Planet Waves Circuit Breaker Instrument Cable

Due to a sudden realization that I had a cable shortage around my home studio, I decided to have a look on the web for some replacements. I didn't want to buy just any cheap cable so I started pricing up some pretty premium stuff. My short list consisted of:

• Mogami 
• George L's 
• Monster 
• Planet Waves 

As I usually do, I first checked the various musical instrument-specific sites on the web. Then the thought occurred to me.....TRY AMAZON! So I did, and to my surprise there was an excellent selection including some brands I didn't expect to find on offer from the big 'A'. So my first search was for Mogami, which I have been hearing wonderful things about. If you're familiar with this brand you know that you will be shelling out some MAJOR cash for their products. However, for what they deliver and what you're investing in(your sound, which is EVERYTHING!) it's not exactly impractical. Amazon offered a Mogami Gold cable in the length I was looking for(25 ft.) for $59.99, slightly less than what I would have paid at Guitar Center. I felt that if I could avoid paying this much for a cable at this time I would.

Click To Order From Amazon!

Then I decided to check out Planet Waves. I've owned Planet Waves cables in the past and they never disappointed me. I'd been hearing a little buzz about the Circuit Breaker line so I searched for one. Turns out they had one for sale for $25.51; a whopping $15 less than GC's price. Into my Shopping Cart went the Planet Waves cable on a Friday and the following Monday it was at my doorstep. Stellar delivery time on the part of Amazon(and the USPS!) considering it was standard shipping! As I removed the cable from it's packaging, I noticed that it felt like a very high quality piece of gear. The ends are quite sturdy and have a somewhat elegant look about them. I won't get into too many specs, but what I can say is the build quality of this thing is incredible. The cable is a touch on the thin side compared to the Custom series, but other than that no worries. For the moment of truth, I plugged the straight end into my audio interface and the right angle side into my bass. The right angle end houses the switch that terminates signal to the cable and allows you to quickly unplug/replug for instrument changes or to otherwise conserve battery in active instruments. When I fired up the sound, I was greeted with a pure, clean signal for exceeding what I was getting from the cables I had been using previously. Color me happy!

My one gripe is that I did notice this cable tends to coil up around itself a little easily. Not too big a deal, as I'm sure with use this problem will be minimized. Cables are probably not terribly high on the priority list of many musicians. We're too busy worrying about instruments and amps to be concerned with a cable. But truthfully, a good cable can make or break you. The last thing you want is for a cable to fail on you right in the middle of a gig. Trust me, I KNOW!

I give this cable a very solid 4 out of 5. I'll possibly check out some of the other manufacturers I listed at a later date; but for now Planet Waves has given me what I needed and then some. If you're looking to give one of these a whirl then I highly suggest checking out Amazon. They deliver promptly and they have an awesome selection. You can view more information on the Planet Waves Circuit Breaker cable here: http://emerchantxchange.us/goshop/a/B0002GMGUY

Buy Instrumental Tracks Online From Harmonic Inventions

If you are an aspiring singer or rapper and you're looking for the perfect music track to include on a demo or use in a performance showcase setting, this is THE place to buy rap beats, hip hop and pop instrumentals online! Harmonic Inventions offers various styles of music such as Dance, Techno, R&B and Rap; and purchases can be made quickly and easily from their online store. The process is handled through Paypal and customers receive a download link for their selections via email immediately following their transaction.

The files are delivered in high quality .WAV format and customers may even choose to receive their selections broken out into several tracks or 'stems' upon request. Customer can choose to either lease their selections, which limits use, or they may purchase exclusive rights to the music. This gives the user sole perpetual ownership and freedom to use the tracks as they see fit.

Check out Harmonic Inventions at www.harmonicinventions.com for more information and to preview their work.

SoundCloud and Beyonce team up for the 'End Of Time' Remix Competition

The SoundCloud social music sharing site recently teamed up with Pop/R&B singer Beyonce to host a remix competition for SoundCloud members(http://endoftime.beyonceonline.com/). The contest involves remixing Beyonce's song 'End Of Time' from her most recent CD entitled '4'. Individual stems from the track are being furnished to those who enter the contest. Each user is then given the liberty to cut, paste, rearrange and reinvent the song however they see fit(minus uncleared samples of course).

Yours truly has entered this contest and I just uploaded my entry yesterday. You can check out my 'Driven Remix' of Beyonce's 'End Of Time' here:

http://endoftime.beyonceonline.com/tracks/1538

If you're a SoundCloud user I would really appreciate a 'Yes' vote to help me along in the standings! :-)
I would also encourage others who are into remixing to give this a shot. There is one Grand Prize of $4000 USD plus an opportunity at getting your remix placed on an upcoming Beyonce release.

I hope you will give the remix a listen and vote me up.

NOTE: I was pretty dissatisfied with my mix after uploading so I made a few adjustments. A much improved version will be up on my SoundCloud page in the next couple of days.

Ibanez RG3250MZ - 80s Rock Goodness Returns

Guitar makers Ibanez and the legendary Steve Vai were without a doubt two of the biggest influences on aspiring rock guitarists throughout the era of 80s 'big hair' hard rock music. Ibanez had long been the makers of great guitars suited well to rock music, but in 1987 they teamed up with Vai to develop the signature JEM series guitar, with its instantly recognizable 'monkey grip' handle cut into the top portion of the body. This quickly became a much sought after instrument, so Ibanez responded to demand by releasing the RG550 series which featured similar specs to the JEM series.

These guitars featured the very slim Wizard neck which was very popular at the time. Ibanez also offered the instrument in some "oh so 80s" color options like Desert Yellow and Fire Alarm Red. Flash forward to 2012, and Ibanez has reintroduced this instrument in the form of the RG3250MZ.

This incarnation brings with it a host of improvements to the original, chief among them being a much improved neck. The original neck was highly subject to warping due to its narrow design. The new necks are built from a five piece laminate consisting of three strips of hard rock maple and two pieces of walnut. Two titanium rods also bolster the strength of the truss rod, so these necks will be free of the flaw that saddled the originals.

The awesome tremelo system is the new version of the Edge system of old which offered ease of use and facilitated the extreme string bending that was all the rage back in the 80s. Also on board is the ZPS3 string system which allows the user to alter the stiffness of the vibrato system with a set of removable springs. The pickup configuration is the tried and true humbucker/single/humbucker setup by Dimarzio.

For more information and purchasing from American Musical Supply, click on the link below.

Ibanez RG3250MZ Prestige Electric Guitar with Case

R.I.P. Whitney Houston

So as you may have noticed I've been away from the blog for a while due to a pretty busy schedule, but I just felt compelled to write about the tragedy that unfolded this weekend.

While enjoying a restful Saturday afternoon, I decided to check my Facebook feed as I routinely do throughout the day. What I would see populate a large percentage of that feed I would have never expected in a million years. "R.I.P. Whitney Houston" - these words were echoed by several people on my friends list. My first thought was "please let this be a hoax". I then checked Yahoo which is always on top of all things newsworthy. There was nothing there. I immediately thought to myself people should really stop with the fake celebrity hoaxes. Somewhat relieved, I returned to Facebook and considered posting my disdain. Then I read a post that announced that her death was confirmed by CNN. This was when I tuned in and the truth set in. We had indeed lost another treasure of the music industry.

Although most of her fans did not know her personally, we all felt some sort of connection to her; this as a result of the more than two decades that she spent sharing her voice, her experiences and even her life with us through her music. She was such a major influence on so many singers and musicians that it was heart wrenching to say the least to see the various images of her displayed repeatedly as the anchors and industry personalities weighed in on her career and immense talent.

As the news reports speculating on the cause of her death begin to swirl, I for one will choose not to focus on the negative, but to remember this great person for the music and joy that she brought to my life and the lives of countless others. I can only ask that you would do the same and keep the family she has left behind in your prayers. These are real people with real feelings.

R.I.P Whitney. Thanks for sharing your gift with us.

NAMM 2012: Digital Performer Comes To Windows

MOTU's flagship digital audio platform has enjoyed many years of success, being recognized as a leading DAW for Mac users. Now with the release of Digital Performer 8, PC users can for the first time share in the gloating with their Apple counterparts. DP8 brings with it all of the things long-time users have come to love and appreciate about the software, plus several new enhancements which are sure to both facilitate ease of use and inspire even deeper levels of creation.

The new features for Digital Performer 8 include:

• "Punch Guard" - this feature records an extra 4 seconds of audio at the beginning and end of punched in parts, eliminating lost or 'clipped' sound resulting from prematurely terminated recording. This allows the user to go in and manually trim the punched in audio to their liking.
• Themes - Allows the user to alter the appearance of DP8. A set of 14 brand new themes is included; offering such variants as "Hi-Fi", "Arctic" and "None More Black".
• 15 New Plug-ins - A variety of plug-ins is also included; ranging from amp and cabinet models to spatial enhancement and instrument specific plug-ins such as the Subkick kick drum enhancer.

Digital Performer 8 will run in 32-bit or 64-bit environments and will be available for Windows 7 and Mac beginning Spring 2012.

NAMM 2012: Alesis AmpDock for iPad

As if there weren't already more than enough reasons to grab Apple's massively successful tablet, Alesis comes through and gives us yet another. The AmpDock, slated for release this July, allows the user to slide the iPad device into its shiny red casing and call up a wide assortment of famous amp models.

Using either the included Alesis software or any other currently available amp modeling app from the App Store, the user can connect the AmpDock to their physical amplifier of choice and instantly call up a wide assortment of amp models and effects. The package also includes a 4 button footswitch with assignable volume/expression pedal. The AmpDock is expected to release in July for roughly $299 and is compatible with all generations of Apple's iPad device.

NAMM 2012: New "Fenderoland" VG Stratocaster G-5

Roland and Fender have partnered to introduce the new VG Strat G-5. Fusing the best qualities of the classic Fender Strat and the Roland V guitar synthesizer, this instrument brings you the proven sound and build quality Fender has been synonymous with for the last 50 years plus the flexibility and broad range of guitar sounds offered by Roland's famous VG-99 and GR-55 guitar systems.

The instrument features the usual 3 single coil pickup setup plus a deftly placed GK-3 divided pickup located just north of the bridge. Immediately adjacent to this pickup are the familiar Volume and Tone knobs. In addition to these are two slightly smaller knobs which control the various parameters of the built-in VG system, offering up tonal variations such as pickup type, body type, tuning and various other things sure to wow and amaze the player's audience. In total there are 20 different sounds available, not the least of which are Telecaster, humbucker pickup, 12 string, acoustic and all sorts of alternate tuning setups.

The axe itself is instantly familiar to any Strat fan.

• 22-fret maple neck with either a maple or rosewood fingerboard
• a synchronized trem bridge
• American inline tuners
• Chrome hardware

The VG Stratocaster G-5 goes on sale in March so be sure to hound your local dealers until they get them in store. This one should be quite popular.

It's NAMM Time! We're Back!!

After a brief hiatus following New Year festivities, we're back on track with tons of coverage and features from NAMM 2012! Stay tuned over the next several days as we will be spotlighting several new gear announcements from the show floor in Anaheim, CA!

Artist cTrix Rocks Out With The "gAtari"! Must Be Seen To Be Believed....

I'm going to file this one under my "never would have thought possible" category. I love to see people think of creative ways to hack and exploit technology. To take an already exceptional piece of hardware and make it do things that it was never intended to do is a testament to human ingenuity and is also rather inspiring. When done to benefit the people instead of for self aggrandizement or twisted notoriety, hacking can be wonderful.

The artist cTrix has found a way to forge a classic Atari 2600 video game console into a musical instrument ready to set ablaze dance floors and living rooms worldwide. cTrix took an Atari 2600 as a base and through some fancy reprogramming of EPROM chips and circuitry modifications with stomp boxes has created the "gAtari". This is the instrument that Scott Pilgrim and Sex Bob-omb would have used to defeat some of the Seven Evil Exes had it been available to them. Check out the vid below to see the gAtari in action.




When you're done dancing check out cTrix's Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/cTrix/118258328189500

QuNeo Multi-touch Software/Hardware Controller

As an avid user of DAWs and software synthesizers, I can personally attest to the power and flexibility they offer to users. This is the stuff I learned on and I swear by it. There is, of course a very substantial segment of musicians and recording engineers who still stand firmly by the hardware units of yesteryear. Many companies such as Akai and Novation have been quite successful at bringing products to market that bridge the gap between analog and digital and make the transition from the former to the latter a lot less painful. There is now a plethora of portable USB powered controllers that boast any number of pads, sliders and buttons that can be tweaked and MIDI-mapped just about any way we see fit.

Keith McMillen Instruments, known for producing a string a very innovative musical devices and controllers, is set to introduce a new controller in March of 2012 called the QuNeo. This device(pronounced kew-nee-o) comes loaded with 16 trigger pads, 9 sliders, two rotary controllers and 17 switches; all of which are velocity and location sensitive. Each sensor on the device also provides light feedback via LEDs which react according to velocity. The tactile functionality also allows users to use pinch and draw gestures on the surfaces, very similarly to the way you would operate a touch screen smartphone. This opens up a myriad of possibilities for expression and precision.

iPad users will appreciate the QuNeo, as it possesses approximately the same dimensions as the Apple tablet, so any iPad accessories like cases and mic stand holders can be used with the QuNeo. The controller also works with USB, MIDI and OSC to facilitate communication with most other devices. The brave coding types out there will appreciate the fact that the unit is open source, as they will be able to use the dev kit and API to bend the code to their will and make the unit behave exactly as they wish. I personally can't wait to see the custom patches and setups that will surely make their way to the forums and user groups once released.

All in all, the QuNeo is shaping up to be the must have controller of the new year. While it is not yet available, the developers are accepting 'pledges' of $10 or more at their Kickstarter web site . Pledging at least $200 nets you a QuNeo plus some other swag before the unit hits stores in March. Several musicians and other industry notables are already endorsing this product and pitching in with pledges of their own. Those attending NAMM in January should be in for a treat when they get to try this thing out for the first time.

For more information on Keith McMillen Instruments, please visit their website at http://www.keithmcmillen.com/

Musicians use both sides of their brains more frequently than average people

Musicians use both sides of their brains more frequently than average people

Interesting article written by Melanie Moran at Vanderbilt University.

The Orange Dark Terror Guitar Head Giveaway

American Musical Supply is giving away the Orange Dark Terror Tube Guitar Amplifier in its December Gear Giveaway. This head is valued at $649 MSRP, and features:

• High Gain Preamp 3 x ECC83/12AX7
• Valve Driven FX Loop 1 x ECC81/12AT7
• Four Stages of Gain
• 15 Watts Class A, Switchable to 7 Watts
• Weighs in at only 15 lbs/ 7kg
• Includes gig bag

 Click here to enter this sweepstakes.

Judge gives Universal Music 24 hours to explain takedown spree

Judge gives Universal Music 24 hours to explain takedown spree

Guitars And More Brought To You By Room Service!

As part of their new amenity program called The Sound Of Your Stay, Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos are taking hospitality to a new level by supplying guests with custom music playlists and instruments.

The program, which rolls out initially to a select few sites, will be offered at all locations sometime in Q1 of 2012. In total, there are three categories of 'The Sound Of Your Stay':

• Tracks - Guests are given a code upon check-in to download a 15-song playlist compiled by celebrity musicians and other Hollywood luminaries. At any given time there will be a total of three playlists to choose from.
• Picks - Fender has partnered with Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos to bring guests this option. Participants will have the option to pick from an assortment of world famous Fender Strats, Telecasters and basses that they can have delivered to their suites complete with a headphone amp and a pair of Ludacris' new 'SOUL' high definition headphones. They will even, upon request, supply you with video lessons courtesy of Hal Leonard. Makes me want to book a stay right now!
• Mix - The third and final tier of service offered is Mix. Opting for this service grants the guest a chance to be Deadmau5(well, something like that) for a night. If a guest has their Mac or PC laptop in tow they can elect to have their choice of Traktor S2 DJ systems and a 30-day demo of Traktor Pro 2 software brought to them by the good folks at Hard Rock. As with the 'Picks' package, this package also comes complete with a pair of SOUL by Ludacris headphones.

 "Music is the soul of the Hard Rock brand, something that truly sets Hard Rock Hotels apart as a travel destination," stated Brian Klein, Head of Global Marketing, Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos.  "Our new amenity program, The Sound of Your Stay, is intended to enhance and expand the musical dimension of our guests' experience."

For more information on The Sound Of Your Stay and Hard Rock Hotels, please visit  www.hardrockhotels.com

 

Akai APC40 with FREE Odyssey Flight Zone Case

As part of its 25th Anniversary Celebration, American Musical Supply is offering the Akai APC40 Performance Controller for Ableton Live at its usual price of $299.99, PLUS a high quality Odyssey Flight Zone case free of charge. This is an excellent deal, as the case usually retails for around $129. So if you have been in the market for this amazing controller now is an excellent time to grab one!


Click the image for more information and to purchase.

Cheap Fares with Cheapo Air for the Holidays!

I normally deal with music and musical instruments on this blog but hey, musicians need to travel too right?




The name may be enough to put some off, but Cheapo Air are proving themselves to be a worthy alternative to Travelocity and Orbitz when it comes to booking commercial travel. Now through the end of the year Cheapo Air are offering great prices on last minute bookings PLUS $10 off of your purchase with the supplied coupon code. Check them out and book a flight to visit family and friends over the holidays!

Pearl Throne Thumper

For all you drummers who just can't seem to hear or feel enough kick drum while onstage, Pearl has come to save the day! Pearl Drum and The Guitammer Company entered into a two year development partnership to bring you the Pearl Drum Thumper, powered by ButtKicker. This new tactile monitoring device clamps to any drum throne and transmits the low frequencies of the kick drum directly to the musician's body.

"The response to the Throne Thumper by our artists has been nothing short of amazing," said Terry West, President of Pearl Drums. Drummers such as Mike Mangini of Dream Theater and Eric Singer of KISS have been using the device on tour this year. "The Throne Thumper can be used anywhere electronic or acoustic drums are played and it is especially suited for the house of worship market where the drummer's sound level and the entire stage volume is very controlled," says West.

The Guitammer Company was first to market with this type of device. Their ButtKicker line was introduced about 15 years ago, and many drummers as well as bass players and other musicians have attested to the ability of the devices to make it easier to 'feel' the music they are playing. The Pearl Throne Thumper is priced a bit more competitively with all levels of musicians in mind.

The Pearl Throne Thumper is powered by a 200 watt ButtKicker amp and is available from Amazon for $299.99. Click the image below for more information and to place an order.

Zoom Q3HD Portable HD Audio Video Digital Recorder

Zoom has been bringing us quality, affordable portable recording devices for quite some time now, and this latest model is arguably their best yet. The Q3HD allows you to not only capture pristine, studio quality audio, but it also throws in the ability to shoot high definition video at either 720p(30 or 60 fps) or 1080p(30 fps).


On the video side, the included 2GB SD card allows you to capture up to 45 minutes of 720p video shot at 30fps. Shooting at 60fps obviously diminishes available recording time, so for those who endeavor to shoot for extended periods of time, investing in a high capacity(SDHC) card will be required. The unit supports up to a 32 GB SDHC card, which will yield 7 hours of 720p video. Pretty awesome for such a small machine. The 2.4 inch LCD display should be sufficient for users to mind what they are recording.

As for the audio end, available formats are: 44.1/48/96kHz 16/24-bit WAV (PCM). It is also possible to record in AAC format audio at 320kbps. As an added bonus, a limiter is included for when you need to capture ideas during those loud rehearsal sessions. Your recordings will always be clear and intelligible, no matter how many decibels the band hits.

The Zoom Q3HD is available now from American Musical Supply for just $299. Free shipping and the always appreciated 3 Payment Plan are available as well. Click the image for more information and to purchase.

What a great stocking stuffer for that special someone(or for yourself)!

The Amazing "Rock Ock" 8 Neck Guitar!!

How many guys does it take to play Crossroads an 8 neck guitar? Well.....8 of course! We've all seen double neck guitars before, but builder Dan Neafsey and artist Gerald Huerta(designer of the infamous AC/DC logo) felt that they could do much better than that.



This monster weighs in at a hefty 40 pounds. It features 154 frets and 51 strings distributed across the 8 necks. The range of distinct instruments featured is impressive:

• 6, 7 and 12 string guitars
• Baritone guitar
• Mandolin
• Eukulele
• 4 string bass
• 4 string fretless bass

For those interested in seeing this musical monstrosity in person, it will be on display at the Orlando Science Center in Orlando, Florida through the end of this year.