MUSE Magazine Tech - Jun/Jul'13 by Muse Mag

JUN13 - JUL’ 1 3

GEAR NEWS & REVIEWS FOR MUSICIANS

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YAMAHA THR10 Guitar Amplifier mplifier Winner of the best Guitar Amp Combo Award - Mipa 2013

Reviews on...

Fender X2 SUPER CHAMP™

Ibanez RG Iron label Blackstar ID30 TVP PDP Concept Drum Kit

Takamine LTD 2012

Allen & Heath ZED60-10FX IMIX

IM715

GEAR & INDUSTRY NEWS TUTORIALS by ALAN RATCLIFFE ALISTAIR ANDREWS | JON PIKE KURT SLABBERT & DAVID CHISLETT

WWW.MUSEONLINE.CO.ZA

www.yamaha.co.za

www.hybrid.co.za For trade enquiries or to find your closest retailer : Call (011) 250 3280 | orders@hybrid.co.za

Line Array System K-LA unbeatable price, unbelievable sound Full System Price: R 165,850.00 Includes: 8 X K-LA 28 Line array cabinets (Dual 8” MF Drivers, dual1 “HF Drivers - 4 Cabs per side) 2 x Bumper Frames for the K-LA array speakers 4 x Audiocenter VA1201 Amplifiers 4 x Dual 18” Bass Cabs

Total system power: 15 Kilowatts Components VA1201

K-LA 28

Dual 18’’ Bass Cab

AUDIOCENTER Dynamic Audio Solutions

EDITION 25 | JUN/JUL ‘13 | Proud Supporters of SA Music!

CONTENTS

tech 4 6 8 10 12 16 18 20 24 26 28 30 32 34 38

Editors Note and Index Cover Review: Yamaha THR10 Guitar Amplifier Gear News Gear Review: Fender SUPER CHAMP™ X2 Instrument Review: Ibanez RG Iron label Gear Review: IMIX IM715 Loudspeaker Gear Review: Blackstar ID30 Instrument review: PDP Concept Series Drum kit Instrument Review: Takamine LTD 2012 Gear Review: Allen & Heath ZED60-10FX Tutorial: Tips for Upcoming Bands Guitar Maintenance with Alan Ratcliffe Play Better Bass with Alistair Andrews Play Better Guitar with Kurt Slabbert Your Private Universe: Ribbon Microphones

6 16 10

26 12

uitar amps! It seems to be our main focus in Muse Tech this edition. More accurately digitally modelled guitar amps. If our reviews this month tell us anything, it’s that digital modelling has come a long way and is now finding its place in conventional gear and instruments. Sure there will be the detractors who are still suspicious of anything digital (I just watched Dave Grohl’s movie Sound City, which is pretty anti digital) but the collection of amps we’ve reviewed clearly present a strong case for this new age, both in terms of affordability and flexibility. Our cover story features the brand new Yamaha TRH10 guitar

amplifier. This baby seems to be the ideal travelling companion for practicing and recording and enables one to pick up on a jam almost anywhere. It also includes a nifty iPad app which means you can play along with songs from your music collection and cancel out the guitar parts so that you can play them yourself! Guitar playing may not be as easy as DJing, but you have to admire progress; with the tools available today, there is little excuse not to get your skills down. Greg takes a closer look on Pg. 6. Nic [Roos] and Alan [Ratcliffe] also got their mitts on some new guitar amps which boast digital amp modelling and a range of effects and editing options to enhance your playing and recording experience

behind your axe. Nic loves the new Blackstar ID30 and Alan, a man not easily impressed, took a liking to the Fender SUPER CHAMP™ X2 as well. But it’s not just amps we played with. Greg tried out a new Ibanez RG Iron Label guitar and Kalin got to try out a top of the range Takamine LTD 2012, a pricey, but exceptionally well crafted acoustic/electric. And finally, we also looked at some back room gear in the form of the competitively priced ZED60-10FX mixing desk from Allen and Heath and the proudly South African speaker cabinet from Imix - the Im715. It’s a packed edition so please enjoy. Dave Mac

Gear Review | YAMAHA THR10 GUITAR AMPLIFIER | words: Greg Bester

YAMAHA THR10 GUITAR AMPLIFIER DIGITAL AMP MODELING TAKES ON A NEW LIFE: COMPACT, USABLE AND IDEAL FOR PRACTICE AND HOME RECORDING

n an age where convenience is king and versatility is paramount, it seems nowadays even guitarists seldom have time or back strength to lug around anything larger than hand luggage. The modeling age is clearly in full swing and so we see digitally driven amplifiers slowly taking the place of the traditional, otherwise one-trick-pony valve amplifiers of the past, particular when it comes to recording and practicing at home. Some of them are not half bad, either; the technology has certainly come a long way. I mean, look at products like the Kemper modeling amp or AxeFX. It’s no secret that The Deftones recorded their last record, Kio No Yokan, with one and it suited their sound just fine. This, of course, bolsters the proposed usability of these simulated amplifiers because in the mind of many, “if the big stars can do it, why can’t we?” There’s still a lot to be said about a roaring all-valve full-stack, though. There’s just nothing quite like it when you’ve got one moving some serious air behind you. I, personally, am a huge fan, which is why I own one.

But you can’t always partake in such luxuries, particularly if you live in a space shared by others or if your apartment is sandwiched between those little old grannies living above and below. Yamaha remains a company that prides itself on innovation, variety and versatility. I’ve said it before; they manufacture pretty much everything that appeals to us men; motorcycles, wave runners, boats, four-wheelers, keyboards and pianos, drums, guitars, high-end hi-fi systems, pro-audio equipment; the list goes on. It’s no wonder, then, that they came up with a nifty little, shall we say, 'ampliface' (amplifier + audio interface) called the THR10 for those needing great tone in a small package with a USB output for recording to your computer as well.

Features The THR10, which runs on either AC power or eight AA batteries, was designed for use in every off-stage application, namely practicing and recording. It’s about the size of a micro guitar head like Mesa Transatlantic, albeit a little bit longer. Quite simply put, it is a miniature

digital modeling amp with two builtin 8cm full-range speakers that offers digital recording and playback via USB. There are other features that are USB-based but we’ll get to that shortly. First thing to know is that the amplifiers were modeled using Yamaha’s proprietary VCM (Virtual Circuit Modeling) technology that has been used to model classic effects found in their professional audio consoles and later on in their vintage range of VST plugins. All in all you get five amp types; Deluxe, Class A, US Blues, Brit Blues, and Mini, along with Bass, Aco (acoustic) and Flat (no emulation). These are switchable by the first rotary switch to the left of the top panel. All effects are VCM as well, including the usual standards such as chorus, flanger, phaser, tremolo, delay with tap function, delay/reverb, hall reverb, compressor, and noise gate. The compressor and noise gate are only available in the THR editor, which we will get to shortly. EQ is also straightforward with separate controls for Bass, Middle and Treble and there are also the usual Master volume and Gain controls.

Once you have got your desired setting, there are five preset buttons that are set by simply depressing them until the preset is stored for instant recall. Other features include an on-board tuner, a headphone out and a mini-jack aux input for playback of true stereo sources from devices such as an iPod. When utilizing this feature, there are two dedicated knobs to balance the mix between Guitar and USB/Aux playback, certainly a necessary inclusion. Speaking of the USB, there are a few features available. Firstly, it transforms the THR10 into a recording interface with stereo playback facility. Cubase AI is bundled with the amp so you can lay your worries to rest if you don’t already own a DAW. The other feature that’s quite nifty is the THR Editor. Available as a download from download.yamaha.com, the THR Editor allows in-depth editing of all amp and effect parameters. As mentioned before, two further effects – compression and noise gating – are available only through the software. Additionally, there is a companion app for iOS called THR Session where the user can play along with their music library, cancel out the original guitar, or speed up and slow down the music for an enhanced lick-learning experience.

Sound I was able to personally check out the THR10 at the World of Yamaha in Sandton, graciously hosted by Ryan Shnettler from the Yamaha sales department. Needless to say, he’s a much better guitarist than I so it was a pleasure to hear him play me a few licks through the THR10. First impression was that the THR10 has got a surprisingly large tone for how small it is. The two 8cm speakers really out performed what I’d expected from such a compact unit. Well, we’re not talking huge bass here, but the overall sound was quite astounding for such a small amp, considering it looks merely like an amp head. The tones themselves were as representative as they could be for each type. The clean tones were nice and glassy and as you moved up the dial through crunch toward modern lead sounds the tone got thicker and thicker. For someone practicing or recording in their bedroom, the THR could prove very helpful. Particularly nice was the Bass emulation. I really cannot stress how surprised I was by the sound that was emerging from the 8cm speakers. The effects? Well, they also sounded good. Not muddy or lost in the fray. Every effect came through clean and precise and if I don’t sound overly excited it’s simply because

Yamaha effects have always been top drawer and the TRH10 is no exception.

Conclusion The THR10 is certainly a step in a new direction for the modern guitarist. If you need a small practice amp that doubles as an audio interface, the THR10 should most definitely be on your list to test drive. The tones are realistic, the effects are entirely usable and the fact that you can record through it only makes it more appealing all round. There are two models on offer: the TRH10 as reviewed here and also the slightly smaller TRH5, which incidentally has the same size speakers and output rating, yet is marginally smaller in actual size and has a few less features, one of which is not as many amp emulations as its bigger brother. The TRH10 also has 3 derivatives and the TRH5 2 variants, each with a slightly modified feature set, so best to look at what each offers versus your budget. This THR series is certainly a wonderfully compact practice and recording piece of guitar gear that’ll no doubt be finding its way into many personal studios and music spaces. A big thumbs up for innovation and quality from Yamaha once again!

Supplier: World of Yamaha | Tel: (011) 259-7700 | www.yamaha.co.za Expect to pay: THR10: R 4,999.00 | THR5: R 3,499.00 [winter promotion prices - more info on their website]

Gear & Industry News | FOR DAILY GEAR, INSTRUMENT AND INDUSTRY NEWS VISITS MUSEONLINE.CO.ZA

Gear News SHURE REVEALS SE846 SOUND ISOLATING EARPHONES New flagship model combines Quad High-Definition MicroDrivers with True Subwoofer experience

t an exclusive press event in Tokyo, Shure introduced the SE846 Sound Isolating Earphones featuring Quad High-Definition MicroDrivers with a three-way system configuration for dedicated low, mid and high frequency distribution. The patent pending design of the SE846 includes a ground-breaking lowpass filter with true subwoofer that enables deep low-end performance without sacrificing clarity or detail. Designed for professionals and audiophiles, the SE846 extends the legendary heritage and performance of Shure’s widely-adopted SE215, SE315, SE425, and SE535 Sound Isolating Earphone models. The SE846 delivers strong, impactful bass, enabling the midrange and high frequencies to shine individually. The natural roll-off of the subwoofer provides the tweeter and

midrange drivers the acoustic space they need to be heard clearly and accurately. “Audio quality and durability are signatures of Shure products, and these innovative earphones are no exception. The SE846’s unprecedented low-pass filter is a combination of simplicity and effectiveness that ensures an unequalled, perfectly tailored listening experience,” said Matt Engstrom, Category Director for Monitoring Products at Shure. “The SE846 achieves subwoofer sound quality with clarity and detail in less than half of a square inch.” The SE846 provides a combination of sound quality, noise isolation, and durability, in a comfortable, sophisticated design. Lightweight with a low profile shape, the SE846 has a detachable cable for easy replacement, and an optimized nozzle angle that’s designed to rest comfortably in the ear. A first for Shure, the earphone features a customizable

frequency response allowing adjustable sound signatures - balanced, warm, and bright options are included. A premium accessories package includes sleeves in multiple shapes and sizes, an additional detachable cable, and two carrying cases. These flagship model earphones will soon be available from Wild and Marr in South Africa. Wild and Marr | (011) 974-0633 www.wildandmarr.co.za

PALMER PFAT50 50 W TUBE GUITAR COMBO Palmer FAT50 Tube Series amplifiers are for the guitarist in search of the distinct and highly individual sounds only a true all-tube design can produce. Full of character, yet straight forward and uncluttered Palmer amps are back - with tons of tone, high quality components, rugged construction and attractive cosmetics to fulfil the demands of discerning players. The no-compromise FAT50 design incorporates a rainbow of sounds with punch and definition - from subtle crunch to maximum saturation, and a lively and dynamic clean tone with extended

headroom. The FAT50's High Gain circuit provides massive overdrive for a comprehensive set list of quintessential riffs and classic lead lines. In addition to their outstanding sound quality Palmer amps offer unsurpassed reliability on stage and in the studio. Premium quality tubes are used throughout for safe and stable operation. With two foot-switchable master volumes and a solid 50 Watts of true tube power FAT50 amps are built to be heard! Distributed through Segma South Africa (011) 312-1846 | www.segma.co.za

TUNE-BOT NOW IN SOUTH AFRICA Tune-bot is an electronic drum tuning device now widely available in South Africa. The product was developed by Overtone Labs in North America and is locally distributed by Innibaai Distributors. The device was developed to fulfil all a drummer’s tuning requirements. Its individual lug pitch measurement, as well as overall pitch measurement, tunes to either exact frequency (up to .5Hz) or to chromatic notes, and has over 80 save slots in which to save your tuning preference.

Innibaai is a Johannesburg based company aimed at supplying the music industry with better products at better prices. Their wide range, which caters to the needs and wants of musicians, can be found at various stores across the country. Tune-bot is now available at music stores all over South Africa. To find out which stores stock Tune-bot and other Innibaai products, visit www.innibaai.co.za. For more about Tunebot, visit their website www.tune-bot.com Trade Enquiries: Innibaai (011) 414-4956 | www.innibaai.co.za

IEM16 UHF IN-EAR MONITORING SYSTEM The 16-channel PLL UHF stereo in-ear monitoring system is designed to enable a performer to hear a monitor mix directly via in-ear headphones. This system eliminates the need for stage monitors and delivers faultless foldback with freedom of movement. Also, any number of beltpacks can receive from a single transmitter, allowing groups to use this system for conference, training and translation applications. ! UHF 16-channel PLL synthesized ! Backlit LCD display on transmitter & receiver ! Stereo or Mono operation ! Rack ear or rear mounted antenna ! Professional in-ear headphones included ! Additional wired headphone output (6.3mm jack) ! Balanced line inputs (2 x combo)

! 19" rack ears included ! Supplied in ABS flight case ! 50.0m maximum range Supplied by TV Audio (011) 805-9910 | www.tvaudio.co.za

UNIVERSAL AUDIO ANNOUNCES FLAGSHIP APOLLO 16 HIGH-RESOLUTION AUDIO INTERFACE

Universal Audio (UA), a leading manufacturer of professional audio recording hardware and software, recently announced their new Apollo 16 Audio Interface. Delivering world-class conversion with 16x16 analog I/O, this uncompromising FireWire/Thunderboltready interface combines superior sound and flexible routing with powerful onboard UAD-2 QUAD processing. With its professional DB-25 connectivity and multi-unit cascading for up to 32x32 analog I/O, Apollo 16 sets a new standard in high-resolution

recording with classic analog sound. “Building on the success of the original Apollo interface, the Apollo 16 is our flagship audio converter,” says Bill Putnam Jr., Universal Audio founder and CEO. “Its sound quality and scalability make it ideal for pairing with mixing consoles and outboard preamps, and the ability to track through UAD plug-ins in real time provides powerful sonic options for professional studios.” With its standard UAD-2 QUAD processing onboard, Apollo 16 allows real time processing with UAD Powered

Plug-Ins - with as low as sub-2ms latency - so recordists can monitor, audition, and “print” audio through stunning analog emulations from Ampex, Lexicon, Manley, Neve, Roland, SSL, Studer, and more. Apollo 16's onboard UAD processing is also available during mixing and mastering, so that music producers can employ UAD plug-ins (VST, RTAS, AU) throughout the creative process. Apollo 16 boasts straightforward 16x16 analog I/O via convenient DB-25 connections. Two Apollo 16 units can be cascaded over MADI for an expanded system with eight UAD processors and 32x32 simultaneous analog I/O, capable of handling large professional mixes. Dedicated XLR monitor outputs and stereo AES-EBU digital I/O round out the Apollo 16’s rear-panel audio connections. Apollo 16’s routing capabilities include four stereo cue mixes with individually assignable outputs, and a new “Virtual I/O” feature that allows for Realtime UAD Processing of DAW tracks and virtual instruments. Tuerk Music | (011) 792-8402 www.tuerkmusic.co.za

Gear Review | FENDER SUPER CHAMP X2 GUITAR AMP | words: Alan Ratcliffe

FENDER SUPER CHAMP X2 GUITAR AMP voicings, covering a variety of classic and modern amps. Fender’s own amps are well represented, alongside classic models from other brands, so there is enough choice for most players. Most of the amp models are good, particularly the clean to lower gain amps. While the higher gain amps are decent, there is also a little harshness from the speaker that doesn’t do them justice. Plugging in an extension cab with a good 12” speaker makes a big difference to the amp tones, taking them to the next level.

Effects The effects are simple to use – the selector for the type of effect (including combinations) and a parameter dial, which is usually used for the amount of effect, while the tap tempo switch is used to set the speed or time of time-based effects like delay or modulation. The real power of the effects comes in when you start using the software via USB.

Software

ybrid modelling/valve amps were not new when the Fender Super Champ XD came out, but the XD took a different approach to most. While most hybrid amps used a valve in the preamp section with a solid-state power amp, the XD used a solid state modelling preamp with digital effects and coupled it with a valve power amp. This was a good combination, with a convincing valve-amp feel, flexible and good-sounding range of sounds in a small, affordable combo. The Super Champ X2 is the updated version of the XD, which adds a USB port for software editing and direct recording. The review model is a limited-edition version with blonde tolex and oxblood grille cloth, but otherwise identical to the standard “blackface” black and silver model. It is also worth noting that the X2 is available in a head-only configuration.

Features The X2 is a 15W 1x10 combo which uses two 6V6 output valves with a 12AX7 phase inverter. It has two channels which share common EQ and DSP effects sections.

The first channel has a single volume, while the second has volume and gain controls with a 16-position amp voicing rotary switch. EQ is a simple treble and bass control layout, while the effects also have two controls – a 16position effects selection rotary switch and an adjustment dial. The effects section also features a tap tempo button. The back panel sports an 8Ω speaker output, line out, footswitch and the USB socket. The footswitch (not included) allows for channel switching and turning effects on or off.

Sounds The first channel has a blackface-style voicing which has the sparkly clean tone you expect and love from a Fender blackface amp. There is plenty of headroom, so it manages to stay clean virtually all the way up. However, due to the 10” speaker, it does lack a little of the low end you would expect from the larger blackface amps like the Deluxe and Twin, leaning more to the tighter, brighter tone of a Princeton. At higher volume levels, the speaker does tend to lose a lot of definition and adds a bit of harshness in the high end. The second channel has 16 different

The freeware Fender Fuse software adds a lot of tweaking ability, allowing adjustment of more settings than are available from the front panel. This includes additional settings for the amp models, including added EQ controls and some more esoteric settings like sag and biasing. It also gives you access to extra effects like noise gate, compression and distortion as well as the ability to tweak a lot of the effect parameters.

Recording USB recording is via ASIO and Core Audio drivers and speaker emulation is added for a more realistic tone, which is surprisingly similar to the real speaker’s output.

Summary The Fender Super Champ X2 is a worthy successor to the XD – a good sounding, simple to use small amp that is very flexible. It could, however, do with a speaker upgrade.

Supplier: Musical Distributors www.musicaldistributors.co.za Expect to pay: R7,995.00

Instrument Review | IBANEZ RG IRON LABEL RGIR20FE-BK | words: Greg Bester

IBANEZ RG IRON LABEL RGIR20FE-BK

banez guitars and basses have had a long prosperous history since their inception that spans more than 80 years. Originally part of the Hoshino Gakki company, the musical instrument sales division of the Hoshino Shoten bookstore chain, Ibanez emerged on the scene in 1929 when Hoshino Gakki began importing Salvador Ibáñez é Hijos acoustic guitars from Spain to Japan. As is the case with most Eastern knock-offs, in 1935 Hoshino Gakki began making his own Spanish acoustic guitars under the Ibanez Salvador brand as a result of the sale of the company who he previously imported from. Later on he dropped the ‘Salvador’ part of the name and simply used ‘Ibanez’. This is how the Japanese guitar manufacturer came to have a Spanish sounding name. Nowadays Ibanez boasts a wide range of guitars and basses to meet the need of almost any conceivable style. Indeed, despite being associated mostly with the heavier side of the scale, they also make a mean hollow body guitar the likes of which are used by such meganames in jazz such as George Benson, Pat Metheny and John Scofield. For anyone that isn’t aware of any of these beautiful guitars, such as the Artstar, become aware. Become very aware. All that being said, yes; Ibanez makes a very, very good guitar suited to playing heavy styles. Having a look through their endorsee list, one would find names like Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Mick Thomson, Munky and a host of other guys who make a living pounding out heavy riffs. For this they are world-renowned so it’s no

surprise, then, that the Iron Label series of guitars emerged from the black depths of hell to spawn their crushing riffage onto the world. Metal is the word and Bob’s your uncle.

Features Based on the classic designs of the Ibanez RG and S-Series models, the Iron Label range was designed with one thing in mind: metal. Incorporating other metal-friendly features all-round that we’ll get into in a moment, the guitars are aimed at being the heaviest, most aggressive beasts on the market. Simply put, the six-string RGinspired Iron Label RGIR20FE-BK (a long model number, I know) is a super strat shape in a black finish with white binding around the entire circumference of the guitar. There are no frills or fancy dragon or vine inlays. You don’t need dots on the fretboard, do you? Good. It has none apart from teeny tiny ones on the binding. The fretboard, of course, is rosewood. No sissy maple here. The darker the better, right? Of course, no metal guitar would be complete without the obligatory EMG pickups. This basswood body guitar has active 60 and 81 models installed at the neck and bridge, respectively. My amp is already cowering in the corner. The neck is a three-piece maple/bubinga Nitro Wizard, a super fast version of their RG Wizard neck on RG models past. Of course two pickups require a three-way pickup toggle switch so that is exactly what you get. Do I need to explain this one? Starting in the down position, its bridge, then both, then neck. Simple. The bridge is a fixed Gibralter string-through-body

design, a welcome feature for me since I abhor Floyd Rose bridges normally found on guitars such as this. I’m so glad metal got over that craze and came to its senses. Probably one of the coolest features of this guitar is the Kill Switch that allows the player to manually control a strobe effect that only Gibson-style guitar players were allowed to enjoy. Finally, it has a single, global volume control that affects all pickups.

Sound Well, I’ll be honest. Picking up this guitar I was instantly drawn to it. It felt extremely well built, the action was perfect, and it appealed greatly to my sense of minimalism. It just felt right. Personally, I don’t like a guitar with too much clutter or embellishment. Since I had an Orange Rockerverb 50 at hand kindly supplied for my session once again by Anton at Music Connection, I eagerly plugged in. Of course, one can only start with the heaviest setting possible so I turned the gain on the distortion channel up to about 90 percent, cut the mids a bit (these amps can be a bit honky) and boosted the lows and highs; the classic metal EQ approach. The Orange amps, while heavy as they come, can be a bit “spongy” sounding so what I was looking for was for the EMGs to tighten things up. Sure enough, I got a fantastically tight and chuggy bottom end with a very satisfying chimey midrange. The top end just seared through like a hot knife and I could definitely see some longhaired Viking melting faces from stage left with this thing.

13 Next I decided to give the Kill Switch a go and was surprised to find that it didn’t kill the sound entirely. It left a tiny little bit of signal bleeding through, which, after I thought about it, made sense because the strobe effect would still have the same result while the small amount of bled signal would keep the tonal undercurrent flowing. Switching the amp to clean tone, I decided to try out the other pickup selections to see whether the EMGs were one-trick-ponies or not. They’re not. They sound fantastic for clean tone, particularly the middle and neck positions. The middle position gives a sort of scooped sound that’s great for strumming clean sparkly passages. Switching to the neck position I was met with a thicker lower midrange albeit while retaining that beautiful top end shine. What I really loved about the other pickup positions was that there was no volume change from position to position. This, I assume, is due to the active electronics and makes A/B-ing a little more constructive.

Conclusion Okay, I admit, I’m not a player in the metal genre. While I like a good dose of high gain and bit of chug-a-lug, the RG Iron Label would not under normal circumstances be my first go-to choice. However, and it’s a BIG however; I love everything about this guitar. The feel is great, it plays like a dream, and its tone is fantastic. In fact, I would bet that this guitar would excel at styles outside of the metal genre but if your aim is to play metal with a quality guitar that delivers everything and more, the Iron Label series is your best choice. Now go melt some faces.

Supplier: Midi Music Tel: (011) 403-0199 www.midimusic.co.za Expect to pay: R 8,199.00

Gear Review | IMIX IM715 | words: Greg Bester

IMIX IM715 NEED A GOOD SPEAKER SYSTEM FROM A SOUTH AFRICAN BRAND? TRY THE IMIX IM715.

t seems that every other day we are presented with a new unknown brand looking to break into the loudspeaker marketplace. Indeed, the Chinese manufacturing industry must be smiling all the way to the bank because just about every loudspeaker company, from the smallest to the largest, has an ‘affordable’ speaker that it manufactures in the East and pushes by the boatload to the masses. And, as we all know, affordable does not always mean quality. In fact it often means quite the opposite. However, how many of these brands are local? Very few. Here on our shores we see many international brands that market their wares at a very specific price point because price point, after all, is what it’s all about. Quality is incidental. But how would you feel about a quality local product sourced and manufactured in the East? Well, IMIX Sound, a division of So Soft Trading, has been doing just that since 2007 and is now a pretty prolific supplier of automotive sound, navigation systems, stage lighting and effects, line arrays, amplifiers, and now their IM range of passive speaker systems. I was called upon to review their IM-715 loudspeaker and was a little intrigued to see how a local company planned on breaking into the market. Let’s take a look.

being relatively flat between 300 and 10,000Hz within +/-2dB. A single 15” driver with a 3” voice coil handles low frequency duties and a 1,75” compression driver handles the top end, which is crossed over at 2000Hz with a 24dB/octave filter. It can produce a max SPL of 123dB and has a nominal dispersion of 40 degrees vertical and 70 degrees horizontal. Connections include two Neutrik Speakon connections on the rear of the speaker.

Sound

Stepping into the So Soft Trading warehouse in Germiston, my hopes were not high for an objective review. There we were, standing in what amounted to a very reverberant and hard-surfaced room, joking that the demonstration may be pointless. Happily it was not. Hooked up to an IMIX CS1400 power amplifier, which delivers 300w per channel at 8 Ohms, the power rating was almost matched to the IM715s. Once we got the somewhat nebulous CD player/DJ mixer/iPod dock working we were met with extremely powerful, clean, lowdistortion sound. Well, no more distortion than what the Dubstep we were listening was supplying. I must definitely say that, given the room we were listening in, the sound was quite impressive. There seemed to be an infinite amount of headroom and we dared not go beyond half way because Construction and Features the volume level became too much. The first thing the little voice inside my What I liked about the IM715 was head said to me when I saw the IM715 that the top end was clear and present was, ‘thank god it’s not another plastic without becoming strident on the ears. molded cabinet’. You’ve seen the type. The low end just simply thumped, hitting Almost every budget brand has that same you right in the chest. The midrange - the box they purchase by the millions from telltale range - was clear and unobtrusive. China and then just plonk their name on There was no honk to speak of. Overall the front. the speaker had a nice warm tone and it This particular box is made of 15mm made me feel good to know that it was a MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard), which proudly South African product. is the preferred material in the construction of most decent speakers. Conclusion The overall ruggedness of the design, the Need a good speaker system from a modern look of the cabinet and the South African brand? Try the IMIX IM715. resistant textured black finish also instills From what I heard they definitely have a a sense of confidence in me. Overall, the quality product that isn’t just cheap speaker just looks right. Chinese rubbish and if I was looking to The IM715 is a passive 2-way fullput together an affordable, powerful, range loudspeaker. It boasts a power decent sounding system, I would handling of 350w RMS at 8 ohms and has certainly preview these ahead of making been measured to perform within a my final purchase. frequency response of 65Hz to 18kHz

Supplier: Imix Sound and Light Tel: (011) 974-1121 Website: www.sosofttrading.com Suggested Retail Price: R 1,910.00 each

Gear Review | BLACKSTAR ID:30 TVP | words: Nic Roos

Supplier: Rockit Distribution Tel: (021) 511-1800 Website: www.rockitdistribution.co.za Expect to pay: R 5,995.00 you the option of using a speaker emulated output when recording into your DAW. There is also a cassetteplayer-styled interface that plays your mp3s for you to jam along to. For total control in a live context the tuner, presets and effects are accessible via the FS-10 Foot controller, which is specifically designed for the ID range and gives you instant access to most of the amps features. Sadly, but understandably, it is sold separately.

SOUNDS

BLACKSTAR ID:30 TVP 30W SOLID-STATE PROGRAMMABLE GUITAR AMP

onventional wisdom says never trust a product that tries to do too much. These are often words to live by in my experience with guitar amps. Some have one fantastic sound while others promise everything but sound less than stellar and have too many unusable gimmicks. Sometimes, though, someone gets it right. Like Blackstar whose new ID:30 TVP combo defies the odds and offers a wealth of great sounding, usable features, and while it may not be a total game-changer it makes the strongest case yet for affordable modelling amps. The ID range aims to be completely programmable, giving you total control to customise your own individual sounds and store them.

AT A GLANCE At first the ID:30 TVP appears rather ordinary but a closer look reveals some surprises between Blackstar's usual gain, level, master volume, bass, treble and ISF controls. The Voice control provides 6 preamp voicings - Clean Warm, Clean Bright, Crunch, Super Crunch, OD 1 and OD 2. The amp's biggest feature, its True

Valve Power technology, models the tonal responses of 6 power valves found in famous valve amps - EL84, 6V6, EL34, KT66, 6L6 and Kt88. Blackstar realised that the poweramp section of valve amps have a great influence on their sonic character, so using these power amp models in conjunction with the ISF gives you a wider range of sound and greater valve amp feel. The effects section features modulation effects, reverbs and delays (four different types of each). There are 12 pre-programmed presets and 128 user saveable presets arranged from low- to high-gain in three banks across four channels. There's also a manual mode - something often missing in other amps with presets. This allows you to make changes on the fly if you find your patches aren't compatible with a venueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s acoustics. Another surprise is the amps USB connectivity, which, along with Blackstar's Insider software makes deep editing, preset creation, direct recording and even re-amping possible. (Insider is available for download from their website.) The software gives you control over all the amp's functionally including an onboard tuner, a noise gate found on the OD1 and OD2 voicings, and also gives

Tonally, the ID:30 TVP does not disappoint. With plenty of rich low-end available, should you need, and the now familiar ISF knob, which changes the EQ character from a British to American flavour, it offers a huge range especially with the different preamp voicings. With True Valve Power engaged, the sound changes dramatically as if going from sepia to techni-colour. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s louder and faithfully reproduces the output stages modelled. The EL84, famously used in Vox amps, reproduces the compressed bottom and chiming harmonics it's known for. I also particularly love the 6L6 setting's extended lows and highs, and is particularly sweet with the ISF at more American settings. Similarly the KT88, loudest of the models, sings with a very rich and dynamic midrange when overdriven. Impressively, none of the sounds suffer when gain is introduced, in fact the ample overdrive sounds on offer are harmonically detailed but never fizzy, even at extreme gain settings. The on-board effects are highly usable, again unlike on other amps. The phaser, flanger, chorus and tremolo may be slightly limited in range but sound sweet enough to use instead of pedals. I love the tape delay for its warmth and smooth trail and the plate reverb is very impressive and rich. Although the amp's playing response is still a bit linear, betraying its solid-state innards, the sound is incredibly convincing.

CONCLUSION Blackstar have made a huge leap with the ID30. They have put a truly huge variety of fantastically rich sounds into an affordable amp and provided the means to almost infinitely tweak and control them to your individual satisfaction. I highly recommend you check it out.

Instrument Review | PDP CONCEPT SERIES (MAPLE CM7)

| words: Matt Bester

PDP CONCEPT SERIES (MAPLE CM7)

Supplier: Music Power |Tel: (011) 466-9510 Expect to pay: PDP Mainstage 5 Piece: R 8,495.00 PDP Concept 5 piece Birch: R 14,995.00 PDP Concept 5 piece Maple: R 15,995.00 PDP Concept 6 piece Maple: R 18,595.00 PDP Concept 7 piece Maple: R 19,595.00

was somewhat tickled to have a go at the new series of drums from Pacific Drums and Percussion, otherwise known as PDP. My first drum kit, in fact, was a birch FX series kit and despite being low to medium cost, it was a quality set that always delivered. Pacific Drums and Percussion is a fairly new company spawned from the world famous Drum Workshop (DW) company in Santa Monica, CA in the year 2000 with the goal to create a line of high quality drums and equipment at an affordable price point. With their factory based in Ensenada, Mexico, no doubt to cut down on manufacturing costs, it’s safe to say they achieved that goal. After all, 13 years later they are still around and producing otherwise excellent drums for the common man.

Anatomy The Concept Series has a variety of customizable options to suit any player. The birch kits have two options: 4-piece (CB4) and 5-piece (CB5). PDP also offers them in two colour varieties: cherry to black fade and natural to charcoal fade. The maple kits definitely have the bulk of the style options with five different kit varieties up to seven pieces in six different colours: Pearlescent Black w/ Black Hardware, Pearlescent White, Red to Black Sparkle Fade, Silver to Black Sparkle Fade, Transparent Cherry Lacquer, and Transparent Walnut Lacquer. Some hardware features to note; DW-style STM (Suspension Tom Mount) mounting systems, True Pitch tuning and retro-inspired dual-turret tube lugs on all floor-standing drums. The nice thing about both maple and birch kits are the available add-on features. PDP gives you eight different rack toms, floor toms, bass drums, and snare drums to choose from to assemble your kit. So, if you decide to get the 4-piece birch and you want to add a floor tom it’s

as simple as ordering one in the colour and size to match your kit. This is a big added value feature for me. The maple and the birch kits are offered in 7 ply shells for everything but the snare, which is 10-ply. Here's a list of drum sizes.

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

7x8" Rack Tom 8x10" Rack Tom 9x12" Rack Tom 12x14" Floor Tom 14x16" Floor Tom 5.5x14 Snare Drum 16X20" Bass Drum 18x22" Bass Drum 18X24" Bass Drum (Maple only)

In Use I sampled the CM7 kit at Marshall music in Woodmead and I have to say that my first impression was, well, yummy. The CM7, as indicated by its model number, is the 7-piece maple kit with a 22" nonvirgin bass drum. This particular set had a transparent walnut lacquer finish and included 8, 10, and 12” rack toms, 14 and 16” floor toms and a 14” x 5.5” snare drum. The kit was obviously straight out of the box and had roughly tuned single ply Remo heads fitted. The 10 and 12” rack

toms were mounted onto the bass drum as is seen on a lot of low to mid level kits, and the 8” tom was mounted on an external stand. The drums are sturdily constructed and made me feel secure that they could take a beating. The first thing that I noticed was the sound and feel of the bass drum. It hit me nicely in the chest and then right between the eyes. For want of better words it proved clean, punchy and sexy. In my opinion it’s the most impressive drum of the kit. The toms were balanced and sang harmoniously with one another. Gorgeous. The only grievance I have - and I've experienced this with PDP in the past - is the snare. It seemed slightly dull and generic. However, this snare was a step up from past series’, but still, not quite as complementary as the rest of the drums.

Conclusion Overall? I like. I like it a lot. Apart from the shortcomings of the snare, which may or may not have been the result of poor tuning, I think that PDP, in sticking to their philosophies, have once again delivered a high quality drum kit at an affordable price. Heck, if I were in the market I would probably get one myself. Who doesn’t like maple drums, right?

PRO-LEVEL, CUSTOM INSPIRED DRUMS

All-Maple or all-Birch Shells Speciality Lacquer Finishes F.A.S.T (Fundamentally Accurate-Sized Toms) STM (Suspension Tom Mounts) Proportional Counter Hoops True Pitch Tuning Dual Turret Lug Remo Heads Snare Upgrades

RETAIL: Mainstage 5 Piece: R 8,495.00 Concept 5 piece Birch: R 14,995.00 Concept 5 piece Maple: R 15,995.00 Concept 6 piece Maple: R 18,595.00 Concept 7 piece Maple: R 19,595.00

Colours available: Cherry to Black Sparkle Fade | Pearl Black, with Black Hardware, Pearl White, Silver to Black Sparkle Fade|Transparent Cherry |Transparent Walnut What’s included: 7” x 8” tom with STM mount rack |8” x 10” tom with STM mount rack |9” x 12” tom with STM mount rack 12” x 14” floor tom with legs | 14” x 16” floor tom with legs | 5.5” x 14” snare drum | 18” x 22” bass drum

Everything you’d expect from a kit designed by

MUSIC POWER

Distributed by Music Power South Africa | Tel: 011-4669510 | kevin@musicpowersa.com

Instrument Review | TAKAMINE LTD 2012 | words: Kalin Pashaliev

TAKAMINE LTD 2012

n 1962 the Takamine guitar brand was launched in the small town of Gifu, Japan as an economical derivative to other acoustic brands like Taylor and Guild. In those days Japan was on a dogged mission to propel its industry in just about every alcove it could think of: lenses (cameras), electronics, timekeeping devices and even whiskey, a source of inspiration for most, if not all, successful musicians in those genres that matter. In ’78 the company made strides by being one of the first to introduce acoustic-electric guitar models and the brand began to hold its own. Ten years later and Takamine launched its first Limited Edition guitar, which was - and still is today - a symbolic gratitude that pays homage to the company’s history in, of course, a very Japanese way. But enough of the history lesson; let us take a look at 2012’s Limited Edition acoustic steel string and what you can expect from this high-end instrument.

Appearance The first descriptor that might cross your mind when looking at this particular instrument is ‘country’. But this is no revelation – since about the mid-1970s Takamine has in effect made its guitars exclusively for the American market and this has without doubt influenced the design philosophy back to the makers in Japan. This LTD 2012 is crafted in a solid black finish. Its top is made of solid spruce, while the sides, back and bridge are fashioned out of rosewood. The fingerboard is ebony, the neck mahogany, the nut is real bone and the tuners are gold-plated, just to remind you why you have paid top dollar for it. In its entirety the LTD 2012 is a luxurious instrument where the details have not been spared and where shortcuts have not been taken. Take for example the vine theme adornments that symbolise growth and prosperity and the company’s 50 years in the business of guitar making. ‘Michi’ is this guitar’s nickname, which means road, route or path of discovery. But of course all this is capital mumbo-jumbo. What really matters is its sonic capabilities...

The Cool Tube® Apart from its renowned Palathetic™ pickup system - which features six piezo-electric transducers, one for each string, concealed underneath the bridge saddle - the 2012 Limited Edition also features the onboard Cool Tube® preamplifier that utilises a 12AU7 dual triode vacuum tube. This analogue feature does exactly what most tube technology is known for, giving you a warmer and bigger sound. But don’t worry, the tube does not heat up or glow and thus won’t jeopardise the instrument’s materials. The Cool Tube’s control panel, located on the anterior side of the guitar’s body, gives you several possibilities to alter the sound to your liking, although it is also advisable to use a good quality microphone and bypass the electronics altogether if you’re looking for the instrument’s virgin or natural sound. If you do opt to use the Cool Tube®, you will see that you will be able to manipulate its variables via a simple low, mid and high graphic equaliser, as well as a master volume controller. An additional mid semiparametric EQ dial is added, which covers a frequency range between 250hz and 4.5Khz. To the left of the mid-frequency dial is the Cool Tube® rotary dial which lets you choose the amount of tube effect you wish to employ. There is also the auxiliary pickup master which is reserved should you decide to add an extra pickup to the guitar. A real handy feature is the addition of a LED chromatic tuner on the same control panel that you can calibrate from A438 to A445.

Sound and Playability The Takamine LTD 2012 is an absolute pleasure to play and even more so to listen to. Its natural sound, before you go through its electronics, is wellrounded and snarly, possessing somewhat of an aggressive tinge to its timbre. Its corpus sustains notes like few others can and its open string harmonics may just tear up those with volatile emotions. Play full and forceful chords and you’ll be reminded of the intro to Led Zeppelin’s Ramble On. This guitar also has very much a piano quality to it, which is something many acoustic players search for when

choosing their instrument. When going through the Cool Tube® one must be careful not to crank up the EQ, volume or play at 100% tube capacity as the sound may get overwhelming. Play at 75% tube capacity if you’re looking for that bottom end and if you enjoy playing in a muted, percussive style.

The Verdict This guitar is definitely worth it, if your budget allows.

Supplied by: Active Music Tel: (011) 466-9510 Suggested Retail: R 29,995.00

6 String Acoustic / Electrics EG444C-VV

R 6,195.00*

The EG444C-VV NEX features a flame maple top for a broad dynamic range. Stage ready with the TP4T preamp with onboard chromatic tuner.

EG523SC

R 8,995.00*

The EG523SC jumbo is our largest body guitar. Stage ready with TK40 preamp with onboard chromatic tuner.

2012 LTD Edition R 28,995.00*

This darkly splendid dreadnought cutaway has all the beauty, power and projection you’d expect from Takamine with onboard Palathetic™ pickup and CTP-2 CoolTube® preamp for powerful onstage presence and performance.

EG481SCX

R 5,495.00*

Includes the famous Takamine under saddle pickup and TP4T preamp with three band EQ and built in tuner.

EG540DLX

R 8,495.00*

Deluxe trim features include genuine abalone rosette, purfling and fretboard inlay. Gloss natural finish adds to the enduring beauty.

Sante Fe TSF48C

R 22,995.00*

Includes Takamine’s Palathetic™ pickup, known in the industry as one of the most accurate and natural sounding acoustic/electric pickups. The electronic performance package is beyond state of the art with the Cool Tube® Preamp – the first and only tube preamp in an acoustic guitar.

* Recommended Retail incl. 14% VAT

FOR TRADE ENQUIRIES CALL: Tel: (011) 466-9510 | Fax: (011) 466-9514 info@activemusicdistribution.com

music distribution

Gear Review | ALLEN & HEATH ZED60-10FX | words: Nic Roos

ALLEN & HEATH

ZED60-10FX

uilt on Allen & Heath's popular ZED-10FX 6 channel mixer (reviewed in our August/September 2010 issue) which offers a multitude of I/O and routing options in a very small, highly portable package, the new ZED6010FX adds 60mm faders and individual channel muting into the mix. This portable unit has a lot on offer, particularly for a solo or small group live performance setting but also in small recording situations where few inputs are required.

ANATOMY The ZED60-10FX's fully top-mounted control panel features four mono mic/line inputs, each with a 100Hz high-pass filter, three-band EQ section, fx and aux sends, pan control, separate record and monitor busses, channel muting and finally a high quality 60mm volume fader. Channels 3 and 4’s line inputs have high impedance FET pre-amps specifically for DI-ing guitars. There are also 2 stereo channels with line inputs and exclude the high pass filter. The first stereo input offers both ¼ inch jack and RCA phono inputs, the second offers jack inputs, an input feed from USB port. Also included are 16 adjustable fx presets using the same algorithms

found in Allen & Heath's flagship desks. These presets include reverbs, delays, a doubler, a flanger and a chorus. The ZED60-10FX's output section is quite versatile. The Main Out has a balanced XLR output as well as a line out. There are also recording and multi-source monitor outs, each via RCA. A bi-directional USB port allows outgoing signals to be recorded onto your DAW or it can be used as a ‘tape’ return from your DAW or media player.

IN USE Right off the bat, the most obvious of the ZED60-10FX's assets is its small size. It could easily fit into a laptop bag and comfortably carried along with other equipment to a gig. Secondly the number of quality features packed into this small mixer is impressive. The mic-pres don't undermine Allen & Heath's reputation one bit and sound fantastically clear and crisp for a mixer of its class. The three-band EQ is very sweet sounding and the sweep-able mid range is particularly useful and sounds great even when boosting a fair amount. The on-board effects give you a wealth of ambience options that should suit almost any situation. The reverb and delay combinations sound fantastic particularly when used subtly on vocals and acoustic guitars.

Supplier: Audiosure Tel: (011) 790-4600 Website: www.audiosure.co.za Expect to pay: R 5,795.00 The faders are a superb addition to the ZED series. Aside from the obvious added accuracy and great tactile feel that faders provide in studio, the colourful fader knobs are much easier to see in a darkened club. In a live context, whether you are a solo performer, in a small combo or band, or even as a DJ, the ZED6010FX could prove invaluable. It is small enough to fit on any stage making it easy to mix yourself, set up your own monitoring, and even play music between sets from an mp3 or CD player via the playback input, or even from your laptop via the USB input. The high-impedance guitar inputs on channels 3 and 4 make acoustic shows a breeze without the need for separate DI boxes and the FET preamps really add a rounded tube flavour to one's tone. The unit is a nifty recording tool too and is great for making quick stereo recordings. Its quiet operation, smooth EQ and hiquality effects will guarantee great sounding results and with its routing options and the Record and USB outputs you can record while still mixing a live show. The USB In/Out is bi-directional but cannot do both simultaneously. While it delivers an output signal sample rate of up to 48kHz it is limited to 16 bit. This output is also limited to a single stereo signal which imposes a few limitations on recording.

CONCLUSION The Allen & Heath ZED60-FX is a welcome addition to the already popular ZED range. It's faders and muting round out what may have been missing previously. The mixer's limited USB functionality does quell any suspicion one might have in this day and age that the ZED60-FX could double as a fully fledged audio interface. That would be expecting too much. Its flexible I/O and routing options within its small size should have broad appeal from club owners, djs, solo performers and bedroom recorders.

see us at

Imported and Distributed by

www.audiosure.co.za

Band Tips | GET YOUR 15 SECONDS OF FAME | words: David Chislett

GET YOUR 15 SECONDS OF FAME

espite all of us hating so called ‘overnight success stories’ and one hit wonders, we are all looking for that illusive gap into the big time, a quantum short cut from where we are now to where we want to be. Marketing is often seen as the key to that shortcut, but very few of us really know how it all works. A bit like rocket science or quantum mechanics, we know it’s there but have no clue where to begin. Actually it is really simple. Marketing is the process of taking your product to the market place. So, the first things you need to know is: Who is your market? Your market is usually defined in terms of age, gender, race, geographical location and income bracket. So for example, readers of this magazine are no doubt of all race groups, both genders but with a male bias, located in urban areas around South Africa and of LSM 6, 7 and 8 (upper middle class). You can find out what yours looks like by asking your audience what radio station they listen to and what magazines or newspapers they buy and then using those marketing titles as a benchmark for your own.

Once you know who your market is, you’ve got to ask yourself: where do I find them? Listening to radio? In shopping malls? Watching TV, online? Twitter? Nightclubs? Once you know these things you have to ask yourself, how do they like to get their information? Email, Twitter, Facebook, radio, newspaper? And then you have the job of putting all those things together and creating a version of your message that uses the platform your market prefers to talk to them where they want to listen to you about what you do. Don’t let the digital world sway you too much either. Old School posters and flyers still work in certain markets and in certain areas. If your market falls into these areas, you’d be foolish to ignore this in favour of a Facebook event page alone. Simple hey? Not really. Apart from getting that fine balance of your mix right, you also have to compete with all your buddies also trying to get the attention of this market, plus all the corporate, brands and services out there also targeting your poor fans. You need to stand out from the crowd. What this means is that you need a clear, recognisable message that

Author of “1,2,1,2: A Step By Step Guide To The SA Music Industry,” Dave Chislett offers Music industry tips for aspiring bands and musicians speaks through the clutter directly to your audience. So, be recognisable. Make sure everything you put out into the market is well done, well made, attractive, expressed clearly and concisely and is heading straight for the right people. Don’t put half baked rubbish out there; you may as well not do anything at all for the amount of attention it will retain. You also need to be in it for the long haul and across many platforms. Cross selling is the best way to grab and retain attention. If your audience begins to realise that you are on radio, on Twitter, Facebook, the news and YouTube, the momentum you start to build will result in a critical mass that will see your reputation grow exponentially after a sustained effort. But be warned, the words sustained effort are crucial here... you need to log the hours and do the homework to build that wave front of momentum. So you see there are no such things as overnight successes. But there can be 15-seconds of fame. That’s what happens when you don’t do your homework. Do the work and it could be more like 15 years.

Author Blurb David Chislett has been in the SA music industry for 25 years. Bassist, journalist, manager, publicist, film maker, author and consultant, he has gotten his hands dirty. His book 1,2,1,2: A Step By Step Guide To The SA Music Industry is an easy to understand, no holds barred self-help book for anyone wanting to do better in the business. It is available from Exclusive Books, Look & Listen stores and all good independent shops. He also hosts workshops and private consultations to help artists get ahead. www.davidchislett.co.za

Prices are recommended retail incl. 14% VAT OPERA 510 DX | R 7,160.00 OPERA 512 DX | R 8,365.00 OPERA 515 DX | R 8,702.00

For trade enquiries or to find your closest retailer call: Tel: 011 250 3280 | orders@hybrid.co.za

www.vivaafrika.co.za

Guitar Maintenance | MAINTENANCE – CLEANING FRETBOARDS | words: Alan Ratcliffe

MAINTENANCE: CLEANING FRETBOARDS

eeping your fretboard clean and oiled is a simple task and keeps your guitar playing well and looking good, but one most people do not bother with or do incorrectly. This edition we are going to look at various methods of cleaning your fretboard.

Finished fretboards Finished fretboards have a layer of clear finish over the surface and do not need oiling, just occasional cleaning. All maple boards are finished, but some rosewood boards are too (notably on Rickenbacker guitars). Cleaning a finished board is simplicity itself – use whatever guitar polish you use on the rest of the guitar.

Unfinished fretboards Unfinished fretboards are usually made of rosewood or ebony and require cleaning and occasional oiling to keep them in top form.

Cleaning unfinished fretboards The method for cleaning an unfinished fretboard depends on how dirty it is. Firstly, what you should never use are conventional wood polishes, which are designed for finished woods and, in some cases, can penetrate and damage the wood or make future repair work like gluing, refinishing and refretting difficult.

Normal cleaning For normal cleaning when changing strings, often a clean, dry cloth will do the job, but the most thorough method is to use naphtha, which you can find sold as lighter fluid at most supermarkets. Naphtha is a great all-round cleaner for guitars as it removes oils, waxes and dirt easily and doesn’t affect even the most delicate finishes. You can also use the “lemon oil” sold in music stores occasionally (which is mostly naphtha with a small drop of mineral oil and lemon scent), but try not to use it too often as the oil will eventually penetrate

Heavy cleaning When you have a really dirty fretboard you will sometimes need to use a fine steel wool to remove the build-up and also smooth smaller scratches from the wood surface. This is also a great way to clean and polish your frets. Make sure to work along the grain, up and down the length of the board rather than across it, as this will usually leave visible scratches. The other thing to be aware of is that steel wool throws off a lot of iron filings which can scratch a finish if you pick them up in your polishing rag, so make sure to blow/dust off any filings before polishing. Electric guitars take a bit of extra prep work, as the pickup magnets attract and hold iron filings very effectively. Apply masking tape across the top of the pickups and when you are finished with the steel wool, put more tape over the top of the filings gathered on the magnets and pull both layers away with the filings trapped safely between them. If you still get some filings working their way to the polepieces, use some

Prestick/Blutack to remove them and throw it away afterwards.

The grunge of ages Sometimes when a fretboard has not been cleaned for years it will have a huge amount of tough grime built up that takes a more aggressive approach to clean. Also, there can be an appreciable amount of wear on the board (from untrimmed fingernails), causing divots to form in the wood under the strings. In these cases, the only approach is to scrape the board. While sanding is a possibility, it is difficult to do evenly and without damaging the frets themselves. To do this, use a new sharp Stanley blade, drawing it along the surface of the fretboard, between the frets, along the grain of the wood to scrape away the grime and the top layer of wood to lessen the divots. Once you have scraped the board, finish up with fine steel wool as per “Heavy Cleaning” above and oil if needed.

Tutorial | PLAY BETTER BASS | words: Alistair Andrews

PLAY BETTER BASS MINOR SCALES INSIDE WESTERN CLASSICAL SCALES

In Western Classical Music the most popular three scales used are:

The B Phrygian Mode: B, C, D, E, F#, G, A, B This is the 3rd mode of the Major Scale

1) The Major Scale 2) The Harmonic Minor Scale 3) The Melodic Minor Scale (We will only deal with the ascending versions of the two minor scales.) These three scales could be started from different points and we get what we call the modes. (We dealt a little bit with this in some of the previous issues.) Let us look at the minor scales within the G major scale: The concept will obviously be the same in all 12 keys. G Major Scale consists of the following notes: G, A, B, C, D, E and F#.

The B Phrygian could be used over Bm and Bm7

There are Three Minor Modes within the MAJOR SCALE:

(Please note that this Mode will clash with m6 and m9 chords, as the 6th and 9th degrees are flattened.

1) Dorian Mode (second mode) A to A 2) Phrygian Mode (third mode) B to B 3) Aeolian Mode (sixth mode) E to E (Natural Minor) The A Dorian Mode: A, B, C, D, E, F#, G, A If we look at the 3rd degree of this scale we notice that we get a minor 3rd interval (C)

The E Aeolian Mode: E, F#, G, A, B, C, D, E (minor 3rd interval =G) This scale is also called the Natural Minor scale, and is the same as the descending

The E Aeolian Mode could be used over Em, Em7, Em9, and E m11 chords. The A Dorian could be used over Am, Am6, Am7, Am9, Am6/9, Am11 and Am13 chords You can create interesting Bass lines and solos using this mode over the chords mentioned. The notes of C Dorian Mode: C, D, Eb, F, G, A, Bb, C

(Please note that the Locrian Mode: F#, G, A, B, C, D, E, F# will not work over minor chords, because although there is a minor 3rd in the scale the 5th (C) is flattened.) C Locrian (C, Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, C) works over diminished and min7b5 Chords.

The Dorian Mode is used a lot in II, V, I progressions, as it is falls Using the same approach with minor scales (Melodic and Harmonic) we can add four more minor options to our arsenal. on the 2nd degree of the Major Key.

Continued on Page 34...

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Tutorial | PLAY BETTER BASS | words: Alistair Andrews

Continued from Page 32...

Let us check out the Minor Scales within the C MELODIC MINOR scale. The Melodic Minor has 2 Minor Scales within itself. Starting on C and D respectively.

The C HARMONIC MINOR Scale sounds very Eastern. This scale has 2 Minor Scales: Mode I (C to C) and Mode IV (F to F). Harmonic Minor Mode I: C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, B, C This scale and its modes are used a lot in World Music.

Melodic Minor Mode I: C, D, Eb, F, G, A, B, C (minor 3rd interval =Eb) This is actually a Major Scale with a flattened 3rd. In some circles it is called the Jazz Minor. Without getting too technical this could also be called a Dorian with the 7th sharpened.

This Scale works over. Cm, Cm(maj)7 and Cm(maj)9 chords This scale will also clash with the min7 as the 7th is flattened in these chords This Scale works over. Cm, Cm6, Cm6/9 and Cm(maj)7 chords

Harmonic Minor Mode IV: F, G, Ab, B, C, D, Eb, F (Romanian Scale or Dorian#4)

It will clash with the min7 as the 7th is flattened in these chords. Melodic Minor Mode II: D, Eb, F, G, A, B, C, D (also called Dorian b9)

This scale work over Fm, Fm6, Fm7, Fm9, Fm6/9 and Fm13 chords. Once you really get into the modes of the various scales, you can increase your “vocabulary” for soloing tremendously. You can also create more interesting basslines.

This Scale works over Dm, Dm6 and Dm7 Chords It will not work with min9 chords because of the flattened 9th.

A SUMMARY OF THE MINOR MODES STARTING ON C: NATURAL MINOR HARMONIC MINOR MELODIC MINOR DORIAN MODE PRYGIAN MODE MEL. MIN MODE II HAR. MIN MODE IV

Alistair Andrews endorses ROTOSOUND bass strings www.rotosound.com

It is a great idea to practice all these scales in all 12 keys and over 2 octaves. You will notice that these scales are very similar in construction, but one note can make a big difference. I trust that you will have fun with these minor scales.

THE WORLD’S FINEST MUSIC STRINGS MADE IN THE UK SINCE 1958

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Tutorial | PLAY BETTER GUITAR | words: Kurt Slabbert

PLAY BETTER GUITAR

THE MODES OF THE MAJOR SCALE PART 2 Welcome to play better guitar. In the last lesson we looked at the Major scale and where it comes from, we also saw that on each note of the major scale we can build a chord therefore giving us a harmonised major scale. Harmonised as 4 note chords we get the following:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 C D E F G A B C MAJ7 min7 min7 MAJ7 Dom7 min7 m7b5 MAJ7 Cmajor scale Harmonised in 7ths, 4 note chords.

Just as you can build Seven Chords off this scale you can also build 7 Scales; these scales we refer to as the 7 Modes of the Major scale,

If you have any questions please drop me an email on kurt@bluenoise.co.za

37 Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s build! 1 C D E F G A B C

2 D E F G A B C D

3 E F G A B C D E

4 F G A B C D E F

So this may look like a word puzzle, but all it really is, is showing you the notes of the different modes, as you can see the only notes that are present are the notes of the Cmajor scale.

So what does this tell you?

5 G A B C D E F G

6 A B C D E F G A

7 B C D E F G A B

1 C D E F G A B C

We will look at chord progressions and some ideas and target notes in the next issue.

PRACTICE

All the modes that come from Cmajor share the same notes.

Take these chords of the Cmajor scale and try and record a couple of bars of each chord, like 8 bars of each at a slow tempo like 90 bpm.

Okay but then how do they sound different?

CMaj7 Dm7 Em7 FMaj7 G7 Am7 Bm7b5 Cmaj7

The sound of the notes will be determined by the chord you play them over;

Once you have done that then play back the chords and play a Cmajor scale slowly over the chords and take note how the scale sounds over the different chords. You are going to find some new sounds and you will see how certain notes over certain chords really spice things up.

If I play a Cmajor chord and somebody plays a Cmajor scale over it, then you get a Major sounding scale but if I play a Cmajor chord over a Dminor chord then the sound changes drastically and now I get what we call a Dorian sounding scale. You see the Harmony (Chords) will determine how the scale sounds, If I play a Cmajor scale over an Emin7 chord you will hear it will sound Turkish with hints of Latin.

So what does this mean? In a nutshell, remember that your chord changes will determine how your scale sounds not the other way around. This is a very academic approach but at least it will give you a point to practice and hear exactly how these different scales sound. As guitarists and I speak for myself, we have too long relied on shapes to get around the guitar as opposed to being able to hear sounds. Practicing scales and chords are important but they should never replace the practice of music and hearing, getting to a place where you can sing these scales and hear them as you play the chords.

You could even record that if possible and then go back and look at what you played and which notes over which chord sounded really good. The step after that is to get the sound into your head and make it a musical exercise as opposed to academic exercise and try and recreate that sound whenever you play. To sum it up, I do believe that being musical is a lot stronger and more important than being academic, although practice and knowing how stuff works can only strengthen your journey as a musician; learn all the scales rules and chords so you can be a stronger musician. Till next time keep practicing!

Your Private Universe | RIBBON MICROPHONES | words: Jonathan Pike

RIBBON MICROPHONES

he last two issues have focused on the construction and characteristics of dynamic and condenser microphones. In this issue we will continue by taking a closer look at the construction of Ribbon microphones. These were very popular microphones in the past in particular for vocals, however they were fairly expensive to construct and they were quite fragile and thus broke easily. For a time many manufacturers stopped making them, but more recently they have made a comeback. Ribbon microphones use a transduction method that is very similar to that of the moving coil dynamic microphones that we looked at a few months ago. A Ribbon microphone replaces the heavy moving coil with a light, thin corrugated metal ribbon. This ribbon is stretched within the air gap between the poles of a powerful magnet. The ribbon is clamped securely at each end, but is free to move throughout its length. Just like the moving coil microphone, any movement of the ribbon between the poles of the magnet will induce a fluctuating electric current within the ribbon itself. This electrical current is an electrical representation of the changing air pressure associated with the acoustic sound source. The voltage induced in older ribbon microphones was very small so all traditional ribbon microphones incorporated a built in transformer in order to boost the signal voltage to a useable level. Modern Ribbon

microphones do not suffer this problem as they use improved magnets and more efficient transformers. So what are the implications of this construction? Firstly ribbon microphones are known to have excellent sonic characteristics with a lot of warmth and are praised for their ability to capture high frequencies without harshness. Ribbon microphones also generally have a great transient response, due to the light diaphragm, as well as having a low internal noise floor and can be made with a flat frequency response. For these reasons they are becoming more and more highly regarded and are making a major resurgence into the high-end microphone market. Due to the construction a ribbon microphone usually has a bi-directional polar pattern, meaning they can pick up sound most effectively from the front and the back. Traditionally Ribbon microphones were very fragile and simply blowing or coughing into the microphone could damage the ribbon, and in the old days ribbon microphones were also very expensive. Modern construction materials however have changed this and ribbon microphones are much more robust and can be used for loud sound sources without fear of damaging the ribbon. The cost has come down significantly too, but many ribbon microphones are still fairly expensive. Ribbon microphones are a very versatile addition to your studio because of their wide frequency

response and warm sonic character and as such are generally regarded as an essential for any large format recording facility. If you take your home recording seriously and are prone to recording a variety of voices and instruments they are well worth having a look at... if your budget allows. That concludes this series of articles on microphone technology and characteristics, so the best advice I can give is to get out there and experiment with different microphone types on various sound sources and decide what mics you want to keep in your arsenal. As always, what sounds pleasing to your ear is what really matters.

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