Musik Indonesia

TASCAM's DR-1 brings portable recording to a size and price that make it a must-have for every musician's toolbox. It features a set of stereo condenser microphones attached to a unique rotating mount, allowing you to fine-tune the microphone position to fit your recording. The DR-1 is the first portable recorder to include a 1GB SD card, so you'll have plenty of recording time for long rehearsals, concerts, or record company negotiations. It's small enough to take anywhere, very simple to operate, and the built-in battery keeps working as long as you do (up to 7 hours recording MP3).

Recording on the DR-1 can be set for WAV format at 44.1k or 48k, 16- or 24-bit, for compatibility with virtually any workstation recording software or hardware. For even longer recording times, or instant web upload, you can set the recording format to MP3. In addition to the high-quality, built-in microphones, there's Auto Gain Control for setting levels and an Analog Peak Limiter to prevent distortion. There are stereo mini plug and 1/4" microphone inputs as well as a line level input to record a board mix.

For songwriters, an Overdub feature allows you to record on top of a backing track. Built-in effects and reverb help your demo sound its best. The DR-1 even contains a metronome and tuner for putting together tighter tracks. The best songwriters keep a portable micro-recorder with them for capturing ideas before they float away, but now even your sketches can sound like a pro record. The built-in microphones sound very warm and have a detailed stereo image.

The DR-1 contains features borrowed from our best-selling instrument trainers and is designed to help you learn new music. Load in an MP3 (or record a live performance), then loop a section with two key presses to cop the perfect lick. The DR-1 slows down playback without changing the pitch, so you can practice a section at half speed before gradually ramping it up to full speed or even faster. You can also change the tuning of your playback material so you don't need to re-tune your guitar to match a recording, or cancel the guitar or vocal part so you can play along.

For all the features in the DR-1, you'll probably stick to the one it does best – recording your music anywhere, anytime with legendary TASCAM sound quality. With detailed stereo condenser microphones, 24-bit recording, analog limiting, and an included 1GB card and rechargeable battery, you won't find a better value than the DR-1.

Features & Specs

• Portable, handheld recording
• 24-bit/44.1kHz audio resolution
• Records to SD Card media (1GB card included)
• MP3 and WAVE file recording and playback
• High-quality stereo condenser microphone setup
• Variable-angle, A-B stereo microphone configuration
• Powered external mic input
• Switchable low-cut filter
• Analog auto gain control
• Long-life rechargable lithium-ion battery
• USB 2.0 connection
• Overdub function
• Reverb effect
• Tuner and vocal cancel features

The SansAmp Bass Driver DI from Tech 21 isn’t new. It’s just good stuff, so it hangs in there while other products become obsolete after a year or two. It’s a bass preamp, direct box, stompbox, and recording tone tool all in one, and it remains popular with bass players because it works great. Now the SansAmp Series has been expanded to include two newer units that add programmability and greater sophistication. All provide reason to love the sound and feel of analog.

The SansAmp Bass Driver DI

I’ve been a long-time user of the SansAmp Bass Driver DI and for a very basic reason: it makes my modestly priced bass amp sound top-end and, in the process, makes the task of dialing in a great sound a lot easier. It’s simple to use. I just plug the SansAmp into the effects return jack on my amp and skip the amp’s controls except for the volume knob. What results is noticeably quieter operation and a smooth, sweet, warm tube-like tone that is unachievable from my amp’s own preamp section, no matter how much tweaking I do.

I’ve always been of the set-it-and-forget-it school, and that’s the way I use my SansAmp. I get the sound I want and leave it on. But it can be a great tool for those seeking tonal versatility too. You can put it in front of your amp, set up the SansAmp and amplifier with different tones, and then use it as a footswitch to toggle between the two sounds.

Besides the footswitch, it has two active EQ controls—Bass and Treble—a Drive knob and a Presence knob. These controls are so effective that little tweaks can do a lot. This makes it easy to learn and simple to change settings between tunes. Just following the setting diagrams that come with the unit teaches you the most useful settings: a Bassman sound, an SVT sound, a fat reggae sound, a King Crimson sound, etc. It gets a little trickier to adjust when you have the SansAmp running into an amplifier’s preamp because of the latter’s added layer of coloring, but setting levels is no problem because the SansAmp has a switch for selecting instrument or line level output.

The SansAmp Bass Driver DI is also a superior DI box. It has a parallel output for running a bypassed signal to a second amp, and a balanced XLR output for connecting to a mixing board for either sound reinforcement or recording. This circuit also has speaker emulation so it’s like having a double-miked cab. The SansAmp runs on phantom power, a nine-volt battery, or optional DC power supply. Like the main instrument output, the XLR output is level and ground-switchable.

SansAmp Programmable Bass Driver DI

This second-generation SansAmp Bass Driver is essentially the same unit as the classic model but with three channels of digital programmability added. It has all-analog tone circuitry, only the programming and memory are digital. The only analog difference is an added 0/+10 boost switch for the output (this is in addition to instrument/line switching). What the digital portion gives you is three footswitchable custom settings. If you’re the kind of bassist who uses different tones for different tunes onstage, this is a huge deal.

It comes preprogrammed with a Fat Tube, SVT, and distortion bass settings, which cover the gamut for many players. But creating your own custom presets is easy. You simply adjust the knobs to taste, then hit one of the footswitches twice to store it in that channel, giving you up to three custom settings overall. At press time, a new version, the SansAmp Bass Driver Deluxe, featuring dual inputs for up to six presets is planned and should be available as you read this.

The SansAmp RBI

This unit is the classic SansAmp Bass Driver in a rack unit with added controls and expanded I/O. It is designed for use as a preamp in front of a power amp, and because this combination can be used to run whatever speaker setup is appropriate for a particular gig, it is especially flexible. A great gig rig, for example, would be the SansAmp RBI combined with the Tech 21 Bass Power Engine 300 or 400.

The SansAmp RBI is a single-channel unit, like the Bass Driver DI, but has beefed-up features. One addition is a dedicated mid control giving you three bands of tone tweaking instead of two. It also incorporates an effects loop with a Mix 50/50 switch for series or parallel operation. It also has two XLR outputs, one with selectable levels, and a second buffered XLR that outputs a dry signal. It also has footswitch inputs for easy on/off control onstage. With these connections and controls, the SansAmp is pretty much compatible with any mixer, amp, preamp, recording device, and playing situation.

Common denominator: Great tone!

Whether you choose the Bass Driver DI for its simplicity and affordability, the Programmable Bass Driver DI for its ready access to stored tone settings, or the SansAmp RBI that covers all requirements for professional studio or live gig use, the core benefit of these units is the same: a range of bass sounds that compares well with that of high-end tube amplifiers. With SansAmp, you don’t need to be a millionaire to sound like a million bucks.

Features & Specs

SansAmp Bass Driver DI:

• Preamp, stompbox, and direct box in one
• All-analog circuitry
• Wide range of bass amp sounds
• Level, Blend, Drive, Presence, and active Low and High EQ controls
• Balanced XLR output with ground and level switching
• Instrument/line switching on main 1/4" output
• 1/4" parallel (dry) output
• On/off footswitch
• Active EQ boosts/cuts up to 12dB
• Phantom, 9V battery, or (optional) DC-powered
• Metal construction

SansAmp RBI:

• Single-space rackmount unit
• Same tone circuitry and controls as the Bass Driver DI
• Dedicated mid control
• Individual level control for the XLR out
• Effects loop with Mix 50/50 switch for parallel/series operation
• XLR output with level selection
• Buffered unaffected XLR output for a second recording channel
• 2 footswitch inputs: on/off and switching between 2 SansAmps

SansAmp Programmable Bass Driver DI:

• Same controls, features, and analog tone circuitry as the Bass Driver DI
• 3 footswitchable digital channels and storage for 3 custom tone settings
• 3 metal footswitches for channel selection/bypass
• Added output boost switch on 1/4" output

Following the success of the Spider III amplifiers, Line 6 has extended its guitar amplifier line to include Spider Jam, the ideal partner for any level of guitarist who wants to perfect his skills. Like other amps in the Spider III family, Spider Jam features hundreds of rock star-approved presets, 12 distinct amp models, Smart Control effects, and a built-in tuner. What sets Spider Jam

apart from the rest of the Spider line, however, is its revolutionary Endless Jam™ engine and onboard sound-on-sound loop recorder.

The men behind the curtain

Packed with over 100 Endless Jam tracks and drum grooves in more than 10 styles, Spider Jam provides guitarists with the opportunity to play with the talent that helped transform so many artists into music-indus-try icons.

To compile this thorough roster of A-list drummers, guitarists, bassists, and more, Line 6 pulled the highest-caliber players from the nation's hottest hotbeds of session talent: Los Angeles and Nashville.

Letting them run wild at some of the world's best recording studios—including Steve Vai's studio, The Mothership; as well as Sound Asylum in Canoga Park, California; Sound Emporium in Nashville, Tennessee; and London's legendary Abbey Road—the players produced a collection of organic-sounding, lifelike jams that seem as though they live and breathe. Not rigid, tinny, and computer-generated, these tunes will give you chills when you hear them. Some of my favorites include—Jam 103: Swing Rocker is solid, slamming, and right in the pocket, pushed along by Tony Franklin's pulsing, gritty bass and Simon Phillips' stomping beat. Jam 100: Outlaw Country Club is a smooth, twangy, mid-tempo bounce inspired by the greats of Outlaw Country. It features a truly amazing ensemble in Brent Mason (lead guitar), Dave Pomeroy (bass), Steve Turner (drums), John Hobbs (keyboards), Pat Bergeson (acoustic guitar), and Paul Franklin (steel guitar). Jam 150: Walking Jazz is light and airy but dynamic with Tony Franklin's walking-bass backbone. Hear drummer Gregg Bissonette switch from sticks to brushes!

Tapping into this world-class rhythm-section chemistry is really easy. Using the wheel, you can scroll Spider Jam's list of jam tracks, hearing short previews of each. Once a selection is made, the track loads with a perfectly matched guitar tone set automatically. With tracks ranging from thumpy funk to angry punk, outlaw country to slick R&B, and everything in-between, you can build songs, work out solos and, with 24 minutes of CD-quality sound-on-sound loop recording, capture all your musical ideas before they're gone. Plus, with the Endless Jam engine, you can riff for days over jams that always sound fresh and new.

Forever's a mighty long time

The Endless Jam engine remedies the problem of jam tracks sounding stale and repetitious. This innovation breaks each jam track into sections, arranging everything between the intro and outro into an Endless Jam. This gives each jam track and drum groove eternal jamming mileage.

Spider Jam's roots lie deep within the hugely popular Spider III family of guitar amplifiers. Offering artist-created and song-based presets similar to those of its Spider siblings, Spider Jam provides instant access to a comprehensive collection of warm, tube-inspired tones, modern razorblade crunch, and a stockpile of stunning effects.

A dozen fully adjustable Line 6 tones from Clean to Insane, inspired by some of history's favorite amps, occupy Spider Jam's front panel. Seven Smart Control FX, including Delay, Chorus/Flanger, and dedicated Reverb, let you quickly dial in tonal depth, color, and texture. You've got the opportunity to create and store most any sound you desire, modern or classic.

Essential pro hardware

Spider Jam comes complete with a 1/4" aux instrument input and an XLR microphone input with its own dedicated trim knob. These inputs share their own library of effects including Reverb, Delay, Compressor, and three-band EQ. While you're building and recording songs, you can easily lay down vocals, bass, keys, or any instruments you want to complete full, pro-sounding tracks.

With its 75-watt power section, Spider Jam gets as loud as other best-selling Spider amplifiers and it pushes your tone through a 12" Celestion Custom speaker that adds richness and color. The Endless Jams, drum grooves, and all your recordings are routed through a dedicated 2" tweeter, keeping them punchy and lively. (You can listen to the full-range material through your stereo by routing it through the RCA outs in the back of Spider Jam.) Plus, the headphone jack doubles as a POD 2.0-style direct out, perfect for easy direct computer recording.

Many Line 6 footcontrollers, including the FBV Express and the FBV Shortboard, are fully compatible with Spider Jam. Use them to control the recording functions as well as your tone.

The sidebar offers a quick glance under the hood. With tons of great tones, an intuitive design, and a full line of ins and outs, Spider Jam provides countless opportunities for musical creation.

Features & Specs

• 200+ artist-created presets
• 150+ song-based presets
• 36 user-programmable presets
• 12 custom amp models from Clean to Insane
• 7 Smart Control FX
• Chorus/Flanger
• Phaser
• Tremolo
• Delay (with Tap Tempo)
• Tape Echo (with Tap Tempo)
• Sweep Echo (with Tap Tempo)
• Reverb

• Effects plus preamps, compressors, and 3-band EQ

• Integrated chromatic tuner
• 12" Custom Celestion speaker
• 2" tweeter for full-range audio playback of backing tracks
• 75W power section
• Fully compatible with FBV2, FBV Express, and FBV Shortboard pedals

• Up to 24 minutes of CD-quality recording time
• 100+ Endless Jam tracks and drum loops

• Mini stereo MP3/CD input for playing along with your music
• XLR mic input with a dedicated volume knob perfect for vocals
• 1/4" aux input perfect for a second instrument including keyboard or bass

• 1/4" headphone out/POD 2.0-style direct out for practicing with headphones or direct recording
• Routable RCA outs for playing full-range backing tracks through your home stereo

The Gibson Hummingbird guitar is one of those outstanding instruments that makes a striking and lasting first impression. My first encounter was with the one belonging to my high school chum Roy. I remember being fascinated by the pickguard that showed a hummingbird feeding on a trumpet vine. Our senior year he played it at just about every school assembly or production requiring guitar accompaniment. The other day I called Roy to ask him about his Hummingbird and he reminded me it was stolen from his room at college. He immediately reeled off the serial number burned into his memory—109095. Recalling his ’bird, he told me, “That was my pride and joy; I dearly wish I still had it. It was a gorgeous guitar, but my Hummingbird’s looks were secondary to sound quality—I just loved its deep, rich tone.”

The Gibson Hummingbird Artist

Musicians who lust after great Hummingbird playability and sound but are feeling a little squeezed by the economy should consider the Hummingbird Artist, created by Gibson Montana for Musician’s Friend. Cosmetically, there are only two differences between the Hummingbird Artist and the Hummingbird Modern Classic. The Artist has a washed heritage cherry finish instead of sunburst. To produce a sunburst finish, additional layers of nitrocellulose lacquer must be applied and then sanded, adding more time and cost to the production process. The Artist model has a modern sculpted pickguard without the painted hummingbird motif. Eliminating this labor-intensive decoration results in cost savings, making this a more affordable variation on a classic with no impact on its sound.

Impressionistic beauty

To be sure, in the looks department, the Artist makes its own lasting impression with its sublime washed heritage cherry finish that, to me, suggests dusk on a warm, lonely prairie. Like the Modern Classic, it also is adorned with six-ply top binding; four-ply back body binding; single-ply neck binding; and mother-of-pearl inlays, crown headstock, and bridge dot inlays.

The Hummingbird Artist is handcrafted by Gibson artisans in Bozeman, Montana, with a solid premium Sitka spruce top and solid mahogany back and sides. Most of the Hummingbird’s volume is produced by the top. The mahogany back and sides emphasize the upper mids and trebles to produce a wide-open, airy sound. The mahogany neck is secured to the body with a hand-set dovetail neck joint to ensure maximum string vibration is transferred to the spruce top.

A key component to the Hummingbird Artist sound is its upper bout, which is slightly narrower than standard Hummingbird models. It provides a crisper, slightly brighter response. The hand-scalloped bracing pattern used on the Artist is the same as that on the Gibson Advanced Jumbo. It has a wider X pattern, like that used in the guitars of the late ’30s. This wider X creates more top movement to enhance the guitar’s projection. The bracing also moves the crossing point of the X pattern closer to the soundhole for a more powerful sound, which is why old-timers used to call the Advanced Jumbo the “Bone Crusher.” Now that power has been harnessed in the Hummingbird Artist.

The play’s the thing

Given that dreadnoughts are great for strumming and designed for vocal accompaniment, I put my Hummingbird Artist sample through a vigorous workout on Pete Townshend’s solo version of “Drowned” that called for the speedy quadruple-timed chording that Pete is famous for. The Artist had nice low action for easy open chords at the fifth-fret capo and produced crisp barre chords at the 10th fret. The tone was rich and vibrant with well-balanced mids and chimey highs that blended well with my throaty tenor.

The 1.725" nut width gave me all the fretboard real estate I needed to produce a snappy finger-picking rendition of “Buck Dancer’s Choice” that I learned from Acoustic Guitar magazine. The round neck profile fit comfortably in my left hand as I tried out flatpicker whiz Tony Rice’s arrangement of “Shady Grove.” The notes joyously poured out from the soundhole like children being let out of school for summer vacation.

To convey the Hummingbird’s voice in a live setting, the Artist uses an L.R. Baggs Element undersaddle transducer with a preamp and volume control that are cleverly mounted in the soundhole to preserve the Hummingbird Artist’s beautiful mahogany exterior.

Whether you’re strumming a folksy singalong on the front porch or sitting in with the hot pickers at the local pub, the Hummingbird Artist produces sweet, full-bodied tones that will make any string-slinger go for an extra chorus.

Features & Specs

• Handcrafted in Bozeman, Montana
• Square shoulder dreadnought
• Premium solid Sitka spruce top
• Solid mahogany back and sides
• Hand-scalloped bracing
• 6-ply top, 4-ply back body binding
• Single-ply neck binding
• Mahogany neck
• 24-3/4" scale length
• Round neck profile
• Hand-set dovetail neck joint
• Rosewood fingerboard
• Mother-of-pearl parallelogram inlays
• 1.725" nut width
• Mother-of-pearl crown on headstock
• Traditional Gibson rosewood bridge
• Mother-of-pearl dot bridge inlays
• Gold Gotoh keystone tuners with traditional white keys
• Modern sculpted pickguard
• L.R. Baggs Element undersaddle transducer
• L.R. Baggs preamp with soundhole-mounted volume control
• Washed Heritage cherry finish
• Premium hardshell case