*http://www.musiciansfriend.com/stupid*
*Valid 01/31 only!*
More... (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product?sku=800553V&src=RSSXSTPD&ZYXSEM=0)
Monday, January 31, 2011
Chauvet LEDSplash 200B Restock - Today's Price $89.99 - Reg $109.99
WTF: Fine & Vintage Guitars and Musical Instruments at Heritage Auctions
Got this in the snail mail and was wondering, why am I getting this? Sorry these instruments are out of my price range and my gear was bought for playing, not collecting.
Cool to look at though....
Deer Maker
You can make your Deer here at:
http://perianardocyl.deviantart.com/art/Deer-Maker-Ver-1-0-119285582
:D
The men of the NFL should be ashamed of themselves...
...because they're a bunch of pansies.
My sister showed me the Lingerie Football League on MTV2. Yeah, it's a gimmick, but damn, those women play hard and hit hard, wearing lingerie and minimal...
Queen We Will Rock You Tab: Free Queen Tabs
Download We Will Rock You by Queen, today's free tab of the day Related posts:
Free Tab of the Day: Queen “Bohemian Rhapsody”
REM Losing My Religion Tab: Free REM Tabs
Radiohead Karma Police Tab: Free Radiohead Tabs
Win a Kenny Wayne Shepherd Strat from StevieSnacks.com
Anthony over at StevieSnacks.com is running a great contest and is giving away his Kenny Wayne Shepherd Strat to one of his viewers. You don’t even have to be a paying customer to win. Click here for all the contest details. Good luck!
hahaha...saw this for the first time last night
LFL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaNl460ykv4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaNl460ykv4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_SR2HMH13M
Ouch, guy on Pawn Stars with an LP just got pwned
He thought it was a 60 and worth about $25k. They got an expert in and found out that it was a 70-75 and worth about $3k.
That's gotta hurt.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Former prosecutor to investigate Golden Guitar bungle
In a follow up to a story we reported last week, The Country Music Association of Australia has described the appointment of Ian Burkinshaw to its inquiry into a bungled award presentation as “a right step forward”. Tamworth-based Mr Burkinshaw a former police prosecutor for 34 years now lives in Tamworth and is part of Tamworth Regional Council’s Ethics Committee. His appointment comes a week after Lee Kernaghan was mistakenly given the Best Album award at the Country Music Awards,...
Michael Dolce - Everything Til Now available as a digital download
I recently reviewed the excellent album by Michael Dolce called ‘Everything Til Now’ which is available to buy on CD from his website shop section for $20 Australian or if you are overseas AUD $26 to take into account shipping. Well that may put some overseas customers off unless they like having the physical CD in their hands which I know many people still do, but just in case Michael has added a digital download option to his shop at the bargain price of $15.00AUD.
Check out my review of ‘Everything Til Now’, check out my interview with Michael about the recording process and the gear used and head over to Michael’s website for more info, lessons and to buy the album.
http://michaeldolcemusic.com
Follow Guitar Noize on Twitter (@guitarnoize)
This rss feed is the property of GuitarNoize.com
Avid Pro Tools Mbox
Avid has finally revamped the Mbox product range, with a new Pro Tools Mbox, Mbox Mini and Mbox Pro. All offer a new rugged metal design and improved professional-grade circuitry and converters.
There's new DSP processing for enhanced low-latency monitoring (though this perk is missing from the Mbox Mini), as well as better compatibility with other DAWs.
"It's not cheap, but it bundles perfectly with Pro Tools LE and other DAWs in a powerful system."
While we will be focussing on the standard Mbox in this review, it's worth mentioning some of the features of its bigger brother. The Mbox Pro, works via FireWire (the basic model is USB 2.0) and provides more I/O options and additional metering features, but its size is getting rather ungainly for backpacking.
Meanwhile at the other end of the scale the Mbox Mini provides maximum portability, but just one microphone input, no MIDI options and no DSP for cue-mixing.
The whole range has a darker, more professional layout that ditches the familiar blue and silver colours of the older models with a simpler and solid construction. We've thrown this Mbox around a bit during the course of testing and it's survived every knock and scrape.
We'd definitely have no problem recommending it for portable recording though that all-metal chassis does mean it weighs in at 1.5kg.
In the box
Like the original Mbox model, the unit features two XLR/TRS combo input jacks for microphone and line level signals, as well as two DI inputs to plug directly into the unit.
Each input has a microphone preamp with 48V phantom power, a soft-clip limiter, and its own gain/trim control that, when pulled out, applies a -20dB attenuation to the incoming signal. Neat.
The source for each input can be selected individually, the Front/ Rear switch toggles between the XLR/TRS combo socket at the rear and the Instrument input at the front. The placement of the instrument socket at the front of the unit is great for quickly plugging in guitars and it's clear that they've thought hard about practicality and effectively with minimum compromises to keep the price and size down.
There are two independent stereo outputs: one analogue and one digital with the analogue output available for speakers and headphones simultaneously.
Handily the headphone socket is placed at the front of the unit, next to a dedicated knob for phones volume control. As for the speakers output, Avid has re-designed the level control, implementing a bigger knob for easier and more accurate monitoring levels and this knob, along with all the other controllers of the unit feel very solid and responsive.
There's even a Dim switch which is a neat, more 'pro' feature on an essentially 'basic' interface and a Mono switch that sums the left and right channels in the centre, to check phase issues and mono-compatibility of the mixes. Both are welcome additions.
A single LED next to each input gain control, indicates signal presence (green) or clipping (red) and these also double as an instrument tuner, by pressing the Dim and Mono buttons simultaneously, which is a handy extra.
DSP integration
The best new addition of the new Mbox and Mbox Pro, is that they now come packed with internal DSP for cue-mixing and effects. The DSP chips are built into the unit and are controlled from software and although they can't be used as processing devices when mixing inside the DAW, they work great for recording and over-dubbing.
On the downside, when changing the control values in the driver control panel you do get a little noise on the outputs, but if CPU power of the host computer is a problem these DSP-based effects are a real help and can take the strain.
The supplied software even includes a large number of compatible instruments and plugs in AudioSuite and RTAS formats, along with Pro Tools LE, where the 'Multi' button can be assigned to multiple operations.
Sound quality
Avid understands that nowadays, quality should not be a sacrifice for project studio owners, which is why they have incorporated improved circuitry and AD/DA converters into the new Mboxes.
We found this new unit much quieter than the older model, however, the preamps are still a little noisy for low-level signals. That said the addition of the Soft-Limit function - previously available only in the 192 I/O interface - prevents hard-clipping of the incoming signal, allowing higher recording levels and offering a much warmer limited and over-driven sound.
Another surprising and long awaited improvement is the capability of 96kHz sample rates, previously only available on the Mbox Pro (which incidentally can now handle up to 192kHz).
For the travelling musician or personal studio owner, the new Mbox improves the recording experience in Pro Tools LE and compatible applications, with the implemented monitoring DSP and software.
For editing and mixing, the actual unit doesn't add much compared to the older Mbox versions, but little things like the improved circuitry, built-in tuner and the bigger volume knob are always welcome.
Read More!
Author:
Planet Waves NS Capo Tuner
This brand new addition to the Ned Steinberger-designed series of Planet Waves guitar accessories combines two existing products, the Headstock Tuner and Dual Action Capo, into a single unit.
On paper at least, the concept is close to genius in its simplicity. The tuner section is ergonomically designed in order to maintain the in-use comfort of the capo's trigger mechanism. There's also a micro-adjustment tension wheel to get things bang on.
The tuner's accuracy is based on piezo technology and the display comprises 'lesser than' and 'greater than' LEDs either side of a central in-tune light.
What's missing is a depiction of the actual note that's currently being tuned, so you'll need to know that the guitar is pretty close to the note you want. Indeed that is its intended use - fine tuning when shifting capo positions, rather than tuning up from scratch.
In Use
When the capo is in place on the neck, the display is in just the right place. There's no way of adjusting the fascia, but no need - it's conveniently sited. It's wide enough to fit six and 12-string electric and acoustic guitars.
If you use a capo, you'll know that the act of even placing it on the neck involves some kind of tuning tweak in most cases. The NS Capo Tuner addresses that by offering you instant chromatic reference to the note to which you're closest.
It can't mute your signal, of course, and it does require that your guitar is pretty much in tune to begin with.
Read More!
Author:
Gibson Guitar launches the Firebird X in New York
Adobe Flash Player required to view this video. Get Flash Player.
Gibson Chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz smashed a traditional guitar at the start of a press conference today at New York's Hard Rock Cafe. After doing so, he unveiled the company's newest invention, the Firebird X. "This is new," he said. "This is different. This is revolution. Nobody looks and spends the time to reinvent the guitar. This is a new guitar."
So what is the Firebird X? It's shaped like a non-reverse Firebird meets a Fret-King Espirit meets a Fender Jaguar (and with its ash body and maple neck, it's even more Fender-y) and it's designed, we imagine, to be something of a one-stop-shopping guitar/device, sort of like Line 6's Variax models. The latest Gibson super-guitar is outfitted with a piezo pickup at the bridge and three magnetic humbuckers, along with a guitar effects processing system built into the body of the instrument and the Robot self-tuning system.
In addition, the Firebird X comes with Ableton Live 8 and Guitar Rig 4 Pro software, Bluetooth wireless technology, two foot pedals and rechargeable batteries. With a suggested retail price of $5570, the Firebird X (available 11 December) won't be on everybody's shopping list. But ast the instrument is limited to just 1800 pieces, that more than makes the point moot.
To check out full spec and detailed images of the Firebird X, head over to Gibson's site.
Want to know what the Firebird X is up against in the ever-growing super guitar market? Then check out our recent round-up of futuristic axes.
Gibson Chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz and a young guitar hero-in-training with the new Firebird X. Joe Bosso
Read More!
Author:
Jimi Hendrix Quote of the Day
Folks I was looking for an interesting, yet poignant guitar quote to post on my Twitter feed but this one exceeded the 140 character tweet limit. It gave me goosebumps.
Here's the quote:
"I wish they'd had electric guitars in cotton fields back in the good old days. A whole lot of things would've been straightened out."
-Jimi Hendrix
Pretty cool huh. Difficult to top. Happy Holidays from me and much prosperity in 2011 with your guitar playing.
Guitar Legend James Burton to Open Studio
Hats off to one of our favorite guitar legends, James Burton, the Telecaster master, who played with Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis. The Shreveporttimes reports this morning, "Shreveport rock guitar legend James Burton plans to open a state-of-the-art recording studio across from the historic Municipal Auditorium today, but its target audience isn't the superstars he made his name with, Jerry Lee Lewis or EmmyLou Harris."
The article, continues with "I want to give something back to the community," said Burton, a Minden native who gained fame as the bandleader and lead guitarist for Elvis Presley, Rick Nelson and John Denver. "I want them to have a place where they can sit down and record CDs, to encourage them to play and do better."
James Burton said a lot of the artists he's recorded with already have expressed an interest in the studio. Louise Burton offered a name.
"Steve Lukather said he wanted to be the first one," she said.
Lukather is best known for his work as a guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger and producer for the rock band Toto. He also is known for his work with the jazz fusion bands El Grupo and Los Lobotomys.
Read the entire article here.
Jeff Beck’s Les Paul Tribute Hits the Road, Comes to DVD
Read More!
Author:
More Covers that Beat the Original Not on Ultimate-Guitar’s list
Folks, I was compelled to put together a list of covers that beat the original, that weren't on the ultimate-guitar.com's list I saw last week. Check out some of the videos featuring Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan doing some famous Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Guy Renditions. Also some Hendrix, and some lesser known Aggrolites and Goldfinger.
Key to the Highway – Eric Clapton covering for Big Bill Broonzy
In this case we have many examples of Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, and even BB King with Jeff Beck.
Key to the Highway is usually credited to Charles "Chas" Segar and Big Bill Broonzy. As Broonzy explains: "Some of the verses he [Charlie Segar] was singing it in the South the same time as I sung it in the South. And practically all of blues is just a little change from the way that they was sung when I was a kid ... You take one song and make fifty out of it ... just change it a little bit."
Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) – Stevie Ray Vaughan covering for Jimi Hendrix
Few people have succeeded in rendering right homage to Hendrix. However, Vaughan, the anointed one exceeds Hendrix in Voodoo Child (not to mention Little Wing).
Mary Had a Little Lamb – Stevie Ray Vaughan covering for Buddy Guy
‘nuff said.
Peter Gunn – Roy Buchanan covering for Henry Mancini
Roy Buchanan’s (September 23, 1939 - August 14, 1988) musical career began in Pixley, California. His father was a sharecropper (not a Pentecostal preacher as Buchanan himself had claimed). Buchanan told how his first musical memories were of racially-mixed revival meetings his family would attend. “Gospel,” he recalled, “that’s how I first got into black music”. He in fact drew upon many disparate influences while learning to play his instrument (although he later claimed his aptitude was derived from being “half-wolf”). He initially showed talent on the steel guitar before switching to the standard instrument in the early 50’s.
In 1957, Buchanan made his recording debut, playing the solo on My Babe for Chicago’s Chess Records. Three years later, Buchanan headed north to Canada, where he took charge of the guitar role in Ronnie Hawkins' band (a group later to gain fame as The Band). The group’s guitar player, Robbie Robertson, studied guitar under Buchanan, and took over the lead guitar spot when Buchanan left the group
Roy Buchanan playing the Peter Gunn Theme live.
Like A Rolling Stone – The Rolling Stones covering for Bob Dylan
Killing Floor - Jimi Hendrix covering for Howlin’ Wolf
Don’t Let Me Down – The Aggrolites covering for the Beatles
Feel Like Makin’ Love – Goldfinger covering for Bad Company
I Will Survive – Cake covering for Gloria Gaynor
Cake's cover of "I Will Survive" was featured in the 1998 French film Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train
Edge of Seventeen – Jonas Covering for Stevie Nicks
Edge of Seventeen (Just Like The White Winged Dove) is a song written and recorded by Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac, the third single from her successful 1981 solo debut album Bella Donna (Italian for Beautiful Woman). Written by Nicks to express the grief resulting from the death of her uncle Jonathan and the murder of John Lennon during the same week of December 1980, the song features a distinctive, chugging 16th-note guitar riff, and a simple chord structure typical of Nicks's songs.
But Jonas does a much better job
Thanks to last.fm, wikipedia, and youtube
Slash Considers Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction
Read More!
Author:
Michael Schenker Recording with Members of Scorpions, UFO and AC/DC
Read More!
Author:
Check Out the New Guitarbites.TV
Hey fellow axe-grinders, we wanted to inform you of the latest guitarbites development, Guitarbites.TV. Yes, you can now visit guitarbites.tv for the latest guitar industry news delivered on the lastest wordpress guitar blog site. Check it out here.
Guitar Legend James Burton to Open Studio
Hats off to one of our favorite guitar legends, James Burton, the Telecaster master, who played with Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis. The Shreveporttimes reports this morning, "Shreveport rock guitar legend James Burton plans to open a state-of-the-art recording studio across from the historic Municipal Auditorium today, but its target audience isn't the superstars he made his name with, Jerry Lee Lewis or EmmyLou Harris."
The article, continues with "I want to give something back to the community," said Burton, a Minden native who gained fame as the bandleader and lead guitarist for Elvis Presley, Rick Nelson and John Denver. "I want them to have a place where they can sit down and record CDs, to encourage them to play and do better."
James Burton said a lot of the artists he's recorded with already have expressed an interest in the studio. Louise Burton offered a name.
"Steve Lukather said he wanted to be the first one," she said.
Lukather is best known for his work as a guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger and producer for the rock band Toto. He also is known for his work with the jazz fusion bands El Grupo and Los Lobotomys.
Read the entire article here.
Line 6 POD HD500
The Line 6 POD range, starting with the original kidney bean-shaped tabletop unit and moving through various incarnations including rack-mounted and floorpedal versions, has been the go-to resource of many guitarists wanting a varied palette of modelled amp and effects sounds for recording, practice and, in some cases, live use.
That looks set to continue as the new POD HD series takes the whole shebang to a new level by introducing High Definition modelling. High Definition modelling has been in development for the last few years, after Line 6 realised it had taken its existing modelling technology as far as it could.
""The HD500 is well built, with a rugged metal chassis, pedal and footswitches."
Line 6 says HD offers around 10 times the processing of earlier models and recreates guitar amp sounds to a much higher level of detail than before. Aware that software has supplanted some of the roles played by the original POD, and that many guitarists are keen to use POD sounds live, Line 6 has presented the new PODs in rugged floorpedal form only.
The three models - the HD300, HD400 and HD500 - all sound the same, give or take a few effects, but vary in the detail of their facilities (see Pick Of The PODs); the HD500 we have here is the all-encompassing flagship unit.
A major difference between the new PODs and the old is that this time just 16 amps have been modelled, Line 6 says the idea here is that it's better to have 16 inspiring, articulate HD amp models in a wide tonal range instead of a large number that aren't as inspiring.
To this end, the finest specimens of each amp were tracked down and restored to peak condition with the help of the top valve amp experts in LA, before their sounds were analysed, modelled and recreated.
In addition to the amp models, you also get M-Class effects as found in the M9 and M13 stompbox modellers. Besides the HD modelling, the new series has two more features not seen before in a POD, one being a full-blown looping facility and the other being the L6 Link that allows the floorpedal to be integrated with the company's new HD50 amp via a single cable.
Sounds
The 500HD offers 512 memory locations, 256 of which are preloaded with factory presets that can be overwritten if desired (no bad thing as some are more programmer's wet dreams than guitarist's tools!).
Presets are saved in eight set lists, each having 16 banks of four presets each. Each preset offers a signal chain with eight effects blocks and the amp model, which can be placed anywhere in the signal chain.
Two simultaneous rigs of amps and effects are the POD's effects models can be loaded into the effects blocks. One block can also be designated as the hardware FX loop, so you can integrate other pedals into the system.
The HD500 is certainly well built, with a rugged metal chassis, treadle pedal and footswitches. It has a varied array of connections residing neatly round the back that should ensure connection in a wide variety of scenarios including - with Variax socket and L6 Link - a complete fully integrated Line 6 system of guitar, pedalboard and amp.
As is the POD way, a set of knobs allow instant tweaking of the amp sounds while, for foot control, you get a treadle and 12 footswitches in two tiers of six. The two footswitches on the far left scroll up and down through the memory banks while the middle four on the lower tier select each of the four presets in the bank, the final lower tier footswitch taking care of tap tempo duties or calling up the onboard chromatic tuner.
Effects in the signal chain are turned on and off by the four switches in the middle of the upper tier, but you can set the HD500 so that the four lower tier switches that would have been used to call up presets are used to switch effects - thus allowing individual switching of all the effects in the signal chain.
The final footswitch on the upper tier turns the HD500 into a looper with seven of the other footswitches then taking care of various looper functions (undo, play once, pre/post, rec/overdub, play/stop, half speed, reverse), allowing you full control over what is a very performance-friendly looper.
The pedal treadle can be assigned to control any parameter and is actually two expression pedals in one (EXP1 and EXP2): pressing down on the toe switches between the two so it's easy to switch from wah to volume.
Alternatively, you can add a standard expression pedal to the system via a rear panel socket to take on the EXP2 role.
The amps modelled this time around are a mixture of the classic amps that most players would regard as absolutely essential and some new boutique favourites that many will have heard of, but few will own, such as the Divided By 13 JRT 9/15 and the Dr Z Route 66.
In terms of realism of sound, the amps are really on the ball and extremely detailed, but with HD modelling Line 6 has also been able to place more emphasis on the tactile aspects of plugging in and playing so dynamic response and feel is a definite improvement over previous versions - playing through one of these should put a smile on your face.
The effects will be familiar to M13 owners and with up to eight available there's great sonic potential. There's also the option of switching off the amp sims and using the HD500 purely as a pedalboard into your amp.
In fact, with the huge array of memories and the set lists, you could have presets created just for that purpose, as well as ones with the same sounds, but with amp and speaker models for headphone practice and recording.
All of your editing can be carried out using the buttons, knobs and cursor surrounding the display but it takes a little getting used to and the experience is far, far easier if you connect the HD500 to a computer via USB and take advantage of the software editor/librarian that's freely downloadable from the Line 6 website.
The larger coloured display and clear graphics make quick and easy work of editing sounds, assigning footswitches and generally setting up the unit in advance for live use. The USB connection also allows the HD500 to be used as a two-channel audio interface for digital recording - it doesn't have as many USB routing options as on the x3 series but it's adequate for most needs.
Line 6 has included everything you are likely to need to be able to usefully integrate the HD500 into just about any onstage or studio set-up and configure it for use in several different ways, so there's a great amount of flexibility in that direction and certainly loads of versatility when it comes to creating sounds.
Some might argue that only having 16 amps is a backward step, but how many amps do you really need? These particular ones have been chosen to cover a wide range of vintage and modern sounds and the fact that you can use two amps at once, combined with the huge range of effects, means you should be able to dial up something close to any electric guitar sound you're familiar with - as well as conjuring up some that you'll have never heard before.
Overall the POD HD500 and its siblings are very good news for all of us - oodles of practicality and great sound for a reasonable price - no complaints here at all.
Read More!
Author:
MOTU UltraLite Mk3 Hybrid
MOTU have a proud history when it comes to building audio interfaces. Having developed the first FireWire 400 interface in the form of the no-nonsense '828', they've gone from strength-to-strength, fusing extensive I/O options, instant connectivity, high quality pre-amps and other assorted goodies.
The latest is Mark 3 of the UltraLite range which marks a new development with both FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 ports.
Ins and outs
The UltraLite Mk3 is a compact, half-U module that manages to pack generous amounts of I/O into its slender frame. The front panel features a single XLR/Instrument input, while the back panel provides a second of these, alongside an additional six channels of line inputs.
There are eight separate line outputs in addition to a main stereo pair, while digital connectivity is provided via S/PDIF I/O. MIDI In and Out ports are also present and, beneath these ports, both FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 ports so that you can connect up however you like.
Each mic input features its own phantom power supply, pad and trim controls and as the unit is bus-powered, plugging in, setting levels and hitting record is the work of just a few minutes.
However, description of the physical ports doesn't really do the UltraLite Mk3 justice, as this is a device designed to make studio or live mixing as simple as possible by carrying out a number of tasks internally.
DSP details
For starters, the UltraLite features the onboard CueMix FX digital mixer that includes reverb, EQ and compression effects that can be applied, per channel, without you having to boot your computer.
These effects are impressive - the Classic Reverb algorithm offers five room types with frequency shelf options and reverb times of up to 60 seconds, while the dual compression options include a faithful model of the classic LA-2A compressor. A seven-band parametric EQ is provided for tone colouring, with four filter styles and classic 'British' EQ modelling technology.
You can configure each channel in turn via the front-panel display, or if you prefer a more graphical approach, you can handle all of these tasks on your computer over FireWire or USB and then send them back to the UltraLite where up to seven such setup 'scenes' can be stored.
As should be becoming clear, this means that UltraLite Mk3's boast about being 'hybrid' doesn't extend only to its dual-connection ports but also to its suitability as both a studio and onstage device.
The ability to take this box out to act as your live mixer might seem brave, yet it's more than capable of fulfilling these criteria due to its flexible I/O and onboard effects.
The UltraLite Mk3 manages to pack a staggering amount into a modestly-sized box and should appeal to those looking for a one-stop solution for both recorded and live work.
The mic pres are clean and smooth, setup is straightforward and while configuring the unit extensively from the front panel alone requires a little more time, the option to handle such tasks from a computer provides further flexibility.
There are cheaper interfaces available but none match the I/O, onboard processing and hybrid approach. In short, the UltraLite Mk3 won't let you down.
Read More!
Author:
Jeff Beck’s Les Paul Tribute Hits the Road, Comes to DVD
Read More!
Author:
2011 Ibanez Premium Series
At Winter NAMM Ibanez launched their new Premium Series for 2011 including the RG920QM and RG870.
They come complete with High-end DiMarzio and CAP-VM pickups and Edge-Zero II bridge/tremolo w/ZPS 3 for tuning stability.
read more
Read More!
Author:
Ibanez Releases New SR Premium Series Basses
Ibanez has unveiled a new take on their SR series with four new models. The SR Premium basses are built at Ibanez’s premium factory and all feature USA Nordstrand “Big Single” pickups, a first for any of the company’s basses. Each model also includes their EQB-IIISC 3-band EQ that has a Mid frequency switch and...
Friday, January 28, 2011
Guitar News Podcast for the Week of January 28th 2011
PT and KJ break down all the week’s best guitar news.
NAMM 2011: Budda MN-100 leather-bound amp!
<p><img src="http://cdn.mos.musicradar.com/images/magblogs/total-guitar/gear-images/january-2011/namm/budda-mn-100-front-460-100-460-70.jpg" width="460" alt="Budda mn-100 mark nason leather amp front"></p><p><strong>In what will surely prove to be one of the most unlikely announcements of NAMM 2011, Budda Amplification has teamed up with shoe designer Mark Nason to unveil the Budda MN-100 and MN-412 – a new head and cab covered in Italian leather.</strong></p><p class="MsoNormal">The three-channel 120-watt amp head has a wallet-boggling RRP of $4,999 (about 3,155) while a single MN-412 leather-bound cabinet has a similarly astonishing $2,999 (about 1,892) price tag. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><img src="http://cdn.mos.musicradar.com/images/magblogs/total-guitar/gear-images/january-2011/namm/budda-mn-100-back-460-100-460-70.jpg" width="460" alt="Budda mn-100 mark nason leather amp back"></p><p class="MsoNormal">Budda is claiming that the MN-100 is "the best amplifier money can buy", stating: </p><p class="MsoNormal">"No stranger to the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, Mark Nason's signature couture creations stride easily from Sunset Strip to centre stage on the Budda MN-100 and MN-412."</p><p class="MsoNormal"><img src="http://cdn.mos.musicradar.com/images/magblogs/total-guitar/gear-images/january-2011/namm/budda-mn-412-front-460-100-460-70.jpg" width="460" alt="Budda mn-412 mark nason leather cab"></p><p class="MsoNormal">It certainly looks the part and we can just see the MN-100 resting in the corner of an exclusive LA studio, which is almost certainly the kind of high-end purpose it was designed for.</p><p class="MsoNormal">That said, TG thinks it's already enough hassle to maintain an amp without worrying about whether we've used the right colour shoe polish on it…</p><p><strong>Keep checking the TG site for more </strong><a href="http://www.musicradar.com/totalguitar/category/namm"><strong>NAMM 2011 guitar news</strong></a><strong> and for more details of</strong> <strong>the Budda MN-100 head to the <a href="http://www.budda.com/gear/gear.cfm?series=627">Budda website</a>.</strong> </p>
TG211 On Sale Now: The Who and the story of mod!
<img src="http://cdn.mos.musicradar.com/images/magblogs/total-guitar/magazine-images/2011/tg211-cover-big-250-70.jpg" style="float:right" /><p><strong>Total Guitar issue 211 will be available on newsstands from 21 January to 18 February and the latest issue is dedicated to all things mod guitar!</strong></p><h4>In the mag</h4><p class="MsoNormal"><strong>THE STORY OF MOD</strong><br />For its decades of devotees, mod guitar is a way of life. TG goes back to the 60s to trace the movement that's still spawning stars today.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Mod Guitar</strong><br />From Steve Cropper's soul sounds through to Arctic Monkeys' post-millennial mod, TG shows you how to play like the movement's heroes.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Mod interviews!</strong><br />Steve Cropper – the soul man, Steve Cradock – the mod authority, Kelly Jones – the modern icon, and Miles Kane – the 21st century boy.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Hot For 2011</strong><br />The biggest and best guitar albums you must hear this year.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Times Of Grace</strong><br />Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam D talks to TG about his new band, and how he wrote the debut album from his hospital bed.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Murderdolls</strong><br />Joey Jordison and Roman Surman tell TG how their passion for songwriting is alive and kicking.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Rocked & Rated</strong><br />This month's gear section features reviews of the Epiphone Slash 'Appetite' Les Paul signature, Gus G's new Blackstar HT-Blackfire distortion pedal, Avid's Recording Studio package with Pro Tools SE and the M-Audio Fast Track interface, the Line 6 POD HD500 floor unit, Jackson's JS32 Kelly, Guitar Tech pedals and a Group Test of acoustic amps.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Learn to play!</strong><br />The Who 'My Generation', Opeth 'Porcelain Heart', The Beatles 'Twist And Shout', Coldplay 'The Scientist', Paul Weller 'You Do Something To Me' and five classic blues rock riffs (including Steve Ray Vaughan, Free, Led Zeppelin and The Jeff Healey Band).</p><p class="MsoNormal">On the site</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.musicradar.com/totalguitar/win-a-peavey-vypyr-half-stack-worth-800-360888">Win a Peavey Vypyr half-stack worth 800!</a><br />Amp modelling has come a long way over the last decade, but as flexible as it can be, some guitarists still crave the subtle glow and classic break-up of valves. The Vypyr Tube 120H head gives you both, and thanks to its makers, <a href="http://www.musicradar.com/totalguitar/www.peavey-eu.com">Peavey</a>, we're giving you the chance to win a Vypyr half stack.</p>
“Diddie Wa Diddie” Guitar Lesson
More than 60 years after its recording, Blind Blake’s rambunctious “Diddie Wa Diddie”--a double-entendre ragtime-blues--still stands as a fingerpicking classic. Blake’s musical vocabulary is prodigious, and his improvisational flair has seldom been matched. Each of the tune’s stanzas features a distinctively different accompaniment, and each of the three instrumental breaks is a minor masterpiece in itself.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Mike Soldano interviewed by Jet City Amplification
If you haven’t heard of Mike Soldano then shame on you, if you didn’t know that Mike is currently designing amps for Jet City Amplification, where have you been?! Mike Soldano is a legend and I sincerely hope that this is one of many parts of this interview that will be uploaded to Jet City’s YouTube channel.
Follow Guitar Noize on Twitter (@guitarnoize)
This rss feed is the property of GuitarNoize.com
16 year old girl Jess Lewis plays incredible version of ‘Feeling Fine’ by Alex Hutchings
<p><iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="555" height="350" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bVYAxDwzq80?hd=1" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe></p>
<p>Ok just play this video and don’t look at the video, forget that this is being played by a 16 year old let alone a girl which without being sexist are in their minority in the guitar world. What you are hearing is a world class player, and I don’t make that statement lightly, listen to her phrasing, her touch, her tone. If this was Jess Lewis playing her own track I would pay good money for the album just as I would for Alex Hutchings. I am blown away, Jess Lewis is the future of female guitarists.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/JezzyLewis">Check out Jess Lewis’ YouTube Channel for more videos.</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.guitarnoize.com/store/shredmaster_1.php"><img src="http://www.guitarnoize.com/images/ads/shredmaster_banner_400.jpg"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://twitter.com/guitarnoize">Follow Guitar Noize on Twitter</a> (@guitarnoize)</p><p>This rss feed is the property of <a href="http://www.GuitarNoize.com">GuitarNoize.com</a></p>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/FjnD8JpKb6ENaecYB-nzg6IOPPM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/FjnD8JpKb6ENaecYB-nzg6IOPPM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/FjnD8JpKb6ENaecYB-nzg6IOPPM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/FjnD8JpKb6ENaecYB-nzg6IOPPM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/GuitarNoize?a=bWJP__17wNs:asPIjwCcjS8:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/GuitarNoize?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/GuitarNoize?a=bWJP__17wNs:asPIjwCcjS8:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/GuitarNoize?i=bWJP__17wNs:asPIjwCcjS8:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/GuitarNoize?a=bWJP__17wNs:asPIjwCcjS8:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/GuitarNoize?i=bWJP__17wNs:asPIjwCcjS8:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GuitarNoize/~4/bWJP__17wNs" height="1" width="1"/>
Mike Soldano interviewed by Jet City Amplification
<p><iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="555" height="350" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZVMGGsVXP-8" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe></p>
<p>If you haven’t heard of Mike Soldano then shame on you, if you didn’t know that Mike is currently designing amps for <a href="http://www.jetcityamplification.com/">Jet City Amplification</a>, where have you been?! Mike Soldano is a legend and I sincerely hope that this is one of many parts of this interview that will be uploaded to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/JetCityAmplification">Jet City’s YouTube channel</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://www.guitarnoize.com/store/shredmaster_1.php"><img src="http://www.guitarnoize.com/images/ads/shredmaster_banner_400.jpg"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://twitter.com/guitarnoize">Follow Guitar Noize on Twitter</a> (@guitarnoize)</p><p>This rss feed is the property of <a href="http://www.GuitarNoize.com">GuitarNoize.com</a></p>
<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/t9OsGJAnrzLuAZYiIkxxH-A-Txk/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/t9OsGJAnrzLuAZYiIkxxH-A-Txk/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/t9OsGJAnrzLuAZYiIkxxH-A-Txk/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/t9OsGJAnrzLuAZYiIkxxH-A-Txk/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare">
<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/GuitarNoize?a=tcWVSC5iBY8:f_Cz6VKJfhU:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/GuitarNoize?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/GuitarNoize?a=tcWVSC5iBY8:f_Cz6VKJfhU:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/GuitarNoize?i=tcWVSC5iBY8:f_Cz6VKJfhU:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/GuitarNoize?a=tcWVSC5iBY8:f_Cz6VKJfhU:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/GuitarNoize?i=tcWVSC5iBY8:f_Cz6VKJfhU:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a>
</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GuitarNoize/~4/tcWVSC5iBY8" height="1" width="1"/>
Keeler Designs Push overdrive pedal
Rob Keeler's pedals have impressed us lately and the Push overdrive is no exception. On the face of it, the Push has much in common with other boutique Tube Screamer-style drive stompboxes, with just three knobs sculpting a range of tones from a low gain, high volume boost perfect for pushing a valve amp into overdrive, to more saturated, searing lead tones.
The unit's robust Hammond-style enclosure and chunky true bypass footswitch should be more than capable of coping with a lifetime of road (ab)use. The Push's most interesting twist when compared to the competition is that rather than a straightforward tone control, there's a treble pot that allows for more focused fine-tuning of higher frequencies.
In use
Some boutique-style overdrives such as the T-Rex Alberta – an office favourite – aim for a smoother, more cultured take on the ever-popular Tube Screamer sound, and that kind of voice is here if you want it too. However, we had the most fun by cranking the gain and enjoying the extra dirt that's in the Push's tank compared to many pedals of its ilk.
There's really only one reliable way to sort the wheat from the chaff when it comes to gear aimed at the gigging musician and that's to hear how it responds in a high volume, full band scenario. Here, the Push excels. Crunchy but defined rock rhythm sounds and singing sustain are accompanied by a serious volume boost if required so there's no danger of those great sounds getting lost in the mix.
If you're in the market for a top-drawer overdrive but your tastes are more blues than rock orientated then perhaps the more restrained voice of Keeler's Pull pedal might be worthy of investigation. But if you need a dirtbox that's at home in harder territory and you can justify the outlay then the Push is more than worthy of audition.
Read More!
Author:
Line 6 POD HD500
The Line 6 POD range, starting with the original kidney bean-shaped tabletop unit and moving through various incarnations including rack-mounted and floorpedal versions, has been the go-to resource of many guitarists wanting a varied palette of modelled amp and effects sounds for recording, practice and, in some cases, live use.
That looks set to continue as the new POD HD series takes the whole shebang to a new level by introducing High Definition modelling. High Definition modelling has been in development for the last few years, after Line 6 realised it had taken its existing modelling technology as far as it could.
""The HD500 is well built, with a rugged metal chassis, pedal and footswitches."
Line 6 says HD offers around 10 times the processing of earlier models and recreates guitar amp sounds to a much higher level of detail than before. Aware that software has supplanted some of the roles played by the original POD, and that many guitarists are keen to use POD sounds live, Line 6 has presented the new PODs in rugged floorpedal form only.
The three models - the HD300, HD400 and HD500 - all sound the same, give or take a few effects, but vary in the detail of their facilities (see Pick Of The PODs); the HD500 we have here is the all-encompassing flagship unit.
A major difference between the new PODs and the old is that this time just 16 amps have been modelled, Line 6 says the idea here is that it's better to have 16 inspiring, articulate HD amp models in a wide tonal range instead of a large number that aren't as inspiring.
To this end, the finest specimens of each amp were tracked down and restored to peak condition with the help of the top valve amp experts in LA, before their sounds were analysed, modelled and recreated.
In addition to the amp models, you also get M-Class effects as found in the M9 and M13 stompbox modellers. Besides the HD modelling, the new series has two more features not seen before in a POD, one being a full-blown looping facility and the other being the L6 Link that allows the floorpedal to be integrated with the company's new HD50 amp via a single cable.
Sounds
The 500HD offers 512 memory locations, 256 of which are preloaded with factory presets that can be overwritten if desired (no bad thing as some are more programmer's wet dreams than guitarist's tools!).
Presets are saved in eight set lists, each having 16 banks of four presets each. Each preset offers a signal chain with eight effects blocks and the amp model, which can be placed anywhere in the signal chain.
Two simultaneous rigs of amps and effects are the POD's effects models can be loaded into the effects blocks. One block can also be designated as the hardware FX loop, so you can integrate other pedals into the system.
The HD500 is certainly well built, with a rugged metal chassis, treadle pedal and footswitches. It has a varied array of connections residing neatly round the back that should ensure connection in a wide variety of scenarios including - with Variax socket and L6 Link - a complete fully integrated Line 6 system of guitar, pedalboard and amp.
As is the POD way, a set of knobs allow instant tweaking of the amp sounds while, for foot control, you get a treadle and 12 footswitches in two tiers of six. The two footswitches on the far left scroll up and down through the memory banks while the middle four on the lower tier select each of the four presets in the bank, the final lower tier footswitch taking care of tap tempo duties or calling up the onboard chromatic tuner.
Effects in the signal chain are turned on and off by the four switches in the middle of the upper tier, but you can set the HD500 so that the four lower tier switches that would have been used to call up presets are used to switch effects - thus allowing individual switching of all the effects in the signal chain.
The final footswitch on the upper tier turns the HD500 into a looper with seven of the other footswitches then taking care of various looper functions (undo, play once, pre/post, rec/overdub, play/stop, half speed, reverse), allowing you full control over what is a very performance-friendly looper.
The pedal treadle can be assigned to control any parameter and is actually two expression pedals in one (EXP1 and EXP2): pressing down on the toe switches between the two so it's easy to switch from wah to volume.
Alternatively, you can add a standard expression pedal to the system via a rear panel socket to take on the EXP2 role.
The amps modelled this time around are a mixture of the classic amps that most players would regard as absolutely essential and some new boutique favourites that many will have heard of, but few will own, such as the Divided By 13 JRT 9/15 and the Dr Z Route 66.
In terms of realism of sound, the amps are really on the ball and extremely detailed, but with HD modelling Line 6 has also been able to place more emphasis on the tactile aspects of plugging in and playing so dynamic response and feel is a definite improvement over previous versions - playing through one of these should put a smile on your face.
The effects will be familiar to M13 owners and with up to eight available there's great sonic potential. There's also the option of switching off the amp sims and using the HD500 purely as a pedalboard into your amp.
In fact, with the huge array of memories and the set lists, you could have presets created just for that purpose, as well as ones with the same sounds, but with amp and speaker models for headphone practice and recording.
All of your editing can be carried out using the buttons, knobs and cursor surrounding the display but it takes a little getting used to and the experience is far, far easier if you connect the HD500 to a computer via USB and take advantage of the software editor/librarian that's freely downloadable from the Line 6 website.
The larger coloured display and clear graphics make quick and easy work of editing sounds, assigning footswitches and generally setting up the unit in advance for live use. The USB connection also allows the HD500 to be used as a two-channel audio interface for digital recording - it doesn't have as many USB routing options as on the x3 series but it's adequate for most needs.
Line 6 has included everything you are likely to need to be able to usefully integrate the HD500 into just about any onstage or studio set-up and configure it for use in several different ways, so there's a great amount of flexibility in that direction and certainly loads of versatility when it comes to creating sounds.
Some might argue that only having 16 amps is a backward step, but how many amps do you really need? These particular ones have been chosen to cover a wide range of vintage and modern sounds and the fact that you can use two amps at once, combined with the huge range of effects, means you should be able to dial up something close to any electric guitar sound you're familiar with - as well as conjuring up some that you'll have never heard before.
Overall the POD HD500 and its siblings are very good news for all of us - oodles of practicality and great sound for a reasonable price - no complaints here at all.
Read More!
Author:
The Gibson Video Interview: Jeff “Skunk” Baxter
Read More!
Author:
Derek Trucks Says Eric Clapton Made Him a Better Player
Read More!
Author:
More Covers that Beat the Original Not on Ultimate-Guitar’s list
Folks, I was compelled to put together a list of covers that beat the original, that weren't on the ultimate-guitar.com's list I saw last week. Check out some of the videos featuring Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan doing some famous Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Guy Renditions. Also some Hendrix, and some lesser known Aggrolites and Goldfinger.
Key to the Highway – Eric Clapton covering for Big Bill Broonzy
In this case we have many examples of Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, and even BB King with Jeff Beck.
Key to the Highway is usually credited to Charles "Chas" Segar and Big Bill Broonzy. As Broonzy explains: "Some of the verses he [Charlie Segar] was singing it in the South the same time as I sung it in the South. And practically all of blues is just a little change from the way that they was sung when I was a kid ... You take one song and make fifty out of it ... just change it a little bit."
Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) – Stevie Ray Vaughan covering for Jimi Hendrix
Few people have succeeded in rendering right homage to Hendrix. However, Vaughan, the anointed one exceeds Hendrix in Voodoo Child (not to mention Little Wing).
Mary Had a Little Lamb – Stevie Ray Vaughan covering for Buddy Guy
‘nuff said.
Peter Gunn – Roy Buchanan covering for Henry Mancini
Roy Buchanan’s (September 23, 1939 - August 14, 1988) musical career began in Pixley, California. His father was a sharecropper (not a Pentecostal preacher as Buchanan himself had claimed). Buchanan told how his first musical memories were of racially-mixed revival meetings his family would attend. “Gospel,” he recalled, “that’s how I first got into black music”. He in fact drew upon many disparate influences while learning to play his instrument (although he later claimed his aptitude was derived from being “half-wolf”). He initially showed talent on the steel guitar before switching to the standard instrument in the early 50’s.
In 1957, Buchanan made his recording debut, playing the solo on My Babe for Chicago’s Chess Records. Three years later, Buchanan headed north to Canada, where he took charge of the guitar role in Ronnie Hawkins' band (a group later to gain fame as The Band). The group’s guitar player, Robbie Robertson, studied guitar under Buchanan, and took over the lead guitar spot when Buchanan left the group
Roy Buchanan playing the Peter Gunn Theme live.
Like A Rolling Stone – The Rolling Stones covering for Bob Dylan
Killing Floor - Jimi Hendrix covering for Howlin’ Wolf
Don’t Let Me Down – The Aggrolites covering for the Beatles
Feel Like Makin’ Love – Goldfinger covering for Bad Company
I Will Survive – Cake covering for Gloria Gaynor
Cake's cover of "I Will Survive" was featured in the 1998 French film Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train
Edge of Seventeen – Jonas Covering for Stevie Nicks
Edge of Seventeen (Just Like The White Winged Dove) is a song written and recorded by Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac, the third single from her successful 1981 solo debut album Bella Donna (Italian for Beautiful Woman). Written by Nicks to express the grief resulting from the death of her uncle Jonathan and the murder of John Lennon during the same week of December 1980, the song features a distinctive, chugging 16th-note guitar riff, and a simple chord structure typical of Nicks's songs.
But Jonas does a much better job
Thanks to last.fm, wikipedia, and youtube
Check Out the New Guitarbites.TV
Hey fellow axe-grinders, we wanted to inform you of the latest guitarbites development, Guitarbites.TV. Yes, you can now visit guitarbites.tv for the latest guitar industry news delivered on the lastest wordpress guitar blog site. Check it out here.
Cakewalk Sonar X1
We're accustomed to seeing a new version of Sonar each year, but last time around we got v8.5 instead of the expected v9. (It was a feature-packed update all the same.)
Now, Cakewalk has hurled another curve ball by giving us Sonar X1, effectively resetting their version counter. Sure, it's essentially Sonar 9 by another name, but it's also indicative of the serious overhaul that's been undertaken.
"It's clean, uncluttered and inviting - a vast improvement."
For those unfamiliar with it, Sonar is a PC DAW that provides everything you need to make quality tracks from start to finish. It's got several great synthesisers, a virtual piano, drum kits, mixing effects galore, audio features like timing adjustment (Audio Snap) and pitch correction (V-Vocal), and lots more. We're looking at the full Producer Edition.
The big new feature for Sonar X1 isn't a sexy new plug-in or editing tool, but a revised interface. Now, don't get us wrong; we liked the old Sonar. A lot. But it had begun to creak under the weight of nearly a decade of feature-creep, and its plethora of icons and obscure key commands could be intimidating.
Sonar X1, on the other hand, is clean, uncluttered and inviting - a vast, vast improvement. It could be mistaken for a totally new product, but the Sonar we know and love is hiding just beneath that slick new exterior.
Cakewalk have clearly listened to their users and taken note of the better ideas found in competing products. Anyone previously put off by Sonar's GUI should take a fresh look at it, while old-timers may well feel a newfound sense of speed and freedom once they get used to it.
Old views, new views
The old look is still apparent in the clips and the Track view. However, the tabs at the bottom of the latter for I/O options, FX bin and so on are gone. All such options are now available in the Inspector, which, in typical DAW fashion, exists as a strip down the left-hand side.
The Inspector itself is tabbed so you can choose to view the Channel Strip, expand the ProChannel (more on this later), view clip options, etc. Plus, it shows the channel strip for the selected track or bus and that of its assigned output. Just like Logic!
The Browser is now a dockable (or floatable) tabbed window for quick access to plug-ins, media, presets and other things. You can drag plug-ins or audio into a track, FX bin, loop-slicer or wherever is appropriate.
Alas, it doesn't work in reverse, so you can't drag an audio clip back into the Browser. Still, the new design is tightly integrated and speeds things up considerably.
The Browser, Piano Roll, Mixer and other windows (including plug-ins), can be docked in the MultiDock. This collapsible, floatable pane can itself be moved around or stuck on a separate monitor.
The Control Bar replaces the old transport bar and numerous toolbars that once cramped Sonar's style. It's customisable, with modules for markers, loop recording, quantise, ACT and more. You can stick it up top, down below, or float the thing.
So, several of the GUI elements can be expanded, collapsed, floated, docked and otherwise rearranged. You can save and toggle between configurations using the Screensets. This new interface arrangement/management system is collectively known as Skylight.
One of the most impressive new ideas comes in the form of Smart tools. Here, a single tool changes functionality depending on what you're doing. It works wonderfully and unobtrusively, switching from, say, a selection tool when hovering over data, to a pencil for notes in the piano roll. You can still choose tools manually, too.
Changing channels
Sonar has always had a solid selection of mixing plug-ins, but our expectations have been upped considerably in recent years by third-party efforts, not to mention the SSL-modelled mixer integrated into Propellerhead's Record.
Perhaps taking inspiration from the latter, Cakewalk has blessed Sonar with ProChannel, a powerful channel-strip that's not a plug-in but is instead built right into each channel. It features a superb EQ, analogue-style saturation and some very tasty compression options.
The EQ is a four-band affair with adjustable Q, level and frequencies for each band. The low and high bands toggle between peak and shelving modes. You can switch between vintage, modern and pure characteristics, and there are also high-/low-pass filters with the slope adjustable from 6 to 48dB/octave in 6dB increments. Oh, and there's a Gloss button, which adds "air" at the push of a switch.
This EQ certainly packs a lot into its small GUI footprint. ProChannel's compressor has two modes. First is the PC76, which is obviously patterned after the industry standard Urei 1176. It offers five ratios (including an infinite option) and attack, release, input and output knobs.
A flick of a switch calls up the PC4K option, an SSL-alike with a GUI to match. This one sports attack, release, fully adjustable ratio and make-up gain, and the ability to perform sidechaining (via the built-in high-pass filter or an external input).
We tended towards the simplicity of the PC76, but both sound superb and are not your average DAW-bundled efforts. Both have dry/wet knobs, too, for easy parallel compression.
ProChannel's final trick is a tube saturation emulator. There are two modes, and the parameters are simple: input, output and drive. The sound is terrific, particularly for subtle sweetening. We can see it being applied discreetly on the master bus.
A routing strip at the bottom of ProChannel lets you drag its three modules into any order, and you can place ProChannel itself before or after the track's insert effects bin. You can disable any or all modules, too.
Chain gang
Speaking of routing, multiple effects can now be slung together and treated as a single FX Chain (you can still access plug-ins individually). Chains can be stored for later recall, but they can't include instruments or MIDI effects.
There is, of course, some new audio and MIDI content, with 1.2GB of sample material from Loopmasters and Sample Magic. Loops are in REX format, and it should be pointed out that Sonar now supports 64-bit REX files. The content is diverse and of the highest quality.
There are plenty of minor tweaks, too. Clip fades are finally reflected in the clip's waveform display. We also like the Edit Filter, which enables you to show only the automation envelopes that you want to work on (there are still no automation lanes, but Cakewalk say they're coming at some point).
The new Key Clusters scheme attempts to make logical sense of the way key commands are grouped (eg, all looping commands are available via the L key and various modifiers - Alt/Shift/Ctrl), and they succeed as well as can be expected. And there's plenty more that we simply don't have the space to cover!
{PAGEBREAK}
Sonar X1 performed like a champ, even though our test machine (with Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz CPU and 3GB RAM) was, on paper, slightly under spec for the job. We could run up to 30 ProChannels at once, with the 76 compressor, tube saturation and all EQ bands active - not bad for a below-par setup!
Maybe Cakewalk's system recommendations are playing it safe, or they expect users to pile on more plug-ins than we did. Whatever the reason, we suffered no dropouts or other ill behaviour during normal use.
Sonar, so good?
Cakewalk took a big chance with X1 - and it's paid off. Handled poorly, such sweeping changes could have alienated existing users. Thankfully, it's tightly woven, well thought-out and a joy to use.
We found the transition to be immediate, if not instantaneous. If you're a long-time user, don't mistake the new interface for a new look - this upgrade could make your music-making experiences more about you and less about your DAW.
If you're new to Sonar then there's never been a better time to get into it. And for users both new and old, ProChannel should not be underestimated - it sounds killer and the direct integration means it's always on hand.
To sum up, with Sonar X1, Cakewalk has shortened the winding pathway between your imagination and the sounds coming out of the speakers. That, surely, is the best upgrade that anyone could ask for.
Read More!
Author:
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)