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IK Multimedia Fender Studio

I'm always eager to try out the latest in computer software and hardware for guitar players.  As the PC has become more powerful, it's now able to handle more complex sound modeling and recording than ever before.  As a result, there are some great products out there for guitar players willing to boot up a computer instead of an amplifier.  And a lot of these products are now focusing on ease-of-use, so you don't have to be a computer expert in order to make things happen.

One such company, IK Multimedia, has developed the innovative line of AmpliTube modeling software in conjunction.  Their latest release, AmpliTube Fender Studio is made in conjunction with Fender to recreate some of the classic sounds of Fender amps and effects.  Fender Studio provides a basic software set up that runs on both Mac and PCs along with their "Stealth Plug" that allows you to plug your guitar directly into a standard USB interface.  It's a full 9 foot cable giving you plenty of room to maneuver and uses built-in low-latency ASIO and CoreAdio drivers to ensure high quality sound.

While the Stealth Plug is indeed smaller than competing connectors from companies like Line 6, it still looks a bit like your guitar cable has swallowed a mouse.  But overall, it works, and as a result of the small size, it's a practical package for those who travel and want to bring a guitar and computer with them, without hauling around a lot of extra gear.

I tried out the Fender Studio package on a Windows Sony Laptop.  While the computer did a surprising reboot once after I got everything installed, overall the product works as advertised.  It's surprisingly easy to tap into various Fender amps and effects.  And you can immediately start jamming with the included RiffWorks T4 recording software. 

The Fender Studio puts four classic Fender amps, five cabinets and a slew of effects at your finger tips faithfully recreating the front panels with all their nobs and dials.  If you're already familiar with Fender amps, then this makes it a snap to try out different sounds.  You've got the '65 Twin Reverb, SuperSonic, a full on Metal Head amp along with a bass amp and various fuzz wah, echo and chorus effects. In short, there's a lot of settings you can experiment with.  IK Multimedia also offers a broader range of a dozen Fender amps in their more expensive AmpliTube Fender package including the Fender '57 Deluxe, '64 Vibroverb, '65 Deluxe Reverb, Champ, Bassman, Proj Junior and others, but even what's supplied here is plenty.

There are some great settings built in for classic rhythm and lead sounds and you can customize just about anything to get exactly what you want.  But given so many settings, it's easy to get lost among all the tweaking.  But hey, that's half the fun with this kind of a package!  If you're trying to recreate the distinc Fender sound without spending a fortune on amps, software is the way to go.  Obviously you're not going to get the same kind of oomph from a computer as you get from a tube amp, but for recording and experimentation, it's incredible.  And unlike a lot of modeling amps and software that emphasize the overdriven metal sounds, Fender Studio has a lot of clean settings that are perfect for classic rock, blues and jazz.

For $100 street price ($139 list) AmpliTube Fender Studio is a good deal.  The software or the Stealth Plug itself is easily worth $100, so you can consider that you're buying the software and getting the Stealth Plug free, or vice verse.  There are only a few areas I think IK Multimedia could do a better job. 

First of all, the Stealth Plug is a bit fiddly.  It's solid enough, but you've got to make sure your headphones are plugged in properly before you're going to hear anything.  Secondly, it installs driver software that automatically loads when you turn on the computer, something that always makes me nervous on a PC.  And finally, the version of RiffWorks T4 that they include, is basically a free fully functional demo version rather than the more feature-filled standard edition.  Since you can download the T4 free from their web site, this is just a convenience for those with slow internet connections.  Personally, I think RiffWorks is one of the best pieces of software to show off what's possible with IK Multimedia's modeling package, so it's a shame that they don't include the full version.  But still, at $100 for the whole package, it's a heckuva good deal and I can understand that at that price, they can't afford to give you the whole kitchen sink.

IK Multimedia has also announced a series of free Guitar Recording Master Classes this summer through the US and Europe as well as an online web event.  It's a great way to learn more about digital recording and see what's possible with computer software.

Below is a great video demonstration of the full blown AmpliTube Fender package so you can see and hear how easy it is to use to get just the sound you want by experimenting with different classic Fender amps and settings. (Note that not all of these amps are included in the lower priced Fender Studio package.)

• IK Multimedia: Main site, Fender Studio, Stealth Plug, Master Classes
• Amazon: StealthPlug , RiffTracker

• GuitarVibe: Guitar & Amp Modeling, RiffWorks

FretBase: It Might Get Loud Trailer

The crew over at FretBase are always on top of the latest Rock n' Roll movies.  They've got a write up of the widely anticipated film "It Might Get Loud" featuring three of the hottest (and loudest) guitarists around: Jimmy Page, The Edge and Jack White.  All I can ask is where's Nigel Tufnel of Spinal Tap?

Check out the full story over at FretBase as well as their review of Anvil: The Movie.

• FretBase: It Might Get Loud Trailer, Anvil: The Movie
• Rolling Stone: New Film Unites Guitar Gods
• Amazon: This Is Spinal Tap

Jemsite: Never Underestimate the Power of Your Guitar

I've written about JemSite before, it's a great resource for Ibanez fans.  But they also publish articles about music and guitars that are of interest to any guitar player.  Here's an exerpt from an article called "Never Underestimate the Power of Your Guitar." 

I got my first electric guitar, an extremely cheap made-in-China model, on my fourteenth birthday. It came with an equally crappy 15 watt transistor amplifier with a reasonably high gain built-in overdrive. Was I thrilled when I played on it for the first time! I instantly felt the potential of an electric to astound people with simple power chords played through a distorted amp, and I was quite satisfied with it for a while, until I thought about how I wanted ‘real’ guitars such as Fender and Gibson models. Every day I dreamt of finally owning a Strat or a Paul in the near future... 

My uncle happened to be a session musician for a number of local show bands. He celebrated by inviting a few of his musician friends over so they could play some songs for the guests. I brought my guitar with me because I was told beforehand that there would be a jam on that day. I patiently waited for the people to set up, hoping that I would be able to play with them. Being an amateur at the time, I thought I was the best guitar player in the place and so it was natural for me to display my “amazing skills”. One guy was not able to bring his guitar along so I lent him mine, but I was hoping he’d finish early so I could have my turn with the band...

The moment he started playing, I just sat on my chair with my jaw wide open. He played the guitar like a god, and to say that he is good was like saying that Jessica Alba is cute! What amazed me even more was the fact that he was using MY guitar, but it doesn’t sound the same when I use it! He was only using a very digital Zoom pedal and a solid state Hot Cabs amplifier, but the damn guitar sounded HUGE. He ripped, tapped, swept, and slid across the fretboard like hell, and I was having difficulty thinking about how he was able to make my cheap guitar produce so much tone! From that day on I practiced guitar seriously for three more years, and I still firmly believe that tone is in the fingers the way I did back then...

Remember, it's not about the gear, it's about the player.  You can read the full story over at JemSite.

Jemsite: Articles, Forums, Specs, FAQ, Community blog

GuitarVibe: Les Paul Studio, PalmGuitar Review, Dirt Cheap $100 Strat

Spinal Tap: Back from the Dead

After 25 years, Spinal Tap is back!  Following on the recent "Unwigged & Unplugged" Tour Spinal Tap has just released a new CD / DVD combo "Back from the Dead." As the title track lyrics boldly proclaim: "Give me reincarnation or give me death!"  More apt words were never spoken. 

The packages includes 19 songs featuring 6 new tunes as well as re-recorded and re-worked oldies (a funked up version of "Sex Farm", Reggae version of "Listen to the Flower People") that are not only better, they're louder!  The album also includes guests artists Keith Emerson, Steve Vai and John Mayer and a pop-up diorama.  All this for $10.  Honestly, it's a steal. 

Rob Reiner's "This is Spinal Tap" remains one of the greatest rock 'n' roll movies ever made.  The fact that many incidents in the film were inspired by real bands only makes it funnier.  If you like Spinal Tap, pick up "Back from the Dead." 

And if you're in London, get ready for Tap's "One Night Only" World Tour to be held at Wembley Stadium June 30. Opening for Spinal Tap will be The Folksmen.  Featured below is a video excerpt from the DVD featured on YouTube.

 

Amazon: This is Spinal Tap, Back from the Dead, A Mighty Wind 

Spinal Tap: Official Site, Fan Site, MySpace, YouTube, Wikipedia

NY Times: On The Road Without Wings and Spandex

GuitarVibe: Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight

My Dirt Cheap $100 Strat

In my quest to have guitars stashed at relatives houses around the country, I picked up my best bargoon yet: a $100 Strat in Scottsdale, Arizona.  Ok, it's a slightly used Squier model made in China.  But for the price, I think this is the best of my cheap guitars so far, with better action and playability than the Epiphone SG 400 or the Epiphone Les Paul.  Finding the right guitar wasn't easy though.  It took a couple of hours of trying out every cheap guitar in the area before I settled on this particular one.  And admittedly, you can buy a garden variety Squier Strat for around $200 new, but I decided to see how low I could go by buying used. 

My expectations were admittedly pretty low given the goal of keeping this on the low-end of the budget.  Since I was keeping this at my brother's place, it was likely to become the adopted guitar of my two young nephews who were graduating from Guitar Hero to real guitar.  But I'm quite impressed with the quality of this guitar.  It's got the classic Strat sound with three single coil pickups and an easy to play neck. 

Unlike the earlier Squier Bullets, the more recent Squier Strats are of decent quality and certainly a good value.  Of course, buying used has its risks.  You need to test out the guitar and make sure there's nothing wrong with the neck, action and electronics.  But if you don't mind spending an hour or two time trying out different guitars, you can sometimes get lucky.  You'll need to venture beyond the usual Guitar Center store in order to get a great deal. And if you're not comfortable testing different guitars, make sure you bring someone with you. 

I walked out of AZ Music with the Strat, a cheapo Behringer practice amp and a strap for a total of $150.  If you're looking for a cheap guitar, you could do a lot worse than a slightly used Squier Strat.  Especially if you've got kids who want to try out a real guitar. 

Update: Here's a video of my nephew Cameron, a year and a half later, talking about what he likes about the Squier Strat.  He's not an expert on Strats, but he's pretty enthusiastic about it.

• GuitarCenter: Squier Strat Black
• GuitarVibe: Epiphone SG 400, Epiphone Les Paul, 70's Strat Reissue, PalmGuitar