SweetNotes
(800) 222-4700 | www.sweetwater.com
June/July 2008 Issue | Vol. 81

inside this issue

From The Editor..1 Clavia Nord Wave..1 Access VIRUS TI Snow..1 Focusrite Liquid 4PRE..2 Hands On: EastWest Symph. Orch. Gold.2 Gibson Guitars of the Month.3 M-Audio BX5a Deluxe..3 Alesis SR18...3 Its a Wireless World..4 Synth Tricks..4 Hands On: Seymour Duncan Pickups..4 Morley Pedals..5 Hands On: Randall Kirk Hammett Series..5 Guitar 101..5 PreSonus AudioBox USB..6 Studio Notebook..6 Hands On: BOSS GT-10..6 Inside Sweetwater..7 Moog Voyager Old School..7 Expert Center..7 Hands On: Vox AC15 Ltd Anniversary..7 Customer Studio Showcase..8 Inside the Sweetwater Difference.10 TC Electronic Super-NOVA!..10 Hands On: BIAS Peak Pro 6 XT.11 Meet Vern Crews..11 TechNotes..11

from the editor

My editorial in the February/March issue of SweetNotes resulted in more response than just about any article weve ever run. In that piece I wrote about how, after so many years, I was still excited about and loved playing guitar, recording, and making music. Clearly many readers have similar feelings! I received emails from readers whove been pursuing music for a lot more years than I have, yet they were still infatuated with making music. How great is that? While many of us derive at least some part of our income (if not all of it) from playing, writing, or recording music, its clear from the response I received that its unanimous that the real reason we pursue this art form is that we love it. I repeat, how great is that? Mitch Gallagher Editorial Director mitch_gallagher@sweetwater.com Whether youre a beginner or youve been a full-time pro for decades, its a privilege to get to follow the aural muse, especially now, when its so easy to record your work and put it on the web for the world to enjoy. While theres a ton of music already out there, theres always room for more, especially if its a true expression of whats in your heart. We cant all be stars, but that doesnt mean that our music wont get listened to and that it wont touch listeners. Its too easy to put off making music Im as guilty (some would say more so) as anyone. So Im including myself in this admonition: Dont be shy and dont wait get busy and make some music!

Clavia Nord Wave

The Clavia Nord Wave takes Nords legacy of lead synthesizers to that elite next level. While you can still expect all of Nords incredible virtual analog synthesis and FM modulation for sculpting nearly any sound imaginable, Nord has stepped up their wavetable engine and given you the power to use any of your standard WAV files as a sound source for your synth! Now you can introduce your oscillator to complete, custom, key-zoned, and multi-layered sampled waveforms while keeping the full virtual analog circuitry intact. With the aptly named Nord Wave, you get full-on sampling technology combined with the ultimate in creative sound design and expression. When it comes to pre-loaded samples, the 49-key Nord Wave abounds in quality sounds. It comes with sounds from 68 tapes used by the MkI, MkII, M300, and M400 Mellotrons, effectively reproducing the legendary sounds with all the hisses and fuzz exactly where they should be. Youll also enjoy a potent filter section featuring true 24dB deep analog-modeled resonant filters with velocity control, complete with filter type combinations, and a formant filter offering so you can send your sound spinning in whatever direction you imagine. For even more real-time morphing, the Wave lets you easily connect and control almost any synthesis-related parameter using a morph source such as the mod wheel, expression wheel, or keyboard note. That way, when you operate the morph controller, all the parameters seamlessly change to their tweaked position an excellent performance tool. A complete effects section with EQ, delay, tap-tempo, tube amp simulations, multiple reverbs, and more only add to the Waves rich palette and weve just scraped the surface. If youre ready to upgrade your sound, give your Sales > > Clavia Nord Wave Engineer a call the Sweetwater price $2699.97 Nord Wave is ready to www.sweetwater.com/NordWave take you there!

Access Virus TI Snow

Access Virus TI synths have steadily become vital elements of countless studio and stage rigs since their introduction iin 1997. And, iif the Virus stage rigs since their introduction 1997. And, Virus studio studio and stage rigs since their introduction n 1997 And f the Virus potent sound engine, 1,000+ presets, performer-friendly interface, and Totall IIntegration abilit havent yet iinfected your music, iit may well b music, t Total ntegratiion ability havent t nfected t t t bility ilit t f t d i ll be your turn. turn. your turn The Virus TI S streamlined, portable desktop synth thats Th Vi Snow iis a streamli d, portabl desktop synth thats t lined t ble kt th t jam-packed with sonic possibilities its the perfect siize to take to its the f t jam-packed with sonic possibilities it th perfect size to take to k d ith i ibiliti k the stage or slide iinto your backpack for an iimpromptu jjam session. stage slide nto backpack session. the stage slide into your backpack for impromptu am session mpromptu But you cant let the Snows small footprint deceive you: This synth is you footprint you: synth y p y 100% compatible with all patches created f the TI Series and b sts 100% compatible ith ll patches created for th TI Series and boa t tibl t h t d the i d boasts a wealth of oscillator models, siingle- and multi ode effects, 32-step wealth f oscillator models, single- and multi-mode effects, 32 t lth ill t d l l d lti-m d ff t 32-step programmable arpeggiation, a global vocoder, and more. TI stands continued on page 2

> > Focusrite Liquid 4PRE Sweetwater price $2999.99 www.sweetwater.com/Liquid4Pre
Sweetwater price $695.00 www.sweetwater.com/QLSOGoldPT
A Access Virus TI Snow continued from page 1 fo for Total Integration with your DAW you can stream audio from the TI into a plug-in, or conveniently save and edit sounds. Just connect the TI Snow via USB or MIDI, and youll enjoy sample-accurate MIDI timing and hands-on, true outboard control over your music. The Snow is th TI-certified for use with Pro Tools, Logic, Live, Cubase, and SONAR. T The Virus TI Snow has the power and features to set your creativity on fire, and its optimized for live performance. Instead of a confusing T menu structure, the Snow gives you everything you need with a minimum of button presses. To start, you can program three hardware knobs m per patch, while maintaining full control over filter and envelope functions. Likewise, you can access and tweak virtually any sound in seconds p using the Snows 16 patch select buttons. u Of O course, if a mighty effects section (including simultaneous reverb, delay, EQ, distortion, phaser, chorus/flanger, and more), the ultimate in on-the-fly performance features, 50 voices and four multitimbral parts, two independent filters, and three main oscillators and one sub oscillao tor per voice werent enough to send you spinning into pure sonic synth bliss, the Snows wickedly affordable price tag makes it a no-brainer to for synth-enthusiasts, DJs, and electronic artists alike. Its also the perfect box for fo > > Access Virus TI Snow any musician on the verge of a first dive into the ethereal world of synth-dom. With the TI Snow, theres been no better time to catch the Virus!
Sweetwater price $1420.97 www.sweetwater.com/VirusTISnow
Moving? Moved? Want more than one copy? Call, fax, or email us your new address and dont miss an issue of SweetNotes!

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CHECK THEM ALL OUT ONLINE AT

Gibson

www.sweetwater.com/feature/gotm go

Guitars of the Month

Gibson has been innovating in the field of guitars for well over a century. Not content to rest on their laurels, theyre at it again with the Guitar of the Month, a follow-up to 2007s hugely successful Guitar of the Week program. These beauties will be limited-run instruments, with just 1,000 of each model to be produced. Summer is here, and the Guitar of the Month program has been rolling a few months, so some models have already come and gone, but theres still a bevy of great guitars left in the series. Mays Guitar of the Month is a standard Les Paul at first sight but look closer! Dubbed the Les Paul Push-tone, this Paul ships with two pairs of pickups, one set being a pair of Burstbuckers and the other a pair of humbucker-sized P-90-style P-94s single-coils. These pickups are easily interchangeable to let you create your ultimate Les Paul by mixing and matching the pickups. For metal fans, there are the Shred-X and Shred-V, Guitars of the Month for June and August, respectively. These black beauties are equipped with EMG 85 pickups and a black-chrome Kahler 2215K tremolo. These Shred incarnations of the Explorer and Flying V axes are built for hard rock and metal mayhem, with fast necks primed for insane riffage. A departure from traditional Gibson designs, the Longhorn Double Cut sports a new body style with asymmetrical cutaways, a pair of EMG 85 pickups, and an LR Baggs piezo pickup. Touches like the early-1900s flowerpot headstock inlay simply add to the cool factor. There are aspects of the Longhorn that are pure Gibson through and through AA maple top on a solid mahogany back for the body, for instance but the Longhorn Double Cut is a unique addition to the Gibson family. The Longhorn will be available in two colors: Heritage Cherry Sunburst in July and Transparent Blue in November. September and October see the release of two Explorers: the Reverse Explorer and the Commemorative 50th Anniversary Explorer. The Reverse Explorer boasts a reverse body style in an Antique Walnut finish adorned with gold hardware. A retro-style logo pulled from the drawings of former Gibson president and guitar innovator Ted McCarty crowns the headstock. The 50th Anniversary Explorer points the correct way and comes in a Brimstone Burst finish. A follow-up to Februarys Guitar of the Month is another SG Diablo (December), this time in a Metallic Silver finish. Burstbucker pickups provide the tone and a carved mahogany body puts a unique spin on a classic. Speaking of unique spins, the final member of the Guitar of the Month roster is the Holy V (January 2009). This unusual Flying V has strategic chunks removed for aesthetic effect, but everything else is there: a mahogany body and neck and a single 57 Classic humbucker for classic V tone! These very cool guitars dont last long once theyre released so call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer today to reserve your piece of Gibson history!

Deluxe Sound!

Recordists the world over have latched onto M-Audio, as the companys products offer professional-level sound at a price thats manageable for everyone. Their studio monitors, in particular, have proven especially popular, finding their way into the studios of some of biggest names in the business. Now M-Audios at it again with an addendum to their BX line of speakers, the BX Deluxe series. For smaller studios, the BX5a Deluxe brings 70 watts of power to the table, driving the 2-way active design. The 5" woofers have been upgraded to curved Kevlar for strong lows, and the 1" high-frequency driver is magnetically shielded to reject quency interference and is constructed with silk domes for smooth, consistent sound thats easy on the ears. For larger home or professional studios in need of bigger bass response, theres the BX8a Deluxe. The inclusion of the Kevlar 8" woofer aids the extended low-frequency response of this big-sounding monitor speaker, and the BX8a is equipped with the same 1" silk dome tweeter for high-frequency duties. The cabinets also benefit from being retooled, with rounded corners reducing edge diffraction and improving the stereo imaging. A rear port eliminates the turbulence and distortion that results from low-frequency waves residing in the same path as the speakers direct signal. The end result: tight, accurate sound for all your monitoring needs. What makes the BX Deluxe series of monitors such a value is that for relatively little money, you get truly excellent sound a great benefit to any studio, pro or project. Call your Sales > > M-Audio BX5a Deluxe Engineer or visit Sweetwater.com for complete information on these Sweetwater price $299.97 new studio monitors! www.sweetwater.com/BX5aDeluxe

Alesis SR18

There are lots of places where a drum machine is useful: practice sessions, rehearsals, composing without firing up your computer, writing on the road.the list is long! With the SR18 you get all the great sounds and intuitive ve sequencing that gave the original SR16 its reputaputat tion and then some. Its kits have been updated dated e (Sweetwaters own Daniel Fisher was on the voicing voicing c team!) to include a broader range of electronic drum c drum m sounds, hip-hop beats, country grooves, and more, for a more, percussion package thats sure to fit the needs of todays ds of todays a cross-genre drummers, composers, and programmers. In all, you get a huge 32MB sound set with over rammers. all, you get m s o 500 drum and percussion sounds, along with 50 bass sounds to serve as an inspiring songwriting foundation thats more than twice the sounds found in the SR16! On top of that, the Alesis SR18 operates from both AC and battery power, giving you the flexibility to create your grooves wherever inspiration strikes. The Alesis SR18 also offers 100 preset patterns, 100 user patterns, and an integrated effects engine including reverb, EQ, and compression. With these improvements, an even larger backlit LCD > > Alesis SR18 display, and the same great-feeling pads, the Sweetwater price $249.97 Alesis SR18 is bound to be an even bigger hit www.sweetwater.com/sr18 than the original.

Disco er Discover the Sweetwater Difference 1-800-222-4700 or www.sweetwater.com S eet ater 222 4

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Wireless

SYNTH TRICKS
By Daniel Fisher For as long as Ive been a keyboard player (since the late-60s) Ive also wanted to be a guitar player. I even bought a decent electric guitar in the mid-70s and gave it my best shot, but it always sounded so brittle and lifeless. What I failed to realize was that you couldnt just plug your guitar into a home stereo amp, even if you had the right adapters, and get anything that sounded like your favorite rock bands. (Hey, I was young and stupid.) And I certainly couldnt afford a real guitar amp after buying my keyboard equipment. So my sad guitar drifted into the closet. Decades later I was exposed to all the things that make guitars sound excellent and have been enjoying guitars to this day. One incredibly satisfying tool is Line 6s GearBox, which is available as the Silver Bundle with 18 guitar amps models, 24 cabinet models, five bass amp models, six mic preamp models, and 30 studio and stomp box effect models, or as the Gold Bundle with 78 guitar amps models, 24 cabinet models, 22 bass amp models, six mic preamp models, and over 80 studio and stomp box effect models. These plug-ins, which come from the entire library of Line 6s models, include AU, VST, and RTAS support, plus a huge library of programmed presets. Theres even a professional-grade audio interface called the TonePort DI USB guitar direct box. In addition to giving you a perfectly optimized instrument-to-computer interface, it also provides all the benefits of Line 6s Tone Direct monitoring that lets you hear your fully processed instrument with ultra-low latency regardless of your DAWs buffer size! Theres a great sounding headphone out with its own volume knob, and a pair of buffered, balanced analog direct outs that you can use for live playing as well. Theres even a balanced dry output you can send to another guitar amp. doesnt And But all this techie stuff is pointless if it doesnt sound amazing. An Im here to nd guitars, basses, vocals, tell you its magic on guitars basses vocals electric pianos clavs, synths; you pianos, clavs name it, Ive tried it. You can have as many instances as your computer can hannstances dle you can even install GearBox in multiple places like your studio computer, home computer, and your laptop. You just need the little TonePort DI connected to your computer to unlock GearBox on whichever computer youre using. Since GearBox is software-based you can take advantage of the frequent updates and upgrades (like changing the Silver Bundle into Gold) at the Line 6 website. And there are many hundreds of free patches available online that are made to sound like specific artists and albums. And the best part of all is that you can now save $200 on the Silver Bundle (was $299.99, now just $99.99!) and save $350 on the Gold Bundle (was $499.99 now only $149.99!). Find out just how much better you can play when youre inspired by some of the best guitar tones from > > Line 6 GearBox Silver all over the world with Sweetwater price $99.99 GearBox The Complete www.sweetwater.com/gearboxsilv Pro Tone Engine.

Like most guitar players, Im always looking to get the most out of my instruments. To that end, Im constantly experimenting with different amplifiers, different effects processors, different signal chains, and even entirely different guitars; all in pursuit of that elusive golden tone that will define and enhance my playing. Naturally this experimentation carries over to guitar pickups as well. Why bother changing the pickups in a guitar? Its true that in almost all cases, the pickups that come stock in a guitar are perfectly fine. But sometimes you want a different sound than the stock instruments pickups provide more versatility, a different tonal spectrum, different response, or even practical enhancements like lower background noise and hum. In all these scenarios, you could buy a new guitar. But, if you are otherwise happy with the instrument you possess, then another answer is to swap a new pickup or pickups into your existing guitar. With most guitars, removing an old pickup is a matter of unsoldering a couple of connections and removing a few screws. Installing a new pickup is likewise an easy task if you can operate a screwdriver and make a few solder connections. If installing the pickup is relatively easy, finding the right one can be more of a challenge. Fortunately, Seymour Duncan offers a wide range of replacement pickups the company has one literally for any need,
single-coil. Wiring th two singlle-coill. Wiriing the two i i Wi coils t together in series or parallel provides very differ differparalle provides paralle provides very differ el rent hu humbucking sounds, plus you plus umbucking can split the coils in the pickup to access a real pickup access split the coils the pickup access real plit plit coils ckup c P90 and a real single-coil were talking versatility! I later dropped in a nd set of Jazz piickups (both neck and bridge). Th are some of my f Jazz pickups (both neck and bridge). These favorite k th k d id ) f favoriite Seymour Duncan pickups; PAF-style, but with clear, almost single-coil top our end. This model, whether mounted in the neck or bridge isnt just for jazz, it works well for everything! Other likely candidates would have been the g! 59, Pearly Gates, and the Seth Lover models. No matter which of Seymour Duncans pickups you choose, you can count pickups you you ur p p y ,y on better response, increased versatility and better tone Call your Sales tone. sed versatility, Engineer to discuss the many options your perfect tone is waiting!

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Morley Pedals

Wah pedals emerged in the 1960s and became instrumental to the guitardriven psychedelic rock sound. Through the 1970s, funk players used wahs to create colorful rhythmic passages and slinky leads. Today, some 40 years or so o after the wah was pushed to the forefront, players still rely on the wah as an integral part of their sound. The form factor of the wah hasnt changed much in the past four decades, but Morleys electro-optical wah design offers a different approach to the traditional pot-based wahs of the past. These electrooptical circuits dont wear out like pots, meaning your signal stays clean (no scratchiness) and the pedal lasts longer. Weve recently added new Morley wahs and volume pedals t our iinventory, all with electro-optical circuitry. h d l d l to t ry, Guitar virtuoso Steve Vai has a pair of signature wahs along with a signature volume pedal. The Bad Horsie and Bad Horsie 2 Contour wahs both incorporate a switchless design just step on it to engage the wah, step off to bypass the Bad Horsie 2 adds two knobs to alter the frequency and level of the wah. Both offer Morleys Clear-Tone buffer circuit to maintain signal integrity in both wah > > Morley Bad Horsie 2 mode and bypass. The Steve Vai Little Alligator incorporates the same technology in a volume pedal, Sweetwater price $124.99 great for nudging the volume up for leads. Another signature wah the Mark Tremonti Wah www.sweetwater.com/BadHorsie2 offers a cool hybrid tone that merges the best of the past with modern wah voicings and has a boost > > Morley Little Alligator control to add 20dB of wah gain. Rounding out the Morley pedals is the aptly named Power Volume Sweetwater price $79.99 Wah that provides a vintage wah sound and optical volume pedal with modern touches. Every once www.sweetwater.com/Alligator in a while, a new approach to a time-tested tool comes along, dramatically altering our expectations. > > Morley Mark Tremonti Wah By using electro-optical circuits to create pedals that are devoid of the problems that face pot-based Sweetwater price $119.99 designs, Morley has certainly reinvented the wah. Plug into one and see how scratch-free your wah www.sweetwater.com/TremontiWah tone can be!

able should I need them, which is surprisingly often. Two additions that have really helped out in my studios hard drive department are a Glyph GT062 RAID system and a Glyph GT Key removable hard drive chassis and drives. The RAID gets put to work as a serious backup solution; I keep a clone image of my laptop (which basically contains my life) on there, along with important projects and files I dont want to risk losing, but that I need to access on a regular basis. Since the GT062 a true RAID, the data is redundantly backed up as soon as I copy it over. The GT Key system uses cartridge-like sleds that contain hard drives; these slide into the chassis and show up on the computer desktop as a regular hard drive. The advantage is you can have a variety of drives that you can quickly slide in and out o t without even turning off the power. I use these to hold huge sample libraries that I dont use all the time, as well as for exchanging data with others. Its a lot easier to slide out the drive sled and take it along than to disconnect cables, pack up the entire drive g chassis, and take that! chassis Were fortunate to have so many hard drive options availf able for our studios. Dont settle for just a standard small able fo ablle fo b drive; check out some of the options for RAIDs, removable drives, drive; drive; c and huge storage drives any of these can make your life in the hu studio easier.

BOSS GT-10

as great starting points for creating my own custom sounds. It will come as no surprise that the GT-10 is packed with effects. The processor is powered by Roland/BOSS COSM modeling system, and includes compressors, overdrives/distortions, amplifiers, speaker cabinets, phasers, flangers, pitch shifters, choruses, delays, reverbs, wahs, ring modulatorsthe list is extensive and comprehensive, with multiple modeled units in each led category. There is also a tremendously fun Phrase Loop function, which allows you to record a loop, overdub additional passes on top, then play on top of your creation, all under footswitch control. Operating the GT-10 is a complete breeze. In fact, Id say it is one of the easiest-to-operate guitar multi-effects processors Ive ever used! BOSS clearly thought through how a guitarist would use this box. There are quick edit pages that give you instant access to the most important parameters, and an EZ Tone Wizard that walks you through editing or creating a preset from scratch amazingly simple, and highly effective. I used it to create new from-scratch presets in literally seconds, without ever cracking a manual. So, thats all wonderful; the GT-10 has loads of features, tons of I/O, and its even easy to use. But how does it sound? In a word, excellent! The COSM modeling produced authentic tones from each effect and amp, whether I was running the GT-10 through a guitar amp (I used a clean

BOSS has been making guitar effects literally for decades. Many of the earliest pedals the company produced are valuable collectors items todaybut that doesnt mean the company is resting on its laurels. The flagship in BOSS current lineup is the brand-new GT-10. I managed to steal the very first one to arrive at Sweetwater for a long weekend of 6-string strumming. The GT-10 is a pedalboard-style unit, with a built-in expression pedal, six footswitches, four parameter control knobs, two bank/phrase loop footswitches, a data entry wheel and navigation buttons, a generous LCD display, and more. The back panel is loaded with connectors: guitar in, stereo outs, headphone out, digital out, external loop send and return for incorporating other stompboxes or rack effects, an input for a second expression pedal or dual footswitch, an amp control jack (which allows you to change channels on your guitar amp when you change presets on the GT-10), USB for streaming audio and MIDI to a computer, and MIDI in and out, which allows you to either control the GT-10 from another MIDI device or a sequencer, or to use the GT-10 as a master MIDI controller for your guitar rig. The GT-10 offers 24-bit analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters and a 44.1kHz sample rate. There are 200 factory presets and 200 user presets. Each preset has two channels that can contain different settings one might be a clean sound, the other might be set up for a distorted lead tone. You can switch between these channels, blend them using the expression pedal, or run them simultaneously in parallel for powerful layered effects. In many cases, the stock factory presets in guitar processors tend toward the over the top variety, but in the GT-10, I found the presets useful as is, or useful
Fender Hot Rod Deluxe), or digitally through my Benchmark D/A converter straight through my studio monitors. Some guitar modelers sound digital. Not the GT-10. Once I programmed in my custom presets, I was as comfortable playing through the GT-10 as my regular pedalboard, and was totally satisfied by the sound quality. There are near-countless guitar processors on the market every size, shape, type, and price point. But for a powerful, easy-to-use, ruggedly built, affordable unit, look no further than the BOSS GT-10. This one has it all.

> > BOSS GT-10 Sweetwater price $499.97 www.sweetwater.com/gt10
View online versions of our print publications at sweetwater.com/publications/

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Inside

Chuck Surack
My musical roots are probably not that different than yours. I started playing an instrument as a kid growing
up, played through junior high and high school, went on the road for several years playing professionally, then eventually came home and started my own recording studio. Getting out and playing is still one my passions, which is why I continue to gig most weekends of the year! The reality is that just like most of you, all these years
later I still love music and the technology that enables my musical adventures. This is also probably the reason I still love what we do here at Sweetwater. Again, like most of you, Im still a guy in a band whos trying to find the right solutions to get my sound out there whether thats tweaking the PA system, choosing the right wireless microphone for my saxophone, working up new arrangements in my favorite software DAW, or making a new recording for a demo or CD. In my experience, most of us musicians spend some portion of our time working toward the right technology solution to help us make real our musical vision (and one that will fit in our budget). Fortunately, I find that my own technology needs as a musician are often solved by something
Ive learned throughout the week right here at Sweetwater. In turn, Im able to share those solutions with the customers I speak with on a daily basis. With summer now upon us, I hope that youre able to get out and play as much music as possible! Whether youre playing with a group of friends in your garage, or in an arena with a major touring act, when youre presented with a technology challenge and not sure how to solve it, please give us a call. Chances are good that your personal Sales Engineer can help you find the solution you need because its likely that he or she, being a musician like you, has encountered the same problem. Have a great summer!

Voyager Old School

Maybe youre an analog enthusiast, or maybe you once owned an original Minimoog Model D and have mourned its loss ever since whatever camp you come from, you might just snap out of digital depression when you take a look at the new Minimoog Voyager Old School. This 44-key true analog synth is loaded with the same analog sound engine as the Voyager, but without the digital controls. Three wide-range, high-stability oscillators, one noise source, and one audio preamp give birth to your signal, while a host of patching facilities, two Moog filters, and a stereo VCA give your imagination the sonic real estate it needs to perform and keep on performing. The Minimoog Voyager Old School features velocity and afterpressure outputs, alongside many control and pedal input jacks, complete with pitch bend and modulation wheels. Priced affordably between the Voyager and > > Moog Voyager Old School the Little Phatty, the Voyager Old School lets you get that Sweetwater price $2395.97 classic Moog sound and classic hardwood Moog look www.sweetwater.com/voyagerOS without breaking the bank.

John McClain

The Dog and Pony Show Las Vegas, Nevada www.dogandponystudios.net
See hi-res photos of nearly every guitar we have in stock at Sweetwater.com/guitargallery

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showcase

Pure Mix Studios Raleigh, North Carolina www.puremixstudios.com
Avalon VT-737sp compressor Universal Audio LA-2A and 1176 comp/lim ICON D-Command 24 console Apogee converters Royer R122 and SF24 mics Plug-ins: Waves SSL-4000 and IR-1, Sonnox Reverb Aviom monitoring system
Oh that we could al so fortunate, to look out the window our home studio during some intencould fortunate in om uriin m nt n Oh, that we could alll be so fortunate, to look out the window of our home studio during some iintenwindow home studio during some nten sive tracking and calmed tracking calmed bucolic view bucolic view the Southern California countryside, with the Pacifi Southern California countryside Pacific sive tracking and be calmed by a bucolic view of the Southern California countryside, with the Pacific Ocean Ocean the distance. That describes singer/songwriit r Moniique Berry setup or t least what distance That describes singer/songwrite M ter Monique B t east whats t h t Ocean in the distance. That describes singer/songwriter Monique Berrys setup, or at lleast whats Berrys setup, outside nside Berry works with outside. IInside, Berry works with Pro Tools centered rig that augmented with Digital Performer outside. Inside, Berry works with a Pro Tools-centered rig thats augmented with Digital Performer Tools-centered thats augmented Digital Performer software Sinc 2000 Berr software Since 2000 Berry has been hard wor producin her musi (whi you can che out ftware. nce 00, rry har work producing ard ork oducing sic hich heck software. Since 2000, Berry has been hard at work producing her music (which you can check out music (which check myspace com/moniqueberry) myspace.com/moniqueberry). She has put out two full ength releases since then including her at myspace.com/moniqueberry). She has put out two full-llength releases since then, iincluding her full-length releases since then, ncluding latest, Won t Pretend. latest, Wont Pretend. latest, II Wont Pretend. Berry Berry says her road self-production was driven practicality I started out with basic MID road self production Berry says her road to self-production was driven by practicality. I started out with a basic MIDII driven practicality. started basic MIDI setup, she remembers, and found that spending a little more time with pre-production at home rather than spending a lot of money in a big studio might be a good idea. I began recording my debut CD and realized that I could save a lot of time and money by investing in my own equipment. The good fortune of having such a cozy studio setting isnt lost on Berry. Its very comfortable, she agrees. My studio is my personal sanctuary and reflects my personality. Its very organized and efficient; Im pretty fastidious about my setup I find that helps me work, she adds. The studio is based in a large primary room, plus, I have a separate adjacent room I use for recording vocals and guitar. She notes that Sweetwater has been helpful to her efforts as well. My Sales Engineer, Dave Brow, is not only extremely knowledgeable and kind, but he has been completely professional and responsive. I always rely upon Dave to give me sound advice and support, says Berry. I usually have a lot of questions about gear, and hes very knowledgeable. Plus, even though Im on the West Coast, what I order almost always arrives the next day. On one occasion when Berry happened not to be on the West Coast, she stopped by and visited the Sweetwater campus for a tour. What a great company! The studios, the theater its an amazing facility.I could live there! she laughs. Berry says her near-future plans for the studio include upgrading her Pro Tools interface and expanding her virtual instrument library. Musically, her star continues to rise shes currently in negotiations with three record labels. She strongly believes in the home studio as an artistic tool: I would really like to encourage people to put together their own setups for songwriting, she advises. Its very helpful to your creativity.

Troy Henry

Pure Mix Studios, located in Raleigh, North Carolina, focuses on the studio as part of a bigger picture specifically, part of a bigger ministry. Whats unique about us, says owner Troy Henry, is that we focus on Christian music, and we look at what we do as a ministry. There are things we offer here that go above and beyond what a regular studio can do for a Christian artist, he adds. Rates at Pure Mix are in line with other commercial studios, says Henry, but the difference lies in whats available for clients beyond just recording. We also have access to programs that are in place to help Christian artists raise funds, effectively making the studio part of a larger support system. Tracking is just the tip of the iceberg here; Pure Mix also deals with audio for video post, commercials and jingles, even graphic design and short-run CDs.
Having recently relocated to Raleigh, Henry is in the midst of assembling an impressive new setup, while already operating out of a smaller but more-than capable room. Were in the process of putting together a larger commercial facility, he states. Working together with a Christian multimedia group called Marketing Ministries, Pure Mix Studios will soon be housed in a 30,000 square-foot building thats already front-loaded with client-friendly amenities. Lounges, conference rooms, a workout area even saunas, showers, and a game room will be available. He says Studios B and C (to be equipped with Digidesign ICON consoles) will probably open in early 2009, followed by the larger Studio A in the second quarter of next year. He points out that the big room (slated to have a 500-square-foot control room and 1,000-square-foot tracking area, plus four large isolation booths) will be Sweetwater gear: equipped with an SSL console and slammed full of outboard gear from Sweetwater. As for his existing setup, Were calling where we are now Studio D, Henry chuckles. Soundelux E47 mic Much of the gear stocking Pure Mix comes from Sweetwater, according to Henry. Absolutely, without a doubt, we get everything we possibly can from Sweetwater, he says, pointing out how helpful his Sales Engineer, Paul Allen, has been. I have a great relationship with Paul, says Henry. His advice is always right on, and if I need any information he doesnt have right on-hand, he calls us back right away with it. Im a loyal Sweetwater customer. The service, support, and knowledge are definitely there. Henrys approach to studio-as-ministry has paid big dividends, both for Pure Mix and the studios clients. Henry points to his staff. Everybody here is working to make an impact, he says. Its a great place for Christian artists, because we understand their needs. They can feel at home here. He mentions the next phase beyond getting settled in the new digs: Were going to move into helping artists with distribution of their product and giving them proper promotion. He points to the essence of what Pure Mix does, while noting that the good fortune and growth the studio is experiencing isnt lost on him: Its been an absolute blessing after blessing, he says. Music is a powerful communicator. It touches people.

By Jim Miller

Weighing in at a truly massive 550 gigabytes, the Vienna Instruments Symphonic Cube quickly became the new gold standard for sample libraries. This past year also saw the company release several interesting new products, including two aptly-named collections, Appassionata Strings and Appassionata Strings II. While the Symphonic C comes Cube st with a ton of orchestral strings, it was lacking the huge strings wer we re u were used to h hearing in t the sweeping c cinematic s scores of c composers l like Zimmer, E Edelman, N Newman, a and Bedalt. I In Appassion nata Strings y you have 20 v violins, 14 v violas, 12 c cellos, and 10 doublebasses, with the players instructed to dig into each note with even more feeling, and a deeper, richer vibrato, so the overall sound is incredibly lush and yes, passionate. Epic film scores call for a full, soaring string sound, and its here that Appassionata Strings really delivers the goods! As with all of the ensembles in the VSL library, great care has gone into selecting the voicings and articulations included in both packages. Appassionata Strings II has the sections playing con sordino, which is Italian for with the mute. While this will probably end up being used on a much more limited basis, it will be genuinely appreciated by composers who understand what a powerful tool this can be. Clearly the Appassionata Strings are not for the casual user. And its important to note that only by purchasing both the standard and extended versions of each library will you have access to all of the playing styles, articulations and performance modes. In fact, its here that many of the best voicings are to be found. But you dont have to take my word for it, since each standard collection gives you 180 free launches of the extended (or Level 2) library. The Appassionata String collections are an important addition to the original Symphonic Cube, and carefully constructed MIDI files now sound like a real orchestra. Oh, and if you need just a bit more convincing, theyre also a real gas to play.
Sweetwater price $999.97 www.sweetwater.com/PeakProXT6

VernCrews

solution to a customer problem: I have a good customer who has done quite a bit of business with me. He called me one day knowing the problem was not our bag but thought he would ask anyway. He needed to run a live audio and video feed of an upcoming graduation ceremony over a quarter-mile to a gymnasium where people who should not sit in the heat could observe the ceremony. I asked questions, did some research, and was able to provide them with a solution using their hardware, a couple of special converters, and CAT5 cable. Not only was the solution cost-effective but also easy to set up. We didnt make this sale but it is this kind of service that makes Sweetwater different. Name: Vern Crews Title: Director, Lentines Education Technology, a division of Sweetwater Sound. Instruments played: Keyboards, bass guitar, and the QWERTY. What in your life best prepared you for the work you do at Sweetwater and why? Growing up a military brat taught me how to be diplomatic and make friends quickly. That has helped me tremendously throughout my sales career. Ive been dedicated to being a sales professional for 32 years. With 21 years in this industry as a retail salesman, buyer, manager, and manufacturers representative, I believe this experience has provided me with a solid foundation for this job. Its been a pretty good fit. What did you dream about doing for a living when you were growing up? I wanted to be a doctor or a pilot. Glasses by the age of five pretty much ruled out being a pilot. Didnt do so well dissecting the lamprey eel in biology so I joined a band instead. Describe the most dramatic situation in which you provided the Sweetwater Difference for a customer or the most unusual/creative Favorite hobbies: Golf and cooking. Favorite magazines: I have two: Golf and Food & Wine. Favorite movie youve recently seen or rented: The Bourne Ultimatum. Guilty pleasure of choice: Opening up a bag of authentic Gummy Bears imported from Germany and stuffing as many as I can in my mouth at one time. Wow! Real-life Hero: My father. Place youd most like to visit on your next vacation: Id like to go on an Alaskan cruise. Motto: Is this the hill you really want to die on? What makes working at Sweetwater fun for you? Being around smart, dedicated, and caring people. What is the most important thing youve learned at Sweetwater? People here really care. How would your boss describe you? Crews Control!

> > Vienna Instruments Appassionata Strings Sweetwater price $689.97 www.sweetwater.com/VI2appStrings

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Inside This Issue:
Clavia Nord Wave Gibson Guitars of the Month VOX AC15 Ltd Anniversary.and more
Clavia Nord Wave Gibson Guitars of the Month VOX AC15 Ltd. Anniversary.and more

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