CONTENTS Proud Supporters of SA Music!
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EDITION 17 OCT/NOV ‘11
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Editors Note and Index Cover Feature: Kurzweil SP4-8 Cover Feature: Kurzweil SP4-8 Gear News Gear News Gear News Instrument Review: The Wilkinson Fret-king Super Matic Gear Review: Shure Super 55 Limited Edition Instrument Review: PRS SE Mark Tremonti Gear Review: Studiomaster MCX24 Console Gear Review: Studiomaster MCX24 Console Gear Review: Z.Vex Box Of Rock & Fuzz Factory Competition: Shure Drum Mastery Competition What's That Noise? Getting Better by David Chislett Guitar Maintenance with Alan Ratcliffe Play Better Bass with Alistair Andrews Play Better Bass with Alistair Andrews Play Better Guitar with Kurt Slabbert Play Better Guitar with Kurt Slabbert Your Private Universe with Jon Pike
EDITOR’S NOTE
A
nother block-busting edition packed with reviews, gear news, views and tutorials has arrived hot off the press for your reading pleasure. Now whilst the greater music industry comprises of so many different components, when it comes to gear, the stuff that really gets us excited and makes us tech-phobes get all giddy inside are the goodies that we can play nicely with; music instruments, mics, effects. These are the toys that allow us to create and express ourselves. Well in this edition we have plenty of those; our cover feature review, for example, is the brand new Kurzweil SP4-8 stage piano which was launched at NAMM earlier this year. Now those familiar with Kurzweil should know that this company has created some formidable products over the years, possibly not with the same high profile as some of its better known competitors, but certainly of equal quality. The SP4-8 gets taken through its paces and receives a resounding nod of approval from our reviewer, Damien Albetto. We also tackle two contrasting guitars, both in price and usability; the Fret King Supermatic self-tuning guitar, according to resident guitar guru, Nic Roos, gets a huge thumbs up for more than simply being able to self-tune. He also finds himself wrestling his own conscience over the super creamy, uber smooth and generously priced PRS Tremonti SE. Check it out. I also welcome Greg Bester to the team of tech reviewers. Greg is lead guitarist for the rock band, 4AM, as well as chief audio engineer at Shifted Audio. He takes a set of Z.Vex pedals through its paces and also interrogates the Studiomaster MCX24 mixing console. And lastly, but certainly not least, the Shure Super 55 retro looking microphone is also tested with none other than Jack Parow spitting some lyrics down the mic amongst other comparative tests, all done by studio mastering and recording fanatic, Matthew De Nobrega. So, all-in-all I think we’ve covered some interesting goodies this time around, not to mention the excellent tutorial section compliments of some highly respected musicians of the SA music scene. So as always enjoy the read and drop us some feedback – agree to disagree! Dave Mac
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COVER FEATURE
By Damien Albetto
Kurzweil SP4-8
“...the new SP range is a worthy successor to an already revered instrument series”
fact, aside from the length of the instrument – 140 cm (most are 138 cm) the SP4-8 is a trimmer, slimmer machine in every respect, albeit marginally so. Still every inch counts when it comes to packing and unpacking, I guess.
Anatomy
K
urzweil Systems was founded in 1982 by Ray Kurzweil, an American r e n o w n e d a u t h o r, inventor and futurist. If you’re a follower of the increasingly popular Ted Talks on TED.COM you may have come across him from a talk he did back in 2006 as he set about predicting how technology will transform us. His predictions were somewhat accurate with regards to where computer technology would be, incidentally. Anyway the story of Kurzweil Music Systems is that his company developed a reading machine for the blind which somehow (I’m still asking myself how?) they adapted this to produce their first musical instrument, the KB250 back in 1983. To cut a long story short, throughout the 80’s Kurzweil keyboard instruments grew in stature and in the 90’s became regular features on tour riders everywhere. A hotly debated issue is the quality of their piano sounds which many have regarded as superior to Yamaha although to be fair, the latter has many supporters who will contest this. Needless to say Kurzweil products certainly developed a reputation for quality sounds and quality products. However it would be remiss of me not to mention that the company also suffered a somewhat rocky period when, in 2006, Hyundai acquired the Korean company Young Chang whom had owned Kurzweil since 1990 and had
been responsible for some of their most significant and endearing models such as the PC and SP series. For a short while after the takeover by Hyundai things seemed to go south for the company with service issues and lack of new product being cited by frustrated customers. Until the PC3 in 2008! This release seems to have put them firmly back in the hunt as a quality producer of quality keyboard based instruments and it is in fact that birth of the PC3 that has led to the exciting new SP4 series.
SP4-8 The SP4-8 stage piano is the successor to Kurzweil’s best-selling SP88/X range which was significant in affordability, build and most importantly the quality of its piano sounds. Equipped with many of the same sounds and effects as their now acclaimed PC3 family, the SP4-8 offers a variety of acoustic pianos, vintage electric pianos, dazzling string sections, lush pads, KB3 organs, mallets, drums, basses, guitars and more. The keyboard has up to four programmable zones, allowing one to create splits and layers enabling one to adjust your sound in a live setting onthe-fly. Notably this newer model is lighter than the SP88/X, weighing in at 17.7 kgs, compared to the 23.6 Kgs of its predecessor and having a quick look at some of its competitors reveals up to a 10 kilo difference in weight which will please gigging musicians, no doubt. In
Unpacking the SP4-8 reveals an instrument that has not changed much in looks from its predecessor and this is probably a good thing as the familiar ergonomics means anybody used to the SP series of old will feel very comfortable from the get-go. It is also a tried and tested layout that has proven very practical and usable onstage so why try fixing what ain’t broke? Under the hood though, things get a lot meatier. For starters the 16 character LCD display (with front panel contrast adjust for easier viewing) is a far cry from the 3-character LED of old. Closer inspection also reveals 128 presets, as mentioned earlier taken from the acclaimed PC3 soundset, which also includes KB3 organ and KVA synth sounds. There are up to 64 user presets available for storing of your own tweaked sounds. The SP4-8 is also a fully featured midi controller and as such includes 128 midi channels, 64 factory set and 64 user setups available. The user MIDI setup, by the way, has 4 programmable zones for splits and layers. There are also a host of effects and effects chains available, once again taken from the Pc3, to include the obligatory host of reverbs, but also effects such as amplifier simulations which are useful for getting some of those retro sounds. Controllers come in the form of Pitch wheel, modulation wheel, 1 front panel knob, 1 stereo switch-pedal input (supports two pedals with Y connector), 1 continuous control pedal input and the unit is packaged with a foot-pedal. The analog outputs are two 1/4" balanced TRS with a rear panel 1/4" headphone output. Midi connectivity is both the conventional in, out ports as well as USB which includes full midi functionality and is also useful for operating system updates as well as program and file transfers from PC or MAC.
Stage Piano
A notable feature of the SP4-8 is that one can also load additional sounds/ programs from the PC3 and PC3LE series keyboards, although these will only work within the limits of the SP4’s DSP capabilities. Additional sounds are also available from the Kurzweil website, although I did not venture over to check what these are.
Playing the SP4-8 The hammer-weighted keys on a Kurzweil keyboard have never disappointed and this tradition continues on the SP4. They feel responsive, have a wonderful aftertouch and are just so easy and fun to play. Running through the patches the obvious place to start is the piano sound as this is perhaps what Kurzweil is best known for. Again the SP4 does not disappoint with 8 superb piano sounds and as mentioned earlier the ergonomics of the keyboard means one touch buttons to move between the different presets. The electric piano (a fave of mine) is so warm and inviting but to be honest each of these 8 variants are really engaging. Another highlight is the clavinet and the strings both of which are wonderfully authentic. The organs remain adequate and hugely improved from the legacy models and the woodwind instruments to my ears are very authentic sounding. A host of additional presets to include drums & percussion, basses, pads, guitars, leads and brasses all exist and
the sheer depth of the samples makes for a very convincing soundset. I actually had tons of fun simply rocking the electric guitars – made me feel like I was wielding an axe on stage! Like I mentioned earlier, the layout has not changed much and this makes for very quick interchanges between sounds with a set of Group Select buttons to select either Piano, Electric Piano, Clav, Strings etc and from there one can easily pick the sound within the Group with the Sound Select buttons which hosts up to 8 variants for each group. Layering two sounds is also a cinch taking no more than 2 buttons to pick your sounds such as a piano and a string for example. Splitting the keyboard also takes no more than pressing the Split button and then picking your zones at the press of a key. Another great feature Kurzweil includes on all their keyboards is direct access to transposing on the front facia (up or down) something that a lot of its competitors strangely require one to go through menus to find.
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COVER FEATURE
hammer-weighted key derivatives are ever light) the new SP range is a worthy successor to an already revered instrument series. Ease of use and the simplicity with which one can select sounds, split the keyboard or create layered sounds makes this the perfect live performance instrument. But if you factor in the full USB midi functionality which includes loading of different soundsets and naturally the ability to use the SP as a controller, the SP4-8 is a very handy studio instrument too. Lastly the price makes this a truly affordable instrument with superb sounds and features well worth its price.
Watch a full demo of the SP4-8 online @ museonline.co.za OR Scan this tag to view on your Smartphone
Conclusion With an updated facia yet 100% familiar, tried and tested layout the SP4-8 will certainly please fans of the Kurzweil range. If you are an existing SP76 or 88 user the SP4-8 is a must-have upgrade to the next level. With superior soundsets, layering and midi functionality, not to mention its portability (not that any of the 88
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Supplier: Tradelius | (031) 502-3080 | www.tradelius.co.za Suggested Retail Price: R 13,695-00
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GEAR & INDUSTRY NEWS
For daily gear, instrument and industry news visit museonline.co.za
Introducing the DPA d:fine™ single-ear headset microphone The new d:fine™ headset mics join the classic DPA 4066 and 4088 headworn models which are loved the world over and widely used by the international theatre, broadcast and conference markets. The new d:fine™ headsets have been named to reflect their accurate audio definition and natural sonic characteristics. The very fine spring automatically adjusts the headset to each wearer, ensuring that the earpiece stays in place by applying consistent pressure regardless of ear size. It can easily be taken on and off by the wearer, returning to its original shape each time. Just by rotating the boom, the microphone can be moved from left to right ear, or into the optimum position. And as the microphone isn’t hard-wired into the headset, the cable can be replaced cheaply and easily. The d:fine™ headset is available in black and beige, in omni and a directional versions. Distributor: Prosound (Pty) Ltd | 0861 4SOUND | www.prosound.co.za
d:fine™ omni headset mic The d:fine™ Omni is sensitive to sound from all directions making the positioning of the headset less critical and can be done by untrained personnel. It is truly a plug-and-play solution for any situation. ! Pristine audio quality ! Easy and intuitive mounting ! Minimal visual impact ! Adapts to all pro wireless systems
d:fine™ directional headset mic The d:fine™ Directional rejects side and background noise while creating higher separation from nearby sound sources which improves the gain-to-feedback ratio and gives more channel control. Yet still, natural voice intelligibility is preserved along with its very high SPL capabilities one can both speak and sing with no hint of distortion. ! Pristine audio quality ! Easy and intuitive mounting ! Rejects background noise ! Adapts to all pro wireless systems
Carlsbro Kickstart 25 Guitar Amp Combo The Carlsbro KICKSTART 25 20W 2 Channel Overdrive Reverb Guitar Amp. Electric and bass guitar amplifier with great tone. The Carlsbro KICKSTART 25 is a budget guitar amplifier that represents a high quality at a low price, ideal for both electric and bass. This practice amp is ideal for bedroom and home use as it has a headphone socket for silent practice. The main features of the Carlsbro KICKSTART 25 include: ! The KickStart 25 offers great tone, fantastic features and excellent value for money ! 20W RMS ! 8 inch Speaker ! Twin Switchable Channels ! Gain Control ! 3 band EQ ! Reverb ! Headphone Socket ! FX Loop ! Dimensions (HxWxD)mm : 310 x 315 x 205 ! Weight : 5.5kg
Carlsbro Kickstart Bass 20, 20W Bass Guitar Amplifier Combo The Kickstart Bass range features the same attention to the requirements of the modern bassist as the Kickstart guitar range. Their design enables anyone to start playing with the minimum of fuss, plus they have impressive features and sound quality to satisfy the more experienced guitarist. ! 20W RMS ! High Impedance Universal Input ! Variable Input Gain Control ! Input Limiting ! Peak Power Indicator ! Powerful Active Three Band EQ ! MP3 / External Audio Input & Headphone Output ! British Designed Kevlar Reinforced 8” Powertone Loudspeaker ! Dimensions (HxWxD)mm : 336 x 320 x 209 Distributed by TV Audio | +27 11 805 9910 | info@tvaudio.co.za | www.tvaudio.co.za
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GEAR & INDUSTRY NEWS
Ikey Audio M3 Portable Digital Recorder Media recording is identical to audio recording, except that media recording usually occurs at lower volumes. It makes sense that companies who make premier audio recording products would also make great media recording products, provided that the design keeps in-mind those lower recording volumes. The M3 is the latest in portable recording technology and has all the essentials you need to record your media instantly. Most importantly for recording media, the M3 has an input gain switch with 3 input gain levels: -20dB, 0dB, and +10dB to ensure that the M3 records at the optimal level for your media environment. The M3 also features a large bright full colour LCD screen and an easy recording interface. The M3 is perfect for everything from professional field recording to corporate meetings, training, and education. Record via balanced 1/8” line inputs or mic input directly on to the provided 1 GB SD memory card. The M3 offers you the choice to record as an MP3 with up to 320kbps or as a WAV format with 44.1kHz/16-bit mode (CD Quality) of pure sound quality. Distributor: Audiosure | 011 - 7904600 | 021 - 5551617 | 031 – 5699260 | 051 – 4304455 | www.audiosure.co.za
Tuerk To Distribute K-Array Big sound, small size! In a recent press release Tuerk Technologies announced that the company is proud to distribute this innovative brand of high-quality, ultra-compact loudspeakers. K-Array has developed ultra-compact sound solutions technologies since 1990. They have concentrated their efforts and resources into the design and manufacture of highly efficient audio systems that produce unparalleled sonic accuracy. K-Array has a complete range of products to suit any application from large-scale arenas to almost invisible systems for theatre, worship, corporate and oncamera presentations that demand speakers that are heard but not seen. Distributed by Tuerk Music Technologies | (011) 792-8402 | www.tuerkmusic.co.za
Product Spotlight: Peavey 6505 212 Combo 2x12 Guitar Amp A lean tone machine. The 2x12 Peavey 6505 212 Combo Guitar Amp pours out a punishing 60W through 2 Sheffield 1200 speakers in a closed-back cabinet for aggressive tone with plenty of low end. The Peavey 6505 Amp features a footswitchable lead/rhythm channel select and reverb defeat. Master controls include 3-band EQ, resonance, and presence. Rhythm channel uses pre/post gain controls and bright/crunch switches. Lead channel has pre/post gain controls only. Footswitch included. The 6505 Series guitar amplifiers are named in celebration of Peavey's first 40 years, (1965-2005). While known as the 5150 Series, these amps became the undisputed go-to guitar amps for scores of rock, hardcore, and metal bands because of their raw tone, relentless power, and road-proven reliability. Made in the USA. Features ! 60W ! Closed-back cabinet ! 2 - 12" Sheffield 1200 speakers ! 2 footswitchable channels ! Reverb ! 3-band EQ ! Resonance ! Presence ! 5 - 12AX7 preamp tubes ! 2 - 6l6 power amp tubes Distributed by Tropical Music| (011) 025 7636 | www.tropicalmusic.co.za
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TUERK introduces a selection of G & L Guitars:
Tribute Series, USA Series & 30 Year Anniversary Models
A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON G&L GUITARS MADE IN THE G&L CUSTOMS CREATION DEPARTMENT: The G&L Custom Creations Department brings together a team of their most experienced craftsmen, in a venue where they find inspiration to explore ideas and freedom from conventional production requirements. The only requirement is that every CCD instrument must embody distinctive tonal or visual characteristics which sets it apart from the range of custom-optioned instruments that are built on a regular basis. While CCD instruments are not regularly available for order, these instruments are built to the same superb standard of craftsmanship as their ongoing line of handcrafted G&L instruments. Limited Edition instruments produced by the G&L Custom Creations Department will include special documentation, both in certificate form and on the instrument itself. Special hand-marked identification bearing the model name, the number produced, date of instrument completion and signature of the G&L Plant Manager will appear on the rear of the headstock, with corresponding identification discreetly located on the body itself. A certificate included will show all of the information found on the instrument, as well as details as to the origin of concept, purpose, and distinctive features. Distributed by Tuerk Music Technologies | (011) 792-8402 www.tuerkmusic.co.za
Pictured here: G&L ASAT Classic
GEAR & INDUSTRY NEWS
Ibanez Grooveline Bass Guitars Ibanez has enhanced the comfort and playability of the traditional bass guitar design to make the Grooveline the perfect tool that works the groove as part of your body. The ergonomic body shape provides the perfect balance for playing, either sitting or standing. GROOVELINE SERIES BASICS Precision-made in Japan The Tight-End bridge, made from solid brass, marries the string and body with no loss of vibration CAP “Sonic Arch” pickups provide clean, thick bottom and crystal-clear highs E4 3-band dedicated eq for 4-string model E5 3-band dedicated eq for 5-string model Includes deluxe hardshell case Distributed by Midi Music | 011 417 3400 | www.midimusic.co.za
! ! ! ! ! !
Tropical Music Moves Recently Tropical Music moved offices from Germiston to Kyalami Business Estate, a move owner Joe Barros feels makes them more central to the hub of technology and gear companies. “Our new showroom has a lot of our product ranges on display for dealers to come and check out our products, touch them, feel them and even listen to assess the quality,” he added. Tropical Music are stockists of the following brands; Peavey , Palmer, Aroma, GHS Strings, Seagull Acoustic Guitars, Topp Pro Music Gear, American Drum Works, Vizcaya, Walden, Pro Lok, Rocktron, Godin Guitars You can find Tropical Music @ Unit 3 | 27 Silverstone Crescent | Kyalami Business Estate | Kyalami | Gauteng | www.tropicalmusic.co.za | 011-0257636
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By Nic Roos
INSTRUMENT REVIEW
The Wilkinson Fret-King Super-Matic Self-Tuning Guitar
“The Super-Matic doesn’t just tune well. It is a super-Strat on steroids”
T
he idea of a self-tuning guitar must be as old as the electric guitar itself. Surely, every guitarist who’s ever performed live, let alone makes use of alternate tunings, has thought it would be a novel idea and in recent years a number of brands have toyed with this concept such as Gibson with their Robot Les Paul. On review here is the Fret-King SuperMatic designed by guitar mod guru Trev Wilkinson, which features a self-tuning system that seems by far the most practical, discrete and elegant solution to the self- tuning conundrum.
Anatomy The Super-Matic doesn’t just tune well. It is a super-Strat on steroids, featuring 24 frets and Wilkinson designed HSH pickup layout mounted on a two-piece alder body. The pickup configuration is rather ingenious, as the bottom tone control is a variable coil-splitting knob blending between humbucker and single-coil sounds. This greatly expands the tonal possibilities. The tuning system has six tuning presets. One is standard E and five are user reprogrammable. It also functions as an onboard conventional chromatic tuner. It consists of the Wilkinson ATD HT440 Bridge with motorised machine heads and a hex pickup mounted behind the bridge humbucker. It is through this pickup that one controls the system. There is a small LCD display on the bottom E side of the pickup and a single function button on the high E side, with which the system is activated and presets are selected. The system runs off a standard 9v battery and, according to the manual, the battery lasts for at least 250 tunings.
Playability The guitar is rather heavy, the body has sharp edges and the C-shaped neck with the large frets is quite chunky, but overall it is incredibly easy and comfortable to play. I was, however, a little irked that the input socket does not fit an angled jack. Using the self-tuning system was incredibly intuitive: press the button once to activate the chromatic tuner display and, since the self-tuning mechanism is in the bridge and the standard headstock tuners remain unaffected, tune as normal. Or hold the button in for a second, scroll through the displayed presets by pressing
the button again and strum all the strings once and watch the motors retune. Storing tunings is just as simple once you learn all the display symbols. On occasion I did need to re-strum for the system to read properly, but this was rare. The thrill of moving from Standard E to Open G in seconds is incredible and it does so with great accuracy. It’s one limitation, however, is that it can only save tuning presets up to a full tone above or below standard tuning. So you won’t be able to save your drop C tunings.
Sounds The tonal variety on offer here must be noted. The bridge pickup alone with its variable humbucking and single-coil sounds is very tasty and blending the two brings out an unexpected palette of tonal colours. Through a clean tube-driven amp the humbucker mode is fat with a nice midrange bump and rich harmonics. The pickups are well balanced, each with its own character, but work well together. In single-coil mode the neck pickup really accentuates the sparkle and compliments open tunings very nicely. While humbucker mode is the obvious choice for more distorted tones, dialling in a bit of single coil adds a tad more attack and grit. I found this particularly useful for bluesy leads.
Verdict I must admit that at first I was not expecting much, aside from what I assumed would be a gimmicky tuning feature, but, while this modern take on the Strat is not (in my opinion) very pretty, it sure puts out. I am blown away, not only by the accuracy, practicality and ease of use of the selftuning system but also by the SuperMatics playability and sheer tonal variety. A definite winner!
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Suggested retail price: R 19,995.00 Distributor: Technology Innovated Distribution (TID) | +27 10 5000 111 www.tidistribution.co.za
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muse | fourteen
By Matthew De Nobrega
STUDIO REVIEW
Shure Super 55 Limited Edition
S
hure's Super 55 is a very classy vintage-looking dynamic microphone aimed squarely at vocalists who want to look and sound good while performing. Unfortunately I didn't manage to get it onto a stage, but I took it through its paces in the studio against some comparative dynamic mics and a standard studio condenser. The unit features an old-school metal grille with foam damping inside. It uses a capsule based on that of the ubiquitous beta 58, so I wasn't expecting any major surprises – the 58 is about as road tested as they come. It comes boxed with a pouch and instruction leaflet, which is on the minimal side compared to some of its more studio-orientated competitors, but it is all you need for stage use. The test unit was one of the limited edition, with red foam and a black grille – the standard model has a more civilised satin chrome grille and blue foam windshield. The Super 55 uses a dynamic capsule with a supercardiod pickup pattern to reject off-axis sounds on stage and reduce feedback, which is apparently a common problem with this style of microphone. The series boasts a history going back 70 years, so let's see how it compares to some more modern competitors in the studio. The first test was on some Jack Parow vocals, running into an A-Designs Pacfica and a Distressor. While the tone and detail were both good, there was a lot of breath noise, as well as some obvious plosives. The delivery was very regular though, with no obvious level changes or pronounced proximity effect, which bodes well for stage use. After that we did a general shoot out on male vocals with a Rode NT1-A, a Shure SM7B, and a Samson Q8. In comparison to the Rode (a condenser) the Super 55 had a more tailored frequency response – dropping some of the lows and highs and focusing on the middle of the vocal. So it will need less EQ in a live setting – presenting only the necessary frequencies – but at the cost of being less versatile in terms of recording different sources. I clearly preferred the Super 55 over the woollysounding SM7B in this test, but the SM7B is probably the most hit-or-miss microphone I have come across. The comparison with the Samson was the most pertinent – as a budget supercardiod dynamic the Samson is aimed at very much the same market, and is significantly cheaper. Obviously they look completely different, and for performers looking for a visual edge that could well justify the price difference. In terms of sound they both do the job, albeit in slightly different ways – the Samson was a little brighter, which gave some interest and excitement to the vocal, but also made it a little harsher. The Super 55 was a little smoother up top, with more power and body but less detail. While vocalists with delivery issues might prefer one or the other, for the majority either will do the trick on stage. A quick comparison with a Shure SM57 on vocals and percussion yielded pretty much what I expected – the 57 doesn't have a wind shield so it had more detail for vocals, but also an unacceptable level of wind noise. On some random percussion the Super 55 was less cutting than the 57, but had some very cool body – it won't be useful for everything, but could come in handy for a meaty snare or tom sound. So at the end of the day the Super 55 is pretty much a better-looking, vintage styled version of the standard stage dynamic, at a modest premium over the beta 58. For performers who want to add some vintage style to their show, the Super 55 is an excellent choice, with solid performance and a well tested capsule. In the end it all depends on budget vs. good looks as the Super 55 definitely has the looks.
LEGENDARY PERFORMANCE
TM
Supplier: Wild and Marr 011 974 0633 | 021 787 9378 | 031 573 7400 www.wildandmarr.co.za Suggested Retail Price: R 3,400-00 .
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INSTRUMENT REVIEW
By Nic Roos
PRS SE Mark Tremonti “Everything about the tone screams luxury”
D
Sounds
isclaimer: I adore and loathe PRS guitars. There, I said it! I know it’s unfair to say, but they’re just too perfect for my taste. I get toothache hearing their sweet tone. Whoever reads this may be thinking, ‘They’re just too much machine for you to handle,’ and maybe they’re right. Then again, my taste is more Robert Johnson than Eric Johnson. More ‘Woodstock’ Santana than ‘smooth’ Santana. I just can’t get the grit I want from them, but that’s just crusty old me and I know many guitarists rightly swear by theirs. PRS guitars are revered for their amazing build quality and impeccably smooth tone. They are musical tools that won’t hold you back. As displayed here on the very popular PRS Tremonti SE, a lower cost version of the Creed and Alter Bridge guitarist Mark Tremonti’s signature model, those qualities do permeate down to their lower price bracket.
Unplugged the Tremonti resonates brightly and audibly from every part of neck and body yet doesn’t announce itself as aggressively as a Les Paul. Plugging into a clean tube amp with bridge pickup selected and strumming open chords reveals a bright, open tone. Every note rings with considerable clarity. It sounds more defined and sparkly than thick and syrupy. It even has a slight twang, likely due to the longer scale neck. The middle and neck pickup positions are well balanced too, with no sudden jumps in
Anatomy The Tremonti is in essence PRS’s take on a Les Paul-style design – twin humbuckers (PRS designed SE Treble and Bass pickups), single cut-away mahogany body and a 22-fret neck. But unlike a Les Paul it has comfort contours on the back and cutaway, a longer 25” scale length, and weighs very little. It also sports a wraparound bridge as well as bird fret inlays.
Playability PRS invented air guitar. Playing one is effortless. The Tremonti’s light weight, neck shape and ergonomic body contours make playing a breeze. It simply relays your finger movements to the amp, almost like playing nothing at all. The neck shape is incredibly comfortable, feeling narrower than it actually is. Manufacturers often cut corners with their tuners but these PRS designed tuners, along with graphite nut, stay in tune after wild string bends and drop tuning. A notable flaw, in my opinion, is the counter-intuitive placement of the volume controls. They are next to one another above the tone knobs. This puts the bridge pickup volume below and behind the
bridge, making one reach further for volume adjustments. Also, this guitar has a tremendous amount of fret buzz, which does hinder the smoothness of the tone and makes it slightly brittle. A little note in the included gig bag mentions that this may be due to the neck bowing during shipping. It goes into detail about how to correct this by adjusting the double truss rod, which I thought was nice of them.
bass response. All this makes for great versatility. With increased gain the attack stays smooth yet crisp. Notes swell and decay evenly, making finger vibrato bloom. Note definition is retained exceptionally well at extreme gain settings, making fast lead runs and complex chords sing with clarity. It simply refuses to get ‘dirty’. It’s always sweet. Everything about the tone screams ‘luxury’ and while it seems to give you a bit of everything it does so with some restraint, seemingly waiting for your input to take it somewhere. I have no problem imagining this guitar being used in a big budget recording session, where a glossy sound is needed.
Conclusion Its absolute effortless playability and smooth, defined tone (bar the slight tone hindering fret buzz) make this an excellent instrument. While I do like my guitars to put up a bit of a fight, I am very impressed with the sheer luxurious quality this workhorse delivers on all levels.
Supplied by: Rockit Distribution | 021-511 1800 Suggested retail prices: R 5,995.00
PRO 4.02 PRO 6.02 PRO 7.02 PRO 9.02
R 5530,00 R 6450,00 R 7983,00 R10321,00
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STUDIO GEAR by Greg Bester
S
Studiomaster
tudiomaster consoles have a long and spotted history that is known to as many professionals in the audio field as it is not. Established in 1976 in a chicken shed in Cheshunt, England under the name Recording Studio Design (RSD), the company was originally created as an answer to the demand for high power amplifiers for PA systems which were at that time being powered by expensive American brands. Before they knew it, and from a little help from the endorsement of their amplifiers by Pink Floyd, RSD grew into building mixing consoles, culminating in a focus on the studio
market under the name Studiomaster. Eventually their name and brand grew considerably, producing notable mentions over the years like the Series 2, Mixdown, P7 and T24 studio consoles. Nowadays the company is based in Bedfordshire, England and after building a new manufacturing facility in the Far East, their product line is bigger than ever, including products like line arrays, digital DSP units and studio monitors. Showcasing their mixer range is currently the MCX class of medium format mixing consoles, aimed at both the live and studio markets.
Channels Although features like channel count will certainly vary depending on which MCX console you get, the overall features are the same, particularly within the master section.
Inputs
Construction The MCX range is available in five sizes: 12,14, 24, 32 and 48 channels. They all are ruggedly built; employing a stiff steel chassis all contained within a high quality wheeled branded flight case, which comes standard with the MCX24 and above. What caught my eye about this console is that the channels are installed in 8 channel modules, along with a modular master section. This makes servicing a lot easier and for some reason gives the impression that they are of a higher quality than other brands in a similar class, such as Mackie or Soundcraft. Overall the build quality seems solid and robust. The knobs feel rooted to their bases some knobs on certain consoles can seem flimsy – and the 100mm faders ride smoothly and feel well seated. I would certainly say that
these consoles were built to take abuse in a live environment but still retain a feature set worthy of the studio.
Focusing on the MCX24, you get 24 mic inputs and four stereo inputs. On each mic channel you will find a four band sweepable EQ, mute and listen (solo) facilities, a high pass filter (18dB/oct @ 80Hz), phantom power, and a pad. It is not specified how many dB the pad cuts and I found it curious that the pad was only reserved for the line inputs. The EQ on the stereo channels has a fixed frequency per band, which is pretty standard for mixers of this level. What’s handy about the stereo channels is that they also include a mic input, which can be used simultaneously with the stereo inputs, giving a total of three inputs per channel. This is indeed flexible. The mic inputs supply the now standard 60dB of gain; the mono line inputs get 40dB, and the stereo inputs 12dB which is more than enough for most needs. Inserts are found on every mono channel as well for easy connection of outboard gear. Other inputs include a 2 track input (called a playback input) and a handy talkback input which can be routed to either L-R, group 1-2, or any of the auxes with the push of a button.
MCX24 Console
muse | twenty one
STUDIO GEAR
“The MCX range of mixers have created a new level in price performance for the discerning sound engineer, installer, and band” Groups, Auxiliaries and Oscillator The MCX24 supplies four sub-groups that can each be panned individually within the L-R bus when assigned as such for mono or stereo operation. Alternatively they can be used in what is called “Stage Mode” which “swaps the group and mix faders with the auxiliary send controls effectively producing a monitor mixer”. This is a very handy feature that I’m sure rental companies will find alluring. Every input channel on the mixer can be routed to either the L-R bus or the sub-groups by way of standard routing buttons situated next to the channel faders. Each sub-group also has its own four-tier LED meter, which indicates signal below 0dBu, at 0dBu and +4dBu, and lastly indicating an overload. Regarding auxiliaries, you get six and all are switchable to be either pre or post fader, which is a welcome feature that is only seen in higher end consoles. Something that made me happy when I first looked at this console is the included oscillator that can be set to put out either pink noise or a 1kHz sine wave. Both are essential for system calibration and room EQ adjustment and when engaged can be assigned to any of the busses or auxiliaries via the talkback buttons. This is definitely something you do not find on other consoles in the medium format class.
Outputs The MCX24 has a variety of outputs which suit both the studio and a live situation. Starting with the mono channels, you will find a direct out for each. This is obviously handy if you’re multi-tracking or if you’re making a live recording. As mentioned before, this console was designed to be at home in both live and studio situations and being as such, there is also a monitor out included for easy connection to your studio monitors. There are outputs for all busses including L-R, and sub-groups 1-4. Each bus gets its own
insert too, which is great when you want to, for instance, strap a stereo compressor over the stereo drum bus. When not in Stage Mode there are separate TRS outputs for auxiliaries 16. All TRS outputs are balanced. Lastly, there is a stereo recording output using the RCA-type connector and a mono sum output which can be switched to either be fed from the L-R bus or the listen bus.
Master Section The master section houses all of the master controls and faders for all auxiliaries, sub-groups and busses on the MCX24. Also included are two XLR sockets for two 12V lamps, a headphone output, monitor level control, oscillator level control, and a 12-bar LED meter showing level from 30dBu to overload. One notable feature that you do not find on many consoles in this class is a mute and listen facility for each subgroup and for the L-R bus. This effectively changes your sub-groups into mute masters.
In Use I found the MCX24 straightforward and intuitive with all of the features one would need for most if not all mixing and recording situations. The mic preamps sounded clean and
uncoloured, although lacking character. This is probably a good thing since a console designed to fit into so many applications would probably benefit from a preamp that is clear and representative. The EQ sounded particularly good and I felt that it covered the spectrum well with minimal harshness when pushed hard. The oscillator was particularly useful when calibrating and checking the room for inconsistencies and I commend Studiomaster for including it. Overall the operation was pretty standard for a mixer in this class so anyone that is comfortable on medium format consoles will find it familiar. It was most definitely the little things that made the mixer stand out and I think that it will give other mixers in its class, like the Soundcraft GB series, a run for their money.
Conclusion The Studiomaster MCX24 is an impressive mixer for this price point. I have absolutely no complaints about it and will even say that it rivals some of the better known and established console manufacturers. Two thumbs up!
Supplier: Tuerk Music Technologies | (011) 792 8402 Suggested Retail: MCX24 - R 29,995-00 | MCX32 - R 37,995.00 | MCX48 - R 68,995.00 www.tuerkmusic.co.za
eight
muse | twenty four
STUDIO GEAR By Greg Bester
G
Z.Vex Box of Rock and Fuzz Factory
uitar pedals are wonderful things. They enable us to augment the sound of an amplifier that we might be intimately familiar or completely bored with into something fresh and exciting. But they can also just add noise and serve to destroy instead of enhance your tone. Fortunately one sometimes comes across specimens that are inherent things of beauty. They possess soul and spirit and were obviously made with love and care. Enter Z.Vex Effects, the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based company who has been supplying the world of guitardom with hand-made, beautifully crafted effects pedals since 1999.
Box of Rock The Box of Rock is a pretty standard drive pedal with a classic demeanour and a couple of tricks up its sleeve. It was designed to emulate the preamp sound of a Marshall JTM45 at “10” and it is highly recommended by Mr. Vex that you try it with a Marshall at least once. It employs a “high-headroom, unity-50X gain booster with nominal input impedance and low hiss”, not to mention, like all Z Vex pedals, it employs a 100% true bypass. What is great about this pedal is that it is essentially a two channel device. It has two footswitches; one that engages the distortion circuit and one that engages a boost for solos, etc. On the other hand, you could feasibly use the boost channel as the “clean” channel as it does alter the clean tone of your amp when engaged. The results when I tried this were a firmer bottom and a smoother midrange extending into the top end. Put another way, I preferred it to the standard sound of the amplifiers (a Laney Lionheart L5T-112) clean channel. The pedal has four knobs and, in contrast to the Fuzz Factory pedal, they are pretty straight forward: ! Drive ! Tone ! Vol. ! Boost: Sets the boost level, which is engaged with the left stomp switch.
Fuzz Factory The Fuzz Factory is a deadly beast. It will create fuzz sounds that you only dreamed of because as stated in the release notes rather understatedly, it is pedal designed to “shape you a personalised fuzz”. What first caught my eye when reading the release notes was that the pedal employs two new old-stock germanium transistors from the 60’s. Opinions are varied on the use of this material but suffice it to say that they have been described as “smooth” and “warm”. The Fuzz Factory is indeed everything that is claimed, and more. It has five knobs attached to its hand-silk screen surface and they are, respectively: ! Volume – output level. ! Gate - squelches noise after end of sustain. ! Compression - adds attack characteristic when turned to left, which gets softer to right. ! Drive - increases distortion when used as a "normal" fuzz, and adjusts feedback pitch and tonal thickness. ! Stability – supply voltage. Use to control feedback pitch. As you can see, it’s not merely a case of turning up the “gain” or “fuzz” knob. More precise control of the fundamentals of what makes a fuzz a fuzz is offered and these controls are wrapped up in words that we are familiar with. But as Mr. Vex
says, “Although the five knobs are named for the parameters over which they seem to have the most control, please don't hold me to it. They are controls for various operating levels and biases.” After giving the pedal a whirl my ears were immediately met with an onslaught of delivered promises and a fantastic palette of fuzz sculptors’ delight. The Gate and Stability parameters are particularly fun and the party started at “set to annihilate”. I went from there on to “razor death” and finally “total devastation fuzz slaughterfest”. You make up your own.
I found the distortion really pleasing and smooth and best suited to, well, rock, but it could easily be set to accommodate blues or similar styles where huge amounts of gain are not a necessity. There was nothing harsh about this pedal and it’s safe to say that it is a modern classic and safe to use in place of your classic Tube Screamer or DS-1.
Conclusion Z Vex effects pedals are truly soulful. The fact that they are all hand-made is also a part of their allure and when you plug them in their quality shines through and it becomes obvious where the money goes. I for one am a sucker when it comes to these boutique-style pedals and I’m sure you will be too, once you hear them.
Suggested Retail Price: Fuzz Factory - R 1,995 | Box of Rock - R 2,295 Supplier: Tuerk Music Technologies | Tel: (011) 792 8402 | www.tuerkmusic.co.za
Shure Drum Mastery Competition
muse | twenty six
EVER BEEN TO ICELAND? DRUM FOR IT! COMPETITION STARTS OCTOBER 1ST Shure are pleased to announce the first Shure Drum Mastery Competition which will be live in 20 Countries from 1 October 2011.
What is it? Shure are looking for EMEA’s best drummers, who aren’t currently earning a living from their drumming. So, if you’ve spent way too many hours annoying your parents, friends or neighbours with your incessant drumming and it was about time you were rewarded for it, then this is the competition for you!
How to enter Simply visit ww.drum-mastery.eu (from 1 Oct), download the playalong, practise, then upload a video of yourself playing along to it, not forgetting to add a bit of your own style to your playalong.
When? The competition will be live from 1 Oct – 16 December. The 3 entrants with the most votes in each country will be put forward to the panel of judges, plus one entrant voted for by Shure in each respective country.
Prizes The judges will select a total of 5 finalists from the shortlist. All 5 finalists will be flown to Iceland in March 2012. They will receive a one day drum masterclass with Darren Ashford, and will spend some time with a Shure sound engineer to learn some miking techniques and tips.
TM
The 5 finalists will then battle against each other in front of a live club audience, who will vote for the winner. The winner will receive a voucher worth 5000 euros to spend on Shure equipment. Due to licensing laws in Iceland the finalists travelling there must all be over the age of 18. Contestants under the age of 18 will still be allowed to enter and can stand a chance of winning a set of Shure Beta Drum microphones.
Judges The judges include Shure UK’s Tom Colman, Drum Lesson Academy and Drummer Magazine columnist Darren Ashford, Cassell The Beatmaker (The Streets / Plan B drummer), and Dennis Poschwatta (Guano Apes).
Not just a competition There is a whole host of educational videos on the website, from drum micing tips to how to choose the right microphone. Darren Ashford will also be providing a series of workshops for drummers of all levels.
Quotes Darren Ashford: "I have used Shure microphones for over twenty years and I can always count on them to capture my musical ideas with amazing clarity and fullness of tone whether on the road or in the studio. I am really pleased to be part of this exciting competition” Please visit www.drum-mastery.eu from 1 October for more details, the terms and conditions and to enter.
muse | thirty
BAND TIPS By David Chislett Photo by Jacqui Van Staden
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
WHAT'S THAT NOISE !?!?!?!
I
hate to break it to you laid-back, creative musician types, but there is only one way to get better, and that is by working very hard at what you do! No Muse reaches down from high above and anoints you with awesomeness, you have to work your way there! The good news is that there are 4 simple steps to take you from asshole to awesome and we are going to share them with you!
Writing Every artist needs to dedicate serious time to the craft of song writing. If you look at any body of ten songs, there is one stand out, probably-going-to-be-a-hit track, a couple of good tunes, some OK ones and definitely at least 2 plain bad ones. Now if all you have ever written are ten songs, that’s your legacy. If all you do is maintain a 10% hit rate, once you have written 100 songs, you will have ten hits. It’s simple. Work the muscle. Create and dedicate time to practice song writing. If you are in a band this is the time when everyone works out their parts and knows what they need to be playing.
Practice This is NOT what happens in the band room with your crew. When you have had
Getting better!
your song writing sessions and everyone knows their parts practice is the thing that happens at home for at least 1 hour every day. Here you get to know your parts in every song you are going to play. It is also the time that you dedicate to getting better on your instrument of choice, be it guitar, voice or the decks. Gary Player once famously said that, “The more I practice, the luckier I get!” The same applies to music. Put in the hours, your skills need to be second nature, free from cognitive thought. Then you start stepping into the realm of the impressive. Only then do those wonderful spontaneous, non-verbal things start to happen when you pick up your axe or step on stage. Get so good at what you do that your heart can guide the music, not your mind.
Rehearsal This is what it says: when you get together with your crew, you REHEARSE. You do not PRACTICE. What does this mean? It means your lead singer does NOT sleep on the couch while the bass player battles to remember his lines. It means all those hours of practice you spent at home now come together with everyone else in order to rehearse playing those songs as a seamless unit with no mistakes. This is where you work on your show, on how you are going to perform
these songs to an audience. In rehearsal, you should be thinking about your show and the cohesion of the whole unit, NOT about what part comes next. Here you think about everything from what order to play the songs in, how to work from one tune to the next, what you say in between numbers, when to do your star-jump from the drum riser. All of it as a unit and without mistakes. This is where you become that act that every other artist dreads playing after. This is where you plan to clean up and impress.
Performance When you step on stage you have got to give it everything. Drive it like you stole it. No matter whether there are 2 people there or 20 000. Hit it hard. This is why you practice and write and rehearse. You want the money in every person’s pocket. Make them WANT to give it to you by giving them value: put on a show, radiate intensity, never ever make mistakes and act like a superstar. Then before long you will be one. Every single show is a chance to make new friends, influence people and sell stuff. Do not miss a single opportunity because you cannot perform or are fighting with your lover. Your life stays off the stage. On stage, you rule and you must SLAY!
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
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muse | thirty
TUTORIAL
by Alan Ratcliffe
W
Powering Effects Pedals
hile most effects pedals work on 9V batteries, it is expensive to keep feeding them batteries on a regular basis (particularly the power hungry ones). So it is a logical step to get a power supply (PSU, mains adaptor) to power them from the mains supply. While a PSU costs a lot more than a single battery, they pay for themselves very quickly with the savings on batteries. Choosing a PSU is usually pretty straightforward as most pedals use the same standardised power specifications (9V, centre negative), but not always. So there are a few things you need to make sure of when considering a PSU: Voltage – While most pedals run on 9V, a few need 12 or even 18V. Always check the manufacturer’s specifications to be sure.
AC or DC – the vast majority of pedals use DC power, but there are a few models that use AC power. Polarity – Most pedals that run on DC use a standard where the centre pin of the power plug is the negative power and the barrel is positive, but once again, there are a few that use the reverse polarity with the positive on the centre pin. Current – the current is how much power the pedal draws from the PSU, rated in milliamps (mA). The PSU must have at least the same current as the pedal draws (but may have more without damaging the pedal, as the pedal will only draw what it needs and no more). When powering multiple pedals with one PSU, the draw
care must be taken in choosing the right model for your needs. Features to look out for are: Multiple outputs – Make sure that the supply has enough outputs at the correct voltages and with enough current for your needs. A switchable voltage on some of the outputs is handy as it makes the supply more flexible as your pedalboard changes. Some supplies offer a voltage "sag" circuit so you can adjust the voltage lower than usual (some folk like limiting voltage to +/7V for overdrives or fuzz pedals to mimic the sound of an old battery). from each adds together – so two pedals, each drawing 100mA will need a supply rated at 200mA or more.
Daisy-chaining With smaller pedalboards it is common to use a “daisy-chain” cable to power more than one effect from the same PSU, which is a simple and inexpensive but effective way to power all your pedals. Unfortunately, the more complex the pedalboard the more likely you are to run into issues with daisy chaining. Ground loops can cause hum; and power hungry pedals can use up all the available current, leaving little for other pedals in the chain. Also, as a pedalboard grows and becomes more complex, the chances are that it will include some of the more esoteric effects that use non-standard voltages or polarity and/or operate at large current draws. Then powering the board can become a hodgepodge of different power supply adaptors running at different voltages. This is when a dedicated pedalboard PSU becomes a necessity.
Pedalboard PSUs A dedicated pedalboard PSU allows you to supply a variety of pedals with the power that each needs to work at its best and goes some way to neatening up a complicated pedalboard. They come with a variety of features – some more important than others – so
Isolation – Better supplies have isolated outputs, where each output works as if they were a completely separate supply. Isolated outputs avoid earth loop problems, but add to the cost. Protection – When you have a board with a lot of expensive pedals, it's nice to know that when something goes wrong (and it is a case of when not if), that there is far less chance of your pedals taking the brunt. Pedals are expensive – especially the better ones – so it's silly to skimp on the power supply to save money. Quality/durability – For the most part, you get what you pay for. The more expensive supplies will have more features, supply cleaner power and last longer. Input voltages - For those people touring the world, a switchable input voltage that works in the US, Europe or Japan is crucial.
Designed to be the ultimate musical companion, wherever you go - or stay. y be ice ma r p e ; Th t! -level entry ything bu n a s i d n he sou
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210ce
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GS MINI
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From the couch to the campfire to the concert hall, the GS Mini promises big fun for everyone. Inspired by the big, bold sound of Taylor's award-winning GS body shape, the GS Mini scales things down without skimping on sound, packing a lot of tone into a comfortable, portable size and giving you a guitar that's incredibly fun to play.
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Corvette
The Taylor 210ce is a full-size dreadnought acoustic-electric guitar that features a glossy solid Sitka spruce top, gorgeous Indian rosewood laminate back and sides, and a venetian cutaway for full fingerboard access.
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PRO SERIES Streamer LX * Bolt-on * Available as: 4, 5 or 6-string * Left handed and fretless versions available* * Warwick Machine heads * Wenge fingerboard (Tigerstripe Ebony for fretless) * Maple neck with Ekanga Veneer Stripes * US Cherry body
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Corvette * Bolt-on * Available as 4, 5 or 6-string * Left handed and fretless versions available* * Warwick Machine heads Wenge fingerboard (Tigerstripe Ebony for fretless) * Ovangkol neck with Black Veneer Stripes * Bubinga body ,
MUSIC POWER
PLAY BETTER BASS BASS in WORLD MUSIC (Part 2)
muse | thirty two
TUTORIAL
by Alistair Andrews
We dealt with some Rhythm aspects in World Music in Part One in the previous issue. In this edition we will look at some more of the Melodic approaches. The bass lines used are very much derived from scales used in the melodies of the various regions. There is so much music around that I would have to write several books just to touch the tip of the iceberg. MEXICO has a musical history that is filled with cultural contrasts, dating back more than one thousand years before any contact was made with Europeans in the 16th Century. The area was dominated by the Aztec culture, a culture that maintained an important and complex musical tradition.
Mexican Son Music first appeared in the 17th century and is a fusion of indigenous, Spanish and African traditions (slaves were imported from Africa by the Spanish), much like Cuban Son. Ranchera is an outgrowth of Son Jalescenses. A type of song that was literally sung on a Mexican ranch. Ranchera songs are not just one rhythm; the music is basically a waltz, polka or bolero. Mariachi is not actually a style of music, but a group of musicians. The Mariachi orchestra is composed of at least two violins, two trumpets, a Spanish guitar, and two other types of guitars - the Vilhuela and Guitarron. (Mexican acoustic Bass Guitar).
Abraham Laboriel is one of the best known Mexican bassists.
The Eight- Tone Spanish Scale in C (played from the lowest note on 4-string bass) 1 b2 b3 3 4 b5 b6 b7 C Db Eb E F Gb Ab Bb The Afro-Cuban bass-line, also called a tumbao, glues the piano montuno to the conga tumbao; mediating the space in between them, providing rhythmic integrity when both behave under tension. In this space beats the heart of the song. The Rhythms are based on the Clave. In this style the bass is 'felt' as well as heard to lay the solid grooves down. Melodically the bass-lines are built on Standard Western Scales. JAPAN has several types of traditional, music (hogaku). Some of the most important ones are listed below: Gagaku: Ancient court music from China and Korea. It is the oldest type of Japanese, traditional music. Biwagaku: Music played with the Biwa, a kind of guitar with four strings. Almost like a Piccolo Bass. Nohgaku: Basically consists of a chorus, the Hayashi flute, the Tsuzumi drum, and other instruments. Sokyoku: Music played with the Koto, a type of zither with 13 strings. Later also accompanied by Shamisen and Shakuhachi. Shakuhachi: Music played with the Shakuhachi, a bamboo flute that is about 55 cm long. The name of the flute is its length expressed in shaku an old Japanese unit of length. Shamisenongaku: Music played with the Shamisen, a kind of guitar with only three strings. Minyo: Japanese folk songs.
... Continued on pg 34
muse | thirty four
TUTORIAL
BASS in WORLD MUSIC (Part 2)
... Continued from pg 32
by Alistair Andrews
The Japanese Scale in C (played from the lowest note on 4-string bass) 1 b2 4 5 b7 C Db F G Bb Another Japanese Scale: 1 2 4 5 b6 C D F G Ab This is a type of Pentatonic Scales.
Japanese Bassist Tetsuo Sakurai who played with Casiopea in the 80s, is playing with greats like Greg Howe and Dennis Chambers.
The Western Major Pentatonic Scale. 1 2 3 5 6 CD EG A
More Scales to Check out: Arabian 1 2 b3 4 #4 #5 6 7 C D Eb F F# G# A B Gypsy 1 2 b3 #4 5 b6 7 C D Eb F# G Ab B Romanian 1 2 b3 #4 5 6 b7 C D Eb F# G A Bb Indian 1 b2 4 5 b6 C Db F G Ab Persian 1 b2 3 4 b5 b6 7 C Db E F Gb Ab B Byzantine 1 b2 3 4 5 b6 7 C Db E F G Ab B Oriental 1 b2 3 4 b5 6 b7 C Db E F Gb A Bb Jewish 1 b2 3 4 5 b6 b7 C Db E F G Ab Bb The Double Harmonic Major scale in C (played from the lowest note on 4-string bass) 1 b2 3 4 5 b6 7 C Db E F G Ab B
In Indian the Raga even affects the tuning of the notes. Indian classical music is usually accompanied by a tanpura, which plays a drone background. It becomes quite a challenge when this gets fused with other styles. The Bass of India is called the Veena.
The Veena (Bass Sitar) In other music traditions, modes are much more like Indian ragas, featuring important variations in tuning and melodic expectations from one mode to the next, so that each mode may be seen as a collection of related melodic ideas, phrases, and ornamentations that are traditionally played with a certain set of notes tuned in a certain way. All of these music styles have long traditions that are very different from the familiar major-minor tonal system, and usually also have a different approach to harmony, rhythm, and performance practice.
Most native Chinese instruments tend to be high pitched and nasal, which suits very well with most traditional Chinese music. The Gehu was created to form an instrument that could produce a sufficiently full and low pitch sound, enlarging the scope of Chinese music. Bass Players today use more and more elements from other styles and cultures to stay “fresh ” and relevant. World Music Festivals are mushrooming globally. Do not be left behind!!!! I trust that this information will encourage you listen to more music from other cultures, widen your horizons, as well as coming up with a new and different sound.
Till next time, LET THERE BE BASS!!!
Alistair Andrews endorses ROTOSOUND bass strings www.rotosound.com
THE THE WORLD’S WORLD’S FINEST FINEST MUSIC MUSIC STRINGS STRINGS MADE MADE IN IN THE THE UK UK SINCE SINCE 1958 1958
muse | thirty six
TUTORIAL
by Kurt Slabbert
W
elcome back to play better guitar. I have thought long and hard about what I should cover in this article and have decided to look at the aural aspects of music and how to escape the trap of shapes. Let’s begin with shapes since as you learn guitar everything is taught in shapes, Chords, Scales, Arpeggios and mostly everything. This works and gives a starting point relatively quickly but how does that train the ears? You will be surprised how many guitarists are not able to sing a scale. The big problem is that music does not lie in shapes it lays in notes, so yes shapes are a way to organise those notes but how do you escape becoming a shape
PLAY BETTER player? Imagine playing solos and melodies that are not controlled by shapes but purely by the music you hear. So how do I achieve this? Well one of the starting points is to play melodies that you hear or licks that you like by transcribing them. This will open a new musical world especially if you have never done it before. You may have to invent new shapes and new ways to play chords that you already know and this kind of practice will be challenging but extremely rewarding. Transcribing is great for the ears and a way to practice writing music as well. Another cool thing about transcribing is that it allows for you as the player to make the piece your own; you might be playing the lick in a completely different way to how it was recorded but that’s the beauty of it. In music there are many ways to get to
one result and are any of them wrong? Let’s look at Aural; this is all about how your ears hear music. Can you hear musical intervals between notes? (An interval is a musical distance between two notes for example from A to B is a Major 2nd and also the starting interval for a song like Happy Birthday). There are ways to train your ears and if you go onto Google you will find many resources that are designed for ear training that can be purchased over the net. So let’s look at some practical ideas. The one player that opened my eyes to possibilities was Frank Gambale. He would always find new ways to play old scales, for example A minor pentatonic scale would normally look like this:
But Frank Gambale enjoys sweeping and this does not lend itself to his style of playing so he found different ways of playing the same scale like this:
So this is a really small glimpse at how you can invent ways to suit your style of playing.
GUITAR Escape the Shape
muse | thirty seven
TUTORIAL
Okay so now let’s have a quick look at intervals. An interval is a musical distance between 2 notes. These are named according to distance i.e. 2nd and the type for example a Major 2nd would be from A to B. A simple interval is an interval spanning at most one octave. Intervals spanning more than one octave are called compound intervals. Let’s take a look at naming some simple intervals and their sounds.
Here are a couple of ideas on how an interval should sound. There are other songs that you could use so try and come up with a couple of your own. Some intervals are more stable than others, so try and listen out for that. It is fascinating the way two notes interact and the sounds that they create but remember dissonance doesn’t mean it’s wrong. Dissonance works if used with care, so spend some time checking out intervals and try and get your head around them. There are many papers and tutorials on the net that cover intervals so this really is just the tip of the proverbial ice berg.
Minor 2nd: Theme music from the movie Jaws Major 2nd: Happy Birthday Minor 3rd: The Impossible Dream Major 3rd: When the Saints go Marching in Perfect 4th: Wedding March Perfect 5th: Star Wars theme tune Major 6th: My Bonnie Major 7th: Somewhere Over the Rainbow In the next issue we will begin to look at some players and decoding some of their licks and musical ideas, so in the meantime give some thought as to how you should be practicing and what is really important to make you into a
musical genius. A lot of this stuff might be intimidating at first but give it a good try and it might just change your approach to music altogether. I remember sitting in class at college and the teacher had a request that we try and decipher the notes of car and truck hooters and try and hear the intervals between the notes. This might seem way out there but it teaches you to listen and that was the aim of the exercise so I hope this inspires you to look at music in a new light…….
Copyright Kurt Slabbert Bluenoise Productions kurt_slabbert@hotmail.com
muse | thirty eight
YOUR PRIVATE UNIVERSE by Jonathan Pike
T
he bass guitar has been the source of much frustration for recording and mix engineers for many years. It is one of the most important elements of modern music as it carries most of the low-end energy and groove and yet it can be one of the trickiest to capture in the recording stage. There are a couple of fairly traditional ways to capture your bass guitar sound. In this article however, I am going to take a look at some less conventional ways to record this unique instrument. These techniques will give you a more unusual sound than we traditionally associate with the bass guitar, but they could lend an interesting twist to what could otherwise be a rather conventional sound. The first recommendation I can make when recording a bass guitar (whether you are going for a traditional sound or not) is to always record the bass through a DI box. This gives you a clean direct signal that you can use as a back up if all else fails. Alternatively it can act as a signal with which you can experiment on later, either by reamping or by using some In-TheBox processing. Many engineers will blend the DI signal with a signal from a mic'ed up bass guitar amplifier. This blend can go a long way to getting you a great sounding bass tone. Mike Hedges, who has engineered for The Cure amongst many others, has a rather unconventional technique of using phase cancelation to achieve bass equalization. He suggests for example to phase reverse a DI signal, boost the mids and roll off the lows and highs with EQ, then blend this with the mic’ed amp signal. This will have the effect of cancelling out the mid frequencies and letting the lows (which carry the body of the sound) and the highs (where the finger or
Techniques forio the home stud
Unconventional Recording Techniques:
Bass Guitar
pick attack sits) through. You could take this idea further and come up with some weird and wonderful sounds by carefully choosing which frequencies you want to cancel out and which you want to shine through. Most people agree that reverb doesn’t necessarily sound good on low frequency elements, but if you want to give it a try when mic'ing up a bass amp, set up a room mic. A large diaphragm condenser set to an omni-directional polar pattern should do the job. Place this mic at varying distances away from the cab within the room and have a listen to the result on its own as well as blended with a close mic. You may find this could help to create a moody and ambient sound. Another technique that I find very effective is to use multiple amps and heads to create your bass tone. A simple example is to split your frequency range over two amps. What I like to do is to run the bass guitar into a large 4X12 cab, dial the EQs to remove most of the
highs and accentuate the lows and throw a large diaphragm dynamic mic, like the Shure Beta 52 in front of this cab. That’s the low frequencies taken care of. I will then take a direct, unprocessed output into a smaller studio amp like the line 6 Low Down Studio 75 Watt Bass amp, dial the EQs on it to remove most of the lows and to accentuate the highs (around 2.5 KHz or so) and throw a small diaphragm condenser or dynamic mic in front to capture the high frequencies. You can then blend these two sources to create a unique sound that fits your track. One last thing that can help bass to really stand out is to record with some distortion. This can be achieved by using dedicated distortion pedals or by external or InThe-Box processors. As with any recording, the sounds you choose must fit the requirements of the track and the genre. If you have the time, experimentation is the key to creating your own unique electric Bass guitar tone.
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