Wide World of Gear

Home , Breedlove Guitars, Ilan Rubin, List of Ibanez players, Tanglewood Guitars

FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 2014

The Official Show Publication

DAILY Wide world of gear

The NAMM Show draws attendees from every corner of the globe, every segment of the musical products industry and every musical style known to man. Here are a few tastes of the global gumbo the UpBeat staff found on the show ﬂoor.

1. Tycoon and Hal Leonard expanded their Slayer’s Kerry King and Gary Holt, Anthrax’s distribution partnership. From left: Randy Charlie Benante and Frank Bello, Megadeth’s Foat, David Cywinski, Quincy Yu, Doug Lady, David Ellefson and Chris Broderick, and The Stephen Yu, Ivy Yu and Larry Morton. See Winery Dogs’ Billy Sheehan and Mike Portnoy 1 story on page 6. along with Samson’s awesome cast of thou- 2. JBL’s Brian Divine and Andy Flint show off sands! (Photo by Paris Visone) the new EON 615 on Wednesday. 5. Hohner’s Gabe Ireland and Clay Edwards 3. The Music People is celebrating its 35th pose with an 8-foot-tall replica of the Anacleto anniversary during NAMM, here with the series accordion yesterday morning. “Ana- U-Mount iPad stand. From left: Sharon Hen- cleto accordions are handmade,” said Scott nessey, Jeremy Payne, James Hennessey and Emmerman, director of sales and marketing. John Hennessey at their booth Wednesday. “Each one is a work of art.” 4. Samson rocked the House Of Blues 6. Dave Smith, founder of Dave Smith Instru- Wednesday night with a sold-out Metal Mas- ments, highlights the Prophet 12 module and ters 5 show. This year’s masters class featured Mopho x4 on the show ﬂoor yesterday. See Pantera’s Philip Anselmo and Rex Brown, story on page 46. 2 3

4 5 6 breaking good!

A hard-hitting session on how to grow your business in 2014 hosted by Barry Moltz, small business guru. Get to the Hilton Anaheim Paciﬁc Ballroom for a free breakfast and Moltz’s timely advice.

Breaking Good! Martin’s Custom Models Paul Gilbert’s Ibanez Fretlight 5 for Beginners GearLode Offers Free Listing Page 126 Page 26 Page 50 Page 74 Page 92

4 UBD January 24, 2014

Zildjian, LAN Music Partner Up

Zildjian has partnered with LAN Music Corporation to represent the company in South and Central America as well as the Caribbean. LAN Music Corporation has more than 30 years of experience within the music industry in various capacities including worldwide sales and marketing of a variety of instruments. LAN Music’s experience in Latin America is extensive, having established Remo Vice President of Sales and Marketing Bob Yerby shows off Emperor Ebony drumheads. working relationships with major whole- sale distributors, artists and other key players throughout the region. The team at LAN Remo Targets Caregivers, Unveils Heads Music has deep industry expertise in sales, artist relations and marketing. At Remo’s press conference yesterday, the Bob Yerby, vice president of sales and “We are honored to begin this new as- company unveiled new drumheads and an- marketing, unveiled Remo’s black Emperor sociation with the most remarkable brand nounced a plan to sell to caregiving markets Ebony drumheads, which are made of two in the cymbal category and look forward to outside the musical products industry. plies: 7.5-mm ebony and 7-mm clear ﬁlms. building upon the company’s already strong “We’re not suggesting that the drum is a Remo’s durable Silent Stroke drumhead is presence in Latin America and the Caribbe- cure for anything,” said Remo President Brock available in sizes 6–24 and features a single- The LAN staff gets ready for NAMM. an,” said Richard Boveri, regional sales and Kaericher. “The drum is a tool that can be used ply version of mesh that gives it only 20 per- marketing manager at LAN Music. effectively by caregivers around the world.” cent of the volume of a traditional drumhead.

Electro-Voice Rolls Harman Touts Out EXT Line New Products Electro-Voice held a press conference yesterday morning to announce its new EXT line of portable loudspeakers. “I think our track record that we’ve demonstrated over the last three years shows that we are making a very serious re-entry, and we are now one of the leading forces in this space,” said Jeremy Hockham, president of Harman’s David Scheirman introduces the sales for Electro-Voice. company’s new products yesterday morning. The EXT line includes a single-knob DSP Allen Vizzutti plays a Xeno YTR-8335G trumpet at interface with LCD, FIR-Drive performance the Yamaha booth yesterday. Harman Director of Knowledge Resourc- optimization and Signal Synchronized Trans- es David Scheirman presented some of the Electro-Voice’s Jeremy Hockham on the ducers (SST) waveguide design. show floor yesterday. company’s new products yesterday morning. $ Electro-Voice (electrovoice.com) Yamaha Gets Harman’s brands include AKG, Crown, dbx, Digitech, JBL, Soundcraft and EON. Passionate “None of our divisions here, from my point of view within Harman Professional — Hitoshi Fukutome, president of Yamaha whether it’s microphones, signal processing, Roland Ups Keyboard Ante Corp. of America, welcomed visitors to the amplification or loudspeakers — are stand- Roland introduced an aggressive lineup company booth yesterday and talked about ing still,” said Scheirman. of new products Wednesday — including the company’s theme for the 2014 NAMM “We’re having a lot of fun working workstations and electronic pianos — and Show. “The theme is ‘passion and perfor- more closely together, taking vertical mar- teased the launch of a new brand aimed at mance,’ which embodies the essence of our kets, packages of products from the differ- the electronic dance music (EDM) market. company,” said Fukutome. “‘Passion and ent brands, and putting an interdisciplinary At the top of the launch pad were the performance’ influences every product we team together to make sure that these prod- FA-06 and FA-08 music workstations featur- build, every customer we serve and every ucts, as they unfold on our road map, actu- ing a large selection of Roland’s most popu- music lover we delight. ‘Passion and perfor- ally relate well to each other.” lar sounds, a 16-track sequencer, DAW in- mance’ also applies to our valued dealers, Harman’s JBL Professional division an- tegration, an easy-to-use sampler and more. artists and music educators.” nounced the latest edition of its EON brand The FA-06 has a 61-note, velocity-sensitive Tom Sumner, senior vice president, said, with the 600 series of portable loudspeakers. keyboard, while the FA-08 has an 88-note, “Yamaha acts like a collection of boutique Scheirman touted the product’s “purposeful Ivory-feel G Keyboard with weighted action manufacturers that are really unified by the Scott Tibbs with the Roland RD-800 Stage Piano. design” and said it would appeal to a broad derived from Roland’s high-end pianos. quality, design, manufacturer quality and range of customers. The company also unveiled an entire line customer support that Yamaha is known for. JBL also unveiled its new LSR310S 10- of mid-range and high-end digital pianos in- called “the ultimate stage piano built for live “At Yamaha, we love introducing new inch powered subwoofer. The product is cluding the DP90SE and DP90E models. performance.” technology, and it’s especially exciting when ideal for emerging electronic producers and DP90E features new SuperNatural sound In demonstrating the RD-800, Roland’s that new technology is in a product that is hitmakers. engine technology and PHA-4 premium Scott Tibbs demonstrated some of the in- literally 300 years old,” Sumner added, re- $ Harman (harman.com) keyboard, said Chris Halon, Roland direc- strument’s piano sounds and 1,100 addition- ferring to U1TA piano with TransAcoustic tor of marketing communications. And the al tones in the instrument. technology. The instrument reproduces all DP90SE has the PHA-4 concert keyboard. “The thing I really like about the RD is sounds, including the acoustic piano, from Both keyboards employ the company’s Su- that it’s really like a collection of vintage poly- the soundboard rather than from a tradition- perNatural piano technology geared to de- phonic keyboards, so there’s Farfisas, there’s al speaker. liver the dynamic, complex sound of an au- mellotrons, there’s all kinds of very, very use- Yamaha also introduced the redesigned thentic acoustic grand piano. ful polyphonic keyboards,” Tibbs said. Xeno trumpet line, the next generation of A variety of Roland’s other new digital of- The company also took the opportunity MG series compact mixers, the revamped ferings employ SuperNatural technology, in- to tease a new product line called Aira. While Stage Custom Birch drum set and the Abso- cluding the HP500 series and the HPi50E, a not showing what the product is until Febru- lute Hybrid Maple drum set. home instrument aimed to bring piano play- ary, the teaser already has Internet bloggers “A very important thing about the new ing enjoyment to the family. predicting a new slant on the company’s clas- line of Xeno trumpets, besides the quality Andy Flint, Harman’s senior manager of marketing for Portable PA, shows off the new EON 600 series. On the professional front, Roland intro- sic drum machines. and the price point, is that you can play myr- duced the RD-800 Stage Piano, which Halon $ Roland (rolandus.com) iad styles,” said trumpeter Allen Vizzutti.

6 UBD January 24, 2014 Briefs Taylor Celebrates 40th, Eastman Gets Smokin’ Introduces 800 Series Eastman’s new T184MX-LS “Lil’ possibly think of, and this is reaching real far Smokey” thinline electric is a sleek, back, real old technology for some things. true hollowbody with plenty of tone Protein glue, finishes that are almost as thin and style. With a reduced 14-inch as a French polish. Very traditional hand- body style, the T184MX-LS features a rubbed finish. These are some old concepts double venetian-style cutaway with a put into a very modern context where we’re hand-carved maple top, and a carved able to build these guitars consistently well. solid mahogany back and sides. “We’re saying, ‘Hey, we’re making some Complete with dual mounted Sey- guitars that we think are even better than mour Duncan 59 humbucker pickups, what we’ve done.’ And that’s what’s still to the mahogany neck is coupled come from Taylor, instruments that are bet- with an ebony fingerboard with no ter than we’ve already done.” inlays. Taylor co-founder Kurt Listug at Wednesday’s preview. Company co-founder Bob Taylor intro- Control knobs include two vol- duced Powers as the company’s next-gen- ume, two tone and a three-way Taylor guitars kicked of the company’s eration master luthier, noting what he said selector switch. 40th anniversary celebration by going “back when hiring him. $ Eastman Guitars (eastman to the work bench” to reimagine the Taylor “You know, Andy, we need a guitar build- New Córdoba guitars.com) 800 series. er, and we need a well spring,” Taylor said. During a Wednesday night dinner and “We need someone to take our company all Ukes Come preview at Morton’s Steakhouse in Anahem, the way to the next generation. And I believe KV2’s K-RIG Gives DJs a master luthier Andy Powers discussed the you are chosen and that you could be the in All Sizes Step Up new instrument. most influential guitar person in the industry “This year, for our 40th anniversary, we of guitars for the next 30 or 40 years. I really Córdoba’s 22 series ukuleles are available The new K-RIG thought the 800 series, that was the first real believe that.” in soprano, concert, tenor, tenor cutaway- from KV2 is aimed at Talyor model,” Powers said. “Let’s take it On the 40th Anniversary, Taylor’s other electric and baritone sizes. the small to medium head-on and go back to the work bench and co-founder, Kurt Listug, noted that Bob was Each size features a solid-spruce top production market see if we can make that a better guitar. 19 and he was 21 when they founded Taylor paired with rosewood back and sides; rose- and DJ sector. The “We put in every little bit that we could back in 1974. wood bridge, fingerboard and headstock ve- K-RIG consists of the neer; and a mahogany neck. KT2.0, a dedicated The aesthetic is subtle and refined, with a mid-high cabinet with hand-inlaid wooden rope rosette and match- a horn-loaded 12-inch ing purfling. The 22 series was created to speaker and a large- bring the most popular guitar tonewood diaphragm 2.5-inch compression driver on combination of spruce and rosewood to the an 80 xb60 horn. ukulele. $ KV2 Audio (kv2audio.com) $ Córdoba Guitars (cordobamusicgroup.com) LD Systems’ Dave 8 Roadie is Compact LD Systems’ compact P.A. system Dave 8 Roadie, featuring an integrated three-chan-

Andy Powers (left) and company co-founder Bob Taylor nel mixer, is now available. Tycoon’s New Partner The Dave 8 Roadie features Tycoon Percussion has appointed Hal three different inputs, and Leonard as its exclusive distribution partner the connection panel offers for the U.S. market. The partnership lets Ty- the formats XLR, coon shift its focus back to its core strengths GAMA Holds Annual Meeting, jack, RCA of product innovation and global branding. i and mini- Tycoon Percussion Uses Feedback to Plan for 2014 jack for a va- (tycoonpercussion.com) riety of com- The Guitar and Accessory Marketing worth in 2013 by approximately 8 percent binable signal Association (GAMA) held its annual meet- over 2012. sources, such as ing on Wednesday morning at the Anaheim It plans on introducing a two-for-one sale a microphone, Hilton. on dues for new members this year. If a com- keyboard, During the meeting, David Lusterman, pany signs up to be a member, they will pay guitar, PC, association president, discussed some of the for one year and get the second free. MP3 play- organization’s goals for 2014 based on last i GAMA (discoverguitar.com) er or mixer. year’s feedback. A subwoofer “We would like to train music educators volume knob with a focus on guitar,” Lusterman said. “We can be used to would also like to create, design and fund a balance sub and member matching grant program.” satellites. AWM Sells Company Lusterman explained that the program A class AB pow- American Way Marketing has announced would include a GAMA member company er amp module in the the sale of the company to John Musselman, donating products or money to guitar stu- band-pass subwoofer Kathy Donahoe and Jakob von Wolff. This dents. After receiving the donation, the stu- powers the system compo- returns AWM to the status of a privately held dents would then turn to GAMA and ask for nents with a 700-watt peak to- company. Kathy Donahoe has been named a matching donation. tal output. president and managing partner. AWM will “This addresses the community aspect The subwoofer’s 8-inch driver produces continue to offer and build on the Superslick, of the feedback we’ve received,” Lusterman a precise bass range with a pulse response, Faxx and 1st Lesson brands of products. said. while the satellites provide accurate mid- i American Way Marketing (american Also discussed was its membership and GAMA President David Lusterman addresses range and treble. meeting attendees on Wednesday morning. waymktg.com) ﬁnancial reports. GAMA increased its net $ LD Systems (ldsystems.com)

8 UBD January 24, 2014

Briefs QSC Launches LM Adds Brown Option TouchMix Series to Strap Line QSC Audio Products brought the new TouchMix series to The NAMM Show yester- LM is this year adding a bit of brown to day. TouchMix offers musicians, production its Back to Black strap series. LM now offers professionals and live performance venues all the Back to Black models in a rich brown the power and capability of a large format tone. The Back to Black — and now brown console in a highly portable, fully integrated, — series features many different styles and affordable and easy-to-use product. sizes and all feature the fine soft leather. Just as digital cameras offer advanced $ LM (lmproducts.com) features to meet the needs of highly skilled professional photographers and point-and- shoot features to assist novice users, the TouchMix-8 (12 input channels) and Touch- Mix-16 (20 input channels) provide a choice of Advanced Mode operation, which offers NAMM Gets Global, Again total control over all parameters, or Simple Mode, which provides only the most essen- NAMM’s tradition of networking reached are close to the industry, such as music edu- tial controls. a global level Wednesday as the Internation- cation advocacy and the NAMM Standards. TouchMix series includes 4-band, fully al Coalition met to exchange information on The coalition, which meets every year, is parametric EQ with both variable hi- and what happened in musical products markets made up of more than 40 association heads lo-pass filters, as well as comprehensive dy- around the world and talk about issues that and opinion leaders from 20-plus nations. namics processing on each input channel. Earthworks Teams With Four mix busses feed four internal, profes- Mason & Hamlin sional, digital effects processors. Comprehensive dynamics, graphic EQ, Earthworks, manufacturer of the PM40 hi-pass, lo-pass and notch filters and delay PianoMic System, and Ma- Mapex Calls SONIClear the are available on both the main and aux out- son & Hamlin are teaming puts and there are 8 DCA groups with mutes up at NAMM. The Piano- Bearing Edge of the Future as well as 8 mute groups. With four (Touch- disc-equipped Mason & Mix-8) or ten (TouchMix-16) auxiliary out- Hamlin Model A will be on Mapex’s new SONIClear bearing put channels, TouchMix also has ample stage display at the Earthworks edge makes such an improvement in monitor mixing capability. Both models have booth. At 5-feet 8-inch- the sound of a drum, the company the ability to drive multiple, wired stereo in- es, the Mason & Hamlin has made it the linchpin for its newest ear monitors directly. Model A is equipped with products. During yesterday morning’s $ QSC (qscaudio.com) a PianoDisc iQ player system product preview event at the Mapex with new ProRecord optical booth, Michael Robinson, director of key sensors. marketing, compared a typical bearing $ Earthworks, Mason & Hamlin (earthwork edge to a SONIClear and explained saudio.com;masonhamlin.com) how it works. “It allows the drumhead to seat more flatly,” he said, noting that the ESP Brands Come to U.S. SONIClear bearing edge now comes standard on Mapex’s Mars series and Michael Robinson demonstrates ESP Guitars’ new ESP Original and E-II Armory series drum sets, as well as Ar- the company’s new SONIClear bearing edge. brands will become available in the mory snare drums. “Typically, when U.S. in 2014. The availability of ESP you put a drumhead on a drum, it Original and E-II brands in the U.S. rocks back and forth. That’s why you need cut of the SONIClear bearing edge is key to lets the company have a consistent to use all sorts of crazy tuning techniques to its effectiveness. “We’ve got a rounded back set of products available around the get the drum to sound good. With this, you cut, and we actually flatten the apex of the world. don’t. You can actually violate all the laws of edge down a bit so there’s more head-to-shell The nine new ESP Original mod- tuning and still get a great sound, which is contact,” he said. “It allows a little bit more els being announced at Winter pretty much what 90 percent of the market is suppression of those unwanted overtones, NAMM are the Eclipse CTM, going to do, especially 15-year-old kids who which drummers are typically trying to tune FRX, FRX CTM, Horizon NT don’t have a lot of experience tuning drums. out anyway.” CTM, Horizon FR CTM, Mys- And it activates the shell more, so you get In designing the SONIClear bearing tique FR, Mystique NT CTM, more shell resonance, a more centered pitch edge, Mapex aimed to make it easier for the Stream and Stream CTM. and a longer sustain. average consumer to achieve a much better $ ESP Guitars (espguitars. “On bigger drums like floor toms and bass drum sound more quickly — a concept that Slightly Rounded com) drums, it’s going to produce a bigger sound and fits neatly within with the company’s recent lower fundamental. Overall, it’s a massive im- “Tune Less, Play More” marketing campaign. Dreadnought provement on what would be a typical edge.” The SONIClear bearing edge will eventu- Breedlove has unveiled the Pursuit Plus Gemini’s G4V Transforms With increased resonance and less drum- ally be included on all Mapex drums. “Over Dreadnought acoustic guitar. The full-depth DJ MIDI Devices head sound, drummers will better be able to time, this is going to become the Mapex dreadnought’s top, back and sides are con- distinguish the nuances between shells that are edge,” Robinson said. “The plan is to inte- structed of Java ebony and the top is Adiron- Gemini’s G4V, a USB controller/audio in- constructed using different woods. grate this into everything that we do.” dack, delivering a warm, musical tone when terface with a built-in four-channel mixer, Robinson went on to explain that the $ Mapex Drums (mapexdrums.com) played both acoustically and plugged in. transforms the standard DJ controller into a The Breedlove Dreadnought is slight- dynamic performance controller. ly more rounded than traditional dread- Within its fully metal enclosure, the G4V noughts, producing full, punchy and articu- provides two full-featured physical DJ decks, late tones. The Fishman ISYS+ USB onboard touch-sensitive jog wheels, and more. Yorkville’s preamp system provides maximum value in $ Gemini (geminisound.com) a small footprint, and features a micro-USB NAMM Kickoff interface for easy recording. The system includes a side-mounted preamp with low- Yorkville Sound kicked off the 2014 profile rotary controls for tuner, volume, NAMM Show in style with a party at the bass, treble and phase, a Fishman Sonicore ESPN Zone in Downtown Disney Wednes- pickup, onboard 7-segment LED tuner and a day night. From left: Tim Marshall, Steve USB combination battery box with 1/4-inch Long, Jeff Cowling and Jeff Long hosted the output and USB jack. event. $ Breedlove Guitars (breedlovemusic.com)

12 UBD January 24, 2014

Briefs

Aguilar's Pickups Aguilar's new AG 4M and AG 5M humbucking pickups recreate the classic Stingray tone while adding string-to-string balance, consis- 25 Winners tency and rich harmonic con- for 25 Years tent. The pickups feature a crisp To help celebrate Mackie's 25th an- treble, articulate niversary, the company has announced a midrange and thunderous lows. contest for a chance to win an SRM loud- $ Aguilar (aguilaramp.com) speaker system that includes two SRM650 loudspeakers and two SRM1850 subwoof- ers, delivering more than 6000 watts of total system output. Do YOU Have The new SRM loudspeakers feature pro- Standards? fessional-grade, all-wood designs and a host of powerful tools for modern applications. Adopting NAMM B2B technology stan- “The first giveaway starts at The NAMM dards will not only make your life easier, Show where one lucky winner will receive it could also increase the profitability and our new SRM series loudspeaker system — a efficiency of your business. Best of all, massively powerful, pro-grade system worth it’s simple to get started. Just drop by the over $4,000,” said Shaunna Krebs, market- NAMM Standards booth in Lobby A/B to ing communications manager. learn more. Remember — it’s never too late The Facebook giveaway begins on Jan. to get standards! 23 and ends on Feb. 21. i NAMM (namm.org) i Mackie (mackie.com; facebook.com/ Roland TM-2 Trigger Module mackie) Great Sound Facilitates Hybrid Kits Rain or Shine Roland’s TM-2 Trigger Module is a new The TM-2 is filled with more than 100 electronic percussion module with high- ready-to-play professional sounds. Includ- High quality voice reproduction and mu- quality onboard sounds, user sound expan- ed are many sounds and tonal elements op- sic performance, normally associated only sion via SCHD cards, and two trigger in- timized for layering with acoustic drums, with indoor systems, are now available outputs for a variety of Roland pads and drum making it easy for players to achieve pol- doors with the new Shadow series of speaker triggers. ished, high-impact sounds when playing live cabinets. The all-weather products pro- Battery-powered and compact, the TM-2 through a P.A. system. There’s also a gener- vide system designers with the provides a simple, affordable solution for ous selection of electronic sounds for mod- right option for a range of ap- drummers who want to create a hybrid kit ern music styles, as well as traditional per- plications spanning from sports that brings acoustic and electronic elements cussion instruments, such as cowbell, wood fields to stadiums, theme parks together. block and wind chimes. to swimming pools. The TM-2 is easy to integrate with any Via the TM-2’s SDHC card slot, players The cabinet of the loudspeakers acoustic drum set, mounting quickly and un- can trigger their own WAV sounds transis a single-piece rotomolded enclo- obtrusively onto a hi-hat stand or drum rack ferred to SDHC media from a comput- sure made in polyethylene that’s fully using standard hardware. Thanks to battery- er, such as processed drums from song re- UV protected and equipped with a stainless powered operation, players can avoid the cordings, sound effects, looped grooves or steel U-Bracket for fixed installation. hassle of bringing AC power to their acoustic complete backing tracks. WAV sounds can $ FBT (fbt.it) setups. The intuitive panel features straight- be used right alongside the TM-2’s internal forward controls for assigning sounds and sounds to create kits. saving kits, plus large, easy-to-press buttons The TM-2 includes a powerful multief- for calling up kits while performing. fects engine, letting players enhance their Sakae Drums Custom Created Built-in trigger inputs let players connect kits with studio-quality processing, such as two pads or trigger devices at once. Nearly reverb, delay and flanger. Puts Celestial Knaggs Guitars has debuted its Creation any pad in Roland’s extensive V-Drums line- MIDI I/O in the TM-2 lets users trigger Series on Display series consisting of hand-built, one-off instru- up can be used, including those that sup- sounds in V-Drums modules, keyboards and ments designed by master luthier Joe Knaggs. port dual triggering. Ideal options for a hy- synth modules, and connect to a computer Sakae Drums’ Celestial series drum kit is In 2014, the Creation series will evolve into brid application include the BT-1 Bar Trigger via a MIDI interface to record MIDI data and suited for any genre. The Celestial kit is avail- a custom order program that lets players fill Pad and KT-10 Kick Trigger Pedal. The TM-2 play sounds in popular music software. It’s able in a choice of finishes and hardware. their individual preferences in an custom- is also works great with Roland’s RT-series also possible to play the TM-2’s sounds from Proprietary Sakae sound-enhancing tech- built instrument, drawing upon Knaggs’ suc- acoustic drum triggers that mount on kick, an external MIDI device. nology, featured throughout the kit and cessful Chesapeake and Influence series. In snare and tom drums. $ Roland (rolandconnect.com) hardware, is customized for each drum in a synergistic approach, Knaggs Guitars will the series. exhibit at NAMM with Tone Merchants/Fried- The series’ two-ply, hybrid shells consist man amplification, David Allen pickups and of exotic African bubinga wood on the out- Rock’n Roll Relic Guitars. side, with North American maple on the in- $ Knaggs Guitars (knaggsguitars.com) Dunlop's New MXR Custom Shop Micro side. Placing the harder bubinga wood on Amp + Mixes Features, Abilities the outside at the bearing edge enables it to better express the superb attack and projec- Dunlop Manufacturing's MXR Micro treble controls to noon. tion for which it’s known. Amp + combines the original Micro Amp’s Along with these up- Celestial kits are offered in a full comple- ability to sweeten tone and drive the front grades, the MXR Cus- ment of drum diameters, and with a choice of an amp with a specially tuned EQ section tom Shop team added of rims. Each drum in the kit features high- and low-noise op-amps. Its gain knob lets low-noise op amps to quality hardware, from heavy-duty transmit users dial up just as much gain as the origi- eliminate extra noise at and union lugs, to isolated cradle-mounting nal — up to +26 dB — but with added EQ super high levels and systems. For richer, more expressive sound, controls that help users finely sculpt their true bypass switching. all drums feature Sakae’s Chamber Specific boosted signal. For the classic Micro Amp $ Dunlop Manufactur- Technology (CST). sound, users can simply set the bass and ing (jimdunlop.com) $ Sakae Drums (sakaedrums.com)

14 UBD January 24, 2014 SOUND ROOM

Midas DL150 Series I/O Boxes Distribute Inputs

The new DL150 series is the ideal part- that utilizes time-tested and proven MIDAS ner for Midas PRO series digital consoles and technologies. The DL150 series offers a provides a cost effective solution for easily combination of MIDAS microphone preampli- distributing microphone inputs and outputs fiers, balanced line level outputs, and on the within a main audio system. DL155, dual redundant AES50 network ports. Ear Trumpet Labs The DL150 series has five versions to The DL150 series significantly increases a choose the right amount of inputs and outputs network’s flexibility, capacity and number of Intros Myrtle Mic at each location. It delivers legendary MIDAS microphone inputs and analogue outputs. sound quality in a 2U rackmount chassis $ Midas (midasconsoles.com) Ear Trumpet Labs has introduced the Myrtle, a directional mic that combines the look of a classic broadcast mic with high- quality electronics. The Myrtle’s inherent warmth of tone and clarity make a natural-sounding live mic. The M-Track Eight Expands cardioid polar pattern, head basket design and tuned electronics work together to make a very Recording Capabilities stable live mic with good feedback rejection, suitable for any singer who wants to make a Adding to the M-Track interface line, audio for recording audio higher than CD visual and sonic statement. which includes M-Track, M-Track Plus, and quality and, as its name implies, M-Track The Myrtle is a medium-large diaphragm M-Track Quad, M-Audio has now announced Eight includes eight XLR+1/4-inch combo (26-mm) condenser microphone designed M-Track Eight, an eight-channel, 24-bit USB inputs to accommodate any source. All in- with a cardioid pickup pattern primarily for audio interface designed for expanded record- puts are combo jacks with mic/line auto- live vocal use. Reminiscent of early broadcast ing capabilities with an ultra-low-noise signal sensing capabilities, and Channels 1 and 2 microphones, the design features a copper- path, 112 dB signal-to-noise ratio, and zero- add an instrument level switch in addition and-steel head basket with brass grillwork. latency monitoring. M-Track Eight will include to being front-facing, which allows for easy The transformerless FET circuit, with fully Avid Pro Tools Express with an iLok USB key. access when the unit is rack-mounted. Two balanced output and thorough EMI protection, “The M-Track line is all about equip- banks of 48V phantom power are onboard for features a moderate bass rolloff to compen- ping recording musicians at every level with use with condenser microphones. Outputs sate for proximity effect. professional capability,” said JC Sutherland, include eight 1/4-inch TRS, two pairs of 1/4- “I started Ear Trumpet Labs in order to M-Audio Product Manager. “It has the best- inch monitor outputs with A/B control, and bring creativity in visual design and a fresh quality microphone preamps on the market two 1/4-inch headphone outputs, which are take on microphone acoustics to perform- for the cost and it comes with Pro Tools, so switchable between Outputs 1 and 2 or 3 ing artists,” said company founder Phillip right away musicians are equipped with pro- and 4. M-Track Eight is class-compliant with Graham. “By initially focusing on providing level hardware and software.” Mac and a driver is included for PC. the best live sound possible for vocalists and M-Track Eight has 24-bit / 96 kHz digital $ M-Audio (m-audio.com) acoustic musicians, we developed a unique approach to voicing microphones that are both remarkably easy to use on stage and extremely versatile in the studio.” MSRP: $599. $ Ear Trumpet (eartrumpetlabs.com) Waves Audio MetaFilter Plugin Shapes Sound Waldorf Pulse 2 Waves Audio has unveiled modulating delays its MetaFilter plugin, a versa- with saturation Analog Synthesizer tile sound-shaping filter. The buildups. Delivers Harmony MetaFilter creative effects MetaFilter also unit provides the warmth, lets users custom- Waldorf’s Pulse 2 Analog Synthesizer is depth and fatness of classic ize and program now available. Pulse 2 delivers three analogue analog filters but with mod- their own presets. oscillators in harmony with a VCF. The fresh ern control and flexibility. The plugin can be filter circuits in the Pulse 2 now offer 12dB MetaFilter lets users in- controlled from Highpass and Bandpass modes in addition to dividually modulate the filter any MIDI control 24dB/12dB Lowpass for strengthened sound- cutoff, resonance and delay device. sculpting flexibility. time using three separate When con- Other notable features include an Alternat- modulators – a 16-step se- nected to a MIDI ing Pulsewidth Modulation mode and an XOR quencer, LFO and Envelope keyboard, it can Osc mode. All are compatible with the original follower – which make it easy to achieve ef- actually be utilized for playing the filter cutoff. Pulse series. fects such as filter sweeping, tremolo, auto- MSRP: Native, $200; SoundGrid, $299. $ Waldorf (waldorf-music.info.com) wah, rhythmic gating, ducking and hypnotic $ Waves (waves.com)

16 UBD January 24, 2014

Sabian Produces Cocktail Portability Blending the conventional trap set and a B&O Videos for stand-up cocktail rig, Tama’s new Silverstar Online Partners Cocktail-Jam kit offers full sound and feel in a package that breaks down into two light- In an era of ever-increasing online sales, weight bags. The four-piece Silverstar Cock- video has become a vital tool to help MI tail-Jam kit separates itself from conventional brands showcase products. cocktail sets by giving drummers and actu- To help give its extensive educational al 16-inch bass drum at its core, rather than partner network a leg-up, Sabian has invest- simply using the bottom of a floor tom. ed in producing product videos for its line of Featuring all-birch shells and low-mass B&O instruments including cymbals, gongs, Vimeo channel, where dealers can choose lugs, the Silverstar stores neatly in two in- triangles and more. whether to embed video directly to their web- cluded padded bags. Each package includes The videos will be hosted on both the Sa- sites or download and host video files locally. 5.5-inch by 14-inch and 5-inch by 10-inch bian Vault YouTube channel and the Sabian i Sabian (sabian.com) toms, a 6-inch by 16-inch bass drum, and a 5-inch by 12-inch snare drum. Optional In Their Own 200, 600 and 900 series cymbal mounting hardware packages are available as upgrades or à la carte. Backyard $ Tama (tama.com) Breedlove Guitars merged the science of sound, craftsmanship and local woods in its reintroduced Oregon Series. The guitars feature Myrtlewood, which has a range of grain pattern, coloration and figure and is also an extraordinary tonewood. To compli- ment the Myrtlewood, Breedlove chose one of the most versatile and tonally expansive top woods, Sitka spruce, and paired it with a hard rock maple neck. The stiffness and density of the hard rock maple neck locks in the vibrations of the body, making the neck Reverend’s PA-1 Goes Classic an anchor point for the soundboard and the Reverend Guitars’ newest model in the pickups, the Special HAL Humbuckers, for a back and sides. PA-1 series is the Reverend Pete Ander- clean and smooth vintage tone. An art-deco The Oregon Series also features an ebony son PA-1 HB Custom. Like the other PA-1 style trapeze tailpiece completes the refined fretboard, black binding, Breedlove nickel models, this guitar also has the classic hol- look and feel. The PA-1 HB Custom is avail- tuners and an ebony fretboard.The guitars low-body look and feedback-controlling able in Satin Tobacco Burst and Satin Violin are handcrafted in Bend, Ore. Uni-Brace system. The PA-1 HB Custom, Brown. $ Breedlove Guitars (breedlovemusic.com) however, is loaded with Reverend’s newest $ Reverend Guitars (reverendguitars.com)

20 UBD January 24, 2014 Yamaha’s SILENT Brass Systems Now Offer Three New Horn Options With its new Silent Brass systems for brass instrument sound. Another sys- French horn, trombone and flugelhorn, tem component, the compact Personal Yamaha has devised a way for horn play- Studio unit, includes a headphone jack ers to practice while listening to hi-fidelity and allows for easy attachment of an sound only audible to the performer. The Si- external audio player in order to prac- lent Brass systems now offer a more realis- tice with prerecorded material. Silent tic experience than ever before. The smaller, Brass systems can also enhance record- Vic Firth Releases lightweight Pickup Mute offers outstanding ings and provide live sound reinforce- sound reduction and provides a natural play- ment. MSRP: SB3XC, $259.99; MSRP: Greiner Sticks ing feel and stable pitch. SB5XC, $249.99; MSRP: SB6XC, Vic Firth Co. has developed a new Matt The mute features Brass Resonance Mod- $239.99; MSRP: SB7XC, $229.99. Greiner Signature Stick. Grenier is best eling, a technology that delivers realistic $ Yamaha (usa.yamaha.com) known as the drummer for the metalcore band, August Burns Red. “When we set out to design my signature stick, I knew I wanted a similar thickness to the 3A, but with more length and better balance,” said Grenier. MSRP: $17.35. $ Vic Firth (vicfirth.com)

Randall Amplifiers Debuts Diavlo Series Randall Amplifiers has launched the new RD “Diavlo” series of heads, combos, cabinets and pedals. The series offers a variety of high gain tone solutions. Current models include the RD100H, a 100 watt all tube amplifier with 3 channels/boost, and the RD45H, a 45 watt all tube amplifier with two channels/ boost. $ Randall (randalllamplifiers.com)

The Official Show Publication

DAILY

Vol. 61 No. 2 | The NAMM Show | Friday, January 24, 2014

PRESIDENT Kevin Maher PUBLISHER Frank Alkyer MANAGING EDITOR Katie Kailus ASSOCIATE EDITOR Kathleen Costanza CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Ed Enright, Davis Inman, Bobby Reed AD SALES MANAGER John Cahill ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Tom Burns, Ritche Deraney ART DIRECTORS Žaneta Cuntová, LoriAnne Nelson CIRCULATION Sue Mahal, Evelyn Oakes ACCOUNTING Margaret Stevens

Address all correspondence to: 102 N. Haven Road, Elmhurst, IL 60126 630-941-2030 | f: 630-941-3210 [email protected]

Maher Publications: DownBeat, Music Inc., UpBeat Daily. UpBeat Daily is the ofﬁcial NAMM show publication, published four times annually for The NAMM Show and three times annually for Summer NAMM. Music Inc., the business magazine for progressive music product retailers, is published 11 times annually.

22 UBD January 24, 2014

VOX Enhances All-Tube Night Train Amps

Known for its distinct metal exterior design, the Night Train series provides an easy way to enjoy classic and new VOX tones in a convenient, compact format. The Night Train G2 series includes the 15-watt NT15H- G2 and 50-watt NT50H-2G amplifier heads, plus the 15-watt NT15C1-G2 — the first design delivers classic VOX clean and crunch combo amp with the Night Train name. Op- sounds and modern high-gain sounds. The tional matching cabinets are also available. Girth channel has a powerful, modern high- The overall sound has been enhanced, gain sound for the guitarist who seeks an featuring full, robust tube tone in a class even heavier sound. The Bright channel pro- AB design. The pre-amp is driven by three vides VOX’s distinctive clean/crunch sounds 12AX7 tubes; the power amp boasts two and also features a Thick mode that bypasses EL84 tubes on the NT15H-G2/NT15C1-G2 the tone control circuit and boosts the gain to and two EL34 tubes on the NT50H-G2. obtain a thicker tone. The Night Train G2’s two-channel $ VOX Amplification (voxamps.com)

OZZtosh Floats Lightweight Line

OZZtosh’s ﬁrst line of lightweight guitars are hand-crafted from a solid aluminum block. “The Luma’s classic shape is enhanced by state-of-the-art surface contouring and internally placed acoustical chambers,” said principal Brian Ostosh. “This establishes a much richer sound than previous generations of hollow aluminum guitars.” $ OZZtosh (ozztosh.com)

Peavey Releases the Vypyr Pro and Sanpera III Footcontroller

Peavey Electronics has introduced the assigned to an amplifier, effect, stompbox or Vypyr Pro, which uses four stages of patent- in the first position to an instrument model. ed TransTube analog gain to create realistic Peavey’s updated Sanpera III Footcon- tube sounding distortion. troller unlocks the power of the Vypyr Pro. Using analog distortion lets the Vypyr Pro It utilizes dual expression pedals which can offer numerous combinations of stompboxes, be assigned to the default setting or to alter- rack effects, amplifiers and now even instru- nate effects. The Footcontroller also features ment models. It can run up to four amplifier a boost switch, tap tempo, a chromatic tun- models in parallel and is capable of designing er, and looper controls that let users generate a variety of signal path combinations. Four multi-track loops. module bays each with their own LCD can be $ Peavey Electronics (peavey.com)

Mapex Unleashes Arsenal of Armory Snares Mapex has debuted the Armory series of included as standard with the purchase of snare drums. every Armory series drum set, although it The ﬁve specially crafted snare drums can be traded in for any of the four other include pro-level features, such as 2.3-mm models. Powerhoops, unique tube lugs, piston-ac- Tomahawk is a 14- by 5.5-inch 1-mm tion strainers and Black Panther snare wires black-plated steel shell with penetrating ac- with brass end-plates and stainless steel curacy and long-range projection. Its rim- music wire coils. Additionally, the three shot has focused power. wood-shell models include Mapex’s new Daisycutter rattles the walls with its 14- SONIClear Bearing Edge, enabling easier by 6.5-inch 1-mm hammered steel shell. tuning, a powerful and focused tone and It’s a high-caliber drum with an explosive enhanced shell vibration. sound. The steel Tomahawk snare model is $ Mapex (mapexdrums.com)

26 UBD January 24, 2014 ACOUSTIC ROOM

Avante by Shadow Electronic Pana- Eko Designs MIA Veillette Offers Nylon for Live MAG Installs in Minutes Performance New Tonality Shadow Electronics has expanded its range of up to 100 feet from the transmitter. Eko Guitars’ MIA Nylon is engineered for Veillette Guitars has debuted Avante, a patented panoramic sound line with the new MAP: $499. live performances, especially for electric or new line of production instruments that of- PanaMAG wireless sound system. $ Shadow Electronics acoustic guitar players. fer guitarists new tonality in an affordable The system installs in minutes and re- (us.shadow-electronics.com) The MIA Nylon features a symmetric slot- package. quires no modifications to the ted headstock and The Avante Gryphon high-tuned 12-string instrument. a smooth and round delivers exciting tonal personality with a “Because the magnetic bridge design to match mandolin-like punch and a shimmering, nat- pickup is built in to the trans- the headstock shape. urally chorused top end character. Guitarists mitter, simply place the Pana- The model has can immediately play mandolin-style parts Mag into the sound hole, pair reduced body thick- in a new high register without learning a new with the receiver and you are ness, a neck joint at tuning. The ready to play,” said Joe Marinic, the 14th fret, a Gypsy- Avante Gry- founder and president of Shad- style cutaway and an phon also ex- ow Electronics. oval-shaped rosette cels as a gui- The PanaMAG features a completed by a solid tarist-friendly built-in tuner, separate tone cedar top. alternative controls for the top and bottom The MIA Nylon to traditional three strings, and a patented is fitted with an Eko folk instru- stereo panoramic sound control. by Fishman preamp, ments like It runs on an environmentally condenser mic, piezo the bouzouki, friendly, rechargeable LI-ION pickup and a tuner. mandocello, battery that delivers up to eight $ Eko Guitars (eko- and the Cu- hours of performance and has a guitars.it) ban tres and cuatro. Avante by Veillette instruments feature solid spruce Blackbird Launches tops, solid mahogany backs, sides Clara Uke and necks and solid rosewood fingerboards and bridges. Blackbird’s Clara ukulele is an instru- They are equipped with a piezo transducer ment with the tone of vintage wood and du- and active preamp. rability of eco-friendly materials. $ Veillette Guitars (veilletteguitars.com) Made from Ekoa, a proprietary, renew- able material, the Clara is geared to be a professional-level instrument made from composite materials. “Blackbird has spent the better part of a decade developing small, travel-friendly, carbon-fiber instruments world-class tone,” said Joe Luttwak, Blackbird’s chief musical officer. “With the Clara, musicians get what was previously unobtainable — the experience of a vintage old-growth wood instrument in a lightweight, durable and sustainable package.” From its patented hollow-neck design to its high-tech, eco-fabric and resin construction, the Clara is crafted at Blackbird’s San Francisco workshop, aided by computer-driv- New Martin en precision technology. The Loar’s Founded in 2005, Blackbird has built a Custom Shop loyal global following crafting resonant and Mandolins resilient carbon-fiber acoustic guitars and Guitars Rock ukuleles. Designed for the most demanding C. F. Martin & Co. has unveiled two new musicians, these performance-grade, travel- Go Classic Custom Shop models — the Eric Clapton ready instruments have weathered every- OM-ECHF Navy Blues Model and the CS- thing from packed concert halls to Antarctic The Loar’s new Grassroots Series consists 00S-14. The OM-ECHF is the third in a se- winters. of two new mandolins that are crafted to de- ries of collaborations between Martin, Clap- Blackbird dedicated several years of liver high-end sound in a low-key package. ton and Clapton’s multi-talented friend and research and development to incorporat- The mandolins are available in traditional associate in Japan, Hiroshi Fujiwara. ing resonant eco-materials into advanced A- and F-style body shapes, and are based The CS-00S-14 is a 12-fret, slotted head, composite construction. The result is Ekoa on classic designs from the Golden Era. The fingerstyle model crafted with rare Honduran — a plant-based material developed in San fretboard extension is eliminated and they rosewood back and sides for resonant tone. Francisco. are finished in a sunburst matte, giving the Only 114 of these exclusive instruments The inital limited production of 50 in- mandolins a modern touch. They feature will be offered worldwide. MSRP: OM-ECHF, clude a premium reinforced soft case. spruce tops and are finished with Grover tun- $6,999; CS-00S-14, $8,999. MSRP: Starts at $1,150. ers and D’Addario strings. MAP: $299.99. $ C.F. Martin (martinguitar.com) $ Blackbird (blackbirdguitar.com) $ The Loar (theloar.com)

28 UBD January 24, 2014 Floyd Rose’s Stone Tone Rock New Ukes Axe-Like Block Reduces Signal Loss Córdoba has launched a and deeper and wider body which make for cutaway-electric version of a lightweight ukulele with incredible projec- The Stone Tone Rock Blocks from transference. After each model in its 30 Series tion. Entirely handmade, the 30 Series are Floyd Rose are made of granite and de- the installation of a tenor ukuleles. Like their full Córdoba’s first ukuleles featuring twelve frets signed to enhance and strengthen the Stone Tone block, body counterparts, the uku- to the body rather than fourteen. sound of tremolo-equipped in- the guitar’s clarity, leles were designed in The ukuleles are fitted with LR Baggs struments. Granite, when quar- sustain, and over- conjunction with lu- Five.O pickups, which is a miniaturized ver- ried in its natu- all tone will be im- thier Pepe Romero Jr. sion of LR Baggs’ award-winning Element ral state, is the proved across all and are built more like pickup, and also includes a soundhole- correct density ranges of the fret small classical gui- mounted volume control and miniature end- for the purpose board and the signal loss from the tars than traditional pin preamp. of sustain, but guitar to the amplifier will be de- ukuleles. Other fea- Each 30 Series ukulele features premium also has a crys- creased by at least 30 percent. The tures of Córdoba’s all solid woods, an abalone rosette, Grover talline atomic Rock Blocks come with stainless steel 30 Series ukuleles tuning machines, and includes a durable structure which sustain block mounting screws. include a Spanish heel Córdoba polyfoam case. is ideal for sonic $ Floyd Rose (floydrose.com) neck joint, fan bracing, wider fingerboard $ Córdoba (cordobaguitars.com)

The Test of Time: K&M Ushers in 65th Year

König & Meyer, a family-owned company since its inception in 1949, is celebrating 65 years of raising the bar for design, durability and environmental stewardship. As one of the world’s leading providers of stands and accessories for instruments, speakers, microphones and more, K&M’s philosophy continues to be manufacturing high quality, durable products in an environmentally friendly manner. i König & Meyer (k-m.de/en)

Cameo Light’s Moving Heads Stay Efficient Cameo Light’s new moving head models are two compact and light (only 7 kg) moving heads that use energy-efficient LED technology and can be panned 540 degrees and tilted 270 degrees. They can be controlled via DMX, the built-in software and external sound sources, as well as operated as master, slave or stand-alone units. The moving heads feature deeply satu- rated colors, seven gobos, +30 Hz high-frequency strobing and features such as dim- mer, shutter, focus control and prism. The heads come in black, metal housing and robust, impact-proof ABS fitted with XLR sockets for DMX input and output and an IEC power socket. $ Cameo Light (cameolight.com)

30 UBD January 24, 2014 DRUM PAD

Drumﬁre’s Heavy Duty Hardware Bag Transports Standard Five-Piece Set

Drumfire’s newest hardware bag, the include non-skid pads on the bottom of the DHB6500, handles all the hardware from a bag, an ID pocket, a heavy polymer skid standard five-piece kit with ease. Up to eight plate, and a double carry strap with hook- stands or mounts fit into its foam-lined main and-loop binder. MSRP: $180.99. LP Reissues compartment which features a collapsible $ On-Stage (onstagestands.com) divider to help organize and Original Bongos protect hardware. Tethered dual oversized zippers and a span of Latin Percussion is celebrating 50 years hook-and-loop closures secure by reintroducing the first set of bongos it the main compartment. The produced. end compartment is sized to fit A replica of the set first crafted by LP a standard round throne seat, founder Martin Cohen in 1964, each set of while an additional external zip- Original Bongos is a faithful recreation of the pered side compartment holds satin mahogany drums complete with original Yamaha Concert drumsticks, keys or trap gear. 1964 head graphics, natural rawhide heads Constructed primarily of and special commemorative badge. Snares Receive tough padded Cordura nylon Outfitted with traditional chrome-plated material, the bag also features rims and hardware, the LP Original Bongos Improvements a rigid polymer reinforced spine are made with 6 ¾-inch and 8 ¼-inch diam- Yamaha has redesigned the 13- and 14- with wheels and an integrated eter shells. inch CSM Series of concert snare drums to handle for easy transport of MSRP: $479. improve sound quality and user-friendliness. up to 100 lbs. Other features $ Latin Percussion (lpmusic.com) A newly designed 8-ply shell allows for more sensitivity and wider dynamic response, while new Q-type strainers have been designed for smoother operation. The remodeled drums make an ideal choice for intermediate players at the middle school, high school or college level. $ Yamaha (usa.yamaha.com)

Remo’s Powermax 2 Zildjian Expands Kerope Cymbal Line Ideal for All Venues Remo has developed the double ply Heavy-Hitters The Avedis Zildjian Company has added into cymbals dating back to the 1950s and Powermax 2 Marching Bass drumhead, ide- the Kerope line to its legacy K family of cym- 1960s helped capture the look, feel and sound al for both indoor and outdoor venues. Made The EMAD Heavyweight bass drum head bals. These hand-crafted cymbals look and of K Zildjian cymbals. Zildjian also sought in- with two plies of Mylar film, the Powermax and the Heavyweight snare batter head are sound rich, dark and complex. put from top artists from around the world. 2 provides more attack and tone control Evans’ most durable, film-based drumheads Reminiscent of cymbals from the ’50s “These are highly crafted cymbals that than any other marching bass drumhead on yet. With EMAD Heavyweight’s two plies of and ’60s, yet relevant for today’s music, the draw their inspiration from the very best the market. 10mil film, drummers don’t have to worry Keope line was named in honor of Kerope cymbals in the Zildjian vault,” said Paul The Powermax 2 includes the same about putting the kick through the head. Zildjian, who presided over one of the most Francis, Zildjian director of research & de- popular Powermax pre-muffled design with a Meanwhile, the Heavyweight Snare batter storied periods in Zildjian history. velopment. “We carefully studied every nu- pre-installed dampening ring on the inside for employs two plies of 10 mil film plus a 3 mil From 1865 until his death in 1909 in ance of decades-old cymbals — their bells, optimum tone and projection plus a control reverse dot, for a total thickness of 23 mils Constantinople, Kerope developed the classic profiles, hammering, lathing, tapers, and sound dot underneath for added durability. in the playing area. K Zildjian sound. In his memory, the Zildjian weights. Our goal was to achieve an old- Remo’s new Powermax 2 is used by BOA Both the EMAD Heavyweight bass drum family will produce the Kerope line, which in- world look and sound being sought after by Finalists Ayala HS and the University of head and Heavyweight snare batter feature cludes 14- and 15-inch hats as well as 18-, so many artists today.” Oklahoma. Available in Ultra White or Ebony the new Level 360 Technology which ensures 19-, 20- and 22-inch models. Paul Francis and Zach Danziger will demo in sizes 14 to 32 inches. Out of the box, better fit, easier tuning, and a wider tonal The Zildjian Sound Lab collaborated with the new Kerope line at the Zildjian Booth, Powermax 2 is easy to install, requiring no range. New York-based drummer, Zach Danziger to Thursday-Sunday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. glue or tape. $ Evan’s (evansdrumheads.com) design the Kerope line. Exhaustive research $ Avedis Zildjian (zildjian.com) $ Remo (remo.com)

32 UBD January 24, 2014

Sony Adds to DWZ Microphone Series Sony newest MI packages in its DWZ including 24-bit linear PCM digital audio wireless microphone series offer 24-bit linear transmission, rack-mount receivers with col- PCM digital audio transmission, two select- or LCD and built-in digital EQ and balanced able RF modes and Sony’s data processing for and unbalanced audio outputs. reliable RF transmission, a five-band equal- $ Sony (sony.com/proaudio) izer and robust metal body transmitter. The DWZ-B50I instrument set includes a Reverend Teams With Ndegeocello For Signature Bass cardioid condenser microphone with a flexible gooseneck and two-way clip for use with The Reverend Meshell Ndegeocello Fel- reverse headstock, is based on the Reverend trumpets, saxophones or other wind instru- lowship Bass came together very quick- Thundergun with a set-neck and a raised ments. The DWZ-B50GB guitar set also in- ly. Meshell has been playing her collection center ridge for better sustain. It has one cludes a cable tone generator for matching of Reverend Basses all around the world at pickup, the new P-Blade, which extends the the sound from wired and wireless systems. some very high-profile gigs. At the Jason Mo- low end with excellent clarity. The controls Sony’s 2.4 GHz DWZ series includes ran concert in Ann Arbor, Mich., Reverend’s are stacked into one knob for volume and combinations of hand-held mics, bodypack Ken Haas had every intention of asking her tone. transmitters and rack-mount or compact size to do a Signature Bass. However, Ndegeocel- The Fellowship comes in Satin Black receivers. The various DWZ components lo beat him to it — asking to do one first. with a Rosewood fretboard. share many high-performance features, The Fellowship, in Satin Black with a $ Reverend Guitars reverendguitars.com

DaCarbo Unveils Its First Carbon Fiber Trombone

DaCarbo’s Carbon Fiber Trumpets are played by musicians such as Arturo San- doval, Trombone Shorty and Skip Martin. Now, trombone players can experience from the properties of carbon ﬁber wind instruments as well with the release of the ﬁrst daCarbo trombone. $ DaCarbo (dacarbo.com)

Total Control The Reloop Beatpad is an iOS controller developed for the popular iOS app DJAY by Algoriddim. The beatpad utilizes DJAY’s full potential with numerous control elements such as dedicated ﬁlters per channel, push encoders for effects and loops, as well as an extensive and multi- functional drum pad section. It can also be used as a high-quality MIDI controller for Mac or PC DJ software of choice. The multi-colored LED jog wheel shows users the virtual needle position and current effect and loop modulations. It also features a 30 pin and 8 pin lightning adapt- er, wireless sound transmission to speakers, and an aux stereo RCA input. $ Reloop (reloop.com)

34 UBD January 24, 2014 Mod Kits Vandoren Revamps Help DIY V16 Metal Guitarists Mouthpiece Line MOD Kits DIY has debuted its new Pre- The V16 line of metal Wired Assemblies, which provide guitar tenor saxophone mouth- players the tools to upgrade their existing pieces by Vandoren is guitar electronics. undergoing a redesign Each MOD pre-wired assembly has a and expansion to ap- treble bleed volume pot mod which helps peal to a wider range of Reed Tool Gets retain clarity when players roll back on the tenor players. volume knob as well as add life to pick- The new exterior Universal Praise ups. All assemblies are equipped with high shape and interior de- quality parts and components using CTS sign evokes the sound The ReedGeek “Universal” Reed Tool en- potentiometers, Switchcraft jacks, vintage “Orange Drop” tone capacitors. of famous metal tenor hances reed performance by rapidly and ac- Fender-style switches and high performance $ MOD Kits DIY (modkitsdiy.com) mouthpieces with the curately flattening reed tables. With less than two additional chamber 10 minutes training, players will notice an offerings: the medium improvement in efficiency, sonic quality and chamber for players responsiveness. Users of the tool will find seeking the 1950’s jazz more “good” reeds in a box. The reeds will Schilke Expands HD Line aesthetic and the large perform longer and more consistently over chamber for players their lifetime. The tool pays for itself by let- preferring the 1940’s ting the player use a larger fraction of the With Two New Trumpets sound. reeds per box and lengthening the playing Schilke has expanded its Bb trumpet offer- brass bell on our HD valve section and state- The existing models time of usable reeds. ing with the addition of two new HD trum- of-the-art build quality. HD models ship are still available, now “The ReedGeek is amazing,” said saxo- pets, the S23HD .463-inch large bore and with hard case and Symphony Series M3C renumbered to a simpler phonist Mindi Abair. “You’ve made our lives S33HD .46-inch medium-large Bb models. mouthpiece. They are also available in silver system. easier and I thank you! It’s life changing!” Both trumpets combine design concepts plate, lacquer, or gold plate finishes. The new V16 Met- “The only reed tool that’s ever worked for from the new HD series and the traditional $ Schilke (schilkemusic.com) al Mouthpieces will be me,” said alto saxophonist David Sanborn. Schilke models to create a new, more respon- available in Spring of “In my experience, there has been no prod- sive, compact playing experience. The sound 2014. uct that comes close to matching the ReedGeek’s remains full and focused with a broad spec- $ Vandoren effectiveness,” said jazz saxophonist Greg Osby. trum of overtones with flexibility to easily (vandoren-en.com) “I stand behind it 100 percent.” control timbre. Features include a lighter HD $ ReedGeek (reedgeek.com) receiver, #3 taper, one-piece seamed yellow

36 UBD January 24, 2014

Audio-Technica Puts Wireless on Pedalboard Recording King Guitars Audio-Technica’s System 10 2.4-GHz selector. With the tap of a foot, musicians can Digital Guitar Stompbox Wireless System toggle between outputs or mute and unmute Deliver All-Solid Tonewoods (ATW-1501) streamlines onstage signal flow one output without muting the other. Recording King’s new for dreadnought players who want to up- by making the wireless receiver part of the And a single receiver can be paired 10 Series guitars are avail- grade to an all solid model. pedalboard, and provides an A/B switcher with up to eight UniPak body-pack able in four body shapes. The warm-sounding 000 has a 1 and 3/4- for multiple signal/amp options. The s y s - transmitters, letting users easily switch Each guitar is crafted with inch bone nut and 24.9-inch scale, perfect tem combines the advanced 24-bit between instruments without having to a solid sitka spruce top for fingerstyle guitarists looking for rounded operation, easy setup and clear, move a body-pack from one instrument and solid mahogany vintage tone. natural sound quality of other Sys- to the next. back and sides and The Single 0 has a small body base and tem 10 wireless configurations System 10 wireless ensures feature descend- a 25.4-inch dreadnought scale length for with unique functionality for gui- clear communications by pro- ing-size fretboard extra projection. The bone nut is 1 and tarists, bassists and other players. viding three levels of diversity dots and tortoise 3/4-inch. Operating in the 2.4 GHz range, assurance: frequency, time, binding. The vintage-inspired 12-fret 000 has far from TV and DTV interference, and space. Frequency di- The Dread- a 25.4-inch scale and a 1 and 13/16-inch the System 10 Stompbox offers a rug- v e r- sity sends the signal on two nought has a 1 bone nut, perfect for fingerpicking or ged, metal, pedalboard-mountable re- dynamical- ly allocated frequencies for and 11/16-inch strumming and with plenty of warm sus- ceiver with foot switch, two switched TRS bal- interference-free communication. bone nut and tain. MAP: $399.99. anced 1/4-inch outputs and an output mode $ Audio-Technica (audio-technica.com) 25.4-inch scale $ Recording King (recordingking.com)

G7th Finishes

First Decade To mark its 10th anniversary, G7th has released a series of custom finishes, on its award-winning Performance, Nashville and Newport capos. Cool Black is an advanced, low-reflectiv- ity finish that gives a classy “stealth” look to the Performance Capo’s iconic design. Gold Plate is a specially-applied real gold plating that gets players noticed. “We hear about them being borrowed, kept and just plain stolen all the time,” said Nick Campling, G7th founder. “They work better and look better than other capos and I guess some players just get jealous. On the plus side, our Lifetime Warranty pretty much covers anything else that could happen!” $ G7th (g7th.com)

Kurzweil Goes Grand

Kurzweil’s new digital grand piano marks its first digital grand in more than eight years. The Kurzweil MPG200 combines a compact-grand piano design with Kurzweil sound technology. Craftsmanship includes an all-wood rim and high-quality polyester finish combined with a digital amplification system. MAP: $4,999. $ Kurzweil (kurzweil.com)

40 UBD January 24, 2014 Three New Classroom Gator Gig Bags Get Resources From Alfred Updated Look Alfred Music engage students, while enhancing their mu- has released three sical and critical thinking skills as they learn Gator Cas- The 4G gig bags features thick interior new educational about the history of hip-hop and its role in es’ line of light- padding and tough nylon exterior. An extra- classroom resourc- society. weight Slinger large front pocket provides ample storage es: Fresh Beats, Mu- Music Quilt Squares compiles a range of guitar gig bags for related accessories such as straps, cables, sic Quilt Squares and activities, including games on theory, identi- has been up- sheet music, strings and tablet devices. The That’s So Orff. fying notes and ﬁngerings on the piano and dated and re- 4G series also features the unique patent- Designed to help recorder, instrument families, and more. placed with pending Pick Clip zipper pull, which holds a teachers involve Lastly, lessons for the elementary music the new 4G back-up guitar pick and doubles as the zip- more students, Fresh classroom incorporate improvisation, move- series gig per pull for the front pocket. A reinforced Beats is a fully reproducible book that in- ment, and props with That’s So Orff, a collec- bags. The 4G series takes the similar light- headstock and bridge section prevents wear cludes resources to acquaint teachers with tion of original songs and arrangements with weight padded design and adds a stealth look to the interior. Lastly, the bag features Gator’s hip-hop music and culture, as well as easy reproducible pages that are written in a stu- with a dual textured black exterior, multiple adjustable backpack style shoulder straps lessons that teach the National Standards dent-friendly manner. storage compartments and the unique patent with contoured back padding. for Music Education. The curriculum will $ Alfred (alfred.com) pending “Pick Clip.” $ Gator Cases (gatorcases.com) D’Addario Saves Trees Coinciding with the launch of ProMark, D’Addario is also announcing its “Play. Plant. Preserve.” Tree Planting Cost Share program, an initiative aimed at ensuring that the hardwood resources used for making drumsticks and mallets in the company’s Tennessee saw- mill are sustainable. The program is funded by ProMark and is administered by the Tennessee Depart- ment of Agriculture, Division of Forestry (TDF). The goal of the program is to provide an avenue for the planting of ﬁve trees for every one that ProMark uses on an annual basis. “The ‘Play. Plant. Preserve.’ Tree Plant- ing Cost Share program directly connects with D’Addario’s existing efforts to sustain our planet,” said Rick Drumm, president of D’Addario. i D’Addario (daddario.com/saves)

Graph Tech Finds the Right Ratio Graph Tech Guitar Labs has announced the launch of its innovative Ratio Tuned Ma- chine Heads. Twenty-ﬁve years ago, Dave Dunwoodie, Graph Tech’s founder and president, had the idea to develop a tremolo bridge that would also re-tune the guitar to several open tun- ings. He soon discovered that because each string on a guitar is different, they don’t all tune the same. Dunwoodie’s original idea of developing a tremolo “re-tuner” became quite complicated and expensive. “It crossed my mind back then, and I thought, balancing machine head gears to each string would be an awesome way to tune a guitar,” Dunwoodie said. Today Graph Tech has the resources to ﬁ- nally design and test his balanced gear technology brain child. The result is Ratio Tuned Machine Heads, where all strings respond equally to any winding adjustment. One turn is about one tone change on all strings, making the tuning process easier and quicker. “With Ratio machine heads you won’t have to mess around because every string tunes the same, so tuning gets so much easier and so much quicker,” Dunwoodie said. $ Graph Tech Guitar Labs (graphtech.com)

42 UBD January 24, 2014

Levy’s MC8S Kohala Adds Offers Decorative Color to Tiki Contrast Levy’s Leathers’ MC8S is a soft cotton gui- Uke Line tar strap with suede leather ends and con- trasting decorative suede leather strip. Kohala Ukuleles has expanded Designed by Danica Levy, the straps come its Tiki Ukes collection of colored in four different colors that are identified by ukuleles. In addition to the pink, the item number: MC8S-NAV, MC8S-BLK, purple, red and yellow ukuleles MC8S-GRN and MC8S-TAN. currently available, Kohala has $ Levy’s Leathers (levysleathers.com) added black, ocean blue, seafoam green, and checkerboard to the Tiki Uke assortment. Zildjian MIDI “The response to our new Tiki Line 6 AMPLIFi Ukes has been incredible so far,” said Grooves Capture Kohala Product Manager Leon Lewis. to Change How “These matte-finish ukuleles come Artists’ Styles in full-color packaging and with Guitarists Practice genuine Aquila strings. We’ve Line 6’s AMPLIFi is a new kind of guitar The Zildjian Artist MIDI Groove Library struck the perfect balance be- amplifier. includes grooves performed by 24 top drum- tween fun, value and playability By combining a high-performance guitar mers, including Kenny Aronoff, Billy Mason, with dealers and customers alike amp, a streaming Bluetooth speaker system Carter Beauford, Eddie Bayers, Danny Sera- asking us for more.” and an iOS app into one device, AMPLIFi phine, Stephen Perkins, Ilan Rubin, Mar- Kohala’s Tiki Ukes fea- has the ability to change the way guitarists co Minnemann and Adam Nussbaum. All ture an engraved “Tiki Man” practice, perform and enjoy music. grooves, which are performed using a Ya- bridge, geared chrome tun- “Eighteen years ago, Line 6 revolution- maha DTX900 electronic drum kit, capture ers, rosewood fingerboard, ized the guitar amp market by releasing the AMPLIFi covers a wide frequency spec- their unique styles and include funk, blues, full-color packaging and an world’s first modeling amplifier,” said Paul trum. AMPLIFi is available in a 150-watt rock, reggae, Latin, country and pop styles in optional built-in chromatic tun- Foeckler, CEO of Line 6. “And now we’re do- model or portable 75-watt version. 4/4, 3/4, 12/8, 9/4, 5/4, 7/4, 13/16, 5/8 and er. Tiki Ukes are available in soprano and ing it again AMPLIFi redefines the guitar am- AMPLIFi is the ultimate Bluetooth speak- 6/4 time signatures. concert sizes with eight colors to choose plifier, bringing together our customers’ mu- er system for guitarists, featuring streaming The collection includes grooves format- from. Additionally, Kohala dealers have the sical and personal lives like no other device.” compatibility with Android, iOS, Mac and ted for BFD2, BFD Eco, EZDrummer, Su- option to merchandise their store with one AMPLIFi’s five-speaker stereo design de- PC devices. perior Drummer, Addictive Drums, Steven of two free Kohala “Tiki Head” POP displays, livers detailed guitar tones, from clear highs The full-range speakers deliver amaz- Slate Drums 4 and Cakewalk Session Drum- which hold up to four units on their slat wall. to a deep and smooth low end. ing sound, while the custom guitar speaker mer, as well as General MIDI files. MSRP: Starting at $74. Featuring two tweeters, two mid- functions as a thumping subwoofer. MSRP: $40. $ Kohala Ukuleles (kohalaukes.com) bass drivers and a custom guitar speaker, $ Line 6 (line6.com) $ Zildjian (zildjian.com)

44 UBD January 24, 2014

Jupiter ‘Banded’ Campaign High- lights School Music Community Jupiter Band Instruments has launched a merchandising and events. new integrated marketing campaign. “We’ve spent a lot of time during the last The “Banded” campaign highlights the two years looking at what makes the school common ground shared among musicians, music community different,” said Mike Rob- music educators, parents of musicians, inson, director of marketing for Jupiter Band school music retailers and Jupiter. It dem- Instruments, Mapex Drums and Majestic Fender Offers onstrates Jupiter’s brand values and how the Concert Percussion. “What we found is pro- company’s role is aligned with all aspects of found, but not all that surprising. It’s simply New Takes on music education, the lives of musicians and the love of music and the belief that it plays the love of music. an important role in society. It teaches dis- Old Favorites The campaign tells the story of how peo- cipline, teamwork, determination, empathy, ple become engaged and connected with social awareness and a number of other great Fender is offering fresh takes on two pe- school music, whether as an active partici- qualities worth embracing. Jupiter is happy rennial favorites, the ’65 Deluxe Reverb Head pant or as a supporter. The campaign will to help tell that story.” and ’57 DeluxeAmp. live on a wide range of platforms, includ- i Jupiter Band Instruments The 22 watt ’65 Deluxe Reverb Head amp ing print ads, videos, social media, in-store (jupitermusic.com) in classic black is ideal for rock, country or blues players who want a moderately powered amp they can still crank up. With 22 watts of tube power, the ’65 Deluxe Reverb head features two 6V6 Groove Tubes output tubes, one 5AR4 rectiﬁer tube, four 12AX7 preamp tubes, two 12AT7 tubes, dual channels, tube-driven Fender reverb, tube vibrato and a two-button footswitch. $ Fender (fender.com)

Korg Opens Pandora Stompbox The original Pandora multi-effect processor packed an enormous amount of effects processing and practice features into a unit the size of a cassette tape. Now, the long-established Pandora series includes the new Pandora Stomp, which offers the same high- quality effects found in other Pandora products housed in a stompbox-style pedal. It can be used in a pedalboard onstage or at home. Featuring a die-cast body the size of a compact effect unit, Pandora Stomp contains 158 types of modeling effects. Two hundred preset programs include many well-known sounds, as well as 100 rhythm patterns. $ Korg (korg.com)

SupportMusic to Webcast at 2 p.m. Today

Today at 2 p.m. in the California Ball- room A/B on Level 2 of the Anaheim Hilton the NAMM Foundation Lounge will be the site for a special SupportMusic Coalition live webcast. Join industry leaders, music educators, arts advocates and celebrities to ad- vance goals to keep music education strong in communities everywhere. All music education supporters are encouraged to attend! If you believe that an education isn’t complete without music and the arts, we invite you to join the SupportMusic Coalition. In addition to having access to our music advocacy tool kit, participants can also join in on our monthly conference calls and webcasts. i NAMM (namm.org)

46 UBD January 24, 2014 Gretsch Goes for the Gold With New Snare Line Gretsch Drums has added the Gold Se- myriad options to the discerning player,” ries and Silver Series to its line of snare said Joe Mazza, product manager for Gretsch drums. Designed to help drummers find the Snare Drums. right balance between build quality, tone op- $ Gretsch (gretschdrums.com) tions and accessibility, the drums come in a Dave Smith Mopho wide range of shell types and sizes. BSS Processors Gold Series drums use high-grade mate- Features Analog rials consisting of boutique-level craftsman- Signal Path Allow 64 Channels ship and appointments. Silver Series drums offer great options as a second snare drum or Premier polyphonic synthesizer manu- BSS Audio’s Soundweb London BLU-806 as an entry point into Gretsch snare drums. facturer Dave Smith Instruments provides and BLU-326 with Audinate’s Dante-enabled “This allows us flexibility with fu- a large selection of analog synthesizers. The processors are now shipping. ture drum development while still offering Prophet ’08, with a 100 percent analog signal Both offer the same configurable sig- path, including illustrious Curtis analog low- nal processing features as the existing BLU- pass filters, came out in 2007. 800 and 320 devices with the addition of By introducing the monophonic Mopho Audinate’s Dante digital media networking Grund Audio Design Looking desktop synthesizer analog module in 2009, capabilities. Dave Smith Instruments brought the Proph- The BLU-806 and BLU-326 devices al- et ’08 sound within reach of the musical low 64 incoming Dante channels and 64 Good with GQ Loudspeakers masses. Mopho’s voice architecture is iden- outgoing Dante channels. Grund Audio Design has introduced GQ rotatable horn, an 8-inch mid driver and a tical to a single voice of the Prophet ’08 but Both new devices offer configurable in- series loudspeakers. Encompassing five new 15-inch low-frequency transducer. The GQ- with a couple of twists. puts and outputs, compatibility with all models manufactured using MDF enclosures 18S features an 18-inch low frequency trans- While Prophet ’08 owners can control Soundweb London input and output card that are internally braced, the loudspeakers ducer in a bass reflex enclosure. most Mopho parameters directly from their options, logic processing capability, the are available in passive or active designs and GQ series loudspeakers suit a wide range keyboard or module’s front panel via MIDI, 256-channel Soundweb London digital au- are suitable for use by performing musicians, of sound reinforcement applications. The various keyboard-based versions of the Mo- dio bus and GPIO. DJs, event production and corporate AV. GQ-10, GQ-12 and pho are also available, starting with the Mo- Each device offers up to 16 inputs and GQ series loudspeakers consist of the GQ-15 all have pole pho Keyboard synthesizer. outputs, configurable in banks of four. Card GQ-10, GQ-12, GQ-15, GQ-153 and GQ- cups and can be config- The Mopho SE is the newest addition to options include analog mic/line inputs with 18S. The GQ-10, GQ-12 and GQ-15 employ ured to create a “speak- DSI’s line of analog subtractive synthesizers. phantom power, analog outputs, digital in- a 1-inch high-frequency compression driver er on a stick” setup for The four-octave Mopho SE is portable and puts (AES/EBU and S/PDIF), the Soundweb with rotatable horns mated to their respec- projects that require every parameter being fully programmable London AEC Input and Soundweb London tive low-frequency transducer. The GQ-153 full-range performance. and editable from the front panel. Telephone Hybrid Cards. is a three-way design encompassing a 1-inch $ Grund Audio Design $ Dave Smith Instruments (davesmithinstru- $ Harman (harman.com) high-frequency compression driver with (grundaudio.com) ments.com)

48 UBD January 24, 2014

Yamaha TRBX Series to Include EQ, Pickups

Yamaha’s TRBX Series, a full line of elec- also includes new H5 dual-coil pickups that tric basses, offer playability, comfortable deliver a clear, punchy sound, and a battery body shapes and durability. alert LED. The four-string bass and five-string On the 300-level models, a performance basses include new EQ and pickup fea- EQ switch offers five performance-tuned tures. All four models feature a five-piece full-spectrum EQ curves which let players maple/mahogany neck along with finely switch between styles including slap, pick, crafted, lightweight mahogany bodies. flat, finger and solo settings, plus two-band The 500-level basses are equipped with active EQ controls. SSL Matrix a three-band Active EQ Control that can be The newly designed M5 humbucking turned off for passive play. An active/passive pickups also feature built-in thumb rests. switch lets players move between the two MSRP: $550–$860. Streamlined modes without losing gain. The 500 Series $ Yamaha (usa.yamaha.com) Solid State Logic has debuted the Ma- trix2. Like its predecessor, the Matrix2 features a combination of SSL analogue summing, streamlined integration of boutique analogue outboard mic pres and processing (via its software controlled analogue patch system) and an advanced DAW control surface. One of the unique features of Matrix is the integrated software controlled patching of analogue channel inserts. Matrix2 hardware device inserts can be loaded directly from the console hardware controls with a new interface that facilitates loading individual processors, A/B comparison of different processors and building processor chains. A powerful fader linking system has been added to the console, which allows two or more faders to be grouped, to facilitate stereo or 5.1 channel control or sub- group style mixing. $ Solid State Logic (solidstatelogic.com)

Washburn Gets Small

Washburn Guitars is adding three new parlor sized guitars to its line of acoustic guitars. The parlors are based on designs Washburn used over 100 years ago. All three guitars are 24.75 inch scale and feature a natural stain finish, solid cedar top supported by quar- ter sawn scalloped sitka spruce bracing, abalone rosette and standard Washburn rosewood bridge. The mahogany neck features a rosewood fingerboard with 44mm nut and gold open gear tuners. The guitars produce a balanced tone ideal for fingerpicking and singer-songwriters. The clarity of the parlor-sized body is especially suited to recording and mic’d performance. $ Washburn (washburn.com)

50 UBD January 24, 2014

Ibanez, Paul Gilbert Play With Fire As legend has it, shred- exciting collaboration. der Paul Gilbert dropped As with previous Fireman models, the an image of one of his favor- new guitar features a bigger-than-average ite guitars, the Ibanez Iceman, set-in neck joint that Gilbert claims is the into Photoshop and began to secret to his signature sustain. The neck is digitally re-shape the iconic a three-piece mahogany/maple and sports a instrument into what would rosewood fretboard with medium frets. The become his personal dream Fireman has a Tight Tune bridge. guitar, the Fireman. The FRM250MF’s humbucker/single- The creatively restless coil/humbucker pickup conﬁguration is guitarist has re-tooled juiced by an arsenal of Dimarzios. The gui- the Fireman several tarist’s choice in pickups makes for a pow- times through the years, erful sonic contrast, pitting the built-for- and now in honor of his distortion DiMarzio Air Classic against the 25th year as an Ibanez clarity of an Area 67 classic single-coil mid- endorser, Gilbert and dle pickup. the guitar maker MSRP: $1,599.99. have created another $ Ibanez (ibanez.com)

Superlux HD685 Headphones Sound Tight, Clear

Superlux has introduced HD685 high- deﬁnition headphones. Designed to reproduce a tight bass while also featuring a clear mid-high sound proﬁle, the HD685 lets users listen to music playback on the move. Its foldable structure allows for easy storage, and the extra headphone cable includes an in-line control with microphone so users can easily pick up an incoming call. $ Superlux (superlux.com.tw)

Roland KT-10 Trigger Kicks Quickly, Quietly

Roland has introduced the KT-10, a kick not only compact in size, but also far qui- trigger pedal for V-Drums sound modules and eter than a kick pad played with other electronic percussion instruments. a standard pedal and beater. The KT-10 delivers professional perfor- Based on Roland’s tests, mance with a compact footprint and ultra- the KT-10 produces ap- low profile, making it suitable for use in proximately 75 percent hybrid acoustic/electronic drum kits less noise in the playing and other applications where space room than a Roland KD-9 is tight. The KT-10 also provides Kick Pad triggered with a stan- quiet operation, a benefit for dard beater. The KT-10 also takes up less musicians who use V- space than a standard kick trigger pad and Drums at home. pedal, fitting easily alongside other pedals in Featuring fast, fluid a kit that combines acoustic and electronic response and a rock-solid feel, the KT-10 elements. provides top-quality playability. Newly de- Users can easily customize the KT-10’s veloped by Roland, the reverse-action trigger feel to suit their personal playing style. mechanism in the KT-10 makes the pedal $ Roland (rolandconnect.com)

Xchange Connects Software Makers With MI Dealers Xchange Market Platform has the capac- been widely adopted,” said Ray Williams, ity to make products from more than 100 president of Xchange. “Dealers are making software manufacturers available to MI deal- lots of money with software again.” ers worldwide. Through its point-of-sale Xchange will host an event Friday, Jan. activation system, Xchange connects any 24, at 10 a.m. in the Malibu Ballroom of the software reseller to any software vendor, re- Anaheim Hilton. gardless of their respective locations. $ Xchange (xchangemarket.com) Xchange currently has a catalogue of more than 1,500 titles of plug-ins, virtual instruments, recording software, educational materials and other music-creation tools that are available to dealers 24/7, eliminating inventory investment and space, shipping charges and environmental waste. “We are excited about how Xchange has

52 UBD January 24, 2014

New JET Sax Mouthpieces Add Brighter Sound JodyJazz has introduced JodyJazz range. The JET is made using many the new JET features a new chamber and fac- an all new range of mouth- of the same state-of-the-art manufacturing ing curve to deliver a noticeably brighter and pieces named the “JET.” The techniques developed by JodyJazz during more focused sound. The new JET is versatile JET Alto model shall be the design and development of their award enough to serve intermediate and advanced the first in the series to be winning DV series. students but professionals and players at all launched, followed by “With the new JET we’re launching a levels will appreciate their playability and ef- Tenor and then Baritone USA-made contemporary mouthpiece de- fortless Altissimo. and Soprano. sign with many characteristics we have not The new JodyJazz JET Alto mouthpiece Made on the com- offered in our range to this point,” said Jody is available in 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 tip open- pany’s new five-axis Espina, JodyJazz president. “This mouth- ing sizes. Like all JodyJazz mouthpieces, ev- CNC mill in their fac- piece will please professionals and students ery JET mouthpiece is fully gauged and play tory in Savannah, Ga., alike so it was also important to be able to tested by experienced saxophone players be- Torino Has Coil Tap the new JET Saxophone offer it at an affordable price.” fore it leaves the factory. AXL’s new Torino is a U.S.-assembled mouthpiece series has The JET is constructed from the same The new JodyJazz JET Alto mouthpiece single-humbucker that’s outfitted with a been developed to add premium polycarbonate material as the com- comes with a Rico H Ligature, Cap and Lindy Fralin high-output humbucker, CTS a brighter, bolder sound- pany’s now discontinued Classic series and Mouthpiece Pouch. pots, Orange Drop Capacitor and Switch- ing mouthpiece to the shares many similar characteristics. However $ JodyJazz (jodyjazz.com) craft jack. The TonePros locking adjustable wraparound bridge and GraphTech Tusq XL nut deliver spot-on intonation and singing sustain. It also includes a coil tap so players have equally powerful single-coil tone with a push-pull pot. The body is a solid mahogany single cutaway slab with one-piece mahogany neck. The USA Torino Classic comes equipped with a AXL AlNiCo humbucker, standard wraparound bridge and Grover Rotomatic tuners. It’s available in black gloss or vintage sunburst finish. The USA Torino is available in a pearlescent metallic black or metallic white. MAP: USA Torino, $599.99; USA To- rino Classic, $399.99. $ AXL (axlguitars.com)

RedStrap Helps Players Play Freely

RedStrap’s Freedom features no pressure in the neck. The strap looks like a harness, but allows for freedom of movement with the saxophone. The difference with a harness is a piece on the back that makes the two side straps come close around the shoulders. Other features include length adjustment and interchangeable hooks. The straps are available in three sizes, including small, large and extra-large. They are available for saxophone and bassoon. $ RedStrap (redstrap.be)

Re-Vamped Reeds D’Addario has rolled out the Reserve Classic Bb Clarinet Reeds, the ﬁrst under the D’Addario Woodwinds name. In April 2004, D’Addario acquired the Rico Company and embarked on a journey of elevating every aspect of the business. Af- ter ten years of research, D’Addario has pi- oneered the ﬁrst precise system to digitally measure and cut the complex geometrical patterns necessary to re-invent single reeds. D’Addario’s Reserve Classic Bb Clarinet feature a thick blank and robust spine, balanced by a thinner tip allowing for a warm sound, crisp articulation and ample projection. Reserve Classic Bb Clarinet reeds will be available in strengths 2.5 to 4.5, with special 3.5+ and 4.0+ strengths. MSRP: $53. $ D’Addario (daddario.com/woodwinds)

54 UBD January 24, 2014 Lewitt Not Kyser Products Keep Keeping Quiet Axes Clean, Conditioned About LCT 550 Kyser Musical Products Kyser KDS500 Instrument Polish keeps Lewitt’s LCT 550 is the first large-dia- has launched a re-branded off the oil and grime that can get into wood phragm microphone to achieve 0 dB (A) line of affordable, Ameri- grain over time, preventing buildup. A clean- self-noise. can-made instrument care er instrument feels better, sounds better and The LCT 550’s 0 dB (A) self-noise makes products. maintains its value over the years. it possible to capture extremely weak signals Kyser KDS100 String Kyser KDS800 Lem-Oil might just be the with great precision and detail. A 143 dB (A) Cleaning digs into the tini- best-kept secret for luthiers. Keeping your dynamic range guarantees great est grooves in your strings to fretboard from drying out prolongs the life results even in challenging set- remove the oily residue that of instruments and keeps them looking shiny tings. Maximum SPL amounts dulls your sound. It lubri- and new. And a smoother fret board makes to 143 dB (A), without pre- cates at the same time for less for faster, easier playing. MSRP: $5.95 each. Shadow Pickup attenuation. The LCT 550’s string buzz and faster riffs. $ Kyser (kysermusical.com) three pre-attenuation levels Installs Fast (0 dB, –6 dB and –12 dB) increase maximum SPL to as Shadow Electronics has expanded its high as 155 dB (A). Finale Celebrates 25th Anniversary panoramic sound line with the new Pana- Like the other top models MAG Wireless sound system, which installs from the LCT series, the LCT MakeMusic has released Finale 2014, the in Finale’s constantly broadening user base.” in minutes and requires no modifications. 550 offers a clipping history 25th anniversary edition of the music nota- Among Finale 2014’s technological in- The PanaMag Wireless system includes that will indicate any distortion tion software. vestments is a new file format, offering great- a transmitter with the pickup and EQ fit- that does take place, as well With its debut in 1988, Finale offered mu- er flexibility, and letting Finale 2014 users ted into the sound hole, receiver with ste- as an auto-attenuation mode sicians a new way to put music on the page, easily share files with users of the previous reo/mono and optical digital output, AC/DC that automatically switches to democratizing publisher-quality output, and version of Finale. Other architecture en- power supply adaptor, USB power charge ca- the next level of attenuation if the making it possible to edit, playback, and hancements include improved Apple OS X bles and thin foam sticker adhesive to prop- signal is too strong. The LCT 550’s share music with others around the world. support and a new audio engine. erly fit the pickup to the guitar’s soundhole. capsule employs a cardioid pattern MakeMusic executives said Finale 2014 rep- Finale has also enhanced its Linked Parts This full-featured wireless system offers to mute ambient noise or sound. resents the next step in music notation and feature, which provides a dynamic link be- a range of tone-tweaking options includ- Manufacturing tolerances have been sharing. “For 25 years Finale has empow- tween a score and the associated parts, to ing panorama control, tone control for bass minimized thanks to a production process ered musicians to create notation that users provide increased flexibility in areas where strings and tone control for treble strings. that includes precise calibration of the cap- of other products could only dream of,” said users may wish selected items to look differ- With the Panorama pot, players can set the sule and the electronics — which means that Karen VanDerBosch, CEO. “To ensure Finale ent in the score than in the parts. output to be mono or spread the strings in any two microphones from this series, set remains the world standard for the next 25 Dozens of additional world-class Garri- stereo Panorama between two speakers.The identically, will always form a matched pair years, we’ve made significant investments in tan instrument sounds have also been added wireless system also includes a Chromatic at +/–0 dB. Finale’s architecture, while simultaneously to Finale’s collection. Tuner and phase switch. $ Lewitt Audio (lewitt-audio.com) providing new features to benefit everyone $ MakeMusic (finalemusic.com) $ Shadow Electronics (shadow-electronics.com)

56 UBD January 24, 2014

ESP Debuts 20 New LTD Guitars ESP has made numerous additions to its White Satin finishes. The new EC-331 and line of LTD guitars and basses. EC-331FR models are now available in “Since its introduction in 1996, LTD has Black, Snow White and Black Satin.The EC- become the bread-and-butter of many ESP 401VF and EC-1000T/CTM now include dealers across the country and around the DiMarzio PAF 36th Anniversary pickups, the world,” said Jeff Moore, ESP senior vice presi- first time that DiMarzio pickups are being of- dent. “While many players aspire to own our fered on a standard production LTD model. higher-end ESP brands, our LTD models for In other LTD news, the new TE-406 and beginning, intermediate and advanced musi- TE-407 models are modern updates on a cians offer the pricing that they can afford, with classic shape, both offered with all black com- Fargen Hot Mods very little compromise in tone or playability.” ponents and EMG active pickups. The new For 2014, ESP is offering 20 new LTD MH-207 and MH-337 (Black Satin finish) of- DIY Kits Improve models. The ARC series offers chambered fer affordable choices in seven-string guitars. bodies for acoustic/electric players and in- Finally, a big batch of new left-handed LTD Triad-Orbit Players’ Circuits cludes the ARC-12S (12-string), ARC-6S models including the EC-407 (seven-string), Fargen Amplification has expanded its (six-string) and ARC-6N (six-string nylon) H-308 (eight-string), MH-417 (seven-string), Revolutionizes Custom Shop with new Hot Mods Do-It- models. The EC-200 is an affordable single EC-1000FM, MH-103QM, MH-350NT, ST- Yourself (DIY) kits. These kits can be pur- cutaway model in the EC series offered in 213 and V-50 are available for the first time. Mic Stands chased directly from Fargen for self-mod- Tobacco Sunburst, Black Satin and Vintage $ ESP (espguitars.com) ifications, or users can have their preferred Triad-Orbit Advanced Microphone Stand repair technician do the work. Systems has made its MI industry debut. Fargen has designed and performed “After eight years of intensive R&D and many amplifier modifications over the past nearly a year of testing in the field, we’re 15 years These mods offer vast improve- Jay Turser Inspired by ready to introduce one of the most revolu- ments over the original circuits. Fargen now tionary new product lines our industry has offers 10 DIY kits and 10 transformer sets, ever seen,” said Marty Harrison, senior vice providing improvements such as note detail Vintage Styles, Colors president of AccessProducts Group, parent and balance, increased sustain, lower noise company of Triad-Orbit (T-O). “Triad-Orbit floor and smoother overdrive at lower vol- Jay Turser Guitars has brought The Ramones. It features a mahogany body, a represents a quantum leap in the evolution umes. The kits include replacements for all back a line of vintage surf and maple neck and a rosewood fingerboard with of the microphone stand. Every component, critical signal-path board components, using garage rock style guitars in- aluminum nut and zero fret. The Mosman is from stand bases to mic clips, was reinvent- proprietary Fargen components. spired by the early ‘60s: The available in Tobacco Sunburst, Candy Apple ed to realize a singular objective: precise mic “Your amp will sound like an amp that J-Tones. Red, black, and white. placement without compromise.” costs three times as much,” said Ben Fargen, The Mosman is based on The 1457 is inspired by the electric gui- The T-O system consists of four concepts: founder. “I’ve incorporated many tonal im- guitars made popular by tars used by garage bands from the mid ’60s. Triad Articulating Tripod Mic Stands, Orbit provements into these kits that are easy for surf bands of the ’60s like The 1457 is available in Silver Sparkle, Black Orbital Booms, Micro Orbital Mic Adaptors any do-it-yourselfer to use.” The Ventures and punk Sparkle and Burgundy Burst. and IO Quick-Change Couplers. $ Fargen (fargenamps.com) bands in the ’70s such as $ Jay Turser (jayturser.com) $ Triad-Orbit (triad-orbit.com) UBD January 24, 2014 57 Crown Audio XTi 2 Saves Rack Space, Increases Control Crown Audio is showcasing the XTi 2 se- subharmonic synthe- ries of amplifiers, offering increased control, sizer offers more accu- an enhanced feature set and a sleeker design. rate control over which Providing a complete suite of integrat- frequencies are targeted ed speaker processing, the new XTi ampli- and can be tailored for a fiers eliminate the need for external cross- specific system or room overs, limiters and EQs, saving rack space setup. Advanced ther- and money. mal control gives users The XTi 2 features enhanced control the ability to tailor the with Crown’s PeakX Plus limiters. The fan performance to their limiters are derived from the same frame- specific application. work as those found in I-Tech HD and XTi 2 amplifiers are D&A IceStand the new XLS DriveCore series amplifiers. fully compatible with They allow users to manipulate thresh- HiQnet Band Manager 2 software. Keeps Eyes on old, attack and release times. An improved $ Harman (harman.com) the Instrument D&A Guitar Gear’s new stand, the D&A IceStand, is built with clear material that keeps the focus on guitars. With its small size and collapsible construction, the D&A Icestand prevents dam- age and saves case space. It weighs 1.2 lbs, just a little more than an average cable. The D&A Icestand cradles instruments securely with a wide, three-point base and non-slip materials. It collapses in two steps and can fit in a back pocket. $ D&A (heydna.com)

RBX Protects

Each gig bag in Re- union Blue’s new RBX series is constructed using the RBX Protection System, which features a lightweight, ultra-protective multilayer foam sur- round and strategically placed impact panels. A dense foam neck cradle and endpin rest keep the guitar safe and secure within the bag. These bags feature padded backpack straps, an integrated subway grip and Reunion Blues signature Zero-G handle. A large front pocket includes a cable loop and organizer. $ Reunion Blues (reunionblues.com)

Heller’s Guitar Strap: Style & Functionality

Henry Heller has introduced a ﬂat braid mandolin and guitar strap that combines functionality and style with American leather workmanship and quality. The strap features a medium brown soft Capri leather in a four strand braid. This strap has a patent-pending micro-adjustment that cinches into place making it highly functional. The straps are available in two mandolin designs as well as one for guitar. They are available exclusively from OMG Music. $ OMG Music (omgmusic.com) 58 UBD January 24, 2014 PEDAL BOARD

Digital Audio Labs Acquires Rights to Electro-Harmonix Stompblox Shrinks Big Muff Digital Audio Labs has acquired the rights to manufacture and distribute Stomp- Pi to Nano Size blox modular pedalboards worldwide. For more than 44 years, the Big Muff Pi The Nano Big Stompblox pedalboards are designed to has helped define the sound of rock guitar. Muff Pi features in- connect to each other, letting guitar and bass Now Electro-Harmonix has introduced a na- clude Big Muff sus- players expand pedalboards as needed. no-sized version of the legendary pedal. tain, distortion and The boards can also connect in In describing this new version of a com- control set as well a variety of configura- pany classic, Electro-Harmonix founder and as a compact, rug- tions to meet each President Mike Matthews said, “The new ged pedalboard- musician’s playing Nano Big Muff Pi works and sounds identical friendly enclosure. style. in every way to the NYC Big Muff Pi. We sim- The Pi also features true Digital Audio TC’s New Ditto ply shrunk it without changing its rich sus- bypass for maximum signal integrity, 9-volt Labs has also designed Looper X2 Adds tain and creamy sound. Now you can have it battery included. a power supply with in our time-honored standard chassis, or our MSRP: $93.06. built-in routing capabilities Two-Button UI new, compact nano design.” $ Electro-Harmonix (ehx.com) that mounts to the Stompblox TC Electronic has launched Ditto Looper system. This lets users power up to X2. Ditto Looper X2 houses all of the features eight effects, and also includes a USB power of Ditto Looper while adding key additions, outlet to address the growing use of phones such as a two-button UI and effects based on Mooer Audio Micro Pedal Kills Noise and tablets in live environments. feedback from the guitar community. The new Mooer Noise Killer is a mi- –70db to +10db. Like all Mooer Audio mi- The power supply also includes routing Also new to the Ditto Looper X2 is a ste- cro pedal designed for rig configura- cro pedals, it has true bypass and all-metal that can be set to one of four different con- reo I/O and a 2-button interface that allows tions that buzz or hiss when certain housing. figurations allowing input/output switching, for a dedicated stop/clear footswitch and a pedals are added in or certain amps “Unwanted noise is the bane of any loop switching or a hybrid of both. button for effects. The effect button lets gui- are used. It eliminates unwanted musician’s rig,” said Dana Teague of “This product is perfect for entry level tarists trigger two types of loop effects: re- noise and feedback without impact- Dana B. Goods. “The Mooer Noise and pro players, and the power supply with verse and half-speed. It allows for the import ing sustain, attack or shortening notes. Killer eliminates that, does it well, loop routing is such a great innovation,” said and export of loops on both PC and Mac. The Noise Killer has two working modes has a small footprint and is often half Andy Swanson, marketing director. Plus, Ditto Looper can run backing tracks. for a hard or soft effect of noise threshold. the cost of other solutions.” MSRP: $99. $ Digital Audio Labs (digitalaudio.com) $ TC Electronic (tcelectronic.com) The threshold itself is easily adjusted from $ Mooer Audio (mooeraudio.com)

60 UBD January 24, 2014 Turbosound-Fueled Bugera’s newest amp, the G5 Infinium, switch between iconic U.S. and British-style packs five watts of class A power for saturat- tones with the twist of a knob. Infinium tube ed tube tone at life multiplier technology constantly monitors and tweaks output perfor- SSL’s Sigma System Features 16 Flexible Inputs mance — extending power tube The Sigma Remote Controlled Analog printing of stems back to the DAW and indi- lifespan by 20. Summing System from Solid State Logic is vidual stereo insert points to facilitate imple- This amp is at its best when a powerful analog mix engine in a 2U rack mentation of parallel compression. teamed up with Bugera’s new unit. Each input channel also features an in- 112TS, a 1- by 12-inch speaker, Sigma is remote controlled using MIDI dividual direct output. In addition, Mix Bus which handles up to 80 watts, via a DAW or an iDevice-compatible software B can be injected into Mix Bus A for final and is light, durable and com- interface. It features 16 flexible input chan- mixdown. pact. The 112TS is custom-en- nels, which can be individually switched be- A MIDI “learn” feature makes setup sim- gineered by Turbosound and tween mono or stereo, for up to 32 channels ple. A pair of user-assignable dual-action mounted on a void-free, multi- at mixdown. There is front panel LED meter- push/hold buttons on the front panel or foot- output levels that can be ply hardwood soundboard with a 12- ing for all channels. switch can be assigned to the same collection set all the way down to .1 watt. inch driver. Sigma also offers two stereo mix bus- of switching functions. Bugera’s proprietary morph EQ lets users $ Bugera (bugera-amps.com) ses with dedicated outputs for convenient $ Solid State Logic (solidstatelogic.com) Alfred Music Innovates

Alfred Music has added Sound Innovations for Guitar, Book 2 to its Sound Innovations method. The second installment of Sound Innova- tions for Guitar continues the format established in Book 1, teaching students from day one to play using the kinds of riffs and songs that drew them to the guitar. Book 2 introduces new concepts such as moving up the neck, 16th notes, speed picking, playing moveable power chords in higher positions and classic riffs. Students learn by playing in real world contexts, using full song demonstrations. $ Alfred (alfred.com) IK Launches SampleTank

IK Multimedia has launched its new version of SampleTank, a virtual instrument and sound module for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch that gives mobile musicians access to the SampleMoog — Mobile Edition collection of instrument sounds. It also adds Inter- App Audio features letting SampleTank run as an instrument app for Inter-App Audio compatible recording apps such as Garage- Band for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. The SampleMoog Mobile Edition for SampleTank mobile is available as an in-app purchase and is derived from the Sample- Moog standalone app and DAW plug-in for Mac/PC used in studios around the world. These sounds, pads, textures and effects have been heard on Grammy-winning albums and millions of recordings since the 1970s. The new edition includes over 130 analog synth lead, pad, bass, sequence and effect sounds from classic Moog Music instruments, including the Minimoog Model D, Memorymoog, Polymoog, Taurus, Source, Rogue, Prodigy, Vocoder, Minimoog Voyager, Little Phatty and Etherwave Theremin. $ IK Multimedia (ikmultimedia.com)

62 UBD January 24, 2014

ESP Endorsers Kala, Kumalo Collaborate Lend Signatures on Signature U-BASS to Guitars, Basses Kala Brand with Kala’s proprietary polyurethane strings. Music and bass leg- Other features include a select ash body with ESP’s high-profile endorsers have helped end Bakithi Kuma- strong grain Espresso Brown finish, a black create ESP, E-II and LTD Signature series gui- lo have collaborat- single-ply pickguard and Bakithi Kumalo’s tars and basses. ed on a signature signature on the headstock. “ESP’s artist endorsers are among the model solid-body In addition, there is a custom L.R. Baggs most respected and influential musicians in U-BASS that is man- active EQ and pickup system developed in contemporary music, and our Signature se- ufactured by Kala conjunction with Kala, a select maple neck, ries models offer the look, feel and sound in the United States. and lined fretless fingerboard. Each bass is that they specify in their own instruments,” Kumalo is the revered longtime bassist for set up to Bakithi’s specifications and includes said Matt Maciandaro, ESP president. Paul Simon, who discovered Bakithi while a custom deluxe gig bag. Kala provides Perhaps the most highly anticipated new seeking musicians in South Africa for his leg- a choice of additional varieties of U-Bass Signature series model is the James Hetfield endary Graceland album. Bakithi has been a strings that include Kala’s Silver Rumblers, (Metallica) Iron Cross in Snow White finish, U-BASS endorser since 2009. Pyramid silver plated copper wound strings available as both an ESP model and a more The B.K. U-BASS is a 21-inch scale solid- and Aquila white Thunderguts. The Engle budget-conscious LTD version. Metallica’s body electric four-string fretless bass strung $ Kala Brand Music (kalabrand.com) other guitar player, Kirk Hammett, along Broadens Sonic with ESP and Lugosi Enterprises, adds his name to the LTD KH-WZ White Zombie, Boundaries a new limited-edition addition to the LTD Moog Announces Minifooger Analog Graphic series. Engler Innovations has developed the Acclaimed guitarist Alex Skolnick (Testa- Effects for Guitar and Bass Engle, a percussion instrument for guitar. ment, AST) has helped design the ESP Alex Moog Music has launched the Mini- to explore experimental sounds. The input The Engle guitar hammer is one of many Skolnick and LTD AS-1 guitars. Both guitars fooger Analog Effects family, a series of five can also be controlled via CV. acoustic effects — like slides, picks, capos, are available in Silver Sunburst finish, while compact stomp boxes designed for the elec- The MF Drive is a filter-based over- resonators and whammy bars — meant to the LTD version is also available in Lemon tric guitar and bass. drive pedal employing a Moog Ladder Fil- broaden the sonic boundaries of the interac- Drop with a flamed maple top. Each Minifooger is housed in a rug- ter, boutique FET amplifiers, and OTAs in tion between a guitarist and his instrument. ESP is now offering the signature gui- ged cast aluminum enclosure and features its drive section making it highly reactive to Engler Innovations has also released the tar of Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood in a 100 percent analog signal path, true by- picking dynamics. Soft Touch interchangeable head. It’s a rubber- an affordable LTD version for the first time pass design, optional battery power and a MSRP: $149–$209. coated head that allows for a warmer tone and with the LTD Ron Wood, available in 3-Tone single expression pedal input that provides $ Moog Music (minifooger.com) rhythmic response off the guitar strings. Burst and black finishes. hands-free control of one specified parame- Engler Innovations will host 10 guitarists Bassist Doris Yeh and guitarist Jesse Liu, ter within each unit. performing at the company booth each day of the band Chthonic, have signature models There is also a dedicated expression ped- of The NAMM Show. with the E-II DYD-5 and the E-II JL-7. al input that provides control over a function $ Engler Innovations (theengle.com) $ ESP (espguitars.com) and lets players go beyond the panel settings

66 UBD January 24, 2014

Neutrik’s convertCoN Cable Connector Works With Male or Female Terminations

Neutrik has introduced the convertCON male and female terminations by cable connector, the world’s first 3-pole uni- sliding the connector’s housing sex XLR cable connector. The convert- back and forth, eliminating the CON cable connector solves the need for any adapters in challenge of encountering the the process. The convert- wrong gender when patching CON cable connector’s cables and equipment. design rotates the ground, The convertCON cable positive, and negative pinouts connector connects easily automatically to ensure proper Positive Grid Has with either male or female connection with either male or fe- connectors without requiring any male connectors. PreSonus AIs Interface for Apps tools. Users can switch between $ Neutrik USA (neutrik.us) Positive Grid offers the JamUp Plug HD, Accurate On Stage a studio-quality guitar and bass interface for PreSonus has launched its StudioLive use with recording and performance apps on AI-series Active Integration Loudspeak- the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. ers, which deliver studio-monitor accuracy “Mobile guitar players are becoming onstage. more and more sophisticated every day,” The series uses Active Integration tech- said Positive Grid Product Manager Calvin nology, which combines wireless and wired Abel. “What started out as amp/effects em- networking and communications with pow- ulator apps — mainly used to practice at erful DSP to create a unified working envi- home — have now evolved into a whole new ronment. The speakers incorporate Fulcrum generation of professional tools for working Acoustics’ TQ Temporal Equalization algo- musicians on the go. For guitarists who are Orange Amplification Launches rithms. Taking advantage of Active Integra- particular about their sound, tone and ex- tion’s ample DSP, TQ employs multiple, fully pression, our new JamUp Plug HD ensures Dual Dark Amplifier Series addressable Finite Impulse Response filters that signals are converted with the utmost The Orange Dual Dark series is a range of feature footswitchable attenuators and Or- to eliminate horn reflections and to correct depth and dynamics as well as least noise.” high-end dual channel amps with ultimate ange’s low impedance effects loop design. linear time and amplitude anomalies in co- The pocket-sized device improves on British guitar tone. The Dual Dark 50 has an output that can axial systems. Positive Grid’s existing JamUp Plug by offer- The models have a new voicing for chan- be switched to 50 or 25 watts. Each three-way loudspeaker relies on a ing a 24-bit/48-kHz USB digital audio solu- nel A that differs from anything else in the Output on the Dual Dark 100 can be CoActual 8-inch coaxial speaker with a 1.75- tion. The improved resolution significantly Orange Amp range. Channel B has the voic- switched to 100, 70, 50 or 30 watts. inch titanium compression driver to repro- enhances signal-to-noise ratio (98 dB RMS), ing of the dark terror tone. Both channels can Both amps also come with standard duce mid and high frequencies. Triamplified, completely eliminating any feedback issues. go from clean to crunch at lower gain levels EL34s fitted but other tetrode valves can be Class D power amplifiers in each model de- MSRP: $79.99. and offer four stages of gain. used when biased correctly by a technician. liver a combined 2,000 watts of power. $ Positive Grid (postivegrid.com) Both the 50 watt and 100 watt versions $ Orange Amplification (orangeamps.com) $ PreSonus (presonus.com)

68 UBD January 24, 2014 AKG K612PRO, K712PRO Phones Excel in Pro Studios AKG’s K612PRO The K612PRO is an open-back, circum- and K712PRO head- aural dynamic headphone that delivers a full, phones are used in spacious sound. The lightweight, self-adjust- the studios of some ing glove-leather headband with aluminum Ibanez AEG Acoustic Connects via USB of the music indus- arches and solid rivets provides maximum try’s most talented comfort. Ibanez has introduced the AEG240, an Crafted for the on-the-go player, the ad- producers and The K712PRO is AKG’s new top-of-the- acoustic guitar featuring USB connectivity. dition of USB connectivity builds on the engineers. The line reference headphone, while the K702 “The main idea is to simplify the creative AEG line’s reputation as a stage-performance headphones’ slots between it and the K612PRO. process,” said Ibanez’s Frank Facciolo. “Mu- acoustic. The standard 1/4-inch endpin out- outstanding per- The K712PRO features pre-selected sicians are always looking for tools that help put and Fishman Sonicore electronics sup- formance qual- transducers that provide consistency and ac- capture that ﬂeeting moment of inspiration. port high-quality live sound. ity is paired with curate localization. It has an open-back de- Unfortunately, sometimes the technology be- The AEG240 is available in transparent a comfortable design sign, 3-dB improved low-end performance comes the obstacle. So ease of use was the red sunburst or transparent black sunburst. that allows for hours of non- and a ﬂat wire voice coil. primary design mandate. The AEG’s USB MSRP: $599.99. stop mixing and recording. $ AKG (akg.com) connection is truly plug-and-play.” $ Ibanez (ibanez.com)

Hohner’s El Rey Aquila Accordions Feature Gold Detail

Hohner has added the El Rey Aqui- la accordion to its premier line of Anacleto accordions. The accordions come in black or white with a gold-colored metal-winged grille and gold-effect crystal designs. Each accordion is made using high-quality, hand-made reeds. The reeds are fabricated from the ﬁnest ribbon reed stock and are placed in hard aluminum frames with very tight tolerances. “The Hohner Anacleto accordion is the best in the world,” said noted accordion maestro Juan Villarreal. $ Hohner (playhohner.com)

NAMM Offers Discount for Early Decision on Russia NAMM is offering a variety of opportunities for exhibitors to connect with buyers, educators, MI professionals and the public at Musikmesse Russia and Prolight + Sound NAMM Russia, Sept. 11–14. A 20 percent discount is available to U.S.-based companies that conﬁrm their space by Feb. 1. NAMM Musikmesse Russia and Prolight + Sound NAMM Russia have integrated with “Music Moscow” to create the complete musical instrument, music products and event technology experience in one event. The show has new dates and a new location, the Sokolniki Exhibition and Con- vention Centre, following the timing and place of the former Music Moscow, providing continuity for the growing Russian and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) markets. The show aims for high participation of exhibitors from around the globe and Rus- sia and CIS countries, as well as targeting a further increase of trade and public visitors. i NAMM (namm.org/russia)

70 UBD January 24, 2014

DSI’s Prophet 12 Electro-Voice Offers Sleek, Module: Versatility Portable Powered Speakers

and Small Size Electro-Voice compression driver) and two subs (15-inch Polyphonic synthesizer manufacturer has introduced and 18-inch drivers). Dave Smith Instruments has introduced the ETX Portable Positioned above the ZLX and Live X Prophet 12 module — a space-saving table- Powered Loud- families respectively, ETX completes a trio of top and rack-ready reworking of its recently speakers. They recent EV portable loudspeaker offerings — released Prophet 12 keyboard, a 12-voice are a versatile, each of which was designed to bring best-in- hybrid digital/analog synthesizer. high-end choice class performance to its price point. “We have had many requests from pro- for live enter- Inside each low-profile, tour-grade wood fessional musicians for a small, easily porta- tainment ven- enclosure are a host of new features. ble version of the Prophet 12 keyboard, with ues, pro musicians, rental EV-engineered high-efficiency trans- all the same features and incredible sound,” companies, DJs and installed sound. ducers and high-powered Class-D amplifi- Blizzard Lighting said company proprietor Dave Smith. “The The ETX family features three two-way ers, Signal Synchronized Transducers (SST) new Prophet 12 module is just that: It has all models (10-inch, 12-inch and 15-inch, all waveguide design and smart FIR-Drive DSP RokBox EXA LED the power of the Prophet 12 keyboard — in with a 1.25-inch high-frequency titanium all work together to provide superior EV fact, it has the exact same voice board — and compression driver), a three-way model (15- sound quality and precise coverage at high Has 28,000 Lux it fits into a backpack.” inch with a 6.5-inch mid-frequency driver SPLs. Blizzard Lighting has introduced the All the powerful Prophet 12 module and a 1.25-inch high-frequency titanium $ Electro-Voice (electrovoice.com) RokBox EXA, the latest member of its box- parameters are easily editable via the front shaped family of LED wash fixtures. panel. “People like small these days,” Smith The original RokBox (RGBW) was intro- said. “Many musicians also have more than duced in 2012, followed by the RokBox 5 enough keyboards, or simply don’t use key- (RGBAW and RGBW+UV). boards. The Prophet 12 module offers a Ohana’s Bass Uke Gives Big The RokBox EXA is an LED par fixture sleek design that still provides easy and in- with a cast aluminum housing that’s approxi- credibly fast and intuitive control over all mately 9 inches square and comes fitted with parameters.” Sound in Compact Package 18 15-watt TianXin RGBAW + Ultraviolet Just like its keyboard counterpart, the Ohana’s bass ukulele marries compact six-in-one LEDs. Full on, it will throw more Prophet 12 module not only boasts the great- ukulele size with full bass sound and sus- than 28,000 Lux output at 1 meter while est number of voices of any instrument from tain. It can be played just like a bass gui- consuming 147 watts of power. The fixture the designer to date, but each of those voices tar, but in uke size. Instrument fea- is capable of achieving any mixed color, nat- features four oscillators capable of generating tures include ural-looking white color temperatures and classic and complex waveforms, a sub-oscil- a solid spruce 395–400 nM ultraviolet light output. lator (sub octave), analog resonant low-pass top, mahogany back and A four-button LED control panel on the filter and analog high-pass filter and analog sides, gloss finish, Fishman Pre- back of the RokBox EXA gives users direct voltage-controlled amplifier. sys+ Bass pickup with built-in tuner, metal access to all the features and settings. $ Dave Smith Instruments roundwound bass strings and a backpack- MSRP: $899.99. (davesmithinstruments.com) style padded gig bag. $ Ohana Music (ohana-music.com) $ Blizzard Lighting (blizzardlighting.com)

72 UBD January 24, 2014

Yamaha MOXF Synthesizers Offer Power, Expandability

Yamaha has debuted the portable and a decade of MOTIF synthesizers, the new for further expandability options. affordable MOXF series. Offering a collec- model includes the latest MOTIF XF sounds, The compatibility of the MOXF with the tion of sounds cultivated from more than effects and the ability to add a ﬂashboard slot Voices and Library of the MOTIF XF, MO- TIF XS and the MOX series data ensures the immediate availability of a large collection of sound and sample libraries and option- waveforms and 128-note polyphony. In ad- al software. The 88- dition to a 16-track song and pattern se- key graded hammer quencer with real time loop remix, MOXF standard MOXF8 and series synths come with built-in, four chan- 61-key semi-weight- nel USB audio/MIDI interfacing and DAW/ ed action MOXF6 VST controls. MSRP: $1,499 (MOXF6), come with 741 MB $1,999 (MOXF8). Wave ROM, 3,977 $ Yamaha (usa.yamaha.com)

Noteworthy Materials

The Edition 5 headphone from Ultra- sone is an interplay of sound and design strictly limited to 555 pieces. The closed- back Edition 5 incorporates patented S- Logic EX technology and delivers music like a top-quality hi-ﬁ system. It’s built with materials such as ancient bog oak, high- grade metal and luxury leather. The two titanium-coated 40 mm sound transducers were designed to be used with S-Logic EX. Before they’re installed, they’re hand-tested matched, ensuring that the two miniature speakers in an Edition 5 model sound absolutely identical. They feature a frequency range of 5 Hz to 46 kHz. $ Ultrasone (ultrasone-headphones.com) Personal P.A. System The VoiceSolo FX150 from TC-Helicon is an all-in-one personal P.A. system, vocal monitor, instrument ampliﬁer and vocal reverb unit. It features a 6.5-inch, 2-way coaxial Tannoy speaker and 150 W of musical clarity and power plus a three-channel digital mixer with TC-Helicon Vocal Processing. The FX150 keeps tone intact, but the voicing of the driver means both volume and power is drawn from the 150 watts. Pressing “vocal tone” lets singers get intelligent EQ that adapts to their voice and adds compression, de-essing and gating for a professional sound. Users also can chose between nine reverb styles. With an ultra-low noise, three-channel digital mixer, it offers independent three- band EQ on each channel and fast editing control of all features. The FX150 isn’t just for vocals, though. It has a Full Range Flat Response (FRFR) system for guitar and faithfully delivers deep bass sounds. $ TC-Helicon (tc-helicon.com)

74 UBD January 24, 2014

Classic Cabinets Ampeg is extending its Classic Series cabinet line with two new models — the SVT- 112AV and SVT-212AV. Both cabinets feature custom 12-inch drivers from Eminence and are built using 15 mm poplar ply. They feature AV Tolex and grille cloth, and the classic black grille is available sepa- rately from Ampeg. With a choice of a single or dual 12-inch design, both with a 1-inch compression driver, the new SVT cabs provide even more possibilities when building an Ampeg bass rig. Rated at 300W RMS power handling at 8 ohms, the SVT-112AV is a great match with PF-350, Micro-VR or for integrating with other Ampeg cabinets into a single rig. The SVT-212AV is a 4 ohm cab rated for 600W RMS. MSRP: SVT-112AV, $699.99; SVT-212AV, $979.99 $ Ampeg (ampeg.com) Fretlight ‘5’ Lights the Way for First-Time Guitarists The Fretlight “5” is designed for the lead the beginner from how to hold the gui- first-time guitar player. Every “5” includes tar to playing songs. the Fretlight built-in LED learning system, The Fretlight “5” sports a custom-de- which lights the fingering positions on the signed compact alder body, one scream- first five frets for chords, scales, songs and ing humbucker, volume control and an riffs — putting the information where begin- on-board tuner to help beginners get great ners need it most: right under their fingers. sound the first time and every time. The “5” aims to get the first-time player Every “5” includes the Fretlight patented making music and having fun as quickly as Advanced Polymer Fretboard, which houses possible. Every “5” includes the beginner the built-in LED learning system. 101 and 102 interactive videos. These videos $ Fretlight (fretlight.com)

Marshall Collaborates With Tattoo Artists for New Ampliﬁer Line

Marshall got together with five of the UK’s tattooist,” said artist Vicky Morgan of Ghost most respected tattooists to lend their art to House Tattoos. “And many of them are a part products in the Custom Shop Tattoo series. of the Marshall family.” The artists were given complete freedom to $ Marshall Amplification (marshallamps.com) ensure their individual style came through. Each had the following three products to work with: The JVM1H all-valve, 1 watt head with a C110 1-inch by 10-inch cabinet; the JVM215C all-valve, 50 watt 1-inch by 12-inch combo; and the JVM410H all-valve, 100 watt head with a 1960A angled 4-inch by 12-inch cabinet. “The bands I loved as a teenager totally influenced me and inspired me to become a Hammond Inducts 26 Organ Hall of Famers To commemorate the 80th anniversary Keith Emerson, Barbara Dennerlein, Ed- of the Hammond Organ Company, Ham- die Layton, Porter Heaps, Richard “Groove” mond USA and Keyboard magazine have an- Holmes, Steve Winwood and Twinkie Clark. nounced the inaugural Hammond Hall of The selection committee consisted of Fame inductees. Hammond executives, top Hammond artists The Class of 2014 recognizes the trail- and prominent music journalists. To act as blazers who all have the “king of instru- an advisory board, a fan-based campaign on ments” in common. The list of the 26 honor- Facebook was mounted. Going forward, up ees includes Al Kooper, Shirley Scott, Larry to 10 artists will be added each year. Young, Billy Preston, Booker T. Jones, Brian Inductees will be celebrated at a com- Auger, Milt Herth, Chester Thompson, Dr. memorative concert at the Hilton Hotel on Lonnie Smith, Ethel Smith, Thomas “Fats” Jan. 24. Keyboard magazine’s Stephen Fort- Waller, Felix Cavaliere, Greg Allman, Gregg ner will serve as master of ceremonies. Rolie, Jesse Crawford, Jimmy McGriff, Jim- $ Hammond Organ Company (hammondor- my Smith, Joey DeFrancesco, Jon Lord, ganco.com) UBD January 24, 2014 75

Roland Devices ‘Eat’ V-Drum Pedal Noise Iconic Sound’s Roland has introduced the NE-10 and patented mesh-head pads is that they’re ex- Light Lead Cable NE-1 Noise Eater, two sound-isolation tremely quiet acoustically, allowing players devices designed for use with to use headphones to practice and record in multi-strand copper cable but have never kick pads/pedals and hi- situations where it would be impossible to been able to eliminate it. This has resulted hat pedals in a V- use acoustic drums. However, the physcial in a loss of high frequencies, especially on Drums set. action of using kick and hi-hat pedals in a longer leads. The Light Lead uses analog fi- multilevel building can result in noise and ber optic technology to provide zero capaci- vibration being transferred via direct sound tance. This achieves a flawless analog signal conduction through the floor. The NE- transmission with no compression and faith- 10 is a compact sound-isolation ful reproduction of the guitar tone, whatever board designed to be placed under Iconic Sound has introduced the Light the length of lead. These a V-Drums kick pad/pedal or hi-hat Lead, an optical analog guitar cable. The PVC-coated Light Lead uses high- devices pro- control pedal. It features multiple dome- The Light Lead offers guitarists a gui- density, small-diameter optical analog cables vide acoustic sound shaped rubber dampers for sound isolation. tar cable that has zero capacitance and zero that are resistant to crushing and impact, giv- isolation for V-Drums The NE-1 Noise Eater is a small sound- loading, resulting in precise, dynamic and ing them long life. They are electrically safe when they’re played on the high- isolation foot intended to be used as neces- clear sound. with full electro-magnetic immunity, which er floors of multilevel buildings. sary along with the NE-10 Noise Eater. Traditionally, guitar cable manufactur- makes them distortion- and interference-free. One of the benefits of V-Drums and their $ Roland (rolandus.com) ers have minimized capacitance using basic $ Iconic Sound (iconicsound.com)

Zildjian Boosts Digital Vault of Cymbal Sounds Zildjian has released the Digital Vault Orchestral & Field Cymbal Expansion Pack, which includes hand cymbals, tam- tams, crotales, gongs and more played with multiple striking devices and hundreds of articulations. The multi-format collection is for BFD2, BFD Eco and most recording software as well as General MIDI. The Zildjian Digital Vault Orchestral & Field Cymbal Expansion Pack is available as a download-only product from FXpansion. MSRP: $149. $ Zildjian (zildjian.com); FXpansion (fxpansion.com) TEC Awards Tonight NAMM is proud to present the 29th An- nual NAMM Technology Excellence & Cre- ativity (TEC) Awards, the most prestigious awards event in the professional audio and sound production industry, tonight at 7 p.m. at the Anaheim Hilton, with a VIP cocktail reception beginning at 6 p.m. In addition to honoring the outstanding individuals, companies and technical innovations that led the way in the sound of recordings, live performances, films, TV, and other media over the past year, we will present the Les Paul Award to legendary musician, record producer and electronic music revolutionary Todd Rundgren. Two pro-audio luminaries will also be inducted into the TEC Hall of Fame: audio engineer John Mey- er and session musician Hal Blaine. Tickets are available at the NAMM TEC Awards Booth, located in the lobby between Halls B and C. i NAMM (namm.org) 76 UBD January 24, 2014 Yamaha Redesigns Three Timpani Lines Yamaha has rolled out its rede- copper bowl, provides a higher-end look and signed 7300, 6300 and 4300 series feel for high school through professional lev- timpani models. el applications. With a spun copper bowl, New bowl and frame designs the 6300 series is a more upscale option for provide deeper, richer tones, bet- the high school or collegiate musician. ter overall pitch clarity, more natu- Ideal for middle and high school sym- ral sustain and tonal accuracy. An phonic and concert ensembles, the model adjustable mount-tuning gauge al- 4300 series features a suspended spun alu- lows players to easily arrange setups minum bowl that produces a much more between German or American con- natural sound and sustain and provides a figurations, while new adjustable more environmentally friendly alternative wheels provide portability. to traditional fiberglass. The 7300 series, with a hammered $ Yamaha (usa.yamaha.com)

Randall Delivers High Performance

Randall Amplifiers’ new RG series of pedals, amplifiers, heads, combos and cabinets returns to original high performance FET circuits. Utilizing the basis of RG100 and RG80 and then adding modern features has allowed Randall to offer solid-state transis- tor amplifiers that consistently deliver high- quality sonic performance. Current models include the RG3003H, a three channel, 300-watt high gain head amp with noise gate, as well as the RG412, a 200- watt, 4-by-12-inch speaker cabinet. $ Randall Amplifiers (randalllamplifiers.com)

Gemini’s Powerful ES-15BLU Active Loudspeaker Gemini has introduced the ES-15BLU active speaker with USB/SD/Bluetooth MP3 player. It pumps out 200 watts RMS and 800 watts peak power. Built rugged and solid by using nylon ﬁbers, each ABS cabinet features top- and side-mounted handles, ﬂyable mounts and stand mounts. On the back panel of the ES- 15BLU are XLR, line, RCA and mic inputs with separate gain/EQ controls. There is also a mix output. The two-way speaker is composed of a 15-inch LF woofer and 2-inch dynamic voice coil. The horn features a pure titanium compression driver that puts out a wide dis- persion of clear sound. The ES series consists of four active and two passive speakers. MSRP: $369.95. $ Gemini Sound (geminisound.com)

78 UBD January 24, 2014 PRS Guitars Expands Reloop RP- its S2 Guitar Series 7000 Advances Last July, Paul Reed Smith Guitars un- a three-way blade- the High-Torque veiled the S2 Starla, S2 Mira and S2 Custom switch push-pull tone 24, offering PRS craftsmanship at a more ac- control for coil-tap- Turntable cessible price point. For 2014, PRS has start- ping versatility as well The Reloop RP-7000 is the solution for ed production on two additional S2 models: as PRS fretwire, nuts all vinyl DJs and DVS users who are looking the S2 Singlecut and the S2 Custom 22. and double-action for a professional high-torque, club-standard The S2 Singlecut and Custom 22 guitars truss rods. The S2 turntable with an extremely strong motor feature figured maple tops with mahogany Singlecut features the and a sturdy construction. backs; 22-fret, 25-inch scale length pattern same PRS stoptail that With its scratch-resistant painted metallic Zoom’s Q4 to regular mahogany necks with rosewood fret- is used on the compa- finish, the RP-7000 is suited for the everyday boards; and dot or bird inlays. ny’s Core line. club grind. It has a cool, classy look. Join HD Video, The guitars incorporate PRS-designed $ Paul Reed Smith The highly dependable direct drive and S2 #7 treble and bass pickups paired with Guitars (prsguitars.com) improved, even speed with digital correc- Hi-Res Audio tion make this turntable reliable and precise. Zoom North America has released the Q4 Thanks to the three selectable pitch ranges Handy Video Recorder. (+/–8 percent, +/–16 percent and +/–50 per- The Zoom Q4 provides a marriage of cent) and the high-resolution digital fader, high-definition video with high-resolution the pitch resolution is highly precise, with a audio. It can be used for a variety of appli- divergence of only 0.04 percent. cations, including streaming video, online Beatmatching becomes easy with the RP- blogging, live concert recording, location 7000. Also, with the reverse button and an shoots and electronic news gathering. adjustable start/stop time from 0.2 to 6 sec- The Q4 records directly to SDXC cards up onds, individual and creative impulses can to 128 GB, in a variety of HD, WVGA, AAC be set with the RP-7000. and WAV file formats, up to 1080p/30fps $ Reloop (reloop.com) video and 24-bit/96-kHz audio. It offers a wealth of advanced features Tanglewood Liberty Series Serves such as a detachable full-color LCD and a built-in speaker for instant monitoring, as Entry-Level Guitarists well as a stereo mic/line-level input and line- Tanglewood Guitar Company UK has in- rosewood fingerboards and bridges, nickel level/headphone output with dedicated vol- troduced the Liberty series, a new range of open-back tuners and gloss finishes. There ume control. entry-level guitars. are slope-shoulder dreadnought, orchestra A built-in 120-degree X/Y microphone Features include spruce tops (with flame and electro-acoustic Super Folk models. ensures stunning stereo with wide coverage. veneer on electro-acoustic Super Folk cut- $ Tanglewood Guitars $ Zoom North America (zoom-na.com) away models), linden backs and sides, (tanglewoodguitars.com)

80 UBD January 24, 2014

Odyssey Expands Case Offerings for DJs, Pro-Audio Markets Red Hot Love Odyssey has debuted its Complete Con- Odyssey’s Carpeted Case series includes Maschine Studio featuring Odyssey’s patent- Daisy Rock Girl Guitars’ trol series and Carpeted Controller Case se- the addition of three new DJ controller ed Glide Style laptop/gear platform, a unique 2014 lineup features the freshest ries. The Complete Control series consists of cases accommodating Nu- platform design that mechanically slides out color to hit the Pixie series in sev- two DJ controller cases designed to accom- mark’s MixTrack II and from within the case to serve as a surface. en years: The Pixie Cupid in Red modate most popular DJ controllers on the MixTrack II Pro and Pio- Odyssey’s Redline series of DJ Bags has Hot Love. Complete with a heart- market, from small to large formats. neer’s DDJ-SR. The series expanded to include the BRLPAR1HW, a shaped sound hole and an an- The series features Odyssey’s features heavy-duty car- multi-functional trolley style DJ gig bag de- gel flying at the 12th fret, the patented Glide Style, a sliding pet construction in black signed specifically for the secure, efficient lightweight guitar is con- laptop platform design that or gray, outfitted with transport of par uplights and various other structed with Daisy Rock’s mechanically slides zinc-plated steel hardware, large format gear, along with cables and re- trademark slim and narow out from within the recessed latches and a patent- lated accessory essentials. neck and includes die-cast case to serve as a sur- ed beveled foam interior. Included are uniform adjustable divid- chrome tuners to ensure face to accommo- Odyssey has added to its ers that can be arranged for up to 16 indi- solid tuning. date supporting music Odyseey Glide Style series as vidual padded compartments. Its construc- The mahogany neck and equipment such as a laptop well as its Redline series. tion consists of 3-inch wheels, heavy-duty rosewood fingerboard with an and interface. Plus, the removable Odyssey’s Glide Style series 2.5-inch buckles and a pullout handle that angel and heart inlays round out the gui- foam insert system allows for the cus- now includes the FZGSMASCHINES, extends to 12.25 inches. tar’s look, sound and feel. tom fit of various controller configurations. a protective case for Native Instruments’ $ Odyssey Cases (odysseycases.com) $ Daisy Rock Guitars (daisyrock.com) Hal Leonard Makes it Easy for Beginners Hal Leonard has released its first three Easy Instrumental Play-Along titles. Perfect for beginning musicians, songs in the Hal Leonard Easy Instrumental Play- Along series have been edited to include only the notes and rhythms that students learn in the first months of playing. These titles feature demonstration and play-along tracks (recorded with real instruments) that can be accessed on the Hal Leonard website. Once students enter the unique code inside their book, they can download or play all of the tracks. Titles are available for flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, trumpet, horn, trombone, violin, viola, cello and keyboard Percussion. MSRP $9.99. $ Hal Leonard (halleonard.com)

CADLive’s High Performers

The CADLive D80, D82 and D84 microphones are designed to deliver performance, value and ease for miking guitar cabinets and percussion instruments. The D80 is a large diaphragm moving coil dynamic design with a tight, super-cardioid polar pattern that provides a high output. A moving ribbon design with a ﬁgure- eight pattern, the D82 combines true ribbon warmth with clarity and articulation. Its exceptional frequency response of 30 Hz–20 kHz and an impres- sive max SPL rating allows it to deliver in high-volume environments. The D84 is a large diaphragm condenser ensuring true studio reproduction in a practical design with a full yet transparent, true-to-life sound. The D84 has internal shock mounting to facilitate placement and positioning. $ CADLive (cadaudio.com)

82 UBD January 24, 2014

Novax Turns 25 This year marks the 25th anniversary of Novax Guitars, which was founded by luthier Ralph Novak in 1989 to build instruments featuring his patented multi-scale fanned-fret concept. To celebrate, Novax is unveiling a signed, limited-edition 25th Anniversary Model nicknamed “Annie.” Only 25 of these specially designed guitars will be made. Also new for 2014 is Novak’s Fanned- Fret Innovations line of multi-scale compatible hardware and components. They offer both the hobbyist builder and professional luthier access to custom designed, high-quality bridges, necks and other multi-scale compatible fretted instrument components. i Novax Guitars (novaxguitars.com)

PukanaLa Has a Sound for Everyone

PukanaLa offers lines of high-quality With over 200 different PukanaLa models, acoustic guitar and basses, but with its own it’s just a matter of time before you find the factory releasing handcrafted sound you’re looking for. There’s products made in Taiwan, Pu- definitely a PukanaLa Ukulele out kanaLa also designs hundreds there for everyone.” of ukulele models that range In order to stay on top of the from entry-level to high-end. rapid changes in the ukulele in- Every instrument is careful- dustry, PukanaLa’s market research ly inspected by their senior team keeps monitoring new de- luthiers. mands of the global market. “For musicians like myself, “We are very proud of our the sound of an instrument products and you can always find is what attracts us to it,” said what you want in PukanaLa,” said Bruce Shimabukuro, Hawaiian TJ Shih, PukanaLa CEO. “Just play ukulele player. “The sound we want differs it and you will like it.” from musician to musician and song to song. $ PukanaLa (pukanalaukulele.com)

Peavey Introduces MiniMega 1000 Watt Peavey Electronics has introduced the Peavey’s proprietary KOSMOS C bass en- MiniMega 1,000 watt bass ampliﬁer head. hancement provides increased bass impact The MiniMega features 1,000 watts of power while the exclusive psycho-acoustic low-end enhancement adds bass without overburdening speakers. The Mini- Mega contains built-in compression and a 4-band EQ with semi-parametric mids. It also includes an effects loop, gain control with crunch and produces a full, rich sound in a package button and tuner output. weighing only 8 lbs. $ Peavey Electronics (peavey.com)

NAMM’s Vision, Mission and Objectives NAMM created its Vision, Mission and Circle of Benefits model. Objectives document as a blueprint of all the Membership — Recruit and retain mem- association’s goals and efforts on behalf of the bers by making NAMM services an invalu- industry. It provides greater clarity, focus and able tool for success. Also, convene stake- impact for everything we do. holders around industry issues to provide tools and strategies to help members address Vision challenges and pursue opportunities. We envision a world in which the joy of Professional Development — Provide rel- making music is a precious element of daily evant and high-value educational programs living for everyone; a world in which every for NAMM members. child has a deep desire to learn music and a Market Development — Promote music recognized right to be taught; and in which education as a right for all children. Create, every adult is a passionate champion and de- fund and market programs, initiatives and fender of that right. public relations campaigns designed to en- courage people of all ages to make music. Mission Promote and represent the shared interests NAMM’s mission is to strengthen the mu- of NAMM members to elected officials and sic products industry and promote the plea- policy makers in the United States. sures and benefits of making music. Global Impact — Expand NAMM’s Circle of Benefits model by pursuing new opportu- Objectives nities globally. Increase global attendance at Trade Show — Produce successful trade NAMM trade shows. Convene a global coali- shows that serve our members and the in- tion of stakeholders around industry issues. dustry, thus ensuring the growth of NAMM’s i NAMM (namm.org/russia)

84 UBD January 24, 2014

Hybrid Hand Drum Tycoon Percussion has teamed up with renowned designer Jimmy Lento to deliver the Figure 8 Hand Drum. The patent-pending product has a similar build to a hybrid cajon-bongo and delivers an array of sounds in a small frame. Built from environmentally-friendly Siam Oak wood that has been sustainably harvest- ed from raw rubber plantations, the drum is lightweight and portable. $ Tycoon Percussion (tycoonpercussion.com) Tutti Music Player Announces Affiliate Partner Program Tutti Dynamics has announced a new af- cutting-edge practice tool that combines in- filiate program for partners in the music ed- teractive video with traditional music-mi- ucation industry. The program will enable nus-one technology, sheet music, looping partners to easily distribute Tutti Music Play- and tempo control. Its content is intended to er to their networks. complement lessons and curriculum provid- The concept was developed at Summer ed by outside instructors. NAMM 2013. “A few potential partners ap- “Tutti Music Player was created to help proached us with the idea when we were in teachers be more efficient and to provide stu- Nashville last summer,” said Kristen McEn- dents with practice tools that take advantage tyre, president of Tutti Dynamics. “As we ex- of today’s exciting technologies,” said McEn- plored the concept, we continued to receive tyre. “Our new partnership program pro- positive feedback from online publishers, re- vides a seamless system for us to coordinate tailers and music schools. We’re excited to with groups already working directly with roll out the program at Winter NAMM.” music students.” Tutti provides partners with an easy-to- Tutti Music Player is currently used in integrate widget for websites and packages of 400 high schools and by leading institutions, activation cards for easy distribution. including Jazz at Lincoln Center, Berklee Tutti Music Player is available on iPhone, College of Music and Tulane/Music Rising. iPad, Mac and PC. The application is a $ Tutti Dynamics (tuttiplayer.com) Korg Re-releases MS-20 Synth as DIY Kit As a follow-up to the MS-20 Mini, Korg The original MS-20 used different VCF has debuted the MS-20 Kit, which lets users circuits, depending on the date of produc- build a working reproduction of the compa- tion. Units produced in the earlier period ny’s original MS-20 analog synthesizer. Only used a filter noted for its distinctive distor- 1,000 units will be available. tion and self-oscillation, while the filter used The MS-20 version in the kit contains all the original MS- 20 product specifications and features. New updates found only in this version include MIDI in and a USB connector for receiving external MIDI notes. The kit version is true analog, with the same circuit path as the original. Also like the original, the MS-20 kit features a com- in later units was a low-noise design with a plete patch bay with 1/4-inch connections. more mellow character. The new MS-20 Kit Owners can assemble the kit with no sol- provides both filters and easy switching be- dering, using just a few simple tools and pic- tween the two. ture diagrams. $ Korg (korg.com) Aphex Ships USB 500 Rack Aphex has released the USB 500 Rack, modules such as EQs and compressors can a USB computer audio interface and analog be routed in the user’s DAW as hardware rack for up to four 500 series modules. inserts. Also, the USB 500 Rack can act as With the USB 500 Rack, producers and a typical analog 500 series rack via its bal- engineers can use their favorite 500 series anced XLR connectors. mic preamps as inputs to their DAWs. Other features of the USB 500 Rack are These modules can be used individually its monitor section (with mono and dim con- or can be chained to form a channel strip: trols), high-output headphone amps (based for example, slot 1 with a mic preamp, slot on those of the HeadPod 4), MIDI I/O and 2 with an EQ, slot 3 with a compressor, and up to 96 kHz operation. slot 4 with an exciter. In addition, processor $ Aphex (aphex.com)

86 UBD January 24, 2014 KMC Music Relocates Hudson Gets Funky With New NAMM Booth to Third Floor Drumming App KMC Music is changing the loca- ballrooms D and E and room 304. tion of its NAMM booth. Traditional- The move will integrate the KMC ex- Hudson Music has teamed up with ly located on the main exhibit floor of hibit with its parent company, Fender drumming master Peter Erskine and mobile the Anaheim Convention Center, KMC’s iMusical Instruments Corporation. app developer Lucas Ives to release the The Portable Studio new location will be on the third floor, KMC Music (kmcmusic.com) Code Of Funk app. This app for iPhone and iPad is adapt- Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH’s ed from David Garibaldi’s internationally- UR44 audio interface is a six-in, four-out au- acclaimed book of the dio interface. With up to 192 kHz and 24- same name. bit audio quality, MIDI input/output, Class-A Shure’s Guitar Pedal Comes This app lets users D-PRE microphone preamps and its class- mix eight Tower of Pow- compliant mode for iPad use, the UR44 is a With Integrated Tuner er tracks from group’s portable production studio with ample con- Oakland Zone album nectivity choices. Shure has launched the GLXD6 Guitar audio signal while tuning. however they’d like, via The unit delivers a USB 2.0 audio and MIDI Pedal Receiver with Integrated Tuner. The MSRP: $561. a digital mixing board interface with six inputs and four outputs. pedal receiver features an integrated tuner $ Shure (shure.com) right on an iPhone or It offers latency-free monitoring with the and easily hooks up to any pedal board. The iPad. DSP-powered REV-X reverb and the Sweet GLXD6 combines the technology of LINK- Users can also Spot Morphing Channel Strip in Cubase, or FREQ Automatic Frequency Management choose what they want any other DAW software via the included with intelligent lithium-ion battery recharge- to listen to. For exam- dspMixFx application. ability, renowned microphones and high- ple, if they just want to Four Neutrik combo inputs boast D-PRE quality construction. hear David Garibaldi’s microphone preamps and phantom power, Shure’s GLX-D Digital Wireless Systems drum part or want to Hi-Z attenuation on inputs 1 and 2, and line feature traditional bodypack and handheld isolate the snare to ﬁg- attenuation on inputs 3 and 4. In addition, conﬁgurations, including vocal, headset, and ure out exactly what he played on “Give Me it has two headphone jacks, plus two addi- presenter systems. Your Love,” they are able to do so. tional balanced line inputs on the rear panel. The pedal-mounted guitar receiver has Additionally, each song presents the music The back panel also features four line a built-in chromatic instrument tuner with in two ways: a one-page “lead sheet” and a full outputs alongside two main outputs, MIDI both strobe and needle tuning views. The drum part transcribed by Garibaldi. I/O and a switch to class-compliant mode. combined pedal tuner and receiver operate The app includes a “Techniques and With the included software bundle, the up to eight compatible systems in the 2.4 Tips” section that was written by Garibaldi, UR44 transforms into a full system solution GHz frequency band. plus a photo gallery. for recording music in studio quality. Additionally, the foot switch enables The Code of Funk is available in the Ap- MSRP: $399. shifting between wireless display and tuner ple App Store for $11.99. $ Steinberg Media Technologies (steinberg.net) mode with the option to mute or pass the $ Hudson Music hudsonmusic.com

88 UBD January 24, 2014 Mackie Debuts VLZ4 Line RF-id Solo The Mackie VLZ4 line of analog of 4-bus effects mixers. compact mixers now includes Mackie’s In addition to Onyx preamps, VLZ4 Identiﬁes Onyx preamps and delivers a high- features include custom op- headroom, low- amps and negative summing Frequencies noise analog bus architecture. Features mixer design. like a solid steel wrap- Kaltman Creations has launched the The eight around chassis and RF-id Solo, a handheld device that keys new VLZ4 mix- grime-resistant in on wireless transmissions as a near- ers replace the sealed rotary field frequency counter. Offered under previous VLZ3 pots ensure the Invisible Waves product banner, the generation. The line that the VLZ4 unit aids in identifying wireless devices’ includes models rang- is built for durabil- frequencies. The Guitar ing from the affordable ity. MSRP: $129.99–$1,699.99. With the unit’s LCD readout, the desktop 402VLZ4 to a choice $ Mackie (mackie.com) RF-id Solo user as Fine Art can simultaneously confirm exact fre- Published by Glitterati, the art book quencies and 108 Rock Star Guitars features Lisa S. John- transmission son’s photographs of guitars belonging signal strength, to iconic players such as Les Paul, Eric Hammond Gives Leslie avoiding the Clapton, Keith Richards, Jimmy Page, need to handle Rick Nielsen, Slash and others. Cabinet More Power the transmitter Johnson’s images capture the inti- (which often in- mate details — nicks, scratches, sweat Hammond Organ’s Leslie Speaker Di- electronics of the Leslie volves menu scroll- stains, burn marks and personal adorn- vision has upgraded its 971 model with model 3300, with 300 ing and converting ments — that make each guitar unique. the new Leslie 981. watts of power. group and channel The book is bound in embossed red For almost 75 years, the natural part- This marks the first time the sophis- readouts to frequen- leatherette and has 486 photos in 396 ner of the Hammond Organ has been ticated circuitry of the 3300 will be cy values). It works pages and weighs nearly nine pounds. the Leslie speaker, whose rotating ele- available in the traditional, handcrafted with digital and ana- The standard edition includes a 16- ments give breath and depth to the dis- hardwood Leslie cabinet. log single-carrier transmissions in the page booklet and a guitar pick printed tinctive Hammond voice. Another development is the adaption 50 MHz to 2.5 GHz range. with one of three custom holographic Although Donald Leslie’s original, of a new upper-rotor bearing designed The RF-id Solo is aimed at RF/audio foil designs. The deluxe edition (of 540 patented design has never been changed, for the Leslie 981. This bearing is virtu- techs, rental houses, contractor/install- signed and numbered copies) comes the elements that constitute that design ally noiseless, and it will be made avail- ers — just about anyone involved pro- packaged in a die-cut collector’s box. continue to grow, based on input from able as a retro-fit accessory for existing audio wireless related applications. $ 108 Rock Star Guitars musicians, clergy and engineers. Leslie speakers. $ Kaltman Creations (108rockstarguitars.com) The 981 features the amplifier and $ Hammond (hammondorganco.com) (kaltmancreationsllc.com)

Safety for Mics ProRockGear’s new microphone case is keep the waterproof and fully customizable. The case mics from features a molded hard-plastic outer shell, a budging dur- handle with a non-slip rubber grip, heavy- ing transit. duty plastic latches and a tough rubber seal The PRG Mic for an airtight fit. Inside, the case includes re- Case holds 10 standard- movable diced foam on the bottom to create sized vocal microphones, and it a customized, snug fit for the microphones accommodates a wide range of styles and sizes. as well as convoluted foam on the top to $ ProRockGear (prorockgear.com) Revelle Violin Line From Connolly Spans Five Options The new Revelle line from Connolly in- components, well-seasoned wood, hand-ap- cludes five models. The 300 and 500 are en- plied finishes and expert set-up. try level violins, while the 500QX and 600 The Revelle 300E outfit includes a light are more upscale. The 700QX is a faithful case for students. The 500 features a unique copy of the Guarneri del Gesu “Ysaye.” wooden case with a built-in accessory pock- All the violins are built with high-quality et, while the Revelle 500QXE outfit features a wooden case designed with features such as an integrated iPad pouch and detachable inner compartments. Each outfit comes with a high-quality Revelle composite bow, microfiber polishing cloth, rosin and a welcome kit. $ Connolly (connollymusic.com) Gator’s ProGo Guitar Gig Bags Protect the Goods Gator Cases’ line of ProGo deluxe guitar for cables, sheet music and strings. A large gig bags provide professional level protection pocket for tablet devices features soft micro- for players on the go. These sleek, stylish gig fleece lining. Front and side carry handles as bags are built tough to keep instruments safe well as the multi-adjustable, removable, pad- during even the harshest conditions. ded backpack straps provide various carry The ProGo bag features an extremely du- options. A change in weather is rable nylon exterior and ultra-thick pad- nothing to fear because a protec- ded sidewalls. On the in- tive rain cover is stored in the rear terior, the instrument compartment. is cushioned in a lux- The deluxe ProGo series gig urious, thick, white bags are available for electric micro-fleece lining. An guitars (G-PG ELECTRIC), adjustable foam cradle se- bass Guitars (G-PG BASS), cures the neck and provides dreadnaught acoustics (G-PG superior protection for the gui- ACOUSTIC), as well as dou- tar. Additionally, a specially designed ble models to hold two elec- foam block sits at the bottom of the gui- trics (G-PG ELEC 2X) or two bass guitars tar to absorb any shock or impact. (G-PG BASS 2X). The new ProGo series will The ProGo bag includes numerous stor- be available in early 2014. age options, with an extra-large front pocket $ Gator Cases (gatorcases.com)

Paul Reed Smith’s TEDx Talk Now Available on YouTube Paul Reed Smith, founder and manag- and lives. TEDx events have become a so- ing general partner of PRS Guitars, presented cial media sensation with views on YouTube now exceeding 78 million. Smith was one of 50 “thought leaders” chosen for this year’s TEDxMidAtlantic conference. In his speech, Smith explained that although the fundamentals for producing tone are simple, the secrets to unlocking highly musical sound and the application of those methods can take a lifetime. a TEDx talk titled “Changing Your View of “I’m suggesting that if you put a better Musical Instruments” to a sold-out crowd in bridge on a guitar, it’s not that it adds to the Washington, D.C., on Oct. 25, 2013. sound; it subtracts less,” Smith said. “I live in TEDx programs are a local extension a Newtonian physics world. The goal is an of the thought-sharing organization called energy of 6 in and 5.9 out. That would be a TED. The events feature speakers who fo- really great instrument.” cus on the power of ideas to change attitudes i PRS Guitars (prsguitars.com)

92 UBD January 24, 2014

D’Addario Expands Reserve GearLode.com Mouthpiece Product Line Offers Free D’Addario is expanding its Reserve line to solo and chamber include the X10E Mouthpiece. The Reserve applications. Online Listing line now encompasses four models that offer Inspired by an array of resistance options in two different mouthpieces of the GearLode.com, the newly launched on- pitch systems, A=441 Hz and 442 Hz. 1920s, the Reserve line instrument and equipment rental web- The new model features added resistance harnesses modern site, is offering a free courtesy listing and an but does so without sacrificing response, technology to rec- entry into a drawing for a free dealers listing functionality, flexibility of color, dynamic reate the craftsman- package at The NAMM Show. and pitch. Pitched at A=442, the mouth- ship found in vintage pieces. Every Reserve “GearLode is a powerful busi- piece is ideal for European clarinetists and mouthpiece is milled — not molded — from ness tool that allows music retailers to start also relevant for U.S.-based clarinetists and hard rubber for a high level of consistency. an online rental business without dedicat- students. It’s well suited for symphonic, $ D’Addario (daddario.com/reserve) ing inventory, resources or time,” said Mike Dawson, GearLode co-founder. “We have A Kit Start created a rental platform with logically or- ganized categories covering combo, studio, Alfred’s two new kits, one for adult begin- Hal Leonard Gives Detailed Instructions sound, DJ, band and orchestra, and more. ners and one for kids, contain everything new Hal Leonard has released a host of new have a basic understanding of the minor You can rent out as much or as little as you guitarists need to start playing in one box. instructional books. pentatonic scale and a desire to expand their like, and our platform is fast and incredibly Alfred’s Teach Yourself To Play Guitar Be- Most classic guitar songs contain un- fretboard horizons. By studying this book, easy to use, requiring nothing more than ginner’s Kit features Alfred’s Teach Yourself To forgettable riffs. CliffsNotes guitarists will soon be soloing an Internet connection. There are no up- Play Guitar method with DVD. This method Guitar Songs is a shortcut to all over the neck. The CD fea- front costs, and our low fees apply only to starts with the fundamentals of playing the learning them. This book tures demonstrations of every completed transactions. guitar and teaches an array of musical styles. for electric and acoustic gui- example in the book, plus jam “Our model taps directly into the In- The DVD correlates to all the lessons in the tar players teaches the signa- tracks for practicing. ternet’s expansive market coverage. With book. Also included is Alfred’s Guitar TAB ture riffs for 150 classics. Au- Blues guitarist Duke Ro- customers searching your available rent- Pad, a digital clip-on chromatic tuner and thor Chad Johnson discusses billard’s Stretchin’ the Blues als on smartphones, tablets and computers, three guitar picks. equipment and tone, the art- provides 30 ways to improve you can reach deeper into your local market, Alfred’s Kid’s Guitar Course Beginner’s ists, song and album facts, and expand blues soloing and as well as expand your reach well beyond it.” Kit includes Alfred’s Kid’s Guitar Course Book theoretical analysis, perfor- comping, all in an easy-to- i GearLode (GearLode.com) 1, with corresponding CD and DVD. mance tips and more. use book/CD set. Designed Also included is Alfred’s Kid’s Guitar Connecting Pentatonic Pat- for aspiring and experienced Movie & TV Songbook, Alfred’s Kid’s Guitar terns by Tom Kolb is perfect blues players alike, these les- Course Music Writing Book, Alfred’s Kid’s Gui- for guitarists who find them- sons present unique concepts, tar Course Notespeller, and Alfred’s Kid’s Gui- selves trapped in the penta- merging elements of jazz with tar Flashcards. tonic box. This hands-on book/CD pack of- blues to take playing to new heights. $ Alfred (alfred.com) fers examples for players of any level who $ Hal Leonard (halleonard.com)

94 UBD January 24, 2014

Kala’s Makala Shark Bridge Ukuleles Surface

Kala Brand Music has added a shark bridge design to its popular Makala Ukulele color series. The Makala Sharks will debut in six classic colors matched to emulate 1950s classic cars, with vintage shades of white, blue, pink, yellow, red and green. The Shark bridge ukes are available in the soprano size and are the same body design as the Makala Dolphins, which were first introduced in 2005 and continue to be popular. The Makala ukes are known for their sound, playability and affordability. Design features include a durable injec- tion molded body, agathis wood top, rosewood fingerboard, mahogany neck, shark bridge and geared tuners. A nylon carry bag is included with each ukulele. $ Kala Brand Music (kalabrand.com) ADX TRAX Isolates Vocals Audionamix has introduced ADX TRAX, with multiple file formats, bit depths and a cloud-based audio separation software that sample rates. lets musicians, mixers and audio engineers It also has a vocal volume control feature, achieve superior vocal isolation. ADX TRAX a valuable option when lead vocal levels of a separates full mixes into two audio files: a vo- mixed music track need to be adjusted. cal track and its accompanying music track. $ Audionamix (audionamix.com) “We’ve designed TRAX to be a user-friendly tool for jumpstarting the labor-intensive task of creating vocal isolations and instrumental tracks,” said Rick Silva, VP of production and product manager for Audionamix. ADX TRAX features intuitive navigation and editing tools in an environment that is familiar to all DAW users. The software is unique in that it has the ability to perform separations on mono, as well as stereo recordings, and it is compatible

Sony Upgrades Audio Software

Sony Creative Software has two upgrades mean working with audio in the spec- for its software applications, Sound Forge tral realm is now even quicker and eas- Pro 11 and SpectraLayers Pro 2. ier, with a faster processing engine and Sound Forge Pro’s new edition intro- a bevy of new tools, methodologies and duces more efficient recording and process- user interface improvements. ing workflows and new signal and effects Both applications are now config- processing plug-ins for crafting broadcast- ured to work seamlessly with each oth- ready audio masters. It also features one- er. MSRP: Sound Forge Pro 11, $499.99; touch recording, new waveform displays SpectraLayers Pro 2, $399.95; Audio and new input bus effects. Master Suite package, $849.95. The upgrades to SpectraLayers Pro 2 $ Sony (sonycreativesoftware.com)

Blizzard Lighting Unveils New HotBox EXA

Blizzard Lighting’s HotBox EXA is an approximately 5-inch square, cast aluminum wash fixture that comes fitted with 7- by 15-watt RGBAW + Ultraviolet 6-in-1 LEDs. It can throw 11,000 Lux output at 1-meter, and is capable of achieving any mixed color, natural-looking white color temperatures or intense 395-400 nM ultraviolet light. With its four-button LED control panel, the HotBox EXA gives users easy access It also features a flicker-free constant- to 0 to 100 percent R/G/B/A/W/UV inten- current 400hz LED driver and five sepa- sity, strobe, built-in programs, auto mode, rate 32-bit dimming curves. and sound active mode. $ Blizzard Lighting (blizzardlighting.com)

96 UBD January 24, 2014

Absorb Sound Reloop’s Turntable Like a Pro Includes Four Auralex Acoustics’ ProMAX Stand-mount- Performance Modes ed Acoustical Panels are a portable, lightweight, highly effective absorption treatment The Reloop RP-8000 combines modern load tracks onto the decks. solution offering quick setup and teardown. DJ technology in an advanced turntable. The The RP-8000 uses four combinable ProMAX was developed for recording hybrid high torque turntable balances ap- performance modes. In the Dual Perfor- and performance applications in the stu- proved direct drive technology and a digital mance, when two modes, such as cue and dio, on stage, in the control section for DJ software. loop, are pressed simultaneously, the first classroom, in the It’s able to communicate with any midi- four trigger buttons are assigned to cue home and more. compatible DJ software, and Serato Scratch and the other four buttons are assigned The ProMAX Live mappings are also available. to loop mode. In the turntable link mode, can be implement- The Trax encoder makes it possible to four turntables can be linked via USB. ed in any location scroll through playlists and comfortably $ Reloop (reloop.com) where boundary- mounted acoustical treatments aren’t feasible or desir- able, such as rent- Novation Updates Bass Station ed spaces. The new, updated version has both Novation’s Bass Station II is an analog (25-note) velocity-sensitive key- Smaller Size Parlor an absorptive side and a synth made for bass but equally well board with full-sized keys reflective side, providing adapted to leads. and a powerful modula- With a slightly reduced body size and additional sonic options. Based on the tion section. scale length of 630mm, Córdoba’s C10 Par- The 2-foot by 4-foot classic No- The Bass lor guitar targets players looking for the feel, by 3-inch Studiofoam vation Bass Station II comfort and playability of a smaller guitar. panels have a cloth-wrapped, moderately re- Station from boasts a pure It features a solid Canadian cedar or Eu- flective rear surface for acoustical and sonic 20 years ago, analog audio sig- ropean spruce top, solid Indian rosewood variability when rotated. Bass Station II nal path, reviving the back and sides, a mother-of-pearl hand-in- By varying the quantity, orientation and has been complete- spirit of the original Bass laid rosette and a two-way adjustable truss spacing of multiple ProMAXes, users are able ly re-worked for the Station with a new design op- rod. All parlor guitars are handmade by a to dial in the desired amount of room ambi- 21st century with two timized for bass. It also features two team of builders using traditional Spanish ence. The ProMAX is a flexible, expandable filters and two oscillators, distinct analog filters. In addition to the construction techniques. and affordable solution for a variety of users plus a sub-oscillator, patch original “classic” Bass Station filter, there’s a It also includes Córdoba’s premium black and settings. The ProMAX panels are avail- save and a fully-analog effects new “acid” diode ladder filter for squelchy and gold tuning machines and a deluxe Cór- able in a charcoal gray color. section. Additionally, there’s a 303-esque bass sounds. doba humidified archtop wood case. $ Auralex (auralex.com) step-sequencer, arpeggiator, a two octave $ Novation (novation.com) $ Córdoba (cordobaguitars.com)

98 UBD January 24, 2014

Kala Hangers Rotosound’s Six Made in U.S.A. Pedals Provide

Kala Brand Music has expanded the Range of Effects Stand Out line of instrument display acces- Rotosound’s rainbow collection of six sories with a series of wall hangers that are retro guitar effects pedals combines today’s being manufactured and assembled at Kala technology with 1960’s design. headquarters in Petaluma, Calif. The pedals are hand-wired in the UK, The Stand Outs are available in two siz- and each pedal is finished in a durable, es: one that fits ukulele and mandolins and pressed steel box in a range of coatings. another for guitar and bass instruments, in- Godlyke Mini Pedals Offer Big The Wobbler tremolo pedal captures a cluding the U-BASS. vintage valve amp tremolo tone. Kala’s hangers are made with reclaimed Sound in Compact Footprint Making it easier to sweep through the en- wood that is hand selected from a local sal- Godlyke has released the TWA FLY BOYS Models include the FB-01 Distortion — tire audio range, from shimmery to vibrant, vage facility. This makes each hanger unique mini pedals for guitar. offering Marshall-style distortion with drive, is the King Henry phaser pedal. and a one-of-a-kind decorative piece that is The pedals offer exceptional sound tone and level controls; and FB-02 Overdrive The Pusher compressor pedal provides suitable for retail or home display. quality in an ultra-compact footprint at — classic tube-amp overdrive with Warm noise reduction. $ Kala (kalabrand.com) a competitive price point, and feature a and Hot modes. The Crusader chorus pedal allows the lightweight, extruded aluminum chassis Also available are the FB-03 Echo — 600 chorus effect to be mixed from minimum to that’s the perfect size for crowded pedal- milliseconds of beautiful, transparent delay maximum with level control. boards or long-distance travel gigs. time; FB-04 Chorus — lush, vintage-style The hybrid Aftermath, with its warm an- Quality components and a bullet-proof chorusing with rate, depth and level con- alog delay and digital circuitry, gives superb construction assure reliable performance trols; and the FB-05 Metal — ’80s-style modern control and fine-tuning capabilities. while True Bypass switching keeps the high-gain distortion with lo/hi boost switch. Perfect for players seeking tone shap- player’s tone clean and clear. $ Godlyke (godlyke.com) ing is the Leveller, an EQ pedal that provides constant bandwidths on either side of frequencies. The Music Link Brings $ Rotosound (rotosound.com) Online Ordering to Dealers

The Music Link puts ordering power in Whether behind a desk, at home or on the hands of dealers with its Online Dealer the road, dealers’ account information is eas- Portal. Dealers can access the full catalog on- ily accessible, reducing the worry of running line as well as current stock levels, recent or- out of hot products. ders and tracking numbers. i The Music Link (themusiclink.net)

100 UBD January 24, 2014 Deering’s Custom Strings Bring Out Banjo Tones Deering Banjo Company now offers been formulated in conjunction with Dun- custom banjo strings sets lop Strings to bring out true for all its banjos. While banjo tones and bold, crisp 5-string sets have been and consistent note clarity. available, Deering has now Constructed of high- Kits created custom plectrum, grade nickel-plated steel, tenor, 6-string, Tenbrooks the strings are extremely That Rock Series and a Terry Bau- durable, easy to play and com Signature Set for its retain their pitch. DPA Microphones has launched d:vote line of banjos. Deering Banjo strings have $ Deering Banjo Company (deeringbanjos.com) Rock Touring Kits, which include the choice Pilgrim Displays between a four-piece or 10-piece Peli case package. The company has released two simi- Range at NAMM lar Classic Touring Kits for classical musicians. Goby Labs’ Tablet Frame Thingy Paul Tebbutt’s Pilgrim guitar brand has Tiny, discreet and lightweight, the DPA been reborn under the guidance of JHS. Teb- d:vote features an extendable gooseneck, Deluxe Provides Security butt — a respected clawhammer banjo play- sturdy shock mount and a detachable er and authority — brings the entire Pilgrim heavy-duty cable. Because it was designed Goby Labs’ Tablet Frame Thingy Deluxe Goby Labs’ patent-pending range, which features banjos, mandolins and for fast-paced settings, the mic can easily be is a great solution for providing support for closed-loop pole more, to The NAMM Show for the first time unclipped and repositioned. a tablet — whether on stage, in the studio, grip that ensures in 2014. Included in the new 10-piece d:vote or anywhere else. The Tablet Frame Thingy tight, secure An affordable, professional-quality line of Rock Touring Kit are 10 high SPL d:votes, Deluxe includes new clip kits that enable the placement for the instruments, the Pilgrim offerings are spear- 10 microdot-XLR adapters, 10 heavy-duty tablet frame to hold second generation or tablet. headed by a comprehensive selection of ban- mic cables, seven drum clips, five sax/trum- newer iPads or the iPad mini and includes a The Tablet Frame jos. With a range of tenor and bluegrass ban- pet clips, four universal clips, two for each base that makes it suitable for stage or desk- Thingy Deluxe jos available, as well as a ukulele banjo and a guitar, violin, piano, cello and one for bass. top use. includes clip six-string guitar banjo, there is a Pilgrim in- The smaller four-piece kit includes four The original Tablet Frame Thingy was kits that enable strument that is suitable for a wide variety of d:votes with two universal clips and four for designed to support the first generation iPad the tablet frame to support musicians. each drum, sax and trumpet, as well as four on a standard microphone stand, but the these newer generation tablets. The Pilgrim range is bolstered by a series mic cables and four microdot adapters. new Tablet Frame Thingy Deluxe goes one Combined with the included base, iPad of A-style and F-style mandolins and a pair The condenser mics in both kits feature step further by including a base that is de- owners now have a versatile, rugged solution of mandolas. supercardioid polar patterns for highly uni- signed to support the tablet on a desk, road to support their treasured tablet in a myriad For guitarists, the bowlback Pilgrim form off-axis frequency response and supe- case or any other surface that can serve as a of environments. VPG100 in the natural choice for the folk, rior gain before feedback. table. As with the original model, the new MSRP: $54.95. country and Americana genres. $ DPA Microphones (dpamicrophones.com) Tablet Frame Thingy Deluxe incorporates $ Goby Labs (gobylabs.com) $ Pilgrim (jhs.co.uk)

102 UBD January 24, 2014

Planet Waves’ Guitar Dock Turns Flat Surfaces into Safe Spots Planet Waves’ Guitar Dock was built with safety and convenience in mind. The guitar dock is a portable, leg-free, lock-on guitar stand that turns any ﬂat surface with an edge into a safe place to set a guitar. By utilizing a 360-degree rotatable neck cradle, it allows mounting at any angle, while the durable overmold protects the instrument and mounting surface. It also features an adjustable clamp. “It’s perfect for instances where a conventional stand is not available or conve- product manager. nient,” said Rob Cunningham, Planet Waves $ Planet Waves (planetwaves.com) DJ Tech’s Scratch Mixer The DJ Tech DIF-1M is a profes- taste. The reverse switch allows users to sional DJ scratch mixer with do different styles of scratch skills. integrated Mini innoFAD- The DIF-1M serves as a full- ER from scratch fader man- feature 2-channel mixer with ufacturer Audio Innovate. It 3-band EQ, master jack out, provides smooth and robust mic input, both 6.35mm feeling to scratch DJs, and its and 3.5mm headphones contact-less design gives it a life outputs and booth out- of over 4,000,000 cycles. The cut- put with a dedicated vol- in position can be adjusted with ume control. simple calibration steps to ﬁt a DJ’s $ DJ Tech (djtechpro.com)

Genelec’s 8010 Active Monitor Excels in Small Studio Setting Genelec has released the 8010 Active and other mobile production work. Monitor, the smallest member of the 8000 Featuring a balanced XLR input, 3-inch product range. The 8000 series is used in bass driver, 3/4-inch tweeter and efficient the high-end profes- Class D power amplifiers — one for each sional audio, master- driver — 8010 produces more sound pres- ing, post-production sure level than might be expected from a and broadcast mar- monitor of this size. The Intelligent Signal ket sectors. Sensing ISS circuitry saves energy by auto- Its professional matically putting the monitor to sleep when heritage is reflected the audio signal has been absent for a period in the compact-sized of time. Once a signal is detected again, the 8010. Ideal for work monitor wakes up automatically. This cir- in small studios, it cuitry can be bypassed when the automatic offers accurate moni- standby function is not desired. toring capability with An elegant L-shaped table stand can be ease of installation. used to optimize monitor orientation toward The sound quality makes the 8010 great for the listening position and to minimize unde- small studios and OB vans, and a perfect sired sound reflections. companion for portable recording devices $ Genelec (genelecusa.com)

Hal Leonard Offers Keyboard Books Pianists of all styles can expand their performance demos of every example in the knowledge with the Keyboard Lesson Gold- books. Because the lessons are not progres- mine series of book/2-CD packs from Hal sive, players can freely jump around from Leonard. Blues, country, jazz and rock titles topic to topic. are available. 100 Jazz Lessons by Peter Deneff and Brent The Goldmine packs fea- Edstrom covers scales, modes ture 100 self-contained tu- and progressions; Latin jazz torials taught by a team of styles; improvisation ideas; highly regarded authors. The harmonic voicings; building packs cover an array of es- your chops; and more. sential topics, with detailed 100 Blues Lessons delves instruction and many play- into 12-, 8- and 16-bar blues ing examples. Pianists learn styles; right-hand ﬁlls; left- useful tips, all aspects of the hand patterns; stylings of the style and the signature tech- great blues pianists; chord niques of important artists. voicings; dominant 7th and Helpful photos reinforce 9th chords; and more. the learning experience, $ Hal Leonard and the two CDs feature (halleonard.com)

104 UBD January 24, 2014

Primacoustic Offers Bevelled Edge The popular 1-inch Broadway Broad- encapsulated with micromesh, and edges are band panels from Primacoustic now come resin hardened to ensure safe han- with a bevelled edge finish. dling during installation. Panels The bevelled edge replaces the square are then covered in a tough edge previously found on all 1-inch thick y e t acoustically trans- Broadway Broadband panels. parent fabric and “Our thicker 2- and 3-inch panels will offered in three ar- continue to be available in either the square chitecturally neu- edge or bevelled edge finish, but it tral colors. was clear from client feedback, the Broadway 1-inch panels were most visu- panels are labo- ally appealing with a bev- ratory tested for elled edge,” said Jay Por- acoustic perfor- ter, Primacoustic product mance and Class-A/I specialist. “So we are de- fire safety by meeting strin- livering exactly that.” gent ASTM-E84 and Can-UL S102 Hit Deconstruction All Broadway panels requirements for flame spread and smoke are made from 6 pound development. This makes Broadway panels Alfred Music has released three new titles per cubic foot glass wool to pro- safe for use in commercial, government and from the noted music producer and engineer vide balanced absorption throughout institutional installations. Bobby Owsinski: Deconstructed Hits: Clas- the audio listening range. Each panel is fully $ Primacoustic (primacoustic.com) sic Rock, Deconstructed Hits: Modern Rock & D&A Stands Country, and Deconstructed Hits: Modern Pop & Hip Hop. After years of studying songs under the A Piccolo For Are Solid microscope of the studio, Owsinski has de- Unsatisfied with the state of guitar acces- veloped a technique that allows him to pro- Every Level sories in the market, the RKS design team vide a detailed analysis of how songs were sound and durable construction formed the D&A line, a series of rock-solid constructed and why they became hits. He for the younger student. guitar stands and hangers. deconstructs Bruce Spingsteen’s “Born To The Anthem APC-2C fea- The D&A Gigstand and D&A Icestand Run,” Adele’s “Rolling In The Deep,” Katy tures a composite body and unfold with the whip of a hand and can fit Perry’s “Firework” and many other hits. contoured headjoint and pro- in a back pocket. The D&A Headlock is a In this series, Owsinski examines the de- Anthem Musical Instruments has added vides a rich, mellow sound with a wide self-closing guitar wall hanger that offers tail of each song’s form, arrangement, sound two new piccolos: the APC-1SP and APC- dynamic range. It has a conical bore, and extra protection while creating a mesmeriz- and production. He also identifies many 2C. The APC-1SP is a budget-conscious pic- silver-plated, contoured keys for improved ing effect as its gates appear from nowhere. small changes that were made that had a ma- colo and features a silver-plated body, head- finger position. The D&A Grip wall hanger provides el- jor impact on the final piece. joint and footjoint, a conical bore and ribbed $ Anthem Musical Instruments egance, security and reliability. $ Alfred (alfred.com) construction. It has a strong, penetrating (anthemmusic.com) $ RKS (heydna.com)

106 UBD January 24, 2014

Design-Driven Company Debuts Premium Acoustic Guitar Case

Timbre Cases has rolled out its DN one latches are recessed and operate smoothly. dreadnaught guitar case. An integrated handle at the headstock The DN one is de- lets the case be signed for toughness pulled on its two with a dual-shell and recessed, easy-glide features a D’Addario wheels. The DN one Humidipak, a two-way is designed to pro- humidity control sys- tect guitars and max- tem. Constant-torque imize efficiency for hinges prevent the lid gigging guitarists. from slamming, while low profile, robust $ Timbre Cases (timbrecases.com) Digital Brain, Analog Feel Described as having a “digital brain, but analog feel,” Topp Pro Professional Audio Gear’s new DMX24.4 console is designed Peavey Brings Bass Power for live applications and is aimed at mid- Peavey Electronics’ new Headliner 1000 feature adds a vintage tube effect that distorts level users. is a 1,000 watt rack-mountable bass amplifier only the high frequencies, while the amp fea- The DMX24.4 sports an easy-to-use, an- head. With matching enclosures, the Head- tures bright and contour switches, an effects alog-style layout while the console’s engine Mike’s New liner 1000 packs power in a lightweight, 10 loop, master volume and headphone out. provides powerful digital processing and in- lb. package. It features a seven-band graph- The Headliner includes a built-in XLR stant recall of DSP channel settings. The con- Ukulele ic EQ spaced at optimized frequencies, with direct interface that routes the signal to the sole features 24 mic channels, 24 trim con- each slider providing 15 dB of cut and boost. house sound system or recording device and trols, 24 direct outs, 42 programmable DSP “Ukulele Mike” Lynch, who offers free A built-in optical compressor with level con- an active/passive pickup switch that com- channels, eight aux sends and two 32-bit ef- ukulele lessons on YouTube, Vimeo and trol and bypass lets players add just the right pensates for active instrument inputs. fects, all with DSP channel capture, copy save Facebook, and Oscar Schmidt have collab- amount of compression to the mix. The crunch $ Peavey Electronics (peavey.com) and instant recall of settings. orated to offer a new tenor ukulele. It fea- Also included are a total of 42 separate tures a gloss finish, solid cedar top, mahog- digital gates, 42 compressors, 42 four-band any back and sides, a slotted head stock, full-parametric EQs, 32-bit effects, pan, mother of pearl inlay, Aquila strings and channel delay and phase polarity. Abalone body binding with white trim. Controls and information are displayed MSRP: $599.90. on the DMX’s 7-inch full-color LCD display. $ Oscar Schmidt (oscarschmidt.com) $ Topp Pro (topppro.com)

108 UBD January 24, 2014 marketplace UBD January 24, 2014 109 marketplace 110 UBD January 24, 2014 marketplace UBD January 24, 2014 111 marketplace 112 UBD January 24, 2014

Trem King Fixed Bridge Vibrato Now Grand Finish Available for Left-Handed Players Yamaha’s five-foot Classic Collection grand piano is now available in a polished Trem King Vibrato introduced the newly white finish. The white alternative joins the designed TKS models earlier this year, but current finishes — polished ebony, polished they’re now available for left-handed people. American walnut, polished mahoga- The new version has all the same features ny French Provincial cherry and the right-hand TKS models have, including Georgian mahogany — to give flutter, smooth whammy action and tun- consumers six color options. ing stability. The TKS LH left-hand models The piano features an also have a newly designed tension bar and advanced scale design, solid tone block for smoother vibrato effect, high- spruce soundboard and ribs, quality suede leather and a longer whammy solid maple bridge and caps, sol- arm that provides better leverage. It includes id copper wound bass strings and alu- GraphTech Fossillite Saddle pins. minum alloy action rails. The model $ Trem King (tremking.com) offers Yamaha’s balanced action, solid spruce keys with hardwood buttons, Yamaha-designed hammers with T-fas- teners, a reinforced keyframe pin with an adjustable guide and a hardwood reinforced keyframe. It will be available starting Parallaxe For Shredders in April 2014. MSRP: $15,999. Washburn Guitars’ new Parallaxe series features include Stephen’s extended cut- $ Yamaha (usa.yamaha.com) was designed specifically for modern, inten- away/full access set neck joint, original Floyd sive shredders. Rose bridge, tremolo spring silencers, 36mm The line consists of three different se- brass block tremolo, Grover 18:1 locking ries totaling 16 different models. The PXM tuners, Seymour Duncan or EMG USA pick- and PXS series are both double cutaway ups, series/parallel switching (Duncans), The guitars and the PXL series is a single cut- Buzz Feiten Tuning System, super jumbo away design. frets and full contact bridge. Depending on the series and model, $ Washburn Guitars (washburn.com)

Merida Hosts Blindfold Challenge

Billed as a blindfold comparison chal- independent dealer needs to start promoting lenge, Merida has invited Martin, Taylor if they expect to compete with manufacturer and Fender’s Guild brand to bring the best direct selling.” of their instruments to a blindfold challenge The comparison will happen at booth where retail buyers will have the opporunity 1018, Hall E. to vote on what they hear. i Merida Guitars (meridaguitars.com) The contest was prompted by Merida’s desire to illustrate in a neutral setting how demonstrating sound performance over brand name helps protect independent dealers from the direct selling trend. “It’s really about how sound and performance is the best protection from factory direct selling at the brick and mortar level,” said Mike Spremulli, president of Vision Mu- sical Instruments and distributor of Merida guitars. “Sound and performance is what the

114 UBD January 24, 2014

Line 6 Releases Variax HD, Workbench HD Line 6 has released the Variax HD upgrade, including Workbench HD software. The free upgrade enhances the James Tyler Variax guitar with a collection of pristine HD instruments plus the ability to customize instruments and capture unique tones. The upgrade, created using Line 6’s HD Levy’s Leathers MG- technology, results in unprecedented sonic character and a more natural playing experi- 12SA Strap Looks ence. From vintage electrics to classic acous- Custom-Fitted tics and exotics, each HD instrument delivers superior articulation and exceptional feel. Levy’s Leathers has introduced the MG- “Recording guitarists need to have a wide 12SA, a supple garment-leather guitar strap range of tones at their disposal,” said Max expertise to meticulously rebuild each and featuring an invisible adjustment system that Gutnik, vice president of product manage- every model in HD. We’ve captured virtually makes the strap appear to be custom-fitted. ment, Line 6. “We took the world’s most every nuance of these instruments.” The adjustment tailpiece fits neatly into revered guitars and applied our years of $ Line 6 (line6.com) the main body of the guitar strap and is se- cured with a leather thong. The MG12SA is available in red, tan, burgundy, black, blue, brown, dark brown and white. $ Levy’s Leathers (levysleathers.com) Tycoon Teams Up with Master Timbalero Designed in conjunction with the master tilting timbale timbalero, Tycoon Percussion is releasing the stand, cow- Robert Vilera Signature Model Timbales. bell mounting Vilera has won 15 Grammys and has per- bracket, two formed with high-profile acts including Marc Robert Vilera signature Anthony, Paul Simon and Tito Puente. cowbells, pair of timbale The signature timbales feature high-qual- sticks and tuning wrench ity, stainless steel shells with heavy-gauge, are included with each die-cast counterhoops. The 14-inch and 15- pair of timbales. inch drums feature a unique purple satin fin- $ Tycoon Percussion ish. A heavy duty, fully height-adjustable, (tycoonpercussion.com) UBD January 24, 2014 115

Zildjian Percussion Facility Opens at Berklee Sonor Customizes On Oct. 15, 2013, Zildjian celebrated the “We are very happy to have a long-stand- Nebula SQ2 Kit official opening of the Zildjian Percussion Fa- ing relationship with Berklee College,” said cility at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Craigie Zildjian. “As a trustee emeritus of Sonor has introduced the limited-edi- The facility consists of ensemble and practice Berklee, I am proud of its worldwide reputation Nebula SQ2 kit, featuring high-density rooms, offices, and a complete assortment of tion as the premiere program for contempo- North American maple and a custom finish. Zildjian cymbals. The opening of the Zildjian rary music education.” The finish features a rendering of a digital Percussion Facility marks another chapter in i Zildjian (zildjian.com) image sent back from the Hubble telescope the Zildjian Company’s longtime support of of “Stellar Spire” portion of the Eagle Nebula. the college. This stunning piece of art began with the Zildjian also endows Berklee schol- RF-intermodPRO Sonor lacquer artist creating a piano-black arships through the Avedis Zildjian Per- Can Identify RF base coat. The shells were taken to MachArt cussion Scholarship Program in honor of Customs for the detailed airbrush finish. Af- CEO Craigie Zildjian’s grandfather, as well Intermodulation ter drying, the drums were returned to Sonor as scholarships honoring Max Roach, Roy The Invisible Waves RF-intermodPRO — for several high-gloss clear coats and polishing Haynes, Elvin Jones, Louie Bellson, Steve a software product that aids in calculating, to add the sheen to the hand-painted images. Gadd and Terri Lyne Carrington. In addi- predicting and identifying intermodulation Handmade in Germany, the maple shells tion, the Zildjian Company has established interference of wireless devices — has been offer evenly accentuated lows with balanced the Armand Zildjian Artist in Residency serving as an effective frequency-coordina- mids and highs. The Nebula kit consists of Program at the college. tion tool for many sound engineers recently. a 22- by 18-inch bass drum, 10- by 8-inch Introduced by Kaltman Creations last and 12- by 9-inch rack toms, a 16- by 16- year, the PC-based product refines and sim- inch floor tom and an optional 14- by 5-inch plifies the process of identifying intermodu- snare. The drums feature top-shelf SQ2 fit- lation distortion (IMD) frequencies in a given tings, the T.A.R. mounting system (Total Brace Yourself for Brilliant RF spectrum and is available as a standalone Acoustic Resonance) and Remo USA heads. PC-based software product or as a plug-in The optional snare features the new Dual option for the Invisible Waves RF Command Glide system. MSRP: $14,999. FX-100 Phaeton Trumpet Center. The intermod software is designed $ Sonor (sonor.com) Phaeton has introduced the FX-1100 Rifle drilled ports in both horizontal Phaeton for professional audio wireless microphone trumpet, geared for balance, sonic brilliance, style braces reduce weight while adding re- users, AV installers of wireless devices, fre- articulation, tonal focus and control. sponse in all registers. quency coordinators and broadcasters. The FX-1100 includes Phaeton’s pat- Also, Phaeton’s beefed up, solid brass “The one-button push to instantly do ented multiple-bracing system, which “one-piece” heavy mouthpiece receiver adds your frequency coordination is a very ef- adds a dimension of personal fine tuning a dimension of control and sustain at the fective tool,” said Mark Kaltman, president. for trumpeters. point of critical tone production. “These days, with all of the RF allocation tur- The FX-1100 includes three sets of in- Phaeton has added a large-bore, fast taper moil and the ever-shrinking RF space, wire- terchangeablevertical braces machined from lead pipe, which offers more dynamics, cou- less users should be more concerned than solid bronze, stainless steel and brass, let- pled this a larger bell. MSRP: $2,685. ever with intermod issues.” ting trumpeters fine tune their instrument. $ Phaeton (phaetontrumpet.com) $ Kaltman (kaltmancreationsllc.com) 116 UBD January 24, 2014

Roland Upright Digital Adapts European, Chinese Industry to Environment Groups Meet in Shanghai Roland’s LX-15e digital pia- The China Musical Instruments Associa- Wiesbaden, Germany, by music teachers for no is a space-saving upright-styled tion (CMIA) and the Confederation of Eu- music teachers. instrument. ropean Music Industries (CAFIM) met in In addition, consideration was given to The LX-15e is available in a pol- Shanghai to continue with their exchange continuing with the talks in 2014 in con- ished ebony or polished white ﬁn- of information and views on topics relating ish. The mirror-like sheen and classic to musical education, military band music, curves offer a majestic appearance, trade barriers and Chinese market data as while Roland’s SuperNATURAL Pia- well as research and development. no technology delivers organic ton- Equipped with Roland’s Acoustic Pro- Musical education was recognized as be- al variations, natural note decay and jection audio system, the LX-15e delivers ing one of the music industry’s key issues unmatched dynamic response. a rich, multidimensional sound experience worldwide. Accordingly, musical instruction In addition to authentic grand piano that recreates the authentic sound space of continues to form a central topic of discus- tones, the LX-15e includes a newly devel- an acoustic grand piano. During practice session in talks pursued by both the Chinese oped upright tone that provides the up-close sions, players can use Headphones 3D Am- and European delegates. During a recent sound of a traditional upright instrument. bience, an effect that makes it feel as though meeting, an example was presented of how Additional enhancements include a dynam- the sound is emanating from the instrument musical education was capable of being im- ic harmonic function for fortissimo playing itself. plemented with success. and individual note voicing to customize the The LX-15e is compatible with Roland’s Delegates focused on the innovative junction with possible visits to schools, uni- piano’s sound to suit the user’s playing style free piano apps for Apple iOS devices. “Music-in-the-Classroom” concept devel- versities and research institutions. or home environment. $ Roland (rolandus.com) oped by the Music Educators Academy in i CAFIM (caﬁm.org)

Ibanez, Abasi Offer Los Cabos Nylon Affordable 8-String Model Tips To Include Junji Hotta, Ibanez USA’s electric guitar TAM10WH is similar in lin- 2B White Hickory product manager, claims that if anyone were eage to the Ibanez guitar Aba- to challenge the company’s reputation as a si developed his chops — the Los Cabos Drumsticks has added the 2B leading eight-string guitar builder, he’d offer RG2228. White Hickory Nylon Tip to its growing cat- Tosin Abasi’s new signature model, the TAM- Abasi’s goal was to alog of drumstick models. 10WH, as proof. develop an eight-string The new model rounds out the compa- “To be the maker of Tosin’s guitars is that combined the best ny’s White Hickory Nylon Tip series, which an honor that speaks for itself,” Hotta said. features of the Ibanez includes 2B, 5A, 5B and 7A models. “The guy is a monster.” guitars he has played in The company recently invested in new Abasi’s compass is as strong about gui- the past while incorpo- equipment that will improve the life and du- tar design as it is about his music. Pat- rating new ideas. rability of its entire nylon tip line. terned closely after Tosin’s TAM100, a $ Ibanez (ibanez. $ Los Cabos Drumsticks more expensive signature eight-string, the com) (loscabosdrumsticks.com) UBD January 24, 2014 117 Sound Partnership Earthworks and Mason & Hamlin have teamed up at NAMM. The Pianodisc-equipped Mason & Ham- lin Model A will be on display at the Earth- works booth and visitors will be able to hear all its nuances faithfully reproduced through the Earthworks PM40 PianoMic System. The Mason & Hamlin Model A is Breedlove’s Pursuit Plus Concert equipped with a PianoDisc iQ player sys- The Pursuit Plus Concert from Breedlove fingerstyle, as vocal accompaniment, or at a tem with new ProRecord optical key sensors. features back and sides that are constructed full strum. This player system features high-definition of Java ebony and the top features solid En- The Fishman ISYS+ USB onboard pre- playback with 1024 levels of expression on gelmann spruce, delivering a warm, musi- amp system provides maximum value in a each note. It interfaces with Apple iOS and cal tone when played both acoustically and small footprint and features a micro-USB Android devices and is operated wirelessly. plugged in. interface for easy recording. The system in- The Earthworks PianoMic System’s de- The Pursuit Plus Concert includes a cludes a side-mounted preamp with low- sign allows near-perfect closed lid piano built-in USB port for easy interfacing with profile rotary controls for tuner, volume, miking. The PM40 combines two 40 kHz GarageBand and other recording soft- bass, treble, and phase. random incidence omni microphones. It also ware. The Concert works well when played $ Breedlove Guitars (breedlovemusic.com) provides more gain-before-feedback and less leakage from surrounding instruments. $ Earthworks, Mason & Hamlin (earthwork- saudio.com; masonhamlin.com) Takamine’s Acoustic-Electric True Classic Inspired by Japanese Snow Grouse Schecter has reintroduced the C-1 Clas- Takamine’s new LTD2014 limited-edi- maple back and flame maple sides to pro- sic. The fan favorite is equipped with a Sey- tion acoustic-electric guitar is an expression duce a clear, articulate voice. It features Taka- mour Duncan JB bridge pickup and a Jazz of more than 50 years of tradition. The fin- mine’s dual-channel CT4-DX preamp and pick-up in the neck position to give it the gerboard and pickguard are adorned with Palathetic under-saddle pickup, four bands ideal blend of smooth tones with a rock imagery of the bird that symbolizes central of EQ, two feedback-reducing notch-filter edge. Japan’s Gifu prefecture — the snow grouse, controls, a flexible dual-pickup mix control, It also features a multi-ply maple/walnut or raicho. volume control and an onboard tuner. thru-body neck construction, a quilted ma- Featuring a new slope-shoulder dread- Other features include ivoroid binding ple top in Antique Amber finish and “vine of nought cutaway body design with a neck with abalone body and headstock purfling life” inlays on a rosewood fingerboard. joined at the 12th fret, the guitar combines and an abalone rosette. MSRP: $5,099.99. $ Schecter (schecterguitars.com) a solid Sitka spruce top with a solid flame $ Takamine (takamine.com) 118 UBD January 24, 2014

Apogee’s JAM 96k Connects Guitars to iPhone, iPad or Mac Computers Apogee Electronics’ JAM 96k is a professional guitar interface for iPad, iPhone and Mac that lets users easily connect their guitar to an iPhone, iPad or Mac computers. Its circuitry is designed to reproduce the unique interaction between guitar and tube amp, resulting in an authentic tone and re- sponsive feel from any guitar or music creation app. The new JAM 96k features tube amp tone emulation and a nickel-plated finish. JAM 96k also provides the ability to make higher predecessor, the JAM, JAM 96k also includes fidelity recordings — up to 24-bit/96 kHz — an iOS 30-pin cable and Mac USB cable. and includes an iOS lighting cable. Like its $ Apogee Electronics (apogeedigital.com) Tama Starclassic Glows Brighter With New Finishes Tama’s Starclassic Performer Birch/Bub- innovative appointments. inga series now offers lower pricing $ Tama (tama.com) on its newly introduced EFX finishes. The new finish options include Vin- tage Nickel Sparkle, Vin- tage Green Sparkle and Charcoal Onyx, and offer a classically styled look with a modern sound. The Starclassic Per- former B/B EFX line combines the crisp punch and warm lows of Birch and Bubinga shells with di- ecast hoops, low-mass lugs with high quality and Bluetooth Connections Samson’s Expedition XP106 and XP106w Portable P.A.s boasts Bluetooth connectivity and built-in mixers. Ensuring full- range sound, the XP106 and XP106w both feature a 6-inch woofer and a 1-inch high frequency driver. A lightweight, 100-watt Class D amplifier, matched to its drivers for high efficiency and low current draw, powers each system. A rechargeable battery also increases the mobility of both P.A.s, allowing for up to eight hours of continuous use. The XP106 and XP106w are Bluetooth- enabled, letting users wirelessly stream music from their smartphone, tablet or laptop. Each features XLR-1/4 inch combo, 1/4-inch and 1/8-inch input options. A link output is provided to cascade multiple systems together. With a 30-foot operating range, the Stage XPD1 frees presenters and performers from the constraints of cables. Also, each system comes complete with a handheld dynamic microphone. $ Samson Technologies (samsontech.com)

120 UBD January 24, 2014 Lowrey Launches Liberty Lowrey has introduced its next wave in customizable) music styles, and a wide vari- organs—the Lowrey LE6500 Liberty. ety of musical sounds and effects, the Liberty The Liberty offers heightened musical ex- promotes artistic creativity. pression for organists who demand comfort In addition to power and performance, the and the ultimate Lowrey experience. Liberty offers serenely beautiful, wood-crafted With intuitive player controls, a world- cabinetry with sleek lines and elegant details. wide selection of completely preset (yet fully $ Lowrey (lowrey.com) Hands-Free Control Positive Grid’s BT-2 and BT-4 foot con- Rodriguez’s trollers are two fully-programmable Blue- tooth MIDI foot controllers with I/O features Smart Guitar for iPhone, iPad and Mac. The controllers let guitarists, bassists, pi- Manuel Rodriguez and Sons Guitars re- anists, vocalists and music producers have cently introduced the “smart” classical guitar hands-free control over their iOS and Mac by placing a virtual home recording studio apps using either a two- or four-button wire- into its latest guitar line, the F Home Studio. less foot controller. The guitar features a multitrack sequenc- The MIDI foot controllers are based on er, external USB connectivity, built-in rhyth- Bluetooth 4.0 technology which lets users mic templates, guitar lessons, access to on- assign MIDI messages to the controllers by line learning tools and an audio-output using an iOS app that edits the assignments. pedal with an external speaker connection These apps can be from the Positive Grid option through a jack. The guitar also lets family of products – JamUp XT and JamUp players export and import files through a Pro XT — or any other MIDI-compatible micro USB jack. app or desktop software. Both BT pedals can Lampcraft’s Fermata Light F Home Studio guitars are handmade and be expanded by adding an expression pedal come in two models: Classics and Flamenco. or footswitch using a 1/4-inch phone-type Starts Bright, Stays Bright The Classics Concert model features a cedar jack, letting musicians control rotary func- top, Indian rosewood body, and ebony fin- tions like whammy and wah effects, key- Lampcraft’s latest and brightest battery gerboard with nitro varnish finish. The Fle- board sustain, amp gain, volume, and EQ. powered music light, Fermata, stops light menco Model Professional features a spruce $ Positive Grid (positivegrid.com) from dimming as batteries age. Typically, the top, cypress body and ebony fingerboard. moment a battery powered light is turned on $ Manuel Rodriguez and Sons Guitars (gui it starts to dim. However, Fermata produc- tars-m-r-sons.com) es powerful and stable illumination on two pages of music for four, six or 11 hours. Fermata uses a single, high power LED. Its three power levels let users choose brightest light versus longest playing time. Low A padded spring clip enables Fermata to produces very good light for about 11 hours, attach easily to the top of either wire fold- medium is 50 percent brighter with a battery ing stands or solid back stands and the un- life of six hours and high produces almost obtrusive lamp head can be positioned over twice as much light as the low setting and the music with a flexible gooseneck. It has has a battery life of four hours. Fermata’s life- a compact body and weighs 6 ounces with time LED light bulb produces full-spectrum, batteries. high-contrast, low-glare illumination. $ Lampcraft (lampcraft.com)

Double Cajon Models

Gon Bops has added two new cajon models to its Tumbao Pro line. A maple front panel and internal snare wire design provides plenty of high-end pop without sacrificing low-end response, making authentic Flamenco tones simple to achieve. The front panel is also easily adjustable by varying screw tension. Large rubber feet keep the cajon solidly in place and prevent bass tones from getting lost in the floor. Tumbao Pro Cajons include a free premium gig bag and are finished to match Gon Bops Tumbao Pro drums in a choice of Wal- nut or Burnt Toast Burst. $ Gon Bops (gonbops.com)

122 UBD January 24, 2014

All-In-One Mixer Grundorf Expands Roland Systems Group’s new Roland VR- ABS Case Line 3EX is an all-in-one A/V mixer boasting an audio mixer, video mixer, touchscreen monitor Grundorf has added three models to the and USB port for streaming and recording. ABS series of professional amp racks. The unit advances the popular entry mod- Featuring anti-flex construction for ad- el, the Roland VR-3, by adding four HDMI The Roland VR-3EX features audio em- ditional strength, recessed, pull-out han- inputs/outputs, built-in scaling with resolu- bedding, and a built-in audio mixer with de- dles and two sets of recessed wheels for tions up to 1080 p and WUXGA, HDCP sup- lay settings on each input and USB output better weight distribution, the new models port, full 18-channel digital audio mixer with lets lip sync adjustments match the video add greater versatility to the product line, effects. source. It supports HDCP video, letting us- making them suitable for professional au- The design incorporates a video switcher, ers mix copyright protected material such as dio engineers, A/V applications, musicians, audio mixing, touch select preview monitor Blu-ray content. HDMI inputs one to three the worship market and equipment rental and streaming-ready USB output. Video in- accept video resolutions up to 480p/576p operations. puts one to three features composite (RCA) and input four accepts HDMI resolutions All Grundorf ABS series professional amp or HDMI (SD only) while input four accepts up to 1080p and RGB up to WUXGA racks are manufactured from high-molecu- HDMI, RGB/Component or composite vid- (1920x1200). Although internal processing lar-weight ABS material and utilize a 3-mm eo. The output features the ability to scale is SD-based, the output can be scaled up to thick high-density ABS shell with a heavy- resolutions up to 1080p via HDMI or com- 1080p or 1920x1200. duty aluminum extrusion to ensure ro- ponent, 1920 by 1200 (WUXGA) via RGB, $ Roland Systems Group bust protection. ABS series or SD (NTSC or PAL) composite. (rolandsystemsgroup.com) cases feature a contemporary, professional black textured finish that is easy to clean and maintain. Of Nady Introduces 100-Channel particular im- portance, these UHF Wireless Systems cases have gas- Nady Systems recently announced its use with two transmitters. ket-fitted front new U-1100 and U-2100 100-channel se- The new units offer PLL UHF perfor- and rear lids—each lect UHF wireless systems. The systems of- mance with 120 db dynamic range and op- with a 2.25-inch inside depth to fer easy setup and operation with ei- eration up to 500 feet. Additional fea- protect equipment from moisture and dirt. ther automatic AutoScan or manual tures include DigiTRU Diversity for The new amp rack cases — models open-frequency selection plus ASC maximum range and dropout pro- ABS-R0416CB, ABS-R0616CB and ABS- infrared synchronization of selected tection, IF filtering for optimal si- R0816CB — build upon the features of the channel between transmitter and multaneous operation, front panel ABS line. They incorporate built-in bottom receiver. The systems are available touch control buttons and dual support that eliminates stress on the rack rail with choice of the U-1100 re- rear panel removable swivel from the weight of the equipment. Similarly, ceiver for use with a single BNC antennas. there is a built-in metal filler panel to cover transmitter, or the U-2100 for $ Nady Systems (nady.com) handle access at the bottom of the rack, ensuring greater protection for the equipment and the case itself. “The ABS case line has been a tremen- dous success,” said Frank Grund, president of Grundorf Corporation. “These three new models build upon the numerous features of the ABS line and incorporate additional benefits that musicians and audio pros are certain to appreciate.” $ Grundorf (grundorf.com)

Trem King Redesigns TKS Model

Trem King’s TKS model incorporates a newly designed tone block and tension bar that provide a smooth transition through the zero point. It also adds ﬂutter as an option and the redesigned tone block springs let players pull up farther than ever before. The Trem King TKS models are available in several ﬁnishes for strat, tele and other solid body electric guitars. MSRP: TKS-1, $179.95; TKS-2, $199.95; TKS-3, $189.95. $ Trem King (tremking.com) appearances

FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 2014

10:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m. Stu Hamm Ron Powell performs. Samson Technologies Latin Percussion Booth 4828 Booth 304

10:30 a.m. 3:00 p.m. Victor Wooten Damian Erskine Samson Technologies Gruv Gear Booth 4828 Booth 4192

11:00 a.m. PT Gazell (also at 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.) Seydel Harmonicas Booth 3028

11:00 a.m. More Like Me performs. ARJ Percussion Booth 2351

11:00 a.m. Zarni Music Group Services Booth 5244

Orianthi 12:00 p.m. Metalachi performs. 3:00 p.m. Peavey Electronics Signing with Orianthi, Lita Ford, Booth 201 Mike Inez. Dean Markley USA 12:30 p.m. Booth 5766 Jam session with Rozanna and other guest artists. 4:00 p.m. Creative Concept Instruments LLC Sharon Aguilar Booth 3424 CAD Audio Booth 6632

5:00 p.m. Good Old War Taylor Guitars Room 213 ABC

Jason Hook

1:00–2:00 p.m. Signing with Jason Hook and Mar- co Mendoza for Korg tuners. Korg Booth 6440A

1:00 p.m. Sheila E. Sin Quirin and Metal Sanaz Studio Devil 6:00 p.m. Booth 6721 Sheila E. NAMM 1:00 p.m. NAMM Show Grand Plaza Don Randi Music Group Services All Day Booth 5244 Wayne Cobham, Skinny Williams, Zdany Chisholm, Leilani Vidal, 1:00 p.m. Edddie Berg, Hayan Charlston, Dave Widow Deon Yates Eminence Speaker LLC PJLA Music Sales/Marketing Booth 4334 Booth 3414 UBD January 24, 2014 125 schedule

Unless otherwise noted, the following events will be held in NAMM’s Idea Center, booth 5501 in Hall B.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 126

Billings Piano Gallery and his panelists Men- and the Hilton 7:00 P.M. zie Pittman of Contemporary Music Center Get some ideas on how to set up your own 29th Annual TEC Awards and Kurt Witt of Woodwind & Brasswind de- drum circle, while jamming out with fellow Hilton Anaheim, Paciﬁc Ballroom liver a no-nonsense social media strategy that percussionists. Drums will be provided. The 29th installment of the TEC Awards are will be ready-made for your busy schedule. presented in 30 categories with this year’s They’ll also open the ﬂoor for a Q&A. 6:00 P.M. Les Paul Award going to Todd Rundgren of Sheila E. Concert Utopia fame. The ceremony will be hosted by 5:45 P.M. NAMM GoPro Stage electronic musician BT. Presenters include

The Idea Center is located at booth 5501. All-Industry Drum Circle Celebrate with the percussive sounds of The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith and Palm Terrace between the Convention Center singer and drummer Sheila E. electro-funk artist George Clinton. 3:00 P.M. Best Social Media Examples From Music Retailers Jen Lowe, Boom Boom Percussion CLASSIFIEDS Jen Lowe of Boom Boom Percussion takes listeners on a brief journey through the best social media examples from fellow music stores. She’s combed hundreds of social media channels to bring you the most effective ideas.

3:30 P.M. Your Roadmap to Building a Successful Lesson Program John Kolbrich, Avalon School of Music Kolbrich, owner of three successful music school and retail locations in Orlando, Fla., discusses ways to turbocharge your lesson program and retail business so they continue to expand. He’ll share a roadmap for how he built his business from a startup in 2003 to his current program with more than 50 instructors teaching 800 lessons a week.

4:00 P.M. 10 Merchandising Tips to Increase Sales Tracy Leenman, Musical Innovations Customers have less and less time for shopping. Many consider it a chore. Your store should be merchandised in a way that makes shopping a simple and enjoyable experience for all customers. Leenman delivers 10 fast and easy merchandising ideas to make your store more shopper-friendly and designed to yield the most sales per transaction.

4:00 P.M. NAMM YP Member Center, Convention Center The NAMM Young Professionals will hold its annual meeting, which will feature keynote speaker and Music Inc. Publisher Frank Alkyer.

4:30 P.M. What Do I Do About My Social Media? (Double Session) Grant Billings, Billings Piano Gallery with panel Listen in as moderator Grant Billings of

Jen Lowe on social media, 3 p.m. Jen Lowe 126 UBD January 24, 2014 schedule FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 2014

Unless otherwise noted, the following events will be held in NAMM’s Idea Center, booth 5501 in Hall B.

Greg Billings on cost-cutting strategies, 2:30 p.m.

George Hines on increasing trafﬁc, 1 p.m.

Sheila E., 6 p.m. BT hosts the TEC Awards, 7 p.m.

BREAKFAST SESSION ways to keep your existing customers, hold 8:30 A.M. your profits and stay in business when online Breaking Good: Growing Your merchants get in the way of a sale. Business in 2014 Barry Moltz, Small-business guru 12:00 P.M. with panel 9 Ways to Get Your Email Opened Hilton Anaheim Hotel, Pacific Ballrooms Barry Moltz, Barry Moltz and his panel of industry experts Small-business guru give a 360-degree view of the new busi- With 89 billion business emails sent each ness climate. They’ll explore everything from day, it’s tough to guarantee that any one online competition and Internet marketing email gets read. Barry Moltz is back, doling to the economy. Walk away with new ideas out tricks, techniques and strategies to help to jump-start growth, solutions to the most a music store stand out and ensure its emails pressing challenges and a big-picture view get seen. of what to expect. Whether you are a retailer or supplier, if you’re in the MI industry, you 12:30 P.M. won’t want to miss this session. Go Mobile: Take Your Website on the Road 10:30 A.M. John Pedersen, 50 Shades of Facebook Pedersen’s Band & Orchestra Barry Moltz, small-business guru, will Cris Behrens, John Pedersen recently converted his store’s speak at 8:30 a.m. and noon. Summerhays Music Center website into a mobile-friendly format and Want more Facebook “likes,” “shares,” and shares what he learned in the process. He’ll traffic? Behrens will pass on ideas that don’t walk listeners through the sales- and custom- continue to make these independent retailers lessons learned along the way and will share require lots of time or money. He will also er-building applications that make a mobile successful. it with session attendees. explain the best tips to keep Facebook fans site worthwhile. coming back and how to implement them 2:00 P.M. 2:30 P.M. before you leave The NAMM Show. 1:00 P.M. How to Host the Top 10 Cost-Cutting Strategies for What Works for Me: The Best Ideas Ultimate Rock Camp 2014 11:00 A.M. From Master Retailers (Double Menzie Pittman, Greg Billings, Steinway Piano Gallery How to Compete With the Internet Session) Contemporary Music Center Join Billings for a look at the best strate- Giants (Double Session) George Hines, George’s Music; Pittman hosts a summer program at his store gies to cut costs without hurting income Bob Popyk, Danny Rocks, The Company Rocks that drives growth and new business by get- and adding more income to the bottom line. Music Trades, with panel with panel ting students to take total ownership of their He’ll discuss things you should already be Popyk moderates a hard-hitting panel discus- Join Hines and Rocks as they moderate, bands. Pittman will walk attendees through doing, look at things you should do as soon sion with indie retail experts Ryan West of while a panel of AIMM retailers share their what works and what doesn’t when it comes as you get home and things you can do for West Music and Bryan McCann of Instru- ideas for increasing in-store and online traf- to building a rock camp. He will also share long-term cost reduction. Attendees will walk mental Music. They will present proven ideas fic, developing a purchasing strategy that ways to keep students involved once the away with ideas to improve profitiability. to get customers into your store rather than works, hiring and developing quality em- back-to-school season starts up again. Pit- lose business to e-commerce giants. Learn ployees, and more. Learn the secrets that tman has perfected his unique model from CONTINUED ON PAGE 125