HC Confidential: Issue 168
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Issue 168
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| Dear Musician, |
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Using Gear for Good. After paying for yet another unforeseen auto repair (are there any other kind?), I found myself envious of the car mechanics who probably never pay full price to have their own cars fixed. When they need to replace their rusted rear shocks (as was the case for me), they simply do it themselves. Sure, they have to pay for parts, but they use their own expertise to save themselves a bundle of cash by not having to incur expensive labor costs.
So I got to thinking how I could apply my own musical skills in that way. Could I offer a useful service that someone would normally pay high prices for? (And I'm not talking about being hired as a performer.) On the gear front, I thought of an example right away: Several times I have donated the use of my portable P.A. and wireless microphone rig to events like the local street fair or Cub Scout pinewood derby contest. But recently I had to apply actual expertise, along with my equipment, for a task that would have cost a non-musician “civilian” an arm and leg in service fees.
It might not come up that often for the general listening public, but for musicians there are many opportunities when listening to stereo music played back in mono is necessary. For one thing, you might want to do a “sum to mono” check of your mixdowns, which insures that if your stereo tracks are for some reason converted to mono, they’ll still sound good. Rather than create a separate mix that includes mono versions of each of your files, you can check their mono compatibility simply by putting your mobile listening device (smartphone, tablet, iPod touch, etc.) into mono mode.
Mono mode is handy for people with hearing damage in one ear, allowing them to hear all the parts. Another reason to listen in mono is for early stereo recordings where key instruments and voices were panned hard left or hard right (think early Beatles albums). It’s especially distracting when listening to hard-panned music over headphones (as opposed to speakers where bleed from the left and right channels feed both ears), which the engineers never imagined. But with earbud-equipped devices being the most popular means of playback these days, a mono function helps normalize the listening experience.
—Jon Chappell
| Forum Watch |
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A few of this week's top discussions from our ForumsFeast your eyes on these pedalboard photos, ranging from high-tech to low, deluxe to guerrilla. Many of the posters don’t caption the pedals in their photos, so part of the fun is seeing how many you can name. And even when you can identify a pedal, you still have to know what it does. For example, one poster claims—and another concurs—that his rare Boss SG-1 Slow Gear is the coolest pedal in his board. Anyone know what that pedal does? Your Favorite Mic—and Why . . . The Effects forum discusses their favorite microphones—which is a pretty wide range of models—and the reasons for liking them. Even better, you’ll find several mic application tips. Who better to ask than keyboard players? But the cool thing about this thread is many posters back up their opinions with video embeds so you can hear what’s special about a particular soundtrack. Richard Gere’s Guitar Collection Here's something that’s well worth checking out—actor Richard Gere’s guitar collection will impress all but the most seasoned and well-heeled collector, and his obvious love for the instrument and extensive knowledge may surprise you. How Many Here Use Weirdass Effects on Bass? From distortion to envelope filters to ring modulators, there’s more to bass effects than EQ—and it turns out the Bass forumites have some pretty eclectic tastes. Fingernail Care for Electric Guitarists If you’re going to articulate the strings with your right-hand fingers—the way Mark Knopfler, Jeff Beck, Derek Trucks, and Lindsey Buckingham do—you’re going to have to get familiar with nail care. This forum covers all the current and popular nail-strengthening and maintenance solutions, including gels, fiberglass tape, cyanoacrylate (“super”) glue, resin, and even ping-pong balls. The Pro Reviews section continues to rack up the page views and participation—partly because of the two latest (Casio XW-P1 and Line 6 “Dream Rig”), but also because interest continues in the other ones. In particular, the DigiTech iPB-10 Pro Review is becoming a sort of resource center . . . want to know the best carrying case for it? Find out here. “Toy” MIDI Guitar Controllers? They’re not guitars, but the YouRock Guitar YRG-1000 and Rock Band 3 Wireless Fender Mustang PRO-Guitar Controller let you use guitar-type playing gestures to trigger MIDI synths. And, they’re inexpensive. But can they really do the job? Depends on who you ask, and both the pros and cons are on display here. 120 posts and 7,300+ page views?!? This thread gets into Tom Waits . . . and uncharted territory. Am I the Only One Who Uses Only One Drum Kit and One Set of Cymbals for All Types of Gigs? Interesting question, and while he’s definitely not the only one, this thread has useful tips for drummers on when you can—and can’t—get away with a single drum kit for different gigs. |
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Editorial Craig Anderton, Editor in Chief • Jon Chappell, Senior Editor • Phil O’Keefe, Associate Editor • Chris Loeffler, Reviews Editor
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