Mixdown Magazine 281 by Furst Media

B e n E lli n g w o rth | I LLY Photo courtesy of Pees Lehman

CRASH THEM • RIDE THEM

2 0˝ / 2 2˝ / 24˝ Th i n 1 4˝ / 1 5˝ / 1 6˝ Th i n H i - H ats 2 2˝ S w i s h

The new Paiste Masters Thin models are handcrafted in Switzerland for premium sound and extraordinary versatility. They'll take you from intimate clubs to the biggest outdoor stages.

P l ay t h e m t o d ay a t t h e s e p r e m i u m d r u m s t o r e s STORE

SUBURB

STATE

WEB

PHONE

Better Music

Phillip

ACT

bettermusic.com.au

02 6282 3199

The Drum Factory

Parramatta

NSW

guitarfactory.com.au

02 9635 5552

The Drum Shop Newcastle

Newcastle West

NSW

thedrumshopnewcastle.com.au

02 4925 3155

Drummer’s Dream

Belmore

NSW

drummersdream.com.au

02 9787 4177

Artie’s Music Townsville

Mundingburra

QLD

artiesmusiconline.com.au

07 4779 1300

Just Percussion

Newstead

QLD

justpercussion.com.au

1300 576 874

Mooloolaba Music Centre

Minyama

QLD

mooloolabamusic.com.au

07 5444 8889

The Drum Shop Adelaide

Forestville

derringers.com.au

1300 658 249

McCann's Music

Hobart

TAS

mccannsmusic.com.au

03 6234 4544

Cranbourne Music Drums

Lynbrook

VIC

cranbournemusic.com.au

03 9799 5400

Drumtek

Northcote

VIC

drumtek.com.au

03 9482 5550

GH Music

Travancore

VIC

ghmusic.com.au

03 9372 6664

Mega Music

Myaree

megamusiconline.com.au

08 9330 2777

Ya m a h a M u s i c A u s t r a l i a p r o u d ly d i s t r i b u t e s P a i s t e

paiste.com

 60 YEARS OF ICONIC TONE  VOX’s new 60th Anniversary Hand-Wired Series celebrates the rich pedigree of the world’s most iconic amplifier company by resurrecting two of its most revered designs: the 1957 AC15 & the 1964 AC30. Designed and hand-built in the United Kingdom, these period-correct recreations are completely hand-wired and feature premium components, including UK-made custom-wound transformers and exclusive Celestion Silver Alnico speakers, and they’re fully dressed in the appropriate covering and grille cloth from that era.

These painstakingly designed, all-tube amplifiers are available in extremely limited quantities at the stores below.

STORE

STATE

SUBURB

WEB

PHONE

Better Music

ACT

Phillip

bettermusic.com.au

02 6282 3199

Big Music

NSW

Crows Nest

bigmusicshop.com.au

1300 55 24 20

Muso’s Corner

NSW

Newcastle

musoscorner.com.au

02 4929 2829

Guitar Factory

NSW

Parramatta

guitarfactory.com.au

02 9635 5552

High Street Music

NSW

Penrith

highstreetmusic.com.au

02 4722 8608

Turramurra Music

NSW

Turramurra

turramusic.com.au

02 9449 8487

Music Express

QLD

Upper Mt Gravatt

musicexpress.com.au

07 3849 7088

Derringers

Forestville

derringers.com.au

08 8371 1884

Modern Musician

TAS

Hobart

modernmusician.com.au

03 6234 5537

Eastgate Music

VIC

Kew

eastgatemusic.com.au

03 9817 7000

Cranbourne Music

VIC

Lynbrook

cranbournemusic.com.au

03 9799 5400

Mega Music

Myaree

megamusiconline.com.au

08 9330 2777

Concept Music

Wembley

conceptmusic.com.au

08 9381 2277

MORE INFORMATION voxamps.com/60thAnniversary

WATCH US ON YOUTUBE youtube.com/voxaustralia

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK facebook.com/voxampsaustralia

EVENTS & PROMOTIONS yamahabackstage.com.au

Contents

Son Little

Giveaways

Industry News

Music News

Product News

Cover Story: Foo Fighters

Everclear

Everclear - PG. 16

- PG. 18

Tired Lion 18

Son Little

Motionless In White

King Parrot

Foreword

Protomatyr 22

Like most young and budding guitarists, my first effects pedal was a cheap overdrive pedal (The Digitech Death Metal pedal to be precise). I remember opening the box and knowing immediately that my parents were going to regret buying it for me. It didn’t matter that it sounded like nails on a chalkboard when I cranked it to 10 in front of my little 15-watt amp. All that mattered was that it was so noisy that it covered up my mistakes while I tried vehemently to play ‘Master of Puppets’ and ‘Battery’ by Metallica, and that it allowed me to feel like a rebellious teenager every time my mother would tell me to turn it down.

Advice Columns: Musicology

Guitar Bass

Percussion

Sound Advice

Electronic Music Production

Northlane: Top 5 Pedals

Sonor Drums The Story of Washburn Guitars

Revival Of Vinyl

Pedal Special

Product Reviews

Directory

Show & Tell

Get Social:

King Parrot

- PG. 20

for breaking news, new content and more giveaways visit

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

@MIXDOWNMAGAZINE

We’ve been lucky enough to get our hands on a heap of new and exciting effects pedals this month, so our review section is packed full of screaming overdrives, lush delays, tone decimating bit crushers and a tonne more cool gadgets. No self-respecting guitarists rig is complete without at least five unnecessary pedals in his rig, so go find a few things to spend your hard earned cash on.

NICHOLAS SIMONSEN - EDITOR

@MIXDOWNMAGAZINE

MADE BY MUSICIANS, FOR MUSICIANS AUGUST ISSUE #282: STREET AND ONLINE DATE: WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 11 AD BOOKING DEADLINE: MONDAY OCTOBER 2 EDITORIAL DEADLINE: TUESDAY OCTOBER 3 ARTWORK DEADLINE: WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 4 For more information on Mixdown Magazine contact us at: (03) 9428 3600 or email mixdown@beat.com.au

PUBLISHER Furst Media EDITOR Nicholas Simonsen mixdown@beat.com.au ONLINE EDITOR Alex Watts alex@furstmedia.com.au ART DIRECTOR Ben Driscoll

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Jessica Over, Jacob Colliver, Will Brewer, Tex Miller MANAGING DIRECTOR Patrick Carr GRAPHIC DESIGN Michael Cusack, Ben Driscoll ADVERTISING Patrick Carr patrick@furstmedia.com.au

CONTRIBUTORS Rob Gee, Peter Hodgson, Christie Elizer, Nick Brown, David James Young, Adrian Violi, Michael Cusack, Augustus Welby, Luke Shields, Alex Watts, Tex Miller, Jessica Over, Aaron Streatfeild, James Di Fabrizio, Adam Norris MIXDOWN OFFICE Level 1, No. 3 Newton Street, Richmond VIC 3121. Phone: (03) 9428 3600

mixdownmag.com.au

American Professional Mahogany Stratocaster® • Rescued Hurricane Mitch Honduran Mahogany Body • Figured Maple “Deep C” Neck • V-Mod Single-Coil Pickups • Limited Edition Neck Plate

ONLY 8 IN AUSTRALIA

MUSOS CORNER • GH MUSIC • PORT MAC GUITARS • ZENITH MUSIC • SKY MUSIC SUPPLIES • DW MUSIC • MUSIC EXPRESS • BETTER MUSIC

Giveaways Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeling Pedal

Last Monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Giveaway Winners

The Line 6 DL4 has been igniting creativity, and passion amongst guitarists since it was first released in all of its digitally modeled marvel in 2000. With 16 different models based on classic echo and delay boxes, the DL4 has become a classic in its own right and thanks to our friends at Yamaha Music Australia we have one to give away.

Ashdown NM2 Nate Mendel Double Drive Pedal Designed from the ground up for Nate Mendel of the Foo Fighters, the NM2 is a unique professional dual distortion pedal capable of driving a stereo rig for huge walls of bass sound. Thanks to our friends at Pro Music Australia we have one to give away.

EarthQuaker Data Corrupter Pedal EarthQuaker Devicesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Data Corrupter is a three-voice guitar synth, harmoniser, and modulator pedal. The pedal allows users to transform a guitar signal into a square wave fuzz tone, which is then modified to create a three-voice synthesiser. Thanks to our friends at Global Vintage we have one of these very cool pedals to give away.

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

PRESONUS STUDIO 26 USB INTERFACE

sE ELECTRONICS V7 DYNAMIC MICROPHONE

The PreSonus Studio 26 is a 2x4 USB 2.0 bus-powered audio/MIDI interface that can record up to 24-bit, 192 kHz audio. Perfect for recording music on the road, or as a portable option for DJs, live streaming or podcasting, the Studio 26 provides high quality audio in a rugged, compact enclosure. Last month thanks to our friends at Link Audio we had one to give away and the winner is:

The sE Electronics V7 dynamic microphone is a handheld mic designed for the stage. Its specialised aluminum voice coil offers naturalsounding vocal reproduction, while its supercardioid design yields excellent isolation from stage noise and delivers massive amounts of gain before feedback. Last month thanks to our friends at Sound & Music we had one to give away and the winner is:

Liam McGuinness from Hobart

Mathew Allen from Walkey Heights, SA

*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

R E C O R D

P L A Y E R S

Experience Music

w w w . r o c k i t r e c o r d p l ay e r s . c o m . a u 6

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Your Acoustic Sound — Amplified. When you’re on stage with your acoustic, nothing’s more important than delivering sound that’s true to your instrument. The AC-2 automatically restores tone lost through acoustic pickups and is the ideal performance companion.

Proudly distributed in Australia by Dynamic Music

facebook.com/ZoomAustralia

Industry News drum sticks. If you or someone you know fits the bill, head over to the FBi Radio website for more information. Applications close 11:59pm on Friday September 22.

statue For Flume?

15 Victorian Acts Funded For Tours 15 Victorian acts will share in $62,000 of Quick Response funding to tour. Receiving the highest funding were Lowtide, who got $10,000 for a European run; Zulya and The Children of the Underground, receiving $8000 to attend a UNESCO-sponsored world music festival in Uzbekistan; Jess Cornelius of Teeth & Tongue with $4500 to join Paul Kelly on a 25-date tour of the US and Canada; Cable Ties scored $7700 to play France, Belgium, The UK and Germany in support of their debut album out this year through Poison City Records; and management companies Four Tone Music and Gold Class received $2000 to attend Reeperbahn Festival to develop international partnership opportunities. Jess Ribeiro, RVG and Laura Jean got $3,000 each to showcase at Bigsound. For the full list of recipients, visit Creative Victoria’s website.

A group of electronic music fans want to set up a statue at Sydney’s Manly Wharf for Flume. The idea is to thank the producer and performer for being a national treasure and putting Australian electric music on the global map, particularly after his Grammy win earlier this year for his album, Skin. A campaign has begun online to reach 1000 signatures for consideration by the Northern Beaches and Warringah Councils.

Pearl Jam Doco To screen In Aussie Cinemas

The Melbourne International Guitar Festival is back from Friday September 22 to Sunday September 24 at Melba Hall. The lineup includes Lorenzo Micheli, flamenco guitarists Gerard Mapstone and Richard Tedesco, and The Melbourne Guitar Quartet.

One of the projects coming out of the Victorian Government’s Rockin’ The Laneways grants to bolster the state’s music history is a digital project that highlights the Melbourne bayside suburb of St Kilda’s jazz legacy.

There’ll also be masterclasses and competitions (one prize offers $10,000 and eight gigs), as well as booths by Yamaha Music, Hans Music and GuitarsOnline.com.au.

Created by writer and filmmaker Kaye Blum, The St Kilda Jazz Heritage Tour looks at jazz venues in three eras: the dance halls and ballrooms of the 1920’s-1950’s, coffee lounges and clubs in the 1930’s-1960’s, and pubs and bars from the 1970’s to today. Find out more at stkildajazztour.com.au.

…while Melbourne Guitar show Draws Big

Pearl Jam’s live documentary Let’s Play Two opens on 30 Australian metro and regional screens on Wednesday October 4 as part of a global screening in 250 cities. The full list is atpearljam.com/letsplaytwo. The doco was shot last August at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, and features a 17-track soundtrack.

Feed Music Goes National

Aussie Company Partners with Grammys

In 2015 Fortitude Valley vegetarian cafe LostBoys owner Pixie Weyand launched a policy of feeding touring musicians for free. This month the program goes national, with cafes, restaurants and sponsors like the national Beach Burrito Company coming on board. It is officially announced at BIGSOUND in Brisbane, with full details soon to be at feedmusic.org.

Metal Digital station Launches

The VB Hard Yards initiative will lend a helping hand to the Sydney rock community who are hard up for places to play following a decline in the city’s live music venues. Three finalists will receive mentoring from the Cosmic Psychos and also get the chance to play with them in November. The winner will receive $3,000 cash, studio time to record, mix and press a new single on seven-inch, and a listening session with FBi Radio’s music director Amelia Jenner.

Radio app iHeartRadio and heavy music company Collision Course teamed up to launch The Faction, a 24/7 digital radio station devoted to heavy metal. It also has links to social media playlists and video streaming.

Digital Map For st Kilda Jazz Heritage

The third Melbourne Guitar Show was another success. Over 5000 came to check out the huge array of gear and performances, including international names for the first time, such as Steve Hackett, Nick Johnston and Alex Hutchings. Spotted in the crowd were Ian Moss, Diesel, Darren Middleton, Paul Dempsey, Holy Holy’s Oscar Dawson, Ali Barter, and Skyhooks’ Greg Macainsh.

Nsw Bands To Get A Leg Up Via VB Hard Yards

Bands need to be independent, over 18, NSW residents, able to get to Sydney for a gig, and enjoy wielding a guitar/set of

Melbourne Guitar Festival Returns This Month...

“The metal community is one of the most passionate in the world and we have so much to celebrate – not just artists and music, but also a thriving live sector, amazing blogs and media,” said Collision Course manager Tim Price. “Through our partnership with iHeartRadio, we can now also use The Faction Radio to reach new metal fans and welcome them into our scene.”

In another global achievement for Australian digital companies, Sydneyheadquartered Jaxsta has struck up a partnership with Grammy organisers, The Recording Academy. The idea is to digitally document all the information of winners and nominees including artist, songwriter, backing musicians, studio used and more, starting in 2018 including all the names from the past.

Industry safety Guide Coming The Australian Entertainment Safety Resource Guide is set for release at the end of 2017. It covers 25 chapters including codes, regulations and safety practices. An attempt to get it off the ground began five years ago, but faded out due to lack of financial resources. This time, 35 production firms, suppliers, and performance groups injected serious money for industry safety veteran Roderick Van Gelder to finish it off.

THINGS WE HEAR Will we see U2’s long awaited Songs Of Experience in December? While in Australia to promote the new Foo Fighters album, Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins flew in their fellow band members to play a secret show in Sydney Oxford Art Factory under the name Chevy Metal. They admirably blasted through a set of covers including The Rolling Stones’ ‘Bitch’ and ‘Miss You’, Black Sabbath’s ‘The Wizard’, The Faces’ Stay With Me’, and AC/DC’s ‘Riff Raff’ and ‘Let There Be Rock’. Cold Chisel play a special one-off show on the Wrest Point Lawns in Hobart on Wednesday November 22 to launch their 32-track album and video,The Live Tapes Vol 4: The Last Stand of the Sydney Entertainment Centre, December 17 And 18, 2015. It was shot over two shows at the SEC (20,000 tickets sold out in minutes) in December 2015 just before it was demolished. The Vixen Group is looking for working female musicians who want to help create more professional playing opportunities. First meetups are scheduled for November in Sydney and Melbourne. For more details, visit The Vixen Group’s Facebook page. The Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’ latest scoring project, Kings, about a relationship set in the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles, makes its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival this month.

mixdownmag.com.au

Music News

The Killers To Play Free Melbourne Show

George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic Are Bringing The P-Funk Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee & P-Funk pioneer George Clinton will be celebrating 50 years since his first hit single, by playing two surprise anniversary shows in Australia next month. Ahead of their headliner slot at Queensland’s Caloundra Music Festival on Friday September 29, Clinton and the current incarnation of Parliament Funkadelic are set to celebrate The Parliament’s 1967 charttopping summer single, ‘(I Wanna) Testify’. The song kicked off Clinton’s unique soul-funk career and went straight to #3 on the US Billboard R&B chart. “It’s pretty exciting for us to be in Australia again, so we decided to bring the Sunshine Coast trip forward and start celebrating 50 years here with two more shows,” says Clinton. “We wanna make the most of coming all this way.” TOUR DATES Wednesday September 27 - The Palais Theatre, Melbourne, VIC Thursday September 28 - Max Watts, Sydney, NSW

Red Deer Music and Arts Festival Announces Full Lineup Red Deer Music and Arts, Queensland’s new BYO festival, has revealed its full lineup for 2017. Headlined by The Preatures and The Kite String Tangle, Red Deer is set to go down on Saturday October 14, just 45 minutes outside of Brisbane. Embracing an interstellar space theme for this year’s festivities, the festival has announced another dozen acts to complete their 25 strong lineup. Fans of all things earthy will be pleased to hear the dub inflected grooves of Brisbane act Kingfisha, while the Sunshine Coast-based Transvaal Diamond Syndicate are set to revive rockabilly for another round of the festival circuit. They’ll be joined by rising stars such as MC Wheels, Alex & Bec Crook, Pink Matter and Mayhem For Mary, bringing a plethora of vibes to Red Deer’s already stacked lineup featuring Shag Rock, MEZKO, Tiarne and many more.

mixdownmag.com.au

The Killers have announced a free entry performance at the MCG in Melbourne following the 2017 AFL Grand Final. While they were already previously set to headline the pre-game entertainment for the Grand Final with the support of MCG regular Mike Brady and Eurovision representative Dami Im, Virgin Australia has today announced that the Las Vegas rockers will also be performing a free concert following the match. Fans without a ticket will be able to gain entry to the Virgin Australia Premiership Party via Gates 4, 5 and 6 following the conclusion of the match at 6.00pm, with the premiership presentation and The Killer’s set planned back to back for the evening. With a new album set to drop the week before the Grand Final, you can expect The Killers to bring the heat for their first Melbourne show in nearly five years. If you’ve ever wanted to belt out ‘Mr. Brightside’ alongside your football heroes, now is the time.

At The Drive In Are Touring This Month At The Drive In will arrive in Australia this month, celebrating their first album release in 17 years for in.ter.a.li.a. The American band reunited early last year and had a spot on Splendour In The Grass, as well as two intimate shows in Sydney and Melbourne, which both sold out. “We needed time away from one another to grow up, to make music with other people and to get away from our public persona,” said singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala to Mixdown. “Rock & roll is not a place where people know how to communicate very well when you’re young – the live setting can be the only place where you can truly express what shit you’re going through.” TOUR DATES Thursday September 28 – Festival Hall, Melbourne, VIC Friday September 28 – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, NSW Monday October 2 – Eatons Hill Hotel, Brisbane, QLD

Catch Cloud Control In Your City To celebrate the release of their third and latest album ZONE, Cloud Control are touring nationally, with shows being held in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. Following up on their highly acclaimed album Dream, which was released three years ago, the band returned home to the Blue Mountains and became a three-piece for the first time, with singer Alister Wright producing the new record. TOUR DATES Friday September 22 - The Metro, Sydney, NSW Saturday September 23 - The Triffid, Brisbane, QLD Thursday September 28 - The Croxton, Melbourne, VIC Friday September 29 - The Gov, Adelaide, SA Sunday October 1 - Badlands, Perth, WA

Craig David, Kelis & En Vogue To Headline RNB Fridays Live Tour Following the success of the inaugural 2016 shows, RNB Fridays Live is set to return for more nostalgia with six shows scheduled across October this year. Inspired by the Hit Network’s popular radio show of the same name, RNB Fridays will see artists including Craig David Presents TS5, Ne-Yo, Sean Paul, Kelly Rowland, and Kelis unite to perform classic tracks during each massive six hour concert experience. Expect to hear ‘What’s Your Flava’, ‘So Sick’, ‘Temperature’, ‘When Love Takes Over’, and ‘Milkshake’ throughout the show alongside performances from En Vogue, Mario, Christina Milian, and more. TOUR DATES Thursday October 12 - Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, NSW Friday October 13 - Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, NSW Saturday October 14 - nib Stadium, Perth, WA Sunday October 15 – Adelaide Entertainment Centre Arena, Adelaide, SA Thursday October 19 - Hisense Arena, Melbourne, VIC Friday October 20 - Hisense Arena, Melbourne, VIC Saturday October 21 - Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane, QLD

Yours And Owls 2017 Is Gonna Be Large Wollongong festival Yours and Owls is set for a huge two days this month, with a lineup being headlined by At The Drive In, The Preatures, The Presets and more. Featuring a selection of Aussie talent alongside some of the best international acts, Yours and Owls is maintaining its philosophy of bringing people together through the mutual love and shared experience of music with their latest lineup. Besides the aforementioned acts, also appearing are Illy, Dune Rats, All Day, Northlane, and SAFIIA, as well as Montaigne, The Orwells, Ruby Fields and Northeast Party House. TOUR DATES Saturday September 30 and Sunday October 1 -Stuart Park, Wollongong, NSW

Product News Vox Launch VX50 Amp Range Yamaha Music Australia | au.yamaha.com Vox have followed up the success of their MV50 mini-valve amps with the VX50 range of amplifiers, with dedicated models for bass, acoustic guitar and keyboard. Like the MV50, the VX50 amps are Nutube (vacuum tube) equipped and deliver a 50W output in a compact, lightweight package, but unlike its predecessor, the new range features multiple channels and a full compliment of EQ. The VX50BA is the bass guitar model and has a unique bass reflex structure that ensures ample power and rich lowfrequency reproduction. The VX50AG features a two-way coaxial eight-inch speaker and tweeter, designed to provide a detailed response suitable for the subtlety of an acoustic guitar. The VX50KB keyboard amplifier has a coaxial speaker designed to provide a clear overall range and has a bass reflex structure that provides a rich low end. It has three channels with independent volume controls and a mic input.

TC Electronic Releases Flashback II Delay Pedal Amber Technology | ambertech.com.au TC Electronic have released the updated version of their best-selling delay pedal with the TC Electronic Flashback II. While retaining the aesthetics and original features of the first version of the Flashback, the new version includes the addition of the MASH footswitch, offering users the option for pressure sensitive footswitching technology for greater control over the nuances of the pedal. The Flashback II also introduces Crystal Delay to the pedal, implementing polyphonic octave algorithms derived from the TC Electronic Sub ‘N’ Up Octaver for ear-catching spacey delay effects. The Flashback II also features the welcome addition of three TonePrint slots, allowing players the ability to save and switch between presets via the USB operated TonePrint software. Other new features include self-oscillation via the improved ‘ultra-realistic’ tape and analogue algorithms and a stereo-in jack for a tap-tempo footswitch, as well as all the features, which made the original Flashback a staple across pedalboards all over the world.

Studio Connections To Distribute Warm Audio In Australia Studio Connections | studioconnections.com.au As one of the major pro audio wholesalers in Australia, Studio Connections is proud to announce that they have been appointed the new Australian Distributor for US brand Warm Audio. Warm Audio have experienced great success in their relatively short history; their product line includes microphone preamps, compressors, equalisers and microphones, with an emphasis on well made analogue equipment. Having won a TEC Award for Technical Achievement at this year’s Winter NAMM show for the WA-2A Opto Compressor, Warm’s version of the classic LA-2A, interest will be high when stock arrives in Australia this month.

Matchless Amplifiers’ Avalon 30 Combo Gladesville Guitar Factory | guitarfactory.net The Avalon 30 is a mainstay of Matchless Amplifiers’ range, and for good reason. Utilising an innovative hybrid construction that combines point to point wiring, circuit tracing and turret-style construction, the 30-watt combo amplifier is made from the same parts, including transformers, that are used in the brand’s traditional amps, and are handwired in their LA factory. The result is an amplifier that produces the crystal clear, dynamic, three dimensional tones that are unique to Matchless, at a lower price point.

The Washburn HG12S Acoustic Guitar Musical Merchandisers | musicmerch.com.au The Washburn HG12S is a Grand Auditorium acoustic guitar that features a solid mahogany top for superior tone that improves with age. It’s got mahogany back, sides and neck, a rosewood fingerboard and bridge, diecast tuners for quick, easy and accurate tuning, a Washburn tortoise pickguard and a custom rosette. The versatility of the Grand Auditorium HG12S makes it ideal for both strumming and fingerstyle players, and the warm tone that mahogany imparts makes it an ideal choice for country, or folk players.

Fender Unveil Two New Colours In Their American Elite Series

The Mooer Mod Factory Pro Arrives In Australia Jade Australia | jadeaustralia.com.au

Fender Music Australia | fender.com.au Fender introduced a record five new artist signature models and nine new vintage-inspired colorways across the American Elite, American Professional and Offset guitars at Summer NAMM 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee in July. “Our American Elite and American Professional guitars have been widely embraced by players around the world, which – in true Fender tradition – has led us to introduce new body colors that draw inspiration from 1960s vintage car paint colors,” said Justin Norvell, SVP Fender Products. Two new colours will be offered on American Elite series guitar and bass models - Champagne and Ocean Turquoise, which will accompany an exceptional set of premium features and new, upgraded ebony fretboards.

The Mod Factory Pro takes two high-quality digital modulation engines and condenses them into a single dual stompbox. The unit features 16 different modulation effects, including chorus, tremolo, phasers and ring modulators, as well as tap tempo functionality and true stereo outputs. The ability to combine both engines and adjust the internal signal routing expands these 16 effects into something truly unique. Added tap tempo functionality, expression pedal expandability, Leslie-type acceleration control and true stereo outputs makes the mod factory pro a truly versatile pedal and a strong choice for professionals or beginners alike.

mixdownmag.com.au

MK 4 digital

Studio sound to go. The MK 4 digital combines the warmth and detail of a true condenser microphone with the simplicity of a digital solution. With high-quality Apogee A/D conversion and mic preamp technology, the MK 4 digital connects directly to iOS devices and laptops. Unrivalled studio sound is now available anywhere.

Connects directly to iPhone速, iPad速, iPod touch速, Mac速, PC

Product News Audient Introduce ARC Creative Hub Innovative Music Australia | innovativemusic.com.au Pro audio specialists Audient have announced the launch of a new online creative hub called ARC. The company has designed ARC to be the go-to place for current and future registered Audient hardware owners. ARC is a one-stop-shop for deals, full versions of Pro Audio software, training courses, audio services and plug-ins - all for free. The company has teamed up with some of the industry’s leading innovators, including Eventide, Steinberg, LANDR and Producertech to offer a comprehensive selection of free creative software available to ARC members.

TC Electronic Introduce Hall Of Fame 2 Reverb Pedal

Victory Amplifiers’ V10 The Baron Gladesville Guitar Factory | guitarfactory.net

Amber Technology | ambertech.com.au TC Electronic have released a sequel to their popular Hall Of Fame reverb pedal. The TC Electronic Hall of Fame 2 reverb pedal features the new MASH function for expression as well as the ‘shimmer’ algorithm, which features a polyphonic pitch-shifting from TC’s Sub ‘N’ Up Octaver. MASH is triggered by a footswitch and allows users to control different parameters for each of the eight reverb types. The feature also enables users to push the reverb effect into self-oscillation by simply shifting their weight on the pedal. The new pedal includes three TonePrint slots – two more than the original Hall of Fame pedal – to cater for custom reverbs and signature TonePrints accessible via the TC Electronic website.

With Gladesville Guitar Factory having recently struck a distribution deal with legendary British amplifier maker Victory, they are now stocking several of the brand's key products, including the V10 The Baron. Billed as ‘the ultimate little big amp for pure valve tone’, the 10W 1x12 combo effortlessly delivers big blues and rock tones and is the ideal size for small gigs, rehearsal or home practice. The power section features one octal and one noval valve with separate master volumes, and the ability to blend both to taste. Whether you’re after big, thick sustain or a more natural drive tone, The Baron doesn’t disappoint.

Fender Introduce ‘64 Custom Deluxe Reverb Fender Music Australia | fender.com.au

The Sterling by Music Man John Petrucci Signature JP160 Is Out Now CMC Music | cmcmusic.com.au In 2016 Ernie Ball Music Man unveiled the John Petrucci signature series JP16 - a combination of the original Music Man Petrucci signature model and later the Ball Family Reserve models. In record time, Sterling by Music Man has delivered their take on this outstanding instrument – maintaining all the key features, like the low profile double locking tremolo, ‘speedy’ roasted maple neck, forearm scooped body, high output humbucking pickups and 12dB push/push volume/boost. It’s a super shredders’ dream come true.

At the recent Summer NAMM conference Fender shared a recreation of one of their most successful guitar amp combos, with the introduction of the hand-wired ‘64 Custom Deluxe Reverb. The big difference between the ’64 Custom Deluxe Reverb and the Blackface model it recreates is the hand-wired AB763 circuitry, while the new amp still maintains vintage tones through features such as bright and normal channels with tube-driven spring reverb and tremolo and Fender Vintage Blue tone capacitors. The amp boasts 20W of output power, incorporates a 12” Jensen C-12Q speaker, and features an extra-heavy textured covering alongside a lightly aged silver grille cloth to effectively recreate the original look. Other features include four 12AX7 valves, two 12AT7 preamp tubes, a 5AR4/GZ34 rectifier tube, and a pair of 6V6 output valves.

IK Multimedia Release The iRig Pro I/O Interface Sound & Music | sound-music.com IK Multimedia have released a new pocket sized version of their iRig Pro. The iRig Pro I/O is designed to enable users to connect a diverse array of devices and instruments to their Mac, PC, iOS or Android hardware. The iRig Pro I/O supports 24-bit 96kHz audio, has MIDI I/O mini-jack ports and is powered by USB when plugged into your computer, or comes with an option DC power supply. Additionally it has a Neutrik XLR ¼ inch combo input to handle all sorts of instruments and has a headphone output with its own level control.

Ernie Ball Celebrates 40 Years Of Pedal Building With Limited Edition Volume Pedal CMC Music | cmcmusic.com.au Since its introduction in 1977, the Ernie Ball Volume Pedal has been the leading choice for musicians across the globe. The Ernie Ball 40th Anniversary VP pedal features a limited edition slate black aluminium chassis with updated graphics for a sleek appearance both on and off stage. A redesigned ultra-durable Kevlar cord improves potentiometer traction for precise volume control and a super smooth foot sweep. Inspired by the rugged design of the original, the pedal’s compact extruded aluminium housing is virtually indestructible. Celebrate 40 years of quality, performance, and reliability with this new anniversary edition volume pedal only from Ernie Ball. 12

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Product News

iZotope Launches The Spire Studio Wireless Interface Electric Factory | elfa.com.au

Fender Add New Colours To The American Professional Series Fender Music Australia | fender.com.au Fender will continue to expand its popular American Elite, American Professional and Offset guitars and basses with new vintage-inspired colours harkening back to those originally influenced by the auto industry in the ‘60s. Fender’s American Professional series will add two new colours from early September - Candy Apple Red and Natural Ash – both popular vintage Fender finishes that have enjoyed strong customer demand. Recently each new colour has been paired with Parchment, Mint Green and Black pickguards for ideal visual appeal. Select Stratocaster and Jazz Bass models will be offered in a Natural finish, while Candy Apple Red will be available across Stratocaster, Stratocaster HSS, Telecaster, Telecaster Deluxe ShawBucker, Jazzmaster, Jaguar, Precision Bass and Jazz Bass models.

iZotope have announced their latest innovation – the Spire Studio portable wireless recording interface. Designed for both ease of use and professional audio quality, the Spire features a built-in microphone, dual inputs with Grace Design preamps, and award-winning sound processing technology. The device can be paired with a dedicated app so that you can record, mix and share your songs with the hardware, your phone and the built-in Wi-Fi whenever inspiration strikes.

The Elektron Octatrack MK II Sampler Lands In Australia Innovative Music Australia | innovativemusic.com.au Swedish electronic instrument manufacturer Elektron announced in June that they would be releasing the Octatrack MK II sampler, a new version of their widely popular 2011 unit. Touted as an improved, enhanced and modified sampler and sequencer, the Octatrack MK II features an OLED designed to be easily read in dimly lit situations, while the other buttons are backlit. Other physical changes are the contactless crossfader, a larger amount of buttons and balanced audio inputs for increased headroom. Elsewhere the model features eight stereo audio and eight MIDI tracks, three LFO’s and two effects inserts per audio track and instant stereo sampling enabled. The Octatrack MK II will arrive in Australia in September.

The Return Of The Vox Continental Rane Announces The New SeventyTwo Scratch Mixer Electric Factory | elfa.com.au Rane have announced their new scratch mixer, the Rane Seventy-Two. It’s a premium two-channel unit that builds on similar current mixers but adds a high-resolution, multi-touch sensitive screen that can be used for track selection, accessing the X-Y effects pads, setting modes, and viewing the moving waveform display. The Seventy-Two also features the new Rane Mag Three faders, has Dual Flex effects that can be used together with Serato’s effects, and is housed in solid steel.

Yamaha Music Australia | au.yamaha.com The Vox Continental holds a specific place in music history and in the hearts of keyboard players. The transistor organ was a major sound of the 1960’s used by acts such as The Doors, and was then re-embraced during the late ‘70s by the new wave and ska movement that came out of Britain. Now Vox are revisiting this classic keyboard, but with four different sound engines that can be layered or split, resulting in an infinitely more versatile machine with organ, piano, electric piano and synth sounds as well as digital and valve-based effects. It features Vox’s Nutube vacuum tube technology and has a simply laid out, intuitive design. Available in both 61-key and 73-key versions, the Vox Continental will arrive in Australia in September.

Hagström Team With Swedish Occult Metal Act Ghost On New Model Pro Music Australia | promusicaustralia.com Sweden’s Hagström Guitars have teamed with one of the country’s most revered heavy acts, the Satanic-themed metal band Ghost, to create a new signature model. The Fantomen resembles the Gibson RD in body shape, and is made of solid mahogany body and 25.5” mahogany neck. The neck also comes with Hagstrom’s Resinator fingerboard as well as an H-Expander truss rod, while elsewhere it features a pair of humbucker pickups designed by Johan Lundgren, both of which are also coil-splittable. These guitars will be available in Australia from November.

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FOO FIGHTERS GROWTH AND FOCUS

With a new album ready to land, Foo Fighters have announced their return to Australia for a major arena tour next January. The album, Concrete and Gold, is the band’s ninth, and it’s an especially prodigious affair. This is true of both the record’s sonic makeup and the contributing personnel.

Foo Fighters are now officially a six-piece with the addition of keyboardist Rami Jaffee. But although Jaffee’s entrance has altered the look of the band’s press photos, bassist Nate Mendel says it didn’t change the dynamic during the making of Concrete and Gold. “The last few albums, Rami’s been in the studio with us. Having keyboards has been something that went from being a novelty in 2005 to become less a novelty and more a part of our sound over the years. “We recorded this album, Rami was there the whole time. We actually wrote the record in a studio that he’s a part owner of. And it was at the end of that process where Rami just said, ‘Hey is it cool if I be in the photos’, and there wasn’t any good answer besides, ‘Yeah sure.’ ” Foo Fighters famously share publishing equally – all members are credited as songwriters on every album they contribute to. But there’s still an implicit understanding that frontman Dave Grohl runs the show, with the rest of the group acting accordingly to give the songs what they need. “We do share publishing equally, but it’s weighted towards our key songwriter, which is Dave,” says Mendel. “So in the same way that he does the bulk of the songwriting he’s also owner of the bulk of the copyright of the songs. “It’s the way it’s worked really since day one, when we were just figuring out what the band was. The entire first record [1995’s Foo Fighters] was recorded by Dave and we went out and toured on that record for a year and a half and then made a record together. That set the tone for the band, that the songs were going to generally come from him. “We’ve tinkered with that formula over the years, but we’re always trying to stay on focus with what Dave’s looking for with the songs.” So the press’s habitual spotlighting of Grohl isn’t unfounded – he is, after all, the kernel of the band’s personable and charismatic identity. However, this could occasionally cause the rest of the group to feel like their contributions aren’t given enough attention. “As a player in a band, you do contribute and take a lot of pride in what you do and try hard and work to be good at your craft and 14

contribute to the whole,” Mendel says. “But you have to always keep an eye out for what makes an artistic project tick. It’s that strange x-factor, the bit of pixie dust that turns a bunch of chords into something that will make a field full of people jump up and down. That’s almost an intangible thing. “As much as I can give myself credit for being a decent musician, I understand that it’s a rare person that’s got the ability to marshal that pixie dust in the right way. So I don’t feel like I need any more credit than I’m given for what happens in the band, because I really do respect Dave’s talents.” Concrete and Gold marks the first time Foo Fighters have worked with a specialist pop producer. Greg Kurstin, who’s best known for producing and co-writing records for pop A-listers like Sia, Adele and Lily Allen, played a critical role in giving the album it’s wide breadth of sound. “It’s pretty transparent, the motivation behind [working with Kurstin],” says Mendel. “Despite the fact that he’s a very accomplished musician and we could obviously use that and learn from him that way, why not throw a rock band in a room with somebody whose last project was Sia?” Although Foo Fighters had hitherto chosen to work with rock big wigs like Gil Norton, Adam Kasper and Butch Vig in the studio, the Kurstin collaboration isn’t exactly offscript. In terms of popularity, they already reside in the pop sphere. But despite this, Kurstin didn’t try to steer them towards a contemporary pop sound.

“Rather than trying to reign in and make more complicated what we do, he actually was willing to twist it and make it dirtier and weirder, which I never would have guessed,” Mendel says. “I would’ve assumed somebody with this jazz background would be meticulous in the studio with a rock band. Not at all the case - he was 100 percent willing to fly by the seat of his pants, have things be loose and weird and dirty.” Indeed, if rock fans felt any misgivings about Kurstin producing the Foo Fighters, the sabre-toothed ferocity of lead single ‘Run’ would surely have put them to rest. However, there are certain arrangement and production details that were specifically enabled by Kurstin’s knowhow. “The one area where his pop chops really came was the harmonies,” Mendel says. “If you listen to our last three records and then this one, the thing that sets this one apart is the complex, layered, Beach Boys-type harmonies. “It’s amazing to watch him structure a set of harmonies. People from a rock background, self-taught musicians, you work everything out with just your ear. [Kurstin] was able to work it out with his brain without actually hearing it. So Dave might sing a four or five part harmony section and just do one line at a time and then Greg would hum the second line for Dave to sing and then he would do that one four times, and on and on and on until you’ve got 16 tracks of vocals. He had this math equation in his head that turned into a beautiful melody.” BY AUGUSTUS WELBY Concrete and Gold is released on Friday September 15 via Roswell Records/Sony Music Australia. Foo Fighters will touring Australia in January and February 2018 via Frontier Touring. For more on Foo Fighters head to page 54 for Show & Tell with Chris Shiflett.

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NOW AVAILABLE IN NATURAL AND CANDY APPLE RED

Music Interviews these songs all around the world, and the feeling is just the same 20 years on from doing it the first time. Without wanting to sound like a Hallmark gift-card or anything like that, I’m grateful for the connection we’ve made with people. The same folks that came to see us play and bought our records... I mean, a lot of them are still here with us. They still pay to see us, they still buy our records when we put new ones out. I can’t tell you how fortunate it is to still have that at my age.”

Everclear - Living In The Afterglow It’s a Tuesday morning in Australia, making it Monday afternoon when Art Alexakis takes Mixdown’s call, and the man sounds as sincere as he ever has. Indeed, Australia has been one of the most solely consistent fanbases for Everclear – the band in which Alexakis is the lead vocalist, guitarist, chief songwriter and sole remaining original member. The last time Alexakis and co. were performing here it was to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their beloved Sparkle and Fade album. Two years removed, we’ve arrived at yet another double-decade milestone – this time for their platinum-selling LP, So Much for the Afterglow. The line of questioning begins by prompting Alexakis to explain what these birthday parties of sorts are like insofar as personal reflection is concerned. “It brings up a lot of things for me,” he replies. “I’m absolutely humbled and very proud of this music. It’s remarkable to see records like Sparkle and Fade and Afterglow still mean so much to people. I’ve gotten to play

Tired Lion Untamed On their breakthrough single back in 2015, Perth quartet Tired Lion bemoaned ‘I Don’t Think You Like Me’. If the two ensuing years have proven anything, however, it’s that the general consensus on these West Australian alt-rockers is completely inverse to that very sentiment. From scorching festival stages to national tours alongside the likes of Spiderbait and Dune Rats, Tired Lion have struck up a remarkable accord with audiences for their sharp, catchy take on the oft-stale genre. Only one thing has eluded them thus far - the all-important debut album. This is all set to change with the release of Dumb Days this month – and, as the band themselves attest to, it’s well worth the wait. “It definitely feels like forever,” says Sophie Hopes, the band’s vocalist and rhythm guitarist. “After we signed to Dew Process, the plan changed to just putting out a couple of singles and figuring out what we wanted to do. We had this whole new team behind 16

So Much for the Afterglow was released in October of 1997. The third studio album from the band, it would go on to outsell Sparkle and Fade; standing to this day as the most commercially successful LP Everclear ever produced. Its double-platinum status was boosted by the chart success of three of the band’s signature songs – ‘I Will Buy You a New Life’, ‘Everything to Everyone’ and, of course, ‘Father of Mine’. Any thoughts that the band would live in the shadow of Sparkle and Fade quickly subsided – although the path to Afterglow’s creation wasn’t entirely without setback. “When we went in to make this record, I had a very specific idea of what I wanted to do,” says Alexakis. “I had this grand vision for a record that was going to be both the loudest and quietest Everclear record ever – all these acoustic songs and all these punk songs together. When I actually tried making that record – I recorded about 14 or 15 songs in the fall of ‘96 – it just wasn’t right. My A&R told me it was a good record, but not a great one. I was only interested in making great records. ‘I know you,’ he said. ‘I know you can do better than this.’”

Upon his return, Alexakis had found an entirely new perspective. “I was on the phone with everyone – my band, my management, my producer. I had all these ideas – ‘I want this to happen, I want this to happen, I want Andy Wallace to remix the record in this studio.’ It all came really fast. I was changing songs, scrapping songs, bringing in new instruments... I went from all of this doubt to just making it happen. I drove everybody really hard to make this record everything it could be. The whole thing ended up so different to how I imagined it to begin with, but the whole thing was just so much better.” A progress report on the Afterglow retrospective sees Alexakis himself audibly beaming. “It’s just been so great,” he enthuses. “I’m absolutely not exaggerating when I say the response has been phenomenal. I always make a point of making myself available after the show to talk to everyone, sign records, take photos... some of the lines for this tour have had me there at the merch desk for two hours after we’re done. No matter where I go, everyone I speak to seem to has an Afterglow story. I’ve had grown men come up to me and tell me how much this record makes them cry. I’m honestly just glad to be a part of these people’s lives. I have no ego in this. I get no bravado from the impact this record has had. All I get out of it is a true sense of pride.” BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG

Alexakis took a fortnight to re-evaluate his work, staying at a hotel in New York and taking notes on what needed to be changed. This time period also saw him write four new songs, all of which would end up on the album – including the title track itself. “I wrote a punk-rock song, but I wanted it to have these Beach Boys-style harmonies,” he says. “It had to be perfect – we spent an entire day in the studio, and we must have layered up something like 28 tracks of vocals.”

Everclear are touring Australia in September and October. Black Is the New Black is out now through The End Records.

us, so we were working out a plan and approach. If we were independent, like we used to be, we could have easily just gone ‘Okay, we’re recording next weekend, we’ll mix it and then we’ll put it out whenever’. With this deal, there were just so many things that we had to prepare. As it turned out, I think it was for the best that it took as long as it did. We were really able to develop these songs, and it feels like it mapped out to the right time for all of us.”

while ensuring that their debut LP was all that it could be. Of course, like with any first-time experience, the process wasn’t entirely smooth sailing – particularly for Hopes, who sought to give her all as a vocalist in the recording booth; for better and for worse.

Dumb Days was recorded earlier in the year at Perth’s Blackbird Studios. Working on the album was the studio’s in-house engineer, Dave Parkin; as well as Violent Soho frontman Luke Boerdram, making his production debut. “Luke was talking to our A&R guy, John, at Splendour last year,” Hopes explains. “Luke had mentioned to him that he was looking to get into producing more music. We were brought up because we were demoing for the record at the time, he liked what he heard and the rest is history. “I suppose we were a bit like his guinea pigs,” says Hopes with a laugh. “It was so natural, though. We like the same bands; we had the same vision. It was really rad to have someone that was on the same page as us. Because Luke hadn’t worked with anyone else before, he didn’t really have any expectations, neither did we, because we’d never worked with a producer before at all. Neither of us had a comparison point. We were just totally open to letting the record find its own path and run its own course. I’ve gotta say, Luke has set the bar pretty high for us going ahead. It’s really rare to be able to make that kind of connection with someone outside of your band in relation to the vision for the music itself.”

“‘Where Were You’ was a tough one,” she says. “There’s a bit at the end of the song where I’m just belting out this line, ‘GOD HELP ME’. I was in there just screaming for ages. After every take, I legitimately thought I was going to pass out. You’ll hear on that track that I was really pushing myself to my absolute limits. I’m glad we got there in the end – you really have to believe in yourself that you can do it, you can’t psyche yourself out.” The album sees Hopes go from the aforementioned agony to the pop-oriented harmony of ‘Fresh’, which has her voice replicated and layered into a miniature army of sorts. It’s borderline ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, and certainly far removed from anything the band has attempted previously. Truth be told, they’re still navigating its live execution. “We’re working on it,” says Hopes. “I was trying to train Nick [Vasey, bass] to sing it, but I think his voice is a bit too low on the register to hit the higher notes. We might use a sample pad or something. We’ll figure it out.” BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG Dumb Days is out on Friday September 15 via Dew Process.

The environment in which Dumb Days was written and recorded was an inherently positive one, and certainly allowed for the band to be as productive as possible, mixdownmag.com.au

Music Interviews Across album reviews and past interviews, Son Little has found himself with amazing praise, but with a curious recurring caveat. Writers dwell over his ‘battered and beautiful soul’, or remark how he has shown us a ‘shaken but hopeful heart’. Picking apart personal hardship is the common theme, and I wonder how Livingston handles such scrutiny. “It gets easier over time,” he says. “But I think the whole point is, I’m trying to say things with music that I can’t say otherwise. And when you get on stage, when you give into analysing songs, it’s kind of hard because to get something definitive out of something that is not always unambiguous is hard. But you know, I don’t mind when people do ask me about the songs. I mean, I talk about music constantly with people. We go on the road [and] it’s all we talk about. I’m constantly doing it anyway, so really it wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t allow for a little bit of that in interviews and things.”

Becoming Son Little We’re always evolving – up, down, inside-out, as much a product of our own tastes and observations as the external world throwing change and inspiration at us. Aaron Livingston, otherwise known as Son Little, knows this particularly well, from his days growing up in Philadelphia and New York to his own transformation to Son Little. Now, the R&B musician returns with his sophomore album, New Magic. “A lot of the things that I do now, I kind of learned in the Son Little Son years,” the singer explains. “Things from the first record, guitar and drum sounds, they kind of developed over time. I think what I’ve done now has been its own thing, though. It takes a while to know what it is. Sometimes people name their baby a week after the birth, you know? In another way, you name something, and then the thing you’ve named becomes the name.”

to inspire to this day. It remains as difficult as ever to forge a creative path that leads to success and longevity, but never before have musical palettes been so expansive. “I’ve been fortunate to grow up with a lot of really great artists,” Livingston says. “Some that people know, some that no one has heard of. It can be difficult for an artist [who is] introspective to reconcile some of the things that you have to do to make yourself known. That’s a fairly common story for people, for other writers and singers maybe more so. I think one thing we have a wealth of here, and when I started coming into my own as a musician, there was a lot of really healthy competition. I doubt that I would have progressed the way I did without it.” BY ADAM NORRIS

It’s a nice coincidence talking with Livingston when I do, having recently visited both Philadelphia and New York. What struck me most about the former was the sense of faded industry, a city bordered by rusted warehouses and crumbling buildings. It’s a strange setting for the start of a musical career, but in part, as Livingston explains, this is the story of the US at large. “There are lots of things that offset that storybook narrative,” he says. “The idea of independent, plucky Americans making a name for themselves gets turned on its head, because we have things like the opioid epidemic, the civil rights struggles. Those things chart a slightly different story. In Philadelphia, and in New York where I also lived as a kid, these are places where the story is conflict – everyone living right on top of each other.”

New Magic is out Friday September 15 through Cooking Vinyl.

But within that conflict, there is also great fellowship and a wide pool of talent. Both of these cities have an astonishing history of not only industry, but art and culture that spread out across the globe and continue

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Music Interviews “There’s a lot less experimentation with identity and more just fucking owning it now, I would much rather be a band that kept things interesting than have 12 of the same songs.”

Any band that undergoes stylistic changes does so at the risk of alienating their original fans, which is something that is not lost on Cerulli.

The Many Movements Of Motionless In White Motionless in White have incorporated various genres into their sound over the years, moving through styles at an alarming rate. “I think that just comes with a lot of years of experimenting,” says singer Chris ‘Motionless’ Cerulli. “If you look back to when the band started, we migrated from where our earlier material was coming from to where we are now. “I think now it’s just at a point where I know my own standpoint on where I want to go with it, and how to try to blend it together to the point where at least when I hear it, I’m happy with it. I can’t say that for some of the past material, but that’s just what happens as you evolve and grow as a band.”

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“It’s tough because, as with any band, being stuck in that pit of, you want to evolve but you don’t want to piss off your fans - you want to take risks, but you don’t want to ruin your career,” he says. Although Cerulli doesn’t believe that the band’s change in sound was dramatic, he acknowledges that some fans have labelled it as such. “There’s a lot less experimentation with identity and more just fucking owning it now,” he says. “I would much rather be a band that kept things interesting than have 12 of the same songs, and I think that helps bring new people in too.” Motionless in White are heading to Australia this month for a run of shows that Cerulli says will be a landmark moment for the band. “It’s really a special event for us on this occasion because it’s the first time that we’re doing a headliner in Australia,” he says. “There’s anticipation, there’s years and years of, ‘Why aren’t you guys coming here more?’, years and years of fans just waiting for this, and it’s finally time to give them what they want.

“It’s definitely a little bit more intimate feeling,” he says about playing to Australian audiences. “I really look forward to that energy in the room every day, that kind of feeling –different than it would be doing a 25-30 date tour in the States. “I can’t believe that I can finally say that we’re going to play Australian headliners,” says Cerulli. “I’m so happy and grateful that fans have stuck with us and demanded it over the years to the point that we can finally come and do it.”

BY MIKE SPEAKMAN Motionless In White are touring nationally from Tuesday September 19 through Live Nation. Graveyard Shift is out now through Roadrunner Records/ Warner Music.

Music Interviews fuckwit I know I am. We’ve worked with Dan Farmer on quite a few clips now. He and Youngy [vocalist Matt Young] tend to have quite a good working relationship. We’ve found it’s been a pretty major way to reach an audience that’s different to our own.” You’re unlikely to find a harder working Australian band than King Parrot; genre regardless. After getting around to the better part of the entire globe in support of their previous LP, 2015’s Dead Set, the Melbourne-based quintet were straight back to work after the faintest hint of downtime. The end result is Ugly Produce, which is simultaneously another cementing of the King Parrot sound and a further exploration of what that entails. “The writing process never really stops,” says Slattery.

King Parrot Give It A Go It’s quite rare that an act from the heavy metal spectrum will properly bubble under the mainstream – and rarer still should that band be both Australian and on the more extreme side of the sonic realm. However, King Parrot have found themselves at a level most other acts in their scene could only dream of – not quite a household name, but certainly close enough to one in your average 20-something sharehouse. A lot of it has to do with the band’s oft-ridiculous music videos – such as their latest, ‘Ten Pounds of Shit in a Five Pound Bag’. Serving as the lead single from their third LP, Ugly Produce, this video literally needs to be seen to be believed. Just make sure you’re not at your place of employment when doing so. “I’m kind of treated as the talent when it comes to the videos,” laughs the band’s bassist, Wayne Slattery – AKA Slatts Everyday. “I try not to have too much creative input when it comes to the creative vision – I step into other people’s ideas and get to be the

“Ari [White, guitar] is a riff machine. He brought in so many ideas when we recorded Dead Set that there was heaps left over after we finished making the album. We worked up a few of them for this record, as well as others that were forming in the meantime. Because we’re on the road so much, we really try and take a hold of whatever opportunity we can get to work on songs. We had two songs prior to going in and recording that were being given a run at shows, and we had about three or four dedicated demoing sessions under our belt as well. Between touring, work and families, there’s pretty minimal time left over for anything else. When it comes to recording, we’ve always had the mindset of just getting in there and getting the job done.” Said job was done in the first half of 2016 at Melbourne’s Goatsound Studios. Behind the boards for the recording procedure was Blood Duster’s Jason ‘PC’ Fuller, who evidently has a very clear idea of what King Parrot want out of a record considering his band no doubt served as a key influence early on. Slattery praises Fuller as a producer and a creative collaborator – someone who is incredibly clued in on what makes the band tick. “We recorded [debut album, 2012’s] Bite Your Head Off with him,” he says.

Specifically, one of the topics that occupies Casey on Relatives In Descent is his distaste for unhealthy escapism. “Some people seem to find it in spirituality and there must be a reason for it - people need something they can hold onto in this world,” he says. “I know I have that feeling a lot of the time. It would be nice to rely on the government to take care of you but then you realise how screwed up they are and it’s all just lies. It’s very frustrating. It’s weird because I did have these existential thoughts when you’re supposed to, when you’re 14 years old and you start smokin’ cigarettes, y’know? And then you grow up and you’re kinda boppin’ along, but then you have them again because you’re family’s starting to die off and you’re getting older and you see the impermanence of everything. It hits you on a heavier level, a more personal level.”

Protomartyr Get Heavy Protomartyr’s new album Relatives In Descent is an intriguing study in post-punk expressionism. Much has been made of vocalist Joe Casey’s story - how it’s his first real band, how he embodies a more accessible and stable version of the ‘musical outsider’ vibe of, say, Stanley from Life Sex & Death. But it’s that relative distance from schooled musicianship that allows Casey to really tap into the human experience. Relatives In Descent is an exploration of the existential dread and continual selfevaluation that happens as one progresses through life. “Now every little bug bite I get, I’m like ‘what’s that?’” he says. “I was living free and easy for the first 35 years of my life but now everything is starting to fall apart at once.” However the album isn’t a chronicle of entropy so much as a bemused evaluation of it, be it personal, social or political. 20

“It’s really a worrisome time in America in particularly,” Casey continues. “You have the president saying ‘All news is bad except for my daughter-in-law’s videos of real news.’ It’s propaganda and that’s frightening. I get upset when I read a music review and they misspell a word or they get something wrong, but it’s a little bit different for a bottom-level rock’n’roll singer to complain about the news than the leader of the free world. I feel bad for journalists right now getting turned into the bad guys, as it were. It’s bizarre that for a person that was a television celebrity he either acts like really knows how the media works, or he acts like he’s never experienced [it] before and it’s shocking and weird.” The state of affairs in the US wasn’t the only thing different about the circumstances of this record everyone in the band gave up their day jobs and security to devote themselves entirely to the project. “It was really the first time we could really, really work on it, grind out these riffs and parts of songs for hours,” Casey says. “The amount of time we devoted to the record was a new thing for us because we didn’t

“In terms of our sound, we’ve absorbed a lot of the kind of music Jason has not only made, but worked on as well. For us to go back and record with him was pretty much a no-brainer. It was awesome because Jason is so easy to work with. We’ve all known him for a very long time now. He’ll never shy away from a straight-up and honest opinion on things – and that can make him an arsehole sometimes; but then again, so are we. All of his suggestions and contributions really helped to make Ugly Produce what it was – and I’m really fucking proud of what we’ve been able to do here.” Slattery’s enthusiasm for his own efforts will be entirely justified to listeners once Ugly Produce hits shelves. Raw and uncompromising as ever, the band keep their intensity levels at an all-time high while never forgetting the elements that shaped them to begin with. In a scene where many bands are often bound to do the same thing over and over, expecting different results, King Parrot are entirely open to wherever the creative process may take them. “I feel like, with this record, we took the best bits of both of our previous records and pushed forward into something new,” Slattery says. “Bite Your Head Off had that punk vibe that we really love – more in the vain of grindcore – whereas Dead Set was a little more traditional. There’s no wrong answers in King Parrot. Whatever idea someone comes up with – no matter how fucken dumb – we’ll give it a go at least once.” BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG

Ugly Produce is out on Friday September 22 via EVP Recordings.

“It’s just raw power. It’s people bending electricity and making power on stage. That’s the kind of music I like.”

have the time to do that before. I don’t really put the lyrics down on paper until right as we’re recording because I like them to be fresh and locked in. The other guys are nice enough to hear my ideas and they try to understand them. They know what they’re doing with the music and my suggestions are more abstract. Greg, our guitar player, is great at knowing what I can and can’t do, so that makes it easier because I don’t know a note from a hole in the wall. “I do like technical things,” he says. “But the reason I wanted to be in a band is, to quote Iggy Pop, it’s just raw power. It’s people bending electricity and making power on stage. That’s the kind of music I like - with some kind of intense emotion behind it. I have to focus though, because I will forget what the next word is - I need to be very present while I’m performing.” BY PETER HODGSON Relatives In Descent it out on Friday September 29 via Domino Recording Company.

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Advice Columns Musicology

The History Of

Sound Clash Culture Live music competitions are not an unfamiliar concept. Bands and artists have battled it out throughout musical history, competing for prizes, fame, or simply the chance to be crowned champion. It’s the latter accolade that drives a culture whose origins go back decades, one which sees some of the most talented DJs fight to be declared the winner. Born in Jamaica and then exported around the world, the sound clash is one of the more unique live music competitions today – and for good reason. A soundsystem at Nottinghill Carnival, London The sound clash began on the streets of Kingston, Jamaica, in the 1950s. Because very few people had the money to buy records, the main way that people were introduced to new music was either in dancehalls or at street parties. Therefore whoever owned and operated the portable sound systems was in a position of influence when it came to setting musical trends. Starting out as an informal rivalry, sound clashes developed as the result of a natural instinct to compete with another soundsystem set up in close proximity to your own. Soundsystems were led by people such as Tom Wong, Duke Reid, and Sir Coxsone and began with stacks of speakers set up, playing US R&B records. The competition involved two or more soundsystems battling to produce the best selections and performance to be crowned victorious by the watching crowd.

While the original format in Jamaica was based on drowning out your competitor in volume, thus requiring physically bigger/more powerful speakers, when the soundclashes came to England they soon moved indoors. Consequently it changed to become more of a formal competition, with different DJs playing after one another and the crowd selecting the winner. The culture progressed into the ‘80s with the arrival of the dancehall and prominent DJs such as Yellowman, Tenor Saw, and Burro Banton. Live vocals and MCs were introduced to clashes, while the trend of producers releasing clash tracks wasn’t well received by the sound clash community. To avoid the issue, DJs began including the name of their soundsystem in songs to deter producers from releasing the tracks as their own.

Jamaican soundsystem owner and producer Duke Reid

UK soundsystem veteran David Rodigan

Soundsystem culture is competitive at heart, right down to the size of a crew’s speakers, which have been known to total 12 feet high and wide. Predating the foundation of dancehall, reggae, and ska, the soundsystem soon travelled overseas with Jamaican immigrants in the 1950s and 1960s. The UK embraced the culture with Lloyd Coxsone’s Sir Coxsone Outernational becoming one of the country’s most well-known early systems, with others such as Jah Shaka, Channel One, and Saxon Studio International following close behind.

Sound clashes continued to grow in popularity into the ‘90s with the arrival of a new format called ‘World Clash’. This system saw countries from around the world competing in a clash at one location. The first World Clash is believed to be the one held in London in 1993 between Bodyguard (Jamaica), Saxon (UK), Coxsone (UK), and Afrique (USA), ending with a controversial win by Bodyguard. The World Clash introduced a structure to the traditional clash, with a referee and rounds similar to boxing featured in the new format; however, many in the clash community felt this was a poor imitation of a real clash.

Meanwhile, Jamaican-born DJ Kool Herc moved to the US and set up his own soundsystem – Herculords – and the turntable techniques that he developed there are considered by many to be the beginnings of hip hop.

While the values of sound clashes remain the same in their modern form, some technical aspects have changed. In an interview with Red Bull ahead of their Sound Culture Clash competition, UK soundsystem veteran David Rodigan explained that qualifying to enter in a clash today means “you should have a number of customised recordings made especially for you by artists who are renowned, and those artists must call your name in the recording.”

Legendary Jamaican producer Coxsonne Dodd pioneered the idea of releasing a ‘riddim’ version of a song in the mid-’60s by removing some of the melodic elements of a track, such as the horn section. In 1968 the owner of a local soundystem known as King Tubby took this idea even further by making instrumental ‘versions’ of songs and using these to extend the tracks when played live by the DJs. This proved to be so popular that by 1970 it had become common practice to issue an instrumental version as the B-side of a single, and can be seen as the genesis of dub music. Throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s the role of the DJ became as important as the music, a development that affected the sound clash with the new convention of adding an instrumental B-side to a record for the DJ.

“The rules have stayed pretty much the same since clash started,” said Rodigan. “An open round, then elimination, then another elimination, until you’re down to playing between two sounds. Those two sounds then run through a one-for-one, playing one tune each, with the audience deciding the best track. The first sound system to get to 10 – with the audience deciding who has the best dubs – is the winner. All these dubs have to have your name in it – they have to have been made for you.” BY JESSICA OVER

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Advice Columns GUITAR

Exploring Pentatonic Patterns Guitar has some interesting quirks when it comes to playing and making chords. The tuning means it’s tricky to always have typical inversions, and the fact that you can play the same note on more than one string can be both useful and confusing. Furthermore, guitarists often have the mindset that everything is a big move - for example moving from one barre chord shape to another or moving from an open chord to a barre. It might merely be a case of not knowing a closer shape or voicing, and so forcing you to jump a number of frets in order to make a chord change.

Figure A takes a common D major chord shape and plays it in the 4th fret, making it an E major. Listen to it over the E bass note (open 6th string) as a start, then move it to the second chord. We get a dominant kind of sound thanks to the D note and the F# (the 9th). The third voicing is a G major triad that has a minor sound over the E bass note. For some tension try the last voicing. Looking at the top three strings you’ll notice it’s the same D shape as all the other examples, against the E bass it definitely conjures up some interest though.

Figure B keeps our E note in the bass and starts with our D major shape E voicing on top. Beat two creates some tension by flattening the B and G# respectively (to Bb and G natural). Repeating this descending idea we get A, E and F# in the third voicing creating a kind of B7sus4 sound that sounds like it wants to move to the fourth voicing – an E major chord. In terms or physical movement it’s fairly straightforward on the guitar, keeping the note movement minimal also. This can sound nice, neat and compact as opposed to jumping all over the fretboard using different registers.

BASS GUITAR

Developing Parts, Simplifying Ideas & Finding The Groove Working parts for a tune can be one of the most fun and creative processes for a musician. It lets you write, refine, workshop and build songs and hopefully develop your skills for hearing how parts fit together within a tune.

So you’ve jammed on an idea and now you’re wanting to make it work throughout the whole song. Let’s start with Figure A as the line we’ve come up with - a mid tempo, straight funk rock groove with a Gm7 type of sound. For the purpose of this example we’ll assume the chord progression stays the same for the whole song - many hits and well known tunes have done so previously so why not for this example too? We could use Figure A as our groove for the verse, but instead let’s save it for the chorus/hook and utilise it as the biggest part of the tune.

So what do I play in the verse instead? Well, Figure B takes our idea from Figure A and drops some of the notes and syncopation, keeping the line more on the beat, yet still stating the harmony. This line hints at the full part, yet leaves space for the rest of the instruments. Plenty of songs utilise repetitive elements like this to draw the listener in and create a sense of familiarity - without having listened to the whole song you’ve got some idea of what’s happening and perhaps an idea of where it might be leading.

Now we have the verse, so how about a pre-chorus? Figure C builds on Figure B by further intimating the full line and adding some more movement it could also lock in with a developing drum groove with slightly open hats and some extra kick drum. The idea of these slowly building parts is to then climax with Figure A, resulting in a bigger sounding chorus. Stretching the triad idea a little, let’s try Figure C - keeping in our E major kind of sound the idea is that each voicing is moving as little as possible, in most cases just one note, and on guitar that keeps things close by only moving a fret or two. Play these slowly and see if you can get your ear around the movement. Hopefully they suggest some sounds/ chords to you and highlight that you don’t have to move a whole shape each time to hear a new sound or chord. This can be used in any style and is a great tool for accompanying and song writing. More of this next month.

Remember there’s no one way of doing this and of course there are no hard and fast rules for grooves, songwriting and the like. Furthermore, there will always be exceptions to the rule just as there an unlimited amount of possibilities for song forms. Try parts in different sections too - your first idea might actually be suited to the verse and you can then tweak and build on it for the chorus, or vice versa. The idea is then to not take the above examples completely literally, but apply the ideas to your own tunes. Have fun, there’s lots of subtle ideas that can be added or taken from an existing part to create other sections, it doesn’t always have to be something completely new.

BY NICK BROWN

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Advice Columns PERCUSSION

Surviving the Wedding Gig Some drummers frown upon the humble wedding gig. I play weddings all the time. There are many reasons, but mostly a gig is still a gig, and paid work on the drums shouldn’t be sneezed at. Also, the fact that I have to play a variety of styles and know a heap of tunes is challenging to me. I find it exciting to play in so many different rooms and discover how my drums react to the spaces. Here’s my two cents on how to survive doing weddings and to continue being asked to do them again. As a wedding drummer, it’s expected that you can play different styles including jazz, latin, rock, pop, R&B, soul, and reggae. Each style has its own set of challenges, but the hardest part can be switching your brain to settle into the required style for each song as it comes – one after the next, all night. First you’ll be playing a slower groove, and then it’s a double time up-tempo groove packed with energy. Regardless, and no matter how exhausted you get, your time must remain steady and your musicality is key – play appropriately for the song. The average punter won’t really give a crap about how clean your double strokes are or whether you’re playing rim shots on the snare, but they’ll notice if the groove feels good because they’ll be dancing. Organisation is also important. You’ll need to learn the bridal waltz – regardless of whether you think the song sucks. You’ll also need to know a heap of tunes. If possible, get a rough idea of the setlist from the singer/s so you are at least on top of the tunes they’re most likely to call. If they call a song you don’t know, do your best, but then look up the tune before the next wedding.

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Have a basic setup you use for everything. Mine is a standard four-piece kit with a 22” bass drum. If it’s a small stage though, even a four-piece kit can be a squeeze. I’ve got an 18” bass drum for this reason and I always have a bass drum microphone with me. I don’t care what size room it is, I’ll always mic up the kick drum – not just for volume, but for presence. Drums are loud, but the kick won’t cut through a mix like a snare will. I use an Audix D6. It’s worth it when the dance sets kick in. I’ll always be able to expand or reduce the set up, too – an extra crash, auxiliary hihats, electronic pads. If it’s a really big room and a huge band, I’ll have more toms and add the electronics for extra effects. Smaller spaces need smarter, smaller footprints. Make sure you have flexible cymbals too. If you’re only using a crash and ride, the ride needs to be able to cut jazz and rock. Find the compromise for style’s sake. I like taking charge of the gig. It shows confidence and you can often set the tempo of the tune by starting the groove off yourself. Most of the time, the intro groove

is welcomed. It reduces downtime between tunes, and the dance floor keeps momentum. Furthermore, if no one is cueing the ending or everyone is looking like they’re lost, take charge and lead the end of a song, or play the end hits/grabs as a fill to clue the rest of the band. It’s always appreciated if everyone ends together.

Finally, have fun and own the gig – any song can be made to feel good. Be musical and professional about what you’re doing. It’s someone’s big day, and you’re there to make everyone have a good time. I think it takes skill to do that properly. BY ADRIAN VIOLI

Advice Columns SOUND ADVICE

A Primer On Pressing Your Album To Vinyl Thanks to the growing consumer interest in vinyl as a musical format, pressing music to disc has once again become a viable option for independent bands. MASTERING The decision to press to vinyl will inform the way in which you master the record. When it comes to mastering for vinyl tracks need to have a more dynamic and spacious sonic breadth – less compressed than a digital master – with levels and EQ catered specifically to the format. It’s important have an engineer experienced with doing this, and an analysis of their discography is always a worthwhile exercise. DURATION OF THE MUSIC Timing should be a major consideration when pressing to vinyl. For maximum fidelity on a 12” disc at 33 RPM, each side of the record should dial in between 17 and 18 minutes. If either side exceeds this then EQ and overall levels will need to be adjusted to compensate. SEQUENCING FOR BETTER SOUND The grooves on a record have the greatest diameter at the beginning of each side, and are consequently best equipped to deal with the largest amount of musical information, resulting in better playback. It’s therefore worth positioning your most complex, sonically involved tracks at the beginning of each side, so as not to risk inner groove distortion on the record. The last thing you want is the lessening of louder and more intricately written songs merely because the grooves can’t handle the heat. REFERENCE Before you get your hands on the test pressing there is often the opportunity to receive a reference lacquer. This is a sample disc that comes prior to the process of lacquer mastering or plating and is a meaningful way to gauge the sound of your music on vinyl. This represents an opportunity to make last minute changes or corrections – a confidence builder of sorts for any artist concerned about the process, or wanting that extra bit of insurance.

TEST PRESSING This is an essential piece of feedback – an opportunity to identify issues and defects prior to pressing the entire run of vinyl. While test pressings will rarely be perfect – they are usually made with a manual-type press and rarely in the ideal conditions – it’s important to be able to distinguish the difference between serious flaws and those limited to the test pressing itself. Defects to listen out for include skips and repeats caused by locked grooves, swishing sounds and harsh, high frequencies called sibilants. Clicks and pops should also be investigated, as they are often caused by meaningful surface flaws. SHIPPING It’s important to keep in mind when investigating options for where to have your vinyl pressed that boxes containing thin discs of vinyl inevitably weigh quite a lot, which will be reflected in the cost of shipping from the plant. While there are several large plants located in Europe and the USA that may be able to give you a lower quote for the general costs, if you are planning to ship your merchandise to Australia you may want to also investigate local options. QUANTITIES Most plants will have a minimum amount of records that they will press per order, and as to be expected, the more you press the better value it is because there are several costs to do with the setup that are unavoidable. However, try not to get excited and order more than you can sell, as vinyl is not only heavy but can also take up a lot of space. Most independent artists won’t have a warehouse where they can store merchandise, and you probably don’t want your living room being taken up with boxes and boxes worth of records before the next tour. BY CHRIS SCOTT

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Advice Columns ELECTRONIC MUSIC PRODUCTION

Five Analogue Synths With A Difference Although manufacturers of music gear have gifted us an endless supply of instruments and gadgets over the last few decades, in the end quite a lot of them do the same thing. Sure, one analogue mono-synth might have a few different features to another, it might have a more aggressive sound, more filter options etc. But in the end you’re not likely to need more than a couple of options of what is really, a luxury item for music making. However, occasionally you find something a little odd and interesting that can genuinely be a source of inspiration in your sound design. Here’s five bits of kit I’ve come across that have features that are unique, or at least, very unusual.

Korg Monologue Korg’s latest little analogue mono-synth may not seem all that interesting at first glance, in fact it’s kind of limited compared to other synths out there. However, it has a little utilised feature called micro-tuning. Have you experimented with micro-tuning? Didn’t think so. Be gone equal temperament scales, time to explore the notes between notes. Musical weirdo #1 Aphex Twin came on board as advisor to implement this feature and has provided a set of preset microtuning scales for you to play with, but there’s also 12 slots available to make your own.

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MakeNoise 0-Coast Another analogue mono-synth, but this one is proper weird. At it’s core it’s a semi-modular, single oscillator, MIDI compatible synth. But take a glance at the top panel and it’s likely you’ll barely recognise anything. Where’s the bloody filter? The 0-Coast’s provided methods of sound sculpting are quite different to a run of the mill synth, it mainly deals in overtones and multiplying waveforms. With modular functionality adding to that, this desktop unit makes some truly unique sounds.

Dave Smith Instruments Tempest A six voice synthesiser/drum machine/sequencer with each voice featuring two analogue oscillators (plus sub oscillator), two digital oscillators that also double as sample banks, analogue filters, overdrive and whole heaps of other ridiculous stuff. Ever wanted to layer a square wave bass sound with a snare drum sample and run it through an analogue filter with overdrive and distortion? No problems.

Dreadbox NYX A more traditional desktop semimodular synth, two oscillators and two filters - capable of being used in paraphonic mode. However, the highlight on this gadget is it’s immense built-in reverb. Big deal you reckon? You gotta hear this reverb. It has to be one of the best included on any synth, let alone a little desktop unit. If haunting textures and ambience are your thing, you’ve got to check one of these out.

Bastl SoftPop Brand spanking new and shipping this month, this is a gurgling fart machine with a difference. The semimodular SoftPop consists of a fully analogue core with dual triangle-core oscillators, state variable filter and sample/hold, played through an interface of six faders. Where it shines for me though, is processing external audio through the filter while using the envelope follower to synchronise to the incoming signal. It also holds itself in tune with an autotune feature, so your gurgly weirdness is at least in tune. It’s a tricky one to explain in words, so go check it out at bastl-instruments.com. BY MICHAEL CUSACK

Features

Top Five Pedals With Josh Smith From Northlane

To say that Northlane’s Josh Smith is a pedal nerd would be an understatement - with a rotating roster of the finest boutique pedals on the market, Smith is constantly looking for new additions to add to his arsenal to expand his sound, here are some of his current favourites.

J-ROCKETT ARCHER

STRYMON EL CAPITAN

EMPRESS REVERB

EMPRESS ECHOSYSTEM

While there are hundreds of other Klon’s on the market, The Archer is my favourite. J-Rockett was commissioned to build the original mass produced Klon’s when they were released as the KTR, so these guys really are the authority on Klon-style overdrives. It’s the most natural sounding boost I’ve ever used and it makes the added gain sound like it’s coming from the amp, rather than colouring or squashing my sound. We first started using Klon-style boosts on our latest record Mesmer and as soon as I left the studio I went on a quest to find my favourite variant. This one will never leave my board.

The first big Empress pedal I came across that I loved was the reverb. There’s many multi-reverb options out on the market - like the Strymon BigkSky and Eventide Space - but neither pack as many options and as much functionality into such a small footprint. Everything on the reverb is right in front of you, 12 models and zero menus to scroll through. I’ve found it’s got the lowest noisefloor in its class and seems to be the easiest pedal in its class to coax the right sound out of for what I’m going for. Ease of use and less time spent tweaking is more time spent on the important thing playing guitar.

WAY HUGE SWOLLEN PICKLE

Occasionally I’ll use a fuzz for some big, thick, wicked, sustaining sounds. There are a lot of cool options out there but the only ones I’ve loved for what I do with Northlane are the Empress Fuzz, and the Swollen Pickle. The pickle is really unrefined sounding and gunky, but has a huge range of available sounds on tap because of how responsive the controls are. It has a very distinct and present upper midrange to it which is what sold me in the first place. You can really get this one to cut through and it works well in low tunings where most fuzz pedals suffer. We originally used one of these on the Node record and I ended up grabbing one about a year afterwards.

The El Cap’ has been a staple on my board for a few years now. It’s a very authentic tape modeling delay that uses analogue circuitry with digital processing. While it has a lot of cool features, like multiple modes and tap tempo, the thing I love about it the most is the freeze function. You can have infinite repeats going and then start manipulating the tape with the controls on the pedal, which can make for some really wild sounds. It’s extremely thick sounding with some super convincing ripple effects and warbling.

The Echosystem is a relatively new pedal but takes a similar approach to the Empress Reverb in packing huge sounds and functionality into a small footprint. This thing is wild - there are 12 main modes with four variations on each, almost too many options. The reverb it’s really quick to dial in and sounds absolutely fantastic. I use a lot of really thick, spacey ambient sounds and it excels at those more avant-garde tones, while nailing all the classic stuff too. The coolest thing about it though, is the dual delay engine - you can run two completely different delays at once, in serial or parallel or panned, which is nuts.

Northlane will be touring nationally from Thursday October 19. Mesmer is out now through UNFD/Rise records.

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Features BRAND SPOTLIGHT:

Frank Boestfleisch of SONOR Drums Talks about the New SQ1 We reviewed SONOR Drums’ new SQ1 in Mixdown last month and gave it a big thumbs up. Now, Frank Boestfleisch, the drum and marching instruments product manager at SONOR, gives the run down on what the kit is and where it sits in the SONOR Drums mix. Firstly, why birch? The new SQ1 stems from the company’s former Birch Infinite series and fills the void of having no current Birch offering. “As we already use maple wood on the ProLite and beech wood on the Vintage series, it was clear for us that we wanted to develop a birch wood based drumkit,” says Boestfleisch. “In the prototype phase, we also tested different birch-based shell compositions like birch/beech or birch/poplar shells, but the results of all our blindfold tests with different drummers were that pure birch shells worked best. Another decision after our tests was to put coated Ambassadors on top of the toms and floor toms, which cut a little bit of the birch shell´s typical sharp attack and let them sound rounder and warmer.” Another strategy SONOR has adapted for the SQ1 is configuration options. “We wanted to offer today’s drummers the best possible flexibility,” Boestfleisch says, explaining that the SQ1 is offered only as three-piece shell sets – bass drum, floor tom and rack tom. “This way, it’s easy for the customer to expand the kit in every direction for the set up they desire.” SONOR offers individual drums to complete set-ups as necessary. Boestfleisch adds that the SQ1 features great innovations – some new and some common to SONOR drums. Sound Sustainer mounts are used on the rack toms as well as the floor toms. “The idea for the new mount comes from vibration dampers adopted from the automotive industry,” Boestfleisch explains, relating the dampers to engine bay mounting. “The only connection between drum shell and tom holder is the rubber bushing, which is vulcanised on the shell side to three attachment screws and at the outside to the mounting plate for the bracket”. Boestfleisch adds that the only connection between the wood shell and the metal tom bracket is rubber. “The Sound Sustainer mount has a very small footprint and doesn’t hide the shells. It’s a really smart suspension system.” Boestfleisch also notes that all of SONOR’s MIG series drums feature Optimum Shell Measurement (OSM). “All our shells are slightly undersized in diameter, so the drumhead sits perfectly on the bearing edge instead of being cramped at the collar – much like a timpani.”

The new finish concept for the SQ1 series draws on colours and finishes from classic cars and motorcycles. The four matte lacquer finishes are Cruiser Blue, GT Black, Hot Rod Red, and Roadster Green. The SQ1 also gets a cool Remo Fyberskin as a resonant head with a uniquely positioned logo. Boestfleisch continues by adding how the SQ1 differs from its closely named older brother, the SQ². “Contrary to the custom and very individual SQ² drum system – with endless amounts of options, the SQ1 is a regular drum series,” he says. “However, there are many parts we also use from our SQ² series on the shell fitting for the SQ1 such as lugs, bass drum & floor tom brackets, dual glide snare strainer, and 2.3 mm Power Hoops.” The new SQ1 sets out to achieve a greater attainability for the customer. “Our goal was to develop a ‘made in Germany’ drum kit that was priced below all our other current MIG series,” Boestfleisch says. “In the SONOR hierarchy, the SQ1 sits just below the Vintage series [SQ² – ProLite – Vintage – SQ1].” After our review last month, it’s clear to see the guys from SONOR are kicking goals with the new SQ1. Hearing Boestfleisch’s thoughts on the new kit just drives home that the SQ1 has been conceptualised and devised by people that just like playing drums. It’s truly a player’s kit. BY ADRIAN VIOLI

BRAND SPOTLIGHT:

The Story Of Washburn Guitars There aren’t many guitar companies whose history stretches back to the 1800s. Wasburn was founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1883 but its history stretches back even further than that, in the form of harp manufacturer Lyon & Healy, who began operating in 1864. Taking co-founder George W Lyon’s middle name, Washburn spun off to make fretted and plucked instruments - guitars, mandolins, banjos, zithers and moved into electric guitars in the early ‘80s. “As one of the authentic original American brands, Washburn will celebrate its 135th anniversary next year,” says Jonathan Lee, director, and design and development at the company. “We have a rich history of innovation from building the first dreadnought sized guitar; being the first to use artist endorsements in advertising and growing the brand to be one of the most widely distributed in the world. “Honoring that spirit of innovation is extremely important to us - from using the Stephen’s Extended Cutaway to achieve a more stable neck-joint while allowing greater reach up the fretboard on our electrics and developing the ergonomically and beautifully designed Comfort Series guitars. We are looking to our past for inspiration to help us remain at the forefront of ensuring that everyone can obtain some of the greatest sounding and best built instruments in the world.” Part of what has made Washburn so successful is that they’ve never lost sight of their roots, which is why their acoustic instruments are so well respected in the bluegrass world. When the Americana movement kicked into full gear, Washburn was right there with a huge range of instruments suited to the purpose. Check out the Warren Haynes WSD5249 acoustic, which is based on the original Washburn Solo Deluxe from 1937. Today you can purchase the EA20SNB Signature, a thin jumbo-style acoustic-electric with a Florentine cutaway for improved upperfret access, a Fishman Isys+ preamp/pickup comb and a bookmatched Alaskan Sitka spruce top. Nuno Bettencourt of the rock band Extreme has a long-running line of electric models, which currently includes seven variations based on his famed N4 guitar - including a heavily worn USA-made N4 Authentic and the more affordable N2. The N4 models (and the recent N7 sevenstring) feature the aforemementioned Stephens Extended Cutaway, a unique neck joint that bonds the neck and body together on the bass-side cutaway instead of behind the fretboard. It gives you the comfort of a neck-through guitar but the attack and punch of a bolt-on. Other current signature models include a pair of Explorer-esque guitars in honor of Stryper’s Michael Sweet and Texas metal fiend Marzi Montazeri. Both feature reverse headstocks, twin 30

Seymour Duncan humbuckers and Floyd Rose tremolos, but Marzi favours custom-made passive pickups while Michael uses an active Blackout set with a special spin: he swaps the neck and bridge pickups for more output and sustain for leads, and more punch and attack for rhythms. “Marzi is a unique artist who has a ton of skill and feels,” says Lee. “It helps that he has a lot of knowledge about how gear is built and works. He’s a student of tone and knows how to dial in the exact sound that he’s looking for in his head, as well as the feel and look of the gear he wants to play. We are very lucky in that all of our artists tend to understand the craft and what goes into making a great guitar.” One of Washburn’s newest innovations is the Sonamaster line, which Lee is particularly excited about. The S1 Sonamasters have Single-Single-Single pickup configurations and are available in black and tobacco sunburst. The S2 Sonamasters feature an upgraded humbucker bridge pickup, singles in the middle and fingerboard position, and are available in three metallic finishes - blue, red

and black - and there are two Sonamaster-3 instruments with figured maple veneers. “Washburn throughout its history has been known as a workingman’s guitar,” he says. “In our long history, our instruments have been played by some of the greatest musicians of their genre, be it Bob Dylan, Greg Allman, Jimmy Page, and on and on. However, one key point is that the Washburn was one of the tools they used to achieve historical greatness; not something they chose once they arrived. The Sonamaster electric guitars are aimed at being the perfect balance of vibe, playability and affordability. Quintessentially Washburn, these fullscale double cutaway guitars draw their inspiration from the Nuno family of guitars, with its smaller body accented with a rounder edge, and reversed headstock.” BY PeTeR HODGSON Washburn Guitars are available in Australia through Musical Merchandisers.

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Features brand FOCUS:

Driving The Re-Vinyl With Rockit Record Players At the start of the year, Forbes reported that vinyl records are predicted to sell approximately 40 million units throughout 2017. Last year, an 80 percent growth in sales of LPs was reported in Australia alone. Yet the question lingers - why buy vinyl when we can access virtually every song, artist and album through a device that can fit in our pocket for a small monthly subscription fee? Why do we choose to drop countless pennies on those archaic black discs seemingly transported from yesteryear? Rockit Record Players has the answers. Specialising in the online sale of entry-level record players, Rockit has seen the extent of the vinyl revival first hand, reporting to Mixdown that they’re projected to sell double the amount of record players sold in 2014. While many in the music industry were cautious that the resurgence of record players was simply going to be a short-lived fad, the continued sales growth and expanding number of young people interested in vinyl proves otherwise. Rockit also reported that 69 percent of their online customers were between the ages of 18 and 34, demonstrating that a growing number of millennials and Gen Y consumers are buying more vinyl despite having grown up in the age of the MP3. At the end of the day, Rockit breaks the vinyl resurgence down to three key factors: tangibility, technology, and nostalgia. A huge part of collecting vinyl has become the aesthetic quality of a record - like the old saying goes, you can’t hug an MP3. When cassettes replaced records as the most popular listening format in the 1980s, it wasn’t due to superior sound quality or capacity - it was because of size and portability, sparking an industry trend spanning all the way to the introduction of the iPod in the 2000s. Nowadays, vinyl often acts as an opportunity for listeners to physically engage with their music, with many people avidly collecting and displaying their records for decorative purposes. A perfect example of modern record collecting culture in full bloom is through the output of Melbourne psych-masters King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, with early records and limited edition pressings fetching insane prices amongst avid vinyl purists online. Similarly to the way cassette tapes changed the size of musical formats, the way in which we actually listen to music has evolved over time. While we can now access music on demand through our smartphones and flick on our own personal playlists at ease, it’s arguable that modern music listening methods almost detract from the overall listening experience. Whether its through the speakers or headphones we use or the dreaded shuffle button we so often abuse, it feels like music isn’t as highly regarded - more of a convenience than a commodity. With vinyl, many collectors savour the experience of waiting until the day of release to purchase a record, resisting the temptation of average quality online leaks or burnt CDs in favour of a more genuine listening

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experience unavailable with other formats. The record resurgence has also subliminally increased the amount of people who listen to their LPs front-to-back without skipping tracks, replicating the original intentions of the band or artist, who obviously arranged the order of the track list for people to enjoy the best immersive experience available. And, of course, there’s the classic audiophile argument - music pressed to vinyl has a much warmer texture in comparison to the more crisp quality of digital music, and record listeners will be more likely to own better hi-fi equipment, resulting in superior audio quality. Many record players also come with Bluetooth connected speakers and USB connected cables, representing a fusion of the best of both analogue and digital audio technologies in one nifty package. Of course, part of the thrill of the vinyl resurgence is the accompanying nostalgia. There’s something undeniably mystical about vinyl - whether you sourced them from a record store or found them amongst musty boxes in your mum’s shed, the distinctive pop-crackle of a needle on wax immediately throws you back to another era. The nostalgic quality of listening to vinyl is often reflected by the kinds of record players available on the market today, with manufacturers such as Crosley taking inspiration from the hi-fi of the ‘50s and ‘60s to reimagine a selection of turntables, consoles, speakers and suitcase-style LP cases. The popularity of Crosley turntables with millennial consumers further highlights how much of an impact the retro revival has upon the resurgence of vinyl, making it easier to listen to records now than ever before. And while it seems unlikely to overtake online streaming in numbers anytime soon, at the end of the day, the vinyl revival offers a unique musical experience unlike any other - if it’s lasted this long, it’s got to be special. BY WILL BREWSTER For more see rockitrecordsplayers.com.au

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Pedal Special ULTIM ATE

SPECIAL

INTRODUCTION Here at Mixdown we wholeheartedly believe that there’s a pedal out there for every guitarist. A stompbox soul mate, if you will. That’s why we have fought tooth and nail – day in and day out – to put to together the most comprehensive, toe-tingling and tone rich pedal effects special for this month’s issue. From pummelling distortion that leaves you gasping for air, to the purest of sweet delays, our writers have sourced the cream of the crop. So go forth, find your perfect match, and head down to your local distributor. You can thank us later.

Eden Glowplug

Ashdown Acoustic Preamp Pedal

EFFECT: PREAMP | RRP: $289 | DISTRIBUTOR: ELECTRIC FACTORY

EFFECT: PREAMP | RRP: $199.95 | DISTRIBUTOR: PRO MUSIC AUSTRALIA

RECOMMENDED FOR: Rock, blues, funk, studio work.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Acoustic work, fingerstyle, pop, rock, country.

VERSATILITY: Versatile in a sense that you can realistically use the Glowplug in any situation that needs some extra warmth or tube tone on your bass sound. Vintage tone chasers come to mind, but also recording setups that want to add something to their direct sound.

VERSATILITY: As a tone shaper, preamp or DI, the AAP has controls for both input and output levels which lets you balance a signal and add some hair if you desire. High and low EQ add to your tonal sculpting whilst the notch filter is quite handy and often a staple on acoustic aimed pedals and EQs. Guitar is probably your first choice with this little fellow, but don’t discount using it with other acoustic instruments (including bass in some situations).

USABILITY: Simple to operate with an on/off stomp and controls for warmth, crossover, mix and volume. Gigs and studio use would both be fine. Extra points for an included power supply, too. CONSTRUCTION: Eden gear is typically rock solid, and the Glowplug looks to be in the same mould. The tough casing is built for plenty of use and with Eden amps, cabs and pedals used the world over, there shouldn’t be any problems with reliability. OVERALL: Quite specific in its application, the Glowplug is a cool concept as plenty of

players and engineers are after the warmth and harmonic content of tubes. Easy to incorporate to your rig thanks to the pedal format, I could see the GP being an easy go-to pedal for adding character to your tone. The crossover and mix controls are great for targeting specific frequencies and blending with your fundamental sound, too. BY NICK BROWN

USABILITY: There are a couple of uses for this pedal. Firstly, as an always-on preamp/ tone shaper – great for DI work or as a standalone pre in front of a power amp or powered speaker. Alternatively, it’s great when used as a boost/tone change pedal by setting the pedal sound boosted or differently, and then just stomping the pedal in and out when needed. Lastly, with the notch Filter also foot switchable, you can set it to target nasty frequencies and leave on without affecting your EQ settings.

CONSTRUCTION: Weighty and chunky, the Ashdown Acoustic Preamp looks and feels solid. The slightly angled footswitches and steel casing are tough, and the whole unit seems like it’s built for plenty of gigging. OVERALL: A handy pedal to keep in your gig bag for use as a preamp or as an always-on EQ pedal for acoustic instruments. BY NICK BROWN

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Pedal Special T-Rex Replicator Analogue Tape Echo

Ernie Ball Expression Ambient Delay

EFFECT: ECHO | RRP: $1599 | DISTRIBUTOR: AMBER TECHNOLOGY

EFFECT: DELAY | RRP: $479 | DISTRIBUTOR: CMC MUSIC

RECOMMENDED FOR: Players looking for an authentic tape echo experience without the hassle, expense and upkeep of a vintage unit.

USABILITY: Tape is unpredictable, and that’s something that a digital recreation can never achieve. As tape wears thin, you’ll find more modulation introduced, as well as signal degradation in the echoes. Don’t worry, that’s what you want. Two expression inputs and tap tempo bring modern expectations to a vintage-inspired gem. CONSTRUCTION: This is weighty and large, meaning you’ll have to make space for it on your board or run it as a standalone unit on top of your amp. Regardless, it’s built to last and comes with handy accessories to keep it in top condition.

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OVERALL: If you don’t want to spend days trawling through online auction sites for a tape echo that will no doubt need restoration before you can even get a note out of it, the Replicator is for you. Its price will prohibit some, but every guitarist should experience playing through a tape echo at least once in their life.

VERSATILITY: The ambient delay is incredibly versatile and offers a useful, real world set of colours. The delay time and feedback rate offer everything from tape-style slap back to long, digital tails that are reminiscent of the MXR Carbon Copy without the low end roll off. This works well enough on its own, but take the time to dial in some lush, almost dusty reverb and you’ll find yourself adrift in a sea of warm textures.

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USABILITY: The Expression Series seeks to do the job of two or three pedals at a time with an eye on spatial economy, which is increasingly at a premium for a lot of players. Herein lies the crowning glory of the design. While they might not lay every possible option at your feet, they are doing enough heavy lifting to earn their place on the board.

CONSTRUCTION: The metallic chassis of the pedal is very impressive and sturdy. The reduced size compared to Ernie Ball’s regular volume pedals is also a welcome addition, ensuring that the pedal doesn’t take up a lot of real estate on your board.

BY JAMES DI FABRIZIO

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OVERALL: Smooth, unbridled sweeping, clever application of a clever idea all housed in a snazzy looking casing. BY LUKE SHIELDS

ERNIE BALL TAP TEMPO SWITCH

Neunaber Wet

EFFECT: DELAY | RRP: $54.95 | DISTRIBUTOR: CMC MUSIC

EFFECT: REVERB | RRP: $309 | DISTRIBUTOR: GLADESVILLE GUITAR FACTORY

RECOMMENDED FOR: Delay pedal users VERSATILITY: I mean, it’s sort of a one trick pony, but that’s all it needs to be. USABILITY: Simplicity is absolutely the order of the day here. It’s not chock-a-block full of features but nor should it be. It is here to do the bidding of the effect to which it has been assigned and do so to the best of its ability. CONSTRUCTION: The housing is die-cast, heavy duty and small enough that no sacrifice need be made to the gods of pedal board real estate. OVERALL: In short Ernie Ball’s Tap is the Kif Kroker to your Zapp Brannigan; the silent yet faithful second in command without whom the whole fleet would fall apart. The kind of ironclad build quality you’ve come to expect from its makers that approaches its vocation with a quiet dignity, leaving you free to do all the grandstanding you desire. BY LUKE SHIELDS

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RECOMMENDED FOR: Rock, blues and funk players.

VERSATILITY: Tape echo units are prized for their lush repeats that come layered with a natural depth to them, and the Replicator has this in spades. Mesmerising tape modulation is on offer, as well as a pleasing lo-fi roll-off of the high and low frequencies that you’ll find in a digital counterpart. From classic slap-back echoes of the ‘50s to immersive psych effects, this will have you covered.

T E D E

RECOMMENDED FOR: For every guitarist who has yet to find the right reverb for their sound, this is another one to add to the collection. Great for blues and soul, or a little jazz and exploratory noodling. This would make a great addition to just about any pedalboard. VERSATILITY: This is a very big sounding reverb, without sounding too washy. As you start to turn it up, it simply seems to fill the space with more lush tone rather than getting in the way of the dry signal, as can often be the case with many amp reverb units. A subtle amount of pre-delay gives it a very organic, yet almost ethereal tone. USABILITY: It’s really simple to work with. The mix control runs between the dry and wet sound, the tone adds some extra shimmer to the reverb itself, and the depth control brings more reverb and a longer decay into the mix as you push it. CONSTRUCTION: Neunaber pedals are made so well, it feels like it could take all the punishment you could imagine. Plus, the silent switch has a great springy, yet firm action.

OVERALL: There are plenty of reverb pedals out there that just don’t excite me, but the team at Neunaber seem to have got it right with the wet reverb. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you pull it back a little, I am sure you’ll find a very usable tone to suit your sound. BY ROB GEE

Pedal Special Carl Martin Red Repeat 2016 Edition

Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeler

EFFECT: DELAY | RRP: $299 | DISTRIBUTOR: INNOVATIVE MUSIC

EFFECT: DELAY | RRP: $549.99 | DISTRIBUTOR: YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA

RECOMMENDED FOR: Rock, country, pop, funk and much more.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Literally anyone – this pedal is an absolute go-to.

VERSATILITY: The Red Repeat is a seriously tasty sounding echo/delay unit. Warm repeats for everything from slap back to bigger ambient sounds give you plenty of scope, and the tap tempo and modulation features add to the sonic possibilities.

VERSATILITY: With its 12 different delay modes, the Line 6 DL4 provides guitarists with an easy solution for just about any delay sound. While the looping function is definitely outdated with its limited 14 second record time, the DL4 still offers a diverse sound bank of tones for any user across a multitude of genres.

USABILITY: As easy as tap tempo and bypass for on and off. You can dial in modulation settings with the mini controls, and the tone control for the repeats is a great feature, meaning you can get super old school squelch on the delays and keep your original input tone untouched.

USABILITY: The simplistic controls of the DL4 allow users to easily shape the tone and timbre of their delay on the fly with absolute ease. The tweak and tweez knobs really enhance the usability of the DL4, giving guitarists extra control over the tone, resolution, and modulation of the different delay modes to unlock the full potential of the DL4.

CONSTRUCTION: This 2016 revised edition is much more streamlined and modern looking. Similar aesthetics are used, but the overall unit looks cleaner and perhaps more pro. Plus they’ve squashed more features into a smaller casing – win. OVERALL: Carl Martin has always had a solid reputation, but is sometimes overlooked in favour of other brands. I’d make that a thing of the past and check out the RR2016 if you’re after analogue sounding delay with tap tempo.

BY NICK BROWN

CONSTRUCTION: Boasting four footswitches for different modes and tap tempo, and housed in a quirky green chassis, the rugged design of the DL4 proves testament to its enduring popularity. However, the major letdown of the DL4 is the monstrous size and weight of the pedal. While its dimensions are

certainly necessary to house the goodies inside, you can’t help but wonder if the DL4 could redesign the slanted edges of the unit to allow for it to work better on a pedalboard. OVERALL: While Line 6 could definitely redesign the DL4 for a new generation of guitarists, the widespread use and increased second-hand demand of the pedal proves that no update is necessary, cementing the Line 6 DL4 as a modern classic for guitarists worldwide. BY WILL BREWSTER

Hartke HF44 Bass Fuzz

Klon KTR Professional Overdrive

EFFECT: FUZZ/OVERDRIVE | RRP: $139 | DISTRIBUTOR: ELECTRIC FACTORY

EFFECT: OVERDRIVE | RRP: $449 | DISTRIBUTOR: GLADESVILLE GUITAR FACTORY

RECOMMENDED FOR: Those looking for the legendary sound of the Klon — one of the most iconic and sought after boost pedals ever made — without shelling out the ridiculous amount of money the original pedals go for.

RECOMMENDED FOR: A bass specific fuzz that sounds like the fires of hell with enough tone shaping to slice through any mix. VERSATILITY: The two-stroke tone controls on the honeycomb yellow faceplate of this unit are subtle ingenuity. The tone knob lets you choose which field you want to play in, from Geezer Butler lows to Pantera highs, while the mid knob lets you focus the searing heat of the FET gain stage from pushed mid dank to box-of-bees scooped sounds. USABILITY: The simplicity of stomp-box design was perfected long ago and should only really be fiddled with if completely necessary. Ins and outs on either side of the chassis and power in the top read as pure perfection. The level and gain knobs play hand in hand like cogs too, taking the guesswork out of tone shaping. CONSTRUCTION: All the rugged, die-cast design and unbreakable reliability you’ve come to expect from Hartke. Plastic battery cover is

VERSATILITY: The Klon KTR does a fine job as a standalone overdrive pedal, but where it really comes into its own is as a boost pedal, pushing an already hot signal for rich, cascading gain. Throaty midrange for days and a choice between true bypass and buffered bypass cap it all off.

worrying, but you’re going to play it more than a dime store 9-volt will allow anyway. OVERALL: It’s nice to see a fuzz pedal so specifically engineered towards bass players for once. I tried a guitar through it for kicks and it wasn’t nearly as satisfying as when the sub 100Hz kicked in. BY LUKE SHIELDS

USABILITY: Once you get into the habit of playing with this pedal and figuring out its sweet spot, you’ll be hard pressed to find a reason to take it off your board. CONSTRUCTION: Solid aluminium housing coupled with the same minimal controls as the original means this pedal will keep giving for years. While it lacks the same aesthetic as the original gold and silver Centaur pedals, it’s got it’s own thing going on.

OVERALL: There’s countless clones of the Klon on the market today, and many come within an inch of the original. However, purchasing the KTR is the only way to support the original builder and his concept. If that means anything to you, check this bad boy out. BY JAMES DI FABRIZIO

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Pedal Special Lovepedal COT 50 Church of Tone

Positive Grid BIAS Distortion Pro

EFFECT: BOOST | RRP: $339 | DISTRIBUTOR: GLADESVILLE GUITAR FACTORY

EFFECT: OVERDRIVE/DISTORTION | RRP: $705 | DISTRIBUTOR: LINK AUDIO

RECOMMENDED FOR: Dynamic players who want to accentuate the rollercoaster in their fingers.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Rock, metal, blues, pop, studio and live. VERSATILITY: Positive Grid have really gone the extra mile here. You can use the Distortion Pro as a standalone dirt pedal with ability to store up to 20 presets. You also get a Boost function providing extra control, which can be placed before or after the distortion. Dedicated apps and online connection then open up the world of tone matching, deep editing, sharing presets and more.

VERSATILITY: This is an incredibly versatile pedal, so much so that it’s voicing changes from note to note. Dial in the peak level of bluesy clip that you can reach with the solitary bias knob, and the transistor delivering said clip is so velocity sensitive that the harder you push, the harder it pushes back. USABILITY: The aforementioned note-by-note dynamism is matched by an intimidating amount of practical possibility in this unassuming cream box. At the start of a chain it offers your signal path a vital amount of colour, while at the end of your drive stage, or even after some modulated effects, there is no limit to what it could come up with. Even with the COT 50 as the only thing in your chain, ride that volume pot and try not to be gob-smacked at what it gives back. CONSTRUCTION: A simple, two-piece cast steel chassis houses one of the most bare-bones circuit diagrams out there. It’s a switch, a knob, a transistor, a battery and an in/output stage. Aside from the conspicuous absence of a DC in, what more could you ask for?

OVERALL: The COT 50 is Lovepedal’s streamlined solution to the age-old problem of what to do with uncharacteristic rigs. Bring even the flattest sound to life with a vivacious, tube-like, and indisputably dynamic box of fizz. BY LUKE SHIELDS

USABILITY: At first glance it looks pretty much like a normal dirt pedal, which should keep the purists happy. On/off switches for each preset and the boost function with controls for low, mid, high, gain, level, blend and boost. Positive Grid have included some starting points, too, such as tube, boost, fuzz, screamer and overdrive – all handy and easy to use. If you want to get further involved, jump into the app and really start tweaking. CONSTRUCTION: Looks hip, feels tough, and jams a heap of control and functionality into a reasonable sized pedal. The packaging is cool, the whole deal looks great – win.

OVERALL: Great tones, MIDI/USB/online connectivity, control over plenty of parameters, tone matching of your favourite pedals, and so much more. Plus it’s portable, meaning you can take it anywhere and record direct or plug into an amp. Killer. BY NICK BROWN

Mad Professor Golden Cello

Ashdown Bass Drive Plus

EFFECT: OVERDRIVE AND DELAY | RRP: $275 | DISTRIBUTOR: DUNPHY IMPORTS

EFFECT: OVERDRIVE/DISTORTION | RRP: $199.95 | DISTRIBUTOR: PRO MUSIC AUSTRALIA

RECOMMENDED FOR: You want your guitar to sing, with notes sustaining for days? This is the pedal for you.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Rock, metal, punk, experimental. VERSATILITY: With a broad range of gain on top, the Bass Drive Plus should cover quite a few dirt bases. Slight breakup for some edge through to thick saturated distortion, it’s capable of handling more than a few different gigs.

VERSATILITY: The Golden Cello is essentially an overdrive and delay pedal wrapped into one, although both of these effects come with limited controls for fine tuning. That’s not a bad thing though - limitation inspires creativity. As an overdrive pedal, it’s rich and thick — the type of sound that’s full without becoming muddy or buzzy and the delay is also pleasingly warm. USABILITY: For thick, heavy distortion that’ll have your guitar blasting forth from your amp, the Golden Cello will get you there. And while it does come with built-in delay, think of this more as an extra flavour to ad into the mix as opposed to a second standalone effect. CONSTRUCTION: The Golden Cello looks fantastic, with its sparkling gold finish completed to a high quality. It’s neatly sized too, meaning it’ll fit nicely on both small and crowded pedalboards.

USABILITY: Good for some added fatness and edge, you can dial in the Drive Plus as a boost or flat out as an effect for higher gain settings. A logical control layout makes it easy to get a usable tone straight away, too.

OVERALL: Delay and overdrive go together like milk and honey, so it makes perfect sense to combine them into one single pedal. What you lose in control is made up for in convenience and ease of use. BY JAMES DI FABRIZIO

CONSTRUCTION: Continuing with Ashdown’s mix of clean looks with a slight vintage twist (the standard Ashdown VU meter), the recessed control panel is designed to keep it away from your foot when stomping. Seems tough and up for plenty of use. OVERALL: A player in the bass market for quite some time now, Ashdown have a solid list of gear and notable users. The Bass Drive Plus offers a flexible take on the Distortion

box with the input, drive, distortion tone, distortion level and output all interacting nicely. This means you can blend your clean tone with the distortion, EQ it to taste, and balance the input and output to workable levels – cool. BY NICK BROWN

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Pedal Special Ashdown Lomenzo Bass HyperDrive

Ashdown NM2 Nate Mendel Double Drive Pedal

EFFECT: OVERDRIVE/DISTORTION | RRP: $299.95 | DISTRIBUTOR: PRO MUSIC AUSTRALIA

RECOMMENDED FOR: Metal, rock, punk.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Rock, punk, metal.

VERSATILITY: Adding some extra controls into the mix, Ashdown have produced a bass drive pedal in collaboration with James Lomenzo of Megadeth, Zakk Wylde, and Ozzy Osbourne fame. Capable of getting pretty gnarly, it really lends itself to heavier tones and styles of playing.

VERSATILITY: Designed primarily for use with stereo rigs, the NM2 splits your signal for two outputs with separate drive mix levels and master controls for each out. Never fear, though, mono rig users (which is probably the majority of us) – the bridge switch lets you route both sides of the pedal through output 2, meaning you can have two levels of gain at the ready if needed.

USABILITY: Controls for frequency, Q, drive, +10 and mix add plenty of scope to the standard and input and output knobs. These extra controls let you apply the distortion to a mid range band of frequencies, creating punch and drive whilst leaving the lows and highs unaffected.

USABILITY: Again, dealing mostly with the stereo domain, the NM2’s basis is quite clever, allowing two switchable levels. This really allows added drive and oomph to big rigs all in one stomp unit. Easy to navigate with foot switchable channels and a logical control layout.

CONSTRUCTION: Solid construction and the Ashdown look combine for a tough, giggable pedal. OVERALL: Ashdown have included some interesting controls with the Lomenzo Bass HyperDrive. Targeting frequencies and blending the applied distortion lets you really get into the hard rock/metal style for thick, punchy lines (especially when played with a pick). Otherwise, straight up it’s got plenty of classic edgy through to saturated distortion tones. Worth checking out if you want gain with some extra tweaking possibilities.

CONSTRUCTION: The typical Ashdown look is on show again with the NM2, this time in a silver and black casing that looks suitably rock and roll.

BY NICK BROWN

OVERALL: A cool concept, the double drive opens up extra options for both mono and stereo players with a tough, fat sounding drive tone that works for emphasising licks, solos, or just big tough bass sounds. The

Nate Mendel signature factor is a cool appointment for those running bigger rigs and/or looking for big rock tones.

BY NICK BROWN

Hartke HC33 Bass Chorus

Marshall RG-1 Regenerator

EFFECT: CHORUS | RRP: $139 | DISTRIBUTOR: ELECTRIC FACTORY

EFFECT: MODULATION | RRP: $189 | DISTRIBUTOR: ELECTRIC FACTORY

RECOMMENDED FOR: Woozy voyagers on the low-frequency ocean of tone.

RECOMMENDED FOR: When you are looking for a little something to add modulated wash to your sound, without delving into the depths of some of the more complex digital pedals, this is a great addition to any pedal board that is able to fit one more pedal.

VERSATILITY: Chorus, as an effect, is almost by definition one of the least versatile. It either is or it isn’t there to a point, but one thing a few chorus circuits criminally skip over is the idea of subtlety. The combination of depth (how wild the night was) and blend (how much you remember of it) keeps this idea in check by allowing you to find your way to swerve city while dialling some sensibility in over the top.

VERSATILITY: You get a variety of modulation effects on the RG-1 including chorus, flanger phaser and vibe. Most of these can be abused and can certainly sound pretty wild when overworked, but with a ‘less is more’ attitude, this pedal can give your sound a lot of depth and character.

USABILITY: In addition to being able to blend in clean signal over the top of the heady sheen of a pretty classic chorus sound, the speed dial wanes from long, sleepy arcs to caffeinequick warble. CONSTRUCTION: What more do you need from your construction than tried and true die-cast steel? It is sturdy as a mountain goat and almost indestructible. The bubble-gum purple is a delicious touch.

OVERALL: While chorus on bass isn’t to everyone’s taste, it can certainly be an asset in the tonal toolkit. For things like thickening up a sound without driving a preamp any harder, the amount of subtlety Hartke’s HC33 has on offer puts it out in front of the rest of the pack. BY LUKE SHIELDS

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USABILITY: The only downside is that with a range of nice effects on board, you really have to settle for one and leave it that way, otherwise you are bending over to adjust settings and modes every time you want to change sounds. CONSTRUCTION: Like all pedals in this range from Marshall, this one is heavy, solid and built like a tank. The controls are all lowered from the main casing so you can’t kick them, although they seem tough enough to take it nonetheless.

OVERALL: Just when you think the old Marshall pedals have been left behind, they continue to turn up and remind us of why many of us bought them to begin with. The RG-1 Regenerator lives up to its name in that regard. It’s a great little pedal when used with a little bit of self-control.

BY ROB GEE

Pedal Special Catalinbread Callisto

Origin Effects Compact Series Compressor Cali 76

EFFECT: CHORUS/VIBRATO | RRP: $299 | DISTRIBUTOR: GLADESVILLE GUITAR FACTORY

EFFECT: COMPRESSOR | RRP: $575 | DISTRIBUTOR: GLADESVILLE GUITAR FACTORY

RECOMMENDED FOR: This is a pedal that will attract a range of guitar players. It’s ideal for blues, rock and spacey prog sounds, as well as just about everything in between. If you’re not happy with the vibrato in your amp, or it simply don’t have one, this will fix that.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Those after the legendary quality of an Origin Effects unit squeezed into a small package. If you’re keen to make an investment in one of the finest compressors on the market, this is well worth a look. VERSATILITY: A great compressor should be almost invisible - you feel it more than you hear it. That’s what makes the Cali-76 so enticing. Highs become crispy, lows become tighter and your overall signal more balanced and punchy.

VERSATILITY: This is a very gentle sounding pedal that starts with a chorus-like sound when running a narrow width to the modulation, which stretches out to become more of a vibrato sound at the furthest extreme. It is somewhere in the middle that you’ll find the sound that is right for you. USABILITY: With four simple controls, it is very easy to dial in a sound with the Callisto. It is also very easy to abuse these controls and push it to some settings that you’ll probably never use outside of an acid space jazz solo project. That said, it doesn’t take long to find a workable sound. CONSTRUCTION: It’s fairly solid in a compact metal chassis that will take some punishment. The switch feels like it will take any amount of engagement and the connections are smooth but firm. The recessed power connection might require some attention to your connector if using some bulky power supply cables.

OVERALL: It works very nicely in an almost unnoticeable manner; you often forget you are using it until you turn it off and suddenly notice the lacking. A good vibrato and chorus that can achieve classy results when used correctly. BY ROB GEE

USABILITY: Separate controls for attack, release and ratio let you dial in the precise amount of compression to best suit your setup, making this a valuable addition to any rig. What truly sets this pedal apart from the pack however is the ability to blend your dry signal back in with your compressed tone for true parallel compression. CONSTRUCTION: The Cali 76 is built like a tank. Weighty, solid and dependable — it’s exactly what you’d expect from a pedal at this price point. The jewel lamp provides a visual way to measure your signal and dial in the right tone on the fly.

OVERALL: This is the king of compressors. Of course, you’re going to have to shell out some coin for this type of quality — whether that’s worth it is up to your own individual needs. If you’re after a pedal you’ll have forever and a day, this is for you. BY JAMES DI FABRIZIO

Earthquaker Devices Data Corrupter

Meris Ottobit Jr

EFFECT: BIT CRUSHER | RRP: $349 | DISTRIBUTOR: GLOBAL VINTAGE

EFFECT: BIT CRUSHER | RRP: $459 | DISTRIBUTOR: STUDIO CONNECTIONS

RECOMMENDED FOR: Anyone looking for what people in the past thought music would sound like in the future.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Players who want their guitar to sound like a video game arcade. VERSATILITY: With so many brands in the current market striving for higher sample rates and crystal clean effects, it seems that Meris are taking it in the opposite direction and trying to reduce sample rates down to almost nothing.

VERSATILITY: Within the heady realm of pedals designed to Moog-ify a guitar’s natural voicing, this is by far the most far-reaching single item on the market. Between the three different types of frequency analytics at play, the varying adjustments to warped output, and the sheer, mind-boggling audacity of the thing, to use the word ‘versatile’ is a vast understatement.

USABILITY: The different knobs give you a heap of control on the level of crushing/ decimation to your signal. From more subtle effects through to absolute bit crushing chaos, the Ottobit Jr is a ridiculously fun pedal for emulating the sounds of your favourite Atari games.

USABILITY: The Data Corrupter is a pretty wild beast. Any and every note is not simply affected, but quite literally put through a digital wringer. When engaged, it is well and truly all systems go, so you have to be ready for what it can do by the time your foot goes anywhere near the switch. CONSTRUCTION: EQD have made a name for themselves as one of the wildest hive-minds in stomp box design, but also keep a keen eye on build quality. Good switches, heavy-duty chassis, and no end to the fun you’ll have.

OVERALL: This pedal is as close as you’ll get to the full modular synth experience without succumbing entirely to Hal 9000’s every whim. BY LUKE SHIELDS

CONSTRUCTION: The glossy black chassis with an ever so subtle flake makes for a tasteful looking pedal. Coupled with extremely well built parts and a not so overbearing size, the pedal is a welcome addition to your board without taking up too much space. OVERALL: Look, it’s not the kind of pedal that is applicable for everything, and it’s certainly not for every player. That said, the Ottobit Jr is well crafted and bucketloads of fun.

BY NICHOLAS SIMONSEN

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Pedal Special T-Rex Soulmate

Mooer Red Truck Combined Effects Pedal

EFFECT: MULTI EFFECT | RRP: $999 | DISTRIBUTOR: AMBER TECHNOLOGY

EFFECT: MULTI EFFECTS | RRP: $499 | DISTRIBUTOR: JADE AUSTRALIA

RECOMMENDED FOR: Anyone that wants the convenience of having everything you need to plug in and instantly have a full sets worth of sounds right there at your feet, and to not cost you a buttload in excess baggage fees at the airport.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Beginner/intermediate guitarists looking for a high quality, all-in-one effects solution. VERSATILITY: The reverb and delay modes offer a huge range of sonic versatility, as does the pure boost/drive section of the pedal, providing a juicy bump to single coil pickups to cut through the mix for lead passages.

VERSATILITY: Each effect sounds great on its own - T-Rex doesn’t mess around - but there are some great little tricks hidden in the feature set, such as the blend knob on the overdrive effect, which lets you add some clean signal for additional detail. USABILITY: The included effects are based on T-Rex’s Møller overdrive, Mudhoney distortion, replica and reptile delays (including the modulation of the latter) and Room Mate reverb, plus a boost with up to 14dB of additional gain. CONSTRUCITON: The unit has mono inputs, stereo outputs, an effect loop send and return and a boost level control for bringing your level up for solos.

OVERALL: Some players might prefer a dedicated modulation effect with selectable flanger, chorus, phaser and tremolo, and it would be great to have an expression pedal input for controlling selectable parameters, but this is still an extremely handy, portable unit with lots of uses for a huge range of genres. BY PETER HODGSON

USABILITY: While it may be poised as a pedalboard replacement, Mooer includes the option of an effects loop, allowing players to link other pedals into their signal if necessary. The Red Truck can be configured to both live and preset modes, with the latter allowing users to save their favourite effects for later use, as well as an inbuilt tuner and tap-tempo functionality for the reverb, delay and modulation modules. CONSTRUCTION: The Red Truck manages to squeeze all of its features into a well-constructed unit not much longer than a standard ruler. While

the micro-sized knobs on the pedal might be a pain to adjust when playing live, the overall design and layout of the Red Truck proves to be a delight to play. OVERALL: While the modulation feature is a bit of a letdown, the ergonomic design, expansive effects modules, and versatile tone-shaping potential of the pedal make the Red Truck a formidable player in the multi effects market. If you’ve got one of these bad boys in your rig, you might not need much else. BY WILL BREWSTER

The Data Corrupter is a monophonic analog harmonizing PLL with modulation. It takes your input signal and brutally amplifies it into a crushing square wave fuzz tone that is then multiplied, divided and modulated to create a wild, yet repeatable, three-voice guitar synthesizer.

MODULATED MONOPHONIC HARMONIZING PLL

www.earthquakerdevices.com

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Product Reviews FENDER Classic Design Acoustic Series Fender Music Australia | fender.com.au RRP: CP-140SE | CT-140SE | CN-140SCE - $729 CB-60SCE - $599

Fender doesn’t mess around when it comes to acoustic guitars, as anyone who caught Phil Manning at the Melbourne Guitar Show will attest. The acoustic world is very competitive and while Fender doesn’t try to be a Martin or a Taylor, their acoustic range has a lot going for it beyond name recognition and affordability. The four instruments reviewed here represent just a fraction of Fender’s Classic Design series, which is based on a philosophy of solid wood tops, rolled fingerboard edges and ‘easy-to-play’ neck shapes. The care put into the feel of the neck means this is a guitar that will feel great out of the box, while solid tops are known for sounding better and better as they age. So these are guitars that are designed to grow with you.

CP-140SE Parlour guitars are great because their smaller size nudges their voicing more towards the midrange, helping them to really cut through, whether in a band or accompanying a lone vocalist. They record really well and they’re comfortable to handle since they’re not all big and bulky. Fender’s Classic Design take enhances the playability further with that nice neck and rolled fretboard edges, and as a result you’ll find yourself encouraged to attempt chord voicings and fingerpicking patterns that might otherwise feel a little cramped on a typical parlour.

BY PETER HODGSON

CT-140SE

CN-140SCE

CB-60SCE

This is a new body shape for Fender – the travel. It’s more compact and with a shorter scale length (23.5”), giving you just the right mix of portability and tone. It’s great for smaller hands or just for those who want a guitar they can more easily take with them, but it also has its own unique tone too. The body shape is based on a scaled-down Auditorium type, and what it lacks in sonic low end it more than makes up for in character. In fact, stick a mike in front of it and it’s a great recording guitar because you don’t need to do a whole bunch of processing to help it fit into a mix. Younger players will appreciate the easy-to-play neck, but this doesn’t feel like a beginners’ guitar by any means.

The CN-140SCE is a nylon-string guitar, but it’s designed to be more playable and familiar to players who don’t get along with the extremely broad string spacing of a traditional classical. Instead the spacing is the same as its steel-string cousins. It has a solid cedar top with rosewood back and sides, while the inbuilt preamp has volume, middle, treble and bass controls. And although it’s very well-voiced for classical guitar, with all the required detail, warmth and sweetness, it’s also really nice for players who use a pick or play more rhythmically. It’s very well suited to Jack Johnson-style players but it’s also at home playing jazz. In fact, if all classical guitars played like this, we’d probably be hearing a lot more nylon string out there.

The CB-60SCE is an acoustic bass with the same slim-taper neck as all Classic Design guitars (but adapted to the needs of a bass scale length), with a solid spruce top and Mahogany back and sides. The body is a comfortably manageable concert size, which gives you a surprisingly full low end, and a nice degree of treble detail as well. When you need to plug in, there are controls for volume, bass, middle and treble to help you find your place in a mix. The thing you’ll probably notice most about this bass - unplugged or amplified - is that it’s very interactive. Pick with your fingers and you’ll get a deep dubby tone, but add some fingernail and you’ll really hear the extra treble. The dynamic range is also very broad, from the softest brush of the string to the hardest thwack.

HITS • Broad variety across the 22-model Classic Design range • Very comfortable necks across the board • Careful tonewood consideration MISSES • Some designs look a little bland • All that choice and no baritone? 42

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Product Reviews Focusrite Scarlett Solo Studio Innovative Music Australia | innovativemusic.com.au Expect To Pay: $369

Focusrite are the makers of some of the world’s most revered preamps and channel strips. Their Red series and ISA rack models can be found in top studios the world over. So, it goes without saying that they know a thing or two about great front end audio equipment. This puts them ahead of the pack when it comes to building audio interfaces, as they already have a stable front end to build off. And of course, the reputation of the Red series is what Focusrite have banked on with their Scarlett range of budget audio interfaces. Targeted at home studio to intermediate users, the Scarlett series offers a wide range of recording solutions. The most versatile for a musician looking to start recording would probably be the Scarlett Solo Studio bundle. Focusrite have taken their most compact interface and bundled it with a selection of tools to get you started right out of the box. Along with the included hardware, there is a wide range of included software to enable you to record, mix and produce the music you want. In fact, the software suite is one of the more impressive out there as far as bundles go. You get ProTools First Focusrite Creative Pack, as well as Ableton Live Lite in case you are not sure of the DAW that is right for you. Along with that you also get Addictive Keys for great

piano sounds and plugins from Softube and Avid Rack effects with your ProTools First edition. There is a lot of value in all that software by itself, but of course, it is backed by a great range of hardware to get your sound into the box to begin with. The Scarlett Solo interface offers two inputs: one XLW microphone input and another 6.5mm jack instrument input. This allows you to sing and play guitar separately or at the same time. It also allows you to run a guitar direct in whilst using the microphone for the acoustic sound of the guitar or amp. Of course, that means a microphone is needed, and that

is included in the bundle, too. A Focusrite CM25 MKII condenser microphone, clip and cable are packaged along with a pair of Focusrite over-ear headphones for monitoring and overdubbing use. These sound really good, too. I spent the best part of an evening listening to music from the computer through these, with my monitors turned off, totally forgetting that I had headphones on. In all, the bundle brings together everything you need except perhaps a microphone stand and a little talent. Add those to the mix and you’re ready to record.

HITS • Great price for bundled software and hardware • Everything you need to get started • Compact yet quality interface for simple setups MISSeS • You still need to BYO talent

By RoB Gee

soundcraFt Ui24R Digital Mixer Jands Australia | jands.com.au | Expect To Pay: $1799

It used to be a case of needing a second mortgage to afford a digital mixer, and then requiring a university degree just to understand how to get the thing running. That has all changed now. The last few years have all but seen the last of analogue consoles in a live environment when bands often need to move from one venue to another and pull a good mix quickly and easily in each one. Not only has the price come down, but so too has the size. The features list and quality, however, has continued to raise the bar. Soundcraft have been at the forefront of this, and the recent range of Ui mixers has set the standard for portable digital mixing. The new Ui24R is now sitting on my desk, although I have had my hands on one a few times before. One of the best features of this unit is that it really doesn’t require too much reading of the manual to get the most out of it. It’s such an intuitive design and such an easy setup that even the drummer can be left to organise the PA when the rest of the band is running late. Mixing with the Ui24R is a cinch, even when you want to get into it with compression, EQ and effects. The software is a dream to work with and will make you wonder why you may have been scared of a digital mixer in the past. This clears any concerns about usability mixdownmag.com.au

and makes it possible for any member of the band to set up the mix without too much drama. And as far as portability goes, it acts like a stage box and mixing engine in one, able to be housed in a shallow 4U rack case. You could take this onto a flight as carry-on, it’s that compact. I’m not a fan of the rack mount handles – they seem a little flimsy when the unit is exposed – but when mounted in a case, it’s sturdy and stable, so no real concerns there. . The front panel offers no less than 20 microphone preamps, with ten on combination XLR/TRS connectors. There are also 10 XLR outputs and a couple of headphone outputs, too. Right on stage with you, there is plenty of connectivity without the

need for a long and bulky multicore. USB connections are also available on the front panel, so when it is in the case, you can do all you need without having to dig around at the rear. Of course, this is just the front end of a very powerful mixing engine. The rest – what goes on inside –is all controlled from your choice of device. What is great is that this unit is not locked into needing an iPad or iPhone to drive it. You can operate from a PC or Mac laptop or other tablet if you like. Running through a computer, you can hardwire in for stability or use Wi-Fi for the freedom to mix around the room. Soundcraft actually have a demo for both phone and tablet on their website which enables you to see how flexible and yet

simple the software is. Add in the ability to record and playback via USB and this becomes a serious tool that will make every gig a joy and never a chore. By RoB Gee HITS • Compact, lightweight and plenty of connectivity • Excellent user interface • Simple to set up and operate MISSeS • Rack handles are a little flimsy

Product Reviews CHARVEL GUITARS Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 2 HH FR Charvel Australia | charvel.com.au RRP: Ash – $2099 | Trans Charcoal – $2299

It was a sunny, late winter afternoon. Two earthy cardboard boxes stood like sentinels in the lounge room of a tiny studio apartment in the city somewhere. The tension was palpable as a box-cutter trembled cautiously along the tapeline that held back the lid of Pandora’s box. Somewhere in the distance, the seagull-swooping guitar lines of Don Henley’s ‘The Boys Of Summer’ can be heard. This could very well be San Dimas, California; the mood of unbridled energy nestled quietly inside these two solemn packages belongs solely to that golden period of bleached white beaches, gaudy coloured swimwear and nimble guitar work that is the mid to late ‘80s. Printed bold on the side is the unmistakable guitar shaped Charvel logo that belongs to two PM SD2 shredders. Under the rule of the once and future king, one Edward Van Halen, there were a few axe-grinders building the weapon of choice for professional (and less so) sweep-pickers everywhere. Names like Charvel, Hamer, Kramer, BC Rich, Jackson and ESP were emblazoned across many a pointy, reverse headstock. While much bigger, older companies absorbed many of said builders, others sadly crumbled into dust once grunge ruined hairspray for

everyone. However, of the ones that survived a select few seem to be in the midst of somewhat of a renaissance. With a renewed energy among younger guitarists for heavy metal’s speed, accuracy and high-gain, the Charvel factory is once again in full swing and churning out some examples that hark right back to the pedigree of their ‘80s heyday. Enter the new iteration of the Pro-Mod San Dimas Style. All the classic tricks are there. Black hardware on naked maple necks, deeply recessed Floyd Rose tremolo systems, locking nuts and SuperStrat style dual humbuckers scream at you to send your fingers flying across the smooth yet dark rosewood fretboard. The neck is dangerously shallow and the action just about as low as it can get without buzzing away like it’s being sat on, and it’s all aimed at helping

you get as close to Malmsteen speed as you can. And it works. I am by no means ready to tackle ‘Flight Of The Bumblebee’ as a player (as my workmates will attest to), but both of these T-birds had me racing up and down the strip. One thing that sets them apart from their contemporaries is the sensitivity of the voicing in the Seymour Duncan JB TB-4s. These are not the usual high output, wax potted pick-ups you’d expect. They are coiltapped for one thing, which makes them more versatile than most, but more importantly they are voiced to let the gain stage of your amp do more of the heavy lifting. Sure, with both rails engaged and a flat out TS808 in front of it, the Pro-Mod is going to djent like the best of them, but wind it back a little way and there is a sensitivity on tap that could make your mama cry.

The biggest stars of those glory days may have all succumbed to coke-bloat, and Gordon Gecko may be little more than a movie premise, but Paul Gilbert still rips his hot pink Iceman up like the ‘90s never happened. There are still people out there flying the flag for screaming solos and technical wizardry everywhere. It’s good to see that Charvel have them covered down to the ground with the historically accurate, sonically sensitive and lightening quick Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 2. BY LUKE SHIELDS HITS • Tastefully finished • Featherweight playability • Paramount tuning stability MISSES • Doesn’t come with a Skid Row t-shirt

ZOOM LiveTrak L-12 Digital Mixer and Interface Dynamic Music | dynamicmusic.com.au Expect To Pay: $1249

One of the most intimidating and confusing events in the life of the budding young musician is that tentative first step into an actual, semi-professional rehearsal studio. The dim-lit, dank, decades old grime on the walls sets the mood as you approach the ancient PA system and its gummed up faders. The task defeats many but once you do get the ‘test one-two’s to emanate from the charred speakers, then comes that lasting feeling that maybe this music thing does suit you after all. That first amplified victory is enough for many to maintain a hunger for mixing and recording via channel strips and preamps to varying degrees of success for decades thereafter. Zoom has, for a long time, been the go-to company for portable devices that aid and abet this addiction. Their latest creation, the LiveTrak L-12, sees them expand this logical approach to everything-to-everyone status. On first glance, the L-12 is a pretty standard offering. It is essentially a 12-channel mixer comprised of the usual eight mono and two stereo strips designed to get your whole band to pass through the eye of a needle. It’s a super compact unit with all the three-band parametric EQ shaping, phantom power in groups of four, individual compression, and in-built effects you’ve come to expect from such 44

workhorse units. Peek beneath the hood, however, and it reveals itself to be much more. Realistically, Zoom have taken their flagship handheld recorder, the H4, and expanded it to include just about every morsel of functionality ever wished for in rehearsal situ. Boasting some of Zoom’s cleanest preamp stages to date, the mixer itself not only drives speakers but doubles as a DAW interface as well as being ready, willing and able to store your jams on board when the groove catches you unawares. You have at your behest five individual monitor mixes, user preset setting snapshots for lightening fast recording set up, quick-punch overdub function, and any number of other studio tricks primed to make demoing and live recording a breeze. The idea is that it’s a one-stop shop for anyone who wants

to make the most out of their space the moment the instruments come out. Instead of trying to recreate the energy later, the L-12 lets you fire up the record engine whenever and wherever the mood strikes. The success and failure of any unit that promises this much is purely and simply whether or not it delivers on said promises. As a simple live mixer, it certainly rises to the occasion with everything laid out as straightforward as is to be expected. As a quick recording device, however, Zoom have really hit the nail on the head as far as making one of the more complicated aspects of the creative process relatively plug-and-play. There is little to no fiddling around once you know your way around the controls, bringing the idea of simple and effective demoing closer to flick-of-aswitch reality.

In a day and age where bedroom recordings and clandestine production techniques are more widely proliferated than ever, it stands to reason that a company like Zoom should bridge the gap between the successful tinkerer and the seasoned studio expert. The L-12 is not just another tool for those in the know, but rather a way for anyone and everyone’s most spontaneous ideas to pass from conception to actuality. It’s not rocket science, it’s rock’n’roll, and it should, would and could happen to anyone. BY LUKE SHIELDS HITS • Simple yet effective distillation of mixer/ recording hub functionality MISSES • They are yet to bring out a 24 and/or six channel version mixdownmag.com.au

Product Reviews SennheiSer MK4 Digital Condenser Microphone Sennheiser Australia | en-au.sennheiser.com | Expect To Pay: $799

It’s been a number of years since Sennheiser first unveiled their original MK4 studio condenser microphone and raised the bar for large diaphragm microphones in a new, lower price-point. This has continued to prove itself to be a very solid workhorse. I use one for a wide range of applications and just love the consistent and level sound it delivers. Well, it’s been around long enough for the team at Sennheiser to consider an upgrade and with that, they have delivered a new take on this quality microphone, making it even more usable to a wider range of musicians. Now, you don’t have to suffer from a poor capsule just because you are not using a dedicated interface with phantom power. The new Sennheiser MK4 Digital gives you the capsule we have come to love, with A/D conversion built into the housing for great quality plug and play use. There are plenty of people starting out in home recording, or podcasting for that point, who simply do not want multiple devices just to get a sound into their recording software. A simple USB microphone is of course the way many of these users turn, and the results can be varied. Of course, there is usually a marked improvement on using a handheld dynamic microphone with a bunch of adaptors to get it into your computer’s 3.5mm microphone input. This is never a great option with a poor capsule, bad cable and

to ensure that everything it captures gets onto the recording. What I loved about the original is also very much the same with the new digital version in that you don’t need to do a lot to the signal to get it sounding good. Once the correct placement has been achieved, this microphone just sounds right. And, with the Apogee conversion, it all comes through in your recordings. Whether you are using this for vocal dialogue work in podcasts in a small room, or capturing a classical guitar in a large hall, you will hear the detail in the sound source when recorded and will be able to edit how you want from there. Not much needs to be taken out most of the time though; these microphones just sound spot on from the initial placement. By roB gee

substandard A/D conversion all letting the sound down. But, if you are going to invest in one microphone to improve your sound, you might as well make it sound really great in the process. With Lightning and USB cables included, you can run into a PC, Mac or even an iPhone and still get amazing audio quality.

Aside from the quality condenser capsule that the MK4 offers which is ideal for vocals and a range of instruments, the MK4 Digital has the added benefits of A/D conversion supplied by Apogee. With 24 bit/96 kHz you get plenty of headroom and amazing detail in the recorded signal. This is just what the MK4 capsule wants

HITS • No interface or preamp required • Phantom power supplied via USB or Lightning • Great sounding capsule and A/D conversion MISSeS • It would have been nice to have the XLR option included

WaShburn GuitarS RSG200SWVSK Acoustic Guitar Musical Merchandisers | musicmerch.com.au | Expect to Pay: $1499

Washburn have built their entire reputation upon building first-class acoustic instruments. It’s part of their heritage, and the company continues to craft fine guitars for a new generation of players. Washburn have been implementing some serious developments into their acoustic instruments of late, marking a new commitment from the company to win players over from the traditional heavyhitters, while announcing their place among the giants of Martin and Gibson. Tonally, you’re in for a dry and earthy tone that’ll fit nicely into band mixes. With its smaller body size, it works exceptionally well for finger-style playing – offering rich harmonic content across the fretboard. The sound is focused and crisp, meaning intricate details of your playing won’t become lost, as is the case with larger dreadnought-style models. While at first the tone of this guitar might seem a little flat, after a couple of hours of acclimatisation it begins to sing. The smaller body size also offers a level of natural compression too, which means you can play more dynamically at lower volumes as well as digging in harder for strumming. There’s a great amount of projection here when needed, making this a fantastic all-rounder. Many of the hallmarks of acoustic playing, such as open tunings and drop-D work mixdownmag.com.au

exceptionally well – coming across resonant and lush. Far from the glossy, metallic sound of many contemporary acoustics, this makes a fine choice for anyone looking for the rounded and warm tones of yesteryear. String it up with some light-gauge nickel or silk and steel strings for extra authenticity and you’ve found a sonic portal into the golden age of folk and country. Solid rosewood back and sides make for a tried and tested combination that rings true here, with a rosewood fretboard adding a mellow touch to the tone. Sunburst finishes can be divisive at the best of times on acoustic guitars, but in this instance it works exceptionally well, thanks in part to the understated aesthetics that adorn the rest of the guitar. It’s a sharp look that’ll have you standing out from the pack, complimented by the micro dots that mark the neck. As for the neck, playability is key here. It feels more akin to something you’d find on an electric – marking a bold step in a modern direction for Washburn while still retaining the most well-loved elements of their heritage. You can even pull off string bends thanks to a low-set action, making

this a relatively versatile model that’d work well for genres outside of what’s traditionally expected from an acoustic. While some may say the lack of a built-in pickup is frustrating, one can easily be added. Plus, an instrument this nice could theoretically spend most of its life behind a set of pencil microphones at a recording studio. The good thing is that the onus is on you to make that choice, rather than having any unnecessary modifications thrust on to you out of the box. Capping it off comes a vintage-inspired brown leather case, befitting of the guitar’s quality. You could safely transport this through most situations without any problems whatsoever. Washburn may not be the first name you think of when acoustic instruments come to mind, but they’re well worth the time of day. They’re currently churning out instruments that are just as good as guitars three times the cost and well worth exploring if you’re in the market for an investment-quality guitar that won’t break the bank.

HITS • Quality design • Warm earthy tone • Modern and playable fretboard

By JaMeS DI FaBrIzIo

MISSeS • Sunburst finish might not be for everyone 45

Product Reviews CHARVEL GUITARS Joe Duplantier Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 2 HH Charvel Guitars | charvel.com.au | RRP: $1499

Gojira’s Joe Duplantier has an identifiable style built on groove-laden riffs, unusual chord choices and percussive harmonic jabs. He needs a guitar that can handle all of these things in the studio while also getting out of his way when it comes to actually performing. You don’t want to be messing with a bunch of controls when you’re commanding an audience of thousands. Duplantier has a USA-made Charvel model, but now there’s an Indonesian-made, more affordable version too. As soon as you pick this guitar up, you get the sense that it’s a fully designed, carefully considered instrument. It would have been really easy for Charvel to simply take a Telecaster shape, chuck some humbuckers on it, whack a Gojira logo on somewhere and call it a signature, but where’s the fun in that? Instead this guitar has deep heel and treble cutaway carves for easy upper fret access, a 12-16” compound radius fingerboard. Considering Duplantier’s chord-heavy style, it feels very comfortable around the lower end of the neck. It also features a Les Paul-like back-pitched neck, to allow for the use of a Tune-O-Matic-style compound-compensated bridge and stopbar tailpiece, instead of the more hardtail Strat-like bridges found on most fixed-bridge Charvels Style 2s.

There are other distinctive touches - a funny little diamond-shaped switch cap; a Gojira ‘G’ logo on the back of the headstock; and a pair of Duncan designed humbucking pickups based on the voicing of the JB and ’59 model pickups. There’s also only a master volume control and a three-way pickup selector piece, with no coil splitting to get in the way. Sonically, this guitar is quite open-sounding, with an airiness to the top end which gives riffs with a satisfying amount of sizzle. The midrange is a little bit scooped too, which lets more sophisticated chord voicings speak clearly, while the low end is full yet tight. And that classic Gojira ‘raked pinch-harmonic chord’ sound? It jumps right out of the speakers at you. Something about the combination of great neck/body contact, the

angle of the bridge to the body, the choice of woods and the selection of pickups seems to really encourage those particular overtones. You’ll probably spend more time on the bridge pickup than the neck, but the neck model is great for clean lines and melodies. The middle setting, however, is a little plain; it has its uses but you’ll probably find yourself skipping it most of the time unless you need a particular texture.

BY PETER HODGSON HITS • Classic/modern hybrid style • Comfortable neck • Chunky bridge pickup MISSES • Case not included • No coil split

This is a very muscular-yet-detailed sounding metal machine designed to get the job done without a lot of bells and whistles - and it fulfills that clever signature-guitar niche of ‘you don’t have to be a fan of the band to appreciate the guitar.’ It doesn’t look too ‘Duplantier’ in the way that, say, an Ibanez Jem instantly makes you think ‘Vai’.

ERNIE BALL MUSIC MAN James Valentine ‘Valentine’ Guitar CMC Music | cmcmusic.com.au | Expect To Pay: $4895

Ernie Ball Music Man has long been regarded for making ‘players’ guitars. They are a guitar manufacturer that never shies away from breaking new ground, always tapped into the way people play and the guitarists that matter. With a history of pioneering, player-endorsed design that spans over 40 years, Music Man has developed signature models for the likes of Steve Morse, Eddie Van Halen, Albert Lee, John Petrucci and St. Vincent. With the James Valentine ‘Valentine’ guitar – an instrument made to meet the playing demands and design brief of the modern Maroon 5 guitarist – this proud lineage of Music Man signature guitars continues. The body shape, construction and overall aesthetic of the Valentine draw from a Gibson 335 and a Tele. The ash body and high gloss polyester finish (the reviewer’s is Trans Maroon colour) make for a simply stunning guitar. It’s complemented by a roasted maple neck and fingerboard, both of which exude a rich earthiness that’s easy on the eye. While drawing on traditional design points, the Valentine is very much underlined by a modern sophistication and flair. The slab body is tapered and thus, slightly thinner at the top than it is at the bottom. The result is a compact shape that hugs your body, and feels lightweight and sleek. This level of comfort is then mirrored by a Cshape, 10-inch radius neck, finished with an oil and wax rub that delivers a smooth playing experience. Rounding out the guitar’s 46

construction is a Music Man Modern hardtail bridge, locking tuners and an oversized 4-over-2 headstock, all of which provide exceptional tuning stability. With a custom single-coil, Tele-style bridge pickup and a custom humbucker neck pickup, this guitar offers tons of tonal versatility. On board is a three-way custom wired level switch, tone and volume controls (both of which have an extra kicker, which I’ll get to later). Across the board the tonal quality of this guitar is very responsive, lively and sonically rich. When working on the bridge pickup brighter frequencies come to the fore – with extra tone you can really make chords pop and bounce. It dials in on funky and jazzy tones with ease, and there’s no doubt that Music Man have done a wonderful job in producing a guitar that captures Valentine’s versatile style. The middle pickup is similarly sweet, but with a rounder body. Then we

have the neck pickup, which offers greater breadth on the low-end and rich low and mid frequencies. There’s enough depth here to clearly articulate clean open chords, or to conversely purr and pulse when dialling in a hotter crunch. Extending the guitar’s tonal capabilities is a push/push volume control that offers a 20dB active boost, and instant overdrive. Then we have the push/ push passive tone for coil splitting. This makes moving between warmer and hotter tones a breeze, the electronics on board the Valentine a truly rewarding feature.

BY CHRIS SCOTT HITS • Push/push level and tone controls • Humbucker and single-coil pickups • Sleek and slender design MISSES • Nada

For a signature guitar to be successful, it needs to fully engage with the guitarist at hand while remaining open to a diverse range of players. This is what Music Man has achieved with the Valentine – a guitar that is expressive and vibrant. From rock to pop, jazz, funk and anything in between, the Valentine boasts the tone to make it happen. mixdownmag.com.au

Product Reviews GRETSCH Electromatic Limited Edition G5420TG, G5422TG and G5435TG Gretsch Australia | gretsch.com.au RRP: G5420TG - $2499 | G5422TG - $2499 | G5435TG - $1399

What is it about the phrase ‘limited edition’ that has us reaching so hastily for our wallets? Is it the promise of otherness, of newness and never before seen exclusivity? Or are we just Pavlovian suckers for an entry-level marketing ploy? As a company, Gretsch is no slouch when it comes to a certain level of prestige at the best of times. However, every so often they square their collective shoulders, take a deep breath and pour their work-worn hands all over a virgin block of wood, taking a little extra time and care to create some actual magic. The three bounteous Electromatics I see before me today – the G5420TG, G5422TG and G5435TG – are prime examples of what can happen when luthiers really care about what they’re doing. The G5420TG is the heftiest of the three by far. Its oversized, bound F-holes and early fifties headstock hark back to the glory days of big band swing while the fact that the rosewood base of the patented Adjustomatic bridge piece is firmly secured to the face of the guitar lends a thankful hint of modern tuning stability. The Black Top Filter’Tron humbuckers have all that famously brash mid-focus while retaining a delicate, descriptive voicing and lyrical warmth that leans into chord movements and jazz wandering like a lover into a bear-hug. For this iteration the builders have given your left hand a break with a slightly slimmer and

more lenient neck profile, which only serves to make the guitar as good to dance with as it is to look at. Leaner, faster and with another cutaway, the G5422TG is like the motorcycle riding, bad-boy version of its bigger brother. The spec sheet is pretty similar, from the pick-ups to the treble-bleed friendly circuitry behind the pots, but there’s just a little bit more attitude on tap here. While the width of the G5420TG lends itself to the laps of legends, the slim-line body profile makes this guitar feel and sound a little bit more lively and energetic. You only lose the tiniest bit of warmth in the downsizing, but that has a way of focusing the tonality and rendering it better for use in higher volume settings. It may not have the centre block knocking feedback out of the park, but this is not a guitar that is afraid of being flung around at a more frenetic pace. Then we get to the brattiest of the bunch. Modeled on the much sought-after Penguin body shape that appears on a slightly

lower branch of the Gretsch family tree, the G5435TG’s chambered body and solid top make it far and away the most ferocious of the trio. Again, the spec sheet is universal, but it’s the uniqueness of the shape, the length of the body alone and the smooth playability of the neck that make this the Deuce Coupe next to the Cadillac and Pontiac parked beside it in the garage. All vehicular analogies aside, as soon as they’re out of the box these three designs are truly something to behold. The pigment in both the Candy Apple Red and Bottle Green is as deep as a well and offset by the ballgown class of the sparkle strewn throughout. The gold hardware and champagne plexi pick-guards look like something Liz Taylor would have lying around, while somehow

tying the visage together without pretense or snootiness. Not only are they absolute eye candy, but all three Electromatics also play like the nothing else and sing with a refined, resonant voicing befitting the ‘limited edition’ rubric. Once again Gretsch have managed to pour every ounce of their decades of distinction into a line of guitars that look like collectors items but beg to be played well into the wee hours. BY LUKE SHIELDS HITS • Tasteful yet decadent, both to look at and to play MISSES • I have to give them back

SE ELECTRONICS sE Electronics sE8 Stereo Condenser Microphones Sound And Music | sound-music.com Expect To Pay: $439.99

There is a lot to be said for quality when it is delivered at a price that is well below expectations. Let’s face it; the team at sE Electronics have proven that they know how to build a good microphone. It’s something they have been doing for a while now and these guys continue to kick goals. But, they also continue to bring out lower priced microphones to meet market needs. To be quite frank, I was initially a little put off by this new microphone set from sE Electronics, purely because of the price-point that it came in at. One gets a little worried when something just seems too good to be true. Considering what I would expect to pay for a quality pair of matched pencil condensers, this set is an absolute steal, coming with all the accessories and none of the cutbacks in sound quality.

available that offers the quality that these do for the spend they attract.

The stereo pair of condenser microphones is by no means a new concept. In fact, it is pretty much a staple inn any studio or live setup, be it for drums, piano, vocal ensembles or just as balanced room microphones. So sE Electronics are not diving into new water here, especially since they have had plenty of previous and still current models that suit the purpose. But, the big plus with the sE8 pair is the size of both the microphones and the price tag. I cannot think of any other stereo pair

But let’s talk about how they actually sound. They all come as hand selected matched pairs, so you know that when one sounds good, the other will too, and they will be nicely balanced for any stereo recording work. Factory fitted with cardioid capsules, my initial investigation found these could be removed and replaced easily, so I think we can expect to see a greater range of capsules available in the future, making these even more versatile. TheY sound clear and crisp, with a fast transient attack and the ability to take plenty of sound

pressure level with two levels of attenuation available for loud sound sources. This is a great package for both the studio and live environments. Whether they need to be safely stored between uses, or are travelling around from one venue to another, the included aluminium flight case certainly does the trick. It houses both microphones, miKE clips, pop filters and the stereo bar perfectly so they are well protected when not in use. The capsules are well housed and well designed for use in closed mic situations, too. With the pad and high pass filter switches recessed in the case, they are no problem and the overall size means you can work in and around crowded drum kits and close up to musicians

without being too imposing. But best of all, they sound insane. sE Electronics have nailed it with the sE8 stereo pair. BY ROB GEE HITS • Quality microphones at a price lower than expected • Sturdy case, mounts and stereo bar included MISSES • Not from my point of view mixdownmag.com.au

Product Reviews Focusrite Red 8Pre Thunderbolt Interface Innovative Music | innovativemusic.com.au | Expect To Pay: $6649

It’s been a while since I have had my hands on some of the higher-end Focusrite interfaces. I see and use Scarlett models all the time, so it makes for a pleasant change to get this beauty on my desk this month. Allow me to introduce the new Red 8Pre from Focusrite. For those of you looking for a serious track count, Focusrite quality microphone preamps with digital control and ProTools HD compatibility, you can find it all in this one very sleek and very stylish unit. This is a little bit of a number of Focusrite units from recent years all brought together with some clever engineering to create a single rack space or I/O heaven. Let’s start by running through the front panel of the Red 8Pre. What this offers is the ability to draw on controls and information from each of the eight microphone preamps one at a time so you can get as much information as possible right on the front panel. There are three colour screens, each showing a range of features like metering, volume controls, gain settings and suchlike. Eight selection buttons allow you to choose the preamp you wish to adjust. They have a great feel to them, a slight soft touch, with a firm click upon engagement. The same goes for the metering and monitoring selection buttons found on the other side of the screens. The two rotary encoders offer enough resistance

to not slip at a touch, but still have a smooth action for fine adjustments. The only physical analogue inputs on the unit are found on the front panel, too, with a pair of instrument inputs supplied for easy DI work. But when you get around the back, that’s where the fun starts. The Red 8Pre has the capability to offer 64 ins and 64 outs on Thunderbolt connections. That’s a lot of I/O to squeeze into a single rack spaced unit, so obviously something’s got to give, and that is in the physical connections. The bulk of the analogue inputs and outputs are supplied on five DB25 connectors, giving you eight microphone preamps and 16 line inputs along with a further 16 line outputs. Then, between the SP/DIF, ADAT and Dante connections, the bulk of your I/O can be found. But, you don’t necessarily want

to be relying on these connections for microphone inputs when there are eight Focusrite Red Evolution preamps on board already. Not only do they offer that crystal clear presence that we have come to expect from a Focusrite preamp, but they have an ‘air’ mode that engages an EQ shift to recreate tones similar to Focusrite’s classic ISA transformer based preamps. All your settings can be stored and recalled, with editing software making the process even easier to ensure you always find the right sound. It’s the most colourful way to get into a ProTools HDX or HD Native system, and certainly allows for plenty of expansion with other hardware integrated for larger track counts. This is a serious piece of kit that delivers a serious result on a small and a large scale.

BY ROB GEE

HITS • Plenty of I/O options • ProTools HDX and HD Native compatible • Eight digitally controlled, recallable microphone preamps MISSES • Limited physical analogue inputs

aston microphones Halo Shadow Reflection Filter Link Audio | linkaudio.com.au | Expect To Pay $499

Last month I marvelled at the wonders of an Aston microphone that landed on my desk, and this time around I have the new Aston Halo Shadow reflection filter to make use of for a week. For those of you who haven’t yet heard of Aston Microphones, you are going to need to be on the lookout for their limited range of products. They offer some very clever design elements that many mass-produced microphones and accessories don’t consider. The same goes for the Halo Shadow, a purpose built reflection filter for use in just about any room to make the most of your voice and your microphone’s sound. The box was rather large and impressive, that is for sure, but after removing the Halo Shadow from its packaging, you soon discover that there is not a lot of bulk in this fairly large reflection filter. It is certainly large enough to encapsulate your microphone and shock mount on the stand, taking care of all the angles for unwanted reflections, but the mass of the unit is quite sparse, as too is the weight. It almost feels like it is hollow, there is so little weight for the size of it. At the same time, it is still very solid and quite stable when attached to your microphone stand, with the inbuilt arm that seats the microphone cradle right where it needs to be. The overall look of it almost reminds me of 50

one of those egg chairs from the sixties, but designed to keep your microphone comfortable. The simplest way to understand just how good this reflection filter works is to not use a microphone at all. By setting it up on a stand and placing your head where the microphone would rest, you can instantly hear what the Halo Shadow does. Pull your head and ears away and you return to hearing all the noise in the room that you previously took for granted. All those subtle reflections that our mind naturally cancels out suddenly return and are very noticeable when you pull your head out from within the Halo. With this in mind, it is very easy to understand how it improves your microphone’s performance, removing any unwanted environmental sounds from around the room and relieving the microphone’s capsule of reflections from any hard surfaces during the recording process. BY ROB GEE

HITS • Effectively silences the area around a microphone • Lightweight and easy to set up

MISSES • All that noise that you used to get in your recording

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When Tone Matters Made in Denmark

SOULMATE Acoustic

ALL IN ONE ACOUSTIC PEDAL BOARD

New

A collection of top notch effects and handy tools for acoustic instruments • Compressor • Boost (post effects) • Stereo line/D.I. outputs • 5 min. stereo looper • Warm delay with tap tempo • Automatic feedback suppression • Modulation: Classic chorus/detune

RRP $999

SOULMATE 5 BOUTIQUE PEDALS IN 1 The SoulMate is five awesome pedals super glued together, the integrated switching system lets you activate any combination of the effects by a single press on a footswitch.

RRP $999

REPLICATOR TAPE ECHO Finally, a tape echo unit that nails the sound quality of the old echo units, but surpasses them in features. •

100% analogue signal

•

Tap Tempo

•

Two playback heads for three modes of operation

•

Chorus mode

RRP $1599

Distributed by Amber Technology Ltd 1800 251 367 sales@ambertech.com.au

ambertech.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

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

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

ARCADE SCREENPRINTING

(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

SOUNDS EASY PTY LTD (Music Technology & Instruments Retailer)

A | Suite G05, 15 Atchison St, St Leonards NSW P | (02) 8088 1069 W | soundseasy.com.au facebook.com/soundseasy

Not In The Directory? C O N TA C T

P A T R I C K @ F U R S T M E D I A . C O M . A U

T O

S E C U R E

Y O U R

P L A C E

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THE WORLD’S MOST ADVANCED DIGITAL AMPLIFIER SERIES.

Show & Tell Ned Jankovic, Guitarist for Awaken I Am What piece of equipment do you have to show us today? My Kemper profiler. How did you come across this particular item? Mainly from a lot of research and watching a ridiculous amount of YouTube gear guide videos. I noticed that more bands were venturing toward Kemper because of their ease of use and how close they can dial their tones in compared to a full rig. What is it that you like about it so much? What I like about it is how easy it is to dial in some solid tones, and being able to change settings on the fly. I was using Axe-FX’s for a few years, but I needed something easier that was still on point with tones. Also, I honestly wasn’t using the Axe-FX to its full potential. It had such an extensive range of effects, but I’m pretty simple with my effects so the Kempers were completely up my alley. How do you use it and how has it shaped the way you write music? Besides live, I always use it when I’m writing/recording at home. I’ve been quite lucky and have acquired quite a collection of amps/tones and effects, most of them from STL Tones. So if I feel like writing something with a bit of grit, or maybe something super spacey with some nice reverb/delay, I’ve got it already dialled in and can just jam at home or in the studio. Everything I wrote for our new record was writing with my Kemper. It’s just nice to have all my tones right there when I feel inspired and can record as is. Tell us a little about what you have coming up? We are about to release our second record Blind Love through Victory Records. We are also touring Japan at the end of September and then just touring until 2018.

Awaken I Am’s new record Blind Love is out on Friday September 29 through Victory Records.

Chris Shiflett, Guitarist for Foo Fighters What piece of equipment do you have to show us today? I’ve got a Vox AC30 with two Vox 4x12s.

Quality Since 1946 How did you come across this item? GUITAR &particular STUDIO EQUIPMENT I reached out to my artist rep at Vox and asked him about it and they helped put it together for us. As a matter of fact, the first one that he sent me just to try, he said to me, “OK I have one here that I can loan you for a rehearsal, but don’t fuck it up because it’s actually Paul McCartney’s.” So I made sure that I never set my drink on it and made sure it didn’t get scuffed. What is it that you like about it so much? I’ve had AC30 combos for years and I’ve used them on and off, but it always sounded weird to me going from a 4x12 to a combo. It doesn’t sound right. So now A/B-ing between them and having them come through the same configuration of speakers has been great.

EHÊ SeriesÊ

Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê PlugsÊ

XLRsÊ

How do you use it and how has it shaped the way you write music? I’ve got my Friedman Brown Eye going through two 4x12s and then I’ve got my Vox AC30 going through two 4x12s and I A/B between them. On our new record I used an AC15 more than anything else. That was why I wanted to get the Vox up there on stage, because for the new stuff I wanted to have that Vox sound up there. The Vox distortion is more classic than the Friedman. Tell us a little about what you have coming up? Our new album Concrete and Gold comes out on September 15 and we’re touring Australia in January 2017 with Weezer. Weezer!

Patchbays,Ê Cables,Ê DIÊ Boxes/SplittersÊ AVAILABLE in AUSTRALIA For your nearest stockist Phone: 02 9482 1944

Concrete and Gold is released on Friday September 15 via Roswell Records/Sony Music Australia. Foo Fighters will touring Australia in January and February 2018 via Frontier Touring.

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