Jackson Dinky DK2M
by Rob Sandall, in Guitars, No Comments
Continuing on my theme of pointy superstrats, I thought I’d move away from Ibanez this time and talk about The Jackson Dinky series, specifically the DK2M model. Jackson, much like Ibanez, have a huge following in the hard rock and heavy metal genres, with most of the big names in metal sporting one at some point, and as such I was quite keen to give the guitar a damn good thrashing (pun intended).
So what is this Dinky? Well the series - named because of its slightly smaller body - is one of Jackson’s takes on the superstrat which, as you may have guessed based off my previous reviews, is something I have a certain degree of fondness towards.
Laney VC15-110 in Old English White Review
by Marc Noel-Johnson, in Amplifiers, No Comments
The Laney VC15-110 in Old English White was announced on the DV247 blog back in October 2009, but didn’t actually drop through our door until May this year, so a hands-on review is well overdue. As mentioned in my previous blog, Laney as a company are not in the habit of making ’small-run’, limited edition amplifiers, so this is a departure for them. The number was limited to 350 worldwide, which means the amp will undoubtedly make it onto the ‘must-have’ list of not only Laney amp freaks, but collectors that like limited-number runs from the non-boutique manufacturers.
The technical specification looks pretty straightforward - two EL84s deliver 15 watts into … continue reading ‘Laney VC15-110 in Old English White Review’
Joe Satriani amPlug
by Rob Sandall, in Amplifiers, No Comments
Fans of the folically-featureless and fleet-fingered Joe Satriani will, we suspect, be somewhat elated to discover that their guitar hero has put his name to a new signature of Vox’s amPlug. The headphone amps has proven incredibly popular for the manufacturer, and so as well as giving this special version a striking red exterior as opposed to the usual black, they’ve also tricked it out with a host of unique appointments.
So, you get that lead tone on tap, with delay switched … continue reading ‘Joe Satriani amPlug’
Vox AC1 RhythmVOX
by Rob Sandall, in Amplifiers, No Comments
The new AC1 RhythmVOX - expanding the limits of the miniature amp to include a rich array of rhythm patterns.
Vox continued a theme of portability, but with a slightly different tack, upon the announcement of their new AC1 RhythmVOX. Essentially, isn’t an incredibly small amplifier with 66 built-in rhythm patterns to jam along to, following a recent trend of all-in-one vamping products that the industry has taken to over the past couple of years.
Guitarists choose between clean and overdriven … continue reading ‘Vox AC1 RhythmVOX’
Roland Juno-Gi
by Rob Sandall, in Synths & Keyboards, No Comments
Roland has just made public news of a hugely updated Juno-Gi. Those already familiar with the name will be expecting excellent sound quality and effects at an affordable price, but might … continue reading ‘Roland Juno-Gi’
Korg microKEY
by Rob Sandall, in Synths & Keyboards, No Comments
The studio and live performance keyboard market welcomes a new challenger today in the form of the Korg microKEY, a USB-powered, super-slim keyboard packing 37 velocity-sensitive keys and dual USB ports for expansion with nanoPAD, nanoKONTROL or any other USB devices already in your rig.
Lightweight and … continue reading ‘Korg microKEY’
Vox MINI3
by Rob Sandall, in Guitars Music Computers & Hardware, No Comments
In a day of launches that’s driving the DV247 Blog team into a bit of a frenzy, Vox has announced the brand new MINI3 modelling guitar amplifier, which the company are describing as “the ultimate portable amp; agile and versatile with features that make it the perfect fit for every musician!”
It’s packing eleven different core amp models, and while anyone who’s au fait with Korg’s modelling technology will know what to expect in terms of crunchy, rocky tones, there are surprises too. For instance, a new, non-distorting clean model has been included … continue reading ‘Vox MINI3’
Roland Cube-15XL, Cube-20XL, Cube-40XL and Cube-80XL
by Rob Sandall, in Amplifiers, No Comments
Improving on what’s already become an incredibly popular series of guitar amps in a relatively fast time, Roland have just confirmed the release of the new Cube XL series, announcing the separate launch of the Roland Cube-15XL, Roland Cube-20XL, Roland Cube-40XL , and Roland Cube-80XL.
Taking the portable, do-everything ethos of the original X series, the manufacturer has added new ‘ultra-heavy COSM amp models’ - including Extreme and Metal Zone varieties. There are also updates to the effects section depending on the model purchased, including an acoustic guitar simulator and a vintage spring reverb, further adding to the unit’s potential. Onboard solo … continue reading ‘Roland Cube-15XL, Cube-20XL, Cube-40XL and Cube-80XL’
Boss PS-6 and ST-2
by Rob Sandall, in Guitars, No Comments
Not to be outdone by stablemates Roland, Boss has just announced the excellent arrival of the PS-6 Harmonist and ST-2 Power Stack. While incredibly different to each other in terms of sonic capability, both should provide several new strings to a guitarists bow.
The Boss PS-6 Harmonist acts as a pitch-shifter and harmony generator all in one noticeably affordable pedal, making use of a powerful DSP chip to provide four separate shifting effects and three individual voices for really laying on a thicker sound. Two- and three-voice harmonies can be selected via the required key for immediate gratification, detuning effects are there too, and a new ’super bend’ feature can also be kicked in, the plethora of options all easily accessible via four knobs and one chunky switch.
‘Super bend’ effectively allows for up to four octaves of pitch bend - gigantic sweeps will be possible at the click of a switch. It’s likely to seal the deal for the virtuoso and metal players out there, but with this level of harmony functionality in such a small pedal, we’re expecting a much wider fanbase.
The Boss ST-2 Power Stack, however, should be … continue reading ‘Boss PS-6 and ST-2’
Roland Octa-Capture
by Rob Sandall, in Music Computers & Hardware, No Comments
Roland has taken its computer recording mission a considerable step further with the launch of the Octa-Capture USB 2.0 Audio Interface, … continue reading ‘Roland Octa-Capture’
Roland RD-700NX
by Rob Sandall, in Synths & Keyboards, No Comments
Roland has announced the next step in its acclaimed RD-series with the debut of the RD-700NX. Users can expect updates to sound … continue reading ‘Roland RD-700NX’
Ableton & Novation Workshops - Live Beats with Thavius Beck
by Paul Dakeyne, in Music Software, No Comments
Here at DV Towers, we love workshops, seminars and masterclasses and today it’s time to shout about another product guru sharing his wisdom and experience with us all. Ableton and Novation have again teamed up to bring us the Live Beats event with … continue reading ‘Ableton & Novation Workshops - Live Beats with Thavius Beck’
PRS SE One Korina review
by Marc Noel-Johnson, in Guitars, No Comments
The PRS SE One Korina - along with the mahogany version - is the most basic guitar that the company turns out. However, it’s not the cheapest. The mahogany body SE Ones - available in Vintage Cherry, Tobacco Sunburst or Black - actually cost quite considerably less than this Korina version and are indeed the cheapest PRS models available, so an obvious question arises. As I had all the SE One models to hand, it seemed only fair to make side-by-side comparisons to see where the extra one hundred and fifty quid goes for the luxury of the Korina guitar. Korina - or White Limba - has been used for guitar construction ever since Gibson made their ‘futuristic’ series of … continue reading ‘PRS SE One Korina review’
Sanden Guitars SRB-c, Style 2 review
by Caleb Hill, in Guitars, No Comments
This week we took delivery of a Sanden Guitars SRB-c, Style 2. There are many acoustic guitar manufacturers out there who, with the aid of an astronomical marketing budget and a large factory with distributors worldwide, set the bar for what people expect from a good acoustic guitar. It could be said that in some ways this robs us of experiencing what real hand-made instruments feel and sound like, and so the likes of these hand-crafted models are always welcome in the office. … continue reading ‘Sanden Guitars SRB-c, Style 2 review’
Weekly Round Up 23-29 August
by Rob Sandall, in Weekly Round-up, No Comments
Your one-click index of last week’s reviews
Pioneer DJM-2000 Digital DJ Mixer - Video Part One
Pioneer DJM-2000 Digital DJ Mixer - Video Part Two
Pioneer DJM-2000 Digital DJ Mixer - Video Part Three
Pioneer DJM-2000 Digital DJ Mixer - Video Part Four
Fender Rumble 15 V2 Bass Combo Review
Line 6 Lowdown LD300 review - part two
Electro Harmonix Knockout review
World’s Biggest Drum Machine from Propellerhead
Digidesign 003 Rack Factory review part one
Line 6 Lowdown LD300 review part three
And there’s still more to read! Click the link to read the rest of this DV247 Blog weekly round-up for exclusive reviews, breaking news and the best in expert opinion!
