ISSUE 6 Credits EDITOR Roberta Pia 0131 229 8227 roberta@reddogmusic.co.uk DEPUTY EDITOR Alex Marten 0131 229 8227 alex@reddogmusic.co.uk CHIEF WRITER Roberta Pia STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Andy McKay (Purrrfect Photography) CONTRIBUTORS Will Baker, Shaun Baxter, Garry Boyle, Alex Fenton, Katch Holmes, Alex Marten, Douglas Mullen, Guy Perchard and Rod Vaughan. Shop Photographs DN Anderson www.dnanderson.co.uk ADVERTISING Roberta Pia 0131 229 8227 If you would like to advertise in The Dog, please email marketing@reddogmusic.co.uk Front cover ILLUSTRATION The 16K Design Works DESIGN & ART DIRECTION The 16K Design Works 0131 661 3737 info@16kdesign.com www.16kdesign.com PRINT Cocoa Creative Consultants 0800 644 0646 info@cocoadesign.co.uk www.cocoadesign.co.uk CONTACT Red Dog Music 1 Grassmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2HY 0131 229 8211 info@reddogmusic.co.uk www.reddogmusic.co.uk
SPRING 2012 THE DOG 3
DOG EDITORIAL top DOGS REDDOGMUSIC PRESENTS THE
REDDOGMUSIC’s
What’s on the Red Dog Music stereo this Issue
Hiya pals!
Trentemoller ‘The Last Resort’
Happy 2012 from all of us at Red Dog Music.
Chilled ambient electronica.
“It’s February, you idiot”, I hear you cry. To be fair though, we haven’t seen you since October... and it’s nice to be cool, but it’s cooler to be nice.
T
his issue, we have a whole plethora (that’s right, I used the word plethora and we’re only in the first paragraph of this editorial) of mind-blowing, face-melting, partypopping articles for you to get your looking gear around. Are you ready? Put your seatbelt on then.
“mind-blowing, face-melting, party-popping articles...” We’ve spent the past few months doing a whole bunch of interviews with a whole bunch of legends (namely Vintage Trouble, Super Adventure Club and Douglas Mullen of Eve Guitars). In amidst all those interviews, we managed to pick the brains of Alex Fenton from Swanfield Studios and got his tip top vocal recording tips; we hooked up with Knockengorroch Music Festival and found out the history of Scotland’s first independent music festival; we had a chat with The
4 THE DOG SPRING 2012
Mashup Session to find out the musical mashups of their dreams and, as if that wasn’t enough, we devised the most exciting competition known to humankind *cough* £1000 worth of Red Dog Music vouchers *cough*. Now that I’ve suitably riled you up with magazine teasers, I’ll regale (that’s the first time I’ve ever used the word regale. You’d never believe I was hungover when I wrote this) you with a bad joke. Two cows are standing in a field. One turns to the other one and says, “Moooooo.” The other cow turns around and says, “Dude, I was just about to say that.” Ladies, gentlemen; go forth and read the following pages of The Dog. I hear it makes you more intelligent. If nothing else, you’ll definitely learn a thing or two about music-related issues/get to look at pictures of Check ou r blog at. our ugly .. mugs.
blog.redd
Woof.
ogmusic .co.uk
Brazilian Girls ‘NOUVEAU Americain’ A stramash of sexy accents, thumping beats and sockrocking noises. Drool.
Gravenhurst ‘The Velvet Cell’ Chuggy guitars + weird lyrics = good.
Deerhoof ‘Deerhoof Vs Evil’ It’s a total belter. Nuff said.
Nirvana ‘Nevermind’ As distant to kids born this year as The Beatles ‘Help!’ was to me when I was born in ‘85!
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single bit of equipment could you not •do Which without?
Live-wired, straight-shootin, dirty-mouth’d pelvis-pushin’ juke music. Say hello to Vintage Trouble...
Nalle: A good guitar. Rick: A beat up old fender bass. Richard: A snare drum. You gotta have a backbeat. Ty: Is ‘my voice’ an answer?
How did you come up with your name? •Vintage trouble is a part of the lyrics to our song
What advice would you give to budding •musicians looking to make it in the music business?
‘Blues Hand Me Down’. Ty wrote the lyrics and we loved it as a band name.
your musical style in three words. •Soul,Describe rhythm, blues. Best & worst descriptions of your music so far? •Nalle Colt: The worst has to be ‘funk’ band. The best has to be when one of our fans said: “You made me listen to music again.” That’s pretty cool. Rick Barrio Dill: Yeah, funky has to be the worst. As far as best goes, I love that someone told us we were like Led Zeppelin crossed with Otis Redding and the Stones. Richard Danielson: I’m not sure about the worst but I quite like it when people call us funky. Ty Taylor: It always excites me when people say our music makes them want to have sex. The worst description was when someone told us that we were a mix between Annie Lennox and Living Colour. I love both those bands but that comment really confused me.
Favourite tunes/albums at the moment? •Nalle: ‘Minor Swing’ Django Reinhardt (from ‘Django in Rome’). Rick: ‘If You Need Me’ Solomon Burke. Richard: Little Richard’s Greatest Hits. Ty: ‘Love Country Style’ Ray Charles.
•Nalle: I usually base it on a guitar riff or a
How do you go about writing a new tune?
Nalle: Play, perform, and perform some more Rick: What Nalle said. Richard: What Rick said Nalle said. Ty: Ditto. rhythm pattern. Rick: If not a riff, Ty is great at pulling melodies out and or jumping on something we are kicking around as a band. It comes from any and all shapes and directions”
“I am always on a path to help bring hearts & souls & bodies together.” Richard: Spontaneously is my favorite; 4 guys in a room just feeling and playing. It really can (and does) come from any and all directions. Ty: Inspiration comes from everywhere.
•
What do you want your music to achieve?
•
Which bits of music gear would you recommend to the masses?
Nalle: Lazy J amplifiers, Black Diamond guitar strings & a good Gibson Les Paul. Rick: Black Diamond strings and Aguilar amps and cabinets. They are built like tanks and sound great everywhere.” Richard: A good old solid American made maple shelled drumkit. Ty: I’m not a big gear guy. I like to try to make whatever is in front of me sound good.
us a funny Vintage Trouble story. •WeTellplayed in Jackson Missouri the other day
and were told to “never come back” by a group of old rednecks.
VINTAGE TROUBLE’S
FAVOURITE
TUNES
at the moment... Django Reinhardt ‘Minor Swing’ (from ‘Django in Rome’)
Solomon Burke ‘If You Need Me’
“Play, perform, and perform some morE.” Name a song that you wish you’d written. •Nalle: Jimi Hendrix’s version of Bob Dylan’s ‘All Along the Watch Tower “ still gives me goose bumps whenever I hear it. Rick: ‘A Song For You’ by Leon Russell. Richard: ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon Ty: ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’ by Sam Cooke.
What’s up next for vintage trouble? •A UK & European Tour If you • were superheroes, what would you call yourselves? Vintage Trouble.
Little Richard’s Greatest Hits
Ray Charles ‘Love Country StylE’
Nalle: Joy and inspiration. Rick: Touching and affecting as many people as possible. Richard: Timelessness. Ty: I like timelessness too. I am always on a path to help bring hearts and souls and bodies together. I guess I want our music to bring people together.
8 THE DOG SPRING 2012
SPRING 2012 THE DOG 9
REDDOG
PRODUCT
PICKS!
Picked By:
Presonus Studio One Sequencing Software (Red Dog Price: Artist £89.99, Producer £159. Professional £309)
“H
Name:
Guy
Top Tune... Glasvegas ‘Cruel Moon’ My favourite track off the only Christmas/ Winter-themed album worth mentioning - “A Snowflake Fell (And It Felt Like A Kiss)” by the mighty Glasvegas. An epically rendered, sombre masterpiece. No Santa, reindeer or eggnog here; just love, loss, broken families and homeless people dying in the snow. You don’t get much more honest and cutting than that!
Alternative Recommendation Ableton Live 8 Audio Production and Performance Software (£299.99)
A few of the Red Dog Music staff take time out to tell us what they think are the coolest bits of gear in-store at the moment. Let’s meet them and find out what they think rawks...
ello. My name is Guy, and I’m a Cubase addict.” That was me, one year ago. If you’d told me that within a year I would have dumped the worlds premier DAW software for its younger, sexy cousin I would have had you confined to a psychiatric institute.
“more solid than George Foreman’s big, muscular chin” Not many people love Cubase more than me. I’ve produced hundreds of songs and mastered several albums using it. Despite my obvious allegiance, the lovely folks at PreSonus offered me the opportunity to test out their new software - Studio One. I doubt Steinberg were trembling in their Birkenstocks. I’d given all industry leading DAW software a chance to impress me, but they all failed on various counts. Studio One felt instantly familiar. Its GUI and layout are reminiscent of Cubase, but its smooth, flowing movement and efficient, organised sleekness make it feel like Cubase-from-the-awesome-
future. In the interests of analysis (and because I hate being wrong) I tried desperately to break the thing, but you can’t. Studio One is more solid than George Foreman’s big, muscular chin. I’ve experienced just 2 crashes so far - both while accidentally unloading a RAM-heavy instance of Kontakt while it was running - pretty forgivable. In comparison, 2 crashes a day was pretty normal in Cubase-world. To summarise, I have witnessed a DAW software virgin record, edit, mix and master a song in the same day as opening the Studio One box. This is obviously one amazing bit of kit. It’s a doddle to use, looks spectacular and works beautifully.
Buy online at
RedDogMusic.coat.uk the and use code ‘dog2’ checkout to get 5% OFF your purchase or come into the shop for a demo!
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R E D D OG
T PRODUCK S! PIC
Akai EIE USB Audio Interface (Red Dog Price: £139.99)
I
n this issue, I thought I would review a much anticipated new interface from Akai - the Electromusic Interface Expander. Although the EIE was announced quite some time ago, it has taken slightly longer than usual to see them on the shelves. The EIE is a 4 input USB soundcard with some fairly nifty features.
“All in all - a great unit at a great price.” Creators of modern interfaces have all too often opted for designs which strive to be new and futuristic. Akai have bucked this trend and created a functional unit that gives more than a few nods to recording gear from yesteryear. On the front of the unit are two large VU meters that not only help you get a strong signal, but also look amazing in low light studios! The EIE beats a
number of its competitors on functionality at this price point; for example, the EIE has a quota of four combi XLR inputs, four jack outputs, midi I/O and four jack inserts, perfect for recording a s mall band. Akai have also added some really handy monitoring options. The VU meters can be switched from showing the level from inputs 1+2, 3+4, or master output L+R allowing you to see every channel in use. The Headphones can also be switched from inputs 1+2, 3+4 or all four inputs at once. Another cool feature of this unit is the inclusion of a three way powered USB hub which can really save on some desk space. Going back to the retro styling, it’s nice to see all ‘digital style’ connections such as the USB hub, situated on the rear to prevent spoiling the intage appearance. All in all - a great unit at a great price; I think I might have to have one myself. I only wish they had called it the EIE I/O.
Buy onlin
RedDogMusice at .co.uk and use code ‘dog checkout to ge 2’ at the t 5% OFF your purchase or co into the shop me for a demo!
Picked By:
Name:
Will
Top Tune... The Meters ‘Cissy Strut’ As soon as I hear the “ahhhhh ya!” in the intro, my body prepares for a seismic shock of funk waves. But seriously, all ridiculous descriptions aside, this tune does actually have a physical effect on me. No matter how tired, no matter how many times I hear it, I always feel like I have twice the energy and a much brighter outlook on things after hearing those first few bars. By the end of the song, I pretty much feel cooler than Shaft, which isn’t right, but it feels so good. Hail to the power of tunes!
Alternative Recommendation Alesis IO4 (£119.99)
12 THE DOG SPRING 2012
R E D D OG
P R O D U CT
PICKS!
Peerless Gigmaster Custom Hollow Body Electric Guitar (Red Dog Price: £699)
Picked By:
Name:
Roberta Top Tune... Azealia Banks feat. Lazy Jay ‘212’ Probably one of the filthiest songs I’ve ever heard. Full of swear words, attitude and straight up bad ass style; paired with a thumping beat. What I love most about it is that she manages to fit not one, not two, not three but FOUR different vocal styles/accents into this 3 and a bit minute song. She’s a total hoodlum in Mickey Mouse jumper. I want to be her when I grow up. What’s the run, dude?
Alternative Recommendation Gretsch G5120 Electromatic (£599)
W
orking in a music shop is ace. You can spend your entire day strumming your way through a whole bunch of guitars, without any expectation of buying one. And it’s when you have no expectations that it usually happens. All of a sudden, as if from nowhere, the guitar of your dreams will fall into your arms and change the course of your life forever. I sound
“this guitar is a rockabilly motherf**cker!”
make guitars for both Gretsch and Ibanez, so they certainly know their stuff. Plug it in and you’ll hear the beautiful sound of two Gretsch Tron-style pickups that give off a really lovely tone. It even sounds good unplugged, as if it has its very own room inside the guitar. Appearance-wise; it has an Abalone outline around its curvaceous body giving it a bit of extra sparkle... just in case the gold whammy bar wasn’t enough bling for you. And last but not least, it FEELS incredible; it has a real bite to each strum, beautifully smooth to the touch and it has a nice chunky build. For lack of a better phrase, and I quote my friend George: “this guitar is a rockabilly motherf**cker!”
more dramatic than an Eastenders Christmas Special but believe me; this review shouldn’t be taken with a pinch of salt. I didn’t expect to find a Peerless Gigmaster Custom that day. I just wandered through to the shop floor to try out some guitars, you know, to try and cure my weary head. Then, lo and behold, I’m told that a big, beautiful, white and gold, semiacoustic Peerless had arrived that day, by mistake. Did I want to see it? Of course I did. But little did I know I was about to fall madly in love with it. Buy online at I must have spent a RedDogMusic.coat.uk the good few hours playing and use code ‘dog2’ this incredible guitar checkout to get 5% OFF your purchase or come through a Fender Blues into the shop for Junior amp. The team a demo! behind Peerless used to
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R E D D OG
T PRODUCK S! PIC
Yamaha THR5 and THR10 Home Practice Guitar Amps (£169 (THR5) or £259 (THR10))
Y
amaha are an ubercompany; as well as making musical instruments, they also make motorbikes, golf clubs, semiconductors and boats. It’s only a matter of time before they make marital aids and spaceships, possibly combined. What this means for us humble musicians is that they have a lot of sophisticated technology at their disposal, and that they’re not afraid to use it. Their latest guitar amp innovation is the THR series amps: not your standard guitar combos, these amps use some of the clever VCM technology from their pro audio mixers to offer super-real effects, combined with even cleverer technology from their hi-fi systems to offer exceptional sonic imaging and a wide stereo field out of what are pretty small boxes. On unboxing, the immediate impression is of some kind of retrofuturistic ‘80s lunchbox. However, this isn’t a bad thing – there’s something reassuring
16 THE DOG SPRING 2012
about the design and, though small, they have a robust heft about them that instils confidence. At the same time, they’re pretty dinky, with Yamaha’s stated aim for them to fit “where, when, and how you play when you’re not on stage”. In fact they seem very keen for people not to use them on
“a surprisingly loud, wide and clear sound” stage which, being a contrary type of person, makes me want to use them on stage. But that’s just me. In terms of features, these are very versatile amps, with a simple dial offering everything from a hi gain British style sound to bass and acoustic amp models. The idea seems to be to have one of these sitting on your coffee table waiting for the moment when inspiration strikes. Sound quality is everything it’s cracked up to be: a surprisingly loud, wide and clear sound, and great effects and amp models. All in all, another winner from Yamaha, and I look forward to their motorboat technology being incorporated into their next Buy online at amp design... RedDogMusic.co.u k and use code ‘dog2’ at the checkout to get 5% OFF your purchase or com e into the shop for a demo!
Picked By:
Name:
Alex
Top Tune... Bonnie Prince Billy ‘The Way’ Basic recording (you can hear him picking up his guitar at the beginning), simple chords, and simple lyrics. “Love me the way that I love you” – what does that even mean? Quite soppy, really, but what a lovely tune. It’ll probably end up getting used on some horrific over-sentimental advert, but that’s just the way of things nowadays.
Alternative Recommendation Blackstar HT1R Valve Guitar Combo (£199)
R E D D OG
T PRODUCK S! PIC
Numark iDJ Live
Go-Go-Gadget! TC Electronic Polytune Mini Remember the TC Electronic Polytune - the first tuner EVER that allowed you to tune your guitar through the art of a single strum? It was a pretty revolutionary bit of music kit at the time. So, imagine the same amount of AWESOME but packaged into an even more compact version that’ll
You don’t use records any more. All of your tunes are on your iPad / iPod / iPhone. But you want to be a DJ. What on earth do you do? Look no further than the Numark iDJ Live. Imagine your good old fashioned wheels of steel set up but converted into a light, plastic and ridiculously portable DJ unit. You simply plug it into your iPad/iPod/iPhone, download the software and from there on in, everything that you do on the iDJ Live will show up on your iPad. There was word on the street that, while being a lot of fun, it feels a little flimsy. But don’t be put off. Lightweight, musical DJ fun has never been this easy to use (or this cheap, for that matter). RedDOG PRICE: £79.99
Alesis TwoTrack The answer to all of your recording quandaries – the Alesis TwoTrack is the easiest way to record studio-quality, stereo sound in any old setting you desire. It’s designed for capturing incredible sound without confusing you with an abundance of submenus, technical settings, loads of buttons, etc... It’s compact, it’s handheld, it’s super portable, it features headphone monitoring, a mic line-in and, with a name like TwoTrack – you guessed it – features TWO stereo condenser microphones. Let’s break it down then: one big record button, no frills, super high quality recording. Winner. RedDOG PRICE: £59.99
18 THE DOG SPRING 2012
fit into any pedal board you damn well please! Imagine! In fact, scrap that, you don’t have to imagine – it’s arrived. Thanks to TC, the Polytune is being shrunk in the washing machine as we speak. Cute.
RedDOG PRICE: £65.00
Hohner Fire Melodica
ART Coolswitch Want to use two bits of equipment? Tired of unplugging? Introducing the Coolswitch; a not-particularly-excitingbut-highly-practical A/B-Y switch. You can rock it in a couple of ways; either plug in two instruments - let’s say two guitars - and feed them into the one amp, OR you can plug in one guitar and have two amps plugged in, so you can use a different amp for different parts of your set. If you don’t play the guitar, don’t be put off - the Coolswitch is for anyone who wants to use more than one set-up in the same set-up without unplugging any of the actual set-ups. This is probably the most times that “set-up” has been used in one paragraph.
RedDOG PRICE: £34.99
The melodica is an instrument that everybody loves when they hear/see it; but I can guarantee that they won’t know what it’s called unless someone they know plays it. My friend has one and after every gig, people say, “That instrument is COOL! What is it!?” And the classic, “I just love the harmonium/melodium/harmonica!” *delete as appropriate. The melodica was first made cool by Augustus Pablo in Jamaica in the ‘60s, closely followed by a man named Tom Pickles. Mr Pickles upped the ante by purchasing the Hohner Fire. It looks cool, sounds cool, will make you cool. What an instrumental oxymoron, indeed..
RedDOG PRICE: £44.99
family decided to open up Knockengorroch again and exercise their love of Scottish roots music by booking a host of musicians to play in the front field on the midsummer weekend. Bands booked included Old Blind Dogs, The Iron Horse and Deaf Shepherd. Posters for the ‘Celidh Gall Gallowa’ were made up and photocopied, tickets were sold at the local grocers, friends were recruited and a festival was born!
SP T LIGHT some of the Shedding light on known uff st coolest to humankind...
Knockengorroch World S
Ceilidh The name is not easy to pronounce, nor reminiscent of anything you’ve known before. The site is not near a main road, or close to shops; the line-up follows no identifiable genre; the people are from no particular age range, or social strata, and certainly have no common sense of dress… this festival breaks all the rules on ‘festival planning’ and yet - or perhaps because of the people return year on year on year. This is the Knockengorroch World Ceilidh festival, established in 1998 and the first independent music festival in Scotland, born from a love of roots music by a family who came to the land looking for space, freedom and the type of land that dreams are made of.
20 THE DOG SPRING 2012
imon and Liz Holmes moved from London in 1971. An artist and a teacher respectively the pair were fresh from travels in Turkey and the Balkans, with Simon touched for life by his adventures living with the Bedouin in the deserts of Iraq, Jordan and Syria in the early 60s. The wildness, lushness and space of Galloway whispered of tribes and cattle rustlers, open fires and longhouses. The two settled in the farm house with a small amount of acres and were soon joined and visited by artists, creatives, ethnomusicologists and cult music stars – traces of the life they’d left in London – as well as two children. It turns out Knockengorroch was the site of substantial communities throughout ancient times, all of whom would have been cattle worshippers. Simon became fascinated with the history of the glen and the
surrounding Galloway area, painting the landscape and carrying out extensive research. The local villagers were surprised to say the least by the young Bedouin clad couple and their strange London customs as they rode across the hills on horseback. Later with friends they traversed Scotland on horseback with Bedouin tents and goats. When a new age French couple from the ‘Rainbow Tribe’ approached Simon and Liz asking to hold one of the infamous international ‘Rainbow Gatherings’ at Knockengorroch they received a welcome reception. The Rainbow Gathering took place in 1997 on the mountain of Cairnsmore. The Holmes’ front field became the event’s welcome centre. For 3 weeks Knockengorroch became a bustling community, with residents coming and going from all over the world. The following year, after all the hippies had gone, the
reflect music as it has journeyed from ancient to present, from field to street. Unlimited by genre it presents a host of unsigned acts as well as some of the most established, many of whom say they have never played anywhere like it. Most are appreciative of the remote setting and the adventure to reach it, though Knockengorroch has been responsible for ruining more than the odd pair of pristine white trainers! In 2012 the World Ceilidh will feature a total of 6 venues with over 100 acts performing. Major venues include the Bo-Airigh stage - so named after the people of the valley who worshipped the cattle that were their life-blood, the Sheiling World Stage / Dance Tent and the Celtic Longhouse, a structure in
the bar was drunk dry, the sessions were electric The winding narrow track in to the farm from the main road didn’t put people off and about 300 people came and camped up at the festival that weekend. The bands outplayed themselves on a stage constructed from pine logs and rope, the bar was drunk dry, the sessions were electric… however the curse of the Scottish valley were out to play in force! The midges that first year led to the decision that future festivals take place in May, before full midge season comes into play. Today, from 300 the festival has grown to 3000. The programme has expanded to include roots music originating from all parts of the world, fusion music bringing together different genres and the very latest in electronic dance music. Artists that have graced Knockengorroch stages over the years include Desmond Dekker, Mr Scruff, The Orb, The Herbaliser, Capercaillie, The Beat, Horace Andy, Roni Size, DJ Aphrodite, The Dhol Foundation, DJ Yoda, Huun Huur Tu, Phil K, Shlomo and many, many more… The line-up aims to
which inhabitants of the valley would have lived in the Bronze ages, recreated stone by stone by volunteers, and still a work in progress. Sessions and collaborations between a diverse range of talented musicians take place in the Longhouse all weekend till the wee small hours, while international established roots and fusion acts grace the BoAirigh and the Sheiling. This year these acts will include reggae legends The Skatalites; the majestic Scottish Peatbog Faeries; 90s alternative chart toppers Utah Saints; Red Snapper; Rua
SP T LIGHT Shedding light coolest stuon some of the ff to humanki known nd...
What’s so good about Knockengorroch?
L
ocated in a valley in the hills of Dumfries & Galloway, people flock here to party until the break of dawn. Its most signature attribute,
for me, is that no matter where you go, people will be playing tunes – whether you’re at the main stage, the Cabaret tent, the Longhouse, Weirdigans cafe, the campsite, round the Knockengorroch campfire... it appears that most people can or will play something. For those who don’t care to dabble in live music, Mungo’s Hi-Fi is normally there to provide beats until the wee, wee hours. A downright muddy, gritty, ear-pleasing festival that hosts some of the most hardcore festival fiends I’ve come across in all my days. They even had a Jacuzzi last year,
SPRING 2012 THE DOG 21
Macmillan and the Destroyers, to name but a few. In addition, the Headset Disco features a gourmet selection of DJs playing for surreally silent dancers and the Fraoch Cabaret Stage presents homegrown talent alongside billed bands in a programme devised during the festival by the day. The event, which will take place from 31 May to 3 June, welcomes young and old, and offers more than music. What more could you possibly want! Well, brewers Heather Ale provide cask ales, including one especially brewed for Knockengorroch from dandelions! Global food, stalls, environmental, heritage and crafts workshops, kids activities, a healing area, a solar cinema, fire shows, theatre, spoken word, comedy, circus skills, yoga, contemporary dance, bollywood dance, singing and drumming workshops, flash mobs, visual installations, sauna, showers and much more ensure no one is ever bored! In a home away from home, over four days, the valley reverberates with sounds emanating from across time and space from the ghosts of the ancestors to the ‘fluro’ clad kids, the concrete streets to the grassy
SP T LIGHT Shedding light coolest stuon some of the ff to humanki known nd...
the valley reverberates with sounds from the ghosts of the ancestors to the ‘fluro’ clad kids mountains. Old friends meet and new ones form. Children are conceived and born and brought back to Knockengorroch year on year, becoming part of the ever expanding community, g athering beneath the stars in a place flush with history, ancient, recent and in the making. If you have not been to Knockengorroch yet where have you been! Join us by the clear flowing, sweet running Water of Deugh and experience one of the greatest roots festivals in the world. We’ll be there.
thrown in for good measure. Knock truly is a world of music in the hills that starts the festival season off each year in fine fettle. You really do have to see it to believe it. When you arrive, it’s as if you’ve been transported back to yester year. Everybody you walk past greets you with a smile and by the end of the weekend, everyone’s your pal. You’ll never want to return back to reality. But, as with all festivals, at some point, you simply have to go home. But mark my words; when you do, I bet you’ll find yourself sitting in the bath, with little bits of mud floating around you, singing “I’ve had the time of my life, and I owe it all to Knock...” at the top of your lungs.
See you out there… www.knockengorroch.org.uk
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Roland & BOSS
NAMM Exclusive
A selection of the latest launches from Roland and BOSS - ready to rock your world. Roland’s latest wave of gear pushes the possibilities for drummers and guitarists further than ever before. Launched last month at the NAMM Show in California these inspiring new products build on the success of the world-leading V-Drums series and also include a collaboration with Fender, resulting in the most advanced modelling guitars to date.
V-Drums
Roland’s revolutionary V-Drums have led the industry for more than a decade and these new releases are startlingly realistic...
TD-30KV V-Pro
HD-3 V-Drums Kit
Packed with Roland’s SuperNatural technology, this pro-level V-Drums kit delivers new levels of expression and personality. Advanced sensing technology and sound modelling mean that this supremely powerful kit responds to every nuance with a completely natural sound.
Pressed for space? This great value V-Drums kit has a tiny footprint (less than 1m2) but delivers the huge performance you’d expect from Roland V-Drums. Great for drummers of all levels with 20 preset kits, dual zone cymbals which can also be choked and super-quiet fabric toms and mesh-head snare.
“state-of-the-art editable drum sounds”
Guitars
Classic style meets modern technology with Roland and Boss’s latest guitar releases...
GC-1 GK-ready Stratocaster® Combining the classic looks of the iconic Fender Stratocaster with futuristic functionality, the GC-1 GK-ready Stratocaster is all set to work with GK guitar synths providing access to a world of sounds, tones and effects all in a beautiful, easy to play body.
G-5 – VG Stratocaster® The G-5 is loaded with powerful COSM technology which accurately recreates the sound of the famous Fender Stratocaster. There’s also a built-in library of pick up tones to explore, and instantly accessible alternate tunings and 12-string sounds.
GT-100 Play through any of your favourite classic amps with this super-smart processor. Packing COSM modelling technology, the dual-screen GT-100 quickly and easily recreates a
plethora of vintage amp sounds. EZ Tone functionality makes it a dream to use while the introduction of the ACCEL pedal enables you to control feedback, bend and twist as you play.
“Combining the classic looks with futuristic functionality” TU-10 Clip-on Chromatic Tuner The TU range is synonymous with reliable tuning and this little beauty delivers the performance of BOSS tuners in a compact clip-on format. Unlike many clip-on tuners, the TU-10 is stylish, robust and offers a multi-colour screen making tuning on the hoof a breeze.
TD-30K V-Studio With the same module as the flagship TD-30KV, this kit includes more affordable pads and hardware so it’s perfect for studios or those not needing the top-ofthe-range extras but who still want state-of-the-art editable drum sounds.
26 THE DOG SPRING 2012
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So, last issue I went through some tips for recording acoustic guitar. This time it’s one of the trickiest and most important recording tasks vocals. You might feel that a great vocal sound is out of your range without a massive collection of valuable mics and preamps, but even the modern home recordist can achieve a tasty vocal sound if the basics are properly followed. So fetch that old duvet out the cupboard and let’s get started!
or vocal recording, you really need to use a large diaphragm condenser mic. If you’ve been using a battered old SM58 to lay down vocals, grab yourself a condenser with some of that left over Christmas money. You’ll be amazed at the difference in clarity and detail compared to a dynamic mic. Many come with a couple of switches such as a low cut for reducing rumble through the mic stand and a pad switch for use with high level signals. The more expensive models also carry a response
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pattern switch to change between cardioid, omni directional and figure of 8. As mentioned in the last article, a cardioid pattern is adequate for most situations in home studios. If you have the luxury of a selection of mics, make sure you try as many as you can on your singer. Different mics have different characteristics so it’s worth selecting one which suits both the vocalist and the material. A stereo bar could help you save time by testing two mics at once. Oh, and don’t forget the phantom power switch!
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inging is a very personal and expressive process. I’ve had plenty of confident singers but quite a lot of shy ones too. It’s always important to think about the overall performance in advance and warm up appropriately. If it’s a slow dreamy song you’re recording, chill your vocalist out with a cup of cocoa. If it’s an energetic rock epic, crack out the red bull and whip them up into a frenzy! Having the right energy will make a huge difference to the performance.
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e’ve all seen footage of singers in studios with a bendy metal arm infront of the mic. That’ll be the pop shield. These are pretty cheap to pick up and are essential for recording vocals. Condenser mics are very sensitive and the blast of air pressure from a ‘p’ or ‘b’ sound is too much for the poor little diaphragm to cope with. A pop shield disperses the air and protects the mic from these plosive sounds. Try placing the pop shield around 10cm from the mic and get the singer close to it for a more intimate sound or further away for a mellower and less direct sound.
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any professional studios have a separate vocal booth for recording vocals. But you don’t have to shove your singer in a cupboard to get a clear vocal sound. The aim is to get as ‘dry’ a sound as possible by reducing room reflections going into the mic. This produces a clean and accurate recording and a blank slate for your mixing. One useful techie invention of the last 10 years has been the Reflection Filter, originally made by SE Electronics although there are plenty of other versions available now. These can block out your room reflections so you don’t need to build a booth but it’s always a good idea to have some absorbent material behind the singer too. A thick duvet hung on the wall or over a door will so the job nicely and stop reflections off the back wall from going into the mic.
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And if you’re a cheapskate, you can use a metal hanger and some stockings!
lex is an experienced sound engineer and music producer who started out by setting up his own company, Fentek Audio, after gaining an honours degree in Music Technology. You might also know him as the sound engineer at the Wee Red Bar where he built a reputation for quality live sound and attention to detail. Alex has helped many local bands enhance their status with the likes of White Heath and Birdhead gaining label deals off the back of his recordings and creative production style. He now runs Swanfield Studios, a custom built studio in Leith offering recording, mixing and mastering as well as training in music technology and recording techniques.
It’s also worth deciding on which recording approach you’re going to use before hitting the record button. I’d usually do the first take all the way through so the vocal chords get warmed up, then split the song into sections and do a few takes of each. You can then compile the best bits into the best take, selecting the versions which you and the singer decide they like the best. Make sure you check with them because you don’t want them to end up with bits they really dislike!
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veryone loves a bit of backing vocals on a track but how can you make yours stand out? Remember, lead vocal is the most important so make sure you don’t cover it up. At the recording stage, try placing the mic a few meters away to add some space. This works particularly well for group ‘chant’ style backing vocals and separates them from the lead without resorting to drowning them in reverb at the mixing stage.
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REMEMBER: trust your ears and sonic glory will soon be yours!
by Alex Fenton, Studio Manager (Swanfield Studios)
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MANKIND’S last hope LIE W
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How did you come up with your name? Basically, we made it up then a few months later, South Park stole it and made out we were a bunch of paedophiles raping kids around the world. What a rager. Actually, the truth is, after watching South Park; we just liked the idea of such an innocent, happy name having such dark connotations.
“ ECTOPLASMIC. BODACIOUS. SPAZTICAL.” Describe your musical style in 3 words WAZ: Experimental quirky rock. MANDY: Ectoplasmic. Bodacious. Spaztical BRUCE: Messed up pop. YOUR BEST AND WORST GIGS? Our best gig so far was when we supported Future of the Left. Touring France and playing in a squat at 4 in the morning has a certain thrill to it as well. Gigs with our close friends have been the best for good vibes. One of our worst gigs was in Plymouth and the “sound man” thought it was a great idea to do sound from behind a wall and made Waz sound like a banshee. TELL US A FUNNY SUPER ADVENTURE CLUB STORY. There are no funny stories. We’re very serious. Apart from a couple of years ago when our tour of France was cut short – I cried a lot, Bruce took it in his stride and Waz dealt with it by
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE BITS OF GEAR? WAZ: At home I use a Clavia Nord and it kicks ass. I use it with anAlesis Performance Pad for easy triggering but I also use a set of Ddrum Red Shot Triggers which I link to the pads that control the synth. It’s too many leads for a drummer but it’s good fun. I also recently discovered the joys of Stagg drumsticks – they’re great and about half the price of your regular ‘professional’ stick. I’d challenge any drummer a blind test – after all, they’re just lumps of wood, aren’t they? MANDY: I’ve been using the same Ibanez bass guitar for nearly 10 years, mainly because I’m poor but also mainly because it’s got a slim neck for wee hands and 24 frets for playing silly bass lines. BRUCE: I’d recommend any of the Clavia Nord Modular gear, which was sadly discontinued because, like anything so wildly creative, people would rather have a ‘plug in and play’ easier solution.
getting a bottle of Whisky at the airport. We drank it all on the plane, plus a bottle of champagne, and as soon as we arrived at passport control Waz started shouting: ‘Why the f*ck are we in Britain!?’ I remember saying to him that he better shut up or he’ll be getting his bum searched. Then he turned round and started telling us he loved us and falling all over the place. When we went to collect our luggage, he did the one thing that everyone has always wanted to do: sat on the conveyor belt going ‘Weeeeeeeee!’ and laughing his head off. We’ve got it on film. BEST AND WORST DECRIPTION OF YOUR BAND SO FAR? “The B52’s on crack” is pretty good. The best AND worst was “These Californians have been listening to way too much Zappa & Beefheart.” When we get the Beefheart comparison, it’s because Mandy played 5 bars of slap bass and the weirdest thing the reviewer has ever heard is Captain Beefheart. You generally know someone is a douche if they name drop Beefheart. SUPER ADVENTURE CLUB’S FAVOURITE MUSIC AT THE MOMENT? WAZ: The Kills for a cheeky bit of vibe-y raw rock-pop and, as ever, Frank Zappa and Johnny Cash. MANDY: Oingo Boingo - Danny Elfman’s 80’s band. BRUCE: ‘Attahk’ by Magma for some furious prog-funk in a made up language, ‘The Reminder’ by Feist and XTC’s ‘Drums and Wires’ for some awesome pop tunes.
XTC Drums and Wires (Virgin Records) 1979
WHO ARE YOUR FAVOURITE LOCAL BANDS? WAZ: Vendor Defender. But one of the most impressive live shows that I’ve seen was from The John Langan Band. MANDY: United Fruit. BRUCE: This Edinburgh band called The Banana Sessions who do a wicked medley of Prodigy songs.
“get your drummer to count to 5 then just play anything and see what happens. And never learn how to sing!” WHAT TIPS WOULD YOU GIVE TO ANYONE WANTING TO EMULATE THE ‘SAC’ SOUND? Get a hobby, maybe even a girlfriend or a boyfriend. Or maybe just rent a film. Failing that, get your drummer to count to 5 then just play anything and see what happens. And never learn how to sing. (On a more serious note: Don’t. Don’t emulate.) WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE WASHING DETERGENT? Bold 2-in-1. Although, if it wasn’t all about convenience, jelly tabs and a good softener.
! S N I A R B R U O Y S all they wanteWdOULDWNAEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN... the world FROM INFECemTIusiOc N! WERE SAFE .co m/superadventur
WHO ARE? SUPER ADVENTURE CLUB Named after an episode of South Park whereby an international paedophile ring kidnaps the Issac Hayes voiced character, Chef. The band explains: “In the episode, the name Super Adventure Club sounds fun and nice, but actually represents something really offensive. We like shows like South Park and Brasseye because they say a lot about how sensationalist the media can be, and how gullible the general public are.” Having self-released their intense sonic assault of a debut album, “Chalk Horror!” in 2008 to a smattering of praise from local press, with its eccentric sound vacillating wildly between strung-out post-hardcore, psychedelic guitar-noodling and beefed up bass grooves. The album proved beyond doubt that Super Adventure Club are one of the most unique and exciting new bands in Scotland – to attempt to pigeonhole them would be nigh-on cruel. Since their conception in 2007, Super Adventure Club have taken their freaked out rock/jazz/pop adventure from Inverness to Cork to Bordeaux, and many hotspots in between. The band are regularly joined onstage by the horse-headed Johnny B (this is not a joke - the man really has a horse’s head), whose help has ensured that a clutch of well received shows have garnered a cult following all over the UK and into Europe. myspace.com/superadventuremusic
w.myspace Join the cause at ww
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Got A Screw Loose? C oming from an engineering background, I take it for granted that everyone understands how screws work and the different
types used. It might now be considered politically incorrect, but the old joke about the psychiatric patient who escapes after having sex with one of the laundry staff - prompting the newspaper headlines: “Nut Screws Washer and Bolts”still serves as a handy means of calling to mind some of the basic types of fixings likely to be found on a guitar or bass.
“With the advent of locking tremolo systems, Allen bolts began to appear.” The majority of screws encountered will be simple wood screws, typically used for scratchplates, pick-up surrounds etc. A larger version can also be found on guitars with “bolt-on” necks, holding the neck to the body. These are usually of a cross-head, Phillips design. With the advent of locking tremolo systems, Allen bolts, rather than screws, began to appear. Allen bolts have a hexagonal recess into which a ‘key’ is located to turn the bolt. It’s an excellent system but needs to be treated with respect as the extra torque available, via 38 THE DOG SPRING 2012
the key, is enough to damage the metal the bolt is going into. I’ve often had to replace an entire locking nut or bridge assembly after an overenthusiastic hand has been at work.
“the smaller the amount of adjustment required, the finer the pitch used.” All the above types of fixings are formed with a V-shaped spiral running clock-wise down their length. Called ‘threads’, they match their mirror image, cut into the receiving material. In the case of the self-tapping scratch-plate screws it’s the wood of the guitar body. In the case of the Allen bolts it’s a metal plate or bush. The spacing of the threads is referred to as their ‘pitch’. Generally the smaller the amount of adjustment required, the finer the pitch used. (*Golden rule - you can’t mix different pitches of thread!) Nuts and washers are used to secure jacksockets, pots etc. Often a combination of nut, dress washer and friction washer will be used to combat vibration which can loosen components. Whatever the type of fixing - screw or bolt - it’s imperative that the correct tools be used when working on them. My screwdrivers all have non-slip rubber handles and hardened steel shafts and come in three sizes appropriate to the size of screw. The Allen keys are all kept in Metric and Imperial sized clips. Woe betide anyone who goes off with them!
Dr. Fretlove returns next time... AUTUMN SPRING 2012 2011 THE DOG 39
RoundUp
A LOOK AT SOME OF THE BEST PRODUCTS IN THEIR CATEGORY, ThIS ISSUE IT’s...
MULTI-EFFECTS PEDALS An eternal debate rages between guitarists about whether to go for a pedal board crammed with a range of individual stomp boxes, or take the easy option and get a multi-effects pedal that offers all of the effects but less of the variety of tones. There’s not enough space in this magazine to discuss all the pros and cons, but suffice to say that, though sometimes limited in tonal variety, multi-effects pedals are certainly a convenient option (only one box to plug in, instant recall of complex effect chains etc.) and can even be used to supplement a traditional pedal board set-up. Here we round up some of our favourites at a range of different price points...
Z
oom are known for producing insanely well-specced products at insanely wallet-friendly prices, but how good are the pedals? Well, in the case of the Zoom G3, you get three separate stomps, tube amp modelling, over 100 built-in effects ranging from compression to wah to delay and even a looper so, feature-wise, the G3 is up with the best of them. There’s even a drum machine on board, that they appear to have chucked in just because they could. The sound quality is surprisingly good (though perhaps a little more digital sounding than other units reviewed here), but with no expression pedal built in, you have to fork out a bit more if you’re looking for dynamic wah and volume effects. Like most modern multi-effects pedals, the Zoom G3 has an onboard audio interface to connect to your computer, which is useful (especially considering many interfaces cost more than the G3!). There is also a direct out for plugging into PA systems, which is great in a live scenario. All in all: not high end kit, but extremely good value for money.
Zoom G3 £149
“The sound quality is surprisingly good”
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Round Up A LOOK
UCTS IN THEIR CATEG AT SOME OF THE BEST PROD
“top of the range when it comes to their effects pedals”
ORY, ThIS ISSUE IT’s...
TS PEDALS MULTI-EFFEC
VOX Tonelab EX £239
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OX are primarily known for their classic amps, made famous by everyone from Paul McCartney to Brian May, but they also make a whole load of other gear. The Tonelab EX, though not expensive compared to some other units discussed here, is the top of the range when it comes to their effects pedals. The killer feature on the Tonelab EX is the real 12AX7 valve built into the unit, giving a genuine valve warmth to the output, and glowing reassuringly in the top left hand corner. VOX believe that tube sound can only really be imparted by tubes and, let’s face it, they’re right. The overall quality of the other effects and models is very high, and with the added warmth, this is certainly a contender for a place in your effects chain.
“The effects are clearly professional quality” TC Nova System
C’s Nova System is certainly a chunky bit of kit – it’s quite weighty and feels like it could sustain being thown out of a hotel window if necessary (don’t try this at home, kids). TC have a real pedigree when it comes to effects, having made some of the all-time classic stomp boxes. This pedigree certainly shines through on the Nova System. The effects are clearly professional quality, with 100% analog circuitry used for distortions meaning that, unlike all the other pedals reviewed here, you get a proper cutting sound that you just can’t get from digitally modelled distortion patches. Tasty. On a basic level, the whole thing is also incredibly easy to use – it’s more like having a load of stomp boxes at your feet than a multi-effects pedal. This combined with the analog circuitry means that the Nova System addresses some of the classic quibbles when comparing multi-effects pedals with stomp boxes… As such, the Nova System could, shock horror, potentially replace your pedal board...
£349
“we look forward to whatever else they’ve got coming...”
Round Up
A LOOK AT SOME OF THE BEST
Fender Mustang Floor £227
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nnounced at the 2012 NAMM show, the BOSS GT100 is BOSS’s newest top-end multi-effects pedal, showcasing all of their latest technology. What is this technology? The key component is the latest COSM, or “Composite Object Sound Modelling”, amp and effect modelling. BOSS have tried hard to get all the tonal detail of any vintage amp you care to mention, with the added ability of creating tones that would not even be possible in a real amp. Quality. Two LCD screens may seem like overkill, but in fact this makes it easier to navigate through the various menus at your disposal, but simultaneously a load of knobs mean you can twiddle to your heart’s content. The built in expression pedal – what BOSS call the ACCEL pedal – is multifunctional: it can control several parameters at one. This sounds simple but means you can create really dynamic and creative patches – for example, you could control delay time, wah and phaser LFO all at the same time, and sound like a confused alien. Who doesn’t want to sound like a confused alien??
BOSS GT100 £399
PRODUCTS IN THEIR CATEG
ORY, ThIS
ISSUE IT’s... MULTI-EFFEC TS PEDALS
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nother new arrival from the NAMM show, the Mustang Floor is, amazingly, Fender’s first ever multi-effects pedal. What took them so long, and why are they releasing it now? We don’t know, but we’re certainly glad that they have. If you’ve ever used one of Fender’s Mustang amps, you will be familiar with the sound of the Mustang Floor – it’s basically just one of their popular Mustang amps without the amp or speaker section. As such the sounds are great, but you get more hands-on (or should that be foots-on?) control than you can from any of the amps. Included are 12 amp models, 37 effects types, and a load of good quality in-built presets. One neat feature is the ability to plug the pedal into your computer via the USB socket, both to use it as an audio interface and to edit the effects in more detail with the free Fender FUSE software. So, Fender’s first foray into multi-effects pedals: good idea or not? Let’s just say we look forward to whatever else they’ve got coming...
“twiddle to your heart’s content”
Buy online
RedDogMusic.at co.uk and use code
‘dog2’ at the checko ut to your purchase get 5% OFF or come into the shop for a Demo! P L E A S E N O T E ! P R I C E S A R E L I A B L E T O G O U P A S W E LL A S D O W N . C H E C K ONL I N E A T R E D D O G M U S I C . C O . U K F O R A LL T H E L AT E S T P R I C E S .
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EveGuitars
Bored of your average guitar or bass? Fancy having a bespoke custom guitar or bass made especially for you? If so, Douglas Mullen is the man for you. After realising, 20 years ago, that he was a An Inte dab hand at designing and building his own instrurv D OUGiew with ments; he decided to start up his very own business... LA
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hat gave you the idea to create these bespoke, handcrafted guitars? It was early in my adolescence when I began to outplay the guitar my parents had bought me. As a teenager, I would go through different phases of interests so my parents didn’t want to spend hundreds of pounds buying the best available guitar, on the off chance that I’d get bored after a few months and never touch it again. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case. Instead, I tried to upgrade my guitar
“I build the kind of guitars that I would like to play and own myself.” by trimming the body shape and stripping the finish off, only to discover that it was made of plywood, so there was no use in continuing the upgrade. I decided, in my spare time at school, to use the woodwork labs in an attempt to build my own. This was over 20 years ago so with no internet and very little information, I simply made guesses as to the construction. I would make
MULLEN
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a pilgrimage into town every Saturday to measure my favourite guitars hiding out of site from the staff - and jot down various measurements. That’s how it began. How long does it take to make one guitar and what is the process? There are two Eve Guitar lines: the Professional, which is a bolt-on; and the Elite which is a set neck. The bolton takes 50-60 hours to make. The set neck takes about double that, depending on the complexity of the wood design. The process starts with a straight line and everything is measured from this. Scale, number of frets, pick-up position, nut, headstock, body join position - all of these have to be perfectly worked out as they are vital to the success of the finished guitar. The wood is then chosen and bonded, the design is drawn onto the blanks and then I cut, carve and sand until I’m satisfied with the finish. I apply a few coats of Danish Oil until the pores are filled, then the guitar is left to dry for at least 48 hours. It’s then wet-sanded and hung to dry for another 48 hours. When it’s nearly finished, it’s rubbed down, waxed and polished before hardware installation, wiring and setup take place. I usually let new guitars settle for a week or so without tuning to full pitch so that the stresses are gradually introduced. This stabilises the neck better as it gets used to the string tension.
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What makes these guitars different to your average guitar? The main difference is the visual aesthetic and ergonomic quality that has been lost in the mass produced product available today. Since all our materials are individually selected, inspected for
place naturally. I also like the oil and wax finish as it’s easy to maintain and feels wonderful under the hand. Have you had any weird and wonderful design requests? Usually, it’s a case of ‘copy this, copy that’. I’m really not interested in doing that. Copying another production line guitar holds no interest to me, and I’m happy to tell customers that too. If they want to advance the standard concept in an unusual way, that could interest me if I’m given enough freedom to try some-
“I want to improve and keep moving forward and hopefully people agree with that.” quality by hand, and only one person begins and finishes the instrument to completion, we can ensure 100% devotion to every single guitar. I build the kind of guitars that I would like to play and own myself - I think that’s important. If I’m not happy, how can I expect the customer to be happy? What is your favourite feature and why? I like the simplicity of the controls and electronics. It’s about saying ‘no’ most of the time to new features, rather than ‘yes’ to everything. It takes more control and discipline to do that. I believe that guitars should be straightforward - if you want tonal shaping, buy a good amp and some effects pedals. You can always add effects and tones, but if they’re built in and you rarely use them, it’s hard to take them out. I think if a guitar is built from the ground up, with tone in mind, good construction and great pickups; everything else falls into
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thing new. One of the biggest things I’m asked is to put a spray finish on a custom build, which I never do. I don’t see the point of using beautiful woods and elaborate construction to be hidden by a layer of paint. If you could design a guitar for any guitarist in the world, who would it be? The designs for Eve Guitars come from elements I’ve gathered over the years. I have no problem with seeing a great idea and using it. A bit from here, a bit from there, and then combine them all together. That’s how things improve and develop over time. To design a new shape for arbitrary reasons because someone is famous or just wants something ‘different’ I think misses the point. That’s not why I started building guitars. I want to improve things and keep moving forward and hopefully people agree with that philosophy.
All about Eve
Douglas Mullen
operates Eve Guitars from his workshop in the East Coast of Scotland, UK, to produce guitars that have the look and quality lost in the mass produced product available today. All materials are individually selected and inspected for quality by hand, and only one person starts and finishes the instrument to completion. We have no computer controlled machines - every instrument is truly hand crafted, and is as individual as you are. Starting 20 years ago, dissatisfied with the commercial guitars on the market, Douglas began to design and build his own instruments winning awards and critical acclaim for their individuality along the way. The name Eve reflects the originality of the bespoke designs, and the fact that two will never be alike. Ever. All instruments are unique, with even the choice of construction or components influencing every other design decision - keeping each guitar individual and specific to your requirements. eveguitars.co.uk
The Sound Library of Babel
O
by Alex Marten, owner of Red Dog Music
ne of the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges’ most celebrated short stories is The Library of Babel, in which he describes a universe in the form of a library that contains literally every possible 410 page book – an almost infinite (is it possible to be “almost infinite”?) array of texts containing all conceivable combinations of letters, numbers, spaces and punctuation marks. The inhabitants of this universe spend their days wandering through the library in the desperate hope of finding a book that makes some kind of sense. They know that some of the books in the library contain useful information, but they have no way of knowing which ones these would be. Because of the immensity of information at their disposal, the information is rendered worthless. Sometimes I feel like this in my studio. Having worked for some years in music technology retail, my job includes the onerous task of testing out any new software that is released by installing fully working, unrestricted versions of all the latest, most cutting edge sequencers, virtual instruments, ROMplers and so on onto my home
computer for me to tinker with to my heart’s content. I know - it’s awful what is expected of me - but I grin and bear it and find at my disposal a dazzlingto-the-point-of-long-term-retinal-damage array of sounds and effects within clicking distance of my desktop.
“a dazzling-to-thepoint-of-long-termretinal-damage array of sounds and effects” Now, you may be thinking this isn’t so bad. Indeed you may be thinking quite uncharitable thoughts about me and my horrible smugness at my own good fortune but, though getting all the latest software is something of a rare position to be in and I have to admit I quite like it, one of the most popular music software products of our times puts any user in a similar position – all they have to do is shell out £849. I am of course talking about Native Instruments’ Komplete 8, or
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specifically Komplete 8 Ultimate, the latest, most utterly all-encompassing package available from those programming demons at NI (I personally thought they should call it “Kompleter” in the style of the film Dumb and Dumberer, but for some reason they ignored my suggestion). This software bundle includes a total of 50 separate plug-ins, some of these plug-ins themselves contain several of their own instruments (Reaktor alone has over 70), and each of these instruments contains 100s of patches. Now I’m not a mathematician, but I added that up, and it comes to approximately 1 bazillion different sounds included in the whole collection. That’s a lot of sounds. A lot of sounds. And this is just one software bundle – a professional producer could also easily have a workstation keyboard
“sometimes it is possible to have too many options at our disposal.” such as the wonderful Korg Kronos in their studio (giving them a total of 2 bazillion sounds), a few EastWest ROMplers (3 bazillion) and a box of toy percussion instruments (3 bazillion and 67). How can our puny humanoid brains cope with such a surfeit of sonic possibilities? No wonder the ukulele’s enjoying a bizarre resurgence in popularity; it’s got four strings and t hey all sound the same. At least you know where you stand.
I like to imagine a sample library in the form of Borges’ Library of Babel: every possible sound recorded on every possible microphone, running through every possible processor, in every possible combination. The ultimate sound library: every noise ever made or that could ever be made would be included. You would have the most wonderful piano samples known to mankind, but you would also have the sound of your grandmother sucking her false teeth recorded through a Neumann U87 going through a convolution processor sampling the reverberant qualities of the frozen goods aisle of the Croydon branch of LIDL. I imagine desperate music producers eternally trawling their way through hours, days and years worth of sounds in the vain hope of finding that particular cowbell sample they desperately need for their latest dubstep / easy-listening crossover hit and, by the time they’ve found it, planet Earth has long since become a barren husk incapable of sustaining waterbased life forms. Perhaps this would not be such a bad thing. My point, if indeed I have one, is that sometimes it is possible to have too many options at our disposal. Although Native Instruments and co. offer excellent indexing and search facilities in their software (not available in Borges’ Library of Babel), and the sounds are amazing, sometimes the shear mind boggling wealth of possibilities can actually get in the way of just producing a piece of music. I’m not going to get rid of my software library, but sometimes I find it pays to restrict yourself: stick to one sound (preferably not a ukulele) and see what you can do with it. (Originally published in ‘Sound on Sound’ magazine.)
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ECONOMY PICKING: PART 3 EXERCISE 1
Who is..?
In the previous lesson, we finished off with EX1: an exercise comprises two three-note arpeggios. Remember, you should only hold one note down at any one time when changing from string to string, so that you don’t sound as though you are just strumming a couple of chords. Here, each six-note repeated figure is played with two continuous sweeps and, yet, to the listener, should sound like evenly-spaced single notes.
“commit yourself to the sweep and don’t chicken out in an effort to keep things in time.” Name:
Alex Marten About: Alex is the owner and founder of Red Dog Music, as well as being the keyboard player and guitarist in afro space-funk band Asazi Space Funk Explosion. He is currently in training for the 2012 Extreme Sleeping Championships.
Rotation If you are experiencing difficulty with playing this evenly (or any of the other examples for that matter), you should apply the following ‘rotation’ method (a principle known as ‘rhythmic displacement’). This is a six-note lick, so there are six potentially different starting points. If you practise each of the licks in this manner, you will find that they will start to even out. The important thing is that you commit yourself to the sweep and don’t chicken out in an effort to keep things in time.
EXERCISE 2 This is the reverse of Ex1
EXERCISE 3
This example effectively comprises two four-note arpeggio. Playing groups of four like this (instead of three, as in the previous two examples) will put your timing and control under more scrutiny; it’s easier to get away with a badly played triplet than any group of four.
EXERCISE 4
This is the reverse of Ex3. Remember, to try all eight potential rotations of both exercises. Eventually, by practising sweep picking, you will be able to play an arpeggio as quick as you like, because it’s a co-ordination problem, not a speed problem. It just takes time to acquire the ‘knack’.
Changing Over
Finally, don’t mourn of the days/weeks/months/ years that you have devoted to alternate picking. You need to alternate pick. Sometimes alternate picking is the most economical way to play something (such as when you are on one string). No violinist would consider it unreasonable to be expected to learn how to play more than one note with a single continuous stroke of the bow. On guitar, sweep picking should be viewed in the same way. You should expect about three or four weeks of consistent practise before things start to feel natural. Once you have changed, there is no turning back. The right hand will start to work logically and consistently without you even thinking about it. www.theacademy.uk.com
SPRING 2012 THE DOG 51
DOG EVENTS REDDOGMUSIC PRESENTS THE
discover the mashup
sessions of their dreams...
Brace yourself.
We grabbed three of The Mashup Team (by the scruff of the neck) to discover the mashups of their dreams... Brace yourself.
Garry (Mashup Producer): Queen vs Led Zeppelin
I have no idea where to even start on this one. Superband would have a whole new meaning.
The Beatles vs The Stones To settle it once and for all.
Mike (Video Producer): Frank Zappa vs James Brown Just to see who would win...
Mozart vs Stevie Wonder Deaf vs Blind.
Tom (Web Networking Guru): Janelle Monáe vs Cinematic Orchestra
In terms of creating something huge and beautiful, these two spring to mind. She inhabits an enormous fantasy, sci-fi world in her two albums and her live shows, and the Cinematic Orchestra’s sound is, well, cinematic. Together they could imagine a film in their heads that is only created in the form of the soundtrack...
Sxip Shirey vs Elbow
I’d love to hear the New York experimental artist now beginning to gain real recognition for his soundscapes and experimental instruments, paired with a straight down the line band who simply write good, well structured songs.
Prodigy vs Philip Glass
Can’t really start to try and describe that one.
The Mashup Session The clock is ticking. Two artists, each with a unique sound and approach to music, are hard at work in the studio. They are there to collaborate on one track - to create something original which the world has never heard before. In 24 hours.
T
he aim of The Mashup Session is to record, mix, master and release a brand new track in one day. Two artists will be brought together at The Depot studios in Granton, Edinburgh, after having agreed on one of their songs to receive The Mashup Session treatment. Then, 24 hours later, the results of their hard work will be released: professionally recorded and mixed - and available to download for free. And as well as being able to get your hands on these unique tracks for nothing, you’ll be able to join in on this exciting new creative project.
Via a live blog, video updates from the studio, and a regularlyupdated Twitter stream, you’ll not only get a rare and unique insight into the whole studio process, but have the chance to be part of it: able to see, comment and provide feedback on what’s going on as it happens. So keep your eyes on the clock: The Mashup Session is coming soon. www.themashupsession.com The Mashup Session Official Launch Party Thurs 1st March, 7pm at Red Dog Music.
SPRING 2012 THE DOG 53
DOG NEWS&EVENTS REDDOGMUSIC PRESENTS THE
RED DOG MUSIC
U P C O M I N G
EVENTS • • • •
Thurs 1st Mar (7pm-9pm)
• • • •
The Mashup Official@ RedLaunch Party Dog Music • • • • •
50 Years of Loud!
M
arshall are celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year. That’s right; the original amp maestros have been churning out some of the most incredibly earpleasing amps known to humankind for 50 years. So, of course, they had to celebrate in style by doing what they do best. Make more
amps. Remember the film Back to the Future? Ok, so in a similar vein: Marshall have produced FIVE brand new amps, each of which is dedicated to and designed in the style of each of the decades that they’ve been noising us up for. Check out blog.reddogmusic.co.uk for a magical mystery tour of Marshall amps, from the 60s right through to 2012…
Tune of
The Week Did you know that we send out a weekly e-newsletter to everybody on our Dog mailing list? And in this newsletter, we feature a Tune of the Week? We’d like you to send in your music to our Red Dog
54 THE DOG SPRING 2012
Music DropBox at www. soundcloud.com/red-dogunleashed. If it tickles us, we’ll feature it and folk all over the UK could be listening to your music. Sign up to our mailing list at www.reddogmusic.co.uk
Thurs 8TH Mar (7pm-9pm) •
• • • •
The Strange World of Dr Fretlove:
Guitar Tech Workshop
@ Red Dog Music Thurs 15th Mar (7pm-9pm) • • • • Home Recording Workshop: • • • •
The Compression Session @ Red Dog Music SAT 31ST Mar • • • • • • • • National • • • • • • • •
Learn to Play Day • • • • •
@ Red Dog Music Sun 15th Apr (9am-11am) •
• • • •
Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon
• •
THE RED DOG MUSIC STAGE @ the Rock ‘n’ Roll Edinburgh Half Marathon (in the Grassmarket) First Sun of every month (3pm-6pm)
• •
Hair of the Dog Sundays •
@ The Jazz Bar Second Tue of every month (8pm til late) •
Uke Boogie @ The Banshee Labyrinth