MusicRadar - Reviews

Elysia Mpressor

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 14:42:00 GMT

There are loads of hardware compressors out there so it's pretty hard for a manufacturer to come up with something new.

One of the few companies to have blazed this particular trail with any success over the past few years has been German manufacturer Elysia. Its Alpha compressor has found its way into many a big mastering studio; with its stunning audio quality and incredible range of control it has quickly established itself as a tool of choice for many a top mastering engineer.

The Mpressor has had the same kind of reaction from top recording engineers. Besides being a great straightforward compressor it has a few tricks up its sleeve that really help it to stand out from the crowd. However, the price for the hardware units does put them firmly out of reach for a lot of potential customers so it seems like a wise move to get this software version – which has been developed with Brainworx - out on the streets.

In detail

To start with, you have a great straightforward compressor with controls for threshold, attack, release, ratio and gain make up. Attack and release times are very comprehensive, attack ranging from the ultra fast 0.01ms to 150ms which gives you plenty of options for shaping the front of a sound. Release times vary from 5 to 1200ms giving lots of scope from pumping to smooth.

The Mpressor will grab hold of and shape pretty much anything that you throw at it - from buzzy synths to funky guitars and any kind of drums or percussion. But the real surprises come when you bring some of its more exclusive features in to play.

The first of these is the Auto Fast switch on the attack time. When a sound is a mix of attacking and sustaining components it's often hard to find an attack time that complements both. Too short and the sustains suffer, too long and some of the peaks you want to tame slip through.

"The real surprises come when you bring some of Mpressor's more exclusive features into play."

What auto fast does is to use the setting on the knob as the basis for all softer or more sustained material but when it gets loud or attacking, it drops to a much shorter attack time. The result is a very even feeling compression that never lets go, allowing you to sit an instrument in the mix without any unwanted peaks and troughs. It's particularly useful for clean or crunchy guitars, basses and loops where you often have a mix of short transients and sustained elements.

Next you have the Anti Log button next to the release knob. This applies an antilogarithmic curve to the release time which is normally linear. A linear curve allows for a smooth release of compressed signals which sounds more natural to our ears and less evident.

Anti Log turns this characteristic on its head and makes it very audible indeed. Pumping drums and quieter percussive elements in loops can be brought to the fore. Dry drums can start to sound ambient, and in combination with the attack time you can really stick some energy into a groove.

(2 pages; go to page: 2)

Notion Music Notion 3

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:57:00 GMT

Notion is a notation-based sequencer package aimed at composers and those writing in score format.

Version 2 reviewed well but came up short with its bundled library. The new version rectifies this and includes not only Notion 2's library (about 8GB of far-miked samples courtesy of the London Symphony Orchestra) but also an improved LSO sample set.

With close-miked stereo samples and up to seven dynamic layers, this is more akin to a typical orchestral sample library, and Notion has bundled a version of IK Multimedia's CSR (Hall algorithm only) to cope with reverb duties. However, possibly more significant is the inclusion of the sample library from the company's Progression app, which features guitars, bass, drums, piano and electric piano.

What's new?

It transpires that the library refit is just one aspect of the upgrade. Starting with compatibility, N3 supports VST plug-ins, VST instruments and ReWire (both master and slave). In addition to WAV file export, there's now basic WAV file import and enhanced MIDI functions, including MIDI Out and a sequencer-style stave.

Audio routing is handled by a new mixer, which offers level/mute/solo, 'power pan' (you can pan the left and right channels individually), four VST inserts per channel, four auxiliary busses, direct hardware routing, and support for multiple-output VST instruments. As well as the aforementioned CSR reverb, there's also IK's AmpliTube X-Gear (basically AmpliTube 2 Duo and Ampeg SVX Uno in a unified shell). What you don't get, however, is any kind of EQ or dynamics processing.

On the graphical front, Notion has received a considerable facelift and now sports the guitar fretboard from Progression, a redesigned workspace and new all-in-one tool palette.

One important aspect of Notion is live use. Performance mode enables you to control playback using either your computer or MIDI keyboard, with velocity-controlled dynamics in the case of the latter. As before, this operates in both basic and more precise (NTempo) modes.

Finally, an additional feature called LivePlay gives you the option of playing an instrument live, accompanied by your score playback.

In use

Although Notion 3 includes more DAW-like features, its methodology is still rooted in notation. This means that while composing, you'll spend time switching between Edit Mode (for adding notes, markings and so on) and Score Setup Mode where you add or remove instruments.

Also fundamental is the concept that Notion plays what's written, interpreting most dynamic and articulation markings.

Once you start composing, getting to grips with the entry palette is vital. This includes everything from notes, rests and key signatures to staves, chords and articulations. Each function is achieved by 'arming' your cursor from the palette and then dropping the item on your score. Usually this is fine, but we found the desire to work quickly got us hunting for key commands (you'll find these listed in dialog boxes over each palette function).

If this sounds laborious, you can also input via a MIDI keyboard in both record and step modes. The new Sequencer Staff option lets you see things in familiar piano roll format. In practice, we found it a little fiddly to work with as the note graphics are quite small, and we ended up converting to standard notation for editing.

(2 pages; go to page: 2)

Gatton Snare Drums

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:10:00 GMT

Lincoln-based Gatton Drums is run by Craig Cockrell, a drummer of 15 years and craftsman within the family-owned company Cathedral Interiors for the past decade. Craig's first production drums - made from start to finish by him alone - feature neither wood nor metal shells; instead they are made from a synthetic material called Corian.

Build

Devised by DuPont in 1967, Corian consists of one part acrylic resin and two parts natural minerals. It's a versatile and environmentally-friendly material that is commonly used in interior and exterior design - the chances are there is something made out of Corian in your home.

The idea of creating Corian drums first occurred to Craig while attending a course on working with Corian. Here he learned that Corian's efficient acoustic reflection finds it often used to make the surrounds for loudspeakers.

"They are beautifully made instruments that make bold statements about the maker's capabilities and ambitions"

Our own research found a handful of companies in America manufacturing Corian snares. Whether or not any of them have reached the UK is difficult to gauge, and, taking into account exchange rates, Stateside examples would retail at around four figures in Sterling, way in excess of this home grown pair.

The fact that so few examples of Corian drums exist is perhaps not surprising as, despite its adaptability, creating the sort of precise cylinders that will make good drums is tricky and requires a high degree of skill. Craig works with sheets of Corian that are 6mm thick and heats them to 160°C. Once the temperature is reached, he has a small window of opportunity in which to bend the sheet into a circular jig before it starts to cool and set permanently.

An added complication is that, like most materials, Corian expands when hot, but Craig's method compensates for this, leaving perfectly round drums that are exactly 14" in diameter.

After the initial cooling, Craig bonds the two ends with dedicated Corian adhesive. One of the magical properties of Corian is that, when worked correctly, it can be rendered seamless and this is the case with the pair of snare drums on review: there is no trace of a join to be seen. Running a finger round the inside of the shells we managed to detect a faint bump that could have been the join on the deeper drum but the shallower model was enigmatically smooth.

From here Craig sands and polishes the drums before adding the snare beds and cutting the bearing edges by hand. These are angled at 45 degrees with a slight round off on the outside and are, like virtually all other aspects of the drums, expertly finished.

The drums are dressed with quality components including Ego low mass lugs, S Hoops, TightScrew tension rods, Puresound snare wires and a Trick snare release and butt end. Only the unlined breathing holes stand out, as it's unusual to see a plain hole on any drum these days.

(2 pages; go to page: 2)

Sonodyne SM100AK

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:04:00 GMT

Sonodyne has been selling to the Far East for many years but now, with the support of distributor The Audio Pros, it's found a route into Europe.

The SM100 is the mid unit of a three-speaker range starting with the smaller SM50 and ending with the larger SM200.

Straight out of the box the all-black units feel substantial and look very well put together. The cases are matt black aluminium and the front sports two ports, one either side of the one-inch silk tweeter and a 6.5-inch Kevlar woofer. There is a blue mains indicator LED next to the power switch and the only other thing on the front panel is a continuous volume control to the bottom right.

The rear panel houses the amplifiers (an 80W for the low end and a 40W for the high), the IEC mains socket, XLR and TRS input sockets and a recessed panel with another volume control (+/- 6dB) and a set of dipswitches for bass and treble roll-off and tilt. The finish is excellent and there are even pin diagrams for the connectors on the back panel so you don't have to check in the manual.

In use

The fun part of reviewing a new pair of speakers is hooking them up to your system and digging through the CD collection. We tried the SM100s with every style of music available to us and, frankly, we were stunned by them.

If we had to sum them up in one word it would be detail. The midrange is quite incredible. Crisp, precise and extremely tactile. They project out into the room and give you a real sense of the space around the music. We heard things in some recordings that we'd missed before.

"Whether mixing, playing or recording, the SM100AKs hit the spot every time."

The bass response is also superb. It's very even and extends a good way down despite the size of the drivers and cabinets. Cranking up some heavy dance tunes filled the room and these boys pack a punch at volume too. There is a tendency with a lot of modern speakers to over emphasise the really high frequencies but not with the Sonodynes. Ultra highs are smooth and crisp but never get in the way of the mids and bass, which is where the music is.

So, having decided that we liked listening to other people's work on them the real acid test was to stoke up the computer and try recording with them. Again, the Sonodynes impressed: whether mixing, playing, or recording, they hit the spot every time. Getting the sound was straightforward, no dead spots and no moments of indecision (above and beyond the normal ones that is!). Everyone who's heard them has liked them and enjoyed the experience of playing to them. Their superb precision tells you right away if you've picked the wrong mic or the wrong EQ.

In these days of ever diminishing budgets workflow is king and anything that helps you move things along a bit faster is worth its weight in gold, or at least hard cash. These speakers come highly recommended.

Squier Simon Neil Stratocaster

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:54:00 GMT

Topless, tatted and wild-eyed, Biffy Clyro's Simon Neil is very much from the 'escaped lunatic' school of stagecraft, so it's odd to see the ultimate symbol of electric guitar conservatism around his neck.

"Ah, but nobody makes a Strat sound as heavy as I make it," countered Simon in one TG interview, and now he's giving us the chance to try. Not with his US Fender Custom Shop Time Machine '60s model, mind you (circa £2,000 for that, captain), but with a £359 Squier that apparently plays so sweetly it even sees action at Biffy shows.

In the following video, Simon and James from Biffy, along with Neil Whitcher from Fender Europe, tell all about the new Squier signature models:

"Absolutely amazing!" is Simon's verdict. Here's ours...

Some signature models shred the rulebook. Not this one. Alder body, maple neck, rosewood 'board, 21 frets… It's very much a red Squier Strat; the only visual cues are vintage hardware and a Biffy logo.

All hopes of mould-breaking rest on the pickups: a trio of custom single-coils whose fusion of Alnico III and V magnets should have a subtle impact on tone. Boring? To look at, maybe, but this is the format Simon plays. What else can Squier do?

In fact, what Squier has done is get this Strat as close to the US Fender blueprint as the bean-counters will allow. To play, the body is identical (though inevitably lower cost), while the neck is comparable, adding up to a faithful physical rendition of the most comfortable design on the planet.

You can understand why Simon is happy to pound on this thing live – it feels tough and professional, tunes up well and doesn't feel like a £359 axe.

On balance, you have to respect Squier for saving its firepower for the most important aspect of the guitar. The difference between standard Squier single-coils and these custom items is not, to be frank, night and day; they snap, pop and slice in that 'good-but-not-as-good-as-Fender' way we've come to expect.

(2 pages; go to page: 2)

Sonor Force 3007 Jungle Drum Kit

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:39:00 GMT

Sonor's Jungle kit has been around since the '90s and has always been popular on account of its portability. It's now part of the updated Force 3007 series, topping Sonor's semi-pro level, made in China with hybrid shells of Canadian and Chinese maple.

Build

We're still not really sure what the difference in quality is between Canadian and Chinese maple, but the Canadian variety is seen as more desirable and professional. Sonor uses it on the outer and inner plies of the 3007 shells. The actual construction is 5.8mm thick, with 1.7mm Canadian maple either side of a 2.4mm Chinese maple core.

The review kit is a glittering Blue Sparkle lacquer and there are 10 other finishes to choose from. Looking inside the shells reveals the Canadian maple veneer which looks top quality. The 45 degree bearing edges are carefully cut and have the tiniest of round-overs to the outside. The 16"x16" bass drum is basically a converted floor tom, and previously that meant making do with metal hoops.

Today, though, the Jungle has wood hoops, rounded off and lacquered to match the shells. They improve the look hugely and also help warm the sound.

One advantage of using a floor tom as the starting point is that you get the full compliment of 16 lugs for accurate tuning.

"Small drums always have a surprising amount of clout, but I was knocked out by the overall balance of the three drums"

In order that your bass pedal beater strikes the centre, the bass drum has a 3" (7cm) lift - a simple welded steel plate which slots into a floor tom leg bracket on the underside of the shell. It detaches for transporting, so you can just about squeeze the kick into a 16" floor tom case.

The two toms are described as 'short' sizes - 10"x8" and 14"x12" - the latter with three legs sporting enormous isolating rubber feet. You could, of course, add different sized toms from the 3007 range, although we imagine few will.

The small tom attaches to the bass drum via Sonor's TAR (Total Acoustic Resonance) mounting system. This is a 'T' shaped plate which clamps onto two upper tension brackets while the base of the 'T' bolts directly into the shell for stability. The TARS bracket is clamped to a hexagonal 'L' rod and position-adjusted via a ball-and-socket holder.

This slots into a height extension post which in turn slots into the rounded bass drum mount. It sounds more complicated than it is and, as we expect from Sonor, it works just fine.

There are stout memory locks on the tom mount, spurs, tom legs and pedal riser. Lugs are Sonor's single-ended twin mallet logo design, mounted on black plastic isolating plinths.

There was no snare with the review kit although Sonor does make a skinny Jungle 10"x2" which can be mounted from a special tom stand bracket. Alternatively, the 3007 range includes 12"x5" and 13"x7" snares.

(2 pages; go to page: 2)

Wave Arts Tube Saturator

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:34:00 GMT

Wave Arts' previous output has comprised high-quality mixing, mastering and restoration plug-ins, but its latest, Tube Saturator, finds the company in analogue emulation territory.

Mimicking popular 12AX7-based tube preamp designs, it also includes three-band Baxandall-style EQ, a 'fat' mode for extra grit, and 64-bit internal processing. To achieve all this, Wave Arts has used circuit modelling (on which more later), resulting in a considerable CPU hit.

Overview

Although pretty basic to look at, plenty of thought has gone into Tube Saturator's features. First up, the Baxandall EQ has been used because it delivers natural-sounding high and low shelves that are more like gentle slopes than shelves, similar to the tone controls on a hi-fi. There's also a peaking mid band, which is broad and, again, sounds natural.

All frequencies are fixed (100Hz and 1kHz transition frequencies for the shelves and 800Hz centre for the peak) and the gain's range is +/-12dB. Also significant is that the EQ sits before the preamp, enabling it to influence which frequencies are driven.

The 'fat' control modifies the bias of the first triode amplifier, resulting in increased gain and saturation. Finally, increasing the drive increases input gain and reduces output gain, and there's a manual output gain control, if needed.

In use

With completely flat settings, we found that Tube Saturator had no discernible effect, but on cranking up the controls the interrelated nature of things became more apparent. Even with the Drive at zero, switching on the EQ circuit has a subtle effect on the low-end, thinning things out a little. The EQ itself is very pleasing and although the high and low shelves are great for sweetening, we were particularly impressed by the mid-range and its ability to musically boost or cut that often congested area around 800Hz.

Changes are subtle until you crank the Drive up to 4, beyond which there's more obvious even harmonic content. For held sounds, this is perceived as increased higher frequencies. For impulse sounds, such as kicks and snares, this starts out having an enhancing effect, but as you push things further, the saturation limits the peaks, eventually sounding slightly compressed.

"Even with the Drive at zero, switching on the EQ circuit has a subtle effect on the low-end, thinning things out a little."

Combining EQ and drive can be fun and although the EQ isn't of the parametric variety, we found it possible to sculpt individual sounds quite well. Finally, Tube Saturator is great for treating stereo sounds, such as drum busses and overall mixes, adding even harmonic enhancement and, if pushed, some limiting.

Circuit modelling

Wave Arts' prototype versions of Tube Saturator used typical emulation methods, effectively joining the individual processing functions required. However, this didn't properly represent the interrelatedness of the twin triode preamp design, which led the company to pursue component-level circuit simulation. This uses a set of non-linear differential equations to calculate specific node points in the circuit at each sampling period.

This is very CPU-intensive, and not only that, but the CPU hit is proportional to the number of nodes cubed, so a more complex circuit with twice as many nodes would equate to eight times the CPU hit!

We found that a mono instance of Tube Saturator running at 44.1kHz registered just under a third on the CPU meter for one core of an Intel Mac 3GHz CPU. However, using a stereo instance doubles that, and higher sampling frequencies will multiply it further, so remember that 'freeze' button!

(2 pages; go to page: 2)

Ahead Brass Snare Drum

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:53:00 GMT

When hi-tech synthetic stick manufacturer Ahead first diversified into snare drums back in 2006 it met with instant success. The black-chromed, brass-shelled snares that it launched to acclaim have since been joined by maple and Wenge Vert (West African hardwood) models.

The latest version returns to a black on brass shell and features Ahead's own quick-release lugs.

Build

The lugs are named Brunson lugs after their designer Scott Brunson. Made of aerospace-grade aluminium 7075, they are compact, elegant and extremely light. They anchor onto fixed round studs, also in aluminium, which sit proud from the shell. Rubber grommets line the holes where the studs pass through the shell to prevent any metal-on-metal contact.

"Straying away from the central portion of the head, overtones soon appear. By the time the edges are reached you'd be forgiven for thinking that the drum was reproducing feedback."

Fitting the lugs is a question of simply sliding the circular bulge in each lug over the stud and then tightening the tension rods. Ahead claims that an advantage of the rounded couplings used in Brunson lugs is that they will compensate for any misalignment of the hoops or tension rods.

Brunson lugs are also available to buy separately and can be retro-fitted to most drums with single mounting holes. Though they are super-light, and therefore good for resonance and sustain, the lugs would appear to bring stresses of their own, as the shell has been beefed up to 1.5mm thick from the 1mm of the original snare.

Ahead says that this is to prevent possible distortion at very high tensions.

Hands on

Lugs and shell thickness aside, the drum is largely similar to the tube-lugged version and is equipped with S Hoops, Fat Cat snare wires and a Dunnett snare release, while the black chrome finish is as sumptuous as ever. Currently Brunson lugs are only available on the 14"x6" model, though Ahead has plans for a 13"x6" Brunson lug drum.

Unlike the original Ahead snare, we found that this drum needed a lot of tweaking to get the best out of it, but once it was in the zone it came to life. The usual characteristics of brass are present in the form of bright, cutting attack combined with a warm, slightly dark tone. The thicker shell of this snare gives it serious projection whilst still sounding musical.

Brass drums are also known for their liveliness and straying away from the central portion of the head, overtones soon appear. By the time the edges are reached you'd be forgiven for thinking that the drum was reproducing feedback.

Iceni Iroko Snare Drum

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 09:36:00 GMT

Peterborough-based Simon Rist started making drums while at university three and a half years ago. He was studying architectural model-making and he's adapted some of those skills to the art of shell building.

Two years after leaving university, Simon makes his living from architectural modelling, but would like eventually to build drums full time.

Build

This is only Iceni's fifth drum and it's block constructed 14"x6 1/2" in Iroko wood (aka African Teak from West Africa), often used for boat building and kitchen worktops etc.

"What we always look for first in a quality snare drum is edge sensitivity: can you play a buzz roll right up to the bearing edge? Well, you can tick that box..."

The shell is actually made from 100 segments, giving it a quilted look. The solid Iroko block is cut into long sections and then into trapezoid segments. These are glued together in circles, stacked up to shell height and turned into round on a lathe.

"It's the most aesthetic way I've found," says Simon. "I've tried staves, but I like the way with segments you get both end grain and long grain. It's like brickwork with joints overlapping so the shell is much stronger."

The effect is certainly striking and the thick 10mm shell has a luxuriously sturdy appearance. There were, though, one or two areas where the joins between the 'bricks' were not 100 percent sanded flat, leaving tiny ridges. They're barely visible, but run your finger over the surface and you can feel them. We're being really picky, though, as overall the finish is beautifully smooth, hand-waxed and polished.

Inside, the shell is a little more rough and unpolished, which is fine. The accurate bearing edges are routed to a double 45 degrees, 2mm to the outside and 8mm inside. All metal parts are generic, including chrome-plated, solid machined brass lugs and 2.3mm steel hoops. The strainer is by Gibraltar with Tama Starclassic snare wires. There are also two die-cast 10mm air vents.

Hands on

What we always look for first in a quality snare drum is edge sensitivity: can you play a buzz roll right up to the bearing edge? Well, you can tick that box. What's more, all that edge brightness means you get wild, resonant rim shots and vibrant cross sticks.

Wood shells are usually described as warm, but we find also that a good, thick wood shell snare like this rings as much as a metal shell. The Iceni has all this in abundance.

The extremely shallow, subtle cut of the snare beds, together with the quality Tama snares, provides a rich, clean response with a minimum of sympathetic buzzing. The carefully cut bearing edges make tuning easy, though we did encounter a problem: having taken off the batter head, we had difficulty getting it back on. The bolts were only just long enough to reach the rather short tube lugs.

Clavia Nord C2

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 12:36:00 GMT

The C1 Organ was Nord's first dedicated two manual Hammond B3/Vox/Farfisa emulator and it's fair to say that Clavia got it pretty much spot on first time round. However, the C2 promises to improve on an already winning formula that has many fans.

The C1 is considered pretty authentic and quickly established itself with the very hard to please Hammond emulator community. So what's new and improved this time around? At first glance you would think not much has changed but there are numerous improvements both under the hood and cosmetically.

What's new?

First up, the percussion controls have been moved much nearer the manuals, which is very welcome, and now have additional coupler modes in the new pipe organ mode. The vibrato/chorus (and now tremulant) controls have also been moved to a more easy to reach position and the vibrato/chorus manual selectors have been moved from the drawbar area to a much better place with the rest of the vibrato/chorus controls.

One thing missing is the old C1 Unison Mode (this was a kind of three mode stereo chorus); not a big deal for us, but still worth mentioning. Also, the rotary speaker controls now double as couplers in the pipe organ mode, allowing one manual's stops to be played by the other, coupling of the lowest bass note to the super low bass stop for massive rumbling bass, plus further coupling of both manual's stops to the pedals and more (there are seven coupler modes for maximum flexibility).

"All in all, the C2 is much more logically laid out and quicker to use on the fly than the C1 which is a real bonus."

While on this topic, we should say that there's been a slight renaming of the break control from 'break' to 'stop' (used to stop the rotary speaker spinning). Pipe organ stop names have now been added under the drawbars, too, and preset space has been increased from 100 to 126 slots to accommodate the extra pipe organ programs, so there's plenty of scope for creating plenty of your own sounds.

Our review model arrived with the front mounted rotary speaker flick switch (an extra cost option), which works great and goes in the same position as on a real B3 to preserve the authentic feel. This connects to the rear panel via a jack and screws into the front underside of the C2.

All in all, the C2 is much more logically laid out and quicker to use on the fly than the C1 which is a real bonus. All the easy to access sub menu features are listed in full on the front panel too, which is handy, though we wish this was a peel off sticker as it does detract from what is a beautifully put together and great looking instrument.

One of the most endearing features of the C1 organ was its lightweight form factor and the C2 thankfully retains this lightness too, being only one pound heavier than its predecessor. It's very easy for one person to pick up which is great for such as large instrument and it certainly beats dragging a real Hammond around!

The action of the manuals is pretty much the same as the Nord Electro 3 and is great for organ playing. It's slightly stiffer than a real Hammond but still a joy to play, and it's possible to set the organ to play with a very quick trigger point for super fast playing.

Keyboard click can be altered to taste, too, and most other sections have further tweakable parameters in the sub menu system. It's easy to change percussion volume, decay, rotary speaker horn and bass rotor speed and acceleration, plus there are three tonewheel modes that allow you to turn your C2 into a beaten up sounding or brand new sounding organ as you wish. There's also the possibility to cancel the ninth drawbar when percussion is engaged as on real Hammond - very authentic.

(2 pages; go to page: 2)

Moon RD3 acoustic

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:33:00 GMT

The unlikely setting of a small workshop beside the Bay Horse Pub in Glasgow's Pollokshaw's Road serves as the home of one of the UK guitar industry's best-kept secrets.

Jimmy Moon of Moon Guitars has been building a fascinating array of both electric and acoustic instruments – including mandolins, dulcimers, bespoke multi-string hybrids and 'regular' six-string acoustics – since 1969, when the first Moon issued from a small workshop on the Island of Arran off the west coast of Scotland.

Moon Guitars celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2009 and all models produced this year will carry a commemorative label in recognition of this. Notwithstanding its humble roots, Moon has built and repaired guitars for some of rock and pop's most popular names, including Franz Ferdinand, Del Amitri and one of folk's elder statesmen, Dougie MacLean.

Moon's RD3 dreadnought model has also found favour with the stars and current users include Bryan Adams, his longstanding axe-man Keith Scott, Trevor Rabin and Paulo Nutini.

In the case of the former, the story goes that the guitarist in Mr Adams' support act was using a Moon onstage and, being so impressed with its sound, Adams promptly tried to purchase it out of his hands. The guitarist in question declined and politely suggested that Mr Adams should get his own. So he did.

Moon's compact range of guitars falls into one of two series – the Standard series and the Master series. The RD3 issues from the Standard series and was first launched some five years ago. However, over the years the RD3 has undergone a degree of development and refinement that has resulted in the model presented here for review.

Check it out in action in the following audio demo:

Aimed squarely at strummers and flatpickers who appreciate fine materials and workmanship, our review model comes 'dry' – without any electrics. That said, Moon will fit any pickup system desired by a customer, although it recommends Fishman.

"Along with its strident, brisk voice, the RD3 also packs a powerful punch, offering plenty of volume."

Whichever way you view it, the RD3 is an extremely good looking guitar. If it were hanging amid a wall of dreadnoughts, this reviewer would reach for the RD3 first. Right out of the case, two things immediately grab our attention.

First, the high quality selections of Indian rosewood used for the back and sides, which are deliciously rich and full of black grain – the finest we've seen for some time. Second, the almost polished, glossy appearance of the ebony fingerboard is undeniably alluring. It draws you in and demands to be played.

(2 pages; go to page: 2)

Flux Syrah

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:58:00 GMT

For dynamics processing, most of us instinctively reach for a compressor, but there are other options - Syrah, the new plug-in from Flux, is one of them.

It's different from a typical compressor in that not only does it adapt its processing to suit the source signal, but it uses both level-dependent compression/de-expansion and that which is level-independent - ie, it reacts to musical events such as transients, rather than the signal exceeding a certain level.

What sets Syrah apart, though, isn't so much the processing methods as the way in which they are labelled and implemented. A couple of examples include the x3 control, which multiplies the release range by three, and Log, which engages logarithmic calculations for the release time, giving faster responses.

Many of the front panel controls affect a number of under-the-bonnet parameters at the same time. Syrah's Modes are an example of this - eg, the Dynamic Soft option automatically controls the release, compression, clipper and de-expansion (as well as the Relax parameter), giving a bouncy sort of compression that doesn't crush the dynamic range or sap the life from the signal.

"What sets Syrah apart isn't so much the processing methods as the way in which they are labelled and implemented."

Following Syrah's main dynamics section is a smooth clipping function, which can also be adaptive, depending on the mode selected, further contributing to the crisp processing. There's also a Mix knob for blending the effected and raw signals.

To help you understand what Syrah is doing to your signals, there's a waveform display and a graph that shows the gain reduction amount. This display offers zoom and freeze functions for almost unprecedented visual referencing.

In use

We found that Syrah works best on instruments that demand a measure of subtlety, such as guitar, piano and vocals. It's cool for creative effects, too, as the numerous modes and options can make it respond to the material in subtle but distinct ways. On Flux's recommendation, we even used it on our master bus to help gel our mix.

The mid/side mode is a boon, too – it did a sterling job on a reverb bus, thickening and widening the signal pleasingly.

One fantastic feature of Syrah is its ability to morph between two presets, which enables you to add exciting changes throughout your track, as the Morph parameter can be automated. However, its greatest strength for us was for A/B comparisons.

Many plug-ins, particularly dynamics ones, offer A/B functionality, but the act of morphing gently between the two seems to give a far more useful comparison, and all to an extent that we simply couldn't have predicted until we'd tried it. Syrah even sidesteps the normal A/B problem, whereby any change in perceived volume colours perception (because 'louder sounds better').

Whether you're editing Syrah itself or another plug-in inserted before it, its automatic levelling function counteracts volume differences, enabling you to judge your changes based on sonic quality, not volume.

Summary

For a really in-your-face result, Syrah's not going to be your first port of call - it just doesn't squash things as viciously as less sophisticated compressors and limiters. But on the flip side, it can almost work like an enhancer, seemingly brightening signals rather than just making them louder. We found it to be better at phattening groups of sparse tracks (such as a kick, bass and hat) than entire mixes, as it enables them to breathe and pulse nicely.

If big, bulging beats are your thing, Syrah's subtleties could be lost on you, but for super-slick dynamics handling, it's a winner.

Hear Syrah doing its stuff:

Lead bass dry

Lead bass with bass preset

Kick 'n' hats dry

Kick 'n' hats Hash II preset

Doepfer Dark Energy

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:46:00 GMT

Dark Energy is a single oscillator analogue mono synth, with built-in MIDI-to-CV convertor and a USB port to integrate it in to the 20th century digital studio.

Cosmetically speaking, Doepfer has managed to build a very attractive little box, with its dark black steel, cherry red wooden ends, elegant rows of knobs and compact switches. The components feel nice and sturdy to tweak, but as there isn't that much real estate their careful arrangement means there's just enough room to wiggle switches without accidentally hitting others.

Also in the box are half a dozen short mini-jack cables to patch with, a USB cable and mini-jack to 1/4-inch for the main audio output. You can plug in a keyboard or sequencer through the MIDI In port round the back, connect the USB for MIDI over USB (plug and play), or trigger it analogue via the CV/Gate through the inputs on the top panel. Also round the back are four CV and one Gate output, a PSU socket and a Learn button.

While Doepfer list this synth as having a 'triangle based core', with a choice of the aforementioned triangle, or a saw wave, there's actually a little bit more going on than first meets the eye. When the three-position selector switch is in the central 'off' position you are left with a pulse oscillator, while the PW knob adjusts the symmetry of the square.

It produces an even square with PM in the middle, and this means you can effectively switch off the pulse wave by turning the PW dial to either its max or minimum position. Without the pulse in the mix, you can choose to go with either a pure saw or triangle waveform, or dial some of the pulse back into the equation.

Below it is a dial for PWM, sources are either ADSR or LFO2, and in case you were wondering, both LFOs' modulation is bi-polar and the red/ yellow flash indicates positive and negative direction. The VCO switch selects the range between three octaves, and the basic tuning can be set with the VCO knob, which smoothly sweeps over an 11 semi-tone range.

Dark Energy has a few tricks up its sleeve for expanding its tonal range, one of which is analogue FM. Chose between ADSR and LFO1 from the internal sources or patch something else in from your modular rack via the input on the front panel.

"The 24dB low-pass filter features keyboard tracking and is self-resonating, so it doesn't require the oscillator to get it sounding."

The LFO speed ranges from several minutes all the way up to 5kHz, which brings it nicely into the realms of audio rate modulation. This produces a wonderfully rich range of tones, from buzzing and flapping to biting, metallic klangs and robotic talk boxes.

(2 pages; go to page: 2)

Yamaha Birch Custom Absolute drum kit

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:59:00 GMT

Originally launched in 1998, Yamaha's Absolute Series has since become a byword for top-notch professional drums. Prior to the 2009 NAMM show the range was given a thorough upgrade.

Build

Absolute Series kits can be ordered in either birch or maple with drums of each of the woods being mixed across a kit as you desire. In addition, a choice of two lug designs can be fitted to each drum. We were sent a six-piece Birch Custom Absolute shell pack with Hook Lugs along with a Birch Custom Absolute snare fitted with regular Absolute Lugs.

"When we arrived at the venue the rest of the band's faces lit up. When we began playing the kit their jaws slackened - it sounded so damn good"

At NAMM, Yamaha introduced more shell options across the Absolute Series. The review kit includes an all-new undrilled 22"x20" bass drum, while the 14" and 16" floor toms are shallower than previous models, coming in at 13" and 15" respectively. The tom sizes are 10"x8", 12"x9" and 13"x10", though these diameters are also available an inch shorter in depth.

The supplied 14"x6" snare has a natural finish, but it can be ordered in the same eye-catching lacquer as the rest of the kit. Beneath the lacquer and lug options lie shells that are virtually identical to those found on Yamaha's legendary 9000 Recording Custom Series drums.

Made with Hokkaido birch from Northern Japan, the shells are 7-ply, 7mm thick for bass drums only and 6-ply, 6mm for all other drums. While the birch shells of 9000 Recording Custom Series drums sport one-piece full-length lugs, the two lug options for the Birch Custom Absolute are rooted in minimalism.

The regular Absolute Lug, featured on the first Absolute kits, remains unchanged and is a classic example of a low mass lug that fixes to the shell with a single bolt. The alternative - seen here on all of the drums except for the snare - is Yamaha's innovative Hook Lug which is also found on the company's visionary PHX kits.

Inspired by Yamaha's original quick-release Nouveau Lug, the Hook Lug occupies an even smaller footprint on the shell. The design splits the lug into two sections, with the bulk of the casing 'floating' above the shell. This outer section locks into place by hooking over a post that is itself attached to the shell by a single bolt.

Hook Lugs also dramatically streamline head changing, as a few turns of a drum key is enough to unhook each lug from its post, in turn releasing the hoop. They are an optional extra and add around 15 percent to the cost of each drum.

YESS II mounts are fitted as standard across the rack toms. These utilise rubber grommets to prevent the bracket making contact with the shell. The stunning Blue Ice Sparkle finish is one of nine new lacquer options, bringing the number of colours available up to 24.

(2 pages; go to page: 2)

Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol X1

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:16:00 GMT

You'd be forgiving for thinking that NI's first attempt at a controller for their über-popular Traktor DJing software would be along the lines of Akai's APC40 - replicating the software's GUI and strongest features in hardware, making the visual feedback recognisable and the layout logical.

But you'd be far off the mark - NI has, for better or for worse, squarely aimed its product at one sector of its market - timecoded vinyl and CD users. While this makes sense as a business choice - NI needs to associate itself with currently installed professional club systems and equipment if it's to truly become a standard - it is odd to completely remove the ability, or at least make it very difficult, to use the X1 away from these scenarios.

That being said, NI has admitted that this isn't the last controller we'll see from it, so let's assess the X1 in the context it was designed for.

In detail

Anyone who is familiar with NI's excellent groovebox Maschine will instantly recognise the look and feel of the X1 - its black metal sheen and rubberised buttons have a satisfying and reassuring feel and it definitely feels like it will take a beating on the road and in the club. Once the unit is plugged in, like Maschine, it glows an array of colours from its backlit buttons and instantly works with the new version of Traktor - not a MIDI map in sight.

The X1's size and shape are designed to sit alongside a standard hardware mixer - not unlike Allen & Heath's Xone:1D. Unlike the 1D though, the X1 squeezes complete control of two decks into a tiny footprint, and does so quite remarkably.

The X1 is laid out fairly logically, with the effects and transport sections being of main interest. The effects section is comprehensive to say the least with a total of 28 controls for what is essentially a fairly simple element of Traktor. Along with the standard effects on/off buttons and amount knobs, NI has included a Dry/Wet knob, a global on/off button on each effects channel as well as Shift functions to cycle through effects.

"The X1 is laid out fairly logically, with the effects and transport sections being of main interest."

NI has also taken the questionable decision to label each of the on/off buttons and knobs with three of the most popular DJ effects: Delay, Reverb and Filter. It's up to you how much of an annoyance this could be – initially, we found it confusing, but after some reshuffling, we got used to it and it does make sense.

Conveniently, hitting Shift and FX On will make these labelled effects active on that channel, so if you have gone crazy with effects selection you can reset it to the defaults with one click and start again.

(2 pages; go to page: 2)

Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol X1

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:16:00 GMT

That being said, NI has admitted that this isn't the last controller we'll see from it, so let's assess the X1 in the context it was designed for.

In detail

"The X1 is laid out fairly logically, with the effects and transport sections being of main interest."

(2 pages; go to page: 2)

Livid Instruments Block

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:42:00 GMT

The grid-based controller field has got crowded: monome, Akai's APC40, Novation's Launchpad... these controllers target Ableton Live users, directly or indirectly, as well as users of more flexible applications such as Max/MSP and Reaktor, and various VJ programs. Add Max for Live to that list, and ideas are rapidly changing about what connections we can build between hardware and software.

The most recent arrival on the scene is the Block. This is the latest in a line of controllers from Livid Instruments in Texas, going back to the Tactic, the VX Rack, and the Ohm (still in production as the Ohm64), and sidetracking into the transparent plastic weird-cool of the Viditar - a video jamming 'guitar'.

In detail

More streamlined than the Ohm, Block is a square device which is all about the 64 buttons (all of which are lit by blue LEDs). There's just a handful of other controls: eight knobs, two faders, and seven function buttons (one is a big fat one intended for more dynamic uses like tap tempo).

The top panel is aluminium, and the case is made of jelutong, a lightweight hardwood that used to be a major source of chewing gum, apparently.

The Block scores with its wood and metal loveliness and chunky controls, but we'd prefer the 13 screws in the top panel to be countersunk, especially the ones between the buttons - as things stand, they are intrusive. Also, the knobs don't line up with the grid - as a performer you may find this annoying in a live situation. The device is compact enough, but it is quite deep, and it won't fit in everybody's laptop case.

"Block is a square device which is all about the 64 buttons (all of which are lit by blue LEDs). There's just a handful of other controls: eight knobs, two faders, and seven function buttons."

Block is USB-powered, doesn't need drivers, and ships with MIDI notes and CCs assigned to the controls and buttons. Use it immediately and figure it out later - we like that.

When you're ready to create your own presets, download the free Block Editor app, assign your chosen functions (the 'function' buttons can also send program changes, by the way), and toy with the LEDs. Draw a pattern in the Editor and Block's LEDs follow right along - type a text message, and you can watch it scroll across the display.

Even better, load a QuickTime movie into the Editor and watch as the pads attempt to display it - this works best with simple graphics. It's probably pointless, but a lot of fun.

The Editor source code is available under a GPL licence, and can be edited in Max/MSP.

(2 pages; go to page: 2)

Marshall JMD:1 50-watt 1x12 combo

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:45:00 GMT

When your products ship in cartons with the words 'Guitar Amplifier' printed on them in five different languages, you know you've arrived as a major international manufacturing operation. Of course, Marshall arrived at this point four decades ago and, remarkably, is still on top of the game today.

While most of the company's core products are still made in Bletchley, Marshall also has manufacturing operations in India, Vietnam and now China, which is where the newest product range to bear that famous white script logo comes from.

With a full digital front-end courtesy of Swedish amp modelling supremos Softube, but still driving a traditional EL34 power stage, let's welcome the all-new Marshall JMD:1. Marshall's Chris George puts it through its paces in the following clip:

Visually, there's no mistaking the JMD:1's heritage – gold control panel, gold knobs, shiny black corner protectors with gold screws and of course the Marshall logo. This is one of the most famous and well-known brands on the planet.

The JMD:1's vinyl appears to be somewhat thinner than that used on UK-made products, but it's still tough and has been expertly applied. Its electronics are contained within a strong steel chassis, which has had reinforcement ribs and locators pressed into it.

"The JMD:1's overall voicing and character is not for the timid – this is a big, bold amp and benefits from being wound up loud."

The power supply, output stage and preamp components are all on one large through-plated PCB, including the valve bases. Output valves are easy to get to but the single ECC83 driver valve is deeply recessed and will be difficult to replace. However, this won't need to be done more than every couple of years with normal use.

A second board behind the control panel contains the knobs, switches and logic stuff, as well as a daughter board for the amp's digital effects. The same main board is used for 50- and 100-watt models, which have identical controls – the writing on the panel is simply flipped 180° to accommodate the combo's upside down chassis configuration.

(3 pages; go to page: 2 3)

Gibraltar Stealth Rack

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:46:00 GMT

Gibraltar devised the Stealth Rack to provide an unobtrusive solution to drummers with an aversion to conventional racks, while also dispensing with the clutter of overlapping tripods familiar to anyone with a stand-based set-up.

The design revolves around keeping the horizontal elements of the rack low and to the sides of the kit. This allows a clear view of the drums, which, at a time when finishes are ever more distinctive and decorative, can only be a welcome development.

Build

Stealth Racks are assembled using standard Gibraltar chrome-plated steel tubing. The tubes are fairly substantial but, being hollow, are pretty light. Where other manufacturers have opted for square or hexagonal rack tubing, Gibraltar is happy to stick with circular bars.

We can't see how it can be suggested that circular tubing might be more likely to creep where clamped - have you ever seen scaffolding erected with anything other than circular bars?

"The rack's design keeps the horizontal elements of the kit low and to the sides allowing a clear view of the drums"

There is a familiarity to round tubing as well, as it resembles cymbal stands and other existing hardware. 'Stealth' might conjure images of military vehicles with odd angles and matt black paint, but the rounded, polished tubing of the Stealth Rack blends in with the kit. The shininess of the bars only serves to reflect the already visible finish of the kit further.

Hands on

Where regular racks tend to span the front and sides of a kit, the Stealth Rack is split into two side-only sections. As well as saving space, this leaves the front of the kit free of horizontal bars, so contributing to the stealth factor. The two sides are not identical as they serve different purposes, but both are based around a pair of upright tubes fitted with feet that connect to a horizontal bar.

These two assemblies are enough to complete your setup as Gibraltar has designed a modular system that allows rival manufacturers' hardware to be incorporated into the rack. On the snare side is the GSVMS, or Stealth Vertical Mounting System. This pairs one regularly-sized upright with a shortened upright that sits on a narrower foot.

It is positioned with the horizontal tube running from the front of the bass drum right into your playing area. The end with the larger upright and foot is placed furthest away from you to receive a single or double tom arm. Nearest to you, the top of a snare stand can be planted into the smaller upright.

The smaller foot is clearly designed to not intrude on your pedal action. Linking the two uprights is a bar with a gentle curve close to one end, intended to arc over a double bass pedal connecting rod. The vertical and horizontal bars are attached to one another with a pair of 90 degree clamps which are simple to fit and tighten.

The Stealth Rack sent to us for review is a GSVMS-KIT, which includes all of the components from the GSVMS along with a Gibraltar snare basket and tom arm. The more basic GSVMS is supplied with three sets of plastic collars that clip into the locks at the top of the uprights. Their varying diameters cater for virtually every stand on the market, so you can save money by slotting your own stands into the fittings.

(2 pages; go to page: 2)

Studio Devil Amp Modeler Pro

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:19:00 GMT

Studio Devil's Amp Modeller Pro is its most ambitious product to date. It includes not only valve preamp and power amp modelling, but also four stompbox-style effects, impulse-based cabinet emulations, a 7-band graphic EQ, 1-band parametric EQ, compressor, gate, echo, reverb and wah-wah.

Currently the software is in VST and AU formats (it doesn't run standalone), with RTAS support in the pipeline.

Studio Devil is keen to point out that Amp Modeller Pro uses its own patented modelling technology to replicate the behaviour of hardware preamp valves. There are tone controls (bass, mid, treble and presence) and a modelled power amp stage (Tube Class A, Class AB and FET). Aiding sound quality are 64-bit processing and, with the Hi-Fi switch engaged, 192kHz internal upsampling.

In detail

Unusually for a modern amp plug-in, AMP has a single-page interface, and with the exception of its tuner (which appears in a pop-up window), all controls are crammed into quite a small window.

Our first impression of this was that it's a little crowded, but in its defence, you won't get lost hunting across multiple pages, and once you've learnt where everything is, it's quite immediate.

It's worth noting that AMP doesn't enable you to use multi-amp setups, and it doesn't feature variable mic positioning (although its cab options provide different mic positions), nor does it offer any 'tone' pedals (ie, overdrive, distortion, etc). However, you can assign MIDI CCs to all of its parameters (including the Wah-Wah Filter), and its cabinet impulse processor accepts third-party WAV and AIFF impulses. Indeed, the program's stock cabinet impulse library is bolstered by a demo set from ReCabinet to whet your appetite, and a further selection of bonus cabs.

AMP's controls are, for the most part, self-explanatory and the division of the GUI between the top half (amp, cabinet and EQ) and the bottom half (effects, compressor and gate) makes perfect sense. However, there are a few controls that merit particular mention.

First up, five of the effects (Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Tremolo and Echo) and the EQ section can each be placed before the amp (stompbox-style) or after (like studio effects). This influences the sound considerably, and effects placed after the preamp become stereo, too.

The effects are all of good quality, and while they don't have zillions of controls, there's enough there for you to dial in a range of sounds. For instance, the Echo effect's Style control takes the sound from 'analogue' (low-pass filter) to 'tape' (band-pass) on through to digital delay (no filtering).

Amp Modeler Pro is the work of New York DSP engineer Marc Gallo, who's made it his personal mission to produce CPU-efficient models of real-world valve circuits. Gallo reckons that his work has resulted in a plug-in that captures the non-linear behaviour of both the frequency and dynamics of hardware guitar preamps, and we're inclined to agree with him.

Gallo's first port of call was to model that preamp mainstay, the 12AX7A (or ECC83) valve - from there, he was then able to configure full preamp stages from the schematics of the original amps.

"Amp Modeler Pro is the work of New York DSP engineer Marc Gallo, who's made it his personal mission to produce CPU-efficient models of real-world valve circuits."

He later turned his attention to emulating the behaviour of three power amp stages: Class A, Class AB and FET. The former two are valve-based and have more of a squashy, bouncy character. FET amps use transistors, and while they don't sound as lively as valves, they're generally a better bet for solidity and consistency.

Turning up the power amp Drive knob is like cranking up a real amp, with the sound gradually becoming thicker and more saturated. Just like with real amps, putting everything 'on ten' doesn't necessarily give you the most powerful sound, so be sure to play around with the preamp and power amp Gain/Drive controls until you hit that elusive sweet spot.

(2 pages; go to page: 2)

Yamaha DTX-Multi 12 electronic percussion pad

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 10:07:00 GMT

While full electronic drum kits have come on leaps and bounds in the last 10 years, they're still rather more than some drummers need. If your requirements are for a few electronic elements alongside an acoustic kit on stage then a 'multi-pad' like Yamaha's new DTX M12 will suit much better.

Build

Yamaha's DTX line has always been well put together and the M12 maintains the standards set by the company's full kits. The bulk of the unit is of chunky, high-impact plastic - the type that typically shrugs off knocks - and its well-judged proportions mean it's easy enough to play while being easily positionable in a set-up.

"Even the control buttons are soft to the touch - interaction with the M12 is a pretty gratifying experience"

Hitting this 'sweet spot' in terms of dimensions isn't easy with an all-in-one module, but Yamaha have done well with the M12. Its six main pads have a playing area of roughly 100mm x 110mm, so provide a decent target area, while the six smaller pads (the rounded 'bars' at the top and bottom of the playing area) need a more carefully-aimed stick.

The raised profile of these avoids too many misfires, though.

The pads themselves are nicely tactile. A soft rubber surface yields for a nicely luxurious amount of 'give', making the M12 very forgiving on the wrists. And even the collection of control buttons are soft to the touch, both in terms of response and surface. All in all, interaction with the M12 is a pretty gratifying experience.

Connectivity is another M12 strong point, with MIDI In/Out, 1/4" jack inputs to allow an additional five pads to be added, an Aux In socket, stereo and headphone outs and USB connections. It's a comprehensive array, one that places the M12 firmly at the centre of an extensive rig, controlling external sequencers or sound sources, should the need arise.

Perhaps the biggest compromise necessitated by the M12's compact form comes in the shape of the two-line LCD display. In performance it's more than enough in terms of brightness and clarity, but its small size does mean more screen-scrolling and thus slower editing than would otherwise be the case.

Hands on

The title of this section could equally be 'Sticks On' or 'Fingers On', according to Yamaha. All three striking methods can be applied to the M12, depending on the instruments being played. Certain tabla sounds, for example, respond well to finger taps while congas are better played with a more forceful hand. And sticks are the obvious choice when using the unit in conjunction with a kit onstage.

Contained within the M12 are close to 1300 preset sounds, culled from Yamaha's Motif synth engine or the DTXtreme III electro kit. And the vast majority are very good indeed. There's a good selection of percussion in evidence, a decent line in both electronic and acoustic kits and a noticeable dearth of useless novelty sounds or endless clanky variations of 'rock' kits.

(2 pages; go to page: 2)

Epiphone 'Inspired By' John Lennon Casino

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:26:00 GMT

While the calibre and heritage of Epiphone's discontinued, USA-made John Lennon 1965 Casino can hardly be questioned, it had one major drawback: the price!

Retailing on the cusp of £2000, for many guitarists not even the high build quality could compensate. This tale isn't unique among Epiphone's American-made guitars.

Keen to redress the balance for those with smaller pockets, Epiphone has launched the new Indonesian-made 'Inspired By' John Lennon Casino – £1,200 cheaper than the former USA model and £400 more expensive than the standard Chinese-made Casino.

"The key to the Beatles tone is in the volume control."

One event more than any other led to the Casino's enduring popularity. In 1966, with Paul McCartney already using his 1962 Casino on many famous tracks such as Taxman and Paperback Writer, John Lennon acquired his very own sunburst model.

It's argued that McCartney's use of the model was the more impressive from a musical perspective, but Lennon definitely did more for it visually than any guitarist before or since.

Contemporary players such as Paul Weller and Noel Gallagher have also become synonymous with Epiphone semis but, as we know, their inspiration draws directly from The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

Here, Epiphone has borrowed Gibson Custom's Historic 'Inspired By' moniker as a means to upgrade the standard Casino with USA appointments, but retain that famous artist relation at a modest price – perhaps due to the fact that Epiphone has, as mentioned, discontinued the USA-built equivalent.

Hear it in action in the following audio demo:

The upgraded fittings include two Gibson USA P-90 pickups with dog-ear, nickel-plated covers and a Switchcraft-made three-way toggle switch and output jack.

Like the ES-330, the Casino's maple laminate body is completely hollow and shares the distinctive twin-cutaway shape with single-layer, off-white binding on the front and back edges, which in this case is extremely well done.

The 'Inspired By' also features a more vintage-correct sunburst than its Chinese counterpart, where the 'burst is wider to the edges and has a more luxurious, deeper gradient as seen on sixties examples. However its scratchplate, as on our regular Casino, is still a little cheap looking and it's common for players to remove it.

In keeping with the original, the 22-fret neck joins the body at the 16th fret, which is three further back than a centre-blocked ES-335 and one further than our Chinese-made standard Casino.

(2 pages; go to page: 2)

FabFilter Pro-Q

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 10:56:00 GMT

FabFilter has a well-deserved reputation for taking standard concepts and giving them a unique and successful spin. But with consistent praise comes great expectation, so its new EQ plug-in, Pro-Q, already has its work cut out for it.

Previous plug-ins from FabFilter have tended to exhibit their own way of working, which can be a little confusing or off-putting for traditionalists. However, we reckon EQ is one case where it makes sense to go for the fully 'digital' interface - the 'nodes and curves' display is simply more informative and comprehensible than a bunch of dials. From the uncluttered interface and easily legible typefaces to the neat colour contrasts and smooth edges, Pro-Q is visually clear and radiates solid reliability.

Creating a new band is as simple as double-clicking the graph and dragging the resulting point around. And as Pro-Q's helpful tip window tells you while hovering over the dot, holding down the modiier key (Cmnd on Mac) enables you to change the Q setting, too - or you can simply use the mouse wheel. Selecting multiple nodes is done by lassoing or Shift-clicking them - you can then edit the lot at once.

It's all incredibly smooth and effective, with a few rather nifty surprises. For example, when dragging multiple nodes, negative gain values decrease and positive values increase, which is perfect for, say, simultaneously intensifying your settings (accentuating all the peaks and troughs) if you want a more extreme EQ effect.

In detail

Backing up this great interface are numerous features and, while not being particularly sexy, there's pretty much everything you need in a modern EQ. For starters, you get bypass (and delete) buttons per band, a comprehensive preset memory system (with a basic assortment of factory presets to get you started), MIDI learn and program change controls, undo/redo, pre- or post-EQ spectrum analyser and keyboard entry for parameter values.

As for those all-important filter types, each band can be set to bell curve, low shelf, high shelf, low cut or high cut. For the latter two, you can set the steepness to 6, 12, 24 or 48dB per octave. The default processing mode is a standard zero-latency digital affair, but you can switch Pro-Q into linear phase mode, with a choice of four latencies (higher latencies give greater frequency resolution in the bass).

Pro-Q can work in mono, stereo or mid/side modes, and FabFilter's novel implementation is characteristically slick: each node's filter can apply to both or either of the channels. Thus you never have to switch between left and right editing modes - it's all on the same graph. If you've dialled in a working stereo setup, but the left channel needs attention, just drop in a new node, click its 'L' button and tweak away.

Summary

So, who might find a use for Pro-Q? Well, pretty much anyone, we'd say. The range of modes and great sound make it ideal for jobs requiring great fidelity, such as mastering and acoustic instrument processing. With up to 24 bands, though, it can also be a fun and creative tool, plus the zero-latency mode makes it viable for performance-related uses, such as live play, recording or composition. And its awesome interface makes it more practical and effortless to use than pretty much any EQ we've tried.

We've seen a number of great EQ plug-ins recently, including ones that offer either vintage-style sounds, huge power and range, or highly useful interfaces, so if you've already invested in one of our recommendations, you shouldn't feel compelled to spend any more. But if not, and you need a great-sounding EQ with a superb interface, you won't want to miss this gem.

Hear what Pro-Q can do to a loop:

Dry

Gentle master, no linear phase

Gentle master, linear phase

Roland TD-20KX electronic drum kit

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Even given the pace of change in the electronic drums market you might be surprised to see a 'new' Roland TD-20 kit. It is, after all, only a year since we played host to the last TD-20 related review, that of the TDW-20 expansion card. Well, don't get too carried away - this latest incarnation (unveiled at NAMM 2010) does indeed boast some significant new features, but at its heart lies the existing TD-20 module, albeit upgraded with all that the TDW-20 has to offer.

So is this a case of simply tarting up an old kit to squeeze the last few sales out of it, or a really worthwhile improvement on what always has been a truly superb set-up?

Build

There's never been anything to complain about as far as the construction of the TD-20K is concerned. The flagship V-Drum rig has always been robust enough for demanding professional use - from regular studio gigs to the rigours of the road.

"It's the quality of the 20 'series' that impresses most, but the quantity of sounds and functions is not to be sniffed at"

But there is, evidently, always room for improvement, and one of the most noticeable new TD-20KX features is the really rather sexy MDS-25 rack on which everything is built.

The new rack does away with the two-tier front section of the original, instead mounting the tom pads on traditional ball-and-socket tom mounts. It's an immediately cleaner looking set-up, thanks enormously to its chrome finish. It's funny, but in comparing the new kit to the rest of the (admittedly accomplished) V-Drums range, the impression is one of less 'gadget-y-ness'.

We'd never demean the rest of the line-up by describing them as gadgets - from the TD-4 up they all feel like modern instruments - but there's something about that 'proper drum kit' chrome look that really lends presence to the 20KX.

Also impressive is the huge and weighty new KD-140 V-Kick bass drum (pictured above). The new 14" pad replaces the 12" KD-120 of the standard set-up and contributes a very anchored feeling to the kit as a whole. This is a truly hefty piece of gear, and suitably serious looking legs mean that even the weightiest foot isn't going to move it anywhere. Unsurprisingly, that extra couple of inches also has an effect on the general feel too - if you're someone who tends to bury the beater, there's a little more 'real feel' to enjoy.

Amongst the other physical updates to the TD-20 are the KX's swish silver pads and 'cymbals'. The pads themselves are the same as the original, but the snare and tom pads now come with a brushed aluminium-look wrap finish. Should you feel the need you can swap the wrap by removing the head/hoop (another KX innovation), although it's sufficiently swanky as it comes, so we're not sure the extent to which users will be driven to do so.

(2 pages; go to page: 2)

TC Electronic PolyTune

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:00:00 GMT

What's the most important pedal on your board, that's also the least exciting and is more often than not the most irksome one to buy? You're dead right: it's the humble tuner.

Yet if you play live and hold even a shred of respect for your audience, an onstage tuner is a must-have piece of hardware. Effects giant Boss currently has a vice-like grip on the stage tuner market, so what can Danish effects company TC Electronic bring to the table?

Well here's the revelation: the all-new PolyTune has the ability to show you, with one full strum and in one single display, whether all six strings on your guitar are either sharp, flat or in tune. Now that, tuning fans, is big news.

The PolyTune originates from the Thailand factory that's also responsible for the beautifully made TC Nova and G-System products. It comes in a robust, space-efficient metal case and practical niceties include input and output jacks mounted securely at the same height as standard Boss Compacts (and indeed many other compact pedals out there) so you can use cable-less straight plugs.

Battery access for the single nine-volter – which TC claims will give you approximately six/seven hours of use – is a breeze, as it involves just one impossible-to-lose thumbscrew on the reverse. It's a new and neat design.

There's a 9V centre-negative mains barrel jack and, when using a suitably currented adaptor, the PolyTune also has a power output enabling you to daisy chain other 9V centre-negative pedals up to awhopping 2000mA (most pedals draw around 35-50mA), thus making it both your tuner and your power supply.

The large display houses 109 tiny LEDs to light the various functions. We've used it at pub gigs, on a very brightly lit concert stage and at an outdoor daytime gig with no visibility problems – the LEDs dim automatically in low light conditions and get brighter when there's more light.

The PolyTune features true-bypass switching, meaning that when it's off, it's completely out of your circuit and won't affect your tone. It's a feature not present (and therefore bemoaned in certain circles) on the Boss TU-2, but to be fair, enough pros use TU-2s to render that a moot point. In any case, true bypass it is.

We noticed some extraneous noise as the LEDs refresh during tuning (though that was only with two overdrive pedals also on, after the PT, at gig volumes – it's negligible otherwise), though TC tells us this niggle has been completely fixed for final production units.

See the PolyTune in action here at Winter NAMM 2010.

When you plug in, the PT tells you whether it's set for needle or stream display, the reference pitch in Hz (eg 440) and note (E). Stomp on the switch and the signal is cut to your amp – there's no additional constant/non-silent output – and the tuner fires up. And then comes the magic…

(2 pages; go to page: 2)