MUSE TECH - Apr/May '12 by Muse Mag

EDITION 19 | APR/MAY ‘12 | Proud Supporters of SA Music!

CONTENTS

tech Editors Note and Index Cover Feature: Behringer Powerplay Personal Mixer Gear News Gear news Gear News Instrument Review: Vintage V100GT Gear Review: Two Rock Jet 35 Combo Amp Instrument review: G& L ASAT Instrument review: G& Legacy Strat Gear review: Samson AirLine Synth Special Feature: Audiosure Dealer Evening Gear Review: Boss RC-300 Loopstation Instrument Review: Martin Acoustic DCPA4 Strategy and Planning by David Chislett Guitar Maintenance with Alan Ratcliffe Play Better Bass with Alistair Andrews Play Better Guitar with Kurt Slabbert Your Private Universe with Jon Pike

echnology in the world of sound engineering seems to be taking on a whole new lease of life this year, evident by some of the great new products due for release though 2012. It won’t be long before front of house sound engineers are seldom found behind a single mixing desk monitoring levels and doing tweaks. They can be anywhere; in the audience, front left, on the stage.... with the remote access apps that are being integrated into all the new gear; mobility seems to be big on the agenda of most developers. Behringer is certainly one such company that has a whole range of new gear to be released. Winners of the ‘Best in Show’ award at NAMM

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2012, the company associated with affordable pro audio gear looks to be making huge strides forward. One such product recently released is their new Powerplay Personal Monitoring System – an affordable way in which musicians can control their own monitoring onstage. It looks like a real winner and once again puts the power of controlling your performance squarely back in the hands of the individual. You can read all about this in our cover feature. Last month I also attended the Audiosure dealer evening which not only showcased their impressive (and diverse) range of products but also impressed with the new technology on display. It was also an opportunity for the company to show off their

brand new offices. For more info check out our feature on Pg. 23. Guitars seem to be taking centre stage again in this edition (when don’t they in the world of Live music?) We feature reviews on no less than four great guitars as well as a boutique guitar amp and a wireless guitar system. Also look out for our competition giveaway. We’re giving away a Vintage V100GT autographed by Midge Ure, he of Ultravox fame in the 80’s. Midge was out here for the Rewind 80’s Festival hosted in Durban (of course) and kindly left a signed copy. Details on Pg. 14 alongside the review. Enjoy and keep that music flowing! Dave Mac

Cover Feature | THE BEHRINGER POWERPLAY P16-M PERSONAL MIXER MONITORING SYSTEM | words: Nic Roos

THE BEHRINGER POWERPLAY P16-M Personal Mixer Monitoring System

Do you find that your keyboard player's laryngitis hasn't cleared up like he claimed and his backing vocals throw you off? Simply select his channel and mute him. Does your lead guitarist not know that the treble knob on his amp also turns down? Select his channel and turn it down with the P16-M's onboard EQ.

s musicians it is vital on stage to hear each other and particularly yourself in order to perform with confidence. In the often chaotic realm of live performance it can be difficult to rely on the engineer to give you exactly what you need to hear, through sometimes battered and unreliable wedge monitor speakers. Behringer have introduced a brand new portable monitoring system for performers in the form of the Powerplay Personal Mixer monitoring system that gives musicians direct control over what they hear on stage and in studio, letting the engineer focus on delivering the best sound to front of house or to tape. The system consists of the P16-M 16 Channel Digital Personal Mixer, the P16-I Input Module (and the optional P16-D expansion Distributor) and is compatible with powered external monitors, wireless in-ear monitors or headphones.

The P16-M This stereo mixer puts the control of your personal monitor mix at your finger tips. The control panel features a 3 band EQ (including sweepable mids), stereo panning, mute and solo switches, channel link, group, store and recall options as well as channel volume, all of which are assignable to each of the 16 channels. A variable output limiter protects monitors and one’s ears from harmful sound pressure levels and finally an output level control adjusts overall volume to the monitors.

Thankfully, unlike some high-end digital units, this personal mixer operates at the extremely low system latency of less than 1 millisecond. The unit’s In and Out options include CAT5e Ultranet Input (receiving up to 16 channels of audio from the front of house mixer via the P16-I input module) and Thru (for daisy-chaining the signal to another P16-M mixer), a MIDI input allows control of the unit via a MIDI controller such as Behringer’s BCF2000, and a mono/stereo 1/4inch line-out sends your mix to active monitors or to a wireless in ear monitor transmitter. This unit is powered by an included 12v Power supply.

The P16-I The input module can receive up to 16 analog or 2x 8 ADAT optical signals from the main mixing console and converts them to either 44.1 or 48 kHz digital audio via a quality 24 bit A/D converter. Each channel has four switchable gain levels (10, 0, +4, +22 dB). The P16-I feeds up to 6 P16-M Personal Mixers via CAT5e cables.

The P16-D The distributor is a simple expansion unit for the P16-I with one input feeding eight bus-powered outputs, meaning that six of these connected to the P16-I could feed up to 48 personal mixers!

Setup

P16-M

Setting up the system is as simple as connecting the P16-I to direct or ADAT outputs of the main mixing console, and up to six P16-M Personal Monitors, which feed either wireless powered monitors, in ear monitors or headphones. The optional P16-MP mounting bracket gives you the option of attaching the compact Personal mixer to a mic, music or drum stands. This configuration alone should be enough for most bands but adding even just one of the optional P16-D expansion modules doubles the number of personal mixers.

P16-MB P0422 Set Up

P16-I

P16-D Use Each P16-M receives the same unaffected audio channels that can then be individually mixed to personal taste without affecting anyone else’s. For example, a bass player might want to mix in a little bit more of him or herself and the drums so that they lock in better. A drummer might want the same but with more vocals and the vocalist would in all likelihood mute the lead guitarist. While the P16-M’s intuitive control panel allows you to ‘set and forget’, it is just as easy to recall up to 16 preset mixes for different songs that were stored at sound check as well as tweaking mid-performance. Do you find that your keyboard player’s laryngitis hasn’t cleared up like he claimed and his backing vocals throw you off? Simply select his channel and mute him. Does your lead guitarist not know that the treble knob on his amp also turns down? Select his channel and turn it down with the P16-M’s onboard EQ.

Conclusion In this day and age technology is putting more and more control at the fingertips of performers. The importance of putting on your best performance no longer needs to be left entirely in the hands of the sound engineer’s reliability to get the monitor mix right onstage. The Behringer Powerplay P16-M Personal Mixer monitoring system is an incredibly convenient and easy to use system that will stop potential inter-band volume wars, while giving each individual the control to hear exactly what they want in order to perform at their best. Its use will make front-of-house engineers lives easier by reducing excessive on-stage volume that can often negatively affect the front-of-house sound. It may even save you time, especially when

attempting a sound check at a venue with dodgy acoustics, or in studio, where a lot of expensive recording time is often spent by an engineer getting the monitors just right when there are a million other things to do. While similar systems exist, the P16-M promises great versatility, expandability and value for money.

! ! ! !

Features ! 16-Channel Digital Personal Mixer ! 16-Channel digital stereo mixer to create your personal monitor mix

power and 16 signals to each Personal Mixers Ultranet connector to daisy-chain up to forty-eight P16-M mixers for large systems (in conjunction with P16-D) Ultra-low system latency of less than 1 millisecond Powered via external power supply (included) or P16-I / P16-D Mounts easily on a mic stand with the P16-MB mic stand mount (not included) Extremely rugged construction ensures long life even under the most demanding conditions

! Ultra-intuitive "analog" operation with ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Want to know more? total recall and 16 presets for custom Scan this tag to watch the Behringer mixes State-of-the-art 24-bit D/A converters Powerplay explained in full at Namm for premium audio quality 2011 on your Smartphone 16 Channel Select buttons with dual or simply got to museonline.co.za. LEDs for perfect overview Level and Pan/Spread control per channel with LED meter 3-band EQ per channel with mid-band frequency control Solo and Mute functions per channel Global Level and EQ controls plus Panic Mute function High power and "drummer proof" headphones output Fully adjustable limiter protects your ears and headphones Additional mono/stereo line output to connect your powered monitor MIDI IN port for real-time remote control of all channels by external MIDI device such as Behringer BCF2000, Get the free mobile app for your phone BCR2000, etc. http:/ / gettag.mobi Standard CAT5e connection delivers

Suggested Retail Price : P16-M: R 2,999-00 | P16-I: R 3,799-00 P16-D: R 2,399-00 Supplier : ProAudio | Tel. No : 011-8221430 Website: www.proaudio.co.za

NEW

HYBRID HYBRID MC8USB 4 Mic 2 Stereo Ch 3 Band EQ/CH 7 B GEQ USB Effects

R 1,950.00

HYBRID MC12USB 8 Mic 2 Stereo Ch 3 Band EQ/CH 7 B GEQ USB Effects

R 2,483.00

HYBRID MC16USB 12 Mic 2 Stereo Ch 3 Band EQ/CH 7 B GEQ USB Effects

R 2,992.00

Prices are recommended retail incl. 14% VAT

MIXERS HYBRID MC20USB 16 Mic 2 Stereo Ch 3 Band EQ/CH 7 B GEQ USB Effects

R 3,600.00

HYBRID SC12220P Stereo 12 Mic Bass & Treble Eq/CH DSP effects with 7 Band EQ 200w rms/CH

R 3,150.00

Also available: MX2406DU - R 6,542.00 18 Mic, 2 Stereo, 4 Sub group, DSP effects, USB

MX3206DU - R 8,250.00 26 Mic, 2 Stereo, 4 Sub group, DSP effects, USB

For trade enquiries or to find your closest retailer call:

Tel: 011 250 3280 | www.hybrid.co.za

or luis@hybrid.co.za | marco@hybrid.co.za | bernard@hybrid.co.za

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

Gear News using Silvered Mica Capacitors, and 'Sleep Mode' automatic muting with no input present. Tough ply construction, with durable covering and metal corners are essential for road use. Jack outputs are 2 @ 8Ω and 1 @ 16Ω allowing a wide choice of cabinets. Best of all are the new heights this amp can reach, in terms of classic tone. Already on the road with players such as Gregg Wright (who knew and loved the original 50 Top) this amp has proved to be a real delight. Using the new 50 Top on his recent UK tour the great left hook rockin' bluesman exclaimed, "Whatever you guys

MUSIKMESSE 2012: Carlsbro relaunches classic amp series The relaunch of the classic British Carlsbro guitar amplifier marquee in the US at NAMM sees the American debut of the re-issued and re-engineered range of heritage tone guitar amps. Carlsbro is among the most famous names in British guitar amplification and has been designing and manufacturing guitar tube amps since 1959, selling its early models to Jim Marshall's shop in Denmark Street, London's famous 'Tin Pan Alley'. The famous 50 Top and TC series revives the Carlsbro tube heritage, with uncompromising build quality, hand selected components and authentic vintage tone throughout. The 50 Top head and 4 x 12 cab are available in classic red and black liveries, while the TC series comprises three classic combos and a 15 watt head and 1x12 stack. The re-issued 50 Top is the classic Carlsbro tube head and cab of the 60s and 70s revamped and re-engineered to even higher build standards and sonic performance. The new twin channel amp head has switchable channels & two master volumes, which are footswitchable. The valve complement of 4x 12AXT's and 2x EL84's give 50 watts of incredible power at 8Ω or 16Ω's. The preamp has a host of features including Hi and Low sensitivity inputs, 3 band EQ

have done in the development of the 50 Top since I last played one, is outstanding." As with the 50 Top, Carlsbro's British engineering team has carefully selected and pre tested all valves prior to installation; and only valves with a very high gain have been chosen to deliver the authentic Carlsbro vintage tone. Selected Celestion drivers have been used throughout and are housed in high quality plywood cabinets. Distributed by TV Audio 011 805-9910 | info@tvaudio.co.za www.tvaudio.co.za

Basses,Amps&Rock’nRoll.

MUSIKMESSE 2012: Warwick introduce new bass guitar models The stalwart bass manufacturers, Warwick, showed off their new range of bass guitars at Musikmesse this year. Here’s the lowdown on their new babies... Warwick ! The Corvette Standard FSC Certified is the first bass model that will feature the coveted Forest Stewardship Council Certificate – FSC for short. ! The Jack Bruce Survivor Signature Bass is based on the Warwick Jack Bruce CRB Bass. ! Jimmy Earl returned to the Warwick endorser family, and his Jimmy Earl Signature model is based on the popular Streamer Bass. ! The Thumb Singlecut NT 6 String Broadneck is geared towards bass players that are sympathetic to the wide string spacing of 4-string basses. ! Warwick will be celebrating their 30th anniversary on 13 September 2012 and for this memorable occasion present the Streamer LTD 2012 Warwick 30th Anniversary Bass, which will feature a body made of cherry tree wood that has been ageing for over 20 years. ! The Warwick Artist Series will present the Steve Bailey Artist Series Bass, the Jack Bruce Artist Series Bass, as well as the Robert Trujillo Artist Series NT Bass. ! The Streamer Stage I bass is now also available as a neck-through Pro Series instrument. ! The unmistakable Alien Akustik bass will now be also available as a 6-string bass. Distributor: Music Power 011 466-9510 kevin@musicpowersa.com

9 MUSIKMESSE 2012: Nord Electro 4D unveiled In time for the 10th anniversary of the very first Electro Clavia introduced the new Nord Electro at Musikmesse last month. The ultra lightweight (7kg) Electro 4D sports a 61-key Semi Weighted Waterfall key bed and the sturdy, great feeling drawbars found on the Nord C2D for full hands-on control, as well as support for both our constantly expanding Sound Libraries. Sound-wise the Nord Electro 4D has a number of improvements under the red hood: The Organ section features a brand new tone wheel engine derived from our flagship organ Nord C2D. The Click-modeling has been improved and there's a brand new Rotary Speaker simulation with an amazing new Drive. The Nord Electro 4D supports Long Release suitable for legato playing and selectable String Resonance. Handling programs is easy with 4 Program Banks and 4 Live Locations. The Effect section now includes a flexible new Delay Effect with tap-tempo, rate, amount and a stereo Ping-Pong mode and the USB port doubles as an USBMIDI interface. Distributed by Tradelius Music Group | 031 502 3080 www.tradelius.co.za

SHURE DRUM MASTERY 2012 Winner Announced Shure’s search for Europe’s top drummer (not currently earning a living from drumming!) started late last year, and after over 1 million web hits, several thousand play-along downloads & hundreds of entries Shure announced the inaugural event’s winner as Antonio De Marianis of Italy. For those of you who are hearing about this for the first time, entrants had to submit a video of themselves playing to a play-along the company created which involved drumming various different styles including jazz, rock and drum and bass. The 5 finalists were selected from a panel of judges and all got a trip to Iceland for a one day master-class with Darren Ashford. Darren has performed with Chaka Khan, Joss Stone, The Black Eyed Peas,

Gwen Guthrie, Beverley Knight, Omar, Roy Ayres to name but a few. He has a monthly educational column in Drummer Magazine, is a teacher at London's Institute of Contemporary Music, and has his own Drum Lesson Academy where he teaches drummers of all levels. This was followed by a live battle in a nightclub. The eventual winner was decided by a very trusty clapometer! To view the video on YouTube simply search for Shure Drum Mastery - Final Drum Battle in Reykjavik. Aside from the groovy trip to Iceland Antonio also received a 5000 Euro voucher for Shure products. Euan Nel from

IRON MAIDEN, SLIPKNOT + BLACK LABEL SOCIETY MEMBERS TO PLAY MARSHALL’S 50TH BIRTHDAY BASH To celebrate the 50th anniversary of iconic amplifier brand Marshall, the company has announced that they will be taking over London, England’s Wembley Arena on Sept. 22 for a massive concert. The show will feature performances by members of bands such as Iron Maiden, Slipknot, the Cult and Black Label Society. Marshall have teamed up with Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain to put on the event, which promises to bring some of rock’s most legendary shredders into one venue. “This is truly a celebration of a British icon – Marshall,” says McBrain, who will serve as emcee of the concert. “Beyond doubt, Jim Marshall and the team have shaped the sound of rock

Centurion was SA’s top finalist weighing in with a healthy 3119 votes. The 22 year old has studied at The Groove Regulators with Andries Visser for three years, completing his ATCL diploma through Trinity College London. Wild & Marr | 011 974-0633 021 787-9378 | 031 564-3877 www.wildandmarr.co.za music for eternity! Words cannot describe how pioneering Marshall is! I feel more than privileged to be involved in this event. We’re bringing together beyondlegendary artists for a moment in history. Expect pure rock ‘n’ roll madness amplified to the max by Marshall!” The musicians who will turn it up to 11 for the celebration include guitar virtuosos Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen and Zakk Wylde, along with Nicko McBrain, Mr. Big’s Paul Gilbert, Whitesnake’s Doug Aldrich and Brian Tichy, the Cult’s Billy Duffy and Slipknot / Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor. The 50 Years of Loud celebration will take place at Wembley Arena on Sept. 22. Marshall also promises to add several more “big names” to the line-up. SA Distributor: Midi Music 011 417-3400 | www.midimusic.co.za

AMPLIFICATION

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

BEHRINGER’S NEW IPAD MIXERS IX3242USB, iX2442USB and iX1642USB BEHRINGER introduces three small format premium mixers that directly interface with the ever-popular iPad. Drawing on the power of the most ubiquitous mobile digital device, the XENYX iX Series mixers are designed to handle live performance and provide state-of-the-art tools to create professional recordings. Users can also sync performances to video by utilizing the iPad's video out capability. The new XENYX iX Series, which include the XENYX iX3242USB, iX2442USB and iX1642USB, feature a built-in iPad docking station designed to send signal to and from the iPad with a wide range of routing options. The innovative feature set included in the new XENYX iX Series USB mixers makes it possible to record and mix on a professional level thanks to the built-in, stereo USB audio interface. Connect these mixers directly to a PC or Mac computer via a single USB cable to record any signal source connected to the mixer. All iX mixers include the new dualengine KLARK-TEKNIK FX processor with

32 editable, studio-grade presets such as reverb, chorus, flange, delay, pitch shifter and multi-effects. In addition to literally thousands of apps, the iX mixers use the iPad to control the new KLARK-TEKNIK FX Processor App, enhancing the mix by allowing the user deep control of EQ's, compressors and reverbs and a full spectrum analyzer.

LINE 6 Groundbreaking new products 2012 Many aspects of live sound have remained largely the same for decades… until now. At Winter NAMM 2012, Line 6 is unveiling a powerful new ecosystem of innovative live sound solutions—from the world’s first smart mixing system and most versatile speakers, to the fourth generation of the acclaimed Line 6 digital wireless platform. Designed to work together as an integrated system - or complement third-party solutions - the new StageScape™ M20d digital mixer, StageSource™ series loudspeakers and XD-V digital wireless microphone family represent the future of live sound. StageScape M20d is the world’s first smart mixing system for live sound. Utilizing a groundbreaking touchscreen visual mixing environment, StageScape M20d streamlines the way you mix to get your sound dialled in quickly and keep you in the creative zone. The M20d features 20 inputs, massive DSP power on every channel, multichannel recording with or without a computer, and remote control of the system via one or more iPad® devices. The StageSource loudspeaker series combines multi-function design, powerful DSP and precision components to deliver the perfect blend of highpowered performance and true scalability. Comprised of the StageSource L3t 1,400-watt three-way speaker system and StageSource L3s 1,200-watt subwoofer, the StageSource series features Smart Speaker technology and L6 LINK™ digital networking to deliver best-of-class performance across the widest variety of live sound applications. SA Distributor: Active Music Distribution 011 466-9510 | info@activemusicdistribution.com

"The new XENYX iX mixers demonstrate the innovation that stems from our massive investment in Research and Development, says Mark Wilder, VP of Marketing Communications."These are the first of many more ground-breaking products.” SA Distributor: Proaudio 011 822-1430 | www.proaudio.co.za

Imported and distributed by:

www.audiosure.co.za

Guitars | VINTAGE V100GT | words: Greg Bester

Vintage V100GT Before me here today sits a beautiful, faithful reproduction of the '55 gold top Les Paul, complete with P-90 pickups and a stop tail, Tune-o-matic-style bridge – all Wilkinson.

am a complete sucker for gold top Les Pauls. The distinct shape and warm, inviting facade has endured through the decades and has become an icon amongst guitar players and aficionados alike, deeming it a complete classic. The first Les Paul in 1952 had a solid mahogany body, a gold-sprayed maple top, a cream bound rosewood fretboard with trapezoid inlays, and two "soapbar", or P-90, pickups. This was the original. But it was not to be the last incarnation of the Les Paul guitar made famous by Gibson and copied by many companies worldwide; some good and some not so good. These days, when most people think of a Les Paul they think of a big, heavy, solid guitar with two humbuckers. But the addition of the humbucker was only a later occurrence because, as I mentioned above, the original Les Paul was released with P90 soapbar pickups. Humbuckers only started appearing after 1957, with the PAF (Patent Applied For) original Gibson humbucker, the main difference being that the P-90 was single coil and the PAF was dual-coil. However, this is the beauty of the pre-1957 Les Paul; it combines the thick sound of a heavy solid mahogany body with the bright and cutting tones of the single coil pickup. The result is a guitar that is thick and chunky with a bright chimey top end - a refreshing break from the often one-trick monotony of the humbucker-fitted Les Paul. Copies of the Les Paul shape are not in short demand either but finding a good one that stands up to the original almost always turns out to be a futile endeavor. We have the saying "only a Gibson is good enough" for a reason. That being said, there are always exceptions. Before me here today sits a beautiful, faithful reproduction of the '55 gold top Les Paul, complete with P-90 pickups and a stop tail, Tune-o-matic-style bridge.

The guitar is made by a company simply called “Vintage” and its title is the V100GT, which is just one of their many reproductions of guitars of the vintage persuasion. Truth be told, there isn’t a lot of information around on Vintage suffice to say that they are made in Vietnam. Whatever that says. One thing that actually does say something however is that Scottish guitarist Midge Ure of Thin Lizzy, Misfits and Ultravox fame is an endorsee and in fact this very model I have here for review was used and signed by him at the Rewind Festival that took place in February this year, in Durban. It will also be given away in a, erm, give-away, so I probably shouldn’t be smashing it on any stages, huh?

Construction and Features The Vintage V100GT is a beautiful copy of a 1955 Les Paul gold top. The paint doesn’t quite have the depth of a real ’55 and it has a slight metallic finish but the colour is close enough, especially for the price. The hardware is chrome and the pickup covers and mounted pick guard are cream, which adds to its vintage appeal. When strapping the guitar on your person the familiar weighty pull makes you feel like you’re attached to something real and its robust construction comes through. It’s a well made guitar. The chrome binding on the neck also gives a sense that it is more expensive than it really is and I suppose that is the point. Lastly, all other standard features you find on a guitar of this type are available, namely, a three-way toggle switch, two volume controls and two tone controls.

Guitars | VINTAGE V100GT | words: Greg Bester

Midge Ure in action with his V100GT

coil it has a resonant peak, traditionally, of 4.7 kHz, compared to the 6 – 8.5 kHz of other Gibson humbuckers. This combines with the brighter single coil sound to give the pickup a very full yet precise tonal character that is suited to many styles.

In use All hardware, including the pickups on the V100GT, is made by Wilkinson, a British guitar parts brand founded by Trev Wilkinson that has a good reputation for quality and workmanship. At this point, then, it might be worthwhile to go into a little bit of history of the P-90 pickup, since it is not so popular in today’s market and I like an underdog. The Gibson P-90 was invented in 1937 and was originally known by the name “Laid Back”. Other names included “Dog Ear” or “Soap Bar”, the latter being the most popular today. It uses two bar magnets under the coil and the coil is usually wound around a clear bobbin. Like poles of the magnets face each other and their repulsion is counteracted by the use of conductive screws. The screws, in turn, become a single magnet pole and serve as pole pieces. The P-90 was chosen for its versatility because it had the clarity of a single coil combined with the full sound of a humbucker although, because of the nature of single coil pickups, noise is still a slight problem. Because of the specific thickness of the copper wire and the amount of bobbin turns in the

In this review I used my trusty Laney GH100L head through a 1973 Marshall 4x12 loaded with Celestion Greenbacks. After plugging in the V100GT and setting the gain to supply an edgy crunch the first thing that caught my ear was the fact that it made a bit of a noise. A healthy buzz had materialized but I did not let that get me down as it is expected with this kind of guitar. It’s just something single coil guitar owners deal with. What I will say is if you’re interested in using obscene amounts of gain, this guitar just might not be for you. As I started to play, the next thing that got me was that the toggle switch was mounted the opposite way around. Now I don’t know if this was a request or customization by Midge Ure, but it struck me as odd. However once I got going I soon forgot about it because the sounds emerging before me were just beautiful. And I’m not saying that because this is a review. I really, really enjoyed the sound of this guitar. Moving the toggle switch to the rhythm position is quite simply the fattest sound ever and with the new

zingy strings that are currently on the guitar, it was just screaming at me to play blues. I obliged. Moving to the middle position, the gain dropped a bit, which is expected, but that put me in range of a creamy, round, pillow-laden edgy clean sound that sustained for days. The tops are chimey but there is not a hint of harshness. Finally landing at the treble position I was presented with a bright and cutting tone that reminds me of a lot of nineties punk rock. This prompted me to turn up the gain, which I did without prejudice. Many people reach straight for a humbucker when going for rock tones and this guitar had me asking, “why?” The experience was harmonically rich and definitely of the even order, which only valves can do. The detail in the notes is there and the clarity of the P-90’s really shines through.

Conclusion I am a big fan of the Vintage V100GT. It is definitely a great buy for anyone looking for a vintage looking guitar without the heavy price tag and I would highly recommend it. Vintage has done a great job with this guitar and I really mean that. No bull.

WIN the autographed Vintage V100GT as signed by Mide Ure. To enter simply go to www.museonline.co.za or scan this tag to enter on your Smartphone.

Get the free mobile app for your phone

http:/ / gettag.mobi

Midge Ure @ Rewind in Durban, 2012

Suggested Retail Price: R 4,995.00 incl. VAT Supplier: TID Tel. No: +27 10 5000 116 Website: www.tidistribution.co.za

Imported and distributed by:

www.audiosure.co.za

Guitar Amplifiers | TWO-ROCK JET 35 COMBO GUITAR AMP | words: Alan Ratcliffe

Two-Rock Jet 35

Combo Guitar Amp

wo-Rock is a relative newcomer on the guitar amplification scene, but have rapidly earned an impressive reputation for themselves. They have a wide-ranging roster of users including John Mayer, Joe Bonamassa, John Scofield and Carlos Santana. The Jet 35 has been designed to produce the TwoRock tone in a small, portable package and at a club volume level.

The EQ controls all have pull switches on the controls (Bright, Mid Boost, and Deep on the Treble, Mid and Bass controls respectively), as do the normal gain and master controls

Specifications: ! Power: 35 Watts from 2 x 6L6 valves ! EQ: Three band ! Other controls: Gain, Master, Lead ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Gain, Lead Master, Reverb, Reverb Drive Pull Bypass/Lead on Gain and Master controls, Pull Bright, Deep & Mid on Tone controls Foot Switch: Bypass/Lead foot switch (included) Loop: Serial passive Reverb: Spring Speaker 12" WGS Dimensions (L x H x D): 38 x 46 x 25.5 cm Weight: 18 kg

First Impressions The Jet 35 is tiny for a 35W amplifier – about the same height and depth as a Deluxe Reverb, but a full 16 cm narrower. It has the weight of a larger amp, so still feels substantial. One complaint is in the appearance - it has an unassuming, plain look with nothing about the cabinet or fittings belying the fact that it is an expensive amplifier.

Features The gain structure of the Jet is interesting – it isn’t really a two channel amp, but rather an amp with an extra switchable gain stage for overdrive sounds. The clean has the usual gain and master controls, as does the lead section. When the Lead channel is selected, the normal gain and master controls stay active – so you end up with two gain and two master controls, all active. The two are also interactive – if you turn down the clean gain control it affects the gain of the drive channel too.

(bypass, Lead), making for five pull switches in all. The reverb has the usual volume control on the front panel, but unusually, there is a Reverb drive control on the rear panel, which controls the signal level going in to the reverb circuit. The effects loop is passive – a simple send and return between the preamp and the power amp with no extra circuitry added to compromise tone.

In Use The control layout takes a little getting used to, particularly the two gains and two masters, and takes a little time to set the balance between clean and drive tones, but once you get the hang of it, it is incredibly flexible. The effects loop let me to integrate it into a TC Electronic Gsystem-based rig without any difficulties and it takes stompboxes very well.

Cranking the clean gain does not add any drive, merely compressing more, and it really starts singing at higher settings. You can get drive at higher settings, with the master control turned up until the power valves crunch, while the preamp stays clean. The tone generally is quite balanced and modern, with enough range on the controls and switches for a variety of tones. The amount of bass on tap is amazing, given the size of the cabinet – more than enough for most purposes.

In Conclusion The Jet 35 takes the (long held) crown for the ideal “grab-and-go” club or studio amp – more than enough volume, tone and flexibility for most applications and small enough to transport easily. It is not a home amp, particularly for drive - it needs to be turned up at least halfway. It also won’t make a heavy player happy – but any other style of player will be in tonal bliss.

Tone The Jet 35 is an absolute tone monster. Glorious full, chimey and bell-like clean tones and a range of drive tones from dynamic from bluesy, dynamic edge of drive, through classic rock crunch and all the way up to super saturated Santana. The only thing I couldn’t get from it is high gain metal distortion tones.

Suggested Retail Price: R 26,100 Supplier: Guitartone Tel. No: 021 855-5963 Website: www.guitartone.co.za

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

Guitars | G&L TRIBUTE ASAT CLASSIC & LEGACY USA STRAT | words: Greg Bester

G&L Tribute

ASAT Classic & Legacy USA Strat

What's better than a Fender? Nothing, you say? Well, under normal circumstances I would agree but at this point in time, while staring at these two guitars hanging in front of me, I would almost have to disagree with you.

n fact, I do. I do disagree with you. Because here, hanging up in front of me, are two absolutely gorgeous Fender-yet-not-Fender guitars made by a company that started out with a huge amount of rep just because of their namesake. I am, of course, talking about G&L guitars; a name comprised of the first initials of its founders, namely George Fullerton and Leo Fender, two icons in the world of guitar luthierdom. Leo Fender quietly passed away on the rainy day of March 21, 1991. To say that he was highly respected is an understatement and it’s safe to say that the guitar world lost a hero that day. However, his legacy lives on in G&L guitars, a company founded by his long time associate, George Fullerton, and a man named Dale Hyatt in the late 1970s. Since Fender was sold to the CBS corporation in 1965, it is a little known fact that Leo designed guitars for Music Man during this interim era through his company called CLF Research. When relations between the two companies soured, G&L was established; the unofficial mandate of which has been to take classic designs like the Fender Stratocaster and Telecaster, and attempt to improve on them with modern innovations. The two guitars given to me for review are the ASAT Classic and a Legacy USA.

ASAT Classic The ASAT Classic is a solid body telecaster design with a tobacco-burst finish, a tortoise shell pick guard, a hard rock maple neck and 9” radius fretboard. It has two “traditional-size Fullertonmade G&L Magnetic Field Design single coil pickups” and a swamp ash body. Regarding the Magnetic Field Design pickups: The bridge is a traditional boxed steel bridge, string-through-body Telecaster design with individual machined brass saddles. Finally, other usual suspects are present including a volume and a tone knob, and a three way selector switch. If I might add, the tobaccoburst finish is so beautiful on this guitar and it just screams “classic” the moment you notice it. Don’t be fooled by the fact that this guitar is made in Indonesia, my friend. And don’t expect flashiness, either. This guitar is classic-to-the-max and will please even the most ardent purist.

Legacy USA The Legacy USA is a beautifully crafted Stratocaster, for lack of a better description. If this was a review of a no-name Eastern brand I would hesitate to call it such and would probably put a “-type” somewhere in there but this guitar is definitely a Strat. The model I was given for review is 100% made in the USA and was custom built to order. The Legacy USA has an Alder body and solid finishes and a cream, three-ply pick guard which gives of the impression that it has been “aged” a bit to look like it’s been in a smoky club for years. It has three “G&L vintage style Alnico V single coil pickups”, a hard-rock maple neck and maple fretboard with a 12” radius. The bridge is a G&L Dual Fulcrum vibrato with chrome-plated brass saddles. Lastly we see other features we’re used to, such as a three-way selector switch, a volume control, and two tone controls. However, traditionally on a Stat the tone controls are independent controls that merely roll off the treble but on the Legacy, the two tone knobs control bass and treble and are actually global, which means they work for any pickup selection. This takes the tonal possibility of this guitar to new heights that weren’t achievable on a traditional Strat.

ASAT Classic

hootout!

For this review I used a Marshall JVM50 and a Marshall 1960A 4x12 loaded with Celestion G12-75’s. I set the amp to somewhere between clean and dirty and plugged in expecting to hear the instantly recognizable twang that typifies the Telecaster sound which is exactly what I got. The bridge pickup is characteristically honky as one would expect but as I quieted down after playing some country-esque licks, it took a minute before it dawned on me that the noise produced by this guitar is very low. Come to find out, the pickups of this guitar were engineered to produce less noise than usual single-coil design and from the sound of it (or lack thereof), they succeeded. Pushing the gain a bit, I soon stumbled (oops!) on crunch territory and this guitar just sang and I bathed in a harmonically rich bath of rock and roll. Flipping the switch to the middle position gave me back some low end but not at the expense of the top. It was still warm yet retained its sparkle, which made me want to play Hallelujah. Switching to the neck position proved a wise move as the sound thickened up nicely with a bit more pronounced lower midrange, but still, not at the expense of the top end. This guitar just wouldn’t give up its clarity and overall it has a very “smooth” sound. Next I turned my attention to the Legacy USA. Picking it up, I instantly felt like I was holding something of quality, designed in ages passed. From the finish, to the hardware, to the feel of the smooth C-shaped neck, the guitar just oozes appeal. Plugging it in and setting it to the neck position, I was instantly presented with a throaty, cutting tone that is typical of Strats. However, I soon tamed it into something rounder by using a bit of treble roll-off, thanks to the treble knob. I was now in a place that cut through but didn’t tickle the ear-hairs. Switching to the second position on the five-way, I was in funk

territory. The out-of-phase sound immediately sucked out the mids and lowered the output and there was jangle for days. Moving to the third position gave me my midrange back but with a softer topend, good for clean sounds. The fourth position put me back into funk territory albeit with more low end and gave me a “scooped” impression. Weezer anyone? Finally, the fifth position put me in the Bayou. Blues seeped from this thing and I could hear Buddy Guy telling me, “play me something special”. It was quite possibly one of the best blues sounds I have ever heard from a Strat and I was pleased and satisfied. Now where’s my moonshine?

Conclusion If you had to ask me to choose between these two G&L guitars I would be hard pressed to answer you. Of course, the fact that the Legacy is more expensive than the ASAT Classic comes through because the tones produced by this guitar are quite exquisite and the workmanship is clearly superior. And considering a Fender USA strat can cost almost R10000 more, I would say that the Legacy is the clear winner in this category. However, that’s not to say that the ASAT isn’t a quality instrument. I probably would take it over a similar Fender model just because it is less noisy and it suits my personal style more. It sounds great, too! All I have left to say is that you have to hear them for yourself but given their pedigree and their innovative advancements over Fender, I don’t think you’ll have to listen very long before you make up your mind.

Legacy USA

Suggested Retail Price: ASAT Classic R 8,995.00 | Legacy USA R 18,995.00 incl. VAT Supplier: Tuerk Music Technologies | Tel. No: 011 792 8402 Website: www.tuerkmusic.co.za

Instrument Review | SAMSON AIRLINE SYNTH UHF WIRELESS GUITAR SYSTEM | words: Nic Roos

Samson AirLine Synth

to other wireless UHF Wireless Guitar System “Compared units it is a relief not having to

deal with annoying belt packs...”

ith a growing number of large festival stages popping up around South Africa the popularity of wireless systems for microphones and instruments is on the rise. Already a hit internationally with the likes of Roger Waters and others, the multi-channel Samson AirLine Synth wireless guitar system provides great versatility and audio fidelity in an easy to use package.

ANATOMY The system consists of the AG300 transmitter and AR300 receiver and offers over 300 frequencies in groups of 11 compatible channels, which are able to operate simultaneously. The AG300 Transmitter features power and mute switches, a battery life indicator, an LED channel display, an infrared channel receiver, operates on a single AA battery, offers 10 hours of continuous play and plugs straight into your guitar’s input. Conveniently, the input jack can be unscrewed and repositioned to fit Stratocaster or sidemounted styled guitar inputs. It also has a -15dB pad and gain control under the battery cover. The AR300 Receiver features automatic RF scanning and infrared programming, balanced and unbalanced outputs, which can be used simultaneously, 2 front or rear mountable antennae giving clear reception, audio and AF/RF signal levels, as well as channel frequencies can be kept track of on the backlit LED front panel display.

It also features an output level knob, an Edit rotary knob/switch, for manual parameter editing or automatic channel scanning, and a Squelch knob that decreases the system’s maximum range thus minimising any RF interference one might encounter.

IN USE With the receiver plugged into the amp and all other connections made, a quick read of the detailed manual is required to understand the proper setup procedure. This involves angling the antennae for maximum coverage, allowing the AR300 to scan for the clearest channel, switching the AG300 on 6 inches away from the receiver to allow the settings to be store via infrared. Then some balancing of gain and you’re done. Testing the unit in various locations, yielded different degrees of RF interference, (all easily dealt with using the Squelch knob), although at times a noticeable grainy background hum seemed ever present and, while manageable through an amp’s clean channel, it was very noisy when employing distortion. Other attempts were completely noise free, operating with crystal clarity, as promised. While this mystery of the hum’s origin remains unsolved, I suspect the fault lies more with South Africa’s notorious ‘dirty’ electricity that drives many who work with audio equipment up the wall, than with the unit. Encouragingly, (aside from this anomalous hum) there was no detectable

tonal difference in using the AirLine than to plugging into the amp with a good quality cable. While maintaining line-ofsight, I was also able to get a good 25 meters from the receiver, before experiencing a significant loss of signal. When line-of-sight is not maintained there are occasional momentary signal drops and a minor compromise of frequency response but the Airline won’t give up too easily: separated by 3 rooms, the signal still kicks through the amp.

CONCLUSION Compared to other wireless units it is a relief not having to deal with annoying belt packs and the grouped compatible channels is a stand out feature. And while I had a few issues with noise the tonal clarity is definitely worth mentioning. The thought of not having to worry about a tangle of guitar cable at your feet is appealing, as is the degree movement and showmanship the unit allows. On the one hand, the average gigging guitarist dealing with local stages, many of which aren’t big enough to fit an entire band and their equipment (let alone allow much movement), may have limited to cut the umbilical cord, so to speak, unless they often find themselves heading for the bar mid-solo. On the other hand this is an incredibly useful tool for the festival musician where sounding great and the freedom of movement during performance are vital.

SA Distributor: Audiosure www.audiosure.co.za Tel: (+27) (0)11 790 4600 Suggested Retail Price: R 6,195.00 incl. VAT

Muse Report | AUDIOSURE MOVE OFFICES, PUT ON A GRAND DEALER | Special Feature

Audiosure

Move Offices,

put on a grand dealer evening

n Tuesday, 13 March Audiosure unveiled their new offices in Midrand by hosting a dealer evening to celebrate the move. It was also a perfect opportunity to show off their extensive range of products and to host their dealer awards, rewarding their top dealers in various categories. Demo highlights included the new Samson Auro range which features the D408, D410, D412, 415 Active speakers, as well as the DB1800A powered subwoofer. What made the demo particularly well presented was a special speaker switcher that allowed them to instantly switch between different sets of speakers, with and without subs to get a true A/B comparison. The entire range sounded very impressive and looks (and sounds) like a real winner from Samson. [Look out for a review on these soon, Ed]. But the sound demo highlight was the Wharfedale Pro Delta series. The speakers were run through an Allen & Heath mixer with an XTA processor and powered by MC2 E45 power amplifiers. The full range - 12”, 15” and the 18” subs were all taken through their paces with each loudspeaker cleverly demonstrated both with and without the sub woofer which further illustrated the versatility of the two-way tops and the perfect match the sub brings to the sound. The Delta 215’s proved to be the loudest of the lot and it was agreed that with the Delta series Wharefdale Pro are certainly competing with the ‘big boys.’ Also on show and coupled with an interesting display was Gavin Atkinson’s demo of the Chauvet lights – most impressively the Show Xpress app he used from his iPhone to trigger scenes while roaming the showroom. They showed off the new range of lasers from Chauvet, including the new BLUE version, intertwining with the red, green, yellow and cyans of the other models which looked like something Jean Michelle Jarre would be proud of! Well not quite, but certainly made one feel like you were in a glitzy nightclub. With the Smartphone app, bands and DJ’s can quite easily control lighting while performing without having to move around too much. Heck if I was in a band

I’d give my manager the job of lighting control from the dancefloor! Dealers were divided into two groups to accommodate the large attendance within the two showroom spaces. In the second showroom, upstairs in their new building, attendees were treated to demonstrations of the TOUCHIT interactive white boards, Vivitek Projectors, Taiden conferencing products, room management consoles and an interactive video conferencing boardroom demonstration. There was also a ‘Studio room’ which housed the formidable iLive digital mixer, and some high end DJ gear including the A&H Xone 4D, Denon MC3000 and 6000 controllers, and the very cool DN S3900 Media players. The MI (Musical instrument) room contained a selection of Albion guitar amps, Hartke Bass amps, and a whole range of STAGG guitars, drum sets, and musical accessories. The home theatre showroom was set up to showcase the Wharfedale consumer speaker systems as well as the Vivitek HD and 3D projectors. This was an impressive display of world-class hi-fi and true HD home cinema products leaving one a little giddy at the prospect of kitting one’s lounge out with this gear. The grand finale for the evening was the lucky draw and the dealer awards. Eight dealers in various categories earned their stripes by receiving a weeklong trip to the IAG factory in China where all Wharfedale Pro products are manufactured. Says Marketing Manager, Chris

Andrews; “The trip is a reward for dealers that have grown their business year on year, or performed exceptionally well. It is an opportunity for us to show these dealers who are passionate about the brand a side to the speakers, mixers, amps etc that they would never usually get to see, which further equips them to inform their own staff and clients as to the high quality and heritage of the gear they use.” A great evening was had by all, the most impressive part being the diverse product range Audiosure offers.

Review | BOSS RC300 LOOP STATION | words: Alistair Andrews

BOSS RC300

Loop Station

SA Distributor: MD Distributors www.musicaldistributors.co.za Suggested Retail Price: R 7,995.00 incl. VAT

The Triple-Stereo Mega Looper!

ith the RC-300 from Boss you can take looping to a level never reached before on commercially available loop stations. It is ideal for instrumentalists and vocalists that incorporate live looping in their musical performances. It could also be a useful addition to your home studio. I attended a Boss roadshow late in 2011, where clinician Alex Hutchins used the RC-300 Loop Station. I was so impressed by it, that as soon as it hit our shores I got myself one. Unfortunately I do not have enough space to outline all the features but this summary should give you a good idea. You can plug in any instrument of your choice and create loops in real time. An XLR input, with phantom power is also provided, so singers, violinists, or anyone with a miked instrument can become â&#x20AC;&#x153;loopersâ&#x20AC;?. You can add up to three effects as you go, and its USB port lets you save your loops externally, as well as import / export WAV files.

Main RC-300 Features: ! Three stereo real-time phrase loop! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

stations with dedicated footswitches and controls for each Dedicated fader per track Expression pedal for effects control in real time Up to 3 hours of internal recording and 99 onboard memories 16 Onboard effects optimized for looping XLR Microphone input with phantom power USB allows for connecting to a computer to import/export WAV loop phrases. MIDI I/O is included as well 3 mini-sliders control the volume of each track. (Latch at the centre position.) The RC-300 is housed in a durable metal chassis and offers 99 different memory locations, each with 3 independent stereo or mono loop phrases All the inputs can be used simultaneously, giving performers the ability to record loops instantly with

any connected sound source. Stereo outputs include independent main and sub jacks, and a headphone jack for practice or stage monitoring. Rounding out the rear panel are jacks for connecting optional Boss footswitches (up to four) and/or expression pedals (up to two), providing additional real-time control options advanced users. The RC-300 also comes with a rhythm guide and onboard sound library, which you can play along with as you record. You can Start/ Stop all Loops at once, with a single switch.

It is quite straightforward and easy to use although first time users of Loop Stations could find all the options overwhelming. I found the interface quite easy to navigate. The RC-300 is really a cut above the rest, as besides 3 independent Loops Stations, it also includes expressive onboard effects, including Slicer, Filter, Flanger, Phaser, Modulator, Transpose, Vocal Effects, and many more. A dedicated LOOP FX footswitch is provided for instant activation of the onboard effects. Control the effects parameters in real time with the Expression pedal for hands-free creativity onstage. You can apply the effects to any single track as well as to the entire mix, expanding your creativity and musical expression.

You can create, stack, and manipulate multi-layered loops. Each of the 3 tracks is independently controllable. The Auto Recording feature starts recording the moment you begin playing your instrument, or as soon as you start a connected audio player. Likewise, CountIn mode provides one-bar of rhythm before recording starts, and you can Undo / Redo as you go.

Verdict: Pros: ! 3 Independent Loop-Stations with amazing features as mentioned before. ! The RC-300 is housed in a durable metal chassis. ! Wide variety of inputs and outputs. ! Exceptional Sonic Quality. ! USB connectivity to your computer to import/export WAV loop phrases. ! Interface quite easy to navigate. ! Advanced MIDI and Sync Features ! Through the Aux input you can record backing tracks if need be. (Save it to a choice of 99 onboard memory locations) ! You can immediately stop a loop, (stop at the end of the loop, or evenfade the loop out.) Wow!! ! Good value for money! Cons:

! The effects are not always easy to edit. ! First time users of Loop Stations could find all the options overwhelming.

Instrument Review | MARTIN DCPA4 ACOUSTIC | words: Nic Roos

Martin DCPA4 ACOUSTIC “A few cursory strums of even the most mundane open chords unlocks the rich tone contained within.”

he Martin name is synonymous with tradition, quality and rich tone. Their Performing Artist series, which is just above entrylevel, brings a few modern elements to the table. The DCPA4 is a modern Dreadnaught with cutaway and a Fishman F1 pickup/tuner, aimed at the gigging guitarist.

ANATOMY Opening the DCPA4 hard case released a strong, pleasing aroma of wood and amber. This beautiful instrument is constructed with solid tonewoods. The back and sides are matched from African sapele (which is similar in appearance and tone to mahogany), while the soundboard is book-matched Sitka spruce and utilizes Martin's Hybrid "AFrame" scalloped bracing. The neck has a comfortable slim taper and is thinner than on traditional acoustics, facilitating faster, more comfortable fretwork. It also features the discreet and elegant, Fishman F1 pickup/tuner with one tone knob and one volume knob that doubles as a one touch tuner switch.

PLAYABILITY & SOUND Picking it up for the first time I noticed almost immediately that this guitar is a little heavier than the average acoustic, which may make it a bit tiresome to use standing up. However, after hours of noodling, I cannot emphasise enough how comfortable the DCPA4 is to play. The incredibly easy, low action as well as the slim taper of the thin neck makes it feel almost like that of an electric guitar. That, along with the modest cutaway makes higher fret playing a breeze. In my experience, some acoustic guitars with similar construction can display a certain degree of tonal brashness, but my initial suspicion that the slim neck, cutaway and general modern design would compromise the signature Martin boldness, was swiftly culled because the DCPA4 is an incredible tonal beast! A few cursory strums of even the most mundane open chords unlocks the

rich tone contained within. Balance is the key word here. There is ample low end without a trace of boominess, a very balanced, clear mid-range, and loads of highs without any harshness as well as bucket-loads of harmonics. No note overpowers any other when playing chords unless played louder, and unlike lesser guitars the sound gets bigger the harder you play. Every sound seems greatly exaggerated yet perfectly in proportion. Oh, and the sustain! It’s like the precise chime of a grandfather clock. While the DCPA4 is intended mainly for live use, its rich tone could be a great asset in studio. In fact, while it may sound obtuse to say, listening to it with one’s eyes closed one could imagine the sound coming from a slick recording. Without the prestigious Martin name, this remarkable tone and playability alone instil a sense of authority and confidence in the player. The level of expression the DCPA4 allows is astounding as I found myself effortlessly and articulately moving from soft, subtle passages to big and bright flourishes. You would not need to dig very deep within the tone for magic to happen.

CONCLUSION With a thick warm tone that really fills a space making it great for solo accompaniment, it also has more than enough bite to cut through a full band. This guitar plays well with others. So please excuse me for gushing like a little school girl with a bad crush, but I am in absolute awe of the artistry and grit of this instrument. With its easy and unrestricting playability and rich, articulate and striking tone this is a true workhorse instrument, certainly beating a lot of other well known brands in this price range which often have the sparkle but not the punch and authority of the DCPA4. While some of our hearts might sink at the sight of the price tag, at R14,995.00 (SRP, and by no means the most expensive Martin out there) the DCPA4 delivers in spades, and lucky for this school girl there is a left-handed option at no extra charge.

Supplied by: Rockit Distribution Tel: 021 511-1800 Suggested retail prices: R 14,995.00 incl. VAT

Band Tips | STRATEGY AND PLANNING: GET AHEAD BY KNOWING WHERE YOU WANT TO GO | words: David Chislett

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

STRATEGY AND PLANNING: Get Ahead By Knowing Where You Want To Go

ost artists’ plan for their careers can easily be summed up as follows: Become famous, sell lots of records. While this is a great end objective to have in mind, a plan implies a series of steps that are designed to take you towards that end point. And this is where many fail themselves when it comes to reaching their goals and dreams in the real world. It’s easy to spot the ones that had a plan of action, a real strategy. They are the big names: Goldfish, Good Luck, Skwatta Kamp, Flash republic, Watershed. Basically the music industry falls neatly into two parts: those who have a plan and those who don’t have a clue. You can up your chances of succeeding overnight just by making a plan of action with a clear strategy for your year. Unless of course you’d rather spend more time telling people at the bar just how under-rated you are...? Having a strategy can best be described as having a plan of action for a defined period of time that aims to achieve a specific result. Set up a goal, figure out what needs to be done to get

there and what methods you need to employ and go for it. So, the result is the easy one. You want to be the best band in town; you want each gig to earn you more than 10K, that kind of thing. But how do you get there? Everyone you know probably has a similar goal and we operate in a small market. How do you cut through the clutter to make your goals possible? Firstly, you need to analyse the terrain, Where is the clutter? Is everyone playing the same gigs? Do they all look the same, sound the same and promote in the same ways? Then look for blue sky... open space where no-one is competing. If everyone is playing the same style right now, take it one step further, or break it down 5 steps back. Find new venues to play, find new artists to play with, new sounds to experiment with. The key here is to differentiate yourself. Why listen to one artist over another when they are all much the same? But when one is clearly different, clearly recognisable, the game changes. Make sure your image and your marketing cannot be mistaken for the herd. Become a front runner not a sheep. From that brief description you will

see that some forethought can go a long way to buying you space in which to shine when your contemporaries are still sharing bills as the same local venue. So what you need to do is get specific. Define your end goal as precisely as you can, down to rands and cents, appearing on specific bills, releasing a certain amount of material and selling a specified amount of copies. Then plot out over a month by month time line WHAT you are going to do WHEN and HOW in order to achieve those goals. You will find that, once you know WHERE you are going, it’s much easier to figure out HOW to get there. The primary error most ambitious young artists make is that they do not articulate their ambition in specific enough terms and it is therefore hard to see what is needed. Once you are clear, the road opens. Once you have a clear strategy is becomes the simple matter of moving from bench mark to bench mark doing everything you have identified as necessary as well as you possibly can. Then all that is required is the leg work. And lots of it. But that’s another advice column.

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

Tutorial | TUNING PROBLEMS | words: Alan Ratcliffe

TUNING PROBLEMS

e have all run across guitars with tuning problems, which continually slip out of tune while playing or are difficult to get into tune. Often players just accept them as being "difficult" instruments. Sometimes they might try changing the tuning machines and, when this is unsuccessful, either sell the guitar or decide to live with the issues. However, in 99% of cases, the cause of these issues can be quickly identified and fixed.

INTONATION VS. TUNING This is actually a separate issue to tuning problems. Intonation problems are where the guitar can be tuned and will stay in tune, but will play out of tune in different places on the neck, particularly in the upper registers, towards the body of the guitar. I've covered intonation adjustment before and it is beyond the scope of this article. Tuning issues are where the strings themselves do not stay in tune, where they are constantly slipping out and need continual tuning. These problems are almost always down to one or two issues and are usually simply identified and fixed.

Strings I can't stress this enough: Strings are the #1 cause of both tuning and intonation problems. The first recourse in any tuning issues is to change the strings, regardless of how new they are. The usual issue is strings that are uneven, as uneven strings cannot vibrate evenly and will introduce odd harmonics that clash with the fundamental tone. Unevenness is often a result of old and worn out strings as not only do strings gradually stretch over time (and rarely stretch evenly), but they wear unevenly on the frets the more the guitar is played. Unevenness is not limited to old strings though - occasionally manufacturing defects will cause a string to be unevenly

stretched or wound right out of the packet.

Incorrect Fitting The simple rule of fitting strings is to make sure you have as short a length of string as possible. To do this, make sure you have as few string winds on the tuner capstan as possible and, in the case of a nylon string guitar, on the bridge too. Excess windings on either side will not only make for a longer string length to stretch, but can shift and catch with changes in tension – particularly on electric guitars with vibrato systems. Strings will also settle when first fitted and excessive windings slow the settling process down.

Nut Strings binding (catching) in the nut is a common cause of tuning issues. It is often easily identified as it usually causes creaking or “ping” noises as the strings move while tuning and often while bending them during play. This is caused by badly cut or worn nut slots and can often be temporarily cured by applying a dry lubricant such as graphite powder to the slots. Ideally the nut should be re-cut or replaced by a professional for a permanent cure.

String Retainers The strings can also bind on the string retainers (string trees) used on Fender style electric guitars (which bring the string height down so the strings wind evenly on the tuners and press down adequately in the nut). The best solution for this is replacing the existing retainers with Fender’s own roller string trees or with the Graph Tech Black Tusq versions.

Tuning Machines Worn-out tuners are the most often suspected cause of tuning issues, but are seldom the cause. Still, even the best tuners wear out over time and inexpensive tuners do not wear as well. Bad tuners will usually be indicated by the pitch slipping down, never up and the cure is simple replacement.

Vibrato Bridges Occasionally a vibrato bridge will not return to “zero” (pitch) due to wear on the knife edge or the studs that it pivots against. However, care should be made in making this diagnosis, as it is often binding in the nut or string retainers rather than the vibrato unit itself. The fix is simply to smooth out any rough areas on these two points of contact.

audio warehouse

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Tutorial | PLAY BETTER BASS | words: Alistair Andrews

PLAY BETTER BASS

How to Choose the Right Bass Guitar

hoosing the right bass is not always as easy as one would think, but with some research, and if you have a good idea of what you are looking for in a bass, you will probably find an instrument that satisfies your needs.

Some very important questions to ask yourself are the following: 1. What is my budget? 2. Is the bass comfortable to play?

3. Can I handle the weight? (Some basses are heavier than others). 4. Four string or five string? (Five string basses are more difficult to play, but you can learn on them and with a lot of the modern styles it might be a must have.) I would not recommend six, seven, nine-string etc. basses for beginners. If you are a more advanced player you will also bring fretless/fretted into the permutation, especially if you are adding another bass to your arsenal.

It is important to get a bass that is easy and fun to play. The easier it is to play, the more hours you will be able to put in on your instrument. The action of your bass can be set to suit you style of play by lifting or lowering the saddles on the bridge, or by tightening or loosening your truss rod. Any reputable Bass dealer should be able to help you with this.

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Tutorial | PLAY BETTER BASS | words: Alistair Andrews

Most electric bass guitars are solidbody electrics. But if you're looking for a rounder and more acoustic sound you should buy a semihollow-body bass instead. There is also the option of an acoustic bass guitar with a built in pickup, but remember that feedback could be a problem when amplified. If you're looking for a warm, natural sound, you need a bass with a darker and more wood fretboard. Like rosewood or ebony for example; lighter woods like maple generally produce a brighter sound. The type of neck you choose is dependent on the size of your hands. There are different shapes for you to choose from including round to flat back, and anywhere in between. Four string basses usually come with smaller necks than five string or six string basses. The scale length is the distance between the nut and bridge saddle. The longer the scale the more distance there is between the frets. The scale length chosen is important because it is what influences the tonal quality of the notes and the tension of the string when a note is played. A short scale of 30 inches, medium scale of 32 inches, standard scale of 34 inches, 5 string long scale of 35 inches, or an extra long scale of 36 inches? It all depends on the instrument you're thinking of getting and the tone you desire. If you have small hands, a short scale bass is probably the best bass guitar for you. Longer scale necks give more definition to low (thicker) strings. A vital area to pay attention to is intonation. This is what determines whether the various notes on your bass play in tune. On some basses, the distance between

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the frets can be a little off and as a result these basses don't play in tune, usually when you pass the 12th fret. These basses are useless and you shouldn't waste money on one. Ensure that you get a decent tuning head on your bass. Enclosed machine heads are better than open tuning machines. They resist rust and airborne corrosives and you therefore don't have to maintain or replace them often. The number of frets you choose is also a matter of personal preference. You can choose between 21, 22, or 24 frets. No matter how good the wood of the bass is, if the pickups are not up to scratch it defeats the object. There are many pickup models, both active or passive. You also need the right combination of strings and pickup. In terms of neck, the best bass for you is all about your personal preference. If you want one that is stronger, has better sustain and note resolution, buy a neckthrough bass. But for punchier sound, nothings beats a bolt-on neck; the only limitation is that they are more prone to having dead spots. Choice of wood is important. The wood you choose will affect the tone and weight of the

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instrument. If you are to be standing up to play it's wise to have one that is lightweight. Swamp ash wood is a lightweight soft wood that produces low Mids and a punchy tone. Alder is another lightweight wood except that the tone it produces is crisper. Although you should pay attention to the weight of the instrument, it's all about whether or not you like the sound. You can choose any finish you like since it doesn't really affect the sound of your electric bass. As long as you have a clear understanding of what you need it should be easy to find the right bass guitar. When tuning, the strings may become very tight as they pull on the headstock; this in return curves the neck slightly, like a bow and arrow. Because of this bow and arrow motion, the strings may be close or not–so–close to the fretboard, commonly referred to as the action of your guitar. The lower the action, the easier it will be for you to play your bass. However if your action is too close to the fretboard, you will get fret buzz. Choosing the right Bass for your style of music you play is crucial. May your search for the right bass be a fruitful one.

Neck with fret-board removed to expose truss rod.

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Tutorial | PLAY BETTER GUITAR | words: Kurt Slabbert

PLAY BETTER GUITAR Vibrato and W Bending elcome to play better guitar. I have decided to choose a topic that many beginners battle with and to be honest I have seen experienced guitarist also struggle with this; I am talking about bending and vibrato and the combination of the two together. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s start with vibrato.

What is Vibrato? Vibrato is a musical effect consisting of a regular, pulsating change of pitch. There are two factors that determine your own Vibrato and these are how wide the pitch varies either side of the target note and the speed of your Vibrato. It could be narrow and fast or wide and slow, and we will use these different variants to add nuance to the note that we would like to focus on. We will look at a couple of examples of where vibrato is used later on in the lesson. In most modern guitar styles we have got two different types of vibrato, namely classical vibrato, which is a parallel movement to the strings, and we have a horizontal type vibrato which is a lot wider than the classical type vibrato; the second type is employed by most contemporary musicians. Classical Vibrato will be from left to right and generally, only using one finger to create the vibrato.

The type of Vibrato used in contemporary music generally uses all the fingers in support as there is usually vibrato added to a bend, but this is not a rule, you need to find what works for you! Here in this picture we can see the fingers supporting each other. Also remember this type of vibrato will have a Horizontal movement. Once again you can determine the speed and the depth of the vibrato by how fast you move the string horizontally and how far you bend it.

What is Bending? Bending is: A bent note is a musical note that is varied in pitch. Once again this can be done on any instrument and each different instrument would require a different technique. As a guitarist we all prefer our different string gauges and obviously the heavier the gauge the more difficult it can be to bend the string. At this point I must state that over practicing of this technique can lead to RSI (repetitive strain injury) so please do not over do it!!!

37 The Technique The most important part of bending technique is to realise that the strength to bend the string comes from the wrist and not the fingers. Your fingers alone are not strong enough to bend alone but rather use your wrist and the strength from your arms. Remember you can bend the string up or you can pull it down, once again this will be player preference. Here you can see how the fingers support each other and how the thumb is also used, once again remember that the strength comes from the wrist!

Bending can happen using less fingers in support. This will totally depend on the position of your note that you are bending.

Applications The most important aspect to any guitar lines is how you start them and how you end them. Here is a lick or a run that uses a bend with vibrato at the end as a way of releasing the line and being as musical as possible. Here we have a lick that employs a run into a bend then a vibrato is added. Please note that the vibrato should only be added once you have bent to the desired note, which in this case is a semitone above the last note played. Once you have reached the pitch you can release your vibrato. Here you can try different types of vibrato, shallow and fast, deep and wide. Try and find your own voice with this technique.

Conclusion There are no hard and fast rules to where you can and canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t use a bend or vibrato, this you need to explore. I would definitely check out the Blues player licks of Stevie Ray V and fusion player Eric Johnson and listen carefully to where they use these techniques to enhance their notes. Once again this is not an easy technique so it may take a while to understand and do properly. Good luck till next time, where we will look at a whole lot of licks in different musical styles using bends and vibrato.

Your Private Universe | BASIC ROOM TREATMENT FOR THE HOME STUDIO | words: Jonathan Pike

BASIC ROOM TREATMENT for the home studio

few years ago in a previous article (Drum recording techniques for the home studio Part 1) I spoke briefly about some basic room treatment ideas for the home studio. In this article I want to take another look at some cheap and effective ways of controlling the response of your recording space in your home studio. Of course the treatment that you decide on really depends on what you want to record and what genre of music your are working with. The main point to remember is that the more reflective your room is the more “live” your recordings will feel. Conversely the more absorption you

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When it comes to sound in a room one of the first problems you will encounter are parallel surfaces and in a home studio these are everywhere! These parallel surfaces will lead to some frequencies reinforcing in amplitude and

Using any kind of absorption at your disposal

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use in your room, the tighter your sound will be. There are many companies that produce very effective professional room treatment solutions if you have the budget. However we’re going to explore of few cheaper DIY options that will allow you to control the sound of your recording room at home.

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will therefore cause more of that particular frequency to be emphasized in your recordings. In simple terms this could mean, for example, a boost at 100Hz in all your recorded elements leading to a “muddy” un-focused low end in the mix. One solution to this problem is to try and break up parallel walls by using some kind of sound diffusion (don’t forget that your floor and ceiling are likely to be parallel too). A neat trick for

breaking up parallel walls can be to place a shelving unit, with multi-angular objects on the shelves, along the walls. This works because it will cause arriving sound waves to be reflected off in many different directions rather than reflecting back and forth between the parallel walls and reinforcing. This concept of diffusion can be a very useful tool for smoothing out the frequency response of your room. Have you ever seen those multi-angular wooden walls at the back of professional recording studios? That is diffusion at work. Another way of controlling the sound waves reflecting around the room is to use sound absorptive material on the walls. This will provide a tighter, closer sound by preventing sound from bouncing off reflective surfaces creating a long reverb tail that will colour your recordings. An old thick carpet or rug (even curtaining or drapery) hung on the walls will help to absorb high frequencies. In order to control lower frequencies however you will need some kind of bass trapping. The 90° corners of a room are an area where bass frequencies build up and you will need a fairly thick absorptive material for treating these areas. Another useful DIY trick is to place an old couch, mattress, futon or even a large stack of thick cushions in the corner, if possible reaching from the floor to the ceiling. This will effectively trap the bass frequencies and prevent them from being reinforced in your recordings. The last two areas that you can treat are the ceiling and floor. Any drapery tacked to the ceiling will help to absorb sound and may help to control any standing waves. Most engineers prefer a wooden floor but with any floor, movable carpeting will help with absorption. It’s nice for example to be able to place a drum kit on a carpet to prevent reflections from the floor entering your microphones. The key to remember, when treating your room, is that you can always add artificial reverb to create size and space in the mix, but it is impossible to remove any room ambience once it has been recorded-in. So often it is a safer bet to over-treat a home recording space and then add ambience later on in the mix.