So it is that time of year again!! Doesn't come around so quickly there days?? The NAMM show in January 2018. is a time to start thinking and dreaming of what might be coming out in this year. It seems like quite a few companies like Korg, Supro and various pedal companies (to name the two that I have seen) have done pre-release press releases, so we already know what is coming. A bit of a shame, as I love the excitement.So what am I hoping for this year? Well, I think I am going to be disappointed (as always it would seem), but one can dream. TC Electronic (now part of Music group i.e Behringer) seem to only be concentrating on single stomp boxes now, which is a real shame. My other wish is for Spectrsonics to update Stylus RMX, but given keyscape only just came out I doubt that they will. NAMM used to be big for them, but they seem to have gone very quite of late.Like most years, (if you have read any of my blog previously), really I am only looking for a couple of companies to do a couple of things (which are actually pretty much the same from year to year!!!), so I am guessing there must be a gap in the market, and one thing in particular, the TC Electronic Nova System is right up there. Given by just how popular my review and videos on the unit are, it would seem I am not alone. So for the fifth year running, this is what I am hoping for.But, otherwise here are my NAMM 2018 wishesUnless you don’t fancy the video! (And very similar to last year!!)1) (This is the big one!) A new Nova System from TC Electronic. Well to be honest, I love the Nova System, I have been gigging mine for over five years now, but there are a few omissions and small things that would make it totally perfect. These are, a filter section (Autowah, envelope filter perhaps, I would have these over the pitch if I had to), and improved tuner (insert a polytune please!!!) and perhaps another way to access patch v presets. I would also love for it to be Toneprintable, how incredible would it be to be able to download Toneprints to the Nova System. Oh okay maybe one more, to make it the most perfect object of all time, perhaps adding in a few basic amp models (Fender, Marshall, Vox perhaps?), so that it could be used direct into a PA or as a basic modeller. That would make it perfection!! Particular on the last point that the TC Halicon Voice Channel can do this, and Tech 21 have introduced this concept with the FlyRig, it would be perfect. But sadly I don't think it is coming.2)Love to see an update to the Ibanez RG Prestige range, perhaps a natural finish guitar??3)Spectrasonics?? Where are you???????….maybe some new libraries for Stylus RMX? and how about the next generation of awesome software that we know you are capable of!!4)Logic 11? 2013 was the year of Logic X, I am very cautious with Apple at the moment and their (what feels to me) move away from supporting the creatives that carried them through the bad times. They are a phone company now and not a computer company, evidenced by their latest update to the Mac Mini, a total backward step IMHO.I would be very interested to hear what you are waiting for/hoping for.Maybe I'll get my book there next year ;)
The time has come! My Flare Audio Snoozers have arrived!! Looking at the messages I get, there seems that this (so far) has been the most anticipated review I have every done! For some ear plugs!! Well I should have known! I mean I did spend a large part of my life studying the effects of sound in the environment and ‘noise’ for my PhD. But even I am overwhelmed at the interest in this market!What can I say?Well it seems that Flare Audio have taken on board the criticism that they got (and it seems to be ALOT) for the ISOLATES and how they can’t easily be used for sleeping it. I am not sure that they were marketed that way? They certainly weren’t to me, they were marketed as musicians earplugs, and you will have to check out my reviews on the ISOLATES in regards to what I thought about that. I digress, they have now produced the snoozers and I have produced a video review about them which I think highlights all of the questions one might have in relations to these ear plugs. In the video I also mention Doc’s Pro Plugs and there is a link to them below should you wish to check those out!EnjoyPeaceNeil
Those of you who follow my Youtube channel, may be aware that I have done a series of videos on the Flare Audio Isolate ear plugs. I have been surprised at how much anger there seems to be towards this company and product. To give you a bit of background......
Flare Audio ISOLATE
I recently was made aware of a crowd funding campaign for these little ear plugs and I have to say it got me hooked. As some of you know I have a background in academic acoustics and psychoacoustic and thus the ear are something very important to me. I also an a huge advocate of protecting one's hearing from hearing loss in musician circle (as they can be the most immune and the least caring....until it's gone!).As you can see I always reviewed these ear plugs in the context at which they were marketed to me, as a musician. Most the anger on my videos seems to come from people who were using them to sleep in. Wow, I would never consider sleeping in these, that just seems SO uncomfortable indeed!!!But it seems that Flare Audio have taken a lot of the criticism onboard and released the Snoozers for those of you who like to sleep with ear plugs. So I thought I would put together a little video for you with my thoughts....and here it isEnjoyPeaceNeil
Fender Blues Junior III Tweed Review : Five years later
Recently, I have started producing a series of YouTube video reviews of gear I have had for a long period of time. I am calling this series ‘Retrospective Reviews’.The first of these was the review of my TC Electronic Nova System. Those who have been reading my blog for a number of years, will realise that this is a pivotal part of my set up, and while things come and go, the Nova has been the bedrock of my set up (yes I am still hoping for a new version, please please please TC the cash is ready!!). Anyway, I digress. Another bedrock of my set up has been my Fender Blues Junior III Tweed NOS.
Gigs, recordings and so much more.
I have no idea how many gigs, rehearsals and recordings this amp has done over the last 5 years since I have owned it....it is a lot! I have has spells of using other amps such as my Fender 68 Deluxe Reverb, Cornford 50W Roadhouse and Marshall JMP-1 being the main contenders, but I keep coming back to the Blues Junior.
Why?
Simply because it meets so many of the criteria that I need in my gigging life. It is light, it sounds great, it is 'loud' enough, in fact that is probably one of the biggest reasons I keep rolling it out. With modern PA's, sound limiters, constantly being told a band is too loud (remember most of my work is funtion work where the client is always right!), using higher wattage amps is just a waste, you can never really open them up and hit their sweet spot.So it is easier to use a smaller (and lighter) amplifier that cuts the mustard and on bigger stages mix it up and get the signal through a monitor.
Video
So here is everything I have to say about my Blues Junior III after 5 years of hammering it and long may it continue!!In short, I love this amp. It does have some failings, but for function work and most gigs it is the perfect compromise. I have convinced myself that I am going to get another one (Normal one this time not with the Jensen).EnjoyPeaceNeil
A short while a go, I was contacted by Xvive to see if I was interested in the chance to review their U2 Wireless system.Of course as a wireless user already (Line 6 G30), I am full aware of the problems and shortcomings with using Wireless units live, so I was very keen to see what the new kid on the block had to offer and how it worked in a live situation. During the review period I used the unit at a series of gigs and at home in the studio (as well as doing the 'making a cup of tea' challenge'). I feel that this gave me a strong indication of the U2's abilities.NOTEI will state now (as I state in the video), I don't work for Xvive or the distributors, nor am I endorsed by them in any way. The review (as with all my reviews) is my simply my thoughts and opinions and nothing else (as you will know if you have seen any of my other videos), if I find a problem with a product I will let you know.
Cableless or wireless?
The first thing that struck me about the U2 unit (well, actually the first thing that struck me was that it came in a really nice box, and I like boxes!), was how light and small they are! The unit consists of a standard 1/4" jack and a bulb shaped, flattish transmitted and receiver. The shape means that they fit well with Strat style jack, and also on to a side mounted jack (e.g. Tele, Les Paul etc), I did have a concern for a moment that it might come flying out, but after trying to get it to fly out with some crazy guitar swinging antics, the unit stated firmly put. This put my mind at rest as my Line 6 transmitter pack has gone flying across the stage and into the audience on numerous occasions. So no worries on that point! The plastic was fairly robust and I am sure would last if treated with respect, if you are the kind of person that jumps up and down on your gear and treats it with contempt, then perhaps it might not be as robust, but then again you probably break a lot of gear!Firing up the units it was a matter of two button presses to get the to sync to the correct channel and I was a way. A series of flashing lights indicated which channel each unit was on and the process was extremely simple to assign each to the same channel. I should not that there are only four channels available in the band. This make be an issue for bands with a large amount of wireless gear which is operating with in a fixed band.
My concerns
I only had one concern about this unit before starting the review and that was about using rechargeable battery. NOW I will state strongly that this is my issue about batteries, I don't trust them after years of gigging and experiencing everything that can happen with batteries. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to quickly swap them for a new set should they go down. Again I will state that this is my issue and something which concerned me about the unit. BUT in hindsight this concern was not an issue at all. With the supplied double charging cable, there is no reason why these should ever go down. One thing is to get into the routine of charging them before a gig or leaving one of them permanently on charge on your pedalboard.Of course, I then came up with the perfect solution, connecting them to a USB power bank , there are so many was you could charge them using these, including leaving a battery connected. This to me seemed like the perfect solution. From that point on wards I never thought about the batteries again.....
But how long do they last?
I did a couple of tests on the battery life, during gigs and then a couple of tests where I left them on until the batteries died. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that they lasted 6-8 hours constantly on. That is really impressive! That will cover most gigs, if not 2-3 gigs with one charge. They also charged quickly when on charge!
Where do we go now?
Probably one of the most pertinent questions in relation to a wireless unit is....how far can I go before the signal cuts out? Now (bring on the internet hate!), given that most guitarists who don't use wireless units are probably using 3 or 6 metre cables (usually), I personally think that anything further than that is a bonus!! Please ask yourself HONESTLY about the stages you are playing on, be honest with yourself!! Are they that big? REALLY?To give you a point of reference, I play on very large stages and the occasional stadium, and the 30 metres of the G30 has never been tested. The one time where it can cut out, is if I jump down and go and check the FOH sound from the back of the room. If you are playing arena shows, and large venues as a point of course, I doubt you will be looking at this unit. You will no doubt be looking at integrated units to tie in with all the wireless signals floating around (IEMs as well). Just be honest with yourself and your requirements.Anyway, I did do the distance test with the U2, I would say going beyond 30 metres the unit did cut out, but there was a thick stone wall in the way as I went back stage. When the signal goes be prepared for an onslaught of horrible noise. I also did the 'make a cup of tea test', where I went downstairs to make tea in my house and the unit performed flawlessly with this test.
Cable tone
One thing that I found missing from the U2 was a 'cable tone' feature. This feature is on the Line 6 units and basically adds in some capacitance to mimic the effect on high frequencies of using a cable. Basically just a low pass filter circuit. If you haven't used wireless before you will probably be surprised at how bright your guitar can suddenly sound. Line 6 countered this with the option to switch in certain lengths of cable.This really isn't a big deal, you can just role off some of your treble on your amp, but I am mentioning it for completeness. I tend to like the duller sound of a cable, so I always have the cable tone switched in at it's maximum value! I am sure this wouldn't be a massive change should Xvive choose to add it to a future product (the U3?)
Conclusion
The biggest compliment I can pay to the Xvive U2 unit was that after my initial concerns about the battery life, I literally forgot about the unit, I didn't give it a second thought. The review unit performed flawlessly throughout the review period and all the gigs that I did during that period. I was sad to send it back, I will be seriously considering replacing my Line 6 G30 System with these in the near future. Perhaps I might even get two!! One from guitar to pedal board and then another from pedalboard to amp! No more cabling on stage!! That is pretty cool.Obviously, there is a consideration about how many channels the U2 has, but if you don't have many other wireless units on stage then this isn't a problem. Simply put, if you are looking to embrace the freedoms' wireless can offer you, then you can do a lot worst than cutting the Xvive U2 at the top of your list of units to check out. Highly recommended.Pros
Very Lightweight
Ease of use
Battery Life
Can be used for other instruments, not just guitar
I did a short unboxing video of the fantastic XVIVE U2 Wireless system, with an explanation of how reviews work. Hope you find it interesting.EnjoyPeaceNeil
I know I am preaching to the converted here, but I feel that this is something that comes up a lot with folks who are thinking of switching to modelling and then don’t ‘get’ what they are hearing. I thought I would do a video explaining all about amp modelling and what you are actually meant to be hearing!! Remember people, it is the sound of a mic’d up amp in a room, which is VERY different that the sound of an am in a room.As I come from a recording back ground, so I have made an assumption here. The sound of a mic’d amp in a room I always consider to be a live room in a studio (or the room next door. :) Yes if you have an amp in the room ‘with you’ and put a mic on it, you are still hearing the sound of the amp. I also agree partially with you about the live situation (again showing my age!) but you would get a mix of the mix signal from the amp and the amp itself but nowadays that has changed somewhat where amps are offstage or in ISO boxes, so yes in that situation the helix represents the same thing.EnjoyPeaceNeil
So, I just picked up the Thomann Effect Pedal Bag as a soft case for my Helix. I have been looking for something smaller and lighter than my full on Swan Flight flight case for the Helix and this bag kept coming up in discussions online about suitable bags!Will it replace my full on flight case? Well obviously no!Is it a insanely cheap soft case, good enough for most small gigs and given that I am careful with my gear will it be fine? YES YES YESWill it last for ever? NODoes it cost £17? YESThe Helix fits really well, so well I thought I would do a little video review to help anyone thinking or looking for a carry case.Enjoy!PeaceNeil
As so many people have asked, here is a frank on honest discussion on the reasons for my choice, given how many Atomic Amplifire videos I have done. Don’t get me wrong! I love the AA, absolutely love it!! But the Helix works in a way that just fits with the way I work and the way my head works. It probably says more about me than any thing else.This really isn’t about one product being better than the next, this is all about one product working for me and the way that I need to work in my gigging work. If I could have kept both, I really would have. I have a keen eye on Atomic and would love to see what they come up with in the future. Both the Atomic Amplifire and the Line 6 Helix, sound awesome, the work really well and are very robust and fit in to the professional world. It is just that one fits me better....simple. But this is the internet, so things are never as simple as this, so hopefully this will put the record straight!EnjoyPeaceNeil
