MMR Dealer Survey: Drum Microphone Packages

Setting up a mic for a singer in the studio or onstage? Not so terribly complicated. Same applies to guitar, bass, keys, brass & woodwind — nearly everything except DRUMS. With multiple components in most kits, multiple microphones are required. As such, Drum Microphone Packages (kits, packs, sets) are popular items with both live and studio sound engineers. If you stock these microphone packages, please take a few moments to share your thoughts on this market segment by clicking here!

New Nexus Series Acoustics from Faith Guitars

Faith Guitars are delighted to announce the launch of new additions to their popular Nexus acoustic guitar series.

In line with established Faith Nexus Cognac and Copper Black models, the new Nexus Venus E/Cut Solar Flare [FPVSF] and Nexus Neptune E/Cut Coffee Brown [FPNCECF] are stunning all-solid acoustic guitars designed to carefully bridge the gap between Faith’s ever-popular, stripped-back Naked series and their premium PRO and LEGACY models.

The Nexus Venus Solar Flare (FPVSF) model features an all-mahogany body with exclusive satin finish over a rich, sunburst-coloured top while the back and sides retain a deep, stained natural hue. This satin finish is soft and smooth to the touch, complementing its smooth and balanced tonal palette.

The Nexus Neptune Coffee Brown model (FPNCECF), showcases beautiful, figured Javanese Trembesi all over. Indigenous to the Indonesian island of Java, Trembesi delivers a warm and balanced tone akin to Mahogany and the light Coffee Brown stain helps to bring out even more of the stunning character of this exotic tonewood.

Both models feature ABS body binding – black with white purfling on the Solar Flare, cream on the Coffee Brown – and are fitted with a solid Figured Ebony pickguard, a feature found on only a handful of select Faith guitars.

Precision tuners along with mahogany necks, genuine ebony fingerboards, bridges and bridge pins complete the Nexus look. Electronics are provided by Fishman, using a side-mounted Presys II preamp system which also features an in-built tuner.

New Faith Nexus Series models are available to buy now from authorised international Faith Guitars dealers – https://www.faithguitars.com/dealers/uk-ireland-france-benelux-retailers

Faith Nexus Venus E/Cut Solar Flare [FPVSF]: MSRP £869 / $1,069

Faith Nexus Neptune E/Cut Coffee Brown [FPNCECF]: MSRP £849 / $1,039

Stephen Kehner Joins Majestic Percussion as New Artist Endorser

Oregon Symphony Assistant Principal Percussionist Stephen Kehner has joined the Majestic Percussion artist roster, adding his skill as a performer and his passion as an educator to the esteemed lineup.

“I’m proud to be associated with the Majestic brand because their mission aligns closely with my own,” states Kehner. “They develop and create the highest quality instruments while also robustly supporting percussion music education initiatives that I think will continue to be transformational for the next generation of exciting young musicians,” says Stephen.

Stephen Kehner brings a wealth of experience and talent to Majestic Percussion. Prior to his tenure with the Oregon Symphony, Stephen served in prominent roles with the Utah Symphony & Opera and the New World Symphony. His performance background includes collaborations with the St. Louis Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Silk Road Ensemble, Sö Percussion, and more.

Beyond his accomplishments as a performer, Stephen Kehner is deeply committed to education. He has mentored students across various settings, including summer music camps, high school marching bands, and university percussion departments. His dedication to cultivating young talent extends internationally, as evidenced by his coaching of students in Colombia alongside his performances with the Iberacademy youth orchestra.

As a devoted advocate for diversity and inclusion in classical percussion, Stephen Kehner serves as a Professional Member of the Network for Diversity in Concert Percussion. Additionally, he is a teaching artist for The Percussion Conservatory, a digital platform dedicated to classical percussion education.

“The addition of Stephen to the artist roster is an exciting development for the Majestic team,” says Nic Milliner, Brand Manager for Majestic Percussion. “Beyond his truly exceptional musical talent, Stephen’s unwavering dedication to enhancing educational opportunities and advocating for the percussion community embodies his character and seamlessly aligns with our brand vision. We anticipate a partnership that will thrive for years to come.”

Stephen’s artist page: https://majesticpercussion.com/us/artists/stephen-kehner/

TikTok Artist LO LA Joins Lanikai Ukuleles’ Roster of Talented Artists

Lanikai Ukuleles is thrilled to announce its partnership with recording artist and TikTok sensation, LO LA. Since 2018, LO LA has been captivating audiences worldwide with her unique blend of indie-pop, alternative, and dream-pop, establishing herself as a rising star in the music industry. Hailing from the vibrant city of Los Angeles, LO LA’s music has resonated deeply with fans worldwide, amassing over 100 million streams across various platforms.

With chart-topping success in Indonesia for three consecutive weeks, LO LA’s international appeal is undeniable. However, it’s not just her music that has captivated audiences; her engaging TikTok live streams have become a fan favorite, with LO LA serenading her audience for hours on end, taking requests, and providing a glimpse into her creative process.

“I am absolutely thrilled to partner with Lanikai Ukuleles,” said LO LA. “Their instruments are truly exceptional. I love the color so much and I love how rich the tone is! I also love that it has strap buttons unlike most ukuleles. I love that I’m also able to plug the ukulele right into my soundboard and play it on my livestreams!”

LO LA’s choice of instruments includes the Blue Quilted Maple Tenor Ukulele (QM-BLCET) and the timeless Solid Mahogany Tenor Ukulele (MAS-CET).

“LO LA’s enthusiastic presence in the social media world, propelled by her music, is truly inspiring. We are excited about the opportunity to collaborate with her and engage with her global audience,” says Rock Clouser, Brand Manager for Lanikai Ukuleles.

For more information on LO LA and her upcoming projects, please visit her official website and follow her on social media.

New York’s Imperial Guitar & Soundworks to Close Brick-and-Mortar Location

Bill Imperial, Ciarra Fragale, and Joe DiBisceglie of Imperial Guitar & Soundworks

New Palz, New York’s Imperial Guitar & Soundworks will soon be shuttering its doors for good. The longtime MI retail mainstay has served the Hudson Valley area for nearly half a century, but founder Bill Imperial has decided that now’s the time to step away from the business… but not completely.

“The brick and mortar is humming along just fine and I still enjoy it,” he shares. “Customers come in almost every day thanking me for the service we provide to the music community in the Hudson Valley of NY. The reason I’m winding down is because I simply want less responsibility; less of the nuts and bolts of running the biz — making sure the humidifiers are working, the rubbish is picked up, there is coverage for employee vacations/gigs/illness, damage control when vendors’ ETA’s are wildly inaccurate, et cetera.
“All the remaining inventory will be at Jake’s Main Street Music in Beacon https://jakesmainstreetmusic.com/, as well as online at ImperialGuitar.com , eBay, Reverb. As long as I can continue to acquire interesting instruments I will continue to offer them at the aforementioned places. I will also continue to design and install professional audio/video/lighting systems in churches, clubs, summer camps, theaters, and other public places with my strategic partner, Mike Lynn of Lynn Sound Systems, Newburgh NY.”

Gibson Gives and 1500 Sound Academy Partner for Music Scholarships Across Los Angeles, CA, Beijing, China, and Taipei, Taiwan

Students attending 1500 Sound Academy learn the craft of Music Production, Engineering, Songwriting, Mixing, Music Business, and Artist Branding for careers in music

Gibson, and its charitable arm Gibson Gives believe in the power of music, and that getting instruments into the hands of those with a desire to make music is a life-changing event. A state-of-the-art music school in Inglewood, CA, 1500 Sound Academy offers comprehensive courses to music students and aspiring professionals who want to learn the craft of Music Production, Engineering, Songwriting, Mixing, Music Business, and Artist Branding. Gibson Gives is proud to announce it will partner with 1500 Sound Academy this year to give five music scholarships valued at$25,000. in addition to instruments and gear totaling over $12,500 across the program inLos Angeles, California, Beijing, China and Taipei, Taiwan.

“Music has the power to transform lives, and at Gibson Gives, we believe in amplifying that transformative potential. We’re thrilled to announce our partnership with 1500 Sound Academy, a beacon of excellence in music education. This collaboration extends our commitment to fostering talent globally, reaching students in Los Angeles, Beijing, and Taiwan.”

–Erica Krusen, Senior Director, Global Cultural Influence and Gibson Global Executive Director, Gibson Gives

“1500 Sound Academy and Gibson Gives share a tireless commitment to providing musicians with the education, resources and support that is vital on their journey. We couldn’t be more excited this partnership and the opportunity the Gibson Gives Scholarships will afford to young, bright minds as they pursue their dreams in the music industry.”

–Twila True, Co-Founder, 1500 Sound Academy and CEO, True Family Enterprises

Students can apply through April 19, 2024 AT 5PM PT for the Los Angeles area program of the Gibson Gives Scholarship HERE, the Beijing program HERE, and the Taipei program HERE.

Recipients will be announced on May 8.

Above: Students attending 1500 Sound Academy.

Gibson Gives–a 501(c)(3) is committed to making the world a better place by supporting non-profit organizations and developing programs in our efforts to advance musicians through music education, and health and wellness initiatives worldwide. Gibson Gives is committed to cultivating LGBTQ-inclusive partnerships and offering steadfast support for all communities. 100% of all donations to and from Gibson Gives go towards giving the gift of music. In the last three years, Gibson Gives has raised over $4.5 million dollars and enabled $46 million in funding for key organizations through product donations and meaningful giving worldwide. For more information, visit: www.gibsongives.org.

A trailblazing music education institution that strives to produce passionate sound creators through mentorship, positive mindset, and professional development, 1500 Sound Academy was created to help enrich the next generation of music creatives. 1500 Sound Academy’s founders consist of the legendary musical ensemble, 1500 or Nothin,’ aka James Fauntleroy and Larrance “Rance” Dopson, and renowned entrepreneur, executive, and philanthropist, Twila True. Both are GRAMMY Award-winning industry leaders who have collaborated with many high-profile artists, including Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Nipsey Hussle, and Justin Timberlake. In 2021, Fauntleroy, Dopson, and True launched the educational program in Los Angeles that teaches local residents the fundamentals of music and the industry. 1500 Sound Academy provides annual scholarships to attendees and offers instructional courses at affordable rates in comparison to other programs in the city. For more information on 1500 Sound Academy, visit: https://www.1500soundacademy.com/.

EAW Introduces Raymond Tee as APAC Technical Sales Manager

Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW®) welcomes Raymond Tee as APAC Technical Sales Manager. In this role, Tee will be the primary pre- and post-sales technical support contact for EAW’s APAC partners. He will also assist James Bamlett, the Senior Director of EMEA and APAC Sales, with identifying, training and managing new partners to strengthen EAW’s network throughout the region.

“I first worked with Raymond over 20 years ago when he was handling EAW for our Malaysian distributor,” says Bamlett. “With his vast experience in the field, I’m very glad that we are finally able to close the circle and get him back to EAW.”

Tee has held sales, technical and engineering positions at several international manufacturers, was the operations manager at a large rental company and most recently served as Powersoft’s solutions engineer for APAC. He has provided support for EAW in a few of these positions, and along with the culmination of his experience in the field, he is a valuable addition to the team.

ADJ LED-Powered Luminaires Chosen To Provide Versatile Lighting System For Detroit’s Diamondback Music Hall

A variety of ADJ fixtures, including Focus Spot 6Z moving heads and 12PX HEX pars, have been installed as part of a complete renovation of the Diamondback Music Hall in Detroit, MI. The lighting rig, designed by Ryan Richards and supplied by Audio Rescue Team, provides a versatile solution for the venue, which hosts a mixture of live music performances and dance parties.

The Diamondback Music Hall is a large purpose-built entertainment venue, located in Van Buren Township, a southwest suburb of Detroit, Michigan. Formally known as the Diamondback Saloon and specializing in country music, the venue has recently undergone extensive refurbishment and rebranding, which included the installation of a completely new lighting, audio, and video system. The venue now hosts a wide variety of live music, including rock, hip-hop, retro, and country artists, as well as club nights with DJs providing the music.

Well established in the Detroit area, Audio Rescue Team has over 30 years of entertainment industry experience. The company is operated by founder, Michael Fotias, his business partner, Alan Bogl, and a small but highly experienced team. Until recently, the company specialized in audio – both rental and installation projects – but now offers a full AVL service, following the acquisition of Ryan Richards Visuals. A well-known and much-respected lighting professional in Detroit, the company’s eponymous owner has joined Audio Rescue Team Ryan as Lighting & Visuals Manager. The installation at Diamondback Music Hall represented the newly amalgamated company’s first major project combining lighting, video and audio elements.

“Now that we have Ryan on board, we’re able to offer our clients expert service across all disciplines,” states Alan, “and Diamondback Music Hall is a perfect showcase of what we can do. In terms of the lighting, the clients had a lot of trust in Ryan because of his work around town over the last 10 years, so were happy to allow him to lead the design process. However, they did have a specific budget to work with and that’s where ADJ really excelled. Ryan has used ADJ fixtures for years, so could vouch for the quality and reliability, and the good value pricing allowed us to not only stay within budget but deliver a system that met all the clients’ requirements, is extremely versatile, and looks fantastic!”

During an initial conversation, the clients explained the venue would have a dual focus on live music and dance parties, and therefore required a lighting system that could be used interchangeably to highlight the stage or dance floor. Other than that, Ryan was allowed full creative freedom. He came up with an initial design using the Capture visualization software and created renderings to help the clients understand how the proposed system would look. They were extremely pleased, and very few changes were made between the original design proposal and the finished installation.

At the heart of the rig is ADJ’s powerful and feature-packed Focus Spot 6Z LED-powered automated luminaire. A total of 12 fixtures have been installed in the venue, spread equally across three trusses. One truss is positioned upstage, with the fixtures used to create aerial effects behind performers. A second hangs downstage, allowing the fixtures either to be used for illuminating performers or to shoot beams out over the crowd. Finally, the third truss hangs in the center of the room, with its fixtures used predominantly to create aerial effects over the dancefloor.

“The build quality of the Focus Spot 6Z is really up to par – it’s a premium quality product but at a great price point,” comments Ryan. “The 300-Watt LED engine was a perfect fit for the brightness we needed for that size of room, and it offers a very rich feature set. The fixtures on the downstage truss can be used to highlight artists on stage, but predominantly we are using them for aerial effects, both when bands are performing and when the focus is on the dance floor. The beams are very sharp and – as you can see from the photos – look great in the space. Another thing I really like about the entire Focus Series is that the fixtures are really straightforward to maintain, which is an important consideration, as we’ll be providing ongoing technical support to the venue.”

For stage wash, Ryan selected ADJ’s 12PX HEX LED par fixtures. Each unit combines 12 x 12-Watt 6-in-1 color mixing LEDs, which together produce punchy output with a beam angle of 25-degrees. Through independent dimming control of the red, green, blue, amber, white and UV primary LED elements, these fixtures can be used to generate a huge palette of colors, ranging from vibrant saturates to subtle pastels. At Diamondback Music Hall six fixtures hang from the upstage truss for back wash and eight units line the downstage truss to provide an even front wash that covers the whole stage.

Completing the venue’s stage lighting package are a pair of Jolt Panel FX units, which are rigged to the front of the downstage truss facing out towards the crowd. Combining intensely bright white strobe LEDs and vibrant color mixing LEDs, these striking fixtures deliver a huge amount of creative potential. Each unit incorporates 48 x 5-Watt cool white SMD LEDs, surrounded on both sides by a total of 800 x 0.3W RGB SMD LEDs. Both types of LED are grouped into independently controllable zones (6 white and 40 color), allowing for the creation of eye-catching animated chase patterns.

“We really love the Jolt Panel FX, it’s just so versatile, in fact I think it’s the best fixture to come out from any company in the last few years,” enthuses Ryan. “The bang for your buck that you get really is unmatched; the output is unbelievable, and the build quality is excellent. We have six in our rental inventory and use them for all kinds of events. They weren’t part of the original quote for Diamondback, but when the client came to us with a little extra budget to add blinders to the rig, they were the obvious choice. At the club they serve two purposes. Firstly, they work as blinders when a band is on the stage and, secondly, they generate color wash for the dancefloor to provide a backdrop for the beam effects during DJ sets.”

In addition to the lighting on the stage and over the dancefloor, Audio Rescue Team also supplied 36 of ADJ’s UB 12H linear LED fixtures to illuminate the venue’s roof. With a barnlike design, the building has a vaulted ceiling which is clad with wooden paneling. This provides a canvas for the UB 12H fixtures, which are attached to the two central supporting beams that run down the middle of the room. The fixtures are angled upwards, allowing the entire roof space to be filled with vibrant colored light.

“When you walk in that room, your eyes are naturally drawn to the cavernous ceiling”, explains Ryan. “So, I wanted to use lighting to accentuate that and really make it a part of the lightshow. The UB 12Hs allowed us to do that very well. When you switch them between – for example – red and white, it really changes the whole look of the room. They are great value fixtures, which was important as we needed such a large quantity, but also very effective. We have them in their full DMX channel mode, which allows zone control over groups of LEDs. This means I am able to create some really nice chase effects for when a DJ is playing as well as use them to create background color washes for times when the stage needs to be the focus.”

The whole rig is controlled by an NX1 console from ADJ’s sister company Obsidian Control Systems, running with an NX P fader wing. This is connected via ethernet to a Netron EN12, which distributes DMX feeds to the lighting fixtures installed throughout the venue. Used to operate the versatile lighting rig of ADJ fixtures, this control system allows Ryan to successfully deliver great stage lighting that enhances live music performances as well as dancefloor-focused lighting to create the right mood when the venue hosts dance parties. Since the Diamondback Music Hall officially opened on November 11th last year, it has hosted a wide variety of concerts and events. So far, the lighting system has performed flawlessly and, as Audio Rescue Team is providing ongoing support to the venue – which will include regular cleaning of the fixtures – it is sure to prove a good investment for many years to come.

Anniversary: BASSBOSS at 25 – ‘We Expect People Are Going to Be Ready to Party!’

BASSBOSS marked the company’s 25th anniversary at the NAMM Show with the brand’s “Demolition Experience” — something which anyone who attended won’t soon forget! Earthshattering depth of sound and a commitment to quality have defined the brand since day-one and we delve into what has driven the company’s commitment to innovation for the past quater-century.

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Furch Guitars Launches Exclusive Appointment Sale Program with Personalized Assistance

How it works

Truly Personalized Experience

EarthQuaker Devices Announces a Limited Edition Avalanche Run to Support the Lottery League

Hal Leonard’s ‘Chart Hits of 2023-2024’

MMR Dealer Survey: Drum Microphone Packages

New Nexus Series Acoustics from Faith Guitars

Stephen Kehner Joins Majestic Percussion as New Artist Endorser

TikTok Artist LO LA Joins Lanikai Ukuleles’ Roster of Talented Artists

New York’s Imperial Guitar & Soundworks to Close Brick-and-Mortar Location

Gibson Gives and 1500 Sound Academy Partner for Music Scholarships Across Los Angeles, CA, Beijing, China, and Taipei, Taiwan

EAW Introduces Raymond Tee as APAC Technical Sales Manager

ADJ LED-Powered Luminaires Chosen To Provide Versatile Lighting System For Detroit’s Diamondback Music Hall

Anniversary: BASSBOSS at 25 – ‘We Expect People Are Going to Be Ready to Party!’

April 2024

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