Acoustic Guitars in the 1960S Folk-Era, Guild Built Con- Strumming

SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2018

The Official Show Publication

DAILY

The NAMM Show has truly changed. New booths, new companies and a dedication to more segments of the industry than ever before. With a massive reorganization of the show ﬂoor also comes opportunity. Where’s your next growth area — the percussion market, lighting, B&O, pro audio, guitars, keyboards, DJ, live sound? It’s all here, under one roof, organized by tribes. Here are a few companies that might just spur the next big idea.

1. The RapcoHorizon team shows off the RAT FX distortion cable. 2. D’Angelico’s Brenden Cohen highlights the company’s first foray into solid-body guitars — the Deluxe Bedford and the color is called Chameleon. 3. From left, Jason Carter, Mary Rowden and Dan Roberts pose with three new models in the Noteworthy Music Stand Collection at their booth on Friday morning. 4. Toni Fishman, owner and CEO of Telefunken, shows one of the company’s DI boxes on the show floor Friday. 5. From left, D’Addario’s Steve Mucciolo, Brian Vance and Rob Cunningham take a break from taking care of retailers to smile for the camera at their booth on Thursday.

BREAKFAST SESSION

Meet Marcus Sheridan and hear from a man who’s been called the “web marketing guru” by The New York Times.

Breakfast Session Innovative Signature Sticks 2 New Sigmas Ibanez Heats AZ Series The Real Feel Page 102 Page 61 Page 67 Page 70 Page 95 2 UBD January 27, 2018

NAMM Show News

AM&S Spotlights Brands U.K.-based Focusrite kicked off Friday sive Fostex-approved tuning. dBTechnolo- morning’s American Music & Sound press gies added the ES 1002 to its ES line of com- conference with the introduction of three plete plug-and-play column systems. studio-quality USB interfaces: Clarett 2Pre Allen & Heath unveiled the SQ, a com- USB (10-in, four-out), Clarett 4Pre USB pact, 96-kHz digital mixing powerhouse. (18-in, eight-out) and Clarett 8Pre USB (18- Two models offer a choice of size and con- in, 20-out). trol configuration. “We’ve always tried to bring profession- Meanwhile, Kurzweil’s SP6 stage piano al sound to the masses, and we always try exemplified a company moto: “Powerfully to democratize the very best sound quali- Simple.” ty,” said Giles Orford, marketing manager “Basically, it’s going to be power and for Focusrite, Novation and Focusrite Pro. ease of use — and lightweight — without Several music and sound companies compromise,” said Daniel Dabek, Kurzweil distributed by AM&S were represent- soundware engineer. “You just grab it, call ed during the event. Fostex introduced up a sound and start playing on the stage.” Giles Orford, marketing director at Focusrite, shows one the Limited Edition 5th Anniversary $ American Music & Sound of the company’s new Clarett USB interfaces during Friday’s press conference. TH-900mk2 Sapphire Blue with an exclu- (americanmusicandsound.com)

Color Pops with MXL’s LSM-9 Mic The impetus for MXL’s new LSM-9 microphone series is clearly K-Pop. “These are premium, handheld dynamic microphones,” said Jackson Root, MXL’s marketing and creative services manager. “They are specifically designed to withstand the rigors of nightly use … and definitely From left, Brad Kirkpatrick, RBI Music president; Lane Davy, RBI Music executive vice president made for live performance. of sales and marketing; Rick Taylor, RBI Music product manager and artist relations; and Chris Pittman, purchasing for RBI Music. “The first order of these is going right into K-Pop houses,” he said but added RBI Music Increases Growth that Karaoke will be another important RBI Music shared details about its been another of several bright spots for the Jackson Root, MXL’s marketing and creative market. move to a new location and increased company. services manager, poses with the new LSM-9 microphone. $ MXL Microphones (mxlmics.com) sales across several brands, which include “We moved to a bigger facility this year Toca Percussion, A Tempo Percussion, [due to increased sales and] growth,” said Odery Drums, Fret-King Guitars, Vintage Brad Kirkpatrick, president and CEO. “We’re Guitars and Rhythm Band Instruments. looking forward to 2018 and growing more.” Taylor’s V-Class Bracing “It’s been a crazy-big year for us,” said Chris Pittman, buyer and operations Lane Davy, executive vice president of sales manager, said RBI moved into a Enhances Playing Experience and marketing. “Guitars are clearly the 35,000-square-foot warehouse, noting, Taylor Guitars’ V-Class bracing system stars for us right now. Our Vintage line is “We modernized our network infrastruc- is a new sonic “engine” developed by guitar growing by leaps and bounds.” ture so as to better leverage our resources.” $ RBI Music (rbimusic.com) designer Andy Powers. Davy added that Toca Percussion has The bracing system marks an advancement beyond traditional X-bracing, delivering an enhanced playing experience by boosting volume and sustain while Wells Demos for Antares improving intonation. V-Class bracing will be in select models in 2018. $ Taylor Guitars (taylorguitars.com)

Peavey Versarray Articulates Peavey Electronics has introduced The Versarray Pro represents the cul- the Dante-enabled Versarray Pro, a mination of 53 years of sound rein- powered, fully articulating line array forcement research and develop- system with ribbon drivers. They are ment and uses Peavey’s redundant the ideal solution for pro-audio appli- audio input system. This lets the cations where high output, optimized user select analog, Dante, or Dante coverage, and pristine high-fidelity with analog backup, ensuring reli- audio are required. Power, clarity, sim- able, uninterrupted performance. plicity, configurability, and portability It also serves as a fully articulat- Grammy-nominated musician, songwriter and record producer Greg Wells demoed make the Versarray Pro the new standard ing line array. the Antares Audio Auto-Tune Pro during the product’s launch party at the House of Blues Anaheim on Thursday night. for mid-size powered line arrays. $ Peavey (peavey.com) Auto-Tune Pro features a sleek interface that has been redesigned from the ground up for a more streamlined workflow.

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Sennheiser Evolves, Neumann Revives a Legend Sennheiser widened its product portfolio Beebe, president of Sennheiser Electronic with the release of the evolution wireless Corp. “It has higher frequency agility, and that G4 series and two new XS Wireless 1 Dual means you can get more channels in a sin- Sets, both of which were announced during gle TV channel. We learned that the end user a press conference at the company’s booth wants the ability to control the transmit power, Thursday afternoon. Also during the event, so we built in switchable transmit power.” studio microphone manufacturer Neumann Wolfgang Fraissinet, president of Markbass founder Marco De Virgiliis (left) and bassist Marcus Miller pose with bass amplification products in the presented a re-issue of the U 67, the quintes- Neumann Berlin in Germany, noted the U 67 Marcus Miller Signature line Wednesday at the Clarion Hotel. sential studio workhorse mic of the 1960s. is being re-issued to celebrate the company’s The evolution wireless G4 microphone is 90th anniversary. “On this particular occa- the newest entry in a line that was launched sion, we thought it’s nice to bring a legend in Markbass in 1999 with the G1. the microphone industry, and especially in “We took all the feedback we got over those the music industry, back to life,” he said. Teams with Wolfgang Fraissinet, president of Neumann, years, and we took user-inspired improve- $ Sennheiser, Neumann at Thursday’s press conference. ments and built them into the G4,” said Greg (sennheiser.com, neumann.com) Marcus Miller Markbass unveiled its line of Marcus Miller Signature bass amplification products Wednesday night at the Clarion Hotel. Miller, an acclaimed bassist and bandlead- Kawai Evolves Pianos, Relationships er, discussed his direct involvement with the Hirotaka Kawai, Kawai global president, John Muller and Kawai rep to Sam Ash, Bob House’s Luke Ma; Kawai Canada dealer of the development of products in the line, which began Thursday evening’s Kawai Awards Duncan; dealer of the year for digital pianos, year, Merriam Music; and Kawai America includes the 500-watt Little Marcus head reception by dispensing his vision for the com- Schmitt Music Company’s Tom Wennblom; dealer of the year, Lane Music’s Scott Lane. and the Marcus Miller CMD 103 combo. pany, which includes “evolving the piano.” Shigeru Kawai dealer of the year, Loewen Piano i Kawai (kawaius.com) Miller also discussed his collaborative “In our booth is our collection of six relationship with Marco De Virgiliis, the hybrid instruments that approach the hybrid founder of Markbass. “I wanted to provide category from three different directions — an amp that gives bass players a full range,” something no other company has done,” he Miller said. “If you want sizzling highs and said. “You also saw our newest examples of booming lows, you can do that. If you need to digital evolution — the new MP series profes- dial it down a little bit, you can do that. You’re sional products, the new CA series digital pia- not limited. The amp isn’t going to tell you nos and the new Novus NV10 hybrid .” what kind of bass player you’re going to be.” During the evening, the company Other products in the line include the 250- announced is 2018 award winners. They are: watt Little Marcus 250 head, the Little Marcus Kawai regional manager of the year, Bryan 800 head and the Little Marcus 1000 head. $ Markbass (markbass.it) Harvey; digital piano market performance award, Lacefield Music’s Cathy McReynolds and Dwayne Hilton; dealer of the year for From left, Naoki Mori, Kawai America president; Bryan Harvey, Kawai regional manager for the northeast U.S.; and Hirotaka Kawai, professional products, Sam Ash Music’s Kawai global president, appear on stage Thursday night at the Sheraton Park Hotel as Harvey is recognized as regional manager of the year.

Casio Inspires Weingart Casio hosted an album release party for pianist Steve Weingart Thursday night at the Anaheim Hilton. Weingart’s new album, “Oasis,” is a duo project on which he collabo- From left, Brad Smith, David Jewell, rated with his wife, vocalist Renee Jones. For Stacey Montgomery-Clark, Rick Allen, Sarah Hagan and Karl Dustman the concert, Weingart and Jones assembled an all-star band to collaborate with them: saxophonist Eric Marienthal, bassist Carlitos PMC Teams Del Puerto and drummer Dave Weckl. “We’re flattered and honored Steve fell with Allen in love with the Grand Hybrid,” said The Percussion Marketing Council Stephen Schmidt, vice president, EMI (PMC) held a Members Meeting Thursday From left, Eric Marienthal, Dave Weckl, Carlitos Del Puerto, Renee Jones and Casio endorsing Division of Casio. evening at the Hilton Anaheim. Among artist Steve Weingart enjoy the crowd’s applause after a concert at the Anaheim Hilton Thursday night. $ Casio (casio.com) several speakers were three of the organization’s advisory board members: DW’s Scott Dunnell, Hal Leonard’s Brad Smith and Yamaha’s David Jewell, along with Def Leppard’s drummer Rick Allen. D’Angelico Hosts Bob Weir Concert The PMC announced Allen as the 2018 D’Angelico hosted an intimate, invita- artist relations at D’Angelico. “Bob definite- International Drum Month celebrity drum- tion-only performance by Bob Weir ly has a restlessness about him that is always mer, spokesperson and host of the Roadie Thursday evening at the company’s booth. making him strive for whatever is better and for a Day contest. The Grateful Dead guitarist and vocal- whatever is next. He is a steward of innova- “It’s life changing for these kids or adults ist recently partnered with D’Angelico on tion, and for a company like ours that has a [who participate],” Jewell told UpBeat Daily. the Bob Weir Signature SS model electric rich history, we are always looking for new The PMC also highlighted its new web- guitar. ways to push forward.” site that has been rebranded with an empha- Earlier Thursday, Weir was honored by Kershaw said that D’Angelico is current- sis on social media. NAMM for his dedication to innovation. ly working with Weir on future designs, “This is a big addition for PMC,” said “It’s a tremendous honor for us to work including new iterations of the company’s Karl Dustman, co-executive director. “We with Bob as frequently as we do and for as recently introduced solid-body guitars and haven’t spent enough time, money or effort long as we have now — we’ve been working a special version of the Premiere Madison on [social media] before, and we have now with him very closely for about two years,” acoustic-electric. done that.” Bob Weir said Ryan Kershaw, director, creative and $ D’Angelico (dangelicoguitars.com) i PMC (playdrums.com)

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Dialog Audio Rolls Out SQ4 Plug-in Dialog Audio has announced its SQ4 Sequence Processor audio software plug-in. As implied by its name, the SQ4 Sequence Processor permits users to create sequenced modulation patterns — four sequences with up to 128 steps per sequence. As such, the basic setup for most host applications is similarly straightforward, with only two tracks usually required. On one track the user needs to add SQ4 Sequence Processor itself, then add the target device — either an external hardware or AIMM Celebrates 20th Anniversary software instrument — to the second track AIMM, the Alliance of Independent by retailers Bob Bankston, George Hines and working events all designed to address the with a virtual MIDI connection also need- Music Merchants, celebrated its 20th anni- Skip Maggiora. AIMM members include needs of the independent music merchant ing to be made from the SQ4 Sequence versary at NAMM on Wednesday at the many of the top independent retailers from and today’s music consumers. The AIMM Processor track to the target device track. Anaheim Hilton. This year’s AIMM Summit across the country as well as a number of group holds two Summit events a year and Thereafter, like its MP3244 Modulation drew record-breaking attendance with more premier vendor partners. The Summit at hosts a wide variety of special programs and Processor software sibling, SQ4 Sequence than 250 dealer and vendor members pres- NAMM included a number of guest speak- online events throughout the year. Processor provides different connection ent. The AIMM group was founded in 1998 ers, workshops, educational sessions and net- i AIMM (musicmerchants.com) capabilities, which includes: controlling hardware synthesizers with MIDI inputs via MIDI CC messages, RPN and non-RPN messages or MIDI SysEx messages. Whichever way a user chooses to work, SQ4 Sequence Processor boasts a selection Simmons Advanced App Offers of features at their fingertips, including variable synchronization options, which can be set from free running to hard sync. Powerful Sampling Capabilities Deeper still, each of those 128 sequence With the Simmons Advanced App drum set. Users can have access to a vir- to the SD2000 sound module. Now users steps can be tailored to create modulation SD2000 users now have editing control tually limitless array of sounds by adding can record any sound a microphone can signals. Steps can be combined to allow long and easy-yet-powerful sampling capabil- their own “real world” samples using their capture, anywhere they go, on their com- and smooth curves over multiple steps and ities for this expressive new mesh-head iPad or iPhone. puter or iOS device, and play it with their speedy, adjustable step sequences. $ The Simmons SD2000 Mesh-Head SD2000 kit. Dialog Audio (dialogaudio.com) Electronic Drum Kit features tension-able, The SD2000 sound module features a SimHex mesh pads, superior playability, on- built-in performance mixer that lets play- the-fly control, a palette of signature sounds ers control volume, EQ and pitch, as well as and a wealth of sound design features. to shape and apply filters on the fly. All of With the release of its Advanced App for these features can be edited with Advanced iPhone and iPad, Simmons has unlocked App. Record samples, normalize and trim the full potential of the SD2000, provid- to just the right length. Then send the editing faster, easier and more in-depth edited sample to a computer for additional ing of the sound module’s parameters. The shaping or simply upload one sound or an Advanced App also enables recording sam- entire set to the sound module. ples and uploading them to a computer and $ Simmons (simmonsdrums.net)

SJC Boasts Classic Style Bourns Adds SJC Custom Drums’ Heirloom kit com- Two Guitar bines classically custom looks with a warm, vintage tone. The kit is outfitted with six- Pot Design Kits ply hybrid shells made of mahogany, pop- Bourns has released two guitar potenti- lar and maple in the company’s Custard ometer design kits. Bourns developed these Yellow finish that subtly commands atten- to help simplify new and upgraded guitar tion. Handcrafted maple reinforcement designs. Each Bourns Model H-1202-1 and rings work with the company’s SJC vintage Model H-1202-2 design kit includes a col- round over edges to provide a full, punchy lection of guitar potentiometer (pot) part attack. The toms feature shallower depths, numbers letting guitar designers select the which slightly increase their responsiveness right potentiometer products from a vari- and give the kit a distinct appearance. ety of mini guitar pots, blend-balance pots, The kick hoops are finished in zebra- mini guitar pots with push-pull switch- wood and the kit boasts chrome hardware es and mini guitar pots with push-latching and Evans drumheads. switches. The kit was designed for the player seek- Both guitar pot design kits can be used ing the ideal embodiment of classic tone and in electric guitars and bass guitars, or any aesthetic with modern craftsmanship and other electric instrument where space is a attitude. constraint. $ SJC Drums (sjcdrums.com) $ Bourns (bourns.com)

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Briefs Audio Plus Services Rolls Out High-end Gear Three high-end audio companies intro- devices: the updated PASSEQ passive mas- designed for professional audio speakers and duced new products Thursday morning dur- tering equalizer, the DMC stereo mastering subwoofers. The models — which include ing a press conference hosted by importer/ console and the MC16 16-channel analog the ISO-130, ISO-155, ISO-200 and the ISO- distributor Audio Plus Services. mastering monitor controller. 200SUB — feature a contemporary design, a France-based Focal Professional added Canada-based IsoAcoustics launched the lower profile and isolators. the Shape Twin near-field monitor to its Shape ISO series of acoustic isolation stands, $ Audio Plus Services (audioplusservices.com) series of reference monitoring speakers, which now includes four models. Nicolas Debard, product marketing manager at Focus, also Stealth Sonics Launches In-ears said the company’s Spirit Professional head- Stealth Sonics has launched its first range of phone line has been replaced by the new precision-tuned universal and custom in-ear monitor Listen Professional over-ear closed-back systems. The debut series features three systems, the headphones for music production. In addi- U2 and C2, U4 and C4, and the U9 and C9. Each are tion, Focal introduced the Clear Professional available in both universal-fit options and custom- reference headphones, which feature a fully molded versions that take advantage of second-bend impressions to conform precisely to the inner ear open-back design. canal, for superior fidelity, minimal acoustic interfer- “This is our first headphone with a truly ence and perfect fit. open-back driver,” Debard said. “You have $ Stealth Sonics (stealthsonics.com) impressive details even in very low frequencies thanks to this design.” Germany-based SPL expanded its mas- Nicolas Debard, product marketing manager at Focus, introduces Ultimate Support Acquires tering series hardware line with three new the Shape Twin reference monitoring speaker at Thursday morning’s press conference. Radial Engineering Ultimate Support has acquired Radial Engineer- ing. Established in 1991, Radial Engineering was orginally developed as a range of cable products by Peter Janis, outgoing president and CEO.Throughout Create the years, the Radial brand family and distribution network has grown to include a diverse catalog of brands, including Tonebone, Reamp, Hafler, Dynaco, Beats On Iso-Max and Jensen Transformers. According to a statement, Ultimate Support and Radial Engineering the Go will enjoy shared strategic and logistical advantages under the leadership of Mike Belitz, CEO and president BandLab has launched Looper, a mobile of Ultimate Support. feature that lets users create beats on the “I have always been passionate about premium ac- go — with or without prior musical expe- cessories in the music industry,” Belitz said. “Instru- rience. The Looper is a sample-based beat ments come in and out of fashion, but musicians and and music making instrument, which is audio professionals will always need well-designed, part of BandLab’s cloud-based Digital high-quality solutions. Ownership of Ultimate Sup- Aguilar Adds Limited-edition Audio Workstation (DAW). port Systems and Radial Engineering will offer in- The Looper is immediately available for credible possibilities for the future.” i Dorian Gray Cabinet Color free within BandLab and launches with 12 Ultimate Support (ultimatesupport.com) professionally created sample packs, each Aguilar Amplification’s 2018 Limited over and a certificate of authenticity. The with 24 individual loops designed to mix Edition cabinet color is Dorian Gray. Only SL 112 cabinet features a neodymium driv- together easily — powered by BandLab’s RAT FX Enters Cable Market 250 units of these SL 112 cabinets and 100 er with a custom-designed crossover. At 49 proprietary pitch and time-shifting tech- RAT FX has forayed into the cable market with its ﬁrst each of the SL 410x and SL 212 cabinets will pounds, the SL 410x is almost half the weight nology. Whether you’re an MC looking to RAT Tail distortion cable. The RAT Tail be built using the color and finish. of a traditional 410 bass cabinet. The SL 212 create a beat, or a solo guitarist needing a distortion cable offers guitarists Each Dorian Gray cabinet features a cus- offers a balance of performance and weight. backing beat, Looper makes music creation a new way of achieving some $ Aguilar Amplification (aguilaramp.com) tom Limited Edition 2018 label on the cross- instant, intuitive and fun. of the effects of the Vintage RAT distortion pedals, as this For more advanced users, the Looper cable is built using the same works offline and offers adjustable quanti- clipping diodes that drive zation of each clip. Various trigger mechan- Vintage RAT pedals’ signature ics such as loop, one shot, gate and retrigger distortion tones. Guitarists can are available. shift seamlessly between settings The Looper also integrates with record- with the connector’s easily accessible dial, without missing a beat. ing in the existing 12-track Mix Editor. $ RapcoHorizon (rapcohorizon.com) Additional sample packs will continue to be released to join the library of over 2,000-plus audio, MIDI loops and virtual instruments available across the BandLab New Saxophones Growl platform. The Growling Sax is making its NAMM Show debut, $ BandLab (bandlab.com) exhibiting two professional series saxophones and one student series including soprano, alto, tenor and bari- The GAMA panel, from left, Squiggy DiGiacomo, Laura B. Whitmore, Mike Molenda and Menzie Pittman. tone saxophones. The Growling Sax offers a wide range of alto, tenor, baritone and soprano saxophones. The instruments feature a wide range of finishes, including GAMA Panel Talks Diversifying Market gold lacquer, gold-plated, black nickel, white matte The Guitar and Accessories Marketing “[Women] want to be spoken to in an nickel, antique satin dark and silver plated. During the Association (GAMA) assembled a panel of authentic way,” she said. “It’s not just about show, the company will give away an Avant-Garde student saxophone. To participate, stop by The Growling MI experts to discuss finding growth and suc- men and women. We are very white, and Sax booth on Sunday between 11:30–11:45 a.m. cess in today’s culture for its annual meeting, there’s a lot of other people out there who play.” $ Growling Sax (tgsax.com) held on Wednesday morning. Also noted was the importance of taking The panel, moderated by Richard Watson macro approaches to combating challenges. of Music Trades Magazine, consisted of Menzie “If you look down the same road that Pittman of Contemporary Music Center, you’re going, that’s taking you nowhere, do Laura B. Whitmore of Mad Sun Marketing, you stay on that road or do you pull over and Mike Molenda of Guitar Player magazine and reconsider [that] maybe you’re in the wrong Correction Squiggy DiGiacomo of the Music Experience. space with the wrong map,” asked Pittman. In the Thursday edition of UpBeat Daily, the wrong photo ran with the Vater Carl Allen signature drum- The discussion’s biggest takeaway was the “You need to change the way you’re looking at stick article. These are Mr. Allen’s new signature necessity of broadening the market. Doing so, not only the subject but how to promote the sticks. according to Whitmore, requires acknowl- idea of getting people involved in the subject.” edging and respecting diversity. i GAMA (discoverguitar.com)

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January 27, 2018 UBD 25 Yorkville Sound Expands elite Series with ES12P, EF10P Yorkville Sound has This combination will pro- added the ES12P and EF10P vide massive amounts of fideli- cabinets to its elite Series. ty in a portable package. Building off the launch The EF10P and EF12P can of the 2017 next-generation also pair with a free Bluetooth- elite subwoofers, Yorkville enabled app available on both delivers another powerful iOS and Android devices to elite sub in a compact foot- help users fine-tune the EQ and print. The ES12P is a 12-inch limiter settings. Martin Reimagines Standard subwoofer that dials up the These additions join the Martin Guitar has reimagined its formance neck that is thinner and more watts to produce a superior EF12P, EF15P, ES15P and Standard Series. The company stated that comfortable for the player as well as vintage amount of low-end output. ES18P, featuring significant this will be the most significant update to appointments, including aging toner and The EF10P is a 10-inch, upgrades and delivering maxi- its flagship line of guitars in its 185-year open gear tuners. Changes to internal fea- 600-watt powered loud- mum performance in a porta- history. tures include scalloped and forward-shifted speaker with a 1½-inch tita- ble profile. The most notable updates to the line top bracing, depending on the style. nium diaphragm. $ Yorkville Sound (yorkville.com) include the addition of a modern high-per- $ Martin Guitar (martinguitar.com)

Synergy Amps Offers Flexibility Synergy Amps has introduced the SYN-1 Single Module Tube Pre-amp. The SYN-1 has a road-worthy, professional housing that is compatible with any of Synergy’s interchangeable pre-amp modules. The SYN-1’s XLR output with cabinet simulation sends users’ 12AX7-driven tone directly to their recording interface, live mixing console, power amp input or powered monitor. $ Synergy Amps (synergyamps.com)

The Official Show Publication

DAILY

Vol. 65 No. 3 | The NAMM Show | Saturday, January 27, 2018

PRESIDENT Kevin Maher PUBLISHER Frank Alkyer EDITOR Kasia Fejklowicz ASSOCIATE EDITOR Alex Harrell CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Dave Cantor, Ed Enright, Katie Kailus Bobby Reed, Izzy Yellen ADVERTISING Ritche Deraney, Pete Fenech, Billy Heschl ART DIRECTORS Žaneta Cuntová, Markus Stuckey CIRCULATION Sue Mahal, K.R. Maher ACCOUNTING Evelyn Oakes

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 Sum- mer NAMM. Music Inc., the business magazine for progressive music product retailers, is published 11 times annually.

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Jasmine Supports Indie Retailers with 3 Models Jasmine has introduced three acoustic designed and competitively priced, every versions of some of its best-selling online customer who walks in the door is a poten- models that will be sold exclusively through tial Jasmine guitar buyer. We expect young independent retailers. The three affordably beginning players to immediately flock to priced models are designed to support inde- these new models.” pendent retailers in their ongoing quest to The Jasmine J35 and J34C are in-store Take a Trip with Kala U-Basses create the next wave of guitarists. versions of the Jasmine S35 and S34C. The Kala Brand Music Co. has released its mahogany. The Wanderer is stripped down “Aspiring musicians have no greater J35 is a full-size dreadnought model with a most affordable U-Basses yet: the Wanderer, to the bare essentials to give it a clean, no- friend than their local musical instrument spruce top and rosewood fingerboard, and Passenger and Journeyman. frills look. The Passenger features subtle store, and with the launch of these three the J34C is a cutaway orchestra-style model These three models are offered at a lower white binding and rosette adornments for new models, retailers will be able to begin also with a spruce top and rosewood finger- price point to reach more prospective play- an austere appearance. The Journeyman is lifelong relationships with the next genera- board. In addition, Jasmine has introduced ers. Kala developed the economical models the most stylized with white binding, deco- tion of players,” said Gil Soucy, Jasmine vice the in-demand SB-J037CE, a starburst col- as an option for music education. rative f-holes and a cutaway. president and general manager. “When you ored model of the current JO-37CE. All three U-Bass models are made from $ Kala Brand Music Co. (kalabrand.com) can truly compete with models that are well $ KMC Music (kmcmusic.com)

LM Gives Off Woodstock Vibes in Strap Series LM Products has unveiled its Woodstock series of guitar straps. The Woodstock series features artwork reminiscent of the bright- colored, mod-looking ’60s style of artwork. The guitar straps are made from 100 percent cotton webbing. Using LM’s direct-to- garment printing, these straps feature great color and detail. The Woodstock guitar straps are completed with all-suede leather end sets. $ LM Products (lm-products.myshopify.com)

Promark Adds to ActiveGrip To continue the success of Promark’s ActiveGrip series, and by popular demand, the heat-activated drumstick coating is now available on the company’s classic 7A, 5A and 5B models. The coating made its debut during the summer of 2015 on the Glenn Kotche Active Wave 570 . The technology behind the heat- activated coating makes the ActiveGrip stick tackier as the player’s hands heat up and sweat — offering an unprecedented smooth, natural feel instead of the typical rubbery texture many drummers find uncomfortable and abrasive. The light coating adds virtually no weight or diameter to the stick, and offers drummers exceptional grip without sacrificing feel. $ D’Addario (daddario.com)

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Sound Synergies Cleaner Reduces B&O Oil, Buildup Sound Synergies’ BRITETone is a quick fix for dry oil, corrosive moisture and micro- bial problems inside and outside band and orchestral instruments. BRITETone features several components selected for their anti-seizing and anticorro- Hagstrom Recreates 8-string sive properties, as well as their very low tox- icity. It eliminates problems with moisture Bass with H8-II Model and oil build-up by setting up a dry lubricant Hagstrom’s first rolled out its eight- maple neck supported with Hagstrom’s micro-barrier that prevents oxidation and string bass in 1967. Today, the guitar man- H-Expander truss-rod. corrosion. BRITETone also removes internal ufacturer has produced a faithful recreation The H8-II features a short 30¾-inch and external pitting and other damage from with its H8-II model. scale length with a dot-inlaid Resinator contact with saliva and body oils. The H8-II features a double-cutaway fingerboard. $ Sound Synergies (soundsynergies.net) mahogany body that is bolted to a Canadian $ Hagstrom Guitars (hagstromguitars.com)

Zildjian Gets Accessorized Zildjian has rolled out a slew of accessories, including six cymbal bags, two drumstick bags, a rolling cymbal case and a variety of pre-packaged accessories. These pre-packaged accessories include the Survival Kit, which contains an assortment of emergency items every drummer needs at home or at a gig. The line of cymbal bags includes the rugged 24-inch Premium Backpack Cymbal bag. $ Zildjian (zildjian.com)

Verity Audio Packs in Power with Amp Series Verity Audio has launched the Suitcase Amplifier Series, a cost-effective concept in modular professional audio amplification. The Suitcase Amplifier is a small, lightweight, powerful and fully functioned modular amplifier that users can grab and go. Up to three Suitcase Modules can be rackmount- ed in the optional 2U Wardrobe shell. The Suitcase 600 and the Suitcase 800 are fully independent, two-channel, fully featured Class-D switching amplifier modules. The input and parallel outputs are XLR and speaker outputs are NL-4. AC input is via IEC. $ Verity Audio (verityaudioamerica.com)

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Samson Adds MediaOne M50 Samson has launched MediaOne M50 Powered Studio Monitors, a full-range speaker solution for all desktop and multimedia applications. Each MediaOne M50 monitor features a 5¼-inch polypropylene woofer that provides tight lows, complemented Mackie Unveils Headphone Amps by a ¾-inch silk-dome tweeter housed in Mackie has unveiled its HM series of “From watching movies late at night a custom waveguide that adds smooth headphone ampliﬁers, which feature when others are asleep to offering a great highs with a wide sound stage. heavy-duty construction, premium ana- way to gather around the laptop to enjoy The result is a system with a balanced log circuitry and an array of connectivity videos and music, the HM-4 is really great frequency response and superior full- options. for experiencing content together,” said range audio. Additionally, a Bass Boost They are available in three models: the Ryan Cassady, Mackie product manager. switch lets users enhance the lows. compact HM-4 and the rackmount HM- The series will be available Feb. 1. $ Samson Technologies (samsontech.com) 400 and HM-800. $ Mackie (mackie.com/hm-series)

Bittree Reveals ProStudio 9625i Audio Patchbay Bittree’s ProStudio 9625i audio patch- while its full-frame jacks, gold cross-bar professional-quality patchbays at con- bay offers 96 TT (bantam) jacks in a high- switching contacts and internal digital sumer price points,” said Ari Baron, gen- density 2 by 48 conﬁguration, with DB25 AES wiring deliver solid connectivity, low- eral manager at Bittree. “The PS9625i rear interfaces for Avid ProTools and Tas- er noise and clean signal paths. is ideal for people who want to step up cam connectivity. The unit’s metal front “Our existing ProStudio models have from noisier and less robust patching panel and sturdy, fully enclosed, 7-inch been extremely successful, fulﬁlling the products.” deep chassis provide superior durability, market’s pent-up demand for reliable, $ Bittree (bittree.com)

QSC Turns 50 QSC is celebrating its 50th anniversa- Superlux Uses ry this year. The company, which started out as Quilter Sound Things, began in a New Material small industrial building in Costa Mesa, California. for Earpads “Our story is one of constant innova- Superlux has released four head- tion and forward transformation, always phone models: the HD671 closed-back with the passion to serve our customers’ headphone, HD672 semi-open head- needs,” said Barry Andrews, QSC found- DiGiCo’s DMI-MIC Pre-Amp Card phone, HDB671 Bluetooth headphone er. “When we decided to enter the loud- and HD675 open type high-definition speaker category, for example, we lis- Offers Additional Connectivity headphone. tened carefully to our customer feedback DiGiCo has introduced the DMI-MIC the biggest live sound tours and events, The HD671 series headphones are to develop the K Series — establishing an Pre-Amp Card for its S-series digital mix- and the launch of the compact S-series equipped with new composite-material entirely new standard in powered loud- ing consoles. makes this pedigree of audio perfor- earpads. The HD671 features a precise speakers. Our passion to serve our cus- The S-series has already benefit- mance available to every part of the in- frequency response, precise treble and tomers is the mission in every aspect of ted from an increase from 40 to 48 flexi dustry, with Stealth Digital Processing punchy bass. The HD672 provides a full- our business.” channels as part of a recent update, and introducing a new standard of audio qual- range frequency response as well as a More than a golden anniversary, QSC the DMI-MIC Pre-Amp Card adds an extra ity, power and flexibility. powerful bass. The HD675 high-definition celebrates its “50 Years and Forward,” eight mic inputs, connected via a 25-way With plug-in DMI cards, the S-series headphone is equipped with a newly de- committed to continuing to offer inno- D-sub, using the same pre-amps already can operate in a wide variety of environ- veloped double-layer macromolecule di- vations in its company and technologies, found in the console. This allows for up ments by adding extra I/O or connectivity aphragm driver that provides minimum new opportunities for people and solu- to 40 mic inputs directly on the console options, including MADI, Dante or Waves harmonic distortion and intermodulation tions for customers across the globe. surface. SoundGrid. distortion. i QSC (qsc.com) DiGiCo consoles are used on many of $ DiGiCo (digico.biz) $ Avlex (avlex.com)

32 UBD January 27, 2018 January 27, 2018 UBD 33 Hal Leonard Publishes ‘Coco,’ ‘Olaf’ Songbooks Hal Leonard has announced the release of two songbooks featuring the music of the latest Disney/Pixar box office blockbuster, “Coco,” and the short film accompany- ing the full-length picture, “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure.” Ibanez Introduces More In addition to the original tunes from the films, songbooks for both “Coco” and Soundgear Bass Models “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure” feature eight Ibanez has adeed the SR870, SR875 and while the mahogany body delivers a warm pages of high-resolution pictures of charac- SR876 to its Soundgear (SR) line of bass and fat low end. ters from the film, encapsulating the beauty guitars. The three models have an adjustable and wonder of each movie’s world. All three basses feature a flamed maple bridge that was developed in an effort to $ Hal Leonard (halleonard.com) top and mahogany body as well as the new meet the needs of players who enjoy using Accu-cast B500, B505 and B506 bridges. different string spacings. The maple top produces a clear tonal attack, $ Ibanez (ibanez.com)

Alfred Expands Group Piano for Adults Series Alfred Music has released “Alfred’s Group Piano for Adults: Popular Music, Book 2,” which includes solo repertoire Yamaha Adds Mariachi and lead sheets from movies, TV, radio and Yamaha has introduced the YTR- tinctive sound and visual impact character- stage. The book is a follow-up to “Alfred’s 5330MRC mariachi trumpet, a recent addi- istic of the genre. Group Piano for Adults, Popular Music, tion that offers a unique combination of The YTR-5330MRC features a reversed Book 1.” features not found on any other Yamaha main tuning slide without bracing or a water Selected and edited by E. L. Lancaster trumpet. key to provide an open feel and to allow for a and Kenon D. Renfrow, “Alfred’s Group Because the mariachi style is different in large volume of air flow. Piano for Adults: Popular Music, Book 2” character and execution from classical or A double-plated bell and valve casing includes popular pieces to perform and lead jazz styles, Yamaha sought input from mari- create a crisp and characteristic sound. sheets to harmonize. achi musicians in Mexico to achieve the dis- $ Yamaha (usa.yamaha.com) $ Alfred Music (alfred.com)

34 UBD January 27, 2018

MXL Hits the Conference Room MXL Microphones’ MXL AC-360-Z is a load any drivers. low-profile, sturdy conferencing micro- When used with Zoom, each quadrant phone that captures clear audio in a full 360 of the AC-360-Z is independently address- degrees within a 25-foot radius. The micro- able for custom arrangements within an phone uses a single USB 2.0 cable for both installation. power and signal. $ MXL Microphones (mxlmics.com) The design of the AC-360-Z builds upon the MXL AC-404 three-capsule boundary microphone. The AC-360-Z expands on the AC-404’s 180-degree sound arc, with a full 360-degree pickup, so that if placed at the center of a conference table, everyone speak- ing around it will be clearly audible. The AC-360-Z is compatible with any Mac or PC device through simple plug-and- play connectivity without needing to down-

Mojotone’s Pickguard Mixes Vintage Tone, Modern Demands Mojotone’s Pre-Wired HSS Quiet Coil As with all of the Mojotone Pre-Wired Pickguard assembly was designed for Strat- Pickguards, the HSS QC is completely sol- style players who require tonal versatility derless for easy install. out of their guitar without any hum. $ Mojotone (mojotone.com) Incorporating its ’58 Quiet Coil set with a custom vintage output ’58 Clone Humbucker, Mojotone gives players access to noise-free vintage Strat-style tone with single coil clarity in the neck and middle positions and creamy P.A.F. tones in the bridge that cut through the mix with strong articulation. Mojotone also includes its blender wiring that features an auto-tapped second position and a treble bleed cap in its Prewired HSS QC Pickguard assembly.

ADJ Goes Outside ADJ has expanded its AV Series of modular LED video panels with the introduction of the AV4IP. Offering an IP-rated enclosure design, this high-resolution panel is ideal for both indoor and outdoor use. The AV4IP inherits the simple setup and affordability of the other panels in the range, but with the added advantage of a weather- proof IP-rated casing. The front of the screen is designed to comply with the IP65 standard, while the back of the unit is IP54 compliant. This means that the surface of the screen is fully protected against rain, snow and dust, while the back panel is protected against splashing water but isn’t completely dust-tight. $ ADJ (adj.com)

A-T Digital SmartMixer Ensures Even Audio Output Audio-Technica’s ATDM-0604 Digital Audio-Technica’s SmartMixer technolo- SmartMixer features superior echo-cancel- gy lets channels be mixed automatically in ing and flexible web-remote functionality. gate or gain sharing mode, ensuring consis- The ATDM-0604 is a six-channel auto- tent audio output from all inputs in a setup, matic mixer ideal for meetings, conferences, without the introduction of feedback, exces- soft codec applications, courtroom proceed- sive ambient noise or comb filtering. ings and other applications. $ Audio-Technica (audio-technica.com)

36 UBD January 27, 2018 January 27, 2018 UBD 37 La Bella Brings The Bender Back Alvarez Guitars La Bella has reintroduced The Bender children and figuring out how we could strings. Given the trend toward captur- bring back to life such a relevant product was Releases 2018 ing vintage tone, La Bella is bringing back a definitely the highlight of the entire process. string played throughout the We’re very excited to invite Artist Series most influential decades of guitar players to come dis- Alvarez Guitars has introduced its 2018 rock music. cover ‘The Original Vintage’ Artist Series, with many models now La Bella manufactured with The Bender strings.” designed with walnut backs and sides. The Bender in the 1960s The Bender strings are Most of the Artist Series models were and ’70s, and resurrected the available in nine gauges previously made from rosewood but exact formula of nickel used including B828 Ultra Bender, will now be made with walnut. Features in the original strings. B942 Super Bender, B946 include a very slim bevel armrest and dark “La Bella has a rich histo- Lite Bender, B1046 Bender, Shadowburst finish. ry in the commercialization B1150 Blues Bender, BJ1252 Other features include the Alvarez FST2 of many different types of Jazz Bender, B1152 Medium bracing system, real bone nut and saddle, guitar strings,” said Richard Bender, B1252 Heavy Bender, and the Alvarez bi-level bridge. Cocco, Jr., president of E. & O. Mari and La B1052 Lite Top/Heavy Bottom Bender. All Artist Series cutaway and electric models Bella. “Researching my grandfather’s con- La Bella Strings are made in the U.S.A. feature LR Baggs systems. struction manuals from the 1960s with my $ La Bella (labella.com) $ St. Louis Music (stlouismusic.com)

Reverend Unveils More Colors The latest guitar in the Reverend Reeves Gabrels series was inspired by a Schwinn Stingray bicycle and a Honda motorcy- cle. The Reverend Reeves Gabrels Signature Dirtbike in Schwinn Blue turned heads at Summer NAMM next to the matching Schwinn Stingray. In addition to Metallic Blue, Reverend also offers the guitar in Metallic Emerald and Metallic Violet similar to the vintage bicycles. The Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike is a single-pickup guitar on the Sensei platform with a six-in-line headstock and a Wilkinson tremolo. Gabrels has been the guitarist for The Cure since 2012. $ Reverend Guitars (reverendguitars.com) Harmony Returns Harmony is returning to the market and launching a range of guitars, amps and accessories. An iconic brand in American music history, a Harmony guitar has been the first instrument for many musicians. From ama- teurs to professionals, Harmony has a long track record of connecting people around music and helping them tell their stories. Harmony’s return to the market is under the BandLab Technologies banner as part of the group’s portfolio of music-focused brands. $ Harmony (harmony.co)

38 UBD January 27, 2018 January 27, 2018 UBD 39 Hercules Stands Get Stronger Hercules guitar stands has announced Plus will begin shipping to dealers in March. the next generation of its Auto Grab System $ Hercules Stands (herculesstands.com) (AGS) stands and hangers. The GS414B Plus and the GSP38WB Plus feature a wider mounting area to better accommodate extended range instruments, an upgraded height adjustment clutch and upgraded rubber feet for increased stability. Included with this stand and hanger is the Hercules accessory Narrow Instrument Neck Adjustment, which is designed to Recording King Launches increase the thickness of the AGS yoke so it can accommodate instruments such as uku- Century33 #2 Guitar lele, mandolin and banjo. The Hercules GS414B Plus and GSP38WB Recording King has unveiled its oid fretboard and pickguard. Century33 Limited Edition #2 guitar. The solid spruce top is supported by In a nod to specific historical instru- Cross Lap Bracing for better projection. ments of 1933, the Century33 #2 has a pearl- $ Recording King (recordingking.com) UAD Offers Plug-ins Universal Audio has released the UAD Landau, Steve Lukather and Dann Huff. Software v9.4. The Dytronics Tri-Stereo Chorus plug- Alongside the UA-developed Empirical in gives players all the expansive depth of Labs EL8 Distressor plug-in, this latest the original’s three independent bucket-bri- software release also offers plug-in titles gade delay lines, along with new “plug-in- from UA’s direct developer partners. The only” features. Schilke Introduces Soloiste Dytronics Tri-Stereo Chorus, Gallien- Developed by Brainworx and available Krueger 800RB Bass Amp and Ocean Way exclusively for UAD hardware and Apollo Series of B-ﬂat, C Trumpets Microphone Collection are all included. interfaces, the Gallien-Krueger 800RB Bass Schilke has unveiled its Soloiste series of with Schilke artists Marc Geujon of the Developed by Softube and available Amp is an exacting emulation of the leg- B-flat and C trumpets. The Soloiste series Paris Opera and Jack Sutte of the Cleveland exclusively for UAD hardware and Apollo endary solid-state bass amp. The Gallien- incorporates a newly designed valve section, Orchestra. interfaces, the Dytronics Tri-Stereo Chorus Krueger 800RB plug-in emulates the orig- bell construction and shape, as well as revi- The Soloiste series is a culmination of plug-in is an exacting emulation of the rare, inal hardware’s bi-amplified architecture, sions to the leadpipe and mouthpiece receiv- more than a year-and-a-half of design and three-channel “dream machine” favored providing two different power amps. er design. prototype work. by ’80s L.A. session icons such as Michael $ Universal Audio (uaudio.com) The series was developed in partnership $ Schilke (schilkemusic.com)

40 UBD January 27, 2018

Pearl Introduces Update 1.0.7 for Mimic Pro Drum Module Pearl Drums and Steven Slate have button for easy navigation, along with a improved Mimic Pro, an advanced percus- master out EQ. sion sound source, with the release of the $ Pearl Drums (pearldrum.com) free 1.0.7 software update. At the heart of this update is a completely redesigned hi-hat engine. Trigger settings have been updated for additional third-party pads, and the hi-hat calibration has been streamlined for a quick and accurate setup. Sabian The mixer has a new dedicated reverb Expands Crash Cymbal Line Yamaha Brings Sabian has added the O-Zone effects crash cymbals to its affordable B8X and XSR Bigger Bass series. They are available in both series as Yamaha’s DXS12mkII and DXS15mkII 16-inch and 18-inch models. While both the portable powered subwoofers provide clean, AAX and HHX O-Zones use a single ring punchy, loud low end to musical groups and of O-Zone holes, the B8X and XSR models venues requiring quality bass output. are designed with a double-ring of response- Following in the footsteps of Yamaha’s enhancing holes. DXS 18 subwoofer, the DXS12mkII and The XSR O-Zones start their life as Fast DXS15mkII are more formidable than their Crashes, then undergo a double-ring predecessors. O-Zone design for a darker, quicker These models combine a Class-D ampli- response with more white noise and more fier putting out 1,020 watts of peak power pure attack. This response-enhancing with a bandpass cabinet design. This config- ESP Unveils LTD Black Metal Series design allows these crashes to respond with uration helps the subwoofers achieve sound Three guitars have made their debut ESP’s single-cutaway Eclipse shape. It offers bright explosion and “dirty” agitation, cre- pressure levels (SPL) from compact enclo- under ESP Guitars’ LTD Black Metal Series. set-through construction for smooth access ating an aggressive sound. sures; the DXS12mkII and DXS15mkII are The LTD EC Black Metal, LTD M Black to the highest frets at 24¾-inch scale. Also incorporating the double-ring capable of a maximum SPL of 134 dB and Metal and LTD Viper-7 Black Metal all fea- All three LTD Black Metal Series guitars O-Zone-hole design, B8X O-Zone Crashes 135 dB, respectively. ture design similarities including a single offer Macassar ebony fingerboards with no respond rapidly with bright explosion and The DXS12mkII essentially offers the premium-quality pickup and a menacing inlays, and include glow-in-the-dark side “dirty” agitation, but with a more focused performance of a 15-inch powered subwoof- all-black aesthetic that includes Black Satin markers. B8 Bronze attack. er, while the DXS15mkII provides that of an finish, black hardware and a newly designed Other design details include black bind- The O-Zone holes serve to lighten the 18-inch unit. black metal LTD logo on the headstock. ing on the neck and fingerboard. cymbals’ weight. $ Yamaha (usa.yamaha.com) The LTD EC Black Metal is based on $ ESP Guitars (espguitars.com) $ Sabian (sabian.com)

42 UBD January 27, 2018

ISP Visits Sweetwater ISP Technologies and Michael Sweet lead singer of the Christian metal band Stryper, traveled to Sweetwater to participate in a sales meeting and a special work- shop and clinic. ISP CEO Buck Waller provided a presen- Korg Adds D1 Digital Piano tation to the Sweetwater sales staff on the Featuring a slimmer, compact body, the and a wide array of string sounds, covering Theta Pro DSP, the Michael Sweet Signature D1 is Korg’s latest addition to its grow- a variety of genres. Theta Pro DSP, the Stealth Pro Power Amp ing digital piano line. Despite the D1’s fully “The D1 is another great expansion to and the Stealth Ultra Lite Power Amp. fledged weighted keybed, it can be easily the Korg piano line, offering the utmost Waller ran through a hands-on demo transported between gigs, studio sessions pristine and authentic sounds for aspir- and fielded questions. and practices. ing pianists,” said James Sajeva, Korg USA’s i ISP Technologies, Sweetwater Like its predecessors, the D1 features the director of technology brands. “Musicians (isptechnologies.com; sweetwater.com) Real Weighted Hammer Action (RH3) looking for a piano equipped with quali- keybed. It contains a total of 30 expressive ty and versatility will be incredibly pleased sounds, which not only include classic piano with the new D1.” sounds, but also electric piano, organ, clavi $ Korg (korg.com) Pearl’s Aluminum Shell Snare Warwick Expands Gives Drummers Flexibility Pearl has unveiled its aluminum shell less steel T-rods; die cast rims; a Remo RockBoard Flat Symphonic series snare drums. Renaissance Diplomat batter head; and a Musicians can now get the flexibility and lifetime warranty. Cable Family combinations of color and timbre from the $ Pearl Drums (pearldrum.com) RockBoard by Warwick has expanded SR300 Triple Strainer combined with the the RockBoard Flat Patch Cables line to power and cutting tone of an aluminum include Gold and Sapphire Flat Patch Cables. shell. They offer the controlled, open tone To further the line, Flat TRS Cables, Flat of the Symphonic Series with the pitch and Midi Cables and Flat Power Cables have also cutting projection of an aluminum shell. been added. The cables’ slim and elegant Features include the SR-300 multi-tim- design helps save space and optimize pedal- bre three-lever, adjustable tension strain- board real estate. er; coated cable, wound cable and curly $ Framus & Warwick (warwick.de) wire snare assemblies; tube lugs with stain-

44 UBD January 27, 2018

Guild Announces Return of ‘Troubadour’ Acoustic Guitars In the 1960s folk-era, Guild built con- strumming. cert-sized spruce/mahogany guitars, The combination of a soft satin antique dubbed “Troubadours” for their travel- burst finish with a soundhole pickup give friendly size and weight and popularity the M-240E Troubadour an overall retro among singer-songwriters. vibe. These qualities are still sought after $ Guild Guitars (guildguitars.com) today by a new generation of musicians, and Tilt ’N Plug Guild is pleased to once again offer these features with the addition of the M-240E Troubadour and the U.S.-made M-40 with Altinex Waves Unveils Troubadour. Altinex has debuted the TNP327 and Guild’s M-240E Troubadour features a TNP327C Tilt ’N Plug Tabletop Interconnect Drum Plug-in solid mahogany top and Guild’s signature Boxes — the latest additions to the com- Waves has unveiled the Torque Drum arched mahogany back. pany’s line of Tilt ’N Plug interconnect Tone Shifter plug-in. Waves Torque can The M-40 features all-solid woods and offerings. enhance and re-pitch the tone of snares, provides a delicate, well-rounded tone that Available in standard and custom con- toms, kicks or an entire kit. is ideal for fingerstyle playing and light figurations, the TNP327 and TNP327C The Waves Torque plug-in is a precision Interconnect Boxes offer convenient, one- drum tone shifter that will help users sal- touch access to a variety of video, audio, vage mistuned drums, pitch them to a spe- computer, network and power connections. cific key and adjust their tone — without In its stock configuration, the Altinex retriggering or replacing, without the sonic Roland App Captures Video TNP327 offers dual 12 amp grounded AC artifacts introduced by traditional pitch Roland has introduced 4XCamera, a And by sharing 4XCamera video proj- sockets, along with two RJ45 network con- shifters and without losing body, timbre, video capture app for iOS devices. ects through cloud-based storage, multiple nectors, two USB connectors and two resonance or attack. The app makes it easy for musicians to musicians can use the app to contribute per- HDMI pass-through cables. Driven by Waves’ Organic ReSynthesis create music videos with up to four perfor- formances from anywhere in the world. The passive cables are 6 feet in length technology, Torque detects and analyzes mances split on the screen. Sound can be recorded via the device’s and are bundled together for organized the drums’ formant, amplitude and carri- Aspect ratios of 1:1 and 16:9 are support- built-in mic or through a connected device. cable management. er information, reassembles it and lets users ed, and 10 split-screen patterns are available $ Roland (roland.com) “With the quick, easy access these units manipulate the tonal and pitch character- for each. The app is a free download and lets afford — combined with their elegant istics — all while preserving the natural users capture up to two performances. Full design — the TNP327 and TNP327C cre- attack, resonance and duration of the orig- functionality is available via an in-app pur- ate a high-tech visual aesthetic that com- inal sound. chase of $3.99. pliments the décor of any boardroom or With intuitive controls and zero latency, With 4XCamera and an iPhone or iPad, presentation space,” said Jack Gershfeld, Torque is perfect for the studio as well as for it’s quick and simple for one person to cre- president of Altinex. live shows. ate split-screen performance videos of orig- MSRP: TNP327, $425; TNP327C, $475. $ Waves Audio (waves.com) inal music, cover songs or karaoke tracks. $ Altinex (altinex.com)

46 UBD January 27, 2018

Toca Updates Lightweight Djembes Toca’s Lightweight Djembes feature a vious models and have more colors with patented hybrid design that combines ele- a blue-, red-, yellow- and green-striped ments of a doumbek with those of a djembe. motif along with a consistent black pattern The sculpted shell is made of an ultra- throughout. light synthetic material that reduces the $ Toca Percussion (tocapercussion.com) Bittree’s ProStudio 1625QX weight of the drum without sacrificing tone, resonance or durability. A rubber edge pro- Provides Convenient Connectivity tects the bottom of the shell. Available in Bittree has release its ProStudio 1625QX ital audio workstation or more complicated 9-, 10- and 12-inch sizes, each Lightweight audio pass-through panel. The 1-by- setups like multi-microphone drum record- Djembe is topped with a permanently 16 PS1625QX pass-through panel is the ing sessions. attached pre-stretched synthetic head. first “problem solver” device in Bittree’s The PS1625QX is available with a choice Toca has introduced an improved lami- ProStudio family, providing users with easy of high-quality connection types: 16 male nated synthetic head that is thicker, tough- front-of-rack access to the I/O connections XLR connectors; 16 female XLR connectors; er and more durable. The head also holds they need. eight male and eight female XLR connec- the pitch better and virtually eliminates the Suitable for both permanent and mobile tors; or 16 female ¼-inch TRS jacks. possibility of breakage under normal usage. studio environments, the device simplifies The PS1625QX can also be ordered The Lightweight Djembes’ Jamaican- I/O access for applications as straightfor- directly from Bittree or through resellers. inspired Rasta drums are brighter than pre- ward as connecting a microphone to a dig- $ Bittree (bittree.com)

CEntrance Simpliﬁes Mobile Recording CEntrance’s MixerFace R4 mobile recording interface has approximate- ly the footprint of a smartphone. The four- input recording interface is designed to make mobile recording quick and easy, while delivering professional results. With its built-in, rechargeable battery, the MixerFace R4 is designed for songwriters to instantly capture a performance or a musical idea anywhere, yet it also functions perfectly for field recording, concert taping or audio-for-video capture. MixerFace R4 can easily mount to a tri- pod, making it a valuable audio component of a DSLR video recording rig. $ CEntrance (centrance.com)

Odery Adds Color to Fluence Kits Odery Drums has added two colors to its Fluence Fusion line. Now available in Blue Burst and Magma Vintage, these kits feature the same ash shells with a 7.2-millimeter thickness ash/ maple/bass wood used in the rest of the line. They come complete with a kick drum, a snare, two rack toms and two floor toms. A hardware includes a hi-hat stand, snare stand, straight cymbal stand, boom cymbal stand and a single bass pedal. $ RBI Music (rbimusic.com)

48 UBD January 27, 2018 January 27, 2018 UBD 49 Promark Engineers Mallet from Ground Up Drawing inspiration from piecemeal mallet production. D’Addario’s string manufac- Instead, Promark used new turing techniques, Promark’s technology to engineer from winding process increases the the ground up. life of wrap material , so percus- From hardness to weight to sionists can focus more on play- shape, Promark ensures each Ibanez Adds Solid-body AX120 Electric ing and worry less about mallets core is consistent, so the sound, Ibanez has introduced the AX120 elec- ter body, which is thinner than the previous wearing out. feel and playability are as well. tric guitar. version. This lightweight body delivers pow- Molding cores in-house And since Promark is using Ibanez refined the AX design to include erful live performance capabilities on stage. with its proprietary method aerospace-grade epoxy and updated features while also providing a clas- Electronics were also upgraded from one means that the company con- threaded inserts to quadru- sic appearance. The AX120 sports an AR volume and one tone control to two vol- trols the entire process. ple the durability, these mal- style headstock, white block inlay, new pick ume and two tone controls for added tonal That also means no more lets have never-before-seen guard design and a re-worked body shape. flexibility. old-school practices like nailing strength. Also, the AX series adopts a 40-millime- $ Ibanez (ibanez.com) shafts to cores, or off-the-shelf, $ D’Addario (daddario.com)

Roland, Boss Offer More Accessories Roland and Boss have expanded their lineup of music accessories — spanning nearly every musical instrument category. New products include performance X-style keyboard stands and amplifier covers. Additionally, there are T-shirt styles featuring Boss pedals and the Jupiter-8 synthesizer. $ Roland (roland.com)

Fender’s on Fire with Hot Rod Amp Fender’s Hot Rod Deluxe IV features modified pre-amp circuitry, smoother-sounding spring reverb and updated aesthetics. A supercharged amp decked out with player-requested features, this 40-watt, 1- by 12-inch combo is suitable for guitarists who need hot-rodded power with performance to spare. The Hot Rod Deluxe IV includes a 12-inch Celestion A-Type speaker for well- balanced output with smooth highs, laid- back midrange and full, round lows. $ Fender (fender.com)

50 UBD January 27, 2018 January 27, 2018 UBD 51 52 UBD January 27, 2018 January 27, 2018 UBD 53 Antelope Bundles Discrete Antelope Audio is shipping its rack- eight console-grade six-transistor Discrete mount Discrete 8 Thunderbolt and USB microphone pre-amps; 121 dB dynamic Interface with eight Discrete mic pre-amps range conversion; and rock-solid, fourth- and desktop Discrete 4 Thunderbolt and generation 64-bit AFC technology, together USB Interface with four Discrete mic pre- with Antelope Audio’s real-time FPGA FX. amps alongside its Edge and Verge mod- Discrete 4 was designed to work with eling microphones as bundles with four any microphone yet shines when work- microphone emulations. ing with Antelope Audio’s Edge and Verge Antelope Audio’s rack-mount Discrete 8 modeling microphones. Thunderbolt and USB Interface comes with $ Antelope Audio (antelopeaudio.com)

Guild Brings Back the F-40 Guild has reintroduced the F-40, a jumbo acoustic that was a staple in many singer-songwriters’ careers throughout the ’60s and ’70s. The F-40 gets its clarity, balance and volume from a solid Sitka spruce top and solid African mahogany back and sides. The jumbo frame makes it suitable for players searching for outstanding projection and enhanced bass response. Finishing touches such as an East Indian rosewood bridge and fingerboard, premium 20:1 open-gear tuners and a hand-cut bone nut and saddle all add to the F-40’s classic vibe. $ Guild Guitars (guildguitars.com)

L-Acoustics Grows Ofﬁce, Team L-Acoustics has opened an office in Macdonald, who previously spent 12 Midtown Manhattan and added Sandy years managing sales in the Northeast for Macdonald to its sales team. Meyer Sound, will reinforce the L-Acoustics The office space, first opened in October East Coast team. 2017, offers the capacity for training sessions i L-Acoustics (l-acoustics.com) as well as meetings and will be home to the L-Acoustics East Coast support team. The first training — L-Acoustics System Fundamentals — was held in the new space on Oct. 30. Located within walking distance to Penn Station and several high-profile venues with L-Acoustics installations, the new East Coast headquarters will be easy to L-Acoustics’ East Coast team, from left, access. Scott Pizzo, Jesse Stevens and Sandy Macdonald.

KHS America Adds Promark Sticks, Mallets to All Access Program KHS America has expanded its All well as house-name distributed brands. Access program to include Promark sticks “We’re thrilled to be able to distribute and mallets. Promark sticks and mallets,” said Rob KHS America’s All Access program was Welch, product manager for accessories at designed to provide dealers with a simple KHS America. “The addition of Promark and effective way to obtain its fastest-turn- will give KHS America the opportunity to ing products with the best prices and terms. better serve our dealers by including this All Access has historically included KHS brand in our discount and shipping pro- proprietary brands, including Hercules, grams to our dealers.” Nomad, Mapex and Majestic Accessories as i KHS America (khs-america.com)

54 UBD January 27, 2018 January 27, 2018 UBD 55 Bose ShowMatch Used by Rental Companies Worldwide Within the past few months, numerous ed ShowMatch. sound and A/V rental company own- “I’ve heard many different systems over ers around the world the years, and I was Sonique Live provided a Bose ShowMatch system for have chosen the British rockers Marillion in concert at Teatro Degli very impressed by the Bose Professional Arcimboldi in Milan, Italy. coverage and clarity of ShowMatch compact the Bose ShowMatch line array system with system,” said Steve DeltaQ variable-cov- McAllister, owner and erage technology as a partner. “It’s small go-to solution for their and compact, and it’s rental inventories. just as capable of han- In the states, Total dling a symphony as Production Group of it is for EDM shows – Cerritos, California, is an example of a full- simply by reconfiguring the boxes.” VocoPro Launches service A/V rental company that has adopt- $ Bose (pro.bose.com) Mobile Karaoke Alfred Saves PA System For karaoke enthusiasts, VocoPro has Drummers introduced the LightShow, a 100-watt, bat- Alfred Music has announced the release tery-powered karaoke P.A. system with LED of “The Drummer’s Lifeline: Quick Fixes, moonflower lights on top of the unit. Hacks, and Tips of the Trade.” The LightShow is equipped with a Written by authors Peter Erskine and Bluetooth receiver, digital FM radio, MP3 Dave Black, “The Drummer’s Lifeline” player (via SD card slot) and line input to offers practical yet off-beat solutions to accommodate multiple input sources. just about any drumming situation some- The LightShow offers a sound-activated one will encounter, whether you’re a work- LED moonflower function, two wired Elrick Bass Goes Down Under ing pro, a student or a weekend warrior who microphones and VocoPro’s echo vocal Elrick Bass Guitars has partnered with away,” said George Ganakas, owner of Bass simply plays the drums for the fun of it. effects. Bass Gear Direct to make its products more Gear Direct. “Mate, these basses feel fantas- “The Drummer’s Lifeline” includes more With VocoPro’s LightShow, users can accessible and to provide better service to tic — the neck profile, the set up makes the than 80 practice, performance, recording, access thousands of karaoke songs on Australian musicians. playability on these effortless and so easy gear and industry tips, tricks to achieve the YouTube using any smartphone or tablet, Bass Gear Direct will offer the compa- to play straight out of the box. Tone sounds desired sounds while playing the drums, or they can sing along with the latest hits on ny’s complete line — including the Master, full on all of them without even touching care and maintenance solutions, music busi- the radio. Platinum, Gold and Expat Series basses. the controls.” ness advice, warm-up exercises and more. $ VocoPro (vocopro.com) “The Elricks arrive today and I am blown $ Elrick Bass Guitars (elrick.com) $ Alfred Music (alfred.com)

56 UBD January 27, 2018 Schecter Initiates Apocalypse with Aggressive Bass Series Schecter Guitar Research’s Apocalypse mounting. This guitar comes in Bass Series features an aggressive style, an apocalyptic Rusty Grey finish. powered by Schecter U.S. Custom Shop $ Schecter Guitar Research Apocalypse bass humbucker pickups. (schecterguitars.com) These high-transparency passive pickups deliver massive slabs of warm, defined low- Spector Packs a Punch end tone with a strong upper-midrange pres- Spector’s Bantam 4 is a short-scale pow- EQ circuit, allowing for maximum versa- ence and the punch of a meteor impact. erhouse bass that packs serious punch. tility when paired with the player’s favorite Other features of the Apocalypse Bass Created with a 30-inch scale length and pedal or amp. Series include 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel the NS body Spector basses are known for, Equipped with a fully carved and cham- frets, mother-of-pearl triangle inlays at the the new Bantam contours to the player’s bered alder body and a quilted maple top, 12th and 24th frets, glow-in-the-dark side body, making it comfortable and easy to the Bantam 4 will be available in two classic dots, Grover 144 tuners and a GraphTech play. colors, Black Stain Gloss and Black Cherry Black Tusq XL nut. The Bantam is loaded with two EMG Gloss. The Schecter Custom Bridge allows for 35DC pickups as well as an EMG BTS active $ Spector Bass (spectorbass.com) either top-mounting or through-body string

Vintage Adds 2 Colors The Vintage V6M24 electric easily transitions from the practice room to the stages and now comes in Gloss Black and purple. With an American alder body matched to a bolt-on maple neck and fingerboard, the guitar’s 24 medium jumbo fretboard let the player comfort- ably access high notes thanks to its contoured low-profile neck joint. Like all Vintage electrics, it comes as standard with Trev Wilkinson designed hardware and pickups. The VS50IIK Vibrato system can take some serious abuse and yet still return to pitch time after time, thanks to the added inclu- sion of Wilkinson WJ07LH E-Z-Lok machine heads. Meanwhile, the Wilkinson WHHB double-coil pickups provide tight bottom end and crisp highs. $ John Hornby Skewes & Co. (jhs.co.uk)

Oscar Schmidt Ukes Fuse Sound Quality, Fresh Look Oscar Schmidt Guitars has released two uke models that feature tattoo and trans- color designs. The Oscar Schmidt Tattoo ukulele mar- ries sound quality with Hawaiian-style tattoo designs. The Tattoo ukulele is available in both concert and tenor sizes. The Oscar Schmidt Trans-Color ukes feature a blue or red translucent front body. The red translucent and blue translucent ukuleles are available in both concert and tenor sizes. In line with today’s trend of translucent-colored ukuleles, Oscar Schmidt’s offerings are affordable to attract players of all skill levels. $ Oscar Schmidt (oscarschmidt.com)

January 27, 2018 UBD 57 PEDALBOARD

Boss Loops for Wampler Unveils Paisley Pedal Wampler Pedals has unveiled the Pais- Taking a cue from the signal rout- This Year Only ley Deluxe dual overdrive pedal. ing of Wampler’s Tom Quayle Signature Boss has unveiled the RC-1-BK Loop The company’s relationship with coun- Dual Fusion dual overdrives, users can run Station, a limited-edition pedal that com- try music star Brad Paisley goes back to a each side of the Paisley Deluxe as an in- memorates the sales of more than 1 mil- time long before the development of his dividual pedal, which is perfect for pedal lion Loop Station products to date. Paisley Drive. switcher-based rigs. The current Loop Station lineup con- Thanks to the way it produced similar The pedal is built in the United States. sists of six products to support the loop- tones to the lauded Nobels ODR-S, with MSRP: $259.97. ing needs of all types of artists. more control for fine-tuning his sound, $ Wampler Pedals (wamplerpedals.com) Offering top-quality sound and sim- the first Wampler pedal Paisley fell in love ple operation in a portable package, the with was the now-discontinued Under- RC-1 is the top-selling Loop Station in the dog overdrive. It’s with this in mind that lineup. the company combined Paisley’s two fa- It’s housed in the Boss compact pedal vorite Wampler tones in the Paisley De- chassis, and it features a simple, direct in- luxe dual overdrive pedal. terface with a unique visual indicator for Wampler has succeeded in melding monitoring loop length and operation a Paisley Drive and the Underdog cir- status. cuits into a single pedal. Not only do The limited-edition RC-1-BK comes in users have independent access to both a black finish with red lettering and will be tones, but they are able to stack them available this year only. for more harmonically rich drive in any $ Boss (boss.info) order they want.

Hotone Rolls Out Patch Kommander, Cybrey Programmable Loop Switcher Pedals Hotone has launched the Patch Kom- programming. In addition, a switchable from complex hardware programming. mander and Cybery programmable loop input buffer can be enabled to preserve The Cybery also features Bluetooth switcher. Both models feature a compact high frequencies through the signal chain. connectivity for wireless programming stompbox design that fits easily on any The ultra-compact Cybery pedal man- and control. As such, the Cybery mobile pedalboard. ager offers four true bypass loops to app lets the different user-created presets The Patch Kommander offers four guarantee a pristine signal, 40 tweakbale be stored on a phone. This gives musi- true bypass loops to guarantee a pristine presets, programmable MIDI control for cians engaged in numerous projects easy signal as well as an intuitive control pan- commanding pedals and multi-effects, access to all their presets. One Control el that frees users from complex patch and a free mobile app to liberate users $ Hotone Audio (hotoneaudio.com) Pedal Creates Sweet Buzz Goodrich Omni Switches from Active to Passive Japanese switcher and effect pedal Goodrich Sound has added The Omni, that [artists] and we wanted and set out perfection to onstage antics — from pris- company One Control, in collaboration a volume pedal. to deliver on that,” said Kevin Ryan, Go- tine active mode to a more earthy passive with Björn Juhl, has introduced the Hon- The Omni is both an active and pas- odrich Sound’s president. “I am proud sound, from lefty pedalboards to sticky ey Bee Overdrive. sive pedal, switchable by the push of a that it represents the next step in the barroom floors.” The Honey Bee’s warm, overdriven button. Parallel inputs and outputs are evolution of volume pedals and is able $ Goodrich Sound (goodrichsoundcompany.com) tone resembles a guitar amp that is set available on either side of its aluminum to adapt to any situation from studio to a “crunch” setting. The unit integrates diecast body. It includes a tuner out on flawlessly with other effects and distort- both sides. While in active mode, it uses ed amplifiers. Goodrich impedance matching circuitry. Users can change from a clean tone “Finally, a volume pedal that works to overdrive by simply twisting a knob. great for all situations — great for gui- No matter what setting users prefer, tar and pedal steel,” said Greg Leisz (Eric they can enjoy the free headroom-ish re- Clapton, Lucinda Williams, John Mayer). sponse, similar to their favorite broken-in “I love the active/passive option and, as amplifier. opposed to most volume pedals, it gets The pedal is especially unique due to louder in the right place in the throw — the Vintage & Modern mode switch. Us- the volume just blooms perfectly.” ers now have the ability to choose be- The Omni pedal is a result of painstak- tween the original voicing of the Honey ing development and the input of profes- Bee (Vintage Mode) or the new and im- sional musicians and the industry’s top proved voicing (Modern Mode). engineers. $ SFM (sfm.ca) “We made a list of all of the features

58 UBD January 27, 2018 January 27, 2018 UBD 59 Vandoren Family Legacy Continues with Trip to US Last spring, Robert Van Doren, the son cians and learned firsthand the impact that of Vandoren owner Bernard Vandoren reeds, mouthpiec- Van Doren, made his first visit es and accessories have had to the United States. on their careers. Vandoren Robert represents the has nurtured relationships From left, Hosa’s Hoyt Binder, fourth Van Doren generation with many of these artists for Sanket Varadkar and MI’s Jonathan Newkirk. to join the family business. decades, including clarinet During his trip, Robert visited legend Stanley Drucker, whose Stanley Drucker and Robert Van Doren Hosa Chooses the Los Angeles and New York Vandoren association goes City Vandoren Musician Advisory Studios. back to Robert’s grandfather. Varadker While there, he spent time with musi- i Dansr (dansr.com) Hosa Technology has named Sanket Varadker the winner of the fifth annual Hosa Technology Audio Engineering Program Scholarship at Musicians Institute (MI) in Hollywood, California. Varadkar was chosen for providing clearly articulated career goals in a scholarship submission Superlux Mic essay. Asked why he chose to study in the Works for All Audio Engineering Program at MI, Varadkar said, “I chose to study at MI Situations because it is located at the epicenter of the Superlux’s D421U is a professional USB entertainment industry, has award-winning broadcast microphone with studio-grade faculty and great support for international recording quality that features built-in high- students.” quality ADC. The Hosa Technology Audio Engineering The D421U can provide ideal recording Program Scholarship is available to new stu- — whether in studio recording, network dents enrolling in the Audio Engineering karaoke, digital recording or narration — Program at MI. Eligible students must pro- Get Big-studio Sound on the Go while keeping the details of every sound. vide a completed application along with an Apogee has introduced its MiC Plus USB can take anywhere. The D421U is able to work with all kinds essay detailing their career goals in the audio microphone for iPad, iPhone, Mac and PC. The MiC Plus features a new design with of recording software and has a built-in industry. Ideal for music production, voice record- improved sound quality, dynamic range and 3½-millimeter stereo headphone output at The awarded tuition credit is applied to ing, YouTube or live streaming, MiC Plus built-in headphone output for latency-free the bottom of the microphone for real-time the initial quarter of the program. makes it easy for both aspiring and profes- monitoring while recording on any device. monitoring. i Hosa Technology (hosatech.com) sional artists to get big-studio sound they $ Apogee Electronics (apogeedigital.com) $ Avlex (avlex.com)

60 UBD January 27, 2018 Tascam Joins with Sennheiser Sennheiser has announced that the Ambeo VR Mic. TEAC Corporation and its Tascam brand of “Sennheiser warmly welcomes the professional video and broadcast equipment TEAC Corporation to the Ambeo for VR has joined the “Ambeo for VR” partnership partnership program,” said Véronique program. Larcher, Sennheiser’s Ambeo immersive Created to ensure seamless production audio co-director. “We are proud to have Hear Technologies Waves SG workflows and interoperability for VR, their Tascam DR-701D audio system on AR and other 3-D content creators, this board, as it’s a product held in high esteem Bridge Fills Dante-user Needs Sennheiser program includes collaborations by content creators across the globe.” Hear Technologies, the pro-audio prod- The Waves SG Bridge simultaneously with manufacturers of field recorders, VR “For years, Tascam has supported audio uct division of Quantum Technologies, has transmits up to 64 channels of audio from live cameras, live streaming software, mix- professionals in the areas of video produc- partnered up with Waves Audio to develop Waves SoundGrid to Dante and 64 chan- ing plug-ins and VR platforms. tion and broadcast, and we are proud to the Waves SG Bridge. nels from Dante to Waves SoundGrid. TEAC has released firmware for its partner with Sennheiser Ambeo to support The Waves SG Bridge fills a growing The Waves SG Bridge provides 64 chan- Tascam DR-701D six-track audio record- the rapidly growing world of VR,” said Yuji need to give Dante users access to Waves’ nels of bi-directional audio between the er. Version 2.0 of the firmware now includes Hanabusa, TEAC Corporation’s president powerful processing capabilities as a solid, two protocols with sampling rates from the Sennheiser A-to-B converter for record- and CEO. cost-saving solution for personal and pro- 44.1 kHz up to 96 kHz. ing the A or B format from the Sennheiser i Sennheiser, Tascam (sennheiser.com; tascam.com) fessional recording systems. $ Hear Technologies (heartechnologies.com)

DiGiCo Launches App DiGiCo’s S App is the ideal way to control a DiGiCo S-Series console straight from an Apple iPad. Designed to be compatible with DiGiCo’s S21 and S31, the app allows remote, wireless control of any DiGiCo S-Series mixing console. With the app, users can have comprehensive control over channel setup, mix, EQ, dynamics, auxes and buss routing. Control is additionally extended to snap- shots, matrix, graphic EQ and save session. $ DiGiCo (digico.biz)

Innovative Percussion Adds 2 Signature Sticks Innovative Percussion has introduced signature products for Seth Rausch and Lenny Castro. The SR-1 was designed by Seth Rausch, the Nashville-based drummer currently backing Keith Urban. The SR-1 is similar to a 3A but slightly larger in diameter at .598 inches, and shorter in length at 16 inches. Additionally, the quick taper and round bead provide a bit more front weight which creates a warm sound at high volumes and helps facilitate the quietest of ghost notes. The LS-LC model timbale stick was designed by legendary percus- sionist Lenny Castro. The length is 16 inches with a diameter of .500 inches. The stick features a 14½-inch black lacquer finish for a distinct look. $ Innovative Percussion (innovativepercussion.com)

January 27, 2018 UBD 61 Hal Leonard Releases New Fingerpower Title The Fingerpower Series from Schaum Publications has been a go-to resource for piano educators for decades. Hal Leonard has released the first new Fingerpower title since aquiring Schaum Publications. “Fingerpower Pop” features pop solos that are preceded by short warm-ups/tech- Knilling Unveils Violins nique excerpts that prepare the student for tricky spots in the pieces. Knilling has unveiled two Nicolo Gabrielli product manager of Knilling. “The greatest The Primer edition features 10 songs master violins: the Maestro 86F and the challenge the head of the shop expressed to including “All Of Me,” “Happy Birthday Guadagnini 87FD. me was persuading his luthiers to relinquish To You,” “Iron Man,” “Over The Rainbow,” Both models are suited for advancing an instrument they were working on, so pas- “You’ve Got A Friend In Me” and more. players looking for an instrument that will sionately dedicated were they to maximizing $ Hal Leonard (halleonard.com) help them progress to the next level. each individual instrument’s potential.” “We believe our customers will be thrilled MSRP: 86F, $4,995; 87FD, $5,875. with these instruments,” said Lang Shen, $ St. Louis Music (stlouismusic.com) Ampridge MightyMic S+ Brings Play Like the Pros Big Sound from Small Microphone Yamaha’s SX Series grand pianos are Ampridge’s MightyMic S+ microphone ing using the MightyMic Pro Recorder App now available with the Disklavier Enspire brings big sound from a small microphone. (IOS Only) for audio. It works with iPhone, Pro system, integrating the company’s The high-quality condenser microphone iPad, iPod Touch, Samsung Galaxy and family of handcrafted grand pianos with doesn’t require batteries, as it’s powered by other devices. advanced piano technology. the device — users just plug it into the head- $ Ampridge (ampridge.com) The pianos are available in three sizes: phone of their device, or use the includ- S3X Enspire Pro, S5X Enspire Pro and S7X ed Lightning clip adapter to plug into the Enspire Pro. Lightning jack. The SX pianos are the first acoustic pia- Users then connect headphones into the nos to incorporate the Yamaha Acoustic 3½-millimeter stereo headphone jack on the Resonance Enhancement (A.R.E.) pro- back of the microphone. cess in the rims, which reforms the wood to While using the optional MoviePro App achieve tone previously thought only possi- (IOS only), users can listen to the sound ble with aged wood or a vintage instrument. while recording video and adjust the vol- $ Yamaha (usa.yamaha.com) ume. Users can also listen while record-

62 UBD January 27, 2018 RBI Doubles Warehouse Size to Accommodate Growth After the 2017 acquisition of Toca controlled areas for drums kits and gui- Percussion and the rapid growth of its mar- tars. The building has been outfitted with quee lines Vintage Guitars, Odery, A Tempo high-speed data ports and Wi-Fi for and Boomwhackers, RBI Music has moved quick, seamless order entry and customer its headquarters to a new location in Fort communications. Worth, Texas. $ RBI Music (rbimusic.com) According to RBI, this building will help the company meet its growth plans and customer service goals. The company has dou- Sonarworks Removes Tonal Coloration bled the size of both its warehouse and office Sonarworks’ Reference 4 lets music cre- earth locations. The fourth generation of areas, allowing for greater inventory and ators be confident about their monitoring by Reference software increases accuracy and the hiring of more staff. RBI has integrated removing tonal coloration from their head- works in every studio scenario. the warehouse and office space — resulting phones and studio speakers. Now, more music creators can focus on in greater efficiency and streamlined order Sonarworks software removes sound creating music instead of worrying about processing. coloration from monitors in purpose-built their equipment. The warehouse also has specified climate- control rooms as well as more down-to- $ Sonarworks (sonarworks.com)

SJC Enhances Shell Design SJC has developed its custom proprietary M5 Maple Shells. The shells are standard on all 10- to 24-inch maple custom drums. Five alter- nating vertical and horizontal plies come together to formulate SJC’s proprietary shell that offers enhanced resonance, tonal stability and ease of tuning. Specific inner-ply thickness increases as users move from the rack toms to the floor toms, kick drum and snare, creating balance of feel and sound around the kit. $ SJC Custom Drums (sjcdrums.com)

Remo Pops Remo’s Colortone Drumheads feature proprietary Skyndeep Imaging Technology for visual appeal alongside projection, tone and durability. The Colortone drumheads are offered in Powerstroke 77 snare, Emperor and Powerstroke 3 Bass. The Powerstroke 77 Colortone snare drumheads are available in 13- and 14-inch sizes. The Emperor Colortone Drumheads are available in sizes 8 through 18 inches. The Powerstroke 3 Bass drumheads are available in sizes 18 through 26 inches. $ Remo Drums (remo.com)

January 27, 2018 UBD 63 RME Video Series Helps Users Unleash the Power of TotalMix FX German interface manufacturer RME ing level,” said Mathias von Heydekampf, has introduced a series of instructional vid- managing director of Synthax, distributor eos that walk users through the features of its of RME. “Perhaps the most powerful aspect TotalMix FX routing and mixing software. of TotalMix FX is how it can be a time-sav- TotalMix FX, which is included at no er with almost infinite routing capabilities. charge with any RME interface prod- These videos will help customers better man- uct, simplifies workflow and makes mix- age workflow while streamlining the overall Bourns Model PSL ing more intuitive for studio recording and mixing process.” Ddrum live sound environments. Each video ush- $ RME (rme-usa.com) Gets Motorized ers users through a step-by-step process on Offered in 100-millimeter and 60-milli- Resurrects topics like using DSP-based EQ, mixing with meterversions, the Bourns Model PSL mea- reverb, applying delay/echo effects and work- sures just 25 millimeters high, enabling Dios Maple Kit ing with dynamic processing in the TotalMix audio, broadcast and lighting console engi- Ddrum has resurrected its Dios Maple FX environment. neers to reduce the surface height. series. Based on the original Dios Maple “We have created an informational With its latest slide potentiometer, drum kits that were discontinued in 2012, resource that users can readily refer to in Bourns is answering the current trend the series features attention to detail. Tom order to increase their grasp of TotalMix FX, for lower-profile solutions that also meet shells are six-ply, 5.6-millimeter; the bass no matter what their current understand- increased power efficiency demands while drums are six-ply, 6-millimeter; and snares maintaining high performance character- are eight-ply, 8-millimeter and feature istics. Bourns designed its latest motorized ddrum’s original formula maple shell. slide potentiometer with a power-saving 5 Bearing edges are 45 degrees with a VDC Mabuchi motor so it can be used with 30-degree counter cut. The toms also feature more energy-efficient circuits. the company’s upgraded FixPitch mounting Teisco Returns to NAMM The product line also utilizes a durable system, and bass drums feature its Resolifts Teisco started as a Japanese manufactur- creative process with other musicians and contacting carbon resistive ink element that isolators to decouple the bass drum from the er of affordable musical instruments in fans. delivers extended wear characteristics of up floor. 1948. Teisco’s return to the market is under Other notable brands within the portfo- to 500,000 cycles. The element design also The Dios series is available in four cus- the BandLab Technologies banner as part lio include Rolling Stone, a leading voice in produces very low noise output for an opti- tom-inspired lacquer finishes: Red Cherry of the group’s broader portfolio of music- pop culture and music since 1967; Mono, mal signal-to-noise ratio. Sparkle, Satin Gold, Emerald Sparkle and focused brands. an award-winning music lifestyle prod- Available in a variety of resistance values Satin Black. Three configurations are avail- BandLab Technologies is a collective of uct company; and Swee Lee, Asia’s leading and standard taper options, the Bourns able as well as add-on drums to further cus- global music brands with a vision to connect online retailer and distributor of musical Model PSL motorized slide potentiome- tomize a player’s setup. All Dios bass drums the world of music. instruments and pro-audio brands. ters feature a touch sense lever, a servo track come in the company’s original 20-inch BandLab, the group’s flagship digital Established in 2016, BandLab is head- option for console automation and an easy- depth for added tone and projection. product, is a social music platform that quartered in Singapore. to-use snap-in connector. $ ddrum (ddrum.com) lets creators make music and share the i BandLab Technologies (Bandlab.com) $ Bourns (bourns.com)

64 UBD January 27, 2018 January 27, 2018 UBD 65 Sabian Chimes In Sabian has unveiled the Tollspire Chimes, tion of chime, bell and splash. a set of five conically shaped micro-splash- Although they are not tuned to specific es, sized in quarter-inch increments from 4¾ notes, the Tollspire Chimes provide melod- inches to 5¾ inches. ic movement utilizing differences in pitch Crafted from Sabian B20 bronze, they are and size. Their distinct white noise factor — rolled and tempered from splash-thickness a function of the conical shape — provides blanks, then formed into a cupless, conical a warm “church bells in the distance” effect. shape. The result is a compelling combina- $ Sabian (sabian.com)

Alfred Puts Out Piano Collections Alfred Music has released three piano collections: “Popular Performer: Movie Ballads,” “Timeless Popular Classics” and “A to Z Praise and Worship Hits.” “Movie Ballads” arrangements are full of rich textures, sophisticated harmonies and inventive rhythms, ideal for hobbyists, students or professional musicians. “Timeless Popular Classics” includes 40 arrangements of the most-requested favorites to be used as supplementary pieces for late elementary/early intermediate students. “A to Z Praise and Worship Hits” features 40 piano arrangements of contemporary Christian favorites. $ Alfred Music (alfred.com)

IK Multimedia Releases iRig Keys I/O IK Multimedia had announced its iRig interface with a high-performance Class-A Keys I/O is now shipping worldwide. pre-amp. Plus, it provides all the creative iRig Keys I/O is a studio centerpiece that controls expected from a premium key- provides users with a flexible way to com- board controller such as velocity sensi- plete their music tive, multicolored productions from pads, programma- start to end using ble touch-sensitive a single piece of sliders, buttons and equipment that assignable knobs. is unmatched for The iRig Keys speed and simplic- I/O is the only key- ity of use. board controller The iRig Keys range currently on I/O comes with either 25 or 49 full-size keys the market to feature an integrated profes- — offering a synth-action keybed and inte- sional 96 kHz/24-bit audio interface. grates a professional, high-definition audio $ IK Multimedia (irigkeys.io) Waves Celebrates 25 with Revamped Plug-ins In honor of its 25th anniversary, Waves software unit to offer a brick wall limiter. Audio is offering revamped and reskinned $ Waves Audio (waves.com) versions of three of its classic plug-ins: the Q10 Equalizer, the AudioTrack channel strip plug-in and the L1 Ultramaximizer level maximizer/peak limiter. These anniversary editions include new plug-in features, as well as a choice between two graphic user interfaces: the classic “Legacy” and the “Modern,” created for the 25th anniversary. The Q10 is a multiband paragraphic EQ with up to 10 bands of precision equaliza- tion for mixing and mastering. Audio Track offers an efficient way for users to mix their tracks. The L1 Ultramaximizer is the first

66 UBD January 27, 2018 Band-in-a-Box 2018 Packs in Features, RealTracks PG Music has released version 2018 of its performance. Also added is an audio driver Band-in-a-Box intelligent music accompa- system that has ultra-low latency. The Audio niment software for Windows with more Chord Wizard has been redesigned and is than 50 new features and enhancements. now built into Band-in-a-Box. Also included are 202 RealTracks, 40 The Audio Harmonies feature has been bonus RealTracks, 32 MIDI SuperTracks, enhanced with Audio Transcription, which 108 Instrumental Studies, 52 Loops and converts a monophonic audio track to MIDI eight Artist Performances: Traditional (notation), Fix Tuning to fix an out-of-tune Songs Sung by Béatrix Méthé. audio recording and more. Users can save SLM Debuts 2 Sigmas “We’re thrilled to say that this new Band- the Notation Window to a video in sync St. Louis Music has introduced two Rich Dumstorff, vice president of SLM in-a-Box 2018 for Windows is packed with with the audio track playback. Sigma guitars: the SD-08 and the SF-08. Marketplace. “We’ve worked hard to make features requested by program users,” said The company has also added notation The Sigma models come in dreadnought Sigma a true value line. Our instruments Peter Gannon, program author and creator. support for time signatures like 12/8, 6/8 and folk shapes, with Sitka spruce tops and are affordable but also offer excellent crafts- Band-in-a-Box 2018 introduces “Video and 9/8. The Toolbar has been enhanced mahogany backs and sides. manship, playability and sound.” RealTracks,” which work like RealTracks with more customization. “The Sigma line offers dealers some MSRP: SD-08, $249; SF-08, $249. but also include videos of the musician’s $ PG Music (pgmusic.com) excellent opportunities for profit,” said $ St. Louis Music (stlouismusic.com)

LD Systems Releases Curv 500 TS The Curv 500 TS touring array system is the latest addition to the Curv 500 series by LD Systems. It expands the range of use of the array system with the addition of applications that require a high level of sound pressure and a broad, far-reaching sound dispersion. In combination with the 15-inch bass reflex class D subwoofer with DSP control, the Curv 500 TS provides a flexible P.A. solution for professional live audio applications. $ LD Systems (ldsystems.com)

JodyJazz Sponsors Savannah Jazz Fest JodyJazz provided support and sponsor- ship for the 2017 Savannah Jazz Festival. Now in its 36th year, the 2017 festival featured an engaging mix of international superstars, local legends, rising talent and the top regional college jazz ensembles. Saxophonist Jody Espina, founder and president of JodyJazz, was also a partici- pant and frequent musical contributor to the event — performing on several nights of the fest. During the event, Espina played in the Ben Tucker Tribute band prior to a premiere of a documentary about bass player and composer Ben Tucker. i JodyJazz (jodyjazz.com)

January 27, 2018 UBD 67 Mackie MP Series In-Ears Boast Clarity, Headroom Mackie has launched the MP Series The MP-240 utilizes a dynamic driver Professional In-Ear Monitors. plus a balanced armature driver for the The series is available in three models: punchy, accurate bass of a dynamic driv- the MP-120, MP-220 and MP-240. er and the revealing clarity of a balanced All models feature ergonomically mold- armature driver. ed enclosures with three different types of $ Mackie (mackie.com) ear tips included for maximum comfort. The MP-120 features a single large Direct Sound Debuts Hybrid Headphone dynamic driver that offers balanced sound with plenty of low end and clarity. Direct Sound has debuted its first Hybrid “With the support of Direct Sound, the The MP-220 steps up the configura- Headphone by Fanstereo. launch of Fanstereo is finally here and we tion to dual dynamic drivers for tighter Fanstereo’s products include head- are excited to share our brand with music bass response and enhanced detail in the phones, earphones, Bluetooth speakers and fans and artists from around the world.” mids and highs. more, each offering the sound quality of said Jay Leopardi, co-founder and CEO. professional-grade audio. $ Direct Sound (extremeheadphones.com)

Aguilar SL Bass Cabinet Family Grows with 212 Aguilar Amplification has released its SL 212 bass cabinet. The SL 212 joins its little brother, the SL 112, as part of Aguilar’s SL line of lightweight bass cabinets. “We spent a lot of time working on the Takamine Channels Butterﬂies crossover design to arrive at the smooth- Takamine Guitars’ annual, limited edi- a butterfly in the Gifu prefecture where est possible frequency transitions,” said tion model is the LTD-2018 Gifu-Cho. Takamine is based in Japan. The butterfly is Dave Boonshoft, president of Aguilar. “The “Each limited edition Takamine LTD known as a spring ephemeral, and thrives for ultra-light ply and subsequent cabinet tun- model has a specific theme,” said Tom a short time each year in the hills and mead- ing were also critical factors in achieving the Watters, Takamine’s director of product ows near the place where Takamine guitars signature tone of the SL 212.” development. “With the LTD-2018 Gifu- have been crafted since 1962.” $ Aguilar Amplification (aguilaramp.com) Cho, the inlay artwork design is based on $ Takamine Guitars (esptakamine.com)

68 UBD January 27, 2018 STRINGTone Provides Essential Care One STRINGTone treatment is the ideal way to break in new string sets and renew and revive used, dead-sounding strings. All wound string surfaces are lubricated for consistent stretch precision and elas- ticity. To remove contaminants like dust, smoke and sweat, STRINGTone’s micro Marshall Makes New Noise barrier film formula penetrates down to the inner core of guitar strings, lifting away resi- Marshall’s Origin valve amp is designed with Origin it gives us the all-valve amp we’ve due to prevent oxidation and corrosion. for pedals and gives players greater expres- potentially been missing. We’ve set a bench- Treating strings with STRINGTone has sion through rich organic tone. Marshall has mark in digital amps with CODE, shown been found to increase resonance for also updated its DSL range with the DSL20. our brand credibility with headphones and dynamic, unrestricted tone and sustain. “I am delighted to launch Origin and DSL speakers and now have a valve amp range that $ Sound Synergies (soundsynergies.net) as part of our ongoing commitment to caters for a much wider audience. I believe inspire creative, contemporary players this is just the beginning and am looking for- worldwide,” said Jon Ellery, managing direc- ward to continually pushing the boundaries tor of Marshall. “Our heritage in rock and and giving our fans what they want.” Friedman Amp Boasts Flexible Design heavy metal will always remain with us. But $ Marshall Amplification (marshallamps.com) Friedman has unveiled its BE-50 Deluxe the dirty channels, a fat switch that adds low- Amplifier. By combining the tonal pallet of end girth and warmth, and a thee-way gain the BE and HBE circuits as well as the spar- structure switch that determines the chan- kling cleans of the Buxom Beauty in the nel’s overall gain. BE-50 Deluxe amplifier head, Friedman has The clean channel of the Friedman BE-50 unleashed its most flexible design yet. Deluxe is directly inspired by the chime, Graph Tech Launches Guitar Housed in the BE-50 Deluxe, Friedman’s glassy top end and full body of the Friedman BE and HBE drive channels feature high- Buxom Betty amplifier. Repair Training Website gain crunch, clarity and nuance. With inde- $ Friedman Amplification (friedmanamplification.com) Graph Tech Guitar Labs has launched a world,” said founder Dave Dunwoodie. “This pendent volume and gain controls, as well as guitar repair training website that aims to brings guitar techs and customers togeth- some of Friedman’s amp modifications, users help music stores and distributors increase er for an instrument that plays and sounds can switch between these worlds on the fly. their repair skills and efficiencies. Each great, which is great for both the music store Features include footswitchable BE and training site is cross-branded with the store and the tech’s reputation. The production HBE channels, independent volume and or distributor’s name and logos. quality and pace for each session is outstand- gain for each channel, three-position voice “Getting a good guitar tech is a hit-or- ing; we couldn’t have asked for more.” switch that dictates the top-end response of miss thing for many music stores around the i Graph Tech (graphtech.com)

January 27, 2018 UBD 69 A-T Adds Handheld Transmitter Audio-Technica is now offering the for the use of six new interchangeable A-T ATW-T6002x Handheld Transmitter for the microphone capsules, as well as other com- 6000 Series High Density Wireless System patible capsules. — a spectrum-efficient solution that lets $ Audio-Technica (audio-technica.com) users pack 31 channels in 4 MHz of bandwidth. The ATW-T6002x Handheld Transmitter offers extremely low Reverend Founder, Shutt handling noise and features a metal-construction body, high-visibil- Design Signature Guitar ity OLED screen, soft-touch con- Reverend Guitars has introduced the and pearl inlay Reverend logo. It’s available trols and switchable RF power Kyle Shutt signature model. in Midnight Black, Alpine Burst or 3-Tone (2mW/10mW/50mW). Its indus- The sealed semi-hollow guitar features Burst. try-standard thread mount allows diagonal “diver down” block inlays, Kyle Shutt helped develop and design the Shutt Signature Railhammer pickups and instrument in collaboration with Reverend a four-knob control layout. It also features Guitars founder and designer Joe Naylor. a double-bound body, bound headstock $ Reverend Guitars (reverendguitars.com)

IMS Thanks Gibson, Harris IMS Technologies was recently able to help cancer patients in need thanks to Aljon Go and Evan Winfree of Gibson brands — who loaned guitars to IMS — and Michael and Marc Harris of Harris Musical Products Ibanez Heats AZ Series with Nitrogen — who loaned guitar straps. Ibanez has introduced the AZ series of ature changes. After extensive prototyping “It’s been a real blessing to be around so solid body electric guitars, including the and trials, Ibanez concluded that 20½-milli- many wonderful, generous individuals,” AZ2204F. meter thickness at the first fret and 22½-mil- said Jeff Millar-Sax of IMS. “There is a cul- A first in guitar neck construction, The limeter at the 12th fret is the optimal neck ture of giving and of sharing in this indus- AZ’s neck is manufactured with S-TECH thickness for this process. The neck is sealed try unlike any other in which I’ve been treated maple. This nitrogen-heating-treat- with an oil finish which helps make it feel involved.” ment increases the wood’s stability, durabili- similar to a well-played guitar neck. From leff, Evan Winfree, Jeff Millar-Sax and Aljon Go. $ IMS Technologies (imstechnologies.net) ty, water resistance and tolerance of temper- $ Ibanez (ibanez.com)

70 UBD January 27, 2018 Kyser Launches Capo App Kyser Musical Products has created the guitar tuner and visual metronome with a ed reality video filters. Kyser Capo App for iOS and Android rolling dial and tap feature. Available in the App Store phones in recognition of a musician’s need The camera button on the Kyser App for iOS and on Google for multiple guitar-related functions with- pulls up the phone’s camera so guitar- Play for Android. in one application. This free app has cus- ists can shoot video or snap pics and then i Kyser Musical Products Jeffrey Cox, left, and Jason Farah tom capo chord charts which help guitarists instantly share on social media sites with- (kysermusical.com) transpose chords. out first having to save the files Outline Italy Forms Users can choose which guitar fret the to the phone. capo is on and what chord they want to play, Additionally, Kyser will US Division and the Kyser App will show the correct fin- release discounts and coupon Outline, an Italian manufacturer of gering position. codes through the app which loudspeaker systems, has formed Outline Alternatively, users can choose what gui- can be redeemed for other US. tar fret the capo is on and what chord finger- Kyser gear in the Kyser e-store. Created, owned and operated by Jeffrey ing position they are making, and the Kyser This is the initial base ver- Cox and Jason Farah, Outline US is the App will tell the user what chord sound is sion. Future upgrades will sole representative of Outline in the United being heard. include musically themed States and Caribbean. The move establish- The Capo App also features an accurate photo filters and augment- es a noteworthy alliance between Outline in Italy, audio specialist Jeffrey Cox and Jason Farah, the technical and business authority of East Coast-based Special Event Services (SES) in North Carolina i Outline US (outline.it)

Shure, Tori Kelly Partner Shure and singer-songwriter Tori Kelly have teamed up for the mobile recording contest “Off the Beaten Track.” Artists from 14 countries around the world are invited to compete for a trip to Los Angeles with a professional recording session at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, California. To enter, musicians must submit a video of an original song performed in a unique location. After uploading to the contest website, entries must collect at least 50 votes to be considered for one of 20 spots on the short- list, which will be determined by Shure. i Shure (off-the-beaten-track.shure.com)

Gator ‘Stands’ on its Own Gator Cases has added to its Frameworks stands and accessories brand with Standley, a patent-pending take on guitar stands. This guitar foot attaches easily and non- permanently to an acoustic guitar’s strap button letting a guitar stand upright on its own. “We couldn’t be more excited about this addition to our Gator Frameworks lineup,” said Michael Swenson, senior director of marketing. “Standley is a unique and well-designed guitar stand solution that we believe retailers and consumers will love.” $ Gator Cases (gatorcases.com)

January 27, 2018 UBD 71 Palmer Puts Acoustic Amp in the Pocket Palmer has introduced the Acoustic uously variable mixing of the direct and pre- Pocket Amp: a combination of effect pedal amp signal. and pre-amp made for acoustic instruments. $ The Adam Hall Group (adamhall.com) Featuring three instrument modes (acoustic guitar, acoustic bass, magnetic pickups) and a choice of three basic sounds (flat, modern, vintage), the Acoustic Pocket Amp is suitable for all situations — whether Cort’s Multiscale Fanned Fret practicing, playing live or recording, at home Design Enhances Response and in the studio. Fitted with a three-band EQ and separate notch filter, the amplified Cort Guitars has added the five-string string hardtail bridge improve tension and acoustic sounds can be precisely adapted to A5 Plus SCFF model to its Artisan line of enhance the tonal response of each string. individual preferences. electric bass guitars. The A5 Plus SCFF also incorporates the The integrated fader also enables contin- The A5 Plus SCFF offers a new take on series neck-through-body construction that premium wood tones and a new-to-series allows strings to vibrate across the neck and multiscale fanned-fret design. The fanned body in a coherent, linear manner, maxi- frets form the foundation of the 34- to 35½- mizing tightness of the low-end with rich inch multiscale instrument. This design mids and singing highs. modification and a corresponding single- $ Cort Guitars (cortguitars.com)

Ashdown Tweaks OriginAL DI Pedal Ashdown has announced a special ver- the mid-80s. sion of the Ashdown OriginAL DI pedal. Each unit will come numbered 1 through Limited to a run of 50 units and built by 50 and will be hand-signed by Watt-Roy. hand in Ashdown’s U.K. Custom Shop, the $ Ashdown (ashdownmusic.com) special edition Norman Watt-Roy OriginAL Preamp Pedal has been tweaked to Watt- Ernie Ball Adds Colors, Tremolo Roy’s specifications. The input sensitivity has been optimized to suit Watt-Roy’s unique Option to ‘Valentine’ Series and lightning-fast finger style. Ernie Ball Music Man has expanded its body; 25½-inch scale; oil- and wax-rubbed The anodized aluminium front panel of line of James Valentine “Valentine” Signature roasted maple neck with 10-inch-radius the Norman Watt-Roy OriginAL pedal has Series guitars with three colors and a trem- maple fingerboard; 22 stainless-steel frets; been finished in Shoreline Gold to match olo option. The colors include Saturn Gold, and Schaller locking tuners. Watt-Roy’s famous 1962 Fender Jazz Bass, Husker Red and Toluca Lake Blue. MSRP: $2,199. his sole gigging and recording bass since The “Valentine” guitar features a slab ash $ Ernie Ball Music Man (ernieball.com)

72 UBD January 27, 2018 LECTRICare RCF Expands NX Series Cabinets Preserves RCF has introduced NX series active two-way sound reinforcement cabinets. Electronics Conceived as a complement to such RCF Sound Synergies’ LECTRICare stops high-powered systems as the HDL System unwanted noise instantly while also protect- or the NXL arrays, the NX cabinets feature ing sound gear over time. much of the power and accessories of the The formula offers advanced condition- TT+ series, including the rigging points and ing and maintenance care for most electron- the FiRPHASE technology in a durable cab- ic gear — including amps, effects, processors, inet design made for everyday use. mixing consoles, pedals, jacks and cables. Built as one of the most flexible speakers LECTRICare makes performing routine for deploying performance-quality sound, sound system maintenance easier and effec- the cabinets are multi-function, mutli-ply tive. A single application flushes away con- birch wood with pole-mount cup for either densation and moisture and lifts away dust standalone use or coupled with a subwoofer, and grime, conditioning all metal surfaces to along with built-in rigging points for instal- provide a clean, dry operating environment. lation use. $ Sound Synergies (soundsynergies.net) $ RCF (rcf-usa.com)

L-Acoustics, DiGiCo Team Up L-Acoustics’ L-ISA Source Control functionality is now integrated into DiGiCo’s SD range of mixing consoles, adding L-ISA’s object-based mixing technology to the console’s control surface. For L-ISA Live applications, the integration of L-ISA Source Control into the DiGiCo SD-Series means that sound engineers can use a familiar workflow on a DiGiCo console to manage immersive environments easily and intuitively. $ L-Acoustics, DiGiCo (l-acoustics.com; digico.biz)

Orange Crush Mini Ampliﬁes on the Go Orange Amplification has launched the Crush Mini. The battery-saving mini-combo’s features and all-analog approach to tone make it suitable for the on-the-go use. The gain, shape and volume controls can be used to push the gain stage and create “real” sounding crunch and high gain, while the shape control lets users sculpt thick mids through to scooped metal tones. $ Orange Amplification (orangeamps.com)

January 27, 2018 UBD 73 Phil Jones Bass Has the Pulse Phil Jones Bass/Pure Sound (PJB) has released the BP-400 Bass Pulse Amplifier and CAB 47 speaker cabinets. These models are engineered in lightweight and space-saving designs with maximum articulated low end. The BP-400 matched with two CAB 47 cabinets delivers 350 watts and is the ideal complement for the gigging mu- Fender Junior Modifies Volume sician — performing in any size venue Fender’s 15-watt Pro Junior IV adds gradually, allowing precise gain adjust- that’s looking for extra punch and low- a modified volume circuit and a classic ment to make tones that range from im- end power. The CAB 47s are equipped tweed appearance to this amplifier. maculately clean to devilishly mean, and with 4- by 7-inch proprietary PJB woof- It includes a 10-inch Jensen P10R offering tighter bass with improved defi- ers and 2-inch tweeter specially designed speaker for tight, well-balanced out- nition when over-driven. The stage-ready and manufactured exclusively by PJB. put with plenty of high-end sparkle. The amp is reliable, flexible and pedal-friendly. $ Phil Jones Bass/Pure Sound (pjbworld.com) modified volume circuit breaks up more $ Fender (fender.com)

Marshall Goes Back to Basics with Brand Overhaul Marshall has refreshed its brand iden- beginning,” said Alex Coombes, Mar- experience and credentials to help inspire tify and global website, marshall.com. shall’s marketing director. “We’ve listened and nurture creative expression. It’s a very Vox MV50s “Creating a marketing strategy for to the next generation of players and are exciting time, and today is just the tip of Marshall practically wrote itself — do tackling the challenges they face. With the iceberg for what we have planned.” Pack in Power what [founder] Jim [Marshall] did in the our heritage, we feel that we’ve got the i Marshall (marshall.com) Vox has introduced the MV50 High Gain and MV50 Boutique. Like the Clean, AC and Rock versions, Orange Rocks the High Gain and Boutique amps offer 50 watts of power and feature Korg’s Orange Amplification has introduced Nutube technology, all while weighing in the Rocker 15 Terror, the head-only ver- at just over a pound. sion of the Rocker 15 Combo. The MV50 High Gain mimics the The Rocker 15 Terror is the result of a sound of increasing the input gain, which blend of technology and styling from the is what provides the distortion tone that Rocker 15 Combo and the Terror range high-gain fans crave. of amps. Designed to be versatile, with a This model contains a mid-switch straightforward, player-friendly layout, the control, providing a versatile expressive Rocker 15 is an amplifier comfortable on range that extends from an edgy sound, the stage, in the studio or in the bedroom. ideal for riffing, to a low, rich sound that’s It has a potent delivery that takes full suitable for lead. advantage of its EL84 output section. Comparatively, the MV50 Boutique Even when scaling back the power, the provides a clean and harmonic richness, amp’s tone stays fat and full, oozing warm as well as blooming sound distinctive to valve compression and saturation without Mojotone Amp Salutes the Stars a traditional vacuum tube amp. disturbing the neighbors. Mojotone has introduced the latest ad- The NC30/15 STD Amp Kit is available “The outpouring of compliments and $ Orange Amplification (orangeamps.com) dition to its assortment of tube amp kits. as head or a combo and includes every- positive feedback about the MV50 se- The NC 30/15 is inspired by some of thing needed to build an amp. The amps ries this year has been incredible,” said history’s most iconic British amps. Based are made of components including TAD, Corey Witt, Korg USA’s product market- on a familiar Class-A EL84 platform, this Sprague and Mojo Dijon capacitors, car- ing manager. “Watching an artist or reamp delivers tones that salute some of bon comp resistors, JJ/ EH tubes and a viewer unpack one of these for the first the greatest guitarists of all time. Wheth- vintage-style turret board. Also included time and comment on the size, only to er users are looking for the shimmering in the kit are American-made Heyboer be blown away by its power says ev- highs of The Beatles’ George Harrison or transformers, American-made aluminum erything you need to know about this Queen’s Brian May or the vintage crunch chassis and Mojo-made faceplates. product.” of The Kinks, the NC30/15 will deliver. $ Mojotone (mojotone.com) $ Vox Amplification (voxamps.com)

74 UBD January 27, 2018 January 27, 2018 UBD 75 REAL WORLD

Opera House Installs Allen & Heath As part of an audio upgrade, the historic Thomas- ton Opera House in Thomaston, Connecticut, recently added an Allen & Heath dLive S Class digital mixing system with an S5000 Surface, DM48 MixRack and DX32 Expander. The Opera House’s audio system was designed and installed by DNR Laboratories of Watertown, Con- necticut. DNR’s Ian Jones recommended the dLive and mixes many performances at the Opera House.

Tim Commerford Chooses Ampeg Known for his work with Rage Against the Ma- chine, Audioslave and Prophets of Rage, bassist Tim Commerford sticks with Ampeg. “I’ve always used an Ampeg SVT head, and I’ve always been a multiple amp kind of guy in that I have one amp that is on all the time and one that I turn on when I want to make the sound different,” Com- merford said. “In Rage, I used two Ampeg SVT-2PRO heads and two Ampeg 8x10 cabinets.”

Entertainment Complex Adds Ashly Sonny’s Place of Somers, Connecticut, is a family fun destination with go-karts, mini golf, an arcade and more. Sonny’s Place again hired ALSS from Manchester, Connecticut, for its latest expansion, adding Ashly processing and Ashly’s custom iPad interface. ALSS installed an Ashly ne24.24M Protea matrix processor to handle all of the input signal processing, routing, logic, and loudspeaker EQ, delays and more.

Wild Adriatic Uses Bose F1 Model 812 Wild Adriatic has been touring with the Bose F1 Model 812 Flexible Array system. “There’s no such thing as downtime, thanks to the Bose F1,” said Mateo Vosganian, Wild Adriatic’s drummer and manager. “Most of the venues we’re playing in around the world have their own production, which lets us tour lighter and more cost-effectively. With the Bose F1, we can make almost any kind of space work as a concert space.”

PreSonus Mixes at New Hope Church New Hope Presbyterian Church’s management installed PreSonus equipment — a StudioLive 32.4.2AI digital mixing console and two WorxAudio X3 compact all-in-one line array enclosures. Creative Sound and Lighting Solutions of Cape Coral, Florida, an AV installation company that services the house of worship, education, entertainment park and performance hall markets, was contracted to design and deploy the sound reinforcement system.

Chad Smith celebrates 25 years with Vater Chad Smith is celebrating 25 years as a Vater Per- cussion endorser. “My own rule has always been that I would never endorse any product that I wouldn’t buy myself,” he said. “That’s exactly how I ended up with Vater in 1992. I checked out their sticks, got used to them, and then began what would become a now 25-year relationship with the company. Their quality control is great, the sticks always feel good and each pair is consistent.” GHS Strings Updates Pedal Steel GHS Strings has updated Pedal Steel string sets. The revised string sets are supplied in Vintage Offers Line GHS’ Nitro-Pack airtight packaging, which carries the “Anti-Corrosion Guarantee.” If you ever open a pack of strings and find of 5-string Basses one oxidized or corroded, GHS will replace Vintage Guitars has released the VJ75 With a maple neck and fingerboard with them free of charge. bass, a five-string option to the VJ74. The chunky black block inlays, the VJ75 offers the The GHS Pedal Steel string sets retain all VJ75 features the same specifications, includ- player tonal variations and playability. The the same great tone and longevity across the ing Wilkinson Varigauss Pickups, to provide guitar is available in Natural Ash, Gloss Black range, now combined with more modern more warmth to the higher strings and more and Sunset Sunburst. tuning. focus and brightness for the lower strings. $ John Hornby Skewes & Co. (jhs.co.uk) $ GHS Strings (ghsstrings.com)

Expand Your Tonal Palette Railhammer Reeves Gabrels Pickups are the result of a collaboration between American guitarist Reeves Gabrels and Railhammer. Each pickup’s alnico 5 mag- net gives it a warm and lightly compressed sound. The bridge pickup has an overwound coil for extra sustain, massive tone and a slight “cocked wah pedal” feel. The neck pickup has a broad tonal palette that com- plements the bridge pickup, with a warm and open tone like an intensified vintage PAF. Either one can easily be paired with any Railhammer in the line. Rails are under the wound strings, and poles under the plain strings for tighter lows, fatter highs and tonal balance. Clarity is increased, but the tone is never sterile. $ Railhammer (railhammer.com)

Warwick Extends Idolmaker Body Shape to Bass Following the release of the Framus Idolmaker guitar, Warwick has extended the body shape into the company’s line of electric basses. The Warwick Idolmaker Bass was origi- nally developed by Framus artists Stevie Salas and Phil X. It features a mahogany body with a Wenge neck and Wenge fretboard. The bass features two humbuckers. Shavo Odadjian of System of a Down will be among the first artists to use the bass in live performance. $ Warwick (warwick.de)

January 27, 2018 UBD 77 Córdoba Expands Beginner Nylon String Line with C1M Córdoba has expanded its entry-level ty for unpredictable classroom conditions. nylon string guitars with the C1M. Córdoba is committed to building guitars The C1M adds a durable matte finish that enrich and enhance young students’ option to the already popular C1 (gloss) and learning experiences. is available in full, ¾, ½ and ¼ sizes. These $ Córdoba Guitars (cordobaguitars.com) guitars feature a spruce top with mahogany back and sides and are ideal for the student and school market. The C1M includes many desirable traditional design elements such as gold tuning machines, rosewood fingerboard Yamaha CSFs and bridge, natural wood inlaid rosette and premium Savarez strings. Get Facelift A two-way adjustable truss rod lets teachers customize the playability of each gui- Pearl Boosts Yamaha has reintroduced its CSF line of tar for their students and provides stabili- acoustic parlor guitars with upgrades in sound and construction. Pedal Offerings Coming 15 years after the original CSF series ended its run, the CSF1 and CSF3 with P920, P922 offer significant upgrades over their pre- Alfred Releases Pearl has added the P920 and P922 to its decessors. Chief among them is the addi- pedal lineup. The P920 and P922 boast a tion of scalloped bracing, a specialized Anthology of newer, smoother streamlined single-chain latticework of reinforcements used in high- drive, which offers a new level of speed for er-end Yamaha guitars to improve tone and Piano Studies chain-driven pedals. projection. Alfred Music has released “Piano Studies Additionally, the P920 and P922 comes The CSF1 has a solid Sitka spruce top for Technical Development, Volume 1,” a standard with duo-beater, Pearl’s patent- mated to laminated mahogany back and comprehensive anthology of études, exercis- ed PowerShifter function and is available as sides, nato neck, blackwood fingerboard es, scales, arpeggios and cadences. both single and double models. and bridge, abalone rosette and the origi- The book is designed for pianists moving “Pearl’s newest P920 pedal is a step ahead nal Yamaha SRT Zero Impact passive pick- into early intermediate to intermediate levels of the game for pedals at this price point,” up system. of study. Made up of three sections, the first said Kevin Packard, Pearl’s combo marketing The CSF3 matches the features of the section includes études for the development manager. “As an active drummer, it’s impor- CSF1 and adds a solid mahogany back and of specific skills. The second section features tant to have gear that meets your expecta- sides and mahogany body binding. Both selected Hanon exercises. Reference pages tions and for the price, this pedal does exact- models come in a natural gloss finish. for scales, arpeggios and cadences make up ly that. It’s a no-frills, workhorse of a pedal MSRP: CSF1, $645; CSF3, $880. the final section. and it fits nearly any budget.” $ Yamaha (usa.yamaha.com) $ Alfred Music (alfred.com) $ Pearl Drums (pearldrum.com)

78 UBD January 27, 2018 Emulator 2 Hear Technologies Switch Back Software Pricing M8RX Boasts 2-in-1 Capability Hear Technologies has added the Switch zero-latency analog mixing and monitor- Problem Solved Back M8RX. The tool is two products in one ing of the four analog inputs. With Ethernet Touch Innovations has brought back sin- — a personal interface to be used for live capability becoming standard in most pro gle-license purchase pricing for Emulator 2, sound or recording and a multi-channel audio gear today, M8RX includes a total its customizable multi-touch controller soft- headphone monitoring system. This gives of four channels of Dante network audio ware for any MIDI application. the player the ability to play live, record or inputs/outputs. Not to be confused with E-mu Systems’ monitor their mix all in one single tool. $ Hear Technologies (heartechnologies.com) second ’80s-era hardware sampler, Touch Compact in size to fit any situation, the Innovations’ Emulator 2 no longer holds its using Touch Innovations’ patented technol- M8RX gives users the option to use it in users to the unpopular subscription pricing ogy to enable and merge the native interface multiple ways. It has a total of eight chan- model, making it possible for them to cre- of any software with the touch controller. By nels of audio mixing — two studio-qual- ate their dream MIDI controller by bringing creating “holes,” it lets users port and stream ity microphone pre-amps, two channel about a multi-touch experience with every- certain elements of the underlying software line-inputs and four Dante network audio thing available at their fingertips. that they can then resize and move. inputs/outputs. Emulator 2 places the software and any MSRP: $59. M8RX’s two mic pre-amps have a distor- touch controller on the same interface $ Touch Innovations (touchinnovations.com) tion spec below 0.001 percent along with

MC7.1 Joins Drawmer Line TransAudio Group has introduced the Drawmer MC7.1. The MC7.1 joins Drawmer’s comprehensive line of monitor controller and adds well- thought-out surround sound interconnec- tivity and functionality that make it easy to mix for (and between) 7.1, 5.1, stereo, mono or any other multi-channel format. The all-analog Drawmer MC7.1 has two sets of balanced 7.1 inputs, a 7.1 through, a balanced stereo input and a front panel aux input. Intuitive controls let users direct any surround sound channels to the surround LR or stereo mains. MSRP: $1,599. $ TransAudio Group (transaudiogroup.com)

Focusrite Adds Interfaces to Clarett Line Focusrite has introduced a range of studio-quality USB audio interfaces under the Clarett line. The Clarett USB series features three interfaces: Clarett 2Pre USB, Clarett 4Pre USB and Clarett 8Pre USB. The low noise, low distortion range of Clarett can now be experienced with any Mac or PC supporting USB 2.0 and above. The included standard USB and USB Type-C cables connect to Mac or PC, enabling users to record with super-low latency through amp simulators and effects plug-ins. $ Focusrite (focusrite.com)

January 27, 2018 UBD 79 Zoom Honors Sound Designer Zoom will be awarding Emmy-winning sound designer Paula Fairfield with a Creator of the Year award for her dedication to the sound design industry and great work with the Zoom team. Fairfield is the resident sound designer for HBO’s hit “Game of Thrones” and has titles like “The Strain,” “The Mist” and Darren Aronofsky’s “Mother!” to her credit. She is a long-time user of Zoom products and, over the last two years, has contributed her passion and talents to the Zoom team. i Zoom (zoom-na.com)

RCF Rolls out E Series Consoles RCF’s has released the E Series of analog All consoles feature the newly designed mixing desks. The E Series features specif- 32-bit floating-point Z.Core DSP effects ically designed mix pre- engine offering 80 pre- amps, dynamic compres- defined presets — 40 sors on mic input channels, reverbs, 20 delays and semi-parametric four-band 20 modulation effects EQ with a superior degree of — with two responsive control for this class of com- parameters that can be pact mixers, stereo USB port freely modified to suit the for recording or playback, needs of the mix. In addi- USB power port to feed external devices, foot tion, a bank of 20 user presets is available switch input to control effects, long-throw with immediate shortcut recall positions. faders and onboard Z.Core DSP effects. $ RCF (rcf-usa.com)

PMC Gives Retailer Awards to SX Pro Audio, Studiocare U.K. loudspeaker manufacturer PMC performance year on year, and once again has awarded SX Pro Audio and Studiocare they have excelled themselves,” said Ian with its annual Retailer Awards, which rec- Downs, PMC’s Professional Audio and CI ognize companies that have made a substan- sales manager. “The retailer’s constant com- tial effort throughout the year, both with mitment to clients and to the PMC brand is PMC products and businesses in general. second to none.” “The SX Pro Audio team step up their i PMC (pmc-speakers.com)

Radial Helps Run Backing Tracks Radial Engineering has released the inputs remotely. Backtrack, a compact stereo audio switch- When cueing up tracks for playback, a er that is ideal for bands running redun- mute switch cuts the feed to the main and dant backing tracks on stage or for switch- monitor outputs, letting tracks be silent- ing between any stereo audio sources. ly monitored using a dedicated headphone Connecting playback devices to the output. Backtrack is easy via either dual ¼-inch $ Radial Engineering (radialeng.com) TRS or 3½-millimeter stereo inputs. XLR outputs feed the P.A. system and feature a ground lift switch and transformer isolation to prevent buzz and hum from ground loops. Quarter-inch TRS monitor outputs are provided for powered speakers on stage. Once connected, an A/B switch selects between inputs so the backup source can be quickly activated should the primary playback system fail. A JR-2 remote can also be connected to the Backtrack to change the

80 UBD January 27, 2018 HK Audio Introduces Gig Gear Adds Two Hand Touch PA for Mobile DJs HK Audio has unveiled Lucas 2K, a com- Harness for iPad Mixing pact P.A. optimized for mobile DJs. Gig Gear has introduced the Two Hand configurations included on the inside of the Designed, engineered and built in Touch Harness, a wearable iPad and case, tablets and phones of all sizes can eas- Germany, Lucas 2K features premium-qual- tablet case that is secured to the chest ily be secured as well. ity components, a newly developed 2,000- via a flexible harness, leaving both When not in use, the case flattens up watt power amplifier and advanced DSP hands available to interface with against the harness and can be secured technology. Lucas 2K’s filters ensure it works remote mixing and other apps nec- out of the way. On the front of the case are equally well with all kinds of signal sources, essary during live production. pockets and pouches that can hold mul- and the systems can easily be scaled up when Two models are available: the tiple accessories and tools includ- even more bass is required using the HK Two Hand Touch 9 and the Two ing, pens, a dB meter, microphones Audio Linear Sub 1500 A (Lucas 2K15) and Hand Touch 12, which are (both handheld and measure- Linear Sub 1800 A (Lucas 2K18) subwoofers. designed to fit the standard ment), gaffers tape, cables, radios, Practical features like HK Audio’s iPad 9.7-inch size and the iPad picks, drum keys, wrenches, allen MultiGrip recessed handles and M20 speak- Pro 12.9-inch size, respectively. keys and more. er pole mounts make handling the Lucas 2K With multiple elastic bands in different $ Gig Gear (gig-gear.com) simple and convenient. $ HK Audio (hkaudio.com)

D&A Guitar Gear Debuts Leather Valencia Straps D&A Guitar Gear has introduced Valencia, a line of premium guitar and bass straps. With seven color and finish options, Epifani Booth Supports Performance Valencia straps feature hand-picked, hand- Look for change at the Epifani booth this Epifani will show off its latest line of bass cut and hand-made quality quilted leather year. The boutique bass amp designer is cabinets and amplifiers along with top bass from Spain. focusing on supporting some of its premiere brands including Fodera, Ken Smith and The 2¾-inch strap width for solid instru- partners and players rather than simply dis- Modulus. ments supports the player experience and playing product. Epifani will also be on hand to support delivers 100 percent Viscose that resists mois- Attendees can see and hear Epifani’s Tour performances by two Epifani artists: Reggie ture and provides conformability to the cabinets and Piccolo amps put to the test in Young and Kevin “KJ” Jacoby. player. live playing situations. $ Epifani (epifani.com) $ D&A Guitar Gear (dnaguitargear.com)

January 27, 2018 UBD 81 DiGiCo, Waves Get Integrated DiGiCo and Waves have announced a method of integration that lets users maximize the potential for additional features on both the Waves and SD platforms. DiGiCo SD consoles will be able to integrate with a Waves MultiRack system running on an external PC while maintaining a high level of integration. The integration will allow the use of Waves latest and most advanced plug-ins to expand the engineer’s sonic options. Further enhanced control implementation is being planned. $ DiGiCo (digico.biz)

Paramore’s York, Hagstrom Partner Hagstrom has introduced the Artist Project Series, designed in collaboration with Justin York of Paramore. York’s Viking Gold Top starts with ART Adds Dual Limiter Hagstrom’s Viking semi-hollow platform, to which a classic vintage-style gold finish is Two-channel Compressor applied. It features a “Ultra-Thin” 17-milli- Applied Research and Technology (ART), trols that are sought by professionals. meter neck profile. a division of Yorkville Sound, has released The Dual Limiter has two channels of The guitar is topped with vintage-style the ART Dual Limiter, a two-channel com- dynamic audio processing paired with a “witch hat” knobs, Hagstrom’s Custom pressor using a pulse wave modulator circuit five-segment LED array to clearly show the 58 humbucking pickup in the design. amount of gain reduction. It has selectable bridge and its HJ-50 humbucker The Art Dual Limiter features a classic stereo linking of channel controls with XLR in the neck position. Individual design in which a PWM is employed for and ¼-inch inputs and outputs as well as coil-split is available via push/ the gain control, providing clean quiet gain variable attack and release controls. pull tone controls. A bass- while maintaining transparency. ART has The Dual Limiter is housed in a standard cut control on each of the been known for its tube-based optical com- 1u space rack-mountable steel chassis and tone controls provides pressors for more than 25 years. Developed is built with high-quality components, additional tonal options in partnership with studio and live-sound designed for years of reliable operation in the for each pickup. engineers, the Dual Limiter offers a time test- studio, production facility or on the road. $ Hagstrom Guitars ed solid state audio circuit with all of the con- $ ART Pro Audio (artproaudio.com) (hagstromguitars.com)

82 UBD January 27, 2018

Ernie Ball Adds Line of Cables Ernie Ball has introduced a line of high- clear signal, and the durable PVC jacket exte- quality instrument, microphone, patch and rior ensures long-lasting performance. speaker cables that are ultra-durable and Ernie Ball microphone cables feature dual include a 99.95-percent oxygen-free copper conductors, delivering a reliably clear signal conductor. The cables are dual-shielded for and natural frequency response. Multiple durability and low noise, and come with a shielding materials preserve the signal with limited lifetime warranty. low handling noise, and the PVC jacket exte- The instrument cables feature a high- rior ensures long-lasting performance. quality design made with superior compo- $ Ernie Ball (ernieball.com) nents that are built to last, delivering reliably clear tone with crisp highs, tight mids and rich harmonics. Multiple shielding materials preserve the signal with low handling noise, and the PVC exterior or wide selection of braided jacket exteriors provides a long-lasting, tangle-resistant experience. Ernie Ball speaker cables feature dual stranded 16-gauge conductors, delivering a

American Recorder Introduces LED Signage for Retailer Lesson Programs American Recorder Technologies has the music lesson space while informing cus- added a line of LED signs tailored for music tomers that music lessons are currently in retail stores as well as recording customers. progress. The signs are a great way to brighten up For music store customers, including home recorders, the LED signs are also available with classic recording studio messages, including “Recording” and “On Air.” These signs are easy to install and include a 25-foot extension cable, power supply and mounting hardware. An additional flash module is also available. The lights offer up to 50,000 hours of life. $ American Recorder (americanrecorder.com)

Auralex Offers SonoLite SonoKits Auralex Acoustics has introduced panel can be installed in either vertical or SonoLite SonoKits, affordable wall-mount- horizontal orientations where walls and ed acoustic absorption panel packages. ceilings meet. SonoKits let users reduce unwanted Auralex Studiofoam is used as a core acoustical reflections and tame chaotic material in all SonoLite panels and Bass reverberations in professional and residen- Traps to maximize absorption performance. tial settings. EZ-Stick Pro mounting tabs are includ- Modeled after the Auralex Studiofoam ed with the kits. Roominator Kits, SonoLite SonoKits are $ Auralex (auralex.com) convenient and modular configurations of Auralex’s SonoLite Panels and SonoLite Bass Traps. SonoLite panels are fabric- wrapped Studiofoam acoustical absorption panels that provide excellent broadband frequency control, with a stylish velour fabric covering. SonoLite SonoKits are cost-effective and an excellent choice for residen- tial applications such as home studios and home theaters. The SonoLite panel can be used for wall or ceiling applications, and the Bass Trap

Deering Banjo, ArtistWorks Partner to Teach Banjo Deering Banjo Company and playing points and inspire them to continue ArtistWorks have partnered up to make their journey with the banjo. learning the banjo easier with the “Banjo “I’m thrilled, to say the least, that two of Player’s Pathway.” my favorite outfits, Deering Banjos and Visitors to the website will have free ArtistWorks, are joining forces to bring the access to numerous video lessons hosted joy of the banjo to more and more people,” by five-string banjo pioneer and acclaimed Trischka said. “Having just filmed a batch teacher Tony Trischka. These video lessons of custom new lessons at ArtistWorks, I’m have been made exclusively for the Banjo excited that Deering will be presenting them Player’s Pathway platform by ArtistWorks. as the first step on the pathway to learning They will take the beginner and intermedi- banjo.” ate five-string banjo player through specific $ Deering Banjo Company (deeringbanjos.com)

84 UBD January 27, 2018 FabFilter Updates Pro-L 2 Plug-in with ‘Best for All’ Algorithm FabFilter’s FabFilter Pro-L 2 is an update al tracks, while Safe’s goal is not maximum BAE Saves Space with R53 to the Pro-L limiter plug-in. With four lim- loudness, but to avoid distortion at all times. BAE Audio has rolled out its R53 three- series units in a single rack space thanks to iting algorithms, a true peak limiting mode, Complete support for surround audio slot horizontal 500 series rack with linking. its horizontal configuration. The rack elim- extensive standards-compliant loudness with flexible channel linking makes FabFilter The 1RU rack provides an efficient way to inates studio clutter with its built-in power metering, surround support and many addi- Pro-L 2 versatile in multi-channel scenarios. integrate three of a user’s favorite lunchbox supply for reliability. Switchable linking on tional features, Pro-L 2 improves on its pre- $ FabFilter (fabfilter.com) signal processors into their recording or live the front of the unit lets users pass signals decessor while staying true to the original system. from one slot to the next and cascade a pre- vision of simplicity and effectiveness. The layout and integrated linking is also amp into an EQ and then into a compressor FabFilter Pro-L 2 introduces four new ideal for combining a pre-amp, EQ and com- without patching or integrate other sound- limiting algorithms. Modern is the new “best pressor into a custom channel strip. shaping tools into a cohesive signal path. for all” algorithm that produces better results The R53 accommodates any three 500 $ BAE Audio (baeaudio.com) than the Transparent and Allround algorithms from version 1. Aggressive is ideal for maximum loudness — well suited for EDM or rock music. Bus has been designed specifically for drums and limiting of individu-

Sonnet Launches Portable External GPU Devices Sonnet Technologies has introduced the any time and anywhere it’s needed. DiGiCo Takes it to 32 latest paradigm in Thunderbolt-connected Sonnet offers two Puck models: the eGFX DiGiCo has released the 32-bit John ADC conversion per channel and a quick external GPU devices with the eGFX Breakaway Puck Radeon RX 560 and eGFX Stadius Mic Pre-amp. Stadius and his team conversion time of 73uS. Providing dynam- Breakaway Puck, a portable, all-in-one eGPU Breakaway Puck Radeon RX 570 — enabling have been designing pre-amps for over 40 ic punch and increased audio depth, the card for Thunderbolt 3 computers. users to select the device best suited for their years. This improvement in converter tech- features a dynamic range of 123dB A and a The eGFX Breakaway Puck delivers accel- needs. Each Puck model measures 6 inch- nology has let them develop a pre-amp with low noise of 128 dB EIN. erated graphics and provides multi-display es wide by 5.1 inches deep by 2 inches tall audio qualities that they aspire to achieve. Offering eight channels, the pre-amp connectivity leveraging AMD’s Eyefinity and features one Thunderbolt 3 port, three Delivering significant audible improve- boasts maximum transparency and clarity technology. With a Puck connected, a user’s DisplayPort ports and one HDMI port. Both ments and transparency, the SD Mic Pre- of audio as well as a class-leading frequency computer can deliver accelerated frame rates Pucks support up to four 4K displays in mul- amp card includes a fully differential audio response. in graphics-intensive games, and boosted timonitor mode. path from input to converter, twin 32-bit $ DiGiCo (digico.biz) GPU acceleration for pro-video applications $ Sonnet (sonnettech.com)

January 27, 2018 UBD 85 Ibanez Innovates with Exotic Wood AEWC Acoustic Guitar Ibanez has long been researching, ting. The Fishman Pickup and developing and striving for the highest lev- Ibanez AEQ-SP2 Preamp deliv- els of guitar playability. Now, Ibanez offers er excellent reproduction and the next step forward in that process with control of tonal characteris- the AEWC acoustic guitar. tics and easy operation, while The AEWC series was created with the ¼-inch and XLR outputs give electric guitarist in mind. Employing some users options for a variety of unique design features, the AEWC utilizes direct plug-in applications. The next-level contouring in the front and back combination of a Solid spruce of the body to maximize ergonomics and top and flamed maple Roland Updates Amps comfort. back-and-sides on the Roland has updated the KC series, its including 88-note stage pianos, organs and The special contouring and design ele- AEWC300 create a lineup of stage amplifiers for perform- synthesizers. ments make this guitar suited for the elec- rich acoustic sound ing keyboardists. The six KC models offer All the updated KC models are equipped tric guitarist looking to feel right at home and offer attractive updated looks and enhanced features. with better speakers for improved sound on an acoustic. aesthetics. The KC amps feature wide-range sound quality, and the monaural models feature Engineered by Ibanez, the AEWC’s The AEWC400 is reproduction with two-way speaker sys- redesigned power amp and power supply “Special Cutaway” is designed to offer similar in specifica- tems and Roland’s patented twin bass-reflex sections for increased output power and sta- extreme and unfettered access to higher tions but utilizes a design for extended low-frequency response bility. In addition, the input and output jacks fret positions. The asymmetric neck deliv- Flame Maple top, without distortion. This makes them ideal have been changed from plastic to metal for ers enhanced comfort and playability while back and sides. for accurately reproducing the full fre- increased durability. maximizing access to the bass side of the MSRP: $749.99. quency range of all types of keyboards, $ Roland (roland.com) fingerboard, allowing for comfortable fret- $ Ibanez (ibanez.com)

Hal Leonard Masters Mandolin with Bluegrass Hits Songbook Hal Leonard has announced a major create an improved version of the book fea- mandolin collection. “Masters of the turing authentic note-for-note transcrip- Mandolin,” featuring 130 mandolin solos, is tions that have been legally licensed so the a resource for fans of bluegrass music. masters behind the music get the royalties Each song excerpt has been transcribed they deserve. note-for-note from its original recording, so “Masters of the Mandolin” also includes players can study and learn these solos by songs from several important players that some of the instrument’s finest pickers. were not included in the original bootlegged “Masters of the Mandolin” was inspired book, such as Jesse McReynolds, John by an old bootlegged book of mandolin Duffey, Roland White and Frank Wakefield transcriptions that was hard to find and that as well as Chris Thile, who rose to fame after paid no licenses or royalties to the compos- the original book’s release. ers involved. Author Fred Sokolow sought to $ Hal Leonard (halleonard.com)

86 UBD January 27, 2018

Levy’s Smells the Flowers with Magnolia Guitar Strap Levy’s Leathers has added the Utopia Danica Levy of Levy’s Leathers. “The pinks, Magnolia guitar strap (MS317EM). purples and greens in the magnolia accom- “Inspired by the beautiful magnolia flow- plish this. I think this is our most feminine er, I wanted to design a more gentle and and pretty strap in the 2018 collection.” feminine counterpart to the wild rose,” said $ Levy’s Leathers (levysleathers.com)

Up Your Performance Game with Korg Korg’s Volca Mix is a four-channel analog Volca mix adheres to the internal foot- performance mixer for the growing Volca print and is the same size of its predeces- line. Equipped with two mono and two ste- sors, making it an ideal piece to complete any reo input channels, low/high-cut filter per- Volca rig. The addition also allows for con- channel and an analog stereo expander and nection to more than just Korg’s Volca line, compression, this mixer will take perfor- letting users mix and match all sorts of gear. mances to a new level, while retaining a com- $ Korg (korg.com) pact, portable footprint. In addition to the four-channel mixer, the Volca is equipped with master effects powered by an all-analog circuitry. New to the line is a specialized “sync out” jack that acts as a master clock, letting the user connect the Volca mix to a variety of Korg gear, thus creating the ability to simultaneously start and stop sequences on multiple synch units.

Rhythm Tech Cajon Gets Makeover Rhythm Tech has revamped its Rhythm Tech Cajon — equipping it with enhanced bass response. With a more robust build quality and materials, improved sound and ebony face- plate, the updated model outperforms last year’s in every regard. The V snare wire provides controllable treble balance, and the playing surface and side panels are designed to create a wide range of creative tones for players in all genres. $ Rhythm Tech (rhythmtech.com)

D’Addario’s Playback Program Hits Milestone: 1M Recycled Strings Playback, D’Addario’s string recycling of one million strings in just 10 months for program, has announced its milestone of the year. Playback includes more than 400 one million strings recycled. retail recycling locations around the States. Since its launch in 2016, Playback became i D’Addario (daddario.com/playback) the first-ever industry-wide instrument string recycling program, expanding on D’Addario’s goals of creating positive social change, minimizing its carbon footprint and reinforcing its role as an environmental leader in the music industry. Teamed with the global recycling organization TerraCycle, the Playback program doubled in size in 2017, and D’Addario exceeded its cumulative goal

88 UBD January 27, 2018

MARKETPLACE

90 UBD January 27, 2018 MARKETPLACE

January 27, 2018 UBD 91 MARKETPLACE

92 UBD January 27, 2018

94 UBD January 27, 2018 CLASSIFIEDS Easily Transport Studio Monitors with Gator Cases Tote Bag Gator has released a simple yet innova- cords. The Studio Monitor Tote is avail- tive solution for recording professionals and able now. hobbyists: The Gator Cases Studio Monitor $ Gator Cases (gatorcases.com) Tote Bag. The bag allows for easy transport of Studio Monitors in the 5-inch driver range and fits a wide range of monitors. Some popular studio monitor models that fit in the Studio Monitor Tote Bag include the Mackie CR5BT, KRK Rok It 5 and the JBL LSR305. The tote is constructed with water resistant rugged polyester. Equipped with a padded interior and soft lining, the tote protects monitors from scratches and minor impacts in transport. The bag fits two studio monitors and features an adjustable padded interior divider. A large exterior pocket provides room for necessities like XLR cables and power

Get Real Feel with aDrums ATV’s aDrums cymbals offer material, aDrums cymbals sizes include: the shape, feel and three-zone compatible aD-C10, 10-inch splash; the aD-C12, design geared to deliver dynamics to trans- 12-inch splash; the aD-C14, 14-inch crash; form the eDrum playing experience. the aD-C14, 14-inch hi-hat; the aD-C16, All aDrums cymbals can be played 16-inch crash; the aD-CH17, 17-inch China; around their full circumference with and the aD-C18, 18-inch ride. 360-degree play and choke. With aDrums $ ATV (atvcorporation.com) cymbals there is no need for hardware such as rotation stoppers; just place the cymbal on the cymbal stand. A newly designed pivot allows the cymbal to sway naturally in all directions. The aDrums design team took great care in how the entire cymbal flexes when the edge is struck as well as the thickness of the tip. While ATV cymbals are made of silicone for silencing, they provide a playing feel similar to an acoustic cymbal.

January 27, 2018 UBD 95 APPEARANCES SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2018

Erick Walls, 3 p.m. High South, 1 p.m. Joe Lovano, noon–3 p.m.

Stephen Carpenter, 3 p.m. She-e Wu, 11:30 a.m. Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, 2 p.m.

10 A.M. MARIACHI AMBIENTE 1:40 P.M. MADAME GANDHI DEVIN BILLS LISA BELLA DONNA KHS America SALO LOYO Keith McMillen Instruments Chesbro Music EarthQuaker Devices Booth 7820 Yamaha Booth 18910 Booth 6402 Booth 4849 Marriott Marquis Ballroom JOE LOVANO CHE POPE CHAKA BLACKMON 10:15 A.M. (noon–3:00 P.M.) 2 P.M. Universal Audio Sennheiser MUSICOLOGY Dakota Saxophone DOUG WIMBISH Booth 12302 Booth No. 14110 Korg USA Booth 8933 OMG Music Booth 8802 Booth 4602 3:15 P.M. 4:45 P.M. 1 P.M. JORDAN RUDESS A.N.I.M.AL. 10:30 A.M. GLENN HUGHES VOZ DE MANDO Korg USA Clear Tune Monitors RACHEL JULIAN/ALEX STOPA Orange Ampliﬁcation KHS America Booth 8802 Booth 16315 KHS America Booth 4644 Booth 7820 Booth 7820 4 P.M. 5 P.M. RICHARD FURCH ISAIAH SHARKEY KURT ROSENWINKEL SKUNK BAXTER 11 A.M. D’Angelico Guitars D’Angelico Guitars McDSP & FABRIZIO SOTTI Booth 212AB Booth 212AB CY LEO Booth 14904 D’Angelico Guitars KHS America Booth 212AB Booth 7820 BILLY SHEEHAN MOLLY FALCK TIM BERSTCH OMG Music 2:30 P.M. & KEENA BATTI, HYPS Guild Guitars NICK SEMRAD Booth 4602 Guild Guitars Booth 205AB SHE-E WU EarthQuaker Devices Booth 205AB KHS America Booth 4849 CHUCK RAINEY THE PHARCYDE Booth 7820 Synthax ELLIS HALL, Mackie THE AMBASSADOR OF SOUL ISABELLA ABBONIZIO Booth 14701 3 P.M. Booth 201CD Ramirez Guitars Synthax STEPHEN CARPENTER Booth 1803 A MIRROR HOLLOW Booth 14701 DAMIEN MCFLY Rock N Roll Industries Orange Ampliﬁcation Cort Guitars 11:15 A.M. Booth 6647 Booth 4644 ROCK THIS TOWN Booth 5215 DOUG WIMBISH Gig Gear Korg USA HIGH SOUTH SEBASTIAN MORTON Booth 11901 FRANK GAMBALE Booth 8802 KHS America ROCASOUND Parsek SRL Booth 7820 McDSP 4:15 P.M. Booth 5044 11:30 A.M. Booth 14904 BONES (UK) SHE-E WU JESSICA LYNN Korg USA RONNY NORTH KHS America D’Angelico Guitars ERICK WALLS Booth 8802 Viper Guitars Booth 7820 Booth 212AB D’Angelico Guitars Booth 3640 Booth 212AB 4:30 P.M. 12 P.M. 1:15 P.M. DOYLE WOLFGANG 5:15 P.M. ADAM MILLER SAD GIRL BRENDON SMALL VON FRANKENSTEIN TANK & THE BANGAS D’Angelico Guitars Korg USA KHS America Tascam Korg USA Booth 212AB Booth 8802 Booth 7820 Booth 18910 Booth 8802

96 UBD January 27, 2018

AES@NAMM HIGHLIGHTS

All AES@NAMM sessions will be held at the NAMM U Education Center in the Hilton Anaheim. NAMM Show attendees are required to register and purchase the AES@NAMM Access Pass. For the complete schedule, go to namm.org.

9 A.M. ‘Where Did 0 db Go?’ Gain QSC Live Mixing Academy: Structure in Digital Audio Mix It Right. Mix It Right Now! Robert Scovill Curt Taipale Capistrano AB (Level 4) Laguna B (Level 4) Today’s digital consoles and processors Whether you’re a seasoned, professional present challenges for simultaneously engineer or new to mixing, learn how optimizing gain structure for the event TouchMix helps you get great results and for multi-track recording and virtual quickly and every time. sound check. Join Robert Scovill for a best practices approach to achieving Adamson S10 Line Array great sound quality from your console Fundamentals and processing through easy to apply Jeremiah Karni gain structure concepts and techniques. & Christopher Weatherford Balboa C (Level 4) 10:30 A.M. A look at the development of Adamson Bose Professional & EAW technology, Culminating in the S-Series, Line Array Setup systems overview and system design. Bernie Broderick, Jeff Lange, Attendees are encouraged to bring a Dave Salmon & Jonas Domkus laptop with a mouse to follow along as Lanai Deck (Level 5) we go through step by step how to de- To complement their classroom session sign the best possible system to deploy on system fundamentals, trainees will in the hands-on session. work to help assemble, test and gauge the performance of either the Bose 10 A.M. ShowMatch DeltaQ compact line ar- Mixing in the Box for Musicians ray system or the EAW Anna mid-sized Juan de Dios Martin Adaptive Technology system. Huntington A (Level 4) Music mixing is sometimes seen more as 12 P.M. a technical hurdle at the end of a proj- Studio Six Digital AudioTools ect rather than the creative process it is. Optimization Classroom In this session, producer and engineer Andrew Smith Juan de Dios Martín will share his ap- Balboa A (Level 4) proach to ITB mixing, focusing on ideas This class is a review of top modules in and strategies for musicians that work Studio Six Digital’s “Audio Tools” iOS on their own productions. measurement software package. ESTA HIGHLIGHTS

All ESTA sessions will be held at the NAMM U Education Center in the Hilton Anaheim on level 4. ESTA-curated Education Sessions are free to NAMM Show attendees but require registration. For the complete schedule, go to namm.org.

9 A.M. course for the Entertainment and An Introduction to DMX512 Exhibition Industries. This course Milton Davis takes all mandatory and chosen elec- Salinas Room tive subjects and applies these laws After more than 30 years in existence, to the broader entertainment work the industry-standard DMX512 light- place. This is a “must” for both crews ing control protocol still offers chal- and managers in the entertainment lenges for users and designers. This industry. course will dive deep into the history, technical background, application and Truss and Ground Support standard practices needed to assem- Systems for the Entertainment ble a reliable DMX512 control network. & Events Industries Some of the topics to be covered Elmer Veith include cabling, connectors, wiring Carmel Room topologies, end-of-line termination, What do we mean when we talk about addressing, and the architecture of the truss in our industry? How do we select protocol itself. In addition, attention the correct type of truss for our project, will be given to common myths about and what makes one design better than the protocol referencing the ANSI another for the project at hand? In the standard and ESTA’s Recommended morning, we will work their way through Practice for DMX512. the history and evolution of truss in the entertainment industry, discuss the dif- OSHA 10: I.A.T.S.E. — Day 1 ferent methods of using it — from a Joe Aldridge, Kent Jorgensen horizontal span supporting a lighting & Eddie Raymond system up to large scale self-support- Monterey Room ing outdoor structures, and learn how The IATSE Craft Advancement Pro- to read and use the information found gram and the IATSE Training Trust in the manufacturer’s engineering data Fund have developed an OSHA 10 and load tables.

98 UBD January 27, 2018 SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2018

11 A.M. discuss how you can configure the Mysteries of Near Field console and its surface navigation to Monitoring Exposed what works best for you in different Carl Tatz applications. Laguna A (Level 4) Studio designer Carl Tatz provides expla- 3 P.M. nations and unique solutions to popular Social Media Promotion problems that can make dramatic im- for Musicians & Engineers provements to your monitoring system. Bobby Owsinski Laguna A (Level 4) 1 P.M. Being on social media is one thing, but Studio Academy B: Professional learning how to use it for effective pro- Monitoring Loudspeakers motion is another. Bobby Owsinski looks with Genelec at the latest techniques for using Face- David Maclaughlin & Darren Rose book, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube Palos Verdes B (Level 4) to promote yourself and your music. Genelec shows you how to optimize your room — and your monitors — to 4 P.M. produce mixes that you can trust. Cov- Analog Logic in the Digital ering correct monitor setup, what prob- Age Part I: Audio Logic lems to avoid, and how to use Genelec’s in Mainstream Audio Products SAM technology to tame your studio, Xiaowei Fan we’ll help you to deliver mixes that will Huntington A (Level 4) really do your music justice. For engineers new to the field of pro audio, constant contact with digital 2 P.M. equipment without the understand- Yamaha RIVAGE PM10: Plan ing of analog logic that lies underneath for Productivity had proved to be detrimental to ones’ Chip Allen, John Mills & Chris Hinson growth. It is the program’s intention to Oceanside (Level 4) give explanation the analog logics be- Join Yamaha technical specialists with hind highly integrated audio equipment guest speaker John Mills (FOH engi- that are commonly available to audio neer for Chris Tomlin and Lincoln Brew- students and live sound engineers, to ster, and system engineer for Kenny foster understanding of said logic and Chesney and more) as we examine the how it could be applied to everyday flexibility of the RIVAGE PM10. We’ll practices for efficient workflow.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2018

11 A.M. were employed. Those simple 0-10V Introduction to Show analog control methods are seeing Networking a revival in today’s market. However, John Huntington there are new twists and the methods Salinas Room are being applied to newer technolo- Standard computer industry network- gies, such as LED lighting. This class ing technologies now form the back- will cover the variations in analog con- bone of control and audio/video dis- trol methods, including current inter- tribution systems on shows today of facing methods, wiring and connec- nearly any size. Ethernet today is used tors. In addition, an overview of other to control lighting equipment, carry digital and historic control protocols other protocols like DMX512, link video will be covered. systems, or transport audio. This basic session for beginners introduces net- 4 P.M. works and their applications on shows Wireless DMX512 Networking and offers an overview of the protocols for the Lighting Tech that make modern networks work. Key Paul Kleissler topics like IP addresses, network topol- Salinas Room ogy and basic transport protocols will Wireless DMX512 has become a tech- be introduced, basic aspects of net- nology of signiﬁcant importance in our work operations will be demonstrated. industry, allowing us to control entertainment products in locations that are 2 P.M. not conducive to permanent control History Repeats Itself — wiring. This class will cover practical Analog Control techniques setup and operate wireless Milton Davis DMX512 and Ethernet networks — a Salinas Room convenient technology that will make In the early days of remotely con- many projects easier, and in some cas- trolled lighting, simple analog methods es — possible!

January 27, 2018 UBD 99 TEC TRACKS

All sessions will be held at the NAMM U Education Center in the Hilton Anaheim.

11 A.M. Getting the Show on the Road: Developing Wearable The Production & Tour Managers Technology for Musicians San Simeon (Level 4) A3E Top production and tour managers talk The next generation of sensors, nano about logistics from truck packs to leap- technologies and musical information frogging stadium tours and keeping a protocols are poised to unlock a far small portable city moving in the right more robust experience from wear- direction. able instruments and musical interfaces. Meet the leaders in these technologies, 1 P.M. and discover how to incorporate wear- Designing Custom Plug-ins able technology into your design and for Your Production Workflow development. A3E El Capitan (Level 4) A Musician’s Guide to Archiving Plug-ins and virtual instruments have Dan Johnson, David Goggin, become part of the primary building Lenise Bent & Jeff Baxter blocks of computer-based production. Avila (Level 4) An exciting trend is the emergence of Learn how professional archival facili- design-your-own personalized plug- ties rescue audio from deteriorating ins and soft synths. A3E explores the tapes, keeping assets viable after tape innovative companies that are provid- becomes unplayable. Sending digital ing this new method of sonic creativity copies for mastering and mixing means for musicians, engineers and producers. no damage or mishaps to fragile tapes. Join A3E and find out how to craft your Digital files can be electronically deliv- signature sound into personalized in- ered, while assets are always safe and struments and effects, and even market available. them to other users.

The Lighting Designer How Technology Can Help You Round Table Have Better Worship Team Bryan Hartley Rehearsals San Simeon (Level 4) Doug Doppler, Eric Hailstone, Top LD’s share some of their recent Ed Ker & Rick Muchow projects, explain the highs and lows of Avila (Level 4) the gigs and discuss the presentation Learn about easily applicable tools and techniques that got them hired. The techniques to make your rehearsals and guest moderator, Bryan Hartley, is a Par- services productive and engaging! This nelli award-winning production/lighting session will look at using loops, USB designer. playback, metronomes and iPad apps to make your rehearsals more effective. The Sessions California Ballroom A (Level 2) Off the Record with Parnelli This popular traveling career accelerator Award Honorees empowers students with no-nonsense Marshall Bissett business information from veteren mu- San Simeon (Level 4) sic industry professionals, who will share A fun and frank look at the history and their knowledge and experience in an war stories of some of our illustrious entertaining two-hour session. past lifetime winners. This will be a true look at production history. 12 P.M. Advancements in Android Audio ArtistMax: Maximize the Artist Development: AAudio API in You A3E Bridget Gardiner & Ken Caillat El Capitan (Level 4) California Ballroom A (Level 2) Join A3E for an audio developer’s deep Normally a four-day bootcamp, Arist- dive into the powerful, new Android Max takes you on a journey of self dis- AAudio API. Leaders from the Android covery and expression as a songwriter audio team will walk you through a new and a performer. This mini NAMM event workﬂow for audio development in the is an introduction into what ArtistMax is: world’s most popular mobile operat- collaborative songwriting, stage pres- ing system. From coding to structural ence and performance, vocal lessons, design concepts, this session will teach marketing panels, recording, taking best practices for your Android apps. headshots, image and branding, mer- chandise and touring, music business Silent Stage Solutions for and so much more. Your Worship Platform Doug Doppler & Doug Gould 2 P.M. Avila (Level 4) Easy Embedded Hardware Learn how in-ear monitors and digital DSP Tools for Boutique mixers with presets can solve your big- Developers & Designers gest audio challenges on Sunday morn- A3E ing. This session will also look at how re- El Capitan (Level 4) ducing the overall volume onstage can Whether you are building a eurorack make the music and the sound better. synthesizer, a new effects processor or SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2018

boutique guitar pedals, this session will High-fidelity Vinyl Release bridge the gap between your software Panel development and the physical hardware. Chris Mara Avila (Level 4) Bob Moog: Insights Into Does it make sense for you to release an Innovator, Part 2 your next project on vinyl? What are Michelle Moog-Koussa the costs, benefits, tradeoffs and re- San Simeon (Level 4) quirements? Come hear a panel of vinyl Michelle Moog-Koussa continues her mastering experts discuss the topic and journey through Bob Moog’s life as a answer your questions. synthesizer pioneer, focusing on his years at Queens College, Columbia University 4 P.M. and Cornell University. The presentation The Future of the Bass Guitar uncovers Bob’s inspirations, trials and A3E triumphs during this era through rare El Capitan (Level 4) correspondence, photos and documents Whether you are an aspiring solo bass- found only in the Moog Family Archives, ist, an experimental player creating lush bringing to her audience a greater in- soundscapes or a touring musician wres- sight and understanding of one of the tling to replicate synth bass parts on industry’s most iconic figures. an electric bass, this session will open a world of new inspiration. Join contempo- The Future of Content rary bass artist Janek Gwizdala and A3E Creation & Distribution Conference Chair Doug DeAngelis for a Louis Hernandez deep dive into the latest technology and Avila (Level 4) techniques for bass guitarists. Louis Hernandez Jr., chairman and CEO of Avid Technology, envisions a broad- How Your Church Can Expand minded new approach to digital media Its Reach by Broadcasting that strives to benefit all involved par- & Podcasting ties. In this session, Hernandez describes Doug Doppler & George Ross a streamlined future world of shared Avila (Level 4) platforms and common standards that Learn efficient and cost-effective tips empower storytellers, developers and on how to record and share your wor- end-users alike. ship services using broadcasting and podcasting — with the gear you already 3 P.M. own! Advancements in iOS Audio Development: Apple Birth of a Record Introduces the AR Kit Mr. Bonzai A3E California Ballroom A (Level 2) El Capitan (Level 4) Join moderator Mr. Bonzai in an explo- After the blazing success of Pokémon ration of the inception and creation of Go, Apple delivers the ARkit in iOS 11. a great album. Previous years have fea- Now all iOS developers will have the tured Jack Douglas and Joe Perry for tools to bring AR into their apps. From “Toys in the Attic” and Bill Szymczyk and here, the door is wide open to a major Joe Walsh for “Hotel California.” 2018 fundamental shift in mobile applications. promises to have another blockbuster! This deep dive development session will explore the future realms of mobile mu- TECnology Hall of Fame sic in augmented reality. George Petersen San Simeon (Level 4) All About That Bass! Come celebrate the technology that Claris Sayadian-Dodge built the industry! Each year, a distin- California Ballroom A (Level 2) guished nominating group selects 10 Studioexpresso’s Claris Sayadian-Dodge historical products that made an influ- and an all-star panel will explore the ential contribution to the future of pro- sound of bass on albums and the role of fessional audio. This awards presenta- session players in the studio. Learn how tion will be the place to hear the stories they make some of the most beloved about the creation of these devices and albums of our time stand out with a meet the innovative developers. unique and catchy sound. 5 P.M. Arranging on the Fly Interview with Tony Andrews: Tiffany Christopher Acoustics, Loudspeakers San Simeon (Level 4) & the Future of EDM Limited only by how much gear we can Tony Andrews fit in a car, audio artists are being trans- Avila (Level 4) formed by loopers, multi-effects proces- Tony Andrews, one of the world’s most sors, sampling and live computer ap- celebrated authorities on professional plications. Tiffany Christopher will show sound and loudspeaker design, will dis- some simple yet potent loop techniques cuss his storied career, from creating a and the innovative use of instruments, defining live sound system in the 1970s vocals and even silence within this do-it- with Turbosound to reinventing club all setting. culture with Funktion One. SCHEDULE SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2018

Unless otherwise noted, the following events will be held in NAMM’s Idea Center (level 1 lobby, between halls B and C).

Breakfast Session Menzie Pittman on creating with Marcus Sheridan, 8:30 a.m. Jackson Browne will receive the Les Paul Innovation Award at the TEC Awards, 7 p.m. social media content, 1:30 p.m. | Photo by Craig Hunter Russ

8:30–9:30 A.M. 11:30 A.M. doors and forms priceless con- diagnosing problems and reveal teachers and customers. Breakfast Session How to Increase Sales nections with the community. how to create consistent, profit- Marcus Sheridan, marketing with Music Lessons Join Rick and Alexis Thacker able customer interactions that 4:30 P.M. guru & founder & president Pete Gamber, as they reveal their five most will accelerate sales. The Anatomy of a of The Sales Lion Music Inc. magazine columnist effective, and unconventional, Successful Instagram Hilton Anaheim Hotel, & music lessons expert store events. 3 P.M. Jenn Herman, Pacific Ballrooms, Level 2 Your lesson operation can sig- 15 Simple Ways to social media strategist In this can’t-miss Breakfast Ses- nificantly increase your retail 1:30 P.M. Deliver Mind-blowing In a session filled with real- sion, NAMM welcomes interna- business, but it requires a con- Tips from Social Customer Service world examples, Jenn Herman tional marketing thought leader scious effort. Here, Pete Gam- Media Trendsetters Leslie Faltin, will show you what performs Marcus Sheridan, who’s been ber will offer proven, real-world Menzie Pittman, Instrumental Music Center well and offer tips to help you called a “web marketing guru” ideas to grow your retail busi- Contemporary Music Center Instrumental Music Center co- create your best content. You’ll by The New York Times and ness with music lessons. NAMM’s 2016 Dealer of the owner Leslie Faltin will share get ideas you can implement one of 20 “speakers you don’t Year, Menzie Pittman of Con- how her staff consistently deliv- right away, including sneaky want to miss” by Forbes. Sheri- 12 P.M. temporary Music, has studied ers an outstanding “tailored” tricks to get more likes, ideas dan will reveal how buyers have Instagram Power Tips the best of the best and ap- experience to every customer, for creating effective Instagram changed, how you can evolve for Music Retailers plied their ideas successfully to every time. Walk away with captions and videos, and Insta- with this shift and powerful ex- Jenn Herman, his own company’s marketing. ideas you can apply right away gram Story tips for more views. amples from forward-thinking social media strategist Here, he’ll share best practices to improve the customer expe- companies. (Free breakfast In this session, discover tips and for successful social media con- rience at your own business. 5 P.M. served from 8-8:30 a.m.) tactics to turn your Instagram tent, covering everything from Build Your Audience account into a lead-generating creative images to tag lines that 3:30 P.M. with Live Streaming 10:30 A.M. tool. Walk away with ideas to grab people’s attention. The Biggest Lesson Craig Moffat, Datavideo Proven eBay Success update your Instagram pro- Program Challenges Join Craig Moffat, managing Tips, Secrets & Hacks file for maximum results, take 2 P.M. & How to Fix Them director of Datavideo, and find Matthew Stoecker, Quinn advantage of business profile 5 Ways to Add Value to Mike Risko, out how to stream simultane- the Eskimo Vintage Horns tools to drive conversions, and Your Business — Fast! Mike Risko Music School ously on multiple online plat- Company owner and eBay guru use calls-to-action effectively. Jaimie Blackman, Mike Risko of Mike Risko Music forms: Facebook, YouTube and Matthew Stoecker will share financial expert School will walk through the your website. his top tips, secrets and hacks 12:30 P.M. In this session, financial expert biggest challenges in running a to help you increase your own Millennials & Gen Z: Jaimie Blackman will show you lesson operation and offer prov- 7 P.M. eBay business. He’ll cover how Motivating the Next five unique ways to maximize en, no-nonsense solutions that 33rd Annual TEC to make an attractive listing, Generation the value of your music store in have worked in his own suc- Awards photography pointers, best CJ Averwater, Amro Music, just 90 days. He’ll look at value- cessful program. Hilton Anaheim Hotel practices for eBay’s condition & Ryan West, West Music building activities to capture Thirty-one categories of prod- categories and much more. Join CJ Averwater and Ryan opportunities and ignite innova- 4 P.M. ucts and projects will be recog- West as they discuss the re- tion in your business. Group Classes Done Right nized in the areas of Technical or 11 A.M. alities of finding and motivat- Jonathan Shue, Dusty Strings Creative Achievement to honor 5 Ways to Upgrade ing employees. They’ll look at 2:30 P.M. Music Store & School the many individuals, compa- Your Facebook Ads proven best practices, including The 5 Reasons People Group classes are an afford- nies and technical innovations Ryan Sargent, MakeMusic how to attract the best pros- Don’t Buy & What to Do able way to increase enrollment used in sound recordings, films, & Billy Cuthrell, Progressive pects, set clear expectations About It in your private lesson program, broadcast television and video Music Center and prime them for success. Sean Samson, add value to your business and games. The TEC Awards will In this session, Ryan Sargent, Sean Samson Training foster a community of loyal cus- also honor two individuals for social media manager for Make- 1 P.M. In a session for owners, manag- tomers. Here, Jonathan Shue, their contributions to music Music, and Billy Cuthrell, found- 5 Unconventional & ers and salespeople alike, Sean education director of Dusty and recording. An honoree who er of Progressive Music Center, Effective Store Events Samson of Sean Samson Train- Strings Music Store & School, embodies the creative, innova- will show you how to improve Rick & Alexis Thacker, ing will look at the five real rea- will share his strategies for tive and enterprising spirit of your Facebook ads. They’ll cov- Plum Grove Music sons customers don’t buy and steadily growing enrollment in Les Paul will be honored with er every step, from ad objective Find out how Plum Grove Mu- what you can do about it. He’ll group classes and nurturing a the Les Paul Innovation Award. to ad creation to ad image. sic drives foot traffic though its offer a practical approach to community of eager students, (Must have ticket to enter.)

102 UBD January 27, 2018