Category: Equipment Reviews

Live band equipment reviews.

Behringer Eurorack UB2442FX-PRO Mixer Review

Behringer Eurorack UB2442FX-PRO Mixer

The most important component in your live band’s P.A. system is the mixing console. Without a mixer you’re not going to be able to mix your live sound properly when playing a gig. I’ve written a couple posts such as “You Need A P.A. System To Play A Gig” detailing how important having a good P.A. system is to the success of your band.

Today I’m going to talk about a budget mixer made by Behringer called the Eurorack UB2442FX-PRO. I know that many of you that have experience with Behringer equipment are rolling your eyes right now and I don’t blame you. Behringer has a reputation for cheap equipment that doesn’t always come with the best build quality. I know I’ve had my share of problems with Behringer equipment but at the same time I’ve been able to use Behringer products quite successfully in my studio and with my live band.
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Microsoft Zune HD vs. Apple iPod Touch Review

Microsoft Zune HD

A good portable music player is not only a great personal entertainment device, it’s also essential to have one to use with your live band. You can use it for learning songs while your practice as well as using it to play break music at gigs. Today we’re going to take a look at the Microsoft Zune HD and how it compares to the Apple iPod Touch.

The overall capacity of the two music players is relatively the same. The Zune HD is available in a 16GB and a 32GB model while the Ipod touch is available in an 8GB model, a 32GB model and a 64G model. Apple offers the Ipod in both smaller and larger models than the Zune, but I feel like the Zune hits a good midpoint. 16GB and 32GB both let you have a fair amount of music and video on your device. Apples 8GB model will only let you hold a few hours of music along with one or two full length videos. To be fair, I was somewhat disappointed that Microsoft didn’t have a larger size of the Zune HD available. (more…)
Danelectro FAB Chorus Pedal Review

Danelectro FAB Chorus – Excellent Sound, Incredible Price

I’ve been playing guitar in a live band for a lot of years now and I’ve come to rely on some basic guitar effects to help shape my sound. One of the most important effects you can add to your guitar effects collection is the Chorus effect. If you don’t know how a chorus works its quite simple. Chorusing makes your guitar sound like multiple guitars being played, hence the name Chorus. It accomplishes this effect by putting a slight delay and modulating the original signal then mixing the modulated signal with the original.

Today I’m going to talk about an incredibly affordable chorus pedal called the FAB Chorus by Danelectro. The FAB Chorus is a colored a metallic blue, has an on/off indicator light, an on/off button and 3 knobs that control Mix, Speed and Depth. The FAB Chorus is a mono chorus as opposed to more expensive stereo chorus effects. As you know, a stereo chorus effect will yield a wider and more ambient chorus effect split between two stereo channels. The FAB Chorus is made to be used with a mono guitar amplifier. (more…)
B-52 Matrix 2000 Powered Speaker System With Subwoofer

B-52 Matrix 2000 Speaker System

As you know, it’s crucial for your live band to have the right equipment in order to play a gig. The most important thing you need when playing a gig is a good P.A. System. You can buy yourself a complete P.A. package or you can assemble a P.A. by it’s individual components. The three main components in a P.A. system are a mixer, amplifier and speakers. Today I’m going to talk about a speaker system that has it’s own built-in power amp, the B-52 Matrix 2000 Speaker Sound System.

There are a lot of advantages to buying the B-52 Matrix 2000 speaker sysem. One of the most overlooked pieces of equipment when assembling a P.A. system is the amplifier that powers the speakers. I’ve seen a lot of musicians who are just starting out purchase a very nice speaker package with a mixer and totally forget to buy a power amp for them. That’s why it’s so nice to have the amplifier that powers the speakers built right into the speaker system itself. (more…)
My Favorite Electric Bass Guitar Strings

Dean Markley Blue Steel Bass Strings

Over the years I’ve played several different instruments in various live bands. In fact, the first bar band I played in, I was playing the bass guitar. I really love to play the bass guitar and it’s one instrument that truly came naturally to me. Today I’m going to tell you about the strings I use on my bass guitar.

If you’ve read my post about Dean Markley Blue Steel Strings for electric guitar then I’m sure you won’t be surprised at all when I tell you that I prefer Dean Markley Blue Steel Strings for my bass guitar as well. In case you didn’t know, Dean Markley Blue Steel strings are cryogenically treated by dipping them in -320 degree liquid nitrogen. They are then packaged and sealed in their box ready for you to purchase. (more…)
Line 6 POD Studio KB37 USB Audio Interface Review Update

Line 6 POD Studio KB37

A while ago I wrote a review on the Line 6 Toneport KB37 Audio Interface and MIDI Controller. I really love this little audio interface and it’s been an invaluable tool for my music recordings. I have a larger setup in my main studio but the KB37 goes with me when I need to work on my recordings while on the road. That being said, I have to admit that I use the KB37 in my big studio a lot of the time because it’s so simple to use.

When I got my KB37 it was called a Toneport and came with basic Line 6 amp simulation software. I had to purchase Reason 4.o and Sony Acid separately to get my portable recording setup running with the KB37. That added up to quite a few dollars to get a decent mobile audio workstation going. (more…)
Make Equipment Hauling A Breeze With A Mini Cart

Rock n Roller R6 Mini Cart

One of the biggest things I dread about playing in a live band is hauling equipment in and out of the gig venue. I have hauled more equipment up stairs and ramps than I care to remember. I always hoped I would get rich enough one day to afford my own roadies to haul my equipment. That’s only happened a couple of times so it’s usually me that has to carry my gear in.

That’s why today I’m recommending to you an excellent mini cart designed to fold extremely small for stowing in your vehicle yet is still strong enough to have a hauling capacity of 500 pounds. This cart is called the Rock n Roller R6 Mini Cart and it’s a real back saver for all you live musicians out there. (more…)
Get An External Phantom Power Supply For Your Studio Microphone

Audio-Technica CP8506 4ch Phantom Power Supply

If you play in a live band then chances are you most likely have a modest home studio setup as well. Every musician needs a way to capture creative ideas and having a home studio setup is the best way to do that. Most musicians have at least a basic mixing console but a lot of these consoles don’t come equipped with Phantom Power. Why do you need Phantom Power? To power your large diaphragm studio microphone such as the Audio-Technica AT2050 microphone. (more…)
Fender Samarium Cobalt Noiseless Guitar Pickups Review

Samarium Cobalt Noiseless Pickups

My favorite electric guitar is the Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster. I use it onstage constantly with my live band. I have two American Deluxe Stratocasters. One is the 2004, 50th Anniversary American Deluxe Stratocaster and my other is a 2006 American Deluxe Ash Stratocaster. They’re both equipped stock with Fender Samarium Cobalt Noiseless Pickups. In fact, Samarium Cobalt Noiseless pickups are found on all 2004-2009 Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster guitars.

One thing that I’ve always hated about traditional single coil pickups is the irritating 50/60 cycle hum that plague them. Obviously if you use a high gain amplifier or use any kind of compression, the hum is amplified and sounds even worse. I play a lot of high-gain, compressed sounds. The hum that comes with a traditional single coil pickup is unacceptable for a lot of what I play. Simply for the noiseless design, I have been very happy with the Fender SCN Samarium Cobalt Noiseless pickups.
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Behringer FCV100 Dual Mode Foot Controller Expression Pedal

Behringer FCV100 Footcontroller

In my live band, the guitar amp I use and love is the Fender Cyber-Twin SE amplifier. I’ve been using this amplifier for a couple years and it has never let me down. I program my own custom sound preset patches for the Cyber-Twin SE. The sounds the Cyber-Twin SE is capable of really are amazing!

I also love the MIDI capabilities the amp gives you with control over preset switching as well as control over many parameters in the amp controls and effects parameters. The MIDI controller I use is the Fender Cyber-Controller which has switches for controlling presets, the tuner, and effects on/off. The Cyber-Controller also has two controller pedals that I use to control various sound parameters such as Gain or effects levels. (more…)