KEMBLE YAMAHA LINE 6 ALLIANZ PLASA LONDON DRUM SHOW INTERMUSIC FIRST LINE No. 125 • OCTOBER 2010 • WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK PRINT • ONLINE • MOBILE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT PROFESSIONAL ● FOR EVERYONE IN THE MI BUSINESS AUTOMATIC Trevor Wilkinson explains the revolution of auto-tuning FOR THE PEOPLE
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KEMBLE YAMAHA LINE 6 ALLIANZ PLASA LONDON DRUM SHOW INTERMUSIC FIRST LINE
No. 125 • OCTOBER 2010 • WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK PRINT • ONLINE • MOBILE
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT PROFESSIONAL � FOR EVERYONE IN THE MI BUSINESS
AUTOMATICTrevor Wilkinson explains the revolution of auto-tuning
FOR THE PEOPLE
A N E W C L A S S O F A M P L I F I E R
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REGULARS: DISTIE PROFILE 11 I WOKE UP 40 RETAIL NEWS 65 LOCATION REPORT 70 PRODUCTS 56-62 CODA 80
FEATURESLOUD TECHNOLOGIES 20Back at PLASA and with a host of new gear
FIRST LINE 23Jay Henson finds his niche with prestige lines
INTERMUSIC 32Clever branding for cool products equals growth
BARNES & MULLINS 34Technology meets tradition and makes Codabow
WORLD RHYTHM 20Easing into one fo the booming areas of MI
AUDIO TECHNICA 43Summer Schools and Centres of Excellence
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COVER STORY 27
ISSUE 125 OCTOBER 2010
My son has just started university, as I’m sure many ofyour offspring have also either this year or in the past,but if you’ll forgive me a little parental trumpet
blowing, I am especially proud.Yes, he’s got into a world class establishment and yes, he’s
almost a year younger than most of his fellow freshmen, buthe didn’t have to come to Britain to study. He could haveremained – and had a much easier ride – studying in his nativelanguage in his native country: Bulgaria.
What he realised (with no little encouragement from hisparents) is that taking the risk and overcoming the fear factorof uprooting from all that is familiar to him has the potentialof paying dividends when he sets out on his future career.
I am inflicting this paternal blather on you because of a weetheme that has popped its head over the parapets in this issue.
The cover story of this issue (page 27) sees Trevor Wilkinsontalking about how he became involved with the ADT auto-tunebridge for electric guitars. It is a wonderful achievement ofengineering that has seen a number of companies gettinginvolved to solve the problems of creating a gearing systemthat can automatically wind a string without upsetting thetone and balance of the instrument.
Those involved knew they had a good idea, but could theyconvince the banks to help them out? Could they buggery.
In the end, they had to put their money and time wherethere belief was and bring the project to fruition on their own.This they have now done. I wish them well in getting some ofthe payback for their investments. (No doubt the banks will beon the phone the moment the bank balance starts climbing,letting them know how best to use their financial products.)
Then (on page 11) Tony Smith of Technote points out that,with margins being squeezed, retailers need to clearly identifytheir areas of expertise and focus on that, leaving the lowprofit products and services to the big boys. It’s a difficult pillto swallow and the risks are pretty extreme – but the pay-offcould well be worth it.
Andy Barrett, Managing editor
NEWS
EVENTS
SECTOR SPOTLIGHTS
The ADT auto-tune bridge
system has been 14 years in
the making. Trevor Wilkinson
describes the journey – and
reveals where he hopes it
will lead.
HOLDING A TUNE
KEMBLE JOINS BÖSENDORFER,
YAMAHA ZERO PER CENT
FINANCE, LINE 6 GOES ALONE,
HEADSTOCK GETS ZILDJIAN
PLASA 2010 15All the MI goodies from that most pro audio of shows
LONDON DRUM SHOW 18All the kit that’s fit to hit
TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENTS 44Every mando, uke and banjo – and whole lot more
BRASS & WOODWIND 51Looking for market dynamism? Look no further
4
15
51
RETAILDOLPHIN MUSIC 68How can we keep people on the page?
Former boss of Kemble Pianos becomes deputy MD for prestige Austrian manufacturer as new product range is launched
4 miPRO OCTOBER 2010 SIGN UP FOR THE MI PRO NEWSFLASH SERVICE AT WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
BRIAN KEMBLE MBE, the former
MD of Kemble Pianos has been
brought in by Bösendorfer to
strengthen the sales and
marketing activities of the piano
manufacturer. Kemble has been
appointed as deputy managing
director, with a remit to oversee
the sales and marketing divisions
of the Yamaha-owned company.
Kemble, who will be taking up
his new role on October 1st, has
an unparalleled CV within the
piano manufacturing world and
over 36 years experience in the
industry. He received the MBE
from Queen Elizabeth II for
services to the piano industry.
Talking to MI Pro, Kemble
described the closure of the
Kemble factory as traumatic, but
indicated that gaining a
consultancy position on behalf of
all of Yamaha’s piano brands has
brought back his enthusiasm.
“I had to take some time off
to take stock,” he explained.
“Then I went to Musikmesse and
was asked to do six months
consultancy to establish, on a
European scale, what local
impressions of the Yamaha
brands are. I suppose I must have
done well, because I was then
asked to move to Austria to help
Bösendorfer strengthen sales.”
Kemble was previously the joint
managing director of Kemble &
Co (with specific responsibility
for sales and marketing), the last
UK piano manufacturer, which
has been part of the Yamaha
group from 1986, and which he
said would never have survived
the last 20 years had it not been
for Yamaha’s intervention.
The Kemble & Co factory in
Milton Keynes was closed in
2009 (two years shy of its 100th
anniversary), when Yamaha
moved its European
manufacturing to Indonesia,
although the Kemble brand lives
on with Brian Kemble
instrumental in overseeing the
upgrading of the pianos for the
changeover last year.
Bösendorfer hopes that his
personal relationship with many
piano dealers worldwide will
assist the company in opening
up new market opportunities for
the prestige brand.
The Austrian brand launched a
new range of pianos at the end
of September, following a
restructuring of its sales
operation to Yamaha Europe
earlier this year, with a similar
change taking place in the US.
“Switching the sales operation
gives Bösendorfer the marketing
power that Yamaha has around
the world,” Kemble added. “No-
one will argue that it is very
tough out there at the moment,
but Bösendorfer has been
performing very well with sales
growing and I am hoping to
combine this with the new
selection of instruments and my
own dedication to bringing
Bösendorfer to a new level.
“I’ve been in pianos all my life,
so to continue with a
manufacturing company is
fantastic. Obviously, I love
Kemble – it is a Premier League
brand – but Bösendorfer is
Champions League. This is a
great honour for me.
“I am looking forward to
working with Mike Sakai again
[MD of Bösendorfer, formerly of
Yamaha Kemble] and using my
knowledge of the European
market – which has been added
to by my work over the past six
months. I suppose I should say
that old piano men never die.
They might fade away, but I’m
far too young to do that just yet.
YAMAHA: 01908 366700
Oyster adds two new pearls
HUGO MONTGOMERY-Swan
has told MI Pro that two new
events will take place in the
Birmingham area in 2011, based
on the model of the recent
London Drum Show.
While the venue is yet to be
announced, he was keen to point
out that it will not be the NEC.
The shows will take place in
the spring and summer and will
focus on bass and acoustic
guitars, matching Oyster's Bass
and Acoustic magazine titles.
“We see specialist shows as
the way forward,” he said. “In the
current climate, shows have got
to be affordable and the venues
appropriate to the sector.
“We are using the London
Drum Show as a model – we'll
only move ahead with our plans
once we have polled the
potential clients in the industry.”
The bass show will be going
under the name of Bass Live.
OYSTER HOUSE: 01884
266100
“Old piano men never die. They might
fade away, but I’m far too young to do
that just yet.Brian Kemble MBE
Bösendorfer
Yamaha introduces part exchange schemeFOLLOWING THE success of
last year's part-exchange and
zero per cent financing for
acoustic pianos, Yamaha has
now extended the offer to
include both pianos and its
selection of brass and
woodwind instruments.
The scheme means that up
to £2,500 can be added to the
value of the customer’s old
model, which makes the
prospect of purchasing a new
instrument more achievable.
The offer can be applied to the
full Yamaha ranges of pianos
and wind instruments, from
entry-level models up to grand
pianos, the Disklavier range and
professional wind products.
The upgrade bonus scheme
for brass and woodwind was
piloted earlier this year and
proved effective in driving
customers to visit local dealers.
The scheme is simple to
operate, offering benefits to
customers seeking a quality
intermediate instrument by
offering a guaranteed
minimum part-exchange value
against a new Yamaha. Extra
value is provided by dedicated
direct mailers for participating
dealers, together with in-store
point-of-sale.
"We know that many
people would like to own a
new Yamaha
instrument and a
large
number of
those have
older and
below par instruments. A poor
instrument means a poor
performance, so this scheme is
designed to help customers
acquire a Yamaha instrument
with the minimum of
financial pain," said Yamaha’s
Leanne Hassan.
YAMAHA: 01908 366700
KEMBLE:
Continuing with a
manufacturer is
fantastic
NEWS
Line 6 cuts ties with B&M
LINE 6 has announced the end of
its 12-month distribution
arrangement with the supplier
Barnes & Mullins.
Line 6 approached B&M in
August 2009 with a view to
broadening the distribution base
to reach out to new customers.
“The broad objectives we set
up at the start of our partnership
with Barnes & Mullins have been
met and I would like to thank the
whole team there for achieving
excellent results,” commented
James Owens, Line 6’s European
sales director. “We have had a
very open, collaborative working
relationship with Bruce Perrin
and Brian Cleary [B&M’s joint
MDs] and their sales team have
done a superb job in opening up
new customers to the brand.
As Line 6 is broadening its
range, our distribution strategy
requires more complex solutions
and trying to factor in a
distribution partnership simply
becomes unworkable.”
Barnes & Mullins’ take on the
move is somewhat philosophical.
“We are obviously sad to lose
Line 6, particularly as we had
some pretty high targets to hit –
which we did. We have had a
great year with a great product
and we sincerely wish Line 6 well
in the future,” said Cleary.
The official agreement runs
until the end of October, but Line
6 is making the announcement
now so that customers can
change supply arrangements
ahead of the approaching
Christmas season.
LINE 6: 01327 302721.
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Pitchforth weaves web of tiesMARK PITCHFORTH, a former
manager at Freestyle Music and
the founder of Edoru, the retail
website developer, has launched
a new website –
Findguitarlessons.co.uk (FGL).
His idea is to create a
community for both guitar
students and teachers and move
away from online lessons in
favour of ‘the real thing’.
The site, which was developed
by Pitchforth’s partner, Russ
Dudley, calls for teachers from
around the country to register –
as a first step – in order to create
the magnet for students seeking
face-to-face lessons.
“This is a website where
students can find teachers,”
explained Pitchforth. “But it will
also be a community where
teachers and players can flag up
events and gigs, as well as their
lessons and those that take the
paid packages can develop a own
microsite within the FGL hub.
The website is free to register
for students and teachers and
there is a four-tier system for
teachers, ranging from the free
basic package, up to a gold
package at £149 per year.
“Even at its most basic, guitar
teachers will have a visible, cost
effective web presence, especially
for the ones that don’t have their
own site,” continued Pitchforth.
“Also, we are working to expand
FGL to include ‘value added’
features, such as allowing
students and teachers to be
associated so that tutors can add
messages and lesson plans to the
site that only their approved
students can access.”
FINDGUITARLESSONS.CO.UK
Russ Dudley (left), the website’s technician and Mark Pitchforth
NEWS
6 miPRO OCTOBER 2010 SIGN UP FOR THE MI PRO NEWSFLASH SERVICE AT WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
FOLLOWING WEEKS of
speculation, the Avedis Zildjian
Company has announced that
Headstock Distribution is to
become its new UK and
Northern Ireland distributor.
Headstock will assume
exclusive distribution duties
from January 1st 2011. In a
separate announcement, it was
revealed that Lesley Kane’s KMI
Distribution will be handling the
brand in the Republic of Ireland.
“It is a tremendous honour to
become the new Zildjian
distributor,” said James Laney,
sales and marketing director of
Headstock. “Zildjian is an
amazing brand with a wonderful
family history, an outstanding
list of endorsers and a
sensational product range. This
is the perfect investment for
Headstock and sits perfectly
with our philosophy of focusing
on a limited selection of the
very best brands to ensure we
do the best job possible. We are
very excited indeed.”
“I think Headstock is a really
good fit for Zildjian,” added
Craigie Zildjian, the cymbal
giant’s CEO.
As a consequence of the
move, Headstock’s southern
area sales manager Andy
Sadowski’s role will be
expanded to become brand
manager for Zildjian and Tama
products in the company's
dedicated percussion division,
catering to the requirements of
the UK percussion marketplace.
“We are also absolutely
committed to minimising
disruption through the
forthcoming period of transition
and are dedicated to working
closely with our dealers to
maximise ongoing Zildjian
business,” Sadowski said.
HEADSTOCK: 0121 508 6666
Zildjian signs Headstock Cymbal manufacturer forms ‘dream team’ alongside Tama for UK
‘Three men’ grow in number
THE THREE Men on a Bike charity
ride from Lands End to London,
due to take place between
October 1st and 8th is gaining
further momentum.
Tim Walter, Peter Heath and
Simon Griffiths, all Roland UK
directors are close to raising
£10,000 each for Music for All
and The British Heart Foundation.
The 400-mile ride will take in
events along the way at Absolute
Music in Poole, Portsmouth’s
Nevada Music and Bonners in
Eastbourne. The journey has now
also received support from the
likes of JHS, Peavey, Sound
Technology and Yamaha.
Celebrities Howard Jones and
Kriss Akabusi will also take part,
along with Simon Gilson and
Terry Hope of PMT and Tony
White from Bonners.
ROLAND: 01792 702701
Zildjian is an amazing brand with a
wonderful family history, an
outstanding list of endorsers and a
sensational product range.
James Laney
Headstock Distribution
FUTURE PUBLISHING has
announced that Simon Wear,
the company’s COO, will be
stepping down from his
current role with immediate
effect and will eventually be
leaving the company, citing a
need for the executive to take
on new challenges.
Wear has been with Future
since 1992, during which time
he has filled the roles of group
publisher and international
director, before taking up the
position of chief operating
officer. He intends to remain
with the company for a limited
time before heading off to seek
‘new opportunities’.
“Simon has been a great
asset to Future and we’re very
sorry to see him go,” chief
executive Stevie Spring
commented. “I completely
understand that after many
years with the company, he’s
decided that he wishes to take
on new challenges.”
The news follows
the appointment of
Mark Wood as
CEO last month.
Wood joined
the company as
a non-
executive
director in
April 2009, but
on August 30th
stepped down
from his role to
assume his new
position.
FUTURE: 01225
442244
Wear tears away from Future
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Tomandwill Distribution
unites with Reunion Blues
THE UK and Ireland distribution of the
Reunion Blues range of instrument
bags has been taken up by Tomandwill
distribution, following the brand’s
departure from Summerfield.
“We have been keen to add a top
line range of bags for some time,” said
Tomandwill’s sales manager, Clive
Guthrie. “With our own branded bags,
MMX carbon fibre cases and now
Reunion Blues, we are rapidly
becoming a one-stop source for
musical instrument bags.”
“We’re excited to be working with
this very forward-thinking organisation.
Tomandwill understands what is
required to sustain and grow a
prestigious product like Reunion Blues,”
commented Dave Andrus of Reunion
Blues. “We’re confident that this
partnership will be a success.”
The first stock shipment has already
arrived, with more due in October.
Tomandwill, UK supplier of Graham
Lyons’ Nuvo Clarinéo, has also
announced it is now the exclusive UK
distributor for Jumbie Jams steel
drums, which were until now only
available in the US.
These tuned pans have been hugely
successful in the US, winning two
NAMM awards. They also come in a
colourful box with handle.
“It’s not my normal type
of product, but it’s great
fun we’re very excited
indeed about it,” said
Guthrie. “I can’t believe
the interest that we have
received in only the first
few days, in fact we are
even having to take on a
new sales person.”
The Jumbie Jams
are available in
four colours
and are ideal
particularly for
schools and
other
educational
establishments.
TOMANDWILL:
01428 658806
Guitar XS tempts ProvidenceTHE JAPANESE boutique guitar effects
brand, Proividence, is now directly available
in Britain through Guitar XS.
“We were attracted to Providence’s
combination of boutique tone and
approach to design, coupled with typical
Japanese build quality and attention to
detail,” said Guitar XS’s Doug Chandler.
“There are no hand painted boxes or
whacky names here, but with solid player
features such as the patented single
contact true bypass and metal stomp
guard, both available on all pedals, we feel
Providence has appeal to dealers in this
important sector of the market.”
Among Providence’s pedals is the SOV-2
Stampede overdrive and the Chrono Delay,
a metronome-accurate tap delay pedal
with a completely analog signal path, the
latter having just been launched to acclaim
in both the music press and in online chat
rooms. The Yokohama based company’s
products are used by a
plethora of world-
renowned guitarists,
including the likes
of Robben Ford,
Steve Lukather,
Matt Schofield
and Guthrie
Govan.
GUITAR XS:
01227
832558
Zappies makes Paper Jamz
‘instruments’ available in the UKZAPPIES, A UK distributor of hi tech toys
has introduced Paper Jamz to the UK, a
range of paper-thin guitars and drums
made by Wowwee. The range now includes
four amplifiers to power the instruments –
or any other audio source. There is also a
range of fully adjustable straps.
While these toys do much the same as
previous toys and games, in that they
allow users to play along with pre-recorded
songs, they go a step further than other
games with a ‘freestyle’ mode, where users
can, playing with up to three fingers, create
chord sequences of their own.
Technology similar to touch-phones
(called ‘active graphics’) is used and the
amps contain NXT flat-panel speaker
technology. There are five guitar ‘shapes’
and six drum kits, all made of paper.
ZAPPIES: 020 8133 6151
Supplier scoops bag range and Jumbie Jams steel drums
JHS scoops VQ Live JOHN HORNBY SKEWES & CO has been
appointed exclusive sub-distributor of
Tannoy’s VQ Live touring PA system.
TC Group International will continue
to manage direct relationships with a
small number of key accounts, but JHS’
pro audio division will begin handling all
other VQ Live business.
JHS was also recently appointed full-
line joint UK distributor for the TC-
owned Lab Gruppen power amp range.
“JHS’ track record in the live sound
market and its commitment to
customer support across the entire UK
market make
this an
exciting
prospect,”
said Simeon
Ludwell, TCGI’s
UK touring sales
manager.
JHS MD Dennis Drumm
added: “We are delighted to continue to
expand our relationship with TCGI and
bring Tannoy VQ Live to the wider pro
audio and specialist reseller market.”
JHS: 0113 286 5381
1 Ω
SIGN UP FOR THE MI PRO NEWSFLASH SERVICE AT WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO OCTOBER 2010 11
DISTRIBUTION PROFILE
Year Established: 1991
Number of Employees: Eight
Is business up or down compared to last year?
In what is a tough business climate I am pleased to
say we have increased our business over the year.
We have achieved this simply by having the right
combination of products and customer base.
How has the economic climate affected
business?
Believe it or not it’s actually been our best time.
We were hit by Woolworths going down, but after
re-evaluating the way forward and making the
necessary changes, I was really focused on getting
additional customers and ensuring we spread our
customer base to affect both our turnover and
profit. The result last year was probably our best
ever in business. Of course, the challenge now is to
improve – going backwards is not on the agenda.
What are your best-selling lines and why do you
think they perform so well?
We have introduced our own brands. Jaxville,
Rockburn and Martin Smith Guitars have been very
successful lines, because they offer something
different and focus on what the market needs. We
have done very well with the whole Pink thing, and
without question these lines have been very
successful as some of the big retailers have taken
them and sales of these items never disappoint.
Accessories always do well and having
introduced accessory display stands in over 200
outlets, they bring in a good solid income.
How does Technote feel the UK market differs
from other global markets?
I think all markets are going through these tough
times, this is a worldwide problem and I think
dealers, distributors and manufacturers are looking
to either consolidate, re-structure or try and reduce
their overheads. Margins are getting tighter, so I
feel anyone in business needs to focus – if you do
not, you simply will not survive, whatever country
you live in. I feel the UK is better set than most
European countries, but I am a little biased.
What distinguishes you from the competition?
I think it’s been our attitude and products. I tend
not to get involved in the politics that go on in the
industry. Its not that I am not interested, but I
would rather focus on what I need to do to ensure
my business is successful than worry about others.
How do you maintain a good relationship with
retailers?
Good communication, a well-structured returns
policy, competitive pricing and quick delivery of
orders. I have a great team behind me, giving good
support to our customers, which is very important.
What would you say is the biggest challenge
facing the MI industry today?
As a supplier to the mass-market customers I see
independent stores facing tough times in terms of
competing on price. I believe the volumes being
sold via big retailers means a big opportunity for
smaller stores to improve their education facilities
in order to attract the many customers that have
bought from the big retailers. Look at Roy Jevons of
Dudley, he did this years ago and is doing very well,
which proves if you focus on what you do best, you
just need to work out the best way to sell it.
What are your aims for the next 12 months?
I think for 2011 I would like to maintain our
current activities. I’m not bothered about increasing
our business, but we need to focus on our
profitability. That will always keep the wolf from
The closing date for applications is 15th October 2010.
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MORICO: 01992 461089
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Those accustomed to the annual
audio and lighting spectacle that is
PLASA will be familiar with the
dazzling spotlights, perfectly assembled
booths, belching smoke machines and
towering line arrays that have become
synonymous with the event – and this
year’s show was no different.
Although the majority of the
attractions listed above would
leave most of the MI
community in a state of
bewilderment, there are
more than a few
reasons why MI Pro
feels it is worthwhile
sifting through the
corridors of cables,
lasers and recorders,
to find something
more suitable.
Shure Distribution
had scaled down from its
two-storey boothof previous
years, but still had a selection of
new products on show to turn MI heads.
The PSM 900 in-ear monitoring system
was given priority, with its precise front-
end RF filtering and digital stereo encoder,
which provides excellent audio clarity.
Optimised for channel 38 in time for the
2012 digital switch over, the PSM 900 is
made up of a transmitter with removable
antenna and a bodypack transmitter.
QSC might be known for its high end
audio lines, but its new K series speakers
were another prominent MI feature, back
from a gig at the top of Mount
Kilimanjaro, an example of their durability.
The range is split in terms of each
speaker’s conical waveguide (the angle in
which the sound is dispersed) instead of
output power and consists of eight-inch,
ten-inch and 12-inch versions, as well as a
portable subwoofer, the KSub.
Line 6 was attracting a real buzz.
Product specialist Simon Jones
felt this was proof of how
far the brand has come
in recent years. “Lots
of people have been
coming to see us,”
said Jones. “When
you achieve
certain growth,
you start making
new products for
existing customers,
then new products
for new customers and
that’s why we’re here.”
The XD-V digital wireless
systems on show have been praised for
their simplicity, protection against
interference and their superior range and
sound. The XD-V70’s rack mount function
was displayed to the masses, showing the
easy set up and operation first hand.
Portable PA systems don’t get much
more portable than the new Elements
range from HK Audio. This series features
components that slot together with
remarkable ease to create a variety of set-
up possibilities for different situations and
caught the eye of many passers-by who
were originally looking for high-end gear.
“We’ve had a good number of
conversations already so there’s already
been a great deal of interest,” said Alan
Smith, executive director of sales and
marketing for JHS, distributor for HK.
“We’re hoping to have more throughout
the week and we’ve been convincing
people coming to the stand to have a look
at the Elements and they’ve been very
impressed with what they’ve seen.”
Samson returned to PLASA this year
and was also pulling in the crowds, eager
to sample what the brand had to offer. The
510i was another portable PA system that
featured an ingenious transportation idea
– both speakers can slide together to form
one unit, encasing the accompanying
mixer and leads within.
The 401W-17 was another new
addition with its VHF wireless microphone
system, built-in iPod dock and battery
operation making it perfect for outside
performers and pubs wanting a simple, but
effective system for karaoke nights and
similar and other scenarios.
Robert Castle, managing director of
Korg UK, the distributor of Samson said:
“It’s been really good so far. It’s our first
year here and we’ve had a great deal of
interest from people, with many coming
up to us saying they never knew we did all
these types of products.”
Another returning star for the PLASA
faithful was Mackie. Situated on the same
booth as Loud Technologies’ brands,
Martin Audio and EAW, Mackie was back
with a bang, releasing the HD loudspeaker
and subwoofer series, the 24-channel
VLZ3 mixer and two new interfaces – the
Onyx Blackbird and Blackjack.
Adam Hall seemed to be having a good
week as well, with the cunningly placed
Dave G2 series portable PA from LD
Systems in a great position to pull the
punters further in to its area, which was
adorned with loads of MI gear.
“Last year we had a really small booth,
which made it pretty quiet, but this year
has been a lot better,” said Adam Hall’s
general manager, Andrew Richardson.
On the stand was the Eminence Flux
Density Modulation speaker technology,
which allows guitarists to control the
output level, distortion and tonal balance
through a dial on the back of the speaker.
This general feeling of satisfaction from
those who took part is an indication that
PLASA will remain very firmly on the MI
calendar for the foreseeable future.
Despite its pro audio priorities, there was still plenty of MI related gems to be found in the brightly lit (but not noisy)
labyrinth that was this 2010’s PLASA show. Adam Savage breathes smoke and dodges lasers to deliver his report…
A sound investment
PLASA � EVENT REVIEW
WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO OCTOBER 2010 15
FACT FILE:
EVENT: PLASA
DATE: September 12th-15th 2010
VENUE: Earls Court, London
EXHIBITORS: Over 300
VISITORS: Over 12,000
VERDICT: The exhibitors certainly
found this year’s show worthwhile
and the punters will have been
happy too, with so much to see.
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With no little cacophony and a
good helping of percussion
related bedlam, September 4th
and 5th saw the London Drum Show
come crashing and pounding into town,
which was to have been expected from a
building full of drummers and a delightful
array of the things for them to hit.
A glance around revealed just how well
the organiser had managed to fit so much
exhibition space in the small hall – and it
hadn’t been stingy on booth space either.
What was immediately noticeable was
how Yamaha had, quite literally, taken
centre stage with a trio of Rock Tour kits
sitting proudly on the corner of its large
display area. Although showing nothing
brand new, the Japanese company was
able to demonstrate not just its power,
but also that it is still takes shows like this
just as seriously as other brands.
“You have to be here to keep the brand
in front of the public. You can never
quantify this sort of thing, but you know
it’s valuable,” said Darren Power, Yamaha’s
national sales manager. “The quality of the
punter here has been excellent. Their
enquiries have been on a very deep level –
a lot of understanding.”
Another manufacturer that attracted a
great deal of attention was Roland. With a
stand that featured the much-loved V-
Drums range, there was barely a moment
where its space was not invaded by
legions of youngsters itching to unleash
their adolescent aggression on these kits.
Those who stopped by Roland’s stand
were also graced with the presence of
Craig Blundell, a demonstrator for the
manufacturer and another specialist who
wowed fans in the afternoon with his
electronic percussion skills. Blundell also
offered words of praise for the event. “It’s
got a really good, friendly vibe. It’s a good
experience for Roland and it’s great to see
the punters mixing with the players,” he
said. As well as the V-Drums, Roland’s
Octapad was a real eye-catcher, with
Blundell demo’ing how to loop the bass
and drum effects effortlessly.
As for sales, it seemed that accessories
and drum parts were doing better than full
kits, which was good news for a few of the
brands that had gone along. The Dream
Cymbals range, distributed by Soar Valley,
was there in full force and was the source
of a great deal of optimism from sales
manager Darran Bramley.
“We’ve just got the full product range
in, so the timing has been perfect. It’s a
good show for us and it seems people are
interested and getting the message. I’m
really optimistic for Dream Cymbals and
shows such as these only help,” he said.
Following on from this, one of the few
negatives that emerged was the lack of
overall sales across the venue. Hugo
Montgomery-Swan, managing director at
Oyster House Media, the event’s organiser
confirmed this, but also revealed that
many taking part had realistic
expectations, so weren’t too disappointed.
“It’s a difficult one. We brought the
people in, but we can’t make them spend,”
said Montgomery-Swan. “All I can say is
that we work in other retail sectors and
this sector is nowhere near as bad as
some of the others. I think it’s simply
down to the economy suppressing
people’s desire to spend.”
Also in the accessory category,
Stageworks used the Drum Show to
launch the second product in its line of
problem solving products, the Rimma. This
stick holder/clip attaches to the top of a
bass drum and allows the user to reach
down and grab a spare stick with ease,
should one fly out of the drummer’s hand
during a performance.
Interest in world percussion was
declared a bit quiet by a number of the
tradesmen that MI Pro spoke to, but a few
of the larger brands were an exception,
convincing a good number to have a tap
and a patter on their latest offerings.
Natal looked to have been extremely
busy since its appearance at the MI Retail
Conference & Expo, showing off a huge
array of cajons and a wonderful selection
of congas and bongos, including the Fuego
and Spirit ranges, which is impressive
considering how it is still in its early stages
of development since being taken over by
Marshall Amplification.
“It’s got good energy and good visitors.
There’s also a good spread of exhibitors –
just about everybody is here who should
be,” commented Craig Fenney. “Natal is
just getting into gear now and the plans
for new gear are on track.”
Another percussion brand that was
recently the subject of a new distribution
deal was Gon Bops – now owned, of
course, by Sabian. Instrument designer
Akbar Moghaddam, who designs and
makes its California conga range, as well
as a handful of its other models, was
making a surprise appearance.
Providing a plethora of rhythmic enjoyment for both the trade and the public, The London Drum Show finally gave the
percussion sector back an event of its own. Adam Savage waded through the paradiddles to check it out…
Striking a balance
“We brought the people in, but we can’t make
them spend. We work in other sectors and
this is nowhere near as bad.Hugo Montgomery-Swan
Oyster House Media
18 miPRO OCTOBER 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
EVENT REVIEW � LONDON DRUM SHOW
FACT FILE:
EVENT: London Drum Show
DATE: September 4th and 5th
VENUE: Olympia, London
EXHIBITORS: 36
VISITORS: 1,921
VERDICT: An excellent event
that impressed both the public
and those with their gear on
show. Well organised with a
good choice of venue, the
London Drum Show is sure to
become an established MI
show, but dealer exhibitors
hope will sales will improve.
“It’s gone really well. It’s the first
proper showing since we took on the
Gon Bops brand and made it widely
available,” said Andy Gillespie, drums and
percussion product specialist at Westside
Distribution, a supplier that was also
displaying the Sabian cymbal range, a
section that certainly drew the crowds
and not just because Dave Weckl was
there to do a signing after lunch.
You know a show has been a hit when
a number of exhibitors already state an
interest in taking part next year, before
the weekend is even over. Active was an
example of this, showing off its
renowned Meinl and Ludwig brands, both
of which needing no introduction in the
drum and percussion markets.
“It’s tough out there for everyone at
the moment, but when someone
organises a drum show, you have to be
there,” said Active’s Lee Worsely. “It’s
really worth doing and this foundation
means there is more than enough for the
organiser to build on, so it will definitely
happen again next year – and we’ll be
here again, for sure.”
Although new products in general
were few and far between, Morico was
introducing the unusual Sound Garden
product line. Instead of being named
after an old American grunge band, this
delightful series of sound sculptures,
cymbals and gongs was presumably given
this title due to their resemblance to
garden ornaments.
What is more, they sound just as good
as they look.
Also on the Morico stand was the
imaginatively titled Bum Chum bass
drum monitoring system – another of
the few newcomers at the show, a device
that allows drummers to feel the bass
drum through vibrations in the seat, a
worthy solution for those who struggle
to hear themselves in live settings.
After a chat with Morico’s Kevin
Morris, he seemed keen to stress his
belief that developing your own products
and brands is a far more effective
business method for a supplier, rather
than having to deal with some awkward
manufacturers.
“I don’t want to work with people or
products I’m unsure of. Running things
myself gives me peace of mind – so I’ve
got a lot of stuff happening over the next
year or so,” he said. “This is just the start
of a lot of innovative products coming.”
A success it most certainly was. As to
whether this event will continue the
recent worrying pattern of show’s
crashing off the MI show calendar, you
can bet that this one won’t be, especially
with the feedback collected by
Montgomery-Swan.
“With a few provisos from some
companies, everybody said they would
be back again next year – and some have
asked for additional space,” he said. Will
it return in 2011? You can bet your
vintage steel snare on it..
“It’s tough out there at the moment, but when
someone organises a drum show, you know
you just have to be there.Lee Worsely
Active Music
WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO OCTOBER 2010 19
DRUMS...YOU SHOULD BE DEALING WITH US
IF YOU DEAL IN...
WWW.BRDISTRIBUTION.CO.UKTEL: +44 (0)1207 282 806
COMPANY PROFILE LOUD
As one of the world’s largest pro
audio and music product suppliers,
it’s no wonder that Loud
Technologies, with its broad brand lineup,
created a stir when it announced it would
be exhibiting at PLASA after a brief hiatus.
A visit to the stand revealed a hive of
activity and swarms of eager techies,
drawn to the new lines from Mackie and
the pro brands – EAW and Martin Audio.
Although Loud might have been absent in
recent years, it seemed that they had been
biding their time, waiting for the perfect
opportunity to return in style, and they
certainly did that.
“While we held effective off-site
product demos and training events over
the past few years, Loud had so many
exciting products this year we felt a front-
row stand on the show floor was exactly
what we needed to bring those products
to market,” said Loud’s John Kaukis. “Our
plan was to make a clear statement
regarding our commitment to innovation
and the UK market.”
As well as the three aforementioned
brands together on the PLASA booth, the
new HD1221 compact loudspeaker is the
first Mackie product to include EAW and
Martin Audio technology. This 12-inch
two-way unit delivers 1,200 Watts of peak
system power via the Class-D fast
recovery amplification system and has
been boosted by the inclusion of custom
designed EAW transducers and a horn
from the guys at Martin Audio.
“The HD series is a perfect example of
Mackie delivering high-end pro audio
specs to the MI market,” commented
Kaukis, who explained that the name HD
was chosen because of the audio clarity
on offer from this range, similar to the
visual improvements that high definition
television brings. “We think your first
experience with the HD series will be as
amazing as your first glance at HD video
and all of the detail you had missed.”
This high definition sound is created by
blending Mackie active electronics
(precision cross-overs, phase and time
alignment) and EAW’s acoustic correction
processing. Greater accuracy and
consistency from box to box is also
ensured by Mackie’s DSP HD audio
processing and all of this leads to a very
open, natural and detailed sound.
Combining the HD1221 with its
partner, the HD1501 powered sub,
illustrates how the series was supposed to
sound. “Just pair them up for the ultimate
portable HD rig,” said Ben Olswang,
Mackie’s product manager. “It’s easy to set
up and the sound quality is amazing.”
The HD1221’s versatility can be proven
further by the fact it can also be used as a
highly effective stage monitor. Its
asymmetrical design makes this possible
and when laid down, its 60-degree angle
directs sound more steeply than usual,
which is ideal for musos who prefer not to
have sound blasted straight at them.
It is with mixing consoles, though, that
Mackie has really made its name. The
2404-VLZ3 four-bus mixer marks a step
up from the 1604-VLZ3, but is designed to
maintain the low-noise, high-headroom
performance that made its predecessors
so popular. It also offers several upgrades
that take the series forward.
The 2404-VLZ3 features dual 32-bit
effects processors, an integrated 4x2 24-
bit USB interface and eight dedicated in-
line compressors.
Equipped with studio-grade XDR2
extended dynamic range mic preamps
with phantom power and 20 mono mic
and line channels, this mixer is perfect for
beginners, but also includes plenty of
high-tech components to keep the pro
audio crowd happy.
A three-band active eq with swept mid-
frequency and six aux sends (two pre-
fader and post-fader sends, with sends
three and four switchable between the
“We think your first experience with the HD series
will be as amazing as your first glance at HD video.John Kaukis
UK sales manager, MI group, Loud Technologies
Loud and proudLoud Technologies returned to PLASA this year, with Mackie one of three of the audio giant’s brands launching a plethora
of new audio arrivals. Adam Savage armed himself with headphones and ear plugs and went to check it all out…
20 miPRO OCTOBER 2010 WW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
two) are just some examples of what the
2404-VLZ3 offers more experienced users.
“Mackie is known for creating
professional quality products that not only
sound great, but are also user-friendly,”
said Olswang. “As such, we made it easy
to use for beginners and experienced pros
alike. We didn’t skimp on any pro features
but we also made sure users could easily
start with the basics and the mixer would
be able to grow on them.”
Mackie claims to have set a new
standard in mid-format with this model
and with a four-band Perkins eq on every
channel, a built-in stereo compressor and
limiter all packed into a console the same
size as the popular SR24 and SR32
versions. It looks as though the 2404-VLZ3
will take some beating.
Completing the Mackie display at
PLASA were the Onyx Blackjack and
Blackbird interfaces. The unique selling
points behind the Blackjack is without
doubt how the manufacturers have
managed to get Mackie’s boutique-quality
Onyx mic preamps into a remarkably
small unit, without costing the earth.
The Blackjack’s two-channel design is
perfect for bands wanting to record their
performances, either at gigs or during
rehearsals and for overdubs in a home
studio environment.
Making it even more competent in a
studio setting are the Cirrus Logic ADA
converters with 114dB dynamic range and
preamps taht deliver top-of-the-range
fidelity and dynamic range.
The Blackbird is a 16x16 Firewire
recording interface, which houses eight
Onyx preamps and high-end 24-bit/96kHz
conversion in a rackmount design. The two
‘super’ channels located on the front panel
provide quick access to crucial recording
tools and the Blackbird matrix mixer
software allows for quick mixes and
routing any input to any output.
For both interfaces, the built-in Onyx
preamps have been flagged as one of the
most important additions and it seems
that this is one of the areas that the
designers at Mackie are most proud of.
“Great recordings start with high-quality
preamps and you will simply not find
preamps at this price range better than
the Blackjack and Blackbird Onyx
preamps,” said Olswang. “Found on our
most expensive studio consoles, Onyx pres
are designed to meet or surpass expensive,
esoteric standalone pres in terms of
fidelity, headroom and transparency.”
The amount of interest generated at
trade show launches is always a first-hand,
preliminary indication of how successful a
product (or in this case, series of products)
could turn out to be, which is why Loud
will be sitting very comfortably indeed
after its PLASA outing. Add to its brand
inventory the likes of Ampeg, Blackheart,
Alvarez and Crate and it’s no wonder that
Loud Technologies has reached the status
it has and it’s with new lines like these
that will allow its reputation to grow
further still.
LOUDTECHINC.COM
LOUD COMPANY PROFILE
WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO OCTOBER 2010 21
The 2404-VLZ3 might not have a snappy name, but does the business for beginners and pros – and dealers – alike
FIRST LINE COMPANY PROFILE
One small ray of sunshine in the
current economic crisis is that it’s
provided what you might describe
as ‘encouragement’ for retailers to look
long and hard at their stock. Increasingly,
both they and distributors tell MI Pro they
are turning away from trying to compete
with brands that attract heavy discounts,
because they realise discounting is a
battle they cannot win. This doesn’t
automatically mean the big brands are
vanishing from smaller shops – they’re still
needed and always will be. However, it
does mean that canny retailers are doing
what canny retailers always have – making
sure that they also offer lines on which
they can make a good margin and to
which they can steer the right customers.
While sometimes this category is
composed of what might be described as
‘second tier’ brands, it also includes the
prestigious US-sourced lines that First Line
Distribution has done so well with. This
dovetails nicely with the current mood of
the industry, that should be no surprise, as
First Line was started by Jay Henson, who
had a long background in MI retail before
moving into distribution.
The company began with Carl Martin
effects pedals, then began to add similarly
prestigious US lines like Spector basses,
Eden bass amplification, Parker guitars,
Diamond amplification and DR Strings.
Most recently it has caused a real stir with
the long-awaited DBZ guitars – the latest
project from Dean founder, Dean Zelinsky.
But wait a minute – DR strings? Surely
the axiom is that getting new string lines
established in the UK is next to
impossible, as most retailers can’t be
persuaded to stock anything but the big
three or four brands? According to Jay
Henson, this is not the case with DR.
“DR has been doing incredibly well for
us and the further we go, the more we are
starting to realise how much potential
there is and it’s all down to the quality of
the product. As a retailer, having someone
come in with another strong brand is a bit
of a nightmare, I realise, having been
there. You want to be able to offer your
customers more choice, but trying to put
aside that extra bit of space, when you
know your Ernie Balls and D’Addarios will
sell, is a bit difficult. But the thing with DR
strings is that it’s not just a marketing
exercise – it’s not
just another ‘me
too’ product with different
marketing and a new set of endorsers.
It’s a genuinely original product made
using different construction methods and
it has a huge following. People who know
them don’t just go back and ask for
‘another set of those strings with the pink
packets.’ Once they’ve tried them, DR is all
they’ll buy. They won’t even tell me how
they make their latest strings, DDT – Drop
Down Tuning. They’re absolutely incredible
strings across the range and are starting to
build a serious following.”
A following is what Dean Zelinsky has,
too. It has been over two years since word
went out that he had parted company
with the Dean brand he founded and was
teaming-up with Diamond Amplification
to launch an entirely new range of guitars.
It has taken Zelinsky time to get DBZ into
full production, but the delay seems to
have heightened the buzz surrounding the
newcomers, which have now been
received to great acclaim in the USA.
“It has taken a while to get up to full
production but we now have
containers coming every month,”
Henson says. “The reason it took so
long was because Dean Zelinsky
knew it had it be right.”
What is particularly interesting
about DBZ isn’t just that the
guitars look so good (check out
the DBZ website), but that they
“The company began with Carl Martin effects
pedals, then began to add similarly prestigious US
lines like Spector basses and DR strings.
First in lineWhere does the MI retailer turn when the larger brands start squeezing margins? Most of them are discovering that
quality, niche brands are quite often the way to keep profits high in these financially tough times that we find
ourselves in. Gary Cooper has unearthed a swathe of them all under one roof at First Line Distribution…
WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO OCTOBER 2010 23
COMPANY PROFILE FIRST LINE
share something in common with the
other First Line brands – they’re not
bargain basement, but neither are they in
the ‘boutique’ price range which, with the
best will in the world, only specialist
retailers can sell. In fact, the new DBZ
models retail between £300 and £800,
making them competitors, not with
handmade luxury guitars, but with
mainstream, established brands. Again,
Henson reminds us, DBZ is really an
established name. Once a potential
customer makes the connection between
DBZ and Dean, the product ceases to be
an unknown quantity.
“With a DBZ you’re getting the
excitement of a new guitar company, but
with the heritage of Dean Zelinsky, who
has got 30 years behind him. The price
points are attractive, they’re profitable for
retailers, we’re not appointing a lot of
dealers and I think it represents a really
good profit opportunity for those who are
looking at their walls and thinking ‘I can’t
make enough money off these’.”
The same is true of Eden bass
amplification – another product that has a
pedigree as a top-end professional range,
but has broadened and expanded so that
it now includes a range of products which
wouldn’t be out of place in a general
music shop, as well as bass specialists.
“The range that Eden offers now is
quite extraordinary. They can compete
with any bass amplifier brand – from
extremely light micro heads, all-valve
Seventies type bass heads, and they’re still
doing all their flagship models – like the
WT 550. Four years ago that sold for over
£1,000 but now it’s selling for £699. There
are even practice amps for £100, yet the
quality is still there, it’s a profitable line
for dealers to sell and anyone who takes it
on does so knowing that we don’t do
special deals on the golf course – it’s a
completely level playing field for our
dealers. Eden is a range that enables the
smaller dealer to have just one bass range
in stock and it covers all his options.
“A lot of what we sell are the products
you move up to, once you’ve gone beyond
the average big name brands that
everybody plays at some time or another.
They’re the products you graduate to –
quality products – and that takes a big
worry away from the retailer, as it means
people aren’t going to be walking into
your store thinking ‘what is it?’ or ‘that’s
not very good, is it?’ They’re quality
brands with customer recognition.”
They are also brands that despite
having a certain cachet, don’t come with
price tags that are looking problematic as
the recession bites, Henson says.
“Retail has been struggling, but there
are things people can do – looking for
alternative brands that can be profitable
for them, for one. I know from having
spent years as a retailer that it’s very easy
to start doing deals, cutting your margins
and trying to compete with people you
really can’t hope to compete with. It’s
about protecting your margin and stocking
the type of products that enable you to
do that. We don’t deal with the very top
market leaders, but I consider our brands
to be prestige brands – there’s nothing
cheap and nasty there. They’re all known
names – not household names, perhaps,
but, for example, anyone that would buy a
Music Man bass will know of Spector
basses and anyone that’s a fan of Dean
guitars will know of DVZ. At a time when
retailers are struggling, I think we are
offering a range of very profitable
alternatives, that aren’t hard to sell
because they are all brands that their
customers will have heard of.”
And just to add a final clincher, Henson
adds that there is about to be a new
dealer website which will make selling his
brands even easier. For example, it will
have pictures of his actual DBZ stock –
not just catalogue images. As Henson
explains, the range of finishes on DBZ is so
wide that he wants retailers to be able to
hand-select the individual guitars they
want. The site will also feature charts of
all the different DR strings, as well as Q&A
on matching Eden bass amp products.
“It’s all designed to offer dealers
support. Talking points about the products,
information they might find useful –
things that will make their jobs easier
when they come to sell these products.”
FIRST LINE: 01626 830336
24 miPRO OCTOBER 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
“We don’t deal with
the very top market
leaders, but I
consider our brands
to be prestige brands.Jay Henson
First Line
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ELITES E R I E S
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STANDARD SERIES
Trev Wilkinson has something on his
mind. As Britain’s one-man guitar
think-tank, this isn’t particularly
surprising – indeed, you imagine that his
brain must be bubbling with ideas
continuously, but almost as soon as we
start speaking, it’s clear that he wants to
get something off his chest. The problem,
he explains, is one of perception. He
wants to make sure the industry
understands that the recently launched
Wilkinson ATD HT440 self-tuning bridge
system wasn’t a solo project and, equally,
is soon to be available on other guitars
besides his (and JHS’) Fret King – the first
brand to carry this remarkable product.
Though it wouldn’t be the MI Pro style
to spring Paxmanesque-style questions,
Wilkinson’s candour did slightly take the
wind out of our sails as these were two
issues we had intended to raise – both the
story behind Auto Tuning Developments
and whether it has got off to a lower key
start than one might have expected for
what could be a truly world-beating idea.
The ATD has been a long time in the
making. Word began to spread about its
development several years ago and,
originally, Wilkinson’s name wasn’t
connected with it. We wanted to know
how he had got involved, what his role in
the project had been and whether he feels
he can succeed in selling an auto-tuning
system to a public (let alone a trade) that
hasn’t exactly showered Gibson’s Robot
concept with universal praise.
Moreover, we wanted to know whether
he felt Gibson had tainted the entire
market for self-tuning guitars.
But before that, whence ATD?
“The system came about in the first
place with Richard Whittall and his son,
Nick. Nick was at college and a guitar
player. He had heard a guy talking about a
device that could automatically tune a
guitar. He mentioned it to his father as a
product they should develop and, to cut a
long story short, they did that. They then
looked around for the best way to take
what was a very large, expensive piece of
equipment to the next stage. They were
put in touch with me – and to give you
some idea how long this has been in
gestation, this was in around 1996 or 97.”
WILKINSON COVER FEATURE
Fine tuning ideasAfter years of development, the long rumoured ADT self-tuning bridge was launched at Summer NAMM on a
Wilkinson-designed Fret King. Gary Cooper tightens the gears with Trevor Wilkinson to see how it all came about…
WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO OCTOBER 2010 27
“I want to set the
record straight on
this. This was not a
solo effort – it has
been a team effort
from the start.Trevor Wilkinson
COVER FEATURE WILKINSON
Wilkinson – the only man in Britain
who had managed to challenge the US
monopoly on advanced guitar vibrato
systems and components – had unique
experience here. He had a reputation
among players, had sold branded products
to the big international guitar companies,
been an early pioneer in sourcing reliable
Far Eastern licensing without getting his
ideas stolen – in short, he had credibility
in the international guitar world. It was
that experience and insight that made
him set two initial conditions for his
involvement in the project. The first was
that it had to retro fit an American
standard Stratocaster, the second, that it
had to sell at an affordable price. Two
conditions which, particularly in the light
of what Gibson debuted ten years later,
shows the sort of market nous for which
Wilkinson is famed.
At this point in the interview, Wilkinson
launches into a fascinating account of the
technical struggles the team (which
included Richard Whittall, a digital
engineer, a mechanical engineer and
himself) had to overcome. It’s to be hoped
that one of the guitar magazines will find
space for this story – which we,
concentrating on the business angle, do
not have – because for anyone interested
in guitars, engineering or turning an idea
into a product, it must rank alongside the
Dyson saga for interest.
Britannia’s business
Our focus, being on business, needs to
record the difficulty Wilkinson says the
team faced in trying to get support – the
familiar tale that has left the UK with an
unmatched record of patents and an
empty treasure chest, as waves of
inventors have been spurned by banks. For
all the talk of ‘cool Britannia’ and the
posing of government ministers with rock
stars, no-one from government was
interested in helping the ATD come to life
and the banks proved equally as
unenthusiastic. Wilkinson and the team
were on their own.
Help came from other companies –
including Maxon Motor, German gear
makers founded by the Braun family (of
electric razor fame) and Turchan, a US
company that had developed a
revolutionary process using lasers,
employed to grow diamonds on the ATD’s
bridge saddles and Shadow electronics,
again in Germany. With these three
working alongside the British quartet
(which, itself underwent some design
personnel changes along the way) the
product was, finally, brought to
production, though it took an exhausting
14 years to do so.
Team work
“I do want to set the record straight
about this, “ Wilkinson continues. “This
wasn’t a solo effort. For example, ten
years ago I brought into the team a lad
called Andy Leadbetter, straight out of
college with an honours degree in
mechanical engineering. At that time we
thought we were going to have to
construct the whole gearbox ourselves,
which was a nightmare project to
undertake. Andy came to the project
without the slightest knowledge of guitars
and that has more or less defined my role,
which has been as designer and
taskmaster. I supplied my knowledge of
guitars, vibrato systems and fixed bridges
and he did the leg work. That’s how this
has worked – it’s been a team project.
“Richard Whittall, as the managing
director, has raised capital and all the
essential things that go to make
something like this a reality. For 14 years
we’ve been an R&D company – there’s
been no money coming in, it’s been just
going out. “
Wilkinson also stresses the contribution
of Dave Goodway, the digital engineer
who was a key component in the team.
“The other partners included Maxon.
They make planetary gearboxes and I
need to explain why that matters. We’ve
got to be able to have enough torque to
turn a 52 gauge string around a capstan
the size of a tuning key, within the
confines of a vibrato block in a bridge, and
we can’t go any deeper than 45 mm
because 13⁄4 inches is the thickness of a
Strat body. That means I needed to find
gearboxes and motors within that size. I
knew Maxon made a planetary gearbox
and after a bit of a giggle at our
prototype, they said they could do it. They
saw it. I think, as a challenge – a way to
demonstrate their skills. They’ve invested
a lot of time and money and I’m very
grateful for their involvement.
“We’ve had so many things happen
like that – Maxon was a strategic partner
– and so was Turchan. A problem we
needed solving was reducing friction on
the bridge saddles without sacrificing the
sound of a Strat. Turchan had that
technology and they’ve been invaluable. “
Lift off
The launch vehicle for the ATD self-tuner
was the Fret King Super-Matic.
Without wanting to belittle Fret King,
wasn’t that a low-key launch for such an
exciting product? Wouldn’t it have made
more impact on a Fender or an Ibanez?
Wilkinson has an intriguing answer.
“The device is available to every guitar
company in the world and has been since
the start. The reason that it has appeared
first in the Fret King Super-Matic is simply
because Dennis Drumm at JHS had had
the guts and the foresight to say ‘We’ll do
that – put it in one of our guitars’. It’s just
the fact that Dennis was prepared to do it
before anyone else. “
So, what held back the rest of the
world? Does Wilkinson think that Gibson
could have shot the auto-tuning fox with
its Robot – putting guitarists off the
whole idea?
“I don’t think they damaged the
market – I think they damaged
themselves. I think in some ways they did
us a favour as they did bring something to
the mass market by making people aware
that the technology exists and actually
does work. And there’s no doubt that the
Gibson technology does work – it’s just
that it works within certain limitations.
“But not only do I think Gibson have
damaged themselves, I think Tronical have
damaged themselves, too, by taking it to
market with an exclusive company. “
Herein lies what could prove to be ATD
and Wilkinson’s smartest move, or biggest
mistake. It isn’t hard to imagine a deal
being struck with a major guitar
manufacturer to offer the ATD as an
exclusive product – but Wilkinson is sure
that would be the wrong thing to do.
“In an ideal world I’d like to have seen
it available from every single guitar brand
in the world. But to have gone from
nothing to producing 10,000 bridges a
28 miPRO OCTOBER 2010 WW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
Wilkinson with the
ADT auto-tune fitted
Fret King Super-Matic
“There is so much I could tell you. We don’t look
after our own in this country. Even with sales in
hand, you still can’t raise money from a bank.Trevor Wilkinson
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COMPANY PROFILE INTERMUSIC
You have to hand it to Intermusic.
Following the demise of his retail
chain, Minns Music, Richard Webb
saw an opportunity in the piano importing
business and started the company straight
away. It’s likely that there were a few
raised eyebrows accompanying
Intermusic’s start-up, as it was at the time
a crowded acoustic piano market, but 25
years on, the company is going from
strength to strength.
But what does that mean? It’s a phrase
the PR people dish out at every opportune
moment, but rarely has any substance
behind it. In the case of Intermusic there is
real justification. Occupying nearly half of
an office/warehouse site in Poole (some
five units out of 12, with an eye on each
of the others as they become available),
Webb’s company has recently undergone
an internal revamp, establishing a new
website (having finally wrestled the
intermusic.com domain name from a
previous owner) and two new showrooms,
one based on the company’s general MI
offering and the other for the impressive
Bechstein piano brands.
Coming from a strong retail
background, Webb is always very clear
about where his efforts are aimed.
“The showrooms are for dealers to
come along and have a look at what we
are doing and what we can offer,” he
explains. “We’re really pleased with them
and we hope it will inspire some of them
to get a little bit more focused.” And it’s a
focus that can be seen immediately,
particularly in the Bechstein showroom,
where the C Bechstein, Bechstein Academy
and Hoffmann grands each sit in their
own space, with some classy branding
panels among them. “It’s like you would
see in a Mercedes showroom,” Webb
continues. “A well organised space with
the brands given their own area, with
tables and chairs to talk business. If a shop
takes on a display such as this, they will
benefit from being a prime dealer.”
The general showroom displays all of
the guitar, brass and woodwind, with the
impressive (and extremely wide) range of
Shine guitars, the Kiss endorsed Silvertone
brand and Intermusic’s own Bentley
branding on pretty much everything else,
from saxes, brass and woodwind to digital
pianos and drums.
The two spaces illustrate the maturity
Intermusic has achieved over the years,
which together with its long-standing
policies of allowing dealers to set their
own retail prices and the ability for them
to buy products with their own branding
makes the supplier one of the most
retailer-friendly operations in the country.
The icing on the cake, therefore, has
been the capture of the intermusic.com
domain, which inspired a complete
overhaul of the company’s website. Once
again, it is focused on the dealer, with a
secure retailer area, a fully spec’d search
engine and the ability to see full account
details and any orders progressing.
Webb’s son, Oliver, as well as looking
after business outside of MI, has been
turning his attention to the website.
Marginal opportunitiesThere is little that makes a company take stock of where it is more avidly than a landmark anniversary, although as
Intermusic approaches its 25th birthday, Andy Barrett finds out, the Dorset-based supplier is already a step ahead…
32 miPRO OCTOBER 2010 WW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
L-R: Intermusic’s piano product manager Steve Hammett, founder and chairman Richard Webb and managing director, Oliver Webb
“It’s a new direction for
Intermusic,” he says. “We
are hoping to show
dealers the exceptional
value they can get by
working with us online. To
begin with, we are offering
a 20 per cent discount for
those paying up front on
the website. It’s a
considerable reduction and I
think it will tempt a lot of
dealers to take a look.”
“We think we can probably beat
pretty much anybody’s trade
prices,” adds Richard Webb.
“Even those that are buying
direct from China will find us
extremely competitive.”
“And the website is
completely secure,” says
Oliver. “We’ve spent a lot
of time on that and getting
thorough checking systems
to ensure not just anybody
gets on to the trade pages.”
We hear the phrase ‘helping
dealers make more margin’ a lot
these days, but with Intermusic’s
reputation, it is easy to believe. “With the
website, we can really offer dealers some
excellent deals,” continues Oliver Webb.
“It’s what we’ve always done, it’s just now
there is more technology involved. What
we have now is a 20 per cent discount
store for dealers – all day, every day.”
The website is very much aimed at the
MI market – as opposed to the acoustic
piano sector. “I can’t see us ever selling
pianos online,” says Richard Webb. “It’s
just not that kind of market – I don’t see
it that way and nor do the dealers.
Intermusic’s MI is really about the entry
level – although Shine does go a lot
further than that. The Bentley digital
pianos and digital drumkits will find a
place online soon, but that’s probably
about as far as it will go.”
“In time, we could get piano
information online, but it won’t go further
than that,” points out Oliver Webb. “Steve
Hammett [Intermusic’s piano product
manager] has just sold a £25,000
Bechstein grand today. It was a long
procedure. Had to make the call and give
explanations, send over pictures to
confirm the exact colour – it was a big
sale. You are simply not going to be able
to do that sort of thing online.”
This is very much the nature of the
beast when it comes to acoustic piano
sales. There is an extremely limited
number of them – and Intermusic has
known all about them since…well, forever.
Advances in that business come in
different ways – subtle ways and by no
means earth-shattering.
“All we can do is help the dealers think
like us,” says Richard Webb. “This is why
we have set up the showroom. Dealers can
see how a shop floor can work with just a
couple of brands on show. They buy the
stock and we do the branding. When they
do this they get a good deal – I should say
an even better deal. On top of this, they
will be flagged up on the website as a top
dealer – and when you are talking about a
brand such as Bechstein, you have
probably the only high-end piano that is
growing its market at the moment.
Bechstein is pretty unique in the market
at the moment, in that it is, I think, a
better product than all the competition
and is at a far better price point. It really is
turning heads at the moment.”
Dealers wishing to take advantage of
the special showroom branding from
Intermusic will also be pleased to hear
that the deals are not set in stone. The
company is willing to look at each store
on a case-by-case basis, with a lot, of
course, depending on its size and then a
reasonable commitment from the store
based on that. Alongside the Bechstein
Academy range bringing the Bechstein
name to a more budget conscious market,
there is the Hoffmann range, which slots
in between the two. Hoffmann is made in
Bechstein’s Czech factory and as such is a
keenly priced European-made piano.
“With the Pearl River products added
into the equation and everything that
they can bring to the table – Rittmüller,
for example, which slots in nicely in
between Bechstein Academy and
Hoffmann, and is, I think, the best Chinese
upright on the market – we have such an
offering that there are a few dealers for
which Intermusic is the sole supplier,”
explains Richard Webb. “But there could be
a lot more. Dealers should take a good
look at what we are doing, whether high-
end pianos or OEM stock with their own
branding on it. We don’t tell dealers what
to sell for, so when it comes to offering
top margins, we win. We earn dealers
more money.”
That window of opportunity that
Richard Webb saw 25 years ago, then, is
still open – although it would appear that
today it is very much Intermusic’s window.
Dealers could do a lot worse than having a
peek through it.
INTERMUSIC: 01202 696963
“We think we can probably beat pretty much
anybody’s trade prices.Richard Webb
Intermusic
INTERMUSIC COMPANY PROFILE
WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO OCTOBER 2010 33
COMPANY PROFILE BARNES & MULLINS
Around the world of MI, almost all
instrument categories include
accessories to aid the musician’s
playing experience to varying degrees, but
there are few products that are as
important as the bow is to the violin.
The clue is in the name, of course:
bowed instruments. When you take this
into consideration, it is baffling that little
attention is given to bows. Here’s an
opportunity, then, for them to get some
much-needed limelight.
The US bow maker Codabow provides
bows for string enthusiasts with varying
levels of skill and ability. Whether a
student in the early stages of
development or an accomplished solo
artist, Codabow targets all musicians.
The brand traces its history back to the
commercial introduction of carbon fibre in
the early 1950s and the product is made
by a team of craftsmen and scientists,
blending tradition and technology to
produce quality, performance bows.
Stan Prosen, a key player in the
composites industry, is one of the pioneers
of this carbon fibre approach, along with
Roger Zabinski, who is up there with the
most respected traditional bow makers.
Completing the trio is Codabow chief
executive Jeff Van Fossen, a mechanical
and aerospace engineer. Together, they
have started a trend with carbon fibre
bows that professionals now follow.
Two areas where Codabow has made a
real difference to players are with its bow
camber and bow balance innovations.
“Camber refers to the arc of the bow
shaft, typically measured when the bow
hair is at full rest,” says Van Fossen.
“Optimum camber is largely dependent
upon the material properties of the shaft.
Codabows are crafted using stable
materials to exact specifications, yielding
bow performance that is predictable and
consistent throughout. The camber on all
Codabows will never require adjustment.
“Balance is perhaps the least
understood and yet one of the most
important characteristics of a performance
bow,” he adds. “The ‘balance’ that a player
feels is a combination of two properties:
the static balance and the dynamic
balance points. The location of these two
points strinbgly influences the playability.
“In the case of traditional wood bows
whose material properties are defined, the
maker has limited control over balance.
Because of the material properties of
Codabows, the control of balance can be
engineered exactly, so the dynamic and
static points can be placed precisely where
they serve the player best.”
There are a number of different ranges
available from Codabow through Barnes &
Mullins that cater for players of all levels.
Starting from the top, the Diamond
series is available for violin, viola and cello
and consists of three model levels: the GX,
SX and NX.
The GX is designed to be the ideal bow
for those looking to replace their
pernambuco model, the SX is best as a
touring bow for the busy musician and the
NX is for advanced players who want to
make their first steps towards becoming a
fully-fledged professional string maestro.
The most innovative of the Codabows,
the Joule, offers performance unobtainable
from materials traditionally used.
Originally developed for extended range
and electric instruments, this design is
capable of commanding power for the
lower range, while still allowing colour and
nuance for the upper range.
The Prodigy is another product that
Codabow feels can enhance the
performance of a player. Precision-
engineered to provide professional
characteristics at an affordable price, the
Prodigy is ideal for more experienced
students. The balanced shaft delivers off-
string agility, usually found in high-
performance bows, while providing ease of
use and comfort for younger players.
Not forgetting double bass, Codabow
has created the Infinity and Revelation
bass bows – the former more suited to
soloists and the latter for orchestras.
Prices start at £275 for the Prodigy and
currently peak at £720 for the double bass
Revelation bows.
“Players have really taken to Codabow,”
comments Bruce Perrin, B&M’s joint MD. “I
spend a lot of time at string players’
summer schools and events and I have
worked hard to promote the benefits of
carbon fibre bows wherever possible.
“Many players are very happy to try
and buy an alternative bow, so with
import restrictions on endangered woods
such as pernambuco, having a strong,
reliable and high quality replacement is
now an essential consideration.”
Taking a bowThe use of modern technology might be less common in the orchestral string sector, but Codabow has been using
contemporary techniques to make its bows for decades. Adam Savage sees what they’re all about…
“The control of
balance can be
engineered exactly.Jeff Van Fossen
Codabow
34 miPRO OCTOBER 2010 WW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
COMPANY PROFILE WORLD RHYTHM
One of the few bright stars in the
MI industry in recent years has
been the growing interest in
percussion. Not only does percussion sell
to existing musicians but it also has a
growing market among ordinary members
of the public. Increasingly, percussion is
showing it has the power to draw people
in to start playing by proving that you
don’t need to be a musical genius, it’s
inexpensive and can be a lot of fun.
Many distributors specialise in this field
and among them is one of the most go-
ahead small distributors in the MI sector –
World Rhythm Percussion. This is a
company that prides itself on the ethical
sourcing of its products and while that
does mean sourcing materials from
sustainable resources, it goes a great deal
further, involving WRP directly in the
communities which make the instruments.
Which brings us to World Rhythm
Percussion’s latest addition – a line of
cajons not drawn from ‘the usual sources’
but actually made in Spain, where the
instrument has a long association with
Flamenco, much as it has right across the
world, where it has found its way into
ethnic music styles on several continents.
In case you’re thinking ‘another cajon –
so what?’ WRP’s Chris Bromwich explains
there is a difference. “The ethical sourcing
is very important. All the wood used
comes from FSC sources and then there is
the constructional quality. If you put them
next to other visually similar cajons, you
can see that these are built to a very high
specification. The company that is building
them have over 20 years collective
experience building cajons so a lot of
forethought, experience and attention to
detail has gone into them. Every one is
hand-built from start to finish.”
Despite being high quality and made in
Europe, the new cajons are not expensive,
Bromwich says. “They’re certainly well
priced compared to others. There are
cheaper products, but they are much more
inferior. There are also products on the
market that are a lot more expensive and
are no better. There are three ranges priced
from £120 to £230.”
It can’t be stressed enough how fast
percussion is growing in the UK. For many
years it was the poor relation of the MI
family and though having undergone this
tremendous surge in popularity, it is still
often overlooked by stores. This means if a
member of the public is enjoying playing
percussion at home and is buying products
from a teacher or website, they might not
even think to visit their local music shop.
Fortunately, a growing number of
retailers have begun to realise this and
have started to expand into this area.
Understandably, World Rhythm Percussion
is keen to encourage them, Bromwich
says. “At a time when there aren’t many
growth areas in music, percussion is one
and now could well be the time to invest
in it.”
Bromwich points to an interesting
potential market, too. “Most people who
are interested in making, playing or
producing music are interested in new
sounds and my experience of selling these
products to retailers and players is that
while there’s a lot of synthetic software
that has a variety of sounds, you never
really get the true essence of the
instrument. What I find is that a lot of
general musicians are interested in
purchasing percussion items. A lot of the
products we sell on the hand-held side
come in at under £20. People may not
have been thinking of buying a percussion
product but they see a shaker, pick it up,
it’s earthy, organic, the sound is really
interesting and it’s only £7, £12 or £15. So
it’s inexpensive, appeals to most musicians
and is fairly recession-proof. Everyone has
got £15 to spend, even today.”
And the new WRP cajons? “My
impression is that what we’ve seen with
the djembe in the UK over the past five
years is gong to be superseded by the
cajon. Its already big in Spain, Germany,
Europe and the USA. Effectively, it’s a
portable drum kit without the cymbal and
most musicians are very excited when
they see it. We think this is going to
become a very big market and now is a
good time for retailers to get involved.”
WORLD RHYTHM: 01242 282191
“What we’ve seen with
the djembe in the UK
over the past five years
is going to be
superseded by the
cajon.Chris Bromwich
World Rhythm Percussion
Percussion is one of the very few MI sectors that is really hotting up at the moment and a lot of dealers are taking
advantage of the surprisingly small number of brands there are out there. One of these, World Rhythm Percussion, has
adopted a fresh, new approach with the business and wastes no time beating out the message to Gary Cooper…
36 miPRO OCTOBER 2010 WW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
Cajon spice
WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO OCTOBER 2010 39
ALLIANZ COMPANY PROFILE
At a time when retailers of all kinds
need to squeeze the highest profit
possible from their floor space, one
avenue which is frequently overlooked is
acting as a partner with one of the
insurance companies specialising in the
music industry. Of those, among the most
active is the giant Allianz, which claims to
be the largest musical instrument
insurance provider in the UK, having
established several hundred partnerships
with UK MI retailers and it has just
launched a new website, designed to
make the business even easier to operate,
it says.
Allianz’s new site – amipartner.co.uk –
is dedicated to retailers, allowing them to
register on the site to kick-start the
process of becoming an ‘Allianz Musical
Insurance partner’. It gives them, the
company says, access to a range of
support materials to help promote musical
insurance to customers and earn
commission every time a new insurance
policy is taken out.
And that commission certainly isn’t to
be sneezed at. It’s a healthy 25 per cent
on every policy sold until the end of
November.
“We have historically seen a good
business channel with the music retailers
we work with. They have already referred a
lot of business to us and we want to build
on that,” says Allianz’s marketing
executive, Lawrence Davies. “We also think
it might help some of the smaller retailers
who are perhaps struggling a bit in the
online environment by giving them a bit
more of a profile.”
This refers to a feature that is due to be
added to the website in the near future,
Davies reveals. While retailers can already
order stock and promotional material
online, soon, those signed up to
amipartner.co.uk will also be able to
advertise their business for free – a facility
which will kick in when Allianz Musical
Insurance launches its business listing tool
‘Find a Retailer’ on allianzmusic.co.uk –
the company’s consumer website. Allianz
says this will give retailers the opportunity
to reach thousands of potential customers
every month.
Allianz has set its sight not just on
music retailers, but is also very interested
in working with repairers, too. It is the
latter, after all, that usually see the
broken instruments on which claims
might have been made, so it seems a
logical connection for an insurance
company to make.
Does a retailer who is interested need
specialist knowledge to take part?
“They don’t need to know a huge
amount at all,” Davies says. “Basically, all
they are doing is referring customers to us.
In fact, there are limits on what they can
say, because we are regulated by the FSA.
They can say that insurance is a great idea
and hand over one of our leaflets, but they
can’t say ‘Allianz is great and we
wholeheartedly recommend them’. We
provide retailers with lots of material they
can hand to customers, with details of our
policies and what we are doing now is
trying to build more links to our website.
“The longer term plan is to offer the
‘find a retailer’ tool that will sit on our
consumer-facing website, but we’re
anticipating that this will take possibly
three months. What we’re trying to do
first is recruit enough retailers to populate
a database, so it’s useful to the public
from the start. The aim is to provide a
short reference guide to our customers
who, if they are on our website, may be in
the process of making a claim and will be
looking for someone in their area.
“From a retailer’s perspective, there is
very little effort involved and it will
generate commission without costing
them anything – it’s a no lose situation
with no financial commitment from them
and with a lot of support from us to help
them. Importantly, we feel, is that it also
helps retailers build long term
relationships with their customers. Many
retailers – particularly independents – do
repairs and if a customer becomes loyal to
a retailer as a consequence, it can be a
very good source of repeat business.”
ALLIANZ: 0800 197 5783
“We think it might help some of the smaller retailers
who are perhaps struggling a bit in the online
environment by giving them a bit more of a profile. Lawrence Davies
Marketing executive, Allianz Musical Insurance
An Allianz of convenienceWe all know that having some form of insurance has become something of a necessity in virtually everything we do
these days, but thanks to Allianz’s new dealer website, the company tells Gary Cooper, it can be a two-way street…
PROFILE
I WOKE UPTHIS MORNING
I’ll usually rise at about 6:30 in the morning
and get straight on Skype and talk to the PR
and product managers over in China, where
the International Audio Group, of which
Wharfedale is a wholly owned subsidiary, has its
own factory.
Both of them used to work for Sound Control
in the UK.
I’ll normally do this between 7:00 and 8:30
and we’ll talk about a variety of topics and
recently we’ve been discussing matters relating
to the BPM show. I also often chat with the guys
from Surgex over in the States, but this would
happen later in the day.
I’ll then check my emails, which is when I
regularly receive a lot of requests from dealers
about products. Our biggest customer is PMT,
but we also help out a lot of the bricks and
mortar stores. Our office opens at 8am, which is
quite early for this industry, but there are 25
employees currently working with us and there
will almost always be someone in
communication with those over in China, hence
the early start. I sometimes get a lot of enquiries
from end users asking me about products and
then it’s my job to direct them on to a dealer.
I live near Nottingham, just off the M1, which
means I can get to a lot of places quickly. I’ll
spend at least one night a week away from
home, travelling all over the country.
As for what I do in my spare time, I’ve always
loved music and sound. I’m a very bad guitar
player.
I enjoy all kinds of music – what I have on my
iPod is very varied. I don’t really watch films or
TV that much and I also have two children, aged
three and seven and I have encouraged one of
them to start playing the violin.
I go to a lot of trade shows such as Frankfurt
and NAMM and I will soon be making the annual
trip to China along with a group of dealers.
I’ll always make an appearance at the other
large shows, like PLASA, too. However, that show
seems to have grown a bit too much for the
people and brands I deal with, although the
regional event in Leeds (PLASA Focus) is much
more suitable.
We’re looking to launch the new Alvion range
of amps in the UK soon. These have been
designed by Steve Grindrod, the director of
Wharfedale’s Musical Instruments Division.
I’ve been here for nine years. Before that, I
was working for a Canadian installation company
and before that a hi-fi company and I was selling
Wharfedale products in each of these roles.
I’ve made a lot of friends in this time and I
love the way that everyone seems to stay in
the industry and refrains from becoming
hard-nosed businessmen.
Maybe we should all be a bit more like this. In
the end, I just enjoy getting out there and
meeting people.
Chris Fearn goes through
his busy schedule involving
Far Eastern connections,
trade shows, traveling and
juggling the development
of a number of major
audio brands…
National sales manager – Wharfedale Pro/Surgex
CHRIS FEARN
“I love the way that everyone seems to stay in the
industry and refrains from becoming hard-nosed
businessmen – we should all be a bit more like this.
40 miPRO OCOTBER 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
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WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO OCTOBER 2010 43
AUDIO TECHNICA COMPANY PROFILE
The success of the MI Retail
Conference & Expo is no secret to MI
Pro readers by now, but one key
feature of the event – that was in fact
launched there – is the series of summer
schools and Centres of Excellence from
Audio Technica.
As a retailer, developing a good
knowledge base for the whole MI
spectrum can often be a real challenge,
especially when it comes to the industry’s
more technical categories, which is why
when Audio Technica announced that it
was to send its training and product
specialist, Logan Helps, to dealerships
nationwide in order to get them more
clued up on the often complicated and
confusing subject of microphones, retailers
leapt at the chance.
Upon receiving an invitation to sample
one of these sessions at Absolute Music in
Poole, therefore, it seemed both churlish
to refuse and the perfect opportunity to
see an initiative like this in action.
The first impression that was created
was how face-to-face and personal the
training was. Too many schemes of this
kind seem too much like a boring and
lengthy university lecture, but with an
excellent informant like Helps sitting so
close and pointing out features and giving
in-depth explanations, it’s no wonder that
so many participants have come away
stating how beneficial it was to their staff
and personal knowledge.
Travelling the length and breadth of the
country, visiting a large number of stores
and doing more or less the same thing
repeatedly might put other people off, but
Logan was clearly happy with this element
of his responsibilities.
“It’s about the application rather than
the products,” said Helps. “I’m doing 34 of
these, which is of course very tiring, but
I’m really enjoying it. The question and
answer format is key, as people just want
knowledge in order to sell the products
more effectively.”
Participating retailers were given the
option to choose which modules they
wanted to cover, encompassing other
areas such as headphones, wireless
systems and various categories relating to
the world of microphones.
Condensers, cardioids, sibilants, ribbon
and instrument mics were explained in
immense detail, with background
information, diagrams and explanations on
suitable applications all part of the
package and if that wasn’t enough, an
entire box full of cut-away product
examples meant the participants could
see for themselves how the theory is
applied to the actual models.
It is an initiative that has gone down
well with those that have taken part. “Our
customers have really appreciated the
support offered by Audio Technica in
training staff, increasing their
understanding and enabling them to sell
product from a position of confidence,”
said Harvey Roberts, Audio Technica’s
senior UK marketing manager.
Microphones are an often-
misunderstood area of MI by both retailers
and consumers. To many, the dizzying
selection of mics available from Audio
Technica alone might seem almost
unnecessary at first, until you learn the
importance of getting the right mic for
your voice, something that was stressed
repeatedly by Helps.
Of course, some stores will benefit
more than others, particularly those that
specialise in other areas, but are looking to
get more educated in this sector. In this
case, the Absolute Music workforce
already possessed a good deal of know-
how on microphones of various kinds
already, but were still extremely glad that
they took part.
“We’re very big on sales training,” said
Richard Malpass, Absolute’s store manager.
“You need to know your products. We
already had good knowledge, but you can
always do with knowing a bit more. Audio
Technica is a major brand for us as well.”
Recommending the right microphone to
a customer, rather than automatically
selling the first one they take an interest
in was another crucial point made.
“We get a lot of people coming in and
asking for a (Shure) SM58, because it’s
what everyone else has,” said Absolute’s
Dan Henry. “It’s nice to know more about
Audio Technica products specifically,
especially as they have a wider range than
many other manufacturers.”
As vocalists usually have just the mic
for their entire set-up, they are often
much less ‘nerdy’ with their gear choices
and so another feature of the Summer
School is to encourage dealers to ensure
that a customer doesn’t just go home
with the right model, but that they also
know about what they’ve bought.
Having smashed the target number of
sign-ups at the MI Retail Conference &
Expo launch, Audio Technica would have
already known it had hit the right note
with a scheme such as this.
“The reaction to Audio Technica’s
Summer School training programme has
been excellent. We exceeded our
expectations for dealer ‘sign-ups’ at the MI
Retail Conference, where we launched the
initiative and I’m very pleased with the
response to the training sessions around
the country,” added Roberts. “The
programme has been a great success and
has become an important part of Audio
Technica’s commitment to customer
support this year.”
AUDIO TECHNICA: 0113 277 1441
“It’s about the application, rather than the products.
The question and answer format is key as people
just want knowledge in order to sell.Logan Helps
Training and product specialist, Audio Technica
School’s in for summerThe complexities of the microphone can be perplexing to many MI retailers, which is why Audio Technica decided to help
out. Adam Savage went along to Absolute Music in Dorset to see what the Summer Schools were all about…
44 miPRO OCTOBER 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
SECTOR SPOTLIGHT TRADITIONAL
It can’t be denied that certain musical
trends play a major part in the
popularity and sales of instruments of a
certain type. The electric guitar has been
the king for many decades because it’s
undeniably ‘cool’ and classical instruments
have always chugged on nicely due to the
level of prestige associated with them.
Folk and traditional instruments have
never really been ‘cool’ though, but they’re
still going strong and many of the
products in this sector benefit from their
comparatively low prices, making them
great impulse buys or tempting for those
wanting to mess about on something
simple to fulfill their creative urges.
For a supplier that provides the full folk
division, right down to the most unusual
instruments found in this sector, look no
further than Gremlin Music.
If it’s a whistle you’re after, you’re spoilt
for choice, as Gremlin is the largest UK
distributor in this field, with models from
Waltons, Clarke, Generation, Dixon,
Chieftain and many more. The latter two
brands are by far the best sellers and both
are made in the UK.
The Dixon range varies from simple
one-piece high D models, right up to
alloy-bodied versions and Chieftain
whistles are for those looking for
something further up the scale. These
instruments are available in a variety of
different keys, in either tuneable or non-
tuneable formats and prices start at £94.
Kentucky mandolins is another major
line for Gremlin. Although originally
intended for use in the bluegrass genre,
their versatility would also suit a variety
of other musical styles. Made in China,
these beautiful instruments start at £199
all the way up to £1,500 for the KM-1000.
One final highlight from Gremlin’s
lineup is the new Ashbury banjos. The AB-
65 includes maple for the rim, resonator
and neck, a presto-style tailpiece and a
flat-type flange, available in either five-
string or tenor for a very reasonable £299.
The AB-85 five-string has a scooped
fingerboard, walnut neck, rosewood
fingerboard and brass tone ring for £349.
Aria is another distributor that takes a
keen interest in the folk market. The AM
mandolin collection starts with the AM-
200, sporting a spruce top and mahogany
for the back, sides and neck and a 20-fret
rosewood fingerboard with chrome
hardware. It is also available as an
electrified version – the AM-200E.
Also from Aria, the steel bodied DG-20
emits a brilliant metallic radio chime. The
DG-10 uses its wooden construction to
produce a rich, warm sound, ideal for
finger picking and slide players.
Folk guitars are very popular in this
market and Aria has plenty on offer. Its
steel-strung AF Auditorium line has been
an Aria flagship model for many years.
High grade spruce, mahogany and
“While not ‘cool’,
traditional
instruments are
going strong and
many benefit from
comparatively low
prices, making
them tempting for
those wanting to
mess around on
something
different
There aren’t many sectors as diverse as the traditional one – ranging from the simplest
whistle to the grandest of ornate pluckables. Adam Savage assesses the latest offerings…
Steeped in tradition
WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO OCTOBER 2010 45
TRADITIONAL SECTOR SPOTLIGHT
Representing the middle of the Kentucky range, the KM-
900 features a solid, hand-carved spruce top, a one-piece
maple neck with a dovetail neck and body joint at the
15th fret, a nitro-cellulose finish in the 1920s sunburst
style, a vintage-style ebony bridge with small
adjustment wheels and Ivoroid binding on all the edges.
Kentucky KM-900 £999
rosewood have been chosen here, and a three-quarter
sized variation has appealed to traveling musicians
and younger players.
Fender’s three tenor-style ukeleles feature an
intricately honed sound and careful construction that
can conjure up a Hawaiian feel to any setting.
Its entry-level banjo is the FB-54, an instrument
that includes specs more commonly found on more
pricey rivals, such as a mahogany resonator and neck.
Other notable qualities are the aluminium rim,
rosewood fingerboard with pearloid inlay and
chrome-covered tuners.
The FM-52 mandolin is another product made
from high quality materials, namely a spruce top, with
nato back and sides, chrome hardware and rosewood
for the fingerboard and fretboard. The inclusion of a
single coil pickup, as well as tone and volume controls
means it produces cutting volume and chiming tone
when hooked up to an amp.
Roland might seem a surprise entry in this sector,
but the manufacturer more than qualifies for
inclusion with the FR-3x V-accordion. Typically
Roland, this is a unique combination of a traditional
instrument with modern, innovative technology.
Ozark is a brand that has become the choice of
many for its quality selection of mandolins, banjos
and bouzoukis. Its mandolin range starts with the
£170 2250 Army/Navy special model with solid
mahogany top, right up to the 2255S, which is hand
carved from solid spruce and maple.
In the banjo sector, Ozark has the five-string
2112G. For £405, you get a mahogany neck and
resonator, 24 plated brackets and double co-ordinator
rods, a clamshell tailpiece and a chrome plated
armrest with chrome hardware, making this ideal for
upgrade from a first banjo.
A more entry-level option is the 2035 ukelele
banjo. This instrument comes with 12 plated brackets,
a cream bound fingerboard and resonator, ‘old-style’
open machine heads with cream buttons and aged
brass finish settings.
Stagg is a major player in the entry level of many
MI sectors and this is no exception. The US100
traditional soprano ukelele has a walnut top, back and
sides, a mahogany headstock and rosewood for the
fingerboard and bridge.
The M20 bluegrass mando from Stagg has
basswood construction and a black-stained maple
bridge. Its engraved tailpiece, nickel machines and ‘f’
holes make this great to look at and play.
Although amps have replaced the original purpose
of the resonator guitar, there are a number of modern
resonator models that would appeal to the tastes of
Drummer Magazine’s conclusion on the Rumba and CalaboCajon models: “These are two very impressive instruments, onesthat attracted a good deal of attention from the other folks in theoffice, which is very telling, especially as they are all guitarists!They, too, clearly enjoyed the musical scope that each box of trickshad the potential to create. Response is excellent, and the array oftones that each drum possesses is highly rated. Build quality is goodtoo, and pricing seems spot on, making the ownership of such ahighly dexterous instrument all the more attainable.”
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COMPANY PROFILE YAMAHA
Ask anyone involved in the pro audio
industry to name the world’s
leading mixing console
manufacturers and it’s likely that Yamaha
will be one of the first names that they
will utter.
To describe Yamaha’s presence in the
mixing console market as ‘ubiquitous’ is
similar to suggesting that the M25 sees ‘a
few’ cars every day. Thousands of Yamaha
consoles are in use throughout the world
at festivals, gigs, in theatres, nightclubs,
hotels, schools, houses of worship,
conference suites, community halls and
are used to satisfy the biggest to the
smallest requirements for sound
reinforcement, mixing and distribution.
Yamaha began making mixers in 1972
with the EM60 six-channel 'ensemble
mixer' and the EM90, which featured a
built-in drum machine, establishing a
tradition of including features to make the
products more flexible.
This is at the core of the design
features of all Yamaha mixers, together
with audio quality, ease of use and, most
importantly, reliability. Being able to rely
on a mixing console – to have that
confidence that it won’t let you down –
may not be the most glamorous of its
functions, but it’s one of the most vital.
Speak to audio engineers about Yamaha
consoles and you will hear the same thing
time after time: “they never fall over,”
“you have complete confidence that you
can walk up to the desk at any time and
it’ll be working perfectly,” “I’ve never had
one crash,” and so on.
Since the EM60 and EM90, the
company has continued to bring many of
the industry’s innovations to market.
Entering into the professional mixer
market in 1974, Yamaha introduced the
first live mixing console with VCAs in
1985 and the first digital mixing system,
the DMP7, in 1987.
1994’s Promix 01 opened up the
markets for digital live sound and
recording, while the new millennium
brought the PM1D, the industry’s first
large-format live digital mixing console.
Yamaha’s digital mixers have since
become de rigeur in the industry – the
PM5D, DSP5D, M7CL, LS9 and DME series
all becoming staples of high profile live
shows and installations.
IT’S NOT ALL DIGITAL
Yamaha’s focus, however, is not exclusively
digital products. The company still ploughs
as much R&D into producing analog
mixers that satisfy a high demand from a
range of market sectors, all of which
demand slightly different feature sets.
“Once the initial period settles when a
new technology is launched and gradually
adopted, people realise that there isn’t one
product, or range of products, that
Mix and matchYamaha has made a reputation for itself in the pro mixing world that is, to be fair, second-to-none. The onset of digital
technology, which was led by Yamaha as much as anyone, has seen the company grow to a position of sheer dominance
in the console market. But it’s not all pro – and it’s not all digital as MI Pro learns from the manufacturer’s Peter Peck…
48 miPRO OCOTBER 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
satisfies every possible use,” says Peter
Peck of Yamaha Music Europe (UK)’s
professional music division. “We have to
accept that different technologies can
exist side by side. There is no panacea and
at Yamaha we have always found that
diversity is the key.
“We are continually working to improve
our analog mixers alongside the digital
ranges, applying new technology and the
latest thinking to have different ranges of
consoles to satisfy every market.
“We consider ours to be the most
respected digital consoles and we take
that experience and knowledge to produce
a major line-up of smaller, analog mixers.
By combining this with the core values
mentioned before, we aim to keep Yamaha
dominant in the mixing console market.”
MG: COMPACT, NOT MIDGET
An example of this is the MG series of
powered analog mixers, which covers 12
models and between them are ideal for
everything from corporate, classroom and
church systems, through rehearsal and
production studios, right up to major
theatre and live music events.
Touted as ‘the ultimate in portable-yet-
rugged, cost-effective flexibility’, the MG
series
is made
in four
ranges. The
MG-C models
comprise the MG102C (ten
inputs), MG124C (12 inputs – you get the
idea), MG166C and MG206C. All of these
feature four stereo line inputs with XLR
mic inputs making up the remainder of
the channel count. There is a host of pro-
level features, such as onboard
compressors and graphic eq, switchable
phantom power, input gain trim pots,
insert channels, LED metering and Neutrik
XLR connectors, but its all very
straightforward to use.
The compact size also makes them
ideal for small spaces. The MC102C, for
example, measures just 30cm by 26cm,
while the MG166C and MG206C can be
mounted in a standard 19-inch rack.
The MG-CX line-up comprises the
MG82CX, MG124CX and MG166CX. These
models have all the features of the C
models and have the SPX digital multi-
effects engines, packing a huge amount of
signal processing power into the compact
chassis. If the user needs to keep both
hands free to play an instrument or
perform other operations, an optional
footswitch can be connected to the
mixer’s effect footswitch jack.
Another demonstration of Yamaha
including the latest technology on its
analog mixers can be found in the MG-
USB models, which, as the name suggests,
add a USB interface to allow integration
between the mixer and a Mac or PC
running the supplied (Yamaha-owned)
Steinberg Cubase AI5 software. This
provides a powerful set of DAW tools that
are pretty easy to use. The three-console
line-up offers a choice of 16 or 20 input
channels, the former with or without an
onboard SPX processor.
For medium-sized and larger scale
events, the MG-FX models offer all
the features of a high-spec
front of house or monitor
board and have
become regulars
with many rental
and touring
systems.
“One of the
key aspects
of the range
is that they
make it
really simple
for the
inexperienced
user to create
a tight and
controlled
sound,” says Peck.
“Market research
never ends and it’s only
through this that we can
make sure we've included all the
features that specific markets need. For
example, the footswitch control on the
MG-X models has been really well
received, while things like rack ears on the
MG166C, MG166CX, MG206C and all the
USB models have allowed installers to
specify without any additional cost.”
EMXCELLENCE
The EMX series of powered mixers takes
the application of digital technology to
analog mixers one stage further.
Housed in convenient angled cabinets
for easy portability, the EMX212S, 312SC
and 512SC all feature Yamaha’s
proprietary FCL system (which makes
locating and eliminating feedback very
easy), 16 digital SPX effect programs with
adjustable parameters, a standby switch to
mute performer inputs while the stereo
inputs remain active for background
music, connectors for external power
amplifiers/effect processors and a high-
efficiency, high power onboard amplifier.
The console-styled EMX5014C and
5016CF feature all of the above, as well as
the inclusion of 26-dB pad switches for
input level matching, three band eq on all
of the input channels (with mid-
frequency sweep on mono channels),
power amp mode selector and, on the
EMX5016CF, nine band digital graphic eq
with presets and memory, automated
frequency response correction,
automated feedback suppression and a
multi-band maximiser.
MW – SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL
It would be a mistake to think that
Yamaha mixers are all about live sound.
Applying the technology developed for the
live environment to recording means that
there are flexible solutions available for all
kinds of recording needs.
The MW series offers eight, ten and 12
channel consoles with the same USB
technology from the MG-USB series. They
allow for recording to a Mac or PC running
the same Cubase software – turning a
computer into a pro quality studio.
The MW8CX and MW12CX also feature
the SPX effects processor, providing high
quality signal processing within the
console. Each of the 16 effect programs
has a number of editable parameters, as
well as effect on/off switching capability
and return level control.
Ideal for the home or project studio –
or for companies that want to make their
own audio/visual promotions – the MW
series is designed to be very easy to use,
meaning that even the most fleeting idea
can be captured quickly.
IN GOOD COMPANY
“Our analog ranges are designed
specifically to be easily usable for anyone
from the home musician, through staff in
schools, churches, public facilities and at
companies to whom audio is just one of
many jobs, to full-time, professional
mixing engineers,” concludes Peck.
“As well as giving them all the facilities
they will need at their fingertips and the
confidence that Yamaha’s reliability brings,
we have also tried to make the operation
manuals really intuitive. We recognise that
not every user is a skilled mix engineer, so
in all manuals there are clear explanations
of mixing terminology, cabling and how to
get the most from all the products.
“Using a Yamaha mixer means that you
can easily get the best results – along with
the knowledge that you’re in the
company of thousands of others doing
the same.”
YAMAHA: 01908 366700
WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO OCTOBER 2010 49
YAMAHA COMPANY PROFILE
“We have to accept that different technologies can
exist side by side. There is no panacea and at
Yamaha we have always found that diversity is key. Peter Peck
Yamaha Music Europe
* Teachers and music services everywhere recommend Stentor
for the quality and value we offer
* Stock Stentor and keep customers coming back to you as they
upgrade to their next instrument
* Ideal student and intermediate instruments:
• Stentor Student I
• Stentor Student II
• Stentor Graduate
• Stentor Conservatoire
* Our high grade orchestral models:
- Messina, Elysia and Arcadia
* Stentor violins, violas, cellos and double basses are carved
from solid tonewoods, with correct measurements and good
tonal quality, offering students the best start to their musical
careers.
Contact us for free copies of the Stentor brochure, our DVD
‘The Making of the Stentor Violin’ and Stentor posters
To those not keeping a close eye on things, the brass and woodwind sector might seem pretty dormant, but in reality
there is as much going on as in any other MI category. Andy Barrett reckons you just need to know where to look…
WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO OCTOBER 2010 51
BRASS AND WOODWIND SECTOR SPOTLIGHT
Wind of change
52 miPRO OCTOBER 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
SECTOR SPOTLIGHT BRASS AND WOODWIND
Denis Wick DW5504trumpet mute£14 (ex. VAT)
Some say it is this innocuous little
accessory that made Denis Wick what
it is today. First launched in 1968, the
5504 mute maintains tune in all
registers and doesn’t affect the 'blow'
of the instrument. Hand-spun
aluminium, work hardened, real cork
and UK craftsmanship makes this –
and anything from Denis Wick, second
to none.
The Jupiter French horn is about as close to a pro
instrument as you can get with its mechanical link
rotors, leadpipe rose brass, a 12mm bore and a
302mm bell, but the price and the interchangeable
slides for both Bb and F keys, as well as adjustable
hooks, means this superbly priced instrument can
grow with the child.
Jupiter JHR-452D French Horn £1,671.99
Rosetti Series 5 Bb clarinet£160
The Rosetti Series 5 Bb clarinet is
an excellent value clarinet,
featuring a brushed ABS finish,
silver plated keywork and bell
ring flare – and it ships with its
case. It is designed for beginners,
students and intermediate
players and plays as well as many
more expensive models.
This C-tuned flute is extremely
keenly priced for a model of this
standard and the J Michael brand
is growing in popularity among
learners (and importantly their
teachers). A white brass body,
silver plated (as is the lip plate), a
low-B foot joint and in-line ring
keys, combined with the carrying
case, make this an outfit well
worth looking at.
J Michael FL-400SPO flute £199
Designed by Peter Pollard, the clear lacquered yellow brass body
produces superb tones through the 11.68mm bore and 123mm bell.
It has stainless steel pistons, a responsive top spring valve action and
a first valve slide saddle to fine tune the intonation. The outfit
includes an ABS case, a large cleaning cloth, valve oil and an
Instruction guide for instrument maintenance.
Odyssey OTR140 Bb trumpet£149.99
Listed as an intermediate instrument, this stunning,
four-valve euphonium has a distinctly professional
feature set, with precise valves, perfectly rounded
tubes for a smooth airflow and superlative
intonation. The instrument is laser fused for a
virtually seamless bell, which allows continuous,
even vibrations.
Yamaha YEP-321 Bb euphonium£2,495
Finance has provided a 'while-you-wait'
online authorisation process.
Another big news story this year has
been the Odyssey Premiere range,
designed by Peter Pollard.
Pollard has become one of the most
sought after instrument designers and
repairers in the UK, having worked with
the country’s top musicians for over 40
years. He has a thorough understanding
of the player’s needs, is known for his
experimental nature and pushes the
boundaries of instrument design, often
using materials not usually associated
with the instruments he is building.
The result is a range of instruments
targeting the student specifically –
including special, smaller sized horns and
saxes, enabling the younger learner to
start playing all the sooner.
Pollard has a pretty impressive CV,
having worked with Dawsons (designing
the Mirage range) and Dolphin (where he
oversaw an overhaul of the retailer’s
orchestral marketing), until turning full
circle and working with JHS on the
Odyssey line and creating his own custom
instruments for individual artists.
Supplied by Korg in the UK, Jupiter’s
instrument range covers everything form
the entry level to professional, and the
two companies together have been
extremely active in education initiatives,
particularly the Sound Start scheme,
teaching hundreds of school children
brass and woodwind instruments.
Jupiter has also won the MIA Awards
best woodwind instrument four times in
the past eight years, most recently with
the Jupiter JFL-511ESSC flute. , which
joins the JAS-567GL alto sax, the JTR-
308L trumpet and the JCL-631SMTO
clarinet as an MIA award winner.
The instrument was one of the first to
include a silver chimney, which although a
small point, with a carefully designed
headjoint and well crafted keys, this silver
plated flute is a great model, and just like
the rest of the Jupiter range offers quality,
design, longevity, playability and above all
a student instrument that will last for
years to come.
Antigua is a brand that has certainly
made waves in the saxophone arena, but
the company’s extensive brass and
woodwind offering looks very much as
though it will be expanding its market
considerably in the coming years.
A fresh start
Graham Lyons’ Nuvo Clarinéo is an
opportunity to access the six-year-old-
plus age group for the first time with a
proper wind instrument. The instrument is
perfectly designed for young children with
no compromises in tone, range or
expression and it ranges three and a half
octaves from E below middle C to the
third G above and is fully chromatic.
The Clarinéo does for woodwind what
the three-quarter sized guitars or violins
do for their respective sectors – bring
youngsters on before they are big enough
to handle the instrument proper. What is
important, however, is that the fingering
is the same basic Boehm system as the
Bb clarinet. When the child starts taking
up the clarinet proper, they are using the
same fingering to play the same notes as
they learned on the Clarinéo.
Never to be left out of any sector,
Stagg has plenty to offer the dealer
looking to dip a toe into the world of
wind. Beginning with the simple bugle at
£105, to the hefty tuba from £1,445, all
Stagg brass and woodwind is fully
serviced and regulated by qualified in-
house engineers before being delivered.
Making a name for itself in brass and
woodwind is Rosetti’s own eponymous
brand featuring trumpets, flugels,
euphoniums, trombones, cornets, French
horns, tubas, flutes, clarinets piccolos and
saxes – it’s an impressive range and very
keenly priced. Rosetti is also the UK
supplier for Vandoren reeds (see below).
Super-matic self-tuning guitarThe Fret-King Blue Label Super-matic self-tuning guitar, is the first ever guitar to
feature the truly outstanding and innovative Wilkinson ATD HT440™ self-tuning hard tail guitar bridge;a super low profile, real time electro-mechanical device utilising ultra hi-tech
micro gearboxes, with a micro hex magnetic sensor and an intuitive one touch button
The ATD bridge allows the player to automatically tune the Super-matic to Standard E or one of five alternative tuning presets such as, open E, open G, DADGAD... or a myriad
of other tunings chosen by you the player. Simply select the desired tuning preset, strum and the ATD will rapidly change the guitar’s tuning.
Tuning status is confirmed in the hi-visibility display, designed to be viewed whilst playing, and overall tuning is assured with the built in chromatic tuner.
The signature Wilkinson 'Vari-coil’ control, (allows either of the humbuckers to be progressively wound down to single coil), creates an instrument with
Possibly the only ‘other’ guitar you’ll ever need!
Worldwide Trade Distributors:
www.jhs.co.uk
FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON JHS PRODUCTS AND DEALERSHIP OPPORTUNITIESCONTACT YOUR JHS ASM OR OUR SALES OFFICE ON:
0113 2866 411
Order today and receive a FREE Fret-King Super-matic WALL DISPLAY
WORTH over £100!
MODEL ILLUSTRATED: FBSMOCB, ORIGINAL CLASSIC BURST. BODY: AMERICAN ALDER, NECK: HARD ROCK MAPLE BOLT-ON, SCALE 25.5,,/648MM, TUNERS: WILKINSON, BRIDGE: WILKINSON ATD HT440 WITH MICRO HEX MAGNETIC SENSOR, PICKUPS: 2 X WILKINSON WHHBZ33 ZEBRA HUMBUCKER (B/N),
1 X WILKINSON WHSM SINGLE COIL (M), CONTROLS: VOLUME, TONE, VARI-COIL (HUMBUCKERS), 5-WAY SELECTOR. COLOUR OPTIONS: ORIGINAL CLASSIC BURST AND GLOSS BLACK COMPLETE WITH FRET-KING HARD SHELL CASE. £1,299.00 RRP INC. VAT.
This C clarinet is something of a revolution for woodwind teaching,
allowing small-handed players of six-years old and upwards to learn
the instrument and then, with just a day’s practice (or when the time
comes) transfer to a full-sized Bb instrument.
Nuvo Clarinéo£149.99
This Bb pocket trumpet sports stainless steel pistons, a
third tuning slide finger ring and ships with its own case.
The instrument comes in a variety of coloured finishes
and once again presents customers with the chance to
try out an instrument that might not otherwise be
considered, thanks to the spectacular entry-level pricing.
Stagg Mini trumpet £189.99
SECTOR SPOTLIGHT BRASS AND WOODWIND
Accessorise
Denis Wick Products specialise in brass
accessories, with the best-selling model
the DW5504 trumpet mute. This mute is
still hand-crafted in the old-fashioned
way. "This method gives the metal a
'work-hardened' quality that makes the
mute hard and resonant – ideal for
orchestral playing," said director Stephen
Wick. The DW5504 is available in
aluminium, brass or copper.
Whatever instruments you are selling,
there will be accessories to add to that
profit figure. Wind is no exception – and
the UK even has a world famous brand of
its own for your brass add-ons.
New products from Denis Wick include
mute bags for horn, euphonium and tuba
and mouthpiece pouches in embossed
leather or a canvas-like durable nylon,
although it is the mutes and mouthpieces
that are responsible for Wick’s appeal.
The first Denis Wick mouthpieces were
made in 1968, and the range has grown
to become one of the largest and most
comprehensive in the world. They are
famous for their wonderful sound and
designs, and are produced to the highest
technical specifications. Special attention
is paid to the rims, which are both
comfortable and consistent. Special
techniques are used to produce beautiful
and extremely hard-wearing silver and
gold plating. Many mouthpieces are
available in Heritage, Heavytop and Ultra
formats as well as in the Classic shape.
At the other end of the manufacturing
process come the items that make
clarinet, saxophone and oboe playing
possible – the humble reed. It takes
usually two to four years of growth
before a mature cane plant is harvested
and that harvest period takes up to three
months. Cane pole processing involves
de-husking, sunning, drying, sawing and
storage, which takes another two years.
After that the lengthy process of
cutting, splitting and shaping the reeds
into the wee tools we all know seems like
no time at all. Two brands stand out in
the reed department, namely Rico and
Vandoren. Rico divides its reeds for sax
and clarinet and for classical and jazz
players, while Vandoren has traditional,
V12 German and 56 Rue Lepic clarinet
reeds and traditional, V12, V16, ZZ and
Java saxophone reeds. Needless to say,
whatever your playing preference, these
two companies will be able to find the
right playing tool for your customers.
And there we leave it. It’s a huge
market and hard to get a handle, but with
the right research and the right partners it
could be your next best thing.
Wireless microphones and in-ear monitorsChannel 69 to Channel 38
the transition ...
Channel 69 - 854 to 862 MHZ
Channel 38 - 606 to 614 MHz
N.B. Any wireless systems operating in Channel 38 in the UK require a licence. Licences can be obtained from JFMG Ltd. www.jfmg.co.uk 0207 299 8660Sennheiser UK are a proud sponsor of BEIRG - the British Entertainment Industry Radio Group - working for continued access to sufficient quantity and quality of spectrum for our industry. www.sennheiser.co.uk
Sennheiser Channel 38 Equipment Options2000 Series
2000 Series - Range GW - 558 to 626 MHz
G3 Series
G3 Series - Range GB - 606 to 648 MHz
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3000/5000 Series - Range L - 168 MHz tuning bandwidth - 470 to 638 MHz - EM3732 II, SK5212 II and SKM5200 II
...AND YOUR PROFIT! SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER STOCK OFFER NOW AVAILABLE ON THE FULL RANGE OF DISNEY PUBLICATIONS FROM HAL LEONARD
EXCLUSIVELY DISTRIBUTED BY MUSIC SALES LTD
DION DUBLIN, the former Aston Villa,
Coventry, Norwich, Leicester and Celtic
footballer, and current BBC football
pundit, has launched a percussion
instrument, The Dube, and is presently
scouring the market for outlets.
The Dube is a wooden cube made of
basic woods, with a Shure PG52 kick drum
mic installed that offers different playing
tones on four of its surfaces – but
whatever you do, don’t suggest to Dublin
that it is like a cajon.
“It’s cubic in shape and you play it with
your hands, but it is nothing like a cajon,”
he told MI Pro. “It sounds nothing like a
cajon and with four playing sides, the
range of tones is far greater. You have at
least two different tones on each face,
which means it can sound like congas and
bongos – all sorts. On top of that, you can
play it in any way you like – on the floor
between your feet, standing up on a
stand, it’s entirely up to the player – and
then there is the microphone inside. It’s a
completely unique instrument.”
Dublin has been touting The Dube (as
MI Pro goes to press) for two months and
is disciplining himself with a gruelling tour
of schools, radio stations and potential
retailers and distributors as he, in his
words, starts “to get my head around the
drum world.”
He admits it is slow progress, but
Dublin believes in his invention to the
degree that he will not be giving up on it.
“The first thing is to get it into the right
hands, get the professionals playing it and
then get it into schools so the kids can
grow up with it. I’m at the very bottom of
the trade’s ladder at the moment, I know
that, but you have to have a beginning
and this is mine.”
That said, Dublin has already succeeded
in getting The Dube used on Courtney
Pine’s latest album and in the hands of
the likes of Carl McGregor and Karl Brazil
(of Feeder), as well as professional
soundmen, such as Jim Jones of the Royal
Shakespeare Company.
The instruments are made in
Chesterfield by Bedford & Havenhand and
the electrics are fitted by Foxwood
Electrical, meaning the instrument is
completely UK made.
Dublin has created an all-singing-all-
dancing website at thedube.com, where
anyone interested in finding out more
about The Dube and the opportunities for
selling the instrument should go.
The Dube comes in a range of finishes
as well as with accessories such as stands
and bags.
“It’s just a day-by-day thing at the
moment,” he concluded. “But I know how
addictive it is to play and I’m certain it
will catch on.”
RETAILNEWS, OPINION, DATA
Dion Dublin launches The DubePremier League footballer and pundit steps into MI trade with new percussion instrument
NEWSAudio
Technica
xmas offers,
Korg opens its
dealer portal,
Red Dog
Music events
planned
INDIE PROFILE
Francis and
Graham Jones
of Amen
Corner Music
reveal how
crucial repairs
are to their
business
RETAIL FEATUREJason Tavaria
and Katy
Watson-Cave
reveal how
they are
dragging MI
into the 21st
century
ALL INSIDE THIS MONTH
”It’s just a day-by-
day thing at the
moment, but I
know how
addictive it is and
I’m certain it will
catch on.Dion Dublin
Founder of The Dube
LOCATION REPORT
MI Pro visited
Hampshire to
see what
musical treats
could be
found in the
town of
Winchester
WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO OCTOBER 2010 65
IN MAY, as part of its plans to distribute
the Behringer range of products, Korg UK
launched a new dealer portal giving
registered trade customers the ability to
process their own orders online. To date
this has been for Behringer items and
the company reports it has been a
great success.
Now Korg has started to add their
other brands – beginning with Samson,
which is now live on the site. So both
Samson products and the remaining
Behringer stock can be ordered on the
site. Additional Samson products will be
added in due course and will
automatically appear on the portal. Not
only will customers be able to purchase
Samson online, they will also be able to
track any outstanding orders, view stock
level indications, historical orders, web
confirmations and invoices.
Communications are being sent to
both new and existing users informing
them of the Samson additions and
either providing or reminding them of
their usernames and passwords.
Samson and Behringer will now co-
exist on the site while Behringer stocks
last, as Korg is finishing with Behringer
once the stock has gone. Behringer
products are automatically removed
from the portal as and when there is no
stock remaining. This means that if the
Behringer product line isn't on the site it
will have sold out.
With a new catalogue now available,
Korg urges dealers to look afresh at the
Samson range.
Call Oli Webb in the north on 07733
323599 or Mike Gibson in the south on
07887 854340.
KORG: 01980 857100
Korg opens up dealer portalWebsite expands to other lines, starting with Samson
RED DOG MUSIC is planning a series of
events for the Edinburgh music
community and is also launching The
Dog, a free magazine for the city’s
music fans.
These gatherings will include weekly
Red Dog Music Clinics, Hair of the Dog
Sundays, which will consist of several
in-store gigs from a number of local
bands and artists and Red Dog Music
Open Jam Sessions, which will aim to
bring the city’s musicians in to one
place and encourage them to
improvise together.
The release of The Dog magazine will
be celebrated with a launch party on
October 28th from 9pm to 3am at The
Caves on Niddry Street South.
A strong lineup of musical talent has
been arranged, with Horndog Brass
Band, The Ordinary Allstars, Stanley
Odd, The Black Diamond Express and
The Banana Sessions all scheduled to
take part on the night. There will also
be live DJs and a drawing showcase
from local artist group The Too Much
Fun Club.
RED DOG MUSIC: 0131 229 8211
Red Dog barks up right tree
RETAIL NEWS
66 miPRO OCTOBER 2010 WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
Yamaha Music is currently seeking a motivated andprofessional individual based in the Midlands, to sellour market-leading range of acoustic pianos.
Whilst not necessarily from within the "music industry", thesuccessful applicant must have some knowledge of the piano as wellas the ability to play to a basic level. More importantly they will beable to demonstrate their professional skills through a proven salesrecord and possess the drive, enthusiasm and confidence to expandsales within an established territory.
We seek an experienced and disciplined communicator, withadvanced inter-personal skills, who enjoys being part of a successfulteam. Computer literacy and a driving licence are essential.
This is an excellent opportunity for the right candidate to expand anddevelop our Yamaha, Kemble and Bösendorfer piano business throughour new multi-brand strategy.
We offer a competitive salary and a car plus all the usualbenefits associated with working for a large, forwardthinking company.
If you meet the criteria please e-mail your CV anda covering letter, demonstrating yoursuitability and including your salaryexpectations, by Friday 15 October2010 (quoting referenceRMACO/1010/MID) to:
To find out more about the JVM Series and other Marshall products contact: Marshall Amplification plc Denbigh Road, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK11DQ www.marshallamps.com
A leading distributor within the Audio Visual, Sound & Light, Public Address and MI trades.
GRO
UP
Order online
Friendly sales team
Over 4000 products in stock
DISTRIBUTORDISTRIBUTOR
WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK miPRO OCTOBER 2010 75
MI MARKETPLACE
DISTRIBUTOR
www.gremlinmusic.co.uk
Acoustic, Celtic and TraditionalMusical Instrument Specialists
Become a Gremlin Dealer and giveyour customers a bigger and betterchoice! We pride ourselves on thepersonal touch - you can alwaysreach us by phone during workinghours, and we’ll always send yourorder as fast as possible, no matterwhat the size. We’ve been in thebusiness for over 25 years, and can
offer you an experienced, friendly andprofessional service.
UK made rainbow ocarinas fromOcarina Workshop are easy to playand great fun to teach with.
These pocket-sized instrumentsare popular with kids & well-tuned.Together with 'Play your Ocarina'music books, they are the key tosuccessful music-making in manyschools around the country.
Make sure school ocarinas are onyour counter-top and availablewhen customers request them!
Quote ‘MI Pro’ when you order12 Ocarinas & 12 Books and beamazed at the ocarina’s potential...
Trade orders are sent by return:free delivery & no minimum order
Gibson Les PaulSpecial (1969 – 1971)This was his guitar of choice when making
his first two albums, although he mostly
chose an SG for live performances.
Originally equipped with P-90 pickups and
later standard humbuckers, this helped
him achieve a raw sound that really
helped boost his status in the early years.
Gibson SG (1969 – 1972)This guitar is most fondly remembered for
its appearance at Woodstock, where
Santana truly made a name for himself,
having not yet released his debut album.
This now iconic red model also featured P-
90 pickups and another version with
humbuckers was also commonly seen in
his hands in the early 1970s.
Gibson Les PaulStandard (1971 - 1976) Santana used this model to record his
third album, Santana III, as well as
occasionally switching back to the SG. This
led to a very noticeable change in tone,
but at this point he had still not
established the unique sound for which he
has become known today.
Yamaha SG2000(1976 - 1982) His trademark tone started to emerge
during this period (particularly on the
1978 album Moonflower) with the
combination of this guitar and the Mesa
Boogie amps he began using at this time.
The SG2000 was based on the Yamaha
SG175 model and was a collaboration
between Santana and the manufacturer.
Various PRSSignature guitars(1982 - Present)Santana’s love for the Paul Reed Smith
brand began when he borrowed one to
record his 1981 record, Zebop! These days
he can be seen playing any one of three
PRS models – The Santana SE One
Abraxas, Santana I or Santana II. The
former features a mahogany body, PRS
designed Stoptail bridge and tuners and a
peace symbol on the 12th fret.
THE STARS AND THEIR GUITARS CARLOS SANTANAThis Mexican American maestro burst on to the scene at Woodstock and seems to have been around forever with his
signature singing sound. Here’s a look at the guitars he’s been using over the years in order to create his noise…