Spring 2013 - Sweetwater

Transcription

Spring 2013 Issue | Vol. 101
SweetNotes
®
inside this issue
(800) 222–4700 | Sweetwater.com
from the editor
From the Editor.........................................................1
Hands On: TC Electronic Ditto..................................7
Avid Announces Pro Tools 11................................1,3
Gibson Custom Shop Historic Series.......................7
Sweetwater Installs New Sound System at IU........2
Moog Sub Phatty......................................................7
Universal Audio Apollo 16........................................2
Native Instruments Komplete 9................................8
iOS Update: Apogee, Steinberg................................3
Hands On: Pauly Ton Pauly Superscreen.................8
New from Roland......................................................4
Hands On: Rupert Neve Designs 500 Series............8
Sweetwater Welcomes ESP Guitars.........................4
New from PreSonus..................................................9
Hands On: Bose L1 Model 1S with B2......................5
Hands On: Radial Firefly...........................................9
Mitch Gallagher
Fishman TriplePlay Wireless MIDI Pickup...............5
Inside the Sweetwater Difference..........................10
Editorial Director
Thunderbolt Update..................................................5
Novation Launchkey...............................................10
Fender Factory Tour Winners...................................6
Hands On: Lindell Audio 500 Series Modules........10
Pultec Exclusively Available at Sweetwater............6
Focusrite RedNet....................................................11
Korg MS-20 Mini.......................................................6
GearFest Is Coming.................................................11
Inside Sweetwater: inSync.......................................7
Meet Alex Morales..................................................11
I’ve been in an interesting situation lately: my
wife and I recently bought a house that we’ve
been busy renovating. Because of this, my
studio and guitar gear have been “mothballed”
until that part of the home is finished. At first,
not having all of my gear at hand drove me
crazy. But then I began relying on my laptop
and portable interfaces, and I set up a compact
guitar practice station to learn the songs of the
new band I’ve joined. I’ve also put my iPad to
even more use as a music-making tool. Guess
what? I’m having a blast!
The entire experience has really brought home
to me how far gear has come. Equipment at
every price point is full of power and capability,
and things just keep getting better and better. At this point, it really is up to us as musicians to make
great music — we can’t blame our equipment if we don’t.
[email protected]
Am I ready to give up the cool gear in my studio or live rig? Not a chance! Great gear makes it easier to
express yourself musically, and it offers outstanding sound quality and performance. But it’s refreshing to
be reminded that you can make music no matter what. You just have to dig in and get busy!
Avid Announces
Pro Tools 11!
By Mitch Gallagher
At the annual NAB show in Las Vegas, Avid dropped big news: Pro Tools 11 is here! A new version of the most popular DAW in
the world is always a huge deal, and version 11 is no different. This release targets both music and post production, with major
changes under the hood to improve workflow and performance.
64 Bits
The big news includes Pro Tools’ new ultra-efficient 64-bit Core Audio engine. This 64-bit architecture takes full advantage of
multiprocessors, and allows for more host plug-ins and better system performance and stability. Expanded RAM support means
you can run bigger sessions, with thousands of clips and files, along with vastly increased sample sizes for virtual instruments.
The Avid Audio Engine provides a dedicated low-latency input buffer that enables you to monitor recording inputs with lower
latency, even when your session is loaded up with a ton of plug-ins. Pro Tools now offers dynamic processing allocation, so the
engine can “take back” CPU power from tracks that aren’t currently being used, creating a dynamic “pool” of CPU power that
plug-ins can utilize.
Offline Bounce
Offline Bounce was a frequently requested feature for Pro Tools, and now it’s here! The Offline Bounce function allows you to
render your mixes faster than real time, speeding up your workflow. Check this out: Avid says that Pro Tools will be capable of
bouncing at up to 150 times faster than real time. It’s hard to fathom how fast that is, but think of it this way: a 2½ minute song
could bounce in as little as one second! Of course, how fast offline bounce works depends on the complexity of the session, the
density of data, and so on — but sorry, there will clearly be no more “mini breaks” while Pro Tools bounces your final mixes. You
can even use Offline Bounce for sessions that are too big to play back on a slower computer.
Metering and Mixing
Pro Tools 11 also answers user requests for improved metering, now offering a variety of metering types (both scales and
ballistics), including peak, digital PPM, VU, BBC, K-12, K-14, K-20, A-Linear, EBU, and DIN. The channel meters are now 30% larger.
Continued on page 3
Call Us at
(800) 222–4700
to Place
Your Order Today!
SWEETNOTES | SPRING 2013 | PAGE 2
Sweetwater Installs New Sound System in
Indiana University’s Legendary Assembly Hall!
In Indiana, basketball is huge, especially Indiana University basketball. So it stands to reason that when IU’s
fabled Assembly Hall, one of the most famous sports venues in the world, needed a sound system overhaul,
nothing but the best would do. Sweetwater and All Pro Sound teamed up and won the bid to reinvigorate the
sound system in this historic sports venue, located in Bloomington, Indiana.
Built in 1971, Assembly Hall’s audio system hadn’t been updated since Nixon was in the White House. Speech
intelligibility was a big issue for fans attending the games. Sweetwater and All Pro Sound partnered with
New York-based SIA Acoustics to design the sound system. The system upgrades resulted in a significant
improvement in speech intelligibility.
This dramatic improvement in sound quality was made possible by a slew of new amps, speakers, and
processing units. Among the new gear were 90 specialized PA speakers. Six JBL Vertec VT4888DP selfpowered line arrays plus four subwoofer arrays were installed to provide speech reinforcement. The system
also incorporated five BSS BLU160 audio processors, along with Crown CTS and Crown I-Tech amplifiers
to power the fills and the subwoofer arrays. Clean power for the entire system was provided via a LynTec
Sequential Power System. All of this power and sound was implemented by using a completely new rigging and
hanging design, new hardware, and SIA Acoustics’ sound design.
Under normal circumstances, a job of this scope typically takes three to six months. But due to the scheduling
issues presented — namely IU’s teams needing access to the facility for practices — this project was fasttracked and completed in about 30 days. Getting a project of this size done so quickly was no small task. But,
thanks to our strong relationships with many vendor partners, Sweetwater and All Pro Sound were uniquely
qualified to coordinate the project within the tight schedule.
It takes a lot of people to pull off a project of this size. Here are just a few of those who played a part in this project: (L to R)
Bobby Taylor, APS; Sam Berkow, SIA; Josh Preble, APS; John Harmon, IU; Colin Dekker, APS; Larry Preble, APS; Nathan Chissus,
APS; Jacob Robinson, APS; Clayton Hadley, APS; Ryan Hall, APS; Jay Fullmer, Harman; Dennis Ryan, APS; Doug Booher, IU
There was also a special local connection to the project, as Sweetwater is located in Indiana. Sweetwater
founder and president Chuck Surack said, “With Fort Wayne, Indiana, being the home of Sweetwater, I felt a
particularly strong desire to see the sound system in this incredible sports facility be installed by an Indiana
company. From sales to merchandising, our team worked around the clock to put together a winning
bid. And with our existing relationship with All Pro Sound, plus our incredible partnerships with audio
manufacturers, we knew that, together, we would be able to meet the challenges of this huge project.”
Ryan Hall wires the equipment racks.
Clayton Hadley prepares the span sets for lifting the subwoofers.
Apollo 16 Launches!
By Mitch Gallagher
Universal Audio just keeps cranking it up higher and higher — much to the chagrin of their competitors! First there was the UAD card, followed by the UAD-2. Then there was an amazingly good idea: the Apollo, which combined a
UAD-2 card with an audio interface featuring four mic preamps. Now there is the Apollo 16, the latest in Universal Audio’s upward spiral to audio supremacy.
The Apollo 16 is a FireWire 800 (or Thunderbolt when an optional I/O card is installed) audio interface that provides 16 reference-quality line inputs and outputs. A built-in UAD-2 QUAD processor runs the full library of UAD plug-ins,
both in real time for sub-2ms tracking and in your DAW for mixing. Monitor outputs and a front-panel volume control are included for precision monitoring. There are also stereo AES/EBU I/O and word clock I/O. Resolutions up to
24-bit/192kHz are supported, and superior components and no-compromise analog circuits are used throughout.
So who’s it for? Anyone looking for stellar analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion, who doesn’t need built-in preamps, but who needs lots of connectivity for use with external summing boxes and for inserting external
hardware processors into a DAW mix. And if you need even more I/O, two Apollo 16s can be cascaded together via back-panel MADI connections. For more DSP horsepower, you can also combine the Apollo 16 with UAD-2 cards.
(Imagine what you could do with two Apollo 16s and a couple of UAD-2 OCTO cards!)
The new Apollo 16 console software provides a redesigned Aux/Cue section, with four stereo cue mixes with assignable outputs. There is also virtual I/O for processing your virtual
instruments with UAD plug-ins, plus transparent control over up to two Apollo 16s — the new console makes two Apollo 16s appear and function as a single unit.
For I/O-hungry pros and serious home/project users looking for maximum audio quality and maximum connectivity, at a reasonable price and with the added bonus of UAD-2 plug-in
power, the Apollo 16 is a dream come true!
Get tech support 24/7 at Sweetwater.com/sweetcare.
> > Universal Audio Apollo 16
Sweetwater price: $2999.00
Sweetwater.com/Apollo16
iOS Update
By Mitch Gallagher
Apogee
If you already own a Quartet, your
interface can be updated for iOS support.
A new firmware download and install is
required for your device, and you’ll need to
buy a 30-pin iOS cable for your interface.
But that’s it — and if you bought your
Apogee interface after January 1, 2013,
you qualify for a free cable.
Very exciting iOS news at Winter NAMM:
Apogee has brought their popular audio
interfaces to the iPad and iPhone! At the
trade show, held in late January in Anaheim,
California, the company unveiled iOScompatible versions of their One (1-in/2-out),
Duet (2-in/2-out), and Quartet (4-in/6out) audio interfaces — as well as an iOS
version of their Maestro router/mixer control
software for managing the I/O and latency on
those interfaces when used under iOS.
The new version of the One for iPad and
Mac has a few other nice new additions, such as multiple input options, a new molded rubber base, a die-cast
aluminum body, USB 2.0 support, and sample-rate support up to 96kHz. The One can even charge your iPad when
you’re connected. Apogee’s Duet for iPad and Mac has also been significantly updated.
With the free Maestro iOS app, you can
control the input selection, Soft Limit,
preamp gain, phantom power, polarity
(Duet and Quartet only), and group
selection (Duet and Quartet only) — as
well as view input meters on your iPad or iPhone. All three interfaces require either a 30-pin Apple Camera
Connection Kit or, for a new iPad, a Lightning-connector-to-30-pin adapter.
The list of compatible audio interfaces for iOS devices continues to grow, and these three additions from Apogee
bring even more parity between what’s available for computers and what’s available for iOS devices.
Steinberg
Speaking of exciting news, the first major DAW manufacturer has launched a version of their software for iOS! (I guess you could argue that Apple was the
first with Garageband, but I don’t consider that a version of Logic; I consider it a different app.) Steinberg’s Cubasis offers audio and MIDI recording and
editing, built-in effects, a powerful mixer, and much more. With an iPad 4 or an iPad mini, you can get up to 64 tracks of audio.
Each track can have up to three insert effects, and there are also three send effects per track. MIDI tracks can be
used to drive the virtual instruments that come in Cubasis, or you can route to external instruments — there are
even a piano-roll editor, a quantize function, and other MIDI editing features.
Once you’re finished with your project, you can bounce down to a stereo mix or export an individual file for each
track. You can then choose to e-mail those files to yourself or a collaborator, send them to Dropbox for access on a
computer, send the mix to SoundCloud, or use iTunes to transfer the files to your computer — lots of nice options!
If you’re a Cubase or Nuendo user, you’re going to feel right at home with Cubasis. The look and feel are similar —
you may even find that Cubasis is faster to get around on than your DAW software.
Want more?
Check out Sweetwater’s iOS Update videos, hosted by Mitch Gallagher, at Sweetwater.com/iOSUpdate.
Avid Announces Pro Tools 11! Continued from page 1
Fast Track Solo & Duo
More big metering news: gain-reduction metering is now provided on every channel, so you can see at
a glance what all your dynamics plug-ins are doing without opening up their windows. Master tracks
can use a different meter format than other types of channels if you want, and you can now display
multiple send-level meters per channel, with additional mini send and mini gain-reduction meters.
Pro Tools 11 is huge news, but it’s not all that is new from Avid! Check out the
Fast Track Solo and Fast Track Duo — compact, portable, next-generation USB
audio interfaces with a big bonus: support for iPad! The Fast Track Solo features a high-quality mic
preamp with phantom power, an instrument input, Direct Monitoring for tracking without latency, a
headphone output, and RCA stereo outputs. The Fast Track Duo ups the ante to two mic/instrument
inputs and two TRS line outputs, and it includes the same Direct Monitoring and headphone output
as the Solo. Both interfaces come with Pro Tools Express software, and they’re compatible with
third-party DAWs on Mac, PC, and iPad.
One of my favorite PT11 features is the new key command for bypassing all of the inserts/plug-ins on
a channel at once. This is guaranteed to speed up your mixing workflow, allowing for instant before/
after comparisons. You can even change plug-in presets without opening up the plug-in window!
Want More?
That’s not all that’s included in Pro Tools 11. There are major
workspace browser improvements, which utilize the 64-bit
architecture to optimize indexing, searching, relinking, and fieldrecording performance. Graphics performance has been improved for
users of Apple Retina displays. And you can install both Pro Tools 10
and 11 at the same time, on one machine. This allows a “safety net”
for users who have plug-ins that are not yet 64-bit compatible.
If you need an affordable pro-quality interface for tracking and mixing at home, in the studio, or on
the go, the rugged Fast Track Solo and Fast Track Duo get the job done with style!
Fast Track Solo
Clearly, Avid’s Pro Tools 11 brings major enhancements to the
industry-standard DAW software!
Check out exclusive videos, features, and hands-on reviews at Sweetwater.com/insync.
Fast Track Duo
Killer New Gear from Roland
G-5A
VG Strat
GR-S
GR-D
V-Combo VR-09
BK-3
RD-64
From digital keyboards and percussion to guitar
and recording gear, Roland unveiled a plethora of
new releases at the Winter NAMM show. Three
innovative keyboards really stood out: the
V-Combo VR-09 organ, the BK-3 backing
keyboard, and the RD-64 digital stage piano.
The 61-key VR-09 was a real show stealer,
featuring a hit list of Roland’s top organ,
piano, and synth sounds, as well as highly
responsive keys.
Guitarists also had plenty of reasons to get
excited about the new gear from Roland. First,
CUBE Lite
there was the red-hot American-made G-5A
VG Stratocaster, a Fender Strat loaded with
Roland’s finest COSM modeling technology.
For those of you rocking a guitar with GK
technology onboard, you’ll definitely want to
look at the GR-D distortion and the GR-S
space effects pedals. Both of these novel
pedals use the GK pickup’s split-string output to create highly detailed and dimensional
effects. BOSS also has three extremely cool stompboxes featuring their new Multi-Dimensional
Processing you’ll want to check out. Then there’s the sweet little 2.1 stereo practice amp from
Roland, the CUBE Lite, which any guitarist can enjoy.
Last but not least, there’s the new recording gear from Roland. The clear star of the show
was the Studio Capture. This 16-channel interface packs 12 VS preamps plus Auto Input
Level Adjustment, which provides
the perfect gain setting for any
source, with just the push of a button.
Call your Sales Engineer to get the latest on all
the new gear from Roland.
Musical Assistants, captivating rhythms, and over 850 instrument sounds all add up to make the Roland
BK-3 an exceptional backing keyboard. In the studio, the BK-3’s simple recorder also serves as an excellent
songwriting tool, and impressive onboard effects let you add polish to your sound. With 64 Ivory Feel-G keys
and SuperNATURAL piano sound, Roland’s lightweight, highly portable RD-64 is a great choice for any working
musician.
On the digital percussion side, Roland showcased two cool new
products: the TD-4KP V-Drums kit and the BT-1 bar trigger pad. The
TD-4KP takes the time-tested TD-4 drum controller and marries it to a
compact and collapsible V-Drums kit. Setting up and packing up take
only seconds, and when it’s all folded together, you can easily carry your
entire drum kit in one hand. As with the TD-4KP, the beauty of the BT-1
bar trigger pad lies in its compact simplicity. This
BT-1
ergonomically designed drum trigger attaches to the
rim of your drum or a typical drum stand, making it
easy to add extra percussion triggers to your V-Drums
or to create a hybrid drum kit.
Studio Capture
> > Roland V-Combo VR-09
> > Roland BK-3
> > Roland RD-64
> > Roland TD-4KP
> > Roland BT-1
> > Roland G-5A VG Strat
> > Roland GR-D
> > Roland GR-S
> > Roland CUBE Lite
> > Roland STUDIO-CAPTURE
TD-4KP
Sweetwater.com/VR09
Sweetwater.com/BK3BK
Sweetwater.com/RD64
Sweetwater.com/TD4KPS
Sweetwater.com/BT1
Sweetwater.com/StratVG5ACAR
Sweetwater.com/GRD
Sweetwater.com/GRS
Sweetwater.com/CubeLTBK
Sweetwater.com/UA1610
Welcome ESP Guitars
EC-1000QM
KH-602
Elite Horizon-III NT
Elite ST-1 Duncan
Eclipse-I
Eclipse-II
One of the latest product lines to be added to Sweetwater’s ever-expanding inventory is ESP guitars. Originally
a manufacturer of replacement guitar bodies and necks, located in Japan in the late 1970s, ESP grew to be an
iconic brand in the world of rock and metal guitars. In 1985, guitar phenom George Lynch teamed up with ESP
to design their first signature model, the ESP Kamikaze. Since then, many artists, including Gus G., Alexi Laiho,
Max Cavalera, Kirk Hammett, and numerous others, have used ESP guitars as their instruments of choice.
Top-line ESP guitars are still made in Japan by skilled craftsmen. An exacting eye toward playability and
craftsmanship has made ESP one of the most visible and prevalent guitar brands in rock and metal. Their
commitment to quality is second to none, and their impressive roster of endorsers proves it.
Bridging the gap between custom shop and mass-production guitars, ESP’s LTD Elite line offers Japanesemade guitars at affordable prices. These premium guitars are made in the same factory as ESP guitars, by the
same luthiers. Based on the most popular ESP models, ESP LTD Elite guitars have the features, playability, and
vibe that you want, at a great price.
ESP LTD guitars were created to bring a more affordable version of the classic designs and quality of ESP
guitars to a new market. The entire ESP LTD line of instruments features high-quality tonewoods, pickups, and
hardware, for a lifetime of use. Precise and detailed manufacturing means that every instrument is ready to
rock when it leaves the factory. Visit Sweetwater.com to see our large selection of ESP guitars!
Check out our guide to ESP guitars at Sweetwater.com/ESP-BuyingGuide.
Moving? Moved? Want more than one copy? Call, fax, or e-mail us your new address and don’t miss an issue of SweetNotes!
Hands On
Bose L1 Model 1S with B2
By Mitch Gallagher
Bose has made serious inroads into the world
of live sound reinforcement with their amazing L1 speakers, which feature
a line-array arrangement of multiple small drivers. Using a line array allows
Bose to carefully craft the dispersion characteristics of the audio coming from
the “stick,” allowing up to 180-degree horizontal coverage. The L1 speakers
are powered, so setting them up is a breeze. To expand the system, you can
add a B1 or B2 subwoofer for extended low frequencies, and you can also add
a ToneMatch 4-channel mixer to the rig to allow for complete control over your
sound, with 100+ presets and onboard effects.
There are several models of L1, including both the L1 Model II, with 24
drivers and long-throw capability, and the L1 Compact, which is ideal for
coffeehouses and small gigs because it has a built-in 2-channel mixer with
one input for a microphone and another for a guitar or other instrument. The
model we’re looking at here, the L1 Model
1S, has 12 drivers in its linear array and can
cover audiences up to 300. The L1 Model 1S
has a digital connection for a ToneMatch mixer
system, and it also comes ready to connect to
the B2 subwoofer — the system I examined
had a B2 as well as carrying bags. The system
is very easy to set up and connect. It provides
very wide coverage that’s suitable for a decentsized venue. If you need more coverage or
want stereo, just add another L1 Model 1S and
B2 subwoofer. Some bands also enjoy setting
up an L1 system for each player/singer. In this
case, the Bose system takes on the dual role of
handling monitors and mains at the same time.
The Bose L1 Model 1S with B2 subwoofer
fills a real need: it provides excellent full-range
sound with incredible dispersion. And it does all
this in a lightweight, compact form factor that
is easy to load in and operate. Plus, with its thin
line-array design, the L1 Model 1S is visually
unobtrusive, so the audience will be looking at
you instead of at your PA.
> >Bose L1 Model 1S with B2
Sweetwater.com/L1m1sb2T1
The TriplePlay Gives Your Guitar Wireless Freedom!
If your primary instrument is guitar but you want to take advantage of MIDI and modern technology, then
you’re in luck. Fishman’s TriplePlay wireless guitar controller makes it easy to turn your guitar into a
virtual instrument controller, a composition tool, and more — with wireless convenience.
Attach the TriplePlay pickup and wireless transmitter to your guitar’s bridge and plug the thumb-drivesized USB wireless receiver into your computer or iOS device — you’re ready to roll. This compact system
works on both electric and acoustic guitars, so you can turn your favorite 6-string into a fast-tracking
instrument controller. Software included with the TriplePlay lets you set up splits on your fretboard, so you
can play different instrument patches on different sets of strings. And because you’re working with MIDI
information, the TriplePlay lets you record accurate notation into your favorite notation software. In fact,
this system ships with Notion Music’s Progression 2 composing software.
Recording is a snap, thanks to the TriplePlay’s powerful combination
of wireless convenience and MIDI/audio capability. You can record
straight to your Mac, PC, or iOS device, without clunky cables or extra
interfaces. Want to find out more? Call your Sales Engineer today!
> > Fishman TriplePlay Wireless MIDI Pickup Sweetwater price: $399.00
Sweetwater.com/TriplePlayPU
Got Thunderbolt?
Imagine the Possibilities!
If you’re a creative pro with a Thunderbolt-equipped Mac, these are exciting times! The blazing-fast connectivity protocol has opened up a brave new
world of possibilities, and forward-looking companies have responded with a bevy of cutting-edge products aimed at making pro audio and video
production easier and more streamlined than ever — by giving your MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac mini, or iMac the expansion slots necessary to
install specialty PCIe cards.
The Magma ExpressBox 3T expansion chassis lets you add up to three full-length PCIe cards to your
Thunderbolt-equipped Mac, giving you access to pro-level audio interfaces in a portable and expandable
solution. The Avid-approved ExpressBox 3T sports dual Thunderbolt ports that allow you to daisy-chain additional
Thunderbolt devices to your computer.
Sonnet
Echo Express SE
Sonnet Technologies offers a full line of Thunderbolt expansion chassis
Magma
to juice your creativity. Sonnet’s Echo Express SE lets you leverage the
ExpressBox 3T
impressive processing power of your Thunderbolt-equipped Mac. With
support for Avid, Lynx, RME, SSL, Universal Audio, and more, Sonnet makes it plug-and-play easy to use fullsized professional audio interfaces, video capture, SAS and SATA HBA, 8Gb Fibre Channel, 10GB Ethernet, and
RAID controller PCIe cards.
Sonnet’s RackMac mini accommodates up to two aluminum-style Mac
minis in a single-rackspace chassis that includes everything you need to
put these compact CPUs to work in your rack. With
your minis safely housed in the enclosure, you get
full access to the disc slots, plus the convenience of
front-panel power buttons and USB connectors.
Sonnet
RackMac mini
Creative professionals have relied on LaCie peripherals for years. The LaCie d2 USB 3.0 Thunderbolt Series hard drive is the
external storage you need when time is money and your career is on the line. Rock stable and ultra-reliable, this drive features
transfer speeds that only Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 can deliver, so you can say goodbye to track limits, sample-streaming
errors, and dropped frames. These are smoking-fast drives!
LaCie
d2 USB 3.0
Today’s Thunderbolt technology fulfills what was, until recently, just a dream: fitting a professional-caliber recording system
into your backpack. With Thunderbolt, the dream has become reality!
> >Magma ExpressBox 3T
> >Sonnet Echo Express SE
> >Sonnet RackMac mini
> >LaCie d2 USB 3.0
Sweetwater.com/EB3T
Sweetwater.com/EchoExpSE
Sweetwater.com/RackMacMini
Sweetwater.com/d2USB3Tb3TB
Meet Our
Fender Factory Tour
Sweetwater
Exclusive!
Prize Winners!
Our September 2012 Monthly Gear Giveaway featured an all-expenses-paid trip to Fender’s
Corona, California, factory and visitor center, plus a fantastic American Vintage Series guitar. Our
two lucky winners, David Hurwitz and Andy Orr, returned from their respective trips and gave us
the details.
David and his wife were flown out to Corona, where they stayed for two days and nights. “It was
an incredible experience,” says David. “Matt Schultz from Fender was at our beck and call for the
entire time. He treated us like royalty. [At the Fender factory] They showed us every little aspect of
how they make the guitars. We got to see all the machinery. It was really impressive.” David also
met Fender Custom Shop Master Builder John Cruz. “I got to talk to him for 45 minutes. It was a
wonderful experience.”
To top off his dream guitar trip,
David chose and took home
his favorite Fender American
Vintage Series guitar — in this
case, a ’59 Strat. It’s a keeper.
“I have six other guitars at
home, including a ’65 Strat.
I haven’t pulled that one or
any of the others out of their
cases since I got the ’59,” he
admits.
Pultec Exclusively
Available at Sweetwater
When Pulse Techniques released the Pultec EQP-1 equalizer in the mid-’50s, they changed the face of the recording world
forever. These days, Pultec is a household name throughout the industry, and there are dozens of Pultec-style passive EQ
clones on the market right now. But nothing can truly replace the sound of a real Pultec EQ.
In early 2000, that same philosophy drove electrical engineer and materials scientist Steve Jackson to revive the Pultec name,
one component at a time. Determined to re-create Eugene Shenk’s original EQP-1 topography with perfect authenticity (and
Shenk’s blessing), Jackson searched the world for each specific part of the EQP-1’s unique circuitry. Rather than compromise
when he came across a component he was unable to source, Jackson electrically, mechanically, and chemically profiled the
missing component to custom-build his own replacements. Talk about dedication!
David also loves the service
he has received as a Sweetwater customer over
the last decade. “[Sweetwater Sales Engineer] Mark Magdich is a great guy, and he’s very
knowledgeable. And whenever I need to speak to the Tech Support team, they answer any
question I have — no matter how dumb. I have absolutely no complaints. I love working with
Sweetwater.”
Andy Orr also gave his prizewinning Fender visit high marks:
“It was total Southern California
rock ’n’ roll immersion to the
point of being ridiculous! It was
every guitar geek’s dream.”
Andy wasted no time getting
the most out of his visit. “As
soon as we landed, we went
to the Whisky, the Roxy, and
the Viper Room — along
with every guitar store in
Hollywood. We got smoothies
at the Sunset Grill and then headed to Venice Beach for lobster.”
The next day, Andy went to the Fender factory, did the factory tour, and met and spoke with Doyle
Dykes in the lobby. He even had his photo taken with Fender’s “Queen of Tone,” legendary pickup
winder Abigail Ybarra. “Then we went back to the factory and picked out a very sweet American
Vintage Series ’52 Telecaster in classic Butterscotch. The people at the factory could not have
been nicer,” Andy remembers. “They buffed out my guitar, checked with me on the setup, and
went out of their way to make it a special experience.”
In the midst of this whirlwind visit, Andy enjoyed an interesting sidetrack. “We helped unpack
some Jimi Hendrix clothing and memorabilia that Jimi’s sister had shipped to Fender. If you’re
interested, Jimi had a 28" waist. His clothes wouldn’t fit on the mannequin they had brought in for
the display!”
Like David, Andy thoroughly enjoyed his visit. “Honestly, you would not believe how good of a time
we had. Matt, the Fender rep, was awesome! We were all awestruck. It really was an unbelievable
trip. I wouldn’t change one minute of it.”
Check out Fender’s incredible American Vintage Series guitars at
Sweetwater.com/FenderAmVint, or call your Sales Engineer today.
It took over 10 years, countless hours, and immeasurable dedication, but it finally paid off. Steve Jackson’s new EQP-1A3
program equalizer swept the recording industry off its feet, and it was immediately heralded by many of the top names in
recording as the only true Pultec EQ on the market. Since then, Pultec has added several exciting new models to their lineup,
including the popular MEQ-5 midrange EQ, versions sporting the API 2520 line amp, and an extensive range of mastering
products. At Sweetwater, we’re impressed by Steve Jackson’s dedication as well as the amazing line of equalizers he has
reintroduced to the recording world. It’s
> > Pultec EQP-1A3
> > Pultec MEQ-5
an honor to be the exclusive U.S. dealer
Sweetwater price: $3495.00 Sweetwater price: $2995.00
for Pultec products.
Sweetwater.com/EQP1A3
Sweetwater.com/MEQ5
Check out the Pultec products found only at Sweetwater. Go to Sweetwater.com/Pultec.
The Return of a Vintage
Analog Synth
The classic Korg MS-20 analog synthesizer is back, smaller and more versatile than ever, in the new MS-20 Mini. When
Korg decided to re-create the MS-20, they brought in two of the engineers responsible for the original 1978 model. Together,
they managed to shrink the MS-20 down to 86% of its original size, load it with cool new features, and preserve most of its
authentic analog circuitry. If you’re a fan of the classic MS-20, then you’ll be thrilled by the MS-20 Mini’s stabilized oscillators,
classic ring modulation, first-generation filtering, and low-noise VCA.
But re-creating the original MS-20 on a smaller scale was just the beginning for the MS-20
Mini. One of the original designers was actually a guitarist, so when he got the chance to
rebuild the MS-20, he gleefully added its External Signal Processor (ESP) section. Part of
the MS-20 Mini’s extensive analog patch bay, the ESP section lets you plug in your guitar
or other sound source and control one
of the oscillators with it. Another major
improvement is the addition of MIDI and USB
connectivity, which lets you integrate your
MS-20 Mini into the rest of your rig.
> > Korg MS-20 Mini
Sweetwater.com/MS20mini
Inside
By Chuck Surack
On February 17, 1997, Sweetwater launched the very first installment of inSync,
our daily music industry news resource. This was long before the days of blogs; in
fact, the Internet was just getting rolling. We had recently introduced Sweetwater.
com, one of the first websites in the music industry. With inSync, we wanted
to create an in-depth resource for up-to-date information about new gear and
industry happenings. We also wanted it to be a true educational resource, so
we included both a “Word for the Day” and a “Tech Tip of the Day,” to give our
readers definitions and insight into many of technical terms in the music industry.
Well today, over 16 years later, we’re approaching 3,000 words in our online Word
for the Day glossary — and just as many Tech Tips!
Through the years, inSync continued to evolve, with an RSS feed and other
features. But now, we’re thrilled to announce a brand-new inSync! We’ve
redesigned the concept from the ground up so
that inSync can serve as the central hub for all
the industry news and educational resources at
Hands On
TC Electronic Ditto
The new inSync will also serve as a central location for all of Sweetwater’s video
content. That includes product demos, interviews, weekly shows, concerts and
performances, and much more. Of course, all your old favorites, including the
Word for the Day and the Tech Tip of the Day, will be right there as well.
We hope that you find our new and improved inSync to be an incredibly useful
and valuable resource for all your music-making and pro-audio activities. Please
drop by and check it out! And be sure to sign up to receive our free weekly inSync
e-digest, which summarizes each week’s inSync activity in one convenient e-mail.
The all-new inSync is available at
Sweetwater.com/inSync.
Gibson Custom Shop
Watch Mitch Gallagher demo the Ditto
pedal in this installment of Guitars & Gear at
Sweetwater.com/DittoLooper.
Historic Series
20th Anniversary
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Les Paul Reissue program, Gibson has
gone back to the drawing board to create the most accurate vintage reproductions to date. Many of
these Gibson Custom Shop Historic Series guitars feature updated finishes and hardware as well as
hide-glued necks, authentic truss-rod and tuner designs, and 1-piece rosewood fretboards.
By Mitch Gallagher
Looking for the world’s smallest and easiest-to-use
looping pedal? The TC Electronic Ditto definitely fills
those requirements! The Ditto is a super-compact
“bantam” pedal with just a single footswitch and a
single knob, yet it provides everything you need to put
loops to work in your music.
Using the Ditto is simple: hit the footswitch to start
recording your loop; hit it again to stop recording and
start playback. While the loop is playing, use the switch
to toggle overdub recording on and off. To undo or redo
an overdub, hold down the switch while the loop is playing. To completely clear the
loop, hold down the switch when playback is off. The knob controls the volume of
the loop playback. There you go — the complete operating manual for the pedal!
The Ditto offers up to five minutes of loop time at 24-bit digital resolution, so you
get plenty of time and stellar sound quality. Plus, it fits on any pedalboard. And at
its price, the Ditto is a supreme value. TC has been on a solid roll with their pedals
lately, and the Ditto only cements
> >TC Electronic Ditto
their leading position. Another
winner from TC!
Sweetwater.com/dittolooper
Sweetwater.com. With inSync’s new search engine, everything is easier to find.
Plus, you can customize your searches to your specific interests. Whether you’re
a guitarist, a drummer, a recording engineer, or an iOS enthusiast, you can easily
find the valuable information you need.
Gibson’s latest Custom Shop Historic Series guitars include new appointments to add even more
authenticity and vintage vibe. Necks are now attached using hide glue, which many argue sounds
better than modern synthetic glues. The truss rod, truss-rod washer, and anchor have been
re-engineered to their original forms. Also, the tubing that surrounded the truss rod has
been eliminated. New Kluson Green Key Tuners now feature the proper vintage profile,
color, and performance specifications.
Even the finishes on many of these premium Custom Shop instruments have been
updated. The Goldtop Les Pauls have a reformulated color that’s closer to the original
’50s coloring. The gold is richer and “greener,” with better depth, and the backs have
a deeper grain presentation. The fingerboard and body binding are a darker cream
color that more closely matches vintage Gibsons.
The models in the 2013 Gibson Custom Shop Historic Series are the most
accurate reissue guitars Gibson has ever put out. Call your Sweetwater Sales
Engineer to get yours today!
See more Gibson Custom Shop Historic Series guitars at
Sweetwater.com/Gibson2013Historics.
Sub Phatty — Bone-rattling Analog!
You’re in for a wild ride when you get your hands on a Moog Sub Phatty! Designed for everyone from classic synthesis diehards to producers cutting today’s hottest electronic
dance tracks, the Sub Phatty comes packed with features and sounds all its own. First, there are the Sub Phatty’s new oscillators — rich with harmonic content that gives
them a fresh new edge. Then there’s the addition of a specially voiced noise generator that’s ideal for analog percussion. Add to that a foundation-shaking sub
oscillator that will fatten up any sound, and you’re in another league altogether. But that’s just the beginning.
No Moog synth would be complete without a genuine classic Moog ladder filter, and the Sub Phatty has one! And this synth is also armed with the all-new
Multidrive control, capable of taking any sound into aggressive new territory. Perhaps best of all,
> >Moog Sub Phatty
you can save up to 16 patches and recall them at the touch of a button. The Sub Phatty’s massive sound is
packaged in a compact and truly portable keyboard, complete with CV/gate inputs and MIDI for connecting to your
Sweetwater.com/SubPhatty
other gear — all at an aggressive price that’s sure to please!
Komplete 9 and Komplete 9 Ultimate — Maximum
Music-creation Power!
Making music on your computer? If so, you’ve got a lot to be excited about in Native Instruments’ Komplete 9 software bundle! Komplete has always been a huge value in the virtual instrument realm, giving you nearly everything that
Native Instruments makes, at a much lower price than if you purchased the titles individually.
In Komplete 9, NI brings you new titles that weren’t found in Komplete 8. You get Battery 4, the latest version of NI’s acclaimed drum sample player/editor. Also of note is The Giant piano instrument, sampled from the Klavins Piano
Model 370i, which has a dark, evocative sound that’s perfect for film scoring. The new Monark monophonic synth re-creates the performance and sound of the renowned original. You also get powerful mix processors with Komplete 9,
including the Solid EQ, Solid Bus Comp, and Solid Dynamics plug-ins, which model the sound of some of the most popular equalizers and compressors. In all, Komplete 9 brings you 33 instruments and effects, with over 12,000 sounds
and over 120GB of samples! No matter what kind of work you do in your studio, Komplete has a wide range of sounds and effects that suit a wide variety of projects.
But if you really want to supercharge your music creation potential, you’ll want to check out Komplete 9 Ultimate. Komplete 9 Ultimate gives you 65 products (370GB of content) with over 16,000 sounds, preinstalled on an external
USB 2.0 hard drive. On top of the already amazing range of synths you’d get with Komplete 9, Komplete 9 Ultimate comes with NI’s Scanner XT and Razor synthesizers for scorching-hot synth sounds. You also get a lot more drum
content to work with, from the acoustic drums in Abbey Road Drummer to the modern sound of the Maschine Drum Selection. And you also get a slew of instruments and sounds focused on guitar, bass, strings, and orchestral
instruments, plus a great selection of powerful processing tools to make your mix a masterpiece. In fact, it’s hard to think of what more you would need for music or post production that isn’t included here.
Komplete 9 and Komplete 9 Ultimate bring you even more of the mojo that has made Native Instruments products so popular — amazing
sound, professional versatility, and unlimited creative potential. Call your Sales Engineer or visit Sweetwater.com now to learn more!
Hands On
> >Native Instruments Komplete 9
> >Native Instruments Komplete 9 Ultimate
Sweetwater.com/Komp9
Sweetwater.com/Komp9Ult
Rupert Neve Designs 500 Series
Hands On
Pauly Ton Pauly Superscreen
By Mitch Gallagher
By Mitch Gallagher
Watching the studio-gear paradigm progress has been interesting. Years ago, of course, everything
was analog. Then the digital era hit, and many of us switched to completely in-the-box systems
for the advantages they provided. But these days, many studios (including mine) are switching to a hybrid approach — using the
best of both digital and analog. A big part of the growing popularity of the hybrid approach has been the rise of the API 500 Series
format, which condenses pro studio gear into compact modules that can be loaded into a rackmount or portable chassis.
The pop filter isn’t something most of us
devote much thought to — heck, some panty hose stretched over a
coat hanger might do the job, right? Well, Pauly Ton believes it’s time
to change your thinking! The Pauly Superscreen is a high-end pop
filter designed after years of research into the acoustic properties
and materials of pop-filter design. Each one is handmade in
Germany and comes with a proprietary gooseneck. The gooseneck
is great — it stays where you put it and doesn’t make any noise.
Rupert Neve Designs recently released a family of modules, including two brand-new pieces that were first shown at the 2013
Winter NAMM show. I was able to load up all four into a chassis and take them for a spin. There are two preamps: the 517, which
combines an RND preamp with an opto compressor and RND’s signature Silk control, and the brand-new 511, which is a preamp
with Silk and a variable highpass filter. The 517 actually has two paths, mic and DI, which can be blended. Both modules sound
phenomenal, with a full but open tone. The Silk control allows you to shape the tone, adding a subtly smooth texture.
The 543 is RND’s mono VCA compressor. It offers full control over all parameters, plus a choice of RMS or peak detection, feedforward or feedback operation, and the ability to sidechain with or without a highpass filter in the path. I found it to be transparent,
with just a touch of added “polish” — the tracks I ran through it sounded subtly enhanced in that beautiful Neve fashion.
Also brand-new is the 542. This tape emulator module can do great things to your audio, adding beef and rounding out harshness
while adding desirable harmonic content. You get a saturation control, a blend control for mixing in the effect, and the choice of
15ips or 30ips tape-speed simulation — as well as the ability to add Silk to the signal. Here’s my favorite setting: 30ips, fairly
heavy saturation, the blend set to around 50%, and a good amount of the “blue” texture setting. It’s analog heaven!
Rupert Neve has really hit the mark with these modules. All the Portico sound is there, with plenty of control and powerful soundshaping options,
> >Rupert Neve Designs 517 Sweetwater price: $850.00
but in the compact,
Sweetwater.com/517
Sweetwater.com/511
affordable 500 Series
Sweetwater.com/543neve
format. Outstanding!
> >Rupert Neve Designs 542
Sweetwater.com/542
In use, the Superscreen is totally transparent — I
couldn’t hear it in my vocal tracks at all when
doing A/B comparisons, except for the
obvious: plosives were totally tamed
when it was in place.
With the Pauly Ton Pauly
Superscreen, I feel like
I’ve finally found a pop
filter that doesn’t impact
the sound captured by
my carefully selected
vocal microphones. If purity
of sound matters to you,
> > Pauly Ton Pauly Superscreen
then the Superscreen is
your pop filter.
Sweetwater.com/pauly
Hot New Gear from PreSonus
Our friends at PreSonus have been busy, recently introducing two new series of studio monitors, a new line of
StudioLive PA loudspeakers, and an updated 32-channel version of their popular StudioLive digital mixer. The
current crop of StudioLive products incorporates PreSonus’s Active Integration technology. These are intelligent
products that sense each other, feature 32-bit floating-point DSP and integrated software, interface together
wirelessly, and run on CPUs with staggering horsepower. For example, thanks to Active Integration, the StudioLive
32.4.2AI mixer boasts 64 times the processing power — and 10,000 times more RAM — than its predecessor!
StudioLive Active Integration Loudspeakers
PreSonus’s new 3-way coaxial powered PA speakers deliver studiomonitor-grade accuracy and give you the convenience of wireless as
well as wired remote control and monitoring. Packing 2,000 watts
of tri-amped power, the 312AI, 315AI, and 328AI each incorporate
ferrite woofers (12", 15", and 2 x 8", respectively) plus an 8" midrange
driver and a 1.75" titanium compression driver configured in a unique
coaxial design that utilizes proprietary Temporal Equalization and
Coaxial Speaker Coherence Alignment technology. Combine them
with a StudioLive 18sAI powered sub, and the result is jaw-droppingly
powerful and lucid sound reproduction that will floor you.
The Digital Mixer That Does It All
The PreSonus StudioLive 32.4.2AI is a next-gen 32-channel digital mixer that packs pristine sonics and
staggering functionality into an easy-to-use mixer. Take this self-contained powerhouse to the gig and use its builtin effects and the PreSonus-exclusive Fat Channel — now with quick A/B comparisons — to manage your sound.
With 32 mic pres and line inputs, 14 aux mixes, four internal effects buses with reverb and delay, Quick Scenes,
four subgroups, mute groups, a 48 x 34 FireWire 800 audio interface, and more, the PreSonus StudioLive 32.4.2AI
is ready to rock.
The StudioLive 32.4.2AI ups the ante with its Fat Channel section, which gives you a 4-band parametric EQ plus
studio-grade gating with Key Filter and Key Listen — across all your channels. Want to record the show? FireWire
makes it happen. Just plug the PreSonus StudioLive 32.4.2AI into any FireWire-equipped computer, and you’re
good to go. QMix lets you control your aux sends from up to 10 Apple iPhones, iPads, or iPod touches. You can even
let the performers create their own custom monitor mixes from individual iPhones. And the Class A XMAX preamps
onboard the StudioLive 32.4.2AI sound like they belong in the studio — a fitting quality for the hybrid StudioLive.
PreSonus enjoys a formidable presence in just about every area of pro audio. Just add a few great mics and a dash
of A-game talent — and you’re ready to roll!
Eris Series Studio Monitors
If you’re in the market for accurate
studio monitors but don’t want to
break the bank, you should give the
StudioLive Active Integration
PreSonus Eris 2-way active monitors
a serious look. A high-quality, high-value alternative to computer speakers, the
Eris E5 and Eris E8 employ 5" and 8" Kevlar woofers, respectively, as well as a
low-mass silk-dome tweeter, Class D amplification, and professional acousticadjustment controls. You get true studiomonitor accuracy. You even get controls for
flattening frequency response to facilitate
accurate mixing.
Eris Series
Sceptre Series Studio Monitors
The Sceptre series comprises PreSonus’s state-of-the-art next-generation
2-way studio monitors. Bi-amplified with 180 watts of Class D power, the
Sceptre S6 and Sceptre S8 employ a cutting-edge coaxial point-source
design, CoActual DSP time correction, and acoustic-adjustment controls
facilitated by a 32-bit/96kHz dual-core processor and advanced Temporal
Equalization technology. The result of all this high-tech engineering? Wide
panoramic soundstaging, astonishing detail, and stunning dynamics.
StudioLive 32.4.2AI
Sceptre Series
Hands On
Radial Engineering FireFly
By Mitch Gallagher
Looking for the ultimate direct-instrument interface? Whether “ultimate” means sound quality or functionality, you must check out the Radial Firefly. The
Firefly just may be the most full-featured direct box I’ve ever seen. This tube- and transformer-driven DI has two instrument inputs, each with its own level
control. Using a front-panel switch, you can toggle between the inputs. There are a tuner output and an input for a mute footswitch, so you can tune without
running through the PA or monitors. An insert point lets you connect guitar pedals or rack gear, and a switchable Thru jack routes your signal to a stage
amp either before or after the insert jack and the tube stage. An XLR output with a level pot up front feeds your mixer or DAW with anything from mic to
line-level signals. Other features include polarity reverse and ground lift, and there’s an adjustable low-cut control for removing rumble, thump, or resonance. One
of the coolest features is the trademark Radial Drag control, which matches the DI's input load to what your instrument's pickup wants to see for best tone.
Sonically, the Firefly is rich and full sounding. I tried it with an electric 12-string guitar as well as a 6-string acoustic with a pickup, and it sounded great for both. With the
Drag control, you can really make a passive pickup sing.
For stage use, the Firefly is unequaled — Radial clearly spent a lot of time thinking this one through. All those features are also useful in the studio. And in both cases,
the sound is exemplary. The Firefly may be the last DI you ever need!
> > Radial Engineering Firefly
Sweetwater.com/Firefly
I think it’s time to give you another look “under the hood” here at Sweetwater
and tell you about a very important department: Merchandising. Many companies
have some variation of a “purchasing” department. The bottom-line job of those
departments is to replenish inventory, and it can be treated as a very basic
administrative function. Unfortunately, this really isn’t the best way to serve
customers, because it really isn’t very customer centric.
So, what is merchandising, and how is it fundamentally and functionally different
from purchasing? In short, merchandising is the art and science of bringing
goods to market, presenting them in a way that’s best for the customer, pricing
the products intelligently, and then promoting the products so that customers can
easily find them and make their purchases. At Sweetwater, our merchandising
philosophy is aimed at creating a best-in-class shopping experience for our
customers. Combine this with our Sales Engineers, and we’ve got world-class
service, a huge assortment of great products, competitive pricing, and tons of
added value. All of these elements are part of the Sweetwater Difference.
Inside the
In addition to our guitar buyer, we have experts in place for keyboards, recording gear,
live sound, drums, signal processing, guitar effects, pedals, and more. And each of the
buyers has many years of experience to draw from. It truly is a powerhouse of talent!
To ensure our selection is just right and to really be effective at what they do, the
Merchandising Department works closely with both Marketing and Sales, serving as the
bridge between those two departments. Merchandising makes sure that our customers
are able to buy as they’d like to buy. That could be as simple as understanding how
guitarists’ buying habits, for example, influence how we sell strings. Rather than sell
individual sets of guitar strings — which is how strings have been sold for years — we
could offer 3-pack, 5-pack, and box sets (with progressively reduced prices for the
larger quantities).
Jeff Radke
Sweetwater’s Merchandising Department is a real powerhouse in terms of the talent and knowledge level of
the buyers. These folks are all experienced musicians and audio engineers who are truly passionate about
the products we sell. They aren’t using a “purchasing” approach and just ordering part numbers. Rather, they
understand that the instruments and tools they procure will be used by creative musicians. For example,
I personally love guitars. It’s amazing to me that our Merchandising Department has an extraordinarily
knowledgeable, true wood-sniffing guitar lover selecting and buying the guitars we carry! And that’s a huge
benefit for our customers. We will always have not only an amazing selection of guitars, but also a healthy
number of unique and limited-edition models.
The bottom line is that we want to do all we can to serve our customers the way they
want to be served. An essential part of this is having the right people in place in our
Merchandising Department. They are instrumental in not only determining our product
mix, but also developing marketing promotions and special offers, as well as solving the many day-to-day
inventory issues that pop up as they work to keep our warehouse stacked to the ceiling with exactly the
right gear for our customers. I know how hard our Merchandising Department works every day to make this
happen, and I can’t express how thankful I am to have them as an integral part of our Sweetwater team.
Rock and Roll!
Jeff Radke
Executive Vice President of Sales
Chief Sales Officer
Hands On
Lindell Audio 500 Series Modules
By Mitch Gallagher
See the Lindell Audio 500 Series modules in this
Sweetwater Minute video with Mitch Gallagher, at
Sweetwater.com/7X500.
Swedish record producer Tobias Lindell is well known for his dedication to
great sound. When he launched Lindell Audio in 2010, his goal was to create
equipment that suited his own working methods and satisfied his need for
quality. Now he has brought that same dedication to the 500 Series format, with three modules: the 6X-500 mic pre/EQ, the 7X-500 FET compressor, and the
PEX-500 Pultec-style EQ. I had the opportunity to load all three up in an API lunchbox and take them for a spin.
The 7X-500 is Lindell’s take on classic 1176-style compression, with all the expected features and controls. However, two additional features take it up a notch:
a mix control for parallel compression and a sidechain with a highpass filter. The 7X-500 excels anywhere you’d use an 1176. I found the 7X-500 is especially
awesome on drums, guitars, and vocals, but it is a great all-around compressor.
The PEX-500 is a Pultec-style EQ with both low and high bands, each with boost and cut controls. Being able to boost and cut in the same band allows you to
create complex EQ curves, but the real power of the PEX-500 lies in the fat, punchy bottom and creamy top end it can produce. I used it on kick drum, snare
drum, electric bass, and vocals, and everything simply sounded better running through the PEX-500.
The 6X-500 preamp/EQ offers a thick transformer-coupled sound with fat low end and smooth top end. The bonus is the inclusion of two boost-only bands of
Pultec-style EQ, each with three frequency selections. There’s 65dB of gain on tap, plus 48-volt phantom power, polarity reverse, and EQ bypass switches. This
is a great-sounding preamp.
The Lindell Audio 500 Series modules offer incredible value — at just $299.99 each, they’re no-brainers for building a
hybrid studio based around a DAW and a mixer or summing box. Check these out — great audio awaits!
> >Lindell Audio 6X-500
> >Lindell Audio 7X-500
> >Lindell Audio PEX-500
Sweetwater.com/6X500
Sweetwater.com/7X500
Sweetwater.com/PEX500
Get More Hands-on Control Over
Your Software!
If you like hands-on control of your software, you’ll definitely want to check out Novation’s new Launchkey Series of USB keyboard controllers. They’re
comprehensive controllers for any software platform, but the multicolor launchpads make the Launchkey Series especially appealing to Ableton Live users. Available
in 25-, 49-, and 61-key versions, these controllers are designed to further close the gap between hardware instruments and software.
If you’re using Ableton Live, you can use the 16 multicolor launchpads to play drums, trigger loops, and launch clips — all without having to touch your mouse or look at your
computer keyboard. But no matter what DAW you use, the Launchkey’s InControl technology will instantly map its faders, knobs, and transport controls to your software. And right
out of the box, Launchkey controllers come with an entire software suite for instant music making.
On top of a great set of flexible control options, Launchkey controllers also feature great-feeling synth-action
keyboards, with pitch and mod wheels plus octave up/down buttons. And if you’re performing live, Launchkey
controllers are a great solution for putting a ton of software functions at your fingertips. If you’re not sure how a
Novation Launchkey controller would fit into your rig, call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer today!
> > Novation Launchkey 25, 49, 61
Sweetwater price: $149.99, $199.99, $249.99
Sweetwater.com/Launchkey25
The Networking Power of
RedNet Interfaces
Focusrite’s RedNet Ethernet audio interfaces give you the ability to set up a
near-zero-latency audio-distribution system that can be accessed and shared
across a network. Perfect for large production houses, educational facilities,
churches, and more, RedNet interfaces deliver audio to multiple locations,
instantly. Recently, Northwestern Michigan College installed a RedNet Ethernet
system for their new audio technology program.
The RedNet installation consisted of one RedNet 2, two RedNet 4s, and a RedNet
PCIe card. The goal was to connect a recording space, a large classroom, and a
control room to a central audio network. These rooms weren’t adjacent to one
another; in fact, the control room was located across the hall from the recording
space. Traditional studio wiring was not possible, so RedNet was the perfect
solution. After installation was complete, audio could be recorded and played
back to and from any of the Ethernet-enabled rooms in the facility.
The recording space houses the three main RedNet units. The two RedNet 4 units
offer a total of 16 high-quality XLR preamps. The RedNet 2 delivers 16 outputs to
feed studio speakers, headphones, talkback, guitar-track re-amping, and more.
The brains of the operation, the control room’s Mac Pro tower, sports a single
RedNet PCIe card that supports up to 128 inputs and 128 outputs. This system is
extremely flexible and easy to expand when needed.
Steve Quick, the college’s audio technology program coordinator, had this to
say about their RedNet system: “I’m a big fan of Focusrite gear, and based on
my previous experience, I expected high-quality sound. But RedNet blew those
expectations out of the water! RedNet gives us the flexibility to make any space
our studio — and to connect with our control room from anywhere in our facility.
As the needs and physical layout of our programs change, RedNet will allow
us to change our audio setup without expensive and time-consuming rewiring.
Wherever we go, RedNet goes with us.”
Focusrite’s RedNet audio interfaces make connecting and accessing your audio
easier than ever. Whether you’re using multiple mixing rooms, have long cable
runs, or just need to send your audio over long distances, RedNet is a top-ofthe-line solution. Contact your Sweetwater Sales Engineer to learn more about
networking your studio or facility with Focusrite’s RedNet Ethernet interfaces.
Get Ready for
GearFest ’13!
It’s coming! June 21 and 22 will be here before you know it, so
mark your calendar for this year’s GearFest at Sweetwater. This year’s
event promises to be bigger and better than ever, with hundreds of
manufacturers showing off their latest and greatest products — in
person. You’ll also get access to presentations, demos, and workshops
from some of the industry’s biggest names. And don’t forget the
incredible GearFest-exclusive deals you’ll find on your favorite gear!
We’ll be hosting dozens of informative and entertaining workshops in our
Performance Theatre, conference hall, and Academy of Music, and they’re
all free of charge. Plus, if you’re a guitar player, bring in your 6-string
and get a free restringing. Then step outside and experience a whole lot
of new gear, firsthand. GearFest doesn’t just give you the opportunity to
check out the newest products out there; you can actually interact with
the manufacturers themselves — hundreds of them, in fact! With an
array of huge tents devoted to guitars, keyboards, live sound, recording,
and much more, GearFest has something for everyone. You can even sign
up to sell your unused gear in our Flea Market tent!
Looking for great deals? You’ll find them at GearFest — and nowhere
else. You’ll have exclusive on-site access to the best deals on many great
products. And when you register for GearFest (it’s absolutely FREE), you’re
signed up for our massive giveaways. If you love gear, then GearFest
is the place to be on June 21 and 22. Call your Sales Engineer or visit
Sweetwater.com/gearfest to find out more about GearFest ’13!
For the latest GearFest information, go to Sweetwater.com/gearfest.
Alex Morales
Foreign languages: Spanish
Technical strengths: DAWs, high-end studio gear, signal flow and system
design, drums, DJ equipment, synthesizers
Favorite music-related website: Pandora.com
Instruments you play: Drums, percussion, turntables, synthesizers, and
drum machines. I’m a total guitar hack, but I’m getting there.
Name: Alex Morales
Position at Sweetwater: Sales Engineer
Start date: June 2009
Education: Berklee College of Music in Boston. I earned a bachelor’s
degree in both music synthesis and music business/management.
Where are you from originally? Lima, Peru
Your occupation before coming to Sweetwater: Studio owner
Why did you first apply for a job at Sweetwater? Are you kidding?
Have you seen this place?
Gear you own: Avid Pro Tools; Apple Mac Mini server; Apogee Symphony
I/O; Focal Twin6 Be, CMS SUB; Yamaha NS10; Avantone MixCubes;
Dangerous Monitor ST; Vintech 473; Universal Audio 2-610; Dave Hill
Europa 1 (2); 20 studio mics; Pearl Masters drum set; Zildjian cymbals (14);
lots of percussion instruments; Jackson Slat 3-6; EVH 5150; Mesa Recto 4
x 12 cab; Native Instruments Maschine, Komplete, Traktor DJ; Propellerhead
Reason; Rob Papen, iZotope, Waves, Universal Audio, and Sonnox plug-ins.
Family info: Wife of 6 years, Lili, and a 5-month-old son, Joaquin.
Other stuff we should know about you: I’m a golf nut. My goal for 2013
is to be a six handicap.
Favorite magazine: Sound on Sound, Tape Op
Real-life hero: My parents. Both are cancer survivors.
Guilty pleasure of choice: Traveling. My favorite cities I’ve been to are
Buenos Aires, Paris, London, and New York City. I really want to go to Italy,
Greece, Brazil, and Puerto Rico.
How would your boss describe you? Driven
How would your best friend describe you? Like a brother
What did you dream about doing for a living when you were
growing up? I wanted to own a drum shop.
Describe the most dramatic situation in which you provided the
Sweetwater Difference for a customer: I’ve done it all: shipped out my
personal iLok for free, talked down a customs agent who was trying to rip
off a customer, and even created system diagrams from a hospital room.
What in your background prepared you most to help your
customers with their audio needs? Working in the studio and doing
FOH, you learn quickly that you’re there as a support person for the artist,
not the other way around. It’s the exact same thing in sales.
What do you enjoy most about being part of the Sweetwater team?
Taking over the world, one Mbox at a time.
What is the most important thing you’ve learned at Sweetwater?
Everything is about the customer.

Spring 2013 - Sweetwater

Transcription

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