Mixdown #268

MADE BY MUSICIANS FOR MUSICIANS

#268 AUGUST

M E L B O U R N E G U I TA R S H O W SPECIAL INSIDE!

2016

F R E E

PLUS

THE AMITY AFFLICTION DESCENDENTS DIRTY WOLVES

AYS! GIVEAW

& MORE

JOE BONAMASSA AUSTRALIAN TOUR DOUBLE PASS + PEAVEY 6505 PIRANHA MICRO HEAD P G . 6 FO R DETAILS

ROAD TESTED:

PEAVEY MINI HEADS, KEELEY SILVER BULLET FUZZ, ACUS ACOUSTIC AMPLIFIERS, FOCUSRITE SCARLETT 2I2 MKII AUDIO INTERFACE + MORE!

MUSIC SYNTHESIZER

BONUS SAMPLE LIBRARY! SEE PAGE 3

BIG BEAT

Big Sound From Legendary DNA A modernised, yet timeless interpretation of the celebrated Paiste 2002 sound. Featuring a distinctly new hammering pattern and classic black 2002 logos, Big Beats are available in 18", 19", 20", 21", 22" and 24" singles that all work as both crash and ride, and completed with 15" and 16" hi-hat pairs.

SEE THEM FIRST AT THESE PREMIUM DRUM STORES STORE

SUBURB

STATE

WEB

PHONE

Better Music

Phillip

ACT

bettermusic.com.au

02 6282 3199

The Drum Factory

Parramatta

NSW

guitarfactory.com.au

02 9635 5552

The Drum Shop Newcastle

Newcastle West

NSW

thedrumshopnewcastle.com.au

02 4925 3155

Drummer’s Dream

Belmore

NSW

drummersdream.com.au

02 9787 4177

Artie’s Music Townsville

Mundingburra

QLD

artiesmusiconline.com.au

07 4779 1300

Just Percussion

Newstead

QLD

justpercussion.com.au

1300 576 874

Mooloolaba Music Centre

Minyama

QLD

mooloolabamusic.com.au

07 5444 8889

The Drum Shop Adelaide

Forestville

SA

derringers.com.au

1300 658 249

McCann’s Music Centre

Hobart

TAS

mccannsmusic.com.au

03 6234 4544

Cranbourne Drums Superstore

Cranbourne

VIC

cranbournemusic.com.au

03 5995 5933

GH Music

Travancore

VIC

ghmusic.com.au

03 9372 6664

Mega Music

Myaree

WA

megamusiconline.com.au

08 9330 2777

Yamaha Music Australia proudly distributes Paiste

paiste.com

Music in Motion Sophisticated Dynamic Control Massive Sound Creation Streamlined Workflow

AVAILABLE NOW!

$5,499 RRP*

$5,999 RRP*

$6,999 RRP*

Bรถsendorfer Premium Piano bonus content is available via download with any MONTAGE purchased between 02/05/16 and 31/12/16 from an authorised Australian Yamaha dealer. More details at au.yamaha.com.

The prices set out in this advertisement are recommended retail prices (RRP) only and there is no obligation for Yamaha dealers to comply with this recommendation. *Errors and omissions excepted.

FIND A DEALER au.yamaha.com

EVENTS AND PROMOTIONS yamahabackstage.com.au

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK facebook.com/yamahabackstagepass

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM instagram.com/yamahabackstage

WATCH VIDEOS

youtube.com/yamahaaustralia

CONTENTS 6 8 10 12 18 20 21 22 24 25 26 32 34 36 38 39 40 41 42 44 60 62

GIVEAWAYS INDUSTRIALIST NEWS AND TOURS PRODUCT NEWS VIOLENT SOHO BEACH SLANG, HELLIONS DESCENDENTS, MELVINS PAUL DEMPSEY, DIESEL THE AMITY AFFLICTION, BILLY TALENT DIRTY WOLVES, BOB EVANS ADVICE COLUMNS A CLOSER LOOK AT EGM DISTRIBUTION VINTAGE & CUSTOM DRUM EXPO, THE UNTOLD STORY OF SUPRO AMPS MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW MAP & PROGRAM DALLAS FRASCA WHAT WE CAN LEARN AT GUITAR CAMP WITH TOMMY EMMANUEL WHAT TO EXPECT FROM 2016’s INTEGRATE EXPO OUT OF THE MUD - UNCOVERING 40 YEARS OF PIGNOSE AMPLIFIERS THE MUSIC THAT MATON MADE ROAD TESTS SHOW AND TELL DIRECTORY

PUBLISHER Furst Media EDITOR Keats Mulligan mixdown@beat.com.au EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Michael Edney michael@furstmedia.com.au EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Elijah Hawkins, Phoebe Robertson, Chris Scott, Alex Pink & Kate Eardley

FORE WORD

MELVINS PAGE 21

HELLIONS PAGE 20

PAUL DEMPSEY PAGE 22 FOR BREAKING NEWS, NEW CONTENT AND MORE GIVEAWAYS VISIT

WWW.MIXDOWNMAG.COM.AU

MANAGING DIRECTOR Patrick Carr ART DIRECTOR Michael Cusack COVER ART Michael Cusack GRAPHIC DESIGN Michael Cusack CONTRIBUTORS Rob Gee, Peter Hodgson, Christie Elizer, Nick Brown, Alex Pink, Elijah Hawkins,

PG.4 // MIXDOWN #262 // FEBRUARY 2016

Phoebe Robertson, Chris Scott, David James Young, Adam Norris, Conrad Tracey, Adrian Violi, Michael Edney, Luke Shields, Michael Cusack, Augustus Welby, Sarah Bryant and Rod Whitfield.

PRODUCTION MANAGER Michael Cusack ADVERTISING Patrick Carr patrick@furstmedia.com.au

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

Phone: (03) 9428 3600

It was within my first week as the fulltime Mixdown editor that I went to the 2015 Melbourne Guitar Show. While I’d worked here as a writer and as a subeditor, heading along to the event was about as close to being thrust into the deep end as one gets in this industry.

The sheer quantity of product and the incredible skill on show (from performer and punter alike) was something of a sensory overload. So much guitar! So much pedal! So much amp! So much shred! It seemed as though every man, woman and their dog were present, checking out what was on offer, and like a puppy starved of schmackos and attention I was bouncing about from booth to booth, in awe of what treats the exhibitors had brought along to tempt the public with.

To be honest, it all turned into a bit of a high-gain haze, and my memory is a little fuzzy (pun intended), but one thing I do remember very clearly was the upbeat and friendly nature of the event. The crowd came from all musical walks of life, bound only by a shared love of the instrument. I remember it clearly, because I remember finding it to be a particularly joyous thing to watch. I’m looking forward to doing it all again this year, and in this issue of Mixdown we’ve prepared you for the event, with a full run down of the weekends proceedings, map included!

We’re also featuring a particularly guitarfocused collection of stories. It’s my love of guitar that brought me to this role, and it’s my love of guitar which will take me to the Melbourne Guitar Show – hope to see you there!

KEATS MULLIGAN, EDITOR

www.mixdownmag.com.au

E-SERIES SERIES PROFESSIONAL IN-EAR MONITORING HEADPHONES

-E40 ATH Dual Phase Push-pull Drivers

-E50 ATH Two Balanced Armature Drivers

-E70 ATH Three Balanced Armature Drivers

E-SERIES In-ear Monitor Headphones Audio-Technica brings the critically acclaimed sonic heritage of its M-Series headphones to three professional in-ear designs: ATH-E70, the flagship model, designed for musicians and audio pros who demand the absolute best, ATH-E50, ideal for on-the-road artists or producers, and the ATH-E40, a versatile performer from the stage to the street.

audio-technica.com.au

GIVEAWAYS Joe Bonamassa Australian Tour Double Pass GIVEAWAY!

Last Month’s Giveaway Winners

Another issue, another huge giveaway. This month we’re thrilled to give you the chance to win a double pass to see the man himself, guitarist Joe Bonamassa. For those who may have missed him in Byron Bay over Easter, Bonamassa returns to our shores to give fans a chance to experience his 12th studio album Blues of Desperation live in concert. Bonamassa will be playing in all five major cities; so don’t hesitate to enter for a chance to take a mate to one of the five shows.

Dr.No Effects Drive-O-Matic Pedal Winner Mixdown readers really like pedals hey? After giving away the ultimate pedalboard in May, we had two huge pedals on offer last month. First up, the Drive-O-Matic from Dr.Now Effects. The mad scientist has developed a serious reputation in recent years for putting together some unique and brilliant units, and this is certainly no different. Unfortunately we only have one of these awesome pedals to give away, and it’s going to: Kyle Benjamin of Perth WA Congratulations Kyle and happy stomping!

Peavey 6505 Piranha Micro Head GIVEAWAY! It doesn’t stop at free tickets. We are also giving away a 6505 Piranha Micro Head courtesy of Peavey.

Weighing a third of the original Peavey 6505, the Piranha is all that and more packed into a little lunch box sized amplifier. This is one giveaway you do not want to skip on.

Outlaw Effects Quick Draw Pedal Winner

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

For full terms and conditions visit www.mixdownmag.com.au/terms-and-conditions.

*These giveaways is for Australian residents only and one entry per person.

For more awesome monthly Mixdown Giveaways, be sure to LIKE our Mixdown Magazine facebook page at www.facebook.com/mixdownmagazine and regularly check our Giveaways page on www.mixdownmag.com.au/giveaways for your chance to win.

THE NEW ALBUM

OUT NOW

Last month we were also introduced to the new sheriff in tone, Outlaw Effects. Packing a heap of amazing delay tone in a compact stompbox, we are stoked to be giving the Quick Draw away.

Unfortunately there’s only one lucky reader taking this home, and that is: Emily Toma of Adelaide, SA Congratulations Emily, we hope you get exactly what you’re looking for with this little number.

Thanks again to everyone who entered! Don’t forget to keep entering each month for your chance to win!

INDUSTRIALIST COMMERCIAL RADIO TO PAY STREAMING FEES

After seven months, the dispute between Commercial Radio Australia and various record labels and artists (represented by the PPCA) regarding extra payment for streaming or simulcasts has come to a close. The Copyright Tribunal has cast a victory for the labels. Radio will now pay the new fees either based as a percentage of their revenue, calculated by how much music the station plays, or a per-stream rate of $0.0059.

AUSTRALIAN MUSIC PRIZE RETURNS

The Australian Music Prize has opened submissions for albums released between January 1 and December 31. The winner, announced in March, will receive $30,000 cash from the PPCA. Previous winners include Courtney Barnett’s Sometimes I Sit & Think, & Sometimes I Just Sit and Remi’s Raw X Infinity. See australianmusicprize. com.au for more information.

APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR SXSW

South By Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, has fast become a festival where Australian acts are landing global recording, management, publishing and booking deals.

Applications are open for 2017, and organisers encourage Aussies to get in early to allow time for visas and funding to be attained. Head to Sonicbids to apply and create/or update your EPK.

NATIONAL LIVE MUSIC AWARDS IN NOV

The inaugural National Live Music Awards are held in Sydney on November 29 as part of ARIA Week.

Set up by AU Review founding editor Larry Heath, it will recognise achievements of musicians and bands, venues, events and live music champions. Heath is pulling together a board of music industry execs, and sister events will be held on the night throughout Australia. More info at nlmas.com.au.

CALL FOR MORE INNER CITY VENUES TO HOST MUSIC

The Live Music Office is calling for businesses in inner Sydney to join the second round of ‘Amplify’.

The program that aims to promote live music in the city has already attracted eight businesses. Since joining, they have engaged in a 12 week program, getting advice on production, staging, ticketing, talent booking, licensing, marketing and audience development. Those wanting to join the second round should contact Clayton Ries at lmpc@livemusicoffice.com.au.

OPEN DAY FOR AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF MUSIC

The Australian Institute of Music is hosting an Open Day at their Sydney campus on August 6, and in Melbourne on August 13. The events will provide an insight into the specialised degree and diploma courses on offer. Throughout the day, there will be free workshops, master classes, live sets and panels. More information at www.aim.edu.au.

GRANT McLENNAN FELLOWSHIP OPENS

Nominations for the Queensland government and APRA AMCOS’s $25,000 Grant McLennan Fellowship are now open. Set up in 2008 in memory of the Go-Betweens co-founder, it offers the recipient a chance to spend six months in New York, London or Berlin. Head to www.qmusic.com.au for more information.

REPORT: HEAVY METAL CAN BE GOOD FOR YOU!

A new study in the Journal of Psychology of Popular Media suggests that heavy metal’s obsession with death and dying is a good thing.

According to the study, it allows listeners to release their fears of mortality, gives them new meaning in their lives and a greater sense of self-esteem than people that do not engage in the genre.

THE MUSIC NETWORK ADDS LYRIC CHART

Trade publication The Music Network has added a new chart. The LyricFind Australia chart ranks the top trending lyrics by Australian users. It takes data from 4,000 publishers and is utilised by more than 100 services including Google, Amazon, Pandora and Shazam.

PG.8 // MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016

FOR CONTENT SUBMISSIONS TO THIS COLUMN PLEASE EMAIL TO CELIZER@NETSPACE.NET.AU

UNDER CONTRL & YEAHSURE ENTER PARTNERSHIP

Creative music agency UNDR Ctrl has entered a partnership with yeahsure, the creative content agency set up by filmmakers Patrick Rohl and Jack Toohey. UNDR Ctrl director Paul Stix explains that, “[It’s] a fantastic opportunity for us to take the agency to another level.”

SONY MUSIC PARTNERS WITH DESTINATION NSW

In a first for a major entertainment company, Sony Music and the NSW government’s events and tourism entity, Destination NSW, have entered into partnership. Sony Australia aims to help put NSW on the map in the Asia Pacific region.

CHANGE OF VENUE & DATE FOR FACE THE MUSIC

This year, Melbourne’s Face The Music has a change of date and venue.

Held on November 17 and 18, the summit will take place within the soon-to-be-announced Melbourne Music Week Hub in the city. New programmers Ashley Sambrooks and Zac Abroms promise panels with “revolutionary artists, media topguns, savvy entrepreneurs, writers, broadcasters, and philosophisers from all over the world”, plus artist showcasing.

HOW MUCH DID ALBERTS GO FOR?

A 2009 Business Review Weekly estimated Albert’s back catalogue to be worth $20 to $30 million.

The catalogue includes AC/DC, The Easybeats and Harry Vanda & George Young, who will now be administered worldwide by BMG under its Australian operations. BMG Australia also signed Chris Cheney of The Living End, Chris Ross and Myles Heskett of Wolfmother, Wave Racer and LDRU.

LIVE NATION TO RUN PALAIS

Live Nation Australia has won the bid to operate Melbourne’s Palais Theatre for 30 years from April 1, 2017, on behalf of the City of Port Phillip. The venue, which was built almost 90 years ago, is in the creative precinct of St. Kilda and had over thirty-seven applicants vying for the role.

THINGS WE HEAR As tipped by this column, we might get a local version of UK’s Download festival.

Cliff Williams announced he’ll celebrate his 40th year with AC/DC by quitting as he’s lost his mojo for life on the road.

One time triple j announcer Michael “Tunny” Tunn pleaded guilty to stealing pies and sausage rolls from Coles. The Adelaide Magistrates Court heard he suffers from bipolar disorder and lives on a $40 a day disabilities pension. Tunn made his name in the ‘90s at 17 as Australia’s youngest presenter.

Celt-punk The Rumjacks are currently on tour through the UK and Europe, taking in 94 shows over five months. Some of the dates sold out, and among the European festivals is the main stage of Poland’s Woodstock, which is expected to draw a crowd of 150,000. They return to Australia for the August 5 release of their Sleepin’ Rough album via FOUR || FOUR. 18-year-old producer Kuren (aka Curtis Kennedy) was this years winner of the triple j Unearthed National Indigenous Music Awards competition. Living up to his reputation, Kuren’s had an acclaimed debut release and collaborated with Allday, Sophie Lowe and Banks. He will perform at the National Indigenous Music Awards on August 6.

Triple R Melbourne presenter Tony Biggs (of Friday’s On The Blower) had 2000 records from his 40-year collection stolen from a lock-up in Prahran.

Sydney store/ hardcore performance space Black Wire Records is taking August off while the artist-run collective works out some issues.

When 5 Seconds Of Summer played New York’s Madison Square Gardens last Friday to 12,500 fans, they became the eighth Australian act to headline the venue.

A year ago, Splendour In The Grass began a campaign to prevent Wicked campervans with offensive sexist slogans from entering its site. 12 months later, the Queensland and Tasmanian governments have found a way to get the vans off the state’s roads unless they clean up their slogans.

Gold Coast nightclubs and venues are using a loophole to remain opening until 5am. According to the Gold Coast Bulletin, they are allowed 12 special licences over 12 months for which they pay $65 each time. The venues figure that the Queensland lockout laws will be dumped by the end of the year. Therefore, the Bulletin says their aim is to apply for a special licence within a six-month period, allowing them to open until 5am once every two weeks.

www.mixdownmag.com.au

NEWS & TOURS Dirty Wolves & Red Sea

Camp Cope

Jimmy Barnes

Joe Bonamassa

Joining forces around the country this spring are progressive metal duo Dirty Wolves and prog-rockers Red Sea. Skuewolf and Monster Mutt of Dirty Wolves have brought new meaning to the term ‘hairy metal’. After 3 years of writing and recording 12 epic tracks, Dirty Wolves have just completed their debut LP, which is set to drop next month.

If you’re into the sound of TOOL, Deftones, Dream Theater, Perfect Circle or Mastodon, you are going to dig the sounds coming from explosive Australian heavy two-piece Dirty Wolves. Making their highly anticipated debut, Red Sea will be supporting Dirty Wolves on all Australian tour dates. Serving up tracks from their debut EP, fans will be treated to a world exclusive when they get a sneak peak at what’s to come from the Sydney four-piece.

Melbourne’s Camp Cope have announced a string of sideshows in between their shows at Weekender Fest and I Love Life Fest.

Joining Philadelphia’s Cayetana, the local trio have added three sideshows to their upcoming tour to give fans an opportunity to catch them live in NSW and ACT. The newly added shows will be Camp Cope’s only headline shows in NSW and ACT for the remainder of the year. Along with their shows with Cayetana, the girl group will co-headline at Sydney’s Newtown Social Club with Pity Sex from the US. Camp Cope have also landed themselves an international spot in Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 radio show with their single ‘Lost: Season One’. Clearly attaining attention from outside the Australian shore, the trio have cemented themselves as the ones to watch.

The Aussie rock icon will complete the Soul Series journey that has documented his musical life with the release of its fourth and final instalment Soul Searchin’.

Barnsy has been keeping busy, recording the new album in Nashville at one of the historic homes of soul, the prominent Grand Victor Studio. It follows Soul Deep (1991), Soul Deeper (2000) and The Rhythm and the Blues (2009) which have together earned the blazing vocalist more than 12 ARIA Platinum Sales Awards.

Accompanying the album will be the release of a documentary, which follows his travels across America’s south, on a mission to rediscover the country’s long lost soul gems. Barnes will tour the album in six cities across Australia, notably returning to Melbourne’s Palais Theatre where he performed songs from Soul Deep in 1991.

Fresh off a killer performance at Bluesfest recently, blues legend Joe Bonamassa has announced a headline Australian tour.

For those who may have missed him in Byron Bay over Easter, Bonamassa returns to our shores to give fans a chance to experience his 12th studio album Blues of Desperation live in concert.

The tour will see the New Yorker play shows in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne, with the highlight being his debut performance at the Sydney Opera House.

Since opening for BB King at the tender age of 12, Bonamassa has barely stopped recording and touring. Having released 20 solo albums, 12 in the studio and eight live, he now plays around 100 shows a year, including slots at festivals like Cross Roads and the Montreal Jazz Festival.

TOUR DATES SEPT 10 – SMALL BANDROOM, NEWCASTLE NSW SEPT 15 – RED BAR, WOLLONGONG NSW SEPT 18 – SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE, SYDNEY NSW SEPT 23 – THE EVELYN, FITZROY VIC SEPT 29 – THE ROYAL OAK, LAUNCESTON TAS SEPT 30 – REPUBLIC BAR, HOBART TAS OCT 1 – TAPAS, DEVONPORT TAS OCT 7 – NICS BAR, BRISBANE QLD OCT 15 – THE PRODUCERS, ADELAIDE SA NOV 4 – THE BASEMENT, CANBERRA ACT

TOUR DATES SEPT 10 – WEEKENDER FEST @ CORNER HOTEL, MELBOURNE VIC SEPT 13 – RAD BAR, WOLLONGONG NSW SEPT 14 – TRANSIT, CANBERRA ACT SEPT 15 – NEWTOWN SOCIAL CLUB, SYDNEY NSW SEPT 17 – I LOVE LIFE FEST @ MANNING BAR, SYDNEY NSW

TOUR DATES AUG 12 – ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE (THEATRE), ADELAIDE SA AUG 13 – CROWN THEATRE, PERTH WA AUG 20 – JUPITERS HOTEL AND CASINO, GOLD COAST QLD AUG 21 – QPAC CONCERT HALL, BRISBANE QLD AUG 25 – PALAIS THEATRE, MELBOURNE VIC AUG 27 – ENMORE THEATRE, SYDNEY NSW

TOUR DATES SEPT 25 – PERTH CONCERT HALL, PERTH WA SEPT 28 – QPAC, BRISBANE QLD SEPT 30 – SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE, SYDNEY NSW OCT 2 – THEBARTON THEATRE, ADELAIDE SA OCT 5 – PALAIS THEATRE, MELBOURNE VIC

Bring Me The Horizon Bleached

The Amity Affliction

Liz Stringer

Bring Me The Horizon have announced their eagerly awaited return to Australian shores for this coming September. The British rock band will perform arenas around Australia on their first tour Down Under since 2013. The once small metalcore band out of Sheffield has become one of the hottest tickets in rock music, selling out big arena shows around the world. Their latest album, That’s The Spirit, is the most diverse release to date, demonstrating how the band has stepped away from their metalcore roots to reach even greater heights.That’s The Spirit debuted at #1 in Australia, as well as #2 on the UK and US Album charts, and has been certified Gold in both the UK and Australia. Tickets for That’s The Spirit Australian Tour go on sale at 10am Wednesday, February 24.

The band was originally scheduled to appear as one of the headliner acts on Soundwave 2016.

Metalcore band, The Amity Affliction are celebrating their latest release, This Could Be Heartbreak, in the most Australian way possible. Taking it back to the smaller stages around the nation, they will be giving themselves up in a close and personal setting for adoring fans.

A rare occurrence for major league names, the once-local unit will take a side step from massive arena tours to a much more intimate event.

Due to the smaller sized shows, there is sure to be limited sales to the Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne gigs.

Returning after her successful 2012 independent studio release Warm in the Darkness, Liz Stringer will be releasing a new album next month titled All The Bridges.

Stinger’s fifth studio album was recorded over 8 days in July 2015 at Adam Selzer’s studio, Type Foundry, in Portland, Oregon.

Joing Stringer on the album is Luke Ydstie (bass) and Ben Nugent (drums) A decade has past since Stringer’s first album Release Soon, which place the musician in a unique position in Australia’s music scene. Stringer earned two Age EG nominations for ‘Best Female’ and ‘Best Album’ and she gained a reputation for her live shows.

Stinger’s rising popularity inside Australia has also seen her see success oveseas, with the artist recently touring Canada and Germany as well as pefermoing showcases at international music conferences in Kansas City and Nashville.

TOUR DATES SEPT 14 – HBF STADIUM, PERTH WA SEPT 16 – RIVERSTAGE, BRISBANE QLD SEPT 17 – HORDERN PAVILION, SYDNEY NSW SEPT 20 – AEC THEATRE, ADELAIDE SA SEPT 22 – MARGARET COURT ARENA, MELBOURNE VIC

Rock’n’Roll punk brats, Bleached grace us with their Sunshiny, West Coast vibe for their first Australian tour. The rough around the edges punk quartet guarantee a wild live show and bring their DIY sound to our shores in October.

Following the release of Ride Your Heart, the band gained recognition and praise from other West Coast musical acts, while embedded in the L.A partying lifestyle.

The emotional drain channelled the bands creative direction while writing and recording their latest effort Welcome to Worms in the isolated Joshua Desert.

Bringing their energetic and raw musical talent, combined with ‘70s infused fuzz-rock tunes, deem the band ready to bring their heavy dose of rock and roll across Australia.

Loaded with ‘real as life’ tunes and playfulness within the bands set, they will surely bring a night to remember and leave a mark on the Australian touring circuit.

TOUR DATES SEPT 28 – MOJO’S, PERTH WA SEPT 30 – NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB, MELBOURNE VIC OCT 1 – NEWTOWN SOCIAL CLUB, SYDNEY NSW OCT 4 – BRIGHTSIDE, BRISBANE QLD

PG.10 // MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016

TOUR DATES AUG 19 – THE TIVOLI, BRISBANE QLD AUG 26 – METRO THEATRE, SYDNEY NSW AUG 31 – 170 RUSSELL, MELBOURNE VIC

Liz Stringer is dropping through NSW, QLD, NT, QLD, TAS, VIC and SA throughout August and September. Head to mixdownmag.com. au for the full list of dates

www.mixdownmag.com.au

PERTH CONCERT HALL 25 SEPTEMBER QUEENSLAND PAC 28 SEPTEMBER SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE 30 SEPTEMBER THEBARTON THEATRE 02 OCTOBER PALAIS THEATRE 05 OCTOBER

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT J BONAM AS S A . COM

PRODUCT NEWS

Dixon Endorsee Greg Bissonette Headlines Huge Ultimate Drummers Weekend Line-Up Dynamic Music | (02) 9939 1299 | www.dynamicmusic.com.au

Australia’s Best Drum Manufacturers On Show At Vintage & Custom Drum Expo Vintage & Custom Drum Expo | www.vintageandcustomdrumexpo.com

The second annual Vintage & Custom Drum Expo is coming to the Factory Theatre in Sydney for one day only on Sunday, August 14.

The expo will be an amazing opportunity to see some of Australia’s leading drum builders. Scheduled to showcase at the event includes: Sleishman, Evetts Drums, Moody Drums, JPP Drums, Gas Drums, Red Rock Drums Australia, Blackbird Drums, Sia Drums, Kentville Drums and Pansini Percussion.

World-leading custom drum and accessory manufacturers will also be on show, with the line-up including: Ludwig Australia, Craviotto Drum Company, DW Drums, Meinl Cymbals, Evans Drumheads, Promark Sticks, Puresound Wires, C & C Drums Australia, Istanbul Agop Cymbals, Tackle Instrument Accessories, Wincent Sticks and Brushes, Gretsch Drums, Sakae Drums, Murat Diril Cymbals, Humes & Berg, Protec, SKB, Q Drum Co., Pork Pie Percussion, Truth Custom Drums, TRX Cymbals, Gibraltar, Lowboy Beaters, Rodrigo Percusion, Fat Barry Brown Brushes, AG Painted Drum Heads, The Kelly SHU and more.

On the day, punters will also have the chance to catch live performances by Pete Drummond (Dragon/Thirsty Merc), Dave Goodman (Dave Goodman Quartet/Trioflight), Grant Gerathy (John Butler Trio) and Corey Mills (Tanya George), with more still to be confirmed.

This year’s installment of Australia’s Ultimate Drummers Weekend marks 23 years of the event and its biggest to date. From its inception as ‘The Drummers Day’ and evolution into the ‘Drummers Weekend’ in 1996, AUDW has since become an institution in Australia and is highly recognised the world over as the premier drumming event within the broader world community. Boasting workshops, concert performances and a comprehensive expo of existing and new products, AUDW continues to expand. This year, in conjunction with Roland Australia, AUDW will include an E-DRUMS Spectacular.

A star-studded line-up of drummers will be present at the event, none bigger than world-renowned drummer and Dixon endorsee Gregg Bissonette. Bissonette, a veteran of the music industry, has pretty much done it all – from his early stint with 80’s glam rocker and ex-Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth to Joe Satriani, working with Carlos Santana on Supernatural, countless movie and theatre gigs and even stepping in for Simon Phillips in TOTO. Also making appearances will be Chris Coleman, David Elitch and John Riley. Returning once again to the Darebin Arts and Entertainment Centre in Preston, Melbourne, the 2016 AUDW will be held over the weekend of August 27-28.

Perform Live Without A Guitar Amp Thanks To Radial’s New JDX Direct-Drive Amber Technology | 1800 251 367 | www.ambertech.com.au

5 Reasons You Should Switch To Gravity Guitar Picks EGM Distribution | (03) 9817 7222 | www.egm.net.au

From its humble beginnings in 2011, Gravity Picks Inc. started from a dream to operate a sustainable business in the music industry. Born in the USA, Gravity Picks’ mission is to provide an incredibly functional product that gives you a superior playing experience.

So what separates Gravity’s picks from the rest? The company doesn’t mass-produce their products; each pick is hand-shaped and polished by professionals to bring you a quality product that cannot be matched at its price point.

The picks are all made from acrylic. Why? Acrylic grips very well and it has the ability to glide across the strings with very little resistance. How does this effect your playing then? Due to their unique acrylic pick with bevel design, the pick allows guitarists to essentially play faster and louder.

Quality isn’t an issue either. Their world-class bevelling system gives the most consistent bevels possible, ensuring that you will receive a consistent product each and every time you order. On top of this, Gravity Guitar Picks last much longer than a regular, ordinary pick.

PG.12 // MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016

The Radial JDX Direct-Drive is a unique and powerful device that emulates the sound of a guitar amplifier while doubling as a direct box.

Unlike a typical direct box that merely transfers the sound of the pedals to the PA, the Direct-Drive simulates the tone and feel of a real guitar amp, producing a much more realistic sound. In other words, with the Direct-Drive on your pedalboard, you can do a gig without carrying an amp to the club.The design begins with a traditional ¼” guitar input and passive thru-put to feed a stage amp. This is then followed by a dedicated tuner output that is buffered in order to eliminate loading on the pickup or noise from the quartz clock. The guitar signal is then passed through a series of carefully sculpted filters to create Radial’s signature JDX tone. This is modelled after the sound of a Shure SM57 in front of a Marshall 4x12 cabinet. The Direct-Drive goes further with two more voicing settings: the first adds a vintage Marshall tube head character to the signal path while the second delivers a tone reminiscent of an early Fender Twin. The two amp tones can be further tailored using a presence switch for extra sparkle. The guitar signal exits the Direct-Drive via either a ¼” guitar-level output or via a balanced XLR to feed the PA. The direct box output is outfitted with a 180° polarity reverse switch to help phase-align monitors with the stage amp along with a ground lift switch to help eliminate hum and buzz caused by ground loops.

www.mixdownmag.com.au

PRODUCT NEWS

A Look At Maton’s 70th Anniversary Series Maton Guitars | (03) 9896 9500

PRS Introduce Signature Mark Holcomb Guitar Electric Factory | (03) 9474 1000 |

www.maton.com.au

www.elfa.com.au

The Maton 70th Anniversary Series reflects the experience and guitar wisdom made possible by 70 years of continuous guitar building in Australia.

Maton’s senior luthiers have put their collective heads together to create guitars worthy of this significant landmark. In a first for Maton, the guitars feature a gloss soundboard and satin back and sides. The tonal result of this combination is the full, natural tone associated with Maton’s satin finish and a sophisticated top-end usually associated with full gloss models like the Messiah.

The back, sides and neck are made from select Victorian blackwood with rosewood binding while the bridge and fingerboard are Indian rosewood. The soundboard is AAA Sitka spruce. The series comes in two body styles, the Dreadnought cutaway and the smaller BG808 cutaway.

Both are fitted with gold Grover machine heads and tortoise shell pick guard, and are fitted with the superb AP5 Pro pickup system. The bracing is fully scalloped and top and back are designed for maximum tonal performance. This is a really elegant guitar, full of sophistication and tradition.

After all, it has been 70 years in the making...

PRS have announced a new and close collaboration with guitarist Mark Holcomb (Periphery), unveiling the PRS SE Signature series. Capturing characteristics of previous models by Holcomb, the SE delivers sophistication and articulation in a “less-costly package.” Offering addictive playability and one-of-kind specifications, the SE model for Holcomb seems to be trueto-heart. The guitar model is an outlier in its field. Mark says, “It is an incredibly special instrument, and one that is now the primary focus of my rig in the studio and onstage.”

The SE model includes 24 frets, 25.5” scale length, a thin satin maple neck and a 20” radius fretboard. The model is fitted with Holcombs’ signature pickups, which help balance the tone and sound, while still giving the articulation and sophistication in playing both chords and solos. The pickups are signature Seymour Duncan Omega treble pickups and also an Alpha bass pickup, with a 3-way switch blade pickup switch and fitted push/pull coil split knob. The guitar seems to fit to any occasion, from playing alone or mixing it in with a band. Holcombs’ SE Signature shows off a smooth and embedded maple veneer, with black chrome hardware.

The guitar comes set up in Drop C.

FEATURING AUSTRALIA’S PREMIERE DRUM BUILDERS

SLEISHMAN DRUMS • EVETTS DRUMS • SIA DRUMS RED ROCK DRUMS AUSTRALIA • JPP DRUMS KENTVILLE DRUMS • PANSINI PERCUSSION MOODY DRUMS • GAS DRUMS • BLACKBIRD DRUMS AND LEADING DRUM & PERCUSSION SUPPLIERS

DW DRUMS • CRAVIOTTO • GRETSCH • SAKAE DRUMS Q DRUM CO. • PORK PIE PERCUSSION • TRX/CRX LUDWIG DRUMS • C & C DRUMS • MEINL CYMBALS BOSPHORUS CYMBALS • EVANS DRUMHEADS ISTANBUL CYMBALS • MURAT DIRIL CYMBALS TRUTH DRUMS • PROTEC • PURESOUND • PROMARK GIBRALTAR • WINCENT STICKS & MALLETS FAT BARRY BROWN • CYMPADS • LOW BOY BEATERS AG PAINTED DRUM HEADS • RODRIGO PERCUSSION + MORE PLUS AMAZING LIVE PERFORMANCES INCLUDING

GRANT GERATHY JOHN BUTLER TRIO PETE DRUMMOND THIRSTY MERC DAVE GOODMAN TRIOFLIGHT COREY MILLS TANYA GEORGE VINTAGE SHOWCASE // MARKET STALLS // LIVE PERFORMANCES FOOD STALL // PRODUCT DEMONSTRATIONS AND MORE!

SUNDAY 14 AUG/FACTORY THEATRE 105 VICTORIA ROAD, MARRICKVILLE, SYDNEY

BOOK AT THE FACTORY THEATRE (02) 9550 3666 OR FACTORYTHEATRE.COM.AU

www.mixdownmag.com.au

MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016 // PG.13

PRODUCT NEWS DSLR Filming Made Easy With Sennheiser’s New MKE440 Camera Microphone Sennheiser Australia | (02) 9910 6700 | www.sennheiser.com.au

Audio specialist Sennheiser has unveiled the MKE440, a stereo camera microphone. The mic has been designed to solve a typical challenge encountered by DSLR users: capturing focused stereo sound from the filmed object.

DSLR filmmakers have always had a hard time getting good sound from their cameramounted stereo microphone. The new MKE 440 achieves this task. Thanks to two minishotgun microphones and a new stereo technique, it records the sound from within the camera angle, beating any mini AB, MS or XY arrangements. While these classic stereo set-ups also capture sound and noises from the sides – including any comments from the camera operator or people next to them – the two mini-shotguns of the MKE440 are mounted in a V-shape arrangement that predominantly picks up the sound from within the direction of filming and rejects the majority of off-axis noise from outside the camera focus. The matched mini-shotguns of the MKE 440 feature super-cardioid pick-up patterns that overlap to create a front focus. The microphones are shockmounted internally to reduce any handling noise and are protected against wind noise by a stainless steel micro-mesh. For strong wind, a special hairy cover is available as an accessory.

Transform Anything Into A Musical Instrument With Mogees Innovative Music | (03) 9540 0658 | www.innovativemusic.com.au

Ever been caught playing the drums with your knife and fork or dragging a stick along a wooden fence? We all want the ability to make our ordinary surroundings transform into a musical extravaganza and now, thanks to the creators of Mogees, we can.

After a successful Kickstarter campaign that saw over one thousand pledges hand over $100,000 in total, British creators of Mogees have released the innovative piece of equipment into the world.

Mogees is essentially a sensor that allows its user to create sound from any object they desire. After connecting the sensor to your smartphone and placing it on the surface of your choice, all you need to do is record your gestures. From tapping on a table to simply moving your hands around the sensor, the possibilities are endless.

There is also a range of both individual sounds and MIDI notes available for your selected gesture.

For the musicians out there, Mogees also enables you to sync your own instruments and use them to create other instrumental sounds. For instance, guitars can be used to create a drum sound by tapping on the guitar’s surface. Continuing its convenient streak, the device is also compatible with Apple’s Garageband and Logic Studio.

Innovative Music Acquire Propellerhead, Reason 9 Released In Australia Innovative Music | (03) 9540 0658 | www.innovativemusic.com.au

Innovative Music has announced the acquisition of Propellerhead software to their catalogue. The acquisition is timely with the arrival of Reason 9. The new software presents new control and inspiring tools for musicians and producers alike. The new innovative thinking and emphasis on user control has set a new standard.

Bringing workflow improvements to an already popular software, Reason 9 focuses on helping the musician bring out their creativity and making better music. The new software comes with new player devices, pitch edit, new sounds and in addition highlights the signature Pulsar dual-channel LFO synth.

Creating three distinct MIDI tools, the player device functionality allows the use of instruments scales and chords, which lets you create complex progressions with ease.

The pitch edit has always been a hit or miss with a lot of similar software, but Reason 9 brings an entirely new way to tidy up vocals placements and polish your production.

Reason 9 brings new playable sounds to the field, including 1000 new patches developed by professional sound designers to help push your creative landscape. Adding to the already impressive design is the feature of new audio to MIDI functionality. Anything recorded as a monophonic audio can be easily transformed into MIDI with ease.

Symphony I/O Mk II HD Audio Interface & PTHD Card Option Now Available Sound Distribution | (02) 8007 3327 | www.sounddistribution.com.au

The Apogee Symphony I/O Mk II HD Audio Interface, designed for Pro Tools HD systems, is available now. Symphony I/O Mk II is a multi-channel audio interface featuring Apogee’s latest AD/DA conversion, modular I/O (up to 32 inputs and outputs), intuitive touchscreen display and optional world-class microphone preamps.

Since the first generation was released in 2010, Symphony I/O has been a gold standard for the professional recording industry and utilised by a wide variety of commercial studios, producers, engineers and artists worldwide.

Apogee engineers have made it their passion to improve every new flagship product by using the latest components and designing circuitry that often exceeds the expectations of the component manufacturers. Symphony I/O Mk II is the culmination of this 30 year commitment and raises the bar on all Apogee flagship products that have come before it, offering even better audio clarity and sonic transparency.

When equipped with either the brand new 8×8 or 16×16 Mk II I/O modules, Symphony I/O Mk II outperforms all other multi-channel audio interfaces available for Pro Tools HD.

PG.14 // MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016

Peavey Revolutionise The Modelling Amp With World’s First V.I.P Amplifier Galactic Music | (03) 8813 0241 | www.galacticmusic.com.au

Once again Peavey have revolutionised the modelling amp. Introducing the world’s first Variable Instrument Performance amplifier, the VYPYR V.I.P. The modelling amplifier proves its flexibility, containing bass guitar, acoustic guitar and electric guitar amplifier models.

Utilising the latest technology, Peavey uses a combination of powerful 32-bit, floating point SHARC processors and patented Transtube analogue circuitry to create the best sounding modelling amplifiers available. Seriously, nothing sounds as good as a VYPYR. All VYPYR effects, amp models and parameter controls can be accessed via the amp itself, with no need to hook the amplifier to a computer. Peavey’s WYSIWYG control surface quickly allows the user the ability to see and adjust the control position – you no longer have to guess where the control is supposed to be, or having to manually move it to where it should be. VYPYR’s new USB bi-directional data and audio port provides an easy way to record, or connect to the VYPYR software and store presets. get lessons and practice to backing tracks while connected to your computer. All of the revolutionary features from the original VYPYR series are now even better.

www.mixdownmag.com.au

PRODUCT NEWS

Yamaha Guitars Celebrate 50 Years With Limited Edition Model Yamaha Music Australia | (03) 9693 5111 | www.au.yamaha.com

This year, Yamaha is celebrating 50 years of guitar manufacturing. To honour their rich history, Yamaha have created the FG180-50th Anniversary Limited Edition Model. The guitar has been developed based on the specs from the original 1966 model, recreating a modern version by applying Yamaha’s latest technological expertise.

By treating the top board with Yamaha’s exclusive A.R.E. process, which gives the instrument a rich and vintage quality tone, Yamaha reproduces the rich sound of an FG180 that has been played for many years. Adding to the vintage style, the red label inside includes a piano image that was only seen on the labels of the very earliest models. The shape and thickness of the pickguard follow those of the original too. The body is a solid wood construction so players can enjoy the evolving sound that develops as the instrument is played over time. The FG180-50th Anniversary Limited Edition Model will be in stores in September.

Take Control of Your Pedalboard With Mooer’s PCL6 Loop Controller Jade Australia | 1800 144 120 | www.musocity.com.au

Introducing The iD4: Audient’s Smallest Audio Interface Yet Innovative Music | (03) 9540 0658 | www.innovativemusic.com.au

Following on from the success of the iD14, Audient has unveiled the iD4 a compact and affordable bus-powered audio interface, perfect for singer songwriters and on-the-go producers. The newest and smallest member of the Audient family, iD4 delivers the audio performance of a large format console in a portable desktop package. The iD4 features a renowned Audient console mic pre, class-leading converter technology, dual headphone outputs, console style monitor control, JFET D.I and Audient’s virtual scroll wheel technology, all housed in compact, ergonomic, solid steel and aluminium casing.

The iD4 comes with two brand new features designed to make the recording process even easier for users; Monitor Mix and Monitor Pan. Monitor Mix enables you to monitor a blend of both iD4 inputs and your DAW playback, providing near-zero latency monitoring whilst recording. With Monitor Pan, if you’re recording an acoustic guitar and vocals, it enables you to pan both the mic pre input and D.I input from left to right, making it easy to create a balanced headphone mix that suits your needs.

The Mooer PCL6 is a programmable six-channel loop controller that allows you to control your pedals with ease. After connecting your pedals to the six true bypass loops, the PCL-6 provides a control hub right at the front of your pedalboard, which can be operated in two different ways.

In ‘Preset’ mode, any combination of multiple loops can be instantaneously engaged or disengaged at the touch of a single footswitch, without the need to tap dance all over your pedalboard. In this mode, the loop controller has six banks, with six presets in each bank, giving a total of 36 possible preset pedal combinations available. In ‘Live’ mode, the PCL6 operates in a more traditional manner. Each loop has its own dedicated footswitch, which simply engages and disengages its respective loop. This is perfect for the more old school musicians who simply want their pedals footswitches conveniently relocated for easy access. Each loop has a backlit display panel, which can be written on or can take the coloured stickers provided and makes it easy to see at a glance what loops are engaged and disengaged.

Markbass Marks 15th Anniversary with Limited Edition Release

JBL EON208P All-In-One Portable PA System Now Available Jands | (02) 9582 0909 | www.jands.com.au

CMC Music Australia | (02) 9905 2511 | www.cmcmusic.com.au

This year marks 15 years since Italian designer and innovator Marco De Virgiliis first made his appearance in the bass world. His initial release of innovative bass amps, cabinets and pedals has made Markbass a household name amongst bass players around the world. To celebrate this milestone, Markbass have produced a special limited edition run of their most popular heads with an eye-catching new finish. Heads to receive the new livery include LM 250, Nano Mark 300, LM III, LM Tube, LM 800, LM Tube 800 and the Big Bang. As De Virgiliis says, Markbass is looking to exciting future expansion based on these first 15 years. “Today Markbass isn’t my only brand anymore as we now have DV Mark... And we have other projects developing on other fields, always keeping that need to imagine something different – the real load bearing axis of the whole story. My emotions are renewed every time I see and hear one of my amps on TV, at the movies, etc.”Check out the new 15th Anniversary Markbass heads at the Melbourne Guitar Show August 6th and 7th, or see them at your local Markbass dealers now.

www.mixdownmag.com.au

Get legendary sound quality with the EON208P all-in-one portable PA system, complete with an 8-channel mixer and Bluetooth audio.

With a convenient suitcase-style design, the EON208P makes it easy to get great sound for performances, meetings and events. The 8-channel detachable mixer provides professional connections for mics, instruments and line-level sources, while the 8” twoway stereo speakers deliver best-in-class audience coverage. Bluetooth connectivity also allows you to stream audio from your mobile device, and with 300 watts, you’ll have more than enough volume to be heard. Plus, the compact and lightweight form factor means you can carry the entire system with one hand.

The 8-channel detachable mixer gives you the power and flexibility to sculpt your sound and be heard with stunning clarity at any venue. Simply connect your mics, instruments and other sound sources and start performing. The intuitive mixer helps you dial-in great live sound quickly and easily. The EON208P is now available Australia wide via Jands.

MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016 // PG.15

PRODUCT NEWS

A Look At Truetone’s 1 SPOT Pro Power Supplies EGM Distribution | (03) 9817 7222 | www.egm.net.au

For many years, Truetone has made the life of musicians easier with the 1 SPOT – the original compact pedalboard power supply. What separates the 1 SPOT Pro range from the rest of the competition is the advanced technology that goes into each power supply. In a regular power brick, you would find a big transformer and a handful of small electronic components – old tech that hasn’t changed in decades and has a lot of limitations.

Truetone took the same switching power supply technology found in their acclaimed 1 SPOT and scaled it up to make the 1 SPOT Pro models. With much more space to work with, Truetone were able to completely eliminate noise, provide total electrical isolation between outputs, create multiple voltages and still give guitarists the ability to use it anywhere in the world. A major benefit of using a switching power supply is that it can handle far more current than any transformer-based power supply. Although Truetone have specifically labelled the 1 SPOT Pro CS7 and CS12 outputs with power ratings to satisfy certification agencies, the outputs can generally handle far more than the label shows – just don’t exceed the total of all the labels.

Just Around The Corner: Integrate Expo Integrate | www.integrate-expo.com

Next month, Australia’s largest industry event for leaders and professionals in AV and Systems Integration will be rolling in to the Sydney Showgrounds across three massive days. In partnership with globally recognised associations and leading industry experts, Integrate’s 2016 Education Program will deliver a full 3 day program full of industry insight, up to date technology and delve deep into the issues that matter most to the industry. The Education Program will feature seminars from industry professionals across a broad range of AV backgrounds. Key highlights include seminars from Richard Neville from Mandylights, Clint DuLieu from Village Roadshow Theme Parks and Jeff MacKenzie from JANDS. The show is a conduit for local and global brands to meet with buyers and distributors, while communicating new solutions to AV technicians and end users.

Integrate will provide you with all the tools you need to be ahead of the game and give you the latest news, trends and information within the industry.

Fractal Unveils Second Edition Of FX8 MultiEffects Pedalboard Independent Music www.independentmusic.com.au

Focusrite Unveils Next Generation Of Scarlett Audio Interfaces Electric Factory | (03) 9474 1000 | www.elfa.com.au

Focusrite’s ever-popular Scarlett range has received a makeover. Unveiled at Summer NAMM, the six new second-generation interfaces will feature the same I/O as the first generation models, however the team at Focusrite have taken big strides in improving its performance under the hood. New preamps will be included, which are promised to have more accurate level setting and the instrument input has been reinvigorated with increased headroom for those hotter signals. The second generation Scarlett range is literally packed full of upgrades. The new super-low latency will bring confidence to your performance, letting you record and monitor with software effects in real time. Scarlett USB audio interfaces also now operate at sample rates all the way up to 192kHz, and the input channels have evolved too.

The casing has also received an update. New metal volume controls and a sleeker red metal chassis underscore its improved industrial design, built to go anywhere.

Fractal Audio Systems has reinvigorated the highly acclaimed FX8 multi-effects pedalboard, unveiling the new Mark II. The FX8 Mark II is designed to deliver Fractal’s signature quality without compromise in an effects-only floor unit.

In comparison to the original FX8, the new Mark II has an all-black aircraft aluminium bezel and end panels, improved top-panel silkscreen design, an 18dB instrument input pad option and an even lower noise floor.

The FX8 Mark II runs up to eight simultaneous effects using the state-of-the-art algorithms made famous in the Axe-Fx II line of processors. It features eleven quiet, durable solid state footswitches with no mechanical contacts to fail, 27 LEDs in three colours, five knobs beneath a bright display, Humbuster outputs to eliminate hum due to ground loops (when used with Humbuster cables), dual TRS relays for amp switching, two switch/expression pedal jacks, USB, MIDI and more.

The unit is designed for unity gain and offers true bypass. Above all, it features an extremely high quality signal path to deliver ultra-low noise and pristine sound quality.

In other words, no tone suck! On-board preset memories let you create 128 totally different pedalboards and every effect in every preset can run in series or parallel.

Prices Slashed On Alesis Electronic Drum Kits A Look At Emerson Custom

Gladesville Guitar Factory | (02) 9817 2173 | www.guitarfactory.net

Emerson Custom is a small, family-owned American company located in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Founded in 2009, the company’s offerings include hand-built and wired guitar effects pedals, prewired assemblies and quality guitar components/parts.

The team at Emerson Custom have a goal to deliver quality, tone and superb craftsmanship, all the while offering modern reliability and service. The company doesn’t outsource their manufacturing and strive to offer the best build quality and attention to detail as possible. All of their Prewired Kits feature hand-selected, premium audio quality parts to help you achieve consistent and reliable tones that inspire you to make the best music you’ve ever made. Emerson take great pride in the pedals they produce, striving to offer the best build quality and attention to detail as possible.

Included in Emerson’s collection of parts are their Pro Pots. All of the Pro Pots are custom made for Emerson by CTS to their exacting specifications. What makes Emerson pots different than other CTS variants on the market is that all of their pots are hand-metered to ensure that they meter within their advertised +/- 8% tolerance of the 250K or 500K resistance.

PG.16 // MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016

Electric Factory | (03) 9474 1000 | www.elfa.com.au

Effective immediately, prices on Alesis electronic drums have been slashed Australia wide. Nitro – with traditional drum configuration, rubber heads and kick pedal included – has dropped from $699 to $599. Forge – with advanced drum module, polished chrome rack, dual zone snare and kick pedal – has dropped from $999 to $799. Command – with advanced drum module, mesh snare and kick, polished chrome rack and kick pedal – has been slashed from $1299 to just $999 and the amazing Crimson – all mesh kit with isolating snare stand and larger cymbals – drops from $1599 to $1399.

These new drum kits usher in a new era of playability for Alesis electronic drums. Taking over from the older DM10 series, Alesis’ new mesh pads feature an additional array of triggers with a sensitivity adjustment dial. The new advanced drum module found on the Crimson, Command and Forge brings more modern drum sounds and a more realistic response from the drums – plus the ability to load your own samples on via USB thumb drive, or export MIDI over USB to a computer to record or play drum software.

www.mixdownmag.com.au

PRODUCT NEWS

Keeley Electronics Unveil The Hooke Spring Reverb Keeley Electronics | robertkeeley.com

Peavey’s Latest Is A Modelling Amp With Realistic Tube Distortion

Keeley Electronics has added a new guitar pedal to their already extensive collection. Hand-built in the USA, the Hooke Spring Reverb stompbox will revolutionise the world of guitar effects, re-creating the crisp reverb and tremolo tones that those users of Fender Amps have come to know and love so much. The pedal features a ‘Spring Reverb’ mode. The main features of this mode include the tone and spring controls. The tone control allows you to set the pedal for a bright, ‘spanky’ reverb tone or a dark, thick reverb. The spring control is the amount of ‘looseness’ or ‘spring’ in the reverb pan. Loose springs seem to give a lot of reflections and you can hear the reverb ‘bounce’ a lot. You can simulate a specific reverb pan you had in a vintage amp. Combinations of these two controls allow you to fine-tune both the tone and the character of the springs and tubes in your favourite vintage reverb. The pedal has a ‘Fugue’ mode that blends classic reverb with an octave engager allowing for “other worldly” sounds.

Essentially, in Keeley’s words, this mode features “no original signal, all wet spring reverb with octave up and down,” creating the perfect church organ or organ reverb sounds.

Galactic Music | (03) 8813 0241 | www.galacticmusic.com.au

The VYPYR Pro 100 continues the tradition of appropriate technology using four stages of exclusive TransTube analogue gain to create the most realistic tube sounding distortion in any modelling amplifier, ever. With over 500 pre-sets available and more than 100 different models of effects, reverbs, delays and amplifiers, the VYPYR Pro 100 is one of the most innovative and advanced modelling amplifiers on the market.

Designed for the gigging musician by the musicians at Peavey Electronics, it is perhaps the most versatile amp ever created. By using analogue distortion, the VYPYR Pro 100’s digital processor has the amazing ability to offer almost limitless combinations of additional stompboxes, “rack” effects, amplifiers and now even instrument models. The result is an overall better tonality. Because of the advanced dual processor design, the VYPYR Pro 100 can run up to four amplifier models in parallel. Recording is a mainstay of the VYPYR Pro 100 design. With the most advanced USB audio system in any VYPYR, the Pro 100 was designed from the beginning for home recording. The VYPYR Pro 100 also features an analogue speaker and microphone simulated direct out for recording as well.

New Godin Guitars Arriving In Australia Dynamic Music | (02) 9939 1299 | www. dynamicmusic.com.au

Arriving in Australia next month are four brand new and stunning guitars from Godin.

The LGXT is a multi-voiced guitar. A jackof-all-trades – and master of all of them – the LGXT’s incredible sound power begins with three distinct voices: electric guitar, acoustic guitar and synth controller. The A6 Ultra continues with the innovative concepts found in all Godin A-series guitars, such as combining amazing plugged-in acoustic sound with the feel of an electric neck, along with a chambered body design that virtually eliminates feedback in live & loud settings. The latest model in the 5th Avenue line-up features a Cutaway body design and the added sounds of two Godin Kingpin P90 singlecoil pickups delivering all that classic, vintage tone with presence, clarity and a little attitude thrown in for good measure!

With the soul of a 1950s archtop, the 5th Avenue is a true vintage spirit of yesterday with today’s level of modern playability.

The Godin Summit Classic HB is a scorching & versatile rock machine for the ages. It features a beautiful sculpted maple Carved Top (CT), an incredibly lightweight and resonant chambered Spanish cedar body and a mahogany set-neck with a bound Richlite fingerboard and headstock.

www.mixdownmag.com.au

See The New EBMM Guitars For The First Time At The Melbourne Guitar Show CMC Music Australia | (02) 9905 2511 | www.cmcmusic.com.au

Several of the newest Ernie Ball Music Man guitars and basses released at this year’s NAMM trade show will be on display for the first time in Australia at the Melbourne Guitar Show on August 6 and 7. The high performance ‘Valentine’ signature guitar, designed in collaboration with James Valentine of Maroon 5, was one of the eyecatchers at Summer NAMM. Featuring a slab ash body, two Ernie Ball Music Man designed pickups (1-humbucker/1-single coil) with a 3-way custom wired lever switch and coil tap, the guitar is a must-see at this year’s show. Another must-see guitar is John Petrucci’s JP16 16th Anniversary signature guitar. The JP16 is the first guitar designed with Petrucci that implements a Floyd Rose double locking tremolo system.

Bassists can also catch a glimpse of the new Cutlass bass – a retro first for Ernie Ball Music Man. The Cutlass bass is an old school split-coil passive humbucking design with top-loading bridge. Its sleek and modern, with vintage features. Catch all of these new instruments at the Ernie Ball Music Man stand (#75) at the Melbourne Guitar Show.

Why Your Guitar Setup Needs The Radial Shotgun 4 Channel Amp Driver Amber Technology | 1800 251 367 | www. ambertech.com.au

Announced earlier this year at NAMM, the Shotgun is a compact guitar-level signal buffer designed to drive up to four amplifiers simultaneously and fit nicely on any pedalboard. It features two inputs with a switching jack on input-2 that – when connected – changes the architecture from a 1x4 mono distribution system to a 2x2 stereo setup. The Shotgun is equipped with Radial’s unique Consistent Load Compensation circuit that retains a stable input impedance to ensure the character of the signal remains unchanged, no matter if you use one or two sources. Inside, a carefully designed low noise buffer circuit with a full-surface ground plane delivers your tone further – up to 15 meters without noise.

This is augmented with isolation transformers on outputs 2, 3 and 4 to help eliminate the nasty buzz and hum caused by ground loops when multiple amps are connected together. When used in the 1x4 mono-mode, the Shotgun will effortlessly drive multiple amplifiers, direct box outputs and modelling amplifiers at the same time. In 2x2 stereomode, you can connect the output from your stereo chorus to the Shotgun and drive two or four amps in stereo, in phase, without noise.

MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016 // PG.17

C O V E R

S T O R Y

Life’s pretty good for Mansfield’s Violent Soho right now. Having Waco reach number one on the ARIA charts, 2013’s Hungry Ghost reaching certified gold and now coming straight off their sold-out Waco tour, sky’s the limit for the alternative rock quartet. Recently, the lads announced their biggest tour to date, which will see them head around the country with Tassie punks Luca Brassi, WA’s rising stars Tired Lion and long-time L.A friends The Bronx.

Though it seems an infinite high today, the band explains the early signs of struggle, slugging through a long ten-year progression.

Reflecting on their recent performance at the Enmore Theatre, vocalist and rhythm guitarist Luke Boerdam elaborates on the band’s rise from support act to alt-rock poster boys. “We were kind of like in a moment and we were like ‘fuck man, pretty sure like 10 years ago we played the same room supporting The Grates.’ I think about that at the time and so much has changed in that period. We went to America, we kind of got drilled into the ground with touring and we came back a little bit broken.”

“We were kind of plucked from our nice little Australian music hub and dropped into this monster,” he continues. “It went from recording down the street at Bryce Moorhead’s studio to recording at studios where Black Sabbath and Oasis recorded. In hindsight, it was something we weren’t ready for. It is interesting now, looking back at how much we learnt.”

It was Soho’s three-year stint in the US that Boerdam continually refers to as the defining influencer of Hungry Ghost – the band’s breakthrough album, which saw them receive ample air time and a string of festival shows. Returning to their quiet home in Brisbane after a chaotic period in the states, Boerdam admits that it’s experiences like those that have shaped the band’s sound.

“Hungry Ghost is really that whole experience wrapped into a record,” he admits. “For me it was real. I hated Self-Titled (2010). I was proud of it, but so over it and so over the stigma of it – those were the songs that were attached to us. With Hungry Ghost, we were all working jobs back at home and thought ‘this is it, we’ll play two shows and we’ll keep putting records out and just make it in Brisbane.’ Then it just exploded. So a lot changed in those 10 years. I remember thinking if I’m still in a band before I’m thirty, then I’m a fucking idiot. I had my 30th birthday while recording Waco [laughs].”

The aforementioned Waco tour saw the band play sold-out shows and raising the bar in iconic venues like the Enmore Theatre, the Forum and The Tivoli. What made the tour special was the feast of talent that Soho dished up, with music-mates DZ Deathrays, Dune Rats and The Gooch Palms coming along for the ride. After the widespread success of the tour, Violent Soho was quick to announce another tour, which is set to kick off in October. Keeping it real, the humble Mansfield lads are sticking with the same winning formula, this time bringing long-distance pals The Bronx (who reside in L.A).

“They’re amazing!” Boerdam explains. “Kids that haven’t even heard of them will explode because The Bronx will walk into a room and fire people up. We used to tour with them in the U.S, that’s how we met them and we’re all fans. When we were recording Hungry Ghost, we stopped and played a show with The Bronx, so it’s awesome to play with them. We have always had a really good relationship with those dudes and I think they’ll absolutely rip it up. I’m really looking forward to it, and we’re very lucky with Soho, I just like it how we get to pick friends. We really care about the supports we pick and we really make sure we have really good line-ups to offer.”

“I think its better for touring as well,” admits Boerdam. “We toured with the Arctic Moneys a while ago and they’re a huge band. They’re great, but it kind of sucks because you don’t even get to say hello, it’s kind of this weird thing. This happened a lot in the U.S and it makes touring way more boring, it kind of sucks. It’s such a better environment when everyone is on the same page.”

With Waco being released earlier this year, the band’s status has

PG.18 // MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016

I honestly thought that there was a time where people thought this whole genre was really going to die out and we’ll all just be listening to electronic music.

steadily increased as a major live draw-card. Having eerie dissonant sounds and lyrically powerful songs, Waco saw the band venturing into darker themes, evoking and building on their sound from the impact of the Monstrous anthem-heavy Hungry Ghost. When going to record Waco with their long-time friend and producer Bryce Moorhead at Shed Studios, the band’s expectations and rising success were charging ahead hoping to meet somewhere in the middle.

“With Waco, there was a weird hump to get over,” Boerdam says.

“Recording Waco, it was straight after recording Hungry Ghost and we never had these expectations on the band before. With Hungry Ghost it grew so big over this long period of two years and it was really this expectation, all they wanted was for us to write more.”

“I think Waco delivered on we wanted it to be,” he continues.

Hungry Ghost and all this stuff was in the same vein but it has its own identity and that’s really important. It’s weird, you write all the songs and record them and by the time you think you’re over it, you’ve heard it so many times. Then live it’s different. It’s a bit more energetic compared to mixing, and you’re not playing them over and over and listening back. I’ve started writing the next record and I’m already thinking about figuring out where we’re going to take it next, I’m really excited actually.”

A key player in the Violent Soho success story is Australia’s evergrowing alt station, triple j. Boerdam attests to the influence that the station has on Australian audiences, explaining that the revival of alt-rock in Australia is largely accredited to their support.

“Triple J really opened up the playing field for alternative bands,” he explains. “For a station to really neglect a genre when they’re pulling people into venues, I don’t think that’s right. But I think basically with whoever’s been involved in the past year, bands like DZ [Deathrays], [The] Smith Street [Band] or us are on a whole new level. Venues are starting to fill up and it’s kind of proving that there’s something here. And it’s not just these bands; there is a fuckload of them. Even on the hardcore side of things like Parkway Drive, they’re basically selling-out venues that are so much larger than some of the artists that get played way more just because it might have a radio-friendly sound. It doesn’t really seem right.”

Now three albums in, Violent Soho seems to be acting as one of the beacons for other talented artist to shine through and open up the playing field in Australia. Their sound and thunderous music has been shaped by their experiences and attitude towards being true to who they are and keeping it real when making music.

‘We’ve always done it that way. We’ve always been honest with our music and if it sounds good and we like it and if it’s connecting with it, then that’s right,” explains Boerdam. “It’s very organic for us I think, considering we go into the studios with three or four chords.

We basically work with completely different sounds and effects that we have worked out in the studio. I think that’s where the interesting side of rock music or alternative music is going and it’s not dead.

I honestly thought that there was a time where people thought this whole genre was really going to die out and we’ll all just be listening to electronic music. I just think it’s still got such a pocket, because there are still the live shows. It’s pretty energetic and it’s something you can really connect with. It’s very raw.”

BY TOM BARTHA WACO is out now via I OH YOU. Violent Soho are touring nationally October - November. For tour dates visit violentsoho.com.

www.mixdownmag.com.au

IS BACK !

6505 Pirahna $279 THIS LITTLE BEAST HARNESSES THE CHARACTER OF THE “CRUNCH” AND “LEAD” TONES OF ITS MUCH LARGER ALL-TUBE SIBLINGS IN A SUPER_SMALL AND CONVENIENT PACKAGE CAPABLE OR UP TO A MIGHTY 20 WATTS (4 OHMS).

CLASSIC 20 MH $899

6505 MH $899

Peavey Classic amps span the tonal landscape from vintage to contemporary with ease, and the Classic 20 MH provides that tone in a highly portable package.

Featuring an all tube preamp and power amp, the 6505® MH authentically produces the much loved tones of the legendary Peavey 6505 in a small, portable package.

Come see us at MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW Saturday 6 & Sunday 7 August Caulfield Racecourse 10am-6pm

VALVEKING 20 MH $799

With versatile tone for rock, jazz, or metal, the new generation ValveKings have the capabilities to create almost any sound imaginable.

sales@galacticmusic.com.au Ph: 03 8813 0241 www.galacticmusic.com.au

I N T E R V I E W S

Hellions Sydney’s Hellions are back with their third studio album titled Opera Oblivia. The punk rockers have been coined as one of the most innovative and creative bands circuiting the heavy scene at the moment, receiving a lot of attention nationally as well as overseas. Guitarist Matthew Gravolin remains relatively coy about the band’s rising success.

“Everyone has been really cool about it, we’ve been received warmly and we couldn’t have asked for more at this junction. A lot of people that we haven’t spoken to in years have gotten in touch with us about listening to this record – which is fucking cool.”

Opera Obivia is their most defining piece of work to date and one of the most exciting things to happen in Australian music this year. It is a collection of carefully intertwined songs, structured as a theoretical presentation that tackles the vast subject of life. There are highs and lows with everything in-between – just how life can be. “When we were in the studio we realised that we could intertwine all the songs into a very loose opera.”

The album flows effortlessly from one soaring chorus to another. It can be viewed as a celebration of experiences and memories that is sure to stir an emotion in all of us. The album opens with a song titled ‘24’ that then leads you on a journey to then conclude with the titled track ‘25’. It is evident that this record is a direct reflection of where the Hellions mindset has been the last year or so. Gravolin

Beach Slang The forthcoming Beach Slang album is called A Loud Bash of Teenage Feelings, a paradoxical designation considering the band’s frontman and chief songwriter James Alex is in his 40s. However, a big inspiration for the album – lyrically and spiritually – was Beach Slang’s young fanbase, which contains a high percentage of diehard followers. Despite the age gap, Alex didn’t find it hard to tune into that perspective.

“I’ve sort of existed in an arrested state of development. I’m still trying to figure it out – I feel as clumsy now as I did when I was 17,” he says. “I’m just this evolving little monkey, I don’t really have things figured out, so I think it’s really easy for me to plug back into that stuff. And then, as I’m looking at people that have connected with the music and I’m hearing their stories, I’m now writing through their eyes... I’m seeing myself in them but getting to write about it through this whole new perspective, but it’s still anchored in myself.”

Beach Slang’s debut LP, The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us, came out in October 2015. A Loud Bash of Teenage Feelings is due out in September, and it’s an especially quick turnaround seeing as Beach Slang have been touring the globe ever since The Things We Do came out. Alex says the swift arrival of A Loud Bash stems from his constant urge to create.

“I’m not very good at being idle. I write every day – it’s just a thing I love to do. But very shortly after the first LP came out I remember telling the label, ‘I want to have the second one out by this date.’

PG.20 // MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016

likes to think of the album as a “celebration of consciousness,” as each song is inspired by lessons that he’s learnt with each passing year.

Recorded at Karma Sounds Studios in Thailand, Gravolin expressed that there was no hesitation to record overseas – something that they have done in the past. “The main reason for recording in Thailand is to work with Shane Edwards. Anthony and I started working with him ten years ago with a band called The Bride. Everything I’ve done musically, Shane has recorded. He posseses inside knowledge to how our brains work. He knows what we are tying to do before we do it. He has a crazy insight to our music and you can’t really put a price on that. That’s why we recorded with him in Thailand. We wouldn’t be able to find that anywhere else and it doesn’t hurt that it’s paradise there. All up we were there for probably just shy of a month, I wasn’t complaining.”

Before arriving at the studio, Gravolin fleshes out the skeletons of every song, musically and lyrically. This can take him anywhere between a few weeks and a few months. Once he is happy with the content he then presents it to the rest of the band, where they will “pick at it again and again and then reassemble it.” He acknowledges that it is possibly the most frustrating way to go about it, but he’s also found it to be the most rewarding way. “The cardinal difference this time around is that it took so much more time. We put so much more effort into it. It would have to be hundreds more hours and more perspectives from people that we admire within the scene, but I couldn’t be happier with what we have produced.”

The perspectives that Gravolin refers to are the collaborations on Opera Oblivia with artists Jonathon Deiley (Northlane), Sam Bassal (Ocean Grove) and Duane Hazell (Heroes For Fire).

There’s one song on the record that Gravolin and the band have a particularly strong connection They thought I was crazy, like it was never going to happen. And I just made that a thing I wanted to happen.”

“We’re a rock’n’roll band. I want to write songs and tour those songs. I feel like, if you write songs and then you let them sit because you’re milking the life out of the record before it, they just start to stale up. I want to write these things, record them and then they come out when they’re still fresh and new to the band. Then you start playing these things live and there’s just an excitement and an energy to them that we might not have had if we’d been playing them for a year behind the scenes.”

Like its predecessor, A Loud Bash is loaded with emotionally charged, heart on the sleeve punk rock, recalling the likes of Husker Du and The Replacements. But writing and recording two such albums within a 12-month timeframe hasn’t drained Alex’s creative juices, and he intends to uphold this fast-paced release pattern.

“I like the idea of being in the moment,” he says.

“There’s a real desire for me to keep charging ahead.

I’m really lucky to be doing this. I don’t want to give it a chance to go away.”

Beach Slang are still touring, and they have just made their Australian live debut last month. Over the past couple of years they’ve widely traversed North America and Western Europe, but they were able to clear aside a couple of weeks in order to make A Loud Bash of Teenage Feelings.

“We recorded it in eight or nine days,” Alex says.

“I wrote it pretty much on a European tour. So when the rest of the guys were out seeing all these beautiful places all over the world, I was lodged down either in a van or a dressing room or a hotel room working. This record was the first time I ever wrote on the road. To be completely honest, I wasn’t sure if I had that skill set, but something very cool came out of it.”

“I tapped into that Jack Kerouac-ian spirit of just being this troubadour rambler. Everything got really

with. “I don’t mind saying that the final song, 25, is my favourite and everyone else’s favourite.

We all feel like we struck oil with it – there’s something about it that makes us all feel the same way. Maybe that comes from all the years we have spent writing music. I feel like this song represents what we set out to do within this album, there is just something about the chorus that’s just got me.”

Hellions are about to set out on a headline tour with sights set on Europe and the US. “We have some plans in the pipelines, it’s just a matter of fleshing it out.” Hellions have put in the hard yards, confessing to me that they’ve been sitting on this record for months while keeping busy with European festivals and writing – yes, they are writing again.

“It’s a very natural thing for me to keep writing, Gravolin explains. “We’ve also learnt by now that it creeps up really quickly to start the next phase.

The better prepared you are, the more ideas you have, the better off you’ll be. Obviously a quick turnaround is the goal so all of that helps.”

Presently, Hellions are itching to get started with their national tour and show fans what they have been working on, their proudest accomplishment to date.

BY SARAH BRYANT

Opera Oblivia is out now via UNFD. Hellions are currently touring nationally. For tour dates visit facebook.com/hellionsaus. poetic and it felt like a really great way to write. At first I was fearful of it, and then it was this thing I really embraced. I think some really cool stuff came out of it that wouldn’t have happened if I was in the staggered environment of the one room I typically write in. It was cool to be writing a record and be writing in different places and be talking to new people and being influenced by very different things.”

While the album is not due until September, the single ‘Punks In a Disco Bar’ is available now. The song exemplifies the tactile and electrified sonic character of the forthcoming record, which was recorded with The Things We Do producer Dave Downham (who has also worked with Into It. Over It. and Pattern Is Movement).

“He’s a good friend of ours. We can go for things and have bravado and carelessness and not be shy about taking those chances. And he gets us. I don’t really have to be technical. [I can say I want it to sound] like that Johnny Marr tone on ‘How Soon Is Now?’ – he’ll know what I’m talking about. We share that same sort of musical language. I can say things to him and he spins a couple of knobs and I’m like, ‘Ah yeah that’s perfect.’ He feels like the fifth Beatle. It’d be weird to make a record without him.”

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY

A Loud Bash Of Teenage Feelings is out September 23 via Cooking Vinyl Australia.

www.mixdownmag.com.au

I N T E R V I E W S

Descendents Descendents are one of the most interesting punk survival stories, having more-or-less given birth to pop-punk and influenced countless bands since their inception back in 1978 (yep – these guys have been playing the game now for close to forty years). Though their lives have changed significantly since meeting in high school – and none more so than drummer, Bill Stevenson – the reason behind their longevity remains the same. As long as they keep having fun, the band will keep rolling. As Stevenson explains however, that plan was almost nixed following some rather severe blows to his health.

“Today, to play until I dropped would take around two and a half hours,” he muses. “In the last six years, I’ve had several very serious life-threatening illnesses, and so I’ve been up and down in terms of fit I am, how well practised I am. Right now, I’ve been practising a tonne. I play for two and a half hours every day at full energy, so that’s how I know. But if you’d spoken to me three months ago, I’d just come out of open lung surgery, I’d say I could maybe play for about forty minutes before I’d just be too tired.”

With their seventh album, Hypercaffium Spazzinate now arriving after a twelve year gap between albums, there is plenty to discuss in terms of how the band realised the time was right for a new release. But without wanting to prod too bluntly, open lung surgery is a hell of a thing to undergo; how Stevenson managed to return to music after

Melvins Roger Osborne – better known to the world as Buzz (or King Buzzo if you’re feeling fancy) – lives a life of excess. He’s not rich beyond his wildest dreams or anything like that, but the 52-year-old guitarist is very much in the business of surplus.

His band, the Melvins, have spent a large portion of their career touring with two drummers in tow. The latest Melvins album, Basses Loaded, features no less than a half-dozen bassists making contributions. Now on tour in support of said album – with bassist Steve McDonald and drummer Dale Crover completing the current line-up – Osborne has two of the same guitars on the rack, both at his disposal.

“My electric guitar guy just got the rights to make Travis Bean guitars, so I got two of the pan model and I’ve been playing those live,” he says. “I love them, honestly – I can’t get enough of them.”

Is there any reason behind getting two of the exact same model?

“One is good, two is better,” he justifies. “I like having a back-up.

It’s good to be in a position where you never have to rely on a single thing by itself. I’m very happy that I can work in excess – it’s totally by design.”

Over the last 30-plus years, Osborne has evolved into a true underground hero of alternative music. How underground are we talking? Put it this way: he didn’t just know Nirvana before they were cool – Kurt was one of his roadies. At a time when many of

www.mixdownmag.com.au

this shows a huge level of dedication.

“My operations have been reparative, so each has made me better. I had a huge brain tumour, and that slowed me down. It made me unfit and morbidly obese, and when they took it out, I rebounded well and started doing gigs. Recently there was the open lung surgery, along with open heart surgery at the same time, so they have to break all your ribs to get in there. For three months I couldn’t use my arms probably, but now I’m playing like crazy. I’m back to testing the waters.

Sometimes I’ll go out and do a tour with Black Flag.

I just finished three weeks with them. I’m not going to say it was easy, because part of that music is that it isn’t supposed to be easy, there’s an element of struggle. But it was so much easier than last year when my lungs were clogged.”

This is one of the most understated remarks I suspect I’ve ever heard, but then, Stevenson is nothing if not jovial. When he speaks of his bandmates and their history together, it is as though he is talking about them for the first time, his voice animated and excited. It comes as no surprise, then, that the strength of this camaraderie sits at the very heart of Descendents.

“These days, Karl [Alvarez] and I still live very close to each other in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Milo [Aukerman] lives in Delaware, and Stephen [Egerton] lives in Tulsa. So, we don’t all live together in the same room any more like we did when we were kids, it’s definitely a different era for the band. But I think that the fact Descendents have not just all been in each other’s faces all the time is probably the main reason why we’ve managed to keep the thing going over so many years. We sort of only do it when we want to, so it doesn’t occupy every single moment of our waking days. When we do shows nowadays, we’ll go out and then get to just come home again for a while. Those are the most fun, because we get together and it’s like a party. We’re so happy to see each other, and

we’re just trying to keep the band fun. That’s the reason we started it, and it’s the reason we’re still doing it.”

Hypercaffium Spazzinate is a fine showcase of this, and not only reveals a band still on top of their technical form, but one who is also still happy to be experimenting and have the chance to just get out there and play. The musical landscape has evolved a lot since they first began, but through all those twists and turns, the soul of punk has kept burning.

“I think the soul of music is constantly changing.

At one point the soul of rock and roll fragmented itself into this thing that we call punk rock, and it has its own soul too that is constantly changing.

For instance in high school, I listened to The Ramones and then Black Sabbath’s Paranoid right next to each other, and to me those two share a soul. But there’s a person who would say the soul of punk rock involves a Mohawk and spitting on people, so that person would disagree with me.”

“The punk rock world has definitely become extremely larger than it was when it started, so that has maybe caused it to fragment and mutate.

To talk about Blink 182 punk, that’s a different conversation than to talk about some band playing in a dingy basement for seventy people. But I would say the soul of punk rock, if it can in fact be identified,” he laughs, “the soul is there in that basement.”

his contemporaries are primarily concerning themselves with the past, via nostalgia tours and album reissues, Osborne continues to push forward.

The band is never short of ideas to explore – and this is something that Buzz himself attributes to his guitar gear of choice. Unsurprisingly, he’s not content with a singular, uniform-like set-up – Osborne craves more, and he craves the state of the art.

“The gear I tend to use is mostly new,” he says.

“I’m not really interested in being another vintage guy. I use a thing called a Fender Vaporizer, which is a combo amp, and a bit of the album was recorded on that. I also have a Sunn beta lead preamp that was used as well. I’ve got a guy out in West Virginia that is making those, so I’ve been using a brand-new one, which has been great.

I have a whole heap of pedal boxes, and I have some aluminium-neck guitars that were made by The Electrical Guitar Company. That was all used on the record, but I had a lot of guitars to work with – I had a Strat, I had an SG and a Fender Mustang too. I make tonnes of different kinds of songs, so it only makes sense to have tonnes of different kinds of sounds.”

Basses Loaded is the 21st album to bare the Melvins name. It was recorded and co-produced by long-time friend and collaborator Toshi Kasai at his studio, Sound of Sirens, and released on Mike Patton’s Ipecac Records. Among the guest performers adding low-end to the LP were Nirvana’s Krist Noveselic, Butthole Surfers alum Jeff Pinkus and Mr. Bungle’s Trevor Dunn. It’s an impressive cast and an intriguing concept for a record. For Osborne, however, it was entirely circumstantial that Basses Loaded turned out the way that it did.

“It was never something that we set out to do,” he says. “We didn’t even realise it right away – we were recording, and then after a few more sessions we realised that we had a lot of bass players

sitting in with us. It was business as usual, in that we didn’t really have any kind of master plan.

It’s just the way that it worked out for us. I never really wanted to stick with one particular thing. As long as that’s your plan, it’s easy to deal with.”

Currently on tour, the Melvins are playing as a three-piece for the first time in years, stripping back to Crover – who has been with the band since its first album, 1987’s Gluey Porch Treatments – and the aforementioned Steve McDonald, who is best known as a co-founder of Redd Kross with his brother, Jeff; as well as working with the likes of Tenacious D. It was through a chance encounter and seemingly one-off collaboration with Crover that got the ball rolling in order to make McDonald a full-time Melvin.

“We’ve known Steve for a long time,” says Osborne.

“We were always big fans of Redd Kross, too.

Steve also plays in OFF!, and one time Dale sat in with them as a temporary replacement for Mario [Rubalcaba]. After the show, he was talking to me about it. He was talking about Steve, and saying to me that this was a guy where he would work well with us. He would be a good fit. It kind of just went from there. He played on the album, and now he’s touring it around with us. It’s been really great so far. He’s a really solid musician, and I’ve always had a lot of time for musicians like that. I pride myself on playing with them.”

BY ADAM NORRIS

Hypercaffium Spazzinate is out now via Epitaph. For more information visit descendents. tumblr.com.

BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG

Basses Loaded is out now via Ipecac Recordings.

MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016 // PG.21

I N T E R V I E W S

Diesel

Diesel is a rather ubiquitous presence on the Australian music scene. He has been one of our most recognisable names not only because of his early successes – such as winning backto-back Best Male Artist at the ARIA’s three years in a row – but also because of his touring commitment across huge swathes of the country. Regardless of these accolades, it is his passion for performance that has sustained Diesel’s 35year career. With his latest album, Americana, he is not only celebrating the artists who helped shaped the musician he is today, but the path that has led him here.

“I think the second ARIA was more surreal. The third time, well,” he laughs. “I guess that was beyond surreal. I was a little bit concerned actually, worried that there was maybe going to be some backlash.

Surely there must be someone else! But it was very encouraging. People sometimes make comments that those sort of awards don’t really mean anything, blah blah blah. But when you get that acknowledgement from the industry, from your peer group, it does mean something, and it is quite encouraging. For me though, it all fades when you’re trying to make something. The reality of going into the studio and recording, doing a gig and needing to try and be better than you were before, that’s the reality. The award moments are fleeting really, and as good as they are, they’re also just a small part of it. You can’t carry them around and say, hey, see, I’ve got this shiny thing! The realm of making records

Paul Dempsey Strange Loop is the name of Paul Dempsey’s new solo album, the follow-up to 2009’s Everything is True. After a five-album run with Something For Kate, Everything is True was something of a palate cleanser – it was Dempsey’s first solo record, revealing a more folk-rock oriented side of his songwriting, which then cast the Something For Kate material in a different light.

Strange Loop is stylistically broader than his debut, ranging from the seven-minute alt-country sprawl of ‘The True Sea’ to the acoustic pop of ‘Idiot Oracle’ and the fuming energy of ‘Morningless’. But the origin story of both records is much the same – namely, Dempsey felt a strong urge to depart from the band format and take complete control.

“I love working with the band, and I love the way we work; it’s a definite collaboration, there’s a lot of creative tug-of-war,” he says.

“But it’s certainly nice to then go do something else that’s not a tugof-war and that is completely self-indulgent. I’m the boss of everything and get to have everything just the way I want it. It’s good to do both – I feel really lucky that I get to do both.”

While a backing band will join Dempsey on his forthcoming tour, Strange Loop and Everything is True are solo records in truest sense – Dempsey plays all of the instruments and makes sure every drum beat and guitar note turns out just how intended. That said, at a root level, his songwriting practice remains much the same.

“I’m always just writing songs, and it just depends [what project they’re

PG.22 // MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016

and performing is totally different. You have to step up to plate and try something new every time, you can’t just rest on one moment or goal.”

His reputation as a guitarist has been wellestablished, but what is perhaps lesser known is Diesel’s (aka Mark Lizotte) aptitude for arrangement. Sure, he’s a renowned songwriter, but his interpretation of other artist’s work is a side of his career that is only now being fully explored.

On Americana, Diesel takes some of the most outstanding songwriters out there and filters them through his own distinct lens. We see Bonnie Raitt’s ‘Angel From Montgomery’, Springsteen’s ‘Born to Run’.

One of the most distinct covers though is James Taylor’s ‘Fire and Rain’. It is an interesting balance, finding how to keep faith with the original while still making it your own beast. It makes you wonder, should artists even worry at all about the original, or should songs be open to every direction?

“I think in recreating, there’s honour and there’s discovery. There’s a learning curve as well in doing that. I would do [a straight cover] as an exercise maybe. Try and totally recreate it, like artists might paint a very famous artwork to feel it, learn how it’s done, but not to share. There’s no point to putting that kind of thing out, I think. That was my goal from the outset. I think the best thing was not to…” He pauses, finding the right words. “I spent six weeks before recording just thinking about the songs. I don’t pick up an instrument straight away or get the band going, go into rehearsals and try and conjure it there. As silly as it sounds, I tried to visualise it, much in the same way as when I’m thinking up a song of my own I can sort of hear the whole thing. To hear everything there beforehand.

And sometimes picking up an instrument at that time just distracts me, I can lose my train of thought. In this case, most of them I imagined how I wanted them to be, made a really good blueprint in my mind, right down to the key I wanted to do them in, the for],” Dempsey says. “For instance, I know that the next thing that I do is going to be a Something For Kate record. So anything I may write from this day forward, I’ll bring it to rehearsal and hash it out with Clint [Hyndman] and Steph [Ashworth]. Whereas for the past two years I’ve known that whatever I was working on was going towards my solo record.”

Strange Loop was conceived and mapped out alone, but the finished product was recorded with producer Tom Schick at The Loft Studios in Chicago. Schick’s CV includes albums for Wilco, Ryan Adams, She & Him and Glen Hansard, which encouraged Dempsey to seek him out.

“My demos are pretty much what you hear on the record,” Dempsey says. “My demos are very fleshed out and all the arrangements, all the instrumentation, everything’s pretty much there. But I don’t trust myself to engineer and mix it and be able to be completely objective about it. Because I am playing everything on it, I feel like I need to at least have some devil’s advocate – someone being an unbiased third party. I also want to be in the hands of someone whose ears I trust. Having heard so many records that Tom’s engineered and mixed, I love the way they sound, I love the way he records guitars and drums and the way his mixes gel together.”

Something For Kate’s latest record, Leave Your Soul to Science, was recorded with John Congleton (St Vincent, Angel Olsen); they’ve previously worked with Trina Shoemaker (Midnight Oil, Queens of the Stone Age); and Dempsey’s Everything is True was recorded with Wayne Connolly (You Am I, The Vines).

Dempsey values each producer’s unique approach, which sustains his interest in finding new people to collaborate with.

“They all employ different techniques and they all favour different sort of gear, but [they’re] also just different people. We’re a band that when we go in the studio we know what we’re going to do. We’re not really looking for someone to pull our songs apart or make changes to our songs. For us it’s really more

bass line, or sing them to myself as I’m walking around. Take that time to compose it inside, before you get distracted by the physical world.”

It will also quite likely prove to be a timely album.

Americana as a genre is burgeoning across Australia now, heralding an unlikely resurgence of bygone instruments and tones. It paints a vastly different musical world than what Diesel experienced as an emerging musician. We have progressed from a time when popular familiarity with the banjo was unheard of, to a scene where mandolin and washboard have grown commonplace.

“I started out playing cello. People think of me as a rock guitar player but I’m no stranger to the fact that the guitar is just one of many string instruments in a very big galaxy. I guess it’s a cyclical thing. It’s a good time right now for all those string instruments, from dulcimers to mandolins, all these kind of things you wouldn’t normally see in a music shop. Going into music shops in the Eighties there were only a few that had all those types of fringe instruments. You’d be struggling to find a ukulele back then, now they’re everywhere, making Youtube stars like Jake Shimabukuro. A ukulele shredder, you wouldn’t believe it. It really whets the appetite for people to go beyond the normal. Guitar will probably go down as the most popular instrument of the century, but that could easily change in the centuries ahead.

Now it feels like it’ll last forever, but it’s a relatively new instrument historically speaking. Who’s to say if it’ll always have that popular appeal?”

BY ADAM NORRIS

Americana is out now via Liberation Music.

Diesel is touring nationally September – October. For tour dates visit dieselmusic.com.au. about finding someone whose ears we trust and who we think is going to record and mix us in a way that we’re going to like. Some bands find someone who is just their guy, who just gets what they want and that person almost becomes a member of the band. For us, we like to keep on seeing how different producers will capture us.”

Given his extensive album-making experience, Dempsey’s come to recognise a producer’s greatest asset. “Before you even hit record, I think the most important thing a producer can do is just get the band excited about what they’re doing and make everyone feel enthused about what you’re doing and what the possibilities are.”

On the subject of feeling excited, making a solo record is an effective tool in replenishing Dempsey’s enthusiasm for playing in Something For Kate, and vice versa.

“I’m really happy just doing lots of different things.

I definitely am not at risk of getting bored. I feel like I have a few different careers going on. I have Something For Kate, I have my solo acoustic stuff or my solo stuff where I can take a band with me, and my band lineup can change. I also produce records with other bands, I do stuff with the Black Arm Band – I feel like I’m constantly doing something in the music realm but at any given week it could be a different thing. I really enjoy that. I feel really lucky to just have these different sources of stimulation.

Everything keeps everything else interesting.”

BY AUGUSTUS WELBY

Paul Dempsey will be touring nationally from August 6, for more information visit www. pauldempseymusic.com. Strange Loop is out now via EMI.

www.mixdownmag.com.au

Acus Acoustic Amplification. 100% natural acoustic expression, designed and made in Italy.

Acus One Forstrings 6T Wood 130 WATT 3 CHANNELS

Available from: ACT - Better Music, Phillip - www.bettermusic.com.au NSW - All Music, Albury - www.facebook.com/All-Music NSW - Anthonys Music, Liverpool - www.anthonysmusic.com.au NSW - Downtown Music, Annandale - www.downtownmusicsydney.com.au NSW - Gladesville Guitar factory, Gladesville - www.guitarfactory.net NSW - Haworth Guitars - Shell harbour - www.haworthguitars.com.au NSW - High Street Music, Penrith - www.highstreetmusic.com.au NSW - Icon Music, West Ryde - www.iconmusic.com.au NSW - Old Bank Music, Dubbo - www.oldbankmusic.com.au NSW - Musos Corner, Newcastle - www.musoscorner.com.au QLD - Ellaways Music, Kedron - www.ellaways.com.au

SA - Derringers Music, Adelaide - www.derringers.com.au TAS - Mc Canns Music, Hobart - www.mccannsmusic.com.au TAS - Red Hot Music, Devonport - www.redhotmusic.com.au VIC - Acoustic Centre, South Melbourne - www.acousticcentre.com.au VIC - GH Music, Flemington - www.ghmusic.com.au VIC - KC’S Rockshop, Boronia - www.kcsrockshop.com.au VIC - Music World Enterprises, Malvern East - www.music-world.com.au VIC - Oxygen Music, Geelong - www.oxygenmusic.com.au VIC - World of Music - Brighton, www.worldofmusic.com.au WA - Zenith Music, Perth - www.zenithmusic.com.au

distributed by

www.drumpartner.com.au www.acus-sound.it

I N T E R V I E W S

The Amity Affliction For hard working, road-doggin’ bands who are almost eternally on tour, writing on the road is an absolute necessity if they are to release any new music at all. Bands like Brisbane five-piece The Amity Affliction have minimal downtime to get together in a rehearsal room to jam out ideas and piece together songs, so they must do what they can to keep their creativity flowing. And technology has made that much easier than it used to be, according to the band’s self-confessed ‘tech-geek’, guitarist Dan Brown.

“These days, everyone can do whatever they want on a computer,” he states. “I’m kind of the computer nerd of the band and I’ll be doing that in the back lounge of the bus. And if I’ve got something cool to show I’ll put it on an iPod and we’ll play it through the bus speakers.”

“Then we send all the demos to everyone, and Joel can start writing his lyrics because he’s got it on his phone, then and he can listen to it. It’s the digital age – it definitely makes it easier for us. Just jamming on stuff, we just don’t have the time for that any more. All our time is either with friends and family, taking some time off, or we’re on the road playing shows. We just have to squish it in there somehow.”

Ultimately, it still has to be an organic and naturally flowing process, even though they are writing in a digital format. “We’ll

Billy Talent As far as Canadian pop culture goes, Billy Talent are practically considered part of the furniture. With three number-one albums on the Canadian charts, countless world tours and a string of radio-rock staples in their arsenal, the Streetsville natives have forged a place into the annals of rock history in their native land. The best part of it all?

They’re far from done. Fans have just seen the release of their fifth album, Afraid of Heights, which comes four years removed from its predecessor, Dead Silence. Not that the band have been slacking in their time away from the spotlight – as guitarist, backing vocalist and founding member Ian D’Sa explains, the songs that make up the album have been in the works for quite some time.

“There were songs that were already written for this album when we were putting out the greatest hits record,” says D’Sa, alluding to the band’s 2014 compilation Hits. “We had a few different things kicking around, but there were a few that we knew we wanted to save for the next time that we were putting out an album. Two of the songs from that era were tacked onto the end of that greatest hits album, and the rest were worked on in the time that we had taken off from touring. If we didn’t have a release impending, those songs would have probably made it onto Afraid of Heights. It was just matter of needing something new to go along with all of the old songs.”

PG.24 // MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016

never write out of necessity,” he says. “We’re a band, and we want to keep putting out songs, but we’ll never release an album until we’re ready to release it. We’re not going to rush it and write songs just because we want an album to come out. We’re constantly writing, and then eventually when we’re completely happy with it, we go record them, rather than pushing something because of the time constraints.”

You will be able to hear the results of their efforts on August 12 when they unleash their brand new album This Could be Heartbreak. As is the wont of most musicians in the lead up to the release of their band’s new album, Brown is excited about the release and believes it to be the best thing the band have done in their career to this date.

“Yeah, it’s going to be awesome, I can’t wait!”

He says excitedly. “I’m really excited about these songs, they’re definitely the best ones we’ve ever written. I know everyone says that, but these definitely are.”

He is so confident about what they do that he tends not to become nervous in that sometimesawkward period in between completion and release. The only thing he worries about is whether the songs will hit the Internet before the initial release date.

“Not really nervous. I think sometimes you can get a bit nervous about whether it’s going to leak or not,” he chuckles. “But I might just get a little anxious. You’ve put in all this hard work and you just want it to come off. You want to show everyone what you’ve done and what you’re proud of.”

Something else he and the band are very proud of is the fact that they have made it to five albums and have survived as a band for well over a decade; from their very early formative days back in 2003. It is quite an achievement for any band in the current musical climate, let alone a heavy

band. “I think we’re all very lucky, and also proud of ourselves for being able to do it for so long, it’s a nice little compliment, in a way.”

The band head straight out on tour as soon as the album is released, taking on a run of sold-out dates at home and then head off across the globe in a gruelling schedule that takes them all the way to Christmas.

“It’s part of the job,” he says, when asked if it was a little daunting to see a list of tour dates longer than his arm. “It’s the best job in the world, so we can’t complain. It’s a part of it that we all expect.

We had a quiet first half of the year, writing the album, so we all expected a busy second half of the year.”

Afraid of Heights continues to blend the band’s churning alt-rock style with massive choruses and pop smarts. It’s a record built off spontaneous energy and a defiant nature – recorded in January, finished in April and out in the world three months later. “It’s probably the fastest that we’ve ever recorded an album,” says D’Sa. “The songs were well-rehearsed, everyone had learned all their instrumental parts, they were nearly done lyrically.

I had plenty of time to demo everything and get a clear idea of how I wanted them to sound. By the time we got to the studio in January, we pretty much just went in and nailed the whole record with just a few takes each. It was a good thing for us. I think that there is a certain amount of momentum and energy when you’re just going at it in the studio. That’s kind of how the first record came together, so I can see a lot of what we did then in what we had just done.”

After holding down the same line-up for the entire lifespan of the band – including its run from 1993 to 1999 under the name Pezz – a forced hand lead to the replacement of drummer Aaron Solowoniuk.

Although the drummer has suffered from multiple sclerosis for several years, 2015 saw him relapse in a big way – meaning that recording and touring with the band, at least for the time being, was out of the question. Although it has been an arduous time within the Billy Talent camp, D’Sa is hopeful for his bandmate’s eventual recovery.

“He’s slowly regaining his strength and his health, “he says. “It’s going to take time, but it’s a significant improvement from where he was last fall.

He’s actually out in Quebec with us right now at this festival we’re playing, and it’s so great to have him around again – even though he’s not playing drums with us right now, he still feels like part of the team. He will always be considered a part of the band. When he had his relapse, it was a really hard time for all of us. We had to figure out what we

were going to do, especially because we were about to head into the studio to record Afraid of Heights.

With MS being the horrible disease that it is, you don’t know what the recovery time is going to be – it could be three weeks, it could be three months.

We wanted him to focus on just getting better, and I think him not having to worry about playing drums was such a huge relief.”

At this juncture, Jordan “Ratbeard” Hastings, of Alexisonfire and Say Yes, entered the fray as Solowoniuk’s official stand-in. D’Sa is incredibly proud of the work Hastings has done, and affirms he has dutifully filled Aaron’s shoes when they needed him the most. “We’ve known Alexis for so long, and we’ve toured with them a lot over the years,” says D’Sa. “We’d all become really good friends with Ratbeard, and he was the first guy that we thought of to replace Aaron – especially because the two of them know each other so well; and Ratbeard is very aware and very sensitive of the whole situation.

I feel like we’ve really made the best of a terrible situation.”

Touring will continue in support of Afraid of Heights for at least another year, with an Australian tour looming. And don’t fret – the rumours of the demise of D’Sa’s famous hair quiff have been greatly exaggerated. “We had to do a press shot really quickly, so I didn’t have time to do up my hair for it,” he laughs. As soon as that photo hit the internet, I was swarmed with messages asking if I had gone bald. I assure you all, it’s still there!”

BY ROD WHITFIELD

This Could Be Heartbreak is out August 12 via Roadrunner Records. The Amity Affliction are touring the east coast later this month. For tour dates visit theamityaffliction.net.

BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG

Afraid Of Heights is out now via Warner Music.

Billy Talent are touring nationally this month.

For tour dates visit billytalent.com.

www.mixdownmag.com.au

I N T E R V I E W S

Dirty Wolves There are plenty of bands around at the moment happy to write songs that have little or no substance, but metal duo Dirty Wolves are not one of them. Their interest lies in telling a story in an album, from start to finish, and actually sending a message with their work. Mixdown sits down with guitarist and vocalist Skuewolf, real name Alex Hermes, for a thoroughly interesting chat on the project.

“Dirty Wolves is a symbol, it represents the bullshit today and what’s going on,” Hermes explains. “Dirty Wolves represent the dirty people, and that’s what Creation And Chaos is about, it’s about good versus evil, and it covers the good and the bad. So we’re quite a political band with quite a big meaning,” he continues.

The passion for his music comes through clearly in the interview, and to take on a project like this requires a certain kind of drive, which he clearly possesses. Making a concept album is something that Hermes has wanted to do for a long time, and now with an extended break from his main band Rubikon, he finally had the chance to.

“I loved making an album with [drummer] Graham that actually means something to us. I’ve [done] stuff before where you’re just putting out tracks and it doesn’t connect – it’s just a bunch of tracks. I just wanted to do something that connects, and actually means something and it’s about something,” he says. “I just love the idea of a concept album, the next one I want to do would be [another] concept album

Bob Evans Thirteen years after his debut release Suburban Kid, Bob Evans, A.K.A Kevin Mitchell, is all grown up. The singersongwriter is currently preparing to share his acoustics with audiences across Australia on the back of his fifth studio LP, Car Boot Sale. Similar to his presence on stage, Mitchell’s voice through the receiver is instantly welcoming and incessantly comical. With the weather taking a turn for the worse outside his Ocean Grove home, he offers up some insight into the unpredictable nature of his Peninsula surroundings – “I’m in my garage and all of a sudden this wild fucking storm is rolling through! [laughs]”.

In stark contrast, Mitchell’s reflection of his most recent release is cool, calm and collected. “It’s my favourite ‘Bob’ record I’ve made in ten years, so I’m really happy with it,” he says. “It’s everything I hoped it would be. I feel really content with how it all came out.”

Mitchell often expresses that each of his records act as a response to its predecessor. This time around, Car Boot Sale has seen him press refresh and return to his critically acclaimed acoustic roots.

“With my last record, Familiar Strange, I was really trying to distance myself from the whole singer-songwriter thing,” he explains. “It was boring and I felt like I’d been kind of boxed into this kind of genre.

So, for my last record, I was trying to make something that didn’t sound anything like that. Weirdly, that is the only record of mine that iTunes have put in the ‘singer-songwriter’ category. They’re just

www.mixdownmag.com.au

if I can.”

Being a concept album isn’t the only thing that is different about their record, as they actually wrote most of it backwards, by writing the drums first, followed by the guitar and lyrics. “Usually the guitarist sits down and writes everything, [but] this time the drummer came in with beats and odd times and polyrhythms, and he goes ‘hey man here’s a polyrhythm, write some guitars over it’.”

Whilst much more challenging than writing ‘traditionally’, Hermes believed that they were able to pull off writing backwards and ended up with something truly original. “[Though it was much harder], that was the trade off we were looking for to get something unique, something that belongs to us.”

One of the main challenges for this record for Hermes was actually writing the riffs to the drum patterns that Graham brought in, some of which were pretty difficult to get his head around. “The riffs were hard man. I actually think Graham is a great drummer and I really enjoy his stuff, he’ll come in with all this stuff and I’ll just look at it as a massive challenge.”

Such a technical style of writing the album might lead to the creative aspect of writing music being lost, but Hermes insists that the spontaneous moments of inspiration weren’t completely foregone. They weren’t always striving for the most out-there time signature or complicated riff, but instead they were finding what was right for the song. “There’s a lot of spark in there. There is spark, but the album changes. We do have one or two tracks in [4/4 time] and [3/4 time]. You can’t disrespect [4/4 time], because it thunders, but there’s lots of contrast. We don’t do polyrhythms all through the album, so there is some contrast.”

Talking of polyrhythms and making writing music harder for themselves might lead to one sounding like a pompous prick (to put it nicely), but that twisted bastards, fucking with my mind [laughs].”

With this record I really embraced the acoustic guitar again. I felt like I’d spent enough time away from the origins of Bob Evans. I started enjoying writing on the acoustic again and I found new ways of putting songs together.”

“Familiar Strange was a pretty wide-screen kind of album and it was complicated, this one I just wanted to make simple, direct and efficient. Some of my favourite artists are people who make records in that kind of way. I think it can be easy to dismiss simplicity in any art form as being easy. I think that anybody who has experience in any art form knows that creating or expressing something in the simplest, clearest way possible can be a real challenge.”

Describing a selection of tracks from Car Boot Sale as “struggle songs”, Mitchell maintains that while it was not intended, the record acts as a running commentary on the various issues that surrounded him.

“I started to notice a pattern emerging lyrically with the songs that I was writing,” he says. “It was the really simple idea of adversity and struggle and trying to keep your head above water and to trying see the light. I write about them in different ways – some are very personal and others are what I’ve seen playing out in the world around me, politically and socially. A lot of songs just seem to go down that path. I have a pretty great life by most standards, so sometimes it can be a little hard to take, hearing a white guy talking about struggle, but I think we’re all allowed to express that.”

The thirty-nine-year-old adds that fatherhood has had an affect on his writing process and overall perspective. In fact, his song ‘Some People’ discusses the potential impact of online trolling on his two young daughters.

“It’s given me a kick up the ass to educate myself and to become more informed about social issues – particularly feminism and women’s issues,”

isn’t the case when Hermes talks about Dirty Wolves. His evident passion makes the concept easy enough to understand for even the most devoid of theoretical rhythmic knowledge. “For me anyway this is my impression [of polyrhythms]; whilst you’re out of time it creates this vortex, and everything swings around and hits on the one [beat] again, it all falls back into time. You lose time and you fall back in time; for me it’s a real challenge and it’s a lot of fun because you really want to hit back on the one again because you can really lose your sense of timing. There’s no metronome, there’s no hi-hat, there’s nothing, and sometimes Graham wont bring the one back in, and then you’re just in the vortex.”

Following the release of their debut album, Dirty Wolves are hitting the road for a massive headline tour in September and October, highlighted by a performance at the Sydney Opera House. The tour also hits a lot of regional venues, which is something that Hermes sees as important for the band. “It’s really important to get out there and play as much as possible. It all comes down to playing as many shows as you can, because if you go down there that’s an extra 50 heads you’re pulling to your show, an extra 50 here, an extra 50 there.”

BY ELIJAH HAWKINS

Creation & Chaos is out August 15 through MGM. For more information visit dirtywolves.com. says Mitchell. “It’s incumbent on me to have an understanding of what the world is like for women and the kind of world my children are inheriting.

I also have to be disciplined because, in the past, I could just wander around the house all day strumming a guitar until something came along, whereas now I have to be really strategic with my time. I still like the same kinds of things and I’m still trying to achieve the same kind of things, I’m just trying to find new ways to improve.”

Heading out on tour this month, Mitchell will be joined by handpicked Melbourne-based songstress, Melody Pool.

“Every time I tour now I always look for a female support act – just so at my shows there is some gender equality going on,” he says. “I fucking love Melody Pool. I love her record. Her first album, The Hurting Scene was one of my favourite Australian albums the year it came out. I played it to death and I just think she’s super talented. It’ll give me a kick up the ass too because she’s really good. I’m going to have to follow her up so I’ll have to be on the top of my game [laughs].”

“I love getting on stage with a bunch of other musicians but one of the great joys of doing Bob Evans coming out of Jebediah is that I get different experiences on stage. Either playing on my own, which is great fun, or playing in a band with different musicians. My live band changes all the time depending on who I can wrangle. I just like getting out of the house and doing what I love.”

BY PHOEBE ROBERTSON

Car Boot Sale is out now via EMI Music Australia. Bob Evans is touring nationally this month.

For tour dates visit bobevans.com.au.

MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016 // PG.25

A D V I C E

C O L U M N S

On The One... Actually, Start On Anything But The One GUITAR I had some discussions this month with a few guys regarding phrasing and in particular, leading into licks or lines. One thing that came up was starting phrases on different beats of the bar as a way of mixing things up.

Figure A takes a D dorian sounding line starting on the 1 of the first bar. Make sure you count in a bar beforehand and listen to the feel of starting on the 1.

Now try Figure B. The phrase is the same except it starts on the end (+) of 1.

Notice how it feels different though? The same concept is then used for Figure C and Figure D (starting on the 2 + and the 3 + respectively). Figure D almost sounds like a lead in to the A on the 1 of the second bar rather than a lick starting on the D note (from the previous bar). The point here is by just moving the starting point, you can make your phrases sound different instantly.

Semiquavers then give you more subdivisions to play with. Figure E is a descending A minor pentatonic pattern in a rock type style. Figure F then moves the whole run a semi quaver later starting on the E of 1 which adds some cool movement. Figure H has the wrapping over the bar line feel, especially if you’re still hearing the phrase starting on the 1. These licks don’t have to be intricate or even fast to create some movement – start slow and get used to hearing where

they start and finish. A metronome or drum loop can be handy to really lock in too.

When practicing these types of ideas, I’d pick something to jam on (a simple II/V chord progression for instance), pick a beat to start on and then improvise. As a starting point, begin all your phrases on that spot. Then move to another starting point and so on. Eventually your ear gets used to them all and you can just call on these at will – they’ll literally just pop out as part of your normal playing. Remember, there is nothing wrong with starting on the 1 but it can be nice to experiment with the idea of starting on different beats. Mix up the scale types, intervals, arpeggios, try triplets, odd groupings of notes – there are tonnes of possibilities.

We’ll get into more involved examples next month using some more harmonically adventurous note choices and rhythms to really mix things up.

BY NICK BROWN

PG.26 // MIXDOWN #267 // JULY 2016

www.mixdownmag.com.au

A D V I C E

C O L U M N S

Working On Your Rhythm BASS Rhythm is very important for a bass player. A strong sense of time is essential for both locking in with a rhythm section and creating and playing great rhythmic bass lines. Let’s get to work on some more workouts. Figure A is some counting to get you warmed up. Count bars of quavers (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +) and make sure of the rests. It’s great practice to get into tapping your foot too.

Figure B and Figure C continue in a similar fashion. Start with a slow tempo getting all the quavers nice and even.

Then try ramping up the tempo to really get your chops up.

Figure D has a repetitive feel to it with a three-note motif wrapping around and around but displaced slightly each time.

There’s a familiar feeling and sound to it, yet it can feel slightly uneasy thanks to the rests in between.

there’s something to suit nearly everyone.

Try taking these ideas to different scales and arpeggios, work all over the neck.

Most importantly work on your own rhythms. Notating and reading them can really help to solidify your playing and it can help you get really creative, as you’re not limited at first by what you can only actually play.

BY NICK BROWN

Extending to semi quavers, Figure E is best started slowly to lock in and then up the tempo. Based around E minor pentatonic, its busier displaced feel can sound great against a contrasting, straight-ahead drum groove or guitar part.

More of the same with Figure F, this time loosely based on D minor.

Rhythmic exercises are great warm ups, good for your timing and feel, and can make interesting bass parts. Rock, jazz, funk, latin, metal and plenty more use displacement and rhythmic motifs, so

AUSTRALIAN MADE

CUSTOM GUITARS HIGH QUALITY ELECTRIC GUITARS. THE FINEST WOODS USED AND THE TONE TO MATCH. Fi Fican Guitars are passionate about offering high quality guitars that not only sound excellent, but are also innovative by design. Find entirely new sounds, tones and mixes in the many guitars that Fican will have on show at this year's MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW.

FI FICANGUITARS.COM.AU FACEBOOK.COM/FICANGUITARS www.mixdownmag.com.au

7*4*5 45"/% " 0 3 $ 0 / 5 " $ 5

)"..0/% "6453"-*" #&3/*&4 .64*$ -"/% MIXDOWN #267 // JULY 2016 // PG.27

XXX NVTJDMBOE DPN BV

A D V I C E

C O L U M N S

The Microphone & The Computer STUDIO In recent weeks I have come across a growing number of developing musicians who are taking to home recording for the first time. It just so happens that recording vocals was the flavour of the month in my world, and everyone wanted help doing this. It’s nothing new for me, but there was one common factor that stood out amongst so many of these young musicians, and that was their choice of direction when it came to recording vocals. There are plenty of options when looking for a microphone setup for vocals and perhaps acoustic guitar as well. The condenser microphone was the favourite, but surprisingly, the USB option has been trending right now, just when I had thought this not so new concept had lost its steam. It looks as though the youth of July just want simplicity in recording, leaving plenty of space for creativity to emerge.

THE WAY THINGS CHANGE Once upon a time musicians didn’t record music. This wasn’t all that long ago either. No, as some of you start to furrow your brow and wonder what on earth I am talking about, consider this. Twenty or 30 years ago most musicians played music.

They did not record it, although many of them were recorded. The task of recording their music was left to the producer and engineer who know how to operate the studio, control all the flashing lights and most importantly, knew which knobs to turn. That was the role of the engineer, sitting at the flight deck taking control of the hardware. The producer almost played the role of translator between these two foreign people. The vast majority of musicians can’t understand engineer, and many engineers down know how to

speak musician. But the producer was the bilingual go-between that could get these two groups communicating and interacting. That has all changed.

Today, the modern musician is not only the performer, but the producer and the engineer as well. With the development of home recording equipment, musicians have the potential to record themselves and get great results without the need of a producer or engineer for every step of the process.

STRAIGHT IN With this new breed of home recording musicians, has come the development of a new range of recording techniques based on the tools made available to them. One such tool is the USB microphone. This clever idea sees the microphone, preamp,

power supply and AD converter all housed within the one casing and requires nothing more than a USB cable to operate and capture audio into a computer software platform. That makes it sound pretty fancy, and it is in many ways.

What’s on offer in the USB microphone world now delivers results that could not have been imagined for ten times the price only 15 or 20 years ago. Any wonder it is growing in popularity. Now that the fear of these new devices has been overcome, the take-up of them by many musicians is growing all the time. But, there are some concerns and important factors to consider when using a USB condenser microphone for recording vocals and instruments.

Like with any studio microphone, you need to consider the environment the microphone is operating in and adjust it to the best case scenario. Usually these microphones are supplied with relatively short USB cables. The first thing you should do is invest in a good quality USB cable of around ten to fifteen feet in length. This will enable you to get some distance from your computer when recording. Remember, you need to isolate any noise within the room that you choose to record in. With a USB microphone, you can’t run a long XLR cable into another room and have the computer removed from the recording space. So, be aware of how your computer operates and how it generates noise. If certain functions force the computer’s fans to increase, try to reduce those processing whilst recording. Although you

can’t always keep it quiet, so consider its placement too. Have your microphone set up with the polar pattern facing away from the computer to reject as much operating noise as possible. Also, try to keep your computer at a different height to the microphone when recording to further reduce unwanted noise spill. But ensure it is not in a corner or against a wall, if possible, as this will only serve to increase noise through reflections and make cancellation even more difficult with microphone placement.

You can get great results form a USB microphone by considering its inherent downfalls. Like any home recording environment, you need to be concerned with external environmental noise. But, the bigger problem is usually from noise generated within the recording space.

So take this into consideration and your recording will show you the results in playback.

BY ROB GEE

The Latest From The Booth DJ The US has been enjoying summer, trade shows and new product releases in recent months, which means that we now know what to expect to hit our shores this party season. Before we get there, there’s plenty to talk about in the DJ world that may have you thinking about your next purchase in the lead-up to the silly season.

WINTER RANE It seems that there’s rain in the news everywhere at the moment. Obviously we’re getting drenched in it here in Melbourne, but over in the Seattle, Rane DJ is set to be sold to and will join the line-up of brands now owned by inMusic Inc. This corporate giant currently owns 13 separate companies that offer music creation, professional sound and electronic products to an ever growing market. Their stables include names such as Alesis, Numark, Akai, Denon DJ and M-Audio to name just a few. So, what does this mean for the Rane DJ name that many of us have come to love over the years? That is a question that only time can answer.

While more brands are continuing to operate under inMusic’s control, they’ve managed to continue to develop existing ideas amongst the brands they already harbour. So, perhaps we will see bigger and better things from Rane DJ in the future, as the brand is able to draw upon technology and expertise from within the inMusic house.

BEHRINGER TEASE DEEPMIND 12 SYNTH One very talked about video series at the moment is the new set of teasers that have been dribbling out from Behringer in recent weeks, relating to the launch of their first ever synth. We’ve been given a lot of quick glimpses of very small sections of the unit one at a time. What we know so far is that it’s a 12-voice analogue poly-synth called Deepmind 12 with at least four inbuilt effects modules.

You do get to hear a range of sounds produced by this new beast and as well as some brief glimpses of what looks like a modern version of the original Roland Juno, but we’ll need to wait until it’s properly unveiled to get the full picture.

No information on price yet, but knowing Behringer, it will be competitive.

EVEN MORE FROM THE PIONEERS OF DJ PRODUCTS It seems that you just can’t stop the R&D team at Pioneer DJ as they continue to come out with new controllers every other moment. Earlier this month their new flagship controller was announced.

This is designed to make the most of the

PG.28 // MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016

rekordbox dj software and integrate the video capabilities in the new version. It houses two distinct decks either side of a central mixer with three colour touch screens running across the angled and raised rear section of the device. This is going to change the way DJs present media in a club, allowing them to treat video like it were audio and giving the DJ scratch and mix controls over the video stream as well as the audio. The VJ and the DJ just became one with this new controller and I’m sure we are going to see some very interesting stuff happening with this.

IN THE XONE And for those of you, like myself, who still fire up the turntables and enjoy working with a fully featured mixer in between them, Allen & Heath have got you covered

with the announcement of their new Xone:PX5 mixer. This is a classic 4+1 analogue DJ mixer format, reminiscent of the very first Xone mixer from many years ago, but with plenty of upgrades.

An internal FX engine and filter section provide added variety to your tracks, and it easily integrates with Xone:K series controllers via an Ethernet connection so your analogue and digital realms can come together with the audio quality you have come to expect from Allen & Heath.

This is one to keep an eye out for later in the year.

BY ROB GEE

www.mixdownmag.com.au

S L A E D N I E D A GREAT TR ! ic M s s le e ir w r u o y E UPGRAD

UPGRADE your old wireless mic for a NEW SENNHEISER WIRELESS SYSTEM

and get an amazing TRADE IN DEAL

DON’T TOSS IT TRADE IT !

Contact your local Sennheiser Wireless dealer for a great Trade In Deal !

LIMITED TIME ONLY - DON’T MISS OUT !

Any brand wireless system accepted. Limit of 1 trade in per Sennheiser System Offer valid from 1 July 2016 - 30 September 2016. Participating stockists only.

Freecall 1800 648 628 for details of your nearest Sennheiser Wireless stockist

A D V I C E

C O L U M N S

Avoiding The Dreaded Two Trips use a 14x5” or 14x6.5” snare drum.

Obviously, the bigger sizes are harder to fit on the trolley but it can be done. All drums are in soft bags, not hard cases.

To get through doors, I use the smallest hardware bag possible – currently the AHEAD Ogio series. I breakdown all the stands and pack in such a way that everything is as flat as possible, with the throne top and pedal as the last things to go in the hardware bag.

Most of the time these days, I secure the whole load and just sit the last tom on the top and hold it there in transit.

When the trolley is tilted back, the drum is usually settled.

Securing the load is important. You can use Ocky straps but they can be a little hazardous if they let go and can often not be strong enough to really hold the gear if things start to move. A better option is a pull tight belt. They’re the same as a ratchet style but you just pull tight yourself and they have a quick release. The tie really needs to be attached to the fold down base of the trolley at the front before you put your hardware on and can extend over the whole rig to attach again at the handle or lower down.

HOW I DO IT The order on the trolley starts with the hardware bag lying flat lengthwise. This eliminates getting stuck in a door from the sides and provides a longer base for the rest of the kit. Next, goes the rug/ mat folded flat into a square – it can’t be rolled. The bass drum sits skin side down with the cymbals, which nest on the top of the drum. Next, the snare drum sits on its side on the cymbals at the back of the trolley and the floor tom head side down in front of that. If you have a snare drum case with a strap, quite often you can extend this to get over the floor tom in the front – it kind of keeps them together. The rack tom can usually sit on top of the floor tom but on its side.

DOWNSIDES? Whilst you have your trolley in one hit now there are some inevitable downsides.

You’ll be able to handle some stairs and going down isn’t terrible but going up is pretty tough. You also need to be mindful of extra loading time and using larger drums will alter the loading process. You might have to put your cymbals on your back to allow the full kit to be lower on the trolley. The hardware case needs to be small and that means breaking everything down – you may not want to do this all the time if you’re used to a longer hardware case. A fully loaded trolley can be heavy so you need to be mindful of the ground you’re rolling on. Cobblestones can be challenging!

DRUMS As we all know, the nature of the drum kit as an instrument inevitably comes with the dreaded loading, lifting, carrying, setting up, tearing down and then the lifting, carrying and loading again. After years of playing, it’s always going to be a bit of a drag. I now carry my whole kit in one load on a trolley.

TROLLEY For reasons that I’ll discuss in more detail soon, I opt for a trunk trolley. This is the standard tall, two-wheel job. Why not a flat bed? The simplest answer is they’re not as maneuverable when you’re in a hurry. They can be more cumbersome going through doors or tight spaces and you can’t get up or down steps easily.

The trolley has to be easy to handle and also needs to be collapsible for getting in the car after the gig. It also needs to be strong since we’re ultimately going to put the whole kit on there. The model I bought had been with me for over 10 years. It hasn’t got any rubber handles or lightweight materials. It’s got solid wheels and is made of steel. It’s also rated to carry 150kg. It’s just a standard trunk trolley by Aussie Trolleys.

THE KIT When considering a kit to fit on the trolley, I still wanted to use a decent set-up – so anything less than a 4-piece wasn’t going to fly. My Yamaha is a larger kit so I could choose a configuration of toms – one up/one down. So I usually use 10” and 14” toms or 12” and 16” toms. Kick drum is 22” and I usually

No Reason Not to be Excited ELECTRONIC MUSIC PRODUCTION You know, when I think back to so many television commercials from around fifteen years ago, there was an overwhelmingly similar character trait with the music used time and time again. Yes, it was all heavily compressed and louder than necessary. Yes, it was all generally ignored by most of us, at least on a conscious level. Sure, there was a lot of overly happy rock that could have been at home as the theme music to Friends or Full House. But, the common trait I am talking about is the sample library that was being used for much of this music. The unassuming background music was riddled with samples and sounds that were unmistakenly taken from Propellerhead’s Reason software.

And how was I able to recognise them so easily? Well, perhaps I was guilty of abusing these sounds just as much myself.

THE NEXT GENERATION Now, I’m not just going on a journey down memory lane into a world of television muzak and laid back drum & bass from an almost forgotten era for no reason at all.

No, my drive to look back at almost twenty years of forward thinking music production software comes due to the recent release of Reason 9, the next generation of samples, sounds and effects. I got a brief glimpse at the latest version this week, but have yet to fully dive into the inner workings of this long awaited software development. From the outset, it all looks very promising. The team at Propellerhead have done a few versions in the past that really just seemed like updates to the existing model. However, growing worldwide uptake of this Swedish software, led to Propellerhead delivering the goods with the announcement of Version 9. Now a fully-fledged recording and production

suite, Reason stands tall amongst some of the big names in DAW software.

FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS Those of you who were making electronic music in the late ‘90s would have undoubtedly got your hands on a copy of ReBirth at some stage. This seemingly simple software instrument changed the way many of us looked at using a computer for music production. Suddenly, there was a very real, very usable and very accessible software replica of two of the most famous drum machines of the time and that ever so sought after Roland 303 bassline. Now you could get ‘those’ sounds when you wanted, from your computer, which at the time was a big deal. Plus, you could edit and save settings, unlike the real machines, and you could get them both for a fraction of the cost of the hardware units that were fetching premium prices

PG.30 // MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016

in a second hand market that had gone techno crazy. Well, this was the beginning of big things from Propellerhead. When Reason was released in 2000, it really was the game-changer that it was taunted as being. This package had so much going on with the samplers and synth engines.

Not to mention the fact that you could hit the tab button to flip around to the rear of the rack and rewire your setup just like you would when using hardware. This gimmick may have captured the attention of so many electronic music studio geeks, but the sounds kept them interested. The sounds kept the creating. It may have seemed like so much was on offer when it was first released, the humble Version 1 actually had limited sonic possibilities compared to today’s yardstick. That is probably why so many tracks produced with Reason were so easily recognisable, due to the somewhat limited sample banks that were included. But, that was all to change with later releases.

What was lacking in these earlier versions of Reason though, was not so much an

This method won’t be for everyone but at least, should you need to, you have the ability to waltz on in one go.

BY ADRIAN VIOLI

extended sound library, as that grew with every subsequent release. No, it was the ability to record audio into the sequencer.

Versions 1-5 were all a sealed system that only allowed audio to be introduced by means of WAV files imported into one of the sample players. If you wanted to incorporate recorded audio, you had to run Reason alongside another DAW and use the ReWire function to feed the outputs of Reason into spare channels in said DAW. This all changed with Reason 6, more than ten years after the original release. Propellerhead’s Record software was integrated into Reason so it could function as a fully operational recording and production suite. This was accompanied by a new mixer that offered a huge range of possibilities in both EQ, dynamics and signal routing. Reason was now set to become a software package that could stand on its own and has continued to grow in such a manner over the last five years. Now, Reason 9 offers a range of added goodies, even more sounds and extensive implementation of the everpopular rack extensions that are growing in numbers with external developers bringing their own sonic flavour to the Reason pallet. For those of you who may have strayed away from the Swedish sound engine in recent years, there has never been a better time to come back and see what is on offer. And, owners of any previous version are able to get back into Reason for a heavily reduced rate with the upgrade software even allowing Reason 1 license holders to take advantage. Now, what did I do with that software license card from 16 years ago?

BY ROB GEE

www.mixdownmag.com.au

Come see us at the Melbourne Guitar Show - Stands 78-81 Full range available now dynamicmusic.com.au facebook.com/SuproAustralia

F E A T U R E S

A CLOSER LOOK AT:

needed boost for easy access. And lets not forget about the manufacturer’s very own power supplies: the rechargeable Volto Analog 9v, and the ever-reliable Powertrain1250.

Pedaltrain have long been improving the lives of musicians with accessories that support, enable, protect and power their everyday creative endeavours.

EGM Distribution

EGM imports and distributes premium guitar products, specialising in the finest amplifiers, FX pedals, power supplies and guitar accessories. The EGM team share a common passion – an intense appetite and appreciation for great guitar gear. They’re dedicated musicians and gear-heads, primed with decades of knowledge, expertise and relevant experience across all facets of the music industry. Working closely with the world’s best manufacturers, distributors and industry professionals, they strive to provide the type of music products that help musicians, of all ages and abilities, to create and excel. Ahead of the Melbourne Guitar Show, let Mixdown guide you through EGM’s celebrated distribution roster.

TRUETONE / VISUAL SOUND AND 1SPOT Since its modest beginnings, Truetone has grown to become a pedal manufacturer recognised for nailing specific sounds – its unique line of products is renowned for turning the tonal dreams of guitarists into sonic reality. Since changing their name to Truetone (formerly Visual Sound) they have expanded the 1 SPOT range – now the industry standard – with two new units and new accessories, and have launched a new V3 version of their flagship Jekyll & Hyde overdrive-distortion pedal. The latter is indicative of a manufacturer that has perfected its craft. Like its predecessors, the V3 Jekyll & Hyde features a two-pedalsin-one design. However the ability of this pedal to dial in hi-gain tones and thicker distortion with an impactful low-end takes it to another level. Due to an unrelenting hunger for invention and creativity, Truetone continues to remain at the forefront of guitar effect engineering.

BAD CAT Bad Cat is responsible for crafting classic guitar tube amplifiers in the modern form, and the boutique manufacturer hasn’t looked back since entering the scene in 2000.

With an approach that leaves no room for compromise an attention to detail is present in every line of construction and make; from the assembly process, to the finish and testing, Bad Cat is a master of the meticulous, hands-on build. It come as no surprise then that their amps nail classic tones and layouts. Their Legacy Series, for instance, is a shining example of complexity in tone, providing both shimmering cleans and a thumping growl. There’s no questioning why Bad Cat is the amp of choice for the likes of Slipknot and Panic! At The Disco. With its rapid rise the company is now a major player within the industry, producing high performance pedals as well as tone refining amps.

BOGNER California-based manufacturers and amplification pioneers Bogner have been producing products with a point of difference ever since their early beginnings. Recently the inventive company has been capturing the sound of their sought-after tube amplifiers in pedals, bringing back classic tones and tube ingenuity in affordable and intensely rewarding offerings. The Ecstasy and Uberschall amplifiers have both been repurposed in the Ecstasy Red and Ecstasy Blue pedals, their signature tones and sonic vibrancy now the joy of the everyday guitarist. Next came the Burnley distortion, Wessex overdrive, and Harlow Boost with Bloom, each pedal fitted with an audio transformer from the legendary Rupert Neve. The result is a rich, fatty sound quality with a tonal breadth suitable for every genre. The La Grange, which is designed to emulate the legendary British ‘Plexi’ amplifier tones, is the latest instalment from an innovator that continues to enter new and exciting ground.

BLUGUITAR Behind some of the most mind-blowing and technologically savvy products in today’s music industry is BluGuitar. It’s the brainchild of German guitarist and amp designer Thomas Blug, who is renowned for his past work with another well-known German guitar amplifier manufacturer in Hughes and Kettner. His playing history includes being titled the Best German Rock-Pop Guitarist in 1997 by Deutscher Rock Musik Verband, and in 2004 he won a Fender competition that was designed to find the ‘Strat King of Europe’. His line of gear is as fascinating and as his musical history. The BluGuitar AMP1 is a 100-watt guitar amplifier with a valve driven output stage that fits onto a pedalboard – it’s a pedal that effectively replaces the use of an amp. This is a forward thinking unit that still offers a sweet clean channel and interacts well with other pedals. There’s no doubt that BluGuitar is changing the way we play the guitar, one product at a time.

PG.32 // MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016

LEHLE Lehle is a brand that truly made its mark with a single invention. The man behind the manufacturer, Burkhard Georg Lehle, built the Lehle switcher motivated by the voiced concerns of guitarists – a loss of sound and the generation of unwanted noise. Here came the first A/B- and A/B/C switchers.

With the development of a Stereo EffectLoop/Switcher featuring two separate loops and an integrated buffer amp in 2004, the company took a turn that eventually lead to great prominence within the industry. Today we have the Lehle Acoustic Junior, a compact multi-functional tool for musicians who perform onstage with electric and acoustic instruments, yet wish to use the same effects setup with both. And then there’s the Lehle Mono Volume pedal, equipped with a precise magnetic sensor enabling it to operate almost wear-free. Advancing pedal technology is part of the Lehle DNA.

VOODOO LAB / PEDAL POWER Rugged, reliable and handmade – these are Voodoo Lab’s greatest qualities. It’s an apt description for their Pedal Power line, which ticks all the boxes when it comes to a power supply. They are the go-to for the stompoxloving guitarist, the player who wants a potent programmable rig incorporating rack gear and digital pedals. The Voodoo Lab Pedal power MONDO sits at the top of the power supply food chain with high current capabilities that can power the largest and most diverse pedal boards. It features 12 completely isolated, filtered, and regulated output sections, keeping your pedals dead quiet and free from high-frequency noise that occurs with digital ‘switching’ power supplies. Plus there’s an internal thermometer that controls a silent fan, ensuring the unit remains cool under duress – perfect for the outdoor festival, or the packed out basement show. It’s proof that Voodoo Lab has something for everyone.

PEDALTRAIN Across the board, Pedaltrain products facilitate musical exploration, a vehicle that assists in the creative process. Their renowned Pedaltrain system offers pedalboard models in 12 different sizes, each with its own particular incline, rail spacing, and number of rails. This ensures that there is a Pedaltrain out there to fit the needs of every musician. The pedaltrain brackets then allow for the mounting of your power supply, wireless unit or switching system underneath the Pedaltrain pedalboard. The Pedaltrain PedalBooster then gives shorter pedals that much

FUCHS Fuchs Audio Technology boasts an impressive collection of amps that covers the entire tonal spectrum. The manufacturer can lay claim to producing some of the finest channel switching amps available on the market.

Their growing product line is characterised by clever construction and intricate circuit designs. The Overdrive Supreme has long been a favourite amp of guitarists, wielding a clean channel with a rock/jazz switch, and an overdrive channel with OD in and OD out controls. The specificity of this foundational unit speaks volumes of a company not content with simplistic tone and response, but one rather striving for a multidimensional sound. Newer products have seen Fuchs expand their range to include combos, diversifying their what they offer while staying true to their stellar tonal blueprint. The Blackjack 21 MK11 Combo Amplifier is just one example that pulls off American style tone, with new design features – it can be used as both a single channel amp, and as a traditional channel switcher amp.

MAGNATONE Magnatone was founded in 1937 and was active until the mid ‘70s. In the decades before its initial demise Buddy Holly made the Californian manufacturer famous, developing a fondness for their uniquely wired vibrato-equipped amplifiers. In early 2013 Ted Kornblum (formerly of Ampeg) revived the manufacturer with a range of boutique amps, some of which reproduced classic Magnatone designs, and others that drew from the classic British sound. With input from ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons and Neil Young’s guitar tech Larry Cragg this was a venture destined to succeed. The list of Magnatone owners now includes Paul Simon, Tom Petty, Jackson Browne, Andy Summers, Jack White, Keith Richards, Jeff Beck, Joe Bonamassa, Jason Isbell, Ry Cooder and Jeff Tweedy and many more. From the Studio Collection that produces 10 to 15 watts of belting, harmonically rich tone, to the pitch-shifting vibrato of the vintage Twilighter, Magnatone complements fine design with bold concepts.

BY CHRIS SCOTT

www.mixdownmag.com.au

F E A T U R E S

The Untold Story of Supro Amps The history of Supro Amplifiers is a bizarre success story that saw a defunct British amplifier company become the trademark sound decades to come. The story begins in 1926 when Supro was being manufactured in Chicago under the formation of The National Resophonic Guitar Company. The soon to be formed Valco amps (from National and Dobro) had placed themselves in the hearts of many iconic blues musicians in the Chicago scene. Bringing to light a signature that would be embedded in the culture forever, Valco offered a different sonic texture in amps and custom speakers that can still be heard today. In particular, Supro-made Valco amps identified a new sound, a new pitch amongst musicians that ran synonymous with gritty blues. Decades on, Supro has made its triumphant re-entry into the modern music landscape, though it wasn’t all smooth sailing in between.

Making their step from Chicago blues to ruthless rock ‘n’ roll music between the 1930s to 1960s, Supro built their own foundation and field when it came to allowing individuality in sound. Straying from the pack and breathing a new standard for players, they appealed to musicians who wanted ‘to make their own mark on music’. They became one of the largest amp manufacturers alongside Fender throughout the ‘50s and mid ‘60s, before fading into obscurity in 1968.

Throughout the 1930s, Supro amps carved a signature for blues music. Featuring raw clean-cut tones and pushing gain control to a new level, the Supro combos soon made their presence known to rock ‘n’ roll guitarists who were bred from a blues background in the 1960s.

By that stage rock n roll had made an impact like nothing the world had seen,

and central to that movement was a blues enthusiast named Jimmy Page, who was just entering the studio to record what would later be known as Led Zeppelin I. Page brought with him a Supro Model 24.

Jimmy had a background playing blues and felt inspired by its raw and defined sound.

The Supro Model 24 not only built his wall of sound, it generated some of the most iconic riffs in rock history. The cruel twist was, Supro had closed their doors four good months prior to the recording.

Being placed as a vintage manufacturer, many of the greats have noted using Supro as their optimal amplifier. Before Jimi Hendrix rose to fame, living in London, he was known to use a Supro Thunderbolt bass combo as his guitar rig throughout his tour with the Isley Brothers.

Today, Supro amplifiers have been brought back into the limelight after the brand

spectacularly re-introduced itself to the music playing public. Their iconic 60s Combo Series are now being manufactured using the same material and technology in their prime, yet giving it a modern kick.

Supro’s distinctive sound is as recognizable now as it was when it initially swept the market of it’s feet, bucking the trends followed by the major brands, even to this day. In the modern era, artists like Joe Perry are using the Supro to tour with, exposing the class A amplification to new audiences. The classic Supro amps have an earlier set of technology, being described as a bit more squishy, mid-range focussed with very dynamic range. Even back in the glory days, the classic amps held little to

no noise, making it still one of the most versatile amps on the market – big or small. From humble beginning in Chicago, Supro’s resurgence has a lot of hype to live up to. They seemed destined for a long life in the minds of guitarists everywhere, before fizzling out, only to return again once the sonic hole it left was turly felt.

I guess sometimes you don’t know what you’ve got, till it’s gone.

BY THOMAS BARTHA Supro Amplifiers are distributed Australia wide by Dynamic Music, for more information head to www.dynamicmusic. com.au

BEHIND THE SCENES: Vintage & Custom Drum Expo AN INTERVIEW WITH ANDREW HABGOOD Returning to Sydney for its second instalment this month is the Vintage & Custom Drum Expo. Noticing a hole in the market, drum-enthusiast Andrew Habgood created the expo as an opportunity for local and custom drum builders to showcase their creations on the big stage. This year, the expo is set to explode with a massive line-up of local and international drum manufacturers exhibiting their custom gems. We have already seen what local manufacturers Red Rock Drums and Gas Custom Drums have to offer, and joining them at the expo includes Moody Drums, Sleishman, Evetts Drums, Roulette Custom and JPP (plus heaps more). It doesn’t just end there though, a plethora of intenational heavyweights will also be on show, with brands like Craviotto, DW, Promark, Gretsch, Sakae, Ludwig and Murtat Diril. Mixdown chats with the man behind the expo to gain insight on the proceedings of the expo and learn a little more about the custom drum market in Australia.

When did you first develop your love affair with drums?

Well, my father is a drummer; he always gigged and had kits around the place from when I was young. I used to go along to his rehearsals and sit side-stage at his gigs. By the time I was 15 or so I started heading out to the rehearsal room and started to play on his 1970’s Rogers kit until I saved enough money to buy my first kit, a Tama Granstar. These days when I get the time I love building and restoring drums but so far just as a hobby, and occasionally I get to play too.

What are you trying to achieve with the custom show? What’s the mission or ethos of the brand?

I saw a gap between the information that I enjoyed online and in magazines and the full experience of seeing and hearing the amazing instruments first-hand. Although a number of these amazing drums are making

their way into stores, a majority of custom drums are shipped direct to the buyer. I felt that an expo would be a great opportunity for both builders and distributors to showcase their products directly to the drumming community and also have a unique opportunity for meet their potential market first-hand. Now that event is established, my mission is to keep building contacts in the drum building community and to bring more amazing builders to the fore.

How is it different from what’s out there?

I believe the Vintage & Custom Drum Expo is unique in its approach to other events I have attended. My initial vision for the show was influenced more by Hot Rod shows than standard trade style events. The purpose of the expo is to showcase these stunning new instruments and the people who create them right alongside the wonderful vintage drums that have influenced and shaped some

PG.34 // MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016

recent drum building trends.

Tell us about the format?

This event has four main sectors, we have two auditoriums (Factory Theatre/ Fusebox) which feature dozens of local and international drum brands, showcasing bespoke drums that are not readily seen or heard in stores. Throughout the day each exhibitor has a designated short demo session where they have the opportunity to showcase the features of their product, most of these sessions will feature a guest performer to demonstrate the sound and playability. Also we have a display of special vintage drums that have been curated for the event, downstairs we have a dedicated performance stage (Factory Floor) which will feature live performances presented in a clinic format, then we have an outdoor courtyard which has a series of market stalls open bar and food truck.

What do you think Australian Drum manufacturers have to offer the international market?

In Australia we are blessed to have some unique native timbers in both appearance and sound. In the past, we have had a first wave Australian drum-building pioneers that

brought Australian-made drums to the world stage. Now, there are a growing number of bespoke builders using predominantly Australian hardwoods that are making a name for themselves. In this next wave, there is a passion to show the world what local builders can do and what’s very exciting is that Australian drummers are embracing local product and taking it out on the road.

When are you taking the show national?

I would love to see the expo expand to new markets, but in order to succeed the show needs to stay true to its roots. With this years event I wanted to host a return show in Sydney to fine-tune the format. Hopefully once we have hosted the coming event I would be open to taking the show intestate.

What’s unique about drummers as individuals?

We are all on a journey to find our own voice. Drummers have a unique opportunity in that each player has an almost limitless amount of options to create their own voice.

Druthe basic kit requirements, some have hundreds of instruments in their collections.

BY CONRAD TRACEY

www.mixdownmag.com.au

I=: B6IDC 68DJHI>8

,% I= 6CC>K:GH6GN :9>I>DC

Melbourne Guitar Show 2016 After a resoundingly successful show in 2015, the Melbourne Guitar Show has to the Caulfield Racecourse in August this year. From August 6-7 musicians and fans alike will flock to the event, which is tipped to be even bigger than the 2015 incarnation, which saw over 5000 people through the door. The floor plan has been extended to accommodate more performers, more fans and an acoustic only level, for those who prefer the quieter side of all things 6-strings. With performances, workshops and product displays from boutique and big name guitar brands alike, you're certain to find something that tickles your fancy at this years event.

GROUND FLOOR:

MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW 2016 FLOOR PLAN - GROUND FLOOR - ELECTRIC

MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW 2016 FLOOR PLAN - LEVEL ONE - ACOUSTIC LEVEL ONE:

SATURDAY AUGUST 6 PROGRAM AON FORECOURT STAGE

EXCLUSIVELY ACOUSTIC STAGE

Ground Level

Level 1 Escalator East

11.00 SHANNON BOURNE’S WHIRLYBIRD This free form improvisation trio will take you on an intriguing sonic journey. Witness this band’s debut performance, led by free-thinking guitarist, Shannon Bourne and featuring Luke Hodgson on bass and Leigh Fisher on drums

11.30 NICK CHARLES A class act, revered by peers and critics as one of the finest pickers and players in the land. 2015 Artist of the Year at the Port Fairy Folk Festival

12.00 GEOFF ACHISON & JIMI HOCKING Two of Melbourne’s hottest guitar slingers Jimi Hocking and Geoff Achison return to the guitar show, playing some of their favourite classic Aussie guitar riffs as well as their own brand of rockin’ rhythm n blues.

1.00 I BUILT THE SKY Rohan Stevenson is known worldwide for his ‘I built the sky’ solo project. While generally guitar based instrumental music ‘I built the sky’, ranges from techy prog-metal to intricate punk to pop and ambient flavours. Presented by Sherlock Amplifiers.

2.00 DEAN RAY Dean Ray personifies the romance of rock ‘n’ roll.

On stage, he’s all about passion. Losing himself in the moment, the talented guitarist/singer’s one and only goal is to put on a great rock ‘n’ roll show.

12.30 MATTHEW FAGAN A gifted virtuoso guitarist and composer, he has accrued over 30 years of performance, composition and educational experience.

Matthew is capable of stunning the listener with attack, as well as melting you with elegance.

1.30 LUCAS MICHAILIDIS Lucas Michailidis has been described as ‘quite simply a guitar-playing phenomenon.... he can pull a rhythm and complexity out of a hat’.

Real art and enriching food for the soul is what you get with a Lucas peformance.

2.30 JUSTIN BERNASCONI Justin Bernasconi is a rarity among guitarists and songwriters. Straddling styles and sounds from the Delta Blues, Bluegrass, English Folk and all stops in between, his highly original tunes are infused with exciting and soulful guitar playing.

3.00 KEVIN BORICH BAND Legend is an often over-used term, but in Australia it truly applies to the great Kevin Borich. A genuine pioneer of the modern Aussie rock scene, his 40 year live and recording career has seen him play alongside some of the world’s guitar greats.

AON MEZZANINE STAGE

Level 1 Escalator West

WINNERS CIRCLE WORKSHOP ROOM Level 1 Escalator West

11.15 FRETTED FEMMES IN SONG Featuring some of Melbourne’s finest young female songwriter guitarists. Heloise, Cat Canteri, Leisha Jungalwalla and Megan Bernard, all showcasing their songs and the part the guitar plays in them. A wonderful way to start the day at the MGS

11.00 Sitting Guitar Exams Featuring Matthew Fagan & Emilio Kormanic. A valuable workshop for VCE and TAFE/tertiary guitar performance students of classical/electric and Contemporary Guitar. The workshop refers to AMEB syllabus and CPM Cert III & IV and Bachelor of Music courses. A selection of curriculum pieces be worked on in the 45 minute session.

12.45 PHIL MANNING Phil Manning first came to our attention in pioneering Australian blues band Chain. As a solo performer in the acoustic sphere, Phil has also been ahead of the game, as one of the first electric gunslingers to begin working in both realms before ‘unplugged’ became a catch phrase. He’s also played with many legendary blues icons.

11.45 AMEB Rock School Alyson Locke (Lead Examiner), and renowned guitarist, Simon Gardner. With contemporary music now such a significant part of modern music tuition, Rockschool presents a new and engaging syllabus, as rigorous in content and delivery as any classical instrumental syllabus to date.

Presented by AMEB

1.45 The Guitar Players Session 1 Acoustic Blues & Roots Nick Charles hosts and features– Geoff Achison, Shannon Bourne, Jimi Hocking Sam See, and Phil Manning. Most modern popular guitar styles have some debt to the blues and roots.

Some of our finest blues exponents will chat about their approach plus there will be fingerpicking good solos and “all-in” jams and tunes.

3.30 JAMIE PYE for Cole Clark Guitars Featuring Jamie Pye, talking about the latest innovations in the Cole Clark family, from unique designs in Australian and exotic woods along with some stunning playing from Jamie.

Presented by Cole Clark Guitars 4.30 MIKE ELRINGTON Gentle giant, Mike Elrington is a gifted songwriter with impressive guitar skills and a fierce work ethic. Standing at almost two metres tall, delivering gut-wrenching vocals and playing fiery guitar licks, very few people forget a Mike Elrington performance.

4.00 TERAMAZE Featuring guitar wizard, Dean Wells, Teramaze is something special to experience and has been described as one of the finest prog metal bands in Australia.

Presented by Ernie Ball Musicman

*Program subject to change

12.45 Roland/BOSS Guitar Product Showcase Matt Walsham demonstrates BOSS’ new range of Waza Craft premium pedals – telling the story behind their development and showcasing their luscious all-analog tones. Josh Munday demonstrates the ME-80 and flagship GT-100 effects processors – as well as introducing the power and versatility of the GR-55 Guitar Synthesiser.

1.45 Peavey’s History of Rock ‘n’ Roll Join Michael Smith, Global Product Manager for Peavey Electronic MI Division to take you through the history of Rock’n’Roll and how a young passionate Hartley Peavey started his empire and created his now legendary tones.

2.45 V3 High Voltage Foot Distortion Pedal For those that have longed for a Fat Head or a Grid 30 amp, Sherlock Amplifiers has come up with an affordable pedal design that has the same high gain distortion sounds found in the Fathead and now the Grid 30 amplifier. Currently undergoing patent application. Presented by Greg Hill

PROFESSOR GUITAR & BASS Cafe Corner.

Ground Level Get a Free Lesson from the Professors Visit the Professor’s study and get some tips, tricks and techniques from some of Melbourne’s finest guitar and bass pros.

11.00 TROY MALE Guitar 12.15 ROBBIE LITTLE Bass 1.30 SIMON PATTERSON Guitar 2.45 JOE FERNAND and TYSON CONSTANTINOU Bass 4.00 PETER HODGSON Guitar

3.45 Jimi Hocking Rocks with Yamaha & Vox Jimi Hocking presents some exciting new amp innovations from Vox and introduces the new Revstar electric guitars from Yamaha, as well as sharing tips, tricks, and hot licks he’s learned over a 30+ year career as a professional guitarist.

SUNDAY AUGUST 7 PROGRAM AON FORECOURT STAGE

EXCLUSIVELY ACOUSTIC STAGE

Ground Level

Level 1 Escalator East

11.00 JAMES RYAN TRIO Featuring Rod Bustos & Marcus Ryan, this trio will riff and rock MGS fans with a spine tingling set, topped off with a few classic David Lee Roth tunes, a great way to get your Sunday off to a big start

11.30 SERGIO ERCOLE Sergio has spent a significant time abroad, studying and performing extensively throughout the Mediterranean including Andalusia, Florence, Sienna, and the Adriatic Coast. His incredible classical proficiency and love for his Italian musical heritage and culture, will provide guitar enthusiasts a real treat.

12.00 DALLAS FRASCA With over 750 shows under their belt, this award winning outfit is a stand-out in its class. On-stage this three-piece features two guitars a beast behind the kit and a mighty presence at the mic.

1.00 THE DELUSION The Delusion is a 5-piece Progressive Metal band hailing from Albury/Wodonga. The band has built their passion for music with their mixture of polymetric grooves, melodic leads, technical rhythms and melodic synth. Sweeping guitar and pulsating grooves are a hallmark of this impressive line-up. Presented by Ernie Ball Musicman 2.00 TEQUILA MOCKINGBYRD Tequila Mockingbyrd pack a high energy punch that will hit you from the first explosion of sound until long into the after party. With an arsenal of catchy riffs and memorable choruses, Tequila Mockingbyrd pump out party anthems like ‘Good Time’ and their ode to The Esplanade Hotel ‘Never Go Home’. Debut album ‘Fight and flight’ out now 3.00 TRIPLE M FINALE JAM You’ve spent the weekend watching some of our finest guitar talent, you’ve got your dream guitar bargain, seen a cool demo or two and thinking life couldn’t get any better… BUT ... we’ve saved the best until last! Some of Australia’s slickest pickers will come together on one stage for the Triple M Finale Jam. The line up includes: Bob Spencer, Brett Kingman, Phil Ceberano, James Ryan, Simon Hosford, Shannon Bourne, Tim Gaze … and you never know who else might join them!

12.30 JAMIE PYE Weaving percussive elements into his deft patchwork of dizzying alternate tunings, chiming harmonics and gorgeous melodic counterpoint, Jamie’s guitar says it all.

Presented by Cole Clark Guitars 1.30 BEIJA FLOR Featuring Lachie Robertson & Jeremy Bourke.

7 String acoustic guitar duo Beija Flor play Original Compositions inspired by the music of Brazil and Argentina, along with a range of Fingerstyle and traditional South American repertoire.

2.30 A.J. LEONARD & JENNY ROWLANDS The cello was born in the 1550’s, built for Charles IX King of France. Three hundred years later the ukulele was born and taken up by King Kalakaua of Hawaii. These auspicious beginnings from opposite sides of the globe are magically combined in the expert hands of AJ Leonard & Jenny Rowlands.

AON MEZZANINE STAGE

WINNERS CIRCLE WORKSHOP ROOM

Level 1 Escalator West

Level 1 Escalator West

10.30 Kala Instant Uke Orchestra Hosted by Matt Fagan, and featuring AJ Leonard, Sarah Carrol, Dan McKeoin, Mike Jackson and the NCAT Ukes.

Spend a relaxing Sunday morning listening to some of Melbourne’s Maetros on the Ukulele.

From classical to Hawaiin and everything in between.

Then ... Learn to play the UKE instantly - Jam along with our all-star line up Led by education legend Mike Jackson and Dan McKeion - in Hawaii it’s called a Kanakatila. Sponsored by Kala Ukuleles and Music Sales

11.00 Fractal Audio Systems AX8 Clinic “Building a rocking rig with the Fractal Audio Systems AX8” Featuring Brett Kingman

12.45 DANIEL CHAMPAGNE This young singer, songwriter and guitarist has become a renowned performer throughout his Australian homeland and now around the world. “Watching Daniel Champagne perform is a once in a lifetime experience. He is a true prodigy that plays like no one else could possibly play unless they spent at least two lifetimes studying the art.” BW Review NZ. 2.00 The Guitar Players Session 2 Our love affair with the acoustic guitar Nick Charles hosts and features – Daniel Champagne, Matthew Fagan, Lucas Michailidis, Sergio Ercole, Jon Delaney.

The acoustic guitar has left its imprint on many cultures and musical genres across the world. This show will feature some of the diverse styles and sounds of the instrument from Flamenco to Jazz and Contemporary instrumentalists to Djangophiles.

12.00 Maton Custom shop seminar As the head of Maton’s Custom Shop, Andy Allen has the ability to build a guitar that will produce the sound that the customer has ordered and wants to hear - learn about tone woods and techniques and what goes into a Maton custom shop guitar.

1.15 Roland/BOSS Guitar Product Showcase Matt Walsham is back to present BOSS’ new range of Waza Craft premium pedals. Josh Munday was involved in the international NAMM launch of BOSS’s ME-80 effects processor (and designed tones for it) and has since been viewed by millions on YouTube. See him demonstrate the ME-80, flagship GT-100 effects processors and GR-55 Guitar Synthesiser.

2.15 Top 8 Reasons Wireless Guitar Systems Failed ... Until Now! Featuring Matt Davies of Wireless Audio Pty Ltd with special guest Pyotr Belov of PRA Audio Systems, Wayne Jones and Jack Pantazis. Are you ready to change the way you feel about wireless? We have good news! PRA Audio WiC (Wireless Instrument Connection) Systems was designed to do just that; change the way you feel about wireless systems. But don’t take our word for it. Please join us and see and hear for yourself.

3.15 Tone Made Pro Join Jon Beckx, Product Specialist for Line 6 Australia for an in depth look at how iconic guitarists like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, James Hetfield and John Petrucci created their signature sound. With each guitarist’s rig broken down component by component, you’ll not only learn how to recreate their distinctive sound but also gain insight into how to go about enhancing and personalising your own unique voice. Tone demo’s throughout, this one is not to be missed!

PROFESSOR GUITAR & BASS Cafe Corner.

Ground Level Get a Free Lesson from the Professors Visit the Professor’s study and get some tips, tricks and techniques from some of Melbourne’s finest guitar and bass pros.

11.00 ROBBIE LITTLE Bass Presented by Ernie Ball MusicMan 12.15 BOB SPENCER Guitar 1.30 TIM GAZE Guitar Presented by Vase Amplification 2.45 TROY MALE Guitar 4.00 WAYNE JONES Bass Presented by Wayne Jones Audio

F E A T U R E S

Dallas Frasca MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW Dallas Frasca isn’t one to put her feet up. Recently returning from a string of shows across Europe, she’s jumped straight into the final stages of her new album. With a release date about to drop and some big news on the horizon, Dallas and the band have also managed to cram in an appearance at the Melbourne Guitar Show.

Could you take us back to how you started on guitar?

I think there’s always a moment for musicians. I remember when I was twelve, I saw the film Crossroads in which Steve Vai and of course Ry Cooder did all the guitar work for it. I think that was the first time I faked a sickie and wagged school and watched the film like 13 times in a row or something. It really put me on a path to discover blues music and I grew up in a town that I suppose wasn’t really exposed to blues music. So I went on a journey and asked Mum if I could have guitar lessons.

For years when I would play in bands, I’d just sing. It wasn’t until later on that I started playing. Every player has a different style and I suppose my vocals were really being dictated by a certain style. It was actually Chris Wilson (Australian Blues Legend) that grabbed me one day and said ‘don’t just let the boys dictate what you do, pick up the guitar yourself!’ And I did! I’ve often brought that one up with Chris and thanked him for what he said, so that really got me back into playing guitar.

You guys are known for a fairly energetic live show – is that something you’ve always worked on?

Our style has definitely evolved like any band does. We’ve got two guitarists and a

drummer with no bass. So with our song writing, we do come across some challenges to fill out the sound, therefore the drums are really integral to our song writing. We also use octave pedals and things like that, but Jeff [Curran – guitarist] and I have been playing together for 10 years now so we write in this style where he might write a riff and then I’ll just kind of fit around him. We’ve worked out our weird little formula. My vocals are bluesy, but it’s not just blues, for those that have seen us live it’s a pretty dangerous explosion when we get on stage.

Does the band have any particular instrument/guitar gear favourites?

Well, we really love old vintage music and I play a ‘67 Silvertone that I found at Swop Shop one day, and it’s such a great find.

We’re pretty minimal with setups although we do have quite a bit of fuzz, which you’ve just got to have. And Jeff’s a weird guitarist because he’s a lefty playing a right hand guitar upside down. There’s not many like that, maybe Dick Dale and Albert King, but he’s phenomenal. He’s self-taught and he doesn’t play like anyone I know – he really plays from his heart.

You’re playing at the Melbourne Guitar Show. What can people expect?

Who knows, we might start the show

PG.38 // MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016

with Jeff on my shoulders (laughs). It’s super cool though. For us we get to look around and check out some gear. Jeff is the biggest gear junkie in the band by far, so he’ll love it. There are some great acts playing, which will be awesome to see but our show won’t change. We’re used to playing all types of shows to all kinds of audiences. I think Jeff and I have about 750 shows under our belts over the last 10 years. We’ve played everywhere from theatres to the Sydney Opera House; we’re just going to go and have some fun. The Guitar Show is a great thing for those wanting to learn guitar or anyone that wants to be inspired. And especially for the girls, get down and please come and say hello! if you want to get into music, this is a really good place to check out gear and ask questions.

And on a new music note, you guys are close to releasing a new album?

I was just listening to the masters the other night and I’ve cracked a bottle of wine! You know people think ‘musos have it easy’, but this has been 8 months in the making. Writing, re-writing, scrapping tunes and starting again. For all musicians out there, it’s such a huge feat to complete a recording because there are so many stages to get through. We are so pumped about this release and we’ll have details very soon along with some big news!

BY NICK BROWN The Melbourne Guitar Show will be taking place at Caulfield Racecourse on August 6 and 7. For more information visit www. australianmuician.com.au/melbourneguitar-show.

www.mixdownmag.com.au

F E A T U R E S

What We Can Learn at Guitar Camp AN INTERVIEW WITH TOMMY EMMANUEL

“It’s the best thing in life,” says Tommy Emmanuel. It seems that even with two Grammy nominations, two ARIA awards, a designation as a ‘Certified Guitar Player’ from the legendary Chet Atkins and an Order of Australia membership from the Queen, the pull of home remains the strongest thing in a person’s life. “I wish I could do what I do and still live in Australia, but it’s too far and it’s just impossible,” he says. Luckily for him, Emmanuel will be returning to Australia in early September for a four-day guitar camp in Sydney, where he and a swag of teachers will be imparting their knowledge upon the students of these classes.

The camp aims to inspire its students; teaching them about the instrument and allowing them to spend more time playing than they perhaps ever would in a concentrated period. “[The students] get fired up about their playing and their passion for music,” Emmanuel says. “You need to be inspired and camp is a good way to get inspired.”

The idea for the camp was first conceived when Emmanuel was asked to hold a guitar clinic in Ohio about 15 years ago. After teaching less than 20 people, he realised that he could probably run a similar clinic with a lot more people, which lead to him running a camp in upstate New York for about 85 people. “I did a kind of test run.

I put on my own camp in upstate New York at a resort near Woodstock, and I got 85 students for four days, and it went so beautifully. So then I started doing more of them and hand-picking my instructors, giving them ideas on what I wanted them to teach and away we went.” Since that

New York camp he has run a number of similar clinics internationally and right here in Australia, with two in Sydney in recent years.

Although the style of teaching has evolved, the basic principles remain. “There’s nothing else for you to do than play the guitar and learn and interact and talk to each other and to talk music, to live and breath it – it’s great,” he continues. “The instructors give them all so much information, they come away with new songs to play, with new techniques, with new ideas and with new tools to be able to work out more songs…

We’re gonna teach people how to use their ears, for a start, because so many people don’t know how to listen or what to listen for. A musician’s first job is to listen, second is to play.”

For students, to have the opportunity to pick the brains of such a celebrated guitarist will no doubt be invaluable to their playing, but the camp is not just about playing guitar, its about musicianship in general. “Some of the

important things are time, feel, tone, touch and all the things we like about a player.

These are the things we will point out. The guitar is the instrument, but the music comes from you, and you have to make that connection and use the instrument to get your expression out.” Further to the point of the camp being about more than just playing guitar, Emmanuel insists that this experience can actually have a positive impact on a student’s life. “The camp is not just about music technique, it’s about how you live and how you think as well.”

As a professional musician, you might forgive him for being out of touch, but Emmanuel’s philosophy of teaching at the camp is far from any position of arrogance or elitism. “[Our teaching is] all about being honest and being real. I live in the real world; I make a living by playing guitar to put my kids through school and college...

That’s the bottom line; it’s all about making everything solid and real. There’s no smoke and mirrors.”

With 50 years of experience under his belt, Emmanuel has been pretty much everywhere and seen it all, and through touring he gets to experience music in a whole lot of

different cultures. The challenge for him in these camps is to pass on as much of that worldly knowledge as possible, while keeping it relevant and interesting. However, having held these kinds of camps for 15 years, he has a pretty fair handle on how to do this. “You cut to the chase, you get the important information and knowledge from your own experiences across. I can tell you why something works and why it doesn’t as far as on stage goes,” Emmanuel explains.

So, as well as getting lessons on guitar playing, musicianship, and life, you’ll also be imparted with decades of knowledge from a person who has spent their life in the music industry. I don’t think you’ll get that from a YouTube lesson.

BY ELIJAH HAWKINS Guitar Camp Australia will take place September 1 – 5 at the Checkers Resort and Conference Centre, Terry Hill NSW. For tickets and more details visit www. tommyemmanuelguitarcamp.com.au.

BOOST YOUR IMAGE Distributed by

www.jands.com.au www.mixdownmag.com.au

xdown_3_Series_HP_PrintAd_2016.indd 1

Introducing the 3 Series Powered Studio Monitors, the first to incorporate JBL's groundbreaking Image Control Waveguide. Matched with high-performance JBL transducers, the patent-pending Image Control Waveguide lets you hear detail and depth like you've never heard before.

The micro-dynamics in reverb tails, and the subtleties of mic placement are clearly revealed. And the sound stage is so realistic it creates a tangible sense of a center channel. A broad, room-friendly sweet spot means everyone in the room hears the same level of dimension and transparency in your music. Adopting technology developed for our flagship M2 Master Reference Monitors, the 3 Series are surprisingly affordable, so you can hook up a pair and boost the image in your studio.

Learn more at www.jands.com.au/jbl3series MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016 // PG.39 13/01/2016 11:35 am

F E A T U R E S

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM

2016’s Integrate Expo Every year it seems that the calendar is littered with different shows and events, many of which are aimed more at industry types, often with a bit of a closed-door attitude. There are some shows that will obviously attract musicians, like this month’s Melbourne Guitar Show, and then there are those that although open to all, may not get the attention of as many musicians as it should. The Integrate Expo in Sydney is one such event that perhaps does not get the interest it should from many musicians. What is sad to see though, is that there is plenty to be gained by those who attend, as it can be a real eye opener into a range of products, techniques and networks previously unseen in your local music store. Taking advantage of the exhibits at the Integrate expo means opening yourself to a world of possibilities that you may not have previously considered.

STAGING THE SHOW This is ‘the’ event of the year when it comes to staging, lighting and audiovisual installation. Every musician that wants to perform live can walk away from Integrate having grown in knowledge and ideas. There is an almost endless list of distributors and manufacturers showing off products to the modern musician, especially when it comes to new advances in LED stage lighting and wireless technology. Speaker and amplifier developments are unveiled at the show with cutting edge audio production a focus for many manufacturers exhibiting this year. Plus, with the growing iOS market giving so much to musicians today, there are all number of products on show that can help you work better

with your smartphone or tablet in a live performance environment. Going to Integrate 2016 allows you to see these products first hand, giving you the opportunity to speak with the developers and manufacturers to find out what drives the ideas and how they can be better implemented into your existing setup.

MORE THAN JUST A PRODUCT LAUNCH Rather than simpling playing host to the launch ofa few new products, Integrate prides itself on being different, with a whole host of valuable seminars, programs and events within the show designed to channel discussion and broaden horizons.

This is a great opportunity for musicians and production crew to meet one another and see what may be going on over the

other side of the fence. Now is the time to meet and greet with industry professionals who are willing to share their knowledge and discuss better ways of working, promoting and creating in a modern environment. Best of all, for the live performer, Integrate 2016 has a new focus program looking at lighting, pro audio and AV. There are ten specialist seminars for just this area taking in elements of small and large scale productions. And for those of you that experienced the David Bowie Is exhibition last year, there is a behind the scenes exploration of how the team at Sennheiser developed and implemented the audio system that made that event such a success.

THE DIGITAL WORKSPACE With Australian broadcasting laws dramatically changing the way in which we are able to transmit audio for live performances, there has been plenty of uncertainty as to what will work now and what will continue to work in the future. The Integrate Expo is the place to find all those answers and more relating to your wireless needs. The experts in wireless technology will all be represented

at Integrate with Sennheiser, Sure, AKG and Audio Technica all showing product and delivering relevant information to attendees. This is an ideal opportunity to learn about larger scale wireless transmission for bigger events and how you can bring that to your show now and in the future.

For those of you who may have thought that the Integrate Expo was perhaps just a corporate affair that offers nothing to musicians, think again. With the new schedule for this year’s show, there is more of a focus than ever on music production and live sound. With such a wealth of industry expertise housed under one roof for three days, it is hard to see how any musician could not walk away from Integrate 2016 without having benefitted greatly from the experience.

So, what are you waiting for?

BY ROB GEE Integrate Expo will take place from August 23-25 at the Sydney Showgrounds, NSW. For tickets and more details, head to integrate-expo.com.

THE ANALOGUE PROJECT By Audio-Technica

GREVILLE RECORDS

Located just minutes from trendy Chapel St, Greville Records have been in their Prahran location for more than 30 years, and in that time they’ve seen pretty much all there is to see in the record collecting world. Given a lifeline by the recent upwards swing in vinyl sales, shops like Greville now have a whole new age group to sell to, with young people becoming an important part of their shop. We sat down with co-owner Bruce Milne amongst thousands of records for a chat.

“It’s fun because it’s not just old buggers talking endlessly about Bob Dylan and Neil Young anymore,” he says. “We’re getting lots of young people coming in. Last week I had a nine-year-old girl asking for Justin Bieber on vinyl, and it’s like ‘whoa, this is really different’. I’ve also got lots of young people, music fans, who’ve probably got 60,000 tracks on their phone, but they’ve decided that they want to track down particular records and buy them. It still amazes me when a 16-year-old buys a free jazz record.”

This new interest from young people in vinyl has complemented the continued patronage of said ‘old buggers’ to create a community which, whilst not quite reaching the heights of the record community in years gone by, is having a profound impact on the vinyl experience.

“Record stores aren’t the community they once were. Once upon a time if you wanted to know what gigs were going on around town, what records [to buy], you had to go into a record store, but then the internet came along, although it’s built up again recently… We’re all music fanatics, and everyone who comes in here, if I say

serious gold. “Rodriguez, who is very popular at the moment, one of his albums was released in Japan and I found a copy ‘can I help you’, they’ll jump on you [for that help],” Milne says. “It’s completely of it and bought it. I rang the guy who put different, if I go into a petrol station, all I out the reissues and he’d never heard of it, want to do is fill the car up and get out of Rodriguez had never heard of this pressing. there as quickly as possible, whereas people Word spread around and someone overseas in record shops do enjoy interaction. I think offered me a ridiculous amount of money if you can offer that, if you’re always trying before I even pulled it out of the box, so to help people, and selling the right things, that was exciting.” One of the rarest records or even sometimes telling them about other in the shop is an Australian radio version of shops where they’ll be able to find what one of Elvis Presley’s very first singles, but they’re after, I think that’s the edge that a dealing with rare records isn’t necessarily shop like this has.” what the people at Greville Records prefer Opening its doors in 1978, Greville is one to do, “It can be fun having [rare records], of Melbourne’s oldest record stores, a title but I’d much rather be selling 75 $10 that it wears with pride. However, they records.” certainly don’t rest on their laurels. They With a whole new audience coming to vinyl, are constantly sourcing rare, used and new either for the first time or returning to it records and stocking new genres of music. after a while, selling turntables is something “One of the great things with records, is that a lot of record stores now also do. there’s just so many different pressings of “We stock the Audio-Technica turntables things, and we’re always coming across because they’re good quality… and at a unusual things… I source my records great price obviously. [It is] very easy to anywhere I can overseas, I like going to get needles for them, very easy to get Japan because they have very high quality the turntables… I think having a range pressings and they treat them well too.” of turntables at different prices is really Japan can be a goldmine for rare records, important, because a lot of our young and on a recent trip they unearthed some customers can only afford to buy one album

PG.40 // MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016

a month, so presumably they can only afford to buy a turntable at a certain price. Other customers are middle age people getting back into vinyl, who can afford something a bit more expensive, so it’s good to have a range of different ones,” says Milne. In turntable range and in records, there’s probably something for everyone at Greville records, but if there isn’t then they’ll be more than happy to point you towards a store that does, and there are certainly no shortages of stores in Melbourne, as Milne says, “I love the fact that Melbourne has so many record shops, and such a range of record shops, and, in the vast number of cases, all run by really fantastic people, I like going record shopping myself around Melbourne.” Melbournians really are lucky when it comes to record stores, in sheer quantity and quality, and Greville Records is no doubt somewhere near the top of them for most enthusiasts.

BY ELIJAH HAWKINS Greville Records is located at 152 Greville St, Prahran VIC. For more details, head to grevillerecords.com.au.

www.mixdownmag.com.au

F E A T U R E S

Out of the Mud

UNCOVERING 40 YEARS OF PIGNOSE AMPLIFIERS

With a rich history built on the foundations of portability and playability, Pignose-Gorilla (or Pignose) is not the most familiar name that you’ll see in the amplifier market. However, for over 40 years, Pignose have been making a significant impact on guitarists, demonstrating the importance of portability, while balancing reliability and quality performance to build great amps.

Pignose aims to deliver an amp that you can take wherever you go, creating one of the world’s first portable amplifiers. At the heart of Pignose’s sensibilities is the embedded desire to have fun while maintaining a forward-thinking attitude.

With an ethos of designing amps that were affordable but also of the highest quality, Pignose opened their doors in 1972. It wasn’t until their appearance at Summer NAMM in 1973 that the company gained traction and were recognised for their craftsmanship due to their Legendary 7-100 amplifier. Working off a strong response, the amp designers have been bringing new and exciting ideas to the music gear industry ever since, taking different approaches to amp development whilst upholding their mantra of just having ‘fun’. Offering portable guitar amplifiers that came with two battery powered models called a ‘hog’, Pignose eventually started branching out and bringing forward solid-state amps as well as tube based amps that later built a strong following.

With a complete line of world famous battery-powered amps, Pignose today are recognised for their crowning jewel, the Legendary 7-100, designed and engineered by

www.mixdownmag.com.au

Richard Edlund and Wayne Kimbell. Richard was an award-winning special effects cinematographer who was notable for working on such films as Ghostbusters and Return of the Jedi as well as other music-oriented projects, while Wayne Kimbell, provided in-depth knowledge and experience in amplifiers to create a defining product for Pignose.

The 7-100 is a 5-watt portable guitar amplifier that saw the company reach new heights. Fitted with a 5-inch speaker and breathing versatility and direction into the company’s early product range, the amp weighed only 5-pounds and included minimal buttons and a clip for a guitar strap. Boasting self-equipped functionality and acting as the ‘swiss army knife’ of guitar amplifiers, the 7-100 conveyed direction and defined the Pignose name.

After feeding off a successful trip from Summer NAMM in 1973, Pignose’s 7-100 gained the term ‘legendary’ from the distrubition of 65 prototypes to the iconic Led Zeppelin,

The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Eagles and The Who just to name a few. Still having the fundamental aspects at its core, all prototypes had flexible rubber Pignose volume knobs. The amp presented an impressive ability to perform in any situation due to its portability, and in 1972 it also caught the attention of Terry Kath of the band Chicago. Being impressed by the amp, Terry went into a partnership and developed a management team. Having backing from some of the most revered musicians, Pignose gained recognition for their forward-thinking ideas and niche target of backstage amps for professional musicians.

The Pignose brand offered everything from its humble beginnings, ranging from small practice amps, to their more updated modern take on guitar amplifiers – which are still in production today. Still harbouring the in-set features of versatility and affordability, the modernised 7-100 portable amplifier is fitted with easy to reach amplifier speakers, allow-

ing you to look inside the amp if needed.

Having metal corner protectors and a touch covering the now rugged 6-inch speaker, the speakers and construction of these amps has remained in its traditional way.

Today, Pignose are still producing portable amps as well backstage practice amps for aspiring guitarists or professional travelling musicians. Offering portability in some of the smallest, less-convenient areas, Pignose have created amplifiers that balance both sides of a guitar players’ judgment when considering purchasing an amp. The company’s history and recognition has all lead towards a successful following and a florid foundation for other aspiring companies.

BY THOMAS BARTHA Pignose Amplifiers are available exclusively through Shire Music Center. For more information head to shiremusic.com.au.

MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016 // PG.41

F E A T U R E S Bill May. Founder of Maton Guitars in 1946

Maton Bayswater Factory Bill May at the workbench in 1946.

John Mortlock at the Maton Guitar factory in Canterbury

The Music that Maton Made Maton holds a special place in the narrative of Australian music. They were there when The Easybeats penned ‘Friday On My Mind’, graced the stage as The Seekers played to a record 200,000 people at Melbourne’s Myer Music Bowl, and is the guitar of choice for songwriting legend Paul Kelly. In 1946 Bill May founded this pioneering guitar company from his outer Melbourne garage, determined to master the craft of guitar making. In the 70 years since the family-owned company has embedded itself within the very fabric of our musical making. This is the story told by Andrew McUtchen, Jeff Jenkins and Barry Divola in The Music That Maton Made. Through personal accounts from family and musicians it transports us to the timber-sculpting factories, to the intimate rehearsal rooms and colossal stadiums of genredefining musicians. The cathartic and gratifying essence of a Maton guitar is very much instilled in each and every page.

A striking mahogany body and a sweet, resonant tone are synonymous with the Maton guitars of today. Here in lie the bread and butter of the trusted manufacturer – the smoothness of meticulously crafted curves, and the richness of unmatched Maton acoustic pickups. The Music That Maton Made documents the 70 years of history behind these rarefied traits. And from very early on it’s clear that Bill May was a trailblazer for the manufacturing of guitars in Australia. He speaks of a love for Australian timber and materials at a time when they were considered inferior. He even used to have to rename Queensland maple to make it sound more exotic. Today it’s cherished as the trademark timber used to carve the body

of a Maton guitar. In the book’s foreword guitarist Tommy Emmanuel describes the significance of an Australian-made Maton “When I see the pearl kangaroo on the headstock and the indigenous Australian woods, I feel a deep sense of connection to my country and its history. The Maton guitar company have been competing on the world stage with all the other big brands, and I’m so proud of their achievements.”

These are sentiments reiterated by Maton’s Head of Marketing and Artist Relations, Mark Mansour. “Since then [the founding of Maton] I guess the Australian music industry has gotten used to having an Australian option, but certainly at the time there was none. It not only gave people an option, but introduced them to the fact

PG.42 // MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016

that it was a possibility to buy something Australian-made. And, you know, 70 years later it’s still obviously very much a familyowned Australian company, but held in very high regard overseas in Europe, China and in the States as well.”

Family relationships and connections are central to the Maton story, and are a binding presence throughout the book.

Before the factories, famous musicians and international export existed, a partnership between Bill May and his wife Vera. “When the girls started going to school I went in to work with Bill,” reflects Vera. “And then I gradually spent more time in the workshop as they grew up. But I liked work.

We felt like we were building something.

Bill was motivated to make great guitars and I was a good deal motivated by setting the right price for them” (pg. 40).

When Bill was sadly diagnosed with Parkinson’s in the ‘70s his daughter Linda Kitchen and her husband Neville were given the keys to the business. For a manufacturer the size and prominence of Maton, the family-owned, family-run banner is a shining point of difference.

And, as Mansour suggests, has enabled the manufacturer to build strong, ongoing relationships with musicians.

“A lot of them had personal relationships with Bill May who was our founder…. We started the same year as Fender and they’re obviously a huge corporation, and Maton is still very much a family business… all the artists we have relationships with, they would have met the owners. You know, Linda Kitchen who is the founder’s daughter, she is in the office everyday doing the same hours as everyone else. So if an artist comes through they’re going to see the same handful of people and we have artists, I mean Tommy Emmanuel… long before my time he must have had a relationship with these guys for, you know, 40 plus years. And he’s still there.

“I think a lot of the employees and a lot of the artists we still work with have had very long-term relationships. You know, you kind of say ‘part of the family’, but in Maton it really is kind of true.”

As its title would suggest, The Music That

Maton Made delves deeply into the iconic songs and musical moments produced by a Maton guitar. Stories like that of pioneering jazz guitarist George Golla bring to life Maton’s successes.

“They were the first electric guitars that actually worked,” remarks Golla. “Before that, you put on pick-ups that you screwed onto the tailpiece, you know? And they didn’t pick up the top E-string, but the bottom E-string came through like a Boeing jet. It was awful. Awful” (pg. 33).

Then there are the magical stories of world stage recognition and rock ‘n’ roll fame: when Elvis played a Maton Hillbilly acoustic flat top (HG100) in Jailhouse Rock, and the three months in mid-1963 when George Harrison played a Maton MS500 Mastersound. A Maton EG240 Supreme was even used by Keith Richards to record the Stones’ classic ‘Gimme Shelter’.

The colourful nature of personal stories in The Music That Maton Made is complemented with a vibrant array of images and photographs. Pictured is everything from the very first Maton guitar to the stunning Maton Phil Manning Stereo, and the modern Maton SRS70C. It is these guitars, and countless others, that are the pride and joy of Maton, the Australianmade, family-owned guitar manufacturer.

A notion captured beautifully by this collector’s item.

CHRIS SCOTT Maton will be exhibiting a host of guitars from their very own Maton Museum collection at this year’s Melbourne Guitar Show. For more information on ‘The Music that Maton Made’ or Maton Guitars, visit www.maton.com.au.

www.mixdownmag.com.au

ROAD TESTS

Peavey Mini Heads Galactic Music | (03) 8813 0241 | www.galacticmusic.com.au RRP: Priahna: $279.99, Valve King II: $799.99, Classic: $899.99, 6505: $899.99

It’s been a long time since the heady days of the rock and roll in the ‘80s. Bandanas, leather chaps and all that hairspray are now the bastion of novelty cock-rockers who’s bands pay tribute to that glorious era when names like Peavey, Jackson and Kramer we’re the be-all and end-all of sonic revelry. The once proud companies that provided backline for gargantuan stadium fillers like Ratt and Warrant have for all intents and purposes taken a back seat to bigger and newer names in the amp game; popular opinion has shifted toward the boutique and the vintage and left those shred lords to antiquity. Far from wallowing in obsolescence however, it seems the brains behind Peavey Amplification have simply been lying in wait, honing their craft, patiently poised and ready for their time to rise again.

OLD FRIEND The first real (read: not a 10w squawk box) amp I ever owned was a Peavey Bandit 112. As a result, I’ve always had a soft spot for the simplicity and flexibility that made these builds as reliable as they always have been. This in mind, I jumped at the chance to sink my teeth into the latest innovation from the creators of an old favourite.

THE 6505 The ‘6505’ logo has been the real breadwinner in the Peavey family for almost twenty years now. These hi-gain specialists have been adopted as studio and stage staples for a new crop of shredders making a name for themselves in front of mosh pits the world over. With two EL84 power tubes and three 12AX7/ ECC83 preamp tubes in the 6505MH engine you are at the behest of two completely independent gain stages. The lower of the two offers a tasty amount of bite and thumping yet crystal clear low-end while the hi-gain channel gives you all the crunchy, ‘Hot Cake’ style distortion familiar to loyal noodlers, which is then bolstered by a boost switch with just enough push to really make your breakdowns as earth-shatteringly destructive as possible.

VALVE KING II The Valve King II takes its lead from some of the more classic sounding British amplifiers made famous by guitar heroes from the ‘60s and ‘70s. It’s a looser tonal fingerprint than the 6505, much closer to Marshal Plexis or Hi Watt Custom 50s than I was expecting. Again the distortion channel is right where it should be with bucket loads of searing gain but the whole affair is noticeably creamier and more focused than its modern counterpart. The clean channel really sings around the mids and dialing in a touch of reverb gives you that low ceiling, bluesy, sing song quality that you expect from a much older build. There’s plenty of grunt too; the same tube set up in three of the four designs means that there’s a tonne of power in such a suspiciously tiny package.

THE CLASSIC Next up we have by far the most satisfying of the set, the Peavey Classic. Clothed respectably in timeless tweed, this design is a lovingly faithful rendition of the amp that started off the whole affair. As the story goes, Hartley Peavey-having been to see Bo Diddley set the great city of Mississippi on fire-realised his life’s calling and started the company almost as soon as he got home.

There is an incredible amount of

PG.44 // MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016

personality and character in this unsuspecting, sly little box and it’s just as the name suggests.

The clean stage is warm as a spring afternoon. Wind up the treble and it shimmers like a lake and it has more headroom than you’ll know what to do with.

Far from lazily rubber-stamping two personality traits on all four amps, the second channel is much less wild and wooly.

Go easy on the heat and you have the kind of rolled off, torn speaker saturation of a much older amp that is an absolute dream to wander around in. On first glance it doesn’t look much; dwarfed though it is by the cabinet upon which it perches itself, you’d be forgiven for palming it off as a tawdry imitation of a vintage Fender. Don’t be fooled though, it may look at you out of the corner of its eye as if to say it knows a thing or two that you don’t, but you’ll find out soon enough just what that is!

THE PIRANHA The most surprising member of the family is the runt of the litter. The 6505 Piranha is a mere fraction of the size of its stockier big brother but has just as much - if not more - ferocity!

With its bullet proof, cut steel chassis you’d be forgiven for mistaking it for a multi-meter or a ham radio but beware: that single 12AX7/ECC83 preamp

tube has more than enough guts to set all 20w barking around the room like a rabid dog! It’s firecracker bright: the tone cut dial doesn’t offer a tonne of lowend, but it’s a brazen, yelping top-end that would be right at home on a Clash record, protesting the evils of capitalism with all it’s might!

WHAT’S ON OFFER The real dealmaker with this line is the grab bag of extra features they’re saddled with. Barring the Piranha, all amps have an incredibly handy three-way attenuator switch on the back plate.

Flick between 20, 5 and 1 watt of power to suit the size of the room you’re wailing in without any tonal sacrifice whatsoever.

Secondly, the inbuilt resistance switch instantaneously adjusts the output impedance of the head to either 16 or 8 ohms to match the cab it’s plugged into.

There’s an XLR and MSDI (trademarked to the manufacturer) output, buffered effect loop and ground lift mounted on the back and they all come with their own dedicated dual footswitch. Last but not least, all MH amps have the capability to run direct out to a mixing desk via the speaker defeat switch, again without any loss in tone. This is essentially a portion of the circuit dedicated to simulating a mic’d up cab that effects both the midi out and

headphone jack, implemented to ensure the amp sounds just as good no matter which way you end up listening to it.

With the MH range, which stands aptly for ‘mini head’ if you hadn’t already gathered that, Peavey’s designers have shifted their rubric from the outlandish, gregarious excesses for which they were once renowned and cleaned up their act. They have taken everything they’ve done well over the years, trimmed all the fat and emerged with a range of tidy 20w heads that rises to the gamut of player styles and needs without sacrificing even a pinch of the build quality or immaculate tonal flexibility that has long been the company’s badge of honour. Compact, easy on the eye, replete with features and deceptively powerful, to put it frankly, they’ve hit the nail right on the head!

BY LUKE SHIELDS

HITS • Unflappable tones • Sure to bring Peavey right back into focus for those looking for a small wattage head

MISSES • None

www.mixdownmag.com.au

ROAD TESTS

Jet City Custom 22 Head & 24SVe 2x12 Cab Amber Technology | 1800 251 367 | www.ambertech.com.au | RRP: Head: $999, Cab: $899

Say what you will about their foreign policy, health care system, celebrity obsession and love affair with machines that kill but if there’s one thing the Americans know how to do well it’s Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Somewhere between Robert Johnson unintentionally changing the face of music forever and half of Metallica playing ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ in an ice hockey rink there lies an indelible and seemingly innate ability in the vast majority of patriots to not only understand how to make a rock-box sing, but also how to make other people enjoy it as much as the maker. When it comes to American instruments there is a self-propagated heritage and prestige that few nations, other than the British of course, can hold a candle to. Jet City and their ever-growing catalogue of brawny builds are relative newcomers in the pantheon of Yankee engineering, but in that seven or so years they’ve kicked up enough dust to turn some lofty heads. Fireworks go off, tri-coloured streamers sail to the ground and into the ring comes The Custom 22.

OH SAY CAN YOU ROCK Increasingly, amp builders appear to be exploring the 20w arena as untilled soil. Portability and affordability seem to be the impetus behind this trend and from where I sit there are some interesting results coming to the fore. With two EL84 power tubes opening the gate for a herd of five 12AX7s charging through the preamp paddock this design seems to have balanced low wattage with tonal grunt work. The result is a crystal clear, mid-focused voicing that aims at anything from classic country twang to searing metal heat. That’s not to say that there are strict limitations in place. I

had a wild time dialed back on the gain finding dozens of little nooks of chiming, incredibly present colours not too far removed from the Tele-into-Tweed Hail Mary play. And that’s only with the gain rolled off.

The hi-gain arena is where this amp really gets to work. The crunch channel is purportedly modeled on that ‘classic British’ tonality that just about every amp builder has pinned to the workshop wall. According to the handbook, this particular iteration has purposefully lessened the amount of clip in order to do two things. On the one hand, as I’ve espoused above, it allows you to revel in

some silvery cleans around the lower quadrant. On the other, as soon as you push it past a quarter of the way you unveil a tube-driven, fireside warmth that would be just as at home on a Cream record as it would some of their descendants. Switch to overdrive and you’re offered a much more modern variant on the gain theme and it’s clear that this is where Jet City really hits a stride. It’s a hot as hell crunch that, depending on which side of the mid/fat boost switch you lean goes from Dimebag scoop to Soviet wall of fuzz with sustain for days. I must admit I missed a lot of the bottom end rumble that you get from a more powerful circuit but the trade off here is that there is so much control in the mids that finding your place amongst the rest of the band is easier than ever before. It’s a low-headroom, singed saltiness that falls at the feet of the EQ rather than dictating to it. In a lot of cases, it is

much more like what the doctor ordered.

HAIL THE CAB Now, lets talk about the throne upon which The Little Prince is perched. I feel as if I’ve seen a mirage. The JCA24SVe cabinet is about the size of a bar fridge, black as pitch and you’d be mistaken for thinking it was a cheap, imported knock off of the angled Marshall cabs people have been stacking to the ceiling since the ‘60s. Don’t for one second let yourself be fooled though. I honestly think that this cab is responsible for majority of the tonal control I applauded the head for. Two custom engineered 12” Eminence speakers are mounted offset from each other with the top angled towards the face you intend to melt. It’s a diminution of the time-tested staple of cabinet world who’s closed back and convex front side are built to bark at you from the other side

of the room and, far from losing anything to shrinkage, you almost accentuate that tightened, spanking shoulder of frequency boasted by the amp. In the end the two go hand in hand like leather and leopard print.

Simple, eager and encased in monster truck ready, 16-gauge rolled steel, The Custom 22 is built on a meager 20 watts of power. However turn it on and stack it atop the tiny-but-mighty 24SVe and you’d think Mt. St Helens was about to go over again.

BY LUKE SHIELDS

HITS • Powerful Sound • Brilliant Tones

MISSES • None

Ernie Ball Slinky Guitar Strings CMC Music Australia | (02) 9905 2511 | www.cmcmusic.com.au | RRP: Regular: $16.95 | Cobalt: $25.95 | M-Steel: $30.95

Ernie Ball has over 50 years of experience in producing guitar strings that enhance tone and embrace playing style. As the world’s leading manufacturer they have attracted the very best, with their household Regular Slinky strings played by the likes of Eric Clapton, John Mayer and Steve Vai. Optimum comfort, feel and greater specificity are all qualities inherent to the production and remarkable playability of the Slinky range. This overwhelming success, however, hasn’t stopped the Ernie Ball engineers from developing new ways to improve the total tonal and playing experience. Enter the Ernie Ball Slinky Cobalt and the Slinky M-Steel – two technologically distinctive sets of strings that each provide guitarists’ with a fresh way to shape their sound.

THE MORE THE MERRIER Regular Slinky are the industry standard when it comes to rock ‘n’ roll. Nickel-plated steel wire is

www.mixdownmag.com.au

wrapped around a hex shaped steel core wire, which is made with the intricate tempering of tin plater, high carbon steel. A balanced tone ensures these strings can not only cut through the mix with some added brightness, but also provide exceptional tonal inflection for all playing styles. Cobalt Slinky guitar strings differ in that they are wrapped in a 17% iron-cobalt alloy wire that delivers a deeper magnetic connection between the pickups and the strings. This is a patented in-house innovation that elevates output and produces greater articulation. It’s a game changer as far as string technology is concerned. The M-Steel Slinky is then an extension of the Cobalt concept – enhanced output and response – wrapped in a 27% ironcobalt alloy wire. The core wire is made from maraging steel – a superalloy commonly used in the aerospace and defence industries.

The durability of these strings, as a result, is out of this world.

with solid sustain. Not simply for the purpose of high-powered tone, the inner strength of these strings also means that they take longer to fatigue and are less susceptible to slippage and breakage.

TRYING THEM ON FOR SIZE I’m using an 11-48 gauge. What I first notice with the Slinky Cobalt strings is the elongated range and punch. There’s a sophisticated sonic breadth on offer here that is instantly satisfying. When working on the clean channel there’s a rich, liquid gold character that coats the entire tone. The highs aren’t as bright as those experienced on the Regular Slinky strings and instead have a rounder profile. Elevated tonal voicing complex chord structures and noting, as well as the use of deft picking patterns, are articulated with clarity. With the addition of some overdrive the increased lower end of these strings is felt and heard with purpose. The greater

low-end presence means the sonic nuances offered by these strings also come to the fore when using hi-gain settings. The elastic feel and gripping grooves of the Cobalt Slinky then allows you to really dial in accurate string bends.

The Slinky M-Steel, conversely, have a much tighter feel underlined by their brute strength and beefy stature.

Booming low-end is the favoured domain of these strings. There’s an overarching liveliness that permeates the lows, mids and highs, generating a hard-hitting richness. When playing lead the highs really pop and bounce, driven by a bumped up bass response. Solid chords surge with greater girth and are answered

THE NEW WAVE For many guitarists there’s not a lot of thought that goes into choosing guitar strings. With the development of the Ernie Ball Slinky Cobalt and the Slinky M-Steel strings – two distinctive tone transforming technologies – Ernie Ball is surely changing this attitude, one guitarists at a time.

BY CHRIS SCOTT

HITS • • • •

Clarity Extended dynamic range Increased low-end Expressive set of strings

MISSES • Are you kidding? This is Ernie Ball we are talking about…

MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016 // PG.45

ROAD TESTS Fractal Audio Systems AXE-FX II XL+ Independent Music | www.independentmusic.com.au | RRP: $3,978.50

It’s almost easier to list the players who don’t use a Fractal Audio Axe-Fx than to name those who do. This two-rackspace unit has become utterly ubiquitous in studios and onstage. Periphery base their sound around it while guitarists like Steve Vai and Dream Theater’s John Petrucci like to use it for its effects alone, integrating it within a physical amp rig. Whatever way you wish to use it, the Axe-Fx is able to accommodate it. And that’s where the new Axe-Fx II XL+ comes in – as players find more and more unique ways to use the Axe-Fx, so too has the system evolved.

LET ME AXE YOU SOMETHING The Axe-Fx II XL+ uses the same DSP and offers the same amp modelling capabilities as the Axe-Fx II Mark II but it adds expanded memory, new I/O ports and other upgrades. There’s FASLINK port for connection to the MFC-101 Mark III floor controller over conventional XLR cables; dedicated MIDI IN, OUT, and THRU jacks compared to shared OUT/THRU in the Mark II; two onboard PEDAL jacks compared to one in the Mark II; primary value entry via optical encoder with a lifespan of 1,000,000+ rotations; ‘Secret Sauce III’ instrument input with an even lower noise floor; 128 Mb of non-volatile Super-Flash memory for storage of up to 512 presets and 512 user cabinets (with plenty of

reserves for future expansion); double-capacity preset size for expanded functionality including X/Y switching on more blocks and more instances of effects; built-in backup firmware to allow for recovery in the event of complications during update; and of course backward compatibility with Axe-Fx II Mark I/II presets via Axe-Edit software.

Onboard you’ll find over 200 simulations of classic guitar and bass amps, more than 130 speaker cabinet sims plus 512 memory slots to expand your tone with new Cab-Packs or user packs, 25 drive pedal sims, hundreds of effects including stompboxes and studio compressors; onboard stereo effects loop for adding external unit, and the Tone Matching

feature which lets you call up a sound from a recording or actual amp then let Axe-Fx duplicate it.

IT’S MY AMP IN A BOX Fractal have done such a great job of capturing everything about how an amp and cabinet should sound that it takes a real tone-hound to spot the differences between a recording of the real thing and a recording of an Axe-Fx. Okay, so it doesn’t make your pants flap and it doesn’t smell like burning tubes and hot Tolex, but in terms of comparing the sounds on record it’s extremely convincing. And the Axe-Fx isn’t just for those who like to create alien soundscapes with pitch-shifted delays and swirly phasey synth effects. There’s as much care taken in the accuracy

and response of the vintage amp simulations as there is for the crushing high gain tones. You can program a whole set’s worth of preset changes and delay times synced up via MIDI so you don’t have to do any pedalboard tap dancing if you want to, but you can also use it as the ultimate ‘set-and-forget’ amp.

THE BOTTOM LINE If you can deal with the extra steps required to edit your sound (and it’s worth it) and aren’t intimidated by all the buttons and lights, the Axe-FX II XL+ does everything you might require of a portable amp/ effects/foot-controller rig. It does it in so small a space that you could quite literally fit one into your hand luggage. There will always be a very important

Catalinbread Belle Epoch Tape Echo Catalinbread are masters at infusing classic sounds and unique parameters into newly produced stompboxes. Their entire pedal range is characterised by an appreciation for subtlety and control – an approach hinged upon authenticity and attention to detail. The Belle Epoch Tape Echo – their latest vintage throwback to pass through Mixdown’s doors – is a prime example of this very philosophy. This pedal is a recreation of Maestro’s highly influential Echoplex EP-3 tape delay effect. In offering echo, sound-on-sound functionality and the superb colouration of a quality preamp, it garnered use from the likes of Eddie Van Halen and Jimmy Page. This is why Catalinbread have gone to such great lengths to recreate its distinctive set of controls and sonic configuration in a modern unit.

Catalinbread’s remake similarly captures the lo-fi charm of the original, with echoes thinning out and dissipating. The sonic irregularities typical to using a tape can also be accurately executed here. Put simply, it’s responsive as hell and whole lot of fun to use.

WINDING BACK THE CLOCK It’s geared with five controls: mix, ‘echo sustain’, mod, ‘rec lev’ and ‘echo delay’. The ‘rec lev’ knob is a measure for how hard the delay line is hit. When set to low repeats are understated, subtle and soft. Conversely,

PG.46 // MIXDOWN #265 // MAY 2016

BY PETER HODGSON

HITS • Incredible tones • Upgradable patches • Plenty of connection options

MISSES • Complex editing system • Lack of simple knobs for quick setting-tweaks.

echoes. To emulate a realistic tape warble it is recommended to dial in the knob at 9 or 10 o’clock. What also produced great results, however, was elongating the delay time and maxing out the mod knob for emphatic, undulating curves.

Gladesville Guitar Factory | (02) 9817 2173 | www.guitarfactory.net | RRP: $299

ALL THE NOOKS AND CRANNIES With the Belle Epoch, Catalinbread have left no stone unturned. The tone shaping presence of the preamp, the analogue warble indicative of tape delay, the ability to swing into self-oscillation and the natural way the repeats decay – it’s all here and in its original form. The EP-3 was renowned for its remarkable FET preamp that shaped tonal character without the use of echo. This is a key component of the Belle Epoch, which adds a little colour and a creamier character to your tone, along with a slight boost.

place for real tube amps, but the Axe-Fx has shown that there’s definitely a place for digital control too, with equal parts reverence for classic tones and daringness to create new ones.

REVISITING THE BEAUTIFUL ERA Belle Epoch refers to the beautiful era in Western European history, dated from 1871 to around 1914. Catalinbread’s pedal is an ode to the beautiful sound of the ‘70s. By identifying what made the EP-3 so special – its sonic imperfections and vibrant operational oddities – they have done a fantastic job in staying true to the sonic beauty of the era.

BY CHRIS SCOTT when set to high repeats are much more prominent, have more girth and greater presence. This also results in some lo-fi grit and crunch, the raw and rasping hint of distortion a product of ‘70s guitar tone. The ‘echo sustain’ knob controls the number of repeats. From minimum to noon it produces a fixed number of repeats that thin as they decay, responding in true analogue fashion. Dial it in at 10 o’clock

with the ‘rec lev’ set at 3 o’clock for warm echoes and a sweet crunch. When set to anything beyond 2 o’clock the ‘echo sustain’ leads to chaotic selfoscillation and raucous noise.

This is where the ‘echo delay’ knob comes into its own, creating shifting soundscapes, warped rhythms and truncated noise sections in real-time. The mod knob is responsible for the amount of tape flutter and warble in the

HITS • Successfully replicates the unique qualities of the EP-3 • Wonderful lo-fi character • Otherworldly self-oscillation

MISSES • Its specificity means it won’t be for everyone

www.mixdownmag.com.au

AUSTRALIA

10 13 14 16 18

DEC DEC DEC DEC DEC

PERTH • RED HILL AUDITORIUM A D E LA I D E • A E C T H E AT R E MELBOURNE • FESTIVAL HALL SYDNEY • HORDERN PAVILION B R I S BA N E • R I V E R STA G E

*AL L S H OWS LICENSED/ALL AGES

BAD VIBRATIONS, OUT AUGUST 19 ON ADTR/EPITAPH RECORDS

FRI 28 OCT BRISBANE ENT. CENTRE SAT 29 OCT SYDNEY QUDOS BANK ARENA MON 31 OCT MELBOURNE (CUP EVE) ROD LAVER ARENA

ON SALE NOW! Go to livenation.com.au adtr.com • lamb-of-god.com • entershikari.com • piercetheveil.net

ROAD TESTS Acus Sound Engineering Acoustic Guitar Amplifiers Drum Partner/Music Patner | (03) 9416 9521 | www.drumpartner.com.au | RRP: One Forstring 5T - $1199, One Forstring 6T - $1599, One Forstring 8 - $1999, One Forstreet - $1699

There are plenty of guitar amplifiers available on the market, many offering all sorts of features. Some are designed with a specific sound in mind, while others run the gamut of style and genre. They all have their place in the wonderful world of amplification, but that does not mean that they’re all made equal. The fact is, there are specially designed amplifiers for acoustic guitars that also don’t do justice to the instruments they are intending to represent. That’s why an Italian family company has strived to deliver a quality of amplification worthy of the fine acoustic instrument it is working with. Let me introduce you to Acus Sound Engineering.

Based in Recanati, on the coast to the east of Florence, the Acus headquarters is where the Canale family have developed a unique range of acoustic instrument amplifiers aimed at staying true to the instrument’s natural resonance and tonal characteristics. All Acus amps are designed and manufactured there in their Recanati factory, with most parts and components designed in-house for each model. Specially designed speakers are chosen to match the hand-built cabinets which are all custom made on the premises to ensure the best match of tone and strength is achieved for each build.

Luxurious appointments and detail in design leave them pleasing to the eye in all aspect. With coated black cabinets available in all models, or beautifully stained timber finishes, the Oneforstrings range of acoustic amplifiers can fit right in at any venue, on any stage or in any home.

The four models that have been made available for our listening pleasure complement one another, each one adding additional power and input options to the subsequent model. And as these are intended to be used out and about, they all come with a tough padded bag designed to match the specific cabinet, ensuring the finish doesn’t get damaged in transit.

ONEFORSTRINGS5T This is the baby in the range, but is by no means an amp you want to underestimate. The 50 watt bi-amped design sees 40 watts RMS delivered to the woofer and 10 watts RMS powering the tweeter. This may not seem like a lot at first, but consider these are true RMS power ratings and not peak figures designed to make the unit appear more powerful than they actually are.

In fact, the reverse is true in this case. The Oneforstrings5T is actually more powerful than the technical specs might have you believe and offers plenty of volume for small café-style acoustic performances.

With two input channels, a solo

artist can run a microphone and a guitar together, or a duo can have two guitars side by side.

Input gain, three-band EQ and effects are adjustable on each of the channels. A separate master volume and auxiliary input volume round out the controls. The effects section offers a smooth reverb with a hefty pre-delay on it, so you get an effect that falls somewhere in between a standard reverb and a delay which works very well for both guitar and vocals at varying levels.

ONEFORSTRINGS6T In my opinion, this is likely to be the most popular of all the models in the range. The Onforstrings6T represents the best value when it comes to volume and inputs. I was able to give this particular model a test run in the same room that I had tested a Turbosound system designed for a similar purpose only a day before. With the same guitar used as a reference and no change to the environment, the results were obvious.

What the Acus offered was an extremely articulate reproduction of the guitar’s sound. There was an organic feel, with a dynamic response that was reflective of how one played the instrument.

And this was when I had it sitting on the ground, with the speakers below my knees, throwing the sound across the floor. Even in this situation the spread of the sound around the room and up to listening level was excellent, but that all changed when the speaker stand mount on the underside was taken advantage of. Raising this or any of the models in the Oneforstrings range brings another level of clarity to their sound. The room came to life as the wide spread of the speaker’s throw was able to freely move around the room at listening level.

ONEFORSTRINGS8 This is one of the big air movers from Acus. The 200 watt RMS bi-amped design is backed by an 8” woofer that delivers plenty of volume without speaker breakup or harmonic distortion. Rated

PG.48 // MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016

at a maximum SPL of 116 dB, the Onforstrings8 has plenty of grunt in the reserve should you need it. But, in reality, this is better used at slightly lower volumes with plenty of dynamic headroom.

Like the Onforstrings6T, this features three input channels.

Two are capable of either a mic or line input and one is available for line input only. This allows a duo to get by with two guitars and a microphone without any problem. There is also a stereo line input and record output both supplied on RCA connectors so you can feed backing tracks in as well. This model has eight effects to choose from, with a variety of delay and reverb settings to suit most players’ needs and of course, like all the models in the range, there is an XLR direct out for running to a front of house system should you require further sound reinforcement in larger rooms.

ONEFORSTREET On a slightly different note is the Onforstreet amplifier, which should be a bit of a giveaway as to its purpose from the name.

This model has an in-built battery option for performances in public, including busking situations, where mains power may not be a possibility. As far as the features go, it falls somewhere between the 5T and the 6T, managing to be a completely different model in its own right aside from the battery unit. Of course, it will run on mains power just like any other model in the Oneforstrings range, but behaves a little differently. At 80 watts RMS, you get more power than the 5T, but it has a single amp design, allowing it to be more efficient when operating under battery load. The result of this is an amplifier that still delivers volume, clarity and dynamic response when operating without mains power. You do not lose any performance or power when running from the battery, meaning you can perform in public with the same tone and volume as your expect from your Acus amp anywhere else.

The battery is supposed to last

up to seven hours of operation when fully charged, so you could call that a full day at the office for any busker prepared to put in the hours. Best of all, it only weighs 15kg and is a very compact cabinet so it is going to be easy to travel around with this box when you are playing on the go.

ONEFORSTRINGS AND SOMETHING FOR ALL It’s easy to see how any one of these amplifiers could be used for a wide range of applications, but for any acoustic guitarist, there is going to be a model that better suits you needs. What is important to understand about each of these amps built, is that they are all custom built to perform with your instrument in mind. These amplifiers need to be heard to understand how

good your guitar can actually sound. With that in mind, they should not be limited to just guitar players. Cellos, violins, banjos, mandolins and even ukuleles can all be allowed to shine with the Acus Oneforstrings range.

BY ROB GEE

HITS • Beautiful Italian craftsmanship • Custom designed cabinets • Acoustic amplification that stays true to the instruments tone

MISSES • These may fall beyond the price range of some guitar players.

But consider what is on offer and you’ll see the value.

www.mixdownmag.com.au

It’s your career.

Make it with JMC. AUGUST OPEN DAYS. Register online.

Degrees and Diplomas in Music, Songwriting, Audio, Entertainment Business Management, Film and Television, 3D Animation, Games and Digital Design.

The Australasian institutional partner school of the Berklee College of Music.

Your creative future starts today.

Visit jmcacademy.edu.au or call on 1300 410 311. facebook.com/jmcacademy

youtube.com/jmcacademy

SEPT & FEB INTAKES.

Enrol Now.

ROAD TESTS Sherlock Amplifiers V3 Distortion Pedal

no going back – but it makes up for it with tonal sculptability.

This is a really great pedal for taking true control over your sound, whether you’re using it with a tube amp or if you want to add some real tube growl to a modelling amplifier. It doesn’t get bogged down in too many controls or options, it simply gets down to business in giving you a pair of very flexible valve amp tones with which to find your personal sound.

Sherlock Amplifiers | (03) 8802 0499 | www.sherlockamps.com | RRP: call for pricing

Personally, I’m a longtime fan of Dale Sherlock’s amps. The Fat Head, the Angry Ant and the Grid 30 are particular favourites, but pretty much anything Dale Sherlock turns his considerable talents to is going to turn out great. Enter the V3. It’s a two-channel distortion pedal, which takes the high gain circuitry of the Fat Head and shrinks it down to pedal form.

This isn’t just some transistorised simulation of an amp channel though, the V3 has three 12AX7 valves at the heart of its sound (two configured as common anode amplifiers and a third configured as common cathode amplifiers and used a tone stack driver). The two channels have full controls for volume, middle, treble, bass and gain. The channels are rhythm and lead, accessible via a channel

footswitch. There’s also a Bypass switch (true bypass so when you stomp on it the pedal circuit is completely out of your signal chain). Power is via a supplied adaptor – no batteries for this one.

The two channels are quite different to each other. Rhythm is more open and amp-like, and not quite as high-gain, while lead is more compressed and

saturated. The rhythm channel is incredibly responsive: you can do the tube amp trick of dialling in your rhythm gain with the guitar’s volume at about 6, then back it off for a cleaner tone or turn it up for solos. There’s a great sense of depth and note separation to open chords and a satisfying crunch on power chords. This channel can also be coaxed into a nice jangly alternative sound or a harder-

hitting heavy rock distortion.

The lead channel is no less toneful, though in a different way.

It’s great for sustaining melodies and high-speed leads, and while it’ll dish out monstrous extreme metal and djent rhythm tones, it’ll also give you a harmonically alive blues-rock lead sound. It’s not as flexible as the rhythm channel in terms of dynamics – turn the gain up past a certain point and there’s

VHT Special 12/20RT Combo Innovative Music | (03) 9540 0658 | www.innovativemusic.com.au | RRP: $1199

A lot of the time the pantheon of modern guitar amplification feels like a classroom full of kids on red cordial. There’s a lot of jumping around, vying for attention with flashy colours and loud noises, but very few willing to sit quietly and get to work. I get the distinct impression that the Special 12/20RT is an attempt at the latter, a clean slate designed to let come what may.

The unassuming black box is loaded with a pretty unique list of features. Switchable from 12 to 20 watts, VHT themselves purport that these have all been chosen to offer “maximum tweak-ability.”

As such, all of their builds are wired on circuit board, as opposed to point-to-point soldered, just incase you’re the kind of mad scientist itching to throw a few soviet wax-and-paper caps in there for good measure. Loaded with three preamp 12AX7s and two 6V6

power tubes, you have the option of switching the latter out for EL84’s if you desire a little more grunt. It’s this kind of post factory focus that really sets it apart from a lot of it’s class mates.

Across the faceplate is where it gets interesting, if a little confusing. The volume pot pulls out for a bit of boost that relies on the three-way texture toggle to add a pinch of grit around the edges.

The tube-based spring reverb is a long, deep wash made all the

more rich by again tapping the pot, rolling off some more of the high-end shimmer in the tails. I personally had the most fun going back and forth between the tremolo, which is again tied closely to the tubes, and the wattage dial.

Starve the power tubes a little and let the peaks and valleys creep in and you have at your disposal some subtle, bluesy colours to get lost in for a while.

Overall I thought the tonality of this unit was, to say the least pretty flat, until I chanced upon the line in the handbook that

alludes to the fact that this is an amp designed to tackle pedals.

With that in mind I threw a Bogner LaGrange in line, powered conveniently by the amp’s own 9V DC out mounted on the back, and like the recess bell had just struck the classroom sprang to life! There were all the highs and personality I couldn’t find with the tone pot alone! It was at this point that it became abundantly clear that the amp in front of me is the blankest of blank canvases.

The luck therein is that you can potentially build a far more unique

Sound Distribution | (02) 8007 3327 | www.sounddistribution.com.au | RRP: $429

offers exceptional audio capture for the size of its capsule. You can literally use One by itself without any other leads or microphones to capture you vocals or instruments’ sound with ease.

RIGHT THERE I think it is safe to say that Apogee have actually thought about the musician when designing this interface. It is not trying to look like some piece of studio gear that should live in a rack and stay in the background doing its job. After all, if you are recording and playing the instrument at the same time, you want easy access to your interface to save you

MORE THAN THE NAME SUGGESTS Obviously, there are times when you might want to record both guitar and vocals at the same time. With a breakout cable that includes an XLR input for a microphone and a 6.5mm input for guitar, you are able to do just that with One. More than the name suggests, you actually get two simultaneous inputs with One. This can

time and allow the creative juices to flow. So, One has been built with the guitarist and singer in mind with an included mounting bracket that seats the interface atop of any microphone stand, allowing it to be placed exactly where you need it. And there is another reason for this beautiful design feature. That reason is the fact that One comes with an inbuilt omnidirectional microphone that

PG.50 // MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016

HITS • Two different but very usable sounds • Cool light-up effect

MISSES • None

sonic structure than if you were limited by the specifics of a far more idiosyncratic rock box. Long story short, there are more than enough options in here to send you spinning around the tonal merry-go-round. But don’t let any of them distract you. The VHT Special 12/20 RT is nothing if not an all rounder, headroom in spades and ready to pitch back anything you can throw at it. It’s that kid in class that kept to themselves, stayed out of mischief but ended up being The Fonz!

BY LUKE SHIELDS

HITS • 9V DV out is handy • Switchable voltage cool feature

MISSES • None

DA converters inside the One that makes it sound so good.

This goes for the inputs as well. With a crisp and clear microphone preamp, backed with Apogee’s AD converters, you will hear every subtle nuance that your voice or instrument impart within the recording. The One just about has it all for a solo recording artist to make great music, except for PC support.

Mac owners will love it.

Apogee One USB Audio Interface For Mac There is something to say about a sleek look combined with a clever design to make a relatively simple device so much more desirable. This is exactly what Apogee have done with their new USB audio interface, simply called One for Mac. This very slim, very cool, very Mac looking device doesn’t give much away on the outside, but it offers a lot more than it appears and twice that of what you might think from the name.

BY PETER HODGSON

BY ROB GEE

be a combination of the two external inputs and the built in microphone, depending on your needs. Monitoring is supplied by a 3.5mm output jack at the base of the unit, which can be used for either headphones or powered monitors. The playback quality is exceptional, so don’t be put off by the compact connection, it is all about the

HITS • Sleek stand mount or desktop design • Excellent AD/DA conversion • Twice the inputs than you might have thought

MISSES • Sadly, it is a Mac only device

www.mixdownmag.com.au

PLAY WITHOUT LIMITS. A NEW GENERATION OF MARSHALL AMPLIFIER.

Fully programmable, with 100 user editable Presets, CODE combines incredibly authentic MST Amplifier and Speaker Cabinet Modelling with professional quality FX. CODE features 14 classic & contemporary preamps, 4 power amp voicings and 8 speakers cabs. CODE’s 24 FX include Compressor, classic stompbox distortions, Pitch Shifter, different types of chorus, Flangers, Phaser, Auto Wah, Tremolo, as well as versatile Delays and Reverbs. Download the Marshall Gateway™ app for your iOS or Android device to controls CODE’s settings remotely and stream audio from your device via Bluetooth®. Connect via USB to use CODE as a DAW interface.

CODE is a powerful tool that lets you make your way. 1 x 10” 25 Watt combo, 1 x 12” 50 Watt combo, 2 x 12” 100 Watt combo, 100 Watt head and 4 x 12” cab. For more information, contact your local Marshall dealer.

MARSHALLAMPS.COM Marshall Amplification is proudly represented in Australia by Electric Factory Pty Ltd 188 Plenty Road Preston VIC 3072 marshall@elfa.com.au

ROAD TESTS Ormsby TX GTR Eaton Special Ormsby Guitars | 0410 540 327 | www.ormsbyguitars.com | RRP: Contact for Pricing

We’ve already reviewed the Ormsby Hypemachine and SX models in both their custom and production GTR forms. This month we’re taking a peek at another Ormsby design, the TX. Imagine a Telecaster or an Ernie Ball Music Man Axis fed through a warp in spacetime and you’ll get the basic idea. It’s a single-cutaway offset design with great ergonomics and that’s before you even take into account the frettinghand-friendly multiscale design, which presents a 27.8” scale length on the lowest string and a 25.5” scale on the highest (a 6-string version is also available with a 25.5”-27.5” scale). The benefits of this are many; in terms of how it angles your fretting hand, how it presents a more even tension from string to string and how it intonates better. But we’ve covered that before, so let’s get to the guts of what makes this particular guitar what it is.

DON’T MESS WITH TX The TX has a 42mm-thick alder body and, in this Eaton Special configuration, a flame maple top. The bolt-on neck is made of three-piece maple with an ebony fingerboard and mother of pearl inlays, and the back of the neck is carved to a D shape with round shoulders, otherwise known as a ‘Thin U’ shape. It’s not ultra-chunky but it’s not super-thin either. In fact it’s probably the perfect depth to be instantly accessible to as many players as possible, and it naturally guides your hand to a comfortable position for best orienting yourself to the multiscale fret layout (which

takes all of two minutes before it feels as natural as any regular guitar).

The hardware includes Hipshot USA locking tuners and a custom Hipshot multiscale bridge, and the controls include volume and tone pots, a push-pull on the tone for coil splitting, and a three-way pickup selector switch. The pickups are a PVH A5 humbucker and an Old School single coil wound to Ormsby’s specs.

RIFFAGE TIME The first thing I noticed about this guitar was just how punchy and three-dimensional it sounded. Unlike the set-neck

Hype GTR we reviewed a while back, which had a pleasantly musical natural compression, the TX’s bolt-on neck seems to really emphasise the punch and three dimensionality of each note and chord. The pickups aid this sensation with their clear, focused vibe. They’re capable of fatter tones too with a bit of amp or pedal tweakage but they’re especially great for really percussive, chunky riffage and aggressive soloing. They’re not super hot in output, but this allows them to speak nice and clearly. The humbucker splits into a nice twangy single coil voice, and the neck pickup has great ‘noodlablity’: if you’re into

your Yngwie licks, you’ll love what this guitar can do. And the clean and semi-dirty tones are fantastic, especially in the middle selector position with the coil tap engaged.

jangle. If you’ve been intrigued by the ideal of a multiscale but the Hype looks a little too metal for you, this is the perfect introduction to – and example of the concept.

THE ULTIMATE MULTISCALE This isn’t just a guitar for metal - although metal players seem to be happily embracing the multiscale concept in general and Ormsby’s take on it in particular. It’s a guitar that can handle all sorts of genres, especially ones that encourage a lot of clarity and note separation. Blues, rock, country, metal, funk. And it’s also capable of a great alternative

BY PETER HODGSON

your right hand it will simply bay at the moon. The fingerboard is dark and smooth (as ebony famously is) and even with my clunky, uninitiated rock hands, it played like absolute butter. The simple, familiar surface belies a tonal complexity that rings true of the music this guitar was born to bring to life. It begs to be allowed to tell its tales but will scarcely give up all its secrets right away.

carbon fiber bracing and pristine glossy polyurethane varnish.

While some of their models come loaded with a selection of pickup systems mounted in the side, the model I clung to was happily left undimmed by such an intrusion.

However, the fact that they are offered as an option elsewhere in the catalogue leads me to think that Adalid has not let his father’s lifework slip quietly under the boot-heels of more progressive builders.

to the very letter of the Esteve legacy while picking up brand new tips and tricks from modern makers along the way.

HITS • Punchy tones • Great construction • Comfortable neck

MISSES • None once you’re used to the neck

Guitarras Esteve Clasicás 9C/B Zenith Music | (08) 9383 1422 | www.zenithmusic.com | RRP: $3299

If my knowledge of the last few centuries is correct, the Spanish are responsible for planting the family tree from which every modern guitar swings. One of the more fortunate consequences of their fierce pillaging of the lower portion of The New World is the introduction and proliferation of six catgut strings wrapped around a box of wood that, thrust into the unwitting hands of the locals, resulted in some of the most elegantly mournful, ferociously passionate and profoundly influential moments in music history. The romantic music of the south-western tip of Europe has survived, if not flourished in parallel to its American cousin to become one of music’s most respected traditions. It is with this time honored reverence that the master craftsmen behind Esteve Guitars proudly present their 9C/B. There are 52 pairs of weathered, expert hands that occupy Esteve’s workshop, many of whom have been there long enough to remember working alongside founders Francisco Esteve, Manuel Antonio and Monfort Adalid; among them the son of the latter, Manuel Adalid. That means that 52 sets of discerning eyes have set upon every last piece of work that is sent through the doors into the swarthy Valencia sun. It is abundantly clear as soon as you cordially introduce yourself to one of their instruments that this rich history and familiarity is at the very core

of their vocation. You can feel the decades of dedication in the warm heft that allows you to lift it from its case as it rings with quality and nuance even before you dare chance a note.

There is a clever tapestry of wood choices at play here.

Cedar and spruce sooth the rich baritone that forms the basis of the voicing, while the density of Indian rosewood around the guitar’s hips sings with a vibrant yet velvety top note.

It’s restrained and graceful, but has so much personality that if it allows you to really open up

PG.52 // MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016

The finishing touches are understated works of genius too. As much as the heart of the company beats for tradition, Esteve Guitars’ designs have hardly ignored the developing needs of the modern player. Time tested build techniques are augmented by tasteful necessities like

The Clasicás 9C/B is an entry into the satisfying world of classical guitar, made by a troupe of craftsmen unequalled in their respectful response to both traditional elegance and modern evolution. They are crafting masterful instruments according

BY LUKE SHIELDS

HITS • Beautifully built • Full of character

MISSES • None

www.mixdownmag.com.au

ROAD TESTS

Fican Guitars Tornado Fican Guitars | www.ficanguitars.com.au | RRP: $3900

Stuart Monk’s Fican Guitars is a new brand driven by a unique vision.

Monk’s guitars aren’t based on those 50s-derived legends we all know and love: instead he follows his own path. He began building guitars after an injury to his finger made it difficult to play C-shaped necks.

He built a D-shaped neck that felt more ergonomic.

TWO TONES ARE BETTER THAN ONE The Tornado is a solid body electric guitar designed to offer both acoustic and electric sounds, and blends with two input jacks and two tones of acoustuc. It goes out of its way to tell you this by referencing certain visual aspects of an acoustic guitar, in the form of the curvy outline, the soundholelike circular centre section and the laser-etched pickguard.

The body of the review model is Fijian Mahogany, but Fican can use all sorts of woods, even bold-grained Tulipwood. You can

www.mixdownmag.com.au

also choose your fredboard wood including rosewood or maple on a maple bolt-on neck. The headstock is a little – okay, a lot – unconventional. Using banjo-style tuners for straight string pull.

On the review model the pickups are a pair of WSC humbuckers in the basic PAF low-output style, paired with a GraphTech Acousti-Phonic preamp, a deceptively powerful system with two modes, mid and dark, which are accessible via a pushpull volume pot. The default mode is the dark setting, which is designed to give you a full-

bodied tone which is quite unlike the typical harsh piezo voice. The mid mode has more bite in the upper midrange for enhanced clarity and detail. The magnetic and piezo systems each have their own volume controls and output jacks, so you can send the acoustic and electric signals to separate processors or amps to optimise the sound of each. It’s worth pointing out that you don’t neccesarilly have to go with the colour scheme and pickup choice of the review model. You’re able to personalize your guitar with any colour shceme and pickup configuration you please.

STORMBRINGER This guitar is very playable, and with a very lively and detailed sound. In fact, it’s

surprising how playable it is given the heavy gauge strings it comes supplied with. It’s great for clean tones with lots of character and nuance, which makes it especially suitable for fingerpicking and country styles.

The bridge pickup has a tight low-end, warm upper mids and singing treble whereas the neck pickup is smooth and rich. The overdriven tones work best at medium gain levels for classic rock rhythm and lead tones, but it’s not suited for high gain. The acoustic voice is full and punchy, and the two different settings come in very handy for balancing the sound with the magnetic pickup signal.

When you pick it up and play it you’ll find a well-made, very adaptable, very musical and very playable guitar that will inspire

all sorts of ideas that you might not otherwise have thought of.

In fact, that’s one of its biggest strengths; it doesn’t mimic anything that’s come before, so you can play it without the baggage of knowing what you’re ‘supposed’ to play with a particular body shape.

BY PETER HODGSON

HITS • Unique look • Comfortable neck shape • Wide variety of sound

MISSES • Shape might be a bit out there for some players • No tonal control

MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016 // PG.53

ROAD TESTS Timberidge TRC MM12 12-String Acoustic Guitar

that’s quite a few gigs!).

Jade Australia | 1800 144 120 | www.musocity.com.au | RRP: $799

Strewn throughout the history of rock, folk, country and blues is 12string acoustic guitar. Whilst not always a staple in every guitarist’s collection, they possess a distinct sound and can be an invaluable tool for writing and recording. Adding to their already substantial array of instruments Timberidge have dropped a 12-string dreadnought into their new Messenger range.

MAHOGANY In darker mahogany woods the new Messenger series of guitars from Timberidge all feature a rootsy natural satin finish.

The TRC-MM12 is a 12-string dreadnought shape with a cutaway and sports the new 2016 shaped headstock, which looks a little more modern and simplified. Timberidge have also

opted for their own labelled tuners in black, which sit nicely with the understated and darker looking mahogany finish. As an amplified instrument you’ll find a Fishman I-SYS + preamp and tuner onboard with controls for volume, bass, treble, phase and a tuner on/off button. Fishman are a proven instrument preamp/ pickup/electronics company so

the I-SYS + is a solid choice.

I SEND A MESSAGE As a 12-string and a dreadnought you might be expecting a super beefy guitar that only a giant can play, but I’m happy to report that the MM12’s body weight is comfortable and light and the neck is skinny (in a good way). Open chords and picking are easy on the hands with some clear tonal definition. The string spacing is user friendly, enough to allow the more fleet fingered to whip

around bluegrass lines or intricate runs, but not so crammed that the cruisier sing and strum brigade is put off. Tuning and intonation up the neck seemed good and even with a little bashing the MM 12 appeared stable in the tuning department.

The battery box is located on the bottom of the guitar with a combined input jack plate and the low battery indicator will alert you if it ever needs replacing (although the battery life is suggested at over 100 hours – so

12 STRINGER At Sub $1k, easy to play and with a Fishman onboard, it’s a great guitar for those needing to add some 12 string action to their arsenal but not wanting to spend a fortune. Furthermore, it’s a good option those wanting a solid 12 stringer acoustic at a nice price.

Timberidge aren’t here to match the uber artisan handmade guitar makers, rather they’re offering a range of solid guitars that are easy to play and sound good.

BY NICK BROWN

HITS • Great 12 string option at the price point

MISSES • none

Samson DK707 7-Piece Drum Mic Kit Electric Factory | (03) 9474 1000 | www.elfa.com.au | RRP: $599

I’ve tried and tested a range of Samson microphones over the last ten years. They always deliver good quality microphones for and excellent price, but that doesn’t mean it is always easy to get the setup you need for a specific task at hand, like capturing a complete drum kit.

This leads me to introduce the DK707 Drum Mic Kit, which Samson have put together to take out the guesswork when recording or performing with drums.

OPEN CASE Out of the box, we find a plastic carry case to house all the microphones in this kit. It’s fairly compact given that it contains 7 microphone and mounts. There are four Q72 dynamic tom/snare microphones, which all have fixed mic stand attachments.

These are complimented by four drum mounts. There is a Q71 kick drum microphone,

which includes a rubberised stand mount for reduced low frequency rumble through the stand itself. This can be removed and replaced with a range of other microphone clips if you would prefer. Completing the selection are two C02 pencil style condenser microphones for either an overhead pair, or for hi-hats and a single overhead application. But, the mounts don’t totally suspend and

it right. Samson are on the mark with this setup as it keeps things as simple as possible and reduces setup time greatly.

BY ROB GEE isolate the microphone, they only reduce minor vibrations.

Stands used on a wooden floor might need some extra treatment. Across the board, these microphones offer a good sound. There is plenty of thump from the large diaphragm kick microphone and the condensers certainly offer plenty of sparkle in the high frequencies. Most of all, the tom/snare microphones

Markbass JB Players School Combo CMC Music Australia | (02) 9905 2511 | www.cmcmusic.com.au | RRP: $1250

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.

SPEC CHECK So what can you expect from either of this low-cost, highpowered 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 a 100 Kohm 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

PG.54 // MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016

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 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 it has the ability to remove ‘modern’ sounding frequencies that may be perfect for some styles but not for others, leaving behind a deliciously vintage

can and will handle very high SPLs, so you can place them right in close to the drum heads.

CASE CLOSED It is often the little things that can make or break an idea like this. The drum mic kit is by no means a new idea; every microphone manufacturer has delivered one or more at some stage. But they don’t always get

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.

SWEET AND LOWDOWN 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

HITS • Great selection of microphones for the job at hand • All mics have stand mounts attached and ready in the case • Excellent value

MISSES • Condenser mics suspension doesn’t offer the greatest isolation

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 • None

www.mixdownmag.com.au

ROAD TESTS Timberidge TRFC-MM Acoustic Guitar Jade Australia | 1800 144 120 | www.musocity.com.au | RRP: $699

More from Timberidge’s new Messenger range of guitars, the TRFC-MM is a slightly smaller bodied cutaway acoustic that will appeal to a host of guitarists straying from bigger bodied instruments. There are a host of reasons for wanting something a little smaller in size and shape that still holds up as a solid instrument be it sound, feel or playability and the MM adds that option to the Messenger line.

HEY LITTLE BODY Whilst not traveller/mini size, the TRFC-MM is definitely not as big as a dreadnaught or auditorium. I’d liken it to slightly smaller orchestra shape with this model, following the Messenger specs of mahogany top, back, neck and sides. The natural darker timber is allowed to shine through and the guitar is finished in a natural satin adding a slight sheen without the gloss. Weight-wise, the MM

is nice and light so won’t cause any troubles playing sitting or standing. Timberidge have again gone with the Fishman I-SYS + preamp which adds some points to the overall package too. The on-board tuner display is bright and clear and the I-SYS + does a good job for those wanting to plug in for some extra volume.

CHORDS PICKING AND MORE Coming nicely set up from the warehouse with smooth fret

edges and good action and intonation, the MM lets you get stuck straight into playing. Open chords rung out clearly with a fairly full bodied sound across the board. Picking and single note runs up the neck all felt good, with the slim neck letting you whip around uninhibited.

There’s enough to hold onto, but the skinny C type profile is easy on the hands and great for those that struggle with bigger chord shapes or stretches. The heel

Audio-Technica ATH-A550Z ART Monitor Headphones Audio-Technica Australia | www.audio-technica.com.au | RRP: $219

Audio-Technica’s ATH-A550Z is the no frills entry-level headset in the Z series of their ART Monitor range – aimed at the audiophile market. But I tell you what, for a sub $250 buy, they pack a punch. With a frequency response range of 5Hz-35kHz you aren’t going to be missing anything on a hi-def audio file, no matter how super human your hearing is.

With a 40 ohm impedance, you’ll get away with using them on smartphones/music players as well as amplified sources.

Whether you’ll actually want to use them with portable devices

on the move is more a question of bulk and style though. These puppies are large; the massive ear cups and the ‘3D wing support system’ will soak up considerable real estate in any bag. And while they’re certainly comfortable and handsome in a functionality over form kind of way, they’re going to look comically oversized on all but the biggest heads.

Having said that, if you’re looking for some really comfy, great sounding and relatively lightweight headphones for home use these might be your ticket.

The huge ear cups create such a massive soundstage it’s like

Sennheiser HD 25 Series Professional DJ & Studio Headphones Sennheiser Australia | (02) 9910 6700 | www.sennheiser.com.au | RRP: HD 25: $349, LIGHT: $209, PLUS: $399

Few – if any – headphones have stood the test of time in both DJ booths and studios like the infamous Sennheiser HD 25 closed dynamic headphones. Over the years, they have become an industry standard for DJs, producers and engineers who require lightweight, comfortable headphones that offer an excellence in sound and the ability to operate at extremely high SPLs. A slight shift from Sennheiser recently has seen the range adjusted slightly and renamed for a more consistent understanding of what each product offers. Plus some newly designed packaging never goes astray either, so now the three-piece line-up in the HD 25 range is easy to understand and extremely affordable given what each option offers. cable hanging more than you do the weight of the headset HD 25 LIGHT itself. How Sennheiser manage This is the base model in the to produce a pair of drivers and range and will be the most house them with so little weight accessible for interested users. still remains a mystery, but it These headphones are extremely does not affect performance in lightweight, so much so that you any way, that much is certain. actually feel the weight of the

PG.56 // MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016

Designed for DJ use in high noise environments, the compact, closed design is enough to cover the ears, but not add unwanted bulk.

HD 25 Now, these are the real deal.

For those of you looking for the ultimate monitoring experience, it is easy to see why so many of the world’s top DJs turn to the HD 25 headphones. These are the next level in monitoring and go that extra step further from where the

joint is smooth and the cutaway also lets you dig into the higher registers with ease. It might not have the tonal nuances of a hand-made exotic wood acoustic, but at its price point, the MM really feels and sounds good. Folky strumming, country picking, open chord sing-alongs or more refined sounds are all fair game.

DON’T SHOOT THE MESSENGER A solid mid-level guitar that’ll suit a range of styles, the TRFC-

MM fits nicely under the $1k banner. Good for chords, picking and everything in between, it’s a flexible all-rounder for those looking for something more than a beginner guitar or not wanting to spend mega bucks.

On board tuners are just about standard these days but it’s great to see Fishman as the default for the Messenger series handling electronics duties too. There have been quite a few Timberidge guitars through the doors of Mixdown and the TRFC-MM is just about one of the easiest playing models I’ve seen.

BY NICK BROWN

HITS • Easy to play • Great size for travelling • Great for the price point

MISSES • None

wearing open back headphones.

It’s glorious. That trademark Audio-Technica clarity is also in full effect, particularly noticeable in the lower midrange this time.

With newly designed 53mm drivers they aren’t going to struggle with bass heavy music either, that’s for sure.

Included with the headphones in the box is just a ¼ inch adaptor for the non-removable 3m cable – as I said, no frills to be found here. On the plus side, 3m is probably going to be long enough to reach your stereo or computer from the couch and it features an elastomer sheath, which provides some resistance to tangles.

The fit isn’t adjustable in any way; supposedly the wing support system makes the headset one size fits all. However, I found that they did slide down a little over time, and I have a biggish head. Had I been able to shorten the band a little I think the fit would have been perfect.

Overall, there are some hits and misses here – but the misses will not be applicable to everyone. So if you’re looking for an affordable entry-point into very good sound in a comfortable headset for use at home (or other times when looking goofy doesn’t matter), give these a whirl. They may well suit your needs perfectly.

HS 25 LIGHT models leave you.

Still incredibly lightweight, they do weigh slightly more, due to the headband mechanism that isn’t quite as simple and allows for far more adjustment. You no longer get the fully rotating ear pads, but instead have the ability to swing each ear pad back away from your ear instead. This still holds the headphones firmly in place whilst only monitoring from one ear. The headband itself is well padded and can be split in two and separated to find a better, more stable fit on any head.

with, a carry pouch is included along with a spare pair of ear pads. This is ideal for DJs who operate in hot clubs, where sweat and spilt drinks can cause all sorts of damage to your ear pads over time. Further to this, two cables are included in the package. A short 1.5m straight cable comes as a spare, whilst the headphones come fitted with a curly cable to ensure it doesn’t get in your way in the DJ booth. Great!

HD 25 PLUS Perhaps the lesser known of the three models in the range, the HD 25 PLUS essentially gives users a slightly different way of working to the standard HD 25. This might well be aimed at the DJ who is going to put these cans to their limits. The headphones are exactly the same as the standard HD 25, but you get some very clever additions in the package. To start

BY MICHAEL CUSACK

HITS • • • • •

Huge Soundstage Bottom-end clarity is very good Frequency response Long cable Value

MISSES • Non-adjustable fit • No removable cable

BY ROB GEE

HITS • Reference quality audio • Perfect for quiet studios or loud environments alike • Extremely lightweight • Various options to suit different needs and price points

MISSES • None

www.mixdownmag.com.au

ROAD TESTS

Hammond Leslie Cream Pedal Musico | (03) 9872 5094 | www.musico.com.au | RRP: $499

The names Hammond and Leslie have been around in music for longer than most of us can remember. But one usually thinks of big organs and killer rotary speaker cabinets when these names are mentioned. The last thing I would have thought about was a guitar pedal, until this landed on my desk this month! Now, Hammond have delivered a pedal that captures the behaviour of Don Leslie’s original cabinet designs, with four separate cabinets modelled in the one pedal. For keyboards and guitars, this offers a whole lot of life and character in one pedal.

FIRST LOOK I was quick to get this one out of the box and start poking around with it. Pedals like this always get a lot of interest, offering something a little different to what we see day in and day out.

So, for connections, you get a stereo input on a single 6.5mm TRS jack. This will work in mono with a typical guitar lead inserted and diverts the signal to the left output. There is also a gain switch next to this, allowing you to up the input for guitars, or peel it back for higher levelled keyboards. A CU-1 control input is also found on the rear. This will mean nothing to guitarists, but

Hammond keyboard players will know of these pedals. Essentially it allows you to change the speed of a Leslie. Let’s ignore that for the sake of guitar use.

On the top panel there are a range of controls that allow you to fully sculpt the sound. The level and mix controls are fairly obvious, as is the overdrive control which brings in a typical Hammond style of overdrive, quite unlike what many guitarists would be used to in their overdrive pedals. It actually has a more gritty and natural response, based on the 40-watt tube amplifier from the original Leslie, giving you the impression that

you are about to break something when you really wind it up.

THAT LESLIE SOUND After the standard fair, there are the rise & fall and distance controls. These allow you to harness the parameters of the Leslie speaker emulation to suit your playing style. The distance control determines the nature of the sound as though a microphone were being moved closer or further away from the cabinet. At the lower setting, it acts like the microphone is right up against the cabinet and is harsher than when you move it away with an increase of the control. The rise & fall

Keeley Silver Bullet Fuzz Pedal Keeley Electronics | www.robertkeeley.com | RRP: $255

Robert Keeley has been building, modding and refining pedals for many moons. A lot of his creations have become staples on pedalboards around the world, from uber rock stars to studio cats to bedroom bashers and those just beginning their foray into tonal exploration. A respected engineer, his enthusiasm for tone has never seemed to wane, and the recent revamp of the Keeley look, website and a tonne of new designs shows that he’s working as hard as ever.

HI HO SILVER With a number of fuzz flavours in the Keeley line, the ‘Silver Bullet’ is tagged as a ‘lower priced, but equally impressive sister to the Black Glass series of Bender style fuzz pedals. The Black Glass is a limited edition Germanium styled Fuzz that features the super rare OC81D transistor so the nicer price in a similar vein idea seems like a good one. Coming in a hip Cowgirl graphic, the looks certainly keep with the ‘Silver

Bullet’ name and like its bigger/ pricier sister this cowgirl is also a limited run. Under the hood Keeley has utilised NOS Soviet Transistors for that classic Tone Bender type sound whilst on the pedal there are controls for tone, fuzz and level. A major winner is the fact that the pedal runs on a 9-volt center negative power, which is quite standard unlike a lot of fuzzes that take obscure power supplies and voltages.

FUZZY The Tone Bender is known as one of the holy grail fuzz pedals thanks to its big sustain and back catalogue of classic tracks that have employed its powers.

control determines the speed in which the effect transitions form a slow to a fast Leslie speed. You can then engage the Leslie speed variations from the slow-fast button, allowing you to change it up in a single press. The rise & fall changes the way in which this function behaves. Hitting the brake control doesn’t just bypass the signal, but actually halts the Leslie’s rotation just like the actually moving speaker would, so it has a quality unlike hitting the bypass as it slows down abruptly and brings the Leslie to an abrupt halt. In the centre of the pedal is a selector knob to allow you to choose between the four cabinet

Keeley has aimed to recreate this almighty sound with the focus on a sandwich of two silicon transistors and one germanium transistor and the results sound pretty darn good. At lower fuzz settings you get some honky warmth, especially when played with fingers whilst you can then ramp it up to get into thicker more raucous sounds.

The beauty of the Silver Bullet is the smoothness that feels and sounds great yet still has some presence and punch. Tweaking the tone control really rolls through a range of sonic options too making it easy to dial in settings with different guitars – slightly brighter with darker humbuckers or adding some rounded oomph to single coils for instance.

BULLET PROOF As always the proof is in the sound and the Silver Bullet really seems to deliver. Squashy and

models. The original 122A speaker cabinet is there along with three others that may not be familiar to many guitarists. But that doesn’t matter, all you need to do is switch between them and hear how they sound, you’ll find a tone that works for you pretty quickly.

BY ROB GEE

HITS • That classic Leslie rotary sound with your guitar • True bypass • Solid build • Beautiful design

MISSES • Absolutely none

spongy, it’s more of a classic take rather than a modern edgy fuzz. Great for rock, punk, indie, psychedelic and experimental tones, it seems super useable.

Plus the limited run gives you an extra little feeling of having something special. Another cool pedal from Mr Keeley and his crew – keep pumping out the designs I say!

BY NICK BROWN

HITS • Looks great • Easy to find tones

MISSES • This limited run can be hard to get your mits on!

The legendary portable amp from the 1970’s is back!

Originally released in 1972 the Pignose has been played by just about every major guitarist from Clapton to Zappa and everyone in between. Runs on battery or mains and can also be used as a preamp to give you that famous Pignose sound through any amp.

7100 Tweed

$129 Mixdown Pignose Ad.indd 1

www.mixdownmag.com.au

Now available direct from the importer you can buy one of these legendary amps in Australia with 2 Year Warranty at prices lower than overseas!

7100 Legendary

$129

AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY

FROM

www.shiremusic.com.au 28/07/2016 11:25 AM

MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016 // PG.57

ROAD TESTS Audio-Technica AT-LP120-USB Direct Drive Turntable Audio-Technica Australia | (02) 9519 0900 | www.audio-technica.com.au | RRP: $599

unit to a computer via USB. This has got to be the simplest way to back up all your vinyl and bring your old records into your modern playlists.

It was just this week that I discovered issues with one of my old turntables and was considering looking at some new options. Then a box arrived containing perhaps the answer to my wishes. The Audio-Technica AT-LP120-USB is a bit of a mouthful when it comes to model numbers, but it makes up for all that in features. For any of you wanting to digitise your vinyl collection and get those classic records into your digital playlist, this is an ideal solution that still has a traditional operation too.

THAT LOOK I think it is safe to say that a certain turntable from years past has defined just how a DJ turntable should look and so dictates how so many are built.

But, there are a few additional features on this modern take of the classic that are worthy of their place on the top panel. To start with, the pitch adjustment, whilst being centre indented to allow you to find the correct speed, also

comes with a Quartz button that snaps it back into perfect time at the press of a button no matter how many percents out it was set to operate at. For those of you who might be mixing a wide range of music and genres, the pitch slider can be adjusted to shift either 10% or 20% from original pitch, giving you plenty of scope to bring different tracks together.

As a DJ tool this is a well thought out turntable.

BY ROB GEE TOO EASY I don’t often assemble turntables out of the box, personally I tend to only buy them every twenty years or so. But I do get a number to test out and never really fancy the setup procedure. The AT-LP120USB on the other hand was a walk in the park. The tone arm assembly was already in place, with just the counterbalance weight needing to be screwed on to the end. The platter dropped into place without

the need of alignment and best of all, the headshell came completely wired with cartridge and stylus already installed. Thank you Audio-Technica for making it easy for every new turntable customer to have their setup completed quickly and accurately without needing to break the seal on the operating manual.

Of course, the added bonus of this turntable is that it has a built-in A/D converter to allow you to send the audio direct from the

ISP Technologies Theta Pro DSP Innovative Music | (03) 9540 0658 | www.innovativemusic.com.au | RRP: $2199

A long time ago, in a galaxy far away… called the mid 90’s… there was one effect unit that every teenage kid in a Metallica/ Korn/Tool t-shirt that was plucky enough to pick up a guitar more than twice was absolutely POSITIVE would make them sound just like their heroes!

That generation’s Holy Grail was the now infamous and much maligned Boss ME-50 and, as much as those big blue bastards have come to furrow the brows of Dumble worshiping purists everywhere, there is absolutely no doubting the influence they continue to have to this day.

It is owing to that ancestry we bear witness to ISP Technologies’ Theta Pro DSP.

ISP has primarily made their name in the noise-gate game with the much relied upon Decimator, without which the Djentle art of metal-core would be eons behind where it is today.

Another jewel in their crown is their Theta preamp pedal and it is this particular stomper that forms the bedrock of the tonal landscape encased in the Ferrari red chassis of the Theta Pro DSP. The MO is much less ‘modelling amp’ than perhaps I’ve indicated, less about gimmicky replication as it is torch-lighting endless sonic possibilities. Each and every patch herein has the same set of flexible parameters that reach far beyond the usual bass, mid and treble. You have

full command of a healthy compressor, parametric EQ and sag control as well as patented TRUESPEAKER cabinet and mic simulation. Essentially you have DAW style control over various notched and kneed frequency sets, with rollers and pots in place of complicated plug-ins.

On top of all that you have some pretty classic phaser, flanger, chorus, tremolo, digital delay and reverb sounds along the second row of switches. There are expression pedal outs, input and output volume controls, MIDIports, a headphone jack with dedicated volume and just about every other option under the sun. The engineers have literally

exhausted the list of potential audience demands in an attempt to create the one stop shop for a very particular type of player.

That then begs the question: who is that player? There are clues in the library of affectionately named factory presets that await you upon firing up the big red machine. Patches like ‘Gilmore’, ‘Cooder’ and ‘Creedence’ aim squarely at your classic rock swagger-phile while at the other end of the spectrum you have titles like ‘Extreme Gain 85’ and ‘Enough Already’ that point to… well any number of directions really. There is just about every colour of the rainbow at the turn of a dial, all anchored to

HITS • Headshell and cartridge comes pre-wired • East setup and installation • Extended pitch range • Did I mention the headshell and cartridge comes pre-wired

MISSES • Target light switch is a little fiddly, that’s about it though

the pivot point of the original Theta’s crisp, sizzling tonal fingerprint. In the Theta Pro DSP, ISP Technologies have gone a long way to providing the ultra modern player an unrelenting smorgasbord of tones. Tempting though it may be to designate a unit like this as the bastion of one particular club, every effort has been made to create a workstation that could, popular snobbery notwithstanding, be everything to everyone.

BY LUKE SHIELDS

HITS • Dependable • Intuitive • Offers amazing control over parametes

MISSES • Very genre focused

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 MkII USB Audio Interface Electric Factory | (03) 9474 1000 | www.elfa.com.au | RRP: $239

Anyone and everyone who has wanted to record music at home should know of Focusrite. This is the brand that put the preamp in the home studio. And from their top end Red and ISA series’ right through to their entry-level priced Scarlett range, Focusrite have been delivering what musicians and producers have been looking for for decades. But, like as with most technological marvels, some devices come to an end of their lifespan and we get heralded with a new release to bring them forward into the next stage of recording. This is just the case with the Scarlett series, and the 2i2 in particular. It’s touted as ‘the best selling USB interface in the world’ and that is pretty easy to see how that might have come about. The 2i2 has now had an overhaul and is ready to deliver even more at the same great price.

ON THE OUTSIDE The first and most obvious difference is the box. Yes, all new packaging with an all new design and a smaller, more compact box to house a unit of much the same size. When you take it out, you will notice a few subtle

changes to the original, but no so much that it doesn’t look like a Scarlett audio interface.

The same red coloured housing is still the same, with the same specs as far as inputs and outputs go, but there are a few simple touches. Noticeably, the master volume and headphone

PG.58 // MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016

volume knobs have had an overhaul, now replaced with metal knobs instead of the older plastic ones. The logo has shifted and switches are a little different, but essentially, it is the Scarlett 2i2 that we all know.

THE INNER WORKINGS Most notable of all the changes to the Scarlett 2i2 is what’s going on with the analogue to digital conversion. This new model now offers sample rates of up to 192 kHz, which brings it in line with other competing devices in this price range. It is capable of delivering this audio quality without suffering latency issues either, so you can record and monitor at the best quality without concerns about the unit

keeping up on playback. For guitarists, and I am sure this sort of interface would appeal to many, Focusrite have reworked the instrument inputs on the new 2i2 allowing for hotter guitar signals to be captured without running out of headroom. This means you can use active pickups with very high output levels and be confident in the 2i2 capturing all of your sound without unwanted distortion.

On top of all that, it’s still compact and bus powered, so you can take it with you and record without the need of an external power supply. Like the earlier version, the new 2i2 includes Focusrite’s Red Plug-in Suite for amazing EQ and dynamic processing. But, as an extra bonus,

these are now shipping with Pro Tools First as a download, allowing you to start recording straight away with a simplified version of the industry standard recording software.

BY ROB GEE

HITS • Improved build quality • Greater sampling rate • Great selection of bundled software

MISSES • It’s still missing MIDI I/O

www.mixdownmag.com.au

SHOW & TELL

WE CHAT TO MUSOS ABOUT THEIR MOST TREASURED GEAR

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

2015 Fender Telecaster How did you come across this particular item?

I spent a day looking for a second-hand Tele in Nashville last year. Turns out they are like hens teeth. One shop assistant told me that every guitarist in Nashville has at least three. I ended up in a small guitar shop called Corner Music and got a really good deal on a brand new one. It was my only guitar as I travelled around, I fell in love with it.

What is it that you like so much about

it?

I always wanted a Tele, because my dad had one. I had it set up with quite heavy strings for a Tele, but the neck’s taken it and it really sings.

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

It’s become my number one guitar on stage.

It’s a bit more reliable to travel around with than a hollow-body guitar which was my last guitar. While I was travelling last year, I played it predominantly unplugged, which meant I could play in hotel rooms without getting kicked out. Writing with the electric has meant that I’ve had a bit more fun playing with reverb, which seems to be how it wants to be played.

Any other interesting points/stories

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

My Roland GT-10B. How did you come across this particular item?

I’ve been using the GT series (GT6, GT8) since 2001 for guitar and vocals.

What is it that you like so much about it?

It’s the best live vocal processor I’ve come across, even though it was designed for live bass! It’s now the heart of my live and studio sound. The design is perfect for creating all kinds of useful signal chains for so many different effects.

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

JOSH RENNIE-HYNES What piece of equipment do you have to show us today?

This is my main Guitar, her name is April.

How did you come across this particular item?

My Father had it custom made back in 1981 by a guy called Dale Coulthard. It cost him $180 dollars at the time.

What is it that you like so much about it?

A few things - being that it was my Fathers, that makes it pretty special to me. He’s passed away now. It’s also had three restorations. Once my Mum and Dad had a fight and Mum threw it down the stairs which smashed a big chunk out of it.

Another time it was left out in the rain at

about it?

While I was travelling in the States, everyone thought it was a gun. The case is pretty serious looking, and everywhere I went, the airline staff would give me a note of paper saying they’d opened the case, which pissed me off. They would often leave the case unlocked and I guess I just didn’t like the idea of the baggage checkers touching it.

Tell us a little bit about what you have coming up?

We’ve just released our third album, which we’re touring this month and next. Our next gigs are at The Jade in Adelaide, Newtown Social Club in Sydney, Stage & Hunter in Newcastle and The Croxton Band Room in Melbourne.

I plug my mic into it and have preset effects that I’ve created over the years for different sounds I want to make.

For example, I have one effect which is designed for beat boxing, another for making bass sounds and another for singing. It’s shaped the way I make music because of its limitations. Unlike using infinite amounts of VST’s in a DAW it makes you think outside the box to get similar results.

I’m still yet to find another live effect processor with so many different compressors, limiters, amp modes, distortions, delays etc that can be placed in any order in they signal chain.

Any other interesting points/stories about it?

It’s changed the way I write music purely

the Woodford Folk Festival for a few days which really ruined it.

I came home from travelling overseas for a few years and found it hidden in the cupboard, the action and intonation were terrible, it was barely playable but from just strumming a few chords I could tell it had a beautiful sound. I took it to get restored (again) and the luthier basically did a terrible job. So a year later, I took it to another luthier and he fixed it right up.

New Fretboard, new Bridge, thinned the neck, fixed all of the cracks in the body and gave it a coat of lacquer. Since then it’s been a dream.

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

I use it almost daily, in writing and practicing songs. I use it for all of my live shows and it travels with me everywhere

I go.

Any other interesting points/stories about it?

Yeah, Dale Coulthard, the original Luthier didn’t make very many guitars. I actually got in contact with his daughter as he’s now passed away and told her I was playing one of her Dad’s Guitars. She was so happy and ended up coming to a show.

It’s pretty special to know that I’m playing and using something that will never be recreated or used by many other people.

When’s the next show?

My second album ‘Furthermore’ is out on August 26th and I’ll be touring nationally for the rest of the year on that.

JACK PARSONS OF THE

comes to guitars. I like Fenders because of the way they look and because all of my favourites have played them. My first guitar was a Fender FR-50 coz Sid from Vasco Era played one, my second guitar was a Telecaster Custom (I think) because Steve from The Fumes played one and I got this one because the guy from The Mess Hall played it. Shallow as.

They all feel good though.

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

I don’t think it does shape the way I write music in a different way to any other electric guitar. I definitely noticed the difference in going from the old Mexican one to this one. I think we’re the worst band possible to do an interview about gear because none of us probably have anything of note and don’t

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

I use a Fender Telecaster Deluxe with Lollar pickups.

How did you come across this particular item?

I saw it on Gumtree and low balled a guy and it paid off... well not right away, but the guy eventually sold it to me cheap as chips. I was looking for one of these guitars that has the single coil and the humbucker but settled on this one.

What is it that you like so much about it?

I don’t know, I’m pretty shallow when it

PG.60 // MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016

because I now have an arsenal of go to sounds which help me emulate different types of instruments that I can then loop to make a track to sing over. Every time I use it I can make something completely new. I believe it’s so powerful that any instrumentalist should have one (if you’re looking to put effects over your instrument). If you don’t care about making bass sounds then the GT-10 is perfect for pretty much anything. If you want endless amounts of bass effects get the GT-10B. It allows you to have a studio produced sound in the live environment. And they are hard to destroy!

When’s the next show?

Currently I’m in Montreal about to play in Quebec City. Then Toronto and then I’m off to Europe for another 15 shows.

really take a huge amount of pride in our stuff, except Boydy who runs a pretty tight set-up.

When’s the next show?

Touring our new album Soft Rock for the Anxious through October and November.

CARN.

www.mixdownmag.com.au

JOIN AUSTRALIA’S LEADING EVENT FOR THE AV, LIVE EVENTS AND SYSTEMS INTEGRATION INDUSTRY IN 2016!

23-25 AUG 2016 SYDNEY SHOWGROUND, SYDNEY OLYMPIC PARK

BE A PART OF INTEGRATE AND...

CONNECT WITH OVER 5,300 QUALIFIED INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS ENHANCE YOUR EXPERTISE WITH CERTIFIED TRAINING & EDUCATION EXPERIENCE NEW SHOW FEATURES INCLUDING INTEGRATE LIVE! DISCOVER THE LATEST SOLUTIONS FROM THE INDUSTRY’S TOP BRANDS DON’T MISS OUT AND REGISTER NOW! INTEGRATE-EXPO.COM/REGISTER-2016

Gold Sponsors

DIRECTORY EVOLUTION MUSIC

(MUSIC INSTRUMENTS RETAILER) A | P | E | W|

8/2 Northey Rd, Lynbrook VIC (03) 8787 8599 info@evolutionmusic.com.au evolutionmusic.com.au facebook.com/evolutionmusicaus

AA DUPLICATION

(PRINTING/CD & DVD DUPLICATION) A | P | E | W|

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

EASTGATE MUSIC

(MUSIC INSTRUMENTS RETAILER) A | P | E | W|

1131 Burke Rd, Kew VIC (03) 9817 7000 sales@eastgatemusic.com eastgatemusic.com.au facebook.com/Eastgatemusic

JABEN AUDIO

(HEADPHONE SPECIALIST RETAILER) A | P | E | W|

Shop 2 398 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC (03) 9670 8231 info@jaben.com.au jaben.com.au facebook.com/jabenau

HYDRA REHEARSAL STUDIOS

(REHEARSAL ROOMS) A | P | E | W|

18 Duffy Street, Burwood VIC (03) 9038 8101 hydrastudios@bigpond.com hydrastudios.com.au facebook.com/hydra.rehearsal.studios

FOR FULL S T ORE P ROFILES , HEA D T O MIX DOWNM A G. C O M . A U / DIREC T O RY

MELBOURNE MUSIC CENTRE

(MUSIC INSTRUMENTS RETAILER) A | P | E | W|

525 North Rd, Ormond, VIC (03) 9578 2426 info@melbournemusiccentre.com.au melbournemusiccentre.com.au facebook.com/melbournemusic.centre

SKY MUSIC

(MUSIC INSTRUMENTS RETAILER) A | P | E | W|

4/2181 Princes Hwy, Clayton VIC (03) 9546 0188 info@skymusic.com.au skymusic.com.au facebook.com/skymusiconline

FIVE STAR MUSIC

(MUSIC INSTRUMENTS RETAILER) A | P | E | W|

102 Maroondah Hwy, Ringwood VIC (03) 9870 4143 websales@fivestarmusic.com.au fivestarmusic.com.au facebook.com/fivestarmusicoz

1/30 Station Rd, Indooroopilly QLD (07) 3878 4566 info@music440.com.au music440.com.au facebook.com/music440

BINARY MUSIC

(MUSIC INSTRUMENTS RETAILER & EDUCATION) A | P | E | W|

48 Bloomfield St, Cleveland QLD (07) 3488 2230 sales@binarydesigns.com.au binarydesigns.com.au @binarymusic

WILD HORSE GUITARS

(MUSIC INSTRUMENTS RETAILER) A | P | E | W|

Brumby Street Surry Hills NSW (02) 9690 0800 info@wildhorseguitars.com.au wildhorseguitars.com.au facebook.com/wildhorseguitars

(SCREENPRINTING & DESIGN SERVICE) A | P | E | W|

15/17 Hutchinson St, St Peters NSW (02) 9550 6965 info@arcadescreenprinting.com.au arcadescreenprinting.com.au facebook.com/arcadescreenprinting

GLADESVILLE GUITAR FACTORY

(MUSIC INSTRUMENTS RETAILER) A | P | E | W|

280 Victoria Rd, Gladesville NSW (02) 9817 2173 mail@guitarfactory.net guitarfactory.net facebook.com/GladesvilleGuitarFactory

TURRAMURRA MUSIC (MUSIC INSTRUMENTS RETAILER) A | P | E | W|

1267 Pacific Hwy, Turramurra NSW (02) 9449 8487 general_sales@turramusic.com.au turramusic.com.au facebook.com/TurramurraMusic

A | 4a Izett St, Prahran 3181 P | (03) 9521 4644 E | sales@revolverdrums.com.au W | revolverdrums.com.au @revolverdrums

MODERN MUSICIAN

(MUSIC INSTRUMENTS RETAILER) A | P | E | W|

106 Murray Street, Hobart TAS (03) 6234 5537 nick@modernmusician.com.au modernmusician.com.au facebook.com/modernmusician

A | 230 Crown St, Darlinghurst NSW P | (02) 9331 0666 E | bookings@damiengerard.net W | damiengerard.com.au facebook.com/damiengerardstudios

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

COASTAL MUSIC

NOT IN THE DIRECTORY?

A | 5/148 Lake Road, Port Macquarie NSW P | (02) 6581 3016 E | sales@coastalmusic.com.au W | coastalmusic.com.au facebook.com/coastalmusic

A | P | E | W|

(DRUMS SPECIALIST RETAILER)

MONA VALE MUSIC

(MUSIC INSTRUMENTS RETAILER & REPAIRS)

(MUSIC INSTRUMENTS RETAILER)

ARCADE SCREENPRINTING

REVOLVER DRUMS

DAMIEN GERARD STUDIOS (RECORDING STUDIOS)

MUSIC 440

(MUSIC INSTRUMENTS RETAILER)

CONTACT PATRICK@FURSTMEDIA.COM.AU TO SECURE YOUR PLACE

PG.62 // MIXDOWN #268 // AUGUST 2016

www.mixdownmag.com.au

Solid wood. No compromise.

The Dreadnought Junior is everything you’ve come to expect from Martin Guitar...and more.

Discover your new favourite guitar.

CF Martin & Co is proudly represented in Australia by Electric Factory Pty Ltd 188 Plenty Road Preston VIC 3072 cfmartin@elfa.com.au