Mixdown Magazine 292 by Furst Media

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#292 — AUGUST 2018

Givea

way! ERNIE BALL TOOL AUDIO KIT -TECH N I C ATHA HEAD M60X PHON ES

INTERVIEWS — Nine Inch Nails, Plini, Halestorm, IDLES, Integrate

REVIEWED — TC Electronic Ditto Jam, Waldorf Blofeld Virtual Analogue Synthesiser,

Marshall DSL1C Combo Amp, Fender American Original ‘60s Jaguar, Yamaha DZR & DXS Speakers

AND

NEW

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The Powercab guitar speaker system accomplishes this by combining a clean 250-watt power amplifier with a custom hybrid coaxial speaker. The speaker combines the range, clarity, and power-handling capabilities of a P.A. speaker, with the rapid transient response of a guitar speaker, in just the right measure to function optimally in both Flat and Speaker Modelling modes. And Powercab is loud, producing a room-filling 125dB SPL maximum volume.

Speaker Modelling Now imagine having an empty 1x12 speaker cabinet that you can instantly load with any one of six classic speaker types just by pressing a button. Setting the Powercab to Speaker Modelling mode enables you to do just that — virtually — using a new technology developed by Line 6. Simply bypass the speaker cabinet models in your modeller’s signal chain and let Powercab provide the sound and feel of playing through those classic speakers.

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Celebrating 10 years of Integrate

CONTENTS 08 10 11 12 16 18 20 22 24 26

Giveaways Industry News Music News Product News Cover Story: TesseracT Plini Halestorm Nine Inch Nails IDLES Integrate Guitar Bass Percussion Electronic Music Production

TesseracT PG. 16

Foreword

Nine Inch Nails

Plini

PG. 20

PG. 18

28 Product Reviews 44 Directory 46 Show & Tell /MIXDOWNMAGAZINE

@MIXDOWNMAGAZINE @MIXDOWNMAGAZINE MIXDOWNMAG.COM.AU For breaking news, new content and more giveaways visit our website.

Having spent most of my formative years immersed in records like Scenes From A Memory by Dream Theater, Blackwater Park by Opeth and In Absentia by Porcupine Tree, it is of little surprise that I fell in love with TesseracT’s latest record Sonder the moment I heard it.There’s just something so cool about big riffs and polyrhythms, you know? With the band returning to our shores next month, we caught up with vocalist Dan Tompkins to get the lowdown on what to expect. Thanks for reading! NICHOLAS SIMONSEN - EDITOR

PUBLISHER Furst Media 3 Newton Street, Richmond VIC 3121 (03) 9428 3600 EDITOR Nicholas Simonsen nicholas@furstmedia.com.au

ONLINE EDITOR Jessica Over jess@furstmedia.com.au

MANAGING DIRECTOR Patrick Carr patrick@furstmedia.com.au

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Aaron Mackenzie

CONTRIBUTORS Rob Gee, Christie Elizer, Nick Brown, David James Young, Adrian Violi, Michael Cusack, Augustus Welby, Luke Shields, Alex Watts, Jessica Over,

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Alex Watts, Jacob Colliver, Will Brewster, Tex Miller

Aaron Streatfeild, James Di Fabrizio, Adam Norris, Alex Winter, Will Brewster, Eddy Lim, Lewis Noke-Edwards

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MADE BY MUSICIANS, FOR MUSICIANS

SEPTEMBER ISSUE #293: STREET AND ONLINE DATE: WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 12 AD BOOKING DEADLINE: MONDAY SEPTEMBER 3 EDITORIAL DEADLINE: TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 4 ARTWORK DEADLINE: WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 5 For more information on Mixdown Magazine contact us at: (03) 9428 3600 or email nicholas@furstmedia.com.au

info@vinylrevival.com.au 405 Brunswick St, FITZROY. ph 03.9419.5070 128 Sydney Rd, BRUNSWICK. ph 03.9448.8635

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Perfect sound, always.

GIVEAWAYS Ernie Ball Musician’s Tool Kit Giveaway The Ernie Ball Musician’s Tool Kit offers everything you need to keep your instrument in perfect shape, featuring a polish cloth, wonder wipes, string cutter, peg winder, 6-in-1 screwdriver, ruler and durable hex wrench set. Thanks to our friends at CMC Music, we’re giving away a Musician’s Tool Kit this month.

Last Month’s Giveaway Winners IK MULTIMEDIA IRIG ACOUSTIC STAGE GIVEAWAY The IK Multimedia iRig Acoustic Stage is a compact microphone, preamp, and processing unit which recreates studio-quality sound on stage. Simply clip the device to the sound hole of your guitar and enjoy full, rich acoustics no matter where you’re playing. Thanks to our friends at Sound & Music, we had an iRig Acoustic Stage to give away to one lucky reader and the winner is: Mark from Melbourne, VIC. Congratulations!

HARRON’S DELUXE GUITAR CARE KIT GIVEAWAY

Audio-Technica ATHM60X Headphones Giveaway Audio-Technica’s ATH-M60x on-ear professional monitor headphones, the latest refined design to join the phenomenal M-Series, offer pure professional performance, exceptional clarity, and unparalleled sound isolation. Thanks to our friends at Audio-Technica Australia, we’ve got a pair to give away absolutely free.

Harron Custom is making it easy to take care of your guitar with its Deluxe Care Kit. The cleaning process is simplified with Harron’s multipurpose Speed Wipe, high-quality carnauba wax Body Butter, and lemon oil Board Sauce that will leave your guitar totally spotless. Thanks to our friends at Harron Custom, we had a Deluxe Care Kit to give away absolutely free and the winner is: Rachel from Perth, WA. Congratulations!

JVB STRINGS GIVEAWAY JVB’s premium polymer coated strings offer all the finesse your guitar could need. With a thin coating conducive to tonal changes, these strings are built to last three times longer and make staying in tune a breeze. Thanks to our friends at JVB Strings, we had a bunch of quality string sets to give away and the winner is: Graeme from Sydney, NSW. Congratulations!

For your chance to win any of these prizes, head to our giveaways page at mixdownmag.com.au/giveaway and follow the instructions. *These giveaways are for Australian residents only and one entry per person. For full terms and conditions visit mixdownmag.com.au/terms-and-conditions

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A SERIES LIMITED EDITION KOA

Take your playing to the next level. Crafted from all solid Hawaiian Koa, the limitededition Yamaha A4K/AC4K features the A-Series cutaway dreadnought/concert body, double-line Abalone inlays and unique black tuning machine keys together with specially recorded mic models on the SRT preamp for plugged-in tone that matches the acoustic sound. The S.R.T. system lets players choose from two different mic settings (large diaphragm, active ribbon microphones) that can be blended with the piezo pickup. In addition, the S.R.T. system›s auto feedback detector cancels feedback frequencies in live situations. With an incredible midrange focus and brightness tone delivered by Koa, the A4K/AC4K is perfect fit for fingerstyle guitarists and comes with a case.

STRICTLY LIMITED RELEASE — AVAILABLE AT THESE PREMIUM GUITAR STORES Better Music

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INDUSTRY NEWS Indie-Con Shows Aussie Indie Sector In Positive Light Australia’s independent music sector met at Indie-Con, the conference for independents, in Adelaide in a full flush of confidence following two successful industry reports this year. AIR’s first national market share analysis found that independent music had hit a 30 percent market share of the Australian music sector. Breaking the global markets and how not to get ripped off were recurring themes at Indie-Con. Hoodoo Gurus’ Dave Faulkner revealed that the band is still chasing royalties for their first album from their first US label and explained how they had to sue their Australian record company for unpaid royalties. Other panels included what to look for in finding future tech partners, increasing local content on global streaming, how to develop the indie sector with maintstream Australian audiences, and how indies can change the world. Above all, there was the importance of having fun and not being afraid to make mistakes. International speaker Molly Neuman, one of the founders of the riot grrrl movement and now a record company executive, admitted in her keynote speech, “I’ve made some painful mistakes. You move on and learn from it. It’s OK. We’re not making a cure for cancer.”

Will ‘Australia Made’ Sticker Increase Consumer Support? One of the ideas raised at Indie-Con was labelling Australian records with an Australian Made sticker, similar to food products. It was mooted by Brisbane tech company Nightlife Music, which has already included the icon on its in-venue music request app crowdDJ, which it services to 700 venues. Its music director claimed, “Our data and feedback show Australian businesses are parochial and want to play Australian music to Australian customers, but it’s getting increasingly hard to know or find Australian made music.” It’ll be interesting to see if it’s effective. In this time, especially with streaming, it’s doubtful if consumers responding to something as immediate and personal as music are going to care where it comes from in the world as long as it pushes a button in them.

Applications For Grant McLennan Fellowship Now Open Applications are open for the Grant McLennan Fellowship, named after the late Go-Betweens co-founder. The $25,000 prize offers the recipient (who has to reside in Queensland and be an APRA member) the choice to live in New York, London or Berlin for up to six months to be immersed in a foreign and vibrant musical culture to develop their artistic skills. Deadline to enter is September 17 with winner announced in December. For more details, visit www.qmusic.com.au.

YouTube Introduces New Tool For Creators YouTube is granting creators with over 100,000 subscribers the use of its Copyright Match Tool. It will help creators hunt down unauthorised uploads of their material by checking for similar content in other channels and then notifying the user. The feature will save time and avoid the frustration of having to search manually.

Study: Rock Not Noise Pollution AC/DC fan and biology professor Brandon Barton was rocking out to ‘Rock And Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution’ one day when he decided to test out the hypothesis of the song’s title. He and his students at Mississippi State University placed ladybugs into soybeans infested with aphids, a common pest of the staple crop. They then blasted the bugs with an assortment of different sounds, including ‘Back in Black’, classic rock, an outlaw country album, a folk album, city sounds and aircraft noise. Prof. Barton said, “We immediately discovered that after about a day or a half day, 15 hours or so, the ones who had been exposed to the hard rock music—AC/DC—or even the city sounds, those loud kind of harsh sounds really reduced the number of aphids they consumed by a lot”. When the ladybirds were introduced, the predators ate all the aphids. But when rock music and city sounds were played, it seems the two species were happy to coexist in peace.

Gold Coast Music Store Saved Upon hearing that Allans Billy Hyde has gone into voluntary administration, its onetime manager Stewart Fairhurst has bought the chain’s Gold Coast outlet. He told the Gold Coast Bulletin he was changing its name to Gold Coast Music, its original name under founders Alan Driscoll and Colin Barnes. Fairhurst received the blessing of Barnes and Driscoll’s widow to reuse the name.

Call For Input On Mental Health Survey Paul Godfrey, an Honours student at School of Psychology and Behavioural Sciencein Armidale NSW, is currently undertaking a doctorate called Behind the curtain: Investigating Australian musicians’ sleep disturbance, mental health supports, and depression. He is asking for people to provide personal experience on the topic, especially about the support provided.

The online survey’s contents will be kept confidential at all times. Godfrey can be contacted at pgodfrey@myune.edu.au.

ARIA Awards Strike Two Deals The 21st ARIA Awards on Wednesday November 28 has struck two deals. One is with the NSW Government (through its tourism and events division, Destination NSW), which will mean it stays in Sydney until at least 2020. The other is with the Nine network, which will once again broadcast the event nationally. According to ARIA, last year was a ratings success, delivering a 31 percent increase in audience numbers—the biggest audience since 2010—and winning its time slot in total people and all demographics, including both 25-54s and under 55s. The ARIAs was also the number one event on social media for the evening, trending at number one on Twitter nationally and in every capital city in Australia, and peaking at number two around the world.

Wollongong Guitarist Sets New World Record Wollongong musician Scott Burford has set a new world record for longest guitar marathon—125 hours. It now has to be ratified by the Guinness World Records, which has on its record books the time of 114 hours and 6 minutes, set in 2011 by Dave Browne from Dublin. A Canadian guitarist made it to 124 hours and 30 minutes, but it was unverified. Burford was seated in the window of Sydney’s Engadine Music starting on Sunday July 15 and finishing up on the afternoon of Friday July 20. He was filmed throughout as per the rules, and allowed to take 30-second breaks for quick snacks and drinks. A nurse and medic were on hand: by the end of the session, Burford had cracked fingers, which he said he used superglue on to keep the skin together. He played 500 songs as the rules say each track could only be repeated once every four hours. Up to 21 local guitarists joined him on occasions to keep his spirits up, while a large crowd were at the shop as he finished, letting off party poppers and opening

champagne bottles. Burford went through the exercise to raise money for Musicians Making A Difference, a charity that helps vulnerable youths suffering through emotional abuse, neglect and disadvantage by empowering them through music, dance and mentoring.

Girls Rock! Heads To Perth Girls Rock! is a week-long day camp that aims to empower young female, trans, and gender diverse people through music, workshops, writing songs, forming impromptu bands, mentors and live performance. After originating in Oregon, USA in 2001, the camp has since spread across the world to the UK, Japan, Finland and more. It’s been in Australia since 2011, first in Canberra, and then Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Girls Rock! is now being developed in Wollongong and Adelaide, as well as in Perth where it will be held in January 2019 and coordinated by local teacher and musician Em Burrows. More information is available at www.wam.org.au

MusicNSW Workshops For Musos MusicNSW’s series of Sound Advice master classes continues throughout August at 107 Redfern Street in Sydney. The classes cover Book It Yourself: DIY Gigs & Event Marketing (August 11, 10am-1pm), How To Plan Your Career (August 11, 2-5pm), Publicity (August 18, 10am-1pm), and Planning Your Next Release (August 18, 2-5pm).

Bluesfest Receives Tourism Accolades Bluesfest Byron Bay’s pulling power of about 100,000 people each year has made the festival big news with the tourism sector. This year the event generated $88.6 million for Byron Shire, $147.7 million for Northern Rivers and $243.2 million for the state of NSW. Last month Bluesfest was inducted into the Hall of Fame for the North Coast Regional Tourism Award, following up from a similar honour last October at the NSW Tourism Awards.

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MUSIC NEWS Gene Simmons And Ace Frehley Are Reuniting On Tour The news that Gene Simmons had recruited his old bandmate Ace Frehley as the support act for his Australian tour was welcomed by KISS fans around the nation. After rescheduling his shows, the tour is finally set to kick off this month. The performances will mark Simmons’ first ever solo tour of Australia and will take him to Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, where he’ll perform hits from throughout his storied career. Simmons will commemorate the occasion by releasing The Vault, a personal collection of 150 recordings featuring notable rock'n'roll artists—including his bandmates from KISS—condensed into a 50-year time capsule from 1966 to 2016. For the ultimate experience, Simmons will personally hand-deliver The Vault himself on his Aussie tour.

Make Them Suffer Embark On National Tour

Thy Art Is Murder Are Taking Over Regional Australia

Queens Of The Stone Age Return To Australia This Month

Perth heavy-hitters Make Them Suffer are continuing their relentless touring schedule to give heavy music fans a treat by bringing Silent Planet and Oceans Ate Alaska to Australian shores for the very first time. With rising stars Thornhill set to continue to capture the hearts of the nation in opening up for this monster lineup, this tour is one not to be missed. It all starts with a bang in Make Them Suffer’s home state of Western Australia, with full tour dates available online.

Thy Art Is Murder are setting off on a national tour this month that will see them stop by a host of regional Aussie towns. Touring in support of their latest LP Dear Desolation, Thy Art Is Murder will kick things off in Maroochydore before trekking across the east coast for 11 more shows. They’re bringing fellow Aussies Alpha Wolf along for the ride and bolstering the party with additional support from metalcore favourites Antagonist A.D and hardcore act Xile.

Josh Homme’s Queens Of The Stone Age will soon be back in the country to unleash their latest record Villains upon eagerly awaiting fans. Expect the rowdy bunch to be smashing out all the hits off their seventh studio album among a long list of fan favourites from the rest of their catalogue. They’re bringing Aussie blues maestro C.W. Stoneking on the road with them, kicking things off on Tuesday August 28 in Brisbane for a seven-date national tour.

Enslaved Return To Australia For The First Time Since 2013

Brisbane Festival Launches MonthLong Music Celebration

A Lost Thelonious Monk Recording Has Been Unearthed

Prog metal icons Enslaved are returning to Australia for their first shows in our country since 2013. The band will hit the road later this month in support of their latest contribution to progressive black metal, E. They’ll make long-awaited stops in three cities over three huge days, with a show in Sydney on Tuesday August 30, Brisbane on Friday August 31, and a closing performance in Melbourne on Saturday September 1. Tickets are available via DRW Entertainment.

Brisbane Festival is almost upon us, and the musical appearances for this year’s festivities are what dreams are made of. The lineup is set to showcase a premium bunch of homegrown talent as well as some big name international acts, featuring the likes of Violent Soho, San Cisco, Ball Park Music, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Destroyer, Eskimo Joe, The Teskey Brothers, Jen Cloher, and Yothu Yindi. It’s all going down around Brisbane from Saturday September 8 – Saturday September 29.

A live recording from pioneering jazz pianist Thelonious Monk has been found in a skip bin and remastered for release. Titled Mønk, the album was recorded during 1963 at a live performance in Copenhagen and features two different takes of ‘Bye-Ya’, as well as ‘Nutty’, ‘Monk’s Dream’ and ‘Body and Soul’. Mønk will be released on Friday September 28 via Gearbox Records as a limited edition clear pressing with an embossed photographic print of Monk or a standard heavyweight black edition.

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PRODUCT NEWS Faith Guitars’ Award-Winning Blood Moon Venus Touches Down In Australia CMC MUSIC | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU Faith Guitars, designed by master luthier Patrick James Eggle, are renowned for their high-quality offerings to the world of acoustic instruments. The Blood Moon Venus is a perfect example of the company’s expertise, and the first shipment of the award-winning guitar is now on its ways to dealers across Australia. It features figured Japanese Trembesi for the top, back and sides, which reacts in a similar way to mahogany in its ability to deliver warmth and balance across the strings.

Waldorf’s Quantum Synthesiser Is Arriving Next Month

TC Electronic Launches Intuitive Ditto Jam X2 Looper

Step Up Your Home Studio With The Sennheiser e 614

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AMBER TECHNOLOGY | AMBERTECH.COM.AU

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Offering the raw power of a classic digital and analogue hybrid synth, the Quantum Synthesiser is the latest chapter in Waldorf’s best-selling synthesiser series. It generates futuristic sounds thanks to three oscillators with four distinct algorithms, including a Resonator, Granular Sampler, Classic Synthesiser Waveforms, and Waldorf-style Wavetables. The Quantum also features an intuitive design to enhance workflow, allowing users to experience endless sonic exploration, advanced functionality, and highly flexible production in one handy package that raises the bar for synthesisers everywhere.

TC Electronic has introduced the Ditto Jam X2, featuring an intuitive internal system to keep your loops in time. The Ditto Jam X2 makes use of two onboard microphones to follow the rhythmic elements of a live ensemble and adjust to changes in tempo or groove, with TC’s BeatSense technology allowing for the tempo of the loop to be stretched or shortened without comprising sound quality. The pedal also comes with an additional clip-on microphone to attach to percussion instruments.

A quality recording requires a serious microphone, and Sennheiser never fails to deliver. The e 614 is a super-cardioid condenser microphone with an extremely wide frequency range, focused pick-up, and exceptional transient response. It offers a natural, full sound and reduces bleed from other instruments through precise directivity. While it’s designed for percussion and as an overhead mic, the e 614 is versatile and also effortlessly supports stringed and woodwind instruments. It’s ready for the road or right at home in any home studio environment.

Sterling By Music Man Majesty Now Available In Arctic Dream Finish CMC MUSIC | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU The John Petrucci Majesty, one of Music Man’s most innovative designs that continues to receive high praise from guitarists around the globe, is now available in its most popular finish, Arctic Dream. This particular Majesty colour scheme truly is majestic, with polarised paint elements able to change colours depending on the angle of light reflection. Exceptional balance and impressive playability are two of the hallmarks of this Petrucci signature, which is also available in Iced Crimson and Stealth Black.

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PRODUCT NEWS TC Electronic Unveils Thrust BQ500 Portable Bass Head AMBER TECHNOLOGY | AMBERTECH.COM.AU Thrust BQ500 is here to revolutionise portable bass amplification. With an ultra-lightweight design, custom EQ and a MOSFET preamp, this new innovation from TC Electronic is a 500 watt masterpiece. Users can expect an expansive tonal palette, plus realistic tube-like sound and feel. For players looking to use the Thrust BQ500 as a practice amp, a high-quality headphone amplifier and AUX input makes this the perfect choice. A Thrust BQ250 is also on the cards for a release to follow its 500 watt sibling.

Radial Engineering Launches Catapult Mini

Roadie Bass Helps You Stay In Tune Without Missing A Beat

PreSonus Studio 2|4 Set To Land In Australia

AMBER TECHNOLOGY | AMBERTECH.COM.AU

SOUND & MUSIC | SOUND-MUSIC.COM

LINK AUDIO | LINKAUDIO.COM.AU

The Radial modular Catapult snake system, boasting the ability to drive four analogue audio channels over a single shielded Cat 5 cable, has been bolstered by the addition of the Catapult Mini. It’s easy to deliver balanced audio between two destinations without signal loss thanks to the Catapult Mini TX (transmitter) and RX (receiver). All Radial Catapult models are compatible with each other, with the TX and RX able to be patched together as a four-channel audio snake or matched with other Catapult models for personalised usage.

For bass players needing a tuner to rely on, the Roadie Bass could be the perfect solution. This tuner features all the handy qualities of the Roadie 2 guitar tuner, and also boasts a powerful motor to enable even the rustiest of pegs to turn. Promising to tune your bass in just 30 seconds, Roadie Bass is ideal for staying in tune during a live gig. Bluetooth connectivity also offers the chance to tune up to 150 strings on a single charge.

The PreSonus Studio 24 USB audio interface will arrive at local dealers mid-September to enhance recording sessions at home and on the go. Ideal for guitarists, producers and live streaming, Studio 24 can record at up to 192 kHz and boasts impressive connectivity with two front panel combo inputs, two rear panel balanced line outputs, and MIDI I/O. This all-in-one recording solution also offers low-latency direct monitoring via a mixer knob to blend analogue input and computer playback.

Fender Announces Limited Edition Diesel Signature Stratocaster FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA | FENDER.COM.AU Fender has revealed details of its first Australian artist signature model in 20 years, announcing a limited edition design for one of our country’s finest guitarists, Diesel. To capture his distinctive tone and accompanying aesthetic, the Diesel Signature Stratocaster features an ash body, oversized ‘70s headstock, soft ’57 V neck profile, and an aged white pearloid pickguard. Elsewhere, the guitar boasts Texas Special pickups and 22 medium jumbo frets. Expect to see the Diesel Signature Stratocaster at your local dealer this December.

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THE MANY FACES OF TESSERACT For the prog-metal masterminds in TesseracT, stagnation is a disease. From the crushing chugs of One and atmospheric grooves of Altered State to the soaring melodies of Polaris, the English quintet has chiseled a career out of establishing, destroying and rebuilding their sound every few years. Sonder— TesseracT’s most recent record and their first entry in the ARIA Charts—brings the trend to a peak, fusing elements of each prior effort with a sharp and theatrical technicality. Such a multifaceted sound means the average TesseracT show is teeming with diversity. “When I look out into the audience, I see pockets of people responding to each song,” says lead vocalist Daniel Tompkins. “We get couples that come right down to the front, and you see them crying their eyes out to things like Altered State. You’ve got people that are there purely for the sound experience—they’re stood at the desk and they’re maybe a little bit more mature, you know. They’re definitely trying to experience the best sound of the night. Then you’ve got the people going crazy in the mosh pit, and they’re obviously the first album’s fans, and then you’ve got all the people in the sidelines and they’re singing along to Sonder.” The biggest change that shook the Sonder sessions came not stylistically, but from within the band’s own creative routine. Where their first three albums had seen TesseracT adopt a strict formula for writing in the studio, LP number four threw caution to the wind, experimentation the prevailing catalyst for some of the record’s standout moments. “I think Sonder is a much more cohesive album for us,” says Tompkins. “And I mean that from both a lyrical and musical perspective. The concepts for each song were evolved before the music was finished, whereas in the past it’s been about Alec [Kahney, lead guitar] producing the music first, and then I’d step in and put some kind of lyrical idea on it. I don’t feel like that’s the best way to write music, because it can give you limitations. When you’re coining an idea in your head and then writing music to it, you can be a lot broader and there’s a lot more you can do with it.” One of Tompkins’ favourite techniques when writing Sonder was for

TesseracT to compose movie soundtracks. The band would take scenes from films they found particularly impactful, strip the audio from them and attempt to write what would effectively become a progmetal silent film score. Most notable of the batch is the 11-minute epic ‘Beneath My Skin/Mirror Image’, which started life as a scene in the Scarlett Johansson flick Under The Skin. “There’s a scene in that film that the main body of that song was written to, which is why ‘Beneath My Skin’, for example, sounds very progressive. It’s one of the most progressive songs we have on the album. It starts out with that clean guitar line, which repeats and gets bigger and evolves, and that’s a result of the scene that we were writing to. And we did that a number of times with different songs.” The band also found a de facto sixth member in Aidan O’Brien, whose primary role with TesseracT, alongside acting as their front-of-house engineer, is to aid in self-producing their records. O’Brien has been integral to the fold since work began on Polaris, but Sonder saw him take a much more crucial front-seat position. “He did this awesome thing where he reached out to our fan base and asked people to submit live audio recordings,” Tompkins says. “They could be of anything—anything that people experience on a day-to-day basis around the world, because we wanted to make this album a more inclusive and intimate process for the fans as well. So there are all these different sounds on the album… There’s the sound of a chef cleaving meat on a wooden chopping board. There’s the sound

of a thunderstorm echoing through an air conditioning conduit in a high-storey building. There’s the sound of rivers rushing, and there’s my own two boys’ heartbeats in ‘Orbital’. There are loads of these awesome little samples going on, and Aidan has kind of layered them together throughout the album, which really added a new dimension to what we were doing.” This makes the album shine when listened to with a quality set of headphones—especially in its binaural version, which is something every diehard fan needs to experience at least once in their lives. But however special Sonder is on tape, it’s undeniable that TesseracT reach a whole new level of ethereality in the live realm. The band will be taking Sonder to stages Down Under throughout September, with theatre shows lined up in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. “I think there’s a very distinct difference between the way audiences react in Australia compared to other places in the world,” Tompkins says. “It’s hard to describe, but I find that the energy is really quite special. People really want to be at these shows—and I know that sounds a bit crazy because it’s like, if you’re going to buy tickets to a show, you must surely want to go to that show. But I do find that some people can be quite lethargic, whether that’s because it’s a mid-week show or because they’ve just finished work for the day and they’re already tired. But you don’t get that with people in Australia. Everyone’s in a really good mood and they’re all full of energy, and that translates into the whole kind of vibe of the show, which is always electric.” BY MATT DORIA

Sonder is out now via Kscope. TesseracT are on tour throughout Australia this September.

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STUDIO MONITOR KH 120

PRECISION REDEFINED

Stereo imaging was very stable, with a broad ‘sweet spot’ and an excellence sense of depth and space.

« »

sound on sound magazine

The KH 120 A are workhorses allowing for long, effortless sessions, and anybody will immediately ‘understand’ them.

« »

bonedo.de

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MUSIC INTERVIEWS “The first band I really loved was the Beatles, and then Michael Jackson and kind of anything that was around the house,” says Plini. “At some point I found Steve Vai and that led me to all those guys—Joe Satriani, Yngwie. You know, all the iconic shredders. Then came Dream Theater and I also started getting into reading about bands, not just listening to them, so I got into Guitar World and Metal Hammer. That led to metal bands like Lamb Of God, Trivium and all the guys that were playing metal, but with interesting guitar parts and cool riffs. That then led me to Meshuggah, who are one of the only metal bands I still listen to religiously to this day, like five times a week.” A quick listen to some of Plini’s catalogue and you’ll hear heavier influences and lots of big guitar moments. However, there’s definitely more to Plini’s guitar persona than just shred. “In the past few years I sort of decided that I didn’t hate jazz anymore,” he says. “There was a time when I didn’t like jazz because I didn’t think it was as powerful, which is kind of ridiculous. I guess I’ve wisened up and broadened my tastes and I now basically listen to anything with a good singer or good player or good production.”

Plini Doesn’t Hate Jazz Anymore Plini has shot to the forefront of hip guitar exposure with his combination of sounds, influences and crafty use of melody. Playing Strandberg guitars and embracing guitar technology on the whole, he is a genuinely creative composer who has opened up more than a few sets of ears to his prog-based mix of rock and metal. His latest release Sunhead continues his evolution with odd signatures and dissonant harmony meshing with strong melodies, tasteful grooves and improvising. But where does this potent blend of influences come from?

Composing new music can often be as time consuming as the recording process itself, so how does Plini actually create new tunes? “I sit around with a guitar and fumble around until something seems cool,” he says. “Then I’ll go from there and try to build it up and add layers and different instruments. I sort of steal from all the bands I like, so I’ll try to combine a groove from Meshuggah with chords from a pop song and stuff like that”. With luminaries such as Steve Vai singing the young Australian guitarist’s praises, there has been much anticipation for Plini’s latest release. Asked about the origins of the title Sunhead, Plini casually remarks, “I saw the cover of Gojira’s latest album Magma and there it is—a sun with a face on it. So I wrote in my phone Sunhead. I’ve got a list in my phone of words and phrases that I’ve seen or heard that eventually become titles for things”. Simple as that, the EP title was decided on. Plini goes onto add some depth and context to the relevance of the title to the actual music. “I guess I realised at some point that the general vibe of the EP was positive with bits of darkness, and I think the word is super bright because of the sun, but could

“Since the beginning, we’ve been chasing this dragon,” says frontwoman Lzzy Hale. “We’ve been trying to exude the magic that happens to us naturally onstage as four bandmates, and we’ve been trying to capture that on record—without doing a live record—for about four albums now.” It was crucial for the band that they slay that elusive dragon, as recent outings had seen Halestorm step further away from their scuzzy dive bar roots and into the bright chaos of the mainstream pop-rock world. But a shift in energy brought them back to Earth, as Hale affirms. “We kind of found our mojo again as bandmates. It felt like we went back in time to 2003, when we first met and we were starting to jam in our parents’ basements. So for me, I can truly say that [Vicious] is the most ‘Halestorm’ record we’ve ever done, because you can really hear the respect for everybody’s space.”

Halestorm, In The Heat Of The Moment The fourth album to come from Pennsylvania hard rock powerhouse Halestorm is an aptly titled one. triples down on the searing riffs and biting quips that made their early releases turn heads at a mile a minute, while further accentuating the pristine production techniques that peaked on 2015’s Into The Wild Life. It’s the kind of album bands spend decades trying to write, one that encapsulates the full scope of their talents in an ambitious, but not obnoxious parcel. A magnum opus, if you will. 18

Making this milestone even sweeter for Hale is the languid swamp her band trudged through to reach it. “We started writing for this record about six months before we stepped foot into the studio,” she says. “We wrote a whole bunch of songs on the road, and when we started listening through them to decide which ones would make it onto the record, we realised that we didn’t actually like any of them. It felt like we were trying too hard to please everybody but ourselves. Some of it was just an obvious grab for radio airtime, or stuff we were writing to make the label happy.” This led to the foursome making a last-minute decision to scrap over an entire album’s worth of demo material. “We threw all of those songs away and went into the studio with almost nothing,” says Hale. The studio they retreated to was a far cry from the ‘sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll’ vibe that seeps through every crack on Vicious—rather, the group found inspiration in isolation, getting back to nature as a means to rejuvenate as a band. “It was this very small studio out in the woods of Tennessee, so there was nobody around for miles, and we just set up

also be dark and mysterious as some ancient evil god”. Containing four tracks, Sunhead covers heavy riffs, odd time grooves, beautiful melodies and dense arrangements. The opening tune, ‘Kind’, tastefully sets the scene for the rest of the EP, combining accessibility and some quirkiness to boot. “I think that song [‘Kind’] is definitely the simplest song on there and the only one that’s strictly in 4/4,” says Plini. “To me, that’s a pop song on guitar. It gets a little weirder than a pop song, but there’s really only one main melody and one main riff, and the whole thing is just playing around with those. I think that’s sort of where I’m at for the moment with composing. Trying to take an idea that I feel is strong and then exploring it in as much detail as possible rather than trying to throw together eight pretty good ideas in a row”. Continuing the use of guest artists and collaborations, Sunhead also features Devesh Dayal from Skyharbor, UK saxophonist John Waugh (known for his work with The 1975) and American jazz guitarist Tim Miller. Plini keenly recalls Miller’s involvement. “He improvised that solo whilst he was travelling around Europe. He’s nuts. I’ve been listening to him for quite a while and ran into him at NAMM. He teaches at Berklee and had actually taught some of my songs to his students, so he knew of me and I was like, ‘Holy shit, I love you.’ “We kind of stayed in touch, and with the recording I had that solo spot left to record before it was done and I was going on tour. I was trying to mimic and after a couple of hours of failed attempts I thought, ‘Fuck this,’ and I hit him up and said, ‘I’m trying to be you, could you be you and play a solo on this track?’ And it kind of worked out.” BY NICK BROWN

Sunhead is available now on Bandcamp, Spotify and other streaming services.

our amps and microphones and recording equipment in this very small cabin. Our producer, Nick Raskulinecz, he basically said, ‘I want you to come in here every day, just the four of you guys, and jam until you’ve got something.’ So that’s what we did, every day.” Raskulinecz ended up being crucial to the band finding their feet on LP4, as he brought a notably laidback attitude to the fold. “I think he was the first producer we’ve worked with that I can honestly say has seen us live more than once,” Hale says. “He’s been a fan of Halestorm for years, and we were friends for years before we decided to work with each other. So when we thought we had an idea that really rocked, he would stop us and be like, ‘Oh, no, no, no. I’ve seen you guys live. I know you can sing harder. I know your brother can be crazier. I know you guys can play louder.’ He just pushed us to the edge and really kept us in the fast lane. We ended up writing the record quite selfishly because of that, because we didn’t really have anything in mind other than whatever got us the most excited in the heat of moment. “As far as I can tell, the difference between this record and the last three is that all the emotions that were happening were all very fresh,” Hale adds. “And you can tell because we were recording the songs as those things were happening. So any type of excitement that we had in the creative process— whether it was a guitar riff, or maybe lyrically, or something going on with my little brother [Arejay Hale] on the drums— you can actually hear that in real time. Because we weren’t just writing a song, then leaving it for a couple of months, then finally recording it after already getting bored of the idea. The excitement is still there on the surface, and I think that’s what I’m most proud of.” BY MATT DORIA

Vicious is out now via Warner Music.

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THE AMITY AFFLICTION

NEW ALBUM

feat IVY (DOOMSDAY) and FEELS LIKE Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;M DYING OUT AUGUST 24 theamityaffliction.net

MUSIC INTERVIEWS

Nine Inch Nails Keep It Dangerous With over 30 years under their belt, it would be safe to assume that Nine Inch Nails have their craft down to a fine art and putting together a new record would be easy work. In reality, that assumption couldn’t be further from the truth, a fact made clear by Atticus Ross when discussing the band’s newest venture Bad Witch, the final part of the trilogy that began with 2016’s Not The Actual Events and 2017’s Add Violence.

“This one took longer to find its soul, if you like, than the previous two. But when we did find it, it wasn’t necessarily where we were expecting to go. We put a lot more time into it than we originally thought, but I think what came out the other end felt to us like it was an honest and fulfilling experience in terms of sitting in the studio and listeningback to the album as a whole.”

and taking the trilogy to a live setting. For the band, it’s important to take that same ethos of challenging themselves and the listener that is so important in the studio to the live setting. With so many performers these days trying to have every second of their live show choreographed to a track, Nine Inch Nails are fighting hard to keep things as organic and raw as possible.

Having worked with Trent Reznor on every Nine Inch Nails’ release since their 2005 record With Teeth, it’s clear the duo share the same attitude and ethos when it comes to making music. They employ a healthy juxtaposition of paying homage to their past, but also ensure there is a big essence of not giving a fuck about the rules and just doing what they want. Bad Witch is a prime example of this, combining the signature NIN sound of controlled chaos with a brooding and eerie atmosphere. This is particularly clear on single ‘God Breaks Down The Door’, a very unexpected song for the band, and a very different vocal approach from Reznor.

“The song’s take a new life. And I think also, the nature of performances, it does take it to a new level. But there’s also conceptually some stuff built into the show now where there’s no screens. It’s meant to feel dangerous, and it is. Everything feels so choreographed now, and so, I don’t know. If you look at a festival, every festival has massive screens everywhere, you can bring a flash drive and plug it in and there’s your content. Fuck that. Let’s have no screens. Let’s have lots of smoke. Let’s have someone running lights live. Something might break or explode, but it’s gonna be visible. I think last year was exciting. And I think the shows this year will continue to take that concept even further.”

”That’s the first time I’ve heard Trent sing like that. Having worked together for 18 years, or whatever it’s been. To begin with, he was uncertain, but I just thought it was incredible. And I think that the idea of consistently taking risks is what keeps things exciting.” Whilst Bad Witch has many moments of calm throughout its rather short run time of 30 minutes, the first two tracks of the record, ‘Shit Mirror’ and ‘Ahead Of Ourselves,’ show that the band is still ready to be abrasive, ensuring they avoid complacency. “I wanna feel, in my life, that I’m consistently interested. With music, I think that it’s a journey that one will never complete. It is all about being true to oneself and maintaining that sense of energy and inspiration. And I think more than that, sitting in the studio, one wants to feel that. You have to be in touch with that part of yourself that creates, otherwise it just becomes an exercise” The rest of 2018 sees Nine Inch Nails touring heavily

Their forthcoming sophomore album Joy as an Act of Resistance comes a year after their debut, and frontman Joe Talbot says that the band started writing the second album right away, over the course of a year. However, when they weren’t happy with what they were producing, they started again – coming to the table with new ideas that were important to them personally rather than important outwardly. “We realised that we weren’t enjoying ourselves and that we were over thinking it. We lost the essence of why we enjoyed the first album so much, which was because we stopped caring about what other people thought and wrote music for ourselves,” Talbot explains. “I found the phrase ‘Joy As An Act of Resistance’ online, I thought it was a beautiful concept and I wanted to use it for the album, so we did. It became an artistic and philosophical endeavour where the album came pretty quick and my life became very turbulent and awful and I had to use joy as an act of resistance in real time.”

IDLES Look On The Bright Side Of Life IDLES are a band who pride themselves on honesty and loving yourself, and they spread this message through their music.

The album features political themes about life in a postBrexit world, and Talbot believes that by writing about these issues they can resist against the division of fear and reactionary behaviour by illustrating how important it is to love yourself. “When you find the confidence within, you’re more open to new ideas, new cultures and new people,” he says. “It became a way of life for us as opposed to an album and we hope that it will in time encourage other people to be vulnerable to new things.” Talbot declares that the band have a bigger stage now than they used to and want to use that to create a safe space for their audience. He says that they’ve always been a political band and they want to encourage people to explore themselves and feel comfortable in their own skin. “We’re just trying to change the narrative a bit on politics, because obviously a lot of people have little trust in the realms of politics. But all politics is really the infrastructure of human welfare and how to feel safe. We wanted to remind people of the humane aspect of politics and take it down to

With such a heralded legacy already behind them, it’s clear that Nine Inch Nails have no interest in slowing down or softening their approach. Both Trent and Atticus ensure that nothing less than 100 percent goes into anything they do, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. BY NICHOLAS SIMONSEN

Bad Witch is out now via Caroline Australia.

the smaller more important part which is the individual, and celebrate that.” The first single to be released from the album, ‘Danny Nedelko’, is a pro-immigration track inspired by and named after the band’s Ukrainian-born friend. “If you write about something you love, there’s often a role that plays within society that is greater than yourself,” he says. “He is a British citizen but Ukrainian-born which means that he’s a great example of why I think this country is a better place with immigrants in it. Like any allegory, I wanted to use him as a great example of how if you open your mind and heart slightly you will see the beauty of compassion and I think compassion is what helps countries progress. I would like to execute that as much as possible, just reminding people of the human individual behind all the political debates.” Imagine this album as a parade. That’s how Talbot sees it. The album is a congregation of minds celebrating the beauty of the flawed nature of who they are and celebrating imperfection. The album is a resistance against the pressures of success and more of a celebratory piece that encourages people to love themselves for who they are and not who they should be. Now that there’s been a taste of the album with ‘Danny Nedelko’ and ‘Colossus’, Talbot says that if listeners are familiar with the band’s first album, as a comparison, it’s more dynamic and there’s more room to breathe this time around. “There’s more of a narrative arc. It takes you on more of a journey. There’s more sadness in it and there’s more joy. There’s more reflection on our own lives as an example of the wider problems in our society. I think it’s a more concise album, writing wise. I think it is loud and I think it is fun and dark.” BY ELLEN ROSIE

IDLES will release their sophomore album Joy As An Act Of Resistance on Friday August 31 via on Partisan Records and Pod / Inertia Music.

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PAULA JONES ON THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF AUDIO ENGINEERING Paula Jones, the producer and audio engineer whose fingerprints are on everything from the Lion King soundtrack to Rob Zombie and Howard Stern’s ‘The Great American Nightmare’, doesn’t like to sugarcoat things. “The things you think are important when you come out of school are not what’s really important,” says Jones. “When you start out, you think, ‘Oh, I’m so important! Watch me turn this knob!’ You’re not important. The most important people in the room are the people you’re trying to get performances out of.” Jones’ event at the 2018 Integrate Expo aims to set graduate audio engineers and music producers straight about the changes brought to an industry where barriers to entry are rapidly vanishing. If anyone can buy a laptop and twiddle the dials themselves, why would they pay you to twiddle for them? “How do you add value to clients in a world where they can do it themselves?” asks Jones. “I think the most valuable thing you can do is to learn how to get the best out of people and how to make them happy doing what they’re doing. If you’re trying to capture a band on tape, you better learn how to make them play like their lives depend on it. “When you’ve just finished school, you’re like, ‘Oh, I know how to comp a vocal.’ Well, great. So does 99 percent of everybody else. But what vocal are you comping? Is it a great vocal? Is it a mediocre vocal? That’s the most important thing.” Jones’ love affair with the dial and the fader began when she was 15 and dating a guitarist in a local cover band. After noticing the mixing booth at the back of a venue, Jones was hooked on the idea of becoming an engineer herself, and started pestering the engineers at every gig she went to with questions. “I understood that there was some process there that made the music go from the band to us—that there was somebody in between,” she says. “I felt an affinity for it.” The death of the analogue tape was right around the corner when Jones mixed her first record, and she’s been working digitally since the mid-’90s. Jones has watched unsentimentally as big studios have been replaced by smaller studios and home recording setups, and

"THERE USED TO BE A BARRIER TO ENTRY. IN THAT REGARD, IT'S A GREAT TIME.” production suites like Pro Tools and Logic have made it possible for anyone with a few hundred dollars in their pocket to become their own producer. “People can do it themselves. You don’t have to go to a specialised building. You don’t have to hire specialised people, although I have doubts about that. Some people can get away with it, some people can’t.” Increasingly sophisticated mixing software has hurt the market value of personal expertise, but in reality, not anyone can just pick up a MacBook and turn out a listenable album. Jones recalls butting heads with one Philadelphia musician who had a little too much faith in the magic of technology. “He was very talented,” she says. “He wrote great songs, had good melodies. He wanted to produce everything himself, but he did not have the technical knowledge. I spent an awful lot of my time trying to talk him out of various things. He didn’t understand compression properly, didn’t understand distortion, didn’t understand headroom. He didn’t understand a whole bunch of things that separate a professional-sounding record from something you did in your bedroom. The tools are there, but you still have to understand some basic recording concepts to make it sounds like you did it in a big studio.”

The Integrate event will combine interviews from successful freelancers at all levels of the industry—from the big studios to indie record-cuttings done in basements. Jones notes that the levelLing of the production process has its advantages and disadvantages. Before the advent of Pro Tools, musicians would have to leave the studio behind for at least a few hours each day, giving them an opportunity to return with fresh eyes. Now, it’s all too easy to take the files home and sit up reworking them until they’ve been skewed beyond all recognition. “There used to be a bottom, a middle and a top,” she says. “If you weren’t good enough, driven enough or lucky enough to get to the top, there was always a middle and a bottom where you could make a living. The bottom and the middle have now been taken over by prosumer products. People who would have needed to pay you in the past just don’t need to do that anymore… In order to actually have a career, you need to be very good now. Few people are going to make it. That sounds awfully doom-and-gloomy, but it’s true.” Jones adds that the exploding of the old music hierarchies has also paved the way for new opportunities—for independent creators to make albums without being subject to what a studio estimates will be profitable. “The really good thing is that, before, you used to have to have vast resources to make music. Now, you don’t. All you need to do is buy a Mac and get Logic and you can do something on par with Hans Zimmer if you’re creatively good enough. There used to be a barrier to entry. In that regard, it’s a great time.” BY ZACHARY SNOWDON SMITH

Catch Paula Jones’s talk on audio engineering at Integrate on Wednesday August 22.

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ADVICE COLUMNS GUITAR

BASS GUITAR

Adding Some Flavour

Let It Slide

We’ve been looking at chords, scales and modes in the last few issues to work on expanding your knowledge of these on the fretboard before starting to apply them in some basic contexts. One of the challenges with learning new ideas/material is applying them to your playing and, perhaps even more so, being able to hear the potential and possibilities on offer. In my experience, however, it only takes a little glimpse to keep you motivated and to recognise that being persistent can be worth it. Let’s take a couple of modes and try to spice them up a little to give you an idea.

Sliding into a note can be a super effective technique for adding emphasis, changing dynamic or creating interest. It can be heard in anything from Metallica to Sting to Ron Carter and really is a useful tool in a range of styles. The slide/glissando is often overlooked, but is an important technique to have down as a bass player. It’s as easy as fretting a note, playing it with the picking hand and then moving the fretted note to another (either ascending or descending), with many variations. Subtle slides can be played quickly from a semitone (fret) below almost on the beat to create a swoop into the note, while more extreme examples take a note and move it further distances. A slide can be played with any finger on the fretting hand and also has different tonal properties depending on whether you’re using a pick or fingers, or slapping with the other hand.

Figure A could be a rock/punk feel (think The Killers/Blink-182/Foo Fighters). The first three bars use a repeated rhythm. Bar Four changes the rhythm slightly for variation, moving up the octave and adding a slide into the first note. All these combine to create a nice contrast to just pedalling the same low C used in Bar Three. Figure A shows two possible fingerings for G Dorian (G A Bb C D E F G). The first is a boxtype pattern, while the second takes a three-notes-per-string approach. Many of you may be familiar with the sound and a number of shapes or positions on the neck, while others will probably have to spend a bit of time getting acquainted.

Practise these slowly, listening to the sound and getting comfortable with the fingerings as a starting point. Next, it’s time to try incorporating them into your improvising. Figure B is a chord progression that can work as a slow funky groove (anything from a bluesy feel through to rock and fusion).

Got a bit of a handle on G Dorian in a few different positions? Let’s try to add some intervallic ideas to make it sound a little less predictable. Figure C breaks up the scale by adding some wider interval leaps. These add some interesting harmonic content and transcend the idea of just playing ascending and descending strictly within the scale/ mode. Try it against the chord progression in Figure B to give it some context. Using these intervals highlights the 4th, natural 6th and 9th over Gm7 as a start. Try to create some of your own ideas and step out of the standard box-type shapes you might always use.

Figure B again uses a slide for variation. The first bar sees a syncopated riff played between low G and F. Bar Two then repeats this idea with a slight change on Beat 4. Instead of playing exactly the same rhythm we add another semiquaver (giving us four notes), and instead of sticking to the low G we move up an octave. Furthermore, instead of playing open G, let’s use G in the 5th fret on the D string and slide into the first note. This example could be played in the vein of Rage Against The Machine or At The Drive In.

Taking more of a rootsy, pop/rock vibe, Figure C could be played with a slower, straight rock feel. The pickup on Beat 4 (G) is played in the 10th fret on the A string and slides down to C for Beat 1 of the next bar. This gives you a whole crotchet to slide down—try to create an even movement landing on the C on Beat 1, which is then played and held for the whole bar. Use a similar technique for the next two G notes, making sure to keep them in time with plenty of note held during the slide. As mentioned earlier, there are many more examples of slides across various genres of music—melodic lines and licks through to more ambient noise/fill-based examples and big sustained long notes, to quick ascending and descending movements. Let me know what you come up with.

Figure D is another example in G Dorian that again adds some stretches and different intervals. Experiment with fingerings to work out the most comfortable route and as always, start slow and get the phrase clear before pushing up the tempo. You’ll hear players such as Tom Quayle, Martin Miller, Tim Miller, Michael Dolce, Luca Mantovanelli, Frank Gambale and Allan Holdsworth open up scales and modes with different patterns and intervals to create super interesting sounds. Think of the possibilities across the whole fretboard with G Dorian, and then consider the fact we haven’t even started changing rhythmic ideas, groupings, string skipping etc. You’re only limited by your creativity and technique, so get practising and see what you can come up with.

BY NICK BROWN

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ADVICE COLUMNS PERCUSSION

Dennis Chambers Ostinato I’ve been messing around with an idea I discovered by watching the great Dennis Chambers. I saw a series of solos from Dennis where he would hold a repeated triplet pattern ostinato in his feet and randomly improvise over the top as only Dennis can. This included blistering chops, but also deliberately moving in and out of tempo, all without the ostinato wavering. Impressive. I’ve taken the concept of using the same ostinato and applying some—albeit in tempo only—ideas over the top. The killer is that the ostinato is in groups of three and we’re going to be playing in 4/4. The ostinato (repeated pattern) is very simple in theory. Figure A shows a left foot hi-hat followed by two bass drums played as triplets. To be more correct, Dennis actually plays both the hi-hat and the left double pedal bass drum simultaneously by placing his foot across both pedals. This allows for a constant bass drum sound as well as the hats on the downbeat. If you have a double pedal you can do this—it does sound pretty cool. Otherwise, the feel created with just the hi-hat is also intriguing. Figure B shows this ostinato (groups of three) played in a 16th note subdivision (groups of four). This creates a ‘crossing’ feel where four triplets fit in the space of three crotchets/beats. Brackets indicate this in the figure so you can see how the pattern moves. For the sake of this explanation, I’ve only provided two bars, but the theory is that you continue the pattern for as long as you can. The pattern will eventually resolve back to beat one after three whole bars. Figures C and D demonstrate a great way to

attempt to start using this idea in a musical way. A natural way to begin is to play the pattern in context of a groove by adding straight 8th hi-hats or ride cymbal and a back beat. One figure is written as a standard rock groove and the other in half time. It’s wise to make sure these feel really comfortable before moving onto some harder ideas. Figures E through to G show playing the three basic rudiments (singles, doubles and paradiddles) over the pattern. Single strokes are undoubtedly the best place to start here, while paradiddles with an accent on every downbeat provide a fantastic feeling phrase over the top of the shifting ostinato. You could easily take this further with any rudiment—all the other diddle rudiments, rolls, flams etc. Obviously, you can do anything in the hands— just ask Dennis Chambers—but another idea is to add a static right hand pattern. Figures H and I show two very standard funk type hi-hat/ ride variations. Once these feel comfortable, look at playing different rhythmic variations

in the left hand on the snare, toms etc. The hands could also be reversed. The numbered rhythmic variations on the bottom line of the notation move through some initial ideas to muck around with. The possibilities here are endless, but this concept can be applied to any foot pattern. You could reverse the hats and the bass drums, try a group of five or even seven. With the hands, you could make up any right hand hi-hat/ride pattern you like and eventually look to working through different sight-reading exercises with the left hand—Ted Reed’s Syncopation or Gary Chester’s The New Breed spring to mind here.

comfortable with this, your feet tend to be on autopilot. If you have to concentrate too hard on the actual ostinato, it’s very difficult to be musical with the hands. When moving through a new variation in the hands, spend some time just living with it until it feels comfortable. Don’t move on when you think it’s comfortable; know it is. When all is said and done, the idea is to be able to freely move between whatever phrasing you like, so improvisation is key. Make sure you check out Dennis Chambers too—you won’t regret it.. BY ADRIAN VIOLI

I’ve found that when you are really getting

ELECTRONIC MUSIC PRODUCTION

2018 Gems Of The Second Hand Market Back in 2016 I wrote you a little list of electronic gear that, while not the latest and greatest thing on the market, still kicks arse. A ton of stuff has come out since then, and I reckon it’s high time we do a revisit. Here are my top picks for gear that you can pick up for a steal on the second hand market. Roland Aira TR-8 When the TR-8 was released back in 2014, it was probably the most hyped about a piece of gear I’ve ever been—accurately modeled sounds of the Roland TR-808 and TR-909 (later joined by the 606, 707 and 727) in a simple and fun format for an exceptionally affordable price. I literally went to Mannys in Melbourne the day they came in and bought one. Fast forward to 2018 and the TR-8 is now the oldest in Roland’s new generation lineup of producer-focused gear. With the release of the TR-8S, I’ve seen them going on the second hand market for $350. If you told 2013 me that I’d be able to have a genuine Roland TR drum machine with all the classic ‘80s sounds for that kind of money (that sounds bloody excellent), I would have put my hand up for five. Elektron Analog 4 MKI In late 2012, Swedish manufacturers Elektron joined the analogue synth revival with the Analog 4—a four-voice DCO

powered synth attached to an incredibly powerful four-track sequencer in a very sturdy package. It’s got a nice sound, too; clean and creamy with a great sounding reverb. Recently the Analog 4 MKII has been released, as well as a whole range of new and exciting Elektron gear. The MKII boasts a bigger a screen, improved looks, a reworked filter and a street price of around $2200. MKIs on the second hand market are floating around the $1000 mark. That’s a massive bargain for an only slightly inferior product. Novation Bass Station II For whatever reason, it feels like Bass Station II never generated the hype it deserves—which is good news for you bargain hunters. Even at its current retail street price of $550-ish, it’s a bargain. The Bass Station is the perfect ‘my first hardware synth’, in my opinion—high quality analogue sound combined with a clear and simple layout with minimal compromises. It has a super fun sequencer, runs on USB

power, has digitally stored presets and a really nice keyboard. Pick one up second hand for around the $400 mark. Korg KingKORG It’s the beginning of 2013. Musicians and the music media are collectively losing their marbles over all the new analogue synths hitting the market, with Korg being one of the front-runners. When whispers arose of a new Korg polyphonic synth appearing at the NAMM Show, there was an almost audible gasp of, “Oh my God... is it an analogue poly?” followed by a palpable disappointed, “Oh,” when it turned out to be a digital virtual-analogue. Yes, Korg’s timing was a little off with this 61-key all-rounder synth. Despite the many positive reviews that

flowed in, the synth never took off. Some did sell though, and if you’re looking for a full-size synth that can achieve extremely convincing tones modeled on all the vintage favourites (including non-synth offerings like Rhodes and Mellotrons), then finding one on the second hand market for an astonishingly low price is very doable, and highly recommended. Good luck, bargain hunters. BY MICHAEL CUSACK

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GET YOUR

FREE! QSC TOTE BAGS Purchase a pair of QSC K.2 Loudspeakers and receive a FREE set of matching Tote Bags!

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PRODUCT REVIEWS HAGSTROM GUITARS

Paramore Artist Project Guitars PRO MUSIC AUSTRALIA | PROMUSICAUSTRALIA.COM | EXPECT TO PAY: VIKING - $1699 SUPER VIKING - $1899 IMPALA - $1499

Karl Hagstrom began producing accordions in Sweden in 1925. After a trip to the United States in the 1950s and an introduction to rock n’ roll, Hagstrom decided to expand his business to producing and manufacturing electric guitars. According to Hagstrom’s website, the guitars were produced with materials traditionally used for accordions, but the influence goes further. Hagstrom has found a modern market for its distinctive guitars in Swedish black metal rockers Ghost, as well as the Foo Fighters and Dweezil Zappa. More recently, Justin and Taylor York of Paramore have designed three guitars in conjunction with Hagstrom’s Artist Project series: a solid body electric and two hollow body electrics. Hagstrom’s accordions inspire the new Artist Series Impala, designed in conjunction with Taylor York. Opening the lockable Hagstrom case reveals a Copper burst solid body electric, with cast metal Hagstrom logos on the body and headstock. The Impala is a 24.75” electric that is unapologetic in its ‘60s grace and style. The guitar features a Black TUSQ teflon nut, two single coil pickups, a volume pot and six switches nestled just below the Hagstrom Vintage Tremar. The pickup switching system is honestly a little intimidating to look at, but is beautifully distinct. The six switches control on/off for neck and bridge pickups, a tone boost, mute and a bass cut, all of which comes in handy when dialling in tones. I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that the first riff I played on the Impala was ‘Misery

Business’, and it felt great for simple chords. Straight out of the case, this guitar is perfect for rhythm. However, it does feel a little rigid for lead playing or vibrato, which I think is a sign of the times. This guitar is a throwback to a time and place in history, and the resulting feel seems to be the intention of the manufacturer. The Hagstrom website explicitly states that they won’t compromise tradition, and I think this guitar does just that; it is truly uncompromising. The guitar may be pigeonholed into a thin, surfy sound, but it does this sound remarkably well through a variety of amps. The Impala offers a lot of options and is vastly more distinct than the other guitars in the Artist Project series, both of which throwback to Gibson’s famed 335 hollow body. Elsewhere, the Super Viking in Trans Brown is a tribute to Hagstrom’s Viking model. It’s a 25.5” hollow body electric with two Hagstrom humbuckers, a tune-o-matic bridge and F holes. The Hagstrom-branded tuners are a classy addition, and this guitar also features the Black TUSQ teflon nut. Leads come a little easier on this than the Impala; however, I can still feel the tension that the Impala has. This guitar is hugely resonant, which isn’t all that common for 335 copies as they usually sound and feel less hollow and more solid. The resonance of this model could easily fill the void of an acoustic guitar, as the rich and full-bodied sound is noticeably unlike any thin, hollow bodied guitar I’ve played before. Amplified, the guitar retains its body and character, but with the addition of clarity and definition

from the Hagstrom humbuckers. The Super Viking would be at home in a jazz or rockabilly band as leads feel percussive on the bridge pickup and full bodied but forward on the neck. Rolling off the tone and volume changes the texture drastically, and the guitar could easily sit back in a band or stand forward for solos. The Viking, the final member of the Artist Series, with its vintage gold top is easily my favourite of the three guitars. Again it features the Black TUSQ teflon nut, has a 24.75” scale length, and two Hagstrom humbuckers with push/pull pots. The guitar retains its resonance without sounding and feeling like an acoustic the way the Super Viking does. Noodling on the Viking is a breeze thanks to the shorter scale length, and I felt at home immediately, despite only having owned one hollow body electric in my life. The guitar is still resonant, but vastly more clear and articulate than the Super Viking. It’s great for solos and chords alike, delivering a harmonically rich chord or a lead that cuts. Amplified, the Gold Top Viking sings and has great sustain, note definition and feel. Vibrato comes easy, tuning is stable, and the push/pull coil splits and bass cut (as seen in the Impala) give it a myriad of other ways to stand out. Add some gain and you can pull a biting, bluesy tone from the Viking. Both the Viking and Super Viking take distortion well. The guitar is comfortable, inspiring, and beautiful to look at. Hagstrom and Justin York really nailed this one.

its new Artist Project series. The company has retained the look and feel of its traditional designs and history, with modern luxuries to maintain a cutting edge. The Impala is somewhat pigeon-holed, but to be fair it does what it does very well. If this guitar sounds like it’s for you, it would easily beat any competition because of its eye-catching looks, sound and pickup switching options. The larger bodied hollow Viking and Super Viking are in a league of their own, and are vastly different despite paying tribute to the same model. The Super Viking feels and sounds more vintage, handling chords well with a huge acoustic resonance, while the Viking Gold Top is your go-to for leads or intricate playing. From its beginnings in the ‘20s in Sweden, Hagstrom continues to produce instruments of quality sound and aesthetic. BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS HITS ∙ Lots of options for sound across the series ∙ Great finish and timeless aesthetic ∙ Classy tuners ∙ Whole series sound great amplified, whether clean or distorted ∙ Comfortable and inspiring to play MISSES ∙ Impala is pigeon-holed for sound ∙ Super Viking and Impala not great for leads and solos

Overall, Hagstrom has done a great job on

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PRODUCT REVIEWS AUDIO-TECHNICA

ATH-M60X Professional Monitor Headphones AUDIO-TECHNICA AUSTRALIA | AUDIO-TECHNICA.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $299 There’s no doubt that Audio-Technica has produced some classic pairs of headphones over the last forty or so years. Many of us have our favourites and have held onto certain models for years. With the success of the ATH-M50X studio headphones, it was always going to be hard for AudioTechnica to deliver a new set of cans that could stand alongside them and shine even brighter. It is for that reason that I was just a little bit excited to be able to unbox a pair of the new ATH-M60X Professional Monitor Headphones this month. I wasted no time in plugging them in and hearing what was on offer. Straight out of the box, I went for the short cable, mostly because that was packaged on top and I wanted to get these up and running right away. Once I had them in operation, it was then prudent to check and find that a longer cable and curly cable are also supplied, along with a soft leatherette carry pouch. The shorter of the cables is ideal for listening at an audio workstation or with portable audio players when you’re on the go. There’s really no need to have unnecessary lengths of cable getting in the way in these situations. With the cable installed, it was a simple matter of squeezing the cans on either

side to find the right fit. They comfortably sit atop of the head without completely covering the ears. They’re very lightweight, yet still surprisingly rugged in build. These are headphones that you can listen with for extended periods of time and not worry about any strain. Look, I don’t have to go on at length about it, but these headphones do sound pretty good. There is no absence of low frequencies, and a snappy top end and fast transient response means that all the brightness in your instruments is clearly detailed. But it’s the balance across the entire frequency response that counts. Vocals sit nicely in the mix, and all instruments can be heard clearly. The best part is that you’re able to hear the faults in the mix quite easily. Of course, you’re not going to rely on these for critical mixing, but when you do want a different point of reference, they allow you to hear a lot of what is going on in the mix. This means when you use them for the sheer enjoyment of listening, you’ll hear plenty of detail in your choice of tunes and will get the most from your music.

ears—these do not. If your eyes are a little fatigued and need some assistance, these headphones won’t clash with your glasses or cause you any issues. BY ROB GEE

And here’s something else: they are actually very comfortable to wear with glasses. Many headphones tend to pinch around the

HITS ∙ Lightweight and comfortable ∙ Extremely detailed and responsive ∙ Great for any style of music MISSES ∙ None to report here

TC ELECTRONIC

Ditto Jam X2 Looper AMBER TECHNOLOGY | AMBERTECH.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $449 Following on from the success of the original Ditto Looper, TC Electronic has expanded the line with an X4 model and a number of X2 versions, with the Ditto X2 Jam arriving as the latest of the lot. Offering streamlined looping control, the Jam has a live use focus, and not just for solo work. The live looper idea has been incorporated by many players into more involved setups and lineups, but often the drawback is the inability to lock in with a full band for groove based sounds. Ambient textures and random lines and effects are great, but it’s still pretty hard to record a riff or chord progression with a rhythm section. Even small fluctuations in tempo can put everything out as of course the looper isn’t going to change tempo with you—until now. Considered an ‘intuitive’ looper, the Ditto Jam X2 has the ability to work with a band by moving tempo. How? TC has developed BeatSense technology, which adjusts the looper to your beat/groove/ tempo. Tech-wise, the Ditto has two onboard microphones and an external microphone (that can be clipped under a snare drum, for example) that detect rhythmic elements and adjust the loop to fit. It’s fairly easy to start looping with input/output jacks on the top of the pedal, 9VDC or battery power and

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footswitches for Loop and Stop. The Level control is one of the most used with any looper, allowing you to control the volume of the section you’ve just recorded. This is made easy thanks to the sizeable knob that can easily be located on your pedalboard by hand or even by foot. As a standard, straightforward looper, the Ditto X2 Jam is great for practising, jamming ideas and creating parts. The controls are clear and easy to use, and the Loop Level dial is big and placed front and centre, meaning you can use your foot to adjust fairly easily. Unlimited loops mean you can build big soundscapes with ease, and the whole unit feels tough and seriously giggable. You can also use tap tempo in practice mode to slow down or speed up your loop—great for practising licks/arpeggios/parts and the like against a backing/loop/chord progression. Factor in the Jam BeatSense technology and you’re opening up a whole new world. Realistically, you can play and loop as you would when you jam with a drummer—you don’t have to all listen in to lock in with the loop as the loop will adjust to the drummer’s tempo, allowing for the slight ebb and flow that most musos experience. It’s a creative tool for loopers and live guys that want to extend the full band

interactivity idea, and I’m sure there’ll be plenty of interest in this little Ditto. BY NICK BROWN

HITS ∙ Opens up new looping possibilities in a band situation ∙ Also a standard looper MISSES ∙ The setup for getting the best BeatSense results may not be the most suitable for your band setup

PRODUCT REVIEWS KRK

ROKIT 5 G3 Studio Monitors JANDS | JANDS.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $249 EACH It’s been a number of years since the world was introduced to the yellow cones in the studio monitor world. These days, they almost seem commonplace as KRK has found its way in professional and home studios the world over. KRK’s incredibly popular ROKIT series, which offers an affordable range of studio monitors for rooms of every size, is now firmly settled into its third generation and continues to prove itself as a popular listening option for home studios looking for a monitoring solution for a small room and budget. This month, I revisited the ROKIT 5 studio monitors, and listened to them all over again with a fresh set of ears. It’s pretty safe to assume that everyone reading this has seen some KRK studio monitors at some point or another. They do make their presence known with their trademark yellow cones that are an undeniable mark of their tonal character. You see them in studios and video clips all over the place, and for good reason. They have a certain tonal characteristic that makes them popular with electronic music producers as well as RnB and hip-hop artists. They deliver generously on the bottom end for such a compact studio monitor. As the name suggests, the ROKIT 5 G3 has a five inch woofer married up with the one inch high frequency driver that works ideally in a nearfield monitoring environment. This

makes them ideal for home studios where space is often at a premium, and with the front ported design, you can afford to have them closer to a wall than any rear ported monitors would allow. There are many studio monitors in the four and five inch size that are often designed to be used with a subwoofer, which comes at an additional cost. While KRK does offer a range of subwoofers that work very well with the ROKIT 5 monitors, they still stand and deliver on their own. When set up with the correct spacing, they offer a great stereo sound and have a sharp transient attack to ensure you hear all that is going on in the top end of the mix right as it happens. While they can deliver perhaps too much low frequency response for their size, this is often seen as part of their charm and character and is what draws many users to the ROKIT sound. In fact, it is in this regard that the ROKIT 5 monitors stand tall on their own and don’t require the assistance of a sub in most home studio spaces. If you need a monitor speaker for a small room that delivers in volume and extended low end, then it is worth having a listen to the ROKIT 5 monitors at your local music store to hear for yourself just what they offer. BY ROB GEE

HITS ∙ Great KRK ROKIT sound ∙ Slick and funky design ∙ Ideal for home studio nearfield monitoring MISSES ∙ Heavy bottom end

STERLING BY MUSIC MAN

Axis AX3 CMC MUSIC | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $795 The Sterling by Music Man range is Ernie Ball Music Man’s answer to Epiphone and Squier: well-made instruments from a reputable company at a budget price. The Axis looks great and feels solid, but loses some points in playability, build quality and tuning. The guitar sounds great, even with stock pickups, but the edges of the frets can be a little harsh. These issues aren’t unfixable, but it’s not what you’d want straight out of the box. The Sterling Axis is a tribute to Music Man’s famous Axis model, made famous by artists such as Eddie Van Halen and Adam Levine of Maroon 5. The Sterling Axis is an Indonesian-made, 22-fret, single cutaway electric made of basswood with a Fulcrum tremolo bridge and two humbuckers. My first impression was that what you’ve paid for is exactly what you’ve got. The guitar feels solid, but isn’t as well made and finished as a higher-end Music Man. The pickups are better than what I expected for stock pickups, and the guitar holds tune fairly well, even without a locking nut. In saying that, a welcome addition would be some better quality tuners as the stock Sterling tuners don’t feel solid. I still wouldn’t go too crazy on the whammy, and I wouldn’t expect anything but a budget feel, playability and sound from this guitar. Straight out of the box, the guitar was tuned and set up fairly well. The action

felt great; however, the guitar is awkward to sit with, as the cutaway and horn make for an uncomfortable shape that doesn’t sit quite right on a thigh. It feels balanced when standing and playing, and the volume and tone are close enough for easy access without being in the way. The five-way pickup selector is also close by. The single cutaway provides easy access up the 22nd fret without having to change your hand position too much, which is a welcome change from most single-cutaway guitars. This is aided by the nicely rounded heel that the Axis features. The unfinished neck is easy to move around on and the guitar feels fast, similar to higher-end Music Man guitars. This guitar would be a great introduction to the rest of the Music Man range, as it feels similar in build and shape without the bells and whistles (and also without the piezo pickups, beautifully rounded frets and literally jaw dropping finishes, but I digress). It would be a welcome addition to any collection. Contrary to this guitar feeling like a lightweight speed machine, the stock pickups and body shape make the Axis sound like a heavier, more solid guitar. The resonance is rich without being overbearing and it’s easy to dial in a tone for rock or metal, but this wouldn’t be my go-to for blues and more soulful music. Through a few different amps, this guitar carries its own distinct sound while taking

on the character of whatever signal chain you put after it, and I like that. The guitar handles drop tunings well, as it retains clarity but adds size and feel. The sustain on the Axis is good, making chords and notes ring out beautifully whether amplified or unplugged. Even on cleaner settings the guitar sings, and chimey, bell-like cleans make the stock pickups a redeeming feature of the Sterling Axis. Overall, this guitar is what you’d expect it to be. It’s a budget guitar, so it’s never going to feel like anything but that, but it also doesn’t shy away from being a budget guitar. It’s well made, designed by a reputable company, and is a great introduction to higher-end Music Man guitars without the price tag. It feels and plays like a fast guitar, but rings out like a rock classic whether you’re playing high gain or cleaner rock, and anything in between.

When looking at the Sterling by Music Man range, what you see is what you get, and the Axis hides nothing, nor expects to be anything more than what it is. BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS HITS ∙ Great access to higher frets ∙ Unfinished neck is smooth MISSES ∙ Unstable tuning ∙ Awkward to sit with ∙ Fret edging

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PRODUCT REVIEWS YAMAHA

A Series Acoustic Guitars YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA | AU.YAMAHA.COM | EXPECT TO PAY: A1M - $849 A3M - $1249 A5M - $2399

One of the less perverted and more fascinating things the internet is responsible for is shining a light on the least explored secret aspects of human behaviour. Nowhere is this more evident than in the case of what has become known as the ‘unboxing video’. YouTube is full to bursting with countless channels produced by savvy consumers unveiling their latest purchase for eager, millionsstrong audiences who, even as remote as they are, come chomping at the bit to covet the shining, virginal newness of any given item. This seems to me a bizarre socio-cultural nuance; are we so poisoned by centuries of consumerism that our addiction feeds off any tiny iota of imagined ownership experience, or is it just that this kind of revelation is one of life’s simplest joys? I must admit that one of the perks of this job is the monthly glut of new toys I get to lay my hands on, and occasionally Lady Chance lands a real humdinger in my lap. This time around she graced me with a trio of six strings ringing with the royal treatment from Yamaha Japan’s master luthiers, the A Series of performance-focused acoustic guitars. The A Series is divided into two main streams—the mahogany family and the rosewood family—and I was at the behest of the former. All three iterations—A1M,

A3M and A5M—are comprised of a top quality Sitka spruce top bolstered by the aforementioned darkwood on the back and sides. As I’ve written about previously in relation to the ever-popular F Series, Yamaha has taken standard bracing techniques and applied lashings of science in order to produce a louder and more responsive acoustic guitar. The trusses on the top side are scalloped and pitched towards one side of the lower bout, while those across the back of the body are shallower, allowing their roof-bound coworkers to do more of the heavy lifting. The result is a much more satisfying guitar to listen to. Simply put, the sound you expect to emanate from beneath your fingers is clearer and more forthright, as if you were sat a foot closer to the troubadour wooing you. All three members of this holy trinity come equipped with Yamaha’s patented SRT pickup technology. Again, Yamaha has taken the industry standard and refined it a touch. Where a standard piezo pickup will harness vibrations behind the bridge of all six strings evenly and to the best of its ability, the SRT variation focuses its attention on each string via a separate receptor with a keen eye on the specifics of each string’s frequency range. The low end is more powerful and present, while

the higher strings chime with the bell-like quality of the upper register of a piano. In addition to this, the A3M and A5M allow you to blend in as much or as little of a classic studio mic voicing with your signal as you like, which affords you more of an individual characteristic than just the standard line out. You have a choice of Neumann KM56 small diaphragm condenser or Royer R122 active ribbon mics at the push of a button should you so desire, and the results are warm, sensitive, and rich with harmonic character that you usually lose so much of when relying on stock acoustic preamps. Too often Yamaha’s guitars, particularly their acoustics, are cruelly overlooked when mounted on the walls of guitar emporiums the world over. Often eschewed in favour of more widely proliferated Western brands, it strikes me as a crime to lump these three in with the knock-off, student guitar set if only because that is simply not the way these instruments have been crafted. In my mind, any member of the trio would be ready, willing, and able to compete for track-space with one of Taylor’s more expensive builds both in voicing and playability. Having wrestled both, my hands favoured the played-in feel of the hand rolled edges of the A Series fingerboard, away from the more modern,

offset feel of its American rival. Details like these render the A Series ultimately playable and bound to last a good few decades of affectionate ownership. One of the nicest guitars I’ve ever laid my hands on is a relatively new LL26, the jewel in Yamaha’s crown, and it is from that same cloth that the A Series is cut. From the open gear Gotoh tuners on the A5M through to the exquisite, rich colouring of the vintage lacquered finish and out to the Elixir Nanoweb 80/20 string sets they are strung up with, everything about these instruments is aimed as much at performance readiness as longevity. Leave your preconceptions at the front counter and spend some time with any of the A Series models; your fingers and ears will thank you. BY LUKE SHIELDS HITS ∙∙ Finish, tonality and craftsmanship to rival any upper echelon luthier’s finest work MISSES ∙∙ Mic-sim selection indicator and my ability to put them down

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PRODUCT REVIEWS FENDER

American Original ‘60s Jaguar FENDER AUSTRALIA | FENDER.COM.AU | RRP: $3699 Most players with a penchant for Fender find themselves in one of two camps. The first favour Leo’s early designs—the utilitarian, straight-ahead classics of the Stratocaster and Telecaster. Others, however, yearn for something different, something that stands out from the pack; an instrument that’s loveably idiosyncratic and provides a platform for experimentation or creative playing. Enter one of Fender’s most underrated instruments: the Jaguar. With Fender’s new American Original line, the company is taking the most soughtafter incarnations from ITS flagship guitars, spanning multiple decades. While the Stratocaster and Telecaster may have their archetypal glory days in the ‘50s, the Jag was a mainstay of the ‘60s. Originally adopted for surf music, over the years it found favour amongst iconic punk and grunge players who picked them up at pawn shops on the cheap. While those genres may be its primary association these days, it’s easy to forget just how versatile an instrument the Jag is. Fender has done an excellent job of retaining the historical elements of the guitar. Namely, the vintage-voiced pickups are spot on. Not as hot as you might expect, they lend themselves to crystalline picking styles and a generous supply of reverb. Full bodied and bright, in actuality they have

more of a hi-fi sound than what you might usually expect from a genuine vintage guitar. For players that want to embrace the Jag’s legendary snarl, bite and twang without sacrificing too much low end, these will go down a treat. The fact that they’re wax-potted is a satisfying nod to the instrument’s past too. A common criticism of Jaguars is that they lack resonance. However, the solid alder body of this model makes for a weighty guitar that’s loaded with a very workable amount of sustain. Pair that with a fuzz pedal—a classic counterpart for any Jaguar—and you’re in for a good time. The American Original Jag lends itself to lead playing, and you’ll find yourself wanting to use this guitar with an amp pushed hard regularly. Continuing in the vein of vintage amendments, the guitar comes in a nitrocellulose finish. The review model is a jaw-dropping shade of Surf Green, which would be our pick of the bunch. The classic Sunburst is also available, as well as a vibrant Candy Apple Red. The advantages of a nitrocellulose finish are two-fold. First, they’ll allow your instrument to age and wear with you—just like a vintage instrument would. If you plan on taking your Jag out on the road, it’ll be looking like a closet classic with a few years of constant playing. On the other hand, a nitro finish

allows the instrument to breathe as opposed to a poly finish, which in some critics’ opinions strangles the guitar’s natural tone. It’s a subtle improvement on the sound, but one that makes this Jag of a higher quality than most on the market today. As for the modern amendments, the 9.5” radius makes for an extremely playable neck. While some vintage puritans may show disdain towards this update, it’s best thought of as more of a contemporary refinement that makes an already great instrument less cumbersome for today’s player. Hardware and build quality throughout is of the highest degree, as you’d expect from a guitar at this price point. While the Jaguar’s infamous six-saddle floating tremolo arm is often cited as a bugbear for some, this model showed no signs of intonation issues. The arm was well and truly put through its paces, and for the most part, the Jag stayed well in tune. Although some players like to swap out the saddle on their Jags, you’d certainly be able to keep all parts stock on the American Original without running into any difficulties in a live setting.

The Jag tremolo sound is in a league of its own. In fact, it’s part of the reason that makes this guitar so appealing to add to your arsenal. It allows for a subtle warble—like a singer’s vibrato—but also lets you bend chords dramatically out of shape. It’s a musttry for any player interested in vintage styles. Fender’s American Original line is bound to be a success. With vintage-correct specs and modern capabilities combined, this may be one of its most popular incarnations of the Jaguar yet. Highly recommended for both players who want to get into offsets and long-term Jag fans alike. BY JAMES DI FABRIZIO

HITS ∙∙ Gorgeous finish ∙∙ Modern radius ∙∙ Workable tremolo arm MISSES ∙∙ None

MACKIE

FreePlay LIVE Portable PA Speaker AMBER TECHNOLOGY | AMBERTECH.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $799 Mackie has unveiled a number of clever designs in compact PA speakers over the last few years, stepping outside the box and changing the way in which musicians look at portable sound reinforcement. The Mackie FreePlay LIVE has arrived on my desk, and it is certainly a welcome addition to the range and one that I gave a good working out. It’s a fairly simple design, but still offers plenty of possibilities for a wide range of applications. The FreePlay LIVE is an all-in-one live audio solution for a solo or duo act. It almost has a bit of a ‘boom box’ vibe to it—for those of you who grew up in the ‘80s dragging your music down the street to the power of eight C-cell batteries, you’ll know what I mean. But gone are the bulk packs of Duracell’s as the FreePlay LIVE comes with a built-in Lithium-ion battery, so you can get mobile with recharged power instead. For those of you just wanting a great compact music player, it allows you to run an auxiliary lead in from any device or stream via Bluetooth to take your music anywhere. It’s light enough to carry around, and has no controls extending out from the housing that might be damaged in transit. Cleverly, all the volume, EQ and reverb controls are on a flat panel with slightly raised dimple buttons for adjusting your settings. Simply select the input channel and use the plus

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and minus buttons to adjust the sound. EQ presets and reverb are turned on with the press of a button, and Bluetooth pairing is quick and easy for most devices. The recessed handle is well balanced too, so you don’t have to struggle with the weight on one side of the box when carrying the unit. For those wishing to perform, there are two inputs that will take microphones or instruments on combination XLR/TRS connectors, along with a monitor out for joining other powered speakers to this device. A handy stand adaptor allows you to mount the unit onto any straight microphone stand to raise it up for performance use. With the preset EQ settings and built-in reverb, the FreePlay LIVE works wonders for guitar and vocals combined with backing tracks from the auxiliary input. There’s plenty of volume for a small café style gig or for busking should you wish. The sound is quite good too, with a decent stereo spread coming from one box and plenty of low frequency. Great for rehearsals, small gigs, busking or just listening to music at home, at the park or on your tricked out BMX with the assistance of a couple of occy straps. There’s a lot this little powered speaker can do and very little places it can’t go.

HITS ∙∙ Big sound from a compact box ∙∙ Built-in battery ∙∙ No protruding controls MISSES ∙∙ Not really

BY ROB GEE

PRODUCT REVIEWS WALDORF

Blofeld Virtual Analogue Synthesiser LINK AUDIO | LINKAUDIO.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: DESKTOP $823, KEYBOARD: $1411 It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Waldorf synthesisers. In the past I have owned the Pulse, a Microwave XT, and a Micro Q, all of which have served me well, especially when I get the urge for that thick and luscious synth-pop sound they do so well. So when the Blofeld first came out a number of years back I got my hands on one, unable to resist hearing what was on offer. I think it was to the Blofeld’s detriment that it hit the market at a low point for hardware synthesisers and as such, it almost went unnoticed for some time, attracting only the attention of Waldorf fans. But now, with the introduction of its bigger, evil brother, Blofeld is back to take over the world once again. While I am a fan of rack synthesisers for space saving, I was never really keen on the compact desktop version of the Blofeld. It just felt like it didn’t offer enough tangible control—this coming from someone who coveted his Micro Q and its strictly limited seven knobs. To get this new model with a built-in 49-note keyboard as well as pitch and modulation wheels, it now feels like a serious piece of hardware, and users don’t have to worry about running a MIDI keyboard into it. It’s a solid build in a metal housing with nice,

smooth rotary encoders and a clear, sharp screen that allows you to see exactly what is going on with your signal and sound source. This is what I, and perhaps many other users, wanted some years back with the original release of the Blofeld. This isn’t just another synthesiser that makes a few sounds and then blends in with all the others on the market. It’s a wonder, and holds so much more under the hood than you might expect. Waldorf has drawn on the engines of its Microwave II/XT and the classic PPG Wave to give you some incredible wavetable synthesis in this unit. The level of control over the waves with these features allows you to create sounds that are delightfully rich in harmonics and full of character and depth. If you’ve ever heard a Waldorf before, you will know what they are capable of. Although the Blofeld might seem compact and appear limited, it lets itself be heard in a different way. I found it hard to get past the factory preset sounds with this thing to begin with. They themselves are pretty damn funky and have plenty to offer, even before you start tweaking any parameters.

I’m glad that it has finally come around in a keyboard format. If you haven’t heard a Waldorf before, now is the time to invest in a Blofeld. BY ROB GEE

HITS ∙ Available in desktop or keyboard formats ∙ Incredible sound capabilities ∙ Solid build structure MISSES ∙ Not everyone likes these types of synths, but they should

In short, this is the follow-up to the Micro Q that I have been waiting years for, and

MARSHALL AMPLIFICATION

DSL1C Combo Amp ELECTRIC FACTORY | ELFA.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $599 Growing up, the only Marshall amps I ever saw were hefty 100 watt heads sitting atop a plethora of quad boxes. I never thought it was possible to get that classic tone in my bedroom. Who wants to buy a JCM900 only to have it sit in the corner of your room with the volume control not even on one? The answer is no one. Thankfully, Marshall has finally caught up with the modern trend of valve-driven, low wattage amps for home and rehearsal use. The classic DSL line has been reimagined and reinvigorated in 2018, with amps ranging from as little as one watt through to the 100 watt stalwarts we’re all accustomed to seeing on huge stages across the world. With this new era of DSL, it has never been easier to get the classic Marshall tone at a reasonable volume for the bedroom guitarist. I was given the baby of the range, the one watt combo amp, to review this month. On looks alone, the DSL1C is an unassuming and harmless looking amp. Simple in its engineering, but with more than enough features to fulfil your rock dreams at home. The Classic Gain channel is the cleaner of the two options, but I wouldn’t necessarily call it a clean channel. While certainly cleaner than its counterpart, it doesn’t quite give you the crystal clear tones you’re used to hearing. With that said, given that it is only a one watt amplifier, I highly

doubt an exceedingly clean tone could be obtained anyway. Where the DSL1C really shines is the Ultra Gain channel. With dedicated gain and volume controls, a three-band EQ and Tone Shift control, there are more than enough options to shape the tone you require. The amp has bucketloads of gain, so it’s perfect for all of the shredders out there that love a heavily saturated tone. Personally, I really enjoyed rolling the gain back, dialling in a lot of midrange on the EQ and channelling my inner Jimmy Page for some classic rock tones. The addition of inbuilt reverb is a lovely touch and helps give the dry, overdriven tones more room to breathe. All in all, I can’t really fault the DSL1C because it does exactly what you need it to do. It’s a one watt, valve-driven Marshall DSL that fits on a desk or in a corner with ease. It’s perfect for the bedroom guitarist, teachers who want a great sounding low wattage amp or those who want to channel their rock heroes without breaking the bank or annoying the neighbours. It’s actually quite astounding that it took Marshall this long to jump on the micro wattage train, because it feels like players have been yearning for this for decades. BY NICHOLAS SIMONSEN

HITS ∙ Classic tones at low volumes ∙ The thing is tiny MISSES ∙ Nope

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The New Yamaha P-Series PORTABLE PIANOS FOR EVERY STAGE

SMART PIANIST APP New! v2.0

P-Series gives you the dynamic, high-quality sound and natural piano touch response you

Enables intuitive control of all the functions of your P-Series portable digital piano via a smart device — free download from your app store.

expect from Yamaha — manufacturers of world class acoustic pianos for more than a century. These Yamaha hallmarks — along with a high-quality built-in stereo speaker system — are packed into a slim portable design to give you the confidence to play any stage.

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PRODUCT REVIEWS YAMAHA

DZR & DXS XLF Powered Speakers and Subwoofers YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA | AU.YAMAHA.COM | ENQUIRE FOR PRICING

It’s been a number of years since the team at Yamaha introduced a new PA speaker, or range of speakers, with the previous three levels certainly suiting most needs. However, they have certainly recognised an area for the premium speaker system in their range to receive an upgrade and have more than delivered with the DZR speakers and DXS XLF subwoofers. This is sound reinforcement for the serious. You not only get solid build, but volume and clarity all in one. I can honestly say I raised a smile when I first heard these speakers, especially when they were given some gas. The main focus of your sound is of course with your front of house powered speakers. They need to deliver with or without the aid of a subwoofer and that is exactly what the DZR range does. With four speaker options available, there is something suitable for any setup. Whether you’re a serious musician looking for the ultimate in portable PA or you’re a venue owner wanting hassle-free quality in installation audio, these speakers are going to get you excited. They start with the smallest, the DZR10, which will be popular for the more portable setups, but doesn’t leave you wanting much more. These speakers deliver a powerful 137dB SPL, so you’ll be getting asked to turn them down before you want to turn them up. From there, the DZR12 offers an

extended lower mid-range and an even fuller sound. As to be expected, the DZR15 goes even further on the low frequency response while delivering up to 139dB SPL. All of these speakers sound fantastic by themselves. They are clear, punchy and don’t have that typical ‘hi-fi’ sound that many modern D-Class power amps can suffer from. Best of all, they don’t sound brittle when the volume is pushed. All the speakers in the range retain their clarity at higher volumes, with the top end staying tight without becoming shrill. They just love operating at high SPLs. Of course, this is a fairly standard offering from Yamaha with those three sizes on offer. The real standout in the DZR range is the DZR315, a new design that sees a 2” high frequency driver married up with 8” mid frequency and 15” low frequency drivers for a real wall of sound in one box. These things dish out an incredible 143dB SPL and thrive on the higher end of that range. You will be asked to turn these guys down, that’s for sure. The overall effect is like having the DZR10 and DZR15 stacked on top of each other, but it all comes in a single solid housing. On top of all these, each model is available in a Dante enabled version to allow for greater networking and DSP control over large setups. There are two models of subwoofers in the range, along with their Dante enabled

counterparts to complete the offering. The two options are the DXS15XLF and the DXS18XLF, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that we are talking about 15” and 18” models respectively here. They both house the same power amp and are cable of delivering the same SPL, but the DXS18XLF offers a slightly lower frequency response in a larger casing. It’s really a matter of matching the subwoofer to suit the other boxes you are using. If space or weight isn’t an issue, the 18” is the obvious choice for sheer flexibility in frequency response. But these are not just simple afterthoughts to add value to a speaker range. Yamaha has gone above and beyond with the design of these boxes and created a truly incredible feature in these subwoofers— directional bass. Yes, you can actually achieve a cardioid pattern to your bass delivery with a pair of these subs stacked on top of each other. When set up correctly, they use a clever phase alignment concept that cancels the sound from the rear of the stack and pushes it out towards the front. The result is quite unbelievable and really becomes evident as you walk around the stack hearing how the response changes. Of course, you don’t get the full volume that two subs facing forward would offer, as there is some cancellation involved to achieve the directional sound, but it still offers more air movement than the

single sub alone and allows you to send it out into the audience and keep the low frequencies off the stage. This is a real breakthrough in subwoofer design and an absolute standout feature in this range that is unlike any I have heard before. The DZR and DXS XLF series of powered loudspeakers and subwoofers offers a new level of audio reproduction that eclipses anything I have heard from Yamaha to date. These speakers are amazing, and while they come with a serious price tag and some hefty weight in the boxes, you understand why when you hear them. If you’re serious about your live sound, you really should listen to some of these speakers and ask yourself just what it is that you have been missing. BY ROB GEE HITS ∙∙ Incredible sound quality ∙∙ Huge volume capabilities ∙∙ Amazing directional bass control MISSES ∙∙ Heavy boxes

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PRODUCT REVIEWS MARKBASS

Marcus Miller 102 Bass Cab CMC MUSIC | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $1550 Having played with everyone from Miles Davis to Herbie Hancock to Luther Vandross, Marcus Miller is perhaps one of the best known bass players of our time. Hugely influential as a performer and composer, his grooves, technique and improvisational skills have long kept him at the top of game. Markbass has made a habit of building relationships with serious players, so it’s not completely surprising that Miller has joined their stable of users. Even more than just joining their roster, Markbass has developed a line of signature products for the bass supremo, including heads and cabinets. We saw the Little Marcus amp a few months back, and now we have the 102 Bass Cab in our hands. With Marcus Miller now an official member of the Markbass family, the company is adding to his signature range with a 2x10 cab intended for use as a smaller pro-sounding rig. This could either be as a standalone cab or as part of a modular setup. Coming in the standard Markbass black carpetstyled covering, the 102 features two 10” neodymium drivers and a 1” voice coil tweeter to add high end punch and clarity to your playing. Rated at 400 watts RMS, the cab also has rear porting (like much of the Markbass range) for added low end.

of the ability to use the 102 in either a standard vertical position or as a floor monitor. The cab is relatively lightweight (one of Markbass’ initial design features) and comes in under 20kgs—pretty darn manageable for most players, and easy to manoeuvre in and out of the car/gigs/ rehearsal and the like. As a standalone, the 102 can handle plenty of low end, and the combination of the two 10” speakers and 1” tweeter provide a clear, punchy tone that works for slap, fingers and pick work. Markbass’ reflex port design is typically big and warm, and this Miller cab is no different. The angled design is actually a nice option, especially for gigging guys that need the flexibility of extra monitoring. I’d think many players would still want to use the cab in a typical vertical position, but the option is there (and if you’re lucky enough to have multiple cabs, you could split your rig as needed). Markbass gear really seems to be built to last. Mark and Marcus—seems like a pretty good setup. BY NICK BROWN

HITS ∙ Smaller cab size that can still handle big gigs ∙ Angled design offers flexibility MISSES ∙ Angled cab may not be for everyone

The interesting part of the design is the angled cab shape. Miller himself speaks

PRESONUS

Studio 26 USB Interface LINK AUDIO | LINKAUDIO.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $352 PreSonus offers a range of products to cater for different needs, but the esteemed company is mostly known for its audio interfaces—in particular, the AudioBox. PreSonus has taken the simplicity of that unit and delivered a new audio solution offering quality sound and a very workable hardware interface that will certainly feel right at home with compact recording setups looking for style and sound quality. The Studio 26 USB is here to offer that little bit extra in the same compact housing. At first glance, this may appear to be just another AudioBox as it is pretty similar in specification to many previous models. But a closer glance at the details makes you realise that the Studio 26 USB carries a better fit-out and clever design that addresses many of the features that were lacking in the AudioBox. Rest assured, you still receive two high quality PreSonus XMMAX-L microphone preamps that offer plenty of headroom and a crystal clear audio signal into your DAW. If you don’t have a DAW, PreSonus has included its Studio One Artist software to get you going right out of the box. Working with these preamps before you get to the software is a breeze with the new hardware, as the front panel LED monitoring makes it easy to keep track of what’s happening with your signal.

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There are two separate LED meters, one showing input level and the other your main output level. This allows you to keep a visual guide of your gain on the way in before overloading your A/D converters and hitting that unfortunate digital clipping realm. Phantom power, line level selection, A/B headphone and monitoring selection options are available on the front panel too, in addition to a headphone volume control that goes to 11, for those that are going deaf. It’s a clean layout and one that makes it easy to know what’s going on both in and out. On the rear panel you’ll find a MIDI in and output for connecting keyboards and other devices. It’s good to see that the old faithful five-pin DIN plug has not been retired just yet. On the output side of things, you get a stereo headphone out along with two pairs of mono outputs for monitor speakers or other hardware. This is ideal for those of you with two pairs of monitors in your home recording setup. It used to seem like a bit of a stretch to expect that, but so many of us are now using two pairs of monitors for a better reference, so it’s ideal to have an interface that allows you to run more than one stereo output beyond the headphones. In all, this is a solid little interface that offers an ease of use and range of I/O that makes it ideal for the modern home

recording setup. The hardware itself is tough as guts and the supporting software has plenty to offer if you are yet to decide on a software platform to work with. Upgrading to the full version of PreSonus’ Studio One software is simple too, when you decide to unlock additional features and greater workflow. BY ROB GEE

HITS ∙ Sturdy, yet compact housing ∙ Great quality mic preamps ∙ Straightforward front panel monitoring ∙ Added outputs for outboard or additional monitors MISSES ∙ None

PRODUCT REVIEWS T-REX EFFECTS

SoulMate MultiEffects Pedal AMBER TECHNOLOGY | AMBERTECH.COM.AU EXPECT TO PAY: $999 In true guitar fashion, everything seems to go round in stages. Trends and fashions come and go only to resurface years later. Pedals have somewhat followed this path too. With stompboxes being the go-to for many years, rack and multi-effects units soon enjoyed some time in the sun before the focus returned to pedals for much of recent times. Modelers, smaller units and digital gear have all enjoyed success of late, and the multi-effects unit has also seemed to reappear. A few issues ago we played the T-Rex Soulmate Acoustic, which offered an all-in-one effects unit for both gigging and the home, alleviating the need for multiple pedals, messy boards and monster effects rigs. Similarly, the SoulMate offers plenty of options for the electric guitarist. T-Rex has opted for five effects geared towards the electric player in this iteration of the SoulMate—Overdrive, Distortion, Delay, Reverb and Boost. Essentially offering five effects in a row, each effect section has a selection of typical controls with an on/off switch at the bottom. Further switches for Bank, Live and Tap are located at the far right of the faceplate, with the whole unit feeling rock solid. On the back panel there’s I/O for input, stereo outputs and an effects loop.

OD is quite organic, giving you slight breakup through to creamier dirt, while the distortion takes you to the next levels of gain—good for rock, metal and more saturated sounds. I really dug the delay section too, with the chorus adding some mod to your repeats for vintage/analogue tones. The notion of an all-in-one electric rig definitely has merit, especially from a respected brand such as T-Rex. It’s ideal for practising, jamming, a quick throw in the car rig and can even be used as your main rig. The SoulMate has a good range of usable effects that really do cover the basics for most gigging guitarists. It should be noted that these effects are based on some of T-Rex’s more revered pedals, such as the Moller, Mudhoney, Replica and Room-Mate. For those of you trying to work out the cost-benefit maths at home, those

single pedals alone might set you back the whole price of the SoulMate. Factor in the all-in-one design, onboard tuner and option for presets and you might be thinking the SoulMate is the solution for you. Yes, some people will miss modulation and perhaps prefer that to boost, but it’s impossible to please everyone. The Effects Loop gives you the option to integrate other pedals into the SoulMate setup with ease. It’s easy to flick between Live and Preset modes, and the whole unit seems to operate quietly and smoothly. Points also for the included carry/gig bag and power supply. A multi-effect that can be your all-in-one go-to or integrated with pedals and bigger rigs.

HITS ∙ All-in-one, user-friendly unit ∙ Good tones based on some classic T-Rex pedals MISSES ∙ Some players may miss modulation

BY NICK BROWN

IZOTOPE

Ozone 8 Advanced ELECTRIC FACTORY | ELFA.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $419 iZotope has again proven its commitment to delivering exceptional quality audio mixing and mastering tools that don’t require a degree to operate and won’t leave you crying poor either. Ozone 8 Advanced is the most up to date collection of mastering tools from iZotope, and for a limited time it’s being offered at a very competitive price through local dealers. If you want that final polished cut to your audio production, to ensure it will work with a range of media and platforms, this is a plugin package that you simply must take a look at. Better still, have a listen and your ears will tell you what you need to know. Ozone 8 is available in three bundle sizes, but this month I was lucky enough to give the whole lot a test drive in Ozone 8 Advanced. This package features 12 different mastering tools, all designed to work with you both visually and aurally so you can control your sound in a way that works best for you. A handy feature is the A/B track referencing, which allows you to load up to ten tracks into Ozone for cross reference listening. This enables you to analyse sections of another track from the album you’re working on or a completely different track—already mastered—in a similar genre and compare how it fits against your master. Ozone then helps you bring the two closer together for a better

result. This is how all the tools in Ozone are designed to work—you don’t have to be an expert mastering engineer, you just need a pair of eyes and ears and the time to apply some simple processes to get the most from your music. With so much going on in this new release, I thought it best to just focus on some of the main updates and additions to Ozone. The Tonal Balance plugin is a new step forward that looks at the overall EQ shape and sound of your mix, comparing it to a range of tracks and genre reference points from a database of musical styles to see how your tracks fit in with industry standards. This then breaks down into several sections of EQ stages, using the included EQ plugins within the Ozone bundle to bring your sound in line with the competition. Of course, I couldn’t write this review without mentioning the Maximizer, a feature that has been around in Ozone for some time and still gets me excited every time I open it up. Maximizer now has a couple of extra modes for more modern styles of music to allow even more squeezing of your sound without unwanted pumping. You can get the most out of every dynamic level in your track without it hitting the ceiling, gently pushing all your voices into the realm of kick drum

subtlety. Maximizer allows you to slam your dynamic range until there is nothing left, or delicately increase the overall volume a touch, depending on your intended audience. It’s one plugin that I just love to abuse and I’m sure you’ll all enjoy it too, along with all the other offerings in this comprehensive mastering suite. BY ROB GEE

HITS ∙ Intelligent solutions for mastering any genre ∙ Easy application of processes ∙ Awesome sound results ∙ Maximizer – it’s a hit all on its own MISSES ∙ Reduced price won’t last long

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PRODUCT REVIEWS JVB STRINGS

Polymer Coated Electric Guitar Strings JVB STRINGS | JVBSTRINGS.COM | EXPECT TO PAY: $17.99 If you’re like the majority of the music world, there’s a good chance you’ve been buying the same type of strings for your beloved instrument since you were a sweaty teenager spending hours shredding away in high school. Whether they’re the factory standards that came with your instrument out of the box or a meticulous and financially devastating result of trial and error, we quickly grow attached to our favourite strings. Sooner or later, anything else starts to feel and sound alien to your loyal ears and fingers. For me, playing without my preferred gauge of D’Addario’s makes me feel as out of place as GG Allin on the set of Play School. Naturally, I was incredibly apprehensive about the prospect of defiling my fretboard with another brand of strings. JVB, however, are no chumps when it comes to the craft of great guitar strings. Since 1987, the US-made, locally-distributed strings have donned the fretboards of everyone from Tommy Emmanuel to The Waifs, becoming a go-to for reliable tone in the world of Australian rock. Despite hearing good things about the brand, my heart did leap in my chest as I opened the packet and noticed the set of JVB’s in question were polymer coated—a controversial concept in the world of strings which is commonly

derided by pedigree guitarists. While polymer strings are designed to stay in tune and retain their ‘new’ sound for much longer than their bronzed counterparts, many argue that their microscopic layer of plastic coating sucks away at your guitar’s tone and sustain, creating a stark divide in the world of guitar and harrowing away at my own soul as I threaded the E string through my first tuning peg. With my anxieties brimming over as I tuned to pitch and snipped away at the loose string ends, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that these strings didn’t feel too alien beneath my fingertips. In fact, they actually felt pretty good. The light coat of polymer, which definitely feels more noticeable on the higher strings, felt nowhere near as artificial as I expected, and bending the strings right up the neck was an absolute breeze. Despite my low expectations, the new set of JVB’s actually resonated incredibly well and produced a fantastic acoustic sound. I love practising on unamplified electric guitars, and these strings really did make my fretboard sing. Plugged in, the JVB’s were incredibly snappy and responsive, and I found that I particularly enjoyed playing some jagged funk riffs and chicken-picked figures, which

often sound a bit clunky on standard strings. What impressed me most, however, was the incredible stability of this set of strings, even after enduring extensive abuse from my heavy use of the whammy bar. If you’re a heavy string hitter seeking stable tuning from your guitar under performance conditions, these strings are the way to go. Of course, straying from familiarity is always a bit of a plunge into the deep end and some coated strings definitely have a bad rap in the industry, but personally, I really enjoyed the JVB experience. If you’re chasing a solution to going wildly out of tune onstage or you’re a hobbyist on a

budget who doesn’t like changing strings every other month for a decent tone, JVB Polymer Coated strings seem to be the solution to the deepest of all your woes. BY WILL BREWSTER HITS ∙ Snappy tone ∙ Enhanced tuning stability MISSES ∙ Polymer coated strings aren’t for everyone

FENDER

Bassbreaker 45 and 18/30 Combo Amps FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA | FENDER.COM.AU | RRP: 45 - $2799 18/30 - $1999 The way I see it, being a household name has got to be more trouble than it’s worth. Leo Fender, the progenitor of modern musical instruments, must not have slept for decades trying to keep his beloved script logo from being eclipsed by any number of upstarts nipping at his heels, poor fella. Fender has consistently stayed ahead of the pack not only by building time-tested classics, but also by using these as springboards for new and improved versions of holy tonality. For many, the be all and end all of ear candy is the behemoth Bassman that has graced stages since almost forever. It is from this well that its direct descendants, the Bassbreaker Series of amplifiers, spring. The 45 watt flagship of this range does well to respectfully tip its hat to its grandfather without resting too heavily on familial laurels. With all the bell-like, rounded clean tone of the ’59 Bassman as its weapon of choice, it harnesses the grunt of two EL34 for gristly, searing British break-up. Dial the output power all the way back to 1 watt using the Output knob and you have a super versatile variant more than worthy of its lineage. The 18/30 surprisingly enough tells a similar story in a much more nuanced and

interesting way. The higher output 30 watt channel is as faithful a rendition of the Bassman as the 45, but with the lower power affording you more headroom and not driving the Celestion V-type speakers quite so hard. Those glorious, glassy overtones sing an even sweeter song and adore the slightest hint of overdriven juice, pushing your mids to ecstasy. Switch over to the 18 watt channel, whose circuitry is based on the lesser known ‘60s brown-face build, and the roof falls in on all of that headroom. Here you have a ton of hotter-than-hell tube compression for a tighter, warmer and more boutique voicing. The combination of these two distinct and unique channels makes for one of the most flexible and original sounding new amplifier designs I’ve come across in a very long time. On top of all that, the Bassbreaker series are workhorse builds through and through. The soaring ceiling in the clean sound of these amps means they have more than enough room to move where pedals are concerned. In fact, where the Bassman would act as a foundation upon which you build a sound house, these amps play alongside your favourite stompboxes in a much more cooperative way that rivals Supro circuits in its honesty and capacity for heavy lifting.

I haven’t heard a dialed down OCD sound so widescreen as I did when I tried it into a Bassbreaker, and I can only imagine how they would handle things like POGs, organ simulators and the like. Headroom in spades, harmonically rich and driven as a hungry dog, these amps are not only made to be played but also to be played with. They are exploratory in nature and limited only by the imagination of the person dialing them in. The dark grey lacquered tweed covering the birch housing of these amps, and their faithful 2x12 extension cabinet, is sure to become

as recognisable as the hacked up black tolex of the original. BY LUKE SHIELDS HITS ∙ Incredibly clean with headroom for days ∙ More sweet spots than you can poke a stick at with searing ∙ Tube break-up on tap MISSES ∙ None

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PRODUCT REVIEWS T-REX EFFECTS

Replicator Tape Echo AMBER TECHNOLOGY | AMBERTECH.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $1599 For many players, the idea of playing through a genuine tape echo device sits high upon their gear bucket list. But with lofty dreams often comes a prohibitive reality. In other words, even if you’re going to get your mitts on an original Echoplex or Space Echo, the price tag is going to set you back more than a few pretty pennies. And even then, expect to shell out some hefty upkeep and restoration fees to keep it in tip top order. Enter: the T-Rex Replicator Analogue Tape Echo, bringing a genuine tape echo experience to the masses with a contemporary edge for the modern gigging musician. 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 slapback echoes of the ‘50s to immersive psych effects, this will have you covered. For lovers of ‘50s slapback—which is straight-up one of the most desirable guitar tones of all time—the Replicator will bring you as close as you can get to the original sound. While there’s no shortage of digital tape echo effects on the market these days, there really isn’t any substitute for the natural wow and flutter that genuine tape

has. It has a depth and unpredictability that modern effects can come close to, admittedly, but never truly recreate. It’s the type of sound that will fatten up your leads, round out your rhythm tone, and add an extremely subtle chorus effect to your tone—a sound so lush that it’s worth the price of admission alone. 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. As far as build quality, this is a weighty and large unit, 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. There’s nothing quite like playing through a genuine tape echo unit. While vintage puritans may shake their head at this contemporary iteration, the Replicator really does harness the best of both the present and the past. It’s the sound you’ve heard on countless classic recordings. Hell, it’s the sound you’ve heard in your

head that you’re yearning to recreate. The Replicator is your answer. 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.

HITS ∙∙ Lush tones that you could only get from a genuine tape echo MISSES ∙∙ Price point isn’t for everyone

BY JAMES DI FABRIZIO

MOOG

Grandmother Semi-Modular Analogue Synthesiser INNOVATIVE MUSIC | INNOVATIVEMUSIC.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $1499 Every now and then, the creative geniuses at Moog Music really get it right. Yes, pretty much every instrument they have ever released is on my wish list, but there are some standout models that simply capture everyone’s attention. I remember when the Little Phatty came out some years back and you couldn’t even sell your grandmother for one in the first six months because they were that popular. It seems fitting that Moog has now released a new semi-modular synth that is again set to be the most popular keyboard on the market, the Grandmother. Based on the classic Moog modular synth system, the Grandmother takes a number of modular elements and hardwires them into one frame with a 32-note keyboard and some funky colour co-ordination so that no other synth on the market looks or sounds quite like it. The beauty of the Grandmother is that you don’t need to think ‘modular’ to operate it—don’t get in a panic thinking you’ll need a degree in physics to understand how to pull a sound out of this device. It wants to be heard and makes it easy for you to do so, but has the added advantage of being able to change the signal path within the unit via the modular patching

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functions. There are two oscillators, an arpeggiator, modulation, filter, envelope, and even a spring reverb tank to name just some of the sections found wired logically to the output. With 41 patch points, you can get into the heart of the Grandmother and really let your creativity go wild. The Grandmother allows you to patch into the signal path at any point, ensuring it also becomes a great tool for working without synths as well. Combined with the Mother-32 it becomes a handy keyboard to the rack unit and can allow you access to those classic Moog filters for use with other synths when you just want to add it as an effect. Some of the sounds you get from the Grandmother are sweet, dreamy soundscapes, while others venture into the realm of visceral distortion. For all of you going through a Synthwave moment, like so many of us are, the Grandmother’s arpeggiator allows for some beautiful dreamscape sequences that could be the base for any great hit.

question is: Have you got yours on order yet? These guys are going to be in demand right from the start, so don’t mess around. You need to hear a Moog Grandmother to understand what it is capable of and how easy it is to work with. When you hear one, you will need to take it home. BY ROB GEE

HITS ∙∙ Incredible Moog sound ∙∙ Easy layout and control ∙∙ Modular ability means greater scope for creativity MISSES ∙∙ None

For performance, recording and sound design, you really are going to love working with this synth. It is, for me, the coolest device Moog has come up with since the Little Phatty, and I’m sure it’s going to be even more popular than that was. The big

PRODUCT REVIEWS AUDIO-TECHNICA

AT4033a Cardioid Condenser Microphone AUDIO-TECHNICA AUSTRALIA | AUDIO-TECHNICA.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $599 Audio-Technica has a large stable of microphones to suit just about every need. When it comes to large diaphragm condenser microphones, their expert team has worked hard over the years to deliver microphones to suit every price point, from a first microphone right up to a professional studio centrepiece. This is why you know before even hearing one of their microphones that you’ll get excellent quality within the price point. When it comes to the AT4033a, you soon realise that this is a standout capsule for the price. There are very few microphones that offer what the AT4033a does for under $1000, and this guy does it at a price quite below that. There are always plenty of claims about flat frequency responses and clarity of sound when reading the technical specifications of any microphone. The real answers are found when listening to the device itself and recognising what can and can’t be heard with your own ears. This certainly doesn’t offer a flat frequency response, and that’s where the AT4033a gets much of its charm and character. It certainly has a smooth, clean sound, but there is a distinct increase in the presence somewhere around 2kHz and above. What this results in is a

brittle top end that captures a lot of the liveliness of acoustic instruments that can often be left behind by ‘warmer’ sounding microphones. It really is an excellent microphone for use with acoustic guitars and banjos, both of which come to life with the AT4033a. But it works well with guitar amps too, when set back at a short distance, revealing a lot of the speaker’s character in the sound. You’d also find the AT4033a at home in most studio recording applications. Percussion, pianos, wind instruments and vocals all find a certain place in the mix with this microphone that they may not achieve with others. Of course, a good microphone needs a good setup. Being a fairly low noise, transformerless design, the included AT8449a shock mount is a welcome accessory to ensure the microphone is securely isolated from unwanted vibrations. This lightweight cradle has a clever design that sees the microphone held in place by eight rubber fine feet around the base to ensure a secure hold with minimal contact to the microphone housing. With a microphone as versatile and clear as the AT4033a, you’ll want to keep it set up in the home studio on its stand most of the

time. To allow easy access for continual use, there is a small pouch to place over the unit to keep it free from dust and moisture when you don’t want to pack it down. This is a great option as a first microphone for the home studio seeking clarity and consistency. At the same time, it makes a great addition to any microphone collection that is looking to add a little liveliness to the possibilities on hand.

HITS ∙ Clear, low noise audio capture ∙ Bright, lively top end ∙ Excellent suspension cradle design MISSES ∙ A little brittle with some vocals

BY ROB GEE

NEKTAR

Panorama T4 MIDI Controller Keyboard SOUND & MUSIC | SOUND-MUSIC.COM EXPECT TO PAY: 49 NOTE - $519 61 NOTE $629 When Nektar first released its Panorama P4 MIDI keyboard a few years ago, I was really impressed with what it offered at the time. For those of you who remember its release, the P4 was solely designed for use with Reason and offered deep integration with the software that other MIDI keyboards didn’t. It was a groundbreaking release, and being a Reason user, amongst other platforms, it certainly ticked all the boxes for me and many others. The product has since grown to add Cubase and other platforms for the P4, and now I’m privy to one of the first units of the newest incarnation of this keyboard in the Panorama T4. Gone is the slick white fascia—the T4 now sports a menacing black casing and a range of new features and integration abilities. Those of you who owned or had the chance to play a P4 will no doubt remember the curved case design that saw the keys at either end seemingly climbing out of the box. That same look and feel is still there in the T4, and the great key bed with a firm, yet springy synth action is very much a part of it. The keys are, along with the

eight pressure pads, velocity sensitive and feature after touch. There are nine faders, eight knobs and a host of buttons for assignment or standard control features. Some new additions include the Pad Repeat and Key Repeat buttons on the left of the unit above the Pitch and Mod wheels. When these are engaged, the following key or pad that is pressed will repeat until the button is released, adding a cool new element to performances. You can set the rate of the repeats and even add some swing to them for a more lively performance. This is just one of the new features found in the T4. Also of note is the chord function that allows you to enter a learn stage and set a specific chord, which can then be played back with just a single note or pad press. Of course, the real pot of gold at the end

of the rainbow is the T4’s integration with your DAW. Nektar has come a long way since the original Reason integration, with most major DAW platforms compatible with the keyboard and the Nektarine host platform allowing for VST and audio unit plugins to be controlled by the T4. This means less looking at the computer and less use of the mouse when you’re all set up and mapped to your chosen DAW and plugins. Information from the software you’re controlling comes up on the Panorama’s screen, so you can see what you’re controlling and browse through banks and presets right from the keyboard. It almost makes it feel like you’re using a digital synth with an extremely powerful engine under the hood.

greatly appreciated by a wider user group looking for better control and integration than what most MIDI keyboards can offer. BY ROB GEE HITS ∙ Deep integration with your DAW ∙ Nektarine plugin control ∙ Great look and feel MISSES ∙ I wasn’t a fan of the fader motion

In all, this is a great advance from the previous model and one that I think will be

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