The entire inSync crew wishes you a happy and safe 4th of July celebration!

This tonewood is actually not a cedar at all, but rather the wood of Thuya plicata, or the North American arbor vitae, which is a conifer. It was first used as a soundboard material by classical guitar builder Jose Ramirez III, and is now used as a substitute for more expensive (and difficult to obtain) spruce by many classical and some acoustic steel-string guitar builders

One of the coolest features on the Yamaha Motif Classic and ES models is the ability to change the tempo of part of a song using the onboard sequencer. To do this, go to Song Mode, press the RECORD button, then for the track type select TEMPO TRACK. Now hit the PLAY button to start playback, although you are actually recording at this point. You can make tempo changes at any point in the song in real time! When you then SAVE the song, you're also saving the tempo changes. This adds a real human feel to the music you can produce using a Motif. The same thing can be done in Pattern Mode, but make sure that when you do this, you are in Pattern > Chain mode.

Blue Microphones is offering buyers a whopping $200 cash back on purchases of their award-winning Dragonfly microphone between July 1 and August 31, 2008. Yup, you read that right: Purchase any number of Dragonfly microphones from an Authorized Blue retailer (meaning Sweetwater) within the U.S. and Canada and become eligible to receive a $200 rebate per microphone directly from Blue. Purchase one mic and record pristine vocal or guitar tracks. Purchase a pair for killer drum overheads and get $400 cash back! Purchase three or more and mic up an entire band or percussion set-up, qualifying for even more cash back! The hand-tuned and tested Dragonfly is a cool-looking, uniquely shaped cardioid condenser mic that features a rotating spherical capsule head that can be positioned and adjusted in the smallest of spaces. Offering outstanding fidelity and stunning detail, the Dragonfly is ideal for recording almost any singer or musical instrument.

A small time-saving device that is designed to assist in the speedy winding of a string (usually a new string) onto the tuner's string post. Also sometimes referred to as a "speed winder."

Q: When I am recording in Pattern mode, what happens if I don't turn off the phrase voices in the Track tab? A: Acckk! Never do that! You'll end up with a synth that melts down into a smoldering pool of metal and plastic with a terrible smell that never goes away! Just kidding! All that happens is that you will not be able to change instruments on a recorded track. Go ahead and try it - you really can't hurt anything! With Track Voices set to ON, record an instrument on a track, then go into the Voices mode and try to change that voice to something else. Press the TOP button and return the sequencer to measure 1 and hit PLAY. Notice that your voice change does not stick and reverts to the original voice you recorded using. With Track Voices in the OFF position, you can always change the voice after recording. In fact, Yamaha makes it a point to recommend you always turn Track Voices to the off position!

Q: I just laid down a great solo on my synth, but I'm not happy with the way it sounds. It seems too clean for the track it's being playing on. Is there anything I can do to change the sound but without having to re-record the whole instrumental line? A: Actually, there is! But the answer depends on what you're recording to - if you're using a DAW, then the easy way to dirty-up a clean recording is to use a distortion or amp modeling plug-in. If you're not using a DAW or you don't have a suitable plug-in, then you could try re-amping. The idea is to play the clean recorded track back through an overdriven amplifier, then record the harder-edged, distorted tone back into a new track. Depending on your rig, you may need an interface box, such as the X-Amp from Radial, which will ensure that the levels and impedances are correct when you feed the line-level output of your recorder/mixer into an instrument amp. One other option is to mix down the track using hardware-based distortion, such as from a stompbox, through the insert point of that mixer channel.

This is a type of vibrato system that locks the strings at the nut and bridge saddles, in an effort to stabilize tuning, particularly when a player makes extensive use of the vibrato. This is sometimes also called a double-locking system

This is a small amount of concave bow in a guitar or bass neck, usually created by an adjustment to the truss rod, resulting in a minimal amount of dip in the middle frets of the fingerboard, Relief is intended to allow room for the strings to vibrate as they're played (strings vibrate in an elliptical pattern, with the widest excursion in the middle), without buzzing on the frets. Too much relief will result in high, stiff action and possibly compromised intonation, while too little may result in excess buzzing of the strings on the frets.

Q: I have heard that tube microphones should always be used upside down (with the diaphragm at the bottom). This is supposed to prevent heat from the tube from altering the frequency response of the mic. But I have seen a number of newer mics in which the mount does not allow for this. What's the deal? A: In general, the mic designer will determine if the heat from an onboard vacuum tube is significant enough to alter the microphone's overall frequency response. But keep in mind that modern tube mic designs are quite a bit more sophisticated than those from the 1950s. Still, we know a few veteran engineers who insist on using tube mics in the upside-down position only. Certainly it won't harm the microphone in any way, as they are designed to be placed in all sorts of positions, but in the end, we'd go with what the manufacturer recommends, and what our ears tell us is working best.

In a surprisingly short amount of time, Arturia has gone from "who the heck are they?" to one of the undisputed leaders in virtual instrument technology. In fact, odds are good that you own one or more of their outstanding (and amazingly affordable) products! Beginning on July 1st and lasting until August 31st, 2008, Arturia is offering an outstanding promotion that will have you grinning ear-to-ear: Just buy any qualifying Arturia product (which includes Moog Modular V, MiniMoog V, CS-80, ARP 2600, Prophet-V, BRASS, and Analog Factory 2.0) and you'll get a second Arturia software synth absolutely free! Choose from: Jupiter 8V Prophet V Analog Factory 2.0 BRASS This is a sweet deal that saves you money and gives you an additional sonic palette absolutely free! Naturally, your Sweetwater Sales Engineer can help you select the combination that makes the most sense for the music you're doing, so call now! Offers this sweet don't come along every day!

This is the popular (but unofficial) designation that applies to the headstock of the Fender Electric XII 12-string guitar. It joined the Fender line in 1965, but was discontinued in 1968. The body was unquestionably the same as Fender's Jaguar model of that same time period. One look is all it takes to see why the headstock got it's nickname. This term was also applied to the headstocks on some of the Strat-style "shredder" guitars in the '80s, which replaced the usual Fender-style headstock with a more rounded, elongated headstock.

Old timers (you know, people over 30) tell us how hard it used to be to move files and folders from your old Mac to your new Mac or to a laptop. Thankfully there is a feature that began with OS X "Tiger" that made the transfer process pretty painless. Inside your Utilities folder (which resides within your Applications folder) you'll find an application called "Migration Assistant." After connecting the two Macs via a simple FireWire cable, double click on the assistant and it will ask you a series of questions (such as, "Who is buried in Grant's tomb?" - nah, just kidding). The questions appear in a series of windows and are actually quite simple. Once you complete the process, everything you want to have moved will get transferred to your new Mac or laptop, even your e-mail, bookmarks, and so forth. Hint: Print this Tip out and tape it under your keyboard so when it's time to upgrade or add a new Mac in your life, you won't have to go hunting for this information; just flip the keyboard over and there it is! You're welcome.

Grammy winners Brandy, Mavis Staples, and Paul Overstreet joined Peavey Electronics in celebrating the birthplace of American Music at the star-studded Peavey Awards gala, held in Jackson, Mississippi, hosted by Mississippi Governor, Haley Barbour, and endorsed by The Recording Academy. "Mississippi has been home base for our entire 43-year history," said Hartley Peavey, namesake of the Peavey Awards and founder of Meridian, Mississippi-based Peavey Electronics. The second-annual Peavey Awards, which honor Mississippi's many Grammy winners and nominees, as well as individuals who have played a significant role in developing and furthering Mississippi's musical heritage, celebrated the achievements of R&B star Brandy, soul legend Mavis Staples, country songwriter Paul Overstreet and blues guitarist Eddie Cotton. Actress and Mississippi-transplant Joey Lauren Adams, the star of hit movies like Big Daddy and Chasing Amy, also received the prestigious award. Following the awards reception, the winners performed for a capacity crowd. Brandy drew from her impressive catalog of hits, while Mavis Staples wowed the audience with a spiritual set centering around "Will the Circle Be Unbroken." Paul Overstreet entertained the audience with hits he wrote for Randy Travis, Travis Tritt, and Kenny Chesney. Two previous Peavey Award winners, gospel greats The Williams Brothers and Elvis Presley's guitarist James Burton, joined forces at the 2008 celebration to honor the King of Rock & Roll with a medley of hits, while Jackson native Eddie Cotton paid tribute to B.B. King with licks from his Peavey HP Signature guitar. The Peavey Awards made their debut in 2007 and honored the accomplishments of Jerry Lee Lewis, The Williams Brothers, Marty Stuart, The North Mississippi Allstars, and James Burton. Proceeds from the annual event benefit the Mississippi Blues Commission, whose Blues Trail project places interpretive markers at notable historical sites related to the history and growth of blues music throughout the state.

This word describes the state of any product (such as a guitar, bass, amp, etc.), regardless of its overall condition, when everything is exactly as shipped from the factory when the instrument was brand-new. May also refer to individual parts of a guitar (bridge, tailpiece, pickups, etc.) exactly as supplied when new (thus you may have a "stock" Bigsby tailpiece on a specific guitar model).

Let's say that you have a great rhythm guitar performance, but it was recorded without the benefit of a click track, so its tempo may vary between, say, 76 beats per minute (BPM) and 82 BPM. You might think that track is unusable. Not true! With MOTU's Digital Performer, you can match the tempo of a sequence to that of an audio track using DP's Beat Detection Engine and Adjust Beats feature! Here's how: Drag your guitar part into a new DP track, lining it up with bar 1 of your sequence. DP's Adjust Beats feature lets you use the peaks in your audio track waveform as a guideline for lining up bar lines (by dragging them on the time ruler), but adjusting one beat at a time can be time-consuming, so here's where the Beat Detection Engine comes into play: It looks at the peaks in the waveform and attempts to determine the beat and tempo information from this. If your audio waveform has dynamic peaks that can be interpreted as beats, you may be all set. Next, select your guitar track and then choose Audio > Adjust Sequence to Sound Bite Tempo. That adjusts the Conductor Track to match the tempo map created by the Beat Detection feature. The next step is to set Tempo Control to Conductor Track. Make sure that in your Adjust Beats window you select "Apply adjusted beat's tempo until end of sequence" and also "Preserve realtime performance."

Digidesign has announced a newly updated ICON D-Command ES worksurface. The changes here are aesthetic (as with the D-Control ES, which was launched last year) with a stunning darker color scheme and updated text and line art for better surface legibility. D-Command ES gives you powerful hands-on control over even the most complex Pro Tools|HD sessions with great efficiency, and offers the flexibility to expand the surface up to 24 faders as needed. With its dedicated EQ and Dynamics center sections, you can comfortably make adjustments to your mix without having to leave the "sweet spot." And only D-Command ES and other ICON worksurfaces can deliver the kind of Pro Tools integration that professionals demand.

A finish given to metal by the process of electrolysis. It is often used erroneously when referring to Fender's gold-tinted aluminum pickguards of the 1950s, which were actually "alodined." Alodine is a microscopic thin film commonly used on aluminum parts to aid in corrosion resistance and also to provide an excellent surface prep for paint.

Q: There are now so many software synths that I have no idea where to start looking for the right one for my needs. Can you help? A: The first step is to pick up the phone and call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer, who has the real-world knowledge and experience to help you select any product from the thousands we have in stock in our gigantic, state-of-the-art warehouse. They'll be happy to help you find the right synth in your price range. Here are a few things to consider when shopping for a software synth: First gather together the specs for your computer platform; there's no need to consider Mac-only synths if you're on Windows, and vice-versa! Plus, the specs may help eliminate some synths (or make you want to upgrade your computer!). Shopping for a soft synth is similar to shopping for a hardware synth in many ways. Make a list of what's important to you; the types of sounds (analog, digital, sampled, modeled acoustic sounds, leads, pads, basses, etc.), the types of music you'll be playing, whether you need multiple sounds at once, whether you need drums, whether you want to incorporate loops or morphing, whether you want to use presets or "roll your own" sounds, and so on. Then look at the available instruments that will work on your computer. Begin to narrow down the choices based on the capabilities and features you want, and finally, consider the price range you want to stay in. There are indeed many soft synths available - the good news is that you can't go too far wrong, as they all offer great sounds and features. By carefully examining your needs and wants, you should be able to narrow down your options. Or, as mentioned above, simply call your Sales Engineer - he or she will be happy to assist with your search!

It would be hard to argue with the fact that The Beatles album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, is a remarkable milestone in the history of rock music. Released in June 1967, it was recorded using a pair of Studer J37 multitrack tape recorders by producer George Martin and audio engineer Geoff Emerick. Now, one of the two recorders used on the album has been added to Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, for a newly renovated exhibit dedicated to The Beatles and scheduled to open later this month. The analog tape recorder is on loan from Studer's own museum, and the exhibit nicely coincides with Studer's 60th Anniversary in the professional audio industry. The J37 was the first studio-quality 4-channel tape recorder on the market, making its debut in 1964. The two Studer J37 recorders used on the Sgt. Pepper album were located in Studio Two at the legendary EMI Recording Studios in London, now more popularly known as the Abbey Road Studios. The eighth studio album for The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper was recorded over a lengthy 129-day period, which culminated in its landmark release in 1967 on both sides of the Atlantic as one of the most highly anticipated recordings of all time.

Taking Your Acoustic "Live on Stage"! Q: I have a Gibson acoustic that I love. I've used it miked in the studio, but now my band is playing more live gigs. I'd prefer to stay with the Gibson onstage. Is there any way to install a piezo system? If not, what are my other options? A: Yes, it is possible to install an undersaddle pickup system and we've seen a few "do-it-yourself" articles in various guitar magazines, but we have reservations: If you make a mistake, it may not be reversible, which would be bad enough. But if the guitar has any potential as a collectible instrument somewhere down the road, any modifications will likely lessen its value. That said, if you really want an undersaddle pickup system, let a professional do it (and make sure they have done this modification before). You could also use a non-invasive system, such as the Fishman Rare Earth Blend acoustic pickup system. This consists of a humbucking pickup with onboard preamp combined with a high quality internally mounted microphone. The beauty of this system is that the pre-wired output jack can be endpin mounted, so you won't have to drill out a separate output jack (though a small amount of drilling may be required if the strap button is mounted on a solid wood end block). Naturally, we must warn you that any modification of this sort will almost certainly void your warranty.

This refers to the metal button that is typically screwed into the body of an acoustic or electric guitar onto which the strap is attached during live performance where the player must be (or chooses to be) standing. There will be two strap buttons on a guitar, one for each end of the strap. Placement of the forward button on an electric may be on the body (as in a Gibson Les Paul) or top horn or bout cutaway (as on a Fender Stratocaster). The rear strap button is almost always positioned at the mid-point of the end of the body, behind the bridge. On some non-classical nylon-string guitars, the strap button is a peg made of wood or plastic that is removable.

If you stayed on top of our exclusive Summer NAMM report (produced through the hard work and dedication of our entire inSync crew!), you know there was plenty at the show to interest everyone, from guitar and keyboard players to pro and project studio owners to the industry's top producers. If this is any indication of what's coming, the Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim should be one of the biggest ever! If there was an underlying theme to Summer NAMM, it was that the hottest new technologies continue to offer a multitude of exciting new features, but at prices that nobody would have believed just five years ago. It's nice to know that you no longer have to be rich to own a state-of-the-art studio. Recording gear is getting more compact, while price tags keep shrinking at the same pace! If you spotted something in our report that you'll want to add to your studio or stage setup, contact your friendly Sweetwater Sales Engineer. They can keep you up-to-date on both availability and pricing on the hottest new products on display at Summer NAMM!

Although Vox released a combination electric guitar and organ, the Model V251, in 1966, a small company based out of Waco, Texas called Musiconics International released their own version in 1969 called the Guitorgan. This was the brainchild of Bob Murrell, who is credited with its invention. Basically, this instrument began its life as a Japanese-built ES-335 copy called the Univox "Effie." Being that this guitar was a semi-hollowbody, it was easier to fit the organ circuits inside the body. The "Effie's" fingerboard had frets that were wired to a set of tone generators. When a string was depressed, it touched the fret and closed the circuit. This then triggered the corresponding note to play. The guitorgan, like other guitar-organ hybrids was not a great success. Only about 3,000 instruments were built during 1969 and into the early 1970s.

Many musicians, engineers, and producers are looking to optimize the sound quality of their recordings. For them, the latest generation of high-resoution DAWs are a noise- and distortion-free dream come true. But for other musicians and for certain styles of music, only the dirtiest, grungiest sound quality will do! Let's say you want the drum sounds on your next album to sound like the original "old school" drum machines - or worse! Here's an easy way to get that sound, and all you need is that old beat-up cassette tape recorder that's gathering dust in a corner! Your first step is to record the drum sounds onto a cheap cassette without any noise reduction (turn off the Dolby or dbx). Try to get as hot a signal as you can without getting so oversaturated that it doesn't even sound like a drum any more (unless that's exactly what you want). You might try recording three or four versions as you gradually increase the recording input level until the signal has the distortion you want. Then you can play back the cassette and transfer the filthiest drum sounds to your DAW or sampler for your final kit.

This is the name given to an ancient Steinway upright piano that resides at the world-famous Abbey Road Studios in England. This vintage instrument has a characteristic out-of-tune "honky-tonk" sound, and has been used on countless recordings (including some by The Beatles) over the past 50 years or so.

Most users keep the latest version of the MPC2000's operating system on a 3.5-inch diskette inserted into the onboard reader, so that it will automatically load as soon as the unit is powered up. But did you know that you can boot the MPC2000 without the system disk? Basically, you just copy the latest operating system onto an external SCSI drive using the MPC's DISK menu. By powering up the SCSI hard drive first, followed by the MPC, the MPC2000 will search for the latest operating system on the floppy disk drive and if it doesn't see one, it scans all the SCSI drives starting with SCSI ID 0. By Setting your external drive to a low SCSI ID number, the process will be a little faster than if you assign it an ID of, say, 7.

Summer NAMM is about to kick off, and we'll be going to extremes to bring you exclusive, up-to-the-minute news reports direct from the NAMM floor. Our in-depth Summer NAMM Report goes live tomorrow and runs right through the weekend. If you want to know what's hot and what's not, you cannot afford to miss our Summer NAMM Report! Whether you're a musician, studio owner, engineer, or producer, there's something new for everyone!

This is a form of MIDI data that tells a device exactly how many 16th-notes have been passed since the beginning of a song. A Song Position Pointer is generally sent in conjunction with a Continue message, which together allow the song to start playing back from a specific point in the composition rather than from the beginning.

Some of you may be old enough to remember the ARP Axxe, a slightly stripped down, single-oscillator version of ARP's more expensive synth, the duophonic Odyssey, which came out not long after the Minimoog made its debut. The KikAxxe is a software emulation of the 1970s original, created by Way Out Ware and distributed by M-Audio. Selling for just $49.97, it's more fun than is actually legal in three states! But lest you think, "Ho-hum, another software synth," we'd like to point out a few extras that have been programmed in that make this definitely worth your while to own. First off, it's an amazingly accurate recreation of the distinctive ARP sound. But beyond that, the programmers added an onboard drum machine, a 16-step sequencer, and even a built-in tape delay effect. But the real kicker here - and the KikAxxe's secret weapon - is that you can actually process audio tracks through the its synth engine using the audio input and associated envelope follower! When you install KikAxxe, it installs two plug-ins on your host computer, one for the synth and one for the effects. What that means is that for a few pennies less than $50, you can easily find yourself spending lots of late nights both playing the KikAxxe, and using it to sweeten audio tracks in all sorts of interesting ways, limited only by your own imagination!

It's hard to believe that a decade or so ago, Summer NAMM was facing extinction. A few manufacturers would drag in a couple of items and listless attendees wandered the aisles in search of something they could actually get excited about (usually that ended up being lunch). But more recently, Summer NAMM has become scorching hot again - and we're not just talking about the temperatures outside. A lot of this has to do with just how fast the technology is changing these days. There are also more people with home project studios, and that number grows every day. Any way you care to look at it, Summer NAMM is an important music industry event, which is why we go to extremes to bring you exclusive, up-to-the-minute news right from the NAMM floor. Our exclusive Summer NAMM Report goes live this Friday and will be updated right through the weekend. If you want to know what's hot and what's not, what's new and what's cool, you won't want to miss our Summer NAMM Report!

The Les Paul Standard "Goldtop" made its debut in 1952, and two years later, Gibson introduced a more upscale version, which it is said Les Paul himself requested. The 1954 Les Paul Custom had a solid black (or Ebony) finish over a mahogany body, a pair of Seth Lover-designed pickups, which included a new Alnico V pickup in the neck position. But it was the combination of an ebony fingerboard with low and flat frets that quickly earned the Les Paul Custom the neckname, "fretless wonder." Because of the Ebony finish, this model has also been called the "black beauty."

You've got all the gear for your studio, and now it's time to make all your connections. But wait! In what order should you put the various dynamics processors, EQ, and effects? Some all-in-one hardware DAWs come with everything pre-configured, but for those who are using plug-ins and outboard gear, what is the generally accepted way to hook up your various processors? There are as many ways to do it as there are processors and cables! To get started, try this: Put the compression (or other dynamics) first, followed by any effects you may wish to use and send that signal to the equalizer for final tone-shaping. Now start experimenting! Move things around, try the EQ first, then the compressor. Put the effects before or after the EQ or compressor. There is no right or wrong, and in fact, different routings may work better for different songs. Don't worry, you won't blow anything up by changing the order of the processors. (Just watch your gain staging to avoid distortion, and make sure to turn down the volume before you plug/unplug gear!)

Spring has sprung, fall has fell, summer's here and it's ... time for Summer NAMM, of course! The doors open for three blistering hot days, beginning on Friday, June 20th at the Nashville Convention Center in (where else?) Nashville, Tennessee - otherwise known as Music City, U.S.A.! As always, our daring Editorial Director, Mitch Gallagher, risks life and limb (and his hearing) to bring you the music industry's hottest up-to-the-minute news direct from the NAMM floor! Our exclusive Summer NAMM Report goes live this Friday, and we can guarantee you it's so hot, you'll probably want to crank up the A/C by a few degrees at the very least!

The original carved-top electric guitar was the 1952 Gibson Les Paul "Goldtop." Because Gibson had the specialized tooling with which to create a contoured top that was similar to the arched top of a fine violin, Maurice Berlin of Chicago Musical Instruments (or CMI, Gibson's parent company) believed this would set the Gibson solidbody guitar far ahead of the competition (chiefly Fender at the time). Initially, the rough carving was done by a machine copying a 3-dimensional pattern made of steel. The cutter marks were then smoothed by a luthier using a stroke belt sander. The operator would hold a cushioned pad against the running belt pressed to the top of the instrument in order to create the desired contour. Today, much of this is accomplished using computer-controlled carvers, after which hand finishing adds the final touch.

If you have ever tried (unsuccessfully) to make heads or tails out of a long list of similar file names when you're in Column View mode (that's the mode on the far right of the View Selector), Apple has thoughtfully built in a quick fix in OS X! Down at the bottom of the vertical column divider bar, under the up and down scroll buttons, you'll see two small vertical lines. Double-click on that and the column will magically expand enough to fit in the longest file name in the list. This is particularly handy when you are searching for a specific sample or audio file from a long list of similarly named items, such as "Steinway Grand G#3 soft.wav". If you Option-double-click on the tab, all of the columns expand to show you the longest name in each of the columns.

Here's a tip that will help eliminate the time (and tedium) involved in truncating a sample to make it fit into a sequencer track. Typically, users choose the Triton's amplitude threshold setting to trigger the sampling process, so there won't be any dead air at the start of the actual sample. However, there is typically more of the sample's "tail" than is needed. To fix this, go to the main Sequencer page and set the resolution to the nearest quarter note. This "prequantization" will have the effect of snapping the audio to start at the downbeat location. Next, press the Sequencer (Rec/Write) key, and then the Sequencer (Stop/Start) key, and record the key to which the sample is being assigned at the necessary location. Be sure to hold the key down for the full duration you desire, or maybe just a tiny bit longer than necessary. Next, press the Menu key and then select the Track Edit page. At this point, select Event Edit and filter out everything but notes by removing the checks from the boxes and press OK. Now you can locate the note event that you recorded. The L column shows its length in beats. Go ahead and select this value, then type in the whole number of beats you desire: Press the .10s/Hold key, then 0, then finally press Enter (all this sounds more complicated than it is; when you have the Triton in front of you, it makes a lot more sense). If your sample was meant to play over two full measures in 4/4 time, type 8.0 (two measures x four beats) and press Enter. The sample now plays precisely at the beginning of its measure for as long as you intended. There's no need to make any further adjustments and no worries about overlapping loops.

Sometimes also referred to as a "State-Variable" filter, this term applies to any filter whose response characteristics are capable of being varied. For example, from lowpass to bandpass, or bandpass to highpass. The variations are typically accessed from a setting that can be made on a real or virtual control panel or through fluctuations of control voltage. Not all synthesizers have this capability.

For today's on-the-go musicians, engineers and DJs, smaller is always going to be better. That's why Korg is introducing its new NANO Series Slim-Line Controllers. They're small in size, but heavy on the features, because you shouldn't have to sacrifice creativity just to save space. The line includes the nanoKEY 25-note velocity-sensitive keyboard, which can also be set to send MIDI control data; the nanoPAD with 12 highly responsive trigger pads capable of sending both notes and MIDI control data, plus an X/Y pad with roll and flam functions; and nanoKONTROL which offers nine faders, nine knobs, and 18 switches plus a full transport section and convenient note-input mode. There's also the KORG KONTROL Editor software, which is downloadable from the Korg Web site. It allows you to quickly customize each (or all three) NANO products to more accurately fit your individual needs.

Q: I've read that some players - most notably Stevie Ray Vaughan - rough up their guitar's neck with sandpaper to achieve a more natural, organic feel. What specifics should I look for when selecting the appropriate sandpaper for the job? A: First off, there's a big difference between actually sanding the finish on your guitar's neck and simply making the finish less glossy. That said, we definitely recommend you stay away from sandpaper altogether, as it's too easy to remove too much of the finish and thus make the neck susceptible to damage from moisture (from the sweat and oils in your hands or high humidity). Many guitar companies now offer matte-finished necks as an option or in some cases (such as the Fender Highway 1 Strat), as a standard feature. If your guitar's neck has a glossy finish, you can use something like the Mirlon ultra-fine finishing cloth (manufactured by a company called Mirka) to dull it down to something more closely resembling a satin or matte finish. WARNING: MODIFYING OR REMOVING THE FINISH ON YOUR GUITAR'S NECK WILL VOID THE WARRANTY AND MAY LEAD TO PROBLEMS IN THE FUTURE. PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK! If you do decide to dull your neck's finish, go slow and be gentle! You can always do another pass, but if you remove too much of the finish, you can't put it back on!

A module usually available in a modular analog synthesizer that is designed to smooth out sudden changes in voltage. The portamento (or glide) control on most analog synths is in actuality a type of lag processor that is acting on the control voltage output of the keyboard.

MOTU has introduced the 896mk3, its newest cross-platform FireWire interface with onboard effects and mixing. The features list includes eight XLR/TRS combo-style analog inputs with exceptionally high-quality preamps, true hi-Z guitar inputs, a total of 28 inputs and 32 outputs, 192kHz analog operation, signal overload protection, 32-bit floating point DSP for digital mixing and effects processing, two banks of configurable optical I/O, and much more. All I/O is routed to a new onboard 16-bus digital mixer driven by hardware-based DSP with 32-bit floating point precision. The mixer allows users to apply no-latency effects processing to inputs, outputs, or buses directly in the 896mk3 hardware, independent of a computer. Effects can even be applied when the 896mk3 is operating in standalone mode (without a computer) as a rackmounted mixer. Effects include Classic Reverb, which provides five different room types, three frequency shelves with adjustable crossover points, shelf filtering, and reverb lengths up to 60 seconds. Two forms of compression are supplied: a standard compressor with conventional threshold/ratio/attack/release/gain controls and the Leveler, an accurate model of the legendary LA-2A optical compressor, which provides vintage, musical automatic gain control. The EQ section provides 7-band parametric EQ, modeled after those found on the legendary British analog console, with four filter styles to effectively cover a wide range of audio material. Lowpass and highpass filters are also supplied with slopes that range from six to 36dB.

This is a term that is used by some manufacturers that refers to a specific type of modulation in which one of the audio oscillators is being modulated by another, or by an envelope generator. For example, on the original Minimoog, oscillators one and two could me modulated by oscillator three when it was tuned down to the range of an LFO.

We just got this funky little tip from one of our customers, and it's a darn good one! Buy yourself a CD wallet; the type that zips up to stay closed. Instead of loading in your CD collection, use each page (which generally has space for four discs) to carry your spare guitar strings. Page one would have your low E, page 2 would hold your A strings and so forth. This way you're not fumbling with the plastic sleeve into which paper-wrapped strings usually come tightly inserted. If you can't tell which string you are looking at, simply use a Sharpie to mark the upper right corner of each sleeve with information regarding which string (and gauge) is inside (i.e. "High E .009" and so forth). You'll be amazed at how much time and fuss this saves, particularly if a string breaks on stage!

Allen & Heath has decided that the forthcoming Sound Recording Technology (SRT) show, which is part of the London International Music Show (LIMS), is the ideal time and place to unveil their newest products. Evolved from the revolutionary Xone:3D, the Xone:4D DJ Controller has an enhanced feature set that combines a full-featured, high-specification professional analog DJ mixer with 105 MIDI controls, and a new high-end 24-bit/96kHz 20-channel USB 2.0 soundcard. The mixer section is based on the award-winning Xone:92 and features four triple-input stereo channels (soundcard, phono, and line), 3-band total kill EQ, two stereo effects sends, two analog VCF filters with LFO, VCA crossfader and dual-rail channel faders, DJ mic, and cue monitoring system. The company is also introducing the ZED-R16 at the same event. It combines an analog recording mixer with a FireWire soundcard, MIDI controls, and home-studio routing so you can build tracks in the studio, record live gigs, mixdown, and remix. Allen & Heath is justifiably famous for their recording mixers, the last one being the GS3000 nearly ten years ago. Today's recording musician works quite differently, so with the ZED-R16, Allen & Heath say they were looking to offer a product that addressed the modern requirements of digital audio recording. The ZED-R16 offers a convenient interface to that world, but also offers great analog functionality, so users can choose to mix in digital or analog mode.

While the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company of Corinth, Mississippi, and North Tonawanda, New York, built all manner of electric and electronic products, including the Wurlitzer jukebox (a '60s staple) and any number of home organ models. The company"s history also includes band or fairground organs and over 2,200 installations of "The Mighty Wurlitzer" Theatre Organ, which was built from 1914 until about 1940. But in terms of rock and other modern music genres, it is the 64-note Wurlitzer Electric Piano that most players are familiar with. Its sound has been heard on countless recordings, and is personified by "The Logical Song" and "Dreamer" by Supertramp and "What"d I Say" by Ray Charles, to name just a few. Interestingly, Wurlitzer never called this instrument an electric piano, but used the term "Electronic Piano" instead, though the term could not be more misleading. Wurlitzer first introduced an amplified upright piano in the 1930s, using Benjamin Miessner"s electrostatic pickup design. The design was modified in the early 1950s, with the strings being replaced by a single steel reed for each key. These would be struck by a miniature version of a conventional grand piano action, with the resulting sound being amplified through the use of the same electrostatic pickup system with a DC voltage of 170 volts. The first Wurlitzer electric piano was introduced in the '50s as the Model EP-110 and continued to be produced in various forms until 1982, when production ceased. The earliest versions had a case made from painted fibreboard or wood and were fitted with an amplifier> and single loudspeaker mounted in the rear of the case. Compared to a Rhodes electric piano, the Wurlitzer is slightly less refined, though it could be played lightly to produce a sweet, chime-like sound, becoming more aggressive with harder playing, which resulted in a slightly overdriven tone often referred to as "bark."

Where real pianos have strings that typically require the services of a professional piano tuner, the Wurlitzer electric piano can generally be tuned by end-users. Instead of a string being tuned to correct pitch, the Wurlitzer is tuned by raising or lowering the pitch of a vibrating reed. If the pitch of the reed is flat, it may be raised by removing a tiny amount of lead at the end of the reed. An X-acto knife (available in art supply stores) is generally the best way to do this. To lower the pitch, a tiny amount of lead may be added, usually by flowing a tiny amount of multicore solder onto the reed, then scraping off any excess. Fortunately, Wurlitzers are built ruggedly enough that tuning is only rarely required.

It has infinite sustain. It has a Moog filter. Then there's the metallurgy. Huh? Introducing the Moog Guitar, which the company says is not a digital instrument, nor is it a synthesizer. It was created by Paul Vo, who went to Moog with the design, and then worked with both Moog's engineering team and Zion Guitars' Dale Brown in actually producing the enigmatic instrument. Where does the metallurgy come in? Well, the Moog strings that ship on the guitar have a specific metallurgy designed specifically to work with the Moog pickups. That said, here is a partial list of just what the Moog Guitar is capable of: Infinite sustain on every note, switchable between "infinite" mode and controlled or mute settings. It has a unique Mute Mode that produces "staccato articulations." Harmonic blends allow controlled harmonic sounds from the strings in other modes. There's a built-in Moog ladder filter, controllable by foot pedal or CV input. Pickup controls include Piezo, Bridge-only, Out-of-Phase, In Phase, Neck-only. As we learn more, we'll share it with you, or you can always call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer for additional information and availability.

This refers to random fluctuations in sound, which are weighted so there is greater energy in the upper octaves of the overall frequency spectrum. This term is generally heard much less frequently than White or Pink Noise.

It's rare today to hear an absolutely flat drum sound on a modern recording. We're always looking for ways to make certain parts of a drum kit (e.g., snare drum, kick drum) stand out in a mix without ending up with volume levels that can cause clipping. On a snare drum, you can add a small boost at around 80-120Hz if the snare sounds a bit thin. A boost at around 5-8kHz adds some nice high-end presence. Kick drums often benefit from boosts in the 60-100Hz range if you want a solid thump, while boosting between 100-250Hz can add overall girth. Avoid boosting anything in the area from 250-800Hz, as this will tend to sound muddy, while boosting frequencies above 8kHz typically just adds hiss. If you are close-miking the kick drum pedal, a boost at around 3-6kHz can add a nice snap to the sound. For hi-hats and cymbals, you can lower (or cut) the amplitude of frequencies from about 250-800Hz to reduce overall muddiness, and roll off everything below 250Hz steeply, as few cymbals have any energy that low. To add some additional clarity or "zing" to cymbals, you can try boosting frequencies from about 3-8kHz, while frequency boosts all the way out to roughly 15khz can add a lot of overtones, often referred to as "sizzle."