MUSE Tech - Dec'12-Mar'13

Imported and Distributed by

www.audiosure.co.za

Imported and Distributed by

www.audiosure.co.za

4

EDITION 23 | DEC/JAN ‘13 | Proud Supporters of SA Music!

CONTENTS tech 3 6 8 10 12 16 20 24 26 28 30 32 34 38 40

Editors Note and Index Cover Review: Stagg James Neligan Deveron Series Gear News Gear Review: Yamaha MPR Series Gear Review: Orange Amps: Tiny Terror / Crush Pix / Bass Terror Instrument Review: Cort Sunset 1 Gear Review: Beyerdynamic TGV50D Mic Gear Review: Morley Pedals Instrument Review: Washburn WD45SCE Electro Acoustic Special Feature: SAE Institute After Dark Sessions Tutorial: ASE Tutorial: Sidechaining Simplified Guitar Maintenance with Alan Ratcliffe Play Better Bass with Alistair Andrews Play Better Guitar with Kurt Slabbert Your Private Universe: Dynamic Microphones

12 6 10

22

20

T

here was a time in this country when buying a musical instrument left one with only a handful of options in terms of the brands that were available. Africa still tends to be the dumping ground for the western world. Just travel through the continent and you will find plenty evidence of this, especially in the world of sound and music. Bad PA systems and dodgy instruments are just some of the tribulations that musicians have dealt with in their quest to create and perform, usually on a shoestring budget...

Thankfully we have a broad range of distributors in this country determined to bring you the best available in a vast range of products. Muse Magazine is testament to that with each edition illustrating clear evidence of the variety on offer, from budget to top of the range.

What has changed significantly over the past 10 or so years though is that the so-called ‘budget’ gear has become a lot better, narrowing the divide between these and the top of the range products.

This edition’s cover review is a good example of a brand that bridges the gap between what can be termed budget and professional. Just read Nic’s review on the three Stagg James Neligan Deveron guitars he tried out.

Elsewhere there is further evidence in this edition to the great variety on offer; Greg looks at the new Yamaha MPR mixer series, perfectly suited to bands looking for live PA gear or for studio use. He also tried out the beyerdynamic TGV50D microphone and was clearly impressed. But Greg also likes to crank the old axe so we gave him three Orange amplifiers to bust a melody with. You can read his thoughts on page 12.

16

26

Kalin put some Morley wah pedals through their paces, the end result being his rendition of Mike Myers’ moley moley moley being sung out from the rafters, except of course the chant was Morley, Morley, Morley. Suffice to say, Kalin enjoyed the pedals.

All round guitar guru, Alan Ratcliffe meticulously accounts for the Cort 1 Sunset guitar and as I’m sure readers will agree; when Alan talks guitar, we all listen!

Lastly, Nic also jammed ‘till his heart’s content on a Washburn Electro Acoustic - the WD45SCE - we think he enjoyed the experience, in fact we know he did!

Musicians... they can be a little cryptic at times. Enjoy and have a music filled holiday season.

Dave Mac

6

Cover Review | STAGG JAMES NELIGAN DEVERON SERIES SOLID TOP ACOUSTICS | words: Nic Roos

STAGG JAMES NELIGAN DEVERON SERIES SOLID TOP ACOUSTICS “...the James Neligan solid top Deveron Series takes things up a few notches for Stagg.”

T

he Stagg name is a ubiquitous presence in the entry-level guitar market, offering a wide variety of very affordable instruments.

While their price makes them generally attractive to beginners, they also offer plenty to the more seasoned player.

Recently they released a range of solid top acoustics under the James Neligan name which cater particularly to different types of players and offer great quality and value at their customary highly competitive prices.

I have reviewed three of the five models in the hand built solid top Deveron Series. These are the DEV DCFI cutaway Dreadnaught, DEV ACFI cutaway Auditorium and DEV PFI Parlour models.

AT A GLANCE The solid top Deveron Series displays an unusual but tasty choice of mahogany as its tone wood. The series’ subtle features add up to a great dark and understated look. All models sport a solid mahogany top, mahogany back, sides and neck, a rosewood 20 fret fretboard with maple dot inlays, a satin finish, black binding on the body and fretboard, as well as a faux herringbone sound hole inlay.

The quality of the construction is excellent. The only difference between the models is their body shapes, otherwise they all have slim, comfortable necks that, along with the satin finish and low action, make playing a breeze. They also feature good quality tuning heads and the great sounding Fishman Isys T pickup/tuner system that takes up very little room and allows for basic tone tweaking.

The Fishman’s on-board tuner is also very responsive and accurate

with a simple, easy-to-read circular led display. Conveniently, the pickup system comes with its own 9 volt battery.

While the fretwork is immaculate, the low action causes a bit of fret buzz here and there on each guitar. However, this can be remedied through proper setup.

What is immediately apparent when playing these guitars is the ample amount of sustain, projection and clarity they each have. This is quite impressive for budget instruments! There is a slight boxy character in the sound of each model, but, whereas on other entry level guitars it is usually a sign of poor quality, here it is actually quite a pleasing accent to the mid-range frequencies.

You will also notice a slight stiffness to the sound, but because this is in part due to the mahogany, it will most certainly soften with prolonged play and age.

Overall I am quite impressed.

The look, sound and feel of each of these guitars suggest a level of quality that exceeds the price tag.

DEV DCFI DREADNAUGHT The Dreadnaught is the biggest of the three, both in terms of its size and its sound. Unsurprisingly its tone has more low-end body than the other two, but this is balanced by punchy, clear highs that make it perfect for solo strumming.

However, it will also cut nicely through a full band mix. Playing single note lines with a pick really reveals the cutting midrange attack as each note blooms with a gorgeous sustain. Of the three guitars this is the one which had the most fret buzz.

However, I would love to hear it once it is properly set up, as this will bring even more clarity to its tone.

Plugged in through a PA system, I was surprised at the amount of high

DEV DCFI Dreadnaught mids coming through. The Fishman really accentuates the stiffness of this guitar but this can be dampened somewhat on the pickup controls with the contour button, which cuts some of the mids.

This guitar is suited more toward conservative playing styles. It is great for embellished country style picking and strumming.

7 DEV ACFI CUTAWAY AUDITORIUM For a small-bodied, single cutaway guitar there is a lot of depth to the Auditorium model, with plenty of dynamics and a wonderful chiming yet warm tone which I found inspiring to play. It handles single lines very well and hugs each note with gentle low mids and singing highs. The clarity and tonal depth makes this an excellent strummer which will compliment vocals nicely.

When plugged in this little compact devil sounds huge! I am surprised to say that the Fishman sounds richer and a lot more fullbodied than on the Dreadnaught and it really maintains the Auditorium’s dynamic feel.

This is a versatile guitar that is as well-suited to finger-picking as it is to simple riffing or dynamic strumming. The richness of the tone is really complimented by the Fishman and will be a great asset for any gigging guitarist.

DEV PFI PARLOR This curvy little acoustic is incredibly comfortable to play and offers a very pure and uncluttered tone with a pleasant midrange boxiness that lends itself to fingerpicking and folk styles with punch and plenty of projection.

The guitar really comes into its own with gentler playing. It is sweetened by the guitar’s natural sustain, which, when played with a pick, gives it an almost dulcimer-like quality. The by now characteristic mahogany mid-range cut lurks just under the surface and sings out easily when strumming hard.

The Fishman translates this tone quite faithfully and transparently when plugged in, retaining a sense of intimacy while projecting clearly.

DEV PFI Parlor

DEV ACFI Cutaway Auditorium

of these guitars and the quality of their electronics really make them stand out. Each model caters for a CONCLUSION different playing style, so any If I had to pick a favourite I think the guitarist should be able to find his or DEV ACFI Auditorium comes out her favourite among them. The tops as it has the richest, most different models available cater to versatile tone of the three. It’s the the full range of playing styles. first cutaway Auditorium-shaped With great tones, quality acoustic I have heard that does not material and construction above sacrifice tone for compactness. their class, they offer great value for Overall, the James Neligan solid money for anyone starting out or for top Deveron Series takes things up a gigging musicians on a budget. few notches for Stagg. The sustain

Supplier: Audiosure Tel. No: 011 790-4600 Suggested Retail Price: Guitars on review: R 3,199.99 incl. VAT each Other models in range: Auditorium Guitar Solid Top-MAHOGANY R 2,399.99 incl. VAT Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar Solid Top-MAHOGANY R 2,399.99 incl. VAT

8

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

Gear News HOT HAND® 3 UNIVERSAL WIRELESS EFFECTS CONTROLLER The Hot Hand 3 Universal Wireless Effects Controller expands significantly on the breakthrough technology of the original Hot Hand, broadening its compatibility to include non-Source Audio pedals. A 3-axis accelerometer translates motion into a dynamic and precise expression signal, which can be applied to a range of effect parameters, including filter sweeps, drive levels, modulation, and wet/dry mixes.

The lightweight and wireless ring is capable of transmitting over 100 feet and fits comfortably on the hand, foot, or instrument headstock. Hot Hand 3 connects to all Soundblox®, Soundblox 2, Soundblox Pro, and Hot Hand pedals via the 1/8” SENSOR OUTPUT. The receiver base station also features a standard 1/4” EXPRESSION OUTPUT

compatible with most third-party pedals equipped with a 1/4” expression input, such as the Boss PS-5 Pitch Shifter, Eventide Space Reverb, Line 6 DL4, and many more.

The system consists of a wireless sensor ring, ring charger/DC power supply, receiver base station, and sensor cable. The ring is powered by a rechargeable/replacea ble lithium ion battery, with an average operation time of 6 hours between charges.

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

MU-SERIES MIDI/USB CONTROLLER KEYBOARDS Controller keyboards with full size velocity-sensitive keys for use with MIDI sound modules or PC/Mac via USB. Additional control is available via assignable pitch and modulation wheels, slider and 4 dual function rotary encoders.

Further menu and parameter settings can be edited from the Edit and +/- keys in combination with the note keys and 3-character LED display.

Designed as a central part of any DAW system and for live MIDI control. ! Powered by USB or 9Vdc (optional) ! Full size velocity sensitive keys ! 5 x keyboard velocity curves

(selectable)

! Assignable wheels, slider and rotary

controls ! Program editing via note keys ! 3 character LED display ! Windows XP/Vista/7 and Mac OS/X

compatible ! USB A to B lead included

Available in 25, 49 and 61-key models.

TV Audio | (011) 805-9910 www.tvaudio.co.za

THE G&L 2012 SPECIAL COLLECTION If you’ve got a thirst for thin finishes, you’ll find these refreshing axes from the G&L crew in Fullerton especially satisfying. This 2012 Special Collection features G&L’s newlydeveloped Nearly Naked™ (NENA) finish in a delectable hue called Honey Ale, applied over premium two-piece swamp ash bodies and tastefully paired with a rare, NOS Baltic Amber pick guard (where applicable).

Having worked with a variety of staining and burnishing techniques, G&L craftsmen developed the Nearly Naked finish blending old-world techniques with modern finish technology.

Conventional staining techniques can produce stunning results on flame or quilt maple with their uniform grain patterns, but these same techniques applied to swamp ash with its wide grain variation often provides disappointing results. Applying a

9

BT PAR 18TC HIGH POWER LED PARCAN This high Power LED PARCAN is perfect for rental companies, discotheques, pro DJs, etc. Uses 18 powerful 3W RGB “CREE-brand" LEDs in a classic PAR armature. It features excellent built-in programs for wonderful, ever-changing, light shows. Supports standalone (custom colours or automatic/beat synchronized colour changes), Master/slave (up to 16 units can be used together for wonderful pre-programmed, music synchronized lightshows - optional CA-8 controller possible)and DMXcontrolled (5 modes: 4 DMX 4ch modes: R, G, B + Dimmer/strobe/sound chase; 1 DMX 6ch mode: R, G, B, Master dim, strobe & colour macro with 32 presets).

! Controlled by the optional LEDCON-02 DJ-controller

! Compatible with CA-8: optional wired remote for improved and easy (DMX) master/slave control

! Thanks to the double bracket, it can be used as floor projector, under any

possible projection angle

! Very smooth RGB colour

!

! !

changes and TV-studio proof thanks to high freq. dimming electronics Different ways to set DMX start address: Fast remote DMX addressing using any standard DMX-controller.

In master/slave mode you can address all units automatically.

Beam angle = 25° (medium spot)

Technical Specifications ! Mains Input: 100-240Vac, 50/60Hz ! Power consumption: 69 Watt ! Fuse: 250V 6,3A slow blow (20mm

incl.)

! Weight: 2,9 kg Sound & Light City | (011) 312-1001 www.soundandlightcity.co.za

glass)

! Sound Control: Internal microphone ! DMX connections: XLR 3pin ! LEDs: 18pcs 3in1 3W LEDs (CREE brand)

! Beam angle: 25° ! Size: diameter 200 mm x 379 (bracket

RCF MYTHO REFERENCE MONITORS Since 1949 RCF has been at the forefront of the audio industry constantly innovating in technology to develop groundbreaking products for every professional audio need. Thanks to their great heritage they are one of only a few loudspeakers manufacturers worldwide who have the ability to completely design and manufacture transducers, speaker systems, amplification, cabinets and control electronics. This allows them to offer innovative projects with finite control of each detail and to create the components that perfectly match each other for every product.

The same care and attention has been used for the Mytho Series, a brand new line of reference monitors that combine the legendary quality and reliability of RCF precision transducers with the latest development in digital amplification technology and acoustic design.

BRINGING PROFESSIONAL AUDIO ATTITUDE TO THE STUDIO A studio reference monitor is the key tool for the recording engineer to transform a live sound performance in a mix that will be played by people at their home or on their portable players.

This concept was the foundation of RCF’s designing process for the Mytho speakers. In their history they had the opportunity to explore and manufacture live sound products, hi-fi products and also to introduce some notable technological innovations in the studio recording technology such as the integrated tweeter-midrange system in their 1990 RCF SDC6000 studio monitors.

This is why they decided to combine their state of the art active live sound systems experience with their 30 plus years of hi-fi audio heritage to create a studio monitor which represents the connection between these two worlds.

dark stain can hide a mottled appearance, but this masks much of the wood’s beauty. G&L’s Nearly Naked finish is different, using a proprietary finishing technique for a naturally balanced appearance. What’s more, the Nearly Naked finish is surprisingly durable yet still manages to reveal the wood’s natural texture to the touch.

The G&L company was Leo Fender’s vision, an avenue for him to pioneer new ideas in guitar and bass design. At G&L, Leo’s engineering brilliance rewarded musicians around the world, as he focused all the knowledge and experience he had gained in the prior thirty years to create, in his words, “the finest instruments I have ever made.”

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

Proaudio | (011) 822-1430 | www.proaudio.co.za

10

Gear Review | YAMAHA MGP SERIES MIXERS | words: Greg Bester

YAMAHA MGP SERIES MIXERS

C

ompanies like Yamaha are constantly evolving. From their first mixer in 1972, the PM200, to their first digital mixer, the DMP7, and now to their newly released CL5, they have a broad history in both the digital and analogue domains and have progressed through many innovations.

So - moving along with current trends - we now see mixers, like the MGP series, that incorporate next-level design philosophies and digital features which put us in touch with the bleeding edge of technology. Currently there are two models; the MGP12X and the MGP16X. This review covers the common features of both.

Features The MGP mixers are classed as compact mixers. At first glance they look quite similar to the older MG series, albeit with rounder edges, new, brightly coloured knobs, a more robust chassis, and a more modern feel overall.

The preamps are new, too, and are dubbed the “D-PRE”. The “D”, I assume from my research, stands for “Darlington”, which is the design on which the preamp is based, albeit inverted. Without boring you too much with the minutia, a Darlington design constitutes two bipolar transistors in series whereby the signal from the first transistor is amplified by the second. This results in a higher gain than both transistors are capable of producing on their own. Each microphone preamp on the MGP series includes its own discrete 48V phantom power, high pass, and pad.

The EQ is new too and Yamaha has called it their proprietary “X-pressive EQ”. Based on vintage designs (a common marketing catch phrase these days), it has its roots in VCM (Virtual Circuit Modeling) effects that Yamaha developed for their higher end digital consoles and now in the realm of DAW plugins. The goal was to recreate the “warmth and musicality of classic vintage EQ’s”.

Through their research of classic EQ’s, Yamaha found a distinguishing “X” shape of the frequency curves that was typical of these designs. This profile also includes very steep shelving curves of the high and low frequencies, which is representative of the musical nature of that vintage EQ sound.

One of the new features seen in the MGP line is the Stereo Hybrid Channel.

These are digitally-controlled channels that incorporate proprietary DSP to provide three features that Yamaha claims are essential to live sound reinforcement. Each channel features a mid-sweepable, three band EQ, and AD/DA converters to feed the DSP, which includes a Priority Ducker, a Leveler, and Stereo Image manipulation. In short, the Ducker will attenuate the program material in priority over a connected microphone; the Leveler will automatically level out the volume of input signals of varying amplitude; and the Stereo Image section will narrow the stereo field in three tiers, depending on which one you choose.

Dual digital SPX studio grade effects are also available on the MGP series.

Incorporating Yamaha’s famed Rev-X

Suggested Retail Price: Yamaha MGP16: R15,390.00 Yamaha MGP12: R11,970.00 Supplier: Yamaha Music Tel. No: 011 259-7700

reverb, hall, plate and room algorithms are offered, along with 16 digital effects with editable parameters and a tap delay function. Both effects channels can be used simultaneously. Additionally, by downloading the MGP Editor iPhone/iPad app and connecting to the mixer via the available USB port, you can edit the SPX effects and the Hybrid Channel’s parameters in real time. The USB port can also be used for digital playback from your iPod or iPhone.

Other notable features include oneknob compressors on all of the microphone input channels, a helpful feature when you don’t have a rack of them; four groups; two auxiliary channels and one stereo return; integrated rack ears for 19” rack installation; an internal, universal power supply; recording outputs and 2-track inputs, both on RCA connectors; and finally a stereo monitor output for connecting to studio monitors.

Conclusion The MGP series of mixers are a step up from the previous MG line. Every feature has been given special attention and has been upgraded for better performance, flexibility, and sound. With the inclusion of full editable effects and the new hybrid channels, these mixers are sure to carry on the torch for Yamaha and help them continue to be the go-to mixers for small to medium events and in the studio.

12

Gear Review |

ORANGE AMPLIFIERS: TINY TERROR COMBO, TERROR BASS & CRUSH PIX 25BX BASS COMBO | words: Greg Bester

ORANGE AMPLIFIERS Tiny Terror Combo, Terror Bass & Crush PiX 25BX Bass Combo

O

range amplifiers are legendary. The dark horse of the British high gain sound, they made a name for themselves as manufacturers of high quality, brightly coloured, all-valve guitar amplifiers that were as distinctive as they were tonally recognizable.

However, despite being founded in 1968 by Clifford Cooper in London, it was actually the Huddersfield-based company Matamp (founder, Mat Mathias) which designed and assembled the first amps for Orange to their specifications and the two companies later went into partnership.

The most popular model in the Orange historical line is, of course, the OR120, a 120W, all-valve behemoth that was dubbed the “pics only” or “graphic” model because it used pictographic icons instead of words for knob labels.

Many artists favoured the unique tone the amps were famous for and Orange became a staple in the sound of such artists and bands as Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Wonder and Jimmy Page.

Today Orange amps are

manufactured in England and China, with the exception of the US-distributed cabinets being manufactured there, and their product line has grown considerably from the pittance it was during the eighties when they were forced to downsize due to the transistor revolution. Indeed, the all-valve heads that we have grown to love are still available but we now see more affordable solid state and hybrid amplifiers being offered, particularly for bass guitar, along with miniature, “carryon” all-valve mighty mites that belie their true power.

For this review I was given a Tiny Terror 1 x 12 combo, a miniature 500W Terror Bass head, and a Crush PiX bass combo to experience the Orange sound for myself. Let’s take a gander.

Tiny Terror Combo The Tiny Terror Combo is basically a Tiny Terror 15/7-watt all-valve head housed inside a 1 x 12 combo. The cabinet is extremely sturdy and well-made, bound in bright-orange tolex and the speaker is a 30-watt Celestion G12H. The amplifier is mounted vertically for top-access to

the controls, which are refreshingly simple and straight-forward. Each control has a signature pictographic symbol that Orange amps have become famous for, namely (from left to right): an electrical wall socket for ON/OFF; a large speaker next to a small speaker for selection of either 15 or 7 watt OUTPUT (which is also the STANDBY control); a speaker for VOLUME; a bass and treble clef for TONE; the standard circuit schematic symbol for GAIN; and a phone jack for GUITAR (input).

Plugging in my Gibson SG Standard, I set the amp to 7 watt mode and set the gain and tone controls mid-way. What I love about this amp is the range of its preamp gain circuit. It can do glassy clean to raspy high-gain in a single gain circuit. Of course, you’ll have to make up the volume accordingly depending on what setting you choose, but that is the pitfall of having a simple, one-channel valve amp. No frills here but what does that mean for the tone?

Well, to me, the Orange tone is aggressive and filled with wonderful midrange overtones. This is not a Marshall or a Mesa. I would, actually, put it more towards the Laney side of things, albeit a bit more stripped down and fitted with brass knuckles and steel-toe boots.

Switching the amp to 15 watt mode gave me more volume and higher headroom, as one would expect.

This amp is a FANTASTIC, small, allvalve combo that will perform well in many performance situations.

13 Terror Bass The Terror Bass 500W head is another mighty mite of an amp. Housed in basically the same white, quaintly stylized chassis as the Tiny Terror guitar head, the Class-D solid state amplifier boasts the same preamp as their 200-watt all-valve AD200B. It is a single channel, hybrid design, incorporating two ECC83/12AX7 valves and it too has a very simple and straightforward compliment of controls.

Unlike the Tiny Terror, however, it includes a three-band EQ (TREBLE, MID, BASS) complete with the expected pictograms of course, and does not boast a standby switch because it is solid state. Also, it incorporates an ACTIVE / PASSIVE switch for basses of either variety. Looking at the back panel, there are two speaker outputs utilizing Speakon connectors and a selector switch for either 4 or 8 ohm operation. The absence of regular phone jack speaker outputs seemed a little strange to me as many cabinets will only have one or the other. I just thought this limited the paring of this amp with third party cabinets, but perhaps Orange meant for it to be this way. In any case, other helpful features include an effects loop and a balanced DI output with a ground lift switch, located on the right side of the amplifier.

Crush PiX 25BX Bass Combo

When using it with a Fender P Bass, the bass that I auditioned it with, the amp has a warm, crunchy, mid-forward tone. It really lets the fundamentals in the lower midrange through, which, to me, is part and parcel of the Orange sound and will be very well suited to rock styles, or any style for that matter, in need of a punchy, aggressive tone.

It’s hard to believe that such a small amplifier can produce such a sound but with today’s Class-D technology as seen in the Mark Bass amps and others, anything is certainly possible.

The Crush PiX 25BX is the smallest bass combo of the Crush PiX line. It features a 25-watt, solid state amp and an 8”, 25-watt speaker housed in a signature orange tolex-covered, sealed-back cabinet.

Just like the Terror Bass head, this amp has controls for VOLUME, HIGH, MID, LOW and GAIN, with identical pictograms. The only difference in controls and features, however, is the inclusion of an AUX IN jack for an iPod, a LINE OUT jack for direct injection, a PHONES output for using headphones, and a red LED to indicated when the amp is turned on. Its construction, like the rest of the Orange line, is ultra-sturdy and rugged. This amp is perfect for the bass student or as a practice amp for home use.

How does it sound? It sounds great, for what it is. With a good Fender bass guitar the tone is present and consistent.

However because it’s a solid state amp, it is ultra clean and doesn’t have the great overtones valves impart but if you need to introduce some grit, you can always turn up the gain knob!

Conclusion Orange amplifiers deliver their signature sound no matter where you are in their product line. The construction is almost bullet proof and their amps have a strange allure to them that is both charming and deceiving because under that bright Orange tolex and the unassuming white façade of the amplifier housing lays a ravenous beast that yearns to break out of its cage.

I am, for one, a huge fan of Orange amps and I’m sure you will be too once you play one!

Suggested Retail Price: Tiny Terror Combo - R 8,795.00 Terror bass 500h - R 8,795.00 Crush Pix 25 Combo - R1,695.00 Supplier: Active Music Tel. No: 011 466-9510

NEW Specifications Model

LA212

Type

Mid format Line source speaker

Power handling (RMS AES)

LF: 900W HF: 200W

Sensitivity (SPL 1W/1m)

LF: 101dB HF: 113dB

Calculated RMS SPL /1m

LF: 131dB HF: 136dB

Calculated Peak SPL /1m

LF: 137dB HF: 142dB

Frequency response (-6dB)

65~18000Hz (-6dB)

Impedance

LF: 8 ohm HF: 8 ohm

Nominal directivity

Horizontal 90 degrees Vertical 0~8 degrees depending on the array configuration

HF driver

2 x CELTO HFDN72-16, 1.4" exit / 2.8" voice coil, Neodymium

LF driver

2 x CELTO 12MB450-16 with 3" In/Out voice coil

Crossover

Active, 1200Hz at 24dB/oct

Input

NEUTRIK Speakon 1+ / 1- for LF, 2+ / 2- for HF

Physics Cabinet Finish Weight Dimensions (HxVxD)

18 and 15mm void free exterior grade Birch Plywood UltraTex (USA) black mat touring grade textured coating 59kg 960 x 377 x 488 mm

Application Recommended AMP Recommended limiter Maximum number of cabinets per array SPL at 80m for a typical 12pcs array Recommend audience area Recommended Sub

LF: 1000~1600W at 8 ohm (no clip) HF: 400~600W at 8 ohm (no clip) LF: 84V RMS HF: 35V RMS 12pcs if audience under the array 16pcs if no audience under the array 118dB up to 100m from the arrray or up to 80,000 persons (for typical 12pcs per side stereo array setup) EXS218, EXS121, EXS221

Prices are recommended retail incl. 14% VAT For trade enquiries or to find your closest retailer : Call (011) 250 3280 | orders@hybrid.co.za

LINE ARRAY LA212

R 13,478.00 each*

www.vivaafrika.co.za

16

Guitar amplifiers | CORT SUNSET 1 | words: Alan Ratcliffe

CORT SUNSET I

C

ort have always made good quality but relatively inexpensive guitars, including some great hollow models.

However, the new Sunset series are a slight departure from their usual Gibson-inspired hollow bodies, leaning more to the classic Gretsch guitars.

For the last month I’ve been taking a close look at the Sunset I in candy apple red. What immediately attracted me to this instrument are the features usually only found on more expensive guitars, specifically The TV Jones pickups, Grover tuners and Bigsby vibrato tailpiece. These features do make the Sunset a relatively expensive guitar by Cort’s standards, but the price is far lower than anything else with similar appointments.

Features ! Body: Maple top on chambered mahogany

! Neck: Mahogany set-in with 12" radius ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

rosewood fretboard Binding: White Frets: 22 jumbo Scale length: 24 3/4" Inlay: Rectangular white pearl Tuners: Grover Bridge: Roller bridge with Bigsby B50 tailpiece Pickups: TV Jones Classic neck & Classic Plus bridge Electronics: 1vol, 1tone, 3-way toggle Hardware: Chrome Colours: Candy apple red, Black

First Impressions With its candy red finish, tasteful but unusual inlays, bound neck and top, chicken head knobs, Bigsby vibrato and Filtertron style pickups, the Sunset I has a classic and classy “hotrod” look, but without the over the top “bling” that many of the classic and classic-inspired instruments have.

The fit and finish is mostly up to Cort’s usual high standards, but is marred by one finish flaw: at the very edge of the soundhole, the finish has been polished through to the silver undercoat on the corner – a flaw easily missed by all but the closest inspection. The setup is good with no major problems that a little tweaking wouldn’t cure.

In use The sunset plays very well indeed, with the

short scale length, big radius, fat frets and lowish action all working together to give it a soft, easy touch.

The neck itself is a very nice compromise between modern slender speed and classic hand filling heft and tone, resulting in a neck that will be comfortable for the vast majority of players with minimal allowances. The body lacks any comfort contours and is a little larger than a Les Paul, but this doesn’t present any problems as it is fairly shallow. The guitar is a nice weight and well balanced, with the lightness of the hollow body being offset by the weight of the Bigsby.

One thing that does affect the playability adversely is the position of the volume and tone controls, which are close to the vibrato arm, making them very difficult to adjust when the arm is up and in position to be used. Having the controls much closer to the edge of the guitar would have made a lot more sense.

Sound This is where the Sunset shines brightly – it sounds great and brings out the best from a wide variety of amps. The combination of the TV Classic at the neck and Classic Plus at the bridge are outstanding, giving it a very different voice from the usual Gibson and Fender type tones, but one that still works in a wide variety of musical styles: from country picking and rockabilly twang; through pop jangle and alternative grind; and all the way up to classic rock crunch – this guitar handles them all with aplomb.

The chambered body adds a little resonance – not as much as you will get with a full hollow body, but enough to liven up things for clean tones without adding too much complexity for crunchy tones.

Conclusion If you are looking for a wide variety of really good tones from one guitar you would have to go a long way and possibly pay a lot more to get better than the Cort Sunset I. It is also a guitar well worth investigating if you are looking to add a completely different voice from the usual to your stable.

The retro appearance could be either a good or a bad thing, depending on your tastes, but even there, the black finished version will be a more acceptable choice to some.

Suggested Retail Price: R 9,995.00 Supplier: Musical Distributors Contact Tel. No: 021 790-4950 Website: www.musicaldistributors.co.za

20

Gear Review | BEYERDYNAMIC TG V50D | words: Greg Bester

BEYERDYNAMIC TG V50D

B

eyerdynamic is, to me, a brand that stands out amongst the rest. For one, they’re a German company that manufactures its products in Germany, which means you can expect their microphones to be well-engineered, robust, and reliable.

Secondly, they are one of the few companies who are still family owned and have been so for the last 88 years.

Personally, I find that quite endearing and it instills a sense of security in me to know this. Then, I have never heard anyone say a bad word about Beyerdynamic microphones. Not one.

Their seminal models like the Mseries, the 40-series, the Opus series microphones, and of course, their DTseries headphones are all now studio standards. You just cannot fault them.

They are a fantastic company with a gleaming track record that receives praise from audio professionals worldwide.

For that reason I was interested to check out one of their newer products – still made in Germany – the TG V50d vocal microphone.

Features The letters “TG” in the model number of this particular microphone stands for “Touring Gear”, Beyerdynamic’s latest range aimed at the live arena. The TG V50d in its most basic sense is a moving coil, or rather, dynamic capsule type, with a cardioid polar pattern. Since it is a vocal mic geared for live use, its construction is rugged, coming in at a hefty 270g, and its dimensions are a little larger than a Shure SM58, employing a flat-top at the address end of the grill. Its frequency response is also a little wider than the SM58, measuring 50 – 17,000Hz (the SM58 is 50-15000Hz).

A particular feature set marketed with a number of Beyer microphones, including the TG series, is their patented “Sound Channeling Technology” or STS. STS is an acoustic porting system employed into the design of Beyer microphones that channels the sound through an “acoustic labyrinth” with special geometries. These channels have a big influence on the sound of the microphone and the shape of the polar pattern by “using precisely tuned delay lines and attenuation pads.”

Well, for this review, I decided that instead of taking it along to a live gig where there are many variables at play, like the sound of the room and the PA system, plus the interference of background noise, that I would rather record the microphone alongside another one made in Europe [Austria], the AKG D880, and then make my comparison, thereby eliminating variables outside of my control and affording myself a fair assessment in a known environment.

The D880 also has a fairly similar frequency response to the TG V50d (50Hz – 20000Hz) with presence peaks at roughly 5000Hz and at around 12500Hz. So, after I had recorded the old “Two, one, two” a few times with both the microphones onto separate tracks, I matched the perceived loudness as closely as I could and listened back to compare them. Listening to the D880 first, it gave me that typical, rugged dynamic microphone sound. It had a thick midrange, a good proximity effectinduced bass-boost, and a fairly rolled-off top end, which is fairly typical. Its raw sound was “fuzzy” to put it plainly.

Switching to the TG V50d, I immediately noticed an increase in top end, despite the fact that the D880 has a supposedly more extended top end response. It sounded closer to a condenser microphone to me and I was pleasantly surprised. After a bit of back

and forward switching to confirm my suspicions I finally came to the conclusion that the TG V50d is the clear winner. It has a fantastic top end, a balanced low range – even at close proximity – and a completely unobtrusive and clear midrange.

What really impresses me is that despite having a pronounced clarity, the upper midrange does not seem strident on the more sibilant passages.

Conclusion The TG V50d bares the Beyerdynamic name proudly and with honour. It is well made, extremely rugged, and delivers a clean, clear sound that will sound great on vocals and, I would imagine, on any other source requiring a high-quality dynamic capture.

As I later found out, the TG V50d carries the same capsule as their TG I50d instrument microphone and has the exact same frequency response so it could easily be used on drums or guitars with great results.

Once again, Beyerdynamic has hit it out of the ballpark with a quality product.

Suggested Retail Price: R 1,895.00 Supplier: Technology Innovated Distribution Tel. No:+27 (0)10 5000 111

22

Gear Review | MORLEY WAH PEDALS | words: Kalin Pashaliev

MORLEY WAH PEDALS

T

he wah pedal, or effect, is one of the most pivotal parts to any pedal chain. Some of the greatest guitar sounds in the history of the instrument were shaped by the wah. From funk to metal, it has given the guitar a certain element that makes the listener’s blood boil with excitement and moxie.

I had a chance to look at a trio of pedals from well-known US wah makers Morley. Morley, morley, morley, morley – yes, it’s a name you want to repeat a few times and as quickly as possible, just as Mike Meyers’s moley, moley, moley, moley in Goldmember. Forgive me, I digress.

Steve Vai - Bad Horsie 2 Named after the virtuoso’s chunky opening track in the Alien Love Secrets EP, the Bad Horsie 2 is perhaps the sweetest-sounding wah presently on the market. I say sweetest because it is also a far more compressed pedal than many of the ruffian types out there.

Like most Morley products, this pedal fits Yeti and you could even play canasta on it - that’s how big its moving part is. The pedal itself is fitted with a spring-loaded automatic control which means that as soon as you step slightly on it,the effect is activated. Lift your foot off the pedal, and the effect is truly bypassed within a second or so.

This pedal is a contour wah, which means that you can control its parameters to your liking. Click on the contour switch and play with the contour dial - this allows you to alter the character of the wah effect. The more you crank up the contour, the crispier its character will get.

The Bad Horsie 2, like all the pedals we’re looking at in this review, is not just a nut-and-bolt unit but utilizes electrooptical circuitry, which means that there are no potentiometers in the signal path and no possibility of ever hearing those irksome scratchy pots.

Mark Tremonti Wah Although I’m not the most forthcoming Creed or Alter Bridge fan, the Mark Tremonti wah has a specific character to it that I can understand the importance of. It’s the same character that you heard in Metallica Black’s Hammett solos and the sound heard in Kim Thayil’s work with Soundgarden. In other words, it is a pedal that offers you very much a 90s sound, which is quite nostalgic and pleasing.

The Tremonti wah is even simpler to operate than the Bad Horsie 2 - it’s just a spring-operated pedal with a wah boost knob.

Now, apparently the boost can give you an extra 20db on top of your sound so you can really “cut through the mix” - but this should be used only if you’re a real jerk and if you don’t care about the rest of your band mates, or the crowd for that matter; so don’t go full retard with it!

On the aesthetic side, this one really does look like a jerk’s pedal: it has a diamond plate style (more like a Cat’s tire) footpad glued on for extra grip when you spill beer all over it.

Nonetheless, the Tremonti wah gives your tone a real nice timbre, but note that you should rarely use it with a clean, or undistorted, guitar sound. For this, the Bad Horsie’s contour capability is the better option.

Steve Vai - Bad Horsie 2

Mark Tremonti Wah

Pro Series II Distortion Wah Volume My favourite pedal out of the lot is this three-in-one concoction. Although I demoed the other two on a guitar, I decided to dedicate this one to the bass, and so it proved to be a winner.

The Pro Series II has it all in one simple-to-use pedal.

On the left you have your distortion switch with level and tone dials, and on the right you have your wah activation switch and its level dial above it. When both the distortion and wah switches are deactivated, the pedal functions as a volume pedal, ideal for those volume swells, especially if your bass guitar does not have a general volume controller.

This one, however, does not have a spring mechanism for obvious reasons.

This pedal is quite aggressive and fun to play with - jamming with both the distortion and wah gives you a real belter of a sound. There is a Justin Chancellor tinge to its distortion’s sound, while the wah is perfectly designed for the lower end.

Pro Series II Distortion Wah Volume

Conclusion Morley pedals are a top choice for any guitarist or bass player, unless you’re looking for more of a vintage sound then these may be a little too sleek for the grub. Pro gear for pro players!

What can one say except for more...

Morley-morley-morley-morley-morley!

Suggested Retail Prices: Steve Vai - Bad Horsie 2: R 2, 095.00 Mark Tremonti Wah: R 1,895.00 Pro Series II Distortion Wah Volume: R 1,795.00 Supplier: Music Power Tel. No: 011 466-9510

26

Review | WASHBURN WD45SCE ELECTRO ACOUSTIC GUITAR | words: Nic Roos

WASHBURN WD45SCE ELECTRO ACOUSTIC GUITAR

W

hile some guitar companies loudly pursue new market trends in a tough economic climate, Washburn have quietly and confidently continued to produce their usual high-quality instruments. Lately however, these workhorse guitars have taken on some unique and luxurious looks to go with their solid, no nonsense tones.

The above-entry-level WD45SCE is a striking dreadnaught acoustic aimed at modern players looking for a solid strummer that isn’t just a bog standard ‘Martin wannabe’.

ANATOMY While seemingly a simple design, this single cutaway dreadnaught is still eyecatching. Firstly, the back and sides are made of flamed maple, which compliments the specially-selected book-matched Alaskan Sitka spruce top. This guitar has a mirrored kink in the wood grain, known as a ‘bear claw’, between the bridge and soundhole.

To round out the general aesthetic the rosewood fingerboard and the headstock have a flamed maple binding, the body has an abalone rosette, an abalone and wood binding, abalone encrusted bridge pins inside the rosewood bridge, gold die-cast tuners on a flamed maple capped headstock with mother-of-pearl Washburn logo and stylized W inlay. The maple neck has a satin finish and the body a high-gloss finish.

Despite the quality of the materials and construction, the overall look is a bit kitsch for my personal taste. The WD45SCE would, however, look right at home in the arms of a country crooner.

Other features include a bone nut and saddle, a two-way truss rod, a Fishman Presys+ Tuner/Preamp system, as well as heavy D'Addario strings.

Supplier: Tradelius Music Group Tel. 031 502-3080 Suggested Retail Price: R 6,195.00

PLAYABILITY This guitar is pleasingly lightweight. The Cshaped neck is also very comfortable and the satin finish allows effortless movement and will please modern players, used to electric guitars. The tuners have a high but stable ratio that I quite enjoy and they hold

the tuning adequately. As is becoming more and more commonplace, the guitar hasn’t been set up. The saddle has not been cut low enough so that even while the neck seems to be very straight, the string action is uncomfortably high and causes serious intonation problems. Fortunately, despite some uneven fretwork there is almost no fret buzz.

The Fishman Presys+ Tuner/ Preamp system is easy to operate. Located on the guitar's upper left side, its gain, bass and treble controls allow you to shape your tone in mid-performance. It can be a little difficult, as on most Fishman designs, to see where these controls are set on a dark stage.

The phase reverse switch seems to boost low-end when playing at reduced volume and helps prevent feedback at higher volume levels.Tuning couldn’t be easier, with the on-board tuner’s compact but easy-to-read circular indicator display which also conveniently mutes your signal for silent tuning.

SOUNDS The maple body really makes its presence felt in the sound of this guitar. I strum open and barre chords, slowly working up the neck. The maple gives the tone a very strong and open mid-range presence with mellow but prominent lows with only a hint of boxiness. There is plenty of projection and punch with a crisp attack on each note, reminiscent of the character of some Taylors. This punch and attack really sounds good with single-note lines played with a pick.

There is plenty of sustain too. The bone nut and saddle, in conjunction with the maple, may have something to do with it. There is a little bit of muddiness in the high-frequency range, a little lack of sparkle. This could be due to the worn-out set of strings the guitar came with. Overall, though, the tone is nice and present with a lot of clarity and will easily cut through a mix of other instruments.

The Fishman pickup is surprisingly transparent through a PA and I find little need to adjust the EQ apart from a little top boost. The notch filter is also useful to get rid of a tiny bit of boxiness.

CONCLUSION The WD45SCE holds an interesting place in the market. It offers a lot for its price but I think Washburn’s aim is to offer something that’s unusual yet versatile too. They’ve certainly succeeded.

28

Special Feature | SAE INSTITUTE: THE AFTER DARK SESSIONS | BPM Reports

SAE INSTITUTE: THE AFTER DARK SESSIONS with The Brother Moves On

“They are truly a 'South African' band with no false pretence...”

P

roving to be more than just a fine education institution, SAE’s After Dark Sessions also shows off the college’s awareness of who’s creating a buzz in our local music industry, none better illustrated than at their most recent session held with The Brother Moves On. TBMO have been making noises in all the right places recently with a steady groundswell of buzz about their music, theatrics and song writing. Not the kind of the hype created by PR folk either; the kind every band yearns for - hype from their peers and from industry insiders.

“We know they are going places so we wanted to catch them before they get too busy but the main reason is that they are doing something different. They are truly a ‘South African’ band with no false pretence about trying to be someone else and they are original and incredibly creative. We find that inspiring and knew our students would too,” explains Trenton Birch, SAE’s Head of Marketing.

Whilst TBMO rely largely on their visual interaction during a live gig, this session was focused predominantly on the songs themselves, minus the theatrics. “The focus of After Dark is to capture a really good recording so that was always going to be the main priority. They didn't dress up for the session although we learned that they always wear long spandex pants when they all proceeded to drop their jeans to show us,” laughs Trenton.

Band spokesman, Siya, adds “It was a long week for us, we had just made a full camping mission to Rocking the Daisies aka the Red Bull Tent, and prep wasn't at the top of our heads. We'd been dealing with the

switch from live to studio so this interaction was a discovery exercise [for us].”

Head recording engineer, Itamar Weiss is happy with the results of the sessions; “I'm very happy with the performance we got on to tape. I know TBMO guys quite well and they had some not so great experiences with recording sessions and studios before so more than anything I wanted them to feel comfortable and really play the song as if they were in their own back yard, and on that level - we got what we wanted.

Technically speaking, there are always things you think you could do differently - you know, a different angle or positioning of a mic, stuff like that.”

Siya adds, “A great session, great people, wonderful space. We left the studio and headed to the airport in the morning, it felt like we had clocked hours on the 10,000 owed for success.”

“We encourage the bands to invite some of their crew and fans and are always open to allow a few guests to come along as long as it doesn’t disturb the recording session of course,” explains Itamar about the environment they create to ensure a

successful recording session.

Would you do it again? I ask Siya; “Definitely, the space had energy. I think if we were rested we'd write a new track in that space, it’s fresh.”

In closing Itamar explains the process after the session is over; “First I take the recording and start doing some general clean ups and editing, usually I’ll go back to the Neve studio and use some of the desk's processing EQs and outboard effects that I didn’t want to commit to while recording. At that point usually I'll get back to the artists to see that they are happy with the direction we're heading towards and then we take it to our Icon studio for mixing. At the same time the film students are going through a similar process with the video. But our aim is to be as flexible as possible with the artists - if they have a specific production or sound they want to go for, I am always happy to collaborate or tweak the format.”

There is one final question that begs asking after all these sessions are done and dusted; any thoughts on an SAE Cape Town compilation?

Trenton smiles coyly, “Watch this space!”

30

Guest Tutorial | SIDE CHAINING SIMPLIFIED | words: Evert de Munnik

SIDE CHAINING SIMPLIFIED Academy of Sound Engineering (www.ase.co.za) lecturer, Evert de Munnik ,dispels some of the myths behind Side Chaining by explaining how to use it as well as some useful tips on when to use it...

S

ide chaining is when “Sound A” on, say channel 1 for example, triggers a compressor or a gate that is inserted on “Sound B” in channel 2. This effect is mainly used during mixing on your DAW. Most compressor and gate plugins have side chain inserts.

4. In the gate plugin on the bass channel press the side-chain button and a list of inputs opens up.

Choose Aux 1.

A. In the 80’s side chaining was used to make a bass play very tight to the kick drum. Especially in popdance music where the kick and bass were playing 4 to the beat and they needed to be very tight together. So the engineers used side chaining on the bass to get it to sit really tight with the kick drum.

You do the following: 1. Insert a gate plugin on the bass channel. The plugin must have a side-chain button. Note: Not all plugins have side chain buttons.

2. Then insert an aux send (for instance Aux 1) on the kick drum channel. Send at 0db and set the aux send to pre-fade. (In Protools it is Aux and Logic it is Bus.) 3. Set the master aux (Aux 1) output to “no output”

5. Press play and you’ll notice that the gate will only open when the kick plays. Fine-tune the gate threshold, attack and release on the gate until you get the desired tightness between the bass and the kick.

What actually happens is that the bass will only be heard when the kick opens up the gate on the bass channel.

B. Another effect I use is by letting the kick drum trigger a compressor on, for example, overdrive guitars when they are playing longish chords. This effect gives a kind of a jumpy feeling on the guitars and the kick also stands out a bit more. You can also use this effect on Key pads and even on a string bus.

This is how.

1. Insert a compressor with a side-chain button on the guitar channel.

2. Insert a bus send on the kick channel and set to 0db.

3. No output on the master bus.

4. In the guitar compressor plugin select the bus you’ve inserted in the side-chain button.

Only when the kick plays will the compressor work on the guitar. If you set the compressor really heavy you’ll hear that every time the kick plays, the guitar will dip in level. If you fine-tune the threshold, attack and release on the plugin you can get a really nice effect.

Try out!

Set the release to the tempo of the song in milliseconds i.e. if the tempo is 120 bpm the tempo in msec is 500 or 250 or 125.

You can set the release at 125 msec. The release of the compressor will now work in tempo with the song and the triggered compression will sound more rhythmic.

This is a very effective way to get some movement in sometimes boring long guitar chords or synth pads or to get the kick to stand out more. You can get really interesting effects by experimenting with different instruments.

About the author: Evert has been in the music business since 1983, starting off by working on analogue consoles and tape machines and then switching over to computers and DAW’s when they first came out. Today he does a lot of live show recording and mixing for DVD and TV as well as CDS. He has worked with Deep Purple, Def Leppard, Uriah Heep and Randy Crawford. He was also responsible for the broadcast mix for 46664 from Ellis Park and did all 3 inaugurations from the Union Buildings for TV. With his experience Evert can record and mix anything from Classical music to rock and Jazz.

He is currently touring with Mango Groove as well as being involved with various other projects with local artists.

32

Tutorial | RESTRINGING NYLON STRING GUITARS PT 3 | words: Alan Ratcliffe

RESTRINGING NYLON STRING GUITARS

Part 3

Step 2

T

he third and final stage to my method for restringing a nylon string guitar properly centres around the bridge and specifically the way the strings are tied to it.

The traditional method relies on wrapping the string around itself repeatedly. This works to prevent the string from slipping, but it also drastically slows the string settling time. My method uses a ball at the end of the treble strings, which stops them from slipping and looks a lot neater.

Step 3 – Loop the string around itself Next, take the shorter, ball end of the string and loop it around itself at the front of the bridge.

Step 4 – Tuck the end of the string in Now tuck the ball end of the string under itself at the rear of the bridge. Make sure that it crosses under at the back of the bridge, not on top as, if it crosses on top, it will not hold. Pull the string from the front to tighten the loop.

Step 1 – Make a “ball” end The first thing to do is to create a ball end on the string. There are two ways of doing this. The first is simply to tie a knot and pull it tight.

However, with some makes of string, the knot will tend to pull loose, so I prefer to melt the end of the string with a flame (taking care not to set it alight!) so that it forms a ball and allow it to cool and harden. Some brands of string (notably Savarez) already have a melted ball on one side.

Step 2 – Put the string through the hole Now put the other end of the string through the hole from the rear of the bridge and pull most of it through the hole.

&LIGHT C I T Y

Step 3

Step 5 – Bass strings

Step 4

The bass strings are done in a similar way do not need a ball end as the friction from the windings stop them from slipping.

Step 6 – Fit the strings to the tuners and tune Now fit the strings to the tuners, tune the guitar to pitch. Then stretch the strings and retune a few times with each string until the pitch does not drop after stretching it. At this point the guitar should be 90% of the way to settled in. You can play it immediately, but expect a little slippage and settling over the next 24 hours. After that it should stabilise.

Step 5

audio For a Sound online shopping experience warehouse ‘We Deliver’

www.audiowarehouse.co.za | 031 3052660

Electrics Acoustics Basses Pedals Amplifiers Accessories and more...

IMPORTED & DISTRIBUTED BY Tel: 011 805 9910 | email: sales@tvaudio.co.za | www.tvaudio.co.za

NO

AIL W AB LE GO IN A OD LL M ST OR USIC ES AV

34

Tutorial | ALL ABOUT BASS | words: Alistair Andrews

ALL ABOUT BASS ACOUSTIC BASSES

T

here are so many bass instruments in the world.

(Strings, Brass, Woodwinds etc.) In this article I have decided to focus on Acoustic Bass String Instruments.

The Acoustic Bass Guitar (ABG)

is tuned the same as the electric bass and the double bass, E-A-D-G. Scale length is normally 34”.

I have heard that some people call the ABG an acoustic bass. This could be a bit confusing as the Double Bass is also called an acoustic bass.

The ABG can never sound as “big”, “deep” and loud as a double bass because of the difference in size. There are literally dozens of manufacturers of Acoustic Bass Guitars nowadays. Jonas Hellborg uses his Warwick signature acoustic bass as his main axe.

Nowadays companies make five and even six-string models of Acoustic Bass Guitars.

The Acoustic Bass Guitar (ABG) is not a very loud instrument and the majority of them are fitted with pickups.

The pickup fits under the saddle and the Jack input sometimes double up as an endpin.

Most manufacturers now add active Pre-amps and controls such as EQ to allow for fine-tuning of your bass tone.

Since the ABG cannot compete with drums when not amplified, it might be a good idea to get one with descent electronics. Because of the acoustic body, feedback could be a problem at high volumes. The ABG is great for practicing, since you can hear yourself without using an amplifier.

Any decent music store should have strings that are specially made for the ABG and they are available in both phosphor bronze and 80/20 bronze.

Phosphor bronze acoustic bass strings have a warmer, richer tone than 80/20 bronze strings. 80/20 bronze acoustic bass strings are brighter and crisper sounding than phosphor bronze.

Some acoustic bass players prefer the tone of black nylon tape-wound electric bass strings; Black nylon strings will allow you to get a sound like a double bass

from your acoustic bass guitar. Other players prefer to use electric bass guitar strings, rather than acoustic bass strings, on their acoustic bass.

“In 1975 the history of the acoustic bass guitar was still young and the choice very clear. The "unplugged" trend was not invented yet and only by special request of several bass-playing folk musicians Framus developed a 4-string acoustic bass guitar that was a full octave lower than the traditional guitar. One could rightfully put them in-between the double bass and the electric bass, even though their actual use was pretty limited to pure acoustic bands due to the fact the Piezo pickup technology was still in its infancy.

Because the first acoustic bass guitars weren't introduced until 1972 in the United States one can suggest that the Framus acoustic bass guitars built

by Framus from the mid seventies on were the very first of their kind to be manufactured in Europe.”(Quote by Dr. Christian Hoyer, from the Framus museum.)

My personal ABG is a four string Warwick Alien and I will be adding a sixstring Alien fretless to my arsenal.

The Acoustic Bass Guitar (ABG)

Jonas Hellborg

The Double Bass (Upright Bass) is the father of all string basses, and it looks the part. It has a fat sound, because of its size. In classical music the instrument is played with a bow most of the time. It is obviously more demanding to play the upright than the ABG. "During the early 18th century a three-string bass tuned A’-D-G or G’D-G was normal. It had no frets and with the growth of the symphony orchestra it was logical that a more powerful instrument should supercede earlier models.

Not until the 1920s was the additional E’ string expected of most professional players. Until then any passages going below A’ were transposed up an octave, resulting in the temporary disappearance of the 16′ line.

The Double Bass is becoming more popular in pop music today and not just reserved for Jazz, Classical and Country music anymore.

Jazz players such as Stanly Clarke and John Patitucci both play electric bass and upright bass.

The Double Bass (Upright Bass)

Continued on Page 36...

36

Tutorial | ALL ABOUT BASS | words: Alistair Andrews

The Guitarron is an enormous, deep-bodied Mexican bass guitar with six strings.

The strings are heavy and the "action" high. Playing it requires a strong, pronounced plucking action. Everything is played in octaves. It is often tuned A-D-G-C-E-A, but sometimes is tuned like a guitar but an octave lower.

In Mariachi music, the Guitarrón replaced the harp, which required an additional ensemble member simply to carry it through the streets while the harpist played. There is also a four-string model in Mexico.

The Baja Sexto is an entirely different type of Mexican Bass guitar, this time with six pairs of strings. It resembles the twelve-string guitar and is tuned almost exactly the same, except that it's an octave lower.

With big, fat steel strings (brass or nickel wound), this generates some serious cumulative string tension - especially for such a lightly built guitar.

Continued from Page 34...

The DiyinGehu

The Guitarron

depends upon the snakeskin parchment that is attached to the body of the instrument.

The Karindula

is a large African bass instrument. It is used in South East Congo and in Zambia.

The four thick strings can be tuned with friction The Sursringar is from India and pegs from behind, is almost extinct nowadays. It has a and run over a neck with a metal fingerboard that loose wooden reminds one of the Sarod, and in a bridge on the skin, way you could call it a bass Sarod. to some pins at the It was used as a solo instrument bottom of the in the 19th and 20th centuries. The barrel. A piece of body is made from a pumpkin that cardboard is put has been cut open horizontally on top under the strings of which a wooden cover is attached. halfway up the Onto this cover a flat horn bridge is neck (near the nut), fitted. The instrument has a second to get a buzzing sound box. The strings are played tone. with a metal pick and are made of Usually the steel and bronze. karindula player sits on the barrel and strums the The DiyinGehu (BassGehu) strings with the right hand. He only rarely stops the strings with his left is a Chinese bass. In a Chinese hand, mainly with his thumb. orchestra, they take the same roles as the cello and double bass in a I trust that this article will inspire you Western symphony orchestra. The to do more research on other bass DiyinGehu is tuned and played like instruments, as we have just touched the double bass, but the tone colour the surface. differs from that of the double bass.

Because the Gehu uses a banjolike membrane as the soundboard, the resulting sound is unique. The instrument's volume and tone quality

Alistair Andrews endorses ROTOSOUND bass strings www.rotosound.com

The Sursringar The Karindula

The Baja Sexto

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

38

Tutorial | PLAY BETTER GUITAR | words: Kurt Slabbert

PLAY BETTER GUITAR COUNTRY RHYTHM 101 CONTINUED...

I

n this article I carry on with the country style and explore some more rhythm ideas and getting the correct tone.

I was lucky enough to have spent time with both Albert Lee and Jerry Donahue back in 2003 whilst I was studying at the Guitar Institute in London. Both these guys are absolutely at the top of their country game and watching them and speaking to

SOUND I guess the country sound has always been known for being clean and twangy, but once again it hasn’t stayed there. Today country is more of a genre rather than a specific sound of guitar. I have seen almost every amp type and guitar type, within reason, used for country music these days.

And I guess one of the best places to learn or to get some ideas would be to listen to the music. It still amazes me how people want to play something but they never listen to it, and most of the learning takes place in the listening.

LICK 1 Okay let us get to some playing Here is a Jerry Donahue style lick, please do not try this with heavy gauge strings unless you are The Hulk.

Jerry Donahue aims at getting pedal steel sounds with an ordinary standard tuned guitar and this is how he does it.

them was an amazing encounter.

Both these guys were so open about how they do what they do and both very humble and friendly people.

They are both solo artists in their own right and have played on countless albums so if you really enjoy country then you have to check these guys out.

There are many other guitarists out that are also

amazing like Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, James Burton and our very own Robyn Gallagher who is an amazing twanger himself.

There is so much out there on the Internet to check out and learn, I don’t think there has ever been an easier time to get material for guitar or just music study in general.

39

LICK 2 Here is a very typical country type bend, something that even Hendrix would’ve used.

Once again fingering is important and please do not practice this for too long as it could lead to rsi (repetitive strain injury).

The first lick has a quarter note bend sometimes referred to as a curl, and this is a semitone bend, the second lick has a full tone bend on the G string.

You can also try choking the strings as you play the lick to try and vary the feel of the lick, once again like I like to say ‘make it your own.’

LICK 3 Here we have another bend that could bring water to your eyes; we are using the 1st and 2nd fingers for the bend and the 4th finger to play the B note, once again play it till it sounds country. Again, to remind you, don’t overdo it!

LICK 4 This licks starts by using a pedal steel style lick and then incorporates a run using the minor 3rd; once you got these licks under your fingers try playing them by halving the note values, 16ths instead of 8ths.

LICK 5 This lick incorporates what we refer to as country 3rds and 6ths, and it runs down the scale and resolves into a Gmajor triad, the quarter tone bend is the tricky part and it is very easy to over bend, main trick here is to keep those quarter tone bends on pitch!

Copyright Kurt Slabbert Bluenoise Productions kurt_slabbert@hotmail.com

Well this will be the last instalment for the year. I think for me listening and then trying to copy, and then making it your own is the way forward. There is no better way to learn music than by listening to it. All these country greats have got numbers of awesome albums out which you could order over the net or download on iTunes.

I would also suggest listening to artists such as Eric Church, The Band Perry and Taylor Swift. You might laugh but the production on these guys and girls’ albums are absolutely insane, from amazing sounding guitars to the most awesome drum production not to even mention the guitar skills that you will be able to learn.

Once again this style of music has crept into music everywhere, from folk to bluegrass. There are so many bands that are incorporating the country sounds so experiment with it - you might even like it!

40

Your Private Universe | DYNAMIC MICROPHONES | words: Jonathan Pike

DYNAMIC MICROPHONES

I

’d like to talk about microphones in the next few articles. So far we have looked at recording techniques for most instruments you are likely to come across in your home studio, and I have mentioned some of the options available when choosing a microphone, but I’d like to delve deeper into the different types of microphone available.

You are likely to be restricted by budget to just a couple of mics in your home studio so your choices will need to be carefully thought out. Firstly let’s look at a few basic fundamentals of how microphones work.

Microphones are classified in two different ways, firstly in how they transduce sound, and secondly by their polar pattern, but what does that all mean? Well let’s look at the first one.

Transduction describes how a microphone converts acoustic sound into an electrical signal that your audio interface can understand.

There are three main ways that a microphone can achieve this process and these different ways are linked to the three main types of microphones available, namely: dynamic, condenser and ribbon microphones.

Okay, so let’s get the technical stuff out of the way. A dynamic (or moving coil) microphone is constructed with a coil of conductive wire attached to the back of a moving diaphragm, this conductive coil is itself suspended between the poles of a permanent magnet. When sound waves hit the diaphragm, they cause the diaphragm to move back and forth in proportion to the sound waves in the air, this movement pushes the coil back and forth within the magnetic field and this in turn generates positive and negative voltage in the conductive coil. This voltage is an

electrical representation of the acoustic sound waves.

Right, now that we have that covered, lets look at what the practical implications of this are. The coil attached to the diaphragm means that the diaphragm has quite a bit of mass, in layman’s terms this means that it will take quite a bit of energy to get the diaphragm moving. The practical result of this is that the output level of a dynamic mic is lower than that of other types and therefore these mics are only a good choice if the instrument you are recording is fairly loud. An acoustic guitar for example is usually quite soft unless it is being strummed vigorously, if recorded with a dynamic mic you would have to trim the level up so high on your pre-amps that you are likely to introduce noise into the recording.

These mics are a great choice however for recording drums and electric

guitar amps where the level is loud enough to avoid this problem.

Another practical problem introduced by the heavy diaphragm construction is that dynamic mics are not very good at picking up high frequencies above 15 KHz. This is due to the fact that high frequencies are short in wavelength and move very quickly. The inertia of the microphones diaphragm, as a result of its mass, prevents it from moving quickly enough to capture these high frequencies accurately. This can cause problems if you are trying to record instruments that contain predominantly high frequencies and can kill the “brightness” or “sparkle” of a sound.

You could, however, use this fact to intentionally reduce harsh high frequencies on brass instruments or the like.

Dynamic mics have many advantages too, they are very robust and resistant to damage and they are great for live sound as they are not affected by environmental conditions. Dynamic mics are excellent for close micing of tom and snare drums as well as guitar amps, and best of all they are generally very affordable. It is well worth considering including a couple of dynamic mics into your studio at home. I would recommend at least getting your hands on a Shure SM57 or two as they are one the most highly regarded instrument mics in the business and are the go-to mic for drums and electric guitar.

It is very important to know your tools so that you make the best decisions when choosing the right mic for the right application. We will continue looking at the other types of mics available in the next issue.

Meet the Family...

Our wide range of USB microphones, offering the perfect solution for any occassion.

samsontech.com

Imported and Distributed by

www.audiosure.co.za