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Call Kenny Wayne Shepherd one lucky guy. The guitarist will play the very same white Fender Stratocaster that Jimi Hendrix used at Woodstock this coming Wednesday, 10 November, during a taping of a special Hendrix-themed Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Show in New York City.
Hendrix purchased the white Strat in 1968 and played it at numerous concerts, including the 1969 Newport Pop Festival. He also played it at his final show at the Isle of Fehmarn on 6 September 1970.
But the guitar is probably best known to millions as the instrument Hendrix played on the morning of 18 August 1969 at the Woodstock Festival. It's the same guitar on which Hendrix played The Star Spangled Banner, the recording of which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2009.
The guitar was acquired by Experience Music Project (EMP) in 1992 and has been in the Seattle-based museum's permanent collection since that time. EMP has consented to bring the guitar to New York, accompanied by two curators, in support of Experience Hendrix's continuing efforts to bring the music of the late guitarist to successive generations.
Shortly after Shepherd plays the guitar during a set with The Roots on the Fallon show, the instrument will be be transported to the Beacon Theatre. There, Shepherd and other performers taking part in the Experience Hendrix tour will play the Strat for the first time in more more than 40 years in front of a live audience.
Jimi Hendrix was left-handed, and because left-handed guitars weren't readily available during his lifetime, he would often play right-handed guitars upside down, restringing them to suit his needs. The 'Woodstock Strat' is right-handed model, and Shepherd will play the guitar strung appropriately.
Shepherd, a lifelong Hendrix aficionado, has been an integral part of Experience Hendrix tours. For this Fall 2010 run, the bill also features Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, Susan Tedeschi, Robert Randolph, Jonny Lang, Los Lobos' David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas, Ernie Isley, Living Colour, Mato Nanji of Indigenous, Chris Layton of Stevie Ray Vaughan And Double Trouble and The Slide Brothers a/k/a Chuck and Darick Campbell of Sacred Steel.
All of whom, no doubt, will be clamoring to get some time with the white Strat.
ENTER YOUR INFO BELOW TO WIN YOUR FREE COPY OF LIVE ON I5
The year 2010 saw Soundgarden â€" Chris Cornell, Kim Thayil, Ben Shepherd and Matt Cameron â€" reuniting after a 13-year absence to a thunderous roar. As promised, the band have now announced that they’ll be releasing their first-ever collection of live tracks on March 22, 2011 through UMe.
Titled Live on I5 â€" a reference to the Interstate 5 which runs up and down the West Coast- the new collection compiles live tracks from a 1996 run by the band and captures the band at the height of their recording and touring career. This carefully selected compilation includes fan favorites like “Spoonmanâ€, “Rusty Cageâ€, “Burden In My Hand,†and “Black Hole Sun†(performed by Chris Cornell solo), as well what insiders are calling the definitive live performance of “Jesus Christ Pose.†As a bonus, the disc includes two brilliantly inspired covers: The Beatles’ “Helter Skelter†and The Stooges’ anarchic proto-punk classic, “Search & Destroy.†The band took out recording engineer, Adam Kasper with them on the West Coast leg of this tour- the first time they ever recorded any live shows. They rented a mobile 24 track machine/truck and recorded the gigs on 2″ tape. Soundgarden had always intended to release it as a live record soon after the tour, but alas, they disbanded and the tapes were left in the closet of Studio X in Seattle (now called Bad Animals) to gather dust until now.
Live on I5 is the follow-up to Soundgarden’s celebrated 2010 reunion, with the band re-staking their well deserved place, earning a Grammy nomination for previously unreleased track “Black Rain†for Best Hard Rock Performance, gracing the covers of music magazines SPIN and Guitar World, performing on the second night of Conan and topping critics’ lists with their fall 2010 release, Telephantasm. The multi-label, career-spanning collection, also available in collector’s editions with the band’s first-ever DVD and booklet, was a comprehensive retrospective of the enormously influential band whose music put Seattle and a young label called Sub Pop on the map. As befits a group whose sound redefined a musical generation, they also proved themselves to be innovators with their partnership with Guitar Hero, with 1 million copies of Telephantasm sold, bundled within the launch of Guitar Hero®: Warriors of Rock. The album went platinum before even hitting stores- a first time certification for the RIAA.
Soundgarden’s subsequent live appearances had all the chemistry and intensity fans and critics had hoped for with the band’s legendary heavy sound and power intact. Their headlining Lollapalooza spot last year found the four members playing their classic material from the ‘90s to longtime fans and a new generation who never thought they’d be lucky enough to see them. Rolling Stone wrote, “Chris Cornell is the ultimate rock frontman†and Spin said, “The band kicked into an epic set that was the sonic equivalent of a blueprint of the Seattle sound: heavy, loud, and full of metal guitar heroics and classic rock pomp.â€
With Live on I5, we catch the now-legendary rock titans at the top of their game. The collection captures the rawness, spontaneity and magic that happens at live gigs between Soundgarden and their audiences. It cements the band’s place in rock history and shows why their appeal is as strong and as timeless as ever.
Jetter's core business is overdrive pedals, which is what this pedal offers. The Red Shift is developed from the earlier Gain Stage Red pedal and provides that unit's sounds with the toggle switch in the Red position.
Switch to Shift, however, and you get a rather different voicing.
Sounds
With a tight bottom end, and crisp string separation when playing chords, the Red Shift offers medium gain valve amp-like overdrive - smooth and full with a nice amount of compression for sustain in the Red position.
Switch to Shift, however, and you find a sound closer to the throaty rawk of a vintage Marshall.
Verdict
For two distinct flavours of amp overdrive that still retain your guitar's true voice, this is a great pedalboard addition
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MusicRadar rating
4.5 of 5
Pros
Two switchable voicings. Compact size. Tight bottom end.
Cons
Four-screw battery access.
Verdict
For two distinct flavours of amp overdrive that still retain your guitar's true voice, this is a great pedalboard addition
Review Policy
All MusicRadar’s reviews are by independent product specialists, who are not aligned to any gear manufacturer or retailer. Our experts also write for renowned magazines such as Guitarist, Total Guitar, Computer Music, Future Music and Rhythm. All are part of Future PLC, the biggest publisher of music making magazines in the world.
The Vibe is designed to emulate the classic Univibe sound in a space that's far more pedalboard-friendlythan the exceedingly bulky footprint of the original.
Take a look at our hand-on video demo
It features a four- stage light-driven circuit, a modern interpretation of the original. The speed and intensity of the effect are both adjustable and indicated by a pulsing status LED.
Sounds
A familiar vintage watery swirl with plenty of low-end throb can be easily dialled in here to please Hendrix and Trower fans, but there's plenty of variation for a selection of modulation effects, including sounds in the tremolo and rotary speaker vein.
Verdict
This could be the way to go if you want Univibe-esque sounds in a small pedal: a cool modulation source for the crowded pedalboard.
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MusicRadar rating
3.5 of 5
Pros
Small footprint. Cool sound. Pulsing LED.
Cons
Four-screw battery access. Only two control knobs.
Verdict
This could be the way to go if you want Univibe-esque sounds in a small pedal: a cool modulation source for the crowded pedalboard.
Review Policy
All MusicRadar’s reviews are by independent product specialists, who are not aligned to any gear manufacturer or retailer. Our experts also write for renowned magazines such as Guitarist, Total Guitar, Computer Music, Future Music and Rhythm. All are part of Future PLC, the biggest publisher of music making magazines in the world.
Leave it to a master songwriter like Paul Simon to conjure up a holiday anthem that can summon good cheer but raise social awareness at the same time. Such is the magic of his new composition, Getting Ready For Christmas Day.
Working with his longtime producer Phil Ramone, Simon eschews religious references but lays out a narrative that practically anybody can relate to during this time of year - or any other, for that matter.
The musical bed of the song, driven by an enthusiastically strummed acoustic guitar, hand claps and foot stomps (think Give Peace A Chance for a quick reference), harkens back to the singer-songwriter's South African-based Graceland period. But despite the bouncy, campfire vibe, there's a serious undercurrent, as evidenced in the the opening lyrics:
"So early in November to the last week of December/ I got money matters weighing me down/ Well the music may be merry but it's only temporary/ I know Santa Claus is comin' to town/ In the days I work my day job and in the nights I work my night/ But it all comes down to working man's pay/ Getting ready/ I'm getting ready/ Ready for Christmas Day."
And he's just getting warmed up. Amidst a deceptive, Marvin Gaye-like party atmosphere (which features a 1941 sample of the gospel singer and preacher, the Rev. JM Gates), Simon sings, "I got a nephew in Iraq, it's his third time back / But it's ending up the way it began / With the luck of a beginner / He'll be eating turkey dinner / On some mountaintop in Pakistan."
Most artists who attempt Christmas songs pile on the cliches like so many chestnuts roasting on an open fire, but Paul Simon has created a unique and stirring modern-day classic, one which is devoid of rehashed treacle. Like John Lennon's Happy Xmas (War Is Over), it captures the Yuletide spirit but gives you something to ponder as you open your presents and raise your glass.
The only strange thing (sort of) is that the song will be included on Simon's forthcoming So Beautiful Or So What, which is due out in...May. Oh well, a great track is a great track, no matter what time of year it may be.
The Helium takes the Jetdrive as its starting point, but is more than just a single-channel version of that pedal.
Indeed, as well as having a less powerful gain range, the Helium also sports a tweaked bottom end.
Sounds
The overdrive available on the Helium is organic, natural and sounds more like what happens when you turn up or switch a channel on a valve amp than a pedal-based effect.
The lean/rich tone control works in a specific frequency range that makes it nigh on impossible to dial in an unusable sound, but still offers the chance to soften it or make it more aggressive.
Now hear the Jetter Helium in action...
Verdict
This is a great source of breaking-up amp sounds and a useful option for adding boost to another overdrive pedal.
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MusicRadar rating
4 of 5
Pros
Subtle variations in low gain overdrive. Compact size. Musical tonal range.
Cons
Four-screw battery access.
Verdict
This is a great source of breaking-up amp sounds and a useful option for adding boost to another overdrive pedal.
Review Policy
All MusicRadar’s reviews are by independent product specialists, who are not aligned to any gear manufacturer or retailer. Our experts also write for renowned magazines such as Guitarist, Total Guitar, Computer Music, Future Music and Rhythm. All are part of Future PLC, the biggest publisher of music making magazines in the world.
The Jetdrive Dual Overdrive does what it says on the casing.
It features two channels of overdrive that can be used separately or cascaded. Each channel has a similar amount of gain on tap, but each one is voiced differently
Sounds
The Jetdrive's avowed design goal is a natural low-gain performance that sounds like a valve amp on the edge of breakup, and that's a goal it achieves effortlessly.
While the two channels present are perhaps not as distinct from each other as the two settings found on its Red Shift sibling, there is a something of a smooth/raw divide that allows them to complement each other perfectly and combine for a wide range of driven tones.
Now hear the Jetdrive Dual Overdrive in action...
Verdict
Two very natural overdrives in a practical package.
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MusicRadar rating
4 of 5
Pros
Two overdrives in one. Subtle variations in low gain overdrive.
Cons
Four-screw battery access.
Verdict
Two very natural overdrives in a practical package.
Review Policy
All MusicRadar’s reviews are by independent product specialists, who are not aligned to any gear manufacturer or retailer. Our experts also write for renowned magazines such as Guitarist, Total Guitar, Computer Music, Future Music and Rhythm. All are part of Future PLC, the biggest publisher of music making magazines in the world.
The Tritium's particular flavour of overdrive comes, according to Jetter, as a result of what was learned while developing Jetdrive and Helium pedals.
And in this example, transparency of sound and touch sensitivity are the primary concerns.
Sounds
The Tritium is a delight to play through, being very responsive to pick attack so you can dig in for more grind.
There's also a lot more gain on tap here than in the Helium, covering all shades of dirt up until a maxed out drive knob provides a harmonically rich sound that's well suited to lead work.
How hear the Jetter Tritium in action...
Verdict
This is a versatile, natural sounding overdrive that can go from clean boost to fully driven amp territory with a tone control that works over just the right range of frequencies.
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MusicRadar rating
4 of 5
Pros
Sensitive dynamic response. Range of natural overdrive. Compact size.
Cons
Four-screw battery access.
Verdict
This is a versatile, natural sounding overdrive that can go from clean boost to fully driven amp territory with a tone control that works over just the right range of frequencies.
Review Policy
All MusicRadar’s reviews are by independent product specialists, who are not aligned to any gear manufacturer or retailer. Our experts also write for renowned magazines such as Guitarist, Total Guitar, Computer Music, Future Music and Rhythm. All are part of Future PLC, the biggest publisher of music making magazines in the world.
Eric Johnson's long-awaited new album Up Close will be released soon, and the legendary guitarist's many fans will be amply rewarded for their patience when they hear this dazzling work that ranks right up there with his Grammy Award-winning Ah Via Musicom.
You can read all about Up Close in our exclusive track-by-track preview, which includes commentary by Johnson himself. Below you can listen to the album's first single, Austin, featuring vocals by Jonny Lang. And If it's breathtaking guitar playing you're after, believe us when we say that Johnson pulls out all the stops on this wondrous cut.
In a few weeks, Eric Johnson is graciously sitting down with MusicRadar for a most special interview, one in which you get to pose the questions!
What to ask? Well, you can find out more about the recording of Up Close and what plans he has for touring. Or you can ask him about his continued involvement on the Experience Hendrix tour. Want to know something about his signature line of Fender Stratocasters? He'll tell you! Perhaps you'd like to know more about the Guitar Masters tour. Of course, you can always try to divine the secrets of his sought-after tone, but we have a feeling it has more to do with his fingers and limitless creativity as his gear. This is your shot to ask one of the world's most revered guitarists anything at all...so go for it!
What to do now
Get involved! Choose your question for Eric Johnson and submit it like this:
Via MusicRadar (log in and leave a comment below with a link as usual)
Via Twitter (follow @musicradar and tag your submission with #askmusicradar)
While some of us were dreaming of streams and clouds, Apple had its eye on Strawberry Fields. Yes, the big iTunes announcement is that The Beatles' back catalogue is available to buy in a downloadable format for the first time.
While this is undoubtedly significant news - and because they're now all available to buy separately, raises the possibility of The Fab Four's songs appearing in the singles chart once again - it's debatable whether this will really go down as the 'day we'll never forget' that Apple promised.
Let's face it: most Beatles fans already have the band's music on their iPods because they've ripped it from CDs. As such, the only people who really stand to gain from this long-awaited distribution deal are those who want to pick and choose their favourite Fab Four tracks.
What's more, MusicRadar's resident Beatles obsessive Chris Vinnicombe notes that "While this opens up The Beatles' back catalogue to a new generation of legal downloaders who don't know what it's like to walk into a record shop and purchase a physical disc, the absence of mono versions of the early albums on iTunes is a pretty serious omission.
"The absence of mono versions of the early albums on iTunes is a pretty serious omission."
"For the most part, the hard-panned stereo masters of Please Please Me, With The Beatles, A Hard Day's Night and Beatles For Sale sound hopelessly dislocated on headphones, and this is surely the way that most digital downloads will be experienced. The magical power and punch of the mono masters is the true sound of the early Beatles, but to hear it now you'll have to either buy an expensive box set or a pre-2009 CD.
"Listen to the differences between the remastered stereo and mono versions of Baby It's You for yourself."
MusicRadar's US Editor Joe Bosso - another Beatles fanatic - is similarly disappointed: "Having just checked the iTunes Store, I was somewhat shocked to discover that the Mono Masters set isn't for sale. This is especially surprising since the band gave much more time and care to the mono mixes than they did the stereo releases. The group members would routinely show up at the mono mix sessions; the stereo mixes... not so much. For purists, and even non-purists but fans who want to really investigate The Beatles, this is a big negative.
"Why would the inclusion of the Mono Masters set not be part of the deal? Surely, Steve Jobs could sell a few hundred thousand copies - and it's an expensive package, to be sure - and be happy with that. And then the world would get to experience The Beatles in the appropriate - and, no doubt, intended - manner. To not give the public this important option is kind of weird."
Apple is rightly proud to have The Beatles on iTunes, then, but we're struggling to get massively excited about the news. Perhaps we're in the minority though: what do you think?
This is the first in the new upmarket F Series range from revered brand Providence, as the 'Free The Tone' range is phased out.
We get VNS (vitalized noiseless switching) to eliminate pops when turning on and off, while DCG is double-contact-grounding on the jacks for improved connection and reliability.
You also get the Vitalizer circuit which is a super-plush buffer that, unlike 'normal' buffers, responds to input impedance in a similar way to the input stage of a good valve amp, according to designer Yuki Hayashi.
The most obvious result is no tone sucking when the effect is turned off, while clarity and dynamics from the guitar are exceptional, even with long cable runs.
Inside, everything is soldered directly to custom PCBs, but metal fixings and the switch protector minimise the risk of damage. The all-important IC chip is disguised with plastic.
Sounds
It's softer around the edges than the rock-rhythm loving Sonic Drive; it's less mid-heavy and has the impression of more gain than the blues-leaning Stampede OD, perhaps because it retains a sizzly, Marshall-like edge.
It's not as overtly 'rock' as the Heat Blaster, naturally. It'll clean right up when you roll the guitar's volume back so your guitar never, ever gets lost in the pedal.
The 'bass boost' switch is useful for fattening single coils, or adding extra low-end resonance if you're using a little amp/cab.
Verdict
A superb overdrive, but only the truly tone obsessed will justify the extra outlay over the S Series for the extra sonic integrity. That might just be you.
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MusicRadar rating
4 of 5
Pros
Range of overdrive. Rich harmonics. Clarity.
Cons
Only the price.
Verdict
A superb overdrive, but only the truly tone obsessed will justify the extra outlay over the S Series for the extra sonic integrity. That might just be you.
Review Policy
All MusicRadar’s reviews are by independent product specialists, who are not aligned to any gear manufacturer or retailer. Our experts also write for renowned magazines such as Guitarist, Total Guitar, Computer Music, Future Music and Rhythm. All are part of Future PLC, the biggest publisher of music making magazines in the world.
Eric Johnson ambles into the Circus Maximus Theater, located in Atlantic City's Caesars Hotel & Casino, and hops on stage. Dressed casually in baggy jeans and a comfy cardigan sweater, the legendary guitarist has just spent a leisurely early afternoon checking out New Jersey's famed Boardwalk Empire.
"I can't believe it's November," Johnson says in a soft Texas drawl as he runs a hand through his touseled mound of hair. "Must've been 65 degrees or something outside. I actually went to the beach, and with this sweater on, it almost got downright hot. Not that I'm complaining - it was nice."
Johnson and the rest of the stellar cast of performers on the fall run of the Experience Hendrix tour (the lineup includes Steve Vai, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Johnny Lang, Billy Cox, Susan Tedeschi and Living Colour, among others) have been having a blast during the past few weeks. "This might be the best Hendrix tour yet," says Johnson, a veteran of several such excursions. "Everybody's been playing their hearts out. It's been really cool."
Even so, with only a few dates left, Johnson admits he's looking forward to heading home to Austin to kick back for the holidays before he takes part in the second leg of the Guitar Masters tour in early 2011. After that, he says, he'll turn his attention to promoting his brand-new album Up Close. "I'm so happy that the record's done and how well it came out," he says. "I've got to get a band together and get touring. That should be a lot of fun," he says with a chuckle.
As he often does, Johnson has arrived at the venue early, a good hour before the other musicians are due for soundcheck. "I like a little private time on stage," he says. "It gives me a chance to get my rig together the way I want. Plus, it's a great opportunity to play some riffs, do a little jamming. Sometimes you get a song idea that way. I can play in my room, but there's no substitute for hearing yourself on stage and getting that nice big wall of sound coming at you."
{PAGEBREAK}
With MusicRadar on the scene, Johnson graciously provides an exclusive walkthrough of the guitars, effects and amps he's been using on the Experience Hendrix tour (see the video on the previous page). "I might change some things around when I go out and play next year," he says, "but this setup has been serving me well. I try to keep it as simple as I can." Hearing his own words, he cracks a smile and says, "Of course, simple to me is always complicated to everybody else."
And remember, in several weeks Eric Johnson will take part in a very special MusicRadar interview in which you get to pose the questions! Click here for details.
Eric Johnson ambles into the Circus Maximus Theater, located in Atlantic City's Caesars Hotel & Casino, and hops on stage. Dressed casually in baggy jeans and a comfy cardigan sweater, the legendary guitarist has just spent a leisurely early afternoon checking out New Jersey's famed Boardwalk Empire.
"I can't believe it's November," Johnson says in a soft Texas drawl as he runs a hand through his touseled mound of hair. "Must've been 65 degrees or something outside. I actually went to the beach, and with this sweater on, it almost got downright hot. Not that I'm complaining - it was nice."
Johnson and the rest of the stellar cast of performers on the fall run of the Experience Hendrix tour (the lineup includes Steve Vai, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Johnny Lang, Billy Cox, Susan Tedeschi and Living Colour, among others) have been having a blast during the past few weeks. "This might be the best Hendrix tour yet," says Johnson, a veteran of several such excursions. "Everybody's been playing their hearts out. It's been really cool."
Even so, with only a few dates left, Johnson admits he's looking forward to heading home to Austin to kick back for the holidays before he takes part in the second leg of the Guitar Masters tour in early 2011. After that, he says, he'll turn his attention to promoting his brand-new album Up Close. "I'm so happy that the record's done and how well it came out," he says. "I've got to get a band together and get touring. That should be a lot of fun," he says with a chuckle.
As he often does, Johnson has arrived at the venue early, a good hour before the other musicians are due for soundcheck. "I like a little private time on stage," he says. "It gives me a chance to get my rig together the way I want. Plus, it's a great opportunity to play some riffs, do a little jamming. Sometimes you get a song idea that way. I can play in my room, but there's no substitute for hearing yourself on stage and getting that nice big wall of sound coming at you."
{PAGEBREAK}
With MusicRadar on the scene, Johnson graciously provides an exclusive walkthrough of the guitars, effects and amps he's been using on the Experience Hendrix tour (see the video on the previous page). "I might change some things around when I go out and play next year," he says, "but this setup has been serving me well. I try to keep it as simple as I can." Hearing his own words, he cracks a smile and says, "Of course, simple to me is always complicated to everybody else."
And remember, in several weeks Eric Johnson will take part in a very special MusicRadar interview in which you get to pose the questions! Click here for details.
AER is perhaps best known for its impressive range of acoustic amps, but has now channelled its expertise into the Pocket Tools - a new range of easily portable compact processors that each offer different useful elements of AER's technology for acoustic instruments.
The size of a large stompbox and designed to sit firmly on the floor, the unit is extremely well put-together, with a solid black anodised aluminium body and ergonomic rubber-coated knobs.
It comes in a smart zippered carrying case, with an identical case holding the power supply, which is an in-line 24V DC adaptor with a little over four metres of cabling to let you reach across the stage or studio floor.
Build
"The two parametrics in series offer serious tone shaping that will take out any problem frequencies."
The Dual Para EQ is designed to either be used on its own or with the Colourizer or Dual Mix to provide gain control and a two-band parametric EQ.
Input is via a single standard jack, as is the output, and the controls are pretty simple. There's a gain knob with clip LED, a phase button and an overall bypass switch alongside a pair of parametric EQs that are identical to those found on the Colourizer.
Sounds
The two parametrics in series offer serious tone-shaping capability that will surgically take out any problem frequencies if needed, or can transform your sound with targeted boosts and cuts.
Our only thought is that if the unit had been made with two channels, it might have made a more versatile partner to the Dual Mix. The idea being that besides the stacked parametrics single-channel option you could use one parametric on each channel.
With low noise and plenty of headroom, there's no doubting the quality of this little box, and the price reflects that â€" this is a professional tool for players who are serious about getting the optimum sound.
The Dual EQ is a great remedial tool for sorting those situations out - combine one with a Dual Mix and you'll have a great live set-up... if the thought of spending a cool £600 doesn't worry you!
Verdict
A compact and effective solution for sorting out your onstage tonal problems.
A compact and effective solution for sorting out your onstage tonal problems.
Review Policy
All MusicRadar’s reviews are by independent product specialists, who are not aligned to any gear manufacturer or retailer. Our experts also write for renowned magazines such as Guitarist, Total Guitar, Computer Music, Future Music and Rhythm. All are part of Future PLC, the biggest publisher of music making magazines in the world.
AER is perhaps best known for its impressive range of acoustic amps, but has now channelled its expertise into the Pocket Tools - a new range of easily portable compact processors that each offer different useful elements of AER's technology for acoustic instruments.
The size of a large stompbox and designed to sit firmly on the floor, the unit is extremely well put-together, with a solid black anodised aluminium body and ergonomic rubber-coated knobs.
It comes in a smart zippered carrying case, with an identical case holding the power supply, which is an in-line 24V DC adaptor with a little over four metres of cabling to let you reach across the stage or studio floor.
Build
"You can switch in an enhancer with an intensity knob to add harmonics to the signal to enrich the sound"
The Colourizer is a preamp and DI for a single microphone or a line level instrument connected via the combi socket, again with switchable 24V phantom power.
Before the signal is outputted via the XLR DI output and the standard line output jack there are a bunch of tone-shaping tools that can be applied to it.
A parametric EQ with two selectable frequency ranges has three knobs controlling the action by adjusting level, bandwidth and frequency.
There's 15dB of cut and boost with bandwidths from one octave to 1/6 octave at frequencies within either the lower range of 90Hz to 1.6kHz or from 680Hz to 11kHz.
A further tone section with balance and intensity knobs is designed to allow bass or treble accentuation or a combination of both. On top of that you can switch in an enhancer with an intensity knob to add harmonics to the signal to enrich the sound.
A separate line output, found here and in the Dual Mix, can be used to send a signal to an onstage monitor while the main DI signal is sent to front of house.
Elsewhere, the tone and enhancer sections combine to generally give you a bigger sound.
With low noise and plenty of headroom, there's no doubting the quality of this little box and the price reflects that â€" this is a professional toos for players who are serious about getting the optimum sound.
Anyone gigging regularly with just an electro-acoustic guitar would do well to carry Colourizer with them rather than rely on the vagaries of any particular venue's own DI boxes.
If you have no tone controls on your instrument, the Colourizer would be a useful live asset and could get you out of tricky situations.
Verdict
A great tool for shaping the sound of your electro-acoustic.
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MusicRadar rating
4 of 5
Pros
Solid build quality. Quiet operation. Good combination of gently tone-shaping and precision EQ.
Cons
It only has 24V phantom power, as opposed to the standard 48V, so you'll need to run some high-end condensor mics.
Verdict
A great tool for shaping the sound of your electro-acoustic.
Review Policy
All MusicRadar’s reviews are by independent product specialists, who are not aligned to any gear manufacturer or retailer. Our experts also write for renowned magazines such as Guitarist, Total Guitar, Computer Music, Future Music and Rhythm. All are part of Future PLC, the biggest publisher of music making magazines in the world.
Daniel Lanois is a happy man. The legendary producer, who has made his mark working with artists such as U2, Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, Neil Young and The Neville Brothers, among others, is primed and ready to hit the road with his own band, the all-new Back Dub. But the real reason for Lanois' joy runs much deeper than that - he's just thrilled to be doing anything at all.
"Thank God I'm alive," he says, referring to the serious motorcycle accident he suffered earlier this year, one which landed him in intensive care for several weeks. "It was pretty bad. I broke something like six ribs. But here I am, walking around and swimming every day. Still, it was a terrible thing to go through. For a guy who'd never been in the hospital before, to be in intensive care for all that time - not a lot of fun. I think a lot of people must have been praying for me."
That they were. And now those folks will be amply rewarded with the sounds of Black Dub. Normally a behind-the-scenes kind of guy, Lanois is stepping out as guitarist and co-vocalist with the band, which also includes 23-year-old lead singer Trixie Whitley (daughter of the late blues artist Chris Whitley), along with bassist Daryl Johnson and drummer Brian Blade.
Their just-released, self-titled album, recorded at Lanois' expansive Los Angeles home, is brimming with soulful, bluesy and ethereal numbers (make no mistake: Whitley, despite her youth, is already a vocalist of breathtaking range and depth), such as the haunting I Believe In You and Caanan. And on two of the record's instrumentals, Sirens and Slow Baby, Lanois gets to show off his impressive studio wizardy, not to mention his prowess on the guitar (check him out, blazing away, in the exclusive video above).
Lanois recently sat down with MusicRadar to discuss the formation of Black Dub and the recording of their debut album. In addition, we also talked guitar (does he influence The Edge or the other way around?) and asked him what he's learned from being shoulder-to-shoulder with the iconic producer Brian Eno.
Being a successful producer all these years, were you looking to do something different, as in forming a band?
"I wasn't looking to form a band. I was doing a two-piece show in Belgium - Brian Blade was playing drums with me - and I remember it as being particularly good and fiery. After we played, the promoter told me that a couple of girls wanted to say hi backstage. As it turned out, they were the Whitleys, Chris Whitley's widow, Helene, and her daughter, Trixie.
"I hadn't seen Trixie since she was two years old. I couldn't believe she was all grown up. She told me she was singing and playing drums, which I thought was great. She gave me a CD she had made, and I listened to it and went, 'Whoa! There's something going on here in the vocal department.' So I said, 'Let's see if we can do something together.' With Brian Blade on drums and Daryl Johnson on bass, we cut a couple of tracks, and it worked out very well right away."
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"We did a song of hers called I'd Rather Go Blind in Boston, and then we recorded a song of mine called I Believe In You in Toronto. Both were first takes, and I was really pleased. I could tell something was there. I like the idea of putting interesting people together, so before you knew it, I had this little group going on. Like I said, I wasn't looking to put a band together, but when you find yourself working with a wonderful bunch of people, sometimes you have to go with what's in front of you."
As you know, the word 'organic' gets tossed around so much in describing music. That said, if I had to pick a word to convey the feeling of your record, 'organic' would certainly apply.
"Yeah, that's OK. I think we can put the word 'organic' to a lot of our stuff. The spectrum is very wide to how we recorded. Some things were live right off the floor, while others were complete studio creations. There's a song called Slow Baby that I really labored over. It's not a live performance at all; it was analyzed and pruned, with lots of 'best ofs' thrown in. That displays the more studio side of what I do.
"Then there's a piece called Sirens, which is a complete guitar whack-job. It's me doing pretty much a one-person performance, and what I do is, I build and build and create this monster. [laughs] The hard part to something like that is, at some point I have to go in and take a 20-minute performance and turn it into the most significant two minutes. That's when I get into my dubs and all kinds of echoes. It becomes a tapestry of sound."
It's interesting that the band was put together rather quickly. You guys sound like you've played together for years.
"In a way, we have. I've worked with Brian Blade and Daryl Johnson for quite some time. Trixie's the new person on the scene here. It's a great mix."
Now, aside from the songs you already mentioned, how did you go about composing new material?
"They were written pretty quickly, in something of the classic songwriting manner. There's a song called Surely that I wrote with my co-writing partner, William Blake. I took a few lines from William, and I sort of ran with it. Trixie heard it and really liked it - 'Oh, I want to sing that!' [laughs] That one came together real quick, and we knocked it out in the foyer of my house."
I like how you refer to it as a 'house.' It's quite grand!
[laughs] "Houses are good. Nice places to make records in."
This isn't the first time you've recorded somewhere other than a conventional studio. Do you find working in unorthodox locales particularly inspiring?
"It's nice to build a setup specific to a project, which is the opposite to working in a conventional recording studio where other albums have happened. Not that I don't like studios - I like being in a studio where Jimi Hendrix has been in. [laughs] But yeah, it's fun to set up a tent and watch the monsoons come your way."
How soon after 'setting up your tent,' as it were, did you say to yourself, "Hey, this is a band. We can make music together"?
"It didn't take long. Trixie, she's…she's got a lot going on. A very multi-dimensional artist. There was a lot of bravado to her, that voice-of-a-generation thing. I just knew it would be cool to combine these forces. Sometimes it gets intense - she's intense, I'm intense. I just took a gamble on these radical characters, and it worked out."
You and Trixie sing beautifully together. When did you realize that your voices could blend so well?
"A lot of the confidence came from doing a song called Silverado. We do many versions of that - sometimes we do it as a duo. I think our phrasing together is good. And then, Daryl Johnson has a beautiful falsetto. You know, I came up in an arena of harmony singing. Trixie's new to all of this, but she's really good at picking parts and understanding where she has to go as a lead singer."
She seems fully formed as an artist, way beyond her years. Her poise, her phrasing...
"She's led a long life in her time. You know, she lost her father at a young age, and that makes you grow up pretty fast. More than that, as a teenager, I think she had to be resourceful just to survive."
How long did it take to actually record the album?
"In some ways, it took a while because I had some of these things in the can for a while. The contradiction to that is, when we huddled together in the front room and played the songs live and filmed ourselves, we just knocked 'em out in one take.
"There was no monkey business. No separation, no overdubs, nothing. I thought to myself, What's all the fuss? Why have you been working on this for so long? You could've just gotten everybody together in a room and knocked it all out in one take! So I'm really glad I did that. Raw takes, man. It helped that we were nicely balanced acoustically in the room. You only need baffles when somebody's playing louder than somebody else."
Let's talk about your guitar playing. You're using a lot of Les Pauls, right?
"Yeah, through a Vox AC30. I have a 1953 Goldtop with a Tune-o-matic bridge and a Bigsby whammy. I was going to put a humbucker in the front position, but I was talked out of it. The guy who was making the changes to the guitar told me to stay with the P-90s.
"The Vox AC30 is one of those copper panel ones - I think it's from 1963. I have a few of them. But the best one I call the 'Dark Animal.' I only use the normal channel; I never use the bright channel. Sometimes I use a Korg SDD-3000 in the chain. I use it as a delay and a VCO device."
You get a lot of chimey tones from the Les Paul. Style-wise, I notice you do a lot of fingerpicking.
"It's all fingerpicking. I never use a flat pick. It's all thumb and index finger. But I do smack the strings with my fingernails sometimes."
In the song Ring The Alarm, you guitar sound recalls both Neil Young and The Edge. Having worked with The Edge for so long, has he influenced you at all?
"Well, that's probably the power of osmosis. You hang around people and you pick up some tips and habits. It's like a two-way street. The Edge has obviously built a sound for himself with his echo machines. It all stared out with a Memory Man. It wasn't that complex for him; he just built into that triplet echo. So he's responsible for his own sound, of course. Any kind of crossing I've had with The Edge...I might have brought a little something to his way of looking at things. Like on the song One, there's that little hammer-on part [he sings the guitar line]. That's a part that I played. It has nothing to do with the echo."
Black Dub is a pretty tight group. I assume you like not having to deal with a lot of instruments and musicians.
"Playing in a trio is great because you play no filler. Trixie does play some, too, of course. But in a band this tight, every note is supposed to serve a support role. I love to get down to the bones of your parts."
You've worked extensively with Brian Eno over the years. What's the biggest thing he's taught you, and in turn, what do you feel you might have taught him?
[laughs] "Brian is a master of the pen. He's a master of keeping notes on particular sounds and things we've done. If somebody can't remember what we did three months ago on a recording, he'll know because he has it all written down. He's a great low-baggage, high-mileage artist. As for anything I might have brought to him, you'd have to ask him that one. [pauses] Maybe patience!" [laughs]
Going forward, do you see yourself doing more with Black Dub?
"I think we've just scratched the tip of the iceberg with Black Dub. I'm really looking forward to huddling up with everybody and making another record. It'll probably be more collaborative. We're going to do some shows and carry on through the new year. Then next summer we'll be playing more shows. There's a lot to do with this group."
