Wednesday, April 22, 2009

The Guitar Hanger: safe axe storage like a shirt

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Leather, leather, guitar, leather…
Tom Porter, Wed 22 Apr 2009, 10:42 am BST


The Guitar Hanger is pretty self-explanatory: it's like a coat hanger, but you hang guitars on it, not coats.

It's supposed to save space and protect your prized axe from naughty children and flying cats as the below video demonstrates.

And, because your guitar isn't packed away in a case under your bed, it'll undoubtedly encourage you to play more. Why waste five minutes deciding which black leather jacket to wear (yes, there are no less than five leathers in that wardrobe), when you can shred for five minutes while deciding which black leather jacket to wear?

For more information, visit http://www.theguitarhanger.com/
Information taken from official press release

Billy Corgan auditions System Of A Down drummer

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More Smashing Pumpkins tryouts possible
Joe Bosso, Mon 20 Apr 2009, 8:56 pm BST


Waiting for System Of A Down to get back together? Better not. Last week, Billy Corgan checked out a dozen drummers to join The Smashing Pumpins, and SOAD's John Dolmayan (last seen in Scars On Broadway) was one of the candidates.

A message from Corgan on The Smashing Pumpkins' website reads: "In total, 12 drummers were auditioned [in Los Angeles] on Tuesday. An additional tryout could potentially be held in May due to such overwhelming response to the audition process."

"A very positive experience"

"Overall, the drumming auditions were considered a very positive experience," Corgan continues. "The talent in all the drummers that tried out was incredible. Some of the candidates include John Dolmayan of SYSTEM OF A DOWN and Frank Lenz, a past bandmate of guitarist Jeff Schroeder from THE LASSIE FOUNDATION."

"The talent in all the drummers that tried out was incredible" Billy Corgan

The auditions - part of Corgan's plan to rebuild The Smashing Pumpkins from the ground up - were the result of founding member Jimmy Chamberlin's decision to leave the band.

Chamberlin called his departure "a positive move forward," adding, "I can no longer commit all of my energy into something that I don't fully possess. I won't pretend I'm into something I'm not. I won't do it to myself, you the fan, or my former partner. I can't just 'cash the check,' so to speak."

No "bad blood," says Chamberlin
Chamberlin added that there was "no drama" or "bad blood" between him and Corgan and that he will concentrate on playing music with his own group, the Jimmy Chamberlin Complex.

It would be interesting to hear what Corgan and Dolmayan could do together. But the fact that Billy hasn't yet named him the drummer means one thing: you've still got a shot!

coutesy: musicradar

Cakewalk Music Creator 5: the best-value PC DAW?

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A new contender at the entry-level
Ben Rogerson, Wed 22 Apr 2009, 10:37 am BST


Music Creator 5 represents Cakewalk's latest attempt to create a truly entry-level DAW and, on first inspection, it looks like a pretty good one.

Crucially, the interface has been redesigned since the last version, so Music Creator now looks more like a PC version of GarageBand (which, after all, is what a lot of Windows users really want).

Equally impressive-looking is the spec sheet – the list of new features from Cakewalk's press release is as follows:

- New, simplified user interface
- Integrated Loop Explorer - now with support for MIDI Loops
- Cakewalk Sound Center - an easy-to-use tool that combines the best sounds from our award-winning professional instruments - exclusive to Music Creator 5
- Active Controller Technology (ACT), to make it easy to control your effects, instruments, and mix from a MIDI keyboard
- Studio Instruments' Drums allows users to make backing tracks fast with a realistic animated interface that looks just like a drum set
- MIDI editing right in the Track View - no need to open separate views
- New Assistants help you create parts and create effects busses for mixing
- IK Multimedia's AmpliTube X-GEAR - a built-in virtual guitar amp, plug directly in to your computer for great sounding guitar parts
- Integrated EQ with an easy-to-understand visual display of settings
- Burn CDs with Music Creator's integrated CD Burner and share your music online with Cakewalk Publisher

That's not a bad set of tools for a product that will retail for just $40 – especially when you bear in mind that Music Creator 5 is also plug-in- and ReWire-compatible, allows you to use 32 audio and 128 MIDI tracks and supports 24-bit recording.

Find out more on the Cakewalk website.

Marshall Introduces Blues-Inspired "Haze" Amplifier Line

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Marshall Amplification introduces the new Haze line of compact and portable valve-driven performance amplifiers: the 40-Watt Haze combo (MHZ40C) and the 15-Watt Haze head (MHZ15). The Haze line was designed for the musician who demands an honest clean sound, a driving blues tone and some biting rock — all from a single, gig-ready amp. The Haze 40 combo is equipped with a single Celestion G12-66 Marquee 12" speaker. The Haze 15 head can be paired with matching single 12" Celestion G12-66 Marquee loaded cabinets (MHZ112A - angled; MHZ112B - base) as well.

The preamp section is powered by three ECC83 valves (tubes). Both Haze models feature two channels (normal and overdrive) that share a three-band EQ; a Bright switch adds extra emphasis to the highs. A selection of retro-style effects offers authentically-voiced Echo, Vibrato, and Chorus. An emulated spring-reverb is also included. Effect settings are retained by each channel for immediate recall during performance. All effects remain truly bypassed when completely off, providing a more direct signal path.

The Haze 40 combo features unique cabinet construction elements. The closed-back cabinet has been modified with four circular holes to preserve the best aspects of both an open-back and a closed-back design. The speaker is asymmetrically mounted, allowing for extended lows. This combo also features an additional presence control in the EQ, as well as a boost switch to add more depth to the low-mids. A bypass-able effects loop is also included. For recording or directly patching into a PA system, an emulated speaker line output recreates the speaker response. Power is provided by two EL34 valves.

The Haze 15 head is powered by a pair of 6V6 valves. Two 8-Ohm and one 16-Ohm speaker jacks are provided. The matching MHZ112 cabinets feature finger-jointed construction and a closed back design for robust tone and efficient power handling. The MHZ112B is a straight style (base) design; the MHZ112A is the traditional Marshall angled (top) style. Together with the Haze 15 head, they form a striking mid-size stack that is easily transportable.

An included two-way footswitch allows for channel switching and turning effects on and off.

The Marshall Haze 40-watt combo (MHZ40C) and the 15-watt head (MHZ15) will be available July 2009 with respective MSRPs of $1000 and $840.

For more information, visit their web site at http://www.marshallamps.com/.
 

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