Fender Center is Live with StudioLive

Located in the heart of this bustling Southern California city, the Fender Center for Music Education is a busy place. The 33,000-square foot building is home to a music school, a museum, two performance venues, and a recording studio, and the Center is buzzing with activity throughout most of the year.

Run by the nonprofit Fender Museum of Music and the Arts Foundation, the Fender Center’s main focus is to provide music education to young people at low or no cost. As the Center’s audio engineer Kelly McGuire explains, the program has made an impact on a great many kids’ lives.

“Our program is called Kids Rock Free,” says McGuire. “It’s a low-cost lesson program for kids from 7 to 17 years old. We’ve been doing this for going on about 12 years now, and over 12,000 kids have been through the program.” The Center is also home to two live performance venues. “We have an outdoor concert venue where we do summer concerts like Steve Miller Band, and we also have a smaller nightclub venue,” says McGuire.

As a non-profit, the Center doesn’t rely on deep corporate pockets, counting instead on the support of donors. “Steve Miller and Paul Rogers have been really supportive,” says McGuire. “They’ve both put on benefit fundraisers for us, and companies like PreSonus have been there for us since the beginning.”

McGuire has been mixing a variety of projects on the Center’s StudioLive 24.4.2 console. “For one of our first projects, we put together a three-concert TV series starring Deana Carter.” The project was a collaboration with nearby Lucas Oil. “They’re our neighbors here in Corona,” says McGuire, “and they have a full TV production studio that turns out about 100 shows per year. There are lots of musicians working over there, and they’re huge supporters of our program, and they came up with the idea of doing a show with us, originating from our venue, and aired on their network.”

McGuire approached Carter and her band about the idea. “When I approached Deana, Max and David about doing this show, I just had a really good feeling about it,” he says. “I said, ‘Let’s try it out because I think you’re really going to like it. The audio’s going to be good, and the video’s going to look fantastic.’ And that’s exactly how it turned out.”

As McGuire points out, the StudioLive enabled him to wear multiple hats during the shows, handling the live mix, monitors, TV feeds, and live recording. “I was able to mix the show live, mix a couple of other sources for the TV track, and run five monitor mixes for the band, and at the same time I was tracking the show to a MacBook, using Studio One to edit it later. That’s what’s so cool about the StudioLive. There is really nothing else that I can think of that makes the whole process so effortless and streamlined.”

While the initial show with Deana Carter was put together as a showcase, the response both at the Center and at Lucas Oil has been so positive that plans are already in the works for several new productions. Upcoming shows will include members of Grand Funk Railroad, .38 Special, and Jack Mack and the Heart Attack.

But the StudioLive has been busy on more than just TV shows. “I’ve also been using the console for other stuff, including some shows, some studio recording, and some projects with the kids,” says McGuire. “It’s going to be in use all summer, pretty much all the time, including some of our outdoor concerts.”

SA Distributor: Tuerk Music

Michael Bublé’s FOH Engineer Hosts Local Engineers at High-Level Soundcheck Demo Sessions

Craig Doubet, the FOH Engineer for Michael Bublé’s Crazy Love Tour, mixed Michael and his 13-piece band on an Avid VENUE Profile console on 1 May in Cape Town and 5 May in Sun City.

Craig (pictured second from the right) kindly hosted 9 South African engineers at his soundchecks to observe and interact with him around the VENUE Profile console, for two 1 ½- hour training sessions on his mix techniques, plug-in processors and VENUE functionality. Not only that, but Craig also arranged VIP passes for all the engineers to watch the actual show from Front of House later on, where the sound was simply superb.

Both demo sessions were hugely successful and both Craig and the VENUE Profile console were a big hit with the engineers who were hosted.

Here are some of the guests’ comments:

Patrick Dudgeon (Ultrasound):

“Thanks again for the invitation to meet with Craig Doubet! He was really accommodating and easy to talk to and really cleared up a few questions I had about the Profile. The plug-ins that were used sounded incredible and the way they are integrated into the console’s workflow seemed easy to use. I just have to add that I have NEVER been to a show that sounded that good. Every component of the mix had its place and sounded incredible and the sounds of the kit were changed almost song to song. The ease of the desk was apparent while watching Craig during the mix. The ProTools integration is also a large area of interest for me. Thanks again for the invite to see the desk in action.”

Werner Nieman (Woord en Lewe Church):

“I found his exemplary knowledge of the Venue Console and his skill as an engineer almost as invaluable, as was his willingness to answer any and all questions. Super engineer and a great guy! Please extend my thanks to Nick for the opportunity as well as his hospitality.”

Tom Gordon (Gearhouse):

“Craig was using a lot of exotic plugins, but what interested me particularly was his response to my question regarding latency management. [Others] make a lot of fuss about their latency management – it looks as if Avid have this covered as well, even if they don’t shout as loudly about it… I was very grateful for the time with Craig!”

Jonathan Green (Soundcorp):

“Thank you so much for a great experience. Seeing a leading international engineer like that in action on a VENUE Profile makes all the difference when making product choices. Wonderful guy and a great show.”

David Opperman (Magnetic Storm):

“Craig was such a star! I learnt so much from him and the Profile sounds great.”

Craig’s own comment was:

“I really enjoyed your company and the guests… See ya next time!”

Craig Doubet is one of the world’s leading FOH engineers with, not only Michael Bublé, but also k.d.lang, Luis Miguel, Sergio Mendes and Monica Mancini. Craig’s front-of-house set-up for the Michael Bublé tour included a VENUE Profile work surface and FOH Rack, which was equipped with four Mix Engine cards for expanded processing power, an FWx FireWire card for Pro Tools LE® integration, an IOx card for AES digital connectivity, and an ECx Ethernet Expansion card, which allowed Craig to remotely control all console functions over a standard wired or wireless Ethernet connection.

To accommodate Michael’s large band, two Stage Racks, each outfitted with 48 analogue inputs, provide 96 inputs, 80 of which were used by Craig. One stage rack employed DSO cards for digital output and the other had SRO cards for analogue output. The sound at the shows was awesome. Craig, with his trusty VENUE Profile console, created an audio production value that can only be described as amazing.

HARMAN’s Studer introduces radically lower-priced Vista 1 Compact Console at NAB 2012

Spearheading an amazing lineup of no less than six new products from HARMAN’s Studer at NAB is the Studer® Vista 1 Compact, a true Studer Vista console in a compact and low-cost configuration that will surprise many engineers. The new desk comes complete as a single chassis, with control surface, I/O connections and DSP all integral, considerably reducing weight and footprint.

The new desk is highly suited to both fixed and portable systems, such as newsrooms and game shows, while its compact size makes it a natural choice for OB and ENG vans, with a price under $80,000.

The Vista 1 is based largely on the Vista 5, so existing Vista users will be immediately familiar with all the functionality of the Vistonics™ user interface and Studer Vista control surface, plus features such as true broadcast monitoring, talkback, red light control, GPIO, N-x (Mix Minus) busses, snapshot automation and DAW control.

With an integral DSP engine of 96 channels, the Vista 1 can handle mono, stereo and 5.1 inputs with ease, and is provided with 32 mic/line inputs, 16 line outputs and eight stereo AES inputs and outputs on rear panel connections. Both 32-fader and 22-fader models are available.

I/O can be expanded using the standard Studer D21m card slot on the rear, to allow MADI, AES, AoIP, ADAT, TDIF, CobraNet, Dolby E/Digital, SDI connections etc. A MADI link can connect to any of the Studer Stagebox range for XLR connectivity as well as other formats.

New to the Vista family on the Vista 1 is an integral jingle player, played from audio files on a USB jingle stick (such as station ID or background FX), and triggered by a series of eight dedicated keys in the master section.

The Studer Vista 1 also features a redundant PSU for peace of mind, and RELINK integration with other Studer Vista and OnAir consoles means the Vista 1 can easily share signals across an entire console network.

Other new products from Studer at NAB include a new Vista Compact remote bay, Lexicon FX engine, RTW TM7 Metering Option for Vista consoles, EMBER broadcast/news automation control protocol and a Livewire AoIP card for the D21m system.

SA Distributor: Wild and Marr

Live Webinar Documentary – The Making of Terence Higgins’ Swampgrease II

PreSonus has teamed together with Sabian, Vic Firth, Pearl and Audix to present an industry and Internet first. Join them online for a real-time live webcast of the production of Terence Higgins’ new album, Swampgrease II.

Higgins, the legendary New Orleans drummer behind acts like The Warren Haynes Band, John Scofield’s Piety Street Band, and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, will be checking in to New Orleans’ Oak Street Recording for three days of recording with his band Swampgrease. And we’ll be presenting the entire session live on the Web, from tracking to final mix.

The sessions will commence on Wednesday, May 9, 2012, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM Central Daylight Time with pre-production and an interview with Terance. Day Two, Thursday May 10, will include tracking with the band from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM CDT. And Day Three will include tracking and mixing, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM CDT.

The album will be recorded and mixed using PreSonus gear and Studio One 2 DAW software. Oak Street engineers will record the sessions using Audix microphones, and Higgins will be playing Pearl drums, Sabian cymbals, and Vic Firth sticks.

Join event on Facebook

SA Distributor: Tuerk Music

AGRO endorsed by Ibanez

“We are extremely pleased and proud to announce that AGRO have become Ibanez South Africa’s first official endorsees as of April 2012. This incredibly exciting collaboration promises to be the beginning of an illustrious relationship between the makers of the finest electric and acoustic instruments worldwide and the leaders in South African Heavy Metal.” – AGRO

Ibanez have always been known to cater for musicians that write and play music from the harder end of the spectrum, and thus are perfect partners for AGRO, who have proven themselves time and again over the past 20 years. AGRO play hard, fast and heavy, with soaring melodies and searing guitar solos – with this in mind, there can be only one choice, and that is Ibanez.

Robbie Riebler (bass), John Morrow (guitar) and Allan Lancaster (guitar) couldn’t possibly have dreamt up a better company to side with. All three are huge fans of the instruments and the large and impressive stable of international endorsees that Ibanez has grown and nurtured over the years. With this in mind, they have chosen to start with the following Ibanez models: Robbie has gone with the SR705 bass, with Bartolini pickups, mahogany body and rosewood fingerboard, and John and Allan have both gone with the XG300 Glaive (John with the Snow White finish, Allan with the Dark Night Black), with CAP LZ 10 & 20 pickups, and also with a mahogany body and rosewood fingerboard. All three are beasts and ready to growl!

AGRO will be gracing the stage at this year’s Wacken Open Air festival alongside such prestigious acts as the Scorpions, Machine Head and In Flames. They are also well into the writing process as of the beginning of the year, and a new album is in the pipeline for latter half of 2012. The new material is harder, faster, hungrier and quite unlike anything that the band has released in the past, but still with the AGRO flavour that older fans have come to know and love. With Ibanez instruments under their fingers, they are eager to hear the final high quality results!

With this amazing endorsement, AGRO are unbelievably proud and excited to have the opportunity to carry the Ibanez name into the Wacken showgrounds and show Europe and the international Heavy Metal community just what this country and band can do with their fine new instruments! HAIL!!

SA Distributor: Midi Music

Vinnie Colaiuta joins Paiste

PreSonus StudioLive 16.0.2 Wins Prestigious MIPA Award

It’s officially a “threepeat.” At this year’s Frankfurt Musikmesse, the StudioLive 16.0.2 digital mixer was presented with the Musikmesse International Press Award (MIPA) in the category “Mixing Desk (Project Studio).” PreSonus has won this award in three consecutive years: The StudioLive 16.4.2 won the 2010 MIPA in the same category, and the StudioLive 24.4.2 won it in 2011.

The MIPAs are selected by the editors of more than 100 magazines from all over the world. Obviously they are thrilled to get this recognition from such a broad-based group of industry veterans. They throw out with this a big thank you to the editors of the participating publications, the Musikmesse organization, their distributors and dealers, and most of all their customers, whose enthusiasm for the entire StudioLive line has made it immensely successful in every respect.

SA Distributor: Tuerk Music

 

 

 

The Kurzweil Story – It All Started with Ray

The Kurzweil name has long been legendary among musicians across virtually all musical genres. The company is known among true aficionados for their cutting-edge sound modeling techniques, as well as for creating some of the most desirable and eloquently playable instruments available.

This features interviews with company founder/inventor Ray Kurzweil, R&D Director Hal Chamberlin, and Associate R&D Director Tim Thompson. Kurzweil, an inventor who has made his mark in a diverse range of research, educational and technology circles, talks about the company’s early inception, inspired by a challenge from long-time friend Stevie Wonder.

“We would talk about lots of different technology issues, having to do with blindness and with music,” Kurzweil recounts. “In 1982 he was showing me his new studio, Wonderland, and he was lamenting, ‘you know, we’ve got these acoustic instruments, 19th century technology, that create these wonderful sounds, and then we have these computerized instruments where I can play something and the computer will remember it, and I can edit and have such powerful control over the parts. Wouldn’t it be great if I could apply that powerful control to these beautiful sounds of choice?’ And I thought about that and felt it would be feasible to accomplish.”

The rest, as they say, is history. With Wonder’s input and support, Ray Kurzweil and company spent several years working to create what would become the Kurzweil 250, recognized as the first electronic keyboard that could truly capture the sounds of an acoustic instrument.

The video offers an insightful look into the genesis of one of today’s most respected and renown musical instrument manufacturers.

SA Distributor: www.tradelius.co.za

 

Musikmesse 2012: Carlsbro relaunches classic amp series

The relaunch of the classic British Carlsbro guitar amplifier marquee in the US at NAMM sees the American debut of the re-issued and re-engineered range of heritage tone guitar amps.

Carlsbro is among the most famous names in British guitar amplification and has been designing and manufacturing guitar tube amps since 1959, selling its early models to Jim Marshall’s shop in Denmark Street, London’s famous ‘Tin Pan Alley’.

The famous 50 Top and TC series revives the Carlsbro tube heritage, with uncompromising build quality, hand selected components and authentic vintage tone throughout. The 50 Top head and 4 x 12 cab are available in classic red and black liveries, while the TC series comprises three classic combos and a 15 watt head and 1×12 stack.

The re-issued 50 Top is the classic Carlsbro tube head and cab of the 60s and 70s revamped and re-engineered to even higher build standards and sonic performance. The new twin channel amp head has switchable channels & two master volumes, which are footswitchable.

The valve complement of 4x 12AXT’s and 2x EL84′s give 50 watts of incredible power at 8Ω or 16Ω’s. The preamp has a host of features including Hi and Low sensitivity inputs, 3 band EQ using Silvered Mica Capacitors, and ‘Sleep Mode’ automatic muting with no input present. Tough ply construction, with durable covering and metal corners are essential for road use. Jack outputs are 2 @ 8Ω and 1 @ 16Ω allowing a wide choice of cabinets.

Best of all are the new heights this amp can reach, in terms of classic tone. Already on the road with players such as Gregg Wright (who knew and loved the original 50 Top) this amp has proved to be a real delight. Using the new 50 Top on his recent UK tour the great left hook rockin’ bluesman exclaimed, “Whatever you guys have done in the development of the 50 Top since I last played one, is outstanding.”

As with the 50 Top, Carlsbro’s British engineering team has carefully selected and pre tested all valves prior to installation; and only valves with a very high gain have been chosen to deliver the authentic Carlsbro vintage tone. Selected Celestion drivers have been used throughout and are housed in high quality plywood cabinets.

Distributed by TV Audio

011 805-9910 | info@tvaudio.co.za

 

Musikmesse 2012: Warwick introduce new bass guitar models

The stalwart bass manufacturers, Warwick, showed off their new range of bass guitars at Musikmesse this year. Here’s the lowdown on their new babies…

Warwick

The Corvette Standard FSC Certified is the first bass model that will feature the coveted Forest Stewardship Council Certificate – FSC for short.

The Jack Bruce Survivor Signature Bass is based on the Warwick Jack Bruce CRB Bass.

Jimmy Earl returned to the Warwick endorser family, and his Jimmy Earl Signature model is based on the popular Streamer Bass.

The Thumb Singlecut NT 6 String Broadneck is geared towards bass players that are sympathetic to the wide string spacing of 4-string basses.

Warwick will be celebrating their 30th anniversary on 13 September 2012 and for this memorable occasion present the Streamer LTD 2012 Warwick 30th Anniversary Bass, which will feature a body made of cherry tree wood that has been ageing for over 20 years.

The Warwick Artist Series will present the Steve Bailey Artist Series Bass, the Jack Bruce Artist Series Bass, as well as the Robert Trujillo Artist Series NT Bass.

The Streamer Stage I bass is now also available as a neck-through Pro Series instrument.

The unmistakable Alien Akustik bass will now be also available as a 6-string bass.

Distributor: Music Power

011 466-9510 kevin@musicpowersa.com

 

Musikmesse 2012: Nord Electro 4D unveiled

In time for the 10th anniversary of the very first Electro Clavia introduced the new Nord Electro at Musikmesse last month.

The ultra lightweight (7kg) Electro 4D sports a 61-key Semi Weighted Waterfall key bed and the sturdy, great feeling drawbars found on the Nord C2D for full hands-on control, as well as support for both our constantly expanding Sound Libraries.

Sound-wise the Nord Electro 4D has a number of improvements under the red hood: The Organ section features a brand new tone wheel engine derived from our flagship organ Nord C2D. The Click-modeling has been improved and there’s a brand new Rotary Speaker simulation with an amazing new Drive.

The Nord Electro 4D supports Long Release suitable for legato playing and selectable String Resonance. Handling programs is easy with 4 Program Banks and 4 Live Locations. The Effect section now includes a flexible new Delay Effect with tap-tempo, rate, amount and a stereo Ping-Pong mode and the USB port doubles as an USB-MIDI interface.

Distributed by Tradelius Music Group | 031 502 3080

 

Shure Drum Mastery 2012 Winner Announced

Shure’s search for Europe’s top drummer (not currently earning a living from drumming!) started late last year, and after over 1 million web hits, several thousand play-along downloads & hundreds of entries Shure announced the inaugural event’s winner as Antonio De Marianis of Italy.

For those of you who are hearing about this for the first time, entrants had to submit a video of themselves playing to a play-along the company created which involved drumming various different styles including jazz, rock and drum and bass.

The 5 finalists were selected from a panel of judges and all got a trip to Iceland for a one day master-class with Darren Ashford. Darren has performed with Chaka Khan, Joss Stone, The Black Eyed Peas, Gwen Guthrie, Beverley Knight, Omar, Roy Ayres to name but a few. He has a monthly educational column in Drummer Magazine, is a teacher at London’s Institute of Contemporary Music, and has his own Drum Lesson Academy where he teaches drummers of all levels. This was followed by a live battle in a nightclub.

The eventual winner was decided by a very trusty clapometer! To view the video on YouTube simply search for Shure Drum Mastery – Final Drum Battle in Reykjavik.

Aside from the groovy trip to Iceland Antonio also received a 5000 Euro voucher for Shure products. Euan Nel from Centurion was SA’s top finalist weighing in with a healthy 3119 votes. The 22 year old has studied at The Groove Regulators with Andries Visser for three years, completing his ATCL diploma through Trinity College London.

Wild & Marr | 011 974-0633

021 787-9378 | 031 564-3877

 

IRON MAIDEN, SLIPKNOT + BLACK LABEL SOCIETY MEMBERS TO PLAY MARSHALL’S 50TH BIRTHDAY BASH

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of iconic amplifier brand Marshall, the company has announced that they will be taking over London, England’s Wembley Arena on Sept. 22 for a massive concert. The show will feature performances by members of bands such as Iron Maiden, Slipknot, the Cult and Black Label Society.

Marshall have teamed up with Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain to put on the event, which promises to bring some of rock’s most legendary shredders into one venue.

“This is truly a celebration of a British icon – Marshall,” says McBrain, who will serve as emcee of the concert. “Beyond doubt, Jim Marshall and the team have shaped the sound of rock music for eternity! Words cannot describe how pioneering Marshall is! I feel more than privileged to be involved in this event. We’re bringing together beyond-legendary artists for a moment in history. Expect pure rock ‘n’ roll madness amplified to the max by Marshall!”

The musicians who will turn it up to 11 for the celebration include guitar virtuosos Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen and Zakk Wylde, along with Nicko McBrain, Mr. Big’s Paul Gilbert, Whitesnake’s Doug Aldrich and Brian Tichy, the Cult’s Billy Duffy and Slipknot / Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor.

The 50 Years of Loud celebration will take place at Wembley Arena on Sept. 22. Marshall also promises to add several more “big names” to the line-up.

SA Distributor: Midi Music

011 417-3400 |

 

Behringer’s New iPad Mixers

IX3242USB, iX2442USB and iX1642USB

BEHRINGER introduces three small format premium mixers that directly interface with the ever-popular iPad.

Drawing on the power of the most ubiquitous mobile digital device, the XENYX iX Series mixers are designed to handle live performance and provide state-of-the-art tools to create professional recordings. Users can also sync performances to video by utilizing the iPad’s video out capability. The new XENYX iX Series, which include the XENYX iX3242USB, iX2442USB and iX1642USB, feature a built-in iPad docking station designed to send signal to and from the iPad with a wide range of routing options.

The innovative feature set included in the new XENYX iX Series USB mixers makes it possible to record and mix on a professional level thanks to the built-in, stereo USB audio interface. Connect these mixers directly to a PC or Mac computer via a single USB cable to record any signal source connected to the mixer.

All iX mixers include the new dual-engine KLARK-TEKNIK FX processor with 32 editable, studio-grade presets such as reverb, chorus, flange, delay, pitch shifter and multi-effects. In addition to literally thousands of apps, the iX mixers use the iPad to control the new KLARK-TEKNIK FX Processor App, enhancing the mix by allowing the user deep control of EQ’s, compressors and reverbs and a full spectrum analyzer.

“The new XENYX iX mixers demonstrate the innovation that stems from our massive investment in Research and Development, says Mark Wilder, VP of Marketing Communications.”These are the first of many more ground-breaking products.”

SA Distributor: Proaudio

011 822-1430 |

 

Line 6 Groundbreaking new products 2012

Many aspects of live sound have remained largely the same for decades… until now. At Winter NAMM 2012, Line 6 is unveiling a powerful new ecosystem of innovative live sound solutions—from the world’s first smart mixing system and most versatile speakers, to the fourth generation of the acclaimed Line 6 digital wireless platform. Designed to work together as an integrated system – or complement third-party solutions – the new StageScape™ M20d digital mixer, StageSource™ series loudspeakers and XD-V digital wireless microphone family represent the future of live sound.

StageScape M20d is the world’s first smart mixing system for live sound. Utilizing a groundbreaking touchscreen visual mixing environment, StageScape M20d streamlines the way you mix to get your sound dialled in quickly and keep you in the creative zone. The M20d features 20 inputs, massive DSP power on every channel, multi-channel recording with or without a computer, and remote control of the system via one or more iPad® devices.

The StageSource loudspeaker series combines multi-function design, powerful DSP and precision components to deliver the perfect blend of high-powered performance and true scalability. Comprised of the StageSource L3t 1,400-watt three-way speaker system and StageSource L3s 1,200-watt subwoofer, the StageSource series features Smart Speaker technology and L6 LINK™ digital networking to deliver best-of-class performance across the widest variety of live sound applications.

SA Distributor: Active Music Distribution

011 466-9510 | info@activemusicdistribution.com

 

Audiosure Move Offices, put on a grand dealer evening

On Tuesday, 13 March Audiosure unveiled their new offices in Midrand by hosting a dealer evening to celebrate the move. It was also a perfect opportunity to show off their extensive range of products and to host their dealer awards, rewarding their top dealers in various categories.

Demo highlights included the new Samson Auro range which features the D408, D410, D412, 415 Active speakers, as well as the DB1800A powered subwoofer. What made the demo particularly well presented was a special speaker switcher that allowed them to instantly switch between different sets of speakers, with and without subs to get a true A/B comparison. The entire range sounded very impressive and looks (and sounds) like a real winner from Samson. [Look out for a review on these soon, Ed].

But the sound demo highlight was the Wharfedale Pro Delta series. The speakers were run through an Allen & Heath mixer with an XTA processor and powered by MC2 E45 power amplifiers. The full range – 12”, 15” and the 18” subs were all taken through their paces with each loudspeaker cleverly demonstrated both with and without the sub woofer which further illustrated the versatility of the two-way tops and the perfect match the sub brings to the sound. The Delta 215’s proved to be the loudest of the lot and it was agreed that with the Delta series Wharefdale Pro are certainly competing with the ‘big boys.’

Also on show and coupled with an interesting display was Gavin Atkinson’s demo of the Chauvet lights – most impressively the Show Xpress app he used from his iPhone to trigger scenes while roaming the showroom. They showed off the new range of lasers from Chauvet, including the new BLUE version, intertwining with the red, green, yellow and cyans of the other models which looked like something Jean Michelle Jarre would be proud of! Well not quite, but certainly made one feel like you were in a glitzy nightclub. With the Smartphone app, bands and DJ’s can quite easily control lighting while performing without having to move around too much. Heck if I was in a band I’d give my manager the job of lighting control from the dancefloor!

Dealers were divided into two groups to accommodate the large attendance within the two showroom spaces. In the second showroom, upstairs in their new building, attendees were treated to demonstrations of the TOUCHIT interactive white boards, Vivitek Projectors, Taiden conferencing products, room management consoles and an interactive video conferencing boardroom demonstration.

There was also a ‘Studio room’ which housed the formidable iLive digital mixer, and some high end DJ gear including the A&H Xone 4D, Denon MC3000 and 6000 controllers, and the very cool DN S3900 Media players.

The MI (Musical instrument) room contained a selection of Albion guitar amps, Hartke Bass amps, and a whole range of STAGG guitars, drum sets, and musical accessories.

The home theatre showroom was set up to showcase the Wharfedale consumer speaker systems as well as the Vivitek HD and 3D projectors. This was an impressive display of world-class hi-fi and true HD home cinema products leaving one a little giddy at the prospect of kitting one’s lounge out with this gear.

The grand finale for the evening was the lucky draw and the dealer awards. Eight dealers in various categories earned their stripes by receiving a weeklong trip to the IAG factory in China where all Wharfedale Pro products are manufactured.

Says Marketing Manager, Chris Andrews; “The trip is a reward for dealers that have grown their business year on year, or performed exceptionally well. It is an opportunity for us to show these dealers who are passionate about the brand a side to the speakers, mixers, amps etc that they would never usually get to see, which further equips them to inform their own staff and clients as to the high quality and heritage of the gear they use.”

A great evening was had by all, the most impressive part being the diverse product range Audiosure offers.

 

Ace Baker on the Road with Chickenfoot and StudioLive

Sammy Hagar & Michael Anthony

Total Production International’s Zoe Mutter recently caught up with veteran rockers Chickenfoot, near the end of their sold-out European tour. The result is an entertaining and detailed look at the band’s touring setup and production, including some great insight from live sound engineer Michael “Ace” Baker.

Needless to say, the band – Van Halen alumni Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony, guitarist Joe Satriani and, on this tour, drummer Kenny Aronoff (filling in for RHCP drummer Chad Smith) – are all consummate professionals, as are Baker and the rest of the crew.

Baker offers some great commentary on his use of the PreSonus StudioLive 24.4.2 console. An intrinsic part of his FOH setup, he uses the console for one-button, no hassle live recording of the band. As Baker explains, he discovered the StudioLive while on the road with Tower of Power. “PreSonus had also provided some recording equipment for Sammy Hagar’s club, Cabo Wabo,” says Baker. “They recommended we take the console on the road with Chickenfoot, and now I’m pretty vocal about my love of it. I think it sounds incredible and I’ve been able to multi-track record all the shows really easily. It takes up no room when it’s set up and has been with me on every tour since I first used it – as a FOH desk or a recording desk.”

SA Distributor: Presonus

On the Road and StudioLive with Edwin McCain

As touring musicians go, few artists can rival Edwin McCain‘s work ethic. Though he has cut back his earlier ritual of nearly 300 shows per year to spend more time with his family, the prolific singer-songwriter still maintains a busy touring schedule, gigging solo or accompanied by different configurations of his band. When he’s not on the road or with his family, he’s in the studio writing and recording new songs. It’s easy to imagine that if the year were twice as long, McCain would still spend most of it working on his music.

Besides playing a handful of solo gigs, McCain is frequently accompanied by guitarist Larry Chaney and Craig Shields on sax, wind controller, and synths, or by his full band, which adds Jason Pomar on bass and Tez Sherard on drums.

On the road and in the studio, a pair of PreSonus StudioLive™ 24.4.2 digital consoles is an intrinsic part of McCain’s rig. As McCain’s long-time front-of-house engineer, Brent Moreland, explains, the consoles rarely spend a day unused.

Brent Moreland & Edwin McCain in the studio

“We carry two StudioLive consoles – one for FOH and one for monitors,” says Moreland. “They’re on the road with us constantly, and unless it’s a really tight schedule, we’ll almost always plug in our console instead of using the house desk. The preamps sound better than pretty much any other console out there.”

A 24-channel splitter connects the FOH and monitor desks, and Moreland makes multi-track recordings of every gig from front of house. “I use Ableton Live for recording at the moment but only because Capture™ doesn’t do more than 24 tracks with a StudioLive 24.4.2,” Moreland explains. “When we have the full band, I need more than 24 tracks, and you can get 32 audio streams out of the StudioLive.”

Although Moreland carries an iPad®, he opts to mix from the console, rather than use the StudioLive’s remote-mixing capabilities. “I don’t really do much walking away from the desk during the show,” he says. But McCain is quite interested in using the new QMix™ iPhone®/iPod touch® app to dial up individual monitor mixes on stage. “I love the idea of just going over to the top of my amp and making an adjustment,” he says.

The StudioLive has also proven itself to be as roadworthy as the band, says Moreland. “One of the biggest enemies of gear on the road is vibration,” he observes. “Especially with circuit boards and solder joints, that constant vibration will slowly kill almost any electronics. But the StudioLive boards have held up, even after a couple of years on the road.”

“We’re basically disciples,” McCain concludes. “We’re out playing clubs day in and day out, and it’s amazing how many times we’ll load in, and a club’s sound guy will look skeptically at our PreSonus consoles. Then we turn them on, and everybody goes ‘oh wow…’ because they sound great, and they’ve got all the features of their high-priced consoles. When we tell them how much the StudioLive costs, they usually tell us they spent that much on maintenance just last month.”

SA Distributors: Presonus

 

 

 

Harry McVeigh and Charles Cave of White Lies Create New TonePrints for TC Electronic Effect Pedals

TC Electronic announces four new TonePrints created by Harry McVeigh (guitar) and Charles Cave (bass) of the chart-topping UK indie rock band White Lies.

Harry McVeigh has designed two personal TonePrints – one for Flashback Delay and another for Hall of Fame Reverb. Harry wanted to create a grand, lush-sounding reverb for his Hall of Fame pedal and decided to name his TonePrint ‘White Lies in a Cathedral’. Harry also got to create a unique TonePrint for Flashback Delay, going for a tape delay style that he named ‘Unfinished Business’.

Likewise, Charles Cave (bass) has created two Bass TonePrints – one for Flashback Delay and one for Corona Chorus. For his Flashback Delay Bass TonePrint, Charles also went for a tape delay type. He named it ‘Slowdive’ and it adds a long feedback that he refers to as ‘spreading like an invisible reverb’. For Corona Chorus, Charles created a Bass TonePrint based on a classic analog-sounding tri-chorus that he decided to call ‘Goth Bullshit’.

All ‘White Lies’ TonePrints are available as free downloads from TC Electronic’s website as well as in the TonePrint App for smartphones that allows users to simply beam TonePrints through the pickups of their guitar or bass to the TonePrint pedals.

In short, White Lies goes all in on TC Electronic’s TonePrint Concept!

SA Distributor: Prosound

 

 

 

 

Creating Performance Excellence By Georg Voros

“I found this book to be an exceptional example of the wonders of realizing ones goals and ultimately, one more part of ones huge potential.”

- Greg Hadjiyorki Georgiades – Musician, BA(Psyc,Soc) Hons(Psyc) MA(Clin Psyc)

You’re only as good as your last gig!

This inspiring NEW book by renowned performer, educator and author Georg Voros focuses on the essential tools needed to deliver your best performance every time. His RPD process of performance greatly increases understanding of how to effectively structure preparation for a performance of any kind, and his tried and tested ‘Blank piece of paper’ technique offers greater clarity in sorting out not only performance related issues, but general life issues.

The information offered in his book is based on personal experience. He didn’t simply ‘lift’ the content from other sources because he thought it made good sense. The methods and principles in this book are sourced from many years of across the board experience that has taken Georg around the world.

A unique aspect of this book is that there are no ‘numbered’ chapters. The chapters are based on the actual word PERFORMANCE. 11 letters make up this word, therefore there 11 chapters in this book. Each chapter contains an essential performance tool based on the appropriate letter. Georg feels that by structuring the book in this way that he had to dig deeper to match the information with each letter. Here is a list of the 11 chapters:

P – PASSION

E – ENERGY

R – RESEARCH

F – FOCUS

O – ORGANIZE

R – REPETITION

M – MASTER

A – ASSIMILATE

N – NOW

C – CONFIDENCE

E – EXPRESSION

This book is intended not only for people involved in the performing arts industry, but indeed anyone and everyone as we are all required to ‘perform’ in our everyday lives, regardless of the chosen career or field of study.

‘Creating… performance excellence’ – the road to start delivering your best performance, every time…

 

PreSonus TechTalk Sessions – Live and Online

PreSonus has been broadcasting TechTalk sessions over the Web for quite some time now, and the number of attendees just keeps on growing.

 

“Pitchclip’ wins Best in Show Honours at 2012 winter NAMM

The Korg Pitchclip clip-on guitar tuner has been awarded a “Best in Show” honor during the annual panel presented on Day 4 of the NAMM convention. The panel was moderated by Music Inc. magazine’s Frank Alkyer and a select group of music products industry experts who cast their votes in four categories.

Pitchclip was honored in the “Best Accessory or Add-On” category, and was selected by Tim Pratt, co-owner of Dietze Music. Pratt commented that the clip-on tuners are inexpensive and come in a variety of colors. He also noted that customers might buy more than one Pitchclip to represent the colors of their favorite sports teams or just their favorite colors.

The Korg Pitchclip is a highly accurate, chromatic, clip-on tuner with a low-profile design and high-visibility display. Its reversible display allows it to be conveniently positioned either in front of or behind the guitar’s headstock.

SA Distributor: Tuerk Music

 

 

The Music Business Master-class

Places are still available in the Music Business Master-Class as advertised last year. The Academy of Sound Engineering, in conjunction with David Chislett and Nick Matzukis, are proud to present the Music Business Master-class (MBM): the one-stop business course for the modern musician trying to make it in the new music industry.

The industry is abuzz with talk of how the music business has changed, how no-one needs a record deal anymore, and how easy it is to do everything yourself as an independent. The problem is however, that there is not enough information readily available for average South African musicians to empower themselves to take advantage of the situation. That is all set to change.

 

Many course and ideas have surfaced, but the MBM is the one where you can find out everything in one place, taught by two highly-respected industry personalities in a professional music environment.

Presented by Nick Matzukis and David Chislett, under the auspices of the Academy of Sound Engineering, the MBM is a two-month skills programme that covers everything from contracts and contract law, to marketing and the use of the digital arena. It is the only truly comprehensive course available that will empower musicians and managers of any level to seize control of their careers by understanding the business and then being able to take advantage of the new business terrain in the music industry.  This course, pitched at the highest level, is designed to teach you everything you need to know about making money out of the music industry.

 

The programme covers:

Getting started: thinking about your music

Artist agreements: steering your project

Income streams

Planning for Success

Marketing start

The digital arena marketing, reach

Business Models

Industry overview key players (SA and internationals)

Royalties

Contractual Principles

The Record Deal and its variants

The Publishing Contract and its variants

The Artist Management Agreement and its variants; Copyright

With a one-off introductory offer of R5 950.00, the MBM is now available.

The programme takes place 2 nights a week for 2 months at the ASE campus in Auckland Park from MARCH 2012. The course fee includes tuition, some working materials, a copy of Nick Matzukis’ Book “South African Music Law And Contracts“ and a copy of David Chislett’s Book “1,2,1,2: A Step By Step Guide To The SA Music Industry.”

The first programme kicks off in MARCH 2012 and registration is open NOW

For more information or to book your place contact:  (011) 482-9200 or georgej@ase.co.za

 

Katy Perry relies on DPA’s headset mics for California Dreams tour

Katy Perry’s engineering team relies on DPA Microphones’ 4088 cardioid headsets for all the pop superstar’s live performances, including her current California Dreams world tour. With the fast-paced, high-action set mechanics of the tour, Perry’s front-of-house engineer Peter Keppler needed a mic that could adapt to any situation. The smooth design of the DPA 4088, which makes the mic almost invisible, combined with its ability to eliminate feedback and background noise, make it the ideal choice for a high-octane tour like Perry’s.

“When selecting a microphone, I wanted something that would provide a well-balanced, open and airy sound for Katy,” says Keppler. “She’s a strong singer with a great voice and I thought finding a good headset mic would be a challenge. From the moment we tried the DPA 4088, I knew the sound was no longer going to be a problem.”

During Thinking of You, Perry stands atop a pink cloud that allows her to fly out over the audience playing an acoustic guitar. During this performance, Perry is in front of the main PA, which can be a potentially disastrous sonic scenario regarding feedback.

“The off axis rejection performance of the DPA 4088 was a lot better than anything else I’d ever heard,” Keppler explains. “All the headset mics I’d previously used sounded very unnatural — either muffled or very thin and boxy, and feedback problems were terrible. The DPA 4088 solved all of these issues. Her audience shows her a lot of appreciation, and they get especially loud when she flies over the crowd during Thinking of You, which also happens to be the quietest song in the show. The DPA 4088 has come through time and time again when I really needed to get Katy’s voice above the level of the audience. The gain before feedback is excellent.”
The DPA 4088, which Perry uses exclusively as her headset vocal microphone, is especially useful during the song Hot N Cold, where she changes her outfit seven times. Since this would be impossible with a handheld, Keppler selected the DPA 4088 because it could withstand the abuse, while allowing Perry the freedom to move about the stage.

“For Katy, the requirements were that the mic sounded great and was as small, lightweight and inconspicuous as possible,” says Keppler. “We selected the beige-colored version so it’s even less noticeable when she wears it.”

Having worked as FOH engineer for Nine Inch Nails and David Bowie, Keppler knows what it takes to keep the audio running for a live tour. Night after night the 4088 has stood up to the rigors of the road, performing flawlessly.

“The 4088 has held up amazingly well,” concludes Keppler. “Sonically, it always delivers. The hardware and wiring are both surprisingly robust, especially considering the abuse they take on a nightly basis.”

The California Dreams tour continues through Europe into February.

SA Distributor: Prosound (Pty) Ltd www.prosound.co.za

ProAudio supplies further HK Audio ConTour Arrays to Omalaeti Events

Omalaeti is a brand that is becoming synonymous with music, events and production in Namibia. The brands events and rental wing, Omalaeti Events, has recently added more of the versatile HK Audio ConTour Array into their rapidly expanding arsenal of concert audio systems.

The company has contributed to large scale projects in Namibia such as the Mixa Live Concerts, cultural events, various music concerts and also provides technical support at Zoo Park in Windhoek.

Andrew Sorrill, specialist for HK Audio at suppliers Proaudio, says that he is thrilled about Omalaeti’s success. “It is exciting to see how these event companies expand from humble beginnings, and we at Proaudio are glad that we are able to contribute in some way toward their growth.”

Tawanda Munyawiri, who is the Operations Manager at Omalaeti Events, has enjoyed HK Audio’s product range through the years: “The ConTour Array was the obvious choice to expand on our current system inventory and the flexibility of the system is another big selling point. The sound quality from all HK Audio products is better than others I have experienced.”

Sorrill adds: “The CTA’s have received a fantastic response from the local market as production crews rave over its ease of use and versatility. The system can be ground stacked, pole mounted or flown in a number of configurations depending on the application.”

SA Distributor: ProAudio (Pty) Ltd www.proaudio.co.za

 

Audiosure launches their long awaited new website

Audiosure proudly launched their long awaited new website on Monday 16^th January. This comes shortly after they moved into larger premises in Midrand in order to accommodate their needs for more office, showroom and warehousing space. The new site more clearly defines the wide range of products and industries they stock and market to, and with the content being blog based, each division will be able to load industry-specific articles, product features, training and education, videos and other multimedia onto their sections that will add value to their specific customer base. Easier access to recommended retail price lists, contact information, and a full list of brands imported by Audiosure are all features of the new site.

Says Marketing Manager Chris Andrews “This has been a project we have anticipated and worked hard on for quite some time and are thrilled at the end result. The new site is a good reflection of where we are as a company, and will allow us to grow it the business continues to expand.”

Visitors to the blog can interact with the company by loading a profile and making comments on articles. They can also share content interesting to them via social media buttons.

Contact Audiosure: marketing1@audiosure.co.za / 011 790 4600

 

TC-Helicon Introduces VoiceLive Play – A Compact Vocal Wonder for All Singers

Regardless of the starting point, TC-Helicon’s new VoiceLive Play is determined to take singers everywhere to the next level.

VoiceLive Play is a new take on a compact multi effects unit for singers, but it is also so much more. Obviously it is packed with TC-Helicon’s pro-level effects tailored specifically for vocalists and state-of-the-art harmony processing yet it is in the details where ’Play’ really shines. Basically, singers will be catered to as if a dedicated vocal producer was sitting inside the box, always ready to fulfill their every wish and follow their slightest move.

Search. Find. Play.

Operating and navigating VoiceLive Play is a breeze. More than 200 amazing presets can be browsed either by genre or effect type. Many of the factory presets are designed to evoke a wide range of popular songs so singers can feel at home instantly – with more presets to download every month online. Every preset can be taken ‘over the top’ by stepping on the HIT button, which will add effects on top of the basic sound of each preset – perfect for making choruses stand out instantly! Also, selected presets can be stored as Favorites for super fast and easy access.

The Power of Practicing

The only way to really take it to the next level is by practicing, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t also be a lot of fun. VoiceLive Play has a dedicated Practice mode that analyzes singing performance in real-time. Detailed pitch statistics will help singers spot their strengths and point out areas that need more attention.

Singing along is another fun way of practicing, and VoiceLive Play accepts input from external audio sources such as iPods and computers via an AUX In connector or USB. To make it even more fun, VoiceLive Play has a Vocal Cancel feature that makes the performer’s voice stand out over the vocal on the recording. Finally, VoiceLive Play can even listen to the recording and generate harmonies based on the chord progressions of the track.

The Power of Looping

VoiceLive Play is the perfect tool for adventurous singers eager to explore the exciting world of real-time looping. Loops can be created easily on the spot with or without effects, and by adding a TC-Helicon MP-75 microphone, the integrated Mic Control button can be used for full looping remote control.

Versatile Room Mics – A Good Set of Ears

VoiceLive Play has a built in microphone on each side panel, which can be used in several ways. For example, they can add a touch of room ambience that will make the voice more natural and comfortable when using headphones. The mics can also be used for picking up room sound and base the harmony processing on chords on an acoustic guitar or piano playing along for example. Alternatively, they could even be used for recording to a computer via USB.

In short, singers everywhere should prepare to fall in love with their voice!

VoiceLive Play Main Features

• Complete Vocal Path – Tone, Harmony, HardTune, Reverb, Double and more

• Auto Key Detection – Harmonies Can Follow your Favorite Songs

• Practice Mode – Sing along and Analyze Vocal Performance

• Tone – Global Adaptive EQ, Compression, De-ess, Gate and Pitch Correction

• VLOOP Performance Looper with Undo/Redo

• RoomSense Microphones for Auto Key, Monitoring, Practicing and Recording

• Navigate Over 200 Presets by Genre or Effect with Favorites

• Aux Input for Connecting an MP3 player.

• Stereo XLR, Headphone and USB Stereo Outputs

• Low-noise Mic Preamp with Phantom Power

• Optional MP-75 Modern Performance Vocal Microphone with Mic Control

• Preset Download and Management Using VoiceSupport and USB

SA Distributor: Prosound (Pty) Ltd www.prosound.co.za

 

Tiny Meets Awesome – TC Electronic Introduces PolyTune Mini

The revolutionary PolyTune changes the game once again with an even smaller footprint

Two years ago, TC introduced polyphonic tuning to the world and since then guitarists everywhere have welcomed this next-generation way of tuning with open arms. Now TC reveals the world’s smallest polyphonic tuner: PolyTune® Mini that will fit on any pedal board. Sometimes size actually does matter and in such cases, PolyTune Mini is the perfect solution as no other pedal tuner in the world will take up so little space, which means more room for other pedals.

“When designing PolyTune Mini we set a goal right from the start: We didn’t want to compromise on features in any way,” says TC’s Guitar Product Manager Tore Lynggaard Mogensen. “Despite shrinking it down to a 3rd of the size of the original PolyTune, our engineers did an absolutely incredible job taking all the cool stuff from PolyTune and shrinking it down to a tiny package. It really is the kind of product you have to hold in your hand to truly appreciate the size, build quality and attention to detail.”

PolyTune Mini is based on the exact same technology as the original PolyTune, so like its bigger brother it shows the tuning state of all strings simultaneously by simply strumming the guitar, allowing guitarists to get back to playing in a matter of seconds.

Just like the original PolyTune, PolyTune Mini is among the most precise tuners in the world, tuning with +/- 0.5 cent precision in chromatic mode and +/- 1 cent accuracy in polyphonic mode. Also, it automatically switches between chromatic and polyphonic modes depending on whether all strings are strummed at once or each string is picked individually. Finally, PolyTune Mini features Drop-D and Capo modes as well as True Bypass for zero tone coloration and a super-bright LED display with the same amount of LEDs as the original PolyTune.

PolyTune – Tuning Distilled!

PolyTune Mini Main Features

• Ultra-small Footprint – Will Fit on Any Pedal Board

• PolyTune – Tune All Strings Simultaneously

• +/- 0.5 Cent Tuning Accuracy

• True Bypass w/ Silent Tuning

• Super-bright LED Display

• Up to 5 Semitones Flat Tunings

• Drop-D and Capo Tuning

SA Distributor: Prosound (Pty) Ltd www.prosound.co.za

New Drum Programme At COPA SA with Top SA Drummer

The Campus of Performing Arts South Africa (COPA SA) has introduced a new drum programme run by one of South Africa’s top drummers, Barry van Zyl.

It consists of 30, once a week, one hour, part-time courses in Cape Town and will be potentially rolled out to other COPA centres in the future. The course is independent of the COPA system and is open to any interested students.

The lessons are compiled by van Zyl and will complement the existing COPA drumming course, giving students a further dimension to their drumming skills.

Van Zyl has a long career as a session musician both in SA and abroad working for a diverse array of artists such as Johnny Clegg, Peter Gabriel, Annie Lennox, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, The Soweto Gospel Choir and Die Antwoord. He’s also contributed to many film scores like Tsotsi, Themba and Zambezia as well as composing the score for recent SA Indie movie Skeem.

The course will be run with groups of drum students in a classroom setting

Course highlights include:

· Powerful methods to approach and develop improvisation

· Looking at the most ‘called-for’ drum styles, grooves that will get you the most work

· Re-enforcing counting methods

· Techniques to improve chart reading

· Rhythm ear-training

· An introduction to the origins of major Worldbeat music styles.

· Working on personalised musical drum parts and then playing along with specially developed tracks.

 

TC Electronic’s Revolutionary TonePrint App Now Available for Android

A few months ago TC Electronic launched its truly mind-blowing TonePrint® App for iPhone. Now the magic has been successfully ported for Android devices!

The new app compiles all TonePrints for TC Electronic’s TonePrint enabled guitar pedals in one place and allows users to ‘beam’ new TonePrints to their pedals in a matter of seconds. The idea behind the technology is as simple as it is ingenious: Each TonePrint has been converted to a unique-sounding magnetic impulse that can be beamed via the phone’s internal speaker, through the pickup of a guitar and directly to a TonePrint pedal! The sound does not carry any data so it doesn’t matter if users are in a raucous arena or a library – no other sounds will interfere with the data being sent from the phone.

The app contains all TonePrints as mp3 files, which means that no Internet connection is required for beaming TonePrints. The phone’s speaker simply needs to be placed close to a magnetic guitar pickup when beaming, and it literally only takes seconds for the app to perform its magic. Best of all, the TonePrint app is completely free of charge.

“We are extremely proud to present a super-flexible solution that allows all guitarists with TonePrint pedals and an Android or iOS device to truly explore the ever-expanding list of great and unique TonePrints created by some of the best guitar players in the world,” says Guitar Product Manager at TC Electronic, Tore Lynggaard Mogensen. “Now great tones and tons of musical inspiration can be beamed and enjoyed on-the-spot as well as on-the-fly.”

SA Distributor: Prosound (Pty) Ltd www.prosound.co.za

 

The TC Guitar Team Celebrating PolyTune’s 2 Year Anniversary

TC Electronic Celebrates PolyTune’s 2 Year Anniversary with a ‘Mini’ Price for PolyTune for iPhone

TC Electronic launched its groundbreaking PolyTune pedal tuner two years ago, and since then, guitar players have embraced the concept with open arms. To celebrate, TC offers the iPhone version of PolyTune at a ‘Mini’ price.

The PolyTune pedal changed the game for guitarists all over the world in January 2009. With the new polyphonic tuning technology, tuning became faster and easier than ever. By simply strumming all strings simultaneously, PolyTune displays the tuning state of each string in a single, easy-to-read view. This way of tuning guitars and basses allows for much faster tuning – and for getting back to the all-important thing: Playing!

Many great artists have also picked up on the idea of polyphonic tuning, and today TC PolyTune pedals are sitting comfortably in the tour rigs of rock stars like John Petrucci, Steve Morse, Guthrie Govan and more.

Later, TC Electronic launched the PolyTune concept as an iPhone app, which is the perfect solution for acoustic guitars without a pickup. The app is a 1:1 port of the original PolyTune pedal, and it received an overwhelming response. Now, TC offers this ground-breaking app at just $0.99 until Thursday 19 January 2012. Normal price is $4.99.

SA Distributor: Prosound (Pty) Ltd www.prosound.co.za

Work Opportunities at Tuerk Technologies & Turnkey

Employment Opportunity:

Within TURNKEY MUSIC- JHB BRANCH-retail

1] Turnkey Category Manager responsible for the MULTIMEDIA/COMPUTER MUSIC/STUDIO DIVISION of the store.

As you know the store is split in two-STUDIO/COMPUTER/MULTIMEDIA and MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS/PA on the other side.

Pre-requisite that computer music products and studio gear are within your area of expertise and that you are also able to manage people , merchandise professionally and sell well.

Being self motivated is essential as you will be required to SET AN EXAMPLE for the rest of the team

2] Turnkey GUITAR [ like a real musician ] Sales Advisor

If you eat , sleep and breathe GUITAR PRODUCTS and GUITAR ACCESSORIES then this is for you.

We require someone who is passionate about ALL THAT IS GUITAR and can make this section of the store their own. Using the products Available , you will be the GO TO PERSON at Turnkey when it comes to GUITARS , ACCESSORIES AND GUITAR AMPLIFICATION

3] Opening for a TURNKEY MUSIC AND MULTIMEDIA JHB-Studio/Hi Tech/Hardware/Software/ DJ PRODUCTS advisor.

Considering TRAKTOR is one of our biggest sellers

So if you are skilled in any of these area let them have your CV.

Within TUERK TECHNOLOGIDES- JHB BRANCH- wholesale & distribution

1] Tuerk Technologies Computer Music Hardware/Software /Recording /Studio and Hi-Tech Product Sales/Relationship Manager

To represent all the hardware and software lines , plus studio products imported and distributed by Tuerk Technologies.

Including brands such as Steinberg, Native Instruments, Ableton , Sibelius , Propellerheads , Presonus , SE ELECTRONICS and many more.

2] TUERK MUSIC is looking for a GUITAR PRODUCTS , ACCESSORIES AND PA PRODUCT SPECIALIST/RELATIONSHIP MANAGER

To represent all the guitar products , accessories and new STUDIOMASTER range imported and distributed by Tuerk Technologies

Including brands such as JIM DUNLOP, MXR , BBE , ZVEX , G&L , CRAFTER , JET CITY , VOX and many more.

If you are interested in any of the above positions and would like to first test the water –  you can also JOIN AS AN APPRENTICE OR INTERN- yet still earn a good income against sales generated. The end result is EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE is gained and it may well be the first step to bigger and better opportunities.

INTERESTED PARTIES:

Please email a full and detailed CV to hohner@hot.co.za

To have a musician, there must be a producer.

To have a producer, there must be a studio.

To have a studio, there must be equipment.

To have Equipment, there must be Tuerk Technologies!

The Turnkey Music and Multimedia Team

-A world of music and multimedia-