Mogami is pleased to introduce the new Platinum Series instrument cable. Through precision engineering and manufacturing techniques, Mogami has managed to reduce the capacitance (the tendency for a component to store an electrical charge) and refine the mechanical and electrical performance attributes of the cable, while maintaining superior flexibility and handling characteristics. The result is a very flexible, lightweight, larger diameter, high performance cable that minimizes noise and delivers the most neutral tone quality possible—even in extended lengths.

By reducing the cable’s capacitance, Mogami’s new Platinum Series instrument cable maintains the high frequency content other cables lose. As cable length increases, top end is the first sound element to suffer, along with muted transients and compromised dynamics. This is why guitarists have lived by the unwritten rule that guitar cables should never exceed 18 feet—because beyond this physical limit, one’s sound suffers dramatically. With Mogami’s new Platinum Series cable, guitarists can extend their cable length to as much as 40 -50 feet creating far more freedom of movement than ever before without degradation of sound quality.

The biggest challenge in designing high-performance guitar cables is eliminating Triboelectric Noise, caused by handling, flexing, or stepping on the cable. This also causes vibration from music which makes cables “sing along,” thereby smearing transients. Mogami Platinum utilizes our 100% coverage Ultra High Density spiral copper shield, plus a conductive shield-like layer, with a high performance dielectric. This combination overcomes the problem and delivers noise-free music transmission and the most neutral, dynamic tone in the industry.

With their new Platinum Series cable, Mogami engineers have produced a flexible, lightweight, larger diameter, high performance cable without resorting to performance-degrading fillers of any kind.

In addition to the technological advantages of the cable, the new Mogami Platinum Series instrument cable carries the added benefit of using Neutrik’s NP2C-AU-SILENT connector on the end that physically connects to the guitar (designated by a red jacket). Unlike other silent connectors utilizing a basic mechanical on/off switch, the Neutrik plug uses a reed switch. This reed switch contains a magnetic contact that is hermetically sealed in glass inside a capsule. Because of this isolated, air-free environment, there is no chance of arcing when a connection is made. Without arcing, there’s no wear, no pitting of the contacts and, hence, none of the scraping back and forth that a normal switching contact encounters. Bottom line, there is no pop, and this silent connector has a rated life expectancy of 1 million connections.

The new Mogami Platinum Series instrument cable is available in a number of lengths. MSRP starts at $99.95. The Mogami Platinum Series will be available for the holidays at Guitar Center and other fine music retailers.

For more information, visit their web site at www.mogamicable.com.

Posted in Audio, Bass, Guitar

Top-tier bassists Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, Victor Wooten, Billy Sheehan, and many others will appear at Bass Player LIVE!, Bass Player magazine’s two-day conference and concert, which will be held October 28 and 29, 2006 at midtown Manhattan’s Millennium Broadway Hotel.

Bass Player LIVE! is designed to be a live version of Bass Player, the world’s most widely read bass magazine. This stellar event brings together players, bass builders and manufacturers, and instructors for two days of clinics, live performances, onstage interviews, and gear exhibits.

Headlining Saturday night’s Bass Player LIVE! concert at the China Club is Bx3, the super trio of Billy Sheehan, Jeff Berlin, and Stuart Hamm. Also at the concert, Victor Wooten and Marcus Miller will present the 2006 Bass Player Lifetime Achievement Awards to Stanley Clarke. Clarke will join a pantheon of recent recipients, including jazz legend Ron Carter, Cream bassist Jack Bruce, session superstars Anthony Jackson and Will Lee, and Atlantic session veteran Jerry Jemmott.

“We’re thrilled to have so many top-name players joining Bass Player and our co-sponsors in presenting this event,” says Bill Leigh, Editor in Chief of Bass Player. “For years we’ve been putting on bass events to promote the craft of bass playing while providing a live forum for the bass community to come together, learn from one another, and honor each other’s accomplishments. With this year’s heavy lineup, we’re looking forward to our best event ever.”

In addition to Wooten, Miller, Sheehan, Berlin, Hamm, and Clarke, the all-star roster of clinicians includes former Weather Report bassist and super sideman Victor Bailey, Late Show bassist Will Lee, fretless session whiz Steve Bailey, Latin jazz sideman Ruben Rodriguez, jazz artist Chris Minh Doky, Late Night bassist Mike Merritt, former Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson, Mike Keneally bassist Bryan Beller, Broadway mainstay John Miller, Bon Jovi bassist Hugh McDonald, Steven Curtis Chapman sideman and solo artist/educator Adam Nitti, Bakithi Kumalo of Paul Simon’s Graceland album, Gospel great Andrew Gouche, and many others.

Bass Player Live! provides a fantastic opportunity for musicians interested in improving their skills and knowledge to get hands-on experience with the most up-to-date equipment as well as vintage gear, while listening to the advice and techniques of top professional musicians.

Exhibitors and co-sponsors include Aguilar, Alleva-Coppolo Basses, D’Addario, David Gage String Instruments, DR Music, Dunlop, Epifani Custom Sound, Euphonic Audio, Genz Benz Enclosures, Groove Shoppe, Hartke, M Basses, Mark Bass, Mesa Engineering, MTD, Peavey, Pedulla, Pensa Guitars, Roland, Rudy’s Music, Sage Guitars, Sadowsky Guitars, Sam Ash, Samson Technologies, Simmons Guitars, Spector Basses, Tech 21, Trace Elliott, and Warrior Instruments.

The latest information about artists, sponsors, and sponsors is at www.bassplayerlive.com, where you can also get Bass Player LIVE! advance tickets. Hotel reservations are available by calling the Millennium Broadway Hotel at (212) 768-4400 or visiting www.milleniumhotels.com.

For more information, visit their web site at www.bassplayer.com.

Posted in Bass, Events, Industry, News

Janus is a virtual bass amp for VST-compatible hosts. Using separate Contour- knobs for left and right channels, the user can create their own “mixdown” of the material or retain two separate channels to achieve unique, stereophonic bass-sounds. Janus works best on dry, stereo bass-tracks.

Main features:

• Dual Contour-controls for radical tone-shaping
• Master volume and treble settings
• “Deep” knob to boost ultra-low frequency content
• Soft- and Hard-preamp voicing options
• Reverb and cabinet resonance controls
• Includes 16 presets

A free demo version with limited functionality is available for download.

The full version of Janus costs $14 US.

For more information, visit their web site at www.zensoundcheck.com/audio.

Posted in Amplification, Bass, Computer, Microsoft PC, Software, Technology

PlayJazzNow.com, a new website that launched last month, offers downloadable jazz play-along tracks that will enable every instrumentalist and vocalist to work out with a world class rhythm section.

“It was impossible to find any recordings my students could play with to help them become better accompanists and soloists - and it was very frustrating,” says PlayJazzNow “trackmeister” Bill Harrison, a professional jazz bassist who has been playing and teaching for nearly 30 years. “PlayJazzNow.com provides tracks that any musician, regardless of their level or instrument, can use to hone their musical skills,” he explains. “These tracks give musicians the support and tonal reference they need for mastering scales, rhythms and the other fundamentals of jazz improvisation.”

For example, bassists can play-along with piano and drums - allowing them to feel what it’s like to synch up with a great drummer and to hear their bass lines in the context of the chord changes. Piano, guitar and vibes players can practice with bass and drums; horn players and singers can work out with a full jazz trio. “There’s really nothing else out there like it. In fact, our tagline is “The World’s Only Source for Downloadable Play-Along Tracks,” says Harrison.

Until the last decade or so, players would learn a lot ‘on the job’ and at jam sessions, but now there are a lot more players - and a lot fewer sessions. Harrison feels that budding jazz musicians need a way to practice regularly with a real rhythm section.

PlayJazzNow.com addresses this need. The website offers jazz play-alongs that are quite different from the CD/book sets of play-along tunes sold by Jamey Aebersold. PlayJazzNow.com tracks consist of chord progressions - turnarounds and forms that occur in all types of standards and jazz compositions. Harrison states, “PlayJazzNow’s play-alongs are available for immediate download, come in all 12 keys and you can find the precise tracks you need for your level and your instrument.”

PlayJazzNow.com play-along tracks are much more affordable than other CD-based play-alongs on the market. A track set, comprised of 12 identical tracks - one in each key - runs a little over a dollar per track. Since the tracks are made up of chord changes and not “songs” per se, they provide the jazz musician with the freedom and flexibility needed to practice whatever they choose.

PlayJazzNow.com offers several progressions to choose from, including simple two-fives, blues, and turnarounds in major and minor. Future tracks will deal with “rhythm” changes, more complicated forms of major and minor blues and other common harmonic formulas. Tracks will feature a variety of rhythmic feels including swing, Latin and African grooves. There are also plans to create a series of play-alongs for drummers and percussionists, something that will be unique to PlayJazzNow.com.

Bill Harrison is an accomplished jazz bassist who has performed with many jazz masters including; Clark Terry, James Moody, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Kenny Burrell, Bunky Green and Joe Daley. He has been a faculty member of Chicago State University and the American Conservatory of Music, and has taught at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Clark Terry’s Great Plains Jazz Camp and the Saskatchewan Summer School for the Arts. Harrison currently plays jazz, commercial and theatre gigs in Chicago and maintains two teaching studios.

For more information, visit their web site at www.playjazznow.com.

Posted in Bass, Education

Bass Specialties, the first - and only - bass guitar retail store in the Philadelphia area will host a grand opening celebration from noon until 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9. The store is located at 2846 Street Rd. in Bensalem, Pennsylvania.

The event will include appearances by noted bassists Gerald Veasley and Anthony Wellington. Manufacturer’s representatives also will be on hand to demonstrate and answer questions about their products. Bass Specialties will provide local bassists access to a large selection of quality basses and bass gear, including M Basses, Roscoe and Lakland basses and Aguilar amplification.

Owner and bassist Glenn Marrazzo was inspired to start Bass Specialties after attending well-known bassist Victor Wooten’s Bass Nature Camp and several of Gerald Veasley’s Bass Bootcamps. He is not new to business ownership or the bass: he co-owns Centre Fruit Gourmet in Morrisville and is the bassist for popular dance party band Exit 28.

Marrazzo’s vision is to make Bass Specialties into a resource the Philly bass community can tap into for top-notch gear, instruction, information and support including the presentation of bass clinics that will feature guest artists. The Bensalem store is conveniently located to the Philadelphia and metro area, along with south and central New Jersey.

The store will be open Monday - Friday from 10:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturdays noon to 5 p.m. and will be closed on Sunday. After hours appointments also will be available.

For more information, visit their web site at www.BassSpecialties.com.

Posted in Bass, Events

Soniccouture has released Abstrakt:Bass, a complete bass workstation for Kontakt 2.

A Complete Bass Solution for your DAW

Abstrakt:Bass is a virtual one-stop bass shop - electrics, upright, effects drones, dub basses, dry snappy synths, massive snarling filter sweeps, distorted groans and moans - all in one package. Every type of bass sound is covered in the Library, making it incredibly simple to load up the exact bass you need in seconds - or scroll through instruments to try out lots of different basses in your track.

Features:

• 1.6 GB Core Sample Library
• 140 Advanced Kontakt 2 Instruments
• Full Sampling + Synthesis Control
• 24 Bit 44.1khz High Quality optimized samples
• Brainwave Detune KSP Processor
• Original multi-sampled waveforms from a wide range of bass instruments
• Vari-Amp Sampling on Electric basses allows user to mix between 2 amp mics and D.I.

A Huge Range of Bass Timbres

Soniccouture have put their expert sampling skills to work recording detailed, multi-sampled 24-bit waveforms from a vast array of classic bass instruments.

This gives Abstrakt Bass a unique sonic breadth unobtainable from any conventional synth - from fat vintage analogue waveforms, complex, heavy FM synthesis, studio-recorded electric bass guitars and amps right through to completely new creations from the cutting edge of sound design.

Full Sampling and Synthesis Control:

Each of the 140 Kontakt instruments offers a huge range of control over the sound. Each instrument is a mini-synthesizer in itself! 8 control knobs are instantly accessible in the rack view of Kontakt, allowing you to simply tweak the attack time or filter cutoff, or to completely re-shape the entire sound.

VARI-AMP Sampling

The electric bass guitars included in Abstrakt : Bass feature a unique edge - the ability to mix the original amp and D.I. signals to suit your track. Each note of the guitar is represented by three 24-bit samples: D.I., Close Mic ( AKG D112 ) and Distant Mic ( Rode K2 ). This gives you complete control over the natural studio sound of the bass and the amp.

Instruments Include:

ARP 2600, Minimoog, EMS Synthi AKS, Fender Jazz, Bassman, Sherman Filter Bank, Korg MS-20, Roland SH101, Casio CZ-101, Yamaha CS-01, Yamaha TX- 81Z, Yamaha FS1R, Roland TB-303, Roland Jupiter 8, Prophet 5, Access Virus, Yamaha AN1X, Fender Rhodes, Roland TR-808, Roland Alpha Juno, Didgeridoo,

Plus many more uniquely created experimental bass waves.
£79.99

For more information, visit their web site at www.soniccouture.com.

Posted in Bass, Computer, Recording, Software, Technology

Carvin proudly introduces the new BR610 Bass Combo. Featuring a powerful amplifier, advanced equalization, dual 10-inch low frequency drivers, a Titanium high frequency driver, an XLR direct output, and numerous additional features integrated into a Duratuff™-covered enclosure with retractable handles, the BR610 Bass Combo is the perfect solution for gigging or studio bassists in search of compact, powerful, all-in-one system.

The BR610 maintains the compact form factor of its BR Series siblings, yet its powerful amplifier combined with dual 10-inch low frequency drivers and a Titanium high frequency driver makes this a remarkably robust setup. With a rugged Duratuff-covered enclosure that hides the wear and tear of the road, this terrific amplifier even features a tilt-back design that puts the bass right where it’s wanted. When the gig is over, the retractable handles make moving this powerhouse amp quick and easy. To protect the transducers, a 16-guage, perforated steel grill is supplied.

The new BR610 Bass Combo’s BX600 mono block bass head features discrete Class A circuitry, a contour control, a single knob compressor, and a front-mounted XLR direct output. With a whopping 600 watts of power at 2 ohms, this terrific amplifier has plenty of muscle for those musical applications where high output levels are a must to get the job done. This system also incorporates a heavy-duty crossover featuring a 6-position attenuator for precision settings at 0, -3, -6, -12, -24, and OFF. The BR610’s sealed crossovers and connector plates prevent air leakage and the high current, locking Speakon™ connectors and quarter-inch jacks make for a rugged amp that will withstand years of tortuous road use.

For shaping the sound exactly to one’s liking, the BR610 Bass Combo features parametric EQ with mid sweep and a 9-band graphic equalizer coupled with a Graphic EQ In/Out switch. This versatile amplifier also provides Active/Passive switching, and the switches feature active electronics for clean, precise control and greater reliability. To warm the sound up, the front panel Drive control can push the Class A preamps to a warm growl. There is also a Master control for the preamp.

The new Carvin BR610 Bass Combo is sold factory direct at $599.99. The BR610 is available now.

For more information, visit their web site at www.carvin.com.

Posted in Amplification, Bass

Ritter has been making massive inroads into the hardshell case market with the introduction of 60 different models in 7 separate ranges. Two of these are the RP1000 Series and RP2000 Series. Both are polystyrene foam core cases, while the former has a nylon exterior and the latter a polyester exterior.

Other common features of these lightweight cases that offer shock absorption are an internal neck rest with built-in accessory compartment, a padded, contoured, plush black interior; along with A4 music and accessory pouches. In addition, RP1000 Series models have a 420D nylon water repellent cover, backpack system and fashionable silver finish.

Meanwhile, the RP2000 Series benefits from a 600D polyester cover, a padded, adjustable backpack system; backpack pouch for hiding the strap when not in use, integrated mobile phone pouch and reflective safety strip. Colour coordinated with the RitterClassic Bag Series, the RP2000 Series comes in two colour options: night black exterior with black interior, or chocolate exterior with tangerine interior.

Both series are designed to fit dreadnought, classic, electric and electric bass guitars.

For more information, visit their web site at www.ritter-bags.com.

Posted in Accessories, Bass, Guitar

Carvin proudly introduces the new BR15 Bass Combo. Featuring advanced equalization, a 15-inch low frequency driver, a Titanium high frequency driver, an XLR direct output, and numerous additional features integrated into a Duratuff™-covered enclosure with retractable handles, the BR15 Bass Combo is the perfect solution for gigging or studio bassists.

For bassists who are constantly on the move, the new BR15 Bass Combo is hard to beat. The BR15 is the smallest and lightest combination bass amplifier offered by Carvin, yet its sound is big and remarkably robust—thanks to the 15-inch low frequency driver and Titanium high frequency driver combination. With a rugged Duratuff-covered enclosure that hides the wear and tear of the road, this terrific amplifier even features a tilt-back design that puts the bass right where it’s wanted. When the gig is over, the retractable handles make moving this powerhouse amp a breeze. To protect the transducers, a 16-guage, perforated steel grill is supplied.

The new BR15 Bass Combo’s BX120 head features the same discrete Class A circuitry, contour control, single knob compressor, and front-mounted XLR direct output found in Carvin’s BX600 bass head. With 120 watts output power at 8 ohms, this terrific amplifier has plenty of muscle for a wide variety of musical applications.

For shaping the sound precisely as it’s wanted, the BR15 Bass Combo features parametric EQ with mid sweep and a 5-band graphic equalizer coupled with a Graphic EQ In/Out switch. This versatile amplifier also provides Active/Passive switching, and the switches feature active electronics for clean, precise control and greater reliability. To warm the sound up, the front panel Drive control can push the Class A preamps to a warm growl—providing the ultimate in tonal diversity. There is also a Master control for the preamp.

The new Carvin BR15 Bass Combo is sold factory direct at $369.99. The BR15 is available now.

For more information, visit their web site at www.carvin.com.

Posted in Amplification, Bass

The LeCompte Transversus Rex roars into the Fanned-Fret® bass market with majestic styling and killer function.

TRX-6 Standard Features:

• Licensed Novax Fanned-Fret® System
• 33″-36″ Scale
• 24 Fret, Bolt-on Neck
• ABM Single Saddle Bridge Rails, 18mm Spacing
• Bartolini G66CBJD Pickups
• Passive Wiring
• Dual Action Truss Rod
• Polyester Finish
• Dunlop Straplocks
• Starting at $2100

Available options include choice of woods, hardware color, and fretted or fretless fingerboards. Preamp options are also available.

Plans are underway for a soon to be released five string version of the TRX.

For more information, visit their web site at www.lecomptebass.com.

Posted in Bass