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GOING PLACES GREAT GEAR NEWS & REVIEWS FOR MUSICIANS T T T T ECH ECH ECH ECH T E C H FREE JUN-JUL’11 Reviews on... GEAR & INDUSTRY NEWS GEAR & INDUSTRY NEWS TUTORIALS by KURT SLABBERT & JON PIKE ALISTAIR ANDREWS| ALAN RATCLIFFE | KURT SLABBERT & JON PIKE ALISTAIR ANDREWS| ALAN RATCLIFFE | www.yamahaproaudio.co.za Roland GR-55 Roland GR-55 Guitar Synthesizer Guitar Synthesizer Beyerdynamic Hardwire Stereo Phaser Samson Meteor USB Mic TC Electronic Toneprint Pedals Beyerdynamic Hardwire Stereo Phaser Samson Meteor USB Mic TC Electronic Toneprint Pedals YAMAHA’s YAMAHA’s Grand New Showroom Grand New Showroom WWW.MUSEONLINE.CO.ZA BTG V71d Dynamic Vocal mic BTG V71d Dynamic Vocal mic

Musetech Jun/Jul '11

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Gear news and reviiews featuring: Yamaha's Grand new showroom, Roland Gr-55, Beyerdynamic BTG V71d, Hardwire Stereo Phaser, Samson Meteor Mic, TC Electronic Toneprint Pedals and more

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Page 1: Musetech Jun/Jul '11

GOING PLACES

G R E AT G E A R N E W S & R E V I E W S F O R M U S I C I A N S

TTTT E C HE C HE C HE C HTT EE CC HH

FREEJUN-JUL’11

Reviews on...

GEAR & INDUSTRY NEWS GEAR & INDUSTRY NEWS GEAR & INDUSTRY NEWS TUTORIALS by

KURT SLABBERT & JON PIKEALISTAIR ANDREWS|ALAN RATCLIFFE |

KURT SLABBERT & JON PIKEALISTAIR ANDREWS|ALAN RATCLIFFE |

www.yamahaproaudio.co.za

Roland GR-55Roland GR-55Roland GR-55Guitar SynthesizerGuitar Synthesizer

Beyerdynamic

Hardwire Stereo PhaserSamson Meteor USB MicTC Electronic Toneprint Pedals

BeyerdynamicBeyerdynamic

Hardwire Stereo PhaserHardwire Stereo PhaserSamson Meteor USB MicTC Electronic Toneprint PedalsTC Electronic Toneprint Pedals

YAMAHA’sYAMAHA’s YAMAHA’s Grand New ShowroomGrand New ShowroomGrand New Showroom

WWW.MUSEONLINE.CO.ZA

BTG V71d Dynamic Vocal micBTG V71d Dynamic Vocal mic

Page 3: Musetech Jun/Jul '11

JUN/JUL ‘11

muse | three

EDITION 15CONTENTSJoin our

newsletter...

tech34589101214162021242628303234 363738

Proud Supporters of SA Music! Simply email the word :

‘join’ to [email protected]

EDITOR’S NOTE

O

Editors Note and IndexCover Feature: World of YamahaCover Feature: World of YamahaGear NewsGear newsInstrument Review: Beyerdynamic TG V71DTC Electronic's Toneprint PedalsHardWire SP-7 Stereo PhaserInstrument Review: Samson Meteor USB MicrophoneInstrument Review: Roland GR-55 Guitar SynthesizerInstrument Review: Roland GR-55 Guitar SynthesizerIndustry Feature: Emendy Installs AvidAcademy of Sound Graduation CeremonyMediatechGuitar Maintenance with Alan RatcliffePlay Better Bass with Alistair AndrewsPlay Better Bass with Alistair AndrewsPlay Better Guitar with Kurt Slabbert Play Better Guitar with Kurt Slabbert Your Private Universe with Jon Pike

ne word. Mediatech. Attend if you can. This year’s Mediatech Exhibition is shaping up to be a grand affair and if you are involved in music in any way at all – from bedroom DJ to aspiring guitarist, a professional maybe or a local band playing the circuit – you should make an effort to attend if you can. With many top companies displaying their products and services, plus workshops and networking, this is an important place to be in July. On page 28 you will find a FREE ticket to the event so this makes it even more appealing to attend.

Yamaha has recently opened their brand new showroom and I was fortunate to get the grand tour. It is quite a sight to behold from the interesting, bold architecture to the flawless interiors, café, auditorium and of course all Yamaha products under one roof. Sergio visited them too and gives us the lowdown as our cover feature.

Reviews by Alan, Kurt, Nic and Mat take us through some interesting gear both for live performance and studio use. Then we also have quite a bit of industry news this month with Academy of Sound’s graduation, Midi Music decking out Emendy College with Avid gear and the aforementioned Mediatech which I, once again, urge you to attend if you can.

Finally towards the centre of the mag you’ll find the usual high standard of cool tutorials to push those creative boundaries. Speaking of gear don’t forget to keep an eye on the Muse website for daily tech news of new products, videos and other cool stuff. Find us @ www.museonline.co.za.

Dave Mac

Page 4: Musetech Jun/Jul '11

muse | four

FEATURE By Sergio Pereira

P

World of Yamaha

restige. Excellence. High- stronger marketplace presence. consists of: a luxurious, spacious tech. Unique. These are “There is now a lot of synergy with showroom with built-in sound systems j u s t s o m e o f t h e the service departments, and, in terms (which can be controlled remotely via superlatives that come to of sales and marketing, we’re all under an iPad); a retail outlet for Yamaha mind when trying to one roof. I t makes [ in terna l ] branded clothing and accessories; a a c c u r a t e l y d e s c r i b e communication much easier, and, middle section coffee bar that can cater B i d v e s t ’ s Wo r l d o f logistically, it has been quite an for 100-700 guests; a full industrial Yamaha, the newest advantage for us.” sized kitchen; specifically designed s h o w r o o m f o r t h e From a customer perspective, sound rooms for product testings; and

Japanese powerhouse brand Yamaha. Hardy-Brown believes that this building a state of the art auditorium/theatre for In what is not just a first for South opens up the doors to a bigger and approximately 200 people, which has

Africa, but also the world, Yamaha have broader product range, as well as the already been christened by one of put all their product lines under one esteemed and celebrated Yamaha South Africa’s favourite rock bands, extraordinary roof for your browsing lifestyle or culture. “It’ll create a higher Prime Circle. convenience. No longer do you need to demand for the Yamaha brand per se Music fans are undoubtedly licking visit individual product stores because [not just the individual product lines]. their lips at the possibility of more live you can now look around for all your We’ve already received a positive events and functions in the future, and musical instruments, audio visual reaction, and hopefully it continues to Hardy-Brown confirms that many more e q u i p m e n t , p o w e r p r o d u c t s , create a bigger demand [for the will be hosted in this professionally motorbikes and intelligent machinery brand].” lighted, pitch-perfect theatre. “It’ll be [a] requirements in just one sole location. very regular [occurrence]. We have

planned for it to be a commercial theatre, which is also rentable, so, we’re Viewable from the M1 highway going to be having quite a few events Yamaha Music CEO, Mike Hardy- (actually, it’s rather unmissable) and and we are looking to feature a lot of Brown, explains that the move was an just a few minutes away from the bands and artists. The theatre will also expensive and ambitious exercise, but business hub of Sandton, the be used for our internal launch events. a sound long-term investment, as it will extraordinary building is a marvel to For example, if we’re launching a unquestionably assist in brand strength behold, as the massive structure motorbike or new piano or Clavinova, and brand building by putting all their encompasses Yamaha’s core values of it’s going to be used for that, as well.”divisions and franchises together; being first-class, modern and ahead of

therefore, also giving Yamaha a the pack in its striking appearance. It

Live shows and eventsAll for one, and one for all

Page 5: Musetech Jun/Jul '11

muse | five

FEATURE “This is a first for South Africa and the world.

There's nothing else like it…”Show and tell

Revolutionary

There is hardly anything more frustrating than walking into a showroom and not being able to find an in-house specialist who can answer all your relevant questions and product queries – especially when you are looking to part with some hard earned moolah.

However, valuing the “knowledge is power” ethos and offering nothing but the best in customer service, Yamaha’s in-house music specialist is a true master of his craft, who is more than capable of answering all your questions and perhaps teach you a thing or two. “On the music side, we have a qualified classical pianist, who took part in various Japanese competitions, and is very knowledgeable on piano, synthesisers, keyboards and instruments right across the board. He is really a specialist in his field,” Hardy-Brown declares.

Looking around the music section, it’s certain to become a little piece of heaven for musicians, hobbyists, collectors and occasional jammers, as it showcases the “Rolls Royce” of guitars, pianos, drums and other instruments.

Apart from the retail store on the premises, which sells official Yamaha branded clothing and accessories (the store also has the official bike of multiple MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi on display; just for all you racing and bike enthusiasts), the showroom does not sell directly to the public. Hardy-Brown explains how the showroom works and what the process would be if you wanted to purchase a product.

“Firstly, we run the customer through all the features and functions of the product, explain the significance of the brand, and then link them with one of the retail outlets in the customer’s area. So, for example, if someone comes in from Limpopo, we’d put him/her in touch with one of our dealers up there, finalise the deal telephonically, and then leave it up to the customer to decide if he/she wants to pay here or there.”

In other words, Bidvest’s World of Yamaha is a sophisticated showroom and not a walk-in, buy off the floor retail outlet – so, don’t go there and plan on buying guitar strings or something…

In this day and age, the word “revolutionary” gets thrown around quite a bit, but there really is no other way to describe Bidvest’s World of Yamaha.

“This building is really unique, and can’t be replicated anywhere else in the world. We’re the only agents [worldwide] that have everything that Yamaha manufactures – from motorbikes to boats to grand pianos to audio systems to even robotics. This is a first for South Africa and the world. There’s nothing else like it,” Hardy-Brown concludes.

Without a doubt, Bidvest’s World of Yamaha will change the way in which you look at other showrooms in the future – it’s simply not about glass panels and shiny showroom floors anymore; it’s about the entire experience… The Yamaha experience.

Remember, Bidvest’s World of Yamaha is a high class showroom, not a retail outlet.

Bidvest’s World of Yamaha19 Eastern Service Road | Eastgate | Marlboro |

Johannesburg | Tel: 011 259-7700www.yamaha.co.za

Page 8: Musetech Jun/Jul '11

muse | eight

GEAR & INDUSTRY NEWS For daily gear, instrument and industry news visit museonline.co.za

Wild and Marr's JBL Vertec Workshop

Samson Releases Q2U Microphone Recording Pack

Taylor Guitars Announces new Limited Edition Signature Series Serj Tankian T5 Model

Samson Technologies has released the Q2U Microphone Recording Pack with HP20 headphones. Samson designed the Q2U as a quality microphone to meet all live sound and digital audio recording needs. A dynamic handheld microphone, the Q2U features both an XLR output and a USB I/O allowing it to be plugged directly into a live sound console or any computer with a USB input. The microphone’s on/off switch controls the XLR output, allowing anyone to perform in a live setting and record to a nearby computer or laptop. The Q2U also features a built-in 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack output with volume control for no-latency monitoring during recording. Plus, a cardioid pickup pattern and a quality A/D converter with a 16 bit, 48 kHz sampling rate.Distributor: Audiosure | 011 790-4600 | 021 555-1617 | 031 569-9260 | 051 430-4455 | www.audiosure.co.za

One of rock’s most compelling frontmen, Serj Tankian helped propel the band System of a Down to multi-platinum success from the late ’90s through 2006. The band’s exotic musical influences, which drew in part from the members’ shared Armenian-American heritage, filtered into their hardcore/thrash metal/avant-progressive rock sensibilities. Their resulting sound was fiercely original, marked by dynamic mood shifts that juxtaposed ethereal melodies with pummelling speed riffs. Together with Serj’s socially conscious lyrics and soaring vocals, System’s mix of tension and release connected deeply with listeners and earned widespread critical acclaim. The band’s five studio records have sold more than 16 million copies, and their prodigious artistic output peaked with the double studio releases Mesmerize and, later, Hypnotize in 2005, making them the first rock act in chart history to debut two No. 1 new studio albums in a calendar year.Distributed by Marshall Music | South: 011 435-1631 Woodmead: 011 804-1362 | Cape Town: 021 426-6325 Midlands: 033 347-2553 | Hillcrest: 031 765-8450www.marshallmusic.com

Wild and Marr’s first and official 3 day JBL Vertec training course took place in the second week of May in conjunction with the opening of their new in-house training room in Johannesburg. Alex Sanfilippo, one of SA’s best system engineers and a true Harman ambassador, compiled a unique South African, JBL Technical Vertec syllabus. The syllabus is made up of three modules of which module 1, ‘JBL Vertec User Fundamentals’ is currently being taught. The aim of the course is twofold. That is to enhance and empower current and potential Vertec system owners, users and engineers and to maximize and optimize deployment of the JBL Vertec Touring Line Array Loudspeaker System. The attendees were enthusiastic from the start of the course and by the third day were impressed with the benefits and knowledge the workshop was able to provide.Wild & Marr | 011 974-0633 | 021 787-9378 | 031 564-3877 | www.wildandmarr.co.za

Page 9: Musetech Jun/Jul '11

muse | nine

GEAR & INDUSTRY NEWSPreSonus Announces Budget-Priced StudioLive 16.0.2 Digital

The Hammond SK-1 is the first “Ultra-Portable” organ in its history, weighing in at just 15 pounds, and the first Hammond portable to feature a wide range of Extra Voices. The “Drawbar” section is a complete Hammond Organ with all the traditional features: Real Mechanical Drawbars, Chorus Vibrato, Touch-Response Percussion, and the most authentic Digital Leslie we have ever offered. “Vx” and “Farf” combo organ models are also available, as well as an assortment of fine classical Pipe Organ voices derived from our 935 Church Organ. Acoustic and Electric Pianos, Clavs, Accordions, Vintage String Synth, Wind Instruments and Tuned Percussion round out the specification.

The SK Series aren’t clones of other Hammond Organs even if all the classic features that make a Hammond are included: Real Mechanical Drawbars, “Waterfall” Keyboard, Touch Response Percussion, Chorus Vibrato. In two words you can say that your eyes see portable but your ears hear and your touch says B-3.Distributed by Tradelius Music Group | 031 502-3080 | www.tradelius.co.za

Play and Perform - The Best Sounds Just Got Better • the 741 MB of internal Wave ROM features ultra-realistic pianos and acoustic instrument samples, and the latest hip hop sounds. • The Motif XF Series features a sophisticated 8 element synth architecture with XSpanded articulation and 18 different filter types let you shape your sound anyway you want. The 8 front panel knobs and sliders make it easy to do all of this even in real time.• 1664 Voices and 97 Drum Kits put more sounds at your fingertips than ever before. • A Category Search function to make the sounds you need easy to find.Create and Produce - Lightning Fast music production tools• 512 Performances combine 4 Voices and 4 Intelligent Arpeggios so you can instantly create backing tracks with Yamaha’s intuitive Direct Performance Recording feature. • A 16 track Integrated Sampling Sequencer and the built-in 128 MB of sample RAM facilitate • The loading of new sample libraries • Adding of Vocals and Guitars to your MOTIF Sequences • Slicing Audio Loops to playback at any tempo • The use of Real Time Loop Remix to create new grooves • Easy back and forth movement between the loop based Pattern Mode and tape machine style Song Mode. • an integrated Yamaha Digital Mixer features a 3 band EQ for each part, 8 Dual Insertion effects, 2 System Effects and overall Master effect and Master EQ, which lets you create finalized mixes of your songs. • Direct to USB recording &playback lets you record your final mixes as CD quality• wav files to any connected USB memory device.You can play back .wav files created on your computer on the XF.Distributed by Global Music | (011) 259-7700 | www.yamahaproaudio.co.za

Yamaha's MOTIF Xf8

Hammond launches new light weight, full-featured organ SK-1 & SK-2

Following up on the runaway success of the award-winning StudioLive™ 16.4.2 and StudioLive 24.4.2, PreSonus™ has announced the new StudioLive 16.0.2 digital recording and performance mixer. Compact, portable, and rack-mountable (optional), StudioLive 16.0.2 is ideal for small bands, personal studios, intimate clubs, small churches, community organizations, rehearsal spaces—any application where you need a compact, high-quality live-mixing and recording system at a bargain price and don't need advanced features such as mixer subgroups and channel inserts.

The StudioLive 16.0.2 offers the same superb audio quality as the two larger StudioLive models, with high-headroom, 32-bit floating-point processing; critically acclaimed XMAX™ mic preamps; and 24-bit, 48 kHz digital converters with 118 dB dynamic range. The new mixer also sports a pair of programmable, stereo, 32-bit floating-point effects processors, loaded with reverb and delay presets and assigned to dedicated FX buses. [Read more @ www.museonline.co.za]Distributed by Tuerk Music Technologies | 011 792-8402| www.tuerkmusic.co.za

Page 10: Musetech Jun/Jul '11

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By Nic Roosmuse | ten

GEAR REVIEW Beyerdynamic TG V71d Live Dynamic Vocal Microphone

E

Distributor: Technology Innovated Distribution (TID) | +27 10 5000 111 | www.tidistribution.co.zaSuggested Retail price: R 2,578.00 inc. VAT.

“Built like a tank, the V71d has a hypercardiod polar-pattern, progressively damped capsule suspension, rear-attenuation and a humbuck coil to avoid unwanted stage and handling noise...”

stablished in the 1920’s, f r e q u e n c y r e s p o n s e s h o w s a is debatable but it is, in my opinion, Beyerdynamic is wel l considerable boost between 5-10 kHz, I sonically superior. known in the recording could not hear any over-hyped From a performer’s perspective it world for their legendary presence or harshness in that area. allows greater expressive freedom microphones. Further tests in a simulated gig situation, thanks to its neutral tone, substantial

When it comes to (actually a recorded rehearsal) showed noise-rejection, reduced proximity-microphones for the sweaty, loud and that the V71d has a very natural tone. effect and wide dynamic range.bumpy world of live sound there are The singer was always intelligible, not The TGV71d is a performer and live many good old workhorses such as the unlike a Shure SM58 although a little engineer’s dream and would be of great ubiquitous Shure SM85 and entering smoother in tone, less susceptible to value on tour and a worthy addition to this market requires bringing something plosives and a lot less handling noise. ones arsenal of sonic tools.new to the table. This is what Designed for very close miking, it Beyerdynamic aims to do with the still sounds very natural with the mic release of their Tour Gear series, which right up close. Impressively it handles a is aimed at the touring live musician and lot of level from a singer without much is set to match the quality of their change in tone. Whether or not ‘SCT’ is famous M 88 and M 160 studio mics. just a market ing catchphrase,

The TG V71d is a dynamic vocal something makes this mic very smooth mic designed to counter the many and natural yet very present. Some may problems associated with live sound say it lacks colour but neutrality is good such as feedback, unintelligibility and in live situations. Often in a live mix one bleed, and to deliver clear, hi-quality finds the need to compensate for a vocal sound on extremely loud stages, mic’s tone with EQ but with the V71d I making this mic ideal for rock and metal found myself EQ-ing to bring out certain gigs. nuances in the voice, which was rather

nice.Feedback was not an issue and took

quite a lot of PA volume without a peep. Built like a tank, the V71d has a The off-axis bleed was impressively low h y p e r c a r d i o d p o l a r - p a t t e r n , even with excessively loud drums progress ive ly damped capsule nearby thanks in part to the frequency-suspension, rear-attenuation and a dependant polar pattern.hum-buck coil to avoid unwanted stage

The mic’s Achilles Heel, however, is and handling noise, and feedback. It is that its off-axis noise rejection and tone optimised for very close miking, are greatly reduced when in the hands compensating for proximity effect. This of anyone who learned their mic means less colouration when singing technique from watching Hip-Hop and with one’s lips touching the mic.Hardcore videos. This may be a little A major feature is Beyerdynamic’s unfair, as any mic‘s performance suffers Sound Channeling Technology or SCT when one covers the rear phase ports which is supposedly responsible for the by holding on to the capsule, but in the “Beyerdynamic” sound. It involves V71d’s case it is particularly noticeable. specific sound geometry behind the It is a minor point but one worth diaphragm, special acoustic fabric, a mentioning considering the number of two stage treble resonator for optimal people who don’t know how to hold a high-frequency reproduction and microphone properly. special sound holes for a frequency-

independent polar pattern.

While certainly not the cheapest mic for its application, it is incredibly solid and A mic check over a PA revealed very will last a long time. Whether it lasts as little self noise, probably due to the long as the virtually indestructible SM58 hum-bucking coil, and while the

ANATOMY

SUMMARYSOUNDS

Page 12: Musetech Jun/Jul '11

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By Kurt Slabbertmuse | twelve

REVIEW TC Electronic TonePrint Guitar Effect Pedals

Hall of Fame Reverb

Flashback Delay Pedal

MojoMojo Overdrive

Recently I had a chance to play around earlier. This pedal also has a switch with three of the new TonePrint guitar where you can choose between the pedals from TC Electronic. rhythm of your delay. It has 3 settings; a

quarter note setting, a dotted 8th note setting and a quarter plus a dotted 8th note setting. So first of all with all these At first glance the TonePrint pedals each options you end up with an extremely look like a mini brick and picking it up I versatile stomp box. You can also set the couldn’t help thinking “okay I could build tempo by holding down the switch and houses out of these if I had enough of set the timing by playing it on the guitar them.” They have a steel chassis and are which is very different to the tap tempo built really solidly.that most other pedals have but is also There is one screw at the bottom of very effective. the pedal that can be opened with any

The quality of the sounds are great coin and gives you easy access to the and once again deliver the kind of battery compartment, so from a build quality TC are renowned for.perspective these pedals are great and I

reckon they would be flight proof if you are a travelling musician. The switch on the pedal looks to be high quality and The MojoMojo has drive, level, bass and should sustain many hours of being treble knobs as well as a voice switch; stood on. when the voice switch is in the up

The 3 stomp boxes I tested were; position the signal is true to the input, the Flashback delay and looper, the Hall with the switch in down position you get of Fame reverb and the MojoMojo a bass boost. The pedal runs off a 9v overdrive... battery and once again one screw in the

back of the pedal allows easy access to the battery compartment.

This pedal definitely has tube amp The controls on the reverb unit include; characteristics where the sound cleans tone, decay FX level and a rotary knob to up by lowering the volume of your select the type of reverb you would like guitar. I must say I was using single coils to use. There are 10 different reverbs to and I also found that running the bass choose from. There is also an option and treble at 12 o’clock on the pedal called TonePrint where you can worked best with my amp which was a download some presets of other well Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. I was running known musicians via a USB cable. This the level at about 1 o’clock and the drive is a stereo pedal so there are 2 ins and 2 at about 11 30 and found this to be a outs.great setting controlling the drive from There is also a pre delay long/short my volume control on my guitar. switch; this changes the time between

the direct sound and the reverb. The Be sure to go check these pedals out – Pedal runs off a 9v battery that is there is a whole range to choose from inserted by removing one screw in the and they are extremely robust and high back of the pedal. Here you will also find quality products.2 on/off switches which switch between

true bypass and buffered bypass mode. Buffered bypass works well if you have a long cable and don’t want to lose quality.

The actual sound quality of the reverb is what you would expect from TC Electronic; exceptionally warm and the guitar tone really comes through.

The Flashback delay pedal has a decay, feedback, FX level and rotary knob; it’s also a stereo delay pedal with 2 ins and 2 outs. There are 10 delay choices as well as the TonePrint option mentioned

Construction

MojoMojo Overdrive

Hall of Fame Reverb

Distributed by Prosound (Pty) LtdTel: 0861 4SOUND www.prosound.co.za

Flashback Delay Pedal

Page 14: Musetech Jun/Jul '11

eightBy Nic Roosmuse | fourteen

GEAR REVIEW

HardWire SP-7 Stereo Phaser

H

Distributor: Rockit Distribution 021-511 1800 |

Suggested retail: R 1,795.00

Any pedal where at least half the emulated models sound great and are usable is a winner in my book and in this case each model is rich and clear.

ardWire is a relatively new high-end guitar pedal manufacturer that until recently was distributed under the Digitech name. HardWire straddle the boutique and mainstream markets, producing rugged, hi-end digital effects pedals that, as their name implies, all have true hardwired bypass and

constant high-voltage rails to maintain tonal clarity. They have become quite popular locally.

Their latest design is the SP-7 Stereo Phaser which offers seven classic phaser types, with true stereo I/O and with a tap-tempo speed control.

The SP 7 is housed in a boss-style stomp box with 4 controls:

Speed – sets the LFO rate.Depth – sets the phase depth.Modify – sets the bias, feedback and sensitivity depending on the type of phase selected.Type – sets the phase type.

Phase Models:2 Stage – A smooth, subtle vintage phase sound that I quite enjoy.4 Stage – Reminiscent of the MXR Phase 90 or EHX Small Stone, depending on which way you set the modify control. Modern – A very deep and wide phase reminiscent of an MXR

holding down the switch for another 3 seconds.Phase 100 or a Mutron Bi-Phase depending again on the The retained definition that sounds great in mono really Modify setting. Think Dave Gilmour of Pink Floyd or early

lets it down in stereo. No epic stereo swirls, or crazy Smashing Pumpkins.psychedelic whooshes - just a polite jitter between speakers. Boutique – If you’ve ever heard Incubus you will recognise this There was, in fact very little difference in modulation between type of phasing immediately. It is very deep and swirly. I am not left and right.a big fan of this sound but it is well represented with richness

and colour. 10 Stage – Similar to Boutique in its depth but sounds more like the guitar is trying to talk to you with pronounced vowel type The SP 7 is an exceptionally good stomp box... in mono.sounds when playing on the lower strings. Higher up the fret Any pedal where at least half the emulated models sound board it adds a nice colour to distorted leads. great and are usable is a winner in my book and in this case Envelope – Each note triggers the LFO starting frequency each model is rich and clear. It may be too clean sounding for allowing the phase to be triggered with each note much like an analogue-Nazis, but the retained note definition is a strong plus auto-wah does, although a lot more tasteful and subtle. for me. The Tap Tempo function is also an ingenious addition. Dynamic – Interacts with your playing dynamics. Allows you That said, this is marketed as a stereo phaser and as such it to strum hard and hear no phasing then play delicately to bring is far too subtle for my liking. In any case, there are very few out the swirl. guitarist I can think of who are willing to lug around a second

amp to play in stereo. The SP 7 gets a big A+ for sound quality What strikes me about the SP 7 is that even at full depth there is and flexibility but a D- for neglecting its main feature.little to no loss of definition, unlike even some classic phasers. It is, after all, a high-end digital unit and the sound is very clean yet at the same time very rich and detailed. Even though the unit offers a variety of phaser types, each type has a wide spectrum of sounds thanks to the great range of the Speed, Depth and Modify controls.

A very unusual feature, especially for a modulation type effect is the tap tempo function which, as on many modern delay pedals allows hands free control of tempo matching during a gig. On the SP 7 this is achieved by holding down the engage switch for 3 seconds, tapping the tempo, and then

ANATOMY & SOUNDS

SUMMARY

Page 16: Musetech Jun/Jul '11

eightBy Matthew De Nobregamuse | sixteen

REVIEW Samson Meteor USB Microphone

T

Price: R 995.00 | Supplier: Audiosure (Pty) Ltd | Tel: (011) 790 4600 | Web: www.audiosure.co.za

Usability is excellent, and the zero-latency monitoring through the headphones works perfectly

harshness, and the vocals have a ‘weightiness' that will be excellent for voice-overs. Handling of plosives and wind noise is about the same as the Nt1a (without pop-shield) – fine as long as you don't overdo things or get too close.

& Low register vocals tend to get a little muddy. Proximity effect is well judged though, with no boominess or ugly resonances.

& Results on acoustic guitar were very serviceable – not as bright and open as the Nt1a, but fairly close to the source and with a pleasing overall tone. I would have preferred slightly more detailed transients, but for general-purpose use this sort of thicker tone is more versatile.

he Samson Meteor Mic is a sketch down, so I fired up Live, selected Unfortunately for Cubase users there is a very good-looking piece of kit the Meteor as my input, and was ready to bit of a snag – the plug-and-play audio designed to offer high quality record. I ran a Rode Nt1a - Focusrite pre standard that makes the Meteor so easy large-diaphragm condenser as my comparison setup – many times to install does not provide ASIO recording in a small and more expensive than the Meteor, but the functionality, so it's not possible to use convenient package – one of sort of rig that Samson would be looking the Meteor with newer versions of an expanding range of ‘prosumer’ items to replace. Cubase (which only use ASIO). There targeting ‘musicians on the move'. Usability is excellent, and the zero-may be a workaround for this but it didn't First impressions out the box are latency monitoring through the work for me and a quick Google search very good – the Meteor is solidly headphones works perfectly. The shows I'm not the only one.constructed, chrome plated and very recording level is set in Windows audio

So basically the Meteor does what it well designed, with all the controls easily setup – I found this a little unusual but it is designed to do extremely well – it's accessible. The fold-out legs are stable works well enough. Comparing very compact, looks great, is easy to and tweakable, and make it very easy to r e c o r d i n g s b e t w e e n t h e t e s t install and set up, and is capable of set the Meteor up on any flat surface. The microphones led to a number of making some very good recordings in its microphone can also be mounted on a observations:‘design role' – sitting on a table wherever stand for more 'traditional' recording. you happen to be, plugged into your Connection to the computer is via USB, & Overall presentation is fairly neutral – laptop, capturing whatever you lay and there is a headphone out for with less air and sparkle than the Rode. down. The headphone output is an monitoring. The front panel has a power This is great for spoken word or laying added bonus and turns it into a portable light (which doubles as a clip indicator), a down simple ‘authentic' rock tracks, sound card. It shows some limitations mute button and a volume control for the but it would be difficult to get the vocal when you try to get too much out of it, headphones – all you need for recording to cut through in busier pop mixes. and won't replace a good large-on the run. & For medium to high register vocals the diaphragm condenser/pre combo for Installation is trivial – for Windows 7 Meteor sounded great. This would be studio pop vocals just yet, but for the everything happens automatically, and its bread-and-butter application, and it price it sounds brilliant and fulfils it's XP requires a couple of mouse clicks is obviously set up accordingly. The design role admirably.before the automatic installation kicks tone is good, there is detail without

off. I wanted to get a rough guitar/vocal

Page 18: Musetech Jun/Jul '11

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Page 19: Musetech Jun/Jul '11

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Page 20: Musetech Jun/Jul '11

muse | twenty

REVIEWby Alan Ratcliffe

RRoland GR-55

First impressions

Tracking

SoundsIn Use

estate is sometimes underutilised and hit-and-miss of weird and wonderful The first thing you notice about the GR-55

scroll ing through longer l ists of sounds with overblown guitar tones is the size – at only 40 cm wide and 24.5 cm

parameters can be tedious. designed to show the capabilities of the deep it has a much smaller footprint than

The lack of dedicated bank up and unit. Thankfully, editing reveals a lot more most other Roland/Boss floor units. The

down buttons is an annoyance and the flexibility and very usable bread-and-chassis and footpedal are made of steel

similar lack of control pedal inputs means butter tones.and the footswitches are the familiar,

that you cannot even add your own foot rugged Roland/Boss ones. The large

pedals to do this. Factory settings are Synthesizer soundsrotational control knob is flanked by small

however set so that the up/down buttons The synthesizer sounds themselves are but solid feeling press buttons that

on the GK-3 changes banks. good, definitely a newer set than those in together act as your main navigation and

the old GR-33, but still a little behind the editing tool. Of special note is the display,

times compared to the newest synths. which is massive – taking up nearly a third

However having over 900 tones gives you The most important quality of a guitar of the top surface space.a wide range, covers all styles of music synth is how well it tracks your playing and The rear panel sports a fairly admirably.follows guitar playing techniques without comprehensive array of inputs and

O n e t h i n g t h a t I w a s v e r y glitches. Out of the box, the GR-55 tracked outputs for connection, which are all firmly disappointed not to find is an arpeggiator, very well indeed with the included GK-3 bolted onto the metal chassis as well as a which is a great tool for guitar synths, pickup mounted to my Strat. Surprisingly, power switch (flanked by standoffs to allowing the player to play sustained guitar my Graph Tech Ghost piezo pickup guitar avoid accidental switching). Notably chords while the synthesizer sound is did not fare as well until I had spent some missing from the rear panel are jacks for arpeggiated behind it.time setting parameters, but once I had external control (additional expression

tweaked a little, it tracked as well (but not pedals and switches), no dedicated ¼” Guitar modellingbetter than) the GK-3. The setup has preset guitar input and no effects loops. The guitar modelling tones are a scaled-settings for all the major 13-pin systems My one b ig gr ipe wi th the down set of Roland’s VG tones, 40 in total available, which is nice, and there are a construction is the famil iar, but covering electric, steel, nylon, resonator number of other options to tweak unwelcome external “wall-wart” power acoustics, banjo, sitar, resonator, bass as specifically to get the best tracking from a supply, where I had hoped to see the pro well as a range of analog modelled “synth” number of different guitars.level IEC mains “kettle plug” power tones. Most sounds are quite good and

receptacle.usable, on a par with the VG-99 tones. The acoustic guitar models are a little

The real strength of the GR-55 is the ability disappointing, having far too much to blend the synth, modelled guitar and The operating system is relatively intuitive midrange close-miked tubbiness that I had normal guitar sounds together. It is and easy to figure out for a fairly to EQ out and “Body” settings had to be especially nice to be able to use modelled complicated system, although there is a lot kept fairly low to avoid muddiness. The 12-bass sounds on the low strings (as of room for improvement. The way the string setting on any modelled instrument modelling has no delay on low notes), left/right, page up/down buttons work is is very nice and is very useful for adding together with synth patches on the higher sometimes confusing and takes a bit of bright, clear acoustic or electric guitar strings. The preset sounds are the usual getting used to. The mass of screen real sounds.

oland has long been one of the fore-runners in the guitar synth market, but in recent years their offerings such as the GI-20 and GR-20 have scaled back features and limited flexibility in an attempt to make them easier to use. The new Roland GR-55 guitar synthesiser is not only a return to form, but has potential to be a real game changer.

Roland are marketing the GR-55 as an all-in-one solution, offering GR guitar synthesis with updated sounds as well as VG-series guitar, effect and amp modelling, all in one relatively small floor unit. For many users with complex setups this is an attractive idea, theoretically replacing multiple guitars, guitar synths, amps and effects units.

Page 21: Musetech Jun/Jul '11

muse | twenty one

REVIEWGuitar Synth

Features.

two synth tones, guitar modelling and normal guitar inputOver

. 900 of Roland’s latest fully editable PCM sounds, including pianos, organs, strings, vintage synths, and much more

. COSM guitar and amp modelling

. Two effects engines, plus global reverb, chorus, and delay effects

. An onboard looper

. Built-in USB audio player with foot control

. Available with or without GK-3 divided pickup

Up to four sound source at a time:

Suggested Retail Price: R 9,995.00

Distributor: Musical Distributors | 021-799-4950 | www.bothner.co.za

GR-55 Floorboard Editor

by a MIDI sequencer, so it means recording the audio output if you want to use the sounds on the unit and no MIDI editing will be possible.Guitar Output – You can route the plain guitar sound or the modelled sound from the Guitar Out jack on the rear panel, enabling you to use other effects units or amps for these sounds

The big question is can you throw away all your other synth, effects and modelling units if you buy a GR-55? The answer depends on what you need. For many live playing situations, the GR-55 will do a very good job of handling all the tasks asked of it and keep setup very simple, compact and eminently portable. It is also a good upgrade step from the older GR-30 and GR-33 units.

However for those advanced users Amplifier and speaker modellingutilising units like the VG-99 to their full If you are familiar with Roland’s amp The GR-55 also features a USB stick reader extent, or those wanting the tonal purity of modellers, you know what to expect here. and can playback WAV files for backing a real amp and effects setup for their guitar While not exact copies of the amps they tracks or practice. Playback can be started tones, it is more than a little limited. Also, model, the amp modelling rather offers and stopped via the control pedal, but players uncomfortable with complicated sounds “in the ballpark of…” with lots of obviously at the expense of other effects units are going to find the GR-55 too editing options that allow you to tweak the functions such as hold or effect switching – complex for their tastes (for them, the GR-sound to sit in the mix properly. This works and once again the lack of control pedal 20 is still a good option). especially well in this case, as the inputs doesn’t help. Overall, the GR-55 is lots of fun and is combined sounds from the GR-55 can be The looper is more than a little limited a step forward in guitar synth technology – incredibly complex and you need to be with only 20 seconds of recording time so much so that I bought my review unit able to tweak the guitar sounds to fit. The which is paltry compared to even the within a day of trying it and was gigging downside is that you do have to tweak a lot simplest loopers on the market. with it two days later. More importantly, it is to find the best tones.showing the way to go and I for one am hoping that Roland will bring out an advanced version with more powerful USB connection – lets you connect to a amp and effects modelling.E f f e c t s a r e f a i r l y s i m p l e a n d computer to use a patch librarian software

straightforward, but fairly limited. Each of available from Roland, which allows you to the four source sounds can be routed backup your patches. Also, while there is through one of three signal paths, two of no official editor yet, but there is a great which have one selectable effect each, third party freeware application called GR-with a range effect choices. On top of that, 55FloorBoard, which does the job very there are also three sends for each path well and is far easier to use than (delay, chorus and reverb) as well as a programming the unit via the front panel.global EQ. Sound wise, they are mostly MIDI output – The MIDI and USB outputs solid and useful. allow you to drive external synths and

softsynths and tracking is still very good. For recording, there is one big limitation – the GR-55’s sounds cannot be played back

Final Conclusions

File playback & Looping

Other featuresEffects

Page 22: Musetech Jun/Jul '11

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Page 23: Musetech Jun/Jul '11

www.audiosure.co.zawww.audiosure.co.za

Page 24: Musetech Jun/Jul '11

EMENDY Sound & Music Technology College installs Avid products in their new Student Sound Lab.

muse | twenty four

SPECIAL FEATURE

Emendy Music Midi Music 012 342-1177 JHB: 011 417-3400www.emendymusic.co.za DBN: 031 -5643886

Recently MIDI Music, the authorised dealer for Avid Technologies’ products in South Africa, helped in the opening of new class-rooms

at the Emendy College by installing a range of Avid’s products.

Emendy’s Martin Willemse explains...

Why did you pick Avid products for the college?Firstly, we believe in the Avid products 100%. The brand is well known and used in most studios all over the world. If we teach our students on the selected brands we are confident to send them out in the industry well equipped to work in almost any music setup environment.

What is the training room all about?The new computer lab contains 16 student workstations and a lecturer’s teaching workstation. Each student’s station contains an iMac, M-box mini, pair of M-audio Q40 Headphones, Pro-tools Key studio keyboard controller and Pro-tools 9 software.

What classes are going to be taught there? As from 2011 EMENDY Sound & Music Technology Col lege is registered as a Pro-Tools accredited training Centre and students are mainly taught Sound Engineering as well as to digitally produce different kinds and styles of music.

Page 25: Musetech Jun/Jul '11
Page 26: Musetech Jun/Jul '11

eightmuse | twenty six

SPECIAL FEATURE

A“The 2010 students were a very special group, and we were all thrilled by the level of support

we received from our generous sponsors...”

Academy of Sound Engineering

attracts record sponsor support

for 2010 Graduation class

Tanya Von Abo, top overall Academy of Sound Engineering diploma student for 2010 together with John Silver (left) and Chris Andrews (Right) from Audiosure, the Sponsor of her prizes for Top Student.

Nick Matzukis (AVL Distribution) with Willem van der Loo Top student Live practical projects

Darren Durbach (Left) from Wild and Marr and Maldwyn Greenwood (Right) From SEGMA, with Jon Awe

Top Student in Audio/Post Production practical Projects

Jon Pentreath (Prosound) with Rayne Ramsden Top overall Student in the Live Sound Reinforcement elective

t a glittering graduation ceremony held in April at the Linder Auditorium in Johannesburg, 77 students were conferred with their Sound Engineering diploma's by academic board head and Council for Higher Education member, Professor Zak Nel. The class of 2010, specialising in such disciplines as Live Sound, Music

Production, Broadcasting and Audio Post Production for picture, was special in two ways. First, the group included the highest number of graduates focusing on multiple electives: 20 specialised in two, and a record 3 specialised in three elective areas. Secondly, the outstanding students in the class of 2010 attracted almost R 200,000 in prizes and bursaries from the Academy of Sound Engineering and its corporate sponsors.

The sponsors, representing many of South Africa's leading audio retailers and distributors, included Wild & Marr, Pro Sound, Audiosure, Tadco, Segma, AVL Distribution, TOMS, Spescom and Music Connection. Several of these organisations have enjoyed a long-term relationship with South Africa's premier audio training institution. Spokesperson from Audiosure, Mr Chris Andrews stated, " Having our brands and products exposed to and used by the students at the ASE, as well as forging a solid, long-term relationship with the institution, is very important to us. As a private institution, they routinely produce the best educated sound professionals for our growing market, and we are happy to be able to support them in their endeavours in any and every way we can."

The prizes sponsored by all of the various Retailers and Distributors included some of the world's best microphones, audio interfaces, workstation and plug-in software, mixers and instruments. Keynote speaker at the graduation Ivor Haarburger, inspired the students with a lengthy litany of South Africa's most famous audio success stories. Speaking on behalf of ASE, head of marketing George Hattingh declared, "The evening was a great success! The 2010 students were a very special group, and we were all thrilled by the level of support we received from our generous sponsors to help make the event so exciting and rewarding for our top performers."

Page 28: Musetech Jun/Jul '11

Music and Beyond with the Mediatech 2011 Exhibition 20-22 July at the Coca-Cola dome

muse | twenty eight

SPECIAL FEATURE

“...excellent exhibitors, and interactive workshops and demos are what make Mediatech Africa

such a successful trade exhibition.”As South African artists c h i p a w a y a t t h e international arena with notable inroads having been made in recent years by groups such as Die Antwoord, Goldfish, The

Rui Valentim, High Tech Product Parlotones, Black Coffee, Manager of MIDI Music, a division of Arno Carstens and many others, the TOMS Sound and Music (Pty) Ltd is also musical landscape back home is a previous exhibitor. “Exhibitions like burgeoning to say the least. More and these are normally a long term more people are picking up guitars, investment” he says. Valentim believes learning to DJ or forming bands as we that this year his company will benefit all look to explore our creative side. A from the exposure of the AVID product clear indication of the popularity in this portfolio, however Midi Music are also sector is the large crowds surrounding agents for Pro Tools, M-Audio, Genelec, the musical demonstrations at the last Mackie, QSC, Roland, Ibanez, Tama and Mediatech Africa Expo two years ago. Marshall, some of which will be on Africa's top suppliers of equipment display.and services allied to this segment are

This biennial trade exhibition will exhibiting at Mediatech Africa, which showcase broadcast , f i lm and takes place from 20-22 July at the Coca-production; professional AV, sound, Cola dome in Northriding where South lighting, staging and rigging; DJ and Africa’s advanced technology trade professional music equipment; system expo will exhibit the latest in technology integration; animation, new media and and equipment, without the inherent web; satellite and signal; computer cost of visiting overseas exhibitions. music and production tools; and “There is always something new, musical instrument sectors.a lways new technology ” says

The diverse programme will Mediatech Africa’s Exhibition Director include live demonstrations, work-Simon Robinson. “The proactive and shops, and a business matchmaking strategic marketing of the expo, its programme. Visitors will be able to pre-exhilarating atmosphere and the clear register and be matched to relevant structure of the exhibition makes it easy exhibitors. Meetings will then be for visitors to find what they are looking facilitated between interested parties, for. These factors, coupled with allowing exhibitors to engage with excellent exhibitors, and interactive visitors on a more personal level. workshops and demos are what make

If you are involved in any aspect of Mediatech Africa such a successful the music industry, from bedroom DJ or trade exhibition.”a s p i r i n g m u s i c i a n , t o s o u n d “We’ve chosen to exhibit at reinforcement, studio engineering etc, Mediatech Africa this year as it is the no matter how or where you fit in, as a biggest audio visual expo in Africa and Muse Magazine reader you want to visit provides a lot exposure” says Wynand Mediatech this year. We insist! Which is Mans of EMENDY Sound and Music why we’re offering you a FREE Entrance Technologies who specialise in the ticket right here to attend and soak up all improvement of South African music the action, the workshops, the products and entertainment standards via on display and of course the networking education. “We are a music technology opportunities. This is not to be missed. college, production and recording See you there.studio as well as a music technology

shop”.He continues, “We exhibited at the

previous Mediatech Africa to promote the College and it was a big success and this year we’ll be exhibiting fully functional workstations enabling us to run workshops of our course material to interested parties”.

For further info go to www.mediatech.co.za

Page 30: Musetech Jun/Jul '11

eight

by Alan Ratcliffe

muse | thirty

TUTORIAL

SPart 1 – Compressors

Dynamics Effects ome of the most difficult to Compressing this track results in the u n d e r s t a n d e f f e c t s following, which has a more even volume:Thresholdprocessors are dynamics The level above which the compressor p r o c e s s o r s s u c h a s starts working the volume. When the compressors, expanders, threshold set at its highest point, the noise gates and limiters. compressor will not change the sound's While we all know effects volume. As the threshold is lowered, like distortion, equalisers peaks will trigger the volume reduction and reverbs and what they effect.

sound like, dynamics processors are not Note: I used more compression than I usually detectable unless they are used Ratio normally would to make the effect heavily. obvious: threshold -12 db, ratio 10:1, Ratio is how much the volume will be

attack 10 ms, release 40 ms. reduced. A ratio of 2:1 will reduce the volume of peaks crossing the threshold by

Controlling peaksDynamics are the differences in volume in a factor of two - this means that a peak 5 dB a signal. Most sounds have parts which above the threshold level will be reduced Sometimes the track will be fine aside from are, and stand out louder than others. A to only 2.5 dB above the threshold level. A a few peaks which jump out. Fixing this is piece of music is "dynamic" if there are ratio of 5:1 and the peaks will have their easy - use the compressor as you did large differences between the quieter and volume reduced by a factor of five - the above, but set the threshold carefully so it louder parts. The difference between the same peak will now be only 1dB above the clamps down on nothing but the peaks.quietest and the loudest parts of a sound is threshold level.called the dynamic range. Accentuating Attack

Take a look at the wave files below of: Attack You can also use compression to make a a distorted electric guitar on the left and an Attack is the time it takes before the track jump out of a mix. If a track doesn't acoustic guitar track on the right: compressor reduces the volume. A longer bite, it's because it doesn't have enough

attack time lets more of the peak through attack. As mentioned, the attack control on before compression. a compressor lets a certain amount of

signal pass through uncompressed before Release compression kicks in.The time it takes before the compressor Here's a track that had almost no allows the volume to return to normal after attack before compression:While they both have the same peak the peak has fallen below the threshold.level, the electric guitar track is denser,

with less dynamics, while the acoustic is more dynamic.

Sometimes you want to make a track Evening levelsmore dynamic because a dynamically If you have a track which has an occasional squashed track doesn't always stand out, peak which is louder than the rest of the while one with good dynamics will. Other track, sometimes when it is mixed loud

Note that there is no difference in times you may want a track less dynamic - enough to hear the quieter parts, the peaks volume between the attack portion and the if the overall track is too quiet and you will be too loud and mixing it lower makes rest of the note. Using a compressor with a cannot raise the level without clipping. most of the track disappear. In short, it is 5:1 ratio, threshold of -16 db, attack of 100 too dynamic. This might look like this:ms, and release of 10 ms produces this:

The basic function of a compressor is to alter the dynamics of a track. It does this by boosting the volume of the quiet parts and reducing the volume of the loud parts. The difference between the loud and quiet parts is lessened, so the track's dynamics are reduced helping it to "sit" in the mix so it

The attack of each note now stands is always audible, but never too loud. By

out more from the sustain. We just used lowering the dynamics, the overall track

our compressor to increase the dynamics level can be boosted, and the track can be

of the track instead of decreasing it.louder without distorting.

Compressor Controls

What are "dynamics"?

Basic compressor use

What Compressors Do

Page 31: Musetech Jun/Jul '11
Page 32: Musetech Jun/Jul '11

by Alistair Andrews

muse | thirty two

TUTORIAL PLAY BETTER BASS

... Continued on pg 34

Bass Styles: Different Styles of Electric Bass Playing

Finger-style Bass Playing

Finger-style is by far the most popular style. Players changing rather than a simple riff following chord alternate between the Index and Middle fingers. (Right progression. The walking line can use scale tones, Hand for right handed players) arpeggios and passing tones, and provides an

You can also use the other three fingers. The thumb undulating melody that rises and falls in tone over several sometimes gets used in African Music in a Wes bars. With funk the bass-lines are more syncopated, and Montgomery type of style. This style should not be the left hand plays a vital rule in muting strings to play confused with “Popping”. Advanced players will also use “dead notes”. Sometimes the palm of the right hand can more than 2 fingers on the right hand. For Double stops get used to mute strings. This is called Palm Muting and and chords you can even use all the fingers. the Thumb, Index and Middle Fingers are used. This is

very popular in West African Music. In Rock music you Walking Bass is usually associated with Jazz and Blues, alternate most of the time with the Index and Middle but can be found in other styles of music. It is a good idea finger.to keep a library of walking bass "licks" in order to keep walking lines interesting and not too repetitive. Your right Picking involves the use - obviously - of a pick (or hand is very close to the neck in order to get a fatter plectrum) and is used commonly in punk and rock styles. sound. (You can find out more about this style in one of Bass picks are normally thicker and bigger than guitar our previous editions.) picks. You use up and down strokes, very much like guitar

The sound of a walking bass-line is generally ever- players. This style gives one more attack to your sound.

Bass Playing styles can be divided into four main categories. ! Finger-style ! Picking (plectrum/picks)! Slapping and Popping! Tapping

Page 34: Musetech Jun/Jul '11

by Alistair Andrews

muse | thirty four

TUTORIAL Bass Styles: Different Styles of Electric Bass Playing ... Continued from pg 32

Till next time, LET THERE BE BASS!!!

‘Happening Bass Slapper’ – Victor Wooten

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bass stringsROTOSOUND THE WORLD’S FINEST MUSIC STRINGS

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Slapping and Popping has been used in funk and fusion pentatonic scale but higher on the neck. It's this rapid music for many years but nowadays this style is alternation of your left fingers and right fingers that gives incorporated into pop, rock and world music too. the Van Halen style its drive and interest.

The other method is more like playing a bass and guitar at the same time, or, with the right instrument, it is For this style you have to be able to:more like piano playing. Here you are not going to 1. Be precise with thumb attacks. alternate two hands on the same string, at least not very 2. Only hit the string you want to sound. often. Instead you'll play low notes (like bass) or chords 3. Master the art of muting strings.with your left hand near to the nut and with your right 4. Attack muted thumb notes with the same intensity as hand you'll play melodies or rhythmic chords on the sounded notes. strings higher up, closer to the body. It's more like a 5 Control your Pull attacks that they are not louder or piano, for example, with chords in the left hand and more intense than thumb attacks.melody in the right, or like a piano where you play roots and bass patterns low and left-handed, and rhythm Slap techniques are labeled as follows:chords or melody higher-pitched with the right hand.T=Thumb attack.

Michael Manring, Victor Wooten, Stu Hamm, Tony X=Dead note (String attacked as indicated, but not Levin and Billy Sheehan are some of the masters of this allowed to ring. These are notated using the open string style.on which they are attacked.)

Hammer-ons, pull- offs and all the other left hand U=Thumb-up stroke (thumb pulls up from under the “tricks” can be used in all styles.string)

These days it is vey important to master as many S=Slide styles as possible.H=Hammer on (no attack with slapping hand)

P=Pull string with first or second finger L=Lift finger from previous note to the note with the L above it

Slurs show when notes are sounded without a right-hand attack, as in hammers, slides, and lifts. (Only the first note of a slurred group is articulated with the right hand.)

The basic idea of Slapping and Popping is to hit the string with your thumb on the last fret and pop (plug) with your Index and/or Ring finger.

Abe Laboriel, Larry Graham, Marcus Miller, Victor Wooten, Flea, Les Claypool and Mark King are all happening “Slappers.”

Tapping just means any system of playing electric bass where you touch the string to the fret to sound the note, rather than plucking the strings. Hold your bass as usual, and with your left hand you'll either hold a chord or play some notes. Your right hand will be further up the neck, and as a left finger hits some notes, you'll quickly use a right finger to play a note higher up the neck. One simple way to think it through is just to play your diatonic or pentatonic scale or a given chord with your left hand, and with your right hand play that same diatonic or

Page 36: Musetech Jun/Jul '11

PLAY BETTERmuse | thirty six

TUTORIALby Kurt Slabbert

W

Exercise 1This is one of the licks from the last lesson, take note how it starts on beat 4, now try and play the lick starting on an offbeat.

Exercise 2Ok so here we have the same lick as above except the lick starts on the offbeat.This is the kind of command you can have around rhythms if you practice them properly, and once again listen to players that know how to use rhythm to their playing advantage.

elcome to Play Better Guitar, and yes we Take it one step further... record yourself playing are going to talk about the metronome against a metronome, scales, some strumming, some although many people might say “what’s finger picking and then you be the judge as to where and that?” I have been teaching guitar for many how your playing sounds and feels.years as well as producing guitar in the There are many exercises you can do with a studio and the one common flaw I find metronome. I have found that the most useful way of

amongst guitarists is the weak rhythm playing and the using it is by putting the clicks on beats 2 and 4, this will inability to play in time. Obviously if you don’t have the give you a very strong sense of the back beat. No matter metronome on, you will always sound like you’re in time. what your favourite style is, consistent practice with this

Working with a metronome will give you a strong tool will make you a better player and although I am not rhythmical sense. saying that this should replace your jam time what I am

Often I will go listen to bands and most times I find saying is that it should be added to your practice that guitarists tend to consistently rush their playing. routine!!!

Many people might say that this has to do with feel Imagine feeling the groove so well that you could and that you can’t teach feel; maybe not but you can play any rhythmical pattern; this will add another practice it. Even if you are practising your latest licks do it dimension to your performance with great feel.with a metronome and you will find that in time your So here is a little exercise; we’re going to take one of playing will get a better flow and your feel will change. the licks from last months lesson and move it onto a

Many of the artists from 15 years ago say they never different beat; once again make sure you use a used a metronome but they would jam to records and metronome and start off slowly.that in itself is like playing with a glorified metronome.

Page 37: Musetech Jun/Jul '11

GUITAR METRONOME….say what!!

muse | thirty seven

TUTORIAL

Copyright Kurt SlabbertBluenoise Productions

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Exercise 3Here we have a 5-note pattern played in groups of four, the difficult part to this lick is to put the accent on the correct beat or it would not really matter.

Exercise 4By doing this we can make old licks interesting by just manipulating the rhythm, so once again that’s why it is so important to have a firm grip on the sense of rhythm and time keeping.

That’s all for this month, I do suggest you go out and get yourself a jam buddy; the Korg ToneWorks is a great tool to keep close at hand or just a simple metronome like the Boss DB-30.

What I like about the Korg is the option to use different sounds with a groove, however sometimes the simplicity of a plain metronome is challenging so try both and mix it up. I think the important point is to get something that will challenge your time keeping and try and make a recording of this as this will help “You Be The judge.”

Till next time have fun with the metronome, and once again don’t just take my word for it but test this concept and make it your own!!!

Page 38: Musetech Jun/Jul '11

Gby Jonathan Pike

muse | thirty eight

YOUR PRIVATE UNIVERSE

Unconventional Recording Techniques:Acoustic Guitar

Techniques for

the home studioenerally an acoustic guitar is recorded as accurately as possible to capture the natural sound that we are all familiar with. However in this issue I am going to take a look at some rather

unconventional recording techniques for acoustic guitar. Whether you want to create some of your own weird and wonderful samples to use in more electronic based tracks, or if you are just looking for a way to make your acoustic guitar recordings stand out from the crowd there is a lot to be said for looking at some different recording techniques.

Usually one would mike up an acoustic guitar with a microphone placed in front of the bridge and one placed in front of the 12th fret (of course there are many

you move the mic away from o t h e r c o m m o n w a y s the sound source the more besides this to mic up an the ambience of the room will acoustic guitar). The blend affect the sound. of these two mics will give

Of course your choice of you a very natural sound. microphone is going to make So what can we do to get a a b i g d i f f e r e n c e t o o . more unconvent iona l Generally speaking a larger s o u n d ? W e l l t h e diaphragm micro-phone will possibilities are actually be better at picking up lower endless. Here are some the room, however you can also create frequencies and a smaller diaphragm interesting techniques that I have some very interesting sounds by will be better at capturing high come across. placing mics in unconventional places frequencies. (I must state that this is One of the more common in the room like in a corner or pointing generally true. For a more accurate methods is to try and capture what the towards a reflective surface. Generally understanding of a microphones guitarist hears. This can be achieved this would be regarded as “breaking response you will need to check the by placing a mic or a stereo pair of mics the rules” but you can get some very frequency response chart of the over the players shoulder at about interesting sounding results. microphone you intend using).head height. This is a good way of There is almost an infinite amount So get out there and experiment giving your musician a sound that he is of ways you could mic up a guitar for a with microphones and placement to familiar with as it is essentially less natural sound. Some important find just the right sound you are capturing what he hears when he thinks to remember is that the higher looking for. These are some great ways plays. up the neck of the guitar you place the of building up your own personal Another useful technique is to mic, the “thinner” the sound will sample library. It is always useful to place a microphone behind or become. Essentially you are capturing have some of your own-recorded underneath the body of the guitar. This more of the high frequencies. You will samples for use in composing can be useful for capturing some also pick up much more finger work. If e lect ronic and sample based overtones as well as reinforcing some you place a mic near the bridge you will compositions.of the lower frequency content of the pick up more mid to low frequencies We will continue next issue with sound. and if you place a mic in front of the some more unconventional recording If your room has a particularly sound hole you will get a very t e c h n i q u e s , u n t i l t h e n k e e p great sound I would set up a couple of “boomy” sound. Another important experimenting!room mics to capture the ambience of thing to remember is that the further