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Author Archive
Berkeley, CA based Keith McMillen Instruments has come up with a handy little device called the Batt-O-Meter ($29.99). Essentially a battery tester for musicians, the Batt-O-Meter plugs in to any guitar pedal or electric instrument with a 1/4″ jack, and displays the remaining life and voltage delivered from the battery. While it can also test standalone 9V, 3V, and 1.5V batteries, the real advantage of this product is that you can check how much life is left in your guitars and pedals without having to remove the batteries. Simply plug it into your favorite guitar pedal, hold the test button, and the display screen will tell you the number of volts provided by the battery, and the number of hours remaining until it runs out of juice. There’s a selector on the side of the device with three different battery chemistry settings (Alkaline, Rechargeable, and Carbon Zinc). Make sure you know which type you are using, because you can get some funky results if you choose wrong. The Batt-O-Meter calculates the hours of life remaining by comparing the voltage load of your pedal to the amount of energy in the battery, so changing your pedal’s settings will alter your results. […]... Click on the title for more
![Amptweaker TightBoost – Boost Pedal with Bonuses]()
Amptweaker‘s newest pedal is the TightBoost, a boost pedal with some nifty extras built-in. Along with True-Bypass, the TightBoost comes with four controls: Boost, High, Mid, and Tight. While the Boost and High controls do what you expect them to, the Mid features a parked wah tone that increases gradually when the control is cranked past 12 o’ clock. A switch below the Mid control lets you choose between two frequencies for the wah, one is a ‘classic throaty wah tone’ while the other sounds ‘pushed forward.’ These were the two favorite frequencies selected by local guitarists at the Nashville Amp Expo. The Tight control adjusts between a smooth, looser sound and a more aggressive and focused tone. You can achieve a wide array of tones by setting the Boost knob anywhere from clean to tube-like breakup and then adjusting the other three controls. Amptweaker makes things even more interesting with the addition of an effects loop on the back of the pedal, allowing you to add compression, EQ, delay or distortion – all of which can be set to Pre or Post the Tighboost via a switch underneath the unit. Check out this excellent demo of the pedal in […]... Click on the title for more
![Shure announces Beta 181]()
Coming this fall from Shure: A compact side-address condenser mic with interchangeable capsules. The Beta 181 will be the company’s first wired mic to have swappable polar pattern capsules (cardioid, supercaridioid, omnidirectional, bidirectional) that attach to the mic body with a locking ring for a secure connection. With it’s extremely compact profile and side-address capsule, the 181 lets you use a condenser in tight miking conditions where large diaphragm mic’s simply wouldn’t fit. Whether you’re placing it on a drum kit, guitar amp, or inside a piano, you should be able to get close to the source without much hassle – plus the inclusion of switchable capsules further increases it’s versatility. Like other microphones in the Beta family, the 181 features sturdy construction, low handling noise, and high gain before feedback, which tailor it for live sound applications in addition to studio use. The 181 will retail for $499 with one capsule, windscreen, stand mount, and carrying case. Additional capsules will sell for $249 apiece, while the preamp body on it’s own will also be available for $249. Expect it in stores November 15th. –Mike Bauer... Click on the title for more
Finland-based amp and pedal manufacturer Mad Professor has begun shipping their new Ruby Red Booster pedal ($169). This pedal is a combination of two boosters, based on the BJF Little Red Trebler and the Red Rooster Booster, and you can use it as a treble boost, clean boost, or as an overdrive pedal. The Booster circuit in this unit boasts 40dB of gain, which allows you to achieve heavy overdrive at high settings, while the treble boost has 15dB of gain and is frequency and bandwidth tuned to help your treble cut through the mix. The master volume control lets you adjust output when using the pedal for distortion, and it also controls the tonal level of the two boosters. Depending on how you set the three controls, the pedal can provide nice clean gain or loads of overdrive, and anything in between. Additionally, inside the Ruby Red Booster there is a switch that will set the pedal to either buffered or true bypass mode, depending on your pedalboard situation. –Mike Bauer... Click on the title for more
![Tascam’s Solar-Rechargeable Tuner]()
For the Eco-friendly guitarist in your band, Tascam now has a solar-rechargeable chromatic tuner: the TC-1S. A bank of solar cells on the front of the unit charge the tuner’s internal battery, and a nylon strap and clip allow you attach it to the outside of your gig bag so it will actually see some daylight. However, if you find yourself playing a subterranean show, there’s a USB input that can quickly charge the unit as well. The TC-1S has a 1/4″ input and built-in microphone, and a bar graph display with four display modes (Bar, Fine, Strobe Animation, and Needle). In Fine mode, pitch is displayed with 1-cent accuracy. You can also tune up to a piano or other external source using the unit’s calibration setting. Coming in at $40, the TC-1S will save you from constantly stocking up on batteries, and it’s a much more affordable way to ‘green’ up your rig than this solar-powered guitar amp. –Mike Bauer... Click on the title for more
![Radial Workhorse 5000 Lunchbox Frame]()
Radial Engineering is about to release its much delayed and long anticipated lunchbox frame, the Workhorse 5000. The unit houses and powers up to eight analog modules of the popular 500 series ‘lunchbox’ format. However, it differs from its competitors by including a master section with analog summing of all 8 channels, master and auxiliary outputs, and headphone monitoring. Radial, known for its bulletproof DIs and interfacing devices, will also be producing its own line of modules for the Workhorse 5000, all of which will be compatible with other manufacturers’ lunchboxes. The inputs and outputs of all 8 modules on the unit are accessible using XLR, 1/4”, or D-sub 25-pin connectors, so you can use whichever type is most convenient for you. There is also an OmniPort 1/4” connection for each channel – a new addition to the 500 series format that Radial hopes other manufacturers will embrace as a way of making lunchbox modules more versatile. The OmniPort can be configured to serve as a key input, pedal control, or even a tuner output for a DI. The summing section includes individual level, pan, and on/off controls. This feeds a master section with level controls for master and aux […]... Click on the title for more
![Royer R-101 Ribbon Microphone]()
Royer Labs first came on the scene in 1998 with the R-121 passive ribbon mic. At the time, there were few manufacturers still making ribbons, and vintage models were fragile and bulky. Royer’s mic was a game-changer; with the ability to combine the warm, natural tone of vintage ribbons with better durability and a higher output, it quickly became a standard. Today, you can find them in countless studios around the world, from Abbey Road to Blackbird. The R-121 ushered in a revival of the ribbon microphone, and to many it represents the pinnacle of the genre. The new Royer R-101 ($799.99 street) provides an option for studios with tighter budgets to purchase a high-end ribbon mic that has similar specs without sacrificing quality or performance. The R-101 incorporates many of the same features that made the flagship R-121 so innovative. A mono passive ribbon mic with a figure-8 polar pattern, it promises to have the same warm, natural tone that made it’s predecessor such a popular choice for electric guitars, horns and brass. Royer’s patented offset-ribbon transducer places the ribbon element closer to the front of the mic’s body, allowing for full frequency response even at high SPL’s (max. […]... Click on the title for more
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