Anderton

by Craig Anderton Digital audio workstation software, or two-track audio editing programs (like Magix Sound Forge or Steinberg Wavelab), can serve as test gear. Let's look at how you can make sure your studio hardware connections, and even samples, are properly in-phase. Before going any further, note that in most cases we’re really talking about a change in signal polarity, which means that the entire signal is phase-flipped, regardless of frequency. Phase shifting can be a frequency-dependent phenomenon. Although most musicians and engineers understand what the term “phase reversal” means, “polarity reversal” is technically a more accurate term. Flipping a signal’s phase may or may not mean too much by itself; that’s a matter of debate. Some people believe you can definitely hear a difference with instruments like drums. For example, with a real kick drum, the first rush of air pushes out at you. If this signal goes through a system that doesn’t change phase, the speaker will push air out to re-create the sound of the kick. But if the signal flips phase, then the speaker will suck in to move the required amount of air. The result will still sound like a kick drum, but some people say they hear a subtle difference. Phase problems are not uncommon in the studio. Balanced cables can be miswired, some vintage gear used pin 3 hot instead of pin 2, some guitar effects play fast and loose with phase anyway, and even new gear can have a design problem crop up from time to time that flips phase. In any case, there’s no debate that mixing an out-of-phase signal with an in-phase version of the same signal can cause an obvious weakening and “thinness.” This occurs a lot when using two microphones, because depending on their spacing they can pick up a signal’s waveform at different points, thereby creating a phase difference. Problems can also occur with parallel effects. For example, if an echo signal is out-of-phase and mixed with an in-phase dry signal, the echoed signal will tend to cancel the dry signal to some degree, resulting in a thinner sound. As to detecting an out-of-phase condition, phase meters are expensive—but DAWs and digital audio editors make a pretty good substitute. You can determine not only whether a device’s output is in-phase with its input, but in some cases, even tell whether a signal’s phase was reversed somewhere along the line. TESTING 1-2-3 Fig. 1 shows how to hook up your “test setup” for mono signals. Split the input signal and send one split to the input of the device being tested, and the other to the software's left channel. This is your reference. Then feed the output signal of the device (or chain of devices) being tested to the software’s right channel. You can also split this off to an amplifier if you want to hear what’s going on. For stereo, assuming you're working with a DAW, the split would feed two different tracks. Fig. 1: Phase tester setup for mono signal sources. One application is testing a mixer to make sure all outputs are in-phase. Patch a sound source with an asymmetrical waveform into the input, then test the output at a variety of points: master out, submaster out, monitor out, sends out, direct out, etc. Another application is verifying phase integrity of older effects and guitar stomp boxes. Fig. 2 uses PreSonus Studio One to show a comparison of the input and output for a guitar stomp box delay; the lower waveform shows less high-frequency response, but the two waves are in phase. If they were out-of-phase waveforms, the peaks and valleys would have the same shape, but go in reverse directions—in other words, if a waveform rises at the input, it falls by an equal and opposite amount at the output. Fig. 2: Comparing the phase relationship between an effect input and output. Vintage guitar effects are notorious for phase problems, and are well worth testing. It’s also a good idea to test the entire input-to-speaker chain to make sure nothing’s amiss. In particular, make sure there isn’t a phase difference between the left and right channels, as that could have disastrous results on a mix. ABSOLUTE PHASE I reversed some instrument samples to hear if they sounded any different in-phase or out-of-phase. Interestingly, this did seem to make a difference with some sounds, but I didn’t do anything rigorous like conduct a scientific double-blind test. Check it out and judge for yourself. Fig. 3 shows an example of absolute and flipped phase with kick drum. The top track shows a kick one-shot from a sample library; note how it starts by going negative. The bottom track shows a different kick drum sample from a different library. Note how it starts by going positive, which presumably reproduces the initial kick hit pushing air out and going positive, as opposed to sucking air in and going negative. Fig. 3: Two different kick samples showing absolute phase: out of phase (upper) and in phase (lower). It seems that you can identify the absolute phase of most percussive sounds similarly—look for an upward slope at the beginning of the signal. However, I must stress that these are just a few examples, and some signals do start off naturally with negative transients. FIXING PHASE PROBLEMS If you find that phase reversal does matter, the same program that identified the problem can also provide the solution. Just about all modern audio software lets you select an audio region and reverse the polarity, so you can indeed "fix it in the mix" - as long as you know that the problem exists. So boot up your computer one of these days, and take the time required to check out the phase integrity of your system. You never know what evil lurks in the wiring of cables. -HC- ___________________________________________

Good-bye CDs, hello the future! Streaming is effing awesome—not just for listeners, but look at all the incredible benefits for musicians! Royalties will be accounted for truthfully and honestly. No longer will you be at the mercy of record companies doing shady practices, with their dual sets of books and accountants named “Junior.” As we all know, digital data stored in the clouds is totally secure—it’s technologically impossible to hack or alter it! You can play music over your smartphone’s speakers. After the horrible fidelity of cassettes, the surface noise of vinyl, and the st-st-st-st-stuttering of CDs left for too long in a hot car, we can enjoy the luxurious sound of music, coming through speakers about the size of a mosquito and with approximately the same frequency response. Face it—no one listens to bass players anyway. It helps third world countries achieve a higher standard of living. Need to build up more likes for your latest musical masterpiece? No problem—the click farms of Bengladesh await! For a mere $1, you can get 1,000 likes—so pony up a grand, and there’s your million likes Bonus coolness: Those who remember the old days of immoral and unethical business practices in the record industry can enjoy a moment of nostalgia. There will be no physical record of pop music for future historians to snicker at. Streaming music is truly as evanescent as the clouds, and when all the servers go up in smoke after an X-Class solar flare, we can console ourselves by knowing that those in future will never be subjected to Kenny G’s apotheotic command of sappiness, or Neil Diamond’s cringe-worthy, faux-reggae version of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” (Although to be fair, they sadly won’t get to hear Diamond’s “Cherry, Cherry,” either. Oh well.) You’ll be able to buy a house with the money you make. That’s right—with YouTube paying about $740 for 1,000,000 streams, it won’t be long before you’ll be able to buy a house! That is, as long as it’s cardboard, and fits under an overpass. ___________________________________________

by Craig Anderton (with Permission from Full Compass) Strings play an essential role in your playing, because they connect you directly with your instrument. They relate to the instrument’s sound, but also, to its “feel.” The wrong strings can make your guitar or bass a pain to play, while the right ones can make it a pleasure. Unfortunately, you can’t really evaluate strings without taking the time to string up your axe, and play for a while. The good news, though, is that aside from picks (which of course also influence the sound), strings are just about the most inexpensive guitar accessory available. You may even find that after experimenting with different types, you’ll want to use different kinds of strings on different guitars. Let’s start by talking about construction, then the importance of choosing the right gauge, and finally, a bit about specialty strings. Electric Guitar String Tone Unwound strings (the high E, B, and G) are made of steel, and have a similar tone. However, with wound strings, both the tone and string life are affected by the type of winding, and the core over which they’re wound. Steel cores can be round (which gives a vintage, fatter tone), but the more common hex core gives a brighter sound and slightly stiffer tension. As to the windings themselves, round-wound strings, where round wire wraps around the core, are the most common string type. Pure nickel strings, like Fender’s Original Bullet strings, have a characteristically warm sound (Fig. 1). This can make a good complement to the brighter sound of single-coil pickups. Figure 1: Fender’s Original Bullet strings are pure nickel, for a vintage tone. The gauges used in this set are considered “light,” but not overly so. Harder metals (like chrome and steel) produce a brighter tone, although the downside is that they may be a little tougher on frets. Some of the most popular strings are D’Addario’s EXL-series strings, which wrap nickel-plated steel around a hex core. All strings lose brightness as they age, but because nickel-wound strings start off less bright, the tone stays more consistent over time. Also, the coating on chrome and stainless steel wraps wears away more quickly than nickel, so maintaining their characteristic bright tone may require changing your strings more often. However, this can be mitigated because they last longer—i.e., they’re harder to break—and are more resistant to corrosion. Flatwound strings like D’Addario’s ECG25 strings, which are often the choice of jazz guitar players and use a somewhat heavier gauge (we’ll cover gauge later), wrap the strings with a flat wrap instead of a round one. This makes for a smoother string “feel” and a warm, mellow tone. Half-round strings start off as round-wound strings, but have the tops ground off for a smoother playing surface that’s more like flatwounds, but brighter. They’re great for slide guitar, but also, sets like the D’Addario ENR71 strings for bass split the tonal difference for bass between round-wound and flatwound strings. Bass players who prefer a mellower sound often choose flatwound strings, like the Ernie Ball P02804 Group II bass strings or GHS M3050 stainless steel, long-scale bass strings. Finally, coated strings (which are popular for acoustic guitars) have a polymer or enamel coating that resists oxidation and corrosion, so they last, and maintain their tone, longer than non-coated strings—corrosion is the enemy of both tone and string life. The tradeoff for coated strings is a higher initial cost, but if you change your strings often, coated strings could be more cost-effective in the long run. Elixir makes coated electric guitar strings in several gauges, and Ernie Ball’s P03123 strings are enamel-coated to minimize corrosion but also use titanium reinforcement winding. Another key to maintaining tone is to minimize the presence of oils and sweat from your hands. Wipe your strings down after playing, and wash your hands before playing. Bass strings are similar to guitar strings, but of course, are bigger and thicker. There are no unwound bass strings, and the lower strings can have two wraps (Fig. 2). Figure 2: This cross-section of a D’Addario EXP bass string shows the hex core, windings, and proprietary coating. Acoustic Guitar String Tone 80/20 bronze strings (so called because they use an 80% copper, 20% zinc alloy), like the D’Addario EJ12 (Fig. 3), are the brightest option for acoustic guitar, and are generally used with guitars that have a darker inherent sound, like dreadnoughts. However, they age more rapidly than other string types. Figure 3: Bronze strings are bright, so they’re a popular choice for darker-sounding acoustic guitars. Phosphor-bronze strings (like the Fender 60XL extra-light gauge strings) are somewhat warmer—which makes them a good choice for brighter guitars to round out the tone—and because of the added phosphor, resist corrosion more effectively. They are the most popular strings for acoustic guitar. Aluminum bronze is like phosphor bronze, but with more highs and stronger bass. As with electric guitar strings, coated versions are available. Cleartone makes coated 80/20 Bronze strings as well as coated Phospher Bronze strings for acoustic guitar. They are slightly warmer than uncoated strings, and of course, last longer. Nylon String Guitar Tone In this case, the tone mostly depends on the string tension. Unlike electric and acoustic guitars that are specified in terms of specific gauges (see next), nylon guitar strings can be classified according to gauge but also, according to tension—low, medium, or high (other terms are used, like light, normal, and hard but the characteristics are the same). Low tension strings, in addition to being easier to play, emphasize the note’s sustain more than the attack, but with less overall volume. However, lighter tension is more prone to fret buzzing. High tension strings are the opposite—harder to play, more emphasis on the attack than the sustain, more overall volume, and less tendency toward fret buzz. Medium tension strings, like Ernie Ball’s Ernesto Palla Nylon strings (Fig. 4), are a common choice because they’re a good compromise between low and high tension. Figure 4: Ernie Ball’s nylon strings are medium tension, which takes care of the majority of nylon-string guitar players. However, if you want a sweeter, more subdued sound, consider using light tension strings; for “harder” musical styles like flamenco, high tension strings are a better choice. (Also note that high tension strings put more strain on the neck. Experienced guitarists sometimes tune down high-tension strings a few semitones after playing so there’s less stress on the neck, particularly with delicate or antique guitars.) String Gauge String gauge (the string diameter) is primarily about action—how easy or difficult the guitar is to play. However, gauge also affects tone, and the characteristics are different for electric and acoustic guitars. String sets usually specify the gauge in thousands of an inch for the high E string—for example, a “.010” set means the high E is ten-thousandths of an inch in diameter, and the other strings are scaled to provide a complementary amount of tension. Shredders and those who want the lowest possible action often choose .009 or even .008 sets. Lighter-gauge strings tend to sound brighter, while heavier-gauge strings sound warmer. Electric guitars use lighter gauge strings than acoustic guitars because the pickups can provide volume, whereas acoustic guitars are dependent on the strings for volume because the strings vibrate the body directly—more energy leads to more volume. With electric guitars, lighter gauge strings are easier to play and bend more easily, but the tradeoff is they produce less volume and sustain, are more likely to lead to “fret buzz” (where the string hits against the fret, causing a buzz), and are more prone to breaking. Also, because they bend so easily, you need to press down exactly vertically on the string; pushing the string slightly to the side can make the pitch a bit sharp. Furthermore, strings take a while to settle down to pitch after being plucked. Because heavier-gauge strings are under more tension, they reach pitch faster. This can make the tuning seem more precise. So there are advantages to using heavy strings; however, because they’re nominally harder to play and harder to bend, they’re not a good choice for those starting out on guitar. Over time, as guitar players get stronger hands and become more accomplished with their playing, they’ll often “graduate” to heavier gauge strings—like going from .008 to .010 strings, or .010 to .012. Also consider that as your playing becomes more refined, you’ll find you can use a lighter touch on heavier gauge strings because they produce more output—a light touch with a heavy gauge string will produce as much output as a heavy touch with a light gauge string. In this respect, heavy gauge strings can be easier to play in some ways, although there’s no way you can get around them being harder to bend because of the tighter tension. Long-term, a lighter touch will benefit your finger joints as well. Note that some guitarists tune heavy gauge strings down a half-step to make them easier to play, but this also changes tension and tone. This isn’t necessarily a good or bad thing; as with any other changes relating to strings, there are inherent compromises. The bottom line is that if it works for you...do it! Switching Gauges Guitar manufacturers will optimize a guitar’s setup for a specific set of strings, and the guitar will ship with those strings. If you want to change the “default” strings, be aware that this requires adjustments. You’ll need to alter the bridge height and possibly, the saddles to tweak intonation, and over time, the truss rod may need an adjustment as well. For example, if you change to heavier-gauge strings, they’ll put more tension on the neck, which will increase the amount of relief (the curved space between the strings and fretboard). The way to compensate for this is with a truss rod adjustment. It may even be necessary to alter the nut, although this is something best left to a professional luthier. Evaluating String Tone It’s difficult to put on a set of strings, change to different strings, and then remember what the first set sounded like. The differences will be greater with wound strings, so one option is to buy several different string types, then take the wound D from each set, and string up the D, A, and low E strings with a different D string. Tune them to the correct pitch and make sure the pickup is equidistant from the strings. The intonation will be off and the action will not be as expected, but you’ll be able to evaluate tone on a (somewhat) level playing field. Specialty Strings You’ll find a variety of strings for special purposes, like DR’s strings that are coated in ultra-bight Neon colors (Fig. 5). Figure 5: Not only are these strings colorful and eye-catching, they look really cool under black light—just the thing for videos. There are also string sets with thick bottom strings for beefier chords, but lighter-gauge high strings for easier soloing and bending, like Ernie Ball’s P02215 skinny top/heavy bottom strings. And some strings combine multiple “specialty” qualities, like D’Addario’s EXP26 acoustic guitar strings. These light-gauge, phosphor-bronze strings are not only coated, they’re a hybrid set with light gauge lower strings and somewhat lighter higher strings for less tension and easy bending. They’re a good choice for electric guitar players who are just getting into acoustic guitar. For seven-string guitar players, D’Addario’s premium NYXL line offers a 7-string set, as does Dunlop. You can also get a coated 7-string set from DR Strings. Stringing Along Even in an article of this length, it’s possible only to scratch the surface...and we haven’t even gotten into ukulele strings! For example, Ernie Ball makes over 200 different types of guitar strings. So how do you choose the string that’s right for you? First, narrow down your choices to the strings types you don’t want. For example, if you yearn for a warm, vintage sound with minimum fret wear, then you’ll want pure nickel strings. If you have a dark-sounding acoustic guitar, then you’ll probably want the brightness of 80/20 bronze types. If you’re tired of changing strings all the time, then consider coated strings—they’re more expensive, but last four to five times as long as uncoated strings. Seeking a great jazz tone? Then you’ll be checking out flatwounds, which you’ll also do if you’re a bass player who wants a mellow tone (while being smoother to your fingers). Slide guitars are happy with half-round strings...and so on. After narrowing down to the string type you want, try different brands within those types. Although strings have more similarities than differences, the processes and manufacturing philosophies of different manufacturers can vary quite a bit. You might like one company’s light-gauge, chrome-plated strings more than another company’s version, even though they look the same and are described the same way. Also, don’t forget that you can buy individual strings. I break the high E string a lot due to bending, so I have quite a few D’Addario PL010 strings sitting around—why break a pack if you need to replace only one string? Also, once you’ve settled on a favorite string type, you can save a lot by buying in bulk. For example, 10 packs of light gauge (0.010) strings in SIT’s S1046 10-pack cost under $30. So the bottom line is simple: strings can make a major difference in tone, ease of playing, replacement cost, and the need to take your guitar to a luthier for a tune-up. Fortunately, it’s not hard to try out different strings, decide on the type you like best...and play on, happily every after. -HC- Adapted with permission from the Full Compass Live blog. For more articles, go to Full Compass. 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by Craig Anderton (During a recent time machine experiment , I traveled back to the 1980s. Apparently I wrote this Craig’s List while I was there, because I just found the text today on a Mac 3.5” floppy disk when I was cleaning up.) 1 There are tons of computer options for music. Atari, Mac, Amiga, PC, Yamaha’s CX5M, and if you’re on a budget, even the Commodore-64 or Timex Sinclair 1000 will do the job. So don’t worry! You’re never going to be forced to choose solely between a boring PC, or an overpriced Mac. 2 Zero problems. Strings break, pianos always go out of tune, tape stretches, recorders need biasing—ugh. But computers are digital so they run on tidy little ones and zeroes, not prissy analog circuitry. Forget about maintenance: Boot your computer, open your program, and start recording—nothing can go wrong! 3 Software will cost next to nothing. Today’s unbreakable copy protection schemes will put a stop to the digital copying that plagued the early days of computers. Because software developers will be paid fairly for their efforts, they’ll be able to keep prices waaaay down and make your wallet happy happy happy. 4 Computers are great investments. Computers are extremely reliable, so when you buy a computer and software, they’ll keep doing what they do—just like a guitar. Ten years from now, you’ll still be able to run your favorite software on your favorite computer. Talk about value! 5 Computers are not dictators. We’re not talking about HAL—computers won’t change your drummer’s timing, re-tune your vocals into something weird and soulless, repeat the same sections of music over and over and over again, or kill your dynamics. Computers are your faithful servants, and will do exactly what you tell them to do. Hmmm...well actually, that could be a problem. ___________________________________________

Bose S1 Pro Multi-Position PA System Let’s get small...and free from AC outlets! by Craig Anderton When the first L1 system came out, I was one of those people who thought it was probably somewhat of a gimmick (“Bose...don’t they make radios?"). That was, until I tried it. My main application was using it as a full-range, flat-response (FRFR) guitar amp for a computer-based, hex guitar processing system using IK’s AmpliTube. In addition to the clean sound, the column speakers were great for feedback. I just positioned the guitar vertically, held it next to the column, and voilà—instant, and very controllable, feedback. Oh, right...it worked well for vocals, too. Very well, in fact. The people at Bose were a little taken aback by how I used it, but still thought it was a pretty cool application. Since then I’ve kept an eye on the evolution of their systems, and have also used them as intended. So when the S1 appeared, I couldn’t help but wonder if Bose had done it again, this time in a super-small format (under 15 pounds). Let’s Violate the Laws of Physics If you look at online reviews, people by and large love the S1. I think the reason why is because when you set it up, you calibrate your expectations based on what you would expect from a box like this. So when it pumps out a lot of clean volume, you can’t help but be impressed. People probably assume it over-promises and under-delivers, but ten minutes later you realize the reverse is true. I was a little more prepared for this because of IK Multimedia’s Micro-Monitors, which deliver sound out of proportion to their size. But they’re monitors; this is a miniature PA system. Having two main input channels (with XLR combi jacks, bass, treble, guitar/mic ToneMatch, reverb, and channel on/off) might imply it’s designed for a singer/guitarist—and that probably is the preferred application. But the frequency response is such that I could easily see someone with an arranger keyboard using this for bar gigs. I do think whether the level will do it for you depends on more than just the size of the room and number of people; if the audience is yelling and drinking, even with only a hundred people you’re going to have to push the S1 hard to compete. But if the audience is actually listening, or at a restaurant, you can handle a relatively large room with ease. A Battery of Features The S1 Pro was originally launched with the battery sold separately (offered as an option-at-extra-cost $99), but now the battery is a standard part of the package - sweet! You can get up to 11 hours of playing time (at reasonable volume levels), which also improves on the original's quoted 6 hours of play time. The battery charges as long as the unit is plugged in; there’s also a Quick Charge mode, but you can’t play through the unit while this is happening. I see Quick Charge as something you’d plug in during the break, after which you’d take the S1 back out to the AC-less place where you were playing. But also note that if 11 hours isn't enough, you can buy an extra battery pack for $99 - the battery is easy to insert or remove (two screws). I Got the Blues(tooth) There’s an additional channel for a 1/8” analog input or Bluetooth—stream backing tracks, or pre-show music. With this channel, there are no controls other than a button for pairing, so make sure you have the EQ as desired for what you’ll be streaming. For DJs who want a lot of bass, place the S1 against a wall, in a corner, or on the floor on a hard surface and you’ll emphasize the unit’s natural bass. I tested the S1 as a party sound system, and all I can say is I’m glad my neighbors like me. Either that, or the cops had bigger fish to fry on a Saturday night. Note that the S1 also works with the Bose connect app for Android and iPhone. But Bluetooth also implies something about the S1: it’s not just a PA system for singer/songwriters. If you want to stream music for a pool party, then bring your smartphone, pair the two, take advantage of the battery power, and go. It’s also a floor monitor, with an accelerometer to sense the position and adjust EQ accordingly. This is what the “multi-position” label is about—you can place the unit on the floor and angle it up at the audience, put it on its side like a monitor wedge and have it direct its sound toward the musician, or sit on a pole and point straight out at a crowd. ToneMatch Because this is a baby Bose, the ToneMatch is a baby version of Bose’s way to equalize for particular signal sources. The three positions are off, guitar, and mic. Although not as sophisticated as a full-blown ToneMatch system, in conjunction with the bass and treble equalization it’s still pretty effective. In general, the S1 has a lot of low end if it’s sitting on the floor. With acoustic guitar, I needed to roll off the bass all the way, even with ToneMatch. Granted this was an acoustic guitar with a piezo that already had a lot of bottom, but with a dry electric guitar—although again, one with a lot of natural bottom due to humbuckers—I also needed to roll off the bass. Putting the S1 on a pole created the most balanced response to my ears. With voice, there’s no phantom power so as expected ToneMatch is voiced for dynamic mics. With an SM58 and close-miking, the bass rolloff was enough to undo the proximity effect. I didn’t really need to boost the treble, which was a bit of a surprise given the SM58's natural lack of brightness. When miking instruments from more of a distance, the bass didn’t need much rolloff at all, and a little treble boost brought out the definition. Overall, although I felt somewhat limited in terms of EQ, I could end up with the sound I wanted—which is all that matters. Branching Out For many situations, the S1 will be all you need. However, there are plenty of small effects boxes that extend what it can do. My favorite boxes in terms of size vs. what they deliver are DigiTech’s VoiceLive 2 and the Zoom MS-100BT Multistomp. With them, it was easy to really zero in on the total sound I wanted—the S1 provided “sound reinforcement” in the truest sense of the words. Between the S1, a small bag with effects/cables/mic, and a guitar, I was good to go. Room for Improvement? I doubt this was an easy box to engineer, and it’s definitely a quality product that delivers more than you might think. So while $599 may seem pricey, you do get value received. In the same general price range, the main competition is Fishman’s Loudbox series. For those who want to stretch to a higher price point, ironically I’d say its major competitor is the Bose L1 Compact system ($999). The only significant improvement I can think of would be an app to control more sophisticated EQ and master volume via Bluetooth. I realize that would raise the price, and put Bose on the iOS treadmill (“We’ve decided to do an iOS change, guys...stop what you’re doing and update your app. Now. Oh, it better be free, too”). So I’m okay with how things are. The Bottom Line The Bose S1 Pro aims for a specific target, and hits it. You can find more powerful devices, but they’re heavier. You can find ones with more wattage, but they cost more. You can find ones that are voiced more like a guitar amp, but then they’re not voiced like a PA. And you can find ones that are smaller and better designed...hmmm...well actually, I don’t think you can. If you want a mini PA system that’s incredibly portable, well designed, loud, and easy to operate, that’s what $599 gets you. Bose has filled a hole not just in their own product line, but in the portable PA world. Website: pro.bose.com ___________________________________________

To create the “ultimate take,” a common recording technique is to record multiple takes of a part, then identify the best bits from each take and splice them together (typically with cut and paste operations) to create a single, “perfect” part. One way of doing this is called cycle recording, loop recording, or composite recording (for more information on this technique, click here). Typically, the performer records several performances on different tracks while listening to a click or rhythmic reference, so that the different performances line up properly in terms of phrasing. Then you simply cut away the bad sections, leave the good sections, and optionally, bounce the remaining sections to a single track. But what if you’re recording something like solo piano, and not playing to a click? Traditional loop recording is usually not the answer. In this case, it’s often best to record multiple consecutive takes, cut away the sections you want to replace, and find better equivalent replacement sections in other takes. However, you have to pay careful attention to cutting at the right place, and crossfading properly—as shown in the step-by-step screen shots. Step 1: Record multiple takes. Make sure that all the takes are recorded under the same conditions: Same mics and mic placement, same tempo, and same dynamics—you don’t want to hear a noticeable difference when you combine sections from different takes. This screen shot shows two complete takes (colored in in blue for emphasis) using four tracks (left and right main mics, and left and right room mics). The orange sections are redos of the beginning, which was particularly difficult. Step 2: Identify sections that need to be replaced, and find suitable replacements. This shot highlights equivalent sections in the music, but in different takes. Inserting markers can help here, as most programs have “shortcuts” that let you navigate instantly to different markers. For example, the markers in the second take define a section that will replace the marked area in the first take. Step 3: Find the best cut points. Where you cut a section is crucial. Generally, the best splice points have strong initial transients; cutting at a transient will produce a less noticeable splice than, say, cutting in the middle of a sustained section. Zoom way in to see the exact beginning of the transient. Also note that the best splice point might be before or after the part you want to replace, or you may need to replace an entire phrase (not just the “bad” section) to create a better flow. Step 4: Replace the section you don't want with the better version. When you paste, butt the transient from the replacement section up against where the transient was cut from the original section. Then, to avoid any clicks caused by level discontinuities between the two sections, create a crossfade (a crossfade occurs when two sections of audio overlap; the first piece of audio fades out while the second one fades in, creating a seamless transition between the two). When doing the crossfade, extend the section before the transient so it overlaps with the section leading into the transient. Even a short crossfade (e.g., 10ms) can be sufficient, but try longer fades—they might give an even smoother effect. However, note that the crossfade curve is important—a linear fade out with a linear fade in will sound like there’s a slight volume dip at the transition point. Most crossfades use “equal power” curves (as shown in Step 4), where the two fades are exponential and complementary. -HC- ___________________________________________

After slogging through the post-Great Recession years, NAMM has been steadily working its way upward. The last few shows have been positive and encouraging, but Winter NAMM 2019 may be remembered as the show that reached escape velocity. By now, the show is in the rear view mirror...and in the age of the internet, info about the new products has been disseminated. But one trend that stuck out was that companies, products, and even technologies are making a comeback. The biggest comeback, of course, was Gibson. Granted, HC is owned by Gibson—but we have 100% editorial autonomy and have never been asked to submit an article for review nor to cover a particular product. As a point of fact, we often do our corporate owners a disservice by not mentioning them for fear the cynical fringes think Gibson’s ownership of HC came about from anything other than a desire to preserve one of the earliest online musical gear communities. Not covering Gibson’s resurgence however, would be ignoring one of the most significant events at NAMM. Figure 1: Gibson’s event was thrown to reward the people who had supported Gibson during the tough times. CEO JC Curleigh set the tone, which you can read about in this issue’s Dear Musician. If he’s not the real deal, then he should stay in L.A. and pursue an acting career. He knows it won’t be easy climbing out the hole Gibson had been in, but he’s shouldered the responsibility for what went wrong, and is doing everything he can to fix it. You could feel that the industry didn’t want Gibson to go away, and the company now has a tailwind that will help fuel the comeback in the months ahead. Figure 2: JC Curleigh talking to the crowd at the Gibson party. And the party’s headliner was also making a comeback. Actually Peter Frampton never really went away, but his steady gigging, superb chops on guitar, and his musician’s musician attitude have him at his highest career peak since the 70s. (I was dragged into going to a concert of his in 2017 and didn’t expect much, but was blown away—tight, unpretentious, uncompromising, and joyful. Sometimes it’s great to be wrong.) He was seemingly everywhere—at Gibson, being interviewed in the Universal Audio booth, and accepting the TEC Awards’ Les Paul Award. Figure 3: Peter Frampton receiving the Les Paul Award. And speaking of the TEC Awards, they never went away either...but this year’s awards were the best yet, with greater recognition that music isn’t just rock music and big studios. And when Frampton took to the stage, the attendees got a treat. Figure 4: Peter Frampton onstage at the TEC Awards. The logical follow-up to the Gibson/Frampton comeback is guitars. If the electric guitar is indeed dead, as some journalists have speculated, neither the manufacturers nor attendees got the memo. Guitars of all kinds were in abundance, but fanned fret guitars are a big trend. The reason for this is the lower strings use a longer scale length for a stronger sound, while the upper strings have a shorter scale length for a brighter sound. Figure 5: Red Layer guitars from Amsterdam had lots of boutique guitars with fanned frets. And how’s this for a comeback? The Optigan optical disc player has been reborn as the Panoptigan, from Quilter Labs. This ancient sample playback device provided the choir sounds for Kraftwerk albums, among others. Long gone from the world, it’s now starting production. Figure 6: The Panoptigan is currently in production, and should be available soon. The BandLab booth was arguably the king of comebacks, having resuscitated Cakewalk, Harmony guitars, and Teisco guitars. BandLab also has a piece of Rolling Stone, and other music-related media...and of course, the musical social media site BandLab.com. Figure 7: The BandLab booth at NAMM, with Cakewalk’s biggest presence in years. Modular synthesizers are back, too. Part of Hall A was like an American version of the SuperBooth show that spun off from the Frankfurt Musikmesse into its own show in Berlin. I also think it’s a precursor to the SynthPlex show that’s coming to Los Angeles at the end of March...I’m sure as hell going to be there! Figure 8: Modular synthesizers have been on a comeback path for years, and show no signs of slowing down. But it wasn’t just the fringe doing modular by any means...check out what Korg had on offer. Figure 9: Korg was showing their Volca modular in a Sequenz shell. And Dave Rossum, the main designer behind the iconic E-Mu synths and samplers of yesteryear, continues his comeback as well. Figure 10: Dave Rossum is back to making synths again. Somehow that makes it seem like all’s right with the world. Remember Sonic Scores, makers of Overture? Well, Overture has been back for a while, but the company exploded at NAMM 2019 with the Amadeus Symphonic Orchestra, which sounded expressive yet is incredibly easy to play—and produces satisfying, big orchestrations. I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy. Figure 11: Sonic Scores’ booth was mobbed because of the Amadeus Symphonic Orchestra instrument for Kontakt. Even effects were making a comeback, but Pigtronix took it to an extreme by not only resurrecting a classic Supro delay effect, but using an MN3005-type analog bucket brigade chip, made by some obscure Chinese factory of military components. The MN3005 may not mean a lot to most people, but along with Reticon’s SAD-4096, was the main component in the analog delays of yesteryear. Figure 12: The Supro analog delay is back. And Supro wasn’t just about effects, and amp comebacks weren’t only about Ampeg—how about this vintage Supro Blues King amp? Figure 13: It looks vintage, it sounds vintage, but it’s a Supro reissue. Although maybe it wasn’t a comeback per se, we did catch a glimpse of an endangered species—the newsstand. As usual, there were a ton of magazines you could take for the plane ride home. Figure 14: Okay, maybe there weren’t a lot of people hanging around...but it was still a newsstand. Then again, whether you could take a magazine on the plane depended on whether there was a plane to take. With a huge winter storm holding much of the midwest and northern US captive (and face it, doesn’t Polar Vortex sound like a great name for a synthesizer?), many people experienced the excitement of sleeping in airports while waiting...and then waiting some more. Figure 15: The weather was fine in Anaheim, but the rest of the US wasn’t always as lucky. Loopers are something else that never really went away, but mark my words: we’re going to see a resurgence in 2019 and 2020. This looping microphone from Sonuus is just one example of the type of product we’ll be seeing. Figure 16: The Loopa from Sonuus is a world-first microphone for loopers...pretty cool. Sequential had a comeback too with the Prophet X. Kudos to Yamaha for giving the Sequential name back to founder Dave Smith. Figure 17: The Prophet X from Sequential—not Dave Smith Instruments. And for a moment of shameless, self-serving promotion, my book “Home Recording for Musicians” is back as a series of books for Hal Leonard called the “Musician’s Guide to Home Recording.” Here, Holly Barker is holding a copy of the latest book in the series—“How to Get the Best Sounds Out of Amp Sim Software.” Figure 18: This is book #5 in the series, with three more due in the next month or two. That covers a lot of the comebacks, but there were also some semi-comebacks - like Digital Performer 10, the first major update in three years, and Magix's resuscitation of Sony Acid (which technically, had never gone away) in the form of Magix Acid Pro 8. However NAMM is also about new stuff, cool stuff, and weird stuff. So in no particular order, here’s a representative sampling of all three. We mentioned amp sims, and this is kind of cool: the winner for the KVR Developer Challenge got to come to Anaheim and show of one of his Ignite Amps. Between new entries like this, Waves’ outstanding PRS SuperModels, and STL Tones Howard Benson amps, it seems like amp sims are finally reaching critical mass—and delivering the sounds guitarists want. Figure 19: The winner of KVR’s Developer Challenge was an amp sim company. The Software Ghetto returned to NAMM in the new North Hall, and this picture shows only about half of it! If you wanted a concentrated dose of the latest software, this was the place to hang out. Figure 20: The Software Ghetto in the North Hall. Anything new from Spectrasonics is always an event...and Omnisphere 2.6 did not disappoint. Figure 21: Omnisphere 2.6 made its Winter NAMM debut. They say everything at NAMM has gone wireless, but that’s absolutely not true. There were plenty of coffee stands to keep people as wired as humanly possible. Figure 22: It’s not electricity that powers NAMM, it’s coffee. The Claas Guitars booth won the “You can never have enough strings or blinky lights” award. Damn, that 12th fret waveform marker looks cool… Figure 23: Now even guitar neck position markers can have the blues. It’s always a treat running into engineer Sylvia Massy at shows, because you never know what she’s been up to—but you know it will almost certainly be off-the-wall and inventive. Figure 24: Engineer Sylvia Massy was signing cut sheets for her book, and of course, being interviewed. Speaking of inventive, you can always count on Keith McMillan to come up with a bunch of inventive goodies. The K-Board Pro4 is a keyboard with “smart sensors,” and is designed specifically with the MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) protocol in mind. And speaking of MIDI...yes, MIDI 2.0 was announced at the show and yes, it will be built into more and more products in the months and years ahead. Figure 25: Keith McMillan’s new keyboard joins the increasing number of MPE-friendly controllers. Here’s something for all you violinists: vsound, which processes violins through impulses of centuries-old, incredibly rare violins. Convolution continues to take over the world, and not just for reverbs and amp cabinets. Figure 26: Make your violin sound like a million dollars—or at least, a million-dollar collection of violins. The new North Halls, which are dedicated to pro audio, are off the beaten path for those attending the main halls—but that didn’t put a damper on attendance. Figure 27: The two levels of the North Hall were a pro audio enthusiast’s delight. In the “weird yet wonderful” category, Effigy Labs’ control pedal may look bizarre, but it’s a fast, predictable, expressive, X-Y foot controller. This is something I just have to check out in depth. Figure 28: The Effigy Control Pedal is a—uh—step forward in human interface devices. You might not associate gorgeous industrial design with Casio, but their latest Privia is breathtaking. It’s a black, monolithic slab with touch-sensitive switching, where the switch legends light up only when a particular functionality is selected. It’s relatively light, and the keybed feel is astonishingly realistic. Figure 29: Casio’s latest home piano comes pretty close to a work of art. Then there’s the company Beat Box, which takes “box” literally—as in, a do-it-yourself drum machine in a cardboard box. If you put two of them in a room, will they start beat-boxing? Figure 30: Your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you—that’s a beat (cardboard) box. There was useful stuff too, like the Cord Wrangler. If you need to keep your cords organized, this makes the process a lot simpler. Figure 31: I really think I need to buy some Cord Wranglers. You’d understand if you saw my studio. There was a whole section of the main halls that looked a lot like the ProLight+Sound exhibits at Frankfurt. I wouldn’t be surprised if the number of related exhibitors increases next year. Figure 32: Chauvet was one of many lighting companies that made the trek to Winter NAMM 2019. And finally, because you can never have too many strings or too many guitars, here are some random guitar shots to amaze and delight. NAMM never ceases to amaze and inspire...in fact, I think it’s time to head to the studio. Ciao! -HC- ___________________________________________ Bonus Guitars Figures 33-35: Orn Custom Guitars, from Iceland Figures 36, 37: marconiLab, from Italy Figure 38: Alejandro Ramirez, from Spain Figure 39: Enrico diDonat, from Venice, Italy Figure 40: Teuffel Guitars, Germany Figure 41: Red Layer Guitars, Netherlands Figure 42: Red Layer Guitars, Netherlands Figure 43: Red Layer Guitars, Netherlands Photo Credit: Product and booth photos by Lee Anderton.

Before any inherent snarkiness takes over, I have to say that NAMM’s Joe Lamond & Co. did an amazing job handling the biggest crowds ever (115,301 people, over 2,000 exhibitors) in the biggest space ever for the biggest NAMM Convention and TEC Awards ever. Just thinking about it makes my head explode...not unlike walking past the drum companies in Hall C, come to think of it. 1. Thursday is the New Saturday, and Saturday Is... On the show’s first day, as a flood of humanity coursed over the show floor like cockroaches in the alley behind a pizzeria, the crowds felt an impending sense of doom of what Saturday—the heaviest day for attendance—would bring. Even on Thursday, one attendee said “I’ve been to every hip club in L.A., and this is way wilder.” Yet when the unprecedented human deluge finally hit, all was well. Pro Tip: If you ever need to run a gigantic event that’s peaceful and civilized, invite only musicians. 2. Yesterday Is the New Tomorrow The show was full of comebacks, and I don’t mean like a bad burrito. Technologies and companies that had been written off came back—tanned, rested, and relaxed. Oh, and to the various pundits who said the electric guitar was dead: are you the same guys who said Google Glass was going to change the world? Yeah...I thought so. 3. NAMM’s Exercise Program, “NAMMster Treadmill,” Was a Huge Hit The new pair of North halls had major benefits. The sun sets later that far north so you can conduct business later in the day, the temperature was 5 degrees cooler, and Canadian companies saved on travel expenses. But most importantly, it meant healthy NAMM showgoers! Over four days, I walked 26 miles traveling among the various halls—so not only have I seen a bunch of cool gear, connected with friends, and learned a lot, I now have thighs of steel. Or at least aluminum. Okay, tin foil. Whatever. 4. The Great Shampoo Scare of 2019 Since you can’t bring 3.4 ounces of anything less solid than the Great Pyramid of Giza onto your flight, that means you can bring just about enough shampoo for an elf. But if you went to the Target near the convention center for some shampoo, the shelves were decimated. When I asked a clerk what happened, he said “Well, we’ve had a flood of long-haired musicians coming in here all day.” Aha! That explains it. 5. Yeah, Baby! A Politics-Free Zone! NAMM creates its own reality. The only time I heard the word “trump” was when someone at a Convention Center eatery gagged on their food-like ham & cheese sub (short for “substance”) while saying “trumpet,” and the only wall reference was “build that wall of sound!” (Phil Spector would have been proud). I thought I heard someone mention “speaker of the house,” but it was a false alarm...just a workshop on setting up speakers in a house of worship. And the only shutdown was the sound of 6,127 barrier strips turning off power at the end of the day. Hmmm...I think I want to move to NAMMville. ___________________________________________

IK Multimedia iRig Keys I/O 49 MIDI Controller and Audio Interface Portable audio and MIDI interfacing for Mac, PC, iOS by Craig Anderton A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Line 6 offered the KB37—a combination 3-octave keyboard and audio interface that also included POD Farm software. It looked weird, but I found it immensely utilitarian. When it went away, so did the concept of a portable keyboard-meets-audio interface, until iRig Keys I/O 49 came along. I don’t see it so much as a studio controller as one for portable use, but for those on a budget ("street" price is under $300), it has plenty to offer in the studio as well. What You Need to Know The pitch and mod “wheels” (touchstrips, actually) are above the keyboard, so the size is basically the width of the keyboard, with a strip along the top for controls. I’ve used several controllers over the years with wheels above the keyboard, and while initially skeptical, found it not a problem in use. In fact, with the pitch wheel, you can "trill" easily by tapping on the strip. The audio interface is a single Neutrik combination jack on the back (the ¼" input is 1 megohm for guitar compatibility), with switchable +48V phantom power and input gain control. There are left/right line outs, and a 1/8" headphone jack. Power comes from USB, batteries (included), or an optional-at-extra-cost AC adapter. iRig Keys is compatible with Mac, Windows, and iOS (not Android). However, interfacing is through a small DIN connector, and IK provides two proprietary cables—one for USB A, and one for Apple Lightning. There’s no connector for USB-C, and during this transitional phase to USB-C, using anything with USB-C adapters is a try-before-you-buy situation. The package includes a simple, non-locking iPhone/iPad stand. In addition to the mod and pitch touchstrips, there are “switch” touchstrips for Octave and Program, three transport controls, an Alt button to change button functions, five rotary encoders, and eight pads. The 25-key version has the same complement of controls, but arranged with the edit controls and pads arranged as two rows to save space. To find out everything the unit does, I highly recommend that you download the manual. Strengths Interestingly, the "street" price for a new iRig Keys I/O 49 is about the same as a used KB37—we get a lot for our money these days! Although the unit is super-compact, having a 25-key version is helpful when space is at a premium. The included software is impressive, and not a throw-away: 3 instruments (full version of SampleTank 3, Miroslav Philharmonik 2 CE, Syntronik Pro-V for Mac/Windows/iOS), and additionally for Mac/Windows, 11 T-RackS effects, PreSonus Studio One Prime, and Ableton Live 10 Lite. All in all, there’s over 40 GB of samples and 5,000 sounds. The velocity-sensitive keys are full-size, and have a reasonably solid feel. The Class A preamp can operate at 24/96. The company quotes a spec of 46 dB for gain, and -100 dB RMS for input noise. With Windows, the audio interface is compatible with Windows’ newer, low-latency WASAPI drivers. These are getting very close the same kind of performance as Apple’s Core Audio drivers. With iOS devices, although you have to use either batteries or the optional power supply, the power supply will charge your device while powering iRig Keys I/O. IK supplies a plug-in that sets up iRig Keys I/O as a control surface for Logic Pro or GarageBand. A firmware update made several improvements and bug fixes, the main one being better sensitivity adjustment for the pads—initially, you had to hit them with a hammer to get high velocities. There’s also a dedicated preset for Ableton Live, and the option to use the pads to send program changes to Apple MainStage. Make sure you do a firmware update if your unit isn't at the current version. Each drum pad can be programmed to send either MIDI note, CC messages, or Program Change messages on specific channels. The iRig presets for IK’s virtual instruments are pretty slick. For example with SampleTank, you can scroll among folders, open them, load instruments, browse multis, and use the rotary encoders to vary the macro controls. With Syntronik, you can browse and load presets, and use MIDI Learn to assign the controls to specific parameters. There are also general-purpose presets, and the option to create 99 presets of your own. Preset editing can be quite deep. For example the mod wheel can be set to either return to zero, or hold the last-touched position, and be assigned to any CC number. Although subjective, I think iRig Keys I/O 49 is visually appealing. It has a modern look, and the pads that change color with velocity are cool eye candy. There’s an accessory bag for portability; it costs $49.95. Limitations The cables are short. That’s fine if you’re using an iPhone or iPad close to the keyboard, but in the studio, you’ll want/need a Lightning or USB extension cord. For Windows, if your software or computer doesn’t support Wnidows’ WASAPI drivers, you have to use ASIO4ALL—there’s no dedicated ASIO driver. Although many people report good results with ASIO4ALL, it can conflict with other ASIO drivers installed on a computer. The downside of the deep editing is that it’s all done through a three-character alpha-numeric display. While editing isn’t as bad as you might assume, still, you’ll develop a relationship with the manual in the process of developing your own presets. There’s no aftertouch (not that I expected it at this price). I’d prefer a ¼" headphone jack, because adapters can stress connectors. It's better to use an adapter with an 1/8" plug at one end, that connects to a ¼" female connector through a cable, to avoid too much downward weight on the connector. If you plan to use iRig Keys I/O with iOS, factor in $39.99 for the cost of the optional power supply (or a budget for batteries). The audio interface has one input. If you want to record, for example, a vocal while recording guitar direct, it’s not possible. Due to iOS constraints, you can’t monitor via the iOS device, but need to monitor through the iRig Keys I/O (headphone or line outs to powered monitors). The unit is not compatible with 30-pin iOS devices. To control synths with 5-pin DIN MIDI connectors, you'll need to use a USB-to-DIN adapter cable. Conclusions For portable songwriting, iRig Keys I/O 49 is the missing link between a portable keyboard and audio interface. For example, if I had limited space while traveling, like on a tour bus or boat, this would be ideal. I believe the main competition for iRig Keys I/O 49 at the same price point is Novation’s Impulse 49 controller. For a studio situation that didn’t involve portability and already had audio interfacing, I’d choose the Impulse because its more fully-realized control surface—eight faders, eight buttons, and eight rotary controls, in addition to eight pads. However, it’s 33.3" L x 13" W x 3.9" high and weighs 11 pounds, compared to iRig Keys I/O 49’s 27.3" L x 8.2" W x 2.6" high and 4.8 pounds. These differences, as well as the built-in audio interface, are very significant for portable applications. In my opinion (not stated by IK), there are two main target customers. The first is a beginner getting involved in computer-based recording. The price is right, there’s audio and MIDI, and the software (especially if supplemented by some free programs, like AmpliTube Free) is a great deal that may very well be all someone needs for quite some time. It’s also something you can take on trips, and although programming presets may be daunting to beginners, if they download the full manual and go through the process, they’ll learn a lot about MIDI. The second target customer is more pro-level musicians who need a portable setup for songwriting and recording. The size is a big factor, as is the compatibility with iOS devices as well as laptops. And again, the price is right. Although someone on this level may already have their own favorite software installed, if they don’t already have IK’s programs, they’re definitely a worthy addition. And of course, the audio interface is way better than recording through a mobile device’s built-in mic. If you fit either of these two categories, iRig Keys I/O 49 is currently the only keyboard controller that combines MIDI and audio interface in a single, compact, low-cost, intelligently designed unit. Resources IK Multimedia Product Page Available from: Sweetwater Full Compass Guitar Center Musician's Friend Amazon ___________________________________________

Flying can be particulary stressful if you're a musician. Usually there are tight deadlines for making stage calls, checking instruments (and we all know how that can go), and if you combine that with the holidays it can be uber-stressful. I used to have a terrible time with jet lag. If I had a gig in Europe, I either had to arrive a couple days beforehand, or just try to tough it out at a sub-optimal level. Over a period of years, I tried different techniques and eventually found what worked. Although every person is different and has different reactions to jet lag (for example, it’s documented that some people have a harder time traveling from east to west or west to east), several other people have tried my recommendations and reported success. So…here’s the scoop. 1. Reset your watch to destination time as soon as you step on the plane. Even better, start thinking in “destination time” before you leave. For example, if you’re having breakfast in California and traveling to New York (3 hours ahead), eat lunch-type food and think “lunch.” As you travel, don’t think about the time back home—some jet lag is “all in the mind.” 2. If your flight occurs during destination sleep hours, learn to sleep on the plane. Here’s how: Try for a reclinable window seat. Some exit row seats, and seats in front of the exit row, do not recline. The reason for a window seat is so you can lean against the cabin wall, which provides better support than a chair back. Some commercial neck pillows work and some don’t. I suggest grabbing two standard airplane pillows. Fold one into a U and wedge it between your shoulder and head. Set the other pillow against the cabin wall and lean against it. Use a sleep mask to cut out light (this is very important, as light is a cue that regulates waking and sleeping). Use ear plugs to reduce noise, but make sure they don’t fit too tightly. If there’s a sudden change in air cabin pressure, tight ear plugs could damage your ear drums. Avoid too much alcohol, which metabolizes into sugar and prevents sound sleep. However, a glass of wine or two can help increase drowsiness. For some people, melatonin (a chemical that fools the brain into thinking it’s sleep time) is effective in inducing sleep without “sleeping pill hangover.” I take 6 mg on the plane an hour before it’s time to go to sleep at the destination. Caution: Long-term effects are not known; use only if necessary. 3. Traveling west extends your day. Consider staying up later than usual and sleeping in as late as possible the day of the flight. 4. Diet greatly affects how your body copes with jet lag. Even if you can’t sleep on planes, following the right diet will cut the effects of jet lag. Eat high-protein breakfasts and lunches for long-lasting energy during the day, and high-carbohydrate dinners, which give a quick burst of energy, after which you get drowsy (e.g., if you get on the plane and need to sleep, eat the pasta instead of the chicken). Carry this regimen through the first several days of your trip. The worst thing you can do when you arrive at your destination is have a steak for dinner; it will make you drowsy initially, but within a few hours, wake you up as it metabolizes. 5. Caffeine can both reset and screw up your body clock, depending on how you use it. I find that after arriving at my destination, if it’s before noon I’ll drink a couple cups of coffee to make step 6 (see next) easier. Don’t have coffee (or tea) past noon, unless you’re heading west and want to extend your day. 6. Don’t take naps, as these can really disrupt your body clock. For example, I usually arrive in Europe between 9AM and noon, after getting 6 or so hours of sleep on the plane. I force myself to stay awake until an early dinner, then it’s off to sleep around 8 or 9 PM. 10 hours of sleep, and I’m at 100% the next day. Afternoon naps can promote waking up in the middle of the night and not getting back to sleep but if you must have a nap (e.g., you have an important dinner meeting or evening gig and don’t want to fall over), set your alarm and sleep for no more than 20-30 minutes. I used to be wiped out for almost a week when going to Europe from the US. Now I can land in the morning and play a gig that night, or cover a trade show the next day with no problems. I still get a bit of jet lag when going west, but overall, it’s a big improvement. -HC- ___________________________________________

by Craig Anderton Photo Credit: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images 1 - Vinyl is a word that just plain sounds cool. Don’t believe me? Then why do so many songs incorporate it—like Roxette (“God I know, it's final...decided to release my love on vinyl”), The Plain White T's (“Kiss me goodbye and I knew it was final, got in her daddy's car and she was gone like vinyl”), Public Enemy (“From a rebel, it's final on black vinyl”), Black Sheep (“Back in '86, first, foremost and final, rhyming on the corner, all I want to be's on vinyl”)? I mean, they could have chosen lyrics to rhyme with “spinal,” “rhinal,” or even “vaginal.” But they chose vinyl because obviously, it just plain sounds cool. I rest my case. 2 - Thankfully, cryogenics works! Unfortunately, all the people who knew how to master for vinyl died years ago. But there's good news: some were preserved cryogenically, and they’ve since been revived to teach a whole new generation of engineers that no, you really don’t want out-of-phase bass in the left and right channels. Score one for science! 3 - The Recording Industry Association of America needs something to do. Someone has to make sure the infamous RIAA curve stays nice and curvy so that all those phono preamps can go through insane amounts of EQ in an attempt to have vinyl not sound horrible. As Protectors of the Curve, the RIAA can branch out beyond their traditional role of making sure that the music industry remains behind the curve. The technology curve, that is. 4 - Ground post manufacturers have a powerful Washington lobby. Remember those ground posts on turntables with the screw terminals where you could attach a ground wire to keep hum at bay? Have you ever seen ground posts on anything else? Of course not! So when vinyl records started their decline, the Ground Post Manufacturers Trade Association saw the handwriting on the wall, bought themselves a few senators...and the rest is history. 5 - Fear of a music industry recession. Let’s face it, the band playing your local bar making $27.14 from the tip jar isn’t keeping the music industry going—it’s DJs getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to do big festivals and private parties held by giant multinational entities, like the Ground Post Manufacturers Trade Association. Take away the DJ’s vinyl? Not a good idea. ___________________________________________

Bose T8S/T4S ToneMatch Mixers ToneMatch takes tiny on stage... by Craig Anderton In a world where there’s not exactly a shortage of stage-oriented live mixers, at Winter NAMM 2018 Bose introduced the T4S and T8S mixers. So, what do they bring to the party? We’ll focus on the T8S 8-channel mixer, because the T4S ($599) is basically a subset of the T8S with less I/O. The only significant T4S advantage is that it can take power from, and send digital audio, to the Bose Model L1 1S/II systems. (To power it separately, you need the optional AC adapter, which costs $35.) At its price point, the T8S’s stiffest competition is from QSC’s TouchMix-8, however it’s also up against models from Zoom, Roland, Behringer, Mackie, and others. So what does Bose offer that’s unique? What You Need to Know Both mixers are truly compact. The T8S's top panel has 8 channel trims, 8 knobs (no faders), three buttons per channel (Mute, FX Mute, and Channel Edit), master navigation knob, and three parameter adjustment knobs. There are also level controls for the headphone out and master out, master stereo meter, and phantom power. The T8S takes full advantage of being a digital device—it’s not just about presets, but DSP and signal processors. To a large extent, the main features you’re paying for are simple setup, small size, ease of use, and effective presets. The Bose ToneMatch system has been around for a while. Its premise is that in addition to general-purpose presets, you can dial in presets for specific mics, instruments, and the like, many of which were created with, and approved by, manufacturers who make the products for which Bose made the presets. Sometimes the “wrong” preset gives great results, so it’s worth experimenting. For example the Les Paul preset brings out the traditional Les Paul sound, but the Ibanez Artist preset—although it departs from what you might expect—is an excellent The T8S truly is compact. The top panel has 8 channel trims, 8 knobs (no faders), three buttons per channel (Mute, FX Mute, and Channel Edit), master navigation knob, and three parameter adjustment knobs. There are also level controls for the headphone out and master out, master stereo meter, and phantom power. I/O consists of 8 XLR combo jacks (mic/instrument) and two 1/4 TRS inputs, stereo XLR outs, four TRS aux outs, and two 1/4 TRS main outs. Each channel has a clipping indicator. A USB Type B connector can hook up to your computer for interfacing, and a Type A connector accepts FAT-formatted USB sticks for music playback. There are a lot of effects—parametric EQ, compressor/gate/de-esser, modulation (chorus, flanger, tremolo, phaser), three types of delays, and reverb. I like them, and they are quite editable. Except for reverb, which has some constraints, different channels can have multiple, different effects. The zEQ is great. It’s a low/mid/high, boost/cut set of tone controls, but the characteristics vary depending on the ToneMatch preset to better fit a specific instrument or mic. Smart. The interface is extremely readable. The high-contrast screen is bright, the buttons are all illuminated (and get brighter when selected), and the level knobs have illuminated pointers. A cover that’s held on magnetically protects the front panel during transport, and you can also slide it on between sets to (hopefully) keep inquisitive fingers away. The computer interface receives two channels as the line output, and provides a stereo output. On Windows, it’s compatible with the newer WASAPI drivers, not just MME. An output six-band graphic EQ at the main out compensates for acoustics issues in venues. Limitations The phantom power is global across all 8 mic inputs. When used as a computer interface, the only available sample rate is 48 kHz, and it doesn’t stream individual channels—only the master output. Although the T4S can connect digitally to the L1 Model 1S/II, the T8S does not—use the XLR outs. USB playback is limited to WAV and MP3 files (no AAC or WMA). The effects can’t do tempo sync, because there’s no way to provide tempo info to the mixer. The DSP doesn’t include amp modeling. This is to be expected, because good amp models devour DSP—which wouldn’t leave much left over for anything else. There are occasional reviews on the web that say reliability is poor. However, I wonder if they did all the latest updates. There were no problems with the review unit, despite hours of continuous use in hot (summer in Nashville) ambient temperatures. Conclusions As mentioned at the beginning, the main competitor is the QSC TouchMix-8. However, doing a T8S vs. TouchMix 8 comparison reminds me a lot of Strat vs. Les Paul—they’re both guitars, have six strings, pickups, controls, necks, and frets, but are very different instruments, with fans on both sides. The T8S is smaller, and all jacks are located on the back. The TouchMix-8 (TM-8) places its 8 XLR ins on the top panel, because the four Aux outs are XLR, so they go on the back. However only four of the 8 ins have combi jacks to accommodate instrument outputs. The TM-8 has iOS/Android connectivity with a remote control app, and wizards for room tuning and anti-feedback. But the main difference is the interface. The TouchMix-8 has a touchscreen, while the T8S has dedicated knobs. Having used both, I’m comfortable with either one. For immediacy over control, I’d give the T8S an edge but for immediacy in seeing what’s going on internally, the TM-8 has the advantage. I know there are some people who will never wrap their heads (or hands) around touch screens, and others who want faders, not knobs—preferably real. There are several areas where the T8S stakes its claim as being a worthy addition to the Bose legacy. Most importantly, it seems like the T8S was designed with the intention to set records for shortest setup time required, even if you don’t know much about mixing or live sound. And although general-purpose presets are handy, Bose’s ToneMatch system really does take the concept of presets to the next step. When I put my Rickenbacker 360 12-string through the Rickenbacker preset, it sounded great. So did the various other compatible instruments and mics I tried. And of course, once everything’s set up, you can save scenes for instant recall. When doing a review, I always see how far I can get without reading the manual, and then read the manual to see what I’ve missed. With the T8S, I didn’t miss much. It’s super-easy to figure out; even features like being able to set aux outs pre- or post-mix are intuitive. Although there is some scrolling involved, it’s clear much thought went into having a minimal clickstream to get where you want to go. You do need to read instructions for how to do firmware updates and download new ToneMatch presets, but that’s to be expected. For those who live in the Bose ecosystem, the T8S will be familiar territory to those raised on the original ToneMatch system—it just gives you more of everything. However, this doesn’t mean it’s Bose-specific; the T8S is happy feeding any kind of personal PA. Ultimately, though, you don’t have to guess whether you’ll like the T8S or T4S—when you buy direct from Bose, there’s a “45-Day Better Music Guarantee.” You get to try the unit with your gear, for your specific application, for 45 days. If you’re not satisfied, you can return it for a refund. That’s what I call confidence—and for quite a range of users, I predict their T8S will not be going back to the factory. -HC- Resources Bose T8S landing page with images, videos, FAQs, manuals, etc. T8S/T4S owner’s manual Sweetwater T8S landing page Full Compass T8S landing page B&H T8S landing page Guitar Center T8S landing page ___________________________________________

Yes, we’ve become dependent on our little pet brains called computers, and the operating system updates that keep them in tippy-top shape. What’s that? You don’t like those constant updates? Sad! There are tons of reasons to love operating system updates! 1 You’ll sharpen your search skills. Knowing how to work a search engine with the focus of an escort service at CES is a fundamental skill in today’s world—and operating system updates let you hone your skills. Who hasn’t searched on “does latest Mac OS work on my computer that’s more than a week old” and “how to re-install driver I forgot even existed after Windows update, assuming it’s still compatible maybe I hope”? 2 They add excitement to your life! Downloading an update and waiting nervously while some little beach ball goes spinning around like it mixed methedrine with the sun tan lotion is a lot like when you come home and find a package at your door. Is it that long-awaited horse head mask from Amazon, or a box of dog poop from your disgruntled and slightly unhinged ex? You’ll find out when the computer boots! Assuming it boots, of course. 3 They teach patience. When Windows says “just a moment,” does it mean a “moment” like going to the bathroom, or a “moment” like “now’s your chance to do dinner and movie, and maybe go bar crawling after that. Or take that Florida vacation you’ve always dreamed about.” 4 They increase your vocabulary. Seriously, how many of you knew what “deprecated” meant until you searched on “why does this update not include my favorite feature any more” and the search result tells you it’s been “deprecated” (Windows translation: it never really worked right anyway, no big deal). Or that something is “legacy,” which is a fancy high-tech word for “old crap” (Mac translation: Anything you haven’t bought in the last 90 days is “legacy”). 5 They keep software engineers employed. When authors write a book, at some point the book is done. When you record an album, eventually the album is finished. When a mechanic fixes car, the car runs and that’s the end of it. But software is the ideal gig...it’s never done! And in the process of doing more, you introduce new bugs that need to be fixed. Job security? Yeah, baby! ___________________________________________

by Craig Anderton Is "writing in the studio" an oxymoron? It seems that writing a song and recording it are two totally different activities, and need to be treated as such. What got me thinking about this was how easily I could write songs when just sitting down at a piano or guitar, yet how difficult that process became when sitting in front of a sequencer. But I've learned it doesn't have to be this way. This article covers what I call "fast tracking"—using a sequencer/DAW in a way that's optimized for writing, not recording or editing. By employing this process, I finally feel I can write on a computer as easily as on an instrument. Of course, different people approach the creative process differently; but I'm probably typical enough that many of you will find the following tips helpful. CAPTURE THAT INSPIRATION ASAP Inspiration comes and goes fast. The one way to prolong the state of being inspired is to start exploiting the inspiration as soon as it hits. Do everything you can to speed your computer's start up time, such as eliminating unnecessary utilities or turning off defaults for programs that load at start-up. Next, check out the companion article Customize Your DAW with Templates. There's nothing like having an "instant environment" that's optimized for writing—with instruments, patterns, track assignments, and so on ready to go. If you can't start laying down tracks within 30 seconds of your computer booting, there's a problem that needs to be addressed. START WITH MIDI DATA, NOT AUDIO Sure, a MIDI piano probably won't sound as good as your 9 ft. Bosendorfer. But when writing, keep a piece of music as malleable as possible. You may need to change key or tempo as the piece takes shape, and while it's possible to make these kinds of changes with digital audio thanks to time and pitch-stretching, MIDI simplifies the process compared to using digital audio. USE A SOFTWARE "WORKSTATION" Quite a few plug-ins (like IK Multimedia's SampleTank; see Fig. 1) are multitimbral workstations with a boatload of sounds, and are ideal for being driven by multiple MIDI tracks. But even a simple General MIDI synth (like the Mac's QuickTime instruments) may be all you need to sketch out a tune. Fig. 1: IK Multimedia's SampleTank is a good example of a "workstation" plug-in that works with a host DAW. It comes with a large sound library, and can play back up to 16 different parts (instrument sounds) simultaneously. The advantage to using a single multitimbral plug-in is that it's really fast to create tracks: Insert a MIDI track, assign it to a channel in your plug-in, assign a sound to the channel, and bingo—press record. You can simulate the same process if you have a template with a variety of instruments assigned to a variety of tracks, but I find it more efficient to keep the setup as simple as possible. SCRATCH TRACKS SAVE TIME When songwriting, always remember that the object is to write a song, not to play a bunch of perfect takes. A good song in the conventional sense consists of memorable elements like melodies, strong lyrics, and a good flow—not nailing the perfect bass timbre. You can always go clean up your parts later, but when you want to lay down a part using a particular instrument, just do it. Don't agonize over the sound quality, or your playing. Copy and paste to create placemarkers rather than play all the way through. Of course, most of this won't make the final cut, but so what? The goal here is to build a song and arrangement, not a recording. WHAT ABOUT VOCALS? If you can lay down some key lyric ideas and a melody line, that's fine. Don't have lyrics for the second verse? Hum the melody, or just say nonsense syllables. You can always fix it later. Even if you only have lyrics for a couple lines, get them down and move on. They may end up being the core of your song. STICK TO THE ESSENTIALS All those "ear candy" parts—the cool double-time shaker, the melodic bells that come in during the solo, and so on—should be added only when the core tracks are down. Ear candy can be another distraction that, unless it's an element that's vital to the song, should be left for later. And don't even think about adding reverb, EQ, etc. The only reason to add a signal processor is if it's an essential element to the song, like a tempo-synched delay that is mandatory for the particular rhythm driving your tune. DON'T EDIT AS YOU GO The single biggest inspiration-killer when you're writing on a DAW is editing. Editing is a left brain, not a right brain, activity. Laying down a part, then trying to perfect it, is a sure way to have inspiration take a hike. For example, consider quantization. When I want to quantize a part, I just insert a MIDI quantization plug-in in the MIDI track, dial up 16th notes with 85% quantization strength, and don't think about it any more (Fig. 2). Because the original data is unchanged, if the part actually is any good I can always remove the plug-in and do more detailed quantization later. Fig. 2: By using a MIDI FX plug-in (this one is from Cakewalk by BandLab), parts can be quantized during playback while songwriting. However, as the original part is not change, quantization can be removed or edited at any time. Remember, what makes a great song is not a superb instrument timbre; that just makes a great song sound better. Concentrate on what matters most when you're writing: The emotional impact on the listener. Remember that no listener ever said they liked a song because the vocals were recorded with a particular mic preamp. THE BOTTOM LINE IS ATTITUDE Although we've covered some specific tips, the main consideration is attitude. Once you shift your brain so that it understands the difference between the writing process and the recording process—and I do believe these are indeed different animals —that's half the battle. The other half is having the discipline not to get sidetracked during the writing process. All I can say is that since figuring this out, my DAW is now as good a songwriting device as an instrument. In fact in many ways, it's better. ___________________________________________