MUSE TECH - Jun/Jul '12

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EDITION 20 | JUN/JUL ‘12 | Proud Supporters of SA Music!

CONTENTS

tech Editors Note and Index Cover Feature: Wharfedale Pro Titan Series Gear News Gear News Review: JGS Africaster Instrument Review: Yamaha MOX6 Gear Review: Blackstar HTR-50 Combo Gear Review: Line 6 G50 Wireless Guitar System Gear Review: HIWATT Maxwatt G100R Instrument Review: Jackson SLXQ Soloist Guitar Special Feature: Bose RoomMatch and PowerMatch System launch Intellectual Property: The Passive Income of Music by David Chislett Guitar Maintenance with Alan Ratcliffe Play Better Bass with Alistair Andrews Play Better Guitar with Kurt Slabbert Your Private Universe with Jon Pike

W

hat makes a gig good?

Is it the band? Is it the ambience of the setting?

Is it the strength of the songs? Maybe the charisma of the lead singer? Well actually the answer is the sum of all the aforementioned.

However, I recently attended a gig by a band that I’ve heard a few times before and they write really good songs. However on this particular occasion I was horrified at how bad they sounded. The reason?

Terrible sound. Simple as that. This sad situation was a combination of not having enough loudspeakers – or at least not enough power – and a drunken sound engineer. Since the engineer was in-house and not part of the band, there was not a lot they could do except stare viciously at the

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semi-comatose dude, but as for the sound, they could have had control.

They could’ve and should’ve known that the PA onstage would not hack it for the size of the crowd. It’s a fact that venues in South Africa simply do NOT provide enough decent sound so if you want to put your best foot forward as a band/artist, I strongly suggest you get your own.

With this in mind check out our cover feature on the impressive new Wharfedale Pro Titan D speakers and start thinking beyond your guitar!

And for those high-end sound engineers and installers check out Pg 26; Greg Bester attended the Bose launch of their new line array systems and gives us the lowdown.

24 Elsewhere though, the guitar still gets a good showing with reviews on a boutique guitar called the JGS Africaster by Alan Ratcliffe, a Jackson SLXQ Soloist by Nic Roos and a Line 6 Wireless Guitar pick up by Greg Bester. Greg and Nic also check out two top brand guitar amps that won’t break the bank; the HIWATT G100R and the Blackstar HT-5R respectively.

We kept Greg pretty busy actually, as he also wandered over to the Yamaha show-room for a demo of the bestselling MOX series of keyboards and was duly impressed.

Finally as usual, Kurt, Alistair, Jono, Alan and Dave all pitch in with some interesting tutorials to keep us informed and thinking about our futures.

Dave Mac

Imported and Distributed by

www.audiosure.co.za

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Cover Feature | WHARFEDALE PRO TITAN SPEAKERS | words: Dave Skinz

WHARFEDALE PRO TITAN SPEAKERS The new South African Standard?

Formidable, fetching and full-on awesome!

What is it?

The Titans are among the pick of the

litter in Wharfedale Pro’s range of speakers and right at the top of their active range. They are certainly one of the more popular brands in South Africa and the range is sized to cater for all requirements.

The active range starts off with the Titan 8A mk2, then the bigger 12D and 15D's before being rounded off with the Titan SUB 12A and Titan SUB 15A subwoofers while the passive range only has the 8, 12 and 15's.

The Titan 8, 12 and 15's are all assembled in a rugged injection moulded chassis and have been designed with the mobile and install users in mind to be ultra light and used upright, or on its side as a floor monitor. A cool perk to the chassis mould process is that some of the range comes in a choice of black, grey or white. The

subwoofers however are still 15mm MDF board mounted in a steel frame for rigidity and tone and they ship in grey.

The active Titan D's are the stand out models and are a huge improvement over the former Titan actives; they are now fitted with two Class D amps for both high and low frequency outputs and utilize Qubit, a 24-bit 192kHz Digital Signal Processing module with advanced multiband dynamic processing and filtering to automatically adapt the loudspeaker to sound more full and natural in a host of different settings.

What's good about the bi-amp design on the Titan D's is that it extends to the limiting as well so the hi's and lo's are separately protected and accompanied by an LED light on the speaker to let you know if you are pushing them too hard. Another spin off to class D amps is the weight and the D's come in significantly lighter. All the other models in the Titan active range including the D's have two combo inputs for 1/4” Jacks or XLR and will accept Line or Mic (40dBu), with a single XLR output to link them to other speakers. The passive range is fitted with Speakon connections and the 8

and 12's also have 1/4” jack inputs.

The 12D and 15D's also come with a bass response optimizer in addition to Qubit to tighten up that low end bass and make sure it sounds as crisp as the tops do.

Another useful feature on the 12D and 15D's is a 90 Hz highpass filter so they function more efficiently as stage monitors by cutting out stage rumble. Rounding of the feature list for the Titan D's is a remote option and by using a 3 pin Euroblock connector you will be able to change the volume remotely by upping or lowering the voltage.

7 Right lets breeze through the technical numbers that matter in the active range; the Titan 8A mk2's are 180W program with 150W in the lows and 30W in the highs, the Titan 12D's push out a meaty 300W of power, of which 250W comes from the woofer and 50W from the compression driver, while the Titan 15D's weigh in with a hefty 420W broken down by 350W from the woofer and 70W from its compression driver. The Titan SUBA12 is programmed for 250W with a 500W peak and is crossed-over around 150Hz, while the Titan SUB15A is rated at 400W with its peak at the 600W mark while its crossover is at the 100Hz mark.

So the 15 sub will definitely give you more rumble, while the 12 offers a punchier bass. As to the passive range the Titan 8's are 300W program, the 12's are 500W while the 15's are 800W and all of these run at 8 ohms.

The subs are hefty in both power and weight with SUB 15A tipping the scales at 45kg's, while the SUB 12A is a more manageable 22 kg's. The 15D's are also 22 kg's, the 12D around 12.5 kgs and the Titan 8A mk2 a featherweight 6.25 kg each. As to the passives; 5.5 kg for the 8's, 12 kg for the 12's and 22 kg for the 15's which proves it is lighter to get a set of actives.

All of the Titans include a handy cover for some basic protection and you have the choice of getting full-on gig bags if you think you need them. All the tops have a 35 mm speaker pole mount with a tightening screw to make sure it stays in place, while the subs have an integrated pole mount socket to affix the full range speakers onto.

Who should own one?

It is a testament to the acumen of both Wharfedale Pro and the local sales team that the Titan range is so widely used throughout South Africa. I have been to many live performances and weddings using an entire Titan rig, to then stumble into my Spar the next morning/early afternoon and see [and hear] in-store promotions being run through a set of Titans too. A very small and lightweight rig of two Titan 8A mk2's and a Titan SUB-12A will provide a great set-up for one man bands, and the ability of the Titans to handle speech and various types of music and performances means that they are very well suited to restaurants, pubs, venues, mobile performers and houses of worship.

Even for venues with an existing installed system, the Titan's are a great reinforcement speaker to cover areas that the current system doesn't handle too well, or for areas that are going to be expanded for functions.

The Verdict I've worked with the Wharfedale Pro Titan's numerous times in multiple musical and commercial environments and I’ve always been impressed with their raw output power, presentability and adeptness in translating different types of music or voices into a comfortable listening experience, so they will be as potent running next to a church band as they should be for a conference or office presentation.

The Titans are also great value for money when you spec them next to the huge range of active speakers out there at the moment.

There is something to be said for the design too. They are pleasant to look at and the colour selection really seals the deal for a lot of people.

Aesthetics should never be overlooked; the more pro your gear looks the better you look. The white finish is stunning and when mounted onto a white wall the speaker will integrate perfectly, making the loudspeaker all but invisible.

The Titan range is a really superb package, but don't just take my word for it; they have been used so extensively by so many people and I guarantee you that they will all sing their praises both for affordability and quality.

Suggested Retail Price : Passive Range: Titan 8: R 1,695.00 | Titan 12: R 2,595.00 Titan 15: R 3,995.00 Active Range: Titan 8a Mk11 R 3,595.00 | Titan 12D R 5,195.00 Titan 15D R 7,495.00 | Titan 12 Active Sub R 5,295.00 Titan 15 Active Sub R 6,595.00 Supplier: Audio sure | Tel: (011) 790 4600 Web: www.audiosure.co.za / www.wharfedalepro.com

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

Gear News VOX Series 22 Guitars The recession-buster guitar series The VOX Series 22 provides a serious guitar, at a seriously affordable price.

These exciting double-cutaway models borrow production techniques, styling cues, and use many of the same distinguished components found in the premium VOX Virage, Series 77, Series 55, and Series 33 guitars. Combining advanced modern production methods with irreplaceable hands-on craftsmanship results in a superior instrument that is remarkably playable; yet versatile enough to provide you with your own personal voice.

Comfort, fit, and balance Available in four popular finishes, the VOX Series 22 features a bold, double cutaway design. State-of-the-art 3-D carving methods provide the Series 22 with a contoured body that ensures impeccable comfort and fatigue-free playing. Our SBE™ (Strap Button Extension) system delivers enhanced instrument balance while playing standing. The set neck features an

Eurotruss appoints Prosound as South African dealer Eurotruss announced in May with immediate effect the appointment of Prosound as their exclusive dealer in South Africa and Sub Sahara Africa.

“Prosound has over 30 years of experience in the entertainment market and will be a great asset to our Worldwide Dealer Network” says Martin Kuyper from Eurotruss.

About Eurotruss: There is no doubt, Eurotruss, is one of the leading suppliers of aluminium truss systems on the international market.

Great expertise, a high level of quality, efficient and modern production technology and a superb fast conical connection system are the pillars on which Eurotruss has developed a

inverse heel design and deep cut that offers unobstructed access to the upper frets. Position dot markers adorn the rosewood fingerboard.

Potent Pickup Design Each Series 22 guitar is outfitted with two of our XLM™ (Xtra Loud Mini) compact humbucking pickups. Use the pickup mode switch to choose a tight, punchy lead tone or more open, chordal voice. Using the three-way comprehensive product range for all purposes.

History - Since 1993 Eurotruss successfully implemented the first conical connection system which ultimately has proven to be the most important innovation in the truss market. After gaining and remaining the leading position worldwide in the lightweight truss market, Eurotruss has a wider range of aluminium truss systems covering all aspects of the industries requirements. In order to coop with the structural growth without compromising the high quality standard we have set Eurotruss production facilities has expanded into 10.000 m2.

Quality - Eurotruss has and will stay upfront with the latest technology and quality standards. Eurotruss has chosen to adhere to the highest specifications with Aluminium, TuV, DNV and SLV Welding Verification for welding aluminium in order to provide a safe and quality product. Quality counts and pays

pickup switch, you can select either pickup individually, or use them both together. The passive analog tone circuitry offers both a Master Volume and a Master Tone control to refine your individual sound. Logically laid out and easy to use, the controls allow fast changes during performance.

Distributed by Tuerk Music Technologies 011-792 8402 | www.tuerkmusic.co.za off!

Eurotruss has a wide range of aluminium truss systems. Next to the lightweight truss system called FD, Eurotruss carriers ground support towers and bigger truss systems like XD, ST, FT and the pre rigg truss like XT and TT. The last few years Eurotruss supplied many roof systems from 80m2 till 400m2. Eurotruss also manufacture and sell Wind Up Stands, Euro-Lift, and Barriers.

Prosound: 0861 4SOUND | www.prosound.co.za

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Shure Expands Microflex Microphone Series The feature-rich Shure Microflex microphone series is designed for installed applications providing audio consultants and integrators a wide variety of form factors to meet virtually any wired or wireless installation microphone need. Now Shure extends its Microflex line with the MX150 lavalier and MX153 earset microphones delivering high-quality sound in a subminiature package. The MX150 is a professional subminiature condenser lavalier microphone ideal for discreet placement and speech applications. Its Kevlar-reinforced, softflex cable reduces handling noise while the multi-position tie clip allows for a variety of positioning options.

The snap-fit, concise windscreen protects from plosives and wind noise.

Delivering exceptional speech clarity the Shure MX153 is an omnidirectional subminiature earset microphone

SEGMA Launches B2B SEGMA announced in May that they have released their exciting new business to business, also known as B2B, service. SEGMA are the sole distributors of AVID Pro Audio and ADAM Audio amongst others. Their new online B2B service is strictly for dealers and enables them to view

which is suited to corporate and educational presentations as well as A/V conferencing. The ultralightweight, comfortable and flexible design is stable and allows for fast placement with minimal adjustment.

Available in three colour options (matte black, tan, cocoa) the MX153 offers a durable, reliable design that will withstand daily handling. The new Shure Microflex earset comes with a protective storage pouch, three windscreens and a collar clip. The CommShield速 Technology guarding against interferences from cellular RF devices and digital bodypack transmitters is included in both new Microflex microphone options.

SEGMA's full range of products, and to communicate with SEGMA in a simpler and faster way. This new and innovative concept is a first for distributors in the South African pro

Wild & Marr | 011-974 0633 021-787 9378 | 031-564 3877 www.wildandmarr.co.za audio market; with this new system dealers can easily log into their assigned SEGMA account and find all the necessary information about their full range of products such as technical specifications, pricing and stock availability. SEGMA hopes to improve dealer communication, making it easier to conduct business with the company. By using the B2B system dealers will save both time and money. The B2B system is in the first stage of development, but has shown amazing results in day to day workflow says James Van Nickerk | developer of SEGMA's B2B service "We are trying to make it as easy as possible for the dealers to conduct business, saving time and money is the key function of the B2B system".

Dealers can also conduct business with SEGMA outside of working hours and on weekends; because it is an online service it is always available for use. Maldwyn Greenwood | CEO of SEGMA "We are very excited about this new service we are offering as we feel that we are breaking new grounds in the industry and we are looking forward to pushing the boundaries even further". All interested parties can go to SEGMA's website for information or involvement with the B2B system. www.segma.co.za

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Guitars | JGS AFRICASTER | words: Alan Ratcliffe

JGS Africaster

J

ohn Soderlund is a relatively new boutique electric and lap-steel guitar builder living in Pietermaritzburg. His guitars are characterised by unique and highly figured woods, top quality hardware and electronics, with each instrument being custom built for its owner. I recently had a chance to try out John’s Africaster Tele-style guitar, putting it through its paces playing straight into Swart AST and Mesa Boogie Lone Star Special amplifiers.

The Basics The Africaster is, at its heart, a Tele-style guitar, with the usual body shape, bolton 25.5” scale length neck, two pickups and control arrangement. What immediately sets this specific model apart from most is the wood choices and the two-humbucker pickup arrangement.

Neck The neck is C shape and is very chunky indeed, starting at 23mm thick at the first fret, but with less of a taper than most, so it does not get that much thicker as you move higher up the neck, reminiscent in feel of the Brian May “Red Special.” Having said that, bear in mind that neck size and profile are made to order, so if you prefer a slender neck, this ought not to be a deal-breaker. The neck itself is made from padouk, the fingerboard is ebony and the frets are jumbo. The headstock shape is close enough to a Tele to be aesthetically pleasing, but different enough to be unique. The headstock is faced with flame maple, but cut away in part to show some of the padouk below, with a pleasing contrast between the two.

Body The body is sapele mahogany capped with a very attractive and bold grained piece of padouk and the top is bound with flame maple and a simple and elegant pair of black pinstripes. The familiar Tele shape has both forearm and stomach. The forearm contour is capped with flame maple and the finish is nitrocellulose. The back also sports a vine-like inlay made from blackwood and abalone, but the inlay edge is a little ragged and uneven.

Hardware The Africaster sports good quality hardware all-round: a chrome modernstyle six saddle Gotoh Tele bridge; the jack socket is an Electrosocket, which has been recessed flush with the surface; top-notch black Sperzel tuners with chromed posts; a traditional string retainer; ebony control knobs (but a plastic switch cap); and the neck secured with recessed ferrules. The recessing of socket and neck ferrules is a nice touch, but strangely the string ferrules have not been similarly recessed and the recessing has been done after finishing, which has unfortunately chipped the finish very slightly around the edges of the recess.

Electronics The pickups in the Africaster are Seymour Duncan – the familiar and wellproven ’59 and JB at the neck and bridge respectively, both with chrome covers. Otherwise the electronics are pretty much as expected – master tone and volume and a 3-way lever switch.

In Use After a brief adjustment period to the rather unusual neck, the Africaster plays very well, the fret dressing is good and the guitar is well set up. The body contours and recessed neck ferrules make it a lot more comfortable and forgiving to play on than the usual “plank with strings” that is the classic Tele shape.

Overall The Africaster is a well-made modern take on a classic guitar with a unique voice and a look that is uniquely classy.

Highly recommended.

Sound Tonally, the Africaster is geared towards a more powerful, rockier sound than a traditional Tele. However, the mahogany body and dual ‘buckers are nicely offset by the padouk neck and ebony fingerboard, yielding a well-balanced tone that retains articulation, giving the neck pickup a smooth, fat drive tone which stops short of being muddy and some jazzy but articulate cleans. The bridge pickup was a bit of a surprise as it is less over-the-top than I am used to getting with a JB, a little smoother too.

The guitar responds well to a range of playing dynamics and variety of drive settings.

Suggested Retail Price: R 19,200.00 Supplier: j.s. guitars Contact Tel. No: 480 797 8727 Website: http://jsguitars.com

Imported and Distributed by

www.audiosure.co.za

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Keyboards | YAMAHA MOX6 | words: Greg Bester

Yamaha MOX6

The MOX6 is a striking keyboard with many buttons, knobs and sliders and just as many tricks up its sleeve.

F

or the past decade, there have been few manufacturers who could contend with the Yamaha Motif range of keyboards.

In fact, to merely call this de facto industry standard a ‘keyboard’ seems like an under-statement as there is so much more to them. Indeed, the Yamaha Motif – the XF8 being their top offering – can be classed as a synthesizer, a sequencer, a performance recorder, a DAW controller and an audio interface and it offers some of the richest sounding acoustic instrument patches available.

There are however two problems. They are heavy beasts.

Very heavy! They also cost a pretty penny. For the average gigger to lug one around – if they can afford it – is a back and bank-breaking endeavour which is why, I suppose, it’s left to the backline companies to supply at the behest of a technical rider or left

to permanent installations in the recording studio.

I’ve always had immense respect for Yamaha because they speak to the analytical, pragmatic, and straight forward little Japanese man inside of me. I just get their thought process and after working on their digital audio consoles for many years, I have become a big fan of their products and their general workflow. To me, they have always been innovators and elegant problem solvers that listen to their customers.

They have their proverbial ear close to the ground and have keen intuition for gaps in the market to meet almost every potential need. With all this in mind, their new offering, the MOX series of keyboards, a range dedicated to gigging musicians who need the power of the Motif without breaking your back nor your pocket, is an interesting proposition. I visited their glorious ‘World of Yamaha’ showroom in Sandton to get the lowdown...

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Features The MOX6 is a striking keyboard with many buttons, knobs and sliders and just as many tricks up its sleeve. It is a streamlined solution for both the stage and the studio and it offers many features only before seen in its big brother, the Motif. To sum it up nice and neatly, this is what Yamaha themselves says about the MOX6: “The new MOX series combines a MOTIF XS sound engine, a MIDI keyboard controller with extensive DAW and VST control, multi-channel USB audio interfacing, onboard sequencing, and an extensive DAW / VST software bundle. The MOX6 and MOX8 are the most powerful, mobile and affordable Yamaha music workstations ever.”

It is indeed a featured-packed monster. For starters, to say that the onboard voice cache is large is a vast underestimation. All in all you get 1217 voices in 355MB; all taken from the Motif XS. These voices are fully augmentable with 18 different filter types, up to 8 element voices per voice, and a simply cosmic effects section.

Also, using performance mode, you can use up to four voices on one midi channel to combine and layer to your hearts content and these can also be muted and soloed in real time and recorded to the sequencer for quick and easy storing of ideas.

To further augment the sounds you can use the interactive arpeggio engine to add unique rhythmic and melodic variations to the voices and after some investigation it was brought to my attention that you get in between a staggering 6000 and 7000 arpeggio variations per voice! The options are endless in finding a sound that is right for your song. Combined with a category search, the right sound is now a sure thing!

There’s even a bit of AI incorporated into the MOX. Using the performance creator you can layer sounds with a push of the LAYER button. The MOX will even suggest a

sound that is a likely match with your base sound and by pressing SPLIT, a suitable bass sound will also be selected. All that’s left is to press DRUM ASSIGN and you have a huge range of pre programmed drum loops (and their many variations) at your disposal instantly.

Of course, effects are rife in the MOX6. These can be applied to both the internal voices and the A/D inputs, which includes a microphone input for use as a Vocoder. Yamaha’s proprietary VCM (Virtual Circuitry Modeling) effects are also available for easy incorporation with your custom sounds along with the now legendary REV-X reverb found in the seminal SPX2000.

The MOX incorporates an onboard sequencer that negates the need for a computer; a feature for touring musicians. It features real time recording, and overdub recording, which is helpful for adding things later that you didn’t get in the first pass, like solos. All of this can be stored directly to a Song/Pattern simply by pressing the REC button, setting it to touch start, and go!

Connecting to a computer is via a single USB cable; the MOX has an onboard 4/2 audio interface that enables you to incorporate with your MAC or PC and the DAW software of your choice.

There is also a computer-based editor which brings a helpful visual control element to its operation. On top of all that, the USB connection enables you to control your VSTi’s straight from the keyboard in controller mode. This expands the potency of the keyboard in both live and studio situations considerably.

There are two incarnations in the series; the MOX8 – an 88-key fully weighted model and the MOX6 - the 61key semi-weighted variant. Both models, as one would expect from Yamaha, are extremely well made and a lot lighter than their Motif big brothers, weighing in at a featherly 7KG for the MOX6 and 14.8KG for the MOX8.

Conclusion At the Yamaha showroom I attended a full demonstration of the MOX6 by their in-house keyboard specialist, Bogdan Pashovski, who is also a well known gigging musician, a great keyboard player and all round nice guy. During the demonstration he showed of all the aforementioned features and what struck me was the ease with which Bogdan was able to access menus and make changes on the fly.

Feature-wise the MOX6 certainly lives up to its lofty claims, but it is the quality of the sounds that really impress the most – they are fantastic! Using the instrument in arpeggio mode, Bogdan quickly conjured up some of the most authentic acoustic guitar strumming I have ever heard.

Closing one’s eyes I would be hard pressed to say whether it was a recording or emanating from a keyboard. The same can be said for all the other sounds he demonstrated as they are simply beautiful. Even the drum sounds translated with considerable realism.

To my seasoned musicians ears I can honestly say that the MOX range of Yamaha keyboards seems to have set a new standard for the trench working musician and I give it two completely positive thumbs up!

Suggested Retail Price: MOX6: R 20,520.00 MOX8: R 27,360.00 Supplier: YAMAHA SA Tel. No: 011-259 7700 Website: www.yamaha.co.za

Prices are recommended retail incl. 14% VAT CROMO 8 | R 2,833.00 CROMO 12 | R 4,317.00 CROMO 15 | R 5,425.00

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

R 10,725.00

R 13,925.00

ALSO AVAILABLE: SUB 05D - Active 15" Bass, 400W RMS, 129dB SPL Max – R 7,025.00 SUB 12D - Active 12" Bass, 400W RMS, 127dB SPL Max– R 6,383.00

Prices are recommended retail incl. 14% VAT

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

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Guitar Amplifiers | BLACKSTAR HT-5R COMBO | words: Nic Roos

Blackstar

Blackstar AMPLIFICATION

HT-5R Combo

B

lackstar have come to prominence over the past few years with a slew of great sounding amps and pedals that are being used by some big name players.

The HT Series of amps sees the company incorporating their highly regarded HT tube preamp pedals into amp form.

To date Blackstar have primarily made mid- to high-powered British flavoured amps, but with the HT 5R we see them venturing into small-amp territory, bridging the gap between feature-laden digital or semi-digital amps and the stripped down micro-tube amps of recent years.

Anatomy Geared towards recording and home practise, the HT-5R is a two channel 1x12, 5 watt combo, powered by a single 12BH7 pre-amp valve and an ECCB84 output valve. The Clean channel has two controls -Volume and Tone, while the Overdrive channel has Volume, Gain, Treble, Middle and Bass as well as Blackstar’s unique ISF (Infinite Shape Feature) which takes you from American voiced tones to British tones, and everywhere in-between.

It also features a global reverb, an FX send/return, a channel-switching footswitch, a mono or stereo speaker

emulated line out–(for direct recording or headphones) with switchable 1x12 or 4x12 speaker cab emulation, and a stereo line in/MP3 input and stereo speaker out.

Sounds I first began exploring the clean channel with an old strat. The tone is lovely and musical, and particularly warm with an authoritative punch. At higher volumes this channel breaks up nicely for a ‘dirty clean’ sound, particularly nice with humbuckers. The single tone knob affects the whole tone, rather than just the treble. While this control brings out some sparkle at higher volumes, its tonal reach is diminished at bedroom volumes, limiting its usefulness somewhat.

The range of sounds available on the Overdrive channels is impressive.

Overall it has a very forgiving, vintage flavour and ‘cranked amp’ harmonics but with tons of sizzling gain and clarity.The ISF is a handy tone-shaping tool. I favoured the US settings as they have seriously thumping lows for an amp of this size as well as sweeter mids, while the British side yields boxier lows and brittle highs, more suited to my Les Paul than anything else. The global hallsounding reverb (which is stereo through the DI) also fits the available tones nicely, although higher settings may only appeal to surf-rockers.

Another plus is that it made great friends with my pedalboard, massaging every effect with its sweet tone. The inclusion of a +4dB/-10dB switch on the FX loop is also welcome as some pedals don’t like line-level (-cough- Line 6 cough-).

The Speaker-Emulated Output sounds surprisingly good through

headphones but, strangely, this connection does not bypass the speaker, which seems to defeat the purpose a bit.

As far as its recording application is concerned, The HT 5 is fantastic. Like the HT pedals, the amp peaks at around 3kHz (depending on exact settings), which is great when recording with good quality mics, but can prove problematic when using cheaper and more modern mics, as they have a similar bump in this frequency range.

That said, very little processing seems to be required to get it to sit in a full mix, with the amp’s clarity shining through.

Conclusion I have to admit that while writing this review I doubted whether the HT would have enough power for use outside of recording and bedroom practice. But the little thing actually saved my skin at a recent gig at a mid-sized Cape Town club. My amp cut out in the middle of sound check and I had no choice but to use the HT entrusted to me for review (I would never do this under normal circumstances).

Not only did I cut through the other guitar, bass, drums and vocals, it sounded huge! It may not have enough headroom for some but for those who need a thick, clear, rocking tone for recording and small gigs, you really can’t go wrong with the Blackstar HT 5R.

Supplied by: Rockit Distribution Tel: 021 511-1800 Suggested retail price: R 6,695.00 incl. VAT

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Guitars | LINE 6 RELAY G50 WIRELESS GUITAR SYSTEM | words: Greg Bester

Line 6 Relay G50 Wireless Guitar System The Line 6 Relay G50 affords the user great, clean, wireless tone and the freedom to move around.

L

ine 6, despite getting a bit of disdain from the luddites, is a company I have always respected. Their dedication and leadership in digital amp modelling has brought almost total versatility to the average gigging guitarist and their POD preamps have been used by some of the hardest working bands in modern day rock from Weezer to Goldfinger to Meshuggah.

They are the best at what they do, and I personally think their stomp box emulators are, for all intents and purposes, as good as the real thing. This time, however, they’re doing something a little more traditional with a bit of a twist: digital wireless guitar systems.

The Line 6 Relay G50 is the midlevel model of their “G” series of digital wireless systems that falls between the G30 and G90. Indeed, the G90 has already garnered a Prosoundweb Readers Choice Award so if you can impress the sound engineers, you must have something good going for you!

Line 6 themselves claim in white bold letters on the front of the box, “Wired Tone, Wireless Freedom”. So which is better? Wired, or wireless?

Features The Relay G50 is a slight departure from the traditional UHF or VHF transmitter pack and receiver system as, firstly, the receiver is floor mounted instead of a rack mountable. More traditionally however, and to quickly dispense with the usual suspects, it has two attachable antennae, a tuner output, and a main output.

Perhaps a bit more auspicious is that it is not entirely analogue; it has a high quality 24-bit analogue to digital converter which boasts 120dB of dynamic range and is the secret to its operation. Line 6 calls this VWT™ (Virtual Wire Technology) and claims a 10 Hz – 20 kHz frequency response, which is typical of 24bit digital signals.

Transmitted over the 2.4GHz carrier band, Line 6 claims this avoids many kinds of interference but because I am

aware that most wireless computer networks, cell phones, microwaves and infrared devices use this band, I was a little suspicious as to the authenticity of this claim. My worries were laid to rest, however, as the system has 12 selectable channels, accessible by a stepped rotary knob on the receiver unit.

Another feature of the receiver is the “Cable Tone” knob, which is also a stepped rotary knob that is graded in feet and meters, correlating to the desired length of cable. But more on that later.

The transmitter pack has two buttons – select and value - which are used to select the outgoing channel. The relevant channel must also be selected on the receiver.

Other features of the transmitter pack are typical; a battery alert light; an LCD display showing channel, battery, and time; an audio light to confirm signal is present and a mute switch.

In Use The G50 was a breeze to set up. I merely plugged in the receiver, attached the antennae, and plugged it into the amp. I then inserted the battery into the transmitter pack, turned it on, and plugged it into my guitar. Immediately I had a good clean signal. Simple! It works!

But hold on. There’s more to this review.

Remember the “Cable Tone” knob?

Well, this was the focus of my foray.

Being an audio engineer, I know that unbalanced cable (like a guitar cable) of

unnecessary length picks up interference and builds resistance, getting worse as the cable gets longer. This usually has the effect of rolling off the top end and accentuating the midrange, along with a drop in overall level. Of course, this may or may not be a desired effect, but to be fair it could at least be viewed as an additional tone shaping tool.

Intrigued, I slowly turned the knob to the right and listened to the tone as I strummed. Indeed, the top end rolled off, and the midrange became accentuated, but with no drop in level! True, it seems a bit gimmicky to emulate a flaw in a long cable, but I can see how this can be used to dull down an otherwise bright guitar for something like Jazz.

Me personally? I would leave it off and let the tone of the guitar and amp shine at “full tone”.

Conclusion The Line 6 Relay G50 affords the user great, clean, wireless tone and the freedom to move around. What I failed to mention is that both the transmitter and the receiver are solidly built so if it’s quality and reliability you’re after, look no further.

It’s also compact, easy to integrate and a breeze to set up so kudos to Line 6 for producing yet another high quality tool for gigging guitarists.

Suggested Retail Price: R 6,295.00 | Supplier: Active Music | Contact Tel. No: 011- 466 9510

words: Greg Bester | HIWATT MAXWATT G100 R COMBO | Guitars

21

HIWATT Maxwatt

G100 R

Combo

H

IWATT Amplification is a company with a long heritage and a thoroughbred pedigree.

Renowned for their powerful, solidly built 50W, 100W, 200W and later 400W (!) allvalve heads, early and classic rock would probably not have been what it was without them and likewise I wonder how The Who, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Journey, and a host of other greats would have fared HIWATT-less.

Indeed, another quite famous band that used HIWATT and who were regulars on the UK charts of the 1960’s was Manfred Mann; named after their South African keyboardist of the same name and who most certainly deserves a mention here. Yes, we are everywhere my friends. Ever heard of Jimi Hendrix or Led Zeppelin? First one to tell me where the South African fits in gets a Noddy Badge.

But I digress.

HIWATT has undergone some transformations over the years, most notably after the death of its founder David Reeves in 1981, leading to the dreaded and inevitable corporate takeover. Today the company is owned out of the East by Fernandes and operated in Europe by a company called Music Ground and as expected, the product line, while still offering high quality custom and production all-valve amps, has expanded considerably to reach all sectors of the market by offering Chinese-made solid-state models. Thus, before me today sits the HIWATT Maxwatt G100 R, a [rather large and heavy] 1x12 combo aimed at entry level to semi-pro gigging guitarists.

Features First impressions are that it looks and feels extremely well made. The black tolex is flawlessly applied, the white beading is clean and tasteful, the

The HIWATT G100 R is a versatile, simple, loud and extremely well made amplifier. amplifier is installed neatly into its bevelled recess, and it’s all tied together beautifully by a classic white speckled black grill cloth. Indeed, if I had to glance, I could easily be fooled into thinking this is one of their all-valve combos, like the High Gain 50 as they look almost identical, barring the Maxwatt badge and knob layout.

The amplifier itself is 100W and offers two channels – Normal and Overdrive – through one HIWATT High Efficiency Heavy Duty Loudspeaker.

However, the Overdrive channel has two selectable gain circuits essentially turning the amp into a quasi-three channel amp.

Both channels are selectable from either footswitch or from the front panel and have their own independent volume and three-band EQ (LOW, MID, TREBLE) with the addition of GAIN1, GAIN2, and CONTOUR knobs for the Overdrive channel. The amps’ MASTER VOLUME and REVERB knobs are found at the far right of the front façade along with a headphones jack and ON/OFF switch. On the rear of the open-back G100 R we find jacks for external speakers at 4 or 8 ohms, a line-out jack, channel select and reverb footswitch jacks, and send/return jacks for an effects loop.

surprised at how loud it felt for a 1x12 combo as the master volume felt touchy and eager to melt faces if I bumped it up too far.

Tonally the sound was clean and twinkly with lots of headroom, which harked back to its heritage. Its solidstate-ness was still quite obvious, however, and it reminded me more of a Roland JC120 than a valve amp, which, I suppose, is fair enough.

Turning over to the overdrive channel, I was met with quite a pleasant sounding distortion with a pronounced midrange that I was able to tweak anywhere from edgy blues rock to AD/DC and beyond. There is no shortage of gain either, so if metal is your game, do not count this amp out. The EQ is accurate and effective and helped immensely to tailor the sound.

After a while of chording and palm muting, I finally switched over to GAIN2.

GAIN2 is Pantera, Lamb of God, and Mushuggah territory. The gain is pumped up considerably and control of the midrange is enhanced by way of the CONTOUR knob, which basically scoops the mids the more you push it to the right.

This amp does bland to brutal and everything in between!

Conclusion The HIWATT G100 R is a versatile, simple, loud and extremely well made amplifier.

Granted, it’s not going to get you to Wembley but it will definitely handle anything from practice to gigging and supply you with a wide selection of tones for most applications.

In Use Plugging into the amp with my trusty Gibson SG Standard, I turned it on and engaged the clean channel with flat EQ and channel volume set to half way. I thought this would give me the fairest representation of the headroom of the clean channel and how this amp handles the 100W of solid-state power at its disposal. Needless to say, I was

Suggested Retail Price: R 4,195.00 Supplier: Music Power Contact Tel. No: 011- 466 9510

24

Guitars | JACKSON SLXQ SOLOIST | words: Nic Roos

Jackson SLXQ Soloist “Overall I felt I was able to push my playing to the limit without the instrument getting in the way...”

R

evered metal and hard rock guitar-smiths, Jackson, promise great value for money with their new XSeries Soloist, a sleek beast of a power tool. Built for speed and oozing sustain, this machine is ideal for extreme performance and a true workhorse.

Anatomy Jackson have taken their super-strat styled Soloist model and pumped it full of steroids.The revue model features a gorgeous natural finish on a basswood body with a maple through-neck and a rosewood fretboard with 24 jumbo frets.

As with all Jackson guitars, the fretboard is dynamically curved, being rounder at the nut for easier chording and riffing, and flattens out further up the neck for faster shredding. It also sports a Floyd Rose Special double-locking two-point tremolo bridge, two passive EMG-HZ pickups (an H4-B in the bridge and an H4AN in the neck), a three-way selector and single master tone and volume knobs.

Playability Arriving well set up with a great action, it fitted in my hands like a glove and I immediately fell in love with the incredibly comfortable slim neck. The body is perfectly weighted and balanced – not too heavy but solid. I couldn’t help but play fast, aggressive runs, as everything is geared to facilitate that kind of playing–the jumbo frets and fretboard curvature working some sort of ergonomic magic.

As expected, the Floyd Rose bridge kept everything in tune after vigorous pinched harmonic dive bombs and wild bends. This floating bridge adds a bouncy airiness that, again, contributes to the overall playability. A side benefit of having the locked tuning bridge is having the small tuning screws on the bridge side, making tuning much quicker and freeing up the fretting hand.

The downside, of course, as anyone with a Floyd Rose bridge will know, is

the EMG bridge pickup. While geared for extreme distortion, the clean tone was clear, slightly spanky with harmonics easily coaxed out even on squeaky cleaner settings. It’s certainly pleasant enough for metal and hard rock, but maybe a bit sterile for blues snobs.

Switching to overdrive the tonal balance was preserved with much of the distortion occurring in the high frequencies and bursting with rich upper harmonics. A nice quick, aggressive, yet touch-sensitive attack was in evidence as I ploughed through some minor arpeggios.

While the EMGs aren’t as vibrant and lack the higher output of their active counterparts, they perform here far better than on other, lesser guitars, possibly due to their relationship with the wood.

What’s really striking is how the HZs’ tonal balance is maintained across the strings and that they dish the dirt with increased gain, yet somehow note definition is maintained even with dense, dissonant chords.

This remains true even at the insane end of the gain spectrum. It’s controlled chaos - absolutely thrilling and satisfying!

Conclusion

that changing strings, as well as downtuning, becomes an arduous process, requiring some dismantling and reassembly. But the performance benefits, particularly for such extreme playing styles, far outweigh this irritation.

Overall I felt I was able to push my playing to the limit without the instrument getting in the way while, at the same time, I got the grit and untamed spirit fighting back the way I needed it to (something that similar, smoother guitars can’t deliver).

What I like about the Jackson X Series Soloist is its luxuriously comfortable playability, and that, unlike many high performance guitars, it delivers the perfect balance between smooth precision and grit that I’d like from a metal murder weapon, giving you absolute control over a broad spectrum of calm or chaos.

Sound Playing unplugged, I could feel every note resonating nicely through the body with the through-neck design adding punch and tons of sustain.

Plugging into the Blackstar HT 5R (reviewed on Pg 16), I was rewarded with a tight bottom end, snappy mid-range and singing highs from the combination of maple and basswood tonewoods and

Supplied by: Musical Distributors www.musicaldistributors.co.za Suggested retail price: R 8,295.00 incl. VAT (Review Model) Other models in the series include: Soloist(tm) SLXT – R 7,495.00 | Soloist(tm) SLX – R 8,295.00 | Super Light Soloist(tm) SLXMG – R 8,995-00

26

Special Feature | BOSE ROOMMATCH AND POWERMATCH SYSTEM LAUNCH | words: Greg Bester

Bose RoomMatch and PowerMatch System Launch

V

enue sound system installation is a complex discipline that is unique to each location. No two venues are alike so it is the job of the installation technician to select the right system that supplies the right coverage and the right sound. Of course achieving this is not as easy as one might think because there are many stipulating factors that have to be considered before attempting a professional installation. It’s not just simply about hanging any-old-speakers from any-old-where.

I attended a launch on a brand new line array system that has just hit the market from Bose, the Framingham, Massachusetts-based company, for their newest product unveiling, the RoomMatch and PowerMatch systems.

inconsistent tonal balance throughout the listening area.

The next issue is the issue of power. In the spirit of eliminating the need for multiple power amp combinations to supply power to differing components in a complete system, Bose has created one high power amplifier called the PowerMatch PM8500; a class-D, 4000W amplifier with eight discrete outputs and onboard DSP. The total power of the amp can be sliced any which way you desire, for example, 2 x 2000W, 4 x 1000W, 8 x 500W, and so on, all from one household power main. A PM8500N model is also available, the only difference being the addition of an Ethernet port. Both amps are digitally configurable, either from the front panel or via USB and Bose’s patented ControlSpace Designer Software.

The Launch 28 March 2012 was a significant day for Bose SA as it was then, at the Theatre of Marcellus at Emperors Palace, that they presented the RoomMatch line array system to the South African pro audio community. To our delight, we were warmly welcomed with a goodie bag full of info and gifts and fresh coffee, which put a smile on most of our faces. Finally we sat down, waiting for the event to start.

The RoomMatch system is, simply put, a new step forward in line array technology, specifically in the arena of coverage. Its main design goal is to overcome what Bose claims are the three main problems in point source array sound reinforcement, namely: 1. Phase interference seams 2. Coverage seam gaps 3. Unwanted sidewall reflections

Finally, the sound...

The last part of the presentation included the playback of different types of program material, both recorded and live. We were treated to classical, acoustic guitar and rock music examples to showcase the system’s ability to reproduce clearly over a wide variety of styles. The classical and acoustic music sounded full, warm and three dimensional and this is where I feel the system excelled. The rock music also sounded good but lacked the imaging and depth of the classical music. Given the fact that it is designed for installations only in houses of worship and theatres, etc, I would say that the sound is well suited.

During playback, we were invited to wander around and take a listen and I was surprised to find that the coverage was as accurate as the claim. Tonal balance was unvarying from point to point and I would have to say that Bose has really lived up to the claims of total coverage. The system seemed to “glow”.

Conclusion

These are problems that all loudspeaker array systems face but in fear of getting too deep into the scientific jargon, it’s probably sufficient to outline that: 1. Phase interference seams cause inconsistent frequency response at different points in the room 2. Coverage seam gaps cause inconsistent level at different points in the room 3. Unwanted sidewall reflections cause

the system highly configurable to match the exact coverage requirements for the specific installation. There are a total of fifteen different modules, each with a unique coverage pattern, a single subwoofer module, and rigging accessories. The subwoofer can either be flown with the array or floor mounted and has a response of 80 – 40Hz. Without the subwoofer, however, the frequency response of the array can still extend down to 60 Hz, which is ample for most applications.

An important note is that Bose claims to have virtually eliminated phase seam interference due to their patented Continuous Arc Diffraction Slot Manifold, which is a specialized waveguide for six high frequency drivers that are found in each box. This feature is a key point in the RoomMatch system.

The Modules The core of the RoomMatch system is a fully bi-amped, modular loudspeaker array that incorporates fixed dispersion array modules that fire at specific horizontal and vertical angles. This makes

Bose has developed a high quality, innovative, and competitive system that offers much for many venues where coverage is critical. They have already garnered two inAVation awards for “Most InAVative Commercial Audio Product” and “Most InAVative Commercial Loudspeaker” an indication that the industry has sat up and taken notice.

For more info go to the TID Distribution website: www.tidistribution.co.za

28

Band Tips | INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: THE PASSIVE INCOME OF MUSIC | words: David Chislett

Intellectual PROPERTY:

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

The Passive Income of Music

T

he biggest debates going on in the global music market right now revolve around copyright and intellectual property and the protection thereof. And yet most artists are blissfully unaware of what their IP is, what it is worth and how to get the most out of it at any given moment.

Basically expressed, your music creations are your intellectual property.

From the moment of creation, you are recognised by South African copyright law as the author of the piece and the owner of the right to copy it, or copyright. However, you need to be able to defend that right in a court of law, so you need to take steps to ensure that you can PROVE your ownership by proving the date from which you owned that piece or created it.

The easiest way for musicians is to lodge your music at SAMRO. You sign up to become a member and you lodge your notification of works. SAMRO’s acceptance of that notification serves as legal proof of the date from which you can defend your right to be recognised as the author of that piece. Great. Easy.

Now what? Every time your music gets played on a radio station, you earn royalties. So make sure every song is registered. Most of you know this part.

BUT every time you play your own compositions live, you can also earn a royalty by submitting live performance royalty sheets. So you earn twice: your performance fee and your performance royalty of the songs. Of course this only comes once a year from SAMRO, but it’s like an added bonus. I recently consulted to an artist who used the broadcast royalties from her last 3 singles to pay for all the recordings of her new album. Very nice.

Then: licensing. As CD sales decline, and in SA digital sales are slow to take off, you need to be leveraging what you own as many ways as possible.

Synchronisation or licensing deals are one way. You will need a publisher or a synch agent, but basically you need someone out there trying to get TV shows, advertisers and movie makers to license your music from you to appear in their products (computer games is a huge growing one).

Publishers are not the devil. A good publisher can make you a lot of money and open a lot of doors. Ask Arno Carstens and Die Antwoord.

Then what about digital? Is your song available for download? Can anyone buy the ringtone or the alarm tone or download their song onto your phone? Make sure you put a deal in place

for mobile and ringtones as soon as you have material. And push it: From your site, your Facebook, everywhere.

The trick is to realise the old ways of making millions from music are all but dead. If you want to stay alive in this jungle you got to be a wise, adaptive cat, box clever and use what’s out there to serve you.

Lastly, realise that, as a song writer, you have a skill that can make money.

Explore getting into jingles, licensing your songs to other artists, writing soundtracks. The more you write, the better you are going to get anyway, so flex your muscles a bit and work out that creative brain. Try writing some stuff for other people. Target a local artist you like and challenge yourself to write a song that would work for them. And then see if they will use it. Why not?

You can earn money from playing shows and selling CD’s. But you can also make money from getting airplay, from your performance royalties, from licensing your music, from selling downloads, from licensing your music to movies, TV shows, adverts and other artists. If you could get all of these up and running there is a good chance you wouldn’t be struggling for cash. A nice thought isn’t it?

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

Tutorial | CLEAN UP YOUR POWER | words: Alan Ratcliffe

Clean Up Your Power Dirty Power Many of the places we play in - music venues, practice rooms, or home studios - suffer from "dirty" AC power, where the mains power coming from the wall outlets contains a lot of unwanted interference which can work its way into our audio signals as noise, affecting the quality of our sound. This interference is usually caused by other devices connected to the power. Common culprits are: fluorescent lighting, dimmer switches; fridges, freezers and other appliances; electric fences; pool pumps; and even nearby radio stations.

Surges and Spikes Occasionally the voltage of the power supply will be uneven, rising above the rated voltage (220V - 230V here in South Africa). Short increases are called "spikes" and longer increases are called "surges".

This can affect the operation of, or in extreme cases even damage or destroy your valuable equipment.

Tackling Dirty Power Firstly, when possible, make sure all your equipment is plugged into the same outlet and try make sure that nothing else is sharing the same outlet. If you seem to be getting a lot of noise on your sound system, try a different outlet to see if it makes a difference. Ideally stage or studio power should be on a dedicated circuit breaker at the power distribution box (but rarely is), so the best thing is be prepared and use a power conditioner.

Tools of the Trade Mains Testers A plug-in mains socket tester is a simple and inexpensive tool that is an essential part of any gigging toolkit.

You simply plug into any power outlet and it immediately shows you if there are any major problems with the power such as missing earth lines or reversed polarity power. While

Mains Plug Tester

reverse polarity is not necessarily a big issue (particularly if all your equipment is plugged into the same outlet), a power outlet with a bad earth connection can be lethal, so is serious enough to cancel a gig over if there is no alternative. Make sure to test the outlets in any new venue you play and if you find any problems report them to the venue owner.

Surge Protectors A simple surge protector protects against damage due to surges or spikes by absorbing or draining off the excess power safely.

In extreme cases (such as lightning strike, they will usually try to self-sacrifice, blowing before your equipment can. These are relatively simple and cheap and can be in the form of single outlet or a multi-plug adaptor.

Power Conditioners A power conditioner is a device that "cleans" AC power, filtering out noise and smoothing the wave. A typical power conditioner has up to 10 power outlets and commonly provides surge protection as well as noise filtering. The noise filtering will usually be rated in decibels (dB), with higher numbers being better (you want at least 40dB reduction, ideally 60dB or better). The better quality power conditioners for audio will have isolated power outlets, which eliminate ground

loops and help with interference and "cross-talk" between components in a system. The less expensive models will be in the form of a multi-plug adaptor, while the better units are mostly 1U or 2U rack devices, usually include rack lighting and sometimes even a voltage meter.

Line Conditioners Often confused with power conditioners, line conditioners not only condition the power but also regulate voltage, boosting it when it drops or acting as a surge protector when it peaks, maintaining a steady flow of electricity at the set voltage. Mostly used more in the bigger studios, as they are usually much more expensive, larger rack mount or freestanding units.

Power Conditioner

THE

LEGEND LIVES

ON Maxwatt G20/R R 1,995.00

Maxwatt G50CMR

20 Watts 8" Hiwatt High Performance Speaker High Input Jacks 2 Channel - (Foot Switchable) Clean and Overdrive 3 Band EQ - Bass, Middle & Treble Contour Control Reverb (Foot Switchable) Ext Speaker Output Headphone Jack CD Input Optional Footswitch - Fs201

R 2,895.00 Laid out and with the same features as its bigger brothers, this amplifier delivers the same spades of tone in the classic, and more manageable 50w format.

High input, 2 channel (footswitchable) 3 Band EQ: bass, middle, treble and gain on Clean channel 3 Band EQ: bass, middle, treble, 2 stage gain and contour on Overdrive channel Channel 1 volume, Channel 2 gain controls Master volume Effects send/return with level controls Reverb control (footswitchable) Ext. speaker output Line out Headphone jack

Maxwatt G100R R 4,195.00

An Award Winning Combo Amp 100 Watts into 8ohm (120 into 4ohm) 12" Hiwatt High Performance Speaker High Input Jack 2 Channels Clean & Overdrive 2 Gain Stages on Overdrive Channel 1 Gain Stage on Clean Channel 3 Band EQ - Bass, Middle & Treble Contour Control on Overdrive Channel Reverb (foot switchable) Ext Speaker Output Line Out Headphone jack Master volume

Distributed by Music Power South Africa - Tel: 011-466 9515 | kevin@musicpowersa.com

MUSIC POWER

32

Tutorial | PLAY BETTER BASS | words: Alistair Andrews

PLAY BETTER BASS Choosing the Right Bass Amp

C

hoosing the best bass amplifier to suit your style, application or budget could be a difficult task if you do not know what you are looking for. Besides the fact that there are many different brands on the market, most brands offer many options. More expensive is also not necessarily the best choice for your requirements. Bass rigs can be purchased in several different configurations.

It is an absolute must to test the amp with your own bass, as each instrument has it own sound character.

Do you need an amp for practicing, or need an amp for gigs? (The “gigging” amp could be used for practicing as well.)

The two main parts of a bass amp is the Bass Amp Head and the Bass Cabinet. In a Bass Combo these two parts are built into a single unit. This could be a good place to start. Do you want a single unit or two separate units?

The Amp Head, or Head, is where your bass gets plugged into.

All the main Controls and Electronics are built into this section.

The Speaker Cabinet, or just Cabinet, is the box enclosure housing the speaker or speakers.

The output of the bass amp head is sent to the speaker cabinet.

I would recommend that beginners should consider the Bass Combo option, as the amp and speaker (or speakers) are matched for optimal performance of the two components.

Before we go into more detail about amp heads and bass cabinets, we should ask ourselves the following questions:

Bass Amp Head 1. What is your Budget?

2. How easy is it to carry and transport the combo/rig?

3. How much power (volume) is required to be heard properly?

4. Will the amp/speaker combination give me the tone I want?

5. Is the amp versatile enough for the style of music?

Let us take a closer at the amp.

The power output is rated in watts (W). For small restaurant gigs you should get away with 100W. On big concert stages you need hundreds of watts or even more than a thousand watts. It is important to bear in mind that the relationship between watts and volume is not linear. A 200W is not twice as loud as a 100W amp. The amp section could be divided into Preamp and Power Amp sections.

Pre Amp The preamp is essentially the section where you find most of the controls used to alter the signal level, colour, the tone etc.

Most common controls are: Gain, EQ, Master Volume, On/Off Switch.

The Gain knob is found on your pre-amp and functions like an internal volume knob. For example, when you turn the gain way up,

you might hear a distortion sound often associated with rock music.

Equalizer (EQ) settings let you emphasize or de-emphasize particular frequencies (bass, mid, treble) to alter the tone of your bass. You have the ability to adjust the frequency, giving you greater control. The EQ section could come in various configurations such as Simple Bass and Treble controls, Graphic EQ, Parametric EQ with sweep-able Mids, and many other options.

Master Volume sets the overall volume. You also have an option between Valve and transistor (Solid State) preamps. One could write a book on this topic.

I personally prefer valve preamps as they sound much “warmer”, however valve amps are normally more expensive.

A factor though, in favour of transistorized amplifiers, is longterm consistency of performance.

Valves deteriorate at a fairly steady rate, and will have to be replaced at one time or another. Generally speaking a transistor either works or it doesn't - and only requires replacing if it has an inherent fault or has been abused.

Continued on Page 34...

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34

Tutorial | PLAY BETTER BASS | words: Alistair Andrews

or head, and a speaker cabinet. With a stack you can mix and match heads and cabinets to fine-tune your sound.

10”, 12” and 15” are the most commonly used speakers in Bass Cabs.

Some manufactures make 6”, 8 and even 18” speakers. We must remember that even the bass guitar creates higher frequencies. All those good harmonics, or slapping and high notes in solos need to go through the speaker as well.

And for a large speaker to create high frequencies, it needs to be flexible. It’s just Speaker Cabinet not mechanically possible to The output from the amplifier goes to the speaker move the entire 15″ speaker cabinet where the speaker(s) at 1KHz, only the central few inches can move that fast. sit. Most bass cabinets are For good, tight, low normally made of wood and frequencies, you want a stiff are typically sealed so that speaker, but to get higher frequencies are accurately frequencies, you need a reproduced. Cabinets come flexible speaker cone. in many different sizes with Also in order to make a one or more speakers. big speaker rigid, it becomes heavier, which makes it harder to move quickly. One Speaker Size solution is to use several Much of your decision will speakers. Two 10″ speakers be based on what type of have about the same area as sound you prefer. Several one 15″ cone. small speakers in a bass cabinet produce a tighter, And lastly, a Balanced XLR more accurate sound, while output could save you some a larger speaker is often cash, as you would not need heavy sounding. a D.I box to connect your Amp to the PA system.

Configurations Any decent Music Shop Bass Combo Amps are selfshould have a nice variety of contained units that include Bass Amp solutions. Happy the amplifier and speaker Hunting!! together. A stack variation consists of a separate amp,

Continued from Page 32...

Power Amp

Part of the head, the power amp delivers the power and in turn the volume. More watts will give you more volume. Because a bass sound has a lower frequency, it requires more power. In transistor power amp terms, 50-100 watts is good for practicing alone.

200 watts can work in small venues. I would recommend 300+ watts when playing with a full band.

Another factor to bear in mind is that valve power amps are more powerful than transistor power amps.

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Bass Cabinet

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36

Tutorial | PLAY BETTER GUITAR | words: Kurt Slabbert

PLAY BETTER GUITAR I Technical Facility n this issue of Play Better Guitar I have decided to talk about technical facility. So what does that mean?

Technical facility would mean in music the ability to play your instrument, physically without any tonal and or tempo loss.

So how do you attain this measure of technical facility?

That’s easy to answer; PRACTICE!!!

Practice what? Start by playing chords that you wouldn’t

normally use, or learn some licks from other instruments.

We will begin by looking at some exercises that will help this area of practice.

Remember that whatever you rehearse should be done in some musical format, either by using a metronome or a backtrack of sorts.

So let us begin with something really easy; a basic Am Pentatonic scale.

Take a metronome and set it to about 75bpm and play this exercise, paying special attention to being on the beat and making sure all the notes are played at the same level, then try and do the same exercise playing slightly behind the beat, always making sure that the quality of your notes are the same.

Now let us introduce some technical facility, once again remember it means that you should have no physical limitations as a musician.

Try this one; we will keep it simple for now Same scale but a completely different articulation! So how would you play it physically and from a fingering point of view?

Here is another way of playing the Am pentatonic scale; this is a method used by Frank Gambale. Take note how he employs sweeps into his playing.

Many people can sweep and play fast but 90% of those people can’t do it in time, and that is the challenge. Try this next one.

37 Here we have an Am pentatonic scale over 2 octaves and I am using a series of sweeps and alternate picking to get through it. Once again remember the timing and note generation are as important as playing the correct notes.

Here we have triplets into 8th notes so please keep that in mind and try really hard to play the rhythm 100% correctly.

Another flaw that I have found in many guitarists is the ability to play with large intervals or skipping strings if you will.

Try this exercise and once again please keep to the time signature and the written rhythm.

There are a couple of options with this exercise. We could pick it as normal with alternate strokes or we could use hybrid picking where we would use a combination of pick and fingers.

Here is the same exercise with a slight alteration; if you look at the stave you can visually see the large intervals between the notes. This can sound really awesome within an improvised section if played correctly.

RSI I am definitely not a doctor but I do know that anything in excess is bad for you.

Here I refer specifically to repetitive strain injury or RSI, found common amongst musicians, mostly drummers and guitarists.

Once again I must remind you; you cannot over practice as you will get injured, however, the more you practice the longer you will be able to practice. Find a balance and build this up.

I remember days of learning a new lick and sitting there for hours trying to play it as fast as I could. Little did I know I was developing some serious RSI problems. So as with any sport or anything that is physical you need to pace yourself, and remember bigger stretches equal more strain, so be careful as to not injure yourself by over practicing. RSI can keep you away from playing for a long time so prevention is better than cure. If you are not sure about it then go speak to your doctor and then discuss a rehearsal program with a guitar teacher who could steer you in a specific direction and also a safe one.

In the next issue we will take a broad look at the country styles of playing and the techniques associated with this genre.

Till next time practice safely, steadily and more importantly in TIME!!

Copyright Kurt Slabbert | Bluenoise Productions kurt_slabbert@hotmail.com

38

Your Private Universe | BASIC HOME STUDIO REQUIREMENTS | words: Jonathan Pike

Basic Home Studio Requirements

I

n the last article we looked at some techniques that you can use to treat the acoustics in your home studio.

In this issue we will take a look at the equipment essentials needed to create a cheap yet effective home studio. With the availability of affordable digital devices and Audio Production Software Packages setting up a home studio is becoming more affordable to the home engineer. So what are the essentials that you will need?

Well first things first; a dedicated audio computer. By this I mean try and keep the computer as free from unnecessary applications as possible and preferably keep it off the internet to prevent viruses.

The main requirements for the computer would be a minimum of 4 GB of RAM and a decent processor (at least an i5), of course the more RAM and processing power you have the better your system will perform and the more intensive sessions it will be able to run.

There is an on-going debate as to whether it is preferable to run a Windows based computer or an Apple Mac; most software packages will run on both platforms but Windows generally does require driver instillation. If it comes down to budget however, you can often set up a Windows based PC for less money overall. It is generally accepted that Mac is the industry standard, but for a home engineer this is less important.

At the end of the day I believe your choice of Mac or PC is down to personal preference.

The second essential is a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). This is a software package that allows you to record, sequence, arrange, edit and mix audio and MIDI information. There are many different DAW packages out there and most are very effective, your choice will come down to both preference and budget. If you can I would recommend getting the industry standard DAW, Pro Tools.

In order to record any audio into your DAW you will need an audio

interface. This is an external sound card.

The interface handles the analogue to digital conversion of the audio and inputs it into your DAW via either a USB or Firewire cable. The interface will usually have at least one microphone pre-amp, a couple of line inputs and an analogue output either for monitor speakers or headphones.

There are again a vast array of different types of audio interfaces out there with varying amounts of inputs and outputs. Again your choice will probably come down to budget, but read reviews such as that found in Muse Magazine to make the best choice for your budget.

Some of these interfaces include a MIDI input although most MIDI devices are now using USB as their transfer protocol.

As we are talking about MIDI, I would also suggest getting yourself a MIDI controller. Most DAW’s will have virtual instruments that allow you to compose electronic based music and a MIDI controller will allow you to trigger these virtual software based instruments.

One of the most important pieces of equipment required for a home studio is, of course, a decent microphone. It is worth spending a bit more money on a decent condenser mic that you can use

on multiple different instruments and voices. Of course it would be ideal to have a few different mics to choose from, but again budget will be the limiting factor here. I would also advise buying a pop filter to control any vocal plosives.

The last essential element to consider is a set of monitor speakers or headphones. This is an area where the more you have to spend the better. When monitoring audio in your studio you want monitors that deliver the sound EXACTLY as it was recorded without changing the tone or “colouring” the sound. The job of the monitors is to present the sound to your ears as accurately as possible so that you can make critical choices about tone and processing.

These are six of the basics required for a home studio setup. There are of course many variants of the above setup and many more great pieces of gear that you can add to your studio as you go.

The best advice I can give you is to research as many different types of gear to make sure that you make the best choice in your price range. There are loads of on line resources and forums where you can gain valuable insight into available gear as well as, of course, Muse Magazine.

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