Mixdown Magazine #306

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MADE BY MUSICIANS FOR MUSICIANS

#306 – OCTOBER 2019

Giveaway!

BABYMETAL METAL GALAXY VINYL GIVEAWAY ZAOR VISION W WORKSTATION TEISCO/MONO PEDALBOARD

INTERVIEWS — City and Colour, Korn, We Lost The Sea, New Years Day + more

REVIEWED — Kemper Profiler Stage, Maxon OD808, Yamaha Red Label Series, Teisco Fuzz,

CLASSIC TONE MODERN TECH

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CONTENTS 8 10 11 12 16 18 19 20 22 24 25 26 36 44 46

Giveaways Industry News Music News Product News Cover Story: Babymetal City and Colour New Years Day Bad//Dreems Korn Musicology Guitar Bass Kaor Desks Peda Special Product Reviews Directory Five Albums

Babymetal PG.16

Foreword: The time has come for me to vacate the Editor’s chair here at Mixdown HQ. These last few years have flown by in the blink of an eye and it all feels very surreal looking back. It’s been a pleasure to nerd out every month about all things music/gear and connect with readers all around the country.

Steering this ship has been an absolute dream come true and I’m very proud of everything that we’ve created and achieved during my tenure. Enormous thanks to everyone who continues to support and read Mixdown. 25 years in with no end in sight.

/MIXDOWNMAGAZINE

@MIXDOWNMAGAZINE @MIXDOWNMAGAZINE MIXDOWNMAG.COM.AU

City and Colour

Bad//Dreems

PG. 18

PG. 19

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

NS FOR MUSICIA

MADE

BY MUS ICIA

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NS FOR MUSICIA

BY MUS ICIA

NS

#302 –

NS FOR MUSICIA

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#301 –

JUNE 2019

APRIL 2019

MAY 2019

MADE BY MUSICIANS, FOR MUSICIANS STREET AND ONLINE DATE: WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 30 AD BOOKING DEADLINE: MONDAY OCTOBER 21 EDITORIAL DEADLINE: TUESDAY OCTOBER 22 ARTWORK DEADLINE: WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 23 For more information on Mixdown Magazine contact us at: (03) 9428 3600 or email nicholas@furstmedia.com.au

Give

INTERVIE Beartooth WS — , James Amyl & The Sniff Blake, Frank Iero, ers + more

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INTERVIE Anberlin, WS — West Theb Polish Club arton, Hake & More n, Blue Micro ROKIT G4 phones Yeticaster Warwick Monitors, TC Helic , KRK RockBass on Star Bass Blender, + more

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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

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Alex Foreman

EDITOR Nicholas Simonsen nicholas@furstmedia.com.au

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Josh Martin

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, Ciara Allen

mixdownmag.com.au

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M60X

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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

GIVEAWAYS Babymetal Metal Galaxy Vinyl Giveaway Metal Galaxy is the third album from Japanese Kawaii metal powerhouse Babymetal. The album is a full-fledged musical odyssey that sees the band covering more musical ground than ever before. Thanks to our friends at Cooking Vinyl Australia, we have a copy of the album on 180 gram vinyl to giveaway!

Zaor Vision W Workstation Giveaway Have you ever wanted the perfect workstation for your home studio? Well, the Zaor Vision W Workstation has your prayers answered. It’s quite simply the perfect desk for the modern producer and we have one to giveaway this month thanks to our friends at Koala Audio!

Last Month’s Giveaway Winners Fender Festival Hemp Instrument Cable Colourful and fun, Fender Festival Instrument Cables are crafted from eco-friendly materials for an authentic, custom-made feel. These cables feature superior sound and custom-moulded ends, along with exclusive, limited-edition style. Thanks to our friends at Fender Music Australia, we had one of these killer cables to giveaway and the winner is: Seth from Adelaide, SA

Kyser Sunburst Quick-Change Capo The Kyser Quick-Change Capo is expertly engineered and built to last.

It is reliable and does just what it is designed to do — clearly raise the pitch of the guitar so you can play in a different key without retuning or changing fingering. We had one of the brand new Sunburst models to giveaway thanks to our friends at CMC Music and the winner is: Miles from Sydney, NSW

Teisco/MONO Pedalboard Giveaway Now this is a very special one. Want to get your hands on both a Teisco Fuzz and Teisco Boost pedal as well as a MONO Lite pedalboard and MONO Tick case? Well, thanks to our friends at BandLab Technologies, we have a bundle to giveaway this month!

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

Damien Gerard Studios moves to Central Coast After 30+ years in Sydney, Damien Gerard Studios has moved to the NSW Central Coast, an hour away at 19 Grieve Road (formerly Grieve Close) West Gosford 2250. Studio founder Marshall Cullen said that the changes to the building in Balmain in June caused the move. “I’ve been living on the Central Coast for nearly 15 years now. The increasing development, high density housing pressure and high traffic volume in Sydney has accelerated in recent times.”

Survey: Earn, baby, earn...

The Australian Music Industry Network (AMIN) is undertaking a survey to find out what musicians earn from gigs. Unlike classical orchestral musicians, rock musos don’t enjoy secure and regulated pay rates.

Award rates are conveniently ignored, and anyone rocking the boat is replaced by someone cheaper. They also have to play under ridiculous regulations, changing audience behaviour and demands, and venues suffering under escalating costs and needing alcohol sales to underwrite live gigs.

The Live Remuneration Survey aims “to understand the dynamics of performer income, the conditions under which artists are paid and whether additional costs such as travel, parking, accommodation or rehearsals are taken into account. It will also look at what percentage of artists have superannuation, income protection insurance or public liability insurance.”

The survey will be distributed to over 100,000 live music performers through APRA AMCOS, MEAA, Music Australia and other organisations, and will assist AMIN and partnering organisations to launch campaigns to increase the value of live music, push for more live music funding, investigate the potential for an industry-supported award rate for live performance, assess the commission structures of booking agents, promoters and artist managers and develop best-practice templates.

Emily Collins, Chair of AMIN states, “In such a volatile market, it’s important that we understand the experience of the artist, as central to the live music experience. So often we hear about how our industry is thriving, yet many musicians we work with earn less than $12k annually with little to no financial security. Live performance used to make up a significant proportion of annual income for musicians – we want to test if that’s still the case and if not, what’s changed”.

Zaor-Ad-Quarter-Mixdown.pdf

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Campaign against facial recognition at concerts A campaign started in the US against use of facial recognitin technology at concerts.

After Ticketmaster announced it had invested in its technology, the organisation Fight For The Future launched the campaign “Ban Facial Recognition”. It argues that the technology could put “undocumented fans, fans of colour, trans fans, and fans with criminal records at risk of being unjustly detained, harassed, or judged.” It urges concert-goers to write to promoters to say they will boycott shows where the technology is used. Among artists who’ve thrown their support is Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, who tweeted: “I don’t want Big Brother at my shows targeting fans for harassment, deportation, or arrest.”

Aussie musicians and addictions Music Australia is putting together a book called Musicians and Addiction: Research and Recovery Stories. It is due out in June 2020, at which time a website will be set up to offer musicians and other creatives, music associations, academics and health officials research data, The aim of the project is “to build understanding of this vulnerability towards addiction, to dispel some naive thinking, and to give musicians comfort and optimism looking to make changes.”

If you would like to contribute to this project, either as an expert or by sharing a recovery story (even anonymously), contact the CEO of Music Australia, Dr Paul Saintilan – paul@musicaustralia.org.au He says, “We are particularly interested in the stories of women, to help increase the gender balance in the collection.”

Overseas studies in the past have come up with some sobering figures. One study of UK musicians found 45% reported problems with alcohol. A survey of 168 high profile jazz musicians found that their mean age at 24/9/19

3:13 pm

death was only 57.2 years. A 2013 analysis of the autobiographies of rock musicians reported that 62% contained a description of the artist’s personal addiction story. A 2007 report on established European and North American pop and rock stars found double the mortality rates of ‘normal’ people and over one quarter of the sample died from drug and alcohol problems.

More First Nations music for community radio The Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA)’s AMRAP initiative is set to raise the profile of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ABTSI) artists. It is the result of recent funding by the Australia Council for the Arts and a partnership with First Nations Media Australia. AMRAPt will actively promote First Nation music, especially from remote and regional communities for stations to play.

Where are Australian music festivals heading?

It’s an interesting time for Australian music festivals, with new opportunities and challenges. Attendances are up as they market themselves more effectively through social media. The trend is to events where music is just part of the appeal and the continued expansion of US powerhouses Live Nation and AEG into this market has left independent promoters apprehensive. The NSW government’s foolish music licensing regulation left a toxic smell as far as sponsors are concerned. The inaugural Australian Festival Industry Conference is held October 24-25 at Opal Cove Resort in Coffs Harbour, NSW. It is set to discuss these issues as well as offering the festival sector the chance to network and promote the careers of festival management. Speakers include Phil Tripp (ex-SXSW), Adelaide Fringe CEO Heather Croall and Saltwater Freshwater Alliance director Chris Spencer as well as experts on regulations, safety, health and events.

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ARIA Artisan & Fine Arts awards ARIA’s Artisan & Fine Arts awards are announced on Thursday October 10 at the Art Gallery of NSW. Artisan covers cover art, producer and engineer while the Fine Arts applauds those from hoity toity genres like classical and jazz. Tame Impala’ Kevin Parker, Burke Reid (Julia Jacklin) and Konstantin Kersting (Tones And I) are multi-nominees.

The Rolling Stones Filter through…again The Rolling Stones’ status as a great live band is substantiated as another of their tours joins the list of biggest grossing tours of all time. Billboard noted that the three year No Filter world tour grossed US$ 415.6 million putting it at 8. The others are: 1. Ed Sheeran: The Divide Tour - $776 million (2017-19) 2. U2: 360° Tour: $736 million (2009-11) 3. The Rolling Stones: A Bigger Bang Tour $558 million (2005-07) 4. Guns N’ Roses: Not in This Lifetime Tour $530 million (2016-ongoing) 5. Coldplay: A Head Full of Dreams Tour $523 million (2016-17) 6. Roger Waters: The Wall Live - $459 million (2010-13) 7. AC/DC: Black Ice World Tour - $441 million (2008-10) 8. The Rolling Stones: No Filter Tour - $416 million (2017-19) 9. Bruno Mars: 24K Magic World Tour - $412 million (2017-18) 10. Madonna: Sticky & Sweet Tour - $408 million (2008-09)

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MUSIC NEWS

Laneway unveils its 2020 lineup The ever-loved St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival is back for 2020 and unsurprisingly, they’ve blessed us with another stacked lineup. If you missed The 1975’s tour in September, they’ll be back headlining alongside US rapper Earl Sweatshirt and UK artist Charlie XCX, who are both in the country exclusively for Laneway. Representing the Aussies are King Gizzard & The Wizard Lizard, DMA’s and Ocean Alley just to name a few. The festival will be coming through Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne and Fremantle in early February. This definitely isn’t one to miss - jump onto tickets ASAP through their website.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds to release new album Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds has slyly announced that they’ll be releasing a brand new double album, Ghosteen, on Friday October 4. The 17th studio album for the band is set to feature eleven tracks, with the second side of the recording consisting of “two long songs linked by a spoken word piece”. Given that it’s only been recently announced, there’s not much info about it, but in his Red Hand Files newsletter online, Cave disclosed that “The songs on the first album are the children. The songs on the second album are their parents.”

Mona Foma share first two musical acts for January The Museum of Old and New Art’s music and arts festival has announced US beat lord Flying Lotus, alongside Italian composer Ludovico Einaudi, as the first artists to perform this January. Flying Lotus has collaborated with the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Mac Miller, and you can catch him performing his unique Flying Lotus 3D show for Mona Foma.

If cinematic piano scores and classical smarts are more your thing, catch Ludovico Einaudi showcasing his new project Seven Days Walking, inspired by a wholesome walk he took in the Alps. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for more details soon.

mixdownmag.com.au

Between the Buried and Me announce East Coast tour

UNIFY Gathering delivers a massive lineup for 2020

Prog-metal veterans Between the Buried and Me have recently announced a tour around the country. Kicking off in February, the band will be playing intimate shows in venues in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney with sets covering their immersive 20-year back catalouge. The shows will also see Between the Buried and Me performing two sets each night, with bassist Dan Briggs elaborating on the concept in a statement released today - “The ‘evening with’ set is a curation of almost 20 years of music with the specific intent on realising what it all means in 2019 – how did we arrive here and where do we go?”

Heavy music fans can look forward to sweating it out in steamy moshpits this January, with UNIFY Gathering serving up a banging lineup featuring a stellar crop of top-shelf acts. Catch US metalcore prodigies The Ghost Inside, who are finally back in Australia for the first time since 2014, as well as Architects, Polaris, Silverstein and Aussie legends Northlane - who will have just returned to home soil after their huge Alien World Tour. The festival will be running January 9 - 12 in Tarwin Meadows in regional Victoria. Snag tickets now through the UNIFY website.

Green Day herald new album

City and Colour is finally coming back to Australia

Pop-punk OGs Green Day have finally decided to bless the planet with another brand new record, Father Of All..., set for release in February 2020. This will be the 13th studio album for the band, and with no signs of slowing down, they also announced the Hella Mega tour featuring Fall Out Boy and Weezer. With dates only in Europe and the US so far, we’ll have to keep praying to our Billie Joe Armstrong shrines that they decide to bring the tour down under.

Dallas Green, the man behind City and Colour, will be returning to Australia next April in support of his brand new album A Pill For Loneliness. Besides a quickie in Brisbane, this tour marks the first City and Colour national tour since 2016. If that’s not convincing enough, Alex Lahey and her angelic voice will be accompanying Green for all dates. Head to the City and Colour website for tickets.

FKA Twigs details new album

Melbourne Music Week 2019

It’s been a long time since FKA Twigs’ first LP came out way back in 2014. But bless us, because her second album, Magdalene, is finally set to be released later this month.

Twigs has already dropped ‘Cellophane’ and ‘Holy Terrain’ from the album so far, and with collaborations with rapper Future and production from the likes of Skrillex and Nicolas Jaar, Magdalene is shaping up to be worth the wait. The nine track record arrives Friday October 25 via Young Turks.

Celebrating its tenth year, Melbourne Music Week is back for 2019! Running from November 14 - 23, the showcase will feature “some of the city’s most iconic, historic and unconventional” spaces being transformed into music venues - think St Pauls Cathedral, the State Library of Victoria and ACMI. Headlining will be Melbourne’s own CC:Disco! alongside international headliners/techno godfathers Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft (DAF). There’ll be family friendly events as well as free live performances in iconic venues, streets and laneways, so there really is something for everyone.

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PRODUCT NEWS BABY Audio Release I Heart NY Parallel Compressor BABY AUDIO | BABYAUD.IO They might be the new kids on the block, but BABY Audio certainly know a thing or two about high-end audio products, with the company recently releasing the new I Heart NY Parallel Compression Plugin.

The impeccably named I Heart NY plugin is the first offering from the company and provides producers with a fat dose of classic New York style compression within their DAW. By creating a copy of your internal audio signal within the software, BABY Audio’s debut plugin replicates the workflow of a true parallel compressor without the complicated signal routing they’re associated with.

Pedaltrain Reveal Volto 3 Power Supply

Yamaha Unveil THR-II Desktop Amplifiers

TC Electronic Revamp A Classic With Hall Of Fame 2x4

EGM DISTRIBUTION | EGM.NET.AU

YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA | AU.YAMAHA.COM

AMBER TECHNOLOGY | AMBERTECHNOLOGY.COM.AU

Pedaltrain’s Volto 3 is better than ever with a more powerful battery, more sophisticated circuitry, more lifetime recharges, and huge gains in charge life. A modern alternative to expensive, unreliable, and environmentally hazardous 9V batteries, Volto 3 is engineered for hundreds of lifetime recharges, replacing thousands of 9V batteries - that’s good for your wallet and the environment. With new Battery Health programming to protect against overcharging, Volto 3 boasts double the lifetime recharges of previous versions.

Yamaha were the originators of the “desktop amplifier” category and the new THR-II series takes the concept to new heights. New amp models for electric guitar and bass, mic models for acoustic-electrics, and flat voicings for everything else let you cover any genre. Play wherever your music takes you with Bluetooth support, a redesigned enclosure with increased bass response, and a refreshed look that complements any décor completes the package. Head to a Yamaha dealer near you to hear them in action.

TC Electronic have launched the all new Hall Of Fame 2 X4 Reverb pedal, setting a high precedent for what punters should expect from a reverb unit in 2019. The new pedal essentially packs all of the features of the Hall Of Fame 2 into one big chassis with four MASH footswitches. These pressure sensitive switches also allow you to control up to three effect parameters, so you can tweak the decay, predelay or level of your chosen reverb sound for crazy little splashes of ambience mid-set.

Ernie Ball Music Man Unveil Mariposa Guitar CMC MUSIC | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU The Mariposa is the collaboration between the award-winning Ernie Ball Music Man design team and celebrated The Mars Volta/At the Drive-In guitarist Omar Rodriquez-Lopez. The Mariposa features an offset lightweight African mahogany body, roasted maple neck, ebony fingerboard with white pearl block inlays, two custom wound Ernie Ball Music Man humbucking pickups with separate volume controls for each pickup and a laser etched pickguard with an ornate design to complement specific finish options.

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QSC Announce KS118 Active Subwoofer TECHNICAL AUDIO GROUP | TAG.COM.AU Succeeding the highly acclaimed KW181 model, QSC is pleased to introduce the KS118 active subwoofer, the newest member of the KS Series subwoofer family.

With its robust design, legendary QSC amplification and versatile DSP features, the KS118 is the perfect choice for mobile entertainment, AV rental, event production, clubs and performance venues for which very high output and commanding low frequency performance is needed.

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Wherever songs are made.

Making music is a life-long pursuit. You may be on the verge of performing your first live DJ set, or perhaps you’re in the writing phase of your twelfth solo record. No matter your musical goal, we’ve got a recording solution that’s right for you at every step of the way.

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©2018 All Rights Reserved, PreSonus Audio Electronics. PreSonus is a registered trademark of PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc. Studio One is a registered trademark of PreSonus Software Ltd. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

PRODUCT NEWS

Ernie Ball Music Man Jason Richardson Cutlass Shipping Now CMC MUSIC | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU After being announced at NAMM in January, the Ernie Ball Music Man Jason Richardson Cutlass model is making its way to a store near you. Featuring innovative design characteristics engineered specifically for Jason’s exacting technique, the Richardson Cutlass seven offers unique features and aesthetics that will give players a fresh look at one of Music Man’s most popular models.

Ashun Sound Machines To Be Distributed By Innovative Music

Voodoo Lab Pedal Power X4 Available Now

Mooer Unleash GE150 Multi-Effects Board

INNOVATIVE MUSIC | INNOVATIVEMUSIC.COM.AU

EGM DISTRIBUTION | EGM.NET.AU

JADE AUSTRALIA | JADEMCAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

Ashun Sound Machines are about creating musical instruments that empower musicians to unleash their creativity. Design, ease of use, quality of sound and fun factors are at the core of their products. Striving to break barriers to bring powerful engine and high quality musical instruments to the market, ASM have teamed up with Innovative Music to distribute their products in Australia.

Expect to see them in stores before Christmas!

The Voodoo Labs Pedal Power X4 is a professional isolated power supply for both battery operated and high current DSP effects. Its ultra-compact size fits even the smallest pedalboards and operates at any mains voltage for international touring. X4’s innovative hybrid DC transformer design incorporates exotic components, linear regulation, and computer optimized filtering to establish industryleading audiophile quality power that unveils the hidden sonic potential of your rig. Pick one up at your nearest Voodoo Lab dealer.

After releasing the fully-loaded GE300 this year, Mooer Audio have unveiled their most portable multi-effects solution with the GE150. With 55 of Mooer’s digital amp models, based on their non-linear amp modelling tech, GE150 serves up a wide range of amp tones to choose from. Up to nine separate effects blocks can be activated simultaneously with a grand total of 151 high-quality effects options. Similar to other units in the GE series, the 150 also has a full-featured IR loader, capable of hosting all of your favourite third-party impulse responses up to 2048 sampling points each.

PreSonus Announce HD10BT Bluetooth Headphones LINK AUDIO | LINKAUDIO.COM.AU

Mackie Elevates ProFX Series With Professional Upgrades AMBER TECHNOLOGY | AMBERTECH.COM.AU Mackie have announced the complete redesign of their most popular analogue mixer series, ProFXv3. Now with Mackie’s renowned Onyx mic preamps, GigFX Effects Engine, 2x4 24-Bit / 192kHz USB recording, and a new modern design. Not only are these great for live sound in clubs, bars, and venues, they're also the perfect choice for home studios, content creators, and live streaming. Now included with the purchase of any ProFXv3 model is industry-standard DAW Pro Tools, plus the exclusive Mackie Musician Collection™ featuring 23 Avid® plug-ins.

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Professional musicians and audio engineers rely on high quality headphones in the studio to make sure they can hear every sonic detail. PreSonus Eris HD10BT headphones provide studio-quality audio performance with the mobility and freedom of Bluetooth connectivity. Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) reduces ambient sounds by up to 18 dB, so whether you’re walking down a busy street or sitting in the middle seat on an airplane, you can listen to your favourite music, podcasts, or binge-worthy TV series in vivid sonic fidelity. Expect to see these in stores soon!

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PAGE HEADER

BABYMETAL'S GALAXY In one way or another, bands have always been considered to be ‘brands’. Ever since some bright spark thought to buy in on the burgeoning hype of Beatlemania in the ‘60s, music and merchandise have been intrinsically intertwined to the extent that some aren’t sure whether The Ramones are a punk group or a T-shirt logo.

Babymetal, however, take things to a whole new level. The enigmatic Japanese idol group, formed in 2010 by talent agency Assume Inc. and fronted by vocalists Su-Metal and Moametal, are so paradoxical that even the most seasoned of industry veterans don’t know what to think of them. Drawing heavily on the Japanese phenom of kawaii, or ‘cute culture’, the band’s choreographed dance routines and matching frocks are contrasted bone-crushing riffs and thunderous blast beats to create a truly unique, somewhat feverish musical experience.

They’ve made history as one of the most successful Japanese bands on the charts overseas, and despite being part of an idol girl group essentially manufactured by a talent agency, much like One Direction or Backstreet Boys, they’re widely embraced by the metal community.

The band is entirely fabricated, kitsch and preposterous, yet simultaneously groundbreaking; flipping the norms of gender and race in music right on its head, all in the name of metal. The whole thing is simply baffling – but fucking awesome.

After releasing two records, 2014’s self-titled debut and 2016’s Metal Resistance and touring internationally with the likes of Lady Gaga, Metallica and Red Hot Chili Peppers, Babymetal are looking to the stars to release the third chapter of their story this October with Metal Galaxy. While the band are obviously experienced when blending genre, Metal Galaxy sees Babymetal toying with drum ‘n bass, bubblegum pop, jazz and hip-hop – often all within the space of a single song.

“These variety of music is expressed with stars in this album. We call the world with the stars of each song Metal Galaxy. Babymetal travel Metal Galaxy just like a spaceship,” the band claim, rather cryptically.

“We have been touring the world for a quite long time now. Through the journey, we’ve enjoyed different types of music, instruments and cultures. The album includes all the input we got from the experience.”

Keeping in line with the record’s interstellar theme, the expansive Metal Galaxy is set to be released as a double album, with each side being known as Sun and Moon.

“The sun and the moon are used to express duality of the light side and dark side on this album concept,” Babymetal clarify. “Each song on the new album was produced with a different sonic approach, but they are necessary to complete Babymetal.”

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"WE CALL THE WORLD WITH THE STARS OF EACH SONG METAL GALAXY. BABYMETAL TRAVEL METAL GALAXY JUST LIKE A SPACESHIP” The latest single from Metal Galaxy, ‘PA PA YA!!!’, extols the merits of Babymetal’s journey through time and space like nothing else before it. Incorporating an oddlyinfectious upbeat rhythm reminiscent of Russian folk music, the song finds ground in a rousing, synth-laced power-metal chorus before giving way to feature a verse from Thailand rapper F. Hero. For Babymetal, ‘PA PA YA!!!’ is deeply symbolic of what they aim to achieve: reminding Western ears that Eastern voices matter too. “‘PA PA YA!!!’ incorporates the concept of a summer festival,” explains the Babymetal hivemind. “The album is a travelling metal galaxy, so in this song we wanted to travel to Asia.

“F. Hero is one of the most popular rappers in Thailand, and he added a tropical heatwave in this song. He performed at Yokohama Arena with us in June. Fans seem to enjoy dancing to this song!”

In addition to F. Hero’s standout verse, Metal Galaxy also features guest spots from two of Sweden’s finest metal vocalists – Sabaton’s Joakim Brodén on ‘Oh! Majinai’ and Alissa White-Gluz of Arch Enemy on the brutal ‘Distortion’.

our Japanese tour as special guest acts in 2018,” Babymetal say as they explain how both songs came to be. “Joakim actually sang in Japanese on ‘Oh! Majinai’. He practiced and worked very hard for perfection. We appreciate his hard work and are very happy with how powerful the song became after adding his vocal. This song is SuMetal’s favorite song on the album. “‘Distortion’ is about a conflict in mind, face of inside and outside, so we were looking for female vocal that could sing different personality against Su-Metal,” the band say in regards to their collaboration with the Arch Enemy frontwoman. “Also, we thought a female death voice would fit on the song, so she was perfect. We are glad that we found such a powerful piece for each song!”

Despite their overwhelming optimism in Metal Galaxy and their lingering aura of mysticism, it’s hard to ignore the elephant in the room when discussing Babymetal. Su-Metal and Moametal were initially joined in the studio and onstage by a third member, Yuimetal, who was forced to depart the band twelve months ago due to ongoing health issues. While it’s somewhat ironic that Babymetal have become a duo on their third album, the band reaffirm – cryptically, of course – that the loss of Yuimetal hasn’t detracted from their output.

“Babymetal always evolve, so we bring something new in every record,” say Su-Metal and Moametal from the cockpit of the Babymetal spaceship. “Metal Galaxy is much different from Babymetal and Metal Resistance, so the songs on the new album were written in the structure of Su-Metal and Moametal. That is the biggest change.”

It’s this change, maybe, that accounts for the overbearing theme of duality that flows throughout Metal Galaxy. Right now, Babymetal find themselves ensnared within binaries: caught in a clash of what’s considered to be feminine and masculine, global and local, Eastern and Western, authentic and fabricated, and perhaps above all, metal and non-metal.

“Babymetal means birth of new metal,” the band claim. “The group brings sounds together that do not necessarily fit in an existing format.

“There is a duality in this project. Baby and Metal are totally different things, but both cannot exist without each other.”

BY WILL BREWSTER Metal Galaxy arrives courtesy of Cooking Vinyl on Friday October 11.

“We have met Sabaton several times at music festivals before, and they joined

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O R I G I N A L D E S I G N S . F E N D E R TO N E .

SMOLDER ACOUSTIC OVERDRIVE D E S I G N E D S P E C I F I C A L LY F O R U S E W I T H AC O U ST I C I N ST R U M E N TS , T H E A L L  A N A LO G S M O L D E R AC O U ST I C OV E R D R I V E E L E G A N T LY S O LV E S T H E S E I SS U E S W I T H F E N D E R K N OW H OW.

MUSIC INTERVIEWS With such a vast discography under his belt now, it would be easy to assume that the creative and writing process has gotten easier over the years but Green admits that whilst that might be the case in some areas, it’s certainly isn’t in others.

“I guess it’s a bit of both in a way,” Green says. “It’s easier in the sense that I kind of have an idea of what it’s like make a record but harder because I’m always putting a lot of pressure on myself to make sure that I’m doing the best that I can do at that moment. I feel like I know what I’m doing. I feel confident that I can make a record and I don’t think I’m going to allow myself to make a bad one, as far as what I think.

"There’s just that sort of personal pressure, but I feel like I’ve done that to myself on every one. I’ve always made records just the way I want to make them and I’ve never really done it in a way where I thought “is anyone gonna like it?” because I feel like if I started to do that then I’m changing the thing that got people to appreciate what I was doing in the first place.”

City and Colour's Vibrant Pill 2019 has been a big year for Dallas Green. Not only did Alexisonfire release their first new material since 2010 earlier in the year but this month also sees the release of his sixth studio album under the City and Colour banner, A Pill For Loneliness.

A Pill Of Loneliness is a beautiful yet somewhat contradictory listen. Many of the songs feature sombre and heavy lyrics sitting atop vibrant and vast musical foundations. Green says that even though so much of his music has often come from a sombre or melancholic headspace in the past, he wanted to approach it differently this time around.

“When it comes to songwriting, I’m always leaning towards a melancholic headspace because that’s sort of where I am when I’m writing," says Green. "I write songs to get myself out of that headspace.

"When I started writing these new songs a couple of years ago, I kept stopping because I was just writing what felt like bleak songs. Maybe more bleak than what I would usually write. So I kept taking time away and seeing if something else would sort of creep in. When we went into the studio, I could have just made a really quiet, sombre record, but I felt

“You’ve grown with these songs already, but there’s more of an excitement when you’re playing them,” says Nikki Misery, one of the band’s two guitarists. “Once we started really getting stuck into them every night, I feel like altogether we started to realise things about them that we wouldn’t have otherwise. There’s a lot more to these songs than I think even we thought initially – certainly a lot of emotion.

Touring this album has made these songs a lot more real to us.”

Unbreakable was pieced together throughout 2018, and marked yet another line-up change for the revolving-door band – lead vocalist Ashley Costello is the only original member, while Misery is currently its longest-serving member with an eight-year tenure. The newest addition to the fold was guitarist Austin Ingerman, who made his debut on Unbreakable and helped to firmly cement the band’s current incarnation. “Oddly enough, this was probably the easiest recording process ever,” says Misery.

New Year’s Day Break Free In April of 2019, Anaheim goth-rockers New Year’s Day dropped Unbreakable, album number four. The band had already been touring extensively in the lead-up to its release, so by the time it hit shelves proper they were already raring to go collectively. Over the course of the intervening six months on the world tour in support of the record, the band have established a bond with Unbreakable that could only be described as... well, you know.

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“Austin is such an amazing player, and we were all mature enough to just let the songs come a bit more naturally this time around. Almost every time in the past has lead to bickering over one thing or another – like, ‘I thought this would be cool!’ ‘I thought this would be cooler!’ That sort of thing. This time around, I think we were all on the same page. The song is what counts, but you can still hear influences from all of us when you’re listening to it. We all just wanted what was best for it, and that’s what we got.”

The album sees the band pulling from an expansive array of sounds – including, but not limited to, alternative metal, dubstep, mainstream rock and angsty pop. One doesn’t need to look further than 'Shut Up,' one of Unbreakable’s lead singles, as a standout example of the way New Year’s Day effortlessly hybrid their genres to create something distinctively theirs. Misery is particularly enthused about the song, too: “I’m normally not the type to go on about how easy a song was to write, but this one was really something else,” he says.

like the way to bring them to life was to try to wrap them in like a comforting, beautiful blanket.

“When I sent the record to Nick Steinhardt, my friend who did the artwork I just said, “Nick, listen to the record and tell me what you see”. He wrote back and said “It’s gotta be colourful. Vibrant colours.” So when you look at artwork on the record it’s this burst of colour because that’s sort of what I think the record sounds like in a strange way.”

No matter how much success an artist might have in their career, it’s important to still have those surreal ‘pinch me’ moments. Green experienced that full on when he had the opportunity to tour with the band that made him fall in love with music earlier in the year, the legendary Alice In Chains.

“I can’t even believe it," gushes Green. "I mean, I haven’t really had an experience like that. I’ve met a lot of cool people and met some people that I listened to when I was younger but that band is the reason I fell in love with music and wanted to be in a band.

"When I was I was 13 years old I’d been playing guitar for a couple of years and I started to really listen to a lot more music. When grunge happened and I heard Dirt by Alice In Chains, that was it. Everybody has that band that unlocks the door and for me it was Alice In Chains. To be standing on stage 25 years later and singing ‘Nutshell’ with them. I don’t have the words to describe the feeling of that.

I really don’t.”

BY NICHOLAS SIMONSEN A Pill For Loneliness is out Friday October 4 via Still Records/ Cooking Vinyl Australia. City and Colour will return to Australia in April next year thanks to Chugg Entertainment. Tickets on sale now.

“We literally had the whole thing completed in less than a day. We were on a roll! Ash just had this idea, and I started building on it. Soon enough, we were all on board and working together. She was like, ‘Do you guys like this?’ She didn’t even have to ask – we were all, ‘We love this!’ The whole process had us all super-stoked. It made me feel really proud to be a part of this band.”

In 2020, the band will tour Australia for the second time, following an appearance at the inaugural Good Things festival at the end of 2018. It will mark the first time the band have done headlining shows here, and they’re bringing a full-scale production with them. “We’re completely wireless now,” says Misery of the New Year’s Day live set-up that has been a part of the entire Unbreakable world tour.

“I’m playing through a Line 6 Helix onstage, and I’m getting everything through the in-ears. I was the caveman of the band for so long – I was adamant that there was nothing like having an amp behind you, and just cranking it. On the last tour that we did, though, the rest of the band finally convinced me to give it a try. I haven’t looked back since.”

Of course, there may be a slight ulterior motive on Misery’s behalf: “Really, what’s been the best is the load-out,” he laughs. “We used to just lug all of this gear around, and now we just have this one rack with everybody’s stuff on it.

It’s been like a dream come true!”

BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG

Unbreakable is out now via Red Music. Catch New Year’s Day on tour this March.

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MUSIC INTERVIEWS “That got thrust upon us pretty early on because of who we chose to produce the first few singles,” says Marwe in reference to Mark Opitz, who cut his teeth working with Cold Chisel, Divinyls, Hoodoo Gurus and INXS. Opitz oversaw Bad//Dreems’ first two LPs, Dogs at Bay and Gutful, and while commentators such as Double J’s Zan Rowe praised Bad//Dreems for creating “Aussie pub rock garage at its best,” Marwe says the label started to chafe.

“The landscape of the music industry and the world in general has changed over the past five or six years. I guess pub rock had this masculine stigma attached to it that didn’t age very well in terms of where we’ve ended up now,” he says.

In the lead-up to Doomsday Ballet, the new album from Bad//Dreems, the Adelaide band’s singer, Ben Marwe, expressed weariness at consistently being labelled a pub rock act.

The reductive banner hasn’t prevented Bad// Dreems from finding a wide audience, but they wanted to sidestep the tag with their third long player.

The record includes a handful of songs that reflect this aim to diversify and add greater depth. Laidback, reflective cuts like ‘Harry’s Station’, ‘Cannonball’ and ‘Sally’s Place’ differ from the Bad//Dreems of yore, but there’s no reason they shouldn’t thrive in the live setting.

In place of Opitz and co-producer Colin Wynne wasproducer Burke Reid and musician Jack Ladder. Reid’s credits include Julia Jacklin, Courtney Barnett, Sarah Blasko, The Drones, DZ Deathrays as well as several Jack Ladder albums. Bad//Dreems connected with the dream duo via an instance of serendipity.

“Alex [Cameron], our guitarist, struck up a friendship with a Sydney photographer called Luke Mclean Stephenson who’s friends with that whole Jack Ladder, Kirin J Callinan, Donny Benet crew,” says Marwe. “We compiled the demos down to a top 20 after maybe demoing 40 to 50 tracks here in Adelaide.

Alex had sent them to Luke because he wanted to try his hand at producing. Jack Ladder got a hold of the demos and ‘Morning Rain’ was one of the first ones that really struck his fancy.”

Ladder then got in touch with Reid and it turned out he was going to be available and in the country at the perfect time.

“My wife was heavily pregnant and it was just this two week window where we could get it done, otherwise we were going to have to wait another couple of months,” says Marwe. “It all came together. We did it in Adelaide. It was a sweltering heat wave. I think we got a pretty good result out of it.”

“This was the first definite studio album,” says Marwe. “We did multiple demos of all the songs, they took different shapes and forms, trying different melodies, guitar tones, adding synths, keys, which we haven’t done before.

“I hate to use the word mature, but it does feel like a more mature version of what we have done in the past. That comes part and parcel with getting older, having done two albums already, so wanting to challenge ourselves as songwriters and in the studio.”

“It’s definitely something that we were aware of and we were consciously shifting away from that in the way that we wrote [Doomsday Ballet]. We did two albums with Mark. We thought creatively and artistically it was time to shake things up and change how we go about it.”

Bad//Dreems Keep Dancing

Jack Ladder – whose birth name is Tim Rogers – has, over the course of his five albums, developed a strong artistic identity that allows him to keep changing it up without abandoning his essence. This is the sort of thing Bad//Dreems wanted to achieve with Doomsday Ballet.

There’s still plenty of snarling uptempo numbers, too. Many of their founding influences are ingrained in the Bad//Dreems DNA, but there was a shift in terms of who influenced their decision making on this album.

“Burke’s idea was he wanted to take it out of the pub and create more of a rigid, erratic [sound] in the same ilk as old Wire records and Devo-esque guitar lines, fast-paced drums.

Parquet Courts got a huge spin during the album cycle. Their albums are all awesome.”

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY Doomsday Ballet hits shelves around the country on Friday October 18 via Farmer and The Owl. Catch them playing in venues around Australia this October - November.

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MUSIC INTERVIEWS The presence of both parties has allowed Korn to recapture the same twisted darkness and grave-digging grooves that made them one of the most successful and influential rock bands of the late 1990s.

The Nothing was tracked in Raskulinecz’s home city of Nashville.

The producer’s had a hand in a slew of high profile releases over the last couple of decades, including Alice In Chains’ Rainier Fog, Mastodon’s Once More ‘Round the Sun, Deftones’ Koi No Yokan and Foo Fighters’ In Your Honor and One By One. As the four instrumentalists – Welch, drummer Ray Luzier, guitarist James “Munky” Shaffer and bassist Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu – assembled in Nashville, singer Jonathan Davis retreated to his Californian studio to work the lyrics. It might sound like a disjointed approach, but the frontman still had an influence on the record’s stylistic development.

“We send it to him over email or Dropbox,” says Welch. “So some days we’ll go in and we’re like ‘what do you feel like hearing today?’ And he’ll be like ‘think Vulgar Display of Power,’ or one day he’ll be like ‘think ’70s funk, but heavy.’

Korn Stop For Nothing Released in mid-September, The Nothing is Korn’s third album to feature guitarist Brian “Head” Welch after he re-joined the band in 2013. It’s also the second consecutive record contemporary metal maestro Nick Raskulinecz has produced for the Californian quintet.

“He’s all over the place and that’s what makes him amazing, because he knows what he wants to hear and then we kind of Korn-metalise it. So if he’s listening to ’70s funk, we’re like, ‘that dance thing is not going to work with us, but if we make it like Slayer-meets-funk or something, or Korn-ise it, then we have something cool.’”

It makes sense for Davis to take on the conductor’s role given how central his lyrics are to the emotional thrust of the average Korn song. That’s not to say the rest of the band were bankrupt of ideas, however.

“The two singles, ‘Cold’ and ‘You’ll Never Find Me’, those were written just by us jamming and we didn’t even talk to [Davis],” says Welch. “Those were us getting in a room – me, Ray, Munky and [Raskulinecz], little bit of Fieldy – and writing a song.”

2016’s Raskulinecz-produced The Serenity of Suffering garnered the biggest reaction for a Korn album since their turn-of-theaughts heyday. Its predecessor, 2013’s The Paradigm Shift, was

“If ever we got to a point where something was sounding too much like Departure Songs, we would cut it,” says Mark Owen, a founding member of the band and one of its three guitarists. “We wouldn’t even explore it. We were pushing to do something really consciously different to anything we’d done before. Of course, we worried about whether we’d be alienating our listenership by doing so. After we did some more writing, though, we all kind of realised that it was always going to sound like us regardless. You’re still going to get crescendos and big riffs at the end, don’t worry about that.”

We Lost the Sea Surge Forward In 2015, We Lost the Sea released the album of their career. Departure Songs is destined to be remembered as not only the most important post-rock album to come out of Australia in the 2010s, it’s also a standard-bearer for the genre itself. It’s been streamed millions of times, had its songs featured in film and television and had every conceivable physical format release promptly sell out. Needless to say, following it up was always going to be an unenviable task – and certainly not a time for the band to be repeating itself.

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Owens laughs as he gently teases the band’s calling cards, but he’s not kidding when he says that the band’s fourth album, Triumph and Disaster, is yet another change for a band that has more or less been defined by its evolution over its decade-plus trajectory. Heavier in nature and more explorative by design, the album follows a conceptual through-line that tells a sci-fi children’s story that is told through the complete artwork and booklet – as designed by the band’s guitarist, Matt Harvey. “This is something Matt and I have been working on for a long time,” says Owen.

“Originally, the plan was actually to write an accompanying novel to the album – to have the songs we’d written serve as the soundtrack to it. That idea didn’t last, though. It was like, ‘none of us can write a novel – what are we doing?’

Changing it to a children’s book ended up making a lot more sense. It’s still a bit of a fucked-up story, kind of like Where the Wild Things Are, but it’s simplistic and broad enough that people can connect their own stories to it. If you create something with that human element, people will invariably do the work themselves.

Triumph and Disaster also marks the debut of new guitarist Carl Whitbread, who is best known for his time at the helm of sludge-metal band Lo!. A longtime friend of the band, he was brought in initially as a touring member towards the end of the Departure Songs cycle to replace absent guitarist Brendon Warner. Eventually Whitbread assumed the role on a permanent basis, bringing his own unique expertise on the

Welch’s first album with the band after an eight-year absence.

He says it wasn’t until Raskulinecz’s arrival that the decision to re-join felt worth it.

“When I came back into the band, that was an experimental Korn still,” Welch says. “They were messing around with some electronics and there were some old songs that we brought up to do. We were finding each other out again, discovering who everybody was. Then Nick came into the picture and he said everything that I wanted to hear.

“He was flipping burgers listening to Korn when he was younger. So he’s like, ‘Man that feeling I got…’ and I was like, ‘yeah that’s what we want, let’s really work at it and get this heavy intensity back.’”

And work hard is exactly they did – The Nothing sessions were particularly exhaustive, with each song being recorded twice.

“We did a demo for each song to get them sounding the best quality we could for Jonathan to hear and then we went back and re-recorded it and maybe kept some of the rhythm tracks, but not much,” Welch says.

“I’m lazy so I’m like, ‘let’s keep the guitar tracks that we did and re-amp them.’ But Nick just always says, ‘No, we can get a better take. You can play tighter.’ And I’m like, ‘I played tight on the demo! Just use that.’

“You’ve got to respect someone like that who just wants to put in the work. I think he’s in the mindset where the pay-off is better at the end the harder you work. So we just kind of go with it, even though he makes us work harder than on any records I’ve done in the past. Honestly. But we keep going back to him, so he’s doing something right.”

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY The Nothing is out now via Roadrunner Records / Warner Music Australia.

instrument to the band’s creative process. Owen could not have been happier to induct Whitbread into the We Lost the Sea family: “He’s an incredible guitarist, a smart songwriter and an amazing dude,” he says.

“He has always been close-knit with the band. He was very good friends with [late vocalist, Chris] Torpy, he was a groomsman at Matt’s wedding – vice versa too, I might add.

He just gets everything to do with this band. There wasn’t any explaining that needed to be done. When he came on that first tour and he was talking to people over there, he already felt like he was a big part of it. It didn’t even really feel like any sort of big transition – it just happened, and now here we are.”

Owen and co. will be taking Triumph and Disaster out on the road this coming November, where in many cities they will be playing for the first time in several years. The new live set is coming together, although it’s still in its early stages. “You know when you’re in a jam space, and you can hear the band next door that sounds like they’re all playing completely different things?” asks Owen. “That’s what we’ve been sounding like.” He laughs, adding: “The bands coming in after us always tell us it’s good, though.”

BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG

Triumph and Disaster is released independently on Friday October 4. Catch We Lost the Sea on tour around Australia this November.

mixdownmag.com.au

MUSICOLOGY:

THE DIY HISTORY OF DISTORTION Distortion has come a long way from its humble DIY beginnings.

All things considered, this is probably a good thing.

Destroying your amp to alter your sound isn’t the most fiscally responsible method of creativity, is it? Thankfully, those with technologically advanced minds put their heads together and developed the much sought-after effect in a handy pedal form a few decades back, saving modernday guitarists from the struggles of DIY distortion. But before we made leaps and bounds in the field of musical technology, instruments and amplification were decidedly rudimentary. If you wanted something more from your tone, you were going to have to get creative.

While distortion as we know it today is achieved through vastly different means, it’s important to recognise that we owe the effect to the experimental minds of those who shot to fame in the ‘40s and ‘50s — in particular, those who made their mark during the heyday of rock ’n’ roll. It comes with no surprise that the genre known for changing the course of music would also change the blueprint for its accompanying technologies.

Yet the road to today’s methods of distortion was twisted and, frankly, messy. Mistakes were made, amps intentionally destroyed, and the results? They were revolutionary.

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In the 1940s, a number of blues and Western guitarists decided what they needed from their sound was simply something more.

They needed their tone to be grittier and dirtier, by whatever means necessary.

Junior Barnard, a guitarist with Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys, took an inventor’s approach to this dilemma. He crafted his own set of humbucking pickups to create a fatter, louder tone and pushed his amp into overdrive. In 1949, Hepcats guitarist Goree Carter followed suit on the DIY path to distortion and recorded ‘Rock Awhile’, the first known recording of overdriven guitar.

Joining the pioneering sounds next was Ike Turner & The Kings of Rhythm. The band released ‘Rocket 88’ in 1951 as Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats, a song many consider to be the first rock ’n’ roll record.

The track features Willie Kizart’s distorted guitar, but the origins of the sound remain mysterious to this day. Legend has it that Kizart dropped his Fender amp on the way into the studio, resulting in the warped tone heard in the final mix. Whatever the case, legendary Sun Studios producer Sam Phillips knew genius when he heard it and kept the sound in the recording.

Taking the DIY approach continued to gain popularity in creative circles. Link Wray’s 1958 track ‘Rumble’ achieved its distinctive guitar sound through Wray’s repeated stabbing of his amp’s speaker cone with a pencil. The Kinks’ 1965 hit ‘You Really Got Me’ has Dave Davies to thank for its unique tone after the guitarist slashed his amp’s speaker with a razor blade. It was during this decade that someone decided to put an

end to the destructive madness and find a more sustainable (and responsible) solution.

Enter: Gibson guitars.

The brains trust at Gibson can see a gap in the market from a mile away. This foresight was particularly evident in 1962 with the release of the Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz Tone, a fuzz pedal that aimed to produce the same distorted sound the aforementioned artists had been searching for, without the destruction of property. The pedal was partly inspired by Marty Robbins’ 1961 country track ‘Don’t Worry’, where session guitarist Grady Martin’s solo became distorted thanks to a faulty mixing board connection. The sound of Gibson’s newest invention was soon immortalised on the Rolling Stones’ classic ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction)’. While the idea behind the pedal was strong, the commercial response was lacking. More successful iterations were soon to follow, but the Maestro claimed its crown as the first.

Distortion continued its astronomical growth with a little help from some very famous friends. Jimi Hendrix championed the sounds of reverb and fuzz throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s, becoming synonymous with such altered tones. The trend carried on through the ‘80s and found a home in the rise of heavy metal. It makes perfect sense that a genre with ‘heavy’ in the title would appreciate the not-so-subtle art of distortion, and the ‘80s were prime time to bring the effect further into the spotlight.

Jimmy Page, Ritchie Blackmore, and Tony Iommi were just some of the names making the most of the effect, pushing equipment

to its limits to achieve the careful recipe of distorted imperfection.

The development of effects pedals became an integral element in the rise of distortion, from the introduction of the Maestro right through to the overdrive and fuzz pedals holding pride of place in guitarists’ rigs today. Whether it was the BOSS OD-1 or MXR Distortion Plus, the iconic Big Muff Pi from Electro-Harmonix or the game-changing Ibanez Tube Screamer TS808, it soon became clear that packaging the DIY experiments of pioneering musicians into pocket-sized stompboxes was a surefire road to success.

Fast forward to this decade and achieving the warped tones that took so much effort so many years ago is now easier than ever.

Whichever way you look at it, distortion remains one of the most important developments in music technology. Its fascinating DIY history should serve as inspiration for musicians everywhere who pick up their instrument and wonder if there is anything left to say that hasn’t already been said. When a musician wants to create something new, they’ll find a way. Even if it does mean hacking an amp to pieces.

BY JESSICA OVER

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ADVICE COLUMNS GUITAR

BASS GUITAR

A Little Bit Sus...

Comping with chords

I’m sure most of you have played a sus (or suspended) chord at some stage. They’re prevalent in a range of styles and are the feature of many ‘guitaristic’ motifs, riffs and hooks (The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Joni Mitchell, The Police, Led Zeppelin and the list goes on…).

Yep, as a bass player we’re typically holding down the low end and mostly playing single notes. There can be more to this though. Comping behind another instrument’s solo, filling out a breakdown section and don’t forget when jamming with other low end players. Plus – having a handle on chords gives you an increased awareness of harmony and their application helps with rhythm and time. Let’s take a look at chords this month then and add some contrasting ideas to your typical bass lines.

A suspension of a chord involves (typically) moving the third of the chord up or down to a 2nd or a 4th. This creates an ambiguous sound that can’t be defined as Major of minor.

Taking a C Major triad (C-E-G) in Figure A we can firstly create a sus2 chord by moving the 3rd (E) down to D (the 2nd). Next we move the 3rd (E) up to F (the 4th). Play through the three triads and listen to the difference in sound.

Now these are just triads but guitarists will often use bigger 5 or 6 note voicings that double up on some the chord tones. Perhaps then the shapes in Figure B are more familiar to you.

Figure C highlights some more common guitar suspended voicings as both open and barre chords. The lack of a 3rd creates ambiguity and a nice airy, floating sound. Great for developing a mood or adding emphasis to a particular section or chord.

Figure A follows a II-V idea in A (Bm7 to E7). This could be a medium straight funk styled line heard in jazz, funk, soul, blues and more.

Got a handle on Figure A? Let’s look at some chord voicings for Bm7 and E7 to play instead of the bass line then. Minor 7th chords consist of the 1-b3-5-b7 whilst Dominant 7th is spelt 1-3-5-b7. Similar to guitar it’s not always possible to get all these notes into a manageable shape on bass, let alone have them stacked in order. Figure B gives us a starting point though to see/hear some possible voicings on bass.

Bars 1 and 2 are straight Bm and E Major triads played in root position (1-b3-5 and 1-3-5 respectively). Bars 3 and 4 omit the 5th from the 4 note chord with Bm7 being B-A-D and E7 E-G#-D. These work as the tonic gives us the root of the chord, the 3th tells us if the chord is Major or minor and then we have the 7th…to tell us it’s a 7th chord! Due to the stacking of the chords bars 3 and 4 contain some cool movement with the D remaining constant on top for both chords (making it the 3th of Bm7 and then the 7th of E7) and the A (the 7th of Bm7) moving down a semitone to G# in the E7 chord (becoming the 3rd).

So, how about we then ditch the root and stick with the upper most notes of each voicing.

This gives us Figure C – easy voicings to get your hands around that still convey the important information of the 3rd and the 7th. Let’s make the rhythms a bit more hip and incorporate these chords with our existing bass line from Figure A.

If you want to expand your suspended chords past triads 7th chords are the next logical point. 7sus4 chords are used in rock, pop, jazz (and many others) with Herbie Hancock’s ‘Maiden Voyage’ being a great example (make sure you check it out, you should hear the 7sus4 sound straight away!). So, Figure D shows a number of 7sus4 chords which typically are created 1-4-5-b7. Again, sometimes guitar voicings of these chords aren’t as uniform as piano due to the restrictions of reach/note choice/tuning. Bar 1 shows a C7sus4 spelt C-FBb-C-E, which means no 5th. Bar 2 is spelt E-B-D-A-B-E which contains all the notes of 7sus4 and has A and B (the 4 and 5) a tone apart, this creates a thick sound due to the closeness of the intervals. Bar 3 is a barre chord voicing spelt D-A-C-G-A and again contains all the notes of the 7sus4 with the 4 and 5 being played only a tone apart. Bar 4 is another open chord shape spelt B-E-A-B-F#.

These examples should hopefully give you a starting point with suspended chords and a look at some common voicings for guitar. Piano players have the ability to create voicings with more notes (8,9 and 10 at times) and therefore will utilise different sounds and inversions.

This makes the guitar unique and allows us to get creative when working with suspended sounds (more next month). The next step then is to start incorporating them into your own playing and writing. Try using sus2 and sus4 in standard progressions to see where they work for you. They can be great as the I chord in ballads or rock tunes, 7sus4 can create some real mystery when used as the V chord and then there are a host of patterns and movement ideas to really build with the suspended sound. These types of approaches can be heard in film scores and ambient background music to name a few. More suspended action next month!

Figure D uses our earlier bass line and incorporates our new two note chord voicings on beat 2 of each bar. This then adds some extra information to our existing line. Think how many variations you could then come up with! We’ve just used two chords as a starting point, try building triads and then adding sevenths yourself and see what you come up with. There are of course other extensions too and some hip and usable Major and minor voicings that just use the root and 3rd.

A final note - of course lower voicings on bass can sound really thick. This is a ‘sound’ and it might be what you’re going for which is cool. Its' definitely worth experimenting with voicings all over the neck to give you options though (comping up high when a piano player is playing left hand or comping lower if needed to fill out empty sections with a singer or drums etc). More next issue!

BY NICK BROWN

BY NICK BROWN

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FEATURES BRAND FOCUS

ZAOR Studio Furniture Front running company ZAOR is paving the way in constructing an exotic array of studio furniture that is becoming ever increasingly stylish and affordable – we won’t be surprised to see their products creeping into numerous home and professional studios throughout the land Down Under.

It’s becoming more and more popular for musicians to retreat into their home studios.

Modern artists are taking control throughout their creative process and overseeing everything from tracking, mixing and mastering; whole albums transpiring from a converted office or bedroom. Yet, there is still no disputing the benefits of professional studio time, and it’s not just expensive hardware and sound engineers that do all the work.

Let’s take a moment to glance behind the scenes and discover how some items we often overlook can greatly improve the overall workflow and quality of sound of a studio – providing you with new legs to stand on, if you will.

Formed in 2006 by Italian music shop owner and piano builder, Michele Zullo, ZAOR specialises in creating ergonomic studio desks, rack units and monitor stands for a wide range of studio setups.

Their ethos is one of infinite possibility – priding themselves on custom projects to suit the exact needs of any collective

or individual. What’s more, they have completely banned one word from their vocabulary: Impossible. If they don’t have an item to suit you, their outstanding staff are more than capable of designing and manufacturing custom built desks and racks to fit your exact studio needs.

ZAOR have joined forces with top shelf brands IsoAcoustics, Slate, Fatar and Human Scale to improve their line of products.

Their short tenure has already seen them collaborating with the likes of Snoop Dogg, Steve Aoki and David Guetta.

All products are crafted in their lone factory out of Romania putting cutting edge technology to the test; most desks are constructed using melamine faced chipboard and solid wood applications – it goes without saying they are sturdy pieces of equipment.

It’s worth noting that all products are available for flat pack shipping, making accessible delivery and assembly possible across the globe. This is a relatively newfound phenomenon we are starting to see across the musical world and an important aspect of ZAOR’s recent success.

In addition to this their website features a highly accessible ‘product finder’ whereby you search via your specific keyboards, mixers or monitors and in return are pointed to the appropriate desks, racks and stands that will suit. By the same token there is

also a ‘configurator’ feature that lets you arrange their existing products into a virtual studio to map out your desires.

Obvious features on desks include rack spaces, retractable trays for keyboards and hardware, and separate tiers for monitors and screens. Not so obvious features include absorptive panels and dual cable paths that eliminate hum. To see ZAOR’s ‘more air than desk’ design check out the Maestro 36+18 crafted for the user to put final touches on mixes and masters – built with an AERstop working surface that minimises reflections and doubles as a mouse pad.

Above all ZAOR strives to improve spatial depth, clarity and acoustic isolation no matter where your studio resides. Take their monitor stands for example. The MIZA D-Stands are desktop monitor stands that

feature adjustable height and inclination, and are made from industry grade rubber that minimises transmission up to 95%.

Alternatively, MIZA V-Stands are at a freestanding 36” or 42” fixed height and feature zero resonance.

For Australian specific enquiries Koala Audio are our local distributors based out of Sydney and their website features the range of available ZAOR products. So go on: discover the range and start planning your new studio today.

BY JACK SWANN ZAOR Desks are distributed in Australia through Koala Audio.

Distributed by

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U LT IM AT E

SPECIAL

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

Ibanez TS808

Orange OMEC Teleport Pedal

EFFECT: OVERDRIVE | DISTRIBUTOR: AUSTRALIS MUSIC | EXPECT TO PAY: $319

EFFECT: USB INTERFACE | DISTRIBUTOR: AUSTRALIS MUSIC | EXPECT TO PAY: $209

RECOMMENDED FOR: Everyone. C’mon, it’s the most legendary overdrive pedal in history.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Any electric instrument that can be affected (hint: that’s all of them). The Orange Teleport is aimed at guitarists but just acts as a medium between instrument and plugins.

VERSATILITY: From blues players wanting a little bit of grit through to metal shredlords wanting to tighten up their high gain amp, there’s a reason that the TS808 has been a staple for every kind of player for decades now.

USABILITY: The TS808 is a very ‘what you see is what you get’ pedal. With Overdrive, Tone and Level controls on the pedal, it’s simple and effective.

It doesn’t take long to find the desired sweet spot you’re looking for.

CONSTRUCTION: Having owned a few of TS808’s in my 20+ years of playing guitar, I’m yet to find one that can’t handle an absolute beating. Sure, they might get scuffed from years of use, but I’ve never seen or heard of what biting the dust.

OVERALL: It’s simple really. If you want the classic and revered Overdrive pedal used by the likes of Stevie Ray Vaughn, John Mayer, Jerry Cantrell and Gary Moore, then you’ve found it.

After all, if it’s good enough for them then it’s good enough for you.

BY NICHOLAS SIMONSEN

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VERSATILITY: Because this is just the unit that converts your audio input to digital audio for effecting within a DAW, plugin or other software, it makes the Teleport pedal extremely versatile. Use it to insert a favourite plugin into your pedal signal chain, or record tones to your DAW to be effected later. Practice quietly or get creative with your recording and/or re-amp chain – there’s a lot to dive into here.

USABILITY: The teleport is incredibly usable and also easy to set up. Musicians of any caliber, level of experience or knowledge can get this up and running easily, and it’s simple to reach beyond more conventional recording and playing signal chains.

CONSTRUCTION: This is a mini-pedal, so its footprint is tiny.

While it is well-constructed, it’s difficult to see such a small pedal being an issue either way.

OVERALL: A game changer, such a simple idea it’s shocking that it hasn’t been done before in such a compact unit.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

mixdownmag.com.au

PEDAL SPECIAL

Teisco Boost

Teisco Delay

EFFECT: OVERDRIVE | DISTRIBUTOR: BANDLAB TECHNOLOGIES | EXPECT TO PAY: $199

EFFECT: DELAY | DISTRIBUTOR: BANDLAB TECHNOLOGIES | EXPECT TO PAY: $229

RECOMMENDED FOR: If you’re chasing a unit that provides both spanky clean boosts and gritty, crunchy drive tones, you’ve found it right here.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Those who savour lush, immersive delay sounds but have a bit of an inner freak that needs to be pleased every now and then.

VERSATILITY: I tend to find that overdrive pedals are only as versatile as the player is, but it’d be a disservice lumping the Teisco Boost into that category. In addition to Volume and Gain controls, there’s three switchable EQ modes on offer: normal, flat and treble, while a 9V-24V control allows you to change the voltage for extra headroom. Whether you’re chasing a bit of oomph to make your clean licks pop or a surge of grit to elevate your power chords into the high end of the mix, the Teisco Boost has got you covered.

USABILITY: FET boosts are viable for any playing style, and the Teisco Boost is perfect example of exactly what this effect can add to your board. The pedal can provide a healthy dose of up to 30dB of boost, which can be coloured using the EQ modes, so it should be suitable for everything you need it for without being too much. It’s also got an inbuilt buffer, which is a very thoughtful touch.

CONSTRUCTION: The Teisco guitars of yesteryear were known and loved for their kooky, left-field designs.

Although it’s pretty hard to break the blueprint of what a stompbox should be, I

VERSATILITY: All three of Teisco’s new pedals are made to replicate tones from the ‘60s and ‘70s, but that doesn’t make them redundant to modern styles. The Teisco Delay is an analogue 600ms delay with a dark, warm sound reminiscent of a tape echo unit, and can conquer everything from spanky slapback to gritty, cavernous repeats. The Modulation section is great for adding sparkle and also lets you tap into some wild pitch-shifted sounds, giving it a bit of extra charm to appeal to the cool cats.

thought the aesthetic of the Teisco boost was awesome, particularly the Japanese characters and red-patterned paint job that adorn the face of the unit.

OVERALL: If you’ve tried out all the big pedal brands and just want to inject some sauce into your playing, the Teisco Boost will be right up your alley. It’s easy-to-use and extremely versatile, and it sounds killer to boot – can’t get much better than that.

BY WILL BREWSTER

USABILITY: You really can’t go wrong with a quality analogue delay. While at times the Teisco Delay can get unexpectedly hectic – I found the Repeats knob to be very touch sensitive and at times tempestuous – it’s easy to manage after a couple of hours getting used to the unit. There’s also a Direct Out for running wet/dry rigs; a thoughtful touch that’ll please all those tone fiends.

CONSTRUCTION: Honestly, the Teisco Delay might be one of the prettiest pedals I’ve ever played. The graphics pop, the linework is a visual treat

and the colours they’ve used really harken back to the company’s quirky history. The build quality here is top notch too!

OVERALL: Teisco have scored a winner with their Delay pedal. It’ll deliver all those classic analogue sounds you know and love, especially if you’re into weird, dubby delays that bubble and fizz on top of the mix. The Modulation section can range from warm and subtle to hair-raising, and to top it all off, it looks like a snack. Two thumbs up here.

BY WILL BREWSTER

Teisco Fuzz

Maxon OD808 Overdrive

EFFECT: FUZZ | DISTRIBUTOR: BANDLAB TECHNOLOGIES | EXPECT TO PAY: $199

EFFECT: OVERDRIVE | DISTRIBUTOR: EGM DISTRIBUTION | EXPECT TO PAY: $285

RECOMMENDED FOR: Guitarists chasing that scuzzy, ear-splitting fuzz tone perfect for woozy blues or psychedelic styles.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Guitarists looking for anything from a subtle mid boost to a medium-gain overdrive, without overly colouring their tone.

VERSATILITY: If you need a silicon fuzz with a twist, it’s worth taking the Teisco Fuzz for a test drive.

With the tone rolled off and the Gain knob sitting around the two o’clock spot, you’ll achieve a rich, sweeping tone with lashings of sustain that cries out for Hendrix licks, while flicking the Octave Up switch on and cranking the Tone knob gives you a gnarly squeal reminiscent of Jack White’s lead tone.

It absolutely screams with humbuckers, too, and holds its own even when subjected to the heaviest of doom metal tones.

VERSATILITY: The OD808 is an excellent choice for a wide range of genres: blues, rock, R&B, jazz, soul, you name it. One of its main calling cards is its usability across all control settings – from a slight kick in the midrange to a warm and creamy overdrive. This makes an especially potent combination with Fender amplifiers, which typically have a slightly scooped mid EQ.

USABILITY: Fuzz pedals aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, and only a select few players can tame their wild tones into a practical context, but the Teisco Fuzz definitely surprised me. While it’s certainly a loud unit to mess with, I found this vintage-voiced unit to be pretty easy to manage, and the inclusion of the Octave Up toggle really elevates the Teisco Fuzz far above its competitors.

CONSTRUCTION: These new Teisco pedals are made in Singapore, and they really do boast quite a formidable build quality. I wasn’t a huge fan

of the placement of the DC power input, but it’s easy to forgive this quirk when you take into account how compact and lightweight the Fuzz is. Also, the graphic design is sick.

OVERALL: This thing is so much fun! The Teisco Fuzz absolutely nails that ‘60s velcro fuzz sound, pairs well with other pedals and switching on the Octave Up toggle will send you into an oscillating, silicon-scorched bliss that’ll almost certainly drop your jaw to the floor.

Your parents will hate it, but who cares?

USABILITY: This pedal features the holy trinity of control layouts: overdrive, balance (volume/level), and tone. Rotating the overdrive knob clockwise offers more singing sustain and tube-like grit, which can be easily tamed or further inflamed with the tone control.

CONSTRUCTION: The OD808 has a no-nonsense aesthetic about it, a sentiment reflected in its solid build quality. With its solid metal body and robust footswitches, jacks and knobs, it’s clear that this pedal was made to survive through the rowdiest of gigs. Furthermore, the OD808 features the vintage-correct JRC4558 IC chip, ensuring its tonal flavours are as accurate as the tube screamers from years past.

OVERALL: There’s a metric ton of different overdrive pedals today, but none reflect reliability and acclamation as successfully as this iconic green box. The Maxon OD808 was the very first revision of the now widely copied tube screamer, with all the looks and components to match. Countless guitarists have the tube screamer firmly nailed to their board, and it’s really not difficult to see (and hear) why.

BY EDDY LIM

BY WILL BREWSTER

mixdownmag.com.au

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PEDAL SPECIAL

Pedaltrain SST Tuner

Truetone Jekyll & Hyde V3

EFFECT: TUNER | DISTRIBUTOR: EGM DISTRIBUTION | EXPECT TO PAY: $139

EFFECT: OVERDRIVE | DISTRIBUTOR: EGM DISTRIBUTION | EXPECT TO PAY: $399

RECOMMENDED FOR: Anyone, everyone, and especially the pedal aficionado looking to save space on their board.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Players wanting a highly tweakable one-stop shop for their overdrive and distortion needs.

VERSATILITY: This might possibly be the most innovative pedalboard-based tuner available. Its incredibly slim profile allows it to fit almost anywhere and in any orientation on your board, including between regular-sized pedals. While the SST Tuner is mainly designed for use via a volume pedal’s tuner output jack, it can function in-line as any other pedal would.

VERSATILITY: The Jekyll & Hyde is a twin pedal that includes both an overdrive and distortion channel with dedicated inputs and outputs for each side of the pedal. This makes it perfect for those using loopers or MIDI switchers as well as those wanting to cover a lot of sonic ground with one pedal.

USABILITY: Each channel has their own controls for Drive, Volume and Tone, with additional switching for Brightness and an A-B switch to change from an open distortion tone to a more saturated sound. The pedal gives you so much room to tweak and hone in on the exact tone you’re searching for.

USABILITY: This tuner boasts an always-on, alwaysready design, coupled with a buffered bypass circuit. Its bright LED display ensures clarity and visibility even on the brightest of stages. Tuning is fast and deadly accurate too, with a range of +/- 1 cent.

CONSTRUCTION: While being extremely compact, the SSL Tuner is relatively sturdy. Its body is constructed from a durable aluminium chassis with ABS plastic ends and topped with a beautiful acrylic display. Flexible three-way connectors allow neat and invisible cable management beneath your board, allowing the SST Tuner to have an almost unnoticeable profile amongst your pedals.

OVERALL: The SST Tuner is designed to solve one glaring issue on every players board: real estate. When space eventually becomes an issue, adding this little yet powerful tool to your arsenal is an absolute no-brainer.

OVERALL: Compact, robust and packed to the brim with killer tone. The latest version of the Jekyll & Hyde is an absolute winner.

BY NICHOLAS SIMONSEN

CONSTRUCTION: The Jekyll & Hyde features a custom designer ‘Forever’ footswitch, which supposedly can take up to ten million hits. I doubt that anyone will live long enough to step on the stompbox that long, so it’s safe to say that it’s built to last.

BY EDDY LIM

Fender Compugilist

Fender Downtown Express

EFFECT: DISTORTION/COMPRESSOR | DISTRIBUTOR: FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA | RRP: $299

EFFECT: MULTI-EFFECTS | DISTRIBUTOR: FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA | RRP: $449

RECOMMENDED FOR: Rock, punk, blues and funk players, and anyone in between.

RECOMMENDED FOR: This pedal is marketed as a one-stop-shop for bass guitar, boasting Motown vibes at your fingertips, however works just as well for guitar, or any instrument the could benefit from some drive, EQ and compression.

VERSATILITY: The Compugilist is part compressor, and part Pugilist, which is Fender’s original take on a distortion pedal. Both sides operate independently, which allows individual activation at will. The Pugilist portion even offers a handy bass boost toggle switch, which is perfect for thickening up a bridge pickup in solos.

USABILITY: Controls on both halves are more or less bog-standard; they’re fool-proof and easily tweaked at a moment’s notice. Apart from offering squishy, dynamic compression, the compressor portion can even function as a clean boost of sorts when set correctly.

These malleable properties are mirrored in the Pugilist half, which can cover a mild overdrive to gritty distortion. While the Compugilist takes away the dual-voice capabilities of the original Pugilist, it’s still able to achieve some gnarly tones on higher gain settings.

CONSTRUCTION: Fender’s range of pedals have a distinctly modern look to them, and the Compugilist’s facade is no exception. In addition to its alluring brushed burnt gold enclosure, this pedal also features nifty LED lights

28

VERSATILITY: Can be used for a multitude of instruments, and you don’t have to use all effects all the time; if you just need EQ, use just the EQ. The EQ can be used to push frequencies harder into compressor, like a dynamic EQ, or any signal lost post compression can be tweaked back.

USABILITY: The pedal is incredibly usable, and can effect your bass as much or little as you like. Effect order/signal chain can also be easily toggled and worked through. illuminating each control knob, ensuring you’ll never lose track of your settings on a dark stage.

OVERALL: Overdrive and compression are two effects almost every guitarist needs in their life.

There are a variety of ways to utilise the pair – be it for a ripping solo section or simply to thicken a rhythm tone, it’s difficult to produce a bad sound with the Compugilist.

BY EDDY LIM

CONSTRUCTION: Built well, solid and well-laid out. No issues with stomping on switches and knobs are far away enough from switches to avoid changing effects accidentally.

OVERALL: Acts like three feature packed pedals in a tidy, easy to understand and use unit. Well laid out, inconspicuous looks and easy to understand labeling.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

mixdownmag.com.au

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ACOUSTASONIC TELECASTER - ZIRICOTE AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY AT MUSOS CORNER

PEDAL SPECIAL

Fender Lost Highway Phaser

Fender MTG Tube Distortion

EFFECT: PHASER | DISTRIBUTOR: FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA | RRP: $299

EFFECT: DISTORTION | DISTRIBUTOR: FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA | RRP: $399

RECOMMENDED FOR: Guitar players looking for a psychedelic sound or keys players seeking lush ‘70s sounds.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Players on the hunt for searing, LA-style hot rod distortion that bites off more than it can chew.

VERSATILITY: While focusing on one certain effect, it’s a very versatile phaser. Phase can be tricky to mess with, but the Lost Highway Phaser gives the user plenty of options that won’t affect phase too much if it’s not required.

This pedal can be used subtly, albeit invisibly, or roaring and all-encompassingly, eclipsing the tone.

VERSATILITY: Having two distinct drive/distortion circuits in your signal chain is a worthy asset no matter what you’re playing, but the MTG is going to be a winner with alternative and heavy players. However, the extent of toneshaping possibilities offered by the threeband EQ and tight control really lets you tap into a lot of famous gain sounds, and the boost sends them soaring into roaring, cascading fury.

USABILITY: Easy to set up, dial in, and turn on and off.

There’s a fast/slow toggle for a bit more expression when required but this isn’t always needed – it’s better to treat it as a ‘heat of the moment’ feature.

CONSTRUCTION Well constructed and laid out like all Fender pedals. The knobs, footswitches and toggles are of high quality, there’s a range of routing options available, and it’s finished in an awesome shade of purple.

but also easy to dial in a simple and effective phase sound.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

OVERALL. A great re-imagination of an effect used for decades by guitarists in all genres. Super easy to use, and there’s options to get very in-depth with your Phaser if you want,

USABILITY: Distortion needs not be a convoluted effect.

With the MTG, Fender have stuck to the tried and true, and they’ve made a pedal that rips as a result. It’s easy to get the tone you’re hearing in your head, and although you can’t use the boost function as as a traditional clean bump, the MTG still puts a lot on your plate.

CONSTRUCTION: Fender are really going for a boutique approach with these new pedals, and I’m totally here for it. Aside from the appearance, however, it’s inside the MTG what counts the most - this pedal was

actually designed with famed amplifier designer Bruce Egnater, and contains a real new-old stock US made military-grade 6205 preamp tube inside to fuel its raunchy tones.

OVERALL: Although I feel like being able to engage the boost function independently would have been useful, it’s cool to see Fender tap into this newer, heavier style of distortion.

There’s some big tones on tap with the MTG Tube Distortion - go check it out.

BY WILL BREWSTER

Fender The Pinwheel

Fender Reflecting Pool

EFFECT: MODULATION | DISTRIBUTOR: FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA | RRP: $469

EFFECT: DELAY/REVERB | DISTRIBUTOR: FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA | RRP: $599

RECOMMENDED FOR: Guitarists pursuing rotary speaker sounds using a mono source, keys for the same sound as a mono or stereo input/output, or as a studio effect for stereo signals or mono signals alike.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Guitarists looking for an all-encompassing pedal that handles all manner of time and space modulation.

VERSATILITY: The Pinwheel seemingly does one job, and does it well, but the fact that it includes stereo/mono inputs and outputs makes it a very versatile pedal. There’s an expression pedal input as well which makes for even more effect shaping options.

USABILITY: The Pinwheel is instantly usable, featuring an on/off switch and a brake fast/slow switch.

Your signal is instantly effected, believably so, that can be tweaked further.

CONSTRUCTION: This entire new range of Fender pedals are robustly constructed in square housing to ensure plenty of room for circuitry, in/outs and feet stomping them on and off.

OVERALL: A solid pedal that takes a specific sound and gives the user as many routing options as they might need to ensure that the dialled sound (using the many knobs and toggles available) to make that specific sound perfect for its purpose.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

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VERSATILITY: The Reflecting Pool Delay & Reverb is a mash up of Fender’s two existing offerings: the Mirror Image Delay, and the Marine Layer Reverb. You’ll be spoiled for choice here – there are virtually infinite ways to combine the two sides together to achieve the sound you’re looking for. The Reflecting Pool utilises high quality DSP effects to conjure its complex algorithms, which sound absolutely fantastic in any rig imaginable.

Plus, you can even swap the input directions if desired.

USABILITY: The controls on this pedal are extremely comprehensive. On the reverb half, you’ve got five modes to choose from: hall, room, shimmer, reverse-gated, and a modulated plate. The extra knob governs the x-factor for the special modes – for instance, the intensity of the cascading octaves in the shimmer setting. The other half of the Reflecting Pool acts as a dual delay, governed by the mix knob. This control allows you to simultaneously dial in both a traditional delay and one separated by subdivisions, leading to some incredibly inspirational sounds.

CONSTRUCTION: The Reflecting Pool is built like a shiny turquoise tank with its solid metal enclosure and brushed aluminium enclosure. The only downside from combining the two existing pedals is the absence of the gorgeous jewel light – but we’ll overlook it this time.

OVERALL: We can all agree that reverb and delay are a match made in heaven. Fender has encapsulated this magical union into one of their most creative and innovative pedals yet.

BY EDDY LIM

mixdownmag.com.au

PEDAL SPECIAL

Fender Smolder

Fender The Trapper

EFFECT: OVERDRIVE | DISTRIBUTOR: FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA | RRP: $299

EFFECT: FUZZ | DISTRIBUTOR: FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA | RRP: $349

RECOMMENDED FOR: Acoustic players looking to add some zing into their set.

RECOMMENDED FOR: All types of rock, punk, grunge, metal, and even avant-garde/experimental guitarists.

VERSATILITY: This beautiful pedal is voiced specifically for acoustic guitars armed with Piezo pickups. It tightens up unwanted flabbiness and low end of the piezo system to convert your guitar’s output to sound more like a traditional magnetic pickup. The Smolder’s internals feature a series of high-quality circuits, including preamp simulation, distortion, and a mic’d up cabinet – and according to Fender, makes your acoustic sound like an electric guitar running through a Deluxe Reverb.

VERSATILITY: The Trapper is perhaps Fender’s most interesting stompbox to date. It packs two independently switchable fuzz voices, but with a twist. One voice features a toggleable octave setting, while the other is based around an interactive noise gate, which has the potential to introduce all sorts of weird and wacky sonic artefacts if so desired.

USABILITY: As per usual, Fender’s knack for comprehensive controls is present on this pedal, along with two welcome additions. The pickup comp knob allows you to tame the inherent brightness of Piezo pickups, while the blend control allows you to easily dial in your preferred balance of wet/dry signal.

CONSTRUCTION: Like all of Fender’s modern effects pedals, the Smolder is housed in a tough aluminium enclosure, coloured in a classy dark brown with glowing blue LED lights situated on the controls. And best of all, it’s topped off with a glorious topaz jewel light.

OVERALL: Traditionally, overdrive and acoustic guitars don’t play well together. However, the Smolder Acoustic Overdrive seeks to remedy this unwieldy combination through sheer ingenuity and practicality. An absolute musthave for the discerning acoustic guitarist.

BY EDDY LIM

Fender TreVerb Tremolo Reverb EFFECT: TREMOLO/REVERB | DISTRIBUTOR: FENDER MUSIC AUSTRALIA | RRP: $469

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OVERALL: This pedal is one hell of a riot. While there are only a handful of controls available, don’t let that fool you. Its tonal palette is chaotically diverse and is purely limited by your own creativity.

BY EDDY LIM

Mooer Black Truck EFFECT: MULTI-EFFECTS | DISTRIBUTOR: JADE AUSTRALIA | EXPECT TO PAY: $599

VERSATILITY: Mooer’s multi-effects pedals are renowned for everything they pack into their tiny enclosures, and the Black Truck surely does pull a heavy load. It includes overdrive and distortion, a noise gate, a compressor, EQ, modulation and space (delay/reverb), as well as a chromatic tuner, FX loop and looper switcher. You want options? You got ‘em - and they’re good.

VERSATILITY: With three effect types for both tremolo and reverb side and a wide range of controls, you’ve got a lot to play with here. The reverb section ranges from short and snappy to wide, lush and warbled, while the distinctive tremolo modes nail all those classic blues, soul and rock ’n roll tones you know and love.

CONSTRUCTION: This thing is rugged! The TreVerb is one hefty, chrome clad pedal, and you can obviously tell Fender have built it to last. The TreVerb also provides you with a range of routing and switching options to control the signal path of the unit, so no complaints here. I also dug the

CONSTRUCTION: The crimson finish on this pedal is absolutely stunning. Like all of its brethren, the Trapper is one hundred percent stageready with its durable aluminium body and

LED-lit control knobs. A handy light near the top even indicates what voice you’ve currently selected.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Best suited for those playing heavier styles and utilising a compact rig, but hey, who am I to dictate?

RECOMMENDED FOR: The name gives it all away, but thing is an absolute monster for anyone looking for washy, echoing reverb and surf-inspired tremolo.

USABILITY: Given that Fender aren’t all that established in the pedal game just yet, it’s incredible to see the user response thus far to the TreVerb. The immense, breathtaking ambient sounds this pedal produces has definitely seen it become a sleeper hit with down-tempo chillers, while rock players lap its fat and choppy trem section like a rabid dog. Combine the pair, and you’re in heaven - did I also mention this thing has tap-tempo?

USABILITY: As you would imagine, the voicing tied to the octave toggle switch handles like a fairly traditional fuzz pedal. Depending on how you set the global tone and contour knobs, this voicing can range from a smooth and buttery growl to a piercing shriek that instantly cuts through the mix. Switch over to the other side, however, and you’re in for a ride. Depending on your own playing dynamics and your guitars volume settings, you can achieve thick, woolly distortion with infinite sustain, or a glitchy, sputtering fuzz that expresses borderline synthesiser qualities.

switchable LED feature, and I love the cool blue finish.

OVERALL: It’s obviously modelled on the Strymon Flint, but there’s nothing cloned about the TreVerb.

To me, this is easily the jewel in Fender’s crown of pedal. It sounds incredible, the plate reverb section is mind-blowing and it’s built to please in every sense possible.

BY WILL BREWSTER

OVERALL: Trucks are an essential part of everyday life that all of us take for granted. Make sure you don’t take the Mooer Black Truck for granted.

It doesn’t deserve that.

BY WILL BREWSTER

USABILITY: The Black Truck is immediate, and that’s the way it ought to be. Multi-effects units can often be cluttered and confusing, but in use the Black Truck is easily navigable and sounds awesome, even when you’ve stacked up all the effects on top of one another. The tap-tempo function is also worth a shout here, and really lets you conquer all aspects of your rig.

CONSTRUCTION: Mooer are known and loved for their miniature pedals, and also it’s hard to make a pedal with six full-sized footswitches, so you’ve got to tip your hat to Mooer for making the Black Truck as portable and tactile as it is. I wasn’t a big fan of the brittle feeling knobs, but everything else is great.

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PEDAL SPECIAL

Mooer GE300

Mooer Tone Capture GTR

EFFECT: MULTI-EFFECTS | DISTRIBUTOR: JADE AUSTRALIA | EXPECT TO PAY: $1699

EFFECT: SAMPLER | DISTRIBUTOR: JADE AUSTRALIA | EXPECT TO PAY: $199

RECOMMENDED FOR: Those looking for a more cost-effective alternative to a Helix, Kemper or Head Rush board.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Those who never want to change a guitar mid-set ever again.

VERSATILITY: The GE300 is spilling over with sounds! It’s loaded with an arsenal of 108 classic UK and US voiced amplifiers, as well as some gnarly boutique builds, a tonne of cabinet models and impulse responses, 164 effects, a looper, a tuner and even an inbuilt multiengine synthesiser. Yes, you read that right and yes, it sounds fat.

USABILITY: I find one of the things that either makes or breaks one of these boards is the user interface, and although it lacks the large touchscreen of other high-end modelling units, the Mooer GE300 is incredibly userfriendly. Building effect blocks and patches is straightforward, the select knob is simpleto-use, and the touch strip is a cool feature to speed things up incrementally.

OVERALL: Floorboards aren’t for everyone, but the Mooer GE300 might keep you hooked for long enough to think about things twice.

There’s an unfathomable quantity of studio quality sounds stashed inside this thing, using it is a breeze, and it’s also got a weirdly cool industrial aesthetic. Also, why don’t more pedals feature a built in synth?

Take note, guys!

BY WILL BREWSTER

CONSTRUCTION: The Mooer GE300 is a high-quality build, but its best additions come from what it offers on the back of the chassis. There’s a huge array of both TRS and XLR ins/outs to chose from, sophisticated MIDI and USB integration, an Aux and Headphone In and a jack for another expression pedal - just in case the built-in one isn’t already enough.

VERSATILITY: t’s not all that inviting on the surface, but the Mooer Tone Capture GTR is truly a marvel, letting you sample in the tone of any guitar using Mooer’s EQ matching technology. Ever wanted the beefy sound of a SG for a single song, but don’t want to lug your Jazzmaster off your shoulder? Done.

Need a jangly 12 string acoustic sound but play a seven-string Ibanez - or vice versa?

Voila: the Mooer Tone Capture GTR. USABILITY: Sampling sound sources with the Tone Capture GTR is easy: select one of seven tone banks, hold the footswitch, kick it on and play up and down your fretboard (scales, chords, open strings, whatever) until the LEDS flash wildly. There’s also a three-band EQ to shape these sounds further, and you can even just use this function as regular EQ if you please.

CONSTRUCTION: I think the Tone Capture GTR is a super cool little sampling engine, so it's nice to see that technology squeezed into a stompbox this small. The pedal itself is pretty sturdy, the LEDs are nice and luminous, and the dimensions of this thing make it suitable

for any board. The knobs aren’t anything to write home about, but you won’t really notice it, trust me.

OVERALL: Mooer have really hit the nail on the head with the Tone Capture GTR - I could even see this becoming their signature effect if people jump onto it like they should. It’s an awesome idea that’s laid out in an incredibly accessible manner, and I think it’d add a lot to any player’s performance when used effectively throughout a set.

BY WILL BREWSTER

Anasounds Ego Driver

Anasounds Element

EFFECT: BOOST | DISTRIBUTOR: STUDIO CONNECTIONS | EXPECT TO PAY: TBC

EFFECT: REVERB | DISTRIBUTOR: STUDIO CONNECTIONS | EXPECT TO PAY: $370

RECOMMENDED FOR: Guitarists looking for a Tube Screamerflavoured overdrive with some extra oomph.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Players who are sick of their amp’s bland onboard digital reverb.

VERSATILITY: The Ego Driver is Anasounds’ take on the tried and true Tube Screamer. The French company doesn’t hide it too – they explicitly mention this pedal is based primarily on the Maxon OD808. But what sets this apart from the original is two extra toggle switches, allowing you to choose between two different voicings and clipping modes.

VERSATILITY: The Element is a fully analogue spring reverb – which means the reverb produced is generated from an actual spring, housed in an exterior see-through chamber. Sonically, this pedal is about as authentic as it gets.

It’s a perfect fit for players who’ve always wanted to transplant a Fender Twin’s reverb tank to another amp or setup.

USABILITY: With the gain set to near zero, the Ego Driver is able to produce a relatively clean boost with an inimitable mid hump. It’s a fantastic setting for both a starting point for gain stage stacking, or even as a capstone pedal. The two different voices rotate between two different capacitors: a vintage sounding Screamer, or a bass-boosted mode to fill out the low end. The same applies with the clipping mode – you’re able to pick between a modern or vintage sounding diode to suit your needs.

USABILITY: This pedal has four simple controls to get to grips with. The output and mix knobs are fairly self-explanatory, while the low and high controls can easily transport you to various dimensions of surf rock. A middle toggle switch doubles the output level of the springs when activated, which produces a slightly overdriven reverb sound – definitely for the more experimental players out there.

to see companies working with more unconventional materials. Plus, it’s also completely analogous with the pedal’s name.

CONSTRUCTION: The aesthetics on this pedal are second to none. It features a metallic stonewashed enclosure topped with a stunning laseretched wooden panel. The exterior spring tank also features the same wooden panels on its top and bottom but is matched with a matte silver casing. It’s a genuine pleasure

OVERALL: I’m not sure if any other pedal company has produced an analogue spring reverb as ingenious as this one. Thanks to its external spring housing, you’re able to save a ton of pedalboard space simply by mounting the spring under your board. It might take a little extra effort, but it’s definitely worth it.

CONSTRUCTION: This pedal is finished in an extremely sophisticated white and blue with a stonewashed metallic enclosure. Anasounds have a penchant for producing particularly classy pedals, and the Ego Driver fits nicely

within its catalogue. No complaints at all over here.

OVERALL: If you’ve always loved the mid-boosting frequencies of the Tube Screamer but always wished it just offered a little more flexibility, the Ego Driver is definitely for you.

BY EDDY LIM

BY EDDY LIM mixdownmag.com.au

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PEDAL SPECIAL

Anasounds High Voltage

EarthQuaker Devices Plumes

EFFECT: OVERDRIVE | DISTRIBUTOR: STUDIO CONNECTIONS | EXPECT TO PAY: $325

EFFECT: OVERDRIVE | DISTRIBUTOR: YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA | EXPECT TO PAY: $189

RECOMMENDED FOR: Those wanted a Plexi drive pedal that looks and sounds gorgeous.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Those looking for a simple yet incredibly versatile overdrive pedal.

VERSATILITY: While the High Voltage might be based on the classic tone of AC/DC guitarists Malcolm and Angus Young, it’s much more than a one trick pony. The addition of a Bass Cut switch on top of the regular controls you’d expect on a drive pedal is invaluable for punching through the mix with leads.

VERSATILITY: Who would’ve thought that the one little switch could open up a world of tonal possibilities. The Plumes features a threeway toggle switch that allows you access to three different clipping modes, giving you plenty of options to play around with.

USABILITY: The Clipping Mode switch aside, the rest of the controls on Plumes are very much what you’d expect from a stock standard overdrive pedal and that’s just dandy to be honest.

USABILITY: For those pedal nerds who really want to dive in, you can get under the hood of the High Voltage for even more options. You can adjust the voicing and treble cut pots in the pedal. There’s even a control for the brightness of the pedal’s light!

CONSTRUCTION: Like all of the EarthQuaker pedals I’ve encountered in recent years, Plumes is very well constructed. Special mention to the colour scheme and artwork on this one though, nailed it team.

CONSTRUCTION: While the High Voltage is beautifully constructed like all of the Anasounds range of pedals. I do often worry about how road worthy and robust the wood top of the pedal is.

OVERALL: The team at EarthQuaker have hit this one out of the park if I’m being really honest, good luck finding another overdrive pedal on the market with so many tonal possibilities in this price range. That god damn switch has changed my life.

OVERALL: The High Voltage is a damn fine pedal both aesthetically and sonically. They’ve taken a classic rock tone and given it some new flair that even the most zealous of purists will enjoy.

BY NICHOLAS SIMONSEN

BY NICHOLAS SIMONSEN

EarthQuaker Devices Reconciler

Line 6 HX Stomp

EFFECT: SWITCHER | DISTRIBUTOR: YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA | EXPECT TO PAY: $479

EFFECT: MULTI-EFFECTS | DISTRIBUTOR: YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA | EXPECT TO PAY: $1049

RECOMMENDED FOR: Guitarists, bass players, keyboard players.

Any musicians with a complicated signal chain, multiple amplifier or preamps or a need to switch between signals.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Guitarists and bass players looking for an all-encompassing solution to gigging without breaking a sweat.

VERSATILITY: An extremely versatile unit. Where the Helix Rack may require an external floorboard and/ or MIDI switching, the HX Stomp has three footswitches and controls a-plenty to dial tones, but it’s incredibly robust and designed to sit on a pedal board.

VERSATILITY: The Swiss Things Pedalboard Reconciler is very well laid out, and features customisable switching, making it extremely versatile and more than just an AB/Y switcher. It can and will serve the purpose your current switcher is missing, and it sounds squeaky clean to boot.

USABILITY: The amount of routing options make this a very usable pedal, but that can also be tweaked to handle some less-thanconventional routing options. It’s the kind of pedal you’ll want to sit down and spend an afternoon with to wrap your head around, however.

CONSTRUCTION: Well built, lots of ins/outs, however labeling can be daunting and a little complicated, albeit necessary when housing so many different options for its purpose. A bit complex at first, but you’ll get the hang of it.

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OVERALL: This pedal is a problem solver. Where other signal splitters and AB/Y switchers might require further cabling or second splitters to fulfill your signal chain dreams, this unit packs it all into one unit. It does exactly what you need it to.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

USABILITY: The robust build of the pedal makes it a great live solution, but the ease in which a player can dial tones makes it a great option for engineers and producers who need tones fast, or who want to experiment with re-amping.

CONSTRUCTION: The HX Stomp is weighty, but rightly so. Line 6 has somehow packed the HX with the same amplifier emulation technology as the Helix Rack, but into a unit less than half the size, as well as footswitches for switching on the fly. Very well-constructed, would have no issues with this unit on the road.

OVERALL: A home run for Line 6. Such a compact pedal shouldn’t pack as much as it does, but they’ve really nailed it with the HX Stomp, and it sounds ripper.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

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Hand Made Effects Pedals | Akron, Ohio

Plumes

Small Signal Shredder Available Now Yamaha Music Australia proudly distributes EarthQuaker Devices

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PRODUCT REVIEWS KEMPER

Profiler Stage Floorboard INNOVATIVE MUSIC | INNOVATIVEMUSIC.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $2,899

The Kemper Profiler Stage would be Kemper’s flagship product, if Kemper weren’t so vehemently committed to retaining and continuing to support every customer they’ve picked up along the way. Even the earliest incarnations of their ‘toaster’ head units are still easily updated with the latest firmware and software, whereas some competitors continue to produce subsequent products that supersede their last product, and further drive their older products towards redundancy. Where some working professionals, whether playing, recording, producing or even as front of house for bands, there isn’t always time to adapt and learn new processes when you’re busy trying to make records or live music. The Kemper Profiler Stage packs all the features of their widely used heads and rack units into a ruggedly constructed floorboard unit about the size of your current pedalboard, but with all the amps, cabinets, effects and processing of a full-fledged Kemper. This unit is built more specifically with a live bass player or guitarist in mind, housed in a super rugged, iconically green unit with well-laid out switches, controls, dials and knobs.

Powering up the unit reveals some preinstalled ‘rigs’, combinations of effects, amps and/or cabinet emulations, that are instantly usable no matter your style. They respond like real amps, and clean up at lower volumes, and are input dependant, meaning the tones respond like an amp would to your dynamics and feel. While the rigs are instantly usable, there’s a few

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important dials that instantly alter the rigs for tweaking tones on the fly, depending on the room or space you’re playing in - or the mood you’re in. These instantly changeable controls are things such as Gain, a taptempo footswitch and a master volume.

The unit connects to your sound source, whether that be recording direct, direct to FOH or to a power amplifier to use the unit with a cabinet, via stereo main XLR outputs or stereo 1/4” jacks for more conventional connections. The unit features a single 1/4” jack input, a stereo send and two sets of stereo returns, or four mono returns. Up to four pedals can be added for extra expression and SPDIF in and out complete the unit’s I/O. MIDI is available, and the Kemper Profiler Stage can be connected to a Mac or PC via either USB 2.0 or USB 1.0. Finally, there’s a power plug and latch for a lock to keep the unit secure.

‘Rigs’ are scrolled through as normal, i.e. like on the Kemper Profiler Rack and Head, so current Kemper users looking to move across to the Profiler Stage will feel right at home. Amps and cabs can be switched on and off for external processing, i.e. using your own impulse responses, or plugins for preamp processing with the Kemper impulses and cabinets. All of this can be toggled on and off from the front of the unit if it’s required on the fly. Effects and rigs are accessible via a massive ten footswitches, also featuring the ability to toggle effects on and off within rigs, as a universal effect, or tap tempos for modulation, delay and space

effects. Finally there’s a dedicated tuner switch, as that’s always a necessary option.

A looper is also independent from the rigs, so it’s always accessible for whatever you may need it for. Get creative.

Measuring just 47 cm (w) x 26 cm (d) x 8.5 cm (h), the Profiler will fit easily into a hardcase for travel, or gig bag for smaller commutes. While built specifically for life on the road, the unit weighs a mere 4.6kg, so won’t weigh down your touring van or push your checked baggage into the red when touring. What’s more, the Kemper Profiler Stage combines the Kemper Profiler and Profiler remote into one sleek, well-designed and laid out package, so there’s no need for extra amps, cabinets or gear. You have your entire rig, in fact multiple rigs, within the Profiler Stage. The display for tweaking tones is large and well-lit, designed specifically with sunlight in mind for day shows or festivals where visibility may be an issue.

What’s more, the buttons and knobs are all clearly backlit for the other end of the spectrum; more common darkened stages.

Overall, the Kemper Profiler Stage makes the amazing sounds from Kemper even more accessible. As if the heads and racks weren’t enough, they’ve released the Kemper Profile Remote, and now the Kemper Profiler Stage combines every feature of both units into one practical, super-rugged and well-designed unit. It’s all designed with gigging in mind, from a clear display and buttons that are easily read on dark stages

and in sunlight alike, and even saved rigs can be easily tweaked on the fly, because no room responds the same. The rigs are easily recallable, but your most-used effects can be programmed to be universally applied to existing rigs, rather than having the save effects into rigs. In this sense, it plays like a pedalboard would, and that makes the Profiler Stage a cut above the rest. There’s plenty of routing options, for either your four expression pedals or four returns. The unit is built entirely for the musician, and couldn’t have been designed better. It features features that you didn’t know you needed until you perused this review, but it all makes sense. It looks inconspicuous, acts professionally and can be relied on, allowing you to do your thing with the most stellar sounds you’ve played to date.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

HITS: ∙ Phenomenally well laid-out unit ∙ Lots of routing options MISSES: ∙ Not a damn thing

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PRODUCT REVIEWS WARWICK

Teambuilt Idolmaker Bass AMBER TECHNOLOGY | AMBERTECH.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $5199 Warwick have always been happy to create their own designs without being restricted to the boundaries of traditional and/or standard shapes and typical wood choices.

The Corvette, Streamer, Thumb and Dolphin are all easily identifiable and incorporate a range of timbers - so it then makes sense that the Idolmaker too features an original body shape and some interesting material choices.

Warwick have long been revered for their high level of production and quality control.

With instruments now made in both Germany and abroad, the Warwick TeamBuilt series offer German made instruments from the same factory and supervision of their top MasterBuilt basses but at a more affordable price. An asymmetrical double cutaway design, the Idolmaker has a fluid body shape that somehow straddles vintage and modern.

The body is mahogany with the Burgundy Blackburst gloss top sitting over a Satin black whilst the neck utilises a couple of Warwick’s favourite materials with Ovangkol for the neck and Wenge for the fingerboard.

It really is a great looking instrument with the carved gloss and satin sections of the top creating a great contrast.

Electronics wise the Idolmaker uses a combination of passive MEC pickups and an active preamp. This gives the control layout Volume, Balance, Treble and Bass with the

additional two mini toggle switches having 3 way options for Serial, Parallel and Single coil operation. Plenty of tone options hey!

Gnarly brighter tones can morph into thick, thuddy low end at the flick of a switch and you can get rounder vintage sounds or more hi-fi cleans too. I think you’d be surprised at the tonal variety on hand if you just took the Idolmaker as a retro rock, double bucker bass (like some other brands). It seriously can produce quite a range of tones with minimal fuss.

I like the feel of the Idolmaker. It’s not a vintage lightweight and sits a little differently due to the weight distribution but the neck shape and satin finish feel good and the body sits nicely against your body. The control placements are close at hand for those that sit towards the bridge more and the mini toggles are unobtrusive (if you felt they might get in the way).

Overall, credit must be given to Warwick for branching out with the aesthetic of this instrument.

The Masterbuilt Idolmaker is a serious instrument. Great construction, finish and feel alongside some nice individual touches.

Warwick’s use of gloss and satin finishes contrast beautifully and work from both a look and feel perspective. It isn’t a light instrument by any means, but it does feel comfortable and plays really well so I’d

doubt that would ultimately sway your decision making. The Idolmaker definitely looks and feels like a Warwick. It has that familiar Warwick neck feel and shape that is solid but not overbearing. And the body shape has that something different that means it could be at home in a wide range of settings. I could see it in onstage in an indie band, thrashing away in a hair metal lineup, holding down clean low end on a funk gig and loads more. If you like the idea of something a little different with high level build quality and that Warwick feel give the Idolmaker a whirl.

BY NICK BROWN

HITS: ∙ Wide range of tones ∙ Body shape is a point of difference MISSES: ∙ No included hardcase (only a gigbag)

SENNHEISER

XS Wireless Digital Pedalboard Set SENNHEISER AUSTRALIA | EN-AU.SENNHEISER.COM | EXPECT TO PAY: $699 Sennheiser’s latest foray into the wireless realm is directly aimed at creatives, including wireless applications for microphones, lavalier mics and audio transmission. Thankfully, musicians aren’t excluded – the XSW-D Wireless Digital Pedalboard kit is the perfect solution for guitarists looking to un-tether themselves from restraining cables.

Essentially, this set is made up of two components: the transmitter and receiver.

The transmitter is a dongle-esque bar equipped with a quarter inch jack, while the receiver is a pedal-shaped block that processes the incoming signals.

Getting started takes less than a few minutes. The kit is ludicrously intuitive – all you have to do is plug the transmitter unit into your guitar and connect the board-bound receiver to your amplifier or signal chain. The receiver’s manageable size can easily replace the tuner on your current board without any troublesome shifting around. After that, all you have to do is simply hit the power button on the transmitter, pair it with the receiver (which literally takes seconds as they’re factorypaired), and you’re ready to go.

The transmitter unit is charged via a USB-C connection, which is supplied in the kit.

Sennheiser claims that a fully charged

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transmitter unit can run for up to five hours, which will easily cover any manner of gig.

Additionally, the quarter inch connection on the transmitter unit is conveniently affixed on an adjustable arm, ensuring it fits all manner of guitar output jacks. If the idea of having a dongle waggling out of your guitar seems too awkward, the included belt/strap clip and extension lead will put your worries to rest.

Apart from having a choice between USB-C or a 9V power input, the receiver unit also features a balanced XLR audio output perfect for the mixing desk. After pairing, hitting the no-click footswitch mutes the signal and activates a rudimentary tuner. It’s not a particularly advanced tuner by any means, but it definitely gets the job done.

Unlike traditional analogue wireless systems, the XSW-D Pedalboard Set operates in the license-free 2.4ghz ISM band, so you don’t have to worry about your receiver picking up radio signals mid-set. However, Sennheiser recommends using this kit in environments with limited Wi-Fi/2.4ghz traffic in order to guarantee the lowest noise possible when in use. In terms of latency, there’s barely any to speak of. This kit offers under 4ms of latency when connected, and there’s absolutely no perceptible lag from strum to amp. Couple that with its 75m of effective range, and you’ve got a seamless wireless

solution perfect for larger venues and stages. I even tried putting more than a few walls between the transmitter and receiver just for testing purposes, but the connection strength remained stellar.

I’d never used a wireless system before, and this offering from Sennheiser was truly one of the most liberating experiences ever. Simply detaching your guitar from an anchored position is a huge load off your mind on stage, allowing you to better focus on both your playing and interaction with your audience. If wireless audio solutions for mobile phones are the currently accepted norm, perhaps guitars will follow suit in the near future.

HITS: ∙ Seamless wireless connectivity ∙ True plug and play experience ∙ All the accessories and extra cables you’ll ever need ∙ MISSES: ∙ Tuner could be a little better

BY EDDY LIM

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PRODUCT REVIEWS YAMAHA

Red Label Acoustic Series YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA | AU.YAMAHA.COM | EXPECT TO PAY: FSX5 - $2399, FGX5 - $2399, FG3 - $1299

I’ve always been a fan of the craftmanship of Japanese guitars. One of the first electric guitars I ever bought was a Japanese build, and it’s one that instantly impressed me since the moment I tried it in the shop around 20 years ago. Its construction is of such great quality, its likely I will likely keep with me for the rest of my years.

The new FG/FS Yamaha Red Label folk guitars – in what seems like almost every release of Yamaha guitars these days – claim to harness the style of classic guitars, with a few modern additions. This series in particular pays homage to the first of the Japanese built Yamaha production acoustic guitar model dating back to 1966 – the FG180.

Yamaha coin the phrase ‘tradition meets innovation’ – and while some may argue that there isn’t much truly innovative about this particular series of guitars, you can’t fault the playability of a well-built acoustic instrument.

The new release of Red Label guitars come in a variety of different model variations based around two main body shapes: the slightly smaller-bodied Concert (FS), and the larger Traditional Western shape (FG). The key features in regards to construction material that is consistent across this series is the use of a solid Sitka spruce top, solid mahogany back and side, African mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard.

Apart from having a slightly rounder body shape, the FS models are around 30mm narrower and slightly shorter in body length and depth – though all guitars in this series share the same 25” scale length. In terms of model variations, there is the FGX5 and

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FSX5 – Japanese crafted instruments with all the bells and whistles: bone nut and saddle, solid ebony bridge-pins, wooden pickguard and hardcase. In addition, there is the more economical FGX3 and FSX3 – these models are made in China, and whilst still feel like solid guitars – use the cheaper urea material for the nut and saddle, along with plastic pickguard and bridge pins, plus come with a Yamaha gig bag. The above mentioned models all feature the new Atmosfeel electronics system, which includes the combination of your standard undersaddle pickup with the addition of a body contact sensor, as well as being able to blend in the sound of an internal microphone. The FG5 and FS5 are the same Japanese built guitars as above, though without the Atmosfeel pickup system, and likewise with the FG3 and FS3 being the pickup-less Chinese version.

On initial inspection, all guitars are beautifully made. The solid Sitka spruce top looks a treat, which is aged through Yamaha’s A.R.E. Acoustic Resonance Enhancement process – which also contributes to a tone similar to that of naturally aged guitars.

The body is finished in semi-gloss finish, while the neck has a matte finish for smooth playability.

Picking up the guitar, the first impression is that these guitars are LOUD. The projection and tone is beautiful, whether you are gently strumming chords or finger picking. These guitars aren’t cheap, and they don’t sound it right from the first note. Whether you are articulating intricate parts or strumming heavily, the sound is clear. Note attack cuts through, yet it maintains a certain

warmth – probably due to its aged solid top and mahogany body. The action of the Japanese models is primo – neither too low to cause buzzes, or too high that your fingers become fatigued. The larger bodied FGX5 test model seemed to have ever so slightly higher action than the smaller concert FSX5, but both exhibit quality workmanship. The cheaper Chinese-made FG3 test model while in isolation is still a great guitar, but in comparison to their Japanese brethren lacks a little of the projection, with action seeming a little rougher – probably due to the use of urea instead of bone for the saddle and nut.

These are the first of the guitars that Yamaha have equipped with their new Atmosfeel pickup and preamp system. The guitars that come with this system have three subtle black controls on top that have a remarkable amount of control of the guitar’s output.

Inside the guitar, there is the standard under-saddle Piezo – designed to pickup the bottom-end attack of the bridge. This is combined with a sensor attached to the body, which is designed to capture the natural topend of the string attack from the Sitka spruce top. The preamp system also has the ability to blend in the signal of an internal mic. While the pickup and body sensor output a sound that is sharp and detailed in attack, blending in the mic via the blend knob gives the sound incredible warmth. When amplifying, the pickup sound would be ideal when used in a band or ensemble environment for its ability to cut through, whereas dialling in more of the mic tone would suit the solo performer for its full-bodied and natural sound. A bass EQ dial allow you to control the amount of

low frequency output, whilst the bass centre frequency changes depending on how much you dial it in. This is ideal for controlling unwanted low resonances when amplified onstage. The preamp section is rounded out by the standard master volume control. Plugging this guitar into a PA yields an incredibly natural sound that as an audio engineer I haven’t come across before. The controls - while simple, provide a great amount of control over the output tone.

Overall, these guitars are very impressive and well-built acoustic instruments – with the FGX and FSX pickup-equipped models taking their great tone to the stage or studio. Personally the smaller FS concert style guitar was my favourite out of the bunch – it proved to be a more comfortable play, whilst sacrificing a minimal amount of volume based on the slightly smaller body shape. However, regardless of which model you choose – I think you’d find it hard to fault these guitars on tone and looks alone.

BY DYLAN MITROVICH

HITS: ∙ Incredible build quality ∙ Simple but sweet Atmosfeel electronics ∙ Loud, resonant tone MISSES: ∙ Nothing to report here

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PRODUCT REVIEWS DV MARK

Evo 1 Modeling Head CMC MUSIC | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $1695 As with all of DV Mark’s builds, the walk through of the front face of the Evo 1 is as simple as they come. All of the models contained within this powerful 250-watt steel box are personalised by a simple threeway EQ stage. You have at your behest two independent high and low gain channels, coupled with both active and passive input stages and a tuner/mute switch for simple, rack-style chromatic tuning. You can drive the front and back end of either channel as hard or as soft as you like with the input and output controls sailing through to a shared master volume - holding everything to the same standard - and the boost knob will send your solos sailing no matter which side of the road you’re riding on. All in all, it's a perfectly usable amp; not unlike the mainstays of the DV Mark catalogue.

The modeling section is where the real fun begins. Each channel has a simple selection of six preset amp models covering everything from low wattage, bluesy classics like vintage Fender builds, to the heroes of searing high gain like Hiwatt and Soldano.

While this might seem quite limited relative to the aforementioned everything-all-atonce designs, it actually forces you to think a little harder about what it is you’re looking for. With just about every base covered in the easily malleable starting lineup, I can see players plugging in and never

needing to touch the accompanying app that DV Mark have designed to further your chance at achieving sonic nirvana.

Said app is another slice of simplified heaven. Plug the Evo 1 into your computer via the USB port on the back and the world is your oyster, as far as added extras are concerned. You can load different amp and cab simulations into the six onboard banks as well as effects and routing options, which are all available in the extensive DV Mark Multiamp Community. All of the stars of the Mark World Artists roster have uploaded their settings for you to sample, download

and adjust to your heart’s content. If you wander around in there long enough, you start to feel as though you’re a member of a secret club of tone-chasers.

In a live setting, the DV Mark Evo 1 is far and away the least complicated and fastest thinking modeler available. The four-channel footswitch is essential if you’re going to really stretch out the outer reaches of the unit’s functionality, but first and foremost, it’s a great sounding and incredibly versatile, lightweight unit.

BY LUKE SHIELDS

HITS: ∙ Usability over possibility ∙ Lightweight and sonically pleasing MISSES: ∙ Clunky tuner ∙ No wireless connectivity to the app

PRODUCT REVIEWS YAMAHA

PSR-SX900 Workstation YAMAHA MUSIC AUSTRALIA | AU.YAMAHA.COM | EXPECT TO PAY: $2799

Over the years, Yamaha have proven themselves to be one of the most innovative and dependable creators of musical instruments in the world. From grand pianos to trumpets, bass guitars to clarinets, they seldom fail to deliver. The PSR-SX900 Workstation, with its 1393 instrument sounds, 56 drum/SFX kits, as well as many other additional features, is no exception.

It offers a completely unprecedented level of sophistication and practicality for songwriters, who can now practise, write, demo and perform using the same piece of equipment.

Upon playing the PSR-SX900 for the first time, I was immediately taken aback by the authenticity of some of the sounds.

The Fender Rhodes sound (labeled as “Suitcase” in the sound bank) really does well to capture the crystal-like tone of the real thing. And if you’re after something slightly grittier, you’ve also got the option of Rhodes with a smattering of distortion, or even some phasing. The Wurlitzer sound (or “Vintage”) is a true gem of the PSR-SX900.

If you blindfolded me, placed the SX900 and a Wurlitzer side-by-side and asked me to discern between the two, I’d honestly be pretty stumped. That signature Wurlitzer “bark” is captured beautifully, especially towards the lower end of the register. Safe to say the guys from Supertramp would be happy with this one.

The selection of organ tones is pretty impressive as well, starting with the Hammond. As most organ players would know, there is a tonne of tonal variation that can be realised with the Hammond. To their credit, Yamaha does well to provide us with just a few of these. For instance, the warm, whirly tone used by Booker T.

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Jones, to the brighter, overdriven tones, commonly used by prog legends such as Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman back in the day. Even the slightly less popular Vox Continental combo sound – the trademark of Ray Manzarek of The Doors — is bang on the money. The only issue here in the organ department is the rotor pedal setting: instead of a seamless slow-to-fast rotor transition, there is an audible break in the sound which is rather off-putting. The brass sounds — which I believe to be some of the trickiest for keyboard designers to replicate — are delightfully authentic on the PSRSX900. They cut through the mix perfectly, without sounding brittle or tinny like other keyboard-brass sounds I’ve heard.

The grand and upright piano sounds, on the other hand, are comparatively thin and one dimensional. The tonal roundness that you would expect from an acoustic piano is virtually absent, and when used with a sustain pedal, the sound decays much quicker than it should. Personally, I would preference the other electric keyboard sounds that the PSR-SX900 has to offer above the piano ones. I’m afraid Yamaha have slightly missed the mark here – a rare mishap indeed.

However, they absolutely nailed the newly designed, bi-amped speaker system.

For starters, you can crank the volume reasonably loud without any crackling or annoying internal buzzing that you may experience with other keyboards. Also, they do a fantastic job of projecting those boomy bass frequencies while ensuring that the higher frequencies don’t get lost in the mix.

Another interesting thing about the speakers is their positioning. With previous models, the speakers are designed to pump the

sound towards the players’ ears, which does make a lot of sense. However, the speakers on the SX900 model are positioned to also project the sound towards the audience. I would go so far as to say that, if you were a soloist performing in a small, intimate venue, then the built-in speakers would most likely suffice.

The PSR-SX900 comes with some fairly exciting features. The newly-designed seven inch touch screen makes it easy to navigate through myriad sounds, rhythms and settings. It’s also very responsive, with a thoughtfully designed layout. One of my favourite things about the PSR-SX900 is the ability to layer your sounds. The format is pretty straightforward: you can choose one sound for the left hand, then up to three in the more expansive right-hand region. For example, I tried programming a bass guitar sound in the LH, then layering some Rhodes with a mellow Hammond setting in the RH. The end result is a well-balanced amalgam of sounds, with both high and low frequencies having plenty to say. Of course, there’s heaps of room to be more adventurous; after all, there are nearly 1400 sounds to choose from. As a usual Nord Stage 3 user myself, I’m rapt to see the layering/split features implemented so well on another, comparatively less expensive keyboard.

Singers also have a few reasons to be happy with this model. The SX900 allows them to run their microphone through the keyboard, add harmonies over the top, and even treat their vocals with some quirky vocoder settings. Another of the Workstation’s new features is called Styles: these are a set of programmed rhythmic backing patterns that you can improvise, record and even gig over.

Once again, there is a comprehensive set

of rhythms to choose from, derived from a number of different genres — rock, Latin, and EDM just to name a few.

One of the PSR-SX900’s boldest innovations is the Chord Looper. This essentially allows you to loop a chord progression of your choice, and improvise over the top as you wish. You can program up to eight different sets of chord progressions, which is more than ample. Personally, I find this feature a tad superfluous, and don’t see it becoming overly popular, but you never really know what the people are into.

The PSR-SX900, with its 4GB of internal storage, is really an ideal keyboard for today’s generation of solo songwriters and performers. I can see its beautifully modeled electric keyboard and organ sounds being artfully employed in the latest wave of neo-soul, and wouldn’t be surprised if the Workstation became a regular fixture throughout the local live scene.

BY DAVID TOMISICH

HITS: ∙ Comprehensive layout ∙ Authentic keyboard/organ sounds ∙ Speakers ∙ Ideal for songwriting and demoing MISSES: ∙ Piano sounds fall short, not properly compatible with pedal ∙ Chord looper may encourage predictable songwriting

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PRODUCT REVIEWS ALTO PROFESSIONAL

Uber FX Portable PA System ELECTRIC FACTORY | ELFA.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $429 Alto is a company that consistently blows you away. Whether they come across my desk, or I read another writer’s praise for Alto, I’m always impressed. Not only do they produce great products for everyone from amateurs to working professionals, but every product constantly improves on the last one. They’re an underdog company that provides great solutions for the very need of working professionals, as well as for people with more specific needs, even outside music and audio use, i.e. a great speaker for social gatherings and/or making announcements.

We’ve discussed some active loudspeakers from Alto before here at Mixdown, and the Uber FX simply improves on them even further.

The 100 watt amplifier drives an 8” driver on this rechargeable loudspeaker with Bluetooth and onboard effects and a mix knob to blend in wet effects to a dry signal. The Uber FX is designed to be ready for you in any situation.

The Alto Uber FX has up to four inputs, two of those being combo XLR/jack with independent three-band EQ and effect mix for each channel. Channel three is Bluetooth, featuring a status light and channel four is an auxiliary input accessible via 3.5mm jack. This makes for an incredibly usable loudspeaker, even before deep diving into FX or the physical construction of the unit. The reverb options actually feature some pretty good sounding plates, as well as chorus, multiple delays and a cool rotary effect. Once you’ve dialled a

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sound for a few channels, you can stow away your smartphone and keys in the top panel storage tray, designed to keep your valuables safe while busking, or to keep a dedicated music player close to the unit so it doesn’t get lost or separated. The Uber FX could easily be used to amplify an acoustic or electric guitar and microphone, and both can be blended to taste to a reverb to sound out the sound.

Whether busking or practising at home, the Uber FX can create a great environment to do your best work, and sounds can be dialled quickly to make the most of that inspiration when it strikes.

Investigating the spec sheet reveals a well thought out and planned piece of kit. On paper, it’s a 100 watt rechargeable portable PA with Bluetooth and auxiliary inputs. It features two identical combo XLR/jack mic channels with Alesis FX onboard. Channels 3 & 4 are Bluetooth and Aux respectively, with their own volume, and the control panel is complete by a master volume and really clear battery indicator. The sound is delivered via an 8” driver and 3” tweeter that provide a frequency response from 60hz up to 20kHz. The unit weighs a robust 11kg, but features wheels and a telescope handle to move around easily.

Overall, this loudspeaker is a no-brainer for anyone busking on for but also for exceptional sound at social events, whether the mic

channels are used or not (and you might as well make an announcement when you’ll sound as good as you will through the Alto Uber FX). It’s powerful, compact, functional and it’ll even keep your valuables safe. It's as easy to use and dial sounds for whichever of the four channels you’re using. A master effect makes for a more cohesive sound overall, whether that be a little blend to complete a sound, or full-blown effected signal. Onboard effects, such as flangers, plate and room reverbs, delays, a rotary emulation, and multiple choruses will have you prepared for any situation or need you might encounter.

Powerful drivers and independent, three-band EQ for mics or line, and volume for each mic channel and Bluetooth and auxiliary input channels make for a simple and handy unit.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

HITS: ∙ Independent channels with their own EQ and effects blend ∙ Clear speaker sound ∙ Good sounding effects MISSES: ∙ A bigger speaker option/model would be nice.

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PRODUCT REVIEWS TC ELECTRONIC

BAM200 Micro Bass Head and BC208 Cabinet AMBER TECHNOLOGY | AMBERTECH.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: BAM200 - $349 BC208 - $549 If you want small, we’ve got small. TC Electronic have reinvigorated their bass gear lineup over the last few years with new looks and models. Offering a range of combos and modular setups the BAM200 head and BC208 cab definitely promote the compact yet powerful side of things aimed at anyone from part timers through to pros needing a smaller rig that still has the level of quality you’d expect from TC Electronic.

In the TC BAM200 you’ve got one of the smallest bass amp heads on the market.

Not referencing feel, ‘In the pocket’ seriously means just that when talking about this ultra compact head. It’s around 17cmx15cm and weighs just over 700 grams – but don’t let its puppy-like size fool you, because it really rips. TC Electronic’s red and black bass colour scheme is ever present with the red faceplate offering an input jack, Gain Bass, Middle, Treble and Master controls and a Headphone jack on the far right. Basically there isn’t room for anything else on the front which also adds to the minimal and compact aesthetic of the unit.

Flip to the back and there’s a power switch, IEC input, Speaker Out (1/4” jack), DI out and a Ground Lift button. Rated at 200 watts, the BAM features a MOSFET preamp designed to offer a warm ‘tube styled’ tone, which pairs well with just about any

playing style you chug through it. Whether you’re picking, thumping, slapping or even strumming, the TC BAM200 sounds killer and the minimal aesthetic is great.

Sure, it’s nice to own a huge fridge cab speaker setup, and you can’t replicate the oomph offered by bigger 15” cabinets, but with the power and technology of modern PA’s, these kinds of big rigs aren’t as important as they once were – particularly if you’ve got neighbours above, below and around you. I reckon you almost could with the BC208. Looking for something small and powerful to pair with the BAM200?

Well, look no further… A 200 watt 2x8 cab, the BC208 measures around 55cmx25cm making it skinny and tall enough to sit the head on for a comfy height (or even sit on if needed!) but you could also sit two of these side by side (or stack two on top of each other). A tough covered plywood design, the cab feels strong, has a top mounted recessed handle, heavy duty front grille, rubber feet and 1/4” connectors on the rear panel. Furthermore, it weighs just 10ish kilograms, meaning its easy to manoeuvre. And easy to carry, put in the boot/front seat/back seat and shouldn’t give you a hernia every time you try to lift it!

What a cool mini rig! 200 watts is great for rehearsals, practice and small gigs and the BAM/2x8 combination brings plenty of volume, mid-range and low end to the table. The BAM has a good amount of clean headroom with the three-band EQ offering a range of tones. Vintage, warmth through to more hi-fi sounds are all possible and the BC208 handles low end admirably (I know that’s always the question that pops up with smaller cabs – will it give me enough low end?). It won’t replace your 800 watt head and fridge rig but that’s not what it’s intended as. Need something pro quality for smaller gigs and rehearsals that won’t kill your back? The BAM200 and BC208 might just be it.

BY NICK BROWN

HITS: ∙ Size! ∙ Price ∙ The flexibility of a modular rig MISSES: ∙ Some might have hoped for speakon connectors rather than just 1/4”

MARKBASS

JB Players School Combo CMC MUSIC | CMCMUSIC.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $1295 Renowned bassist (is ‘Jazz God’ too strong a term?) Jeff Berlin has long been a fan of Markbass products. Bass players around the world already use his signature Jeff Berlin CMD 151 combo on gigs every night. Now, there’s a new option for students looking for a reliable combo, again at an affordable Price - and with the stamp of approval of Mr. Berlin himself. This model – again part of the Markbass Black Line – is made up of the exact same circuitry as the Little Mark 250 Black Line head with the addition of a single 200 watt 15” speaker. Berlin and Markbass designed the amp to meet the needs of Berlin’s students at his Players School of Music in Florida, as evidenced by the nice big badge on the speaker grille.

So, what can you expect from either of this low-cost, high-powered beasties? The heart of the system is a 250-watt analogue power amp and a solid-state preamp.

There are two inputs – a balanced XLR input (great for acoustic instruments and signals processed via effects rigs) with an 100Kohm impedance and a regular 1/4” jack input with an impedance of 500Kohm. The controls are gain (from -80dB to +23dB range), a full suite of tone controls with up to 16dB of boost or cut at carefully selected frequencies (low – 40Hz, low mid – 360Hz, high mid – 800Hz, high – 10kHz) and two additional tone controls, which add an even

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greater level of flexibility. The VPF (Variable Pre-shape Filter) sits at 380Hz, and the VLE (Vintage Loudspeaker Emulator), which lives in the 250Hz-20Hz range; the VLE has the ability to remove ‘modern’ sounding frequencies that may be perfect for some styles but not for others, leaving behind a deliciously vintage patina.

Of course there’s a master volume control as well, and since this is a solid-state design, it doesn’t particularly affect the overall tone of the amp; it just lets you tame the volume. There’s a dedicated line out knob on the front of the amp (often you might expect this feature hidden on the back), and around the back you’ll find the line out XLR jack, effect loop send (pre-EQ) and return, and the 1/4” Speakon speaker out. This bad boy cranks out 150 watts RMS at 8 ohm or 250 watts RMS at 4 ohm.

Without any additional compressors, limiters or tubes, the Players School Combo is very much a ‘what you see is what you get’ amp. It strikes the perfect balance between transparency and character. When I plugged in my Fernandes Jazz Bass copy – a bass with a lot of personality – the amp emphasised that bass’s smooth attack, rich midrange and subdued treble. When I hit it with my Ibanez 5-string, the thunderous low-end, scooped mids and clear highs were powerfully abundant. And yet, the VPF is

great for fine-tuning the midrange character of the instrument, making my Fernandes sound more slap-friendly and my Ibanez more warm. A delight to play.

BY PETER HODGSON

HITS: ∙ Doesn’t skip a beat ∙ Jeff Berlin’s tick of approval MISSES: ∙ Nope

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PRODUCT REVIEWS RADIAL ENGINEERING

SW8-USB AMBER TECHNOLOGY | AMBERTECH.COM.AU | EXPECT TO PAY: $3999 The Radial SW8-USB is a genius solution to an ever increasing problem for musicians performing live. Increased accessibility and ease-of-use of backing tracks make it possible for bands to replicate albums perfectly in a live environment, performing with tracks filled with extra layers to make for an incredible performance. An increased reliance on backing tracks introduces an extra variable, bands often relying on a laptop to play back extra tracks and cues for the performance. Hidden behind some of the more professional bands will be at least one Radial SW8-USB, an eight channel USB audio interface and auto-switcher for multiple laptops should one fail. The front panel features multiple bright LEDs to signify signal to and from the unit, whether some of the universal features are engaged or not, and which laptop is being used, but also which power supplies are active and engaged.

In use, the SW8-USB is a breeze. It features two USB inputs for laptops, and keeping the connections USB is actually a handy feature to make older laptops accessible. While other companies do away with USB, they make every piece of equipment that isn’t the latest model redundant, either removing themselves from the market or forcing their users to upgrade. The inputs can be easily switched via the front panel, and

automatically switch should one laptop fail and the Radial receives an interrupted signal via USB. Multiple USB inputs also eliminates the need for multiple playback units, although the SW8-USB can also be combined with multiple units for more outputs. The unit can be remotely controlled via the Radial JS2 Footswitch to toggle between mute on/off and inputs A/B. The Radial is quite a simple unit to set-up and use. It features eight line outputs or a D-Sub to make things easier with a snake.

There’s MIDI in/out to sync with your playback/switching systems, and slots to lock your SW8-USB down. Each of the eight outputs feature an independent ground lift to keep signal consistently and clean, as well as a universal mute switch and standby clearly labelled on the front panel, and can be linked via TRS cable or Thunderbolt hubs between units to ensure maximum data transfer speeds. Each of the channels offers a frequency response of 20Hz-20kHz, so your pets may be missing some frequencies, but your audience won’t. The USBs are Type-B USB 2.0, and the unit can be powered from 100V-240V so it’ll work anywhere in the world you’re gigging. Not only is the unit easy to power, but bright LEDs on the front of the unit signify the laptop/s are still powered and sending signal for simple signal chain checking if (and when) something

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goes wrong. Beside the USB signal lights, the eight outputs can also send mic or line level output, which is also displayed via an LED. All in all, Radial have created a solution to an issue that other companies are creating for bands, musicians and performers: they’re being phased out. The SW8-USB is a simple, one rack solution that offers dual USB inputs for a main laptop and a back-up, that’ll automatically switch if there’s an issue. There’s MIDI in and out, as well as clearly labelled universal switching, mute and standby modes, or ground lifts for each channel if you need it. If eight channels aren’t enough, units can be chained together for more entirely usable channels and features.

BY LEWIS NOKE EDWARDS

HITS: ∙ Easy to understand and set-up ∙ Accepts older/redundant playback systems MISSES: ∙ It’s pretty pricey!

DIRECTORY

EVOLUTION MUSIC

(Music Instruments Retailer) A | 8/2 Northey Rd, Lynbrook VIC P | (03) 8787 8599 E | info@evolutionmusic.com.au W | evolutionmusic.com.au /evolutionmusicaus

SKY MUSIC

(Music Instruments Retailer) A | 4/2181 Princes Hwy, Clayton VIC P | (03) 9546 0188 E | info@skymusic.com.au W | skymusic.com.au /skymusiconline

KOALA MUSIC

(Audio Products Distribution) A | Brookvale, NSW P | (02) 8090 6508 E | koalaaudio@outlook.com W | koalaaudio.com.au / koalaaudio

DAMIEN GERARD STUDIOS

(Recording Studios) A | 19 Grieve Rd West Gosford NSW P | 0416 143 030 E | bookings@damiengerard.net W | damiengerard.com.au /damiengerardstudios

KEYNOTE STUDIOS

FIVE STAR MUSIC

THE AUDIO EXPERTS

MAKE MERCHANDISE

EASTGATE MUSIC

NEWMARKET STUDIOS

(Music Production Studio) A | 87-91 Arden Street, Melbourne VIC P | (03) 9329 2877 E | callum@newmarketstudios.com.au W | newmarketstudios.com.au /newmarketstudios

LEARN MUSIC

(Music Education) A | 311 High Street, Kew VIC P | (03) 9853 8318 E | learnmusic@bigpond.com W | learnmusic.com.au /kewlearnmusic

SOUNDS EASY PTY LTD

JABEN AUDIO

VINYL REVIVAL

BINARY MUSIC

SOUNDS ESPRESSO

A | Shop 2 398 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC P | (03) 9670 8231 E | info@jaben.com.au W | jaben.com.au /jabenau

(Vinyl and Record Specialist) A | 405 Brunswick St, Fitzroy VIC P | (03) 9419 5070 A | 128 Sydney Rd, Brunswick VIC P | (03) 9448 8635 E | info@vinylrevival.com.au W | vinylrevival.com.au /vinylrevivalmelbourne

HYDRA REHEARSAL STUDIOS

MELBOURNE MUSIC CENTRE

CONWAY CUSTOM GUITARS

GLADESVILLE GUITAR FACTORY

EASTERN SUBURBS SCHOOL OF MUSIC

DEX AUDIO

MONA VALE MUSIC

TURRAMURRA MUSIC

(Rehearsal & Recording Studio) A | 3/3 Melissa St, Auburn NSW P | (04) 1160 5554 E | keynotestudio6@gmail.com W | keynotestudios.com.au /keynote1

(Music Instruments Retailer) A | 1131 Burke Rd, Kew VIC P | (03) 9817 7000 E | sales@eastgatemusic.com W | eastgatemusic.com.au /Eastgatemusic

(Headphone Specialist Retailer)

(Rehearsal Rooms) A | 18 Duffy Street, Burwood VIC P | (03) 9038 8101 E | hydrastudios@bigpond.com W | hydrastudios.com.au /hydra.rehearsal.studios

(Music Lessons) A | 10 Floriston Road, Boronia VIC 7 Sahra Grove, Carrum Downs VIC P | 0421 705 150 E | essm@essm.net.au W | essm.net.au /easternsuburbsschoolofmusic

(Music Instruments Retailer) A | 102 Maroondah Hwy, Ringwood VIC P | (03) 9870 4143 E | websales@fivestarmusic.com.au W | fivestarmusic.com.au /fivestarmusicoz

(Music Instruments Retailer) A | 525 North Rd, Ormond, VIC P | (03) 9578 2426 E | info@melbournemusiccentre. com.au W | melbournemusiccentre.com.au /melbournemusic.centre

(Audio Visual Retailer) A | 393-399 Macaulay Rd, Melbourne VIC P | (03) 8378 2266 E | mail@dexaudio.com.au W | dexaudio.com.au /dexaudioaustralia

(Audio Visual Retailer) A | 2065 Dandenong Road, Clayton VIC P | (03) 9545 5152 E | sales@theaudioexperts.com.au W | theaudioexperts.com.au /TheAudioExpertsAus

(Music Instruments Retailer & Education) A | 48 Bloomfield St, Cleveland QLD P | (07) 3488 2230 E | sales@binarymusic.com.au W | binarymusic.com.au /binarymusic

(Luthier) A | Wynnum, QLD P | 0408 338 181 E | info@conwaycustom.com.au W | conwaycustom.com.au /conwaycustomguitars

(Music Instruments Retailer) A | 55 Bassett Street, Mona Vale NSW P | (02) 9986 0589 E | info@mvmwarehouse.com W | www.monavalemusic.com / monavalemusic

(Screenprinting, Embroidery & Promotional Products) A | Unit 22/7 Lyn Parade, Prestons, NSW P | 0423 740 733 E | sales@makemerchandise.com.au W | makemerchandise.com.au /MakeMerchandise

(Music Technology & Instruments Retailer) A | Suite G05, 15 Atchison St, St Leonards NSW P | (02) 8213 0202 W | soundseasy.com.au /dsoundseasy

(Record Store & Café) A | 268 Victoria Road, Marrickville, NSW P | (02) 9572 6959 E | soundsespresso@hotmail.com W | soundsespresso.com.au /soundsespresso

(Music Instruments Retailer) A | 280 Victoria Rd, Gladesville NSW P | (02) 9817 2173 E | mail@guitarfactory.net W | guitarfactory.net / GladesvilleGuitarFactory

(Music Instruments Retailer) A | 1267 Pacific Hwy, Turramurra NSW P | (02) 9449 8487 E | general_sales@turramusic.com.au W | turramusic.com.au / TurramurraMusic

Not In The Directory?

C O N TA C T

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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

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P L A C E

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RARITIES COLLECTION R A R I T I E S F L A M E KOA TO P ST R ATO C AST E R ® •Ash Body •Flamed Koa Top •Quarter-Sawn European Maple Neck •9.5” Radius with 21 Narrow Tall Frets •60’s “C” Shape Neck • Hot ’59 Strat® Middle & Neck Pickups with Gold Foil Covers •Tim Shaw-designed pickup with Filter’Tron cover Bridge Pickup

AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY FROM NSW Guitar Factory Parramatta•Musos Corner VIC A&B Music •Guitar Station•Music Junction SA Derringers Music

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FIVE RECORDS THAT SHAPED THORNHILL’S THE DARK POOL The Contortionist - Clairvoyant During the recording process of Butterfly I was shown the studio video of ‘Language (Rediscovered)’ and I was blown away. The musicianship, the number of instruments and the songwriting was all just so unique and fresh to me. I hadn’t heard of The Contortionist prior to the Clairvoyant cycle so I did some back catalogue digging, but it was this new album’s sound that I really fell in love with. I think the main element that grabbed me was the progressive writing style that flowed so well, which is something that I have always strived for in my songwriting. I find this style much more interesting to listen to because you don’t really know what to expect from section to section. In saying that, sometimes this is very hard to achieve. Writing a whole bunch of random sections and pushing them together is easy, making those sections flow smoothly, whilst changing the mood just enough to justify the change, that’s the real art.

Thrice - Palms Again, I hadn’t heard Thrice before this album.

The first track I heard was ‘The Dark’ and it hooked me straight away. The combination of the super raw guitar and drum tones mixed with this cinematic, synth-based chorus was so epic. As I dove into the album, another element that really grabbed me was the use of analogue synths, particularly on ‘Only Us’.

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I had already discovered a bit of a love for this retro sound from absolutely smashing the Stranger Things series. This lead me to actually purchasing my first synthesizer which appears on most of the songs on The Dark Pool.

Initially I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, it was a completely foreign territory to me. At first I was quite frustrated because in the past if I had an idea I could play it on guitar, punch some MIDI in or hum something to Jacob (vocals). In the end, getting my head around a completely different instrument was a really rewarding experience. I feel like I have broadened my horizons which is really important to me as a musician. I don’t think I will ever be 100% satisfied with a release so learning new things is really my best bet at getting as close as possible.

Jordan Rakei - Wallflower I randomly discovered Jordan’s music on Spotify one day, and immediately I got this modern, jazz-y, synth-y, Jeff Buckley vibe that had my name all over it. I grew up with Jeff Buckley’s Grace which is also a massively important album to me, but this was something fresh and inspiring. Structurally it’s relatively straight forward, with repeating choruses, verses and a big change up in the bridge. However, I found that this was a perfect example of less is more. The parts themselves were so unique and creative that

I was not disappointed if and when they repeated. The mix of this alternative, jazz, R&B sound was just so refreshing and unlike anything I had heard before. Similar to Jeff Buckley, it was his ability to change the mood of a song so suddenly yet so smoothly that really got my attention. Two contrasting melodies that you would initially think could never work in the one song, somehow melted together like butter. It’s something I wish I did more of on The Dark Pool and something I plan to focus on more for Thornhill’s future releases.

Arcane Roots - Melancholia Hymns Something I have always enjoyed listening to and wanted to achieve in my own material is really embracing the different genres I’m influenced by. Doing this in small doses is easy enough, but I think this band does it extremely well and intelligently, which grabbed my attention straight off the bat. I picked up a Radiohead flavour straight away in the vocals and chord progressions but these guys really made it their own. This album was a little different in terms of influencing me.

There weren’t really certain sections where I was like “wow this is the craziest thing I’ve ever heard”, I was more influenced by their approach to an LP and just being a band in general. They left themselves so open to do anything they wanted which I have the utmost respect for. I feel like a lot of bands

(including Thornhill at times) get stuck in the one genre or sound because they feel like they have to, when really there is so much more they want to do with their material. Obviously, this is easier said than done but again, it’s something that really opened my eyes and changed my outlook on what I write.

Structures - Life Through A Window So many people looked past this album when it came out, but in my opinion it is one of the most underrated heavy releases in the last 10 years. It feels like there’s only so much you can do in metalcore whilst still keeping it metalcore. For example, you can have some big octave riffs, breakdowns and throw in a fresh part to add a point of difference that isn’t really the same genre. These guys just took those riffs and breakdowns and did it better than anyone else at the time and I found this release extremely refreshing because of that. How they were able to keep the guitars so technical whilst still being tasteful and cohesive just blew my mind. It’s unlike anything else that has come out of this genre in a damn long time.

The Dark Pool is out Friday October 25 via UNFD.

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