Open Labs products are now available for the European market, exclusively at Rock Palace! Headquartered in the heart of "the live music capital of the world," Open Labs™ develops customized, computer music keyboards suited to fit every studio and stage need imaginable. Our instruments combine studio and computer technology with keyboard hardware to create a multi-functional studio, a multi-faceted keyboard, and a complete PC setup all in one machine. With a single piece of Open Labs gear, our customers can play any organ, piano, synthesizer or virtual instrument on the planet, create any beat, tone or sound imaginable, manipulate every parameter, record it in a multi-track system and burn it to a CD/DVD. That's just the beginning of what our products can do. Founded in 2003, the core members of the Austin, Texas-based Open Labs team bring together a wealth of experience earned from the fields of computer systems integration, musical instrument design and performance, applicatio…

Roland has announced the V-Combo VR700. Featuring a virtual tonewheel organ, full-key multi-sampled piano and pro synthesizer sounds, the V-Combo is suitable for players who need an all-in-one keyboard for a variety of musical settings. The V-Combo offers powerful real-time performance capabilities in a simple-to-use-interface. The instrument features everything from expressive full-key multi-sampled acoustic grand pianos and classic electric pianos to strings, brass, bass and guitar sounds. With tone remain capability on-board, the 76 keys can easily layer two ensemble tones together, or layer and split with the organ tones. The V-Combo also incorporates a variety of expressive controllers. The red harmonic bard allows players to control the volume of the Ensemble tones.

In 1987 Guns and Roses released their debut album – Appetite For Destruction – and changed rock music forever. Raw, unrelenting and "in-yer-face" from start to finish, this was the record that redefined rock music in the 80s. The lyrics were incisive and the music uncompromising, completed by Slash's inspired fretboard mastery and unique sound, regarded by many as the ultimate rock tone. The intriguing history of the Marshall amp used by Slash on AFD and its subsequent disappearance has now passed into rock folklore. Widely believed to be a hot-rodded, 100 Watt, pre-master volume model from the early 70s, this legendary amp was hired specifically for the "Appetite" sessions in 1986. Eager to hold on to the amplifier, Slash told rental company S.I.R. that it had been stolen, only to have it "stolen" back a year later during tour rehearsals. Ever since there has been little to no word on the whereabouts of that mysterious 100 Watt head, synonymous with a true rock icon and one of gr…

Squier is proud to introduce two exciting new versions of classic Telecaster models in early 2010, both of which deliver great Squier look, sound, feel and value. The two latest additions to the award-winning and best-selling Classic Vibe series—the Classic Vibe Telecaster Custom and Classic Vibe Telecaster Thinline guitars—are based on a pair of classic Telecaster designs from the 1960s that were prized among rock, blues, country and jazz players alike. The Classic Vibe Telecaster Custom is a beautiful Three-Color Sunburst model with a double-bound alder body, vintage-tint gloss maple neck with 9.5"-radius rosewood fingerboard and 21 medium jumbo frets, custom alnico V single-coil pickups, mint-green pickguard, three-saddle bridge with threaded saddles, vintage-style tuners. The Classic Vibe Telecaster Thinline boasts a classic semi-hollow design in a rich natural-finish mahogany body with an f-hole and white pearloid pickguard. Other features include a gloss maple neck with…

EBS TD660 is developed from EBS popular TD650 model. The main news with the TD660 is the improved preamp that provide more headroom and reduced noise, and the ability to connect a footswitch to control the Drive, Character and Filter functions, as well as Mute the amp. The update also include that the Effects Loop now is placed after the Drive and has a Mix-In filter to control the level of overall effect on the sound. The new amp has a slightly preshaped sound to improve the overall sound and to give the amp more character from the start. The chromed handles are replaced with black to match the case and to give the amp a bit rougher look. At the same time the new footswitch EBS RM-4 is released. The EBS RM-4 can be used with the TD660 as well as with the previously released EBS NeoGorm combos. Both the TD660 and RM-4 are shipping now! The EBS TD660 will replace the EBS TD650 from now on and will be officially introduced at WinterNamm, Hall D, 3382. EBS TD660 and RM-…

GiO is the complete guitar interface for Apple’s new Logic Studio 9, MainStage 2 and GarageBand ’09. Combining effects control, recording functions and amazing sound quality, GiO delivers total access to incredible sounding guitar amps and effects in a single foot controller and interface. Designed to work with the new Logic Studio 9 and MainStage 2, GiO allows guitar players to control recording functions, preset changes and plug-ins like Amp Designer and Pedalboard, along with new Playback and Loopback features in MainStage. With GarageBand 09, GiO is truly plug-and-play and lets users quickly connect their guitar, select and control built-in Amps and stompboxes, and record. Software Control with GiO Stomp on it. Effects control without the mouse. Imagine finding your sound without going back and forth from your guitar to your Mac. With GiO, you can audition effects presets in GarageBand, Logic and MainStage, and turn effects on and off while playing or recording... all w…

The EBS Classic T90 All-Tube bass amp is developed by EBS and experts with more than 20 years experience from building exclusive tube amps for hi-fi and guitar. The result is a hand-built tube amp with special designed transformers and selected and matched tubes (2x 7025 in the pre amp, 2x 6550 in the power amp). The 90 tube-Watts makes the EBS Classic T90 a perfect amp for the studio, especially since it comes with a direct driven balanced tube output. The amp is also very well suited for use in live situations on smaller stages and club gigs – and a perfect companion to the matching EBS ClassicLine cabinets. The special designed transformers are overdimensioned and all materials carefully selected to perform at a maximum level - at all times. The tubes are quality selected and matched with precision, and burnt-in for 24 hours after mounted in the amp to reveal any quality issues in time. The amp has a separate input for active and passive instruments and a separate outpu…

Paul Gilbert, a longstanding Ibanez endorser, submitted the plans for his new custom guitar to the Ibanez L.A. Custom Shop in 2007. For this particular model, Paul took a stock photo of the Ibanez "Iceman" model and turned it upside down using image editing software. He then tweaked the design further, for better playability and balance. This model was to be a radical departure from any of his previous signature models. Soon after Paul received the finished guitar, it quickly made its way on to recordings and stages all over the world. It was originally called the "Reverse Iceman", but soon took on the nickname of "Fireman" due to its opposite nature to the "Iceman". In 2008, the Paul Gilbert "Fireman" quickly became a hot topic among fans, creating demand for a production version. In 2009, Ibanez decided to release a limited number of "Fireman" guitars in tribute to Paul's adventurous creation. Order Your Fireman guitar here!

Terry Atkins (VP of Manufacturing at Washburn) hosts this Custom Shop virtual tour that shows you step by step how Washburn guitars are made, along with interviews from other factory personnel that show how much pride they have for what they do.

Relay™ G30 redefines the wireless experience for guitarists and bassists. Its superior sound, professional dependability and refreshing simplicity are simply unavailable from other wireless systems. Superior Sound Relay G30 provides a pure signal. Its clarity rivals that of the highest-quality guitar cables. Guitars get a beautiful high-end sparkle and basses get a thunderous low-end punch, even at distances of up to 30 meters. Traditional wireless systems compromise their sound by rolling-off crucial high- and low-end frequencies and compressing their signals. Relay G30 offers superior sound with full bandwidth and zero compression. • 30-meter range, line-of-sight • Broad 10Hz – 20kHz frequency response • Superior 118 dB dynamic range Professional Dependability Relay G30 broadcasts its robust signal over the 2.4GHz band. This keeps the signal free from many kinds of interference. For added security, Relay G30 employs exclusive signal protection technology: it broadcast…

C.F. Martin & Co. has added the MFX130 Custom Silk and Phosphor string set to the Martin FX Flexible Core acoustic string product line. Designed for comfort and playability, the MFX130 is built on round-core wire wrapped with a silk-nylon and then finished with phosphor bronze wrap. This design results in a sweet and melodic string with playability at any fret position. The high-quality pure steel round core wire has high tensile strength to give the FX increased durability, allowing a player to stay in tune and play longer. The round core wire and custom gauging also reduces finger fatigue and permits quicker transitions from string to string. The MFX130 strings are designed and gauged to provide balanced volume and a warm tone for accompaniment on stage or in the studio. Although originally designed with the singer-songwriter in mind, the MFX130 set is suitable for beginners, acoustic stage performers or electric guitar players transitions to acoustic guitar. At any leve…

Digidesign has added to the 003 family with the 003 Rack+ Factory. The 003 Rack+ Factory comes with everything users need to compose, record, sequence, edit, mix and master their music right out of the box. The 003 Rack+ Factory ships with Pro Tools LE software, as well as a collection of studio-quality sound processing, mastering and effects plug-ins, virtual instruments, compatible applications, and sound libraries. It features eight new microphone pre-amps — four more than the 003 Rack system — which, when combined with other I/O options for connecting instruments, MIDI gear, and various analog and digital devices, allow 003 Rack+ Factory users to record an entire band in a home/project studio, garage or live. The 003 Rack+ Factory comes bundled initially with Pro Tools LE 7.4 software; all purchasers will be eligible to receive a free upgrade to Pro Tools LE 8 software when it becomes available later this year.

Numark has introduced Omni Control, a professional DJ control surface with built-in audio interface. The computer DJ system comes with software, including both Native Instruments Traktor LE 3 and MixMeister Fusion Live DJ software programs. Omni Control is a complete, professional computer-DJ system consisting of a hardware controller with built-in audio I/O. DJs will appreciate its high-quality, rugged, heavy metal construction. It stays in place even under energetic performances. Omni Control is designed to plug directly into any sound system and perform. An extremely clean, built-in, 24-bit, professional high-quality computer audio interface feeds pristine audio signal to two stereo outputs and headphones. Ultra-low latency, 44.1kHz and 88.2kHz audio AblO drivers deliver solid sound. Omni Control provides both Native Instruments Traktor LE 3 software for traditional DJ mixing with effects and also MixMeister Fusion Live software time-line based mixing. "Omni Control bui…

DigiTech, a leading manufacturer of guitar, bass, and vocal processors, and a Harman International company (NYSE-HAR), will announce its new advanced TimeBender delay at the 2009 Winter NAMM Show. The TimeBender delay features ten delay types including Digital, Analog, along with Fixed Head and Moving Head Tape delays along with a 20 second looper. Going beyond delay pedals as they are known, the TimeBender allows the player to create custom repeat rhythms or patterns on the fly by simply strumming the guitar. Up to 6 taps can be set to quickly create delays that would normally take a rack of effects and hours of programming. If Strum Pattern were not enough, DigiTech has included intelligent harmonies that can be added to the delays. Choose from over 100 different voicing’s including octaves, 5ths, and 3rds to create delay effects that can only be created with a rack full of gear. The TimeBender further adds full-time tone control, modulation, multiplier, tap tempo and repeat…

For the first time in EBS 20 year old history the company releases a signature product, and not just with anybody but legendary bass player and composer Stanley Clarke! The EBS Stanley Clarke Signature Wah-Wah is developed according to Stanley's personal taste and requirements with the intention to create the most accurate and sonically fulfilled bass wah-wah available. The pedal works in four different modes, Low-pass, High-pass, Band-pass and Boosted Band-pass. It also features adjustable controls for Bandwidth and Frequency range. The footswitch is flexible and can switch between Wah-wah/bypass or Wah-wah/Volume. The pedal uses true bypass techniques. The pedal is designed and developed by EBS Sweden AB in collaboration with luthier Thomas Lieber from Spellbinder Corp. USA and musician Stanley Clarke.