Sweetwater inSync

Happy Independence Day!

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:00:00 +0100

The inSync crew is off for the day, celebrating the 4th of July. We'll be back on Monday with all the latest news and more! Best wishes for a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend!

Super Summer Sampler!

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:00:03 +0100

Ableton has launched a special deal for the summer of 2009: purchase Live 8 before August 31, 2009, and receive Sampler, the company's advanced software sampling instrument absolutely free! In addition, a new movie, Making Sounds with Sampler, is available on the Ableton site. And that's not all: all Sampler owners can download the free Samplification audio package, which includes Construction Kits, Live Sets with drum clips, new Instrument Racks, new lessons, and new sounds!

Properly Sized Snakes

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:00:02 +0100

Pro Co has added a new range of StageMaster small channel count, short length snakes for balanced audio signals called the Drop Snakes. The premium cable is terminated with an extruded aluminum drop box with XLR or TRS/XLR combo jacks on one end, and a fan-out with TRS or XLR plugs on the other. There are two configurations: 4-channel and 8-channel, with either configuration available in 25- or 50-foot lengths. Though obviously useful on-stage, these snakes are equally at home for studio applications.

Synthogy Pays You Cash!

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:00:01 +0100

Synthogy is running a special rebate offer all through the month of July! Purchase Ivory Grand Pianos and you'll receive $50 back. Purchase Ivory Upright Pianos, and you'll get $40 in your pocket. Buy Ivory Italian Grand, and $25 will be on the way to you. This offer is good from July 1, 2009, through July 31, 2009.

Sweetwater's GearGift

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted. But for so many who don't have access to instruments and gear, it's a gift denied. Here at Sweetwater, we've heard from and about numerous folks who want to play but can't. That's why we're putting out the call to music equipment owners everywhere: donate that unused, unplayed, and ignored gear that's been collecting dust in your closets, basements, and garages. Sweetwater's GearGift program will establish a bank of instruments, amplifiers, and other gear, refurbish those items, and then send them to the folks who need them. All music equipment should be in operating condition, For complete information on how to make a donation, visit the GearGift microsite.

UPdates & UPgrades

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:00:03 +0100

Focusrite has released Saffire Mix control version 1.5 for Liquid Saffire Pro 56, which includes driver version 3.4.1. The new version fixes compatibility problems with 64-bit systems, adds multi-channel WDM support, improves input metering, adds a "clear all settings" function, and more.

Fantom Price Drop

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:00:02 +0100

If you're in the market for a keyboard workstation, this is the deal: Roland's Fantom G series has just been awarded a cool price drop! The Fantom G8 (88 keys) is down by $196, the Fantom G7 (76 keys) is down $246, and the Fantom G6 (61 keys) has dropped a whopping $296!

Is That An Amp In Your Pocket...?

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:00:01 +0100

Those crazy guys at electro-harmonix have announced the EHX-22 Caliber, a new 22-watt guitar amp head that you can literally carry in the palm of your hand or slip into a pocket. The stompbox-sized amp can drive any 4-, 8-, or 16-ohm speaker cabinet. Just crank the volume control and set the bright switch on or off, and you're making music! What'll they come up with next?

McDSP Extends Promo

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Our friends at McDSP have extended their special 20% promotion: purchase or upgrade to Emerald Pack HD, Emerald Pack Native, Classic Pack HD, or Classic Pack Native, and you'll automatically receive a 20% discount off the retail price. McDSP makes some of the best Pro Tools plug-ins going, so don't miss out on this special. It's been extended through July 31, 2009.

180,000 Monitors?

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:00:03 +0100

Focal announced that they have installed the first pair of $180,000 Grande Utopia monitors in the 1340 Mission Street Studio Complex. While not many of us will be putting that kind of coin into anything other than a house, that same Focal monitor quality is also available at more realistic prices for the rest of us!

30,000 UADs and Counting!

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:00:02 +0100

Universal Audio has announced that the UAD Power Plug-ins platform has surpassed 30,000 users worldwide, second only to Digidesign's TDM platform. The UAD family includes the UAD-1, the current UAD-2 family, and the just released UAD-2 SOLO/Laptop, an ExpressCard version for laptop computer production.

Ten Years of Arturia

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:00:01 +0100

Arturia is celebrating their 10th anniversary in the soft synth business with the 10 Year Suite. This limited edition collector's pack features seven "anthology" synthesizers (Minimoog V, Moog Modular V, CS-80V, Arp 2600 V, Prophet V, Prophet VS, and Jupiter 8V), Analog Factory, and Brass. As a bonus, each instrument will receive a free online upgrade this summer. 10 Year Suite versions are available for the Mac OS X and Windows platforms.

Stoptail Starla

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Paul Reed Smith Guitars has announced the Starla Stoptail, a new sibling for the tremendously popular Starla guitar. The new version features a 2-piece, adjustable bridge and a fixed tailpiece, replacing the Bigsby on the original Starla. The fixed tailpiece is said to bring out more "midrange woodiness" in the tone. The Starla features a solid mahogany neck and body, Starla Treble and Bass humbucking pickups, a 24-1/4" scale length, rosewood fingerboard, volume and tone controls, and a 3-way pickup selector.

GearFest A Tremendous Success!

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:00:00 +0100

We hope that you were able to attend Sweetwater's GearFest '09 this past weekend! Thousands of our friends were here at the Sweetwater campus to see more than 150 manufacturers, to attend the 45 seminars and clinics, to see live product demos, to interact with industry legends, and to network with other musicians, producers, and engineers! We had an absolute blast hosting this event, and we would like to extend our thanks to everyone who made the weekend such a success. We know that hundreds of manufacturer reps, product specialists, clinicians, and celebrity presenters gave up their weekend and traveled to Fort Wayne to help with GearFest, and our appreciation for their efforts is boundless! Our unbounded appreciation also goes out to everyone who attended GearFest! There were customers here from literally all over the world (we personally ran into friends from Italy, Denmark, and Poland, as well as Canada and all across the United States). We hope that everyone enjoyed the event as much as we did, and went home as inspired and excited about making and recording music as we did! If you couldn't make it to GearFest '09, or, if you want to re-visit the event, then videos, photos, and stories from GearFest will be appearing at Sweetwater.com in the coming days - and, in fact, you can visit our Facebook page right now to check out the excitement and fun! Thanks again to everyone who made GearFest '09 a huge success!

New PRS Pickups

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:00:01 +0100

Many players feel that Paul Reed Smith set a new standard for pickups with their 1957/2008 humbuckers, which are wound using exclusive wire produced on the original machines used to make the classic '50s pickups. Now they've expanded the 1957/2008 family with the brand-new 59/09 pickups. The 59/09 bridge humbucker is a bit darker than the 57/08, with more output, while the neck model offers more clarity and brightness. This 59/09 combination provides a broader spread of tone between neck and bridge pickups along with more drive for pushing amps harder. Look for them to appear in select PRS models beginning in July.

It's Here!

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Today is the opening day for Sweetwater's GearFest '09! What's a GearFest? Why, just the biggest public music and pro audio event you'll find! Let's tally up just part of what will be going on at GearFest '09:

150 manufacturer exhibits
45 workshops, seminars, and clinics
Live product demos
Performances by the likes of Nick Catanese (Black Label Society), Greg Koch (guitar wizard), Chris Cannella (Autumn's End), Laura Clapp (solo artist), and more
Free guitar re-stringing
Musician's Flea Market (buy and sell used gear)
Tours of Sweetwater's Russ Berger-designed studios - Russ will actually be here giving an acoustics/studio design workshop
Gibson Custom Shop trailer
Gibson Tour Bus
The history of Gretsch - as told by Fred Gretsch himself
Hourly giveaways - more than $20,000 worth!
...and the inevitable "much more"!

2009 is Sweetwater's 30th Anniversary, GearFest '09 is our big celebration, and we're pulling out all the stops! The event runs from noon to 7pm today (Friday), and from 9 to 5pm tomorrow (Saturday). Hope to see you there! If you can't make it, be sure to watch the LIVE video webcasts!

Word For The Day: Stapedius

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:00:00 +0100

A tiny muscle in the human body that stabilizes the stapes, which is a horseshoe-shaped bone in the inner ear. The purpose of the stapedius muscle is to damp the movement of the stapes as a mechanism to auto-protect the ear from excess volume levels. Note that this mechanism is in no way sufficient to protect the ear from high volume levels or from extended exposure to loud sound. (Trivia: the stapes is the smallest and lightest bone in the human body, and, at one millimeter long, the stapedius is the human body's smallest skeletal muscle.) (More trivia: a similar muscle, the tensor tympani, reduces the level of sounds created by chewing.)

Word For The Day: Fretboard

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Synonym for "fingerboard."

Word For The Day: 3-way Pickup Selector

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:00:00 +0100

A switch found on Gibson Les Paul and other guitars with two pickups. The switch can select the neck pickup alone, bridge pickup alone, or both pickups together in parallel.

Word For The Day: GearFestive

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:00:00 +0100

The mood one feels before, during, and after Sweetwater's GearFest events. It is a combination of equal measures of elation, excitement, inspiration, euphoria, and rampant gear lust.

Word For The Day: Tune

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:00:00 +0100

1. As a verb, to bring an instrument or its components (e.g., strings, oscillators, reeds, pipes) to the desired pitch. 2. As a noun, a word used as a synonym for "song" or a "melody."

Tech Tip: Caught Without Ear Plugs?

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:00:00 +0100

If you find yourself in a high-volume situation with no ear plugs or other hearing protection at hand, several sources have suggested humming or grunting as a way to marginally protect your ears. Humming activates the stapedius muscle, which stabilizes the stapes, a tiny bone in the inner ear. Disclaimer: this trick in NO WAY substitutes for proper hearing protection and a steadfast aversion to high volume levels. Always protect your ears, as a musician, engineer, or producer, they are your most valuable resource!

Tech Tip: Oil and Fretboards

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Q: Do I Need to oil my fretboard to keep it from drying out? A: It depends. Most maple fingerboards are finished and therefore don't need to be oiled - just cleaned occasionally. Rosewood and ebony contain natural oils, but can benefit from occasional treatment - an unfinished maple fingerboard would definitely benefit from treatment. People use all sorts of crazy things on their fingerboards - we've seen olive oil and motor oil suggested - but our recommendation is to use a product that's specifically designed for guitar/bass fingerboards. One rule: never use a product containing silicone on your guitar or bass. They never truly dry, and make repairs difficult later.

Tech Tip: Fast PT Window Switching

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Digidesign's Pro Tools is pretty much a 2-window user interface, with mixer and edit windows. While you can use a mouse or menu selection to switch between the windows, you'll be able to operate more quickly if you use the key equivalent for switching between the two windows: Command+= on the Mac and Control+= on Windows.

Tech Tip: Using Returns and Inserts

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Q: I'm confused about when I should insert plug-ins directly onto a track and when I should use an aux send and return for them. Can you help? A: The answer depends on what you're trying to do and what type of plug-in you're using. There are no hard and fast rules, but here are a few guidelines to get you started: As a general rule, if 100% of a single signal is to be processed by the plug-in, then an insert is the way to go. This is typically how compressors, equalizers, gates, de-essers, limiters, and similar plug-ins are used. If the plug-in is being used to "add" to the original signal, such as a delay or reverb, then an aux return is commonly used. If more than one signal is to be routed through the plug-in, then an aux return is the appropriate choice. If an effect is being added that becomes an integral part of a sound, such as a rhythmic delay, a chorus that becomes part of the timbre, and so on, then using the plug-in as an insert may help keep things organized.