An effects processor that is capable of producing more than one type of effect simultaneously. So, for example, a rack unit might be able to provide chorus, delay, and reverb, all at once. Though some multieffects boxes have multiple ins and outs to which independent effects can be assigned, it is more common for a multieffects box to arrange its various effects into a chain of series effects, one after another, all operating sequentially on the same signal. For example, the unit above that can provide chorus, delay, and reverb would send the signal through the chorus, then the chorused result into the delay, then the delayed chorused result into the reverb before outputting it to the outside world.

Q: I've seen a lot of engineers recommending putting a guitar amp on a chair or stand to get it off the floor. Why is this? A: In most cases, it has to do with acoustics: when a sound source is adjacent to a reflective surface (in this case, the floor), the low end will be boosted by 3dB. In some cases, you can also have problems with sound reflecting off the floor and getting into the microphone causing cancellation issues. So, for uncolored bass response from the amp, most engineers recommend that it is best to raise the unit off the floor.

Long-time Sweetwater friend, Charlie Wicks, founder and CEO of Pro Co Sound passed away March 11 from complications due to cancer. He was 65 years old. Wicks formed Pro Co in the early 1970s as a P.A. speaker company, and moved into making cables in 1974. The company grew to become a successful international audio industry presence with a full line of cabling and interconnects, stomp boxes (including the famous Rat family of fuzz boxes), direct boxes, patchbays, and more. Wicks was a talented organist who was devoted to the care of abandoned animals. With his wife, Willie, he formed Canine Safe Harbor in 2006. Our condolences to his family and to all our friends at Pro Co. We will miss the "Captain of the Universe."

A chemical compound with iron as its primary component. Ferrite is what makes various materials, such as steel, cast iron, types of ceramics, and other things magnetic. Ferrites are used in transformer cores, inductors, tape and hard drive heads, loudspeakers, instrument pickups, and more. Recording tape and various disc coatings utilize ferrite powders for storing magnetic representations of sound or data.

Q: I've heard that some effects boxes can do 4-wire wiring. What is it, and why do I want it? A: Four-wire wiring requires two things: a guitar amp with an effects loop and a guitar multi-effects processor with an effects loop of its own, such as the Boss GT-10 or Line 6 M13. The idea is that certain effects sound best in front of the amp, such as overdrive, distortion, compression, and boost, while other effects, such as delay, reverb, and chorus, sound best in the amp's effects loop. Here's how you set it up, using four cables/wires: * Guitar output --> multi-effects input * Multi-effects external loop send --> guitar amp input * Guitar amp effects loop send --> multi-effects external loop return * Multi-effects output --> guitar amp effects loop return Beyond the wiring, you'll also need to program your multi-effects so that the external loop is turned on (if necessary) and so that the effects you want before the amp (distortion, overdrive, compression) are BEFORE the unit's external loop send in the signal path. And, you'll need to program the multi-effects so that delay, chorus, reverb, etc., effects are AFTER the unit's external loop return. The advantage is that you get the best of both worlds — the effects that sound best in front of the amp are placed before the amp, and the effects that sound best in the loop placed in the loop. Yet you're doing it all with a single, convenient multi-effects processor.

Propellerheads are inviting power users of Reason/Record to become test pilots for the music software of the future. From their site: Do you want to help us test the music software of the future? Are you a Reason/Record power user? Can you keep a secret? If your answer is yes to all three questions, maybe you would like to join the Propellerhead Test Pilots? To apply for the test pilot gig, you'll have to visit the Prop-heads site and register.

In most cases, literally an analog volume potentiometer mounted in and controlled by a "treadle"-style footpedal. This allows hands-free control over signal level. There are two main styles available, differing only in their impedance: low impedance is intended for keyboard use or for use in an amp's effects loop. High impedance is used with standard electric guitar pickups. There are some variations on this basic design, such as those using optical cells for changing volume, those with LED indicators of volume level, built-in boost, and so on. In some cases, the pedal may be switchable between a wah pedal and a volume pedal.

This was passed on by our resident synth guru, Daniel Fisher: Send MIDI CC #0 (zero), value 127 to the Moog MIDI MuRF, and it will put the envelope into "Glitch Mode." Adjust the envelope parameter and interesting sonic chaos will ensue. MIDI CC #0, sent with any value other than 127 will set the MuRF back to normal operation.

At its most basic, a device that records and plays back audio loops. In most cases, a loop can be recorded (often using footswitches for hands-free control) then additional overdubs can be added in stacked "sound-on-sound" fashion. Some loopers offer a wide array of extended features, such as MIDI tempo sync; playback of multiple independent loops simultaneously; reverse loop playback; preset-recall of loops; timing quantization; built-in metronome or rhythm tracks; microphone- and guitar-level inputs; phantom power; USB port or memory card for saving, backing up, and transferring loop data; import/export of loops as WAV files, real-time control of playback speed; and much more.

Q: I have a guitar set up where I'm using a couple of rack effects boxes that I'm controlling with a MIDI switcher pedal. I really want my amp to change channels when I call up certain programs, but the amp doesn't have a MIDI input or other way to control channel switching except its footswitch. What do you recommend? A: There are several solutions to this situation; if you're using an effects loop device such as the Voodoo Labs Ground Control Pro/GCX loop switcher combo, then it can also control footswitch functions on an amp. If you're not using a GCX or similar device to route your effects, there is still a solution. The RJM Music Technology Mini Amp Gizmo does exactly what you're describing. It's a MIDI-to-footswitch "adapter," with interface cables that are compatible with most types of amps, that can control up to four footswitchable amplifier functions via MIDI commands. For even more control, the RJM Amp Gizmo supports MIDI control of up to eight footswitchable functions on amps and other gear.

In today's recording studio, you need a powerful computer. A computer that's designed from the ground up to provide all the connections necessary for your interfaces and other gear, plenty of storage space, enough RAM to keep your plug-ins and DAW happy, and a screaming processor that can handle anything you throw at it. Plus, it IS a studio computer, so you need it to sit there quietly, not bleeding noise into all your tracks. That's why we designed the Creation Station computers — to provide Windows users the very best computer solution possible for recording studios. We looked at every detail, made all the tweaks, optimized everything, and packaged it all in a specially treated enclosure with pre-installed sound damping. And now, we've upgrade the line to make them even better: the new Creation Station computers feature even faster, more powerful "i" series Intel CPUs for higher plug-in and virtual instrument counts, use faster DDR3/1333 RAM, and come with Windows 7 installed, fully optimized for audio, and ready to help you make music! If you're after a new PC for your studio (and who doesn't want the latest and greatest machine to run their software?) then there are none better than the new Sweetwater Creation Stations!

In hard drives, the read head is the component that converts the magnetism on the disk's surface into an electrical data signal in order to retrieve the data. The head "flies" or floats a very small distance above the disk surface — as close as three nanometers above. Early read heads were very similar to the heads found in tape recorders, consisting of a coil of wire wrapped around ferrite. Technology has advanced (and continues to advance) to where heads can now read extremely dense fields of data from the disk, with high stability and reliability.

Q: I have a new guitar amp with an effects loop, and I'm trying to figure out which of my effects should go in front of the amp and which should go in the loop. Can you help? A: Generally, pedals that do gain (boosts) or dynamics (compressors) processing; EQs, filters and filter-type pedals (wahs); and overdrives and distortions go in front of the amp. Most players put time-domain stompboxes and processing in the loop. This includes delays, chorus, reverb, and so on. Other pedals, such as loopers, volume pedals, slicers, tremolos, vibratos, and so on, can go in either location. And, as always, there are no rules. Try your pedals and processors in both locations and in different orders. Whatever sounds good is good!

FXpansion is offering a great promotion on their BFD2 drum sound workstation software. Purchase BFD2 before May 1, 2010, and you'll receive an instant $100 rebate! This means you'll be getting all the amazing features and power of BFD2 for just $299. That's an incredible deal!

In hard drives, the write head is the component that converts the electrical data signal into a magnetic field that magnetizes the disk's surface in order to store the data. The head "flies" or floats a very small distance above the disk surface — as close as three nanometers above. Early write heads were very similar to the heads found in tape recorders, consisting of a coil of wire wrapped around ferrite. Technology has advanced (and continues to advance) to where heads can now write extremely dense fields of data to the disk, with high stability and reliability.

Want to do a final check of the relative balances between tracks in your mix? Turn the volume way down to where you can barely hear it. Now, listen. Can you still hear all the tracks? Is the vocal clearly audible? Is anything jumping out? Anything you can't hear? Assuming your monitors are neutral and that your room is reasonably acoustically neutral (and you know both well), this low-level listening test will tell you volumes (no pun intended) about how your mix will hold up at normal listening levels and at high levels.

A press of a key on a QWERTY keyboard.

Q: I've often wondered; is there a problem with MIDI ground loops in a large keyboard/synth rig? A: Typically not — at least not from the MIDI part of it; audio and digital audio interconnects, and AC power are other matters entirely. The reason is that the MIDI spec requires a telescoping shield on MIDI connections. This means that the ground is only connected on one end. You still get the benefits of shielding, but there is only one path to ground per MIDI connection.

Looking to do some recording, but faced with a lack of microphones to get you rolling? Sweetwater has the answer! The Mic Locker To Go Starter Pack puts a convenient, practical assortment of microphones in your hands at an unbelievable price! Whether you need to capture vocals, electric or acoustic guitar, brass, piano, or even drums, this handy mic pack will get you started. The pack includes: Audio-Technica AT2020 condensor Sennheiser e609 dynamic Samson C02 small-diaphragm condensor pair Custom waterproof SKB case for mics and accessories Want even better news? The Sweetwater Mic Locker To Go Starter Pack is priced at less than $300!

Some guitars referred to as "hollowbodies" are actually semi-hollow, with a solid center block to add sustain and to counter feedback. An example of this would be a Gibson ES-335. Semi-hollowbody guitars were adopted early on by blues musicians such as B.B. King and have remained popular in blues, jazz, and rock music, where the thick, warm tones produced by the instrument's hollow wings lend themselves well to expressive playing.

Q: Are Native Instruments interfaces compatible with Linux? A: Yes, all Native Instruments audio hardware interfaces can be used under Linux. The required drivers are included in kernel v2.6.22 and above. Both audio and MIDI functions are supported. Compatible devices include: Audio 4 DJ Audio 8 DJ Audio Kontrol 1 Guitar Rig Mobile I/O Kore 1 Rig Kontrol (2nd and 3rd generation) Session I/O Note that Native Instruments does not provide support or guarantee for Linux drivers or for hardware being used under Linux.

Starting today, we're having a huge PRS celebration! For two days only: Friday, March 5 and Saturday, March 6, 2010, we're offering 10% off on all in-stock PRS guitars and amps. This offer is valid on phone or in-store orders only, so make your way over here to Fort Wayne or call your Sales Engineer at 800-222-4700 to take advantage of this special pricing. Remember, the special pricing is limited to in-stock guitars and amps. For many colors, we only have one in stock, so don't delay, shop early! (Sorry, Private Stock guitars are excluded from this sale.)

Here's an oldie but a goodie — revisited because we keep being presented with examples of people not following it! In order to accurately and effectively compare two audio signals, the volume levels of those two signals MUST be matched as closely as possible. If one of the two signals being compared is even slightly louder, our ears will tend to perceive it as sounding better.

Line 6's Spider IV series is an incredible collection of guitar tone/amplification tools. And now, the Spider IV series gets even better! Line 6 has put together Spider IV Infusion, a collection of 28 additional Smart FX that you can download and add to your amp — free of charge!

Guitarist slang for an overdrive or distortion stompbox.

Q: What are the differences between Gibson's current ES-335 and ES-345 models? A: Both are semi-hollowbody guitars; the "physical" differences include dot or block inlays on the ES-335 and parallelogram inlays on the ES-345. But the big differences are in the electronics; the ES-345 includes output jacks for mono or stereo wiring as well as a 6-position Varitone switch.

Join us for an intimate evening with iconic producer/engineer Jack Joseph Puig, which will be held on March 17 at 7:00 pm at Sweetwater Headquarters. This event is presented completely free of charge by Sweetwater and Waves. Jack will demonstrate his first Waves collaboration, JJP Analog Legends (with modeled plug-ins based on rare Fairchild and Pultec gear), as well as the upcoming Jack Joseph Puig Artist Signature Collection. For more information and to register, visit Sweetwater's events page.

A term applied to an electric guitar that features a large, fully hollow body, similar to an acoustic guitar with built-in pickups and electronics. Hollowbodies are typically archtop designs, although there are flat-top hollowbodies as well. Hollowbody guitars offer a full, rich, warm tone with acoustic guitar-like resonance and sustain. Most hollowbody guitars are susceptible to feedback problems at higher volume levels, so they are most often used for traditional jazz and other styles where volume is not a concern. Exceptions include Steve Howe and Ted Nugent, who were well-known for using Gibson ES-175 and Byrdland models, respectively, for progressive and hard rock styles.

Q: I've heard that some players like to run two overdrive pedals, with one feeding into the others. Is there any chance I could damage my pedals by doing this? A: Your pedals should be safe. It's become quite common practice for players to cascade overdrive and/or distortion stompboxes into each other, or to run a clean boost pedal before or after an overdrive or distortion. The advantage of doing this is that you can set up one pedal for a rhythm-type tone, then step on the second one to push the signal harder for a solo/lead tone. Plus, the tonal combination of two cascaded overdrive/distortion pedals is different from a single pedal turned up for more gain.

Multi-instrumentalist T-bone Wolk, well-known for his long-running gigs holding down the low end for Hall and Oates and Saturday Night Live, passed away Sunday at age 58 from a heart attack. Wolk was one of the busiest bass/session/live players around, with a credits list including Carly Simon, Shawn Colvin, Roseanne Cash, Paul Carrack, Charlie Musselwhite, Elvis Costello, Jewel, Avril Lavigne, and many, many more. Wolk grew up in Yonkers, New York, and won a state accordion championship at age 12. (He contributed accordion to a long list of albums later in his professional career.) After seeing The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, T-bone turned to electric guitar and made music his life's work. Our condolences to his family and friends.

Literally, too much load, amount, burden, demand, or cargo. In audio, to exceed the maximum clean signal level possible in a device, resulting in distortion.

If you're a Mac user, then you probably know that you can adjust your computer's output volume using the three buttons on the computer keyboard (volume up, volume down, and mute). When you press volume up or volume down, a display comes onscreen, showing the volume increasing or decreasing one step ("block") at a time. But did you know that as of OS X 10.5 (Leopard) you can also get fine control over the volume level? Just hold the shift and option keys while you press the volume up or down controls; now it will take four button presses to change the volume by one "block." Just the thing when an increase or decrease of a full "block" is too much.

Access has released a public beta of OS4 for the Virus TI line of hardware synths. The new operating system adds a variety of new features, including a new Vowel filter for adding a "vocal" character to sounds, a new comb filter, soeaker simulation, the ability to modulate any parameter in the modulation matrix using the arpeggiator, and six more distortion flavors modeled on vintage guitar distortion pedals, plus much more. The new overdrives include: Mint Overdrive — a familiar green, screaming tube overdrive Curry Overdrive — more extreme distortion Saffron Overdrive — a harsh "orange" distortion popular in the Grunge days Onion Overdrive — a big, fuzzy overdrive Pepper Overdrive — a clear powerful distortion that's designed to help leads cut through Chili Overdrive — a classic, in-your-face fuzz

With a spring reverb, the actual enclosure that contains the spring(s) used to delay the signal to produce ambience. Even if the spring reverb is built into an amplifier, the reverb tank is generally a separate enclosure-within-an-enclosure.

Q: What's the difference between Epiphone's Valve Junior guitar amp and the new Valve Junior Hot Rod version? A: These two guitar amp models are close siblings — the Hot Rod is aptly named, as it's really a hot-rodded version of the original Valve Junior. They're both compact and lightweight, with a single-ended Class A design using one EL-84 power tube to produce five watts of power, and offer 4-, 8-, and 16-ohm speaker outputs. The "regular" Valve Junior has just one control: a volume knob, and its preamp uses a single 12ax7 tube. The Valve Junior Hot Rod has gain and volume controls for as much crunch as you want at any volume, and uses two 12ax7 preamp tubes instead of one for more gain and flexibility. The Hot Rod also has a built-in reverb. And, there's an extra feature: the amp has a dummy load, so you can plug in another amp and use the Valve Junior Hot Rod as a stand-alone spring reverb tank. Both sound great and come in at ridiculously low prices!

Waves has announced that there is a new cap on Waves Update Plan fees: all non-overlapping Waves products (such as Platinum and SSL or Gold and Restoration) are now capped at $200 per account, per year. So, no matter how many non-overlapping products you own or how long their coverage has been inactive, you'll never pay more than $200 a year for the Waves Update Plan. Waves Update Plan coverage for overlapping products (such as Gold and Platinum or Diamond and Mercury) or identical products (such as two Gold bundles) remains capped at $200 per year, the same as before.

A type of guitar stompbox intended to increase the level or gain of a guitar's signal without adding overdrive or distortion in the pedal itself, though the increased signal level may result in overload at the input of the amplifier.

Q: When mastering, what order should I run my plug-ins? EQ first, then dynamics, or the other way around? A: Sorry, there is no single correct answer to this question — every mastering engineer has their own processing order, and may even change it on a per-song basis. In some cases, more than one of each may be used, for example: EQ > compressor > EQ > limiter. About the only rule — and we use the the word "rule" very loosely — is that typically, if a limiter is used, it will go at the end of the processing chain.

When you get your new Korg SV-1 Stage Vintage Piano, you just want to PLAY! That's why Sweetwater is doing the work for you. We're upgrading all Korg SV-1 Stage Vintage Pianos to the latest Operating System (currently v. 1.1) before they ship. This adds some cool features including the ability to layer instruments as well as change the volume level of the layered instrument from the front panel. We've also created a bonus CD-ROM that contains the latest Mac and PC USB Drivers, the latest Owners' Manual, plus fully working versions of the SV-1 Editor Librarian for both Mac and Windows. Plus, we're including a QuickStart Guide to get the you familiar with some of the deeper features of the front panel. Not enough? There are also 36 additional SV-1 sounds that can replace any current factory preset sounds via the editor/librarian.

A preset or patch for a device or program that was created by an end user and stored to a RAM location within the device or software. Contrast this with "factory preset."

Q: I use an overdrive for my distortion sound on my guitar, and I now have a boost pedal, too. Should it go before the overdrive or after it? A: Try it in both places to see what you like best. You won't hurt anything either way. With the boost before the overdrive, it will increase the amount of distortion and compression in the tone. With the boost after the overdrive, it will make the overdriven tone louder, without increasing the amount of distortion (unless you boost so much that you overload the input on your amplifier).

Sweetwater and Avid (Digidesign) are offering an unprecedented trade-in opportunity that will save you big money when you upgrade your current live sound console to a new VENUE live sound system! Trade in a live sound console with a retail value of $5,000 to $15,000 and receive 13% savings! Trade in a live sound console with a retail value over $15,000 and receive 20% savings! Your Sweetwater Sales Engineer has all the details about VENUE and how to take advantage of these trade-in savings. This offer expires March 19, 2010, so call today!

Information that has been generated or inputted by the user of a software program or software-based hardware device. In the audio/music world, this usually equates to user presets or patches, audio data, MIDI information, and more. See also "factory preset."

Many recordists seem to feel that there are only certain places where microphones can be situated in order to capture a particular instrument or source. But that's definitely not the case &mdash experiment! Here are a few ideas to get you started: Place mics up in the corners of the room Place a mic behind the source Place a mic near the floor or near the ceiling Swing a mic in circles around your head by its cable while recording a source (careful with this one!) Place the mic at an odd angle, off-axis to the source Place a mic so a null point in the polar pattern is facing the source Mic the side of an instrument instead of the front

In audio/music terms, a collection of a type of data, often commercially packaged. Examples include sample libraries and loop libraries. A library may be dedicated to a certain type of sound, such as a drum library or orchestral library, or may be more "generic," as in the factory libraries that come with many software and hardware samplers.

Q: How can I tell if a program is running 64-bit on my Mac Pro? (I have Snow Leopard, so I know the operating system can run 64-bit.) A: There should be an application called "Activity Monitor" in the Utilities folder inside your Mac's Applications folder. Launch this utility, and look for the "Kind" column; the information in this column will tell you what type of processing the software is using.

Okay, maybe Sammy Hagar himself isn't here, but his signature Gibson is now in stock! The Gibson Limited Edition Sammy Hagar Red Rocker Les Paul has a bookmatched, grade AA maple top with a gorgeous Cabernet finish, and a 2-piece weight-relieved mahogany back finished in Translucent Cherry. The pickup selection, as specified by Hagar, is Burstbucker 3 in the bridge and a '57 Classic in the neck, both sans pickup covers and sporting zebra coils. Tone Pros Kluson-style tuners top the headstock, which is also adorned with Hagar's Chickenfoot logo. For killer tone, killer playability, and killer onstage looks, this guitar rules!

1. Short for "ampere." 2. Short for "amplifier," applies to both power amplifiers and instrument amplifiers.

Q: I'm thinking about getting an Ebtech Hum X to use with my guitar amplifier, to solve a ground loop problem I'm having with my pedalboard. I see that it is rated up to six amps of current. Is that enough to handle most guitar amplifiers? A: Most guitar amplifiers, even large tube models, draw less than six amps. In checking many of the amplifiers we have in stock here at Sweetwater, we're finding the high end of the current draw to be between 3 and 4 amps. However, it would be wise to verify the amount of current your amplifier draws, just to be safe. According to our friend Bill Wensloff at Ebtech, there are three ways to get a good idea of your amp's draw: 1. Many amplifiers list the current rating (in amps) on the back panel. 2. Check the fuse rating. If the fuse is rated under six amps, you're safe with the Hum X. 3. If you can't find the amplifier's rating or the fuse rating, there probably will be an AC input wattage rating on the back panel. Since wattage (power) equals current times voltage, you can divide the wattage by the AC voltage (120 volts in the U.S.) to calculate the current draw.

There's nothing worse than having to live with the noise that computer fans and hard drives can put out into a studio — it ends up on tracks, messes up monitoring, and generally is very annoying! One solution is our ultra-quiet line of Creation Station computers. Another solution is a Sound Construction IsoBox, which is a purpose-designed enclosure for controlling computer noise. And now, through the end of the month, every IsoBox qualifies to receive a free Mac Tray for mounting your Macintosh into the IsoBox!