Three Days to go for Tornado Victims Fund-raising ‘Music Aid for Joplin’ Auction

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Planet-Musician

The launch by Orange Amps of the fund-raising ‘Music Aid for Joplin’ is only three days away and is set

to raise thousands of pounds to help and support the Joplin community and in particular Glory Days Music Store destroyed by the tornado. The Auction (lots 1 to 30 only) has been running since July 18th and set to finish on Wednesday 24th August when the final live on-line auction begins at 10.30 am Pacific Daylight Time (USA) or 18.30 British Summer Time.

The auction has raised worldwide interest and the media have been widely supportive including a feature on CNN http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/07/29/joplin.tornado.music.store/index.html and coverage from much of the music press.

The live auction event will be handled by Fame Bureau, who are one of the world’s leading experts in music equipment and memorabilia. Highlights from the auction lots include a rare Orange Amps Union Jack half-stack, Sabian cymbals personally signed by RUSH’s Neil Peart and an Orange CR50BXT bass amp, signed by RUSH’s Geddy Lee. Since the launch of the auction support has been coming in from a wide range of companies and artists wanting to support this worthy cause and new lots added to the auction now include:

  • Mastodon signed Drum head and vinyl – Donated by Mastodon
  • Jerry Cantrell Signature Cry Baby Wah Pedal signed by Jerry Cantrell of Alice In Chains – Donated by Dunlop
  • Slash Signature Cry Baby Wah Pedal signed by Slash – Donated by Dunlop
  • Taylor Baby Acoustic Guitar signed by country star Trace Adkins – Donated by Taylor Guitars
  • Theory Of A Deadman Signed Drum Heads, Drum Sticks, Shirts, and copies of their new album “The Truth Is…”
  • David Gravette signed Skateboard, Shoes, and Poster – Donated by C1RCA
  • Guitar Picks from Gearpipe.com
  • Para-Strap Guitar Strap and Solder-Free Pedal Board Kit – Donated by Lava Cable
  • Samsung Series 9 Notebook – Donated by Intel
  • Aria PE Elite Electric Guitar with Duncan Designed Pickups – Donated by Aria Distribution
  • Seymour Duncan 35th Anniversary Commemorative JB/Jazz Humbucker Set – Donated by Aria Distribution

To assist Orange Amps and its fellow manufacturers to help and support Music Aid for Joplin, please go to Fame Bureau’s website or link via www.orangeamps.com  and bid on one of the many items available. There are only three days left to go, so get bidding for these unique items and to help raise funds for this good cause.

Posted in Amplification, Events, Guitar, News

The Institute announces partnership with Future Copyright

Posted on August 16, 2011 by Planet-Musician

The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance is delighted to announce a partnership with Future Copyright, a leading and innovative web-based provider of secure copyright solutions for musicians and creative artists.

This partnership is designed to support Institute students and alumni with services designed and developed for protecting copyright of intellectual property – essential for any creative musician! The Institute’s Operations Director Pete Whittard said on the partnership: “This link up with Future Copyright will really enhance the education programme that we have at the Institute. Future Copyright is a great product and their team and their existing legal and educational partners will offer great support to our staff and students.”

Future Copyright director Darryl Sherborne said, “This is a great link up for Future Copyright. The Institute’s brand and ethos really fits with Future Copyright. Our users include a large number of music producers, musicians and song writers; and our focus on educating new artists can be delivered with the support of the Institute. With the world of media copyright changing with the UK Government’s announcement to implement the Hargreaves Review recommendations, it’s important for colleges like the Institute to bring the latest educational material to their students so they are equipped to enter the modern media industry.”

Amongst the many benefits that this will bring to Institute students are:

  • Special lecturing events covering the ‘truths and myths of copyright protection’
  • Sponsorship of selected Institute awards and events
  • Full-time Institute students will be offered a free Future Copyright account with free start-up credits

For more information on this announcement or courses at the Institute please contact us directly:

Posted in Education, News

iDrum FREE digital magazine: Third Issue Features Dennis Chambers, Graham Broad and the exclusive £10,000 Neil Peart competition

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Planet-Musician

iDrum, the free, interactive, digital magazine for drummers, has a packed third issue featuring in-depth video interviews with the unrivalled Dennis Chambers, Graham Broad fresh from The Wall Tour with Roger Waters, and Aaron Comess talking about the return of the Spin Doctors.

There is a special feature on the Musikmesse. This is when all the true advantages of a fully interactive magazine come to the fore – where you can not only see, but listen and hear to all the new products that were debuted there. There is a full A to Z guide from the iDrum team covering a full fifteen pages with video interviews and demonstrations.

iDrum brings you exclusive interviews in every issue, and this month includes features on top teacher Pat Petrillo. Editor Ian Croft also catches-up with Keith LeBlanc with live footage of his band Tack>>Head and you can see videos and a festival report from The UK Custom Drum festival. Another special feature is a behind the doors look at the Zildjian Artists Sessions in London where you can see and hear demonstrations of the new Gen16 Cymbals as well as get previews of what prototypes the research and development team are currently working on.

There are loads of product, DVD and CD reviews, again with video presentations and comment from experts you know and trust. Also included are over an hour and half of free drum and percussion lessons in the Tech Sessions covering all types of rhythm and genres with top teachers including Pete Lockett, Jungle Drummer and iDrum’s very own Jamie Borden.

And don’t forget the competition – you still have the chance to win the drumming prize of a lifetime – a complete set of Neil Peart Evolutions Snare drums by DW, his Sabian Paragon Cymbals and a brick of his custom designed signature Promark Drum Sticks. Together this prize is worth in excess of £10,000 ($15,000 or €11,000).

More than a magazine, iDrum is ahead of its time, an extraordinary experience that allows you to interact directly with the content, whether it is the interviews, the lessons, or the reviews. This free third issue comes with over one hundred and forty pages packed with drumming excitement.

Come and listen to the talking drum magazine, you’re going to love it. Go to www.idrummag.com/issue3.

Posted in Drums & Percussion, News

Lick Library Brings You Jam With Bullet For My Valentine Guitar Tuition DVD

Posted on August 11, 2011 by Planet-Musician

Lick Library one of the world’s biggest suppliers of guitar tuition DVDs, has just released a Jam with Bullet For My Valentine, a double DVD and CD set. This new release featuring hours of guitar lessons will help you learn how to achieve the signature guitar harmonics of lead Guitarist Michael Paget and rhythm guitarist Matthew Tuck.

Bullet For My Valentine, described by Q magazine ‘as the best British metal band to emerge in years’  were Voted Best British Band and Best Live Band in 2010 in the Kerrang! Awards and Best British Band 2010 by Metal Hammer, they were second to headline at the 2011 Download Festival. Their matchless sound is made distinctive by the powerful six string dexterity of Michael ‘Padge’ Paget and the relentless thundering rhythms of Michael Moose. Padge’s lead style, which can be best described as aggressive, is full of vibrating riffs, his own unique style of bending, three string sweeps, tremolo picking and hammer pull-offs.

Jam with Bullet For My Valentine (RRP £27.99) – is a double DVD and CD with guitar tutorials and jam tracks by Andy James of seven favourite Bullet For My Valentine tracks.  Tracks included are the slow starting, 4 Words (To Choke Up On) which rapidly builds into a punchy metal core song and the highly catchy All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me) from their debut album Poison. From the second studio album, Andy looks at the title track Scream, Aim, Fire which is full of great musical ideas and roaring solid metal riffs. Hearts Burst Into Fire unlike many of the bands other songs is in a major key, full of velocity and lingering notes with an intense guitar solo. Then he takes a look at Waking the Demon, thought by many to be one of the most difficult songs downloadable for the Rock Band computer game.  Next from the hard hitting Fever Album, Andy breaks down the high energy title track with its pinch harmonics and riffs galore before looking at the fast paced One Last Fight.

Andy James is the incredible lead guitarist for UK Metal Band Sacred Mother Tongue whose album has just been release to widespread critical acclaim. His playing is well known for incorporating frighteningly fast alternate picking, sweeps, taps, aggressive vibrato and super precise riffs – who then, could be better placed to take you through, chord by chord, these fantastic Tracks from Bullet For My Valentine. Andy takes you through each track step by step, explaining what he is doing as he goes along and you can see what each hand does because of the split screen shots. You can take your time and really learn these tracks thoroughly, practicing them as you go with the CD or backing tracks. The guitar tuition DVD is designed so you can stop and start it to go back over things until you understand and master the techniques involved.

To find out more about the full range of products visit www.licklibrary.com.

Posted in DVD, Education, Guitar

Patchbanks & Sound Co. Product Release Seduction Piano Melodies

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Planet-Musician

Patchbanks presents a delightful collection of 100 breathtaking piano melody loops for producing smooth R&B ballads and beats. Inside you’ll discover plenty of musical ideas arranged into chord structures and melody licks that will get you groovin’ on the spot! This collection was strictly composed by talented R&B music producers and provides nothing less then quality musicianship.

  • Quantity: 100 Loops
  • File Type: Wav
  • Music Styles: R&B, Pop, Neo-Soul
  • Bpm Range: 60-92 Bpm
  • Price: $19.95

For demos and product info please visit www.patchbanks.com.

Posted in Loops, Piano, Samples

Rotosound Launches the Cooperstand Guitar Stand in the UK

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Planet-Musician

Rotosound is proud to announce the release and distribution of Cooperstand’s Professional Guitarstands in the UK! The Pro-G received a Best In Show Award at Summer NAMM 2010.

This is a guitar stand like no other! Cooperstand is a uniquely superior design, built from top quality materials to be a versatile, compact, and attractive wooden guitar stand. Unlike many of its competitors, its low centre of gravity with four points of contact on the floor makes it very stable. The lightweight, flexible gripping design means it can easily move along with the instrument if it is bumped, as a result it is very difficult to dislodge your instrument once it is in the stand. This makes it an extremely safe and secure place to keep even the finest stringed instrument. The stand is as effective for acoustic and electric guitars as it is for smaller stringed instruments like mandolins, violins, and most resonator back banjos.

In addition, the Cooperstand which weighs 16 ounces (500gms), can be opened with one hand, and folds up to fit conveniently in gig bags or the headstock area of most guitar cases. It has closed cell neoprene padding, inert silicone plugs at contact points to protect and hold your instrument snugly in place, and no exposed sharp metal edges. It’s the perfect choice for the performing musician looking for a professional stringed instrument stand. Users of Cooperstands include Steve Cropper (Dock of the Bay-Otis Redding, Blues Brothers, Booker T and the MG’s), Brian Ray (Paul McCartney Band) and Grammy award winner Carl Jackson.

Cooperstand is the most important thing inside a guitar case since the guitar (and your Rotosound strings of course!). It will retails for £39.95, is available on-line through the Rotosound website and through authorised UK dealers.

To find out more about the Cooperstand visit www.cooperstand.com.

To find out more about Rotosound, its strings and accessories and how to purchase them please visit www.rotosound.com.

Posted in Accessories, Guitar, Stands

Avid Announces Sibelius 7, the Fastest, Smartest, Easiest Way to Write Music

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Planet-Musician

Avid releases newest version of the world’s best-selling music notation software, with full MusicXML interchange support, exclusive professional-quality sample library and a new task-oriented user interface.

Avid® today announced the release of Sibelius 7, the newest version of the company’s flagship musical notation software. Combining a deep, sophisticated feature set with an all new task-oriented user interface — putting all of the software’s features at the user’s fingertips — Sibelius® 7 enhances music writing through intuitive and flexible workflows and improved tools for increased collaboration. Complete with a newly recorded professional-quality sampled sound library, native 64-bit performance, full MusicXML interchange support, and advanced typography and graphics features, Sibelius 7 is more powerful and versatile than ever before.

“Whether you’re a composer, arranger, copyist, publisher, instrumentalist, teacher or student, Sibelius 7 enables you to write music even more quickly and easily—no matter your level of experience,” said Chris Gahagan, Avid Senior Vice President of Products and Solutions. “Sibelius 7 offers a completely redesigned user interface and technology architecture, providing incredibly fast performance and improved workflows designed to help you create beautiful scores faster and more easily than ever.”

What’s New in Sibelius 7?

  • New and exclusive professional-quality sound library – Unique to Sibelius, the new professional-quality sound library delivers stunning musical realism to scores during playback. It includes the Avid Orchestra, a specially recorded full symphony orchestra, a collection of rock and pop sounds from the Avid virtual instrument team, a 27-stop church organ from leading virtual organ creator Hauptwerk, and a selection of sounds from Sample Logic Rumble and Fanfare featuring 14-time world champion Drum and Bugle Corps, The Blue Devils.
  • Completely redesigned task-oriented user interface – Optimized for single-display systems, the new user interface employs a rich graphical toolbar and dockable panels that don’t obscure the working area, putting all of the software’s features at the user’s fingertips. The redesigned mixer also allows finer control of playback than ever before, delivering more balanced mixes.
  • Full MusicXML interchange – Complete MusicXML import and now export makes sharing files with hundreds of music applications, including Finale®, easier than ever.
  • 64-bit performance – Sibelius 7 is the world’s first native 64-bit notation software, and has been completely rewritten to take advantage of the performance of today’s incredibly fast 64-bit hardware and operating systems.
  • Powerful text, graphic and sharing options – Publisher-quality typography and graphics import/export capability delivers finished scores with professional-quality text and graphics. Publish and export demanding layouts and text-heavy scores with advanced finishing options, including direct PDF and EPS export. Also sync with or import notation from Pro Tools®, or export scores as Scorch® files, then share or publish them on the web or via Avid Scorch for iPad®.

What Customers Are Saying

“Sibelius 7 clearly demonstrates that the design team is not content to rest on their laurels,” declares Bill Holab, engraver and winner of 57 Paul Revere awards for graphic excellence in music. “They have completely revamped the interface, made it easier for novice users, yet retained all of the familiar shortcuts. On top of that, they have redesigned the display system so that we get a far more accurate view of the music onscreen, and added in extensive text features that are essential to some of the complex projects we work on, like opera vocal scores. Sibelius 7 is an intrinsic part of our production workflow and will continue to be the main tool we use to prepare high-end music publications and performance materials.”

“The striking thing about Sibelius 7 is the new user interface – the startling thing about Sibelius 7 is how much faster the new user interface allows you to work,” explains John Murdoch, music director of Lehigh Valley Presbyterian Church in Allentown, PA. “Are you arranging a score for a choral performance? Sibelius 7 makes you faster. Are you creating music for live playback with virtual instruments? Sibelius 7 makes you faster. Are you simplifying a score for Broadway musical auditions? Sibelius 7 makes you faster. And that was just my day yesterday.”

Availability and Pricing

Sibelius 7 is now available for £459 GBP / €549 EUR. Current Sibelius customers may take advantage of upgrade options of £119 GBP / €140 EUR, with multi-seat upgrade pricing from £47 GBP / €60 EUR per seat. Customers looking to crossgrade from another notation product can purchase a crossgrade for £149 GBP / €170 EUR. Avid also offers individual educator and student pricing for £219 GBP / €249 EUR. In addition, students receive four years of complimentary upgrades. This price and four years of complimentary upgrades also apply to Avid’s leading audio and video software, Pro Tools and Media Composer. Educational multi-user pricing is offered at £95 GBP / €95 EUR per seat. To learn more or to watch a video overview of Sibelius 7, visit Sibelius online. For purchasing inquiries, please visit the Sibelius Store.

Posted in Computer, MIDI, Sheet Music, Software, Technology

Third Issue iGuitar features Zakk Wylde, Phil Collen, Doug Aldrich, in-depth reviews and hours of Guitar Lessons

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Planet-Musician

The free digital Magazine iGuitar has now launched its third issue which features not one but two interviews with the great Zakk Wylde, plus in depth looks at some of his kit: Zakk’s Gibson Les Paul, the Marshall JCM800 amp and the MXR Zakk Wylde pedals.

Other interviews continue the heavy metal theme with Stuart Bull quizzing Def Leppard’s guitar ace, Phil Collen, Jamie Humphries meeting Whitesnake’s Doug Aldrich and Gary Cooper profiling that master of chords Pete Townsend. All the interviews are supplemented with videos showing you how play songs by these great guitarists and the techniques they use.

A special feature, tying into the cover story, is ‘The Wizard’s of Oz’. Top guitar teacher Jamie Humphries takes a look at the guitar styles of Tony Iommi, Randy Rhoads, Zakk Wylde, Jake E. Lee and Gus G, some of Ozzy Osbourne’s greatest axe men. Check out the free lick lessons, and if you like the free licks then there is almost a DVDs worth of additional licks available on special offer as a paid download for subscribers; in all twenty five licks plus a jam track, to get your metal soling up to speed.

Reviews include guitar, amp and FX products from a host of manufactures including Line 6, Yamaha, Providence, PRS, T-Rex, Vigier, Marshall and Brace Audio. All reviews include a full product write up, as well as videos demonstrating the gear and letting you see the products and details on how to use them.

In the Quiet Room section, there is an exclusive interview with Australian guitar wizard Tommy Emmanuel plus even more exclusive live footage from one of his recent gigs.  Also included are reviews on products from Breedlove, Tanglewood, Trace Accoustic and LR Braggs, again complete with video demonstrations.

Then there is the competition – you can win a copy of the highly sought after signed copy of the Book of Orange and a superb Orange CR6S Stereo Micro Crush Combo.

On top of all that, the third issue of iGuitar is brimming with technical know how, lessons and much, much more.

iGuitar is much more than just a magazine, it offers readers an exceptional experience with its dynamic design and layout, and its fully interactive multi media presentation.

iGuitar is available free from www.iguitarmag.com/issue3, no strings attached!

Posted in Education, Guitar, News

Dennis Dunaway Used Rotosounds on the Alice Cooper Group Classic “School’s Out”

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Planet-Musician

Dennis Dunaway, original bass player with the Alice Cooper Group was recently asked about what he used to record the classic track ‘School’s out’ and gave the following revealing story : “I had just finished recording a track in the studio when a roadie came in with some new strings called Rotosound. I strung up my bass and immediately decided to re-dub the bass part on the track. The song – well it was “School’s Out” – and the rest as they say is history!”

Dennis Dunaway, co writer of “School’s Out”, has used Rotosound RS 66LD 45-105 Swing Bass strings ever since. In fact the Fender Custom Shop will soon announce a limited edition of the Billion Dollar Bass, which is a remarkably detailed replica of Dennis’s original 1970 Fender Jazz Bass that he used on the majority of the Alice Cooper Group recordings. This was the first bass that he used Rotosound Strings on, to record “School’s Out.”

Fans of Dennis and the original Alice Cooper Group (ACG) recently saw him use his Rotosound strung bass ‘live’ at the ground breaking Jagermeister Ice Cold Event at Battersea Power Station in 4-D Holographic form on 11th May 2011. This performance was the first one since 1972 to ‘feature’ the surviving members of the band, all together overseas. Billed at the ‘UK’s first holographic 4D rock gig’, the performance was shot in a Hollywood studio and beamed onto the eight metre Battersea stage. Recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the group’s appearance celebrates the release on 6th June 2011 of the collectable ‘Old School: 1964-1974’ box set which captures the bands early shock rock years.

Dennis currently plays live with his bands Blue Coupe and Fifth Avenue Vampires.

For more information about Rotosound and its endorsees visit www.rotosound.com and to buy on-line visit http://ukstore.rotosound.com/home/index/7454.1

Posted in Bass, Guitar, News, Strings

Institute alumnus wins Live and Unsigned 2011

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Planet-Musician

Institute of Contemporary Music Performance songwriting alumnus Robbie Boyd was selected as the winner in the ‘alternative’ category for this year’s Live and Unsigned grand final at the IndigO2 on Saturday 23rd July.

Robbie was joined on stage by fellow Institute students Mike Newman, Russell Smith, Huw Beynon and Simon Fitzpatrick, and performed two tracks for an impressive group of industry judges. These included Tom Deacon (Radio 1 presenter), Adam Perry (drummer of The Bloodhound Gang & co-owner of the label Medical Records), Paul Handley (Director of Out of Bounds Music), Alex Baker (presenter of unsigned show on Kerrang! Radio), Steve Russell (Vice-president of TC Group), Bez (Happy Mondays), Chris Grayston (Head of Future Music) and Ben Price (Head of A&R at Future Music).

Robbie and his band beat 10,000 other acts from around the UK who entered Live and Unsigned this year to take the title. Part of the prize for Robbie is an all expenses paid trip to represent the UK at ‘Tour Fest’ in Rome next year. On the Live and Unsigned experience, Robbie had the following to say:

“The competition really helped us focus on the specific arrangements of my songs in terms of how to make them as powerful/impactful as they can be in as little time as possible, along with learning the importance of doing covers in a truly original way. It was also a great way to get exposure to top industry people, increase our fan base and play at a prestigious venue like the IndigO2 in front of thousands of people!”

For more information on this story or enquiries about courses at the Institute, contact us directly:

Posted in Artists, Education, News