MuseTech_Dec/March'14

GEAR NEWS & REVIEWS FOR MUSICIANS

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DEC13 - MAR’ 1 4

FREE

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mance r o f r e P o i d u A

Allen & Heath ME-1 Personal Mixer Reviews on...

Casio PX-5S Stage Piano Vox Tone Garage Pedals Monkey Banana Turbo Studio Monitors

Blackstar

LT Pedal Range

GEAR & INDUSTRY NEWS TUTORIALS by ALAN RATCLIFFE ALISTAIR ANDREWS | NICK MATZUKIS KURT SLABBERT & SERGIO PEREIRA

WWW.MUSEONLINE.CO.ZA

www.audiosure.co.za

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Tel: 011 805 9910

sales@tvaudio.co.za | www.tvaudio.co.za

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EDITION 28 | DEC/JAN ‘14 | Proud Supporters of SA Music!

CONTENTS

tech

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24

20

12

16

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n this, our final edition for 2013, MuseTech offers up a host of great new tech available in stores ranging from the uber professional, to the semi pro and everybody in between.

On the cover we have the Allen & Heath ME-1 Personal Mixer. Now we all know, and I am sure can agree, that Allen & Heath is renowned for quality and innovation; a rock solid brand that has built a legacy well earned.

But what the heck is a personal mixer? Greg Bester, as always, explains the concept so eloquently and puts a really strong case forward for the use of these by sound companies involved with FOH and backline setups. The future is clearly digital, now more than ever as Greg attests in his comprehensive review.

Casio, perhaps better known for their watches have an interesting legacy themselves when it comes to keyboards too. You’ll still find the VL Tone, the CZ digital synths and the Casiotone keyboards in many a household, if not

Editors Note and Index Cover Review: Allen & Heath ME-1 Gear & Industry News Gear & Industry News continued Instrument Review: Casio PX-5S Stage Piano Gear Review: Vox Tone Garage Pedals Gear Review: Vox Tone Garage Pedals continued Gear Review: Blackstar LT Pedal Range Gear Review: Blackstar LT Pedal Range continued Studio Gear Review: Monkey Banana Turbo Series A Career in Music Guide A Career in Music Guide A Career in Music Guide A Career in Music Guide A Career in Music Guide A Career in Music Guide Play Better Bass with Alistair Andrews Play Better Guitar with Kurt Slabbert Education: How to prepare yourself

on eBay fetching a mighty dollar or two.

But recently they have also released some exciting new models, namely the XW-G1 and the XW-P1 aimed more at the EDM market, but also the PX-5S Stage Piano which David Scott got to play around with for a few days. The PX-5S is a professional stage piano at a reasonable price and is well worth looking at if you’re a keyboardist, especially one on the move a lot. It’s light yet packs a punch, says David.

But it’s Christmas time, for those who observe, as well as holiday season so what better way to celebrate [if you’re a guitarist] than to spoil yourself with a new pedal. A guitarist can never have enough pedals on his pedalboard now can he? Nic Roos tested out the brand new Blackstar LT range and was notably impressed with the results.

Greg also got to jam the new range of Vox Tone Garage pedals and although he may not always be the easiest guy to please when it comes to gear, he seems to like Vox’s new range too.

3 6 8 10 12 16 18 20 22 24 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 34 38

Lastly but certainly not least, Dave Skinz got his grubby mitts on a new range of studio monitors that has recently become available in South Africa. Cutely named Monkey Banana, the Turbo Series, as reviewed on Pg. 24 certainly sounds like a great mid-priced range of professional studio loudspeakers.

In our Tutorials and education section you will find a three page supplement on various music colleges doing great work around the country to further educate you on all things music related. But let’s not forget one of the leading institutions in the country, the Academy of Sound Engineering who graciously offer us some real food for thought when it comes to preparing yourself for a career in music, written by the imitable George Hattingh Jnr. Happy holidays and let’s hope 2014 makes this year a distant memory...

Dave Mac

R

Gibbon5 Active Nearfield Studio Monitor The Gibbon 5 was developed specifically to meet the needs of a home studio where space is rare. Equipped with a magnetically shielded silk dome tweeter and a 5 1/4" polypropylene- Woofer this monitor allows fatigue-free and precise monitoring.

Gibbon5

R

4,534.00/Pair

Type: Frequency response: Woofer: Tweeter: Amplifier unit: Inputs: Dimensions: Weight: Colours:

Type Active 2-way nearfield studio monitor 48Hz-22kHz 5 1/4 inch magnetically shielded 1 inch silk dome tweeter 2-channel class AB (LF 45W/HF35W) IXLR, 6.3 mm jack, RCA Width 190mm x Height 277mm x Depth 214.5 mm Weight: 6 kg Black / Red

Prices are recommended retail incl. 14% VAT www.vivaafrika.co.za

Turbo Series Turbo8

Turbo4

4-inch woofer

50W

Turbo5

Turbo10s

Turbo6

5 1/4-inch woofer

6 ½-inch woofer

8-inch woofer

10-inch woofer

80W

90W

110W

300W

Type: Woofer: Tweeter Inputs: Outputs: Colours:

Active Nearfield Studio Monitor Magnetically shielded polypropylene / ceramic membrane 1-inch silk dome tweeter Inputs: XLR/TRS - Combo,, RCA input, S/PDIF - RCA input for digital signal Outputs: S / PDIF - RCA jack for digital signal thru Colours: Red, Black

MonkeyWall MonkeyWall is the perfect wall mount for your Monkey Banana speakers. It fits Turbo 4, 5 and 6 and guarantees the optimal distance to the wall as well as the perfect mount angle.

Turbo4

R

Turbo6

R 11,616.00/Pair

Turbo8

R 13,934.00/Pair

Turbo10s

R 11,617.00

7,750.00/Pair

MonkeyTree MonkeyTree is the natural home of our species. The Monkeys feel well while standing relaxed and decoupled from the ground.

Our Monkeys love Heavy Metal that’s why we made the Monkey Tree out of massive material to guarantee a solid stand.

Trade Enquiries or to find your closest retailer call: Tel: 011 250 3280 | orders@hybrid.co.za

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Cover Feature | ALLEN & HEATH ME-1 PERSONAL MONITORING UNIT | words: Greg Bester

ALLEN & HEATH ME-1 PERSONAL MONITORING UNIT

THE CONVERGENCE OF IP-BASED NETWORKING INTO THE DIGITAL AUDIO WORLD OPENED UP A WHOLE LEGION OF EFFICIENT, TIMESAVING AND WORKLOAD-RELIEVING ADVANTAGES THAT WERE ONLY DREAMT OF IN THE ANALOGUE ERA.

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big one was the multichannel digital audio snake. All of a sudden you could plug a thin CAT5 cable into the console, run it all the way to the stage, plug it into the stagebox and you had an entire mic snake setup and ready to go in under five minutes.

Believe me; patching 32 or 48 channel snake ends into a large format analogue console is not fun. Those days are gone and system techs are happier.

So, in 2013, as much as the luddites bemoan the fact, the analogue age is over and that includes how we approach stage monitoring. There are other factors for this, particularly the proliferation of in-ear monitoring systems, but the main idea here is that we can now route multiple streams of audio, split them, duplicate them and matrix them any which way we want thanks to the power of DSP (Digital Signal Processing).

Traditionally (read: back in the old days), a musician on stage would receive one or two stage monitors fed from a mono auxiliary send from the FOH console or from monitor-world on-stage.

That was it. If he was lucky, the disgruntled engineer at the desk complaining about the harshness of the guitar sound under his breath would send him some reverb. But it was all mono.

No stereo mix. No panning. If you wanted something turned up you had to either scream at the now rabid engineer or hope that your mic was on (it’s not) and ask him very politely for more “me” in the monitors. That’s changing.

Allen & Heath has never been one to drag behind the times. Their flagship iLive consoles are just as good as any and are found throughout major installations and tours worldwide. They, just like many brands, also employ AoE (Audio over Ethernet) technologies into

their products which means all the previously mentioned advantages of digital audio networking are at your fingertips when using either their iLive or GLD consoles. However, they are not the focus of this article.

The ME-1 is a personal monitoring system created by Allen & Heath that puts control of the monitor mix in the hands of the musician, even bass players. It connects to either an iLive or GLD-series console via one CAT5 cable and offers an array of options for the musician to sculpt his own mix. Who knows? Maybe in a few years the monitor engineer will become obsolete. The horror!

Features The ME-1 is designed to be simple. It can either connect directly to the console (multiple units are daisy chained) or to a standard PoE Ethernet hub via CAT5 cable and a total of 40 inputs can be accepted by the ME-1 and each input corresponds to a console input channel.

Input structure can be configured in the monitoring setup on the console but by default will correspond to the first 40 input channels; enough for most scenarios.

Additionally, using a ME-U hub, users of other professional mixers using the Dante, Ethersound or MADI protocols

can utilise the system and it also has an Aviom compatibility mode for use with Aviom Pro16 systems.

The top panel of the ME-1 is quite straight forward. There are 16 backlit user definable keys that correspond to whatever the user wants. They can be assigned to a single source (mono or stereo) or to a group of inputs (such as all the drums), which is set up in the menu system of the ME-1 and not from the console. That’s an important point. The console just feeds the inputs of the system. The user decides what to do with them. This frees up busses on the console and differentiates this system from others.

There are 16 user presets. Level, pan, mutes and key assignments can be stored and recalled at will. Presets can also be copied to a USB for archiving or quick transferal to other units and the OLED screen provides a concise display of parameters such as level and pan for each source along with system setup and information. All critical functions such as system setup, standby mode and preset storing are protected from accidental operation by the requirement of holding the Shift key. There is also a dedicated master control and key which gives access to parameters such as the master three-band EQ and limiter settings.

7 Supplier: Audiosure (Pty) Ltd Contact: www.audiosure.co.za Tel: (011) 790-4600 Suggested Pricing: R 8,995.00

One large rotary knob controls all the common functions such as:

! ! ! ! !

Input control of level and pan Group control of master level Level/pan for each group member Control of master EQ and limiter Simultaneous, global control of all channel levels

One of the most unique and interesting features of this unit is the inclusion of a built-in ambient mic. This is particularly helpful when using in-ear monitoring systems where one is prone to feeling isolated from the rest of the band or audience. The ambient mic brings the stage sound to the mix and the independent volume control makes mixing it all together a piece of cake.

I/O on the unit is also straightforward. There are both mini-jack and ¼” headphone outputs and a ¼” balanced output for connection to a stage monitor (sans ambient mic signal). There is a stereo Aux Input for other sources such as when the drummer needs a click track, which is pretty much always these days. There is also a USB port but it is solely for firmware updates, archiving/ transferring presets or configurations, or for charging portable devices.

Finally, the unit can be powered via a DC jack or via a PoE or ME-U hub.

Conclusion What can I say? As a sound engineer, the ME-1 concept is a manna from heaven.

To give a musician control of his own

monitor mix shifts blame fantastically and holds only one person responsible for not hearing something.

But in all seriousness, this is the way of the future and can aid dramatically in allowing musicians to hear what they want to hear, which is crucial for a great performance. In conjunction with an inear monitoring system the ME-1 is definitely the way forward but I could see how by being bound by the length of a headphone cable could limit your stage presence.

Other than that small limitation, I welcome this technology and I’m sure any muso that’s tired of bad stage sound will too!

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

Gear News TV AUDIO SECURES BEAMZ AGENCY

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V Audio, one of South Africa’s leading broad-line electronics distributors announced recently the securing of the Beamz lighting agency for this territory.

The distributor has one of the largest catalogues of affordable products in South Africa along with a range of premium products too.

The company was established in 1982 and has continued to expand its product catalogue and has seen remarkable growth in this area over the past several years.

Beamz is a brand that offers a massive range of lighting at incredibly competitive prices.

Products include: Triple Flex centre Pro LED DMX A high energy DMX Triple Flex Centre LED lighting effect with three scanning heads, hence each corner of an area will be illuminated. With stepper motors for smooth and quick movements and 24 long life LEDs each scanning head (RGB).

Includes built-in programs, three operational modes, strobe function etc.

Carpo Laser Moving Head Fat Beam Red The moving head features a single bright

fat beam laser diode. This 6-channel DMX red laser can reflect the high lightness of laser effect and due to the high-grade optical technology it emits wider, more visible and more powerful beams with high lightness. For use in disco, pubs and all kinds of parties etc...

Jupiter Blue Laser 450mW DMX The Jupiter is a new blue laser effect with a 450mW laser. Advanced algorithmic routine design with more than 63 beam effects and graphics. After 5 seconds without sound the laser effect will be shut down automatically. Ideal for bars, discos, casinos, clubs, family parties etc.

LS-1W Animation Laser RGB DMX An RGB Animation 1W Laser featuring many play modes. 128 kinds of patterns showing astonishing beams, animated graphics, animation and blanking effects.

Comes with high speed scanner with a scan angle of 20°. Perfect for discos, clubs, bars, casinos, all kinds of parties etc...

Big Fireball Lamp Multicolour LED This Fireball LED light creates a stunning light show by fast rotating multicoloured beams. It contains a 3W LED producing a

high light intensity. It has a low power consumption and the LED has a long life time. Suitable for disco, night club, bar, at home and other entertainment places.

S1800 Smoke Machine DMX Horizontal/Vertical Professional 1800W smoke machine with large capacity for fabulous smoke emissions in various premises. Next to the standard horizontal you can also use this smoke machine vertically. This way you can hook it into a truss system or use it in 2 different ways on the ground. The S1800 can be used with the supplied remote control, equipped with a timer control, or via DMX-512. Features a high quality heating element and a big built-in reservoir for smoke fluid.

H2O Pro LED Water effect A bright 20W LED simulated water flowing effect. Great for mood or background lighting. Equipped with two glass effect wheels, manual focussing lens, two operational modes etc.

Designed to project on walls, ceilings and floors with or without fog.

Supplied by: TV Audio Tel: 011- 805 9910 | www.tvaudio.co.za

LS-1W Animation Laser RGB DMX Triple Flex centre Pro LED DMX Jupiter Blue Laser 450mW DMX Carpo Laser Moving Head Fat Beam Red

H2O Pro LED Water effect Big Fireball Lamp Multicolour LED

S1800 Smoke Machine DMX

Imported and Distributed by

www.audiosure.co.za

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

Continued from pg 8

BELDEN BRILLIANCE 2221 COMPACT DIGITAL MICROPHONE CABLE For applications where full-size microphone cables are just too big, the Belden 2221 Compact Microphone Cable is an ideal solution. Oftentimes, hand-held solid-state recording devices (SSD) use miniature microphone connectors from Lemo, Neutrik or Switchcraft (such as the Switchcraft TA3F/TA3M). The Belden 2221 Compact Microphone Cable is an excellent

choice for those connectors as well as for the hand-held SSD recorders that use Bantam or TT jacks as the balanced line input. With an impedance of 110 ohms, the cable can carry digital audio and its ultralow capacitance (13 pF/ft.) makes it the finest performing digital cable available today.

72 PIN Audio Connectors Jaycor’s 72 Pin Audio Connector terminates up to 24 channels of audio cable in one complete connector, and the silver plated pins are ideal for high-quality audio applications. The rugged IP65

(Weatherproof) hoods and chassis mount housings make them ideal for both indoor and outdoor applications for fixed wiring and high-flex snake cables.

Supplied by: Jaycor International | Tel: (011) 444-1039

MICFX® MICROPHONE SLEEVES Personalize your microphone. The microphone sleeves fit snugly over the body of any wireless or corded hand-held microphone. With many different options, there is a perfect MicFX® Microphone Sleeve to fit your style. MicFX® Microphone sleeves, sometimes called Microphone skins, make the perfect gift.

Professional artists around the world

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MicFX Microphone Sleeves will fit major brand and generic microphones, including, Shure, Sennheiser, EV, AKG, Audio Technica and Digital Preference.

Supplied by: Twin Radio Tel: (016) 932 4208 www.twinradio.co.za

TAMA IMPERIALSTAR LIMITED EDITION HYPER-DRIVE KIT The Tama Imperialstar is price-wise an “entry level” drum set but is built with all the craftsmanship and sound quality of more advanced kits. It is also ideal if you're a gigging musician seeking a more affordable set. Tama has enhanced this With over 40 years of experience, Tama already excellent kit by upgrading to knows what drummers really want.

MEINL "HCS" cymbals including a pair of Which is why Tama has the set drummers 14" hi-hats, a 16" crash and a 20" ride. need, want, and can afford; no matter This kit has everything else you will need what their budget is. In recent times, to play. The drum set includes an 18"x22" Tama has been offering the most bass drum, a matching 5"x14" affordable drum set to ever incorporate so wood snare, 7”x10” and many high-end features - Imperialstar.

7.5"x12" mounted toms with Every aspect of the modern drum set was the great Omni-Ball double exhaustively examined, re-examined and tom holder, a 14"x16" floor then improved before it was accepted as tom, a snare stand, hi-hat part of the Imperialstar design. That is stand, straight cymbal stand, why, if you start playing Imperialstar boom cymbal stand plus a drums now as a beginner, you will still be bass drum pedal and a drum enjoying them when you have achieved throne. pro status.

Because they’ve been so And this new and updated version well-thought-out and come responds to the evolution of modern complete with everything you music and the desires of drummers by need to start playing, the reducing the size of the toms. The new Tama Imperialstar has sizes play and respond more brightly, with become one of the most a higher range of pitches and tonal colour. popular drum sets on the

The Tama Imperialstar is one of the bestselling drum sets of the last decade, and for good reason. This set combines quality and affordability to create a kit that can't be beat.

market today. Tama takes the headache out of assembling individual components by putting a perfect package together and this is something that parents appreciate as well, when shopping for a drum set for a deserving drum student.

Distributed in SA by: Midi Music Tel: (011) 403-0199 www.midimusic.co.za

12

Instrument Review | CASIO PX-5S STAGE PIANO | words: David Scott

CASIO PX-5S STAGE PIANO LIGHT ON WEIGHT, HEAVY ON SOUND

What is it?

The last time I was given a Casio keyboard was when I was 8 years old. If I remember correctly the keys lit up and I was playing along to demos of Mary had a Little Lamb.

The nostalgia was short-lived when I was given the Casio PX-5S. I was hoping the S would stand for 'sentimental'. It's anything but. The S stands for 'studio' or 'stage', but if I could have my way I'd make the S stand for 'Super Sounding'.

Anatomy When putting the PX-5S on my stand, the first thing I noticed was how light this instrument is in comparison to other 88 key stage pianos that I've played on before.

Most keyboards of this size need two people to carry it. This one I could easily carry by myself without graunching my back. (It's only about 10kgs).

One noticeable missing feature is built-in speakers, which aren't that necessary if you have proper studio facilities or if you're playing through a PA system. After all, the PX-5S is made for the studio and the stage.

The back provides a USB output, two pedal inputs, MIDI In and Out, stereo line in and out, audio in and two headphone outs.

The key action is great - I really like the wooden texture to the keys and the ivory-like feel. The trisensor scaled hammer action gives you the feel of a real piano. There are keyboards out there with better key actions but they weigh a ton and cost a lot more. If you're going to be carrying your keyboard around a lot, trust me - you're not going to care about a slight difference in key action if you're breaking your back every time you have to lug it back ‘n forth.

Buttons for tones and stage settings are clustered around a small, backlit LCD display. The

buttons are relatively user friendly and anyone can navigate the presets with ease from the get go.

On the left, where a built-in speaker would normally be, is an array of four knobs and six sliders, plus pitch-bend and modulation wheels. These control all kinds of parameters, including EQ, chorus and delay which is useful for onthe-fly FX, which is great in a live performance scenario.

The knobs and sliders are also fully MIDI programmable - perfect if you're going to be using the keyboard as a MIDI controller.

On the right side is a rubbery, textured-surface which appears to be a speaker, but it opens to access the eight AA batteries that provide up to four hours of play. The rubbery surface serves well as an iPad or Smartphone holder.

To the left of the battery unit is a nifty USB flash drive port that lets you save and load data, and also record and play audio files.

13

Sound On the whole I am pretty impressed by the sounds that the Casio PX-5S puts out. The grand piano sound is good, but I am particularly impressed with some of the retro sounds like the clavinet and Wurlitzer which sound super realistic with the subtle after tones provided by the aftertouch.

I've always preferred real piano in my studio recordings, but I'd happily record these retro sounds into one of my songs if I needed a retro sounding keyboard.

The hex tones provide an array of rich, textured tones with clean crisp sound. Some of presets have bass that goes incredibly low without compromising the tone which I find really impressive.

Apart from the presets being great, the real magic is provided by the DSP functionality which allows you to give your sounds a bit of character and move away from the cheesiness that we've come to

expect from factory presets. The DSP allows you to go quite deep into modeling your sounds. A choice of different phasers, flangers, tremolos and so on, allows you to shape your sounds to your preference.

I found that it was a bit tricky trying to edit on the keyboard's tiny LCD screen, but maybe that's just because modern technology has made sound editing so user friendly that LCD screens just don't do it anymore.

The poorly written instruction manual didn't really help the cause those could've been clearer. Luckily, there is software that you can download which makes editing much easier.

Who should own one?

I somehow see this piano getting its best use in a church environment.

When I listen to the kind of sound it puts out, it just seems perfectly made for church bands.

I can already hear the piano blending with the soft beautiful strums of an acoustic guitar, or the deep hex tones stirring the congregation’s emotions during a slow ballad. I could also imagine a jazz pianist getting great mileage out of this keyboard, as the retro sounds really are great and will compliment any jazz group.

I'd also happily keep this piece of gear in my studio. Firstly, because it doesn't take up that much space. Most 88 key keyboards are quite deep set, while the Casio is less than 30cm deep. It also has some sounds on it that I probably wouldn't be able to emulate on my current software, so these would come in handy at some point.

I also often jam complex piano parts in my music that I'd love to have available in MIDI format, so this keyboard is the ideal controller for the job.

Verdict You'd probably think that something so light weight and affordable would be plasticky and rubbish.

This keyboard is quite the opposite - the keys play well, the sounds are great and on top of that it's easy to carry. That's a successful keyboard if you ask me!

Before you spend top dollar on a stage piano that is potentially very expensive and very heavy, try out the Casio PX-5S - I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Price: 18,999.00 Supplier: James Ralph (Pty) Ltd Web: www.jamesralph.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 195,310.00 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

16

Gear Review | VOX TONE GARAGE PEDALS | words: Greg Bester

VOX TONE GARAGE PEDALS “...the thing with pedals, they're very personal and when you find one you like, you know it instantly.”

Flat 4 Boost

Straight 6 Drive

V8 Distortion

Trike Fuzz

C

all me a cynic but whenever I see any sort of audio related gear with glowing valves in it, I get a little suspicious. I’ll tell you why.

For the uninitiated, valves are supposed to run on high voltage in the region of around 150 to 300V to take full advantage of their design which in turn supplies great secondorder harmonic distortion and lots

of gain and headroom. Starved plate designs came along and suddenly you could claim your equipment had valves in it, but you were able to implement it a lot cheaper and run on lower voltage, requiring a less powerful and thus cheaper power supply. Of course, the sound suffered.

Vox just released a range of motor-themed guitar pedals dubbed their ‘Tone Garage’ with four out of the five implementing valves

claiming to run on 200V due to their newly developed Hi-Volt technology. This piqued my interest.

Could it really be? I got a chance to check out all three distortion models and a fuzz, which I think we should get into before I myself create a precedent!

For the following review I auditioned each pedal with my Gibson SG Standard, plugged into my Laney GH100L amp and Marshall 1935B 4x12 cab.

18 Flat 4 Boost The Flat 4 Boost is the lightest of the three distortion models. It can run on either a 9V DC power supply or six AA batteries, provided with every pedal. All pedals also feature a true bypass, a sturdy die-cast body and an on/standby switch so that you can turn it off instead of having to annoyingly remove the input cable each time.

The valves are orientated horizontally on the front face of each pedal that comes with one (the fuzz and delay do not have valves) and feature colourful back-lit LED lighting.

The Flat 4 Boost is yellow. It’s got four knobs, in order from left to right: Vol (Volume), Low, High, and Gain, and there is a Mid-Boost switch between and below the Low and High knobs. That’s about it, really. Pretty self-explanatory stuff.

So, I set my amp to an edgy clean to see how this pedal would push the preamp section and found it was very transparent. It seemed to keep the inherent tone of the amplifier while supplying additional harmonic richness and complexity. Turning the gain knob to the right, the amp started to verge into creamy crunch territory. The mid-boost switch gave a bit of throat to the sound, which sounded great for solo material.

Straight 6 Drive The Straight 6 Drive is green and the inbetweener of the three distortion pedals in terms of gain. It has slightly different controls than the Flat 4 Boost, which it shares with the third distortion pedal, the V8. From left to right the knobs are: Volume, Bass, Tone and Gain.

There is a toggle switch labelled ‘Bright’ where the Mid-Boost switch was on the Flat 4 Boost.

Once again, the pedal seemed tonally transparent in that it didn’t strangle the voice of my amp. I had set the amp to a cleaner setting this time because I wanted to hear the true nature

Continued from pg 16 of the distortion with more clean headroom. The resulting distortion was indeed very ‘valve-like’ and reminded me of the sound of my amp in overdrive.

Using the Tone and Bass knobs in conjunction with the Bright switch, I was able to sculpt widely varying tones from thick and brown to sharp and tight. The Straight 6 Drive, to my ears, is a mild to meaty overdrive that can get you anywhere from Santana to AC/DC.

V8 Distortion The V8 Distortion is black and is, you guessed it, the high gain variation of the series. It features the exact same controls as the Straight 6 Drive with the exception of a ‘Mid-Shift’ toggle switch which basically scoops the mids and adds presence. Tonally, it is very much in the same vein as the others.

I left my amp on the same clean setting as I did for the Straight 6 Drive and it basically picked up where it left off.

The same overall tone was there but with just more gain. The ‘Mid-Shift’ toggle gave me a bit more of a modern metal sound and the gain knob took me into Mastodon territory.

Granted, it didn’t sound like a wall of Engl [amps] behind me, but it had its thing. One thing’s for sure, it definitely sounded like high gain valve distortion to me and I wasn’t unhappy with the sound.

Trike Fuzz The orange Trike Fuzz was my favourite of the lot because it sounded the most outlandish. Where the Bass and Tone knobs are on the V8 there are knobs for 2 Vol and +1 Tone. The switch, this time, toggles between the two tones or selects both.

The Trike is basically a three-octave fuzz which gives you one octave up and two octaves down selectable at the toggle by three settings: +1, or -1 and -2, or all octaves. The -2 Vol and +1 Tone knobs allow you to sculpt the resulting

Supplier: Tuerk Music Technologies Web: www.tuerkmusic.co.za Tel: (011) 792-8402 Suggested Retail Prices: Trike Fuzz: R 1,699.00 Straight 6 Drive, V8 Distortion & Flat 4 Boost: R 1,899.00 multi-octave fuzz to your liking.

Tonally it was very satisfying and the crunchy, gnarly sound of the fuzz could be heavily over-dialled or lightly applied, depending on your gain setting. It didn’t screech, either, at high gain settings, which is a plus.

Playing with the knobs I was clearly able to hear the upper octave, particularly when turning up the +1 Tone knob. The 2 Vol knob had a massive effect on the low end and at times caused the sound to crunch out. Nice!

The Verdict I like these pedals. I think they’re very well made and the fact that they use discrete circuitry without any op-amps or other new age funny business is encouraging. The distortion models were all very polite to the intrinsic tone of my amp and didn’t change it very much, which rubbed me the right way.

My only concern was that when I initiated the gain boost on my amp (it’s a single channel lead head with a gain boost) without them, with the exception of the fuzz, it almost always sounded better to my ears.

Then again, I’m used to my amp and it defines my playing style so you’ll have to decide whether one of these quality pedals suits yours. That’s the thing with pedals, they’re very personal and when you find one you like, you know it instantly.

20

Gear Review | THE BLACKSTAR LT RANGE | words: Nic Roos

THE BLACKSTAR LT RANGE “IT IS VERY HARD TO PICK A FAVOURITE AS THEY ALL SOUND GOOD AND EXCEL AT THEIR INDIVIDUAL APPLICATION.�

Supplier: Rockit Distribution Tel: (021) 511-1800 Website: www.rockitdistribution.co.za Suggested Retail Prices: Blackstar LT Boost Pedal: R 995.00 Blackstar LT Distortion Pedal: R 1,250.00 Blackstar LT Drive Pedal: R 995.00 Blackstar LT Dual Pedal: R 2,095,00 Blackstar LT Metal Pedal: R 1,395.00

B

lackstar recently introduced a new range of five gain-based pedals that offer rich and sweet saturation for a number of applications.

Blackstar's previous pedal range, the HT series, was high-end, high-voltage and in some cases 'valve' based. Great sounding though they are, they are so big that a flock of them on a pedal board would prevent lift-off. The new LT range, featuring 5 different gain based pedals, is more compact and pedal board friendly.

Also, unlike the HTs, these pedals have silent switching mechanisms, run on standard 9 volts or batteries and they offer buffered bypass which is great for long pedal chains.

Each pedal comes in a different colour and the overall appearance and performance harkens back to the Boss style staples of yesteryear. These days, the desire to set oneself apart sonically has led to the proliferation of unique character pedals. The disadvantage of these, especially with dirt pedals, is that they don't match up with every guitar-

and-amp combination. While I don't believe in buzzwords like 'transparent' when it comes to guitar effects, it's a contradiction in terms, the LT range is apparently designed to play nicely with others.

Now, that's not to say that these pedals are characterless and bland. Quite the contrary, while delivering a good meat and potatoes tonal grind, suitable to most styles, a new patent-applied-for clipping circuit helps them breakup in a very amp-like way with great range of grit that never loses definition, something rarely heard at these prices.

The LT range provides guitarists with a number of options depending on their needs: The LT Boost - a clean boost features bass, treble and gain controls. This is the cheapest and most basic pedal in the range. It is a very useful tool that provides a good dollop of clean gain and tonal shaping. All controls are additive and subtractive, meaning you can boost

or cut. The EQ is sweet, generating warm lows and smooth highs. Crank the gain to push your amp into distortion or lower the gain to clean up an already dirty amp, put it after a distortion pedal as a solo boost or use it as a simple EQ tone shaper at the end of your chain to beef up a wimpy sounding amp.

The LT Drive - a simple classic overdrive features gain, tone and output controls. It is a very responsive pedal if a little more compressed than I would have preferred.

Overall it is voiced a little bright and I found I had to back off on the tone control. It is a tad quiet at moderate settings and I cranked the output gain almost to max in order to achieve unity gain with the bypass signal. It is considerably hot for an overdrive pedal, with nearly the same level of gain as the Dist model. This broadens its scope of application. Because of its quiet but bright voicing it needs careful adjusting to get lower gain settings to cut through at an appropriate level. It oozes molten classic to modern rock juice.

Continued on pg 22

22

Continued from pg 20

The LT Metal - a metal orientated distortion pedal features gain, level, tone and ISF controls. It has the same features as the Dist but is voiced very differently. It has a great deal more gain on tap. It has great upper-mid bite, a slight bass bump and a very metal mid scoop. It is super impressive! It is gritty but never harsh. Using gain in conjunction with the ISF really gives you a lot of tonal scope while keeping things brutal. The British side of the ISF is reminiscent of late seventies, early eighties, classic metal. On the American side the mid scoop becomes more apparent and has much more modern voicing. I am surprised how on the edge of control it can sound without losing definition.

The LT Dual - a two channel overdrive/ distortion pedal featuring two separate channels each with gain and level controls plus global tone and ISF controls. The channels operate in an either/or configuration like an amp.

Channel 1 is voiced for lower gain and channel 2 for higher gain and beyond.

What this essentially does is it turns a clean amp into a three channel amp. I suppose it stands to reason that the most expensive of the 5 pedals should sound the best. It has a more detailed, rich and grainy breakup. I'd say this is a substantial tonal step forward from the HT Dual pedal which had a short 'sizzle' drop-off time. It has a little more bounce than the HT and is a little less compressed. I was expecting to miss the 3 EQ knobs of the HT but the sound was full. Cleans up nicely.

The LT Dist- a distortion pedal features gain, level, tone and ISF controls. This is a moderate to high gain pedal. The rich sounding PAF circuit really makes itself known in this pedal. It adds spark and is able to spew thick valve-like saturation. The addition of the ISF which ranges from American to British tonal voicing works in conjunction with the tone control and extends the tonal possibilities. With the gain cranked to max I was able to hear every string in the chords with a polite but firm note attack. It does a great Van Halen brown sound with a bit of tweaking of the ISF. I almost prefer the lower gain setting on the Dist to those on the Drive because they are slightly warmer.

Conclusion It is very hard to pick a favourite as they all sound good and excel at their individual application.

One little niggle, as mentioned before, is that the levels need to be set rather high to get to unity gain. Apart from the Drive being a little bright for my personal taste, they all share a full bodied tone with a modern midrange sheen and clean up very well when dialling back the guitar volume control.

My overall impression of the LT range is that they bring the idea of the old Boss-styled workhorse distortion boxes up to date with modern demand for rich saturation and tonal clarity that will easily find a home on any board and through any amp.

24

Studio Gear | MONKEY BANANA TURBO RANGE

| words: Dave Skinz

MONKEY BANANA TURBO SERIES TOP BANANAS

Price: Turbo4: R 7,750.00 Turbo6: R 11,616.00 Turbo8: R 13,934.00 Turbo 10s: R 11,716.00 Supplier: Viva Afrika Tel: (011) 250 3280 Web: www.vivaafrika.co.za www.monkey-banana.de The Turbo10s subwoofer runs in stereo and there is a switch to disable the standby mode that is unique to the sub. All of the Turbos come with a kettle cord for power and set of rubberized feet to position the monitors on.

The Test

What is it?

Monkey Banana is a new brand coming out of Germany specializing solely in monitors and their accessories. The story goes that some friends were fed up with the quality of a “good” set of monitors and their often exorbitant prices, so they decided to build their own.

The initial offerings were so good that their friends began to ask for their own. And these humble beginnings were the initial inspiration for the premier range from Monkey Banana called the Turbo Series.

The Turbo range is comprehensive and will have a speaker to suit your space and even your outputs needs as the entire series can run off either analog or digital inputs. Monkey Banana start off with the 50W 4” Turbo 4's [60Hz - 30kHz], the 80W 5 1/4” Turbo 5's [55Hz - 30kHz], the 90W 6 1/2” Turbo 6's [50Hz - 30kHz] and the 120W Turbo 8's [45Hz – 30kHz]. If you still think you need some bass reinforcement the 300W Turbo 10 sub runs from 20Hz to 120Hz with an adjustable crossover covering the 40Hz – 120Hz range to accurately cover any

roll off from the monitors.

All of the Turbos use an Aviation patented method to combine three different materials for the construction of their woofer. Polypropylene, carbon-fibre and ceramic components are all blended to balance the strength, rigidity, and damping of the cones while still keeping them lightweight and a 1' Silk Dome tweeter takes care of the HF portion. Turbos all have multi-layer PC boards for their class AB amps and the entire range, bar the sub, uses a custom designed bi-amplified set-up to drive their HF and LF separately with the crossover set around the 3kHz mark. All the Turbos are rear-ported and their non-regular hexagonal shape is a deliberate design to minimize any standing waves, while the cabinet itself is made of a high-density MDF. The rear panel is flat with all your inputs happening around the port. You have small notched knobs to deal with volume and +6/-6 EQ control compensations for the HF and LF. There are some small switches to change your input mode between analog and digital and to tell the monitor if it is playing Left or Right. You have a choice of three analog inputs - a combi port for Jack or XLR and an unbalanced RCA with S/PDIF input and output for your digital connection.

I was very lucky to have a pair of the Turbo 6's and a Turbo 10s to demo for the review and they were spectacular.

The audio sounded absolutely transparent with a terrific balance between highs, mids and lows.

The stereo image was assured and I was able to pick out individual sounds, effects and layering in the audio mix with ease. Always the best measure of a monitor is referencing it in your own space and I was amazed at how many holes it showed up with my set of 8's which I always felt were a little large for the room. The Turbo 6's shone and it was a real treat to hear all my own material as though I had new ears. Even when I subjected just the Turbo 6s to a wide variety of music from more vocal and acoustic orientated stuff where you can pick up on the reverbs and get a sense of the space, to classic rock and the liberal distortion and effect layering used in metal they remained accurate without losing their neutral tone.

There is an incredible attention to detail within the Turbo range not just in the materials that are used or created for the monitors but also to the environmental impact that the material, processes and packaging have on the environment. This means that everything that goes into building a Turbo is carefully considered from the screws, to the glue, to the process of moulding and assembling the composite parts and this has resulted in a range of monitors that is sonically true and a sharp tool for the trade of audio engineering.

26

MUSE SPECIAL : CAREER IN MUSIC

CAREER IN MUSIC

MUSE SPECIAL : CAREER IN MUSIC

Planning on studying music?

Here are some great institutions to consider

27

28

MUSE SPECIAL : CAREER IN MUSIC

CAREER IN MUSIC

MUSE SPECIAL : CAREER IN MUSIC

Planning on studying music?

Here are some great institutions to consider

29

30

MUSE SPECIAL : CAREER IN MUSIC

CAREER IN MUSIC

MUSE SPECIAL : CAREER IN MUSIC

Planning on studying music?

Here are some great institutions to consider

31

32

Tutorial | PLAY BETTER BASS | compiled by Alistair Andrews

PLAY BETTER BASS

ALTERED PENTATONIC SCALES FOR BASS In the previous issue we discussed the Altered Scale: Construction ½, T, ½,T, T, T, T

Let us look at some other possibilities: With ♭2 (C D♭E G A) Construction, ½, T½, T½ T, T½

Please note that Altered Pentatonic Scales are completely different to “alterations” of the Pentatonic Scale. It might be a good idea to check out some of my previous articles especially the one on the Modes of the Pentatonic Scale.

As mentioned in previous issues, the Pentatonic Scale (5Note Scale) is very popular in African, Japanese, Chinese and other forms of world music.

This scale works over C7(♭9) Should we use other degrees of the scale you could use this scale E♭7(♭9), G♭7(♭9), A7(#9) With ♭2 & ♭5 (C D♭ E G♭ A) Construction, ½, T½, T, T½, T½

The C Major Pentatonic Scale CDEGA R2356 Construction, T, T, T½, T, T½ The Pentatonic Scale is actually a Major scale without a 4th and a 7th.

This scale works over C7 (♭9#11), C13 (♭9#11) With ♭3 & ♭5 (C D E♭G♭ A) Construction, T, ½, T½, T½, T½ When you alter one or more notes of this scale, you get (as the name implies) an Altered Pentatonic scale.

If for arguments sake you get confronted with a C7 Chord and would love to use a Pentatonic Scale over that chord, the major Pentatonic Scale could work, but the Pentatonic scale with a♭7 will outline the chord better. This Scale is sometimes called the Altered Dominant Pentatonic, or the Mixolydian Pentatonic.

The B♭(♭7) note in C7 chord forms part of this scale.

C7= C E G B♭ and the scale would be C D E G B♭ C.

This scale works over C7(#9), C7(#9#11), C13(#9#11), Cmin6/9, Amin7(♭5), E♭Maj7.

With ♭3 (C D E♭ G A) Construction, T, ½, 2T, T, T½

This scale will also work for C9. In fact the scale consists of all al the notes of the chord.

C9 = C E G B♭D (R 3 5 ♭7 9)

This scale works over C7(#9), C13(#9)

Continued on Page 34...

34

Tutorial | PLAY BETTER BASS | compiled by Alistair Andrews

Continued from Page 32...

With ♭5 (C D E G♭A) Construction, T, T, T, T½, T½

Cmin(7♭5), Dmin(7♭5), E7(#9), Cmin(maj7).

With ♭3 & ♭6 (C D♭ E♭ G A♭) Construction, T, ½, T½, T, T½

This scale works over CMaj7(#11), (C7(#11), C13(#11), F#min7(♭5), Amin7, D7 Please note that this scale can also work over other chords, but these are the most obvious ones.

This scale works over Cmin7, Dmin(7♭5), E♭Maj7(#11), With ♭2 & ♭6 (C D♭ E G A♭) Construction, T, T½, T½, T, T½

With ♭2, ♭3 & ♭5 (C D♭ E♭ G♭ A) Construction, ½, T, T½, ½, T½

This scale works over C7(Alt), D♭min7(♭5), E7(Alt) Let us have a look at diminished 7th chords and altered pentatonics.

This scale works over C7(♭9#11), C13(♭9#11), Cmin7♭5, Co7 You can obviously use these scales over other chords as well if you start on different degrees of the scale. Eg. the scale above could also be used over C#Maj7, or even E♭min7♭5.

With ♭6 (C D E G A♭) Construction, T, T, T½, ½, 2T

C Diminshed (Co7) R, ♭3, ♭5, 6 (C E♭ G♭ A) You could play C Pentatonic with ♭2, ♭3 & ♭5 (C D♭ E♭ G♭ A) You could also play C Minor Pentatonic with a #4 (C E♭ F# G♭ A) Another possibility could be F Pentatonic with ♭2 (F G♭ A C D) These scales will then obviously work for D♭o7, E♭o7, G♭o7, Ao7, as these chords share the same notes.

This scale works over C7(♭9#11), C13(♭9#11),

Please note that it is beyond the scope of this article to have an in depth discussion on Altered Pentatonics. Even if you write a whole book there will always be more to add (as with any concept in music.)

We have at least covered some basics, but it might be a great idea to check out more stuff on the topic.

Alistair Andrews endorses ROTOSOUND bass strings www.rotosound.com

You should know by now 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 a new door has been opened for you.

Let there be BASS!!!!

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

unlock your music.

Recording Mixing Mastering Producing Live Recording Since 2001

www.onebigroom.co.za / ludwig@onebigroom.co.za Tel: (012) 804 7756 / 082 493 0075

36

Tutorial | PLAY BETTER GUITAR | words: Kurt Slabbert

PLAY BETTER GUITAR ANDY INNES: GUITARIST AND MUSICAL DIRECTOR FOR THE JOHNNY CLEGG BAND

W

elcome to play better guitar.

For this issue I have decided to give modes a break. Instead we chat to Andy Innes, guitarist and Musical Director for the Johnny Clegg band, where he shares his experience and some of his own music. I hope you enjoy this read as much as I did; I found it very insightful, enjoy!

What is your background as a musician?

I started playing at age 12. I had a great music teacher at junior school, Dick Reynecke, who piqued my interest in all things music, playing us early Juluka recordings in class and explaining how this was the new poetry of our time (a line which stuck with me). Another guitarist from the same class, Richard Bornman, is now a lecturer at the Conserve in Sydney.

I played in several local bands during my formative phase, professionally speaking, working for Suburbia, Little Sister, PJ Powers and several others. I taught myself to read music at an elementary level through reading books and magazines on the subject. Guitar Player magazine's columns were great for ironing some of that out.

I got into show music, playing in a few Lloyd Webber shows, Richard O'Brien's official SA production of The Rocky Horror Show and a swarm of others as a pit guitarist. This was a baptism by fire in the deep end of the pool, ploughing through show charts by the truckload.

I worked for PJ Powers for a few years as her guitarist, backing singer and MD, then got the call for the Johnny Clegg and Savuka audition at the age of 23. I have performed with Clegg ever since, also holding down other gigs here and there over the years.

To rehearse or not to?

Rehearse! Absolutely. Rehearse, practice, hone your performances and get good. You can always choose to loosen the performance if you want, but you can't tighten the loose one without having rehearsed.

Why are there so few Guitarist Musical Directors?

The role of MD traditionally goes to a keyboard player or pianist in the

commercial / pop music paradigm. The keyboard is more naturally adapted to interfacing with a score and is far quicker for laying down midi parts, etc.

Nevertheless, a guitar MD will, in my opinion, usually approach the arrangements with a more rhythmic sensibility, so there are pros and cons to

both approaches.

There are some notable exceptions such as Bibi McGill (Beyonce), Jimmy Vivino (Conan O'Brien show) and Davey Johnstone (Elton John), so it's not entirely unheard of. I think there are more guitar players filling the role now than there were say ten years back.

37 What is it like touring and being part of the Clegg band?

I love touring. I've worked with Clegg for 21 years, 16 of those as band leader / MD. The job comes with a unique set of challenges and a fantastic group of talented people to work with. I've seen a great deal of the world, met many of my idols and played venues I had always dreamed of seeing.

From the Universal Studios amphitheatre in LA to the Royal Albert Hall with hundreds of other legendary venues in between, it's been an amazing ride! In many ways the band is like a family. We all know one another really well after having spent so much time together.

Were you versed in African styles of guitar playing when you joined the Clegg band?

I had already spent a bit of time checking out Mbaqanga and Mqashiyo styles for my threeyear stint in the PJ Powers band, as well as for pickup shows with Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Sophie Mgcina, Abigail Khubeka and other local artists.

I was also a fan of the early Juluka stuff, so I had a natural inclination towards some of the Zulu traditional guitar tones. I spent some time learning Zulu and township styles for the Clegg audition and, in the early years of my work with Savuka, getting lessons in various southern African styles from great players like Mfiliseni Makubane, Dukes (from Lucky Dube's "Slaves"), Nthokozo Zungu, Mahoyana Nkwanyana and others.

What gear do you use?

After years of using big amps and complex switching and effects systems, I changed this year to playing through a Kemper Profiler. The advances in technology have been amazing, but this one piece of gear has heralded a generational change in the way live guitar works. Essentially it's a unit capable of reproducing the sound of any guitar amplifier / microphone combination which it hears. No - I don't have a Kemper endorsement, although they've been very helpful and friendly both in SA and Europe.

I play Parker and PRS guitars live (Parker Fly Deluxe and Bronze and a PRS P22 and hot-rodded CU24 with a Graphtech Ghost installation). I also play

tons of technique, but if you can't read, you're a one-trick pony. Having dodged the music schools in favour of a Phil/lit. Degree, I have spent a lot of time catching up. I'm currently in my second year of an Arranging and Orchestration degree through Berklee Online and I'll probably continue formal studies in music after that.

Also, to southern African players, I would say this: broaden your horizons and use elements of our great musical heritage to define your voice. If you base your sound and musical ethos on a style from somewhere else, you'll always be one step behind.

Jazz, Rock, Alt, Trap, etc. are all musical languages of other cultures. We have our own unique musical language which is just waiting to be woven into what we do. If you're going to export music (and let's face it - we're in the export business), don't go selling snow to Eskimos. Put some of what's right here into your rock, jazz, pop, whatever.

mandolin on the Clegg gig. I've found the Ovation mm68 is the best bet for mandolin on loud stages. My Breedlove Quartz sounds way better unplugged or recorded, but I have yet to find a pickup that can compete with the Ovation piezos for live applications.

I use Lehle stereo switchers and hum / loop eliminators (my whole rig runs stereo - mags & Kemper right / piezos left) and a Palmer PDI-CTC DI especially when playing unplugged shows.

We've been doing more of the unplugged thing lately and there's a live album coming out in December of our recent performances at the Baxter in Cape Town. On the unplugged shows, I play a Patrick James Eggle Saluda C custom with a Port Orford Cedar top, a Martin OMJM and a Taylor 815 Jumbo. I picked out the woods for the Saluda with Patrick at his workshop in the UK and have a real affinity for that guitar.

What advice can you give up and coming guitarists?

Get good and learn to read! It's all well and good to get your chops up and have

You have just released an album, stylistically how would you describe it?

"World folk-rock" is what I like to call it, but that's probably a misnomer in terms of what that moniker refers to on Billboard. I call it "world" because there are several African elements in the lyrics (some Zulu) and the arrangements and styles, as well as Manouche Jazz and Raga influences.

"Folk" because there are stories and ideas expressed in a melodic style with acoustic guitar undertones and "rock" because a lot of the content is based on power trio playing in the rock idiom.

How do you write? On guitar, piano, lyrics first?

It varies. Sometimes a piece of poetry or a news article will galvanise me and I'll start with lyrics. Other times I wake up in the middle of the night with a melody line going around in my head and I quickly go to the studio and record it on guitar. I find that the best stuff just unfolds. The harder I try to force myself to write something, the more strained and unnatural it sounds.

Look out for Andy Innes’ album Anthems of a Stranger on iTunes, CD Baby and Look and Listen stores.

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

38

Education | HOW TO PREPARE YOURSELF | words: George Hattingh Jnr.

HOW TO PREPARE YOURSELF ACADEMY OF SOUND ENGINEERING SHEDS SOME LIGHT ON THE COMPONENTS OF THE MUSIC BIZ…

I

t is a very common question;“I want to be a success in this industry, what do I need to do to get there?” It’s a question with many answers. All of them important, and hopefully I can answer as comprehensively as possible for you here.

In many ways this could be a first step for some of you who are passionate about music or the entertainment industry as a whole, but it’s all a bit overwhelming and very often people are discouraged by those around you.

We’ve all heard that old chestnut; “why don’t you try and get a real job?” I speak to people with that outlook every day and it only takes me a few minutes to convince them that the word “job” that they cherish so dearly is very quickly losing it’s identity. Having a job implies a few things. Desk - 9 to 5 - Boss - Salary Do the same thing every day. And if you’re an accountant, then that will do you just fine.

However, earning a living in this industry simply cannot conform to that definition of having a “Job”. Does entertainment happen between 9 and 5?

NO! It happens whenever it feels like it and that is why the people that make a success of themselves in entertainment and the technology that drives it - very often find themselves working freelance for multiple clients and working very interesting hours doing what they love!

This industry is growing at an incredible rate, but it is not for everyone.

If you’re reading this, and you want to make a success of yourself, and you’re not scared to get yourself out there, then that’s half the job done.

So how do you prepare yourself?

The obvious answer seems to be to get a quality education. But some of you might still be in high school and you’re itching to do something besides schoolwork to get you prepared for your dream of working with music. Then, by the time you add that top-notch qualification to your additional hard work, the industry will be ready and waiting.

The Internet We all have access to it and it’s a resource that can be used and abused without limits. Do you want to know something about how your idol made it to where they are? The Internet will tell you.

But more importantly, there are

countless videos online that can show you how to do just about anything to do with technology. Struggling to get that beat “just so”? Hop onto YouTube, type your question in and you’ll be amazed at the multitude of people, a lot of them not too far ahead of you in terms of experience, who are there telling you

how they figured it out and sharing their knowledge with you.

Seasoned professionals often turn to this resource and are astounded by the quality of videos uploaded by other pros and even equipment manufacturers that create training material for their users to get the most out of their products.

39 Education

Attitude This is a very important one. If you’re starting out in the industry then there is something to be said for a certain amount of confidence. No one wants a limp noodle sitting in the corner of a room, not contributing.

Be confident and be honest. If you know you can add something valuable to a conversation, even if it is in the midst of people who might be ahead of you in the race to success, then add it with confidence.

There is however a word of warning attached to this. All too often we encounter people who have left confidence behind long ago and have moved on to loud and unjustified arrogance. It is important to know that you won’t just be selling your skills when talking to a client one day. You’ll be selling yourself as well. And if that client does not want to spend one more second with you because you can’t stop talking yourself up or talking others down, then it doesn’t matter how good you are. You’re not getting that client’s money.

So make sure you leave a positive impression. Always.

Being in the right place There is a saying. “It’s all about being in the right place at the right time” Wrong.

Try this one instead. “It’s about being in the right place, ALL the time.” For then, the right time, is somewhere directly ahead of you.

Go to events! Show an interest in the equipment and make sure that each

person you encounter is left with a positive opinion of you. Even if it’s just “Wow, he was really eager to learn!”

Many companies have free training seminars and open days. Where do you find them? On Facebook! Do some research into who the companies are that distribute and sell the equipment and software for the entertainment industry and check out their events. Many of them advertise in this very magazine.

Finally, and most importantly, get an education. South Africa has recently become one of the world leaders in Sound Engineering education. Whatever you want to specialize in there is a qualification that has been designed just for you.

Whether it’s Music Production that get’s you excited or the creative world of Audio Post Production where you get to create music and sound effects for video, Radio Broadcasting Technology or Live Sound Reinforcement for concerts and events. The best and most respected qualifications can be found right here in Mzansi.

Once again, do your research, and make sure you end up at an institution that is accredited. Don’t just take them on their word.

Contact the Department of Higher Education and Training and ask them directly.

What is also important is the reputation of the institution and the graduates. Are they respected? Do they make an impact in their industry? Ask around.

Now take something from this article and go and put it into action. There is no time to waste. How many people get to say they are earning a living doing what they love?

You can be one of those.

About the Author George Hattingh Jnr. : Marketing Manager and Lecturer - Academy of Sound Engineering George has been a professional musician for some 20 years now and has performed as a vocalist in a vast variety of musical styles. He has a particular passion for education and guiding young, passionate people into the entertainment industry. George is a lecturer at the Academy of Sound Engineering and also heads up the marketing for the academy. Importantly he deals with the ASE alumni as the industry regularly requests skilled, qualified individuals to work with. George is their point of contact.