Mixdown Magazine #304

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#304 –AUGUST 2019

MADE BY MUSICIANS FOR MUSICIANS

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SLIP KNO T WE YOU R KIN ARE NO T D VIN BLAC YL K DIA HEN M O DRIX N FOU D JIMI STRIN NDATION GS

INTERVIEWS — Devin Townsend, WAAX, Holy Holy, Killswitch Engage + more

REVIEWED — Fender Vintera Guitars, Ernie Ball Axis Capo, Black Diamond Hendrix Strings,

Paul Reed Smith Santana SE, Apogee Quartet, Adam T Series Monitors, Warwick Thumb Bass + more

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CONTENTS 8 10 11 12 16 18 19 20 21 22 23 28 29 30 44 46

Giveaways Industry News Music News Product News Cover Story: Slipknot Apocalyptica Jacob Collier Joe Bonamassa Killswitch Engage Violent Femmes Devin Townsend Holy Holy Features Musicology Guitar Bass Product Reviews Directory Five Albums

Slipknot PG.16

Foreword Let’s be honest, Slipknot absolutely and utterly changed the game. Every album in their discography has left a distinct mark on the metal world and We Are Not Your Kind is no exception. Anxious, haunting and ferocious, We Are Not Your Kind covers all of the familiar Slipknot bases whilst also breaking new ground. It’s a privilege to have these legends on the cover this month and we’re all very eager to see them back on Australian soil in October. As always, we’ve packed Mixdown full of gear news, reviews and a tonne of features to dive into. The fun never stops. Thanks for reading!

/MIXDOWNMAGAZINE

@MIXDOWNMAGAZINE @MIXDOWNMAGAZINE MIXDOWNMAG.COM.AU

Devin Townsend

Jacob Collier

PG. 21

PG. 18

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

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NICHOLAS SIMONSEN - EDITOR

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BY MUS ICIA

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#302 –

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#301 –

JUNE 2019

APRIL 2019

MAY 2019

MADE BY MUSICIANS, FOR MUSICIANS STREET AND ONLINE DATE: WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 4 AD BOOKING DEADLINE: MONDAY AUGUST 26 EDITORIAL DEADLINE: TUESDAY AUGUST 27 ARTWORK DEADLINE: WEDNESDAY AUGUST 28 For more information on Mixdown Magazine contact us at: (03) 9428 3600 or email nicholas@furstmedia.com.au

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PUBLISHER Furst Media Mycelium Studios Factory 1/10-12 Moreland Road East Brunswick VIC 3057 (03) 9428 3600

ONLINE EDITOR Will Brewster will@furstmedia.com.au

MANAGING DIRECTOR Patrick Carr patrick@furstmedia.com.au

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EDITOR Nicholas Simonsen nicholas@furstmedia.com.au

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CONTRIBUTORS Rob Gee, Christie Elizer, Nick Brown, David James Young, Adrian Violi, Michael Cusack, Augustus Welby, Luke Shields, Alex Watts, Aaron Streatfeild, James Di Fabrizio, Adam Norris, Alex Winter,

Jessica Over, Eddy Lim, Lewis NokeEdwards, Josh Martin, Taylor Douglas, Ben Eizenberg, Natalie Rogers

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GIVEAWAYS

Slipknot We Are Not Your Kind Vinyl We Are Not Your Kind is the ferocious new album from legendary metal stalwarts Slipknot. This bold new chapter in the Slipknot legacy sees the band dive into new territory whilst retaining all the classic Knot character we know and love. Thanks to our friends at Roadrunner Records, we have a copy of the album on vinyl to giveaway.

Last Month’s Giveaway Winners Thy Art Is Murder Human Target Vinyl Human Target is the fifth full length album from leading extreme metal band Thy Art Is Murder. Jam packed full of fast paced brutality, it’s likely to be on any metalhead’s top records of 2019 list. We have a copy of the record on a killer beer with black splatter vinyl to giveaway thanks to our friends at Human Warfare and the winner is: Kadence from Yarraville, VIC

Ernie Ball Slinky Strings Giveaway Since the 1960’s, Ernie Ball have been producing some of the finest guitar strings that have been used by almost every legendary player to hit the stage around the world. They recently announced the release of three new sets, the Mega, Primo and Mammoth Slinky sets.

Thanks to our friends at CMC Music, we have a few bundles of the sets to giveaway and the winner is:

Black Diamond Jimi Hendrix Foundation Strings

Pauly from Sydney, NSW

Black Diamond Strings recently announced their partnership with Jimi Hendrix Foundation’s “Music For Life” Program and the release of three signature sets of strings correlating to three iconic Hendrix performances. Thanks to our friends at JVB Strings, we have two bundles of the sets to giveaway.

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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INDUSTRY NEWS Dean Lewis joins the ‘Billion’ club Dean Lewis received a plaque from APRA AMCOS for joining a very exclusive Australian club – achieving a billion global streams for his hit ‘Be Alright’. The song has gone multi-platinum in eight countries (including 7x in Australia), silver in the UK, and platinum in the US. At the APRA awards in April, Lewis and co-writer Jon Hume were acknowledged for the song’s global achievements while Lewis picked up the Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year category.

The Billion List plaque was presented to him by chief executive Dean Ormston.

Lewis is the second APRA AMCOS member to be named to The List, after Nat Dunn, who was recently acknowledged for co-writing the Marshmello hit ‘FRIENDS’.

The presentation was held at APRA AMCOS’s Sydney HQ just before Lewis flew back to the US for Lollapalooza and an extensive tour after his Splendour set.

Lewis specifically thanked Specific Music’s Leonie Conley and Robert Conley who signed him after being handed a demo of his songs on a music industry boat cruise. “They took a chance on me, and I was lucky with my career to fall into the right hands,” he said.

Push for more Indigenous content on triple j

Gibson gives Oberheim his name back

With a greater amount of national exposure for First Nation artists, especially in the wake of the launch last year of the Indigenous weekly charts, a push has begun to increase that profile on triple j because it would be the most sympathetic to do so.

A Change.org petition has been launched to introduce an Indigenous content quota, a regular show dedicated to Indigenous music, and an all-Indigenous advisory for First Nations content. The campaign is spearheaded by rapper and producer and Larrakia man Jimblah (aka James Arthur).

With 1,402 names signing on in the first weeks of its launch, we can only hope triple j takes note sooner rather than later.

30 years after guitar maker Gibson bought the legendary Oberheim synthesiser brand, it has sold it back to its founder Tom Oberheim.

He founded Oberheim Electronics in 1969, and set it up as a pioneer of synthesisers with such models as OB-8, the OB-X and the SEM. The company ran into financial problems, which led to Gibson’s buy-out.

Vanda & Young Songwriting winners

Gibson has had its own financial woes, after an ambitious but ill-fated move by former CEO Henry Juszkiewicz to rebrand the company as a “music lifestyle’ brand.

Players didn’t take to the new direction, and Gibson fell into bankruptcy. Current CEO James “JC” Curleigh, who’s been steadying the ship by returning to “core” business, made the decision when he ran into Oberheim at this year’s NAMM.

The 2019 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition awarded the top prize to songwriters Matt Corby and Dann Hume for their song ‘Miracle Love.’ Courtesy of APRA AMCOS, Alberts and BMG, the pair shared in a $50,000 cash prize.

Oberheim said, “After over thirty years of being without it, I am thrilled to once again be able to use the Oberheim trademark for my products. I am very grateful to the new leadership team of Gibson for making this possible.”

Hume said, “This song was a special one for Matt and I, one of the first songs we wrote together after a few years between his albums. No idea what would come, when it was finished it felt like it had always existed and we just happen to find it buried in the backyard studio of his house.”

The second prize of $10,000 (from Australasian Music Publishers Association or AMPAL) went to Grammy-nominated, LA-based Melbourne born Sarah Aarons for her entry ‘The Middle,’ a worldwide smash by Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey.

Third place ($5,000 from Aon) was Brisbane’s Sahara Beck with ‘Here We Go Again’ which the award-winning independent artist wrote with producer Tony Buchen.

Support Act launches Wellbeing Helpline The Support Act Wellbeing Helpline is a free, confidential counselling service that is available to anyone working in Australian music or performing arts who needs to talk to someone about any aspect of their wellbeing.

It is delivered in partnership with Access EAP, and is staffed by professional counsellors who offer expertise in all areas related to mental health (e.g. depression, anxiety, addiction, suicidal feelings) as well as issues which can be mental health related (such as loneliness, relationship breakdown, financial worries, illness and workplace conflict).

The service is accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days per year by calling 1800 959 500

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within Australia. You can also email and a counsellor will call you back. Skype sessions are available if you are touring overseas.

Study: Unsigned artists now earn 3% of recording revenues Unsigned artists generated US$643.1 million in 2018, up 35% from the prior year, says a study from MIDiA Research and digital distribution service Amuse. That represents a 3.3% share of recorded music revenues, up from 2.8% in 2017.

According to the study, based on 250 artists around the world, independent artists – especially the younger ones – are finding more revenue sources and are more prone to seeing record labels as a way to sustain their career. Only one-third of those who responded to the survey considered labels to be essential for them.

However the study pointed out that it still not an even playing field. Nearly three quarters of independent artists who responded said they earned less than $10,000 a year from music. 61% of label artists said the same. Two-thirds of all types of artists earn jobs outside of music to survive.

Mojo Juju, Tasman Keith lead Indigenous Award nominations Wiradjuri woman Mojo Juju leads this year’s nominations for this month’s National Indigenous Music Awards in Darwin. She appears in four of the five categories on the heels of the major breakthrough of her third album Native Tongue. Following behind, with three noms, was Gumbaynggirr rapper Tasman Keith.

Also featured in the finalist list are Baker Boy, Archie Roach, Briggs, Electric Fields, Jessica Mauboy, Thelma Plum, Emily Wurramara, Dan Sultan, Kaiit, Kobie Dee, Mambali Band and Tia Gostelow, showing the breadth of talent across Australia.

Legendary NIMA Hall of Fame inductee Archie Roach will also be returning to the NIMAs stage for the first time in four years joining a line up including Jessica Mauboy and Dan Sultan for this year’s event held on Saturday, August 10 at Darwin’s Amphitheater.

Applications open for Grant McLennan Fellowship Nominations are open for the 2019 Grant McLennan Fellowship, jointly funded by the Queensland government through Arts Queensland and APRA AMCOS and presented

by QMusic. Founded in 2007 in honour of the late Queensland singer-songwriter and co-frontman of The Go-Betweens, the $25,000 fellowship offers the recipient an opportunity to travel to New York, London or Berlin for up to six months and use the experience of being immersed in a foreign and vibrant musical culture to further develop their own artistic skills.

Applications close on 23 September, with the winners to be announced in December.

Head to www.qmusic.com.au for full eligibility requirements and guidelines.

13% of Aussie households own smart speakers 1.5 million (or 13%) of Australian householders and 5.7 million adults (29%) own smart speakers – and most of them (42%) buy them to stream music, says a report from Kantar. Google leads the local market with a 70% share with Google Home Mini, while Amazon has 17% of the pie, Apple has 6% and “others” are 8%. A Deloitte report said, “Over 43% of Australian smart speaker owners say that s ince acquiring the devices they are using voice assistants more frequently on smartphones.”

That’s the good news. The bad news is 19.5% reckon they’ve never heard of them.

mixdownmag.com.au

MUSIC NEWS

The 1975 prepare for album number four A mere nine months after their acclaimed LP A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships, Manchester indie-pop overlords The 1975 have begun proceedings to launch their heavily anticipated fourth full-length effort Notes On A Conditional Form. As well as launching an ominous countdown clock on their website, the band have released the token opening track from the forthcoming record, an ambient soundscape of piano loops layered atop of a speech from young activist Greta Thunberg addressing the environmental plight of the planet. Looks like big things are coming.

Oh Joy, Wilco’s back!

Blink-182 announce new record Nine Everybody’s favourite pop-punk band, Blink-182, are releasing a brand spankin’ new record this September. It’s their ninth record, and because it’s their ninth record, they’re calling it Nine – how cool! The band have stated that Nine will see Blink adopt a bit more of an experimental approach towards this record, and if early singles ‘Darkside’, ‘Blame It On My Youth’ and ‘Happy Days’ are anything to go by, this change of direction might not be a bad thing at all. Nine comes courtesy of Sony Music Australia on Friday September 20.

Mac DeMarco shares Australian tour dates Mac’s back! The lovable prince of jangly, wobbly indie rock has announced his return to Australian shores to tour behind his latest record Here Comes The Cowboy. Featuring support from Perth psych-rockers Pond and Japanese punks CHAI, DeMarco and co. are set to treat punters in Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney to a bombastic, unpredictable and contagiously fun live show when they trek across the country early next January. Given the tour’s proximity to festival season, it wouldn’t surprise us if we saw Mac announce a few extra dates soon. Hit up Penny Drop for tickets.

Sampa The Great looms large with The Return

Tash Sultana teams up with Matt Corby on ‘Talk It Out’

Man, we cannot wait for this. Sampa The Great, undeniably the finest MC in the country today, has finally announced her debut LP The Return, set for release on revered indie label Ninja Tune on Friday September 13. Featuring production and guest appearances from Silentjay, Jonwayne, Ecca Vandal and more, The Return follows on from Sampa’s last commercially released project Birds And The BEE9, which became the first ever mixtape to win the Australian Music Prize back in 2017.

We can’t wait to hear what comes next.

Now this one’s going to rank high in the Hottest 100: Tash Sultana has jumped into the studio with Matt Corby to create one of the biggest Australian collabs of the year, ‘Talk It Out.’ The lush, groove-heavy track was primarily written and recorded by Corby himself, with Tash singing an airy second verse and delivering a characteristically melodic guitar solo towards the tail-end of the track. Here’s to hoping this dynamic duo pop into the studio together more often, because this track’s a winner.

Refused ready themselves for War Music

Jebediah and You Am I team up for huge national tour

Jon Hopkins pencils in Australian summer dates

Four years after they dropped Freedom, Swedish hardcore legends Refused have announced that they’ll be releasing a new record this October. War Music, the fifth record from the acclaimed group, will be released by the band’s own label imprint with Search & Destroy and Spinefarm on Friday October 18. The album is backed by fiery lead single ‘Blood Red’, a scorcher of a single that they recently debuted to American crowds while touring with The Hives. Keep your eyes and ears peeled to hear more from Refused as October inches closer.

What’s my age again? Australian rock legends You Am I and Jebediah have joined forces to announce a massive national co-headlining tour, offering fans who live a bit off the beaten track the chance to see two of Australia’s finest ever alt-rock acts on the same bill. Across a whopping 21 dates in October, November and early December, the two bands will tag team from Dunsborough, WA all the way to Mulgrave, VIC to give country punters a fat dollop of ‘90s nostalgia. Head online to find all the details today.

One of the most forward thinking and dynamic electronic producers of our generation, British wunderkind Jon Hopkins has fueled summer festival lineup skeptics by announcing three sideshows early in January next year. As well as treating Perth to a DJ set, Hopkins is set to bring the thumping live show behind 2018’s phenomenal release Singularity to Melbourne’s Forum and the Sydney Opera House, kicking off the new decade in style. Tickets for these shows aren’t going to linger long – snap ‘em up today online via Niche Productions.

Wilco, AKA The Gift That Just Keeps On Giving, have shared details behind their upcoming studio release Ode To Joy. Recorded in the band’s hometown of Chicago at The Loft towards the start of this year, Ode To Joy acts as the celebrated alt-country band’s eleventh full-length effort, and will be released via their own record label dBPM on Friday October 4. If sunny lead single ‘Love Is Everywhere (Beware)’ is anything to go by, Ode To Joy is set to offer a much brighter palate than previous Wilco releases.

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PRODUCT NEWS

Faith Guitars Expand Their Legacy With New Series CMC MUSIC | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU Focusing solely on Patrick James Eggle’s historic acoustic body shapes, Faith’s new PJE Legacy Series guitars set a new bar for professional excellence. Featuring the Mars drop-shoulder dreadnought; the Neptune baby-jumbo and the Earth orchestra model, the Legacy model lineup is genuinely unique. You can find these outstanding guitars in stock at your local Faith Guitars dealer now.

TC Electronic Beef Up The Flashbask Delay

Kemper Unveil The Profiler Stage

AMBER TECHNOLOGY | AMBERTECHNOLOGY.COM.AU

The Kemper Profiler Stage is a complete profiler offering the same features and the legendary sound as the wellknown Kemper Head and Rack, and even a bit more. The Profiler Stage is a multi-effects powerhouse and stateof-the-art guitar amplifier, featuring Kemper’s unique profiling technology for capturing the sonic DNA of any guitar amp. It also comes preloaded with a profile pool of hundreds of the best guitar amps in the world, created under perfect conditions in professional studios worldwide.

TC Electronic have doubled-down behind their pressuresensitive MASH footswitches, adding the technology to its newest iteration of the popular Flashback X4 Delay. The Flashback 2 X4 adds a slew of updates to the tested-andtrue design of the original unit, including the addition of the MASH footswitches as well as a new delay mode called ‘Crystal’. The inclusion of the MASH footswitches allows users to control the parameters of the effect with the pressure of your foot as you play, letting you add in juicy dollops of modulation or feedback at your choosing.

INNOVATIVE MUSIC | INNOVATIVEMUSIC.COM.AU

Line 6 Update Spider V Line Of Amplifiers YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA | AU.YAMAHA.COM Line 6 have updated their famed Spider V line of amplifiers with new Classic Speaker Mode in addition to Full-Range Speaker Mode. The new MKII Series also feature all new presets, 20 new Artist presets from 10 Artists, built in tuner, metronome and real drummer loops. The Spider V MKII are optimised for use with the FBV Foot Controller and Relay G10T Wireless Unit.

Fender Expands Acoustasonic Lineup FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA | FENDER.COM.AU

Fender Expands Pedal Collection With Six New Models FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA | FENDER.COM.AU Fender has added six more effects to its increasingly successful line of pedals. The all-new pedals are designed with stage-ready features and Fender’s signature sound and aesthetics. The range includes the Reflecting Pool (Delay/ Reverb), Pour Over (Envelope Filter), Smolder (Acoustic Overdrive), Compuglist (Comp/Distortion), The Trapper (Fuzz) and MTG:LA (Tube Distortion). Expect to see these in stores soon.

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After a crazy response to the Acoustasonic Telecaster, Fender has expanded the range with a number of new limited edition models that feature a plethora of exotic woods. Using rare Koa, Ziricote and Cocobolo woods to craft each unique guitar in the Exotic series, the range embodies Fender’s commitment to creating the highest quality instrument possible.

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PRODUCT NEWS Squier Revive The Starcaster At Summer NAMM FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA | FENDER.COM.AU Squier have officially launched their take on the cult classic Starcaster model at Summer NAMM 2019, offering guitarists three different versions of the beloved ‘70s hollowbody.

Overlooked by many a guitarist upon being first released in 1976 due to Gibson’s dominance over the hollowbody market, the Starcaster was later adopted as a budget vintage instrument by several influential alt-rock guitarists. While the guitar was reissued by Fender’s Mexican production plant in 2013, it’s only now that Squier have taken the offset design into their own hands.

Bitwig Studio 3 Out Now INNOVATIVE MUSIC | INNOVATIVEMUSIC.COM.AU Bitwig Studio 3 is the perfect modern music production software for Windows, macOS, and Linux is out now! This exciting brand new edition features The Grid. The Grid is an open modular environment that powers a family of new devices in Bitwig Studio 3: Poly Grid and FX Grid. With a vast library of modules and a supersonic workflow, you’ll be creating your own unique sounds immediately, and in highfidelity. Simply add a Grid device to your project and start patching then let your imagination run wild.

Vox Release Mini Superbeetle Bass Amp

TC Electronic Unleash Next Generation Of Polytune

YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA | AU.YAMAHA.COM

AMBER TECHNOLOGY | AMBERTECHNOLOGY.COM.AU

Vox have announced the Mini Superbeetle Bass amp, the perfect bass amp for that ‘60s rock sound. Powered by Nutube, it delivers the stunning sound quality that can be attained only by real vacuum tubes. The speaker cabinet uses a unique bass-reflex structure to obtain the low-end required by a bass amp. Also new in the bass model is a compressor that’s an important part of shaping your sound, providing good sustain and consistently tight and stable tone.

Carrying on the Polytune legacy, the Polytune 3 Mini packs an unprecedented amount of tuning power into a tiny footprint without sacrificing essential features, such as always-on mode and our audiophile Bonafide Buffer circuit for uncompromised tones – making it ideal for fully-loaded pedal boards where every inch counts. The Polytune 3 Mini Noir is also available for those wanting a darker pedal on their board.

Radial Engineering Release SW8-USB AMBER TECHNOLOGY | AMBERTECHNOLOGY.COM.AU The SW8-USB is the complete solution for performances that utilize redundant playback systems for backing tracks, combining two built-in high performance USB interfaces with an auto-switching feature that detects dropouts and effortlessly switches to the backup computer in an instant. Dual USB inputs with separate 24bit/192kHz converters allow two computers to be connected in tandem, so digital workstations on both machines can connect to the SW8-USB as an audio and MIDI interface.

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Bass Legend Mark King Joins The Markbass Family CMC MUSIC | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU Markbass is proud to announce that bass icon Mark King of Level 42 fame is now officially a member of the Markbass family. Emotions ran high at Markbass headquarters when they recently received an email from Mark confirming that he intended to use Markbass heads and cabinets exclusively for all performances and recordings in future. Mark has actually used a Markbass head unofficially for many years but now he is officially part of the family.

mixdownmag.com.au

W E

A R E

N O T

Y O U R

K I N D

OUT AUGUST 9TH F E AT U R I N G

UNSAINTED

TOURING OCTOBER A L S O AVA I L A B L E 2 L P V I N Y L

SLIPKNOT1.CO M

O U TS I D E T H E N I N E .C O M

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SLIPKNOT'S SIXTH CHAPTER Back in March, Slipknot were announced as the main support for the Australian leg of Metallica’s WorldWired Tour. Just days earlier, the Iowa metal band set an August release date for their sixth studio LP. Then in May they unveiled its anthemic first single, ‘Unsainted’, and let slip the album title: We Are Not Your Kind.

The title comes from the 2018 single, ‘All Out Life’. Despite not appearing in the track list, the song acts as a prologue to the record.

The lyrics address the prevailing compulsion to discard or shun anything from the past as soon as a new trend emerges. In response to this conduct, Slipknot raises nine proverbial middle fingers.

“Slipknot business is Slipknot business and people follow our trends,” says percussionist and backing vocalist, M. Shawn Crahan AKA Clown.

“We live in a very sensitive world and maybe we live in a world that a lot of subjects need to be addressed, but we really put up a lot of barriers for real emotions. So I feel it’s just easier, once again, for us to say, we are not your kind. If you want to sit around and judge me and you want to bring conflict and drama, hey, I’m not for you. I don’t need your support.”

These might sound like the words of a middle-aged man worried about becoming irrelevant, but the themes covered in ‘All Out Life’ are nonetheless valid. It’s naïve to dismiss the merits of past achievements once something shinier appears, and understanding the foundations of any artform allows for a deeper connection.

The song also draws attention to a conundrum many songwriters face: trying to keep on moving forward, but not quite abandoning what’s worked for them in the past.

“It can be quite difficult to get caught up in ‘are we evolving? Are we not evolving?’” Crahan says. “A very crucial ingredient in creating art is to be able to know when to commit, when to back off, when to shut up, when to be selfless, when to know that someone else is coming up with something that suits the song better.

“We’ve all joined forces to do this artform called music and with it comes a sharing experience. And then there’s arrangement and agreement, and the arrangement most of the times is based off a flow and what feels certain. It’s quite a process.”

We Are Not Your Kind arrives nearly five years after the band’s previous record, .5: The Gray Chapter, which followed the death of founding bassist Paul Gray. It’s the longest period the band members have spent working on new music. Six albums into a successful career, the process certainly hasn’t become effortless.

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“A VERY CRUCIAL INGREDIENT IN CREATING ART IS TO BE ABLE TO KNOW WHEN TO COMMIT, WHEN TO BACK OFF, WHEN TO SHUT UP." “When I approach a song, every day it’s going to grow and every day I’m going to take it as serious as it is,” says Crahan. “I’m not going to mess around. I’m going to wake up tomorrow and go, ‘Oh the song has grown.

Where am I at with it now?’ And that’s not going to stop until everything is overturned and everyone’s happy and everyone’s contributed.

“It can be very confusing to buy into your own politics and your own artform. I think when you buy into the fact that you think you’re an artist, you may not have anything left to create. I’d much rather not be called an artist. I’d much rather constantly, blindedly go where I’m choosing to go for reasons unknown. I’m moving in a forward direction without any understanding of the outcome.”

It’s easy for Crahan to espouse the virtues of this intuitive method given his band’s unflagging popularity. Slipknot have enjoyed immense commercial success throughout their 20 year career; The Gray Chapter hit number one in the US, Australia, Japan, Canada and Switzerland and reached the top ten in most other major territories. A quick look at the streaming figures shows the band’s audience has eagerly devoured both

‘Unsainted’ and the follow-up single, ‘Solway Firth’.

“I’ve always believed that the reason why we have as many fans as we have is because people need people to trust,” Crahan says. “And we don’t have anything to prove to anyone but ourselves. You may not like what I’m choosing to do, but I know you love the fact that I can make a choice for myself and stick to it without worrying about what the fuck you think. That’s a pillar in our camp, in our religion.”

Slipknot’s fanbase stretches across generations. They’ve retained a core listenership since releasing their self-titled debut in 1999 and continue to appeal to younger listeners navigating their formative years. This isn’t a consequence of actively targeting a youth audience, however.

“Music to me is God and my God doesn’t see colours or shape,” Crahan says. “It’s just vibration and energy, as weird as that sounds. We just be ourselves and in the end, yeah, there might be a song that’s out there in theory or concept or subject matter, and it very well could be not suitable for a younger mind. But that’s what good parents are for, to be able to jump in and decipher what this intellectual thought is.

“It’s better not to wonder who gets it or what demographic or what skin colour or whether you’re an alien or from this planet. It’s just better to create for oneself and then see how it flies with the rest of it and then just deliver it to this fucking thing called the human race.”

We Are Not Your Kind is the second Slipknot album to feature drummer Jay Weinberg and bass player Alessandro Venturella. It also comes just months after the controversial departure of percussionist Chris Fehn, who had been with the band since 1998. Despite the various disruptions, Crahan doesn’t mince his words when appraising the album’s quality.

“This album is a masterpiece in my mind, but you can only make a masterpiece by making brilliant pieces of work. We evolve every time. We keep going and going. I just think every album we make is a reflection that we’re still strong and we’re still learning. When you hear it, it doesn’t matter if there’s a choir in the song, you just hear that noise and you’re like, that’s fucking Slipknot. We’re not anybody else’s genre but our own.”

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY We Are Not Your Kind, the new album from Slipknot, hits shelves on Friday August 9 via Roadrunner Records/Warner Music Australia. Catch Slipknot on tour with Metallica this October.

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MUSIC INTERVIEWS The sun is shining, there’s a strong wind, and he’s enjoying a nice summer, he says. For a man who declares he doesn’t really like interviews, who is shy by nature and quietly reserved, a retreat like the one Lötjönen describes is arguably necessary when you’re a member of a rambunctious band who’ve played more than 2000 shows and released eight studio albums in their 26-year tenure.

“I’m a person who loves quietness and nature,” Lötjönen says gently. In several of his video interviews, Lötjönen is laid back, and not necessarily as boisterous as when Apocalyptica take to the stage in a fury of amped up strings and crashing lights. “I hate talking,” Lötjönen says through nervous giggles. “To get a good balance I need quiet in my own time, to be at peace. I love people but somehow I want to be alone, as well.”

For many people to hear that it might seem a striking statement, given that Lötjönen performs in a band who play extremely loud, emotive, and ambitious heavy metal – it’s a dichotomy, but one Lötjönen is comfortable with. “As a person, I have a lot of fire in myself, even though I’m really calm,” he says. “As a performer, there is a lot of fire and energy inside us.

Apocalyptica Fan The Flames Talking from a small island he owns off the coast of Finland, Paavo Lötjönen, bass cellist of Finnish classical musicians turned metalheads, Apocalyptica, is watching the pier where his fishing boat bobs on gentle waters.

“And if we’re talking about [our] music, nothing is strong if there is no contrast. There needs to be contrast, some sensitive and quiet, to bring up energy on the other side. Nothing is heavy if there is no contrast – balance and dynamics brings the energy up.”

Lötjönen adamantly says he loves performing, however. It’s on stage with his band mates, Eicca Toppinen, Perttu Kivilaakso, and Mikko Sirén, the fire rises. “We love it, and we’re quite experienced at live performing.

“In Apocalyptica, we bring these things up, that there should be sensitive and emotional moments, then really energetic.

That’s how we reach people.”

There were other ways Apocalyptica reached people in the beginning. The ingenuity of their 1996 debut album, Plays Metallica by Four Cellos, cello covers of some of Metallica’s greatest songs, changed what it meant to be a classical

Jacob Collier built his profile on the back of some astounding self-sufficiency. In a number of YouTube uploads dating back to the early 2010s, Collier demonstrated such advanced multi-instrumentalism that Quincy Jones was compelled to sign the British musician to his management agency.

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“We were fans of rock and metal music, and wanted to play together for fun – it worked out!

“In the classical music tradition, it’s changing all the time, so there’s a wall between the audiences and perform. It’s really rare for interaction between audience and performer – maybe the magic in Apocalyptica is we broke the barrier between.”

If you see Apocalyptica live, Lötjönen says, they need the audience to help them create the show together. “We can’t do it alone. Interactivity, we can give energy for the people and they will give us energy back, then we make it bigger. That’s our aim. Maybe that’s changed things in the classical world.”

With changes on both sides of the coin comes too, a collision of worlds. Apocalyptica will soon bring their unique symphonic metal to some of our most prestigious classical halls, performing their seminal Plays Metallica album in full at Melbourne Hamer Hall, Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall, and the iconic Sydney Opera House. Coveted and worldrenowned venues, the delivery of Apocalyptica’s music adapts for the combining of the classical locale and the heavy metal demographic. “Acoustics can be challenging,” says Lötjönen, “First half of the show we’ll play Four Cellos, a contemporary act with a lower volume. 45 minutes of instrumental music is challenging for the people but it helps when they know the songs.

“There are ten-year-olds, young kids, then 60-year-olds, so the audience is a real heterogenetic, big range of different people.

“There will be classical people and metalheads and all the audience, everyone will be standing by the end and singing with us! It’s a big family in the end, I can’t wait for that.”

BY ANNA ROSE Catch Apocalyptica in concert this September – tickets available online.

However, for his latest and most ambitious endeavour, Collier has made a wholesale embrace of collaboration. Released last month, Djesse Vol. 2 is the second instalment in a planned quadrilogy that sees Collier working with everyone from orchestras to gospel choirs to rock guitar legends, folk singers, fiddlers, rappers and reggae singers.

“I learned so much from the one man show in terms of how it feels to be on stage and to own that energy on my own. Somehow with the band the potential for energy has quadrupled. Whilst there are certainly moments that I’m playing alone, it means that we can have a jam. For me that’s super important.”

Collier will be in Australia in late August playing shows at the Sydney Opera House, Brisbane’s QPAC and spending two nights at the Melbourne Recital Centre. It’s a step up from his previous visit.

Collier still records in the bedroom studio in his family’s North London home. However, Djesse features a knockout assembly of guests from across the world and stylistic spectrum. The first instalment came out in December 2018 and included Laura Mvula, Hamid El Kasri, Take 6, Metropole Orkest and Collier’s mum, violinist Suzie Collier.

“Last time I was in Australia I played at Howler in Melbourne and The Metro in Sydney and that was both with the one man show,” he says. “It was the very last leg of this world tour I did as a solo act. This time around I’m bringing three other musicians, which is ridiculously exciting.”

Understanding Jacob Collier

musician, and what it meant to be a contemporary musician.

What inspired the band to take their knowledge as classically trained cellists and start playing heavy metal?

Collier’s one-man shows were a huge talking point, showcasing a canny use of looping and corresponding video displays.

They also flaunted a custom built vocal harmoniser developed

by MIT audio technology expert, Ben Bloomberg, which allowed Collier to perform multi-voice harmonies in real-time.

Performing solo was apt given his debut record, 2016’s In My Room, was created in isolation. “[The album] was recorded completely and utterly on my own,” Collier says. “I played all the instruments on it, I produced everything myself, I arranged everything myself and so touring it, I wanted to reconstruct that room feeling that had inspired that album to exist in the first place.”

Collier has recently exploded the one-man show into an eightlegged beast. Whereas the one-man show relied on technology such as looping to achieve the full band sound, he now has a genuine crew of musicians at his disposal.

“I’m consistently jumping between instruments – bass and piano, drums and percussion, guitar, melodica – but rather than be jumping between these instruments and have prerecorded track playing in the background, I now have three astonishingly musical people onstage with me that I’m able to mess around with, which is actually a lot more enjoyable for me,” Collier says.

Djesse Vol. 2 is his most expansive release to date, comprising 16 tracks and running for over an hour, it features the likes of Steve Vai, Lianne La Havas, Sam Amidon, Becca Stevens and Malian Wassoulou musician, Oumou Sangare.

“I’m such an omnivore when it comes to music,” Collier says.

“I love everything, but rather than approximating everything within one album I wanted to dive in and nail some more specific spaces. Rather than split each album into specific genres, I split them into difference sonic spaces.

“It’s a bit of an abstract thing to say, but the first volume was recorded with [Metropole Orkest] and it’s just an enormous sound, this really broad big wash of sound. So I wanted to paint that picture of everything opening up and being born, almost like the morning of the project.”

Volume Three isn’t far away, says Collier. “Djesse Vol. 3 is almost like the middle of the night of the project. I’m really, really excited to see it grow in the next few months. It gets weird and wacky and electronic and hip hoppy and groovy and sexy, which is really fun.”

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY Jacob Collier tours Australia this September – head to Chugg Entertainment to grab tickets today.

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MUSIC INTERVIEWS Redemption was made alongside producer Kevin Shirley, who’s been Bonamassa’s studio offsider since 2006’s You & Me. The pair adhere to a highly collaborative method that grants Shirley a great deal of independence.

“I record my bits in the studio and then Kevin takes it and Lee [Thornburg] and Paulie [Cerra] will put horns on it subsequently. I’m never there for that. I’m not a studio rat where I just want to be there for everything. I leave the studio satisfied with where we’re at and then all the seasoning goes on later,” Bonamassa says.

Redemption includes backing vocals from Australian singers Mahalia Barnes and Jade MacRae, who Shirley recorded while in Sydney working with Cold Chisel. Bonamassa’s gained a lot of trust in Shirley’s curatorial decisions over the last decade or so.

Joe Bonamassa's New Blues Joe Bonamassa is back on our shores this September, three years on from his last Australian tour. It’s been a busy period for the American blues-rock guitarist. His 13th solo LP, Redemption, came out in September 2018.

In the years separating Redemption and his last solo effort, 2016’s Blues of Desperation, he released records with Black Country Communion, Rock Candy Funk Party and a third album of covers with Beth Hart.

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“We enjoy the work and we enjoy the challenge of it and trying to do something different and come up with something different. It’s one of those things where it’s never the same twice,” he says. “We never make the same record twice. Some of them fight you and some of them are easy to make and joyous. You just don’t know until you get in there.”

“A lot of those early records that I made were done because I’m such a fan of the British blues albums that I grew up listening to,” he says. “And what they were doing was reworking old blues and making new arrangements. You kind of have to get that out of your system. You see it even with the trajectory of a lot of your favourite artists – they come up with the template by re-arranging old songs and then they concentrate more on songs that they want to write. Which is kind of what I’m doing now.”

The songs on Redemption were co-written with Shirley and a selection of Nashville songwriters such as Tom Hambridge, James House and Gary Nicholson. Three albums into the focus on originals, Bonamassa is finding his groove.

“The more you do it, the better you are at it,” he says. “That’s just the bottom line and that’s okay. And the more you want to pinpoint the lyrics. It’s that kind of thing – you want to say something, you want the records to mean something.”

Bonamassa started releasing albums in 2000 and they initially arrived with striking regularity – roughly one every 15 months up until 2012’s Driving Towards the Daylight. His priorities have definitely shifted in recent years.

The past two years saw releases from a variety of Bonamassa side projects, namely the hard rock band Black Country Communion, jazz funk outfit Rock Candy Funk Party and a third album of covers in collaboration with Beth Hart. He still gives precedence to solo album production, however.

“My thing, consciously, is I want to make less records, but spend more time on making sure every verse means something. I’ve gone through a very prolific phase and I’d like to scale it back and make it so we’re not making an album every year. I don’t want to do that.

“When I’m making a solo album I usually clear the deck pretty much for a year,” he says. “So I’m not working on anything else other than that for about a year.”

“By the time we do the one at Abbey Road in January it’ll be almost three years since we recorded [Redemption]. It’s better than doing them every year, because at the end of the day it’s like a whirlwind. You don’t want it to be a whirlwind – you want it to be a very clear, concise effort that people enjoy.”

Covers dominated Bonamassa’s first ten studio albums, but 2014’s Different Shades of Blue signalled a shift in focus.

Redemption is his third consecutive record to consist almost entirely of original material. Bonamassa has previously said that the decision to include so many cover versions wasn’t due to a lack of songwriting confidence.

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY Joe Bonamassa tours Australia in behind Redemption this September. Head online to grab your tickets today.

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MUSIC INTERVIEWS “It’s been a bumpy road to this album,” says Adam Dutkiewicz, the band’s lead guitarist and one of its founding members. “Jesse underwent throat surgery, and at the same time was dealing with a real case of writers’ block. He was out for a month on his recovery, so we had to cancel shows... but then, when he came back, we were still scheduled to open for Iron Maiden. The first time he sang after surgery was in front of thousands of people... no pressure at all. It ended up being really great. It was a relief to hear that he was sounding really strong – there was a lot less throat fatigue than there was pre-surgery. It’s a really good thing that he was able to take care of it.”

With Leach back in full force, Dutkiewicz and co. were able to continue assembling Atonement, Killswitch Engage’s eighth studio album. It’s an album that has been pieced together bit by bit across breaks between tours and gaps in the band’s schedule. More often than not, the quintet were creating and functioning on a long-distance relationship.

“I live in California, Justin [Foley, drums] lives in Florida and the other three guys still live around the north-east,” explains Dutkiewicz.

Killswitch Engage's Road To Atonement By now, you probably know the story of Jesse Leach, Killswitch Engage’s original vocalist, returning to the fold of the band after 10 years away and picking up right where he left off. What you might not know, however, is that the metalcore veterans recently nearly lost Leach again – this time, under entirely different circumstances.

“It’s pretty far – when you map it out, it’s probably the size of Australia. We tend to write on our own now. I’ll write an entire song and send it to everyone as a demo – and it can go one of two ways. If everyone likes it, we go in and record it. If we don’t, there’s a further option to explore where we can take the parts that we do like and work on those together. That can be really positive – and besides, it means we get to meet up and work face-to-face.”

Like nearly every Killswitch Engage album before it, production for Atonement was handled entirely by Dutkiewicz himself. At this stage in his career, the man fondly known as Adam D is just as at home behind the boards as he is strapped to a guitar – for him, it’s all about servicing the songs and creating the best environment possible. “I love to see a song grow from its infancy, all the way up to its final mix,” says Dutkiewicz.

‘Hotel Last Resort’, the title track from the Violent Femmes’ brand new LP, begins with the line, “I don’t change the chords anymore, the chords change by themselves.” The Wisconsin band’s tenth studio album arrives more than 35 years after their debut, so you’d be justified in wondering whether their songwriting practice has become formulaic. However, bass player Brian Ritchie is quick to rebuff this impression.

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When it came to tracking the guitars for Atonement, it went without saying what the band would be using. In 2018, both Dutkiewicz and bandmate Joel Stroetzel were issued with signature guitar models from Caparison Guitars. The former’s is a TAT Special FX, also known as a Metal Machine, while the latter’s is a Delinger-JSM. The fact the two of them now have signature guitars to their name is something that still blows Dutkiewicz’s mind. “Man, they’ll just give them to anyone now, won’t they,” he jokes.

“Truly, though, they are just absolutely killer. They sound great. The way that they’re designed, too, means that they’re really hard to get set out of tune. The set-up is so easy, and when we’re playing them they just sound bulletproof.” It’s not lost on him that, 20 years into the band’s career, there are kids out there that would have started bands specifically because of Killswitch Engage – and releasing signature guitars is a cementing of that legacy. “It’s an amazing feeling,” says Dutkiewicz. “It’ll sure as shit make you feel old, though!”

BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG

Atonement hits shelves around the country on Friday August 18 via Metal Blade / Sony Music Australia.

“That would make it sound like we’re on autopilot,” Ritchie says. “It’s more like we’ve been chiselling away at the same rock for about four decades and constantly refining it.”

offering on an album, but we don’t limit ourselves to covers of famous songs. Sometimes we do songs by unknown writers or simply friends of ours.”

The track features additional guitar work from Television’s Tom Verlaine. It’s a curious inclusion – Verlaine’s guitar chops aren’t in doubt, but the Femmes aren’t known for roping in high profile guest guitarists. However, it turns out Verlaine’s playing was just what the track needed.

The album closes with an interpretation of Irving Berlin’s ‘God Bless America’. It’s an intriguing choice given that faith and trust in the USA is plummeting around the world, for obvious reasons. But the Femmes offer a heartfelt rendition.

“What he added is so selfless and seamless,” says Ritchie. “We asked him to participate because there was a lot of space in the track and we thought of doing some Tom Verlaine-style guitar. Well, if you’re going to do that, why not just get Tom himself? So we did. We are grateful to have him on the recording. He is a musical gem.”

Violent Femmes Check In

“I get such a rush out of it. The only stressful thing about producing your own band is the obstacles along the way.

That could be something major, like Jesse’s surgery, or something minor like a piece of equipment not working the way you want it to. Beyond that, honestly, it’s the same as it ever was. It really is fun for me. Being able to work on the songs this way is something that I’ve always enjoyed.”

Another name that appears in the Hotel Last Resort credits is skateboarder and artist, Stefan Janoski, who adds vocals to an updated version of ‘I’m Nothing’, which originally appeared on 1994’s New Times. The track has never seemed so relevant, underlining how individuals are compelled to stick labels on themselves and others.

“It was something Stefan recognised and interested us in re-recording the song,” Ritchie says. “He wanted a theme for a new gender non-specific shoe and concept. As a huge Femmes fan, ‘I’m Nothing’ came to mind for him. We of course love the song and have had it in our repertoire for a long time although it was not a big hit for us in the past. So putting a spotlight on it again pleases us.”

The record also features ‘I’m Not Gonna Cry’, an English language translation of a song by Greek band, Pyx Lax, who singer Gordon Gano has previously worked with. The Femmes have included covers on the vast majority of their albums, which Ritchie views as a healthy exercise.

“Every good musician does covers of something,” he says. “Bob Dylan is the greatest rock songwriter and makes entire albums of covers. If we like a song, we do a version of it, usually reinterpreting according to our methods. Definitely mixing originals with select covers is a good way of diversifying the

“It’s a straightforward sentiment, no irony or parody intended.

American Music is important so we use it as a vehicle for expressing how we feel about being Americans. It’s the greatest thing America has offered the world,” Ritchie scoffs.

The Femmes’ long time touring members, John Sparrow and Blaise Garza, both make prominent contributions to Hotel Last Resort, as they did on 2016’s We Can Do Anything. Garza’s contrabass saxophone is a perfect fit for Violent Femmes and Sparrow has recently been promoted from cajon player to full time drummer.

“John and Blaise are great to play with,” Ritchie says. “They both started as fans and have actually been playing with us off and on for 14-15 years. Multi-generational music making is something the world can use more of. It’s more common in non-Western situations actually.”

Hotel Last Resort comes 36 years after the band’s debut,Violent Femmes, and Ritchie believes it’s their best work since 1984’s sophomore release, Hallowed Ground.

“This has been one of our most productive and also consistent recording periods. It’s great that we are able to produce valid work this far into our trajectory. Also it has been yielding new material, which has been accepted by the audience in the live setting. That is rare. Thus we are a happy band.”

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY Hotel Last Resort, the new record from Violent Femmes, is out now via [PIAS].

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MUSIC INTERVIEWS After disbanding the Devin Townsend Project at the beginning of 2018 to focus on other projects, Devin teamed up with producer Mike Keneally to embark on creating Empath, his most ambitious solo record to date. With Empath, Devin has somehow managed to squeeze in a wide array of the aforementioned bases to create a body of work that could very well be his crowning achievement. He explains that whilst he knew the record would be a huge project, he also knew he was up for the challenge.

“It was daunting, but I mean every record is daunting,” he says. “I think that if there’s like some sort of tether of consistency that goes through all of my work it’s that each period that I enter creatively requires me to analyse my current frame of mind in a way that results in new puzzles and new technical, personal and compositional challenges.”

Devin Townsend Navigates The Chaos Some artists are in a league of their own, but when it comes to prog maniac Devin Townsend, he’s in a complete other universe. With a discography that spans over 25 years, 20+ studio records, a plethora of live records and other collaborations, Devin has covered a lot of bases and proven himself to be one of the dynamic and versatile musicians heavy music has ever seen.

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“In that regard, Empath is not technically much different than going back to Ocean Machine. There was a certain amount of fear that went along with this recording that is hard for me to understate because it’s mixed in with leaving behind a situation that was successful and changing my career arc at a point in my life where it would seem foolhardy to do so. It took a leap of faith and a certain amount of testicular fortitude that was hard to sum but ultimately, I had no choice.”

Devin has never been afraid to take risks and get weird with his music. It wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for him to go from a section of blast beats straight into circus music just to spice things up. Ultimately, his open minded and genre defying approach to creating music has ensured that every record in his discography is unique and that he’s never treading over old ground. Devin explains what drew him towards theatrical music.

“It was soundtracks or things that maybe were more musical theatre or even classical music to a certain extent. I loved Star Wars when I was a kid. Aspects of the record that I didn’t realise at the time were kind of leaning towards Stravinsky or sort of Avant Garde tonalities. 20th Century sort of classical competition was something that I had no

idea about. However, I did know that that’s what the Sand People sound like. Then there was something about that juxtaposition between simple stories being illustrated by complex kind of music.”

Devin is the first person to admit that he’s a control freak and as neurotic as they come, but that neurosis simply comes from being hyper creative and always churning out ideas.

The man’s phone is full of voice memos containing melodies and concepts that seem to come from out of nowhere at the weirdest of times. He admits that all he’s ever trying to do is refine the chaos that rolls around his head.

“As a musician, I’ve got a big ego. There’s a certain amount of narcissism that comes with being in my world and my work and all these sorts of things,” Townsend testifies. “I think that until such time that that leaves there’s always going to be this mad scramble to try and articulate the chaos and these thoughts.”

“Perhaps what is most important about this process in the long run is the recognition that ultimately it’s a fool’s game to try and capture it. Where I think it leads often for me is this desire to make this as beautiful as I can, recognising that it’s always just going to be an approximation of something that’s larger than I, and then pulling it back to something that’s a little more practical on some level.

I’m happy to take that journey because as I said in the beginning, it seems unavoidable. So, you know, you might as well be happy with it”

BY NICHOLAS SIMONSEN

Empath is out now via Inside Out. Catch Devin on tour around Australia next month. Tickets available now via Troubadour Music.

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POURING A POOL OF LIGHT: HOW HOLY HOLY CREATED THEIR MAGNUM OPUS There’s nothing more pivotal within the field of rock music than a third album. Of course there’s seminal debuts, and more than a few incredible second offerings, but it’s album number three that boasts the power to really make or break a rock band.

Holy Holy are fully aware of this. Renowned for their dense sonics, vivid lyricism and unabashed chemistry, the songwriting partnership between Timothy Carroll and Oscar Dawson has so far seen them become one of the most acclaimed Australian duos of the decade. The band’s latest offering, My Own Pool Of Light, looks only to solidify Holy Holy’s stake in the Australian soundscape, showcasing a more experimental side of the band to emancipate exactly what being a ‘rock’ band in 2019 really means.

“We kind of said to ourselves early on that we wanted to not write the songs with the guitar in the hands,” says Oscar Dawson, producer of the duo and a prodigal guitarist in his own right. “Because it sort of just leads to similar kinds of motifs and ideas and chord shapes and whatnot. This time saw us starting more with drums, beats, keyboards - changing the entire vibe as opposed to the process of a song.”

Removing the guitar from the context of a rock band always tends to prickle up wary fans. However, My Own Pool Of Light doesn’t so much subtract guitars from the equation as it does evenly disperse them - every track seems to have just the right dollop of fretted mania to allow the other textures explored by the band to breathe. ‘Teach Me About Dying’ is driven by crunchy 8-bit drums from an old Casiotone keyboard while ‘Faces’ warps vocals into a hypnotic rouse reminiscent of a sideline sporting chant.

“Taking the guitar out of my hands ended up meaning that I was writing a lot of melodies with my voice,” primary songwriter and

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vocalist Timothy Carroll elaborates. “There’s like a bunch of songs on the record that use multitrack vocals that are then looped and effected to serve the purpose of a guitar riff, like ‘Faces’ or ‘Hatswing’.”

at all, just like traffic going by and a shitty mic that we just had lying around at home,” Carroll laughs. “And also we did some vocals out at my farm in a shed with a generator power - it’s not very hi-fi at all.”

“I think there is a bit of us just trying to change what a song can be like on this album in the beginning in particular. Some of the songs bleed into the next, so there’s parts of the songs that exist across multiple tracks, and I think that was sort of an influence from albums by Kendrick Lamar and other guys. Obviously we’re not a hip hop band and this isn’t a hip hop album, but there are some sort of sonic choices and a freedom that those kinds of artists really express. They can do anything. They’re not sort of tied to this archetype of a ten track album. We were kind of excited about like trying to access some of that freedom.”

While working in the box can present some restraints – a lack of hardware being an obvious obstacle – the prevalence of producers making billions from cracked software and left-field plugins. Dawson cites an unlikely influence in psy-trance as being one of the major sounds heard across the record.

Not only did the band remove guitars from the songwriting process, but My Own Pool Of Light took Holy Holy even further out of their comfort zone to produce the record almost entirely by themselves. While the band did enlist the help of choice collaborators Andrei Eremin and Gab Strum (Japanese Wallpaper) on occasion, or hit the booth at Headgap with drummer Ryan Strathie when required to track drums or flesh out vocal takes, the duo took to recording the album in an array of settings to capture those giddy moments of spontaneity that really make a record great.

“We did this record all in the box,” Dawson explains. “Our first record we recorded a lot to tape, and our second record was mainly in the box, but very live, but this one was very much a digital experience, mainly on a laptop and our iMac in my studio. But we had the freedom to sometimes shoot a session over Andrei Eremin and he’d just shoot back ideas, or get Ryan to upload snippets of drums into a Dropbox folder and we just download them and chop them up.”

“We did some vocals in my office in Launceston, which is like not that soundproof

“There’s some plugins we use which are actually like, really gross, but if you just work with them a little bit more and find a sound, you can pull some amazing sounds from them,” he explains. “There’s one plugin made

by Infected Mushroom – they’re that Israeli psy-trance collective – called Manipulator and it’s actually the most amazing plugin!”

Lyrically, My Own Pool Of Light is peppered heavy-hitting narratives that promise to linger in your skull longer than you’d first think. The record exemplifies not only Carroll’s talent as a writer, but the duo’s ability to create soundscapes around his pen that complement, not compete, with the stories told.

“On this album I was like, ‘I need you to be a gatekeeper. I need you to not allow anything past that is weak lyrically,’” Carroll says of Dawson’s contributions to the record. “The other thing that we did a lot on this album is I would improvise really long extended sections across multiple takes, so sometimes we’d be like wading through maybe 40 minutes of improvised verses and prechoruses and stuff, and then he (Dawson) would sit through them and find the sections.

And so in doing so, he actually had a lot of input into what lyrics end up on the album.”

‘St. Petersburg’, a somber piano ballad with a creeping instrumental climax to bookend My Own Pool Of Light might just reflect this

chemistry at its absolute purest. Carroll reveals that the song has long pestered the duo, patiently waiting for its moment like good songs do.

“I wrote that song when Oscar and I first started working together, back in 2011, and we produced a version from back then, and we also tried to record it on When The Storms Would Come, but it didn’t feel quite right and got shelved. Then on the Faces tour, I started soundchecking my vocals with it because it was something I could do myself, and we were like ‘Hey, this is pretty good!’,” Carroll says. “So like at the end of a session, one day we had a grand piano and we just like took a moment, Oscar figured out the chords and we just did like four lives takes of it with our drummer Ryan hitting record in the control room.”

“We weren’t really sure if it was going to make sense on the album. Not to compare it, but it’s almost like that Radiohead song, ‘True Love Waits’, where it just floated around in their back catalogue. Our deep fans would definitely know it.”

As naff as it may be to slap a Radiohead comparison upon oneself, you can’t help but feel that Holy Holy just might be the right band to do so. Dawson nods his head in agreement.

“We actually love Radiohead and we know that there’s some moments on the record that have a bit of that going on. So yeah, I’m fine with that.”

BY WILL BREWSTER

Catch Holy Holy on tour starting this September.

My Own Pool Of Light is out now via Wonderlick Recordings.

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PAGE HEADER

STAGE FIVE: BUDGETING

MAKING A TRACK COME TO LIFE WITH SIMON MORO For our fifth and final article on creating and releasing a song, Melbourne producer and engineer Simon Moro shines a light on budgeting. Over the last four months Moro has detailed what’s required for making a record that sounds exactly how you want it to sound, from preproduction to tracking, mixing and mastering.

One thing we’ve largely ignored, however, is how much it’ll all cost. It’s a subject people are reluctant to talk about – artists want to save money wherever possible and engineers and producers tend to equivocate for fear of losing business. But if we want big studios to continue to exist, money needs to go into the industry.

“For beginners, price is their competitive advantage,” Moro says. “If you’re working another job, in your early 20s, you can chip away at a mix for $200 over a few nights. But if you’ve invested hundred of thousands in a studio and have $50k of annual overheads, your rates will reflect it. What the artist gets is the benefits of those studio investments plus, most importantly, working with a full time professional.”

It’s an excellent time for freelancers and small scale-studio operations, but as a result of the competitive pricing, budget expectations have lowered. In any industry, when costs are cut, so is the quality.

“Commercial studios in Australia used to be able to charge $3000 a day plus $100 for every extra bit of gear they turned on or instrument used,” Moro says. “And now you get the same thing for $1000, all inclusive.

At $3000 a day a studio was able to afford a full-time team of assistants, and technicians.

They could continually service their equipment and instruments and keep their computers and interfaces up to date. With the lower costs, gear can’t be maintained

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in the same way, computer systems become older, and career paths disappear.”

So let’s go back to the beginning. If you’re preparing to record an individual song, it makes practical sense to determine how much money you’re willing to spend on it. The thing about the budget, says Moro, is that it really needs to be done with a producer. He explains why: “I’ve had bands come to me with budgets and a suggested approach, but it was guesswork on their part. Your producer will know the best way to structure the project from a budget and timeline perspective. This might mean you work out how much money you can raise and then approach producers saying, ‘This is how much money we have and what we’d like to achieve. How possible is that, and how would you suggest we invest it?’

“I’ve worked with artists before that have said, ‘This is 100% the entire budget, can’t spend a cent more, what can we get?’ If I’m given a number to work with and believe I can deliver a result as good or better than anyone else for the amount, I’ll likely proceed.”

Moro says indie projects might be looking at between $300-$700 per song for preproduction. It always depends on what’s included, though.

“Most experienced producers are able to provide a ballpark estimate after a short conversation, which an artist can use to make a decision to proceed, pause and raise funds, or seek alternatives,” Moro says.

“The intention of pre-production is to get specific with the goals for the song and be prepared. Good pre-production should actually result in saving money by avoiding time wastage or expensive experimentation.”

Next is tracking. Here’s what you should plan for and how much you’re looking at spending.

“I always like to have a checklist of the parts I need to record for each song, charts, and a

rough plan for each day. Sometimes I might plan the order in which to record the songs.

Other times the order is less important, yet having a rough time frame means you can be sure to get things done. It’s also important to schedule breaks. When blood sugar is low, it’s harder to make decisions!

“These days spending between $800-$1800 a day will get you an experienced engineer in a decent room. Of course there are much cheaper offerings out there. The compromise is that things may take longer and the end result is always going to be something you’re fighting with. Often I get sent tracks to mix and the song is awesome, but I have to fight production and recording issues.”

The significance of a good mix cannot be overstated and yet this is an area where artists commonly look for easy solutions.

Moro gives an idea of how much should you be willing to pay and the risks of opting for a low-cost alternative.

“Depending on the number of revisions, studio facility, number of songs and the mixer’s experience, around $750-$1500 per song should get a solid result in Australia.

And the mixer should be able to turn them around pretty quickly. Spending less than that, you’re likely to be getting a nicely balanced mix, but without that magic that specialist mixers deliver.

“An important thing to understand is that the things that make a mix magical start at the very beginning, and every part interacts in a calculated way. I’ve had clients contact me to finish a mix they started with someone else. They may have spent days on the mix, trying to get it to work. I’ll have a listen and as expected, the magic stuff is not there. And it’s so far from just turning the snare down, or changing the vocal reverb. It needs to be completely scrapped and started again.”

from device-to-device as well as comply with specifications and best practice set by TV, radio and streaming platforms.

“It’s the final check before your songs go out into the world,” Moro says. “Cost-wise, you’d be looking around the $150-$300 mark per song for mastering. The sweet spot is around the $150 mark. Many mastering engineers offer reduced rates for more songs.”

The question is, if an artist is keen on making a fully realised piece of work that stands up next to the songs they love, is this achievable without breaking the bank?

“If the goal is, ‘I want a successful independent release,’ the approach is different to wanting a decent recording for family and friends or archiving song ideas.

Being specific about the goal contextualises the project so it’s easy to discover when cost compromises can be made without affecting the end goal.

“Depending on genre and requirements – are you a band, or do you need to hire one? How complex is the production? – you should realistically be looking at between $4-8k for a single. That’s from beginning to end. A folky EP should be obtainable from $10-15k, or a solid indie album from $18-30k. Those rates mean you can afford experts at each stage of the production, where they will have enough time to be 100% dedicated creatively and emotionally to your project.”

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY Head to ninetynine100.com to find out more about Simon's work.

Mastering still baffles lots of people and so they choose to dodge it entirely. But it’s essential for getting songs to translate well

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BRAND FOCUS

XOTIC GUITARS Longevity in music manufacturing can be deceptive; although iconic guitar and pedal brands still live on, many have been swallowed up by international monopolies and shadowy private equity. The key to real longevity, as with many industries, is a dichotomy: buy up your competitors or keep things determinedly small-scale.

Xotic Guitars chose the latter in a Californian garage 20 years ago.

The company has managed to expand to a worldwide operation while retaining a sizable part of the hand-manufacture within the U.S. Even the manufacturing they do export to satellite locations is still done by hand. If you’re still not convinced, Xotic provides charts that show what percentage of each product originated from which country. The brand’s current Product Specialist, Kenny Echizen, swears they’ll never change.

“We strive for the best quality in every way.

So even if it takes a lot of time and elbow grease to make each guitar, we cannot compromise that by mass-producing our guitars.”

Back in 1996, the company was a one man operation dedicated to producing craftsman quality basses in the San Fernando Valley. As the company expanded, they needed a point of difference beyond their DIY attitude; the invention of the Tri-Logic Bass Preamp gave Xotic the confidence to produce their first pedal. The Robotalk 1 was an auspicious market debut; a three-in-one random

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arpeggiator, envelope filter, and low-pass filter. The pedal still regularly sells for a mint on Reverb and has received several sequels, but primarily it set up a dynasty at Xotic.

The brand’s AC boosters and SL Drive pedals have been fixtures on most pro rigs for years. In 2015, the company broadened its base with the California Classic guitar series, split into the XTC and XSC models (Telecaster and Stratocaster shapes respectively). It’s a range that harkens back to their garage days in more ways than one.

“The same designer that built the pedals now designs the California Classic Series, so you can expect a similar quality of tone,” Echizen explains.

The flagship XSC and XTC models are also built using similar ash and alder tonewoods from the U.S’ Midwest and Pacific Northwest to what Xotic’s “founding fathers” used in their original bass guitars. The roasted maple neck is really the frosting on top, giving them that inexorable mark of premium. Its unique feel is achieved through a lengthy torrefaction process, removing moisture from the wood and opening up its pores.

average single coils. Their sound is modelled forensically off 1963-style pickup tones.

The celebrity guitarist endorsements the two ranges have garnered so far highlight the immediacy of the vintage tone. That tone is bolstered by two other Raw Vintage trademarked touches, including the RVTS-1 Tremolo strings and saddles. Elsewhere, Gotoh locking tuners imitate the classic oval knob stamped housing tuners on old Fenders.

The out-of-time feel extends to the use of the relic’d finish across the California Classic series, something many players have fairly deep-set opinions about. Echizen’s defence is earnest.

“It’s like hanging out with an old friend, or wearing your favorite pair of worn out jeans.

It just feels right even if you haven’t been with it for a while, or in our case, the first time! Part of that comes from the distressed, or as we call it, aged finish.”

“We love how they sound with our Raw Vintage pickups that are voiced like the ones back in the ‘50s and ‘60s,” Echizen says.

Xotic also give you three choices for the degree of the aging, be it light, medium or heavy. Ironically, nitrocellulose lacquer finish on each of the guitars means they will probably age far better than any of their non-relic’d competition. And, if you believe the words of Billy Corgan, the guitars are bound to sound better too.

The Raw Vintage pickups, handwound in Xotic’s L.A shop, piqued the ears of our reviewer back in May who wrote they had “a character, attack and spank” he had never heard before. Even without playing them, a YouTube demo will have you quickly realise these are a little more than your

Echizen is showcasing the full California Classic Series at this year’s Melbourne Guitar Show for the first time. If you’re sold on one, fill out a quick form at the MGS or online with your very own specs (with 20 colours to choose from) and send it off.

You’ll be able to see their unique aged

finishes up close and make your own call, but you’ll likely fall in love with the way they feel.

“Every guitar has the consistency in terms of playability and feel but at the same time has their own mojo,” Echizen says.

The Product Specialist is cagy when it comes to the future of Xotic guitars, only committing to discussion of the California Classic Series. Current research and development at the company is focussed on a “little bit of both” guitars and pedals.

The only adjacent guitars the company has available are the now-Japanese produced XS and XT guitars. Knowing Xotic, you can bet they’ll remain committed to doing the classics right.

Xotic Guitars are available in Australia via Guitar Brothers.

BY JOSHUA MARTIN

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BRAND FOCUS

The History of Lace Pickups Lace Sensor pickups are often recognised for their iconic, blank covers and hum-free sound.

They’ve made an appearance on both old Fender guitar lines and the Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck Signature Stratocasters.

But before Lace Pickups revolutionised the single coil forever, let’s take a look at how the brand first came into being.

put his plans into being. His first Lace Sensor pickup consisted of a true single coil surrounded by metal barriers. Similar to the metal claws on a Fender Jaguar pickup, these barriers reduced hum and focused the magnetic field beneath the strings, which in turn produced a punchier top and bottom end. Lace Sr. then reengineered the pickup magnets to create a compression field around the coil itself, which further increased tonal harmonics and decreased electromagnetic interference.

In the late sixties, soon-to-be company founder Don Lace Sr. first came into contact with the guitar industry. Lace Sr. was working with the then-budding Fender, assisting them with amplifier speaker issues.

After setting up his own company in 1979 (dubbed Actodyne General International), Lace Sr. began research and development into his own unique pickup designs. The business initially began in the humble family garage and consisted of Don Lace Sr. and his two sons, Don Lace Jr. and Jeff Lace. At the time, Lace Sr. was in contact with Fender’s pickup manufacturers, and readily learned about the nuanced ins and outs of the magnetic pickup. Their discussions led Lace Sr. on a journey to create his own version of the single coil. He planned to integrate the best features of both active and passive pickups into one singular unit.

The official birth of the first Lace Sensor pickup occurred in 1985 and was then used exclusively by Fender from 1987 to 1996.

Initially, there were four varieties of Lace Sensors to choose from: Gold, Silver, Red, and Blue. The Gold strove to be as tonally authentic as possible, taking notes from glassy ‘50s single coils. The Silver Lace Sensor emulated the beefy ‘70s Stratocaster scream, while the Blue imitated a warm P90.

The Red variant held the most output and was designed to both feel and sound like a humbucker.

After years of experimentation, Lace Sr. finally engineered a feasible method to

While Lace Sr. passed in 1992, his eternal spirit of innovation continues today through his two sons. The company have been constantly churning out new products that continue to push the boundaries of the traditional magnetic pickup. Take their Alumitone single coils, for example. While all pickups are primarily voltage-driven, the Alumitone was created with a different

goal in mind: to maximise its current. This is achieved by a water jet cut aluminium exoskeleton, paired with an extremely low number of turns – 90% less copper wire, to be exact. The low/high impedance pickup allows for more bass, volume and a slightly more pronounced midrange.

It’s an unfortunate truth that a large percentage of guitarists are purists, and would only touch a Stratocaster if the magnet poles were poking up through the covers. Thankfully, Lace’s Holy Grail pickups caters for this particular audience.

Combining its hum-cancelling technology with a distinctly vintage ‘50s voicing, these pickups are a popular option for both stage and studio.

Their patented single coil pickup is now available in a staggering nine variations – consumers are invariably spoiled for choice.

The company is also currently working with Godin, National Reso-Phonic and a whole slew of other boutique manufacturers across the globe. While Lace Pickups have already established themselves as a name synonymous with innovation, you can safely bet that they’ll always remain in the vanguard for the magnetic pickup’s inevitable evolution.

EDDY LIM Lace Sensor Pickups are distributed in Australia via EGM Distribution.

Lace has vastly increased both their reach and lineup of products over the years.

Distributed by

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YOUR GUIDE TO INTEGRATE 2019 The audio-visual industry is absolutely thriving in Australia.

With frequent advances in technology and access to the latest developments becoming increasingly easy to get your hands on, it’s a great time to be an audiophile. For experts and emerging professionals alike, the Integrate expo is the must-see event for the latest and greatest in audio-visual technology.

Complete with input from buyers, integrators and distributors, Integrate continues to raise the bar each year and in 2019, they’re certainly not holding back. While there truly is something for everyone at this exhibition, we’ve taken the liberty of hand-picking a few choice highlights that are not to be missed.

Looking at best practice for audio design and installation within large venues Wednesday August 28, 1.30 – 2.30pm Anyone who works in audio for large venues can confirm it’s no layman’s task. Every little nuance or mixing challenge is magnified and navigating this tricky territory takes some serious expertise. Luckily, Integrate has enlisted the help of avt’s Michael Guest and Luke Parkyn to smooth out what can be an overwhelming process. Given avt is one of our leading distributors of audiovisual technology, Guest and Parkyn are uniquely qualified to talk audiences through

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the finer points of audio design for larger venues, with topics ranging from the use of predictive modelling software to the best ways to avoid potential pitfalls when executing your design.

The cutting edge of audio technology Thursday August 29, 12.30 – 1.30pm Industry veteran Rafe Sholer is set to share his extensive experience with attendees at Integrate this year in a session focused on recent developments in audio technology.

Sholer brings an impressive resume to the event, with credits as a producer, classicallytrained bassist and even as a university lecturer. He’ll cover some of the most notable technologies that have emerged over the past year, including multi-capsule microphones, directional speaker systems, user-calibrated headphones, and spatial audio mapping for augmented reality. These discussions will culminate in the crucial question that is always present in the constantly evolving AV industry: what’s next for the future of audio technology?

CEDIA Training – Emerging Technologies Update 2019 Tuesday August 27, 9.00 – 10.30am CEDIA, the global leading authority in the home technology industry, is hosting a series of essential training sessions at Integrate 2019 to ensure AV professionals are kept in the loop with industry certifications and can easily maintain their operational expertise. CEDIA’s David Meyer will take the microphone for this invaluable session on emerging technologies, bridging the gap between the working AV expert

and the frequent changes to the industry that can be difficult to keep track of. Meyer will break down the popular trends taking over the industry and initiate discussions surrounding the implications of such technology on integrators and clients.

CEDIA Training – Completing a Project: The Last 5% Tuesday August 27, 11.00 – 12.30pm While this session is geared towards audiophiles, it promises to offer the kind of advice most of us could use in our everyday lives, let alone our chosen profession.

Completing a Project: The Last 5% will see Entertaining Environment’s Rob Sanders tackle the issue of finalising your project and explain how to tie up those loose ends that always seem to trip you up when you least expect it. Sanders will teach attendees how to identify common problems at each stage of a project and offer helpful hints on how to conquer them before any issues have the chance to derail the task. These essential ingredients are crucial for anyone looking to achieve greater efficiency and increased profits.

Tech Girls are Superheroes Wednesday August 28, 8.30 – 10.00am

founder of the Tech Girl Movement, will host this special event, which continues to grow leaps and bounds since its Integrate debut in 2015.

Audio Demo Rooms Tuesday August 27 – Thursday August 29 Attending an AV show without the opportunity to experience the products firsthand would be absurd. Thankfully, Integrate has you covered with multiple Audio Demo Rooms, a range of spaces dedicated to showcasing the best audio products on the market. Expect to hear the incredible capabilities of products such as L-Acoustics L-ISA and the ARCS family, the latest innovations from German audio manufacturer S.E Audiotechnik thanks to Midwich Australasia, and a host of AKG, BSS, Crown and JBL Professional gear from the folks at atv. With this much on offer, you’d be crazy to miss Integrate 2019.

BY JESSICA OVER Integrate will take over the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre from Tuesday August 27 – Thursday August 29.

Tickets are available now via integrate-expo.com.

In what is shaping up to be an unmissable highlight of the 2019 Integrate program, the AVIXA Women’s Council is hosting a breakfast dedicated to the talented women of the audio-visual industry. Tech Girls are Superheroes will hone in on the challenges women face in the AV industry, identify areas of support, and offer a space to exchange ideas. Dr Jenine Beekhuyzen,

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LAGOON ANC YOUR JOURNEY YOUR SOUND

YOUR JOURNEY WITH YOUR PERSONALISED SOUND In the professional world beyerdynamic headphones and headsets are where perfect sound and technical intelligence meet. What makes the new LAGOON ANC unique is that whether Active Noise Cancelling is activated or not, it sounds excellent.

With our innovative MOSAYC sound personalisation App MIY, on your smartphone, your Lagoon can be adjusted to suit your individual hearing profile. In addition, when listening to music via your smartphone the App monitors the intensity of headphone use; being both volume and time; keeping track of healthy listening sessions. Enjoy soothing silence or immerse yourself in music; after all you deserve the best! www.beyerdynamic.com.au

MOSAYC

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MUSICOLOGY:

GETTING BACK ON TRACK We’ve officially reached the time of year when everyone begins to wonder where, exactly, the time has gone. Someone blinked and suddenly, 2019 is almost over.

With less than six months left to achieve all of those resolutions you made (and promptly ignored) at the beginning of the year, it’s safe to say you’re probably panicking right now. Motivation is waning, tasks are left unfinished, and those goals that seemed so within reach all those months ago are now overwhelmingly distant.

It’s time to get back on track.

As a musician, there’s a healthy chance you frequently set a long list of goals. There’s also a good chance there are still a lot to be crossed off the list. There’s always something more to strive for, but sometimes getting there can be a challenge. If you’re in a musical slump and need a renewed sense of purpose, here are some foolproof options to kickstart that inspiration again.

Turn around, look at what you see Surrounding yourself with driven people is a healthy choice for anyone and is especially true for musicians. When you’re pursuing an art that is so self-motivated, it’s super important to be exposed to the kind of musicians you want to be. That being said, don’t drop your mates if they’re also in a bit of slump. Instead, expand your horizons and recognise local acts who are doing great

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fantastic, but having the desire to see what else is out there is what’s going to give you the greatest inspiration.

that was a perfect choice for that one scene, make your television consumption work for you. Two birds, one stone.

Take a trip down memory lane

Channel your heroes

Finding inspiration in music shouldn’t be solely limited to music itself. If you’ve exhausted all options within your chosen industry, look elsewhere. Listen to a podcast that’s slowly gaining an audience and learn how to build your own. Read a script to see how a screenwriter uses their craft to tell a story and apply it to songwriting. Watch any documentary to get a sense of the work involved in success. Take things to another extreme by finding inspiration in an array of contrasting mediums and continue to seek influence in the unexpected. You’ll be thankful for it.

Winding back the clock to another point in music history is a sure-fire way to stir up new motivation. Take classical music, for example. With practically nothing except an instrument and a knack for notation, these legendary composers created some of the most beautiful art this world is ever likely to see. Their work is the inspiration of countless musicians, both during their time and ours, and continues to well and truly stand the test of time. For musicians looking to gain some more knowledge of music theory and composition practices, broadening your listening habits to another era could be the best decision you ever make.

If you find yourself returning to the same select group of artists for the thousandth time but you’re not gaining anything new from the act, it might be time to take a new approach. Take the band you’re obsessed with and find out who they’re obsessed with. Download their entire discography and pinpoint the elements that are shared between both acts. Once you’ve found the similarities, move on to what’s different between the two. Inspiration is in the detail, and you’ll find a lot more of it if you listen closely. Listen to your heroes, listen to their heroes, and listen to the musicians who inspired them all. You’ll be itching to get back into the studio in no time.

Branch out

What you see is what you get

Stuck in a rut of listening to the same three songs on repeat? We’ve all been there. While it can be useful to return to your favourite playlist for some much-needed inspiration, kicking things up a notch requires stepping out of your comfort zone. If you’re a diehard metalhead, why not try out some of the classical music that inspires your heroes?

Keen on a bit of rock and roll? Shake things up with the new wave of retro artists whose reinterpretations of a timeless genre will reinvigorate your creativity. One of the least advisable things you can do as a musician is be narrow-minded about your music. Having a particular genre you’re passionate about is

Struggling to find inspiration in conventional ways? It might be time to take a closer look at the ever-present phenomenon that is popular culture. Next time you’re binge-watching a Netflix series or diving into one of your favourite films, take note of the little things. Maybe there’s something about the soundtrack that can spark an idea or perhaps motivation can be found elsewhere in the on-screen world.

Whatever the case, there’s no reason the tools that create the story you’re watching can’t be transferred to the new track you’re working on. Whether you’re finding inspiration from the plot itself or the song

things. Reach out to them and pick their brains. Chances are they’ll be happy to share some advice – just remember to offer the same favour to others who are struggling when the positions are reversed.

Think outside the box

BY JESSICA OVER

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ADVICE COLUMNS GUITAR

BASS GUITAR

Got The Bends III………

Instant Soul Part 1

Straight into some more bends this month. Let’s continue on where we left off with a couple of typical A Minor Pentatonic licks.

Expanding on some of the diatonic ideas from last issue we thought we’d put them into more musical contexts for you to really get a sound happening, and this month we’re starting with Soul. These are intended as quick and easily usable ideas to get you playing some typically Soul sounding licks and lines without too much fuss. Anything from Stevie Wonder to Tower of Power to Otis Redding to Amy Winehouse can be fair game.

Figure A starts and finishes with minim whole tone bends. These take strength to ensure the correct pitch is reached, and held for two beats. These would usually be played as ‘reinforced’ bends also using the third and second fingers on your left hand to add strength. Hold the first bend for two beats, then we have semi quavers (counted 3e+a, 4e+a) leading to a phrase in the last bar of 1e+ tied to beat 2 before then holding the last bend for another two beats (3 4).

Figure B again utilises A Minor Pentatonic starting with a repeated three note phrase. A reinforced whole tone bend from D in the 7th fret on the 3rd string is followed by E and A across the second and first strings (you can barre your first finger for these). The second bar features a descending phrase before jumping back up to G on the second string for two more tone bends. Think Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton etc for these first two examples, but of course they could be applied to a range of styles (not just rock/blues).

Figure C uses the G Minor Pentatonic scale (G-Bb-C-D-F) ascending up the high e string.

Again taking a repeating 3 note grouping the phrase starts with a bend from a tone below the target note (F in bar one) on the second string. The F note is bent up to G followed by two fretted G notes on the first string. This group of three is then repeated with a group of two (just a bend and one fretted note) at the end of the bar. Whilst it is in 4/4 this phrase can also be heard and felt as 123-123-12. The lick then continues up this pattern through the rest of the notes of G Minor Pentatonic (Bb-C-D-F) before finishing with a single whole tone bend from F up to G in the last bar. It’s important to add that the starting note we bend from for Bars two and five (Ab and Eb) don’t actually belong to G Minor Pentatonic but as they are bent so quickly the initial pitch we are bending from is barely heard. This keeps the lick consistent but of course if the bends were slower or the sound more prominent we’d rework these to fit.

Figure A has a straight ahead crotchet feel moving from two bars of C to two bars of F. In the key of C this could be thought of as the I chord moving to the IV chord. To add some variation we can try playing one bar of the root note and then moving towards our next chord such as Figure B. Here we have a bar of C crotchets and then a run of C-D-Eb-E which moves nicely towards F for the next bar. Now assuming these four bars just repeat (for the Verse for example) we need to get from F back to C. Bar four then plays F-A-Bb-B which leads us back to C. These ideas create movement towards the new chord and add some extra harmonic content by also using chromatic notes. Furthermore Figure C takes this idea one step further by varying the rhythm with quavers to add even further movement.

Many Soul styled bass lines utilise the 5th and 6th (G and A in the case of C Major). Let’s try adding them to the first bar (Figure D). Again this idea retains the sound of C (or a C chord) but adds colour with the G and A notes.

The premise of this lick is then that it sounds like a repeated quaver sound moving through G Minor Pentatonic and gives us the sound of three of the same pitch in a row – but, it is broken up by the first of each group being a bend.

Finally let’s look at bar three and develop the F crotchets further. We can use the 5th (C) both below and above F and add some rhythm to give us Figure E. A big one for bass players in all styles the 5th definitely features prominently in Soul music too. The use of dotted quaver and semi quaver add some bounce to the feel and the 5ths create variation before moving to the last bar.

So in summary these ideas take a basic progression (just two chords in this case) and move from playing straight crotchet rhythms with root notes to developing more rhythmic and harmonic ideas. Movement from one chord to the next using diatonic notes, chromaticisim and varying rhythms is one of the big features of Soul styled basslines.

We’ll get into some more bends and variations next month but remember to listen to yourself when practicing these. Pitch is super important and typically needs to be precise. Reinforcing bends with your third finger in these examples helps with control and speed, especially with faster phrases or having to hold bends for longer durations.

BY NICK BROWN

There is so much good soul music out there and plenty of specific bass players in this genre to dig your teeth into. James Jamerson, Bootsy Collins, Larry Graham, Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn and Louis Johnson are good starting points. Of course there is more to the soul sound then just playing the notes – you have to think about tone, your articulation, muting and lots more to really capture the sound. Let’s dig a little deeper next month and add some examples with more complex rhythms and chord progressions.

BY NICK BROWN

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PRODUCT REVIEWS YAMAHA

Storia Acoustic Series YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA | AU.YAMAHA.COM | EXPECT TO PAY: $699

If I were to describe Yamaha Music in a sentence, it would be: jack of all trades, master of some. Yamaha produce products for every corner of the music industry, as well as every level of producer, musician or hobbyist. Some products are game changers, such as the Yamaha NS10 speaker, whose iconic white cone and black enclosure are so synonymous with professional recording studios that companies building speakers completely different to the NS10 still borrow from its aesthetic. Yamaha Rev 7 reverbs and SPX90 effects units are now imitated in software plugin form, while their electric guitars are a consistent top-seller from the budget beginner models to full-blown professionally spec’d guitars.

The Storia series of Yamaha acoustic guitars are one such product destined to be witnessed on stage, imitated, loved and gawked at, as well as relied upon for years to come. The Storia series comes in Storia 1, 2 and 3, but are all equally spec’d instruments. The series is designed to be aesthetically pleasing as well as pleasant players, so are as much a piece of art as they are a musical instrument.

The concert size of the Storia guitars makes them really comfortable to play, keeping them lightweight and curved against your body. All three still boast a 25” scale length, so the guitars don’t feel as small as they actually are, and you’ll feel as at home with a Storia as the Storia will feel in your home.

They're entrancing like a portrait and won’t occupy as much space as a full-size acoustic

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guitar so is perfect for musicians and students with little space, or need to travel with their guitar slung across their back. The sound remains full bodied and resonant but with the controlled dynamics of a smaller acoustic guitar.

The Storia 1, 2 and 3 all feature mahogany back and sides, as well as matching Yamaha passive pickups beneath the saddles, which is connected via a line out on the bottom strap-pin. Storia 1 has a semi-gloss spruce top with mahogany back while Storia 2 & 3 both feature gloss mahogany tops with progressively darker stains. Brass bridge pins secure the strings on all three models, and champagne gold, open gear tuners keep the guitar classy from head to toe. Comfortable string height and a rounded edge on the Storia 2 where the fretboard meets the main wood of the neck make for a very comfortable play for guitarists of any level, while a narrow neck makes playing a breeze for smaller handed players or complex chord voicing.

The Storia 1 & 3 have more stand necks and fretting, and are no less comfortable the their rounded counterpart. The low profile frets are nice and easy to glide around on.

Full strummed chords are easy to change, but fiddly arpeggios and noodling are equally easy on any of the Storia guitars.

They’re truly a balanced and equal set of steel-stringed acoustic guitars in every sense of the words.

and the Storia logo looks beautiful between the six Yamaha FS50BT strings that come as standard. The Spruce top on the Storia 1 provides a slight variation on tone and resonance, and each model features a different sound-hole inlay in mahogany, abalone and finally a black and wine red in the Storia 3. Head to toe these are beautifully made, but primarily beautifully designed guitars. The frets inlays are fairly inconspicuous and creative, and don’t pop out at you like some pearl or white get markers might on darker fingerboard.

The subtle markers complete the guitars streamlined look and feel.

HITS: ∙∙ Well made, well priced ∙∙ Great sound for a smaller guitar MISSES: ∙∙ You’ve got to pick between three

The Storia series of acoustic guitar do away with the ideas of progressively, more technically spec’d guitars, instead providing three equally well-assembled and designed guitars for an attractive price. They’re comfortable, sound great and will look beautiful in your lounge or study, even if they’re only played occasionally. Varying finishes, binding and inlays distinguish the models to suit your aesthetic, and different tone woods provide slightly different tones that are balanced out by the passive Yamaha pickup.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

Aesthetically, the guitars look great. Each model’s interior has a variation in colour,

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PRODUCT REVIEWS ERNIE BALL

Axis Capo CMC MUSIC | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $29.95 Ernie Ball have long been in the business of guitar tech and accessories. Be it through their iconic Music Man and Sterling guitars or through their pedals and accessories, you can be sure that every single product is robust, versatile and ready for the stage.

Ernie Ball’s latest offering – the sleek and unassuming Axis capo – thankfully retains all of these traits with a unique reversible design.

As previously mentioned, Ernie Ball have had their name in almost every guitar accessory known to musicians worldwide. From their famous Slinky strings to strap locks and even branded gaffa tape, it makes sense that the humble capo was next on their to-do list. While there is a metric tonne of different capos out there with bloated, over-marketed features, Ernie Ball have kept it simple with the Axis capo. This is done with good intentions, really; while guitar technology has constantly evolved over the years, the self-effacing capo hasn’t. To quote the old adage: why fix it if it ain’t broke?

The Axis capo is not to be confused with Ernie Ball Music Man’s existing Axis guitar – there’s no correlation between the two.

The name itself is perhaps derived instead from the device’s main selling point – its dual-radius design. According to Ernie Ball, the Axis utilises this unique arrangement to enable it to adapt to any kind of fretboard

imaginable. Be it a flat 16” acoustic fingerboard to a compound 7.25 to 13” fretboard radius, the Axis capo has got you covered. There’s no fancy step-adjustments, troublesome clips or tension modification necessary. As an additional bonus, this capo was designed with seven-string guitars in mind. Ernie Ball Music Man already boasts the incredibly sleek-looking John Petrucci and Jason Richardson signature seven string models, so it makes perfect sense to see them included in the mix.

Speaking of sleek, the Axis capo is all that and then some. There are four different colours to choose from: black, silver, bronze, and gold. Apart from the slightly reflective gold, the other choices are finished in a matte sheen. The stealthy black capo adorned with the stylish silver Ernie Ball logo was the winner for me, but the bronze finish came in at a close second, even looking like natural wood in the right lighting.

Where the Axis capo excels in is its ease of use. Ernie Ball have opted for a springcontrolled, single-handed action, making it incredibly simple to clamp on or relocate to a different fret. Unlike some of the lesser capos out there, the ‘jaws’ of the Axis capo are completely coated in sturdy moulded rubber, ensuring that your guitar’s neck finish remains undamaged. To select which

fretboard-appropriate side you need, all you have to do is flip the capo over. It’s deadeasy and completely fool-proof. I tested this capo on two guitars: a vintage-spec 7.25” fretboard radius Telecaster, as well as an extremely flat 16” board belonging to the Faith Legacy Earth. As expected, there was zero buzzing and dead notes – an exemplary performance.

HITS: ∙ Ease of use ∙ Great construction ∙ Covers everything including seven-string guitars MISSES: ∙ None

Sometimes, ease and simplicity beat out overloading on additional features. The Axis capo does its job and does it extremely well.

The hardest part is deciding what colour you’re going to get.

BY EDDY LIM

PAUL REED SMITH

SE Santana Singlecut Trem ELECTRIC FACTORY | ELFA.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $1599 Who could hate Santana? Whether you’re a diehard for his acid-churning, Latin-tinged blues rock scorchers of the ‘70s or your association with the celebrated guitarist is limited to his smash-hit radio collaborations with assorted ‘90s alt-rock frontmen, the canon of Carlos Santana is near-inescapable – even the vaguest of listeners could hear his tone bubbling through a supermarket aisle and remark to themselves, ‘Hey – it’s that Rob Thomas guy!’ It’s perhaps, for this reason, that he’s considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time.

By proxy, this means that the PRS SE Santana Singlecut ought to be a pretty decent guitar. Paul Reed Smith has been building guitars for Santana for a whopping forty years, so you’d expect that any PRS guitar bearing his name would be an instrument worthy of some serious clout, even when manufactured in the company’s Indonesian plant. Decked out in an iridescent and rather regal looking Egyptian Gold finish – a slight step down from the guitarist’s own gold leaf variant – the SE Santana Singlecut is a fitting tribute to the legacy laid down by both names that adorn its headstock.

Boasting an all-mahogany body and set-neck, 24 fret singlecut design, the SE Santana is by all means a ‘classic’ guitar that deserves a share in all the attention that its

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doublecut sibling collects. It bears a level of heft similar to that of a Les Paul, yet the unique 24.5” inch scale and well-placed body contours makes for an instrument which feels incredibly easy to wrangle whether standing or seated. Funnily enough, this was actually my first ever experience with a PRS after years of clinging nearreligiously to the big F word, and despite my doubts, I found the transition between brands surprisingly natural. While the Wide Fat neck profile certainly took some getting used to, within minutes, I was zipping up and down the slick rosewood fretboard with ease, spilling bluesy licks at a speed that I didn’t even know I was capable of. For some reason or another, the SE Santana really released the shredder in me – we’ll just put that one down to Black Magic, shall we?

Unplugged, the SE Santana is surprisingly resonant, and amplified, it rips. With a clean setting, the dual TCI S humbuckers deliver a chimey, crisp tone which I found particularly inviting towards more contemporary styles.

The nuances of the SE Santana’s pickups shone brightest when playing jazz changes and neo-soul voicings, however it definitely didn’t disappoint as an open-chord strummer either. When paired with a bit of grit, the humbuckers open up to provide a distinctive bite, with lingering sustain for days. I found it incredibly hard to resist stomping on a

fuzz pedal with the tone rolled off the neck pickup for that classic creamy tone, and the bridge position held enough heat to keep up with the drop-tuned riffs I chugged through it too. Although the middle pickup position wasn’t particularly memorable – is it ever?

- it’s certainly worth noting that this guitar offers a level of tonal versatility that many would be surprised with. Also, the bird fretboard inlays on this thing do look a lot better in person: don’t listen to all those internet dweebs out there.

Despite showing some deceptive signs of its budget pricetag – on close inspection, the quality of the synthetic materials used for the nut and tremolo cavity cover – there’s definitely nothing overtly beginner about the PRS SE Santana Singlecut. The guitar not only serves the best interests of Santana and Smith’s original designs, but also to the

devout quality of product provided by PRS’ SE factory in Indonesia. No matter whether you’re operating in the fields of fusion, blues, country or even hard-rock and metal, the SE Santana won’t let you down easy – and man, it’s a hot one.

BY WILL BREWSTER

HITS: ∙ Lavish Egyptian Gold finish ∙ Wide Fat neck profile unleashes your inner rock god MISSES: ∙ Could benefit from having a bone nut

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PRODUCT REVIEWS APOGEE

Quartet Professional Audio Interface AMBER TECHNOLOGY | AMBERTECH.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $2,299 Apogee are the consistent underdog of professional audio. We’ve reviewed their Element series of interfaces before here at Mixdown, and the Apogee Quartet described here features many of the same options that really make their interfaces stand out, from the tiny Jam all the way up to the mammoth 32 I/O Symphony I/O. The Apogee Quartet sits pretty in the middle tier of the manufacturer’s interface range, yet retains the inconspicuous looks, quality preamps, good routing options, futuristic touch pad and backlit metering that Apogee adhere to. The Quartet, as the name suggests, has four combo XLR/jack inputs, six analogue outputs and two optical inputs. There’s a bunch of input and output options using the touchpad ‘buttons’ on the hardware itself, besides the Apogee Maestro mobile app for further control.

In use, the Quartet is easy and doesn’t get in the way. It connected instantly via USB 2.0 and I had immediate access to the four professional preamps via 1/4” jack or XLR cable, and phantom power and solo functions are available within the Maestro software. There’s a universal mute that is accessed by depressing the large wheel for volume control. Controlling the preamps is easily done by selecting a channel via touchpad and using that same large wheel to dial in the gain for the selected channel,

so you can record clean signal with AD/DA conversion for recording up to 24 bit, 192kHz resolution. The six analogue outputs offer this same resolution and can be used as either a monitor controller with three stereo outputs or six mono outputs for outboard gear, and any combination of the two. A touch pad toggles between A (1-2), B (3-4) and C (5-6) stereo outs for monitor control. The nicely backlit screen offers professional looking and very accurate metering, slowly turning to yellow when the signal is optimal, through orange and finally red when the signal clips. You can dim and mono the output from the hardware, which is endlessly handy when checking mixes. In addition to the four inputs and six outputs, the Quartet itself also features two optical inputs to expand your number of preamps via another interface. There’s a word clock In/Out to keep your digital system clean and concise.

Furthermore, I had no issues connecting or powering up the unit, and my Mac recognised it instantly. Windows compatibility is a new branch for Apogee so double check before upgrading to a Quartet for your PC. The touch pad is classy, elegant and professional, and the buttons bring a sense of the future to your monitoring and recording. Hardware controls can be toggled via the software and vice versa, and

so can input and output levels, as well as mirrored metering. This unit is plug-andplay at its finest, and I experienced zero issues integrating it as the heart of my little home studio. Connectivity allows it to be a monitor controller or auxiliary interface for a bigger studio’s requirements, offering more ins if required. What’s more, the Quartet can be connected easily to an iPad for recording on the go, either professionally or as a place to organise ideas when inspiration strikes.

This is also controlled via the Apogee Maestro app.

Overall, the Quartet is a total solution or a great addition to a studio of any size.

It’s practical, easy to connect and simply features everything you need without any tricks. Some parameters are mirrored in the Maestro software, some aren’t, but all are easily accessible, clearly labeled and even more clearly demonstrated regardless of how you’re metering. The preamps have clean combo inputs which scream out for some colour, and the output options can

assist the Apogee in serving you however you may need it to. Apogee make products for professionals and don’t need flashy extras to impress the working musician.

They do what they do and they do it well, without compromise and without the glitz and glamour of some interfaces. You need the heart of your studio to work precisely, reliably and to be easily integrated into your system. Apogee always have, and will undoubtedly continue providing pragmatic products for working businesses or individuals.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS HITS: ∙∙ Plug ’n’ Play ∙∙ Hardware and software integrated MISSES: ∙∙ Windows and PC not completely covered yet.

POSITIVE GRID

BIAS Delay Pedal LINK AUDIO | LINKAUDIO.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $700 Delay is a crucial effect in so many ways.

It can help place your guitar sound in a spatial context to help it sit within—or stand out from—a mix, or it can be used as a more overt, ear-catching effect.

Alternatively you can go The Edge approach and use it as a rhythmic component of the riff itself. Positive Grid understands that your delay is what you make it, and that’s not just marketing speak (in fact, I just came up with that and I think I’ll hang onto it): BIAS Delay Pro lets you actually design thousands of custom delay pedals from scratch.

This pedal seamlessly integrates with BIAS Delay Pro for mobile and desktop, and is ToneCloud-ready for sharing presets. In a way you can almost think of it as a hardware extension of all the wonderful sounds you cooked up on your digital devices. On the hardware side, there are digital, analogue, tape, space, swell, reverse and tremolo modes, plus three preset slots. There are knobs for mix, feedback, time, mod, depth and rate as well as a reverb control—a great addition because delay and reverb integrate so well with each other. There’s also a tempo subdivision switch between eighth notes, dotted eighths and eight note triplets. There are footswitches for three presets plus a tap tempo switch as well. Around the back are stereo inputs and outputs, an expression

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pedal jack for real-time control of any parameter, a USB port, MIDI in-thru and a wireless button to connect with BIAS Pedal iPad via Bluetooth.

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

Ah, but if you live for deep editing, this is going to flip you out. You can design your own custom delay pedal at component level, including things like saturation and analogue tone controls on the incoming signal, a virtual power source, two graphic EQs to place at various points in the signal chain. Saturation and analogue-tone controls add density and girth to the delay stage’s input signal. Adjust your pedal’s virtual power source to deliver 18 volts for a relaxed, supple sound, or 6-volts. Use the delay stage’s treble and bass controls to shape the tone of only the delay signal from bright to mid-range-y to bass-heavy. Two 8-band graphic EQs can also be placed at various points along the signal chain.

It’s insane just how deeply you can go into the editing stage and that’s where BIAS

Delay Pro is likely to find its biggest fans— those who really want to shape and define their own sound.

BY PETER HODGSON

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

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THE BEST AMPS IN THE WORLD

THE PROFILER

With Profiling Kemper changed the world for all guitar players, making it a better place indeed. Because all the best guitar amps in the world – thoroughly mic’ed and recorded in the best studios – are available with the Profiler.

KEMPER-AMPS.COM

Kemper Profiler Head or PowerHead

Profiler Rack Preamp & PowerRack black

Profiler Stage

Profiler Remote

To find a dealer near you or for more information contact

Ph: 03-9540 0658 www.innovativemusic.com.au

PRODUCT REVIEWS FENDER

Vintera Series Stratocasters FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA | FENDER.COM.AU RRP: VINTERA ‘50S STRATOCASTER - $1,799, VINTERA ‘50S STRATOCASTER MODIFIED - $1,999, VINTERA ‘60S STRATOCASTER - $1,799

The Fender Vintera series of period-correct Stratocasters are a gentle reminder for 2019.

They’re a reminder that Stratocasters are not only one of the original and most iconic electric guitar models of all time, but they’re also still the best. There’s a reason they have and will continue to be played by some of the greatest to ever do it. The Vintera Series of Stratocasters are redesigned models from the '50s, '60s and '70s and feature variations on pickups, neck profiles and body woods, as well as maple or pau ferro fingerboards. All the guitars feature the iconic triple singlecoil pickups and vintagestyle tremolos. The guitars are well-built, with a few bells and whistles that make them stand out from a modern standard Strat, or even an older, vintage counterpart.

The Vintera series is designed to be a tip-ofthe-hat to Fender’s roots, but with modern features and specifications.

Beginning with the ‘60s model, this particular guitar is a Three-Colour Sunburst with an aged, 3-ply mint green pickguard - a really nice touch. It’s got an alder body with a bolt-on maple neck and pau ferro fingerboard, as well as 21 vintage-style frets (short and narrow as opposed to medium or medium-jumbo style frets on the series’ counterparts) along its 25.5” scale length. The guitar is topped and tailed by a synthetic bone nut and vintage-style sixpoint synchronised tremolo, while vintagestyle Fender tuners complete the guitar.

Straight of the box, the guitar has a spanky and demanding response, and produces a

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fat, creamy tone when plugged in. Different settings on the five-way toggle between the three Vintage-Style ‘60s singlecoil Strat pickups are reminiscent mostly of coveted players like Eric Clapton or Jimi Hendrix, allowing you to have big fat bluesy leads or phasey, thin tones to help you pop in and out of a mix of blues and rock. Each note in a chord is heard and the harmonies resonate beautifully. The bridge pickup is thinner than I generally like, but is complimentary to the overall sound of the guitar.

The two ‘50s inspired models, in this case a ‘50s Modified Two-Colour Sunburst and a more straight-down-the-line ‘50s Strat in Sea Foam Green are a step up again.

The Modified Strat is alder, but features three Hot ‘50s Strat singlecoil pickups that respond more dynamically because of more modern components and a hotter output.

The Modified Strat has a Modern C shaped neck with a satin finish, a welcome little addition, with a more contemporary 9.5” fingerboard radius and medium-jumbo frets as opposed to the thinner vintage fret wiring. The modified version of the 50s Strat also features Fender’s S-1 switch, a push/ pull that toggles the neck pickup in and out of position 1 & 2 of the pickup selector. This essentially adds the neck pickup into bridge and bridge/middle pickup configurations, allowing you to pull impossibly big tones that were previously unavailable. Plugged in, the Modified ‘50s Vintera Strat is instantly rockier than its ‘60s counterpart. Chords are less articulate but feel more cohesive and

powerful, without being a noticeably bigger or chunkier tone. The Hot ‘50s Strat pickups overall are more solid and full.

Finally, the Sea Foam Green finished, alder bodied ‘50s Strat, also available in an ash body, is the reigning champion of the three. The Sea Foam Green finish is a great addition as it feels inherently '50s and features three vintage-style ‘50s Strat singlecoil pickups with dedicated tone controls for neck/mid and bridge respectively. The maple neck is finished into a soft-V shape, a reimagined and modernised take on the classic pointy V-shaped necks of the ‘50s.

Vintage style frets litter the 25.5” scale length and sit nicely in the neck featuring a 7.25” radius that is fairly convex by today’s standards. Again, a synthetic bone nut and vintage-style tremolo finish the guitar.

The tone from this Strat is easily the most unique of the three - but in the best way.

It pulls the thickness of the ‘60s model and the bite of the modded ‘50s tone into one, providing a super forward lead tone on the neck and bright and twangy tone on the bridge - plus anything in between. Position two on the five-way pickup selector provides a solid, punchy and consistent tone that is noticeably more modern, but that may be because guitarist have been pulling tones with this seemingly perfect configuration since the 'w50s. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Overall, the Vintera series of Stratocasters from Fender are a great set of guitars, whether you’re a Fender player or not.

They’re very true to style and era, without

being complete replicas. They’re vintage with modern and contemporary additions that make them phenomenal instruments for a player of any level. Vintage features, frets, neck profiles and colours, as well as woods that have been tried, tested and used endlessly by Fender. The guitars also highlight what a phenomenal build the original Stratocasters were, as they really haven’t changed much overall. The ‘60s models feature period correct neck profiles and pickups, as well as simply being phenomenally made guitars. The ‘50s models remind us how and why Strats have been played since time began (i.e. when rock and roll began, right?), but with modern modifications if and when you want them.

At the end of the day, the stock standard ‘50s Strat is still a great guitar and will play whatever role you need it to play in your guitar collection.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

HITS: ∙∙ Very true to time period features and adornments ∙∙ Modern and contemporary additions ∙∙ All very different guitars in sound and feel MISSES: ∙∙ No hard case

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PRODUCT REVIEWS BLACK DIAMOND STRINGS

Jimi Hendrix Foundation 'Music For Life' Guitar Strings JVB STRINGS | JVBSTRINGS.COM | EXPECT TO PAY: $17.99 Since 1890, Black Diamond Strings have been faithfully providing musicians with reliable and great-sounding strings. While a lot has changed since then in guitar string manufacturing, Black Diamond Strings still preserve the very same dependable qualities that originally made them a hit. This year, Black Diamond Strings have partnered up with the Jimi Hendrix Foundation to offer a new series of signature strings to fund a praiseworthy cause.

The brilliant partnership between Black Diamond Strings and the Jimi Hendrix Foundation aims to provide public schools with access to music education, with the program dubbed as Music for Life. The after-school classes will include lessons on basic music theory, history, general music appreciation and even an introduction to the recorder. A portion of the profits from each sale will go towards the Jimi Hendrix Foundation, which in turn will fuel the endeavours of its Music for Life program.

If the charitable fund and instantly recognisable packaging didn’t clue you in already, Jimi Hendrix often touted Black Diamond Strings on his guitars. Some of the most famous riffs we know and love today were once noodled out by Hendrix himself on these mystical strings. The three different sets available are each named after Hendrix’s most iconic and memorable performances:

the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, the Royal Albert hall show in 1969, and last but not least, the 1969 Woodstock Festival.

There are two types of acoustic strings here: the silver-plated Monterey pack, and the phosphor-bronze Royal Albert Hall set. Don’t fret if you’re an electric guitarist – the Woodstock batch is tailored to all Hendrix aficionados with its nickelwound contents. The trio are available in three different string gauges: extra light, light, and medium. Set sizes are more or less traditional – the Woodstock set ranges from 9-42 to 11-50, while the two acoustic sets stretch from 10-46 to 13-56.

As with all Black Diamond strings, these commemorative wires are constructed in the United States from a high carbon steel hex core, then subsequently wrapped with a high-quality alloy blend. Each set is visually inspected, hand-coiled and packed before shipping.

Tone-wise, they’re about as good as they come these days. Slipping the Woodstock set onto an old Stratocaster tuned a half step down instantly transported me to Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan territory. After some initial stretching and retuning, tuning stability remained as solid as a rock even through outrageous bends. They’re slinky, tonally balanced, and have a sweet, crisp top end.

This excellent performance carries on to the acoustic string sets. As expected, the silverplated Monterey set was soft to the touch and sounded warmer than the Royal Albert Hall pack. It’s a perfect match for guitars that naturally have a hump in the top end.

As for the phosphor-bronze wires, not much needs to be said about them – they sounded great, with a rich balance of crispness and warmth. Phosphor-bronze is a mix of the usual suspects – zinc, tin, iron and copper, with a pinch of phosphorous thrown in. This trades brightness (not a terrible amount) for string longevity, and is the most commonly used alloy for acoustic guitar strings today.

Okay, let’s be real. No, these strings won’t make you into the next Hendrix. But it’s hard to deny that there’s a little bit of mojo and history tucked away into each and every one of these string packets. Furthermore, the cause that Black Diamond Strings and the Jimi Hendrix Foundation is working towards is worth every cent. Oh, and you get a cool little retro collectable sticker with each pack too.

BY EDDY LIM

HITS: ∙ Great strings all around ∙ Neat sticker MISSES: ∙ None

PRODUCT REVIEWS FENDER

Vintera Series Telecasters FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA | FENDER.COM.AU RRP: VINTERA ‘60S TELECASTER BIGSBY - $2,099, VINTERA ‘70S TELECASTER CUSTOM - $1,799, VINTERA ‘70S TELECASTER THINLINE - $2099

Here at Mixdown, we’ve used just about every single description under the sun to characterise the tried and true Telecaster.

Workhorse, versatile, all-purpose, the list goes on. It’s not a big secret that the Telecaster sells itself on its adaptability and lack of gimmicks; it’s incredibly honest – two pickups and three-way switching. Simply plug in and you’re ready to rock.

Fender’s new Vintera series harkens back to the days of old when the Telecaster was duly making its rounds around town. Ranging from the ‘50s to the ‘70s, the Vintera series aims to reintroduce vintage style for a modern era, accented with differentiating characteristics between each model. The three contenders up for review include a ‘60s Telecaster Bigsby, and two ‘70s models: A Telecaster Custom and a Thinline variant.

Before breaking down each model, let’s go through their similarities. The trio are made in Mexico and feature a vintage-correct 7.25” neck radius, vintage narrow-tall frets, a glosspolyester body finish, and a gloss-urethane neck finish. While the Bigsby-equipped Telecaster’s “early ‘60s C-shape” neck differs from the other two “thin C” shapes on paper, they generally feel pretty similar in the hand. Oh, and these are fully traditional vintage Telecaster body shapes – none of the Stratocaster-esque modern belly cutouts exist on these guitars.

Let’s begin with the ‘60s Telecaster Bigsby model. After Fender acquired the Bigsby brand from Fred Gretsch Enterprises in January 2019, it seems the iconic bridge piece is no longer restricted to special runs or limited editions. This guitar arrived in

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a classy semi see-through White Blonde, loaded with the classic double singlecoil configuration. Without question, this guitar is the heaviest out of the three. Even its ash body couldn’t compensate for the hefty Bigsby B5 bridge and tailpiece installation.

As for electronics, Fender describes these pickups as “vintage-style ‘60s singlecoils”.

While the front pickup had plenty of presence, it felt slightly neutered overall, and lacked some much-needed definition in the mid-high frequencies. The middle selection offered plenty of funky quacks, and the bridge positively dripped with that trademark Tele twang. The Pau Ferro fretboard played mostly slick, but some areas felt drier than others – especially leading up towards the neck. While these issues were minor, it wasn’t long until I ran into my first complication.

Even after repeated string stretching and tuning, the factory machine heads struggled to keep the treble strings in tune with liberal use of the Bigsby vibrato bar. It’s understandable that tuners are a common area where costs are cut, but if your axe is loaded with a Bigsby, going out of tune midsong is the last thing you’d ever want.

Next in line is the semi-hollow ‘70s Telecaster Thinline, which weighed like a feather after putting down the Bigsby-equipped Tele.

This guitar came in a supremely attractive Aged Natural finish, allowing the beautiful ash grain to peek through. It’s combined with a white pearloid pickguard, moulded in a unique fashion that compliments the F-hole on its left face. The Telecaster Thinline variant features a six-saddle Stratstyle hardtail bridge and an all-maple neck and fretboard.

This guitar played remarkably well. While the glossy fretboard required (and still requires) some time to break in, no fault can be placed on the quality of the finish itself.

The neck generally played smooth all over, and the fretwork atop the maple board was impeccable. There were no rough edges or fret buzz whatsoever – any guitar player can appreciate a good set up right out of the box.

The dual Wide Range humbuckers on this axe were a match made in heaven. The neck humbucker filled in the gaps missing from the ‘60s Telecaster’s neck pickup, and produced a certain airiness often missing from front humbuckers. With both pickups activated, a more subdued tone was produced instead of the usual quack. The back humbucker was an absolute winner; it was a fantastic balance between bass and treble which never turned too shrill or “ice-picky”. And like all Telecaster bridge pickups, it absolutely screamed when pushed with some overdrive.

Last but not least is the Telecaster Deluxe Custom, finished in fiery Fiesta Red. This axe features a wide-range humbucker in the neck, and a ‘70s spec Telecaster singlecoil in the bridge. Other noticeable hardware features include a nickel three-barrel bridge setup paired with an ashtray, a Les Paul style toggle switch, and four numbered black skirted knobs. Initial playability mirrored the performance of the previous two guitars.

The factory set up kept the strings low and slinky, and not a single adjustment was required. The Pau Ferro board on this guitar was a massive hit. While the fretboard on the 60’s Bigsby Tele felt stiff and dry in some portions, the Deluxe Custom played

admiringly well across the board. Again, no sharp fret ends, no buzzing, no complaints.

Sonically, the Deluxe Custom narrowly takes the cake over the others. While the Thinline and Deluxe Custom share a comparable neck humbucker, the Deluxe’s solid alder body provides some extra meatiness to its output – a welcome addition. The middle position was an unlikely winner too, producing a well-balanced chime that worked wonders for a rhythm tone. To my ears, the ‘70s-voiced singlecoil in the bridge sounded slightly hotter than its ‘60s compatriot. But let’s be honest; it’s nigh impossible to go wrong with a singlecoil nocked in a Telecaster bridge, either clean and distorted.

It’s pretty difficult to pick a winner between the three. Each guitar undeniably possesses their own unique traits and sonic personality.

While they each have room for improvement, it’s safe to say that the Vintera series offers incredible value for the amount that they’re priced at. Fender have absolutely nailed the vintage vibe with these axes, creating a timeless ode to one of the most celebrated models in guitar history.

BY EDDY LIM HITS: ∙∙ Great pickups all around ∙∙ Excellent quality control on set up ∙∙ Good build quality MISSES: ∙∙ Tuning issues on Bigsby model

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M50X

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M-SERIES FROM THE STUDIO, TO THE STREET. NO COMPROMISE. Follow us @AudioTechnicaAU

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

For information on the full range of M-Series headphones go to audio-technica.com.au

PRODUCT REVIEWS FAITH GUITARS

FG1HCE PJE Legacy Earth Cut/Electro CMC MUSIC | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $2795 I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing a couple of Faith guitars for Mixdown in the past. The brand has a familiar calling card that trends over all its models; their greatest strength lies in superlative workmanship, avoiding gaudy additions and pretentiousness. The Faith Legacy Earth Electro continues to incorporate these values entirely, presenting a guitar that is truly worth of the Faith brand.

Faith Guitars are designed by none other than UK-based Master Luthier Patrick James Eggle.

While the guitars are hand-built in Indonesia, Eggle’s rigorous standards and practices leave no step of the construction process to chance.

This even includes the final setup each guitar undergoes before leaving the factory to be shipped.

On that note, it was no surprise that the Earth played supremely well right out of its deluxe hard case. The smooth mahogany neck played like butter thanks to its natural oil/satin finish. Out of all the models I’ve tried from Faith, this one undoubtedly beats them out in terms of sound. The Earth is replete with crispness, a tight low end, and a wonderfully defined midrange. The guitar resonates and projects incredibly well when strummed hard, while the smooth fretboard and faultless fret work makes single note lines a walk in the park. When amplified, the under-saddle Fishman Flex Blend was an adventure in itself. Apart from the excellent

Fishman pickup, the instalment also features a premium electret-condenser cardioid microphone, which can be dialled into the mix alongside the pickup with a blend knob.

This generates new tonal options to your amplified sound, and offers some uncommon versatility when plugged in. And as with most other Fishman models, both volume and tone controls are present, with a brightly lit LED tuner to boot.

Unlike the majority of Faith models, the top of the Earth is made from torrefied Sitka spruce instead of Engelmann spruce. The torrefaction process involves the spruce first being air dried, then roasted in a kiln.

Oxygen levels are closely monitored in order to minimise its moisture content. As the wood cools, moisture is slowly reintroduced, strengthening the timber as it stabilises.

Ironically, this process is an artificial method to age timber as naturally as possible. Faith claims the voice produced by the torrefied topwood could likely be equated to 20 years of natural aging. As well as its tonal benefits, torrefaction additionally colours the spruce a gorgeous shade of burnt gold. The stunning top is matched with laminated African Khaya mahogany for its back and sides, with a figured Macassan ebony fretboard. While I would have preferred a satin finish for the entire body (as per Faith’s Naked series), the hi-gloss finish still gets the job done.

The Earth is based on Eggle’s original ‘Linville’ model, which is a true Orchestra Model shape.

Aesthetically, the Legacy series is the creme de la creme of the Faith line-up. You don’t have to look far to notice this – the wood grain practically speaks for itself. Additionally, extra visual flourishes are included into the Earth – the most noticeable being a solid figured ebony pickguard, which both looks and feels great. Other noteworthy additions include two beautiful strips of flamed maple binding, natural bone bridge pins topped with a tiny disc of abalone, and nickel Grover Rotomatic tuners adorned with dark ebony tuning pegs. While seemingly grandiose, these premium inclusions stay well within the boundaries of Faith’s minimalistic theme.

It’s obvious that Patrick James Eggle knows exactly what he’s doing with the Faith brand.

The Earth is yet another testament to this – striking a perfect balance between price, quality, and performance. If you’re looking for a stunning guitar that’ll last you a lifetime, look no further.

BY EDDY LIM HITS: ∙∙ Faultless build quality ∙∙ Fantastic sound ∙∙ Stunning looks MISSES: ∙∙ None

FENDER

American Professional Jazzmaster FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA | FENDER.COM.AU | RRP: $3,699 Following the discontinuation of the American Standard Series, Fender unveiled the American Professional series of guitars.

The line are a stab at some of the brand’s classic models, but with some notable advances like the ‘Deep C’ neck profile, narrow-tall frets and a brand, spanking new range of pickups dubbed V-mod. One of these revamped classics is the American Pro Jazzmaster. This particular model is in the striking Mystic Seafoam finish. Though it is a stunning looking guitar, aesthetics are not the be all and end all, so we took it for a test run to see if it lives up to the American Pro series tag line: ‘these instruments were made to explore the creative space between today and tomorrow’.

The modern ‘Deep C’ shaped neck at first did not seem as welcoming as I was expecting.

Its shape is in between the ‘Modern C’ and ‘U’ shaped necks and took a little time to get used to. However, once underway, its benefits became clear. Along with the narrow-tall frets, the maple neck responds well to both bend-heavy lead playing and indie chord bashing, particularly at the high end of the neck. Despite some getting used to, it’s a worthy addition to the Fender range and only adds to the rustic tone of the Jazzmaster.

The V-Mod pickups are the work of the Eric Johnson Signature Stratocaster Pickups

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developer, Michael Frank. Made to capture a ‘vintage-inspired’ tone, these singlecoils are hot, gritty and pack a heap of punch.

Clean or saturated in gain, they’re super dynamic and responsive. With the bridge pickup selected there was a multitude of tones achieved; and pick placement an inch from the bridge caused sparkling highs and peaking treble, while digging deep directly above the pickup delivered plenty of pop and punch. The neck pickup in turn gave a pure unadulterated creamy tone, which the maple neck had a helping hand in. If there were one reason alone to sway a hesitant buyer, it would be these guys. Fender and Frank have produced a vintage sounding pickup with bite, grunt and a wide dynamic range.

The Jazzmaster-style ergonomic offsetwaist body is a classic for a reason – it’s comfortable for players that ride it high or low, so there are no surprises there. What is unexpected is how comfortable resting on the 9.5-inch radius Jazzmaster/Jaguar Bridge is for a right (or left) hand. The stock Jazzmaster bridge is notorious for letting strings slip; a problem heavy pickers and string gauges suffer alike. Even when subjected to battery, the Jazzmaster/Jaguar Bridge held fast.

It’s worth mentioning that the American Professional is the only stock Jazzmaster

model that is available in Australia for left handed so all of you lefties out there can rejoice.

Not exclusive to the American Professional Series, the volume and tone pots are in an awkward position, and often get in the way when getting a little too tenacious on the strumming front. Wired with a treble bleed tone circuit, with the purpose of retaining high end clarity when rolling back the volume definitely has its positives in highvolume environments, but it’s a feature that will go unnoticed by bedroom bandits.

BY AARON STREATFEILD

HITS ∙∙ Once familiar with the ‘Deep C’ neck, life’s a breeze. ∙∙ It comes with sturdy pro road case. ∙∙ Available in left handed MISSES ∙∙ The tone and volume knobs aren’t the best.

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PRODUCT REVIEWS WARWICK

TeamBuilt Thumb BO 4-String AMBER TECHNOLOGY | AMBERTECH.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $3,899 Warwick are the reigning champions of bass guitar. Some of the biggest and best bass players on the planet choose Warwick as their axe of choice, and for good reason. The Thumb is one of their most well-known body shapes, and this four string bolt-on model showed me why. The body itself is curved to sit nicely against your body, but is also balanced and fairly lightweight for standing and playing for long periods of time. The neck feels great, and even at speed is no issue. The string spacing is really well set out, making it easy to fret licks, but not difficult to really hold down those lower stringed and fretted chords and notes. The bass features dual MEC pickups, a favourite of Warwick basses specifically and bass players the world over. There’s some push/ pull options and pickup switching for tone shaping - just a few of the features that tie this bass together.

Top to bottom, this bass is really well designed and constructed. It’s masterfully built. Beginning with the angled Warwick machine heads, the strings are supported by a Just-A-Nut III as they sail over the easy access truss rod cover - you won’t need a screwdriver to adjust the truss, and the bass comes with Hex keys to fit both the truss rod and two-piece Warwick bridge. The fingerboard is Wenge, a common wood for basses and extended range guitars known

for its hardness. This provides a more solid sound both acoustically and amplified, and assists in keeping everything solid and straight throughout the guitar despite the large amount of tension from such heavy gauge strings. The body and neck are made from Ovangkol, a wood similar to rosewood in tonal characteristics, but with a more full midrange, so it’s perfect for bass. The toplevel components and electronics begin to explain why Warwick basses sit at the price points that they do. The MEC electronics are active and feature a push/pull volume, a blend switch between the two pickups and a combo treble/bass tone knob. Everything is laid out practically along this 24 fret 34” long scale bass.

The bass amplifies really well, even with just a DI. The middle pickup is articulate and warm, while the bridge pickup remains big and solid. A combination of the two with the blend knob and you can achieve a pleasantly honky Motown bop, or a little more of either depending where you fit into the mix in your music. The bass plays well and responds dynamically, but also produces a balanced, compressed sound without feeling (literally) limited or squashed. Glowin-the-dark side dots are a welcome addition to a bass that is mostly the same colour, and I can imagine it might be difficult to navigate the fretboard onstage without

them. Beyond praise, there’s not much more the say about the Warwick. The included User Kit offers some tools and a cleaning cloth, as well as the Starline Rockbag, a solid and well put-together heavy duty gig bag, to keep your Thumb safe when transporting it.

Ultimately, the Warwick Thumb is a great bass for players of most levels. With the exception of beginners who might be excluded due to the Thumb’s price point, the Warwick would be a great investment for anyone. It’ll be your workhorse bass, but also your pride and joy. It could be your dedicated studio bass, either for a musician or producer, due to its great balanced sound and tone-shaping capabilities and phenomenal tuning stability. Thanks to the active MEC electronics, meticulously selected tone woods and fingerboard, top quality hardware and a flawless design, Warwick have somehow improved on a classic. The Thumb literally won’t weigh you down, because of a very balanced build, nor will you let it out of your sight thanks to the glowing fret markers. The Thumb might not be your next bass, but I would advise settings your sights on one.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

HITS: ∙∙ Masterfully built ∙∙ Top-quality components MISSES: ∙∙ Price point out of reach for some.

POSITIVE GRID

BIAS Distortion Pro Pedal LINK AUDIO | LINKAUDIO.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $700 Starting with software-based apps, Positive Grid has gone onto now producing amplifiers (both heads and rack mounted), pedals and software with a serious knack for innovation and expanding their tech work. Whilst their modeling and virtual rigs have gained huge momentum, their slightly more traditional pedals have proven popular to boot. Looking reasonably traditional at first glance, I’m sure the Distortion Pro pedal has a little something extra in store. Let’s take a look.

Coming in a sophisticated black and gold casing, the Bias Distortion looks quite understated with a row of four footswitches across the bottom (marked A, B, C, and Boost). Above are controls for Gain, Blend, Level, Low, Mid, High and Boost, with an additional switch to flick between Treble, Clean and Fat (pertaining to the Boost function). Lastly, to the left is another rotary control with ten settings – (user 1, 2 and 3 and then Boost, Tube, Screamer, Overdrive, Distortion, Fuzz and Metal). In terms of connectivity, the back panel has I/O consisting of Input, Output, Expression Pedal, USB, Midi In and Thru, and a power socket for 9VDC. The whole unit feels sturdy and tough, and I’m sure it would stand up to plenty of gigging.

Out of the box, the presets produce a wide range of usable classic guitar tones – clean with some oomph, slight break up,

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TS-ish, and then heavier chug. From this perspective it would be easy to incorporate the Bias Distortion as a dirt pedal in your rig, with the added benefit of presets and an additional boost. If you want to dig deeper, you can really get into your own tones. You can connect to the Positive Grid app and create your own sounds, control program changes, tone match and generally get pretty darn deep into things.

Of course, these can be saved into your presets and the unit has plenty of MIDI capabilities too. I could muster plenty of usable sounds, and the Blend control is really useful for mixing the ratio of the output stage. I could see the Positive Bias Distortion Pro being a sole gain stage for live rigs, incorporated into existing setups (with the added capabilities of switching and control) and utilised in the studio again as a standalone or with online connectivity.

The virtual guitar rig and modeling phenomenon rolls on, and with innovative companies such as Positve Grid continuing to push ahead, there seems to be plenty of cool stuff to look forward to. You can seriously get in deep with the Distortion Pro if that’s your thing, or just plug in, spin some dials and wail away. Cool indeed.

BY NICK BROWN

HITS ∙∙ Both straightforward controls and deep editing ∙∙ Usable tones, responsive parameters MISSES ∙∙ Some of the serious editing might seem a little overwhelming at first

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PRODUCT REVIEWS SAMSON

Airline99m AH9 Fitness Headset ELECTRIC FACTORY | ELFA.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $749 Headset microphones are often overlooked because of their association with artists and performers who do away with conventional mic stands so they can focus on choreography. Admittedly, the headset option assists in retaining a consistent vocal, allows freedom of movement and is always wireless. Even when not performing at a professional level, any speaker requiring amplification could benefit from the ease and practicality of a headset, but must always be prepared to be compared to Britney Spears or Phil Collins. The Samson Airline99m is one such headset mic designed for speaking or instructing, for example as the leader of a workout session, during a debate, providing commentary or speaking publicly. While not a full range microphone, the Airline99m provides a balanced and even response that will carry voices of any kind to wherever you need them to go.

aware that contact with skin or facial hair may create a scratching sound when the mic is too close to your face. The microphone itself responds from 50Hz all the way up to 15kHz, most of which may be noise anyway, detracting from the clear audio passed to the receiver. However, while the headset is designed for a spoken or sung vocal, it could also come in handy when mic’ing woodwind or brass instruments in a band. Similar to a vocalist, horn sections and woodwind players may be restricted to static movement on stage when using a more conventional mic stand and microphone set-up. A wireless mic, however, provides a fairly full range sound that remains consistent because the mics move with the instrument and don’t move from where they’re aimed. The frequency response may limit your use with smaller, higher pitched horn instruments who require response beyond 15kHz.

Setting up of the Samson Airline99m is a breeze, and I had it up and running (that is, I was running while simultaneously amplifying my speaking voice within the 300m range) in minutes. The volume knob doubles as an on/off switch, featuring a handy step that clicks over to ‘off’ at the lowest volume. The headset and receiver automatically paired, and using the XLR out to my interface I was away and dancing.

The microphone is fairly sensitive, and be

The Samson Airline headset is designed well and with the user in mind. The headband features a stretchy rubber back and comfortable but tight stems that securely position the headset onto the ears and around the head. Even when moving around and dancing, the headset won’t fall off (believe me, I tried). The headset features a handy mute button that turns the unit on and off when held for three seconds, and you can also control the output of the

microphone from the same place. The mic provides a clear and overall balanced sound for many different uses. What’s more, it’s water resistant, so amplification in less than ideal conditions such as a muggy indoor pool or hot-yoga class will see the Samson Airline99m take it all in its stride – blood, sweat and tears.

The headset microphone market is an obscure one, but these handy little units are also entirely necessary in some scenarios.

If you find yourself with a need to use both hands and an amplified voice, the Samson Airline99m is absolutely your go-to. It won’t weigh you down, and there’s no risk of it coming off your head while doing whatever it is you’re doing. The response is balanced and a voice is clear, all while remaining comfortable and consistent. It’s uses don’t stop at voices, as it can be used to amplify acoustic musical instruments that may want to move around a bit more on stage such as horns, strings and woodwind. The Samson Airline99m is a great product that functions exactly as a headset microphone was designed to: it’s freeing, inconspicuous and consistent.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

HITS: ∙∙ Solid and comfortable headset ∙∙ Waterproof ∙∙ Easy to set-up MISSES: ∙∙ Smaller frequency range than may be required

ADAM AUDIO

T Series FEDERAL AUDIO | FEDERALAUDIO.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: T5V - $779, T7V - $859, - T10S - $879 About a year ago, ADAM Audio released their competitively priced T5V near field monitor, along with its larger sibling, the T7V. As a follow-up, Adam have now unveiled the T10S, a subwoofer designed and matched for use with either the T5V or T7V. Admittedly, the T5V and T7V can already produce bottom end down to 45Hz and 39Hz respectively, but the addition of a subwoofer, especially a matched one, makes this important region of your mix more clear. The T5V is, more specifically, a near-field studio monitor with a 5” woofer, bass port and ribbon tweeter.

The T5V and T7V have on board DSP-powered crossovers, and when used in conjunction with the T10S, no crossover is needed as the sub itself has a selectable crossover that matches the crossover/high-pass filter on the near-field monitors you’ve chosen.

In use, the T5V is a phenomenally powerful speaker for its size. The bottom end reproduction is fair, but only improved by the T10S. As with most ADAM Audio monitors, these are really well balanced, and very revealing in the upper mids and highs, without being overhyped. Work on ADAMs usually translates fairly well, particularly because of their balanced response in both highs and lows. A polypropylene woofer and 1.9” accelerated ribbon tweeter assist in these departments. The T5V are fairly pleasing to listen to, even over long periods

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of time. The redesigned cabinet geometry is optimised for a more precise sound, and the rear-facing bass port produces low-end without blasting air back at you. The rear of the speaker reveals high-pass and low-pass filters to treat the speakers to your room, as well as a volume control and XLR or RCA in.

Both the T5V and T7V have analogue inputs to keep the circuitry as clean as possible.

The T10S slots itself nicely into this set-up with XLR and RCA I/O as well, and the internal crossover handles messy frequencies for you. To make things more practical, your signal comes out of your interface or soundcard, into the T10S sub inputs, out of the outputs and into your choice of T5V or T7V. From here you can tune any of the speakers more accurately so they work together and not against you. The T10S features a bottom facing port, so you’ll feel the bass without it blasting your feet or a band sitting outside of the sweet spot. The T10S is a compact sub with a lot of power, measuring only 390 mm H x 318 mm W x 413 mm D, so you’ll have no issues fitting it into your room.

The T Series of speakers overall are really highly spec’d for their price point. ADAM Audio consistently deliver great products, but they also deliver products in top-tier price points because of the sheer quality of the design, components and construction.

The T5V and T7V feature matching U-ART 1.9” accelerated ribbon tweeters and a HPS wave-guide to ensure those sweet and balanced highs hit your ears. The polypropylene woofer and rear-firing bass-reflex port handle the mids and lows, while the construction of the speaker itself handles all those vibrations ranging from 39Hz up to 25kHz, and is capable of withstanding the max SPL of 106dB for a pair. The T10S is powered by a single Class D amplifier, which feeds the 1x10 down firing speaker as mentioned before. The sub can reproduce frequencies all the way down to 28Hz, and generally up tp 120Hz unless the crossover is bypassed and you’ll be hearing up to 300Hz. A max output of 104dB will keep your neighbours bopping along to your mixes.

Overall, the T Series of speakers are designed to be used together and function especially well when used in this manner. The T5V and T7V are great speakers in their own right, but the T10S sub brings them to life. Despite their price point, the T Series near-field monitors aren’t budget and would function really well in a professional setting even as a main monitor. They’re balanced, honest, but still enjoyable to listen to - a feat that not many speakers manage to achieve, they’re usually one but not the other. You’ll be confident, your clients will

be blown away, and you’ll spend less time noticing issues in mixes because the T Series translates so well.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

HITS: ∙∙ Great balanced sound ∙∙ Easily integrated into each other ∙∙ Professional level equipment for budget pricing MISSES: ∙∙ No sir

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70s Telecaster The

®

Deluxe in Mocha.

THE VINTERA™ SERIES VINTAGE ST YLE FOR THE MODERN ERA.

Teri Gender Bender from Le Butcherettes plays the Vintera Series 70s Telecaster Deluxe in Mocha.

©2019 FMIC. FENDER®; TELECASTER®; TELE® AND THE DISTINCTIVE HEAD STOCK SHAPE OF THE TELECASTER® ARE THE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OFFENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA PTY LTD [ABN 34 613 081 191]. ONLY FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA CAN AUTHORISE THESE TRADE MARKS FOR AUSTRALIA.

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W I L L @ F U R S T M E D I A . C O M . A U

T O

S E C U R E

Y O U R

P L A C E

mixdownmag.com.au

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FIVE RECORDS THAT FORGED WAAX’S BIG GRIEF It’s been a hot minute since they grabbed the world’s attention with ‘Wisdom Teeth’ back in 2014, but finally, WAAX have found their moment in the sun. For the past five years, the Brisbane outfit have bubbled just under the breaking point, consistently churning out poignant punk slammers with soaring choruses and a live show that’s seen them become an unexpected highlight for many a devout gig pig. Yet all their prestige, the band are yet to stake their claim as one of hottest acts in the country with afull-length debut Big Grief, recorded across a number of sessions with fabled producer Nick DiDia (Rage Against The Machine, Bruce Springsteen) and none other than Powderfinger frontman Bernard Fanning, aims to change this. Across twelve tracks, the band battle with the titular concept of grief in all its meanings; penning rousing songs to explore notions of self-doubt, social anxieties, body image, loss and moving on to better things. Despite its anthemic, stomping instrumentals and Maz DeVita’s ear-candy vocal performances, Big Grief is a record that carries a heavy weight; and it’s one which reinforces exactly what WAAX stand for within Australia’s musical landscape. To further understand WAAX’s debut record, we dragged the band from their hectic national promo run to find out more about the records that laid down the foundation for Big Grief.

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Idles - Joy as an Act of Resistance

Fleetwood Mac - Rumours

Julia Jacklin - Don’t Let the Kids Win

We are obsessed with this record. The sincerity and passion that shines through was really inspiring for us to hear while making Big Grief. It’s raw and soulful and pretty much flawless. Lots of love and respect for this band. We saw them play at the Brightside (Brisbane) and were completely blown away.

We just love this record and try to take production inspo from it whenever we can. We were definitely thinking of it a lot while writing our closing track ‘IDKWIFL’.

Just everything about this band rules. I’m pretty inspired by Stevie Nicks vocally, and drumming-wise you really can’t go past Mick Fleetwood.

Julia’s songwriting is unreal. I love how direct and clever it is. We were listening to this record a lot when working on Big Grief. We actually recorded a cover of ‘Pool Party’ because we loved it so much. I’m sure its floating around on the inter webs somewhere.

Dose Your Dreams - Fucked Up

Violent Soho - Hungry Ghost

Guitar-wise, Fucked Up were big time inspiration. The huge sounds that come off this album are so brutal and almost operatic.

We really wanted moments of wall of sound with big dynamics and you definitely get that with Fucked Up. Super excited that they’re coming to Australia - and we get to share the stage with them at Yours and Owls later in there year. Mayhem.

Pretty close to home with this one - we are lucky to call this band our mates and one of our biggest inspirations. We when first heard Hungry Ghost we were floored and if definitely helped shape us - plus Brisbane; we are lucky to be from a town with so many great guitar music bands.

Big Grief, the debut record from WAAX, arrives on Friday August 23 via Dew Process. Catch the band play live in a town near you this month.

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