Chris Loeffler
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Does your timing need a little work? The metronome is the traditional practice tool to tighten your playing, but sometimes it can feel a little uninspiring. Bring out your favorite delay/echo effect and find inspiring new ways to stay in synch while you master this classic effect. By Chris Loeffler One’s No Longer the Loneliest Number Using a delay pedal is a simple way to get feedback (literally) of your own playing and can feel more creative and responsive than a simple metronome or click track. By setting the delay time for about 500ms-1000ms you can get a nice beat (especially with two or three repeats that have a bit of analog-like degradation). Use the repeat as the “and” between picked notes in whatever time signature you choose. Run this up and down the neck and try to stay in the pocket. A week or two of this and you’ll have timing so synched your drummer will ask you to count in the songs! Any old delay will do... A great way to build in a little extra practice while you’re working on your timing is to play alternating arpeggiated triads to get more comfortable with the scale notes in close physical proximity to the chorded notes. It’s a nice way to find potential embellishments and can be especially rewarding if you alternate between notes “in chord” and notes “in scale”. Off Beat Exercises Where things get really interesting is when you run two (or three!) delay effects in series with different delay times. Dial in the first delay to a nice, long delay time with at least a few repeats and pluck a note. Listen to how it rings back and synch your internal clock to the beats per minute you’ve set. Now turn on a second delay effect (placed after the original effect in the signal chain) with a different delay time. Depending on how close the second delay time is to an even fraction of the original, you will either have a sprawling mess (which can be a lot of fun in its own right) or a nice, syncopated delay pattern. Try a two-in-one... A nice place to start is having the second effect at half (or one and a half) the delay time of the first. The result will sound very familiar to the delay effects used by The Edge; a cascade of ping-ponging notes bouncing off each other. Play a simple arpeggio or chord one note at a time and listen how the notes duck around as multiple notes begin blending in the delay trail. Practice listening and playing to one delay line, then alternate with the other. Insert quarter notes and extended rests. Not will you be having fun creating your own sonic gumbo, but you’ll also be honing your skills at keeping time within a syncopated setting. Or try three-in-one! -
By Chris Loeffler We buy guitar effects to enhance, sculpt, or even entirely mangle our guitar tone. They are tone boxes made for audio pleasure. That said, the way effects work often is intrinsically tied to the assumptions of how an instrument is played. Because of this, many effects can be used as tools to make you a better player when incorporated into your practice routine. Let’s explore a couple of ways we can use these tone devices as essential practice partners. Improve Your Touch Take David Gilmour and your average, capable player and have them switch rigs. Who’s going to get the closest to the “Glimour” studio tone… the “average” player using Gilmour’s setup or Gilmour using a Squire into an entry-level Fender tube amp? It can’t be emphasized enough how much your touch is your sound. As you master music theory and the mechanics of your instrument, it’s easy to pick up playing habits (good or bad) you aren’t even aware of. Practicing your “touch” is easy to forget while practicing scales and chords, but here are two surefire ways to keep touch sensitivity a part of your practice regimen by using effects devices you already own. Humbuckers work, but you’ll get the biggest bang for your buck using single coil, passive pickups for these exercise. Envelope-Controlled Effects A favorite practice technique I discovered a few years ago involves using an envelope filter (in my case, the Subdecay Prometheus) to provide over-the-top audio feedback of my playing. The basic function of an envelope-controlled effect is controllign the sweep of an effect based on the attack, decay, sustain, and release characteristics of your playing… the harder you dig in on a string, the more the effect opens up. With the right settings, you can dial in an envelope-controlled devise (in this case, an envelope filter or, as it is commonly misnamed, autowah) to a setting where the envelope doesn’t open when the strings are gently plucked but opens up wildly when you pick aggressively. Depending on the sensitivity of the envelope (most good envelope-controlled effects can be highly tailored), your notes will either sit beneath the filter and be unanimated at your lightest playing or percolate with a round, wah-like zip when the strings are heavily struck. If you have the option, a down sweep is ideal for practicing a lighter touch and an upsweep is best when the focus is on digging in. In either case, by the end of your first practice I guarantee you will have a whole new appreciatoion for dynamics and an awareness of how nuanced (or heavy handed!) you are. Not only will this benefit your playing holistically, but your mastery of envelope-filtered effects will skyrocket. Take Your Attack into Overdrive The envelope filter exercise above is a great way for “in your face” feedback for your touch and attack, but the flub of the envelope can be distracting for those looking to practice technique and theory at the same time. This is where a good gain effect comes in to play (if you don’t have one yet… you’re doing it wrong!). Regardless of the device, the best overdrive/distortion/fuzz effects for this exercise are uncompressed and minimally EQed. The traditional, seasick green overdrives guitar players use work, but the compression and midrange focus tend to make them stiffer and less dynamically transparent. A good, vintage gain fuzz pedal is an excellent place to start. Match the output volume of the effect to your bypassed signal into a clean(ish) amp and dial the gain knob until it is at its lowest setting where it still sounds like the effect should in your head. Note that in a live setting most players will crank the gain beyond this point… in this case, less is more. Once you’ve achieved your desired distortion level, strum softly. Really softly. At this point, make any adjustments to the gain level of the pedal (don’t forget the potential in dialing back the volume on your guitar a touch) until the tone is lively but clean when the strings are lightly strummed. Now dig in! Most dynamic, responsive gain effects will produce a clean, hot signal when lightly strummed that can turn into a wall of sound when the strings take a beating without ever changing the settings on the effect. Obviously, a good tube amp on the verge of breakup will sound even more glorious, but the volume produced can be overwhelming on many amps. Practice transitions between soft, arpeggiated sections and aggressive power chords and you will find an entire world of tones in between. You've Got the Right Touch The above are just examples of ways you can mindfully incorporate developing and improving your tone into a regular practice routine. These are skills that (hopefully) most players acquire once they have enough familiarity with their instrument that they are focused on how they sound rather than if they're playing the right note... but as the old saying goes; practice makes perfect. -
Looking for a multi-channel, medium wattage tube amp capable of scaling down to a single watt output in addition to built-in direct recording capabilities? By Chris Loeffler In the beginning, amplifiers were literally just amplification tools for an instrument. Over time, additions like tone controls for off-instrument EQ tweaks, the ability to intentionally overdrive the preamp for gain and saturation without requiring loud output volume, and multiple channels with individual gain and EQ stacks came into vogue as technology progressed and, more importantly, as the need for these features was identified by players. Today, in a world of effect pedals, direct out, and signal chain splitting, the sky is pretty much the limit for players looking for an amplifier that accommodates their specific functional needs to achieve their tone. Hughes and Kettner has clearly done its homework on what players want and need and poured all their research into their TubeMeister series. The Hughes and Kettner TubeMeister 18 is an 18 watt tube amp powered by two 12AX7 tubes in the preamp and two EL84 tubes in the power amp that features two channels, a four-stage power soak for lower wattage output, passive EQ, easy biasing and a Red Box direct XLR output with speaker simulation. The amp head ships with a padded soft case with handles and can be switchable via pedal with the optional FS-2 footswitch. What You Need To Know If you’ve never seen a Hughes and Kettner product in person, you need to understand how visually striking they all are. In the case of the TubeMeister 18, the sleek, flat black metal chassis with etched plexiglass faceplate frames the symmetrical architecture of the tubes and transformers. Hidden blue LEDs illuminate the etched lettering and cast a cool electric hue on the polished chrome transformers that sets the stage for the warm orange glow of the tubes to visually stand out. Ingenious recessed chrome handles on the side make for easy transportation without adding the bulk of bolted-on handles. German engineering is on full display with the TubeMeister 18, with a seamless metal enclosure and a smooth, “just right” feel to the chrome knobs that have a gratifying amount of resistance and feel solidly connected to the faceplate.The Hughes and Kettner TubeMeister 18 features two channels, switchable via two push-buttons on the front of the amp or via footswitch with the optional FS-2 switch. The first channel is labeled Clean, and offers a warm and fairly neutral tone that is fairly flat in frequency; it sounds like a clean amp should without being too clinical or sterile and has pleasant, rounded harmonic structure. The Gain control dials up the preamp a bit, giving slightly more compression and grit to the tone. At the highest gain setting, humbuckers produce a satisfying crunch when digging in. The Volume knob controls the output volume from the power amp to the speakers, allowing users to boost or reduce their overall volume once they’ve found the ideal amount of saturation in the Gain knob. Power amp tube saturation happens with the Volume control turned all the way up and the Gain knob anywhere in the more extreme half of the sweep.The Lead channel features the same controls and functionality as the Clean channel, but its Gain knob starts off almost exactly where the gain ended on the Clean channel. At the lowest Gain setting the Lead channel sounds like a clean amp being pushed too hard. The sweep from there to half-way slowly introduces more crunch and bite without adding too much compression. By the mid-point in the Gain sweep the distortion becomes tight and aggressive with an incredibly quick and responsive attack. Anywhere beyond noon takes you further and further into saturated, modern metal territory. The Lead Boost button (or footswitch) only applies to the Lead channel and aggressively re-voices and doubles the distortion, leading to tighter, full frequency tones and increased sustain and compression at even the lowest Gain setting.The amplifier features a passive tone stack featuring Bass, Mid, and Treble controls that is shared between the two channels. All three controls sound natural and subtle throughout their sweep and lack the filter-swept sound of many amplifier EQ sections. Essentially, they seem to boost presence of the given frequency range as a whole rather than spike a pinpointed frequency.The TubeMeister 18 features a built-in power soak (attenuator) that reduces the wattage produced by the power amp section with the intention of allowing players to achieve their ideal mix of preamp and power amp tube distortion at lower volumes. Defaulting at 18 watts, the amp’s output can be reduced to 5 or 1 watt and even be entirely muted. Like any power soak, the core tone of the amp stays the same as the volume is decreased, but tweaks will likely need to be made to keep the tone from getting too boxy or losing too much high-end as you toggle from 18 to 5 to 1 watt. Obviously, volume and the behavior of the speaker is a part of the tone, so by changing what the speaker is being hit with there will need to be adjustments. In muted mode, the output to the speaker is disabled (normally a big no-no), allowing silent output through the Red Box balanced XLR output with speaker simulation. Run straight into the mixer at a live gig, the amp’s core tone stays intact and sounds convincing and present, if a bit less dimensional and rounded without a guitar speaker to finish the tone shaping. Just a touch of added reverb from the board does a lot to “unflatten” the tone, and even running direct without the aid of effects it sounds more natural and authentic than most modelers or direct boxes. Limitations Although warm, the amp can’t help but sound modern given how full-frequency the tone is. Vintage, sagged distortion is pretty hard to wrestle out of the amp without the help of a distortion pedal. Conclusion There is a lot happening in this little amp… three (well, two, technically) channels, a quad-stage power soak, easy biasing power amp section, and effects loop, and a built-in balanced direct out with speaker simulation. This sort of flexibility comes with no sacrifice in tone, making it equally viable for country, rock, metal, and jazz players looking for solid tone in a classy package. Cleans are high-fidelity without sounding sterile and there is a fair amount of play with vintage crunch before the gain tightens into what can only be described as the quintessential tone for modern heavy metal. Resources Hughes and Kettner TubeMeister 18 at Musician's Friend (MSRP $749.00, Street $599.00) Hughes and Kettner TubeMeister 18 Product Page
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With rental prices for student violins easily surpassing $150 per year, is purchasing a complete Cremona violin outfit for a starting violinist a wiser decision? By Chris Loeffler Anyone who's gone through the process of renting an instrument (often because their children are playing an instrument in school) knows why people rent... the first year of learning an instrument has the highest dropout rate and instruments are expensive. What if little Damien decides the violin isn't his thing and decides to play the sax next year? There's a convenience factor (especially when you're not familiar with the instrument's care and setup), and there used to be the relatively high cost of getting a playable instrument (anyone who purchased instruments before the early 2000's knows there wasn't a such thing as a "cheap" instrument that was a "quality" instrument"). Today is a different story and it's time to reconsider the options. The Cremona SV-75 Violin Outfit comes in five sizes (1/10, 1/8, 1/16, 3/4, and 4/4) to accommodate all players and is offered as a one-stop solution to getting started playing violin. Included in the violin outfit is the violin, a hard case, a VP-71 bow, and a rosin/cloth combo). What You Need To Know The Cremona SV-75 Violin comes in five sizes (1/10, 1/8, 1/16, 3/4, and 4/4) and features a hand-carved, solid spruce top that features an aesthetically pleasing wood grain under the warm brown stain, especially attractive for an entry level instrument. The sides, back, and neck of the instrument are hand-carved solid maple, which adds punch and visual highlight to the spruce top. The dyed rosewood fingerboard sits well on the neck and is mirrored by the fittings and pegs. The bridge is well machined and provides a solid connection to the top, and the hardwood chinrest sites comfortably above the tailpiece. Across the board, construction is solid and there are no glue overruns or jagged edges where pieces are bound… common complaints in instruments offered at a similar price-point.Included in the violin outfit is a hard case, VP-71 bow, and rosin. The VP71 is a wood stick bow with rosewood frog and unbleached horsehair. The bow feels appropriately weighted and has the right amount of give when the horsehair was tightened or loosened to accommodate different playing preferences. The included rosin is cheap and lacks the grip of higher quality rosin, but gets the job done until a later purchase can be made. The case is exceptionally well constructed and snugly hugs the instrument and bow in place while providing solid, padded cushion on the outside to protect against jarring impacts.The tone of the Cremona is tight and focused and has a solid presence. It is a little hollow in the mids and has low resonance, but the sound is pure violin. Those expecting the richness and depth of a professional violin might be disappointed, but they would also have unrealistic expectations. The included strings aren't the best quality and had issues with tuning and balance. A $15 set of strings changes that though, and after a break in period the violin held its tuning as well as others. Limitations Thefactory-setstringsare cheap andareclearlytheweaklinkintheinstrument. Buyingadecentsetofstringstoreplacethemwillcost $15andgiveyoutwicethetone. Theviolinshipswithminimalsetupworkdone. Althoughthisisexpectedinanentry-levelinstrument, itcanbeabarrierifitispurchasedforafirst-timeplayer and unfamiliarwiththeinstrument. Therearevolumesofresourcesontheinternet (includinghelpfulsetupvideosonyoutube) thatmakethisafairlyeasyprocess, butcompleteneophytesmayneedtobringittoalocalshop. Conclusion The Cremona SV-75 Violin Outfit provides a more-than-workable package for students or violin novices looking to get their feet wet in an extremely affordable package. Given that everything needed to play and store the instrument is included, a little bit of setup (even from a novice) and a couple of tweaks yields and instrument far more toneful than its modest price. As long as violin rentals run anywhere from $20-50/month for a student-quality instrument, the Cremona also represents a significant savings potential, even for fickle players. Resources Cremona SV-75 4/4 Violin Outfit at Musician's Friend (MSRP $149.995, Street $119.99) -
Looking for a rack-mounted bass preamp that gives the punch and warmth of tubes but want to convenience and consistency of solid state? By Chris Loeffler In general, bass players tend to be more adventurous when it comes to trying out new gear. Unfettered by a slavish devotion to iconic brands or the need to own what their heroes played, bassists tend to focus on the tone and functionality of their instruments when selecting the best gear to fit their playing style. BBE clearly knows sound, and they’re betting bass players will love what they cooked up. The BBE BMax is a rack-mountable, solid state bass preamp with three-band EQ, parametric mids that features gain control, dedicated optical compression and a built-in BBE Sonic Maximizer. The BMax has Passive and Active inputs to accommodate both pickup styles, and features ¼” and XLR outputs and an effects loop. The Compression and Sonic Maximizer effects can be controled with the FS-BMax dual footswitch (not included). What You Need To Know The BBE BMax is rooted in A/B solid state preamplification that can be either fed into a power amp or direct into the PA or a recording unit. A constant 1 ohm impedance on the passive input and 100k ohm active output ensures consistent feedback between the instrument and the amp, with the active input attenuated by approximately 12dB. The preamp features a Gain control that covers ground from warm cleans to aggressive, modern sounding distortion. Tastefully applied at low settings, the Gain control yields very satisfying grind and attack, tube-like enhancements. The bright switch introduces an 8dB boost at 5kHz to pep up inherently dark instruments.The three band interactive EQ allows users to boost Bass and Treble, as well as cut Mids. The Bass control offers a 0-16dB boost at 40Hz and the Treble offers a 0-18bB boost at the 6kHz range. The Mid control, meanwhile, cuts the 300Hz range up to 12dB. The result is the ability to fine tune the core tone of the BMax… the sweep of all three EQ bands is natural, and they are really about best adjusting the preamp into the signal chain as opposed to accessing completely different tones. The Para-Mids control sweeps between 250Hz and 1kHz with the Frequency knob and allows players to easily carve into the ideal frequency in their band's mix. The Gain control allows for up to a 12dB boost or cut to the Para-Mid frequency.The BBE BMax’s onboard compressor is a “soft knee” compressor that utilizes photo-optical cells to control the feel and ARSD (Attack-Release-Sustain-Decay) of the compressor. Unlike FET-based solid state compressors, which tend to darken the tone and exhibit pumping in the compression, the optical compressor in the BMax is smoother and more rounded, adding presence and tube-like warmth that sounds less effected. As one reviewer commented. “this thing has a poor technique compensator”. The Level control sets the threshold for when compression begins, and helpful LED indicator visually changes from green (activated but not compressing) to yellow (activated and compressing) to help dial in the right amount of gain reduction.BBE made a name for itself with its Sonic Maximizer circuit, and its inclusion in the BMax only makes sense. Via two controls, Lo Contour and Process, the Sonic Maximizer sits in the signal chain after the effects loop. Lo Contour allows for a boost anywhere from 0-10dB at 50Hz. Careful tweaking of the knob beefs up the core tone without getting flabby or sounding unbalanced. The Process knob is where a lot of the magic happens in the Sonic Maximizer effect; by addressing phasing and the speed at which different frequencies travel, the effect automatically tightens up and pulls together the total signal, leading to more punch and presence without dramatically changing the core tone. When rolled fully counterclockwise, the Process knob turns off the processing and turns into a subtle noise suppressor.The effects loop in the BMax is silent and doesn't drain the tone, even when long leads of sub-par cable are used to insert other effects units. The placement of the effects loop before the Sonic Maximizer is a boon to players, allowing any delay, reverb, or modulation running through the effects loop the benefit of the Maximizer effect. Limitations People looking for emulations of classic amps should look elsewhere; the BBE BMax sounds great, but it proudly is its own sound.Some of the controls (especially Gain) yield dramatic changes with the slightest of tweaks, making it easy to accidentally throw in too much distortion when adjusting in the heat of the moment.Because the unit is so light, more animated performers should mount it (either into a rack or elsewhere) to avoid yanking the unit off a flat surface during onstage theatrics. Conclusion The BBE BMax is an affordable, low-maintenance/high-value bass preamp and DI box that is loud and clean, capable of achieving deep, textured bass frequencies with supernaturally useable treble. The warmth of the tone is natural but modern sounding, and the addition of compression and the Sonic Maximizer allows for quick tone changes in a live performance. Resources BBE BMAx Bass Preamp at Musician's Friend ($299.00 Street) BBE BMAx Bass Preamp Product Page -
If history informs the future it's important to understand, not just learn, the past if we want to move forward. Author Rod Fogg embraces history as a path to better jazz playing by weaving a survey of the evolution of jazz music and deep dive into the physical construction of the jazz guitar with over two hundred pages of jazz theory and lessons and a supporting CD. By Chris Loeffler In the world of playing guitar, there are few genres more demanding than jazz. From its purist roots to its requirement of higher music theory, jazz demands discipline and creativity. It is also one of the most colorfully storied genres of modern music. The Jazz Guitar Handbook features a hard cover and spine with an interior spiral binding, resulting in a book that looks nice on a shelf but folds out perfectly flat when reading/practicing. All sections include illustrative examples with explanatory summaries of what the reader should be paying attention to, the exercise in tablature and standard notation, and a supplemental audio track to hear the example played. The accompanying audio CD includes 96 tracks and is playable in any CD player or convertible to MP3 for download. What You Need to Know Part one of the book leads with 23 pages covering the history of the jazz guitar, the jazz movement, and prominent jazz guitar players who shaped the genre. From a detailed overview of the most iconic jazz guitars to the current state of jazz, the author provides a brief but compelling narrative of how the nature of jazz music and musicians shaped the instrument’s design. Following this overview, the author dives straight into the instrument itself, with a survey of the various components of the typical jazz guitar and the various options available. After taking time to familiarize the reader with the workings of the instrument, the author turns his focus to the handling of the instrument and the basics of reading music notation.The lessons section begins exactly where jazz did; the blues. The author walks through typical blues progressions, chords, and scales with a heavy emphasis on pentatonic scales. Elementary scale theory is introduced and the concept of shapes and geometry helps guide the visual layout of major and minor pentatonic scales in each key. By the end of this section, readers will have covered all the essential theory behind blues music and have a solid foundation for jazz.Part two of The Jazz Guitar Handbook turns its attention to chords. Starting with open string chords and evolving to triads, sevens and moveable chords, the author lays out an intuitive method for building chords across the entire neck. Once these basics are covered, keys, modulation, and voicing are addressed. Building on this framework is a fairly deep dive into substitutions, inversions, and extensions. The chord theory presented in the section is diverse and, for novices, a little intimidating. Those with a limited jazz listening catalog will be challenged with some of the more esoteric extensions, but these come together nicely as the following section addresses scales.Part three jumps into the bread and butter of jazz showboating; scales, modes, and arpeggios. After thoroughly exploring the major scales and modes, the author ties chords and scales together through an analysis of arpeggios and how they are used within the context of a scale to address individual chords. Ascending and descending melodic minor scales are covered with many melodic explorations in the form of exercises, and the composition and application of symmetrical scales closes out the section.The final section of the book focuses on the elements of jazz music and techniques that make music intrinsically “jazz”. This exploration includes rhythm styles, chord/melody techniques, time signatures, and a dozen or so exercises dedicated to demonstrating note choices in various musical contexts. Limitations It’s a jazz instructional book… no matter how well explained (and this book does a fantastic job of explaining), the nuances of the theory are gained from practice, not just reading and mastering a single exercise. Conclusions Anyone ready to step up to the world of jazz guitar should give The Jazz Guitar Handbook a look; it is beautifully designed, the lessons are intuitively sequenced and paced, and the regular sprinkling of tips, theory, and techniques keep things interesting an informative by breaking up the exercises. While by no means a comprehensive overview of the history of jazz, the first portion of the book does a fantastic job of intertwining the evolution of jazz music and the jazz guitar into the context of the lessons that follow. Resources Backbeat Books The Jazz Guitar Handbook (Street $29.99) -
Korg Beat Boy Portable Drum Machine/Tuner/Recorder
Chris Loeffler posted a review in Drum and Percussion
Korg's Beat Boy may just be the ultimate portable digital scratch pad and virtual partner for the aspiring or practicing songwriter. Interested in how this simple, pocket sized tool can make you a better player? By Chris Loeffler Playing good music is about practice and inspiration. Unfortunately, practice takes time and inspiration isn’t limited to striking in the practice space. Bringing your guitar to work or school to practice between breaks is a good way to keep progressing, but it is also a way to take on sloppy habits (especially around timing). Worse yet, capturing those elusive moments of inspiration can be easily to lose between the hustle of daily responsibilities and the sanctuary of the practice space. Korg looks to address these needs, keeping in mind affordability and portability, with the Korg Beat Boy. "Practice makes perfect", as the old saying goes. The Korg Beat Boy makes practice anywhere easy with over 100 rhythm patterns to play over and a tuner to keep you honest. The addition of a built-in recorder expands the application of the Beat Boy beyond simple practice by giving you a pocket-sized digital sketch book to lay down song ideas as inspiration hits. Powered by two AAA batteries with an approximate continual operationing battery life of ten hours and featuring 128MB of internal memory, the Korg Beat Boy can accept instruments via the ¼” input or through its internal microphone and outputs audio through a 1/8” headphone out or its 23mm dynamic speaker. What You Should Know The Korg Beat Boy has three primary functions- tuner, beat box, and recorder. All three functions can be used independently or in any combination. Each mode features a dedicated On/Off button and independent controls.The tuner function is as simple as any tuner on the market, with a clean display covering nine 1Hz increments (436-444Hz), a green "In Tune" LED, and red Sharp/Flat LEDs. Instruments can be tuned either by running into the unit via the 1/4" input or via the internal microphone. Tuning was accurate when compared against high-end rack units and, surprisingly, was more accurate than several built-in tuners on sampled acoustic-electric guitars.The 100 rhythm tracks included in the Korg Beat Boy are separated into the following genres- 8-Beat, 16-Beat, Pop-Rock, Jazz-Funk, World, Dance, Fill, Odd Meter, and Metronome. Each genre features eight to ten beat patterns that are different enough to cover the standard beats and syncopations of the genre. While the tones of the drum machine are far from "realistic", as soon as you start playing along with them they fit in perfectly and feel natural. Each beat can go as slow as 30 BPM or as high as 252 BPM, from excruciatingly slow to Adderall-overdosed fast. Tempo can be set either manually via buttons or tapped in by the Tap Tempo control.The recording feature of the Korg Beat Boy is equally simple and intuitive, featuring track up/down, Start/Stop, Record, and Loop controls. An eight beat count-in initiates when Record is hit, and any drum track that is selected will start on the first recorded beat. Drum tracks can be added or removed from the recording at any time. Recording instruments through the ¼” input yields adequate enough direct tones, and there are two levels of internal distortion that can be applied if so desired. Acoustic instruments recorded with the internal microphone are much more lively and detailed than one would expect for such a small, inexpensive setup. Somehow, microphone recordings made with the drum track playing through the internal speaker managed to have no trace of the drum track when it was turned off post-recording. Up to 100 tracks can be recorded and stored on the device, but the unit can only store twenty-three minutes of audio, and each track has a time limit of twenty minutes. A USB out allows users to export their recording to a PC or MAC. Limitations The drum tones and distortions can sound a bit hokey on their own and, unless you’re Ween, you won’t be using them beyond the rough demo stage.Limited recording time and no overdubs. Conclusions At its size and price, it is hard to deny the value the Korg Beat Boy can bring to the busy guitar player who is looking to continue to improve themself and their songwriting on the go. All three primary functions are so intuitive that the inclusion of a manual seems almost comical. Most surprising of all is the quality of the recorded tones. Resources Korg Beat Boy Product Page (Street $89.00) -
Featuring eleven different octave settings with up to five available octaves in a single setting, Mooer Micro Pedals tackles polyphonic octave effects for guitar with the fast and faithful tracking Mooer Pure Octave pedal. By Chris Loeffler Up until five years ago, true polyphonic, multi octave effects were unattainable for the guitar player without the assistance of an add-on guitar synthesizer pickup and accompanying synthesizer unit. Early units attempting to offer this effect without a specialized pickup tended to be glitchy and harsh sounding, which is a desirable effect for certain applications but lacks the natural tone many seek. Mooer Micro Pedals looks to provide as many octave options as it can squeeze into a 3” by 1” stomp box. The Mooer Pure Octave pedal offers eleven different octave settings in their small format, 9v adaptor powered pedal. The pedal features true bypass and blend controls for the Sub octaves, Dry, and Upper octaves. What You Need to Know The tone of the octaves attempts to be as natural sounding as octaves clearly outside the reach of the standard guitar can be. A single octave down offers a fairly tight enveloped, smooth octave down with a subtle, machinegun rapid amplitude modulation. Two octaves down yields deep, surprisingly throaty notes that will challenge any small speaker to spit out. The Sub control features the following combinations of one and two octaves down and (counter intuitively) one octave up- one octave down, two octaves down, and one and two octaves down.A single octave up produces chirpy, bright tones that are still decidedly guitar-like without the grit or limited neck range of a typical analog octave effect. Two octaves up yields a piercing, slightly more brittle tone that is undeniably synth like. The Upper control features the following combinations of one and two octaves up and (equally counter intuitive) one octave down- one octave up, two octaves up, one octave down, and one and two octaves up.Although all the octaves have high quality sound, the magic of the Mooer Pure Octave comes not from any single one but through the various combinations. The slight volume modulation that accompanies the octave down adds soft movement to the dry signal and fills out the frequency range in the second octave down. The octave up combines with the dry signal for a convincing 12-string guitar sound and creates a solid base for the second octave up to shimmer over to cop convincing pipe organ sounds.The Mooer Pure Octave tracks incredibly well, offers no latency (even when run through a virtual amp\_, and never feels out of pace with the guitarist. All notes open, sustain, and decay naturally without getting flabby or glitchy, and the subtle quirks of each octave combine to be greater than the sum of the individual parts. Limitations The second octave down is deeper than many guitar amplifiers and speakers were meant to handle, so extra care needs to be taken when dialing the pedal in to use the second octave down alone as the featured effect.Complex chords benefit from a slightly lighter touch… extremely aggressive strumming of chords can cause the multi-octave effect to be boomy at the beginning as the bass notes tend to be favored in most strumming styles. Conclusion The Mooer Pure Octave pedal, like all the Mooer Micro line, is well constructed, toneful, and extremely effective at accomplishing what it was designed to do. With the ability to have five octaves playing simultaneously and polyphonically (-2, -1, 0, +1, +2), notes can be either subtly supported or turn into keyboard-spanning chords depending on how it is blended. Although the pedal produces stellar sound by itself, the addition of external modulation can take it even further into the realm of synth and electric organ sounds for guitarists looking to bust out a few keyboard riffs. Resources Mooer Pure Octave at Musician's Friend (MSRP $109.00, Street $98.00) Mooer Pure Octave Product Page -
Afro-Latin Percussion Vol 1 focuses on 'light' Afro-Latin percussion instruments including; multiple shakers, cabasa, guiro, claves, sticks, bells, wood blocks and more... What’s included in the sample pack? 683 24-bit, 100\% royalty-free acoustic percussion loops and single hits arranged into 4 main sections:1. Percussion Loops – Raw 588 authentic Afro-Latin percussion loops and fills, carefully recorded at 126 BPM using a well thought-out selection of high-end microphones and pre-amps. In order to capture the authentic sound, dynamics and energy of Ed’s playing technique, the loops, fills and performances in this folder have been left completely ‘raw’, with only very minor editing and zero post processing 31 cabasa loops 41 clave loops 155 cowbell loops – featuring multiple expressive rhythms and fills from a variety of different percussive bells 49 guiro and cricket loops/fx 65 mixed percussive ensembles – featuring carefully layered performances from multiple sound sources to create expressive rhythmic ensembles and layered loops/fills 16 caxixi loops 36 maraca loops 27 shekere loops shaker loops – featuring a wealth of patterns from 13 different shakers and toys 22 stick loops 24 tambourine loops 9 triangle loops 53 woodblock loops 2. Percussion loops – Time Corrected 456 time-corrected percussion loops - carefully created by editing the ‘raw’ percussion loops and performances The loops in this folder have been specifically created for those producers who require ‘machine tight’ timing in their music. Each loop has been time-corrected by carefully editing and moving individual transients/hits from within the performances 3. Percussion Loops – Rex 515 REX2 loops created from the ‘raw’ percussion loops and performances4. Single Hits & FX 95 one-shot percussion hits and FX samples, recorded completely dry, leaving lots of headroom for post processing 16 clave samples 41 cowbell/bells samples 16 percussive FX samples 7 triangle samples 15 woodblock samples 5 sampler patches/kits in SFZ, Battery, Reason NN-XT and Kontakt formats Price: £27.95 ($45.00) -
Paris, France - September 24, 2013 - Amadeus, based in France, one of the premiere manufacturers of high-end sound reinforcement systems, has announced that their highly-anticipated ML 28 subwoofer is now shipping and available through dealers in Europe and Asia. The ML 28 subwoofer was premiered at the 2013 Musikmesse Prolight + Sound Frankfurt Expo. The new subwoofer, fitted with dual 18-inch speakers, combines a set of unique acoustical properties with high-timbral precision and extraordinary power handling capability. The ML 28 system is designed for use with conventional loudspeakers as well as line array systems manufactured by Amadeus, including the company's PMX, UDX and DIVA Series, and includes standard presets that are compatible with all well-known digital crossovers. Pricing on the new ML 28 subwoofer for Europe is € 3999.00 (VAT excluded). One of the most stunning innovations for the new Amadeus ML 28 subwoofer is the proprietary internal reinforcement structure designed to neutralize any standing waves and to suppress energy loss caused by vibrations. This unique construction technique creates an unmatched tonal accuracy for low frequencies, even at high sound pressure levels. Engineers at Amadeus worked to compute these detailed and important internal physical characteristics, then built prototypes and tested them, then refined the structure until their sonic expectations were met. Initially designed for the Chinese market, Gaetan BYK, Marketing Manager at Amadeus, describes the genesis of the ML 28: "The Amadeus brand philosophy is built on the long-standing, close and productive relationships we maintain with our customers, both in France and around the world for over 35 years. The custom-made products manufacturing, following acoustical or technical issues as well as market demands, is a glorious tradition at Amadeus, which serves this philosophy. Originally designed for the Chinese market, the new ML 28 is the concrete expression of this ethos." Wymen WONG, CEO of Sign King Limited, which was appointed exclusive distributor of Amadeus brand in Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China, adds: "The rapidly growing professional A/V equipment market aimed at rental companies and entertainment infrastructures in China, including sporting and leisure sites, live music clubs, performing arts centers and various nightlife venues, required us to propose more and more sophisticated, consistent and efficient technical solutions. We needed to provide our customers with a dual 18-inch speaker subwoofer, combining unmatched sonic properties, cutting-edge technology with hand-craftsmanship to make it unique. Charmed by the Amadeus history, values and savoir-faire and maintaining very close relationships with their teams, it seemed natural to ask them to develop this new subwoofer project for our market, which is going to be successful." As a dual speaker enclosure, the ML 28 is equipped with two 18-inch (46 cm) high-power transducers with ventilated voice coils, including high-density neodymium magnets and Double Silicon Spider (DSS) to improve excursion control and linearity. The two drivers are positioned in direct-radiating mode. The ML 28 is also equipped with low-velocity laminar ports using progressive termination, which optimize the air streams to limit the effects of port compression and extremity diffraction. The ML 28 offers an extraordinary sound pressure level of up to 141 dB with a power handling capacity of 5.600 W at nominal 4-ohm impedance. Revealing a proprietary manufacturing technique, applied to ML 28, Bernard BYK, co-founder of Amadeus and CEO of Atelier 33, the parent company of the Amadeus brand, explains: "This unique construction technique, resulting from a unique marriage of traditional craftsmanship and advanced technology, creates, among other things, a dramatic cut in the level of cabinet coloration of the sound using a longitudinal and transverse reinforcement crossed structure. It is partly inspired by the internal technicality of our custom studio monitoring systems, which result from processes borrowed from the aircraft industry and in particular the construction of the airplane wings." Michel DELUC, lead designer at Amadeus, adds more detail about this construction method, "It has been designed to neutralize the standing waves affecting both the sonic clarity and definition of the lowest frequencies. We achieve this through an extremely complex internal reinforcement structure, using a combination of interlocking panels arranged in two perpendicular planes, each hosting several tuned notch resonators." Designed to be used on the road for live events fitted with accessories to make its handling easier, the ML 28 subwoofer can also be used within fixed or long-lasting installations for amazing low-end audio reinforcement. The subwoofer is available in a highly wear resistant black (water-soluble) paint finish, but is also available in several standard colors. Or the ML 28 can be ordered in a 'made to measure' finish, based on registered or non-registered colors and/or materials. To offer more possibilities, the cabinet and the acoustical fabric covering the front grill can each have a different color.
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Two discrete analog circuits open up a world of vintage synth tones for guitar players. By Chris Loeffler Analog synthesizers have flourished and helped shape modern music since the op-amp circuits of the 60's brought funky, futuristic sounds to keyboard players and marked a clear move toward "electricizing" music. Guitar players got in on the fun in the early 70's with circuits like EMS's Synthi Hi-Fli, Maestro’s USS-1 Universal Synthesizer, and various releases from Ludwig, Frogg, etc. While these circuits were essentially early analog multi-effects combining distortion, waveform shaping, ring modulation, and filtering, the end result was a remarkably faithful emulation of the spacey sounds keyboards were the sole owners of up to that point. Being limited to monophonic applications and carrying extremely high price tags, these tools tended to be exclusive to the financially affluent player and sonic freaks. Despite notable entries in the category from Roland, Electro-Harmonix, 360, and more, economic challenges, high price-points, and a niche market kept analog guitar synths from gaining a foothold as a "must have" effect, and the rise of digital essentially put the nail in the coffin for all but the biggest enthusiasts through the early 2000's. The last half decade has seen a healthy resurgence in interest in lo-fi and "sound effect" effects, resulting in experimental designers introducing modern-tweaked, more affordable analog synthesizer options to the guitarist. Red Witch Effects of New Zealand is looking to bring those tones, both vintage and futuristic, to the guitar with the Synthotron. The Red Witch Synthotron is a true-bypass, dual channel analog monophonic synthesizer for guitarists featuring sample/hold and envelope filtering with amplitude modulation and dual synthesizing oscillators. Both effects are engaged independently and are conveniently broken up into four rows of control. The pedal is powered by an included 9v, negative tip adaptor. What You Need to Know The Red Box is the first synthesizer "voice" and includes three controls- Octave Toggle (one octave up or original pitch), level, and decay. The octave up, like all the octave divisions in the unit, tracks incredibly well on the neck pickup with the tone rolled down a bit. The tone is more bell-like and chirpy than a traditional Octavia effect and has an overall smoother sound... more effected and less guitar-like. The Level knob controls the output of the synth signal and the Decay controls the fading characteristic of the note, from a gated stutter at the lowest setting to full sustain at the highest.The Orange Box is the second synthesizer "voice" and includes three controls- Octave Toggle (one octave down or two octaves down), level, and decay. One octave down brings smooth, fuzz-like tones with a sheen around it that recalls light ring modulation or even a touch of bit crushing. Two octaves down is even thicker and woollier, with a bit less stability and more wild pitch shifting between notes. The Level and Decay controls function the same way (and with the same effect) as those in the Red BoxThe Light Blue Box controls amplitude modulation (similar to a tremolo pedal) with an On/Off Toggle, Speed control, and Dry control. The depth of the tremolo is set at a rather seasick warble that has the interesting effect of pulling the upper octave in slightly ahead of the lower octaves; a neat piece of sonic trickery that implies pitch modulation without actually doing it. The Dry knob, the only knob not exclusive to the Box it is contained in, allows the blending in of the guitar with the synthesizer to add clarity and stabilize the sound, if that's what's wanted. The Dark Blue Box contains controls the sample/hold and envelope filtering with Velocity and Range controls. In sample/hold mode, the pedal offers a gurgling, step-sequenced filtering that drastically cuts between different filtered frequencies for a hypnotic, seemingly randomly sequenced pattern. The Velocity knob takes the speed of the steps from almost inaudibly fast to a step every 750ms, and there's an internal control to adjust the resonance of the filtering from dark and chewy to bright and shimmery. In Envelope mode, an envelope sensitive filter creates a wah pedal sound that sweeps open and closed based on the strength of the input signal. Dig in hard and the envelope completely opens... gently strum and it will quiver somewhere halfway open. The sweep is a little elastic as it closes on sustained notes, creating slight modulation. The Range control adjusts the frequency of the filter from bassy and thick to trebly and fragile, and an internal control allows for input adjustments to dial in the best signal to hit the filter with based on a given guitar's output signal and the pedal's placement in the chain. Limitations As is the case with any true analog synthesis, the pedal is meant for monophonic applications. Playing multiple notes will create glitchy oscillation that jumps between notes and throws out decidedly unmusical overtones.Powering the effect via a daisy-chain or generic adaptor is highly discouraged. Because the pedal runs on a negative tip adaptor and most daisy-chains and "all use" adaptors are positive tip there is a high likelihood the circuit (or adaptor and everything attached to it) could be fried. Stick to the factory provided adaptor. Like all analog synthesizers for guitar, careful pickup selection and volume/tone knob tweaking yields optimal results. The pedal favors the neck pickup of most guitars and tracks best above the 9th fret. Conclusions The Red Witch Synthotron brings a plethora of vintage synth tones to the guitar player with tight and responsive tracking. With four synthesizer voicing combinations, two distinct filtering options, and amplitude modulation, the pedal opens up sonic territory that leads to vintage Moogs, funky flute synths, and filter-swept square wave electronica pulses. The ability to use the filtering and synthesizers independent from each other only expands on the utility of the pedal for those seeking more "traditional", less effected sounds. Resources Red Witch Synthotron at Musician's Friend (MSRP $489.99, Street $399.99) Red Witch Synthotron Product Page on Red Witch Red Witch Synthotron Overview Video Red Witch Synthotron Synth Function Video Red Witch Synthotron Filter Function Video Red Witch Synthotron Synth w/ Filter Video -
Rupert Musical Instruments, with a little help from Lehle True Sound Technology, aims to address every possible bass application with its toneful, artfully constructed RMI Basswitch IQ DI pedal. By Chris Loeffler While bass players typically have less tone shaping tools at their disposal than pedal-head guitar players, the sheer amount of signal routing and processing flexibility required of them is staggering. That’s the role many bass players fill… leaving the showiness and sonic freak-outs to guitarists so they can focus on solid tone and driving the music. Similarly, the RMI Basswitch IQ DI is more concerned with being solid, toneful, and reliable, from the quality of the components to its understated, elegant design, than it is in flashiness. At its most basic, the RMI Basswitch IQ DI is a preamp, signal router, and DI tool in a floor-based pedal format that runs on 9-20v. The pedal features 4-band EQ, an adjustable A/B switcher, two effects loops with phase inverters, a clean boost, and a DI output to run direct for live or recording. Although the sky is the limit to possible applications given the sheer number of routing options, the Basswitch is most at home as an A/B switcher, a boutique preamp with parametric EQ, an FX looper, a clean boost, and a DI box. What You Need to Know The tone of the Basswitch IQ DI is warm and high fidelity. It doesn’t strive to color the tone or sound like “X” amp… it beefs up the bass and adds harmonic complexity to the input signal. It excels as cleans but has a pleasant tube quality to higher gain applications.The A/B switcher has two applications; the first being connecting two instruments and switching between them and the second being routing a single instrument between the two channels of the pedal. Channel A has an impedance switch to accommodate piezo equipped basses and is routed through the EQ chain. Channel B bypasses the tone stack entirely and goes straight into the preamp.The 4-band EQ includes control over Bass, Low Mid, High Mid, and Treble. The Low (100Hz-500Hz) and High (840Hz-5.4kHz) Mid controls are semi-parametric, featuring a control to select a frequency within the parameters range and a control to adjust the amount of the chosen frequency to be added or cut. This gives an amazing amount of flexibility to players looking to precisely dial their place in the mix or tune around speaker honk or fret buzz.There are two FX loops included, a passive serial loop and a switchable buffered loop that can be run in serial or parallel with the first looper. An included phase inverter switch proves a life (or at least a tone) saver when running murkier analog time-based effects in the second FX loop. Included in the second loop is a built in clean boost, essentially doubling the loop as an effect all in itself.The Basswitch is one of the most beautifully designed and constructed pedals around. There’s nothing flashy about it, but every curve, switch, and knob is so perfectly thought out even the most jaded gear head will be impressed. From the feel and reliability of the foot switches (actuators, technically) to the raised bar sheltering the knobs from accidental shifting by errant feet, it is clear utility and functionality were as important as the quality of tone when this pedal was created. Limitations The foot switches are flat buttons sitting on a spring. There is enough of a gap between the button and the pedal that a stray power cord or the like could keep the button from depressing enough to activate the switch.The pedal doesn’t ship with a power adaptor. Its amazing circuitry can handle anything within the range of 9v-20v and normalizes it to 18v internally, but it is a bit odd a factory adaptor isn’t included. Conclusions The RMI Basswitch IQ DI is a pedal that oozes quality. Like a sleek consumer electronic home stereo piece, the design is entirely about understated elegance and high quality construction. It sounds fantastic and has so many applications, it is easy to see how the designer saw this being the heart of any bass player's rig. Extensive routing and looping options, a top-shelf preamp, tried and true DI, and dual instrument inputs make for excellent control in the heat of the moment, and may just solve the "multiple rig" dilemma. Resources RMI Basswitch IQ DI Product Page (MRSP $799.00, Street $599.00) RMI Basswitch IQ DI US Distributor (DanaBGoods) RMI Basswitch IQ DI Features RMI Basswitch IQ DI Preamp Stand Alone RMI Basswitch IQ DI EQ Walkthrough -
Enhance any gig or show with affordable, professional lighting effects. By Chris Loeffler The American DJ Mega Bar 50RGB RC is a 22” LED lighting bar that features 32 built-in color macros, seven operational modes (Manual, Color Change, Color Fade, Auto, Sound Active, RGB Manual, and DMX-512), is linkable via XLR cable to chain multiple units, and includes a remote control for on the fly operation. The American DJ Micro 3D Laser is small and light, generating more than 200 green and red laser beams with separate patterns, featuring two operational modes (Auto and Sound Active), and includes a remote to change operational settings from a distance. What You Need to Know The ADJ Mega Bar is light but solidly built and able to mount from any numbers of stands or mounting fixtures. The colors are bright and vibrant and allow subtle light enhancement in well-lit situations as well as instantly setting the mood by bathing poorly lit rooms in rich hues. Serious lighting effects users can connect the Mega Bar to a DMX controller for comprehensive, integrated control of the lights as a part of their entire lighting effects system. Even without DMX control, the Mega Bar offers several options for changing the colors (via sound or via a preset speed) and settings. Especially useful for performers and bands is the ability to chain several together via XLR cables and assign one as the master, creating a consistent lighting experience. In a live performance setting with a band, the Mega Bar works equally effectively (if to different ends) when pointed toward the audience or at the band. Pointed into the audience, it sets a subtler tone that can be enjoyed by both the band and the audience; pointing the bars at the band creates a stronger visual change for the audience members (based on post-show interviews). The ability to set a single color (or slow fade) for a song allows for more marked tonal changes between songs, whereas when songs start to groove the sound activated mode throws a great variety of color washes to the beat of the drum. Even greater diversity can be found with multiple bars in sound mode not chained to one another, as different portions of the room get different colors. The ADJ Micro 3D, weighing only two pounds and smaller than a lunch box, is as easy and intuitive to operate as it is rugged and ready for travel. Four buttons (via the unit or the included remote) control Sound Activated or Auto, Black Out or On, Red, Green, or Both, and Rotation settings. The red lasers create simple grids that contract and expand as they rotate, while the green lasers form a series of overlapping circles that rotate in the same direction. Whether projected on a wall or into a dance floor, the laser benefit from the added trippiness of the stray reflections thrown from reflective surfaces in the room. When only the red lasers are engaged, the lighting effect is subtle and not too busy. In a dark room the dots lazily bounce around without overwhelming. The green laser, by contrast, throws light beams all over with a busy gyration that can’t help but be noticed. There is a hypnotic effect to the lopsided way the two patterns collide into and then explode away from each other when both are engaged. As one would imagine, adding a hazing or smoke machine to the room creates hundreds of beams of 3D light that sparkle and dance above the crowd that always draws a few “oohs”. Limitations For all the variety of the various settings, it would have been nice to allow the Sound Active mode in the Mega Bar to be used for fades or preset color patterns as well. While the quick transition between colors, synced to the music, is effective and appropriate for energetic songs there isn’t the ability to have softer color transitions for slower beats.Due to its price range limitations, the ADJ Micro 3D has only has one pattern for each color (with adjustable speed and rotation). Long shows or sets would see more use tom the Micro 3D if there were a couple more patterns to draw from. Conclusions Lighting effects can serve so much more than the insane arena rock explosions of Pink Floyd or Rave House meltdowns... they can inject additional feeling and mood to a performance without being in your face. The operational options of the ADJ Mega Bar 50RGB LED Bar is equally well suited for soft transitions to accompany quieter singer-songwriter performances and flashy, strobe-like color bursts to highlight the most inspired Acid Jazz freakout jams. The ADJ Micro 3D Laser, while certainly less subtle, serves equally well as the build and the release of dramatic passages. Together, an entire show's worth of variety is available to performing artists at less than the price of a good live microphone; which one do you think the audience will most notice? Resources American DJ Mega Bar 50RGB on Musician's Friend (MSRP $259.99, Street $149.99) American DJ Micro 3D Laser on Musician's Friend (MSRP $139.99, Street $99.99) American DJ Mega Bar 50RGB Official Page American DJ Micro 3D Laser Official Page American DJ Mega Bar 50 LED Video American DJ Micro 3D Laser Video -
Montclair, NJ (August 20, 2013) – The Martin Ukulele is a detailed look at the ukuleles built by the C. F. Martin Co. of Nazareth, PA, and at how the instruments' success forever changed the company that made them. Martin's ukulele making led the small, respected builder of fine guitars and mandolins into an era of unprecedented growth in the 1920s and helped it become one of the most notable manufacturers of high-quality guitars in the world. As the C. F. Martin and Co. celebrates its 180th anniversary this October, this new book illustrates the fascinating story of the company and the ukulele during this time span. Drawing heavily from the extensive archives at the Martin factory, the authors examine the company and its development, featuring production records, sales ledgers, and a vast collection of correspondence as well as hundreds of photos, including pictures of many of the rarest ukuleles the company produced. Extensive additional imagery chronicles the history of the popularity of the ukulele itself. The book is both a narrative about Martin's ukulele manufacturing history and a reference work detailing the numbers of each style of ukulele ever made by the company. It is an exploration from Martin's first attempt at production in 1907, through the peaks of ukulele popularity in the 1920s and the 1950s, to the disinterest that caused Martin to cease ukulele production in the 1990s, and up to the recent resurgence that has allowed the firm to again offer a wide assortment of new models. The preface of the book is the heart-warming story of how collecting ukuleles influenced and shaped the life of Tom Walsh, who met his wife as well as his best friend and co-author John King through his passion for this amazing instrument. About the authors Tom Walsh has done extensive research on the history of the ukulele, from its development in Hawaii to its periods of popularity on the mainland. He is a co-founder and board member of the non-profit Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum, and he has been featured on radio and television programs involving ukulele history. The late John King was widely acknowledged as one of the modern masters of the ukulele. King recorded two CDs and also wrote two ukulele instructional books. He was also a dedicated ukulele historian, writing many articles about the development of the ukulele, contributing to the Hawaiian Journal of History, and coauthoring The Ukulele: A History, the first scholarly study of the instrument.
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The Magnetic Effects White Atom provides a broad palette of vintage fuzz tones with modern design appointments that address the limitations and quirks of traditional fuzz circuits. By Chris Loeffler From the humble beginnings of a simple circuit path meant to capture the sound of an overdriven and torn speaker, fuzz has evolved to one of the most nuanced and divisive of tone effects available to guitarists. Covering sonic ground as diverse as classic raspy distortion, liquid violin-like leads, square wave lo-fi synths, and woofy walls of distortion, there are as many uses and applications for fuzz as there are players using them. Magnetic Effects out of the UK built the Magnetic Effects White Atom Fuzz to provide players with classic fuzz sounds with modern tone sculpting options. Powered by a 9v battery or adaptor, the Magnetic Effects White Atom offers a versatile array of fuzz tones that cover almost any fuzz tone imaginable with it’s Volume, Texture, Tone, and Gain controls. The pedal uses a selected combination of silicon and Germanium transistors to create the fuzz tone and features true bypass and features a high input/low output impedance for flexible signal chain placement. What You Need To Know The Volume and Gain knobs cover a wide range, allowing for roaring, saturated fuzz at volumes way below unity volume or transparent clean boosts with enough output to push any preamp into breakup. With the gain all the way down, there isn’t even a hint of hair and most players would be hard pressed to realize it was even on. At about 9:00 a subtle, class-A style amp breakup happens with single coils and from there until about noon the fuzz takes on an increasingly saturated amp sound until reaching full blown fuzz anywhere beyond.The Tone knob runs a comfortable EQ sweep from dark without being muddy to treble focused and sharp. The Texture control offers the ability to starve the circuit and produces a variety of textures and saturation in the fuzz effect. When it turned all the way up the Texture knob creates a fuzz tone that is tight, focused, and brassy. As the Texture knob is rolled down the fuzz begins to loosen up, become less focused, and more ambient textures of fuzz emerge. Below noon, the knob takes it into spity, heavily gated territory with a distinct lofi, almost bit crushed edge.Magnetic Effects designed the White Atom to have a high impedance input and a low impedance output. This effectively removes the traditional limitation of fuzzes reliance of being as close to the original pickup output as possible and allows for placement anywhere in the signal chain (like after the wah) without noticeable tonal changes. The pairing the silicon and Germanium transistors yields much more consistent tones that don’t fluxuate excessively in extreme temperature conditions or varying power sources. Limitations As far a fuzz tones go, one area the White Atom doesn’t tread in is the smoother, violin-like sustained lead tones. The openness of the fuzz tone doesn’t allow for that level of compression and focus. Conclusions The Magnetic Effects White Atom Fuzz offers a diverse array of classic fuzz tones (and some fun, lofi quirks) without the limitation and baggage of most vintage fuzzes and a lot more stability. Dialing in the exact fuzz tone desired is surprisingly simple to do, and the texture knob ensures players are able to fine tune the characteristics of the fuzz to their setup’s needs. Resources Magnetic Effects White Atom Fuzz Product Page (MSRP £95) Magnetic Effects White Atom Fuzz Product Manual Magnetic Effect White Atom Fuzz Videos -
The Schecter Hellraiser C-7 marries elegant design, high-end construction and premium hardware to create an affordable, professional quality seven string electric guitar. By Chris Loeffler As modern music (Rock, in particular) has trended toward the bass frequencies and “slow and low” has enjoyed sustained growth and popularity, many guitarists are looking to go further than a simple dropped tuning will allow. Ten years ago, purchasing a seven-string guitar often meant either settling for a guitar of inferior quality or ponying up big bucks for a custom guitar. The increased demand for these instruments has only recently allowed companies to build seven-string guitars as affordable and high-quality as their classic six-string counterparts. Enter the Schecter Hellraiser C-7 seven-string guitar. The Schecter Hellraiser C-7, available in Black Cherry, Gloss White, and Gloss Black, features Schecter locking tuners, Gothic Cross inlays in the rosewood fingerboard on a 3-piece mahogany neck, and EMG Active 707TWs with a TonePros Thru Body bridge and tailpiece on a mahogany body (quilted maple top is used on the Black Cherry option). What You Need to Know Like all Schecter guitars, the Hellraiser C-7 is set up and tuned before it leaves the Schecter building, making the initial unboxing all the more enjoyable knowing the guitar is set up and ready to play as soon as it is opened. The hardware all feels solid and the 3-piece mahogany set-neck is flawlessly attached to the body. Inlays and hardware are seamlessly flush with the body. The EMG-707TW pickups provide the modern clarity and aggression of traditional EMG active pickups but are specially designed to capture and project the sound of all seven strings without getting muddy or distorted. The pickups feature three coils, allowing the player to select choose between humbucker and single coil tones via a push-pull knob. Of particular note is the clarity and strength of the low B string. In addition to providing the beefy modern tone most players of 7-string guitars are looking for, the single coil split option adds a whole other level of flexibility and allows this very modern looking guitar to capture some very classic jazz tones. The general tone is sparkling clean but aggressive. The combination of the through-body TonePros TOM bridge and Graph Tech Black TUSQ XL graphite nut allows for copious sustain and rich harmonic content across the entire fretboard. The extended 26.5” scale slightly increases the tension, allowing the low B to ring through even then most distorted amps. Limitations Fret access can get a bit tight after the 20th fret, making traversing the freeboard on the 24th fret a bit crowded for players with big hands. The addition of the low B string makes adjusting the setup a bit trickier if a player wants to drop the action extremely low. Conclusions The Schecter Hellraiser C-7 is a well-crafted, flawlessly constructed guitar that addresses every potential flaw found in the 7-string guitars of days past. The appointments are elegant and feel up to the rigors of the road, and the neck feels extremely comfortable in all but the highest frets. The versatility introduced by the humbucking/single coil push/pull knob opens up tonal opportunities not typically offered in 7-string guitars without sacrificing the beefy, clear tone expected of its ilk. Resources Musician's Friend Schecter Hellraiser C-7 catalog page ($1,199.00 MSRP, $849.00 "street") Schecter Hellraiser C-7 Webpage
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Danish effect manufacturer T-Rex Effects, in partnership with Guitar Center’s Director of Merchandise, Barry Mitchell, announce the new co-developed Magnus boutique tone board available exclusively at Guitar Center stores, Guitar Center online www.guitarcenter.com and Musicians Friend online www.musiciansfriend.com. This new pedal will be available for purchase on July 26th, 2013. Magnus represents a completely new format for the discerning pedal enthusiast who doesn't want to sacrifice portability for flexibility, and most importantly will not settle for sterile, uninspired tone. Magnus is a collection of five custom designed boutique effect boxes combined in a sleek, intuitive tone board. Classic T-Rex Overdrive, Distortion, Delay, Reverb, and Boost effects are combined with a built in tuner and other features including two modes of operation: Live and Preset. In Live mode, Magnus lets you switch individual effects on and off and adjust them while you play, as if they were separate Boutique pedals. In Preset mode, you can program up to 10 preset combinations of Magnus' five effects, and then quickly call up entire sonic realms on the fly by clicking a single footswitch, without switching individual pedals on/off. Street Price: $399.99 The new Magnus pedal is featured in the Guitar Center August 2013 buyers guide and Musicians Friend August 2013 catalog. For Magnus videos, please click here: Based in Vejle, Denmark, T-Rex Engineering makes classic and signature effect pedals for the world’s best musicians. Our approach blends hi-tech innovation with old-world craftsmanship – always in the service of killer tone. T-Rex Effects are distributed in the USA by Musiquip, a marketing and distribution company dedicated to delivering products, services, and support to the MI and Pro Audio industries in the United States. In addition to T-Rex, Musiquip is the exclusive U.S. distributor of Tanglewood Guitar Company UK, AER amplifiers, Ashdown Engineering, Hayden amplifiers, Crush Drums & Percussion, Proel audio products, and Hiscox cases. Guitar Center is the world’s largest retailer of guitars, amplifiers, effects pedals, drums, keyboards, recording, live sound, DJ and lighting equipment. Their retail store subsidiary presently operates 249 Guitar Center stores across the U.S. They are also the largest direct response retailer of musical instruments in the United States through their wholly owned subsidiary, Musician's Friend, Inc., and its catalog and website, www.musiciansfriend.com. In addition, their Music & Arts division operates more than 100 stores specializing in band instruments for sale and rental, serving teachers, band directors, college professors and students. More information on Guitar Center can be found by visiting the company's website at www.guitarcenter.com. For additional product information or images please contact: erik.lind@musiquip.com 1-866-832-8679 www.t-rex-effects.com
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A modern take on a classic tremolo that offers cleaner, fuller tone, increased headroom and additional control without sacrificing the vintage vibe By Chris Loeffler In the pantheon of tremolo effects, one of the most unique circuits is the Vox Repeat Percussion, who’s hypnotic, lopsided throb separates it from the herd of more standard, symmetrical tremolos of yesterday and today. Of course, as with many vintage effects, the limitations and relative newness of effects design at the time means the original units offer much less control (just an on/off switch and rate!), added noise, and an inconvenient design that requires guitar players to plug the effect directly into their guitar jack. The Mangetic Effects Electrochop Tremolo takes the classic, asymmetrical throb of the original Vox Repeat Percussion and surrounds it with a silent, high headroom analog signal path while adding control over the volume and depth of the effect and increasing the speed range dramatically. The control setup includes Volume, Depth, Speed, and a Rate switch to dramatically adjust the range of the Speed knob. True-bypass switching garauntees the original tone is unaffected when the pedal isn’t engaged, and it runs on 9V DC (via battery or adaptor). What You Need to Know With both single coil and humbucking pickups unity gain lies between 10 o’clock and 11 o’clock on the Volume knob. No signal passed through when the knob is completely counter-clockwise, by noon there is a healthy volume boost (a desirable feature as amplitude modulation is often perceived as creating a volume drop), and fully clockwise the Volume control yields as much output as most dedicated booster pedals.The pedal is transparent and sonically invisible when it is engaged at unity volume and the Depth knob is turned all the way down. Up until about 10 o’clock the Depth control yields almost no perceivable amplitude modulation, and it is more felt than heard. From there until about 2 o’clock the LFO modulation gradually increases and the loping stutter becomes more pronounced and less rounded. The final third of the sweep of the knob brings the LFO to a synth-like square wave as the volume rhythmically steps up and down. At the lowest setting on the Speed control, the LFO takes almost four seconds to run a single cycle. Turned to the highest settings, the LFO cycles so quickly the modulation isn’t audible and the signal takes on a bit-crushed or ring modulated tone, providing many possibilities for lo-fi or unorthodox tones. The sweep of the Speed knob is dictated by the rate switch which, depending whether it is up or down, increases or decreases the speed by a factor of about four. Limitations The LFO waveform, the very reason for the unique sound and feel of the Magnetic Effects Electrochop Tremolo, doesn’t allow for traditional symmetrical pulses most pedal and amp tremolo effects provide, making this a great option for people looking for a unique sound but limiting to those looking for the generic tremolo effect.Unlike many modern tremolos released in the last few years, the Electrochop doesn’t have its LED indicator light synched to blink with the LFO, it is simply a standard on-off indicator. Conclusions Magnetic Effects’ Electrochop Tremolo perfectly achieves the goal of modernizing and in every improving upon the Vox Repeat Percussion classic tremolo effect without sacrificing any of the tone or quirks that make the effect so sought after. The pedal is silent and every control allows extreme settings that ensure a player will never need more or less range than is available. The galloping wave of the volume rising and falling is truly mesmerizing and begs to be heard in modern recordings. Resources Magnetic Effects Electrochop Tremolo Product Page (£89.00 + Shipping) -
The Schecter Damien Platinum 6 FR-S pulls out all the stops to provide one of the most versatile modern-sounding guitars. By Chris Loeffler In an industry dominated by a handful of classic guitar body styles and traditional appointments, guitar players looking for something modern or different often find themselves having to customize and modify their guitars or compromise on quality or functionality in a new guitar to get the features they want. Schecter’s Damien Platinum 6 FR-S aims to do away with all that with a single model that gives players a world of classic and modern features and tones in a high-quality package. The Schecter Damien Platinum 6 FR-S’s foundation begins with the philosophy and style of the standard edition Damien Platinum 6, featuring satin chrome Grover Rotomatic tuners with an 18:1 gear ratio, a rosewood fretboard over a set-neck three piece maple 24 jumbo fret neck inlayed with platinum bats, and a satin black mahogany body with EMG active pickups and platinum multi-ply bindings throughout. Building on this modern classic, Schecter has added features and functions that dramatically expand on the sonic territory the guitar can cover, including the addition of a Floyd Rose Special bridge, a locked down nut for increased tuning protection, and a Sustainiac pickup in the neck position for infinite silky sustain and harmonic feedback. What You Need to Know A Schecter tradition, the guitar ships perfectly set up and in tune, which is both a testament to Schecter’s quality control and allows the player the immediate gratification of opening the box , plugging the guitar in to play. The craftsmanship of the decidedly modern but elegant design is evident in the quality and solid feel of all the hardware and appointments, with everything switching and turning solidly. The bridge EMG Active 81 pickup provides crisp, clear output that is full range and high-fidelity, allowing details lost in more severely colored passive pickups to shine and additional harmonic content for overdriven amps or gain effects to latch on to. Despite the clarity and fidelity of the pickup, the tone is nicely rounded and natural, making the Damien sound as good clean as it does when feeding an overdriven amp. The neck Sustainiac pickup provides ample beefy humbucker tones with the sustain switch disengaged, and infinite sustain and harmonic enhancement when engaged. In standard Sustain mode, the pickup magnet vibrates the strings, allowing single or polyphonic bowed instrument-like swells and allowing an excellent recreation of the beginning stages of feedback sustain when standing in front of a loud amp. In Harmonic mode, the ghost harmonics swell up as notes sustain, creating the aggressive sensation of a cranked amp throttling a hot signal and providing intense harmonic octave feedback. In Mix mode, the swelled notes and the upper octave harmonics swell forward simultaneously, enabling sustain and harmonic possibilities at any volume and through any setup otherwise unattainable outside of a high gain, high volume setting. With so much sustain and complex harmonic overtones being put out by the pickups, it only makes sense Schecter would include a Floyd Rose Special Series with locking nut to take those sonic effects even further and provide the classic pitch shifting controlled vibrato embraced by metal and modern rock. The tremolo arm sits comfortably accessible without being in the way when not in use and allows for sweeping bends that travel smoothly up and down. Limitations The Sustainiac, by virtue of its functionality and design, sounds best when played into an amp with some sort of overdrive or distortion already happening. The extra harmonic content creates intermodulated distortion, especially when in mixed mode, that is noticeable in high volume clean tones.Although the locked nut is essential to maintaining tuning while using the Floyd Rose Special, it makes on the fly tuning in live settings a bit more burdensome. Fortunately, the locked nut allows the guitar to go much longer without needing tuning adjustments. Having the nut lock tool out of reach is pretty much out of the question for extended sets or frequent tuning changes.The zinc sustain block works well and shouldn’t provide any immediate issues, but the softer metal has the potential to wear over time with heavier gauge strings and extensive play. Conclusions The Schecter Damien Platinum 6 FR-S possesses an insane amount of sonic options for the modern player looking to explore the heavier side of music and sonic wizardry without abandoning the classic aesthetics typical of guitars, or at the cost of quality for those more standard, mellow tones. The quality of the construction and hardware and sonic versatility make this a pro guitar for those looking to push boundaries and who want to look good while doing it. Resources Musician's Friend Schecter Damien 6 FR-S catalog page (MSRP $1,069.00, $749.00 "street") Schecter’s Damien Platinum 6 FR-S web page Schecter Damien Platinum 6 NAMM video: -
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