MUSE Tech - Apr/May'13

GEAR NEWS & REVIEWS FOR MUSICIANS

WWW.MUSEONLINE.CO.ZA

APR’ 1 3 - MAY’ 1 3

FREE

www.segma.co.za

INTRODUCING...

B Series loudspeakers are suitable for near field main PA reinforcement with or without subwoofers, portable system or permanent installations, monitor in small stages and delay fills.

Suitable in places like: FoH Multi-functional room Auditorium and theatre Pub Bar Night club Commercial announcements

B18 MK11

BT8 MK11

B212

the brand new B SERIES

BT12 MK11

BT15 MK11

BT152 MK11

B Series subwoofers are suitable bass reinforcements for main PA systems, touring or permanent installation for small to large stages, indoor or outdoor live performances.

B215 MK11

B218 MK11

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

www.vivaafrika.co.za

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EDITION 24 | APR/MAY ‘13 | Proud Supporters of SA Music!

CONTENTS

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

Editors Note and Index Cover Review: LD Systems Maui 28 Gear News Gear Review: Ashdown ABM 500RC EVO 111 Gear Review: Soundcraft Si Performer Instrument Review: Chord CSS90 Gear Reviews: Orange Tiny Terror vs. Dark Terror Gear review: Warwick Rockbass NT 1 Gear Review: Vox Delay Lab Special Feature: Viva Afrika Hybrid + Launch Tutorial: Tips for upcoming bands Guitar Maintenance with Alan Ratcliffe Play Better Bass with Alistair Andrews Play Better Guitar with Kurt Slabbert Your Private Universe: Condenser Microphones

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amm has come and gone and as I write this Musikmesse is just two weeks away. What does this mean to us down south in Africa? Loads of new toys to play with over the next few months, we hope.

Compact and travel friendly is certainly one of the great benefits of technology these days, well illustrated by our cover feature this edition; the LD Systems Maui28. Wireless and easily transportable, Greg (Bester) reckons you can set the entire system up in less than 10 minutes and with only a power cable protruding from the setup.

Add to that great sound dispersion and some bottom-end beef and it’s an affordable system well worth checking out for one-man-bands, event DJs etc.

Of course if budget allows, you can also connect more than one of these setups for a small band performance. But hey,

no point listening to me; Greg sums the Maui28 up way better on PG 6.

Nic Roos did his back in by singlehandedly carrying the Ashdown ABM 550RC amp head and 410H speaker cabinet up three flights of stairs to his studio to test. Not quite the portability of the aforementioned gear, however with the pedigree of Ashdown, sound and substance are the real reasons this brand is ubiquitous on so many tech riders. Read his takedown on the bass amp on Pg. 10.

Greg was actually a busy man for this edition weighing in with quite a broad range of gear tests. With his sound engineer hat on, he tested the Soundcraft Si Performer – which combines audio engineering with lighting control. Sounds like a novel idea, but certainly one that will add big value to an event looking to trim their budget but sustain high quality sound

and light control from one central point.

Putting his musician's hat on, he also got to test drive the Dark Terror and Tiny Terror guitar amps from Orange, clearly a favourite of his and of course so many others. Plus he tried out a Chord guitar, a somewhat budget instrument that is proving to be a huge seller in South Africa and reading his review, it’s no surprise.

Warwick have some new, very keenly priced Rockbasses and SA distributor Music Power kindly sent 3 down to Alistair Andrews for testing.

Ironically one of them is the new Robert Trujillo signature model – for those who don’t know, Trujillo is the bassist for Metallica, the subject of our front cover this issue.

Dave Mac

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Gear Review | LD SYSTEMS MAUI | words: Greg Bester

LD SYSTEMS MAUI 28 “…here you have a modular, high powered system that fits snuggly into any boot, requires very little wiring and setup…”

E

ver since the release of the Bose L series of compact loudspeaker arrays, there seems to a proliferation of other brands on the market that have followed suit. Not that that’s a bad thing, considering competition is key for the success of any sector of business, and in any case, it’s a very good concept which is why I’m sure many, like me, are now wondering why nobody had done it before.

I mean, here you have a modular, high powered system that fits snuggly into any boot, requires very little wiring and setup, and provides fantastic sound at a

reasonable price. It’s actually quite brilliant.

The LD systems Maui 28 is such a system and is dubbed their “all-inone array”. But who are LD Systems?

German based LD Systems is a newcomer to the SA pro audio market, part of the Adam Hall group of brands and distributed in South Africa by SEGMA of Midrand.

Adam Hall, founded by Mr. Adam Hall in England in the mid-70’s and the German branch by Mr. David Kirby in 1980, is a wholesaler of pro audio equipment, patented cable crossovers, and flight case hardware and fittings.

To cut a long story short, in 1993 Mr. Kirby bought out his partner,

Suggested Retail Price: R 18,000.00 incl. VAT Supplier: Segma South Africa Tel. No: +27 (0)11 312-1846 Website: www.segma.co.za

securing ownership of both branches, and establishing the headquarters in Germany. Among their brands are Eminence and BMS speakers, Defender crossovers, Palmer, Cameo Light, and of course, LD Systems. All of their products are developed, assembled and go through rigorous final testing in Germany, which supposes consistent quality. At least in the mind of many, it does.

To introduce the Maui 28, it is a small footprint modular loudspeaker system that features two thin speaker arrays and an amp-loaded subwoofer that slots very neatly into one another.

7 Features Focusing on DJ’s and musicians, the Maui 28 is aimed at being a comprehensive solution for both sound reinforcement and monitoring due to it’s claimed highly consistent sound dispersion.

It is certainly easy to transport because it consists of only three components that require no interconnecting cabling: a subwoofer and two long and slender mid/high arrays. The two mid/high arrays are not identical, however. The lower array contains eight three-inch speakers and the top array contains eight three-inch speakers plus a oneinch tweeter, situated at the top to provide top end clarity and longer throw.

Setup is easy. Once you’ve decided where the subwoofer is going all you have to do is slot the four sturdy pins on the bottom of lower array in to the four holes on the top of the subwoofer. A 12-pin connector is recessed into the centre of the four holes and connects out of sight to the receiving female connector on the underside of the array. The exact same thing is done with the top array. No cables required.

The controls, found at the rear of the sub if looking down vertically at it, are pretty straight forward as well.

There is a SUB LEVEL control, which allows you to set the volume of the subwoofer in relation to the arrays.

There is a MAIN LEVEL control, which is pretty straight forward and there are LEDs for ON (indicates power status), LOCK (indicates correct system link), SIGNAL (indicates signal present), LIMIT (indicates limiter engagement), and PROTECT (indicates system overload). In the event of an excessive overload the system will automatically switch to mute.

On the rear of the amplifier we see a stereo RCA line input, two XLR/TRS combo jack line inputs, and two XLR line outputs for linking to other systems. There is also the obligatory IEC power jack and a red power switch. There is no facility for microphone inputs so you would probably have to connect an external mixer if you intend to use it at your next acoustic gig.

Tech specs, anyone?

The dual eight-inch subwoofer enclosure is a 15mm plywood vconstruction bass reflex design, and the top arrays are sealed aluminium.

They supply a horizontal dispersion of 120 degrees. The amplification is class A/B and feeds 200 watts to the subwoofer and 200 watts to the arrays; 400 watts in total. Frequency response comes in at a staggering 45 – 20000 Hz and max SPL is 115dB with a sensitivity of 98 dB (1W at 1m). Finally, the Dura-Coat LX covered subwoofer weighs 29 kg and the HD Coating covered arrays, 3,6 kg.

In Use The Maui 28 is convenient because it accommodates all of the necessary input connector formats you may encounter. RCA is the most common consumer format, but you’ll also need ¼” or XLR line inputs if you’re interfacing with a professional mixer.

The fact that it has XLR line outs is a bonus too for adding more Maui 28’s for larger gigs.

Of course, setup was a breeze and took me all of about five minutes, if that. All I then needed was a mini-jack to RCA converter cable and I was ready to plug in my iPod or laptop. Personally, I would have implemented some sort of USB or iPod dock as well, but I assume they skipped out on this because it adds to the cost. Plus, LD have clearly gone for a more professional vibe with line-ins only.

First thing played on this system was the album Make Me Love You by the Australian post-rock/electronic band, Pivot. I know this album well and I was instantly impressed by a detailed, representative sound that is somewhere in between an expensive hi-fi and a big set of studio monitors.

They just have a warm, inviting quality to them with a very natural tonal balance. I was also impressed with how low the bass extends. It is quite astounding to know that it all comes from two small eight-inch subwoofers and just shows you what a good design can do.

What I really like a lot is the fact that they include a tweeter for top end duties. Similar systems I have reviewed omitted the implementation of a tweeter for some reason and this inclusion in the Maui 28 really helps

extend the treble nicely. The upper registers seem smooth and clear without becoming strident, even at high levels.

Speaking of levels, the subwoofer control is effective but not overbearing. Even at the highest setting the frequency balance isn’t totally out of whack allowing music to remain sounding like music, instead of distorted noise.

Finally, the system pumps! It can go really loud without losing its ground and becoming distorted and grainy; a hallmark of a good system.

It didn’t’ woof out either, which is encouraging.

Conclusion The Maui 28 is the best system of its type that I have heard so far. Sure, some other systems boast a wider dispersion because of speaker orientation trickery, but at 120 degrees, you’ll be hard pressed to find a room that this speaker system can not fill. It will do very well outside as well and throws quite far.

It’s great value for money, too, and will handle DJ parties to small coffee shops, to installations, to maybe even home theatres with ease and will most definitely find favour with those looking for a small footprint which is easy to set up and operate. I want one!

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

Photo: Alex Rodriguez

Gear News

THE ‘KING OF THE ROCKIN’ BLUES CHOOSES ALBION AMPS FOR UK TOUR

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regg Wright ‘The King of the Rockin Blues’ will be using Albion Amps for his forthcoming tour of the United Kingdom in May. His visit to the Albion Stand at the this year’s successful NAMM Show held in January made his mind up concerning the great British sounding range of Amps designed in the workshop of Steve Grindrod.

Says Gregg… “Albion Amps…They certainly are ‘the real deal’ even at a low volume, I was massively impressed. I can't wait to come over and start shaking some of those 400 year old wood beams loose when I tour UK in May!”

IBANEZ – IRON LABEL THE NEW METAL-TO-THE-CORE GUITAR SERIES With such a big emphasis in this edition of Muse Magazine on Metallica and heavy metal in general it is only apt that

AUDIOCAVE CUSTOM POWERED SPEAKER CABLES Local company, Audiocave distribute a powered speaker cable that is an all in one (Power and Signal) solution for running long lengths of cable. It comes with kettle cords on each side as well as XLRs on both sides too. They are available in lengths of 3 metre, 5

He has played guitar for Michael Jackson and Mick Fleetwood and has opened shows for blues legends Albert King, Freddie King and many others and has been a top session guitarist in L.A since the 80’s. His latest album King of the Rockin’ Blues was regarded by Blues Matters magazine as such; “This album places Gregg Wright in the top echelons of the great blues guitarists!”

Wright will be appearing at the Burnley International Rock & Blues festival in Burnley.

Audiosure | (011) 790-4600 www.audiosure.co.za

we mention the new Iron Label series of guitars announced by Ibanez in February this year. Here’s the rub.

The range has been built and designed especially for the metal market with models based on the hugely popular Ibanez RG and S Series body shapes.

There are currently 7 models in the range

metre, 10 metre and 20 metre.

There is also a choice of two different types of XLRs - ‘Working Man’ for the musician on a budget or the more professional version called ‘Neutrik’ for the musician/engineer who knows what he /she wants. For more information pop on over to their website: www.audiocave.co.za

with 6, 7 and 8 string options available.

All guitars utilize the newly designed Nitro Wizard necks, based on the hugely popular Wizard necks they deliver supreme playability thanks to their slim profile whilst delivering superb stability due to the Maple/Bubinga construction.

Pickups on the RG Iron Labels come in the form of active EMGs whilst the S Series incarnations come loaded with DiMarzios. A great feature of the RG range is the addition of a Kill Switch, enabling you to get some great musical strobe effects going.

There are also options for those that prefer a fixed bridge or players who want some tremolo action. So if you're a shredder and want to hit down low with an extended range guitar or you just want a great quality instrument that'll fit into the heaviest of metal bands, the new Ibanez Iron Label Series sounds like they have your number.

Distributed through Midi Music | www.midimusic.co.za

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WASHBURN GUITARS TURN 130 YEARS Some stories demand to be told. Others are simply content on being heard. Heard through music, through lyrics, through a cultural revolution. This is the story of Washburn Guitars.

Steeped in the tradition of fine instrument making, Washburn Guitar's dynamic 130-history began in Chicago in 1883. The original guitar factory was located just blocks away from Maxwell Street.

In the early 1920s, Maxwell Street itself would emerge as the epicentre of a musical movement. Often considered the first entry point for thousands of AfricanAmericans arriving from the Mississippi Delta, Maxwell Street became a hotbed for Delta Blues in its most raw and dramatic form. Newcomers and established musicians alike would listen and jam with one and other in an atmosphere void of commercial influence.

Once recorded, this powerful, emotional style of music would not only become the dominant form of blues but

PRESONUS ERIS SERIES HIGH DEFINITION STUDIO MONITORS Just in time for Namm 2013, Presonus unveiled its new Eris™-series studio reference monitors. These ultraaffordable, 2-way, bi-amped monitor speakers are said to deliver very accurate response with a tight bass and very clear upper end. They can also be useradjusted to the acoustic space, allowing you to create a more accurate listening environment or to simulate different common listening environments – a feature not typically provided by studio monitors in this price point.

The Eris E8 features an 8-inch, Kevlar low-frequency transducer, driven by a 75 watt, Class AB power amplifier; and a 1-inch (25 mm), silk-dome, highfrequency tweeter with a 65W, Class AB amplifier. It can deliver up to 105 dB SPL, peak. Frequency response is rated at 45 Hz to 22 kHz. The compact Eris E5 sports a 5.25inch, Kevlar low-frequency driver, mated with a 45W, Class AB amplifier; and a 0.79-inch (20 mm), silk-dome tweeter powered by a 35W, Class AB amplifier. It can crank out a clean 102 dB SPL, peak.

Frequency response is rated at 64 Hz to 22 kHz. Both Eris models have individual balanced XLR and ¼” TRS input connections in addition to unbalanced RCA inputs. Both offer RF shielding,

would radically change the emerging sound of rock and roll. There, on Maxwell Street, as well as in alleyways, city sidewalks, bars, and honky-tonks around the country, Washburn guitars were embraced as the very embodiment and reflective spirit of the hard-working musicians who played them as well as the employees who designed and crafted them. It is the same spirit that guides Washburn to this day.

The history of Washburn Guitars is the history of a wide range of musicians.

From blues players who shaped rock 'n roll to multi-platinum recording artists to emerging guitar virtuosos. It is a history that can be heard and experienced every time you turn on the radio or listen to a live performance. It is a history built by skilled craftsmen and musicians who share one common love–a passion for the guitar. Washburn continues to be a consistent leader in combining design, innovation, and technology to deliver the rich, bold sounds for a vast musical landscape.

Big up to a legendary brand that continues to deliver quality and innovation. Time to get your blues on! current-output limiting, over-temperature protection, and subsonic protection.

Users also can make several types of custom adjustments. A four-position Acoustic Space switch controls a shelving filter, centred at 100 Hz, that provides three attenuation points (no attenuation, -2 dB, and -4 dB), allowing you to control the bass response relative to the wall proximity of your speakers. A High Pass switch sets the low-frequency cutoff (-12 dB/octave) to be flat, 80 Hz, or 100 Hz. You also get continuously adjustable High Frequency and Midrange controls from -6 dB to +6 dB. This combination of controls lets you create a linear response for accurate

This article was sourced from the Tradelius Music Group website, SA distributors of Washburn | www.tradelius.co.za | 031 502 - 3080

monitoring. It also enables you to simulate different listening environments, so you don’t have to listen to mixes on your car, consumer computer speakers, and home stereo to check how the music sounds with different systems.

Instead, you can adjust the Eris monitors’ response and test your mixes without leaving your studio. No other monitors in this price class offer this degree of control.

The Eris E8 and E5 should be available in SA my mid-year.

Tuerk Music | +27 (11) 792-8402 www.tuerkmusic.co.za

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Gear Review | ASHDOWN ABM 500RC EVO III BASS AMP | words: Nicolai Roos

ASHDOWN ABM 500RC EVO III

BASS AMP

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shdown are one of the premier names in British bass amplification and their products can be seen on countless stages around the world. Yet, despite their prominence they haven’t stopped improving their existing models.

This is certainly the case with the feature-laden ABM 500RC EVO III rackmountable head, which boasts improved headroom, EQ and power-amp sections.

Coupled with an ABM 410H speaker cabinet, this amp will provide tone fanatics and tweak freaks with great versatility within the signature Ashdown sound.

FEATURES This hefty 500watt ABM (Ashdown Bass Magnifier) rack unit, with its slick polished chrome front panel, is packed with features and potential applications.

These features include: ! An Input volume control to optimise the incoming level ! A Passive/ Active switch that compensates for active or passive basses ! A Shaped/ Flat switch for either a scooped mid-range or unaffected tone ! Switchable Valve Drive that blends solid state and tube preamp stages for a range of crystal clean to dirty overdriven sounds ! A switchable EQ section consisting of 3 knobs adjustable at 60Hz, 660Hz and 5kHz, and two pairs of graphic EQ sliders adjustable at 180Hz, 340Hz, 1.3kHz and 2.6kHz ! A switchable compressor ! A switchable control for Ashdown’s sub-harmonic generator which adds a blend-able lower octave to the main signal ! An Output volume knob ! A balanced DI out with pre or post EQ switching ! A line output for connecting to an additional power amp and speaker cabs ! A tuner output ! A mute switch ! A backlit VU input meter that adds an attractive vintage flavour.

The back panel has an fx loop, for external fx processors, as well as a line in.

Another feature that really ups the ante is that the EQ, Valve Drive, Compressor and Sub Octave are all foot-switchable via Ashdown’s optional 4 Way Footswitch.

The ABM 410H cab houses four ten-inch Ashdown BlueLine drivers, designed to handle the amp’s considerable lowend rumble while retaining transients and definition. It also has a switchable high frequency horn.

IN USE With controls at neutral the ABM 500’s naturally prominent sub frequencies and majestic depth of tone is quite apparent, yet it is simultaneously quite sensitive to whatever bass is plugged into it. The Shape button can really compensate for either thin or phat sounding basses. With this button alone one can cover a great deal of ground, from serious funk slap styles to a woodier, almost fretless style jazz tone.

With the EQ engaged I did find I had to back down on the extreme lows and adjust the crucial lower mids and treble in order to get some definition for more punchy rock tones, as well as to get the most volume out of the amp.

That said it’s great to have so much low end on tap, especially with a speaker cab that can handle it. While the circuit has plenty of headroom, the EQ section is very sensitive and can overload the input signal if one isn’t careful. Luckily minor adjustments go a long way.

I found my favourite sounds with the Valve Drive engaged, set to about 12:00, giving some ‘edge of breakup’ grit that can also sweeten up some passive pickups.

The Compressor really focuses the sound, fattening up the higher register

and really brings out harmonic content on active basses. The Sub Harmonic function sounds quite synthy and is really suited to crazy funk lines while at lower settings can further beef up any high register runs.

The fact that so many features are footswitchable really opens up a lot of options, like adding overdrive to choruses or switching from a woody jazz tone for a particular lead run, then fattening things up when locking in with drums, simply by engaging the EQ.

CONCLUSION At first listen this amp’s immediate warmth and depth seems to lend itself to R&B and Funk styles but under the hood lays a multitude of sounds ranging from punchy rock to rounded jazz tones.

I am quite impressed with the improved headroom of the new circuit and while it may take some time to navigate through the various features to find the sound you’re looking for, the results should not disappoint.

Suggested Retail Prices: ABM500RC: R 9,095.00 ABM410H: R 6,195.00 Supplier: Rockit Distribution Tel. No: 021 511-1800 www.rockitdistribution.co.za

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Gear Review |

SOUNDCRAFT SI PERFORMER

| words: Greg Bester

SOUNDCRAFT SI PERFORMER

A

s a sound guy, the intricacies of lighting have always eluded me. Sure, a lighting desk looks somewhat like a mixing console, but its overall operation remains somewhat nebulous. In my day, which really wasn’t that long ago, lighting and sound technicians were separate entities with clearly demarcated boundaries. I mean, I just never asked a lighting guy for help with a sound related problem beyond a personal favour, and vice versa. It just wasn’t done and I think we preferred it that way.

However, times are changing and the roles blurring to the point that we’re slowly seeing the emergence of the ‘do-all’ technician that must handle both the sound and lighting aspects of an event.

Apart from being a potentially huge cost saving opportunity for rental companies by, firstly, saving money on buying additional hardware and secondly, paying one guy to do two jobs, it also indicates that the nature of the game is changing rapidly; that digital has made our lives easier than we could have possibly imagined and has streamlined our work flow considerably.

Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you the Soundcraft Si Performer – a digital console that affords the user a fully professional audio feature set and the ability to control lighting from the same surface. Granted, this could scare a lot of technicians currently working for corporate AV companies who are thinking, “great, now I have to do two jobs in a twelve hour day!”, but it could be a complete blessing for the smaller guys who need both

a professional digital audio console and basic lighting control. Because do not be fooled - this is no Grand MA, but it’s certainly useful.

AUDIO FEATURES The Soundcraft Si Performer is a compact digital console with fully professional features. There are two current models, the Performer 2 and the Performer 3, offering 24 and 32 native mic inputs, respectively.

Both offer eight TRS line inputs.

However, despite the limitations of the native I/O, the control surface can handle a staggering 80 mix channels which is impressive, considering its size. Standard features include LCR panning, BSS graphic equalisers on every bus, 20-sub-group/aux buses, four FX buses, eight matrix buses, four stereo Lexicon effects engines and eight VCA buses.

The layout of the control surface is very typical of most digital mixers in that it has rows of

assignable faders and a channelstrip section where all parameters such as gain, input filtering, EQ, compression, gating, channel output delay, pan and master bus assignment are found. Each fader channel has a backlit fader, solo, select, and channel ON buttons, a small backlit LCD screen and a rotary encoder that can be assigned to gain, pan and filter at the touch of three buttons adjacently labeled.

There are fourteen mix bus select buttons, four matrix bus select buttons, four FX bus select buttons, all of which provide one-touch access to the relevant layer.

Controls are available for scene store, recall and navigation, VCA and mute group assignment buttons, and buttons for selection of each of the four layers: A, B, C or D. Meters include monitor, left, right and mono as well as a monitor level control and finally, there are buttons to access the GEQ for each output bus.

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All parameters are reflected in a full colour – albeit relatively small touch screen interface while a twistand-push style encoder knob scrolls and selects. From there the main internal features of the console can be set up and controlled such as assigning faders, routing, soft patching, scene recall, defining effects, colouring fader groups with Soundcraft's FaderGlow feature, and system and utility settings.

Probably one of the coolest features of this console is what Soundcraft curiously calls D.O.G.S: Direct Out Gain Stabiliser. This is a handy tool for when recording via direct outs. It basically locks the gain on the direct outputs so that you’re afforded the ability to change the channel gain for the console independently. This comes in handy when two consoles are networked to the same stage box.

Speaking of stage boxes, the Si Performer uses CAT5 over the HiQnet protocol or MADI (provided you have the MADI option card) to connect to any compatible stage box in the ViSi range, further expanding the i/o capabilities of the console and cutting down on analogue snakes and splitters.

The Si Performer supports a number of option cards including AES (DSUB), AES (XLR), Aviom,

CAT5 MADI, optical MADI, and CobraNet. Personal monitoring systems from Aviom and Cobranet can be connected provided the relevant option cards are installed.

Other audio i/o includes a stereo AES3 input, USB, and output, word clock, and MIDI i/o. Finally, FOH and monitoring functions can be controlled via the ViSi Remote Control iPad app and multiple iPads can be used on the same network.

LIGHTING Besides all the other audio features outlined above, the Si Performer has a single DMX output for connecting to lighting systems.

Accessing the DMX layer is as easy as pressing the ALT key and one of the four fader layer keys (A, B, C or D) simultaneously. Once the FaderGlow turns to white, each DMX channel name will be shown on the small channel LCD screens.

The DMX master will be on the MONO/SEL fader. Raising the DMX channel faders creates the desired scene.

By pressing the channel ON button, any channel can be ‘flashed’, lighting orange and setting the intensity of that channel to 100%/FL. Using the ISOlate function in the SHOW menu prevents undesired audio changes

when playing a lighting cue and vice versa.

DMX scenes and cues can be managed and saved via the cue list, accessed via the main touch sensitive LCD screen.

CONCLUSION The Soundcraft Si Performer is a very capable and powerful compact digital console that offers a multitude of professional features and the fact that it incorporates DMX lighting control is an interesting twist that I’m not sure not everyone saw coming.

However, I’m sure the fact that it does will open up a whole new opportunity for audio engineers to get their fingers wet on the lighting side and help rental companies cut costs in these harsh economic times.

Supplied by: Wild and Marr (Pty) Ltd Contact: 011 974-0633 info@wildandmarr.co.za www.wildandmarr.co.za

Imported and Distributed by

www.audiosure.co.za

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Gear Review | CHORD CSS90 | words: Greg Bester

CHORD CSS90

I

was struck with a pang of nostalgia when I was given a Chord CSS90 “rock guitar” for review. It is almost an exact copy of the Ibanez RG range - of the RG270 [that I had as a youngster] in particular, actually - and boasts all the same features.

Chord is a new arrival onto our shores and to the world for that matter, launched in 2010, based in the UK and no doubt manufactured in the East. Their goal is “to provide high quality instruments and accessories for all genres and playing styles that are within everyone’s reach.”

Admittedly, there isn’t a whole lot of information on the Chord brand due to the fact, I’m sure, that they are relatively new, but for what it’s worth, the CSS90 certainly seems well made and I’m sure we can find a niche for it here in our country.

Let’s take a look see.

HOW DOES IT SOUND? HOW DOES IT PLAY?

Quite nice, actually. If I closed my eyes, I could have been fooled into thinking this was an Ibanez. It feels exactly like my old RG270. However, my first gripe is that it took forever to tune. Once I got it in the ball park and locked the nut, it instantly went out of tune again by about 50 cents. After about another ten minutes of tuning and re-tuning, I finally got there but once I re-locked the net, I had to use the fine tuners on the bridge to get it to pitch again. Phew. I would probably install the extra spring if I bought this guitar as I would fit heavier strings to it to help keep it in tune a little better.

Otherwise, the guitar did what I expected and sounded typical of its features. On guitars such as these my favourite pickup selections are the second and fourth positions. I love that out-of-phase sound and it’s actually very suited to funk.

FEATURES The bridge position gives a The CSS90, as mentioned, is a super very edgy sound that’s great for Strat shape with a high gloss metallic rock and metal chugs, and the black finish reminiscent of the Ibanez neck position gives a lovely warm, RG series. Obviously, it’s aimed at the round sound that’s great for solos in rock and metal market because it the upper register or for playing sports a fairly aggressive shape and mellow jazzy stuff. Yup, you can do probably wouldn’t look at home in a that with this guitar. The middle pickup traditional jazz outfit. It has an alder gives a nice balance between the two body - the same wood Fender used and sounds great clean. for most Stratocasters - a bolt on Overall the pickups had a very maple neck, and a rosewood ‘spongy’ sound that could be a fingerboard - all pretty standard stuff good or a bad thing, depending on for guitars such as this. your tastes. They don’t have the Probably its biggest draw card is ‘hardness’ and transient the fact that it’s fitted with Wilkinson response of, say, EMG’s for pickups. Which Wilkinson pickups instance. They sound a little they are, exactly, is hard to say, but ‘slower’. the name at least inspires some sort of The result, however, is a confidence. decent, harmonically rich sound The hardware in general is brand- that will work for many styles; less including the double-locking vanilla, so to speak.

Floyd Rose-style bridge (complete with a locking nut) and the GroverCONCLUSION style tuners. Other features include global volume and tone controls (one The CSS90 is a versatile guitar of good value. Granted, it’s a rock guitar, control for all pickup positions) and a but its vast pickup selection offers a five way selector switch.

Lastly, the guitar comes standard variety of tones that will suit almost any style. I see this guitar being a hit with D’Addario strings, all the necessary Allen keys for adjusting the for young players looking for lots of tonal options without the heavy price various features, an extra spring for tag. the bridge, a whammy bar, and a complimentary guitar lead.

Suggested Retail Price: R 3,325.00 Supplier: TV Audio Tel. No: +27 11 805-9910 Website: www.tvaudio.co.za

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Gear Review | ORANGE TINY TERROR VS. DARK TERROR | words: Greg Bester

ORANGE TINY TERROR VS. DARK TERROR

A

fter previously reviewing a few Orange amps [Muse Dec/Jan ‘13], including the Tiny Terror combo, I was extremely grateful to receive both the Tiny Terror and Dark Terror lunchbox guitar heads along with a PPC212 2x12 cab to test.

I am a huge Orange fan and have always been pleased with the rugged, organic tone of their valve amps. Their solid state amps don’t sound too bad either, by the way, but their pedigree is rooted in Britain at a time when the valve was king and Orange was amongst the best. As a result, their tone is aggressive, yet not overly so, with a lovely, chimey harmonic structure.

When it comes to the Terror series, I probably have most experience with the Dual Terror head which was generously sponsored to me by the great Anton at Music Connection for one of my past tours. What a ledge.

Anyway, to my understanding, they are all built upon the same basic preamp circuit, and after testing the Tiny and the Dark for this review, that conclusion is evident.

Specifications Both amps are almost identical with the exception of differing tone controls plus the Dark Terror has an FX loop and is

finished in black instead of white.

Additionally, the Dark Terror has three 12ax7 preamp valves (I’m assuming for the FX loop) while the Tiny Terror has two.

Both amps are dual-EL84 powered amps and offer both 7w and 15w operation. There are the obligatory ON/OFF and standby toggle switches, which is also the wattage selection switch via three-way operation: the top position is 15w mode, the middle is standby, and the bottom is 7w mode.

Next to the standby switch is a vintagestyle orange power indicator light.

Controls number a grand total of three and they are, from left to right, VOLUME, TONE, and GAIN. On the Dark Terror, the TONE control is replaced by a SHAPE control. We’ll talk about that in the shootout. To the right of these controls is the guitar input ¼” jack. All controls, of course, have their associated pictograms that Orange has become famous for. Finally, on the rear of the amps there are three ¼” speaker output jacks: 16 Ohm, and two 8 Ohm for dual cab operation. The Dark Terror has FX loop jacks for SEND and RETURN.

The Shootout As usual, the guitar of reference is my Gibson SG Standard so after strapping on I chose to first plug into the Tiny Terror paired with the PPC212. The Tiny

Supplied by: Active Music Contact: 011 466-9510 Suggested Retail: Tiny Terror: R 5,895.00 Dark Terror: R 6,295.00 Terror, in brief, is designed to be compact yet powerful and flexible so it can supply anything from glassy cleans to high gain sear within a single gain range.

The TONE control is basically just a treble knob which brightens when turned clockwise and dulls when turned counter clockwise. For this reason, the Tiny Terror’s tone is consistent with the core Orange preamp tone – particularly in the midrange - which is a chimey, guttural, yet harmonically rich sound, teetering somewhere between tight and spongy.

The clean tones are mid-forward and sparkle quite nicely when turning the tone control up a bit. Using the PPC212, my expectations were confirmed in that it made the amp sound like a 2x12 open back combo, with an aggressive midrange typical of Vintage 30s and was slightly nasal with a polite bass response.

Switching cabinets, I then plugged in my Marshall 1935A 4x12. Of course, the aggressive midrange was tamed a bit and the bass response extended a lot lower. The harmonically rich, Chimey tone was still there but it was subdued in the nasal ranges and sounded, not unexpectedly, fuller due to the larger cab.

I personally preferred the warmer overall midrange response of the 1935A. The Dark Terror, while being somewhat very similar to the Tiny Terror in terms of features, overall preamp gain range and voicing, has a SHAPE control, which is basically a control that goes from maximum midrange to no midrange; scooped, so to speak. What was interesting was that turning it up also increased the preamp gain so it felt more like the highs and lows were being boosted before the preamp as opposed to midrange merely being cut. Tonally, the results observed when switching between cabs were consistent with those experienced with the Tiny Terror.

Overall the Dark Terror just seemed to be more suited to high gain sounds due to the scoopable midrange and added gain from turning up the SHAPE control. Pairing it with the 4x12 produced a high gain chuggiathan monster! These amps are truly versatile.

Conclusion Overall, the Tiny Terror and Dark Terror are fantastically loud, aggressive, character-driven, and versatile lunchbox amplifiers that I personally would love to own and I’m sure you would too.

R 6,295.00*

DT30H DUAL TERROR R 8,795.00*

15W TUBE GUITAR AMP HEAD

30W GUITAR AMP HEAD

• Tube driven FX loop • High gain preamp • Gig bag

• Power switch, Output valve switch • 1.5mm Zintec Chassis with steel vented top case • Padded Gig bag included

OR15H

R 5,895.00*

15W GUITAR AMP HEAD • Single Channel •Three Band EQ • 4 Stage Gain section • Classic 2 x EL84 class A valve configuration • 3 x 12AX7, 1 x 12AT7

60 Watts, 1 x 12” •13 ply high density 18mm birch plywood • Skid design feet for a tighter bass response & full range definition • A single Celestion Vintage 30 speaker • Excellent match for Tiny Terror series and other amp heads

* Recommended Retail incl. 14% VAT

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

• Lightweight and durable zintec chassis with vented top • Simple and intuitive control panel for no nonsense tone (volume, gain, tone) • 15w (or 7w) Class A, all-tube power • Included padded gig bag

240 Watts, 4 x 12” •18 mm high density birch ply •2 x parallel 1/4" input jacks • Hard wearing basketweave woven paper grill cloth • Skid design feet

120 Watts, 2 x 12” •13 ply high density 18mm birch plywood construction • Skid design feet help to acoustically couple the cabinet to the stage for a tighter bass response and full range definition •2 Celestion Vintage 30 speakers

20

Gear Review | WARWICK ROCKBASS® STREAMER NECK THRU. (STREAMER NT) | words: Alistair Andrews

®

WARWICK ROCKBASS

STREAMER NECK THRU. (STREAMER NT)

I

had the honour of unwrapping 4 of the new Warwick RockBass® models when they reached our sunny shores. These included the 6 String Corvette, Streamer Neck Thru, Streamer LX and the Robert Trujillo (Metallica) Signature Bass.

All of them are awesome basses, but for the purpose of this review I will focus on the Streamer Neck Thru, as I found this particular bass guitar extra special. It is available as 4-and 5-string and there is also a fretless model with Tiger stripe Ebony fingerboard.

First Impressions

great tones. In fact the MEC “PBass” Pickup configuration works perfectly for the tonal balance on the 4-string that I tested.

Versatility This instrument scores high on the versatility meter and can be tuned by using its own EQ controls to accommodate your playing style. Personally I reckon this particular bass is geared more towards Funk, World Music and Rock players, although with the EQ options I would not rule out Jazz and Fusion playing styles.

You can switch from tapping to slapping to fingerstyle without losing your awesome tone.

The Streamer Neck Thru has Verdict great balance which makes it Warwick basses have excellent feel much lighter than what it build quality. Couple that with actually is (4.3 kg - 4-string, an amazing tone and 4.5 kg - 5-string.) The curved competitive price on what is a body shape also adds to the very playable and awesomely ROBERT TRUJILLO 6 STRING CORVETTE STREAMER NECK THRU comfort of the instrument SIGNATURE BASS balanced bass guitar and you and the Neck-Thru design have a winner. It has to be said adds to overall stability of the that there aren’t many basses Sound neck. in this price range that offer a sound at To be honest, I was actually surprised by As with most Warwick basses some this level in my opinion. how great it sounds since I play on of the controls feature a centre detent.

The instrument really does look and custom basses exclusively, which I think Warwick has the habit of making their feel great and there is nothing I can find basses look really great and the Streamer should give me a good point of that I dislike to be honest. I am thinking of reference. I’ve never heard any bass in Neck Thru is no exception. This Bass getting one for myself as I give it a 12 out this price range sound this great. scores high in my books for great of 10.

The sound is warm, well balanced in aesthetics.

The other models the 6 String all registers, and if you open the treble The body is made of Alder (flanking Corvette, Streamer LX and the Robert knob a little, cuts like a hot knife through the Maple Neck) and the natural high Trujillo Signature are also pretty butter. The resonant Alder used for the polished surface emphasizes the wood awesome. I think that the 6 String body gives it a great amount of range superbly. The rosewood fret-board adds Corvette in particular, at R8,695.00 is a from the bass response to the midrange. a nice contrast. steal.

The neck, being made of denser The Warwick Just-A-Nut III is an The Robert Trujillo Signature bass is accurate two-piece height-adjustable nut, maple, gives the midrange more focus. also a great instrument. No wonder the Capping the neck with a dense, but open which is now made from a fibreglassman that adds the driving low-end to reinforced synthetic material called Tedur. grained rosewood fingerboard, adds a Metallica puts his stamp of approval on The 24 Jumbo Nickel-silver frets feel nice sweet treble to the top end of the it. tone. great and really easy on the fingers. This The low-end is also clean, solid and guitar has an amazing action for a bass punchy at the same time. The active MEC straight from the factory. The chrome 2-way electronics allow for a variety of hardware suits the rest of the instrument.

Suggested Retail Prices: Streamer NT - R 11,395.00 | Corvette, Streamer LX R 8,695.00 | Robert Trujillo Signature R 15,995.00 Supplier: Music Power | Tel. No: 011 466-9510

ROCKBASS

CORVETTE 6 STRING R 8,695.00*

Active 6-string e-bass |Alder body| Bolt-on maple neck with Ekanga veneers | Rosewood fingerboard | Scale length: 34" (long scale)| 24 frets| Active MEC Soapbar pickups| Active 2-way electronics Controls:1 x Volume, 1 x Balance, 1 x Treble, 1 x Bass| Chrome hardware|Just-A-Nut III

STREAMER NT 1 R 11,395.00* (5 string) Neck-Through | Curved Bodyshape | Warwick Machine Heads| Just-A-Nut III | Maple neck with Ekanga veneer stripes Rosewood fingerboard (fretted), Tigerstripe Ebony fingerboard (fretless) | Scale length: 34" (long scale) Alder body | Active MEC pickups | Active 2-way electronics | Chrome hardware

ROBERT TRUJILLO STREAMER Signature Bass R 15,995.00* Bolt-On |Carved Top & Flat Back |Available as 4 or 5-string |Just-A-Nut III |Maple neck with Ekanga veneer stripes |4-string regular neck |5-string special asymetrical neckshape |Tigerstripe Ebony fingerboard |Robert Trujillo mother-of-pearl inlays| Scale length: 34“ (long scale) |Alder body |Active EMG J/J pickups Active MEC 3-way electronics |Chrome hardware

* Prices are recommended retail including 14% VAT

The EX Series loudspeakers are suitable for near field main PA reinforcement with or without subwoofers, portable system or permanent installations, monitor in small stages and delay fills.

Suitable in places like: FoH Multi-functional room Auditorium and theatre Pub Bar Night club Commercial announcements

EX152 1200W RMS

EX153 1200W RMS LF + 300W RMS MHF

B Series subwoofers are suitable bass reinforcements for main PA systems, touring or permanent installation for small to large stages, indoor or outdoor live performances.

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

24

Gear Review | VOX DELAYLAB | words: Kalin Pashaliev

VOX DELAYLAB

T

he delay effects pedal has become hands down the most significant segment of a modern guitarist’s artillery. Since quite a big section of modern music is more ‘feel’ orientated, many guitarists have sacrificed virtuosic technique in exchange for the possibility of an escape from the conventional, which one can argue, is in itself is a ‘new’ form of virtuosity all together.

Whatever your view on the certain forms of musicianship out there may be, the delay unit plays a critical role in the creation of layers and textures, whilst simultaneously transforming a seemingly run of the mill guitar tone into a salvo or emotion, mystification, serendipity, or simply pleasure for the listener.

The VOX Delay Lab With all of the aforementioned taken into consideration, it is no great surprise why VOX – the creators of musical equipment since the days the Beatles had trouble growing facial hair – have created an all-in-one delay unit that groups together every conceivable delay/echo possibility known to present day musicians.

This pedal offers 10 delay categories including analogue, tape, digital, multi tap, dynamic, dual, modulated, stereo, ambient and reverse. On top of that it flaunts a loop function giving you up to 28 seconds of looping time.

Appearance, Inputs & Power The VOX Delaylab is a hefty mother. In Boss stomp pedal terms, about three or four of those placed alongside each other. In fact, this was the first reaction I got from a guitarist friend who is quite well known around Joburg’s musician circles for making grown men cry with his delay manipulations – the VOX Delaylab dwarfed the remainder of his pedals and I think that befuddled him a little.

It is heavy duty, though, and made with live performance in mind. It boasts a cast-metal frame dressed in an ivory-type finish and is topped with a metal faceplate. Its interface contains six dials, four switches and six push buttons. At the back you’ll find stereo

inputs and outputs and an expression/control pedal input. These already tell you that all possibilities are open to you with this unit. There is also the 9V power input. Off the bat, it is important to say that it’s best that you use a dedicated power supply or high quality power hub. Even though this pedal runs at 200mA, which is about average for a multi-effect pedals (dirt boxes draw over 10 times less than that), you’ll want to keep all periphery audio interjections out of the way. Alternatively, you also have the battery option.

Use and Playability The VOX Delaylab is easy to use. You’ll definitely need some time setting it up to your specifications, but once you get to know the pedal, editing it won’t be an issue.

I personally know certain effects pedals that required you to spend days getting it right. This is no such. One downside to the Delaylab is the looper, which only allows you to loop parts in real time and not save a section for next time round. But after all, the primary function of this pedal is its delay capabilities, not its loop function.

I personally had a lot of fun with the modulation and reverse delay

options. A great aspect when bypassing the pedal is that it won’t turn off abruptly as if something has broken or blown. The makers at VOX have really thought about the little details here.

The Verdict Weighed against other pedals of the high-end delay variety, such as the TC Electronics Flashback X4 and the Line 6 DL 4 (both retailing at about R5,000), the VOX Delaylab is a bargain - a more than ‘30% Less’ bargain - and although my delay virtuoso friend and I came across a bit of a hum after adding the pedal to his pedal chain, I’m sure there won’t be a problem when a high quality, dedicated power source is used. This pedal also works pretty well with the bass guitar.

If you’re looking to create a wall of sound and take your audience to space and back, the VOX Delaylab is definitely one that you should consider.

Supplier: Tuerk Music Technologies Contact: 011 792-8402 www.tuerkmusic.co.za Retail Price: R 3,350.00

26

Special Feature | VIVA AFRIKA HYBRID + PRODUCT LAUNCH | words: Dave Mac

I

n February this year (20th), Viva Afrika invited their dealers from all over South Africa to the launch of several new product lines for their proprietary brand, Hybrid+.

The venue for the event was the Thaba Ya Botswana, a four star eco hotel and spa located on the Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve in Johannesburg and surprisingly quite centrally located to both north and south of the region. The location was an excellent choice both in terms of accessibility and quality of services offered. Personally I’d recommend this hotel; the accommodation and view from the rooms is first class and the service was some of the best I’ve encountered around South Africa.

The event itself ran like clockwork and the Viva crew should be commended on a well thought out day that kept everybody interested and occupied throughout. Proceedings kicked off with the obligatory signing in and getting name tags, a bunch of product brochures and to a Capetonian, what I thought was a strange gift - an umbrella.

The penny dropped later in the day when I realised that the outdoor line array demonstration would be taking place in the late afternoon and we were, of course, on the Highveld - famous for its afternoon downpours.

The presentations were kept short and to the point; Director, Bernard Pienaar, welcomed guests who were seated in a large conference hall as he gave us all a bit of background to the new Hybrid + range, specifically the new D-Class amp range and the proprietary remote software that accompanies these new amps. What was evident from his brief talk is the thought and lengthy planning that has gone into the technology that they have used and the quality of the components that have been sourced for each product.

But hearing is believing and it wasn’t long before Head designer, Arthur Felix, took over to elaborate more on the loudspeaker ranges. Thereafter it was time to get down to the real reason (besides the free food and booze) everybody was there; to hear all the new

EXS221

BT12 MK11

VIVA AFRIKA HYBRID+ LAUNCH

LA212 Line Array Demo gear in action. Thankfully Viva had the smarts to keep the blagging to a minimum, then feed us and now it was finally time get to hear all the impressive looking gear on display.

The new ranges are pretty extensive and have clearly been well planned for the South African and indeed African continent market. In fact the very first demo shook the rafters of the large (almost auditorium size) conference hall.

Their words certainly rang true when they said “South Africans love their bass.”

New additions to the range include 3 new amplifiers; the 2.1, 2.2 and 4.1.

These are all high power class D amplifiers with resonant switch mode power supplies which incorporate power factor correction said to achieve 95% efficiency. As well as built in DSP, they also boast WiFi network control surface software compatible across Windows, Android 4 and IOS6 (iPAd).

The BT range is a new nearfield main PA range which includes 8, 10, 12 & 15” variants as well as a double 15, two single subs – a 12” and a 15” sub as well as a dual 18” sub.

There is also the more powerful EX series which includes 12 & 15 inch

PRIME212

variants, a double 15 and a 3-way 15 as well as a double 18 sub and a single and double 21” sub.

The aforementioned speakers are solid workhorses designed to cater for a large sector of the market but they have also introduced a new and uniquely designed range they coin their ‘ultimate trendy club series.’ This is the Prime Range and consists of a Prime10CX, the Prime212, a high powered double 12” (1000w + 1000w RMS) as well as their Prime218S, a double 18 sub. What makes these loudspeakers stand out is their octagonal shape which looks really retro and is claimed to deliver a ‘highly dynamic and holographic reproduction’ of sound.

We were told that these are available in various colours and they certainly blend perfectly into a club dancefloor as was evidenced by the custom dancefloor set up for the party afterwards, featuring Dino Bravo on the decks. Sound and lighting was very impressive at the party.

All-in-all this product showcase was an extremely well planned and executed event. Our attention was sustained throughout the day, with concise, informative presentations, excellent sound displays (Alex Felix should be commended for his choice of music used) and superb hospitality.

Gauging the general feeling of those present, the products that piqued most interest were the BT8 MK11 (packs a punch) and the B212 for their compactness [and price], the single and double 21 subs and the LA212 Line array which was demonstrated to us outdoors, thankfully without the traditional Highveld downpour.

28

Band Tips | REAL LIVE SOUND | words: David Chislett

REAL LIVE SOUND

B

y now everyone has realised that live performance has returned to being one of the most important aspects of any musical artist’s life. Failing CD sales, an uncertain digital future and a fickle, constantly moving target for an audience has meant that live performance is very, very important.

As a result, being good on stage has also begun to enjoy more attention from artists than it has for some time. You’ve got to be able to move, to put on a show, not just run through your tunes. You need to look good, move well, perform flawlessly and in general, stand out from the crowd of other wannabes that are also competing for that R 500 from the door takings tonight.

One area that you might want to think very hard about is your actual sound. Its one thing making sure you all look good and can groove like Justin Timberlake on MDMA, but what do you SOUND like?

For most music punters, they are half expecting you to sound exactly like you do on record anyway. And here you are, in a tiny club with a second rate PA and some guy you’ve never seen before pushing the

buttons on a desk that looks like it came out of the arc. Not ideal. Not going to showcase how good you really are. In short, you’re going to sound like shit.

Most top artists travel with their own sound guy for this reason and this reason alone. You need to sound your best whenever you step on stage. Working with one guy means they can get a feel for everything you do and know exactly how you are supposed to sound. Even on a bad PA with limited gear, someone who knows you is always going to get better sound for you than just some dude. Also they will give a damn, whereas often house engineers don’t.

When you are in a festival environment and the engineer has been on the desk for 8 hours already, you will WANT some fresh ears to make sure you sound just perfect.

That poor guy’s ears need a good rest. You will be doing him a favour!

But your own sound guy is worth more than just that. He can help you adjust your on stage sound to get the best from your amps and monitors, not overworking your gear or your voices as a result. Your resident sound guy is the best pre-production resource you have for recordings. You can record and demo all your new

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 material with ease and generally just make sure that every time you step on stage you KNOW how it is going to sound. If you don’t ever have to worry about what you’re going to sound like, then you can really focus on those splits jumps and high notes and getting your eye make-up just right before each show.

A regular sound guy is the difference between weekend warriors and people being serious about making progress. Your bass player or drummer can only set the sound up one way during sound check, they can’t do much about it once the venue is full and the acoustics have changed.

And besides, for good sound, outside ears are always the best idea.

The bassist will always put too much bass and the guitarist will always make the guitars too loud. The vocalist, well, they have never known how to do sound, so don’t worry about that! Take your music seriously enough to employ a regular guy thereby giving them the chance to work hard and seriously on what you should sound like. It’s the best answer to sounding great every time you step on stage.

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

30

Guitar Maintenance | THE LOST ART OF TUNING | words: Alan Ratcliffe

THE LOST ART OF TUNING

W

hen I started to play guitar three decades ago, tuning a guitar took a fair bit of effort - especially for the beginner. This was because the only way to tune was by using something that played a reference note – pitch pipes, a tuning fork or another instrument like a piano and tuning to that. Particularly for a beginner’s undeveloped ears, this usually proved to be quite a task.

So, many new players resigned themselves to the fact that their guitar would only be in tune when someone else tuned it for them (usually by their teacher at their weekly lesson). Over time as our ears developed, we were able to do it ourselves and most of us managed to get quite good at it, some even able to tune a single errant string in the middle of a song without the audience noticing.

Thankfully, modern electronic tuners have changed all that. They are wonderful devices that allow even the newest player to tune their guitar quickly, easily and accurately. They come in all sorts of formats: those that fit in your guitar case or bag; pedal tuners that sit on your

pedalboard and mute the guitar while you tune; large, rack-mounted models you can see from the other side of the stage; and small types that clip on the headstocks of your guitars.

Most multi-effect pedals, some amps and even many electro-acoustic guitars have tuners built-in. There are even a few guitars that can tune themselves automatically these days.

However, electronic tuners do have their limitations, so you should never rely entirely on your tuner.

TUNE YOUR EARS The first problem with using an electronic tuner all the time is they do not help to develop your ear, which as a musician is the most important tool you have. In fact, they may even actively get in the way of you developing your ear. I often see players who obviously rely on their tuners too much – those who cannot hear that their guitar is out of tune until they stop playing and check it with their tuner, others who can’t hear how far to bend a note before it resolves.

There are also those times when you forget your tuner at home, drop and break it or find your battery is flat.

So it’s a very good idea to be able to tune the good old-fashioned way too.

There is an easy method to do this: whenever you can, simply tune one string (usually your low E string) with your tuner and then tune the others using that as a reference, then double-check with your tuner and see how close you were.

This method trains your ears and is accurate, but the one thing it is not (at least at first) is fast, so it probably shouldn't be your method for tuning during a show.

CHECK YOUR TUNER Tuners are electronic devices and they can vary – particularly the inexpensive beginners' models, but also, even the best tuner will drift over time as components age and their values drift. In this case, you might find that when you and a band mate each tune with your own tuners, while each guitar is in tune with itself, they are slightly out of tune with each other. In fact, when you record, the engineer or producer will usually have the whole band tune up to one single tuner to avoid this problem.

So, it’s a good idea (and fairly easy) to check your tuners against each other, simply by tuning your guitar on one and then checking it on as many other tuners as you have access to. It’s worth noting that some of the better tuners can be calibrated (adjusted) by a trimpot on the circuit board. Many others can be adjusted by setting the reference pitch (usually an A note at 440 Hz) up or down a few Hertz.

32

Tutorial | PLAY BETTER BASS | words: Alistair Andrews

PLAY BETTER BASS PUTTING THE BITS TOGETHER

T

he electric bass guitar is only about 50 years old and there are so many aspects of the instrument yet to be discovered. In this issue I would like to give a short overview on bass guitar technique.

I normally play the G MAJOR scale as shown on the diagram below.

For C MAJOR I will use the same pattern starting on fret 8.

A musical instrument is normally designed with the following in mind: 1) The sound it needs to create, coupled with 2) The “average” human body.

As instrumentalists we adapt our hands and body to the musical instrument. That is why pros who can afford it, get custom-made instruments to suit their bodies and style of play.

FINGERING: E-String; 1,2,4 A-String; 1,2,4 D-String; 1,2, (shift position) 1,3,4 G-String; 1,2,3,4

I don’t think that there is a correct way of playing the bass. There are better and worse ways though. But while every player is unique, each one is physically, mentally and culturally different.

You should choose the bass techniques you use for the results they produce. A big mistake, especially for the self-taught, is to choose what comes easiest. The path of least resistance doesn’t always work so well. Some results are going to be hard to achieve. You’re going to have to work at it. When people listen to you play, they don’t care how easy it is for you. They only care about the results of your bass playing. Does it sound good? That is what should determine the bass techniques you use.

Take out the 4th and the 7th and you will get the G MAJOR PENTATONIC Scale over two Octaves.

A good teacher/mentor can help you grow as a bassist and guide you in the development of an original voice.

Just because something works for one bassist doesn’t make it so for all of them.

Thinking about the end result gives you creative freedom to experiment. Don’t hesitate to experiment. Try things the way other successful bassists have done in the past.

There must be a reason why the great bass players sound so different from one another. If you examine the bass technique of many of the greatest bassists, you will see each has a unique approach but at the same time they achieve a lot of common results from all their different techniques. It is these results we need to pay attention to and figure out various ways to accomplish them - whether we copy the techniques of other bassists, or blaze our own path.

FINGERING: E-String; 1,2,4 A-String; 1,3 D-String; 1,2,4 G-String; 1,2,4 It will not be a bad idea to check out the MODES of the MAJOR and MINOR Scales over 2 Octaves. The G LYDIAN mode in the example below:

Studying bass technique is about examining the better and worse ways of producing good bass-playing results.

Check the example below of the C MAJOR Scale over 2 Octaves.

You will notice two completely different ways of playing this Scale, as the bass has duplicate notes. (Notes with the same pitch on a different string and position).

I

Continued on Page 34...

34

Tutorial | PLAY BETTER BASS | words: Alistair Andrews

SOME IMPORTANT THINGS TO CONSIDER, WHEN YOU ARE WORKING ON YOUR TECHNIQUE: 1) Avoid Injury The most important goal of your bass technique is to avoid injuring your hands, back, ears, or anything else that may arrest your ability to play bass. You want to play bass for the rest of your life.

2) Clarity and Good Tone Each note you play should ring clearly with a full, pleasing tone.

No unwanted buzzing No unintentional muffled or muted notes No unwelcome open strings ringing in the background No unintentional harmonics No other accidentally produced extraneous noises It is quite a tall order, but you have to learn to control all of these aspects of the bass guitar.

3) Economy/Efficiency In the early stages this is difficult.

Your attention is divided and you’re just trying so hard to play something. With time and practice, things will become more and more effortless. But, you must develop a relaxed technique by consciously working on and thinking about it. You need to make a habit of being relaxed.

Once you build your confidence, things “flow” better.

Continued from Page 32...

4) Accuracy You need to develop accuracy with where you place your fingers, your tone and your rhythm. Accuracy comes from a lot of patient, mindful practice.

Early in your playing you will have a lot of problems with consistency. Experience cannot be bought, so the more you do something, the better it gets.

5) Focus on the Music There are many schools of thought about practicing and I know that not everybody will agree with me on this one, but I believe that anything you practice that does not include musical content and/or context, which isn’t engaging the mind as you practice, is useless and will not improve your bass guitar playing skills.

6) It is not only about the notes Notes are obviously very important, but they stand alongside the elements of rhythm, feel, phrasing, articulation, technique, dynamics, tone, space, and listening. Many bass players become fixated on playing correct notes, while ignoring other equally important fundamentals.

7) Playing along to recordings Another important method to learning rhythm and groove is by listening to and playing along with killer recordings. You probably already have a handful of favourite albums that you keep going back to, just because they

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feel so good, year after year.

These days there is also a lot of learning material, without the bass track, available to play along to.

SOMETHING ABOUT TIME The best time-feel practice begins with your body alone: prove that you have mastered the beat without the external complication of an instrument, which can be added at the final stage of practice. The best practice is also initially distant from any written music.

To begin, set a metronome to resonate on beats two and four of a moderate 4/4-swing tempo.

(This ground beat mimics a drummer's hi-hat.) Alone or with a partner, listen to the beat: match it with your finger-snaps, and then turn down the metronome's volume to an inaudible level. After a few measures, restore the volume and compare your beat to the metronomes.

If they didn't match, consider a common cause: not feeling the pulse on the silent beats. By moving your forearm silently in rhythm between the metronome's pulses, most people improve their accuracy. This is the first step to internalizing the beat: physically (but silently) feeling all pulses between what the metronome provides you.

I trust that these ideas will help you as you work on you technique. Till next time … keep the groove!!!!!

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36

Tutorial | PLAY BETTER GUITAR | words: Kurt Slabbert

PLAY BETTER GUITAR THE MODES OF THE MAJOR SCALE

W

elcome to our first tutorial in 2013; I have decided to tread on new territory and will take this lesson and the rest of this year to try demystify and unlock the modes of the major scale.

We will begin by looking at

their names and looking at some of the players that utilise the different modes and how these modes have become their sound.

So we will start with the Theory behind the Modes of the Major scale; what is simple can become very confusing, as

guitarists we become so locked into patterns as opposed to sounds. I would like to challenge you to think of the Modes of the Major scale as a sound as opposed to a pattern on the guitar neck.

THE THEORY So don’t run away here, take a deep breathe, and realise it really is simple to understand.

In the Major scale we have 7 notes for example: 1 C Do

2 D Re

3 E Me

4 F Fa

5 G So

6 A La

7 B Ti

1 C Do

A

B

C

La

Ti

Do

C major scale T=Tone St=Semi-tone The major scale has a formula spelling as follows if we look at the distances between each note of the major scale.

C T Do

D T Re

E st

T Me

F T Fa

G T

st So

This is why we end up with no sharps (#) and flats (b) in the key of C Major.

If we take a different scale for instance let us begin by starting on D

! D to E would be a Tone, which suits the formula ! E to F would be a Semi-tone and it needs to be a Tone therefore we have our first sharp and it will be F# ! F# to G is a Semi-tone which once again suits our formula So by following this pattern we will end up with: 1 D Do

2 E Re

3 F# Me

4 G Fa

5 A So

That gives us the key of D major, which has 2 #’s

6 B La

7 C# Ti

1 octave D D

37 So now we have constructed our Major scale, the next step is building a chord off each note of the major scale, so instead of playing the single one note scale we play a harmonised Major scale.

Triads are 3 note chords; here we have the C Major scale harmonised in triads.

1 C MAJ

2 D min

3 E min

4 F MAJ

5 G MAJ

6 A min

7 B Dim

1 C MAJ

5 G Dom7

6 A min7

7 B m7b5

1 C MAJ7

C major scale Harmonized in triads

Harmonised as 4 note chords we get the following: 1 C MAJ7

2 D min7

3 E min7

4 F MAJ7

C Major scale Harmonised in 7ths, 4 note chords This would be the first Modal theory to learn as we begin to delve into Modes, knowing which chords have what tonalities as the Modes will follow on from this.

Here are the Names of the seven Major Modes: ! Ionian ! Dorian ! Phrygian ! Lydian ! Mixolydian ! Aeolian ! Locrian Over this year we will begin to unpack each Mode as we try and learn how they sound and how they can be used to their full effect. Some of the Modes are known by different names so we will look at that too.

As you can see there are 7 Modes and Seven letters in the Major scale.

Modes and the Major scale are Family, these Modes are derived from the Major scale. For instance in the Key of C Major we get:

! ! ! ! ! ! !

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C Ionian D Dorian E Phrygian F Lydian G Mixolydian A Aeolian B Locrain

In the next issue we will take this further and try and help you understand how Modes work. If you have any questions please drop me an email on kurt@bluenoise.co.za

38

Your Private Universe | CONDENSER MICROPHONES | words: Jonathan Pike

CONDENSER MICROPHONES

F

ollowing on from the last issue, where we looked at the technology behind dynamic microphones, I’d like to spend this issue looking at another common microphone type: the Condenser microphone. The condenser mic is a go to mic for the studio and can be used on a variety of sources.

A Condenser microphone transduces sound quite differently to a dynamic microphone. The Condenser mic does away with the heavy moving coil construction of the dynamic mic and replaces this with an electrical capacitor. The name condenser comes from the fact that capacitors were originally called condensers. Without getting too technical, here is a simplified explanation of how this system works.

A diaphragm is mounted above a conductive back plate. A polarising voltage (usually 48volts) is applied to the diaphragm by an external power source in order to charge it with a fixed, static voltage. This construction creates the capacitor. When the diaphragm vibrates in response to a sound, it moves closer to and then further away from the back plate. An electrical charge is induced in the back plate and changes in proportion with the acoustic sound waves. This changing voltage is thus an electrical representation of the acoustic sound.

In order to supply the polarising voltage (called phantom power) an external power source is needed and this is usually supplied by your console or interface.

Ok, now that is out of the way, what are the practical implications of these differences? Well, because of this construction the diaphragm can be made very light, thus there is no longer the need for the heavy coil that is attached to the diaphragm in dynamic mics. This means that there is less inertia to overcome to get the diaphragm moving, therefore the diaphragm can respond better to high frequencies.

Remembering that dynamic microphones effectively start rolling

off frequencies above 15KHz, this makes condenser microphones the better choice to accurately capture high frequencies. This also means that condenser microphones have a better transient response, meaning that they are able to respond quicker to sudden percussive sounds.

The fact that the microphone is powered by an external power source also means that it has a better signal to noise ratio as well as having a higher sensitivity and louder output signal than dynamic microphones. This external power can also be offered by a battery rather than from the console or pre-amp stage.

There are some disadvantages to condenser microphones too. Firstly they are generally more expensive than dynamic mics. They also tend to be more fragile and can be easy broken if dropped.

Condenser mics also come in either large or small diaphragm format. Large diaphragm mics tend to pick up the full audible frequency range pretty accurately and are generally used for vocals or any source that has a wide frequency range. Small diaphragm condensers on the other hand are often better at capturing high frequencies than low frequencies.

I would suggest using a small diaphragm condenser on any sound source that doesn’t contain much low frequency content. The smaller diaphragm is generally lighter still and therefore lends itself to a great transient response.

Condenser microphones often have switchable polar patterns. This basically means that there are settings that allow the mic to pick up sound from varying directions. You can have a mic that picks up sound exclusively from the front, one that picks up from all directions or even one that picks up from the front and back but rejects sound from the sides. I will look at microphone polar patterns in detail in a future issue.

Condenser microphones are one of the most widely used mics in the studio due to their sensitivity. They are generally not used on stage because they are very sensitive and can therefore easily cause feedback. They are also more susceptible to environmental conditions and can be broken easily if dropped.

In the next issue we will look at one more microphone type; the Ribbon microphone.