you can do so without worrying about a string getting hung up, and the guitar subsequently going out of tune.

The crowning glory of the SD-1 is the DiMarzio DP100 Super Distortion Humbucking bridge pickup. Position one of the five-way blade pickup selector delivers the bridge pickup by itself. It has a ferocious punch, made for expressive licks, arpeggios, bends, tapping and tremolo bar bashing. On clean it’s smokey and humid, but it’s designed to harness OD saturation, and on hi-gain settings it’s perfect for rock and heavy metal.

The middle and neck pickups on board are a couple of DiMarzio DP-116 HS2 pickups.

On the middle pickup position the bridge and neck pickups are both engaged, delivering a compact sonic gauge. It’s more growl than bite, with a nice metallic kind of twang, underpinned by warmth.

Position five utilises the neck pickup only for greater thickness and a guttural lowend punch. When playing rhythm on the neck down strumming and potent attack is translated with force and vigour into prominent chords. Despite the Floyd Rose Tremolo, there’s some decent sustain on offer here, which is a testament to the electronics on board.

CHARVEL USA SELECT SD-2 The alder body on the SD-2 is finely crafted and curved; sculpted with a single cutaway and a glancing slant for extra comfort. The neck is one-piece quartersawn maple and the fingerboard is maple with black dot inlays.

The fingerboard is a 12” to 16” compound radius, nailing that perfect balance between the greater traction desirable for playing chords closer to the nut, and extra reach desirable for soloing higher up on the neck. With the neck radius already quite fat at the nut, the flatter fretboard higher up the neck makes quite a difference when it comes to bending strings and executing tight hammer-ons and pull offs.

This is enhanced by the fact that the fingerboard has rolled edges, which provides the SD-2 with that ‘played in’ feeling instantaneously. Couple all of this with 22 jumbo frets and a deep cutaway, and the SD-2 truly puts the ball in your court when it comes to diversifying and expanding upon solos.

The SD-2 features a DiMarzio DP100F Super Distortion pickup on the bridge, and a DiMarzio DP-151 PAF PRO pickup on the neck, with a five-way pickup selector and volume control. The bridge pickup by itself captures the high-energy humbucker appeal; there’s oomph and vibrancy underlined by solid and penetrating lower frequencies.

HITS The bridge pickup is a shredder’s dream The slick, industrial construction perfectly matches the guitar’s tonal makeup Floyd Rose Tremolo is a great inclusion

Pickup position two engages the bridge inner coil, while pickup position four, conversely utilises the neck outer coil.

Both of these positions deliver that whack, off-kilter split-coil sound. This can be dialed in to an atmospheric, contemplative twang, great for rock ballads that need some added grit. The middle position, on the other hand, is more multi-layered as it uses both inner coils. I like it for full and open chords, as it really brings out the presence of both pickups.

MISSES Despite the inclusion of a five-way pickup selector, having a tone knob is always nice

The neck pickup is responsible for delivering a low-end that drives deep into the guts. Cranking up the gain results in the tone breaking up and pulsating with the

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power of that heavy low-end. It produces dissonant, high-octane tones with the creaminess and articulation to meet the demands of both belting rhythm guitar and slaying lead.

HITS The neck has been intelligently built to enhance playability The simple, minimalist look is very cool A set of humbuckers deliver a variety of tones with exceptional quality MISSES Likewise with the SD-1, a tone knob could have added even more tonal versatility CHARVEL USA SELECT SO-CAL Charvel’s connection with the Strat hails back to the late 1970s when the guitar manufacturer had a penchant for producing reincarnations of the beloved model.

Back then they were referred to as the Superstrat, and regularly featured a Stratshaped body with a single humbucker and a tremolo bridge system. Within Charvel’s newly released USA Select Series the So-Cal model is the guitar that comes closest to the Charvel Strats of old. And while it’s a loosely tied ode to models gone by, it’s nice to see Charvel revive a long-running relationship with the guitar that helped them reach early prominence.

An alder So-Cal style body is matched with a one-piece quartersawn maple neck boasting 22 jumbo frets, and a maple compound radius fingerboard with black dot inlays.

Like the rest of the USA Select series the So-Cal has a slender design, made to hug the body and distribute what is quite a bit of weight for a rather thin guitar. Unlike any of the other models in the series, however, the So-Cal rocks a single-ply black pickguard – a throwback of sorts to the Charvel Superstrat. In what is another unique feature, this guitar has a topmounted Strat output jack, also in black.

The guitar’s construction is rounded out with a Standard Stratocaster headstock.

series, the So-Cal is equipped with a non-recessed Floyd Rose bridge, a oneway vintage-style truss rod and Charvel branded tuners. It’s clear that Charvel have approached the identity of this particular model and the rest of the series holistically, building from the ground up. The end result of which is quality, uncompromising hardware, dressed in an aesthetically pleasing product.

Responsible for the So-Cal’s tone are the DiMarzio DP100F Super Distortion bridge pickup and two DiMarzio DP-116 HS2 pickups on the neck and middle position. With a combination of hot output and mid boost it’s made to push your amp to the brink, and welcomes a ton of gain without losing articulation and the presence of individual notes. When working on hi-gain settings it screams, allowing you to cut through the mix while playing lead. All without any real muddiness or thinness to the low-end – it’s the undeniable centerpiece of the entire series.

Position four combines the neck and middle pickups to generate a deep, raucous punch.

The breaking up appeal of a split coil is showcased here, with the guitar responding to higher gain settings with a metallic, wirey shimmer and rattle. And then there’s the neck pickup, which on its own produces anything from glistening single note passages, to a warm, wider growl and a powerful distortion. It’s made to blend with humbuckers and does so wonderfully.

BY CHRIS SCOTT HITS • The DiMarzio DP100F Super Distortion bridge pickup is a winner • The Strat-inspired elements meld seamlessly with the USA Select aesthetic • Versatility offered by the five-way pickup selector MISSES • Nada

Consistent with the rest of the USA Select mixdownmag.com.au

Product Reviews AUDIO-TECHNICA LP3 Belt Drive Turntable Audio-Technica | audiotechnica.com.au | Expect To Pay: $469

Here’s one for those of you have your own space set aside at home for simply listening to a favourite record, and don’t need any of the bells and whistles that a DJ-inspired turntable would normally offer. In fact, you don’t really want a direct drive turntable at all, and would be much better suited with a stable belt driven unit that delivers even and consistent playback. And if you want all this without blowing your entire budget on the hardware, then the Audio-Technica LP3 is certainly worth a listen.

What I do like about this unit is that it is not trying to offer you features you don’t need. This is a pretty simple turntable, but it does what it is supposed to. The belt driven platter is stable and offers a good smooth start-up and an even continuous payback. The rubber mat may seem like unfamiliar territory to many DJs, but it creates the perfect surface for a non-slip rotation of your records, whilst keeping them stable beneath the stylus.

The controls are fairly sparse with a speed selection, record size selection and a start/stop button. An adaptor is also included for 7” records.

Aside from the platter, the tone arm is the most important device on a turntable to achieve an even and steady playback.

The LP3 offers a balanced tone arm with a

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solid and adjustable counter-weight to get the right tension on your stylus. Although the arm itself is straight, the head shell is mounted at an angle to ensure the stylus sits comfortably in the record grooves with the least amount of side pressure from the out regions right in to the centre of the record.

record collection with the aid of the Audio-Technica LP3. It’s simple and that is its charm.

BY ROB GEE

HITS • Simple, sleek design • Smooth playback • Clear sound MISSES • A little lightweight in build

This turntable has been built to deliver clear and concise playback of a record from start to finish. It does just that, and paired with a good preamp and decent amplification system there is no reason why you shouldn’t fully enjoy all of your

47

Product Reviews IMAGE-LINE FL Studio 12.4 Digital Audio Workstation

FL Studio Mobile

Innovative Music Australia | innovativemusic.com.au | Expect To Pay: Fruity Edition $179, Producer Edition $349, Signature Edition $499

Throughout the noughties budding music-makers worldwide found solace in FL Studio’s unpretentious, easy to use layout and affordability. In fact FL Studio, originally released as a 4 track sequencer called Fruity Loops in 1998, could easily claim part responsibility for the rise of bedroom electronic music producers.

Fast forward to now, and FL Studio has well and truly grown up to become an all encompassing professional level DAW, without losing its roots.

Almost 20 years on from version 1.0, FL Studio’s user interface still looks very similar. To veteran users, each update would obviously pose no jarring disconnect, but to me - a new user - it looks dated and cluttered. Relying heavily on skeuomorphism, everything appears to be trying to mimic hardware in appearance.

In 2017, user interface design has generally moved away from that in favour of clean and streamlined design and so opening the software for the first time is a little overwhelming.

Once you figure out what’s what, you’ll see upon opening the software you’re given a channel rack step sequencer with the default kick, clap, snare and hi-hat, each loaded up within the default sampler

instrument. So within 15 seconds, you could have a beat programmed in and be on your way. The default sampler is pretty excellent too, plenty of sound moulding parameters are there as well as a few nifty features like inbuilt delay, chord function and arpeggiator - out-featuring many other DAW’s samplers.

The other packaged plug-in instruments are numerous and extremely well featured.

There’s classic subtractive synths, FM synths, drum synths, guitar synths, sample slicers all sorts of crazy stuff. The latest addition for FL Studio 12.4 is the Transistor Bass, a really nice and accurate Roland TR-303 synth and sequencer emulation with a few worthy additions like distortion, delay and reverb.

Projects from the brilliant FL Studio Mobile app can now be integrated with the full desktop software in a way that’s so simple it’s kind of genius. Image-Line have basically ported the mobile app to an FL Studio plug-in - so you can run the mobile app inside FL Studio and mix in your tracks

made on the go with the full capabilities of the desktop software. Integrating mobile apps with software is something we’ve seen other software developers scratching their heads with a bit. To me, this is a perfectly simple solution. At the moment it’s only a native FL Studio plug-in so you can’t bring that over to other DAWs. However, if you own FL Studio and want to use a different DAW, you can run FL Studio as a plug-in within your alternate DAW, then run FL Studio Mobile within that. Plug-in-ception!

FL Studio is also one of the leaders when it comes to touch support for the new generation of touch screen computers. A really neat feature on some of the modules is the ability to quickly switch between multi-touch gesture, ie. pinch to zoom, and multi-touch control, ie. sliding up two faders at once. Touch support rolls over to performance mode too, so you can trigger loops without a controller via a simple tap.

Overall, I can dig this program. FL Studio

ELEKTRON Analog Drive Distortion Pedal

Kicking things off with clean boost, you’ll 48

HITS • Value • Massive array of instruments and sounds • Mobile app integration • Touch support MISSES • Interface clutter

Focused distortion mode will cut through a full band like a knife, while harmonic fuzz brings in a slew of overtones that really help lead lines sing out in the vein of classic germanium-stye pedals. It’s a wellrounded fuzz tone that’s never overbearing, and works well for both organic and contemporary styles of playing. Extremely touch responsive, it’s one of the finest assets this pedal has to offer.

Elektron’s Analog Drive aims to offer a one-stop shop for all of your distortion and overdrive needs, conveniently packaged within one stompbox. With eight unique drives to play with and refine, it’s a fully fledged solution to not just emulate the tones you know and love — but to craft something that’s specific to you.

With eight settings ranging from the usable to the experimental, there’s some serious room for experimentation under the hood of this puppy. Moving clockwise, each setting will up the gain and by the time you make it all the way to the thick gain mode, your signal will be worlds from where it started.

BY MICHAEL CUSACK

this could certainly come in handy.

Innovative Music Australia | innovativemusic.com.au | Expect To Pay: $649

Straight out of the gate, this pedal establishes itself as something much more than your standard dirtbox. If you’re looking for something that’s just going to add a bit of grunt and girth to your sound, then you best go for a simpler option.

Elektron’s creation is about tone-sculpting, and is capable of moving from a synth-like buzzsaw fuzz to dark and brooding doom sonics in a heartbeat. If you’ve got a distortion sound boiling away in your mind, it’s a fair bet that this pedal can help you achieve it.

ran the duration of my review 100% glitch free, lightning fast, and can do everything I need a DAW to do. Plus, there’s plenty more cool stuff I don’t have room to touch on (it comes with a god damn gaming engine for visuals). Maybe it’s user experience design isn’t the sleekest out there, but the value for money is immense, with free updates for life as part of the deal. There is a fully featured trial (bar opening existing FL Studio projects) available for download, so it’s easy enough to find out if this is the DAW for you.

Once things hit the final high gain settings, your signal is going to be absolutely cooking. High gain mode offers a more focused and compressed midrange, while thick gain ups the ante even more — resulting in a sound that works best when palm muting some chunky power chords.

basically be getting what it says on the tin.

It’s more of you — with no colouration, unless you want there to be. That’s where the low, mid and high control knobs come into play, acting as a master EQ for all of the modes the Elektron is capable of moving through.

The mid drive will get you into classic Tubescreamer territory, loaded with that throaty mid-range hump that players either love or hate. Personally, there’s no better way to cut through a mix than with that

honky, gnarly mid-range, and this pedal will get you there and then some. The dirty drive setting warms things up a bit, rolling off the high end in favour of an earthier, bluesier tone that shines during rhythm playing.

Once you hit the big distortion mode, things start to get a little fizzier. You’re still not in the realm of pure fuzz, but you’re getting there. When playing on the bridge pickup, things tend to get a little bitey, but for more abrasive styles of music

All in all, this could be the only dirt pedal you ever need. It’s capable of working through a gamut of styles and sounds, with the EQ controls meaning you’re free to further sculpt them to your liking. Whether you need such a versatile tool however, is of course up to you.

BY JAMES DI FABRIZIO HITS • More distortion than you known what to do with MISSES • The breadth of its tonal palette is a little disarming

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Innovative 3 string guitar for kids

FULL INTERACTIVE APP

WWW.LOOGGUITARS.COM.AU

@loogguitarsau

Product Reviews MARQ Gamutpar H7 Low Profile Led Wash Light Electric Factory | elfa.com.au | Expect To Pay: $299

Founded in Rhode Island in 2015, Marq Lighting are relative newcomers to the lighting game, developing an impressive array of lighting products, controllers and accessories to bring your live setting through to the next level.

The Marq Gamutpar H7 is both a club hit and a house DJ’s best mate. It’s obviously been built to withstand vigorous movement and its simplified programming allows it to be used without a remote or DMX setup. No boards, all light and a friendly user guide to help begin programming.

The H7 is powered by 7 LEDs, which can switch between red, green, blue, amber, white and ultra-violet, together generating a broad spectrum of colours while maintaining a natural colour temperature.

Each LED pushes out 10 watts, and testing it out in an enclosed space with a light meter shows you definitely get your lumens worth. It’s capable of illuminating just about any space that you’re likely to test it with evenly and effectively. It’s designed with versatility in mind. A sit-flat design + double hanging yoke means that you’ll be able to get it up and running in a variety of spaces and surfaces.

But more importantly is the depth of programming Marq has gone to simplify the menu. It features four buttons and a userfriendly guide dedicated to help you adjust the parameters of colour order, timing, opacity and a variable strobe effect without even having to plug in a DMX. It includes over 60 colour presets with adjustable program speed from values 0-255. The light is also master/slave compatible and has a strong DMX port to connect to any existing fixtures and programming you may already have set up.

Picking it up you feel straight away that it’s well constructed with a metal enclosure that is sturdy and keeps its components protected. And for how compact the light is, you never feel like you’re compromising the strength or saturation of the colours.

The connection from the light itself to the double hanging yoke feels tight and completely safe to connect up to a motorised rig.

and treble frequencies. When looking for a good acoustic guitar to purchase, this is paramount to consider as what you're getting out of the box is what you'll be living with. The bass is warm and rounded without sounding woolly, while the treble notes are smooth without being dull. Ultimately, this is a well-rounded instrument that will offer a high level of volume and clear sustain.

Thankfully, this is an extremely touchresponsive instrument that responds well to subtle vibrato techniques – a hallmark of numerous finger style guitar pieces.

Further flamenco or classical techniques like tremolo picking or complex strumming patterns come off brilliantly on this guitar, and for those used to performing these on a steel-stringed instrument will find an instant sense of satisfaction.

Playing phrases at the top of the fret board come across crisp and clear, although the lack of a cutaway may prove troublesome for guitarists who want to go for those higher notes without performing with traditional upright flamenco posture.

Capping it off, the machine heads are as finely crafted as the rest of the guitar – allowing for a pitch-perfect tuning every time. The rest of the guitar's details are as beautiful as the sound itself, finished with traditionally Spanish ornamentation around the soundhole, and pearloid tuners.

BY LUKE SIMM HITS • User Friendly • Easy to use in a variety of applications MISSES • None

ESTEVE 3Z Cedar Classical Guitar Zenith Music | zenithmusic.com.au | Expect to Pay: $1099

Esteve guitars have a long-standing reputation that's built upon prestige, authenticity and traditional craftsmanship that's been handed down from generation to generation. First established by Francisco Esteve in 1957, their workshop has grown from strength to strength since its initial inception – all the while retaining core values of old-world design, albeit updated with modern construction methods. With 52 craftspeople employed in their workshop, the end product is a guitar that feels like a Spanish heirloom, but holds the modern playability and intonation of a new instrument without suffering the shortcomings of massproduced guitars.

If you're not used to classical or flamencostyle nylon-string guitars, the first thing you'll need to get used to is the neck width. Make no mistakes, this is a chunky neck, designed with tradition in mind.

Thankfully, it doesn't take too long to get used to. For what you'll be playing on this instrument, you don't need a slimmer profile. In fact, many players agree that a wider neck actually helps make for a more resonant instrument.

With a cedar top and rosewood back and sides, the materials here are all of topquality. This becomes clear when playing, as the Esteve is bolstered by a strong and clear projection. Chords ring clear and true, with good balance across the bass 50

Far from being a one-trick pony designed specifically for classical music, this guitar will be an asset for those looking to explore South American music, bossa nova, Latin jazz and more.

rate instrument, this would make a solid investment that will keep most players content for years.

BY JAMES DI FABRIZIO HITS • Warm, rounded sound • Traditional design meets modern construction techniques MISSES • Some players may find the lack of a cutaway or fretboard markings to be a challenge • The large neck width may alienate some used to more modern profiles

Whether you want to diversify your guitar collection by adding a nylon-string into the mix or you'd like to take your first step into the world of fingerstyle guitar with a firstmixdownmag.com.au

Show & Tell

Angie What piece of equipment do you have to show us today?

My MF-103 12-Stage Phaser. This piece of equipment, the Moogerfooger Phaser, is a pedal made by Moog. I lay-by’d it and kept up with the payments, and now I’m lucky enough to call it my own. It always surprises me with the scope of sounds it produces, and I think perhaps because it is more geared towards Moog equipment and perhaps keyboards, I can get some really wild guitar sounds out of it, which is one of the reasons I love it so much.

How did you come across this particular item?

A few years back I got trapped in a YouTube hole of looking up Moog synths - they were all so out of my price range. Along the way I came across the Moog pedals and got pleasantly surprised.

For a long time my set up was just a wah, or a wah combined with a basic distortion pedal - but the Moog phaser offered that same distortion but with so so much more.

What is it that you like about it so much?

With the Moog pedal, I love how many options you have. There is an oscillator, or you can keep the signal more basic, or use it as the best distortion ever by turning the gain up. I tend to set it on a crazy setting most of the time, I probably should try to tone it down a little but sometimes I can’t help it.

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

I only use this pedal live, I don’t really use it at home or in the writing process. It’s kinda a live thing for me when used with guitar, and it’s purely electrifying and part of the whole live rock outfit style.

Any other interesting points/stories about it?

I’m really interested in using it with a keyboard, and also spending more time experimenting with its features, although these days

I seem to dedicate my time to making records and other projects. I’m not really a gear person in a sense, I know I love wah, I love this pedal. If I hear a sound I know I like it, but I’m a bit aloof when it comes to pedals. I am always amazed at talking to people who are really knowledgeable about all kinds of pedals and how they work together. I would love to experiment with all the other pedals that Moog make, but again they are a little pricy as far as pedals go.

Tell us a little about what you have coming up?

I’m about to do a little album tour for my new piano-based LP, Shyness, and I’ll be performing it at the Opera House, which is really exciting considering I flunked year two piano.

Shyness by Angie is out now through Rice Is Nice.

Angie will play launches in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne in May/June.

Jason Ayres Got My Heart Tour

14th May

Republic Bar, Hobart

21st May

Milk Factory, Brisbane

www.jasonayres.com 52

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©2016 Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.Fender® is a trademark of FMIC. All rights reserved. FENDER.COM.AU

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

(Printing/CD & DVD Duplication) A | P | E | W|

84 Nicholson St, Abbotsford VIC (03) 9416 2133 sales@aaduplication.com.au aaduplication.com.au facebook.com/AADuplicationServices

EASTGATE MUSIC

(Music Instruments Retailer) A | P | E | W|

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

A | P | E | W|

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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MARQ Lighting is proudly represented in Australia by Electric Factory Pty Ltd 188 Plenty Road Preston VIC 3072 marq@elfa.com.au