TIRED OF SELLING NAME BRANDS WITH NO MARGIN?CONSIDER: ALBION ALL VALVE GUITAR AMPLIFIER DEALER OFFER

3 Reasons to Buy Albion: 1. OUTSTANDING QUALITY FOR THE PRICE 2. UNIQUE FEATURES3. INTUITIVE DESIGN

Designed By: Steve Grindrod, Master Amplifier Designer (ex Marshall, VOX), Albion, Huntingdon, UK.

Media Campaign • Australian Guitar: Readership Giveaway 2 Page Spread, Amp Review• Guitarist Australia: Readership Giveaway – Front Cover Insert, Amp Review• Mixdown Magazine:¼1/4 Page Ads, Reviews x 2

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Endorsees• The Snowdroppers – Australia’s Hardest Working and Hottest Up-and-Coming Band• The Vanguard, Newtown, Sydney “Top Ten Live Venues in the World” – The

Independent Newspaper, UK

TERRITORY PROTECTION: We are seeking dealers on a territory-by-territory basis that will give the right support to the brand.

CALL: LSW SALES - 02 9718 4900 EMAIL: SALES@LSWONLINE.COM.AU

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EXCLUSIVE TAB: Tommy EmmanuEl "lEwis and Clark" WIN! AN ALBION TCT35C TWIN CHANNEL

COMBO

WORTH $1099

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$9.90 (INC. GST) NZ $11.90 (INC. GST)

NO CD?ask your rETailEr

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albion Musical Instruments are a new company, but their founder and chief designer, Steve Grindrod, served as

Chief Engineer for Marshall Amplification for over 30 years. He has also spent close to a decade as Managing Director and Chief Designer at Vox Amplification. Albion might be the new kid on the block, but they are a new head on very experienced shoulders.

HEY, HEY, HEY, IT’S PHAT ALBION!The Albion TCT100 head is a two channel,

EL34 powered amplifier with features aplenty. The amplifier’s two very differently voiced channels cover a wide range of tonal variations. It is easy to dial up some familiar and not so familiar sounds very quickly. When you turn a knob on this amp it really does change the tone considerably.

The pre-amp channels on the TCT100 differ in that the first has the EQ before the gain stages and the second has the EQ after the gain stages, adding to their very different voicings. There is also a lot more gain on tap on the B channel than there is on the A channel, nothing new there, but you have a lot more control over each channel than on your average amplifier.

Each pre-amp channel has a ‘tight’ button that acts as a high pass filter. This is very useful with higher gain settings to tame some of that high-end sizzle. Both channels have a mid frequency shift button to change the frequencies affected by the mid EQ knob, and there is a huge amount of cut and boost possible with the EQ controls. Both channels have gain, drive and volume level pre-amp controls, giving this amp plenty of control over the gain stages and a huge amount of ‘tweakability.’

A very useful feature on the TCT100 is the ability to mix the two pre-amp channels simultaneously. This allows you to have a bi-amped tone with just one amplifier, or by using the included footswitch, you have the ability to use the mixed pre-amp signals as a third channel for solo boosts, nice one!

The clean settings on this amp are just as impressive as the dirty tones. There is more than enough headroom for some beautiful clean tones, and

the inbuilt reverb sounds great. Both channels have a very wide mid-EQ sweep and a ‘shift’ switch that changes the frequency spectrum of the mid control. Channel A has some rich bluesy tones with a ‘Fenderish’ flavour and Channel B yields some very authentic early Marshall tones, not hard to believe considering the same person that designed Marshall amps has designed the TCT100.

A unique and well thought out feature of the TCT100 is the ability to control the power amp response. There are three controls that allow you to change the EQ and dynamic response of the power amp section. This means you can tighten up the sound of the TCT100 for faster playing styles or leave it sounding loose for some big open rock chords. The TCT100 features a power cut switch that drops it down to a bedroom useable level and the tone is still strong, even at lowest of low volumes.

The matching 4x12 cabinet is as solid as they come, and features a 15mm plywood construction with Albion drivers. There are removable castors that are very easy to pop in and out, allowing you to put the cab on the floor for greater bass response, and still move it around easily. This cabinet weighs in at 41.2kg, but it sounds heavier than it feels. Both the head and cabinet are finished off with a very glossy lacquered maple trim and whether you like their aesthetic or not, they sure don’t look like any other amp.

PLENTY OF FEATURES, BUT DOES IT SOUND GOOD?

The TCT100 head and matching GLS412 cabinet sound great. There is a wide palette of

very useable tones. The clean sounds can go from country twang to jazzy warmness. The dirty tones can go from a warm blues through to high gain screaming lead and rhythm tones. The TCT100 sounds great at lower volumes with the ability to drop it down to 33 watts. There are master volume controls on both the pre and power amp sections. The Albion TCT100 does a lot of sounds, and does them well.

THE BOTTOM LINEThe design of the Albion TCT100 has been

well thought out, it has plenty of useful features and it sounds great. The whole Albion range has been designed by a legend of amplifier design, and it shows in the intuitive layout, useful features and versatility of the TCT100. What would you expect to pay for an amp of this pedigree? Check it out, you’ll surprised!

ALBION TCT100 HEAD AND GLS412 CABINETTHE NAME ALBION MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR, BUT THEIR OWNER AND CHIEF DESIGNER HAS BUILT SOME OF THE BEST KNOWN AMPS EVER. BY Reg BaRBeR

FEATURESPRICE Head $1399 Cab $599MADE ChinaSPEAKERS Albion IMPEDANCE 16 ohm/8 ohmCHANNELS Clean DirtyOUTPUT 100/33 watts

WHAT WE RECKONPROS

Feature packed

Mixable pre-amp channels

Well priced

CONS Heavy Cab

CONTACTLEADING SOurCE WHOLESALE02 9718 4900sales@lswonline.com.au

Australian Guitar May 2011

SUBSCRIBE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN AN AlBION TCT35C TWIN CHANNEl COMBOThe new Albion TCT35C is a twin channel, all valve,

switching amplifier with reverb and a 12 inch, 80 watt speaker. Each channel has differing voicing structures (Channel A has the EQ pre-gain, Channel B is post-gain) but both go from ‘clean to scream’ for ultimate functionality and wide tonal response. TCT model amps also feature wide ranging power amp controls widening the tonal response even further – switchable feedback loops, ‘edge’ (presence) and ‘depth’ controls, output phase and 33% power switching. Natural sounding digital reverb and a series FX loop round off the amp functions.

The amplifiers feature a seam-welded steel chassis to securely hold the heavy-duty transformers, heavy-duty FR4 printed circuit boards and chassis mounted valve bases. The supplied footswitch also has a very useful feature, the cable connection can be easily user-changed from left to right to more adequately suit your stage set up.

Finally the finish is a rich plum Birch Ply with all custom cabinet hardware resulting in a distinct retro style nodding back to the halcyon days of Tinpan Alley in the ‘60s. Fittingly this is exactly where designer and chief engineer Steve Grindrod got his start before heading up Marshall’s amplification Research and Development department for nearly three decades.

These things are so damn good, we’ve been unable to contact our reviewer since we dropped it off and we suspect he may have jumped a plane somewhere with his new friend.

Thanks to our friends at Leading Source Wholesale we have one Albion TCT35 valued at $1099 to giveaway to a lucky subscriber this issue. To win let us know what you’ll be plugging in to the TCT35 and the first track you’ll be firing up on it.

•Freedeliverytoyourdoor

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the In 25 words or less us about the project you’ll be using this exciting Peavey pack fo

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6Issues(NewZealand)at$A60.00

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In 25 words or less tell us what you will be plugging in and what the first song is you will fire up on this AlbIon TCT35C TwInCHAnnEl CoMbo:

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*Offer available to Australian and New Zealand residents only. Expires 13/07/11. Prices include GST. This form can be used as a tax invoice. NextMedia Pty Ltd ABN: 84 128 805 970. This is a Game of Skill. Competition entries received from new and renewing subscribers to Australian Guitar between 18/05/11 and 13/07/11 will be eligible to enter by answering the question “In 25 words or less tell us what you will be plugging in and what the first song is you will fire up on this Albion TCT35C Twin Channel Combo”. Albion TCT35C Twin Channel Combo valued at $1099 will be awarded to one winner. Entries will be judged on the 19/07/11 by the Australian Guitar editorial team at next media, Level 6, 207 Pacific Hwy, St Leonards NSW 2065. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

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tHe final CHaPter!

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VOLUME 83 $9.95 (INC. GST) NZ $11.90 (INC. GST)

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BACK STAGE DOWN UNDER WITH

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RECORDING TIPS

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KELLYKELLYDREAMING BIG ON THE FRETBOARD

DERRICK TRUCKSDERRICK TRUCKS

RICHARD BONA

RECORDING TIPS

OZ ROCKOZ ROCKTHROUGH THE AGESTHROUGH THE AGESTHE ‘90THE ‘90

BACK STAGE DOWN UNDER WITH

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DAN DREAMING BIG ON THE FRETBOARD

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“I LIKE TO THINK I’M PLAYING EVERY SINGLE “I LIKE TO THINK I’M PLAYING EVERY SINGLE “I LIKE TO THINK I’M PLAYING EVERY SINGLE NOTE ON THE BOARD AT LEAST ONCE!”NOTE ON THE BOARD AT LEAST ONCE!”NOTE ON THE BOARD AT LEAST ONCE!”

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WORTH $1099!

PG. 48 MIXDOWN NO. 202 FEBRUARY 2011

ROAD TESTEDIBANEZ TROUBADOUR T35 ACOUSTIC AMP

Ibanez have long been recognised as guitar makers of solid repute. Probably most famous for their electric models, they also produce a comprehensive line of acoustic guitars. Not to leave these typically unplugged players out in the cold, they have their own series of dedicated acoustic amplifi ers designed to amplify your acoustic tone if need be. Coming in 80, 35, 20 and 10-watt models, the Troubadour has most bases covered in the acoustic world. Let's have a look at the T35.

T35With a dark covering and basket-weave-type grille, the T35 looks quite classy indeed. A dedicated acoustic guitar amp, the top control panel features an input jack with push button for natural or shaped EQ, volume, bass, a middle frequency and level control, treble and chorus depth and speed controls (along with a push button to turn it on or off). As is all the rage, and often the intended use for these rigs, there is also a microphone input section with XLR input, tone and volume controls, making the amp a cool solution for solo artists, duos or those in band gigs needing some extra volume. Rounding out the T35's control panel is a CD/aux input (which can obviously also handle an iPod/MP3 player) and master reverb and volume controls.

PLUGGED IN...Setting the EQ controls fl at, I found the T35 to be quite neutral-sounding (which is a good thing). You have to remember you're playing through a 35-watt amp with a 10-inch speaker, so it isn't going to be an absolute refl ection of your guitar, but there were no nasty frequencies and the clean headroom was

Price: RRP $549

Distributor: Australis Music

Phone: (02) 9698 4444

Website: www.australismusic.com.au

good. The EQ section was effective and very useful for dialling in (or out) some unwanted tones, and the sweepable mid control is a great idea. I know the tops and bottoms are sometimes the most recognised, but the middle can really give body and thicken things up. Reverb is a nice touch to add some space to your sound and works on both guitar and vocals. You then also have the option of chorus to further work your guitar tone. Getting the blend between your guitar EQ (if it has one) and the amp is the key, so I'd recommend starting fl at and then tweaking to taste.

LIVE AT THE TROUBADOURFor the price, I thought the T35 was a solid little performer. It's good volume for its size (and you can suss out the T80 if you want more juice), highly portable and looks great. The tilt leg is a clever design, and helps with projecting your sound and working as some foldback if you need to hear yourself (hands up how many guys have sat around trying to angle their amps so they can hear them? Come on, I know you have!). Acoustic amplifi cation is often hard to reproduce authentically, what with so many sonic nuances, but for a small sized amp best used in smaller sized applications, the T35 gives great bang for your buck.

By Nick Brown

WHARFEDALE TITAN 12” ACTIVE SPEAKER

Long known as a hi-fi company, Wharfedale branched into the pro audio arena in the late '80s with the development of speakers and the like. Fast forward to 1998, and with this line gathering momentum the Wharfedale Professional brand was established as its own division to cover all things pro audio, be it speakers, mixers, monitors, mics or amplifi ers.

GET ACTIVEActive speakers have really come to the fore as the guts for sound systems, ranging from home/backyard/cafe/small gigs right through to big clubs and band situations. The fact that the speakers are self-powered eliminates the need for power amps, meaning you just need a mixer or can plug a mic/instrument directly into the speaker for tonnes of volume with minimal hassle. Wharfedale are right up with these technologies, and the Titan 12" active speaker is one such example.

SPEAKERAs you may have guessed, 12" refers to the 12-inch inch LF driver, but being a two-way active speaker ,you'll also fi nd a two-inch 8ohm HF horn on board, making for a wide frequency response. And handling LF 500w HF 100w, you've then got quite a bit of juice on board – or, chain a few together for lots of juice. There is a good array of ins/outs on the back, with two balanced ins (and high or low gain on channel A for switching between, say, a guitar and a mic), CD/tape input on channel B (RCA plugs) a balanced output for daisy chaining speakers together, hi and low EQ controls and bass response (BR) optimiser switch for increased low end if needed. These then work as basic mixing functions, and, as mentioned, you can plug a guitar into channel A and a vocal mic into channel B. It's pretty bare bones, but provides good volume response and clarity with the advantage of some basic EQing. Furthermore, you can easily (and I have done just that plenty of times) use this for functions with limited space (wedding ceremonies, awards, smaller gigs). Then if you needed to step it up a little, it's dead easy to – just incorporate a small mixing console and you're away!

YOU GOT ME LIFTEDStanding at about 56cm x 31cm x 39cm the 12" Titan is reasonably small and weighs in around the 14kg mark. It is super light for its size, and the two handles running down the length of the side make it easy to grab and go, so even the smallest of operators can pick it up and move it. This makes it a great solution for the solo performer, or those non-musician types requiring decent volume in a portable package – wedding celebrants, public speakers and schools come to mind.

Price: RRP $799

Distributor: LSW Pty Ltd

Phone: (02) 9718 4900

Website: www.industrygear.com.au

REMEMBER THE TITANSI'd always been aware of the Wharfedale brand (more so for its hi-fi gear), but had little experience with their range of pro audio gear, and I must say I'm pleasantly surprised. The 12" Titan was light, portable and smaller than some other 12-inchers on the market. The recessed handles were solid, well-placed and easy to manage and the I/O and EQ section make for a great little setup with minimal fuss. You can hoist it onto any standard speaker stand for mounted use or lie it on its side for a foldback, too. I found the on-board EQ to be suffi cient for minimalist setups but would no doubt incorporate some extra mixing/outboard EQ for more detailed setups. Best of all, I'd have no problem using the Titan or recommending it to others looking to go the powered speaker route at this price point.

By Nick Brown

Albion amplifi ers – haven’t heard of them yet? I bet you will soon. Literally just launched at NAMM last month, they are a collaboration between Steve Grindrod (previously Chief Engineer and Director of Research at Marshall and Vox Managing Director and Chief Designer) and Richie Onori (maybe best known as part of retro rockers The Sweet, and a man with plenty of experience in the music products fi eld also). Sporting an impressive line of guitar and bass cabs and amps, Albion are ready to turn a few heads with their designs, tone and price.

TCTGLSI had a squizz at the TCT100H 100-watt head and GLS412 speaker cab. Construction-wise you’re looking at Birch Ply for all cabinet work, with interlocking panels, tough vinyl coverings and the most distinguishing cosmetic feature of all (for me at least!) – the piano fi nish, stained-walnut face and baffl e plates, which make for a really classy look. The TCT100H is a twin-channel valve head with a host of nifty features. From left to right we have on/off, alive/mute, full/33 per cent power, and phase switches, master output, mix balance, reverb mix, a feedback loop ratio button and deep and edge Controls. We then come to dual channel controls (both identical) with gain, drive, bass, middle, treble and channel volume controls along with tight, smooth and EQ shift push buttons. So basically a heap of options, which we’ll examine a little closer later on.

MADE IN...The build country of origin seems to be a favourite question among the public, and with Steve hailing from the UK you’d probably expect somewhere in England. Well, Albion amps are made in Shenzhen, China. Personally that’s not a problem for me, but I know many people

ALBION TCT100H HEAD & GLS412 CABwill instantly think they’re sacrifi cing quality for cheaper overheads and workmanship. It’s interesting, then, that it’s not something Albion are shying away from. In fact, Steve himself goes as far as to say: “It is no secret that our products are built in Shenzhen, China. But what we would like you to appreciate is that we actually own our factory. It is also probably the most heavily invested and integrated audio factory on the planet. I live here, next to the factory, full time, and work side by side with my manufacturing team on a daily basis. This enables me to constantly monitor products as they are built. To the best of my knowledge there is no other guitar amp company who can claim this, especially those brands who build in China using an unknown O.E.M. factory”. I found this to be a refreshing statement, and one that fully acknowledges it can produce products in that climate at a lesser price without compromising quality.

TONEEnough about its origins – let’s plug the thing in! While it looks a complex beast (and it can be), it’s easy to get a decent sound straight out of the box. Set some EQs, volume and reverb and you get a good clean sound with plenty of headroom. There are then options to work the drive and gain controls and move the edge and depth controls for some extra “oomph” and top-end sparkle. The ability to blend the two channels is a twiddler’s dream, giving you the option to combine clean and dirty together or scooped with fatter sounds, and then alternate between them (of course, there is a footswitch supplied which can access these functions too). For harder styles there is plenty of gain on tap, and working the master volume, gain and drive controls can push from bluesy to saturated. I have to also mention the power reduction switch

Price: RRP $1399 (TCT100H Head) $599 (GLS412 Cab)

Distributor: LSW Pty Ltd

Phone: (02) 9718 4900

Website: www.industrygear.com.au

(down to 33 per cent), which lets you really fi re the amp at lower volumes – great for rehearsal, recording or giving you a more solid amp sound at bedroom levels. The GLS412 is a solid (and big) brute of a cab with heavy duty handles and castors, and plenty of punch even at the loudest of low end settings – cool.

LOOK OUT!The biggest surprise with the Albion is the price. You could well expect to pay double for this lot of features and tone, yet it isn’t. Steve really is onto something her,e and with a list of prominent names using their amps already, the future does indeed look positive. I’d need another three pages to go into this amp in depth, with its features, switching, blend controls, etc. My advice would be to check it out for yourself. Maybe even play it fi rst, then guess the price and see how close you really are – you might be surprised.

By Nick Brown

Mixdown Feb 2011

Australian Guitar May 2011

PG. 46 MIXDOWN NO. 203 MARCH 2011

Albion Amplifi cation is a joint venture between International Audio Group and Steve Grindrod. IAG has a huge factory in Shenzhen, China, which makes everything from high-end hi-fi s to luxury yachts, while Grindrod spent almost three decades as chief engineer and director of R&D at Marshall. Not a bad job to have on your resume.

A LITTLE FROM COLUMN A, A LITTLE FROM COLUMN BThe AG40DFX and its bigger brother, the AG80DFX, feature a hybrid preamp section with high voltage FETs (fi eld effect transistors) and a 12AX7 valve, supplied with a high-voltage DC supply, a unique feature among small guitar amps. Grindrod says the high voltage FET is the closest electronic device to a valve, without drawbacks such as cost, heat and high part count. The power section is solid state, but is designed to give valve-like tone.

The 40-watt, single 12-inch speaker AG40DFX has two channels – normal and overdrive. Each has a gain control, while they share a tone stack with bass, middle and treble pots. There’s also a DFX (digital effects) section, which gives you 16 effects (mostly delays and reverbs with a few modulation effects as well, selectable by a rotary pot and displayed on an LED read-out) and a mix pot for blending in the right amount of effect. The AG80DFX gives you two whole tone stacks – one for each channel – as well as a pair of 12-inch speakers, each fed from a 40-watt RMS power amp running in stereo for 80 watts. Each amp has an effects loop and footswitch jack, with supplied two-button footswitch toggling between channels A and B and engages the effects.

TONE TEST TIMEThe normal channel is able to go from sparkly clean to glorious warm crunch depending on where you set the gain control. I tested it with an Ibanez RG550MXX with stock Ibanez pickups, as well as an Ibanez UV777BK with DiMarzio Crunch Lab and LiquiFire humbuckers, and the channel quite clearly emphasised the unique characters of each pickup. The high-output Crunch Lab pushed it almost into Korn’s-latest-album-rhythm-tone territory, while the RG550 sounded sharper and tighter.

The overdrive channel sounds pretty chunky, with a nice even compression and lots – and I mean lots – of bass. Metal players will love this channel, as it has plenty of low end and a very usable high-end range. The amp never sounds too fi zzy, and the midrange is nicely voiced to add body and tone, rather than hollowness and honk like some midrange controls do. The dynamic range is somewhat limited, though, so players who need to go from a whisper to a scream may not dig this amp. However, those who deal in more aggressive styles that require consistency from note to note will fi nd a lot to like.

The effects are very cleverly voiced, and I particularly liked the gated reverb and the slapback delay, the latter of which is timed so tightly that it gives your playing a

Randy Rhoads-like double-tracked feel. It’s a shame that you can’t set the speed of the delay and modulation effects, but they’re still quite useful, especially when mixed in subtly rather than at full concentration.

So does it sound like a real valve amp? Well, yeah. Does it feel like one? Not quite. The effect is akin to being in the control room of a studio and playing through an amp that’s out in the room, then hearing it back through the studio monitors, maybe with some limiting or compression applied. The living, breathing interactivity of playing in the same room as a roaring valve amp isn’t there, but the sounds are certainly much more valve than solid state. Some may feel this is a really good compromise – after all, the increased dynamic range of real valve amps doesn’t necessarily work for all types of music, and in some cases you might require valve warmth without valve dynamism. In these instances, the AG40DFX has you covered.

ONE STOP ROCK SHOPThe AG40DFX is a great all-in-one solution for players needing a clean sound, an overdrive sound and a handful of spatial and modulation effects. It has a great distorted tone for rock and metal players, nice cleans for blues and country folk, and is at the very least more reliable than a full valve amp. It won’t be for everyone – those who are looking for more dynamics-heavy boutique tones should move along – but a lot of players will fi nd a lot to love with this unit.

By Peter Hodgson

IBANEZ JEMINI DISTORTION

Dynacord keep building powered mixers that last the distance. Not only are they always thought out well enough to include all the features the user requires, they also offer exceptional performance and will take whatever your gigging environment can throw at them. Don’t be mistaken – Dynacord do not build toys. These are serious tools that just keep going time after time. I have used a wide number of Dynacord mixers over the years and they have never let me down, so I was excited to get a look at the new Dynacord Powermate 1000-3.

BACK-SAVING BUILDI know from past experience that Dynacord powered mixers are built tough and designed to be on the move. But I also know that past models have often been so well-built that you needed to be a body builder to lift them. That is why I was so surprised when I got the new PM-1000-3 in my hands. It still has the solid, rugged build that you expect from any Dynacord product, but it doesn’t have the weight. This is the sort of mixer I want to take on the road – the sort that isn’t going to break my back, packs up easily with its own casing and will take a beating.

PLENTY OF OPTIONSThe PM-1000-3 has most of what you need for small or medium gigs, with 10 microphone preamps and 10 channel strips, the fi rst six of which are also able to run as mono line inputs and the next four of which are able to run as stereo line inputs. A three-band EQ on all channels with a sweepable mid range on the mono channels gives you plenty of control over your sounds. As for auxiliary sends, you get six of those. Two are pre fader, two are post fader and two are switchable. That should take care of most your foldback and effect send needs, with the sends set up as monitor, FX and auxiliary sends.For those who want to keep the rig simple and don’t want to lug around effects racks, the PM-1000-3 includes two separate stereo effects processors with 100 preset effects and 20 user settings.

PLENTY OF POWERAgain, the Powermate 1000-3 is designed to be an all in one PA system, so there is no need for amp racks either.

T h e stereo power amp house with the PM-1000-3 gives you an amplifi ed power rated at 450 watts per side into 8 ohms and 900 watts per side into 4 ohms. The design of this amp still gives you all the grunt that people have come to expect from Dynacord powered mixers, but without the weight that is usually associated with it.

READY TO ROCK...ANYWHEREThe Powermate 1000-3 has been designed to go on the road with you, giving you the fl exibility you require in your mix along with the power you want out front with as little fuss as possible. It is easy to set up and the signal routing options allow it to be easily integrated with other equipment. Best of all, once you are fi nished, it can be packed up with its own cover and you’ll walking out the door before the drummer has pulled his kit apart.

By Rob Gee

DYNACORD POWERMATE 1000-3 ZOOM Q3HD

Steve Vai’s ears are a very demanding pair of fellows indeed, and in additon to holding on a parade of stylish sunglasses over the years they’ve bnen at least partially responsible for some of the coolest distortion tones in recorded history. “Bad Horsie.” “Erotic Nightmares.” “Building The Church.” The guy knows tone. With the Ibanez Jemini, Vai is seeking to redefi ne the humble distortion pedal for the needs of modern guitarists, who tend to achieve distortion a little differently to players of 25 or 35 years ago. Modern guitarists often layer different kinds of distortion or they seek pure preamp gain. The Jemini has you covered either way.

TWO HEARTS LIVING IN JUST ONE MINDThe rumour is that the Jemini is voiced to sound like two of Steve’s favourite pedals, the Ibanez Tube Screamer and the Boss DS-1. In fact, if you’ve been following his rig throughout the years like me you’d notice that these two pedals left his ‘board altogether when the Jemini fi rst made an appearance. Owning each of these pedals myself I can confi dently say that while they both seem to have served as a starting point, the Jemini defi nitely offers its own take on these classic sounds. The Green channel is more ‘overdrive’ than ‘distortion,’ and it has nice soft edges and a smooth, sweet tone. The Red channel is voiced more aggressively in both tone and gain. (By the way, It sure sounds to my ears like the Green channel blends in a little of the original, undistorted note as well, which is a trick used by some other Tube Screamer-inspired pedals by other brands. When used with an already-distorted amp, this allows you to retain a lot more note articulation while also boosting the fuzz factor).So what we have here are two completely separate pedals, each with their own Drive, Tone and Level controls, their own stomp switches, their own ‘on’ lights under the control pots themselves (green and red respectively, obviously), a pair of switches which cause the footswitches to pop out, revealing the compartments within - one to hold a single 9v battery and another to hold a spare or whatever else you need to stow in there. The input and output jacks are mounted either side of the unit, and the 9v adaptor jack is at the top. It might be more pedalboard-friendly to have all the jacks at the top, methinks. Unfortunately we don’t all have the legendary guitar tech Thomas Nordegg to on hand rig up our 1.5 metre pedalboard for us.To get the most out of the Jemini it helps to know how Vai himself runs this bad boy. He uses the Red channel in

combination with a clean amp sound for rhythm tones, and he kicks in an overdriven amp setting in combination with the Green channel for lead. The manual gives you Vai’s exact settings for each side (Green Channel - Drive: 11 o’clock, Tone: 12:30, Level 1 o’clock. Red Channel: Drive: 3:30, Tone: 11, Level: 1).

ONE IS A GENIUS, THE OTHER’S INSANEAt lower gain settings the Red side can pump out great medium-gain AC/DC-type tones, believe it or not, which ring clearly with a pleasant ‘thud’ in the low end. Keep the Tone control at around 1 or 2pm and you’ll be very impressed. Crank both up further though and you’ll hear an aggressive, top-endy modern metal tone with lots of high end sizzle (if you set the Tone that far) and a compressed attack. It also has unbelievable bottom end. If you start here and reign the Gain and Tone back just a little bit, you’ll fi nd a tone that’s great for Vai’s ‘Alien Love Secrets’ era. Stomping on the Green side (through an overdriven amp setting as per Vai’s preference) brings out a huge, warm, squishy, rich, harmonic-dripping lead sound. It mushes up a little bit if you play more than one note at a time or if you play fast on the low strings, and this is a very Vai characteristic that you can hear all over songs from ‘Passion And Warfare,’ so it’s quite apt that it’s available from his signature pedal. The Green mode is also great running through a clean amp, where you can get some beautiful, ringing vintage tones - but it excels at creating fat lead sounds that cut through exceptionally well.

BUMP ‘N’ GRINDAside from the unfortunate design decision to prevent you from using both pedals at once, the Jemini is a keeper. You don’t need to be a Vai fan to dig the sounds (although maybe you do need to be a Vai geek like me to appreciate the swirl fi nish inspired by his UV77MC 7-strings painted by Darren Johansen of About Time Deigns) - you just need to be a tireless tone seeker like Mr Vai.

By Peter Hodgson

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Distributor: LSW Pty Ltd

Price: RRP $499

Phone: (02) 9718 4900

Website: www.industrygear.com.au

Distributor: Australis

Price: RRP $329

Phone: (02) 9698 4444

Website: http://www.australismusic.com.au

ALBION AG40DFX

Distributor : Bosch Security

RRP : $4599.00

Phone: (02) 9683 4752

Website: www.boschsecurity.com.au

Zoom have defi nitely made their mark on personal music recording with their innovative units, such as the H2, H4n and, the newest and smallest addition to the line, the H1. But it is the Q range of recorders, which allows you to record both audio and digital video at the same time, that has really raised eyebrows. With the new Q3HD, Zoom have brought HD video recording into a smaller, more lightweight package than the previous model, making rehearsal time and instant video hit... or miss.

AUDIO RECORDINGThe Q3HD uses the same microphone capsules as those featured on their extremely popular H4n. The X/Y setup makes it a great stereo room microphone for the whole band, a handy interview tool for two speakers or an excellent solution for close recording of acoustic instruments. Audio input meters are clearly displayed on the Q3HD’s screen, making setting recording levels easy. There's even an auto level feature, which automatically set the right levels for any situation, so there really are no excuses for clipped recordings here. An additional line in allows you to record from other sources, and a line out allows you to route your signal to a mixer or headphones for easy monitoring as you go.

VIDEO KILLED THE AUDIO TRACKNow, this is the real beauty of the Q3HD. You no longer have to settle for just a two-track audio recording of you rehearsal or gig, as you can now get HD digital video recording all within the same little unit. With video quality up to 1080p, you get better footage than on the previous model, no matter where the shoot and you still have the ability to record video in SD formats if disk space is running low. Thanks to the new lens featured on the Q3HD and the included high-quality video codec, you can get more brilliant shots than ever before. The inbuilt 4x digital zoom also means that you can get up close to the action without having to get in the way.

MICS, CAMERA, ACTION!Getting the Q3HD running is a breeze. You don't need a degree in cinematography or audio engineering, and navigating through the features is really quite simple. Most mobile phones these days are more complex, so that being the case, you should be fi lming and recording in no time. Playback is easy with the built-in screen, which can be run as a widescreen when you turn the unit

on its side, and data transfer to and from your computer is simple with the USB connection. Running on just two AA batteries, the Q3HD is a go-anywhere recorder that fi ts in your pocket and operates for hours without mains power. If you really want to get serious, though, an optional accessories pack with mini tripod, USB power adaptor, wind shield, carry pouch and just about any cable you could need is also available. Now it’s just a matter of getting the band back together!

By Rob Gee

Distributor: Dynamic Music

Price: RRP $499

Phone: (02) 9939 1299

Website: www.dynamicmusic.com.au

Mixdown May 2011

Guitarist Australia May 2011

Rami Jaffee – “Foo Fighters”

Andy Johnes - Record Producer

John Payne – “Asia”

“I started dialing in the gain and got the most mean tone and that was just the clean channel!!! ...so versatile from warmth on the clean channel to the grit distortion on the lead channel.”

“It’s so cool to have the blend channel function. Great tones can be achieved by mixing a clean sound with an overdriven one... at high gain it sits in the track perfectly.“

“I have my name on 130,000,000 albums, StonesZep, Van Halen, Joe Satri-ani... I love the TCT100H & GLS412 setup.”

For four decades Steve Grindrod has devoted himself to designing world leading guitar amplifiers, as head designer for Marshall Amplifiers and then VOX. He is considered by many to be a true industry legend that has influenced modern day amp design in every way, shape and form. He now heads British musical instrument company Albion Amplification, and is dedicated to bringing you world leading amplifier products at honest “value for money” prices. Utilising high quality components, appealing player features and practical design these amps are the next phase in Steve’s illustrious career.

Dealer Enquiries Welcome

Enquiries: sales@industrygear.com.auWebsite: www.albionamps.com