Vai will discuss his recent surgeries, recuperation, and share tips on protecting your hands.
Los Angeles, CA (March 11, 2021) -- Steve Vai has announced the plan to launch a Patreon page on April 1 which will live here: https://www.patreon.com/stevevai, alongside being accessed via www.vai.com. Fans can expect at the very least an exclusive one-hour question & answer session and more for a $5.00 monthly commitment. Plans on the first event on Patreon will be forthcoming in the coming weeks. Tomorrow, on Friday, March 12 at Noon Pacific, he'll present Alien Guitar Secrets episode #9 via YouTube (View here: https://bit.ly/alienguitarsecrets9). Vai will discuss his recent surgeries, recuperation, and share tips on protecting ones' hands, insights on avoiding injury, thoughts surrounding the importance of posture, and listening to one's body. He'll also present a never-before-seen performance video of the new composition āKnappsack" on his Ibanez Onyx Black PIA guitar. The recording will be available for digital download and on all streaming services globally March 12.
Alongside the monthly Q&A, the plan is to periodically provide access to exclusive listening parties of any new releases, guitar technique tips and inspirational quotes. Alien Guitar Secrets and Under it All streams, guest interviews, updates on new news and various other surprise and delights will be shared with the community via Patreon. Recently Vai had undergone both shoulder (cuff) and trigger finger surgery for his left thumb. In this upcoming episode, he shares a broad spectrum of insights which all support on-going health and being conscientious of physicality as a musician. As he shares, āMedicare with Steve Vai."
The series āAlien Guitar Secrets Live" focuses on the guitar, music, his career and the business aiming to offer insights that enlighten perspectives for their own worlds. He breaks down various songs from his catalog to show techniques, and discusses anything from writing, recording, publishing, promoting, and touring. The second, āUnder It All: Hard Questions" enables Vai to engage in more esoteric life principles and topics where no question is off limits. Many of his filmed interviews include his perspective on deeper subjects, and comment boards frequently allude to a broad interest in further exploration of his personal thoughts. Whether sharing detail on his observations surrounding life, the creative process, spirituality or the human condition, UIA will delve into opinion that's led by the free form forum.
Last year, he offered, āFor the past three to five years I have been bouncing around in my mind the idea of launching these two webinars, but was waiting for an organic opportunity, and it seems the world lockdown situation was the right time. I had no idea of knowing how these would be received, but the moment I went live, within minutes there were thousands and thousands of people logged in and the comments were tremendously encouraging. It was quite the shocker to get this kind of response, and quite humbling at the same time. My goal in these webinars is not to talk about myself so much, but to answer people's questions that I may be able to assist with an answer based on my own experience."
As Steve Vai looks toward the next move in his broadening on-line presence, the guitarist, composer and producer states, āThe pandemic changed much of the way many of us conduct our business, especially musicians. Although live performances have been down, there have been many other ways in which communicating with the fans has exploded. With this in mind I'm excited to give more attention to online formats such as Patreon where I can communicate with those interested and offer unique items and experiences that keep us connected."
For more information:
Steve Vai
A classic-voiced, 3-knob fuzz with power and tweakability that surpass its seemingly simple construction.
A classic-voiced, well-built fuzz whose sounds, power, and tweakability distinguish it from many other 3-knob dirt boxes.
None, although itās a tad pricey.
$249
SoloDallas Orbiter
solodallas.com
Youāve probably seen me complain about the overpopulation of 3-knob fuzz/OD pedals in these pagesāand then promptly write a rave review of some new triple-knobber. Well, Iām doing it again. SoloDallasā Orbiter, inspired by the classic circuit of the 1966 Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face, stings and sings like a germanium Muhammad Ali. Mineās already moved to my pedalboard full-time, because it delivers over-the-top fuzz, and allows my core tones to emerge.
But it also generates smooth, light distortion that sustains beautifully when you use an easy touch, punches through a live mix with its impressive gain, and generates dirt voices from smooth to sputtering, via the bias dial. All of which means you can take gnarly fuzz forays without creating the aural mudslides less-well-engineered Fuzz Face spinoffs can produce.
āFuzzy forays are gnarly as desired without sacrificing tonal character or creating the aural mudslides less wisely engineered Fuzz Face spinoffs can produce.ā
The basics: The 4 3/4" x 2 1/2" x 1 1/2" blue-sparkle, steel enclosure is coolly retro, abetted by the image of a UFO abduction on the frontāan allusion to the flying saucer shape of the original device. Inside, a mini-pot dials in ideal impedance response for your pickups. I played through single-coils, humbuckers, Firebird humbuckers, and gold-foils and found the factory setting excellent for all of them. Thereās also a bias knob that increases voltage to the two germanium transistors when turned clockwise, yielding more clarity and smooth sustain as you go. Counterclockwise, the equally outstanding sputtering sounds come into play. For a 3-knob fuzz box itās a tad costly, but for some players it might be the last stop in the search for holy grail Fuzz Face-style sounds.
MayFlyās Le Habanero Boost and Fuzz pedal, designed with input from Trevor May and Lucas Haneman, offers a wide range of tonal options from clean to scream. Responsive to player touch and guitar volume, stack the Boost and Fuzz for endless sustain and harmonics. Perfect for exploring your inner David Gilmour.
MayFlyās Trevor May and LH Expressā Lucas Haneman have been cooking upsomething real good. Le Habanero is a dual boost and fuzz pedal specifically designed to be very responsive tothe playerās picking hand and the guitarās volume control. With Lucasā input, the pedal was specifically tweakedto give a ton of tonal options, from clean to scream, by just using your fingers. It heats up your tone with a tastyboost, scorching lead tones with the fuzz, tantalizing tastes of extreme heat when boost and fuzz are combined.
The boost side is designed to ride the edge between clean and grit. Keep the drive below 12 oāclock for cleanboost but with active treble and bass controls, or push the gain for clear/clean sustain with great note definition.
The fuzz side is tuned to match the tonality of the boost side and offers a load of sustain and harmonics. The fuzz features a unique two-pole filter circuit and deep switch to help match it with single coils or humbuckers.
Stacking the Boost and Fuzz gives you even more. Want to explore your inner David Gilmour? Switch both onand turn up the volume! Want to switch to Little Wing? Turn the volume back down.
- Combination Boost and Fuzz pedal, designed to work well together.
- Very responsive to guitar volume and playerās touch.
- Use Boost and Fuzz independently, or stack them.
- Boost features Treble, Bass, Volume, and Drive controls.
- Fuzz features a two pole Tone filter, Deep switch, Fuzz and Volume controls.
- Stack them to create endless sustain and plenty of harmonics.
- Wide form factor for better footswitch control live.
- Full bypass using relays, with Mayflyās Failsafe circuitry.
- Suggested Pairing: add a dash of Le Habanaro to spice up a MayFly Sunrise guitar amp simulator!
MAP price: $185
For more information, please visit mayflyaudio.com.
Introducing: the Mayfly Le Habanero!! - YouTube
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.Darkglass introduces the Luminal Booster Ultra for bass guitar, combining the Harmonic Booster with adjustable frequency range parallel compression, 6-band EQ, gain reduction meter, and 7 custom Impulse Responses. With versatile controls, including a +/- 20dB BOOST and CHARACTER selection, this pedal offers precision and unmatched tonal control for bass players.
Darkglass introduces the Luminal Booster Ultra for bass guitar. The Luminal Booster Ultra combines the rich tone of Darkglassā Harmonic Booster with the unmatched control of an adjustable frequency range parallel compression, 6-band EQ, gain reduction meter, and the choice to load seven custom Impulse Responses via USB.
The layout of the pedal is straight forward. Across the top, from left to right, is an adjustable lowpass FILTER knob for the compressed signal, a COMP knob to adjust the amount of compression applied, a BLEND knob to blend between the clean and compressed signal, and LEVEL knob to adjust the level of the compressor after the blend control. Added controls include a +/- 20dB BOOST, a CHARACTER control to allow selection between seven Impulse Responses, a MID GAIN +/- 20dB, and MID FREQUENCY from 250Hz to 2.5kHz.
The 6-band EQ uses faders for precision control. The bass Low shelf is +/- 13dB at 80Hz, the mid bands are +/- 13dB at 250Hz, 500Hz, 1.5kHz, and 3kHz. The treble is a high shelf of +/- 13dB at 5 kHz. The EQ is flanked by a MASTER fader of +/- 12dB to set the overall volume of the unit.
Input and outputs provide a player with maximum versatility. Traditional Ā¼ā input and outputs are complimented by and 3.5mm AUX IN for practicing with backing tracks via a smartphone or laptop, a stereo headphone out, a balanced XLR direct out, USB C to connect to PC/Mac to utilizing the desktop version of the Darkglass Suite of available Impulses Responses or custom / third party impulses, and a 9V DC adapter input. A ground lift and Cab Sim round out the feature of the unit.
"This marks our entry into new sonic territories, in our search to connect with jazz and clean-tone bass players on a deeper level,ā says Marcos Barilatti, Managing Director of Darkglass Electronics. āWith the Luminal Booster Ultra, we've created the ultimate tool for bass players across all genres, delivering precision, versatility, and unmatched tonal control.ā
Street Price is $499
For more information, please visit darkglass.com.
Focusrite announces the expansion of the Scarlett audio interface range with the 4th Gen 16i16, 18i16, and 18i20 models.
Scarlettās fourth generation introduced several major advances that build on Focusriteās legacy in professional audio: best-in-class audio specifications, enhanced creative capability, powerful workflow tools, and more. The three new interfaces add more analogue inputs and outputs, front-panel monitor switching and mute control, S/PDIF and ADAT connectivity, additional headphone outputs, and a built-in talkback mic on Scarlett 18i20.
Focusrite Scarlett 4th Gen 16i16, 18i16, and 18i20 now feature:
- Huge 122dB dynamic range, using the flagship RedNet range converters ā found in the worldās best studios.
- All-new, remote-controlled preamps with 69dB of gain for studio sound from any mic.
- Pair Focusrite Control 2 for desktop with Focusriteās new mobile app; enjoy full wireless control over inputs and monitoring mixes, allowing the adjustment of settings without being tethered by cables.
- Re-engineered Air mode with Presence, and all-new Harmonic Drive, adding rich harmonics to recordings by emulating the characteristics of vintage preamps.
- New Auto Gain and Clip Safe modes can handle up to eight microphones at a time, making session setup simple, and ensuring every take is a keeper.
- Brand-new Custom-designed headphone amps for the best playback ever heard from Scarlett.
- Redesigned Dynamic Gain Halos now with output as well as input metering.
- Professional studio features included: A/B speaker switching, built-in talkback mic on 18i20, and more.
- MIDI in /out plus S/PDIF, and ADAT in/out.
- Refreshed Easy Start tool, making it easier than ever to get set up and recording in minutes.
- Includes Ableton Live Lite, Pro Tools Artist 3 months, and FL Studio Producer Edition 6 months.
- Huge bundle of plug-in instruments and effects; including Antares Auto-Tune, Marshall Amp Modelling, synths, keys, drums, EQ, compression, reverb, and more.
Three new Scarlett interfaces
Scarlett 18i20 4th Gen, an update to the flagship 3rd Gen model, is a rack-mountable USB audio interface featuring 18 inputs, including eight advanced fourth-generation Scarlett preamps, and 20 outputs. 18i20 not only has an impressive amount of analogue and digital I/O, but also features additional workflow enhancements that make it a perfect fit for even the most complex project studios: a built-in talkback mic; A/B speaker switching for instant referencing on different monitors; and eight channels of LED bar metering, assignable to inputs or outputs as well as master output metering.
Scarlett 18i16 is a desktop-format USB audio interface with 18 inputs, including four 4th Gen Scarlett preamps and 16 outputs. Ideal for multitrack recording and designed for producers, 18i16 is the industry-leading interface for project studios. It makes an ideal hub to integrate hardware with a DAW, providing enough analogue and digital I/O to connect a huge number of external instruments, processors, and effects. Plus, manage complex routing with ease via the included Focusrite Control 2 software for desktop and mobile devices.
Scarlett 16i16 is a desktop-format USB audio interface which shares the same feature set as 18i16 but is slightly more compact, with 16
Scarlett 4th Gen
A giant leap for the worldās most popular audio interface range, Scarlettās fourth generation debuted in 2023 with the Solo, 2i2, 4i4, Solo Studio, and 2i2 Studio.
All Scarlett 4th Gen interfaces feature re-engineered audio circuitry and professional-grade converters (taken directly from Focusrite's flagship RedNet interfaces), which deliver up to 122dB dynamic range. With up to 69dB of mic preamp gain on tap, they are designed to get the very best sound from any microphone. Custom-designed headphone amps with independent volume controls drive high-impedance headphones louder and with more clarity than any previous Scarlett.
Scarlettās 4th Gen mic preamps feature a re-engineered Air mode, based on the sound of legendary Focusrite consoles. Each one now includes a selectable all-analogue Presence mode, and a new DSP-based Harmonic Drive mode for added richness.
The range also introduced two new features designed to ensure artists and producers never miss a perfect take: Auto Gain analyses ten seconds of incoming audio before setting set the perfect level, while Clip Safe automatically readjusts it to prevent clipping. These tools help artists record themselves easily and let experienced engineers quickly set multiple gains in high-pressure environments.
The included Focusrite Control 2 software takes care of setting up routing, levels, monitoring mixes, independent outputs, and routing options. In addition to the desktop application, the iOS and Android Focusrite Control 2 apps enables engineers and performers to adjust monitor mixes and mic preamp gains while away from the computer.
To help users get up and running with Scarlett in record time, Focusrite has developed an Easy Start tool that quickly guides from initial connection to their first recordings.
All Scarletts come with Ableton Live Lite, three months of Pro Tools Artist recording software, and six months of FL Studio Producer Edition. Also included is a curated selection of essential production software from Focusrite, Softube, Native Instruments, Antares, and many more. In addition, there are five free masters from Landr that can be used at any time, plus a two-month subscription to Landr Studio, offering unlimited music distribution on streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music and TikTok.
These interfaces will be available beginning mid-October 2024 with U.S. pricing as follows:
USD (excluding tax)
Scarlett 18i20: $649.99
Scarlett 18i16: $499.99
Scarlett 16i16: $369.99
For more information, please visit us.focusrite.com.