Greg Koch has been called a "twisted guitar genius" and "eclectic virtuoso" by guitar pundits, and in his own words, he considers himself nothing short of a "plectrum-wielding skullduggarist".

The towering Koch is moving beyond mere local hero status in the upper Midwest and becoming an internationally renowned guitarist. His work as a session ace, top-selling guitar instructional book and DVD star, magazine columnist, radio personality, comedian and in-demand worldwide guitar clinician for Fender Musical Instruments and Hal Leonard Publishing are all adding to an ever growing reputation as a knowledgeable and skilled artist in his field.

Koch's fascination with the guitar started in the third grade when he made Fender Stratocaster® guitars out of cardboard and, using his sister’s sewing machine, made a makeshift wah-wah pedal. It was also the beginning of a long lasting obsession with the music of Jimi Hendrix. Soon after, at the age of 12, Koch finally got his first guitar and, by copying songs, began his love affair with music and playing. This continued learning took him to the University of Wisconsin, where he studied Jazz and then performing with his Milwaukee-based band who became one of the region's most popular and acclaimed acts.

Koch is now one of Fender's busiest clinicians, extolling the virtues and high standards of Fender worldwide, all the while displaying his customary fantastic performances and gut-busting humor. His work with music publishing giant Hal Leonard has resulted in an extraordinarily successful catalog of guitar instructional materials that are now an influential part of the musical journey for many guitarists worldwide.

During his clinics, Greg will focus primarily on Fender classics such as the ´65Twin Reverb, the ´65 Deluxe Reverb, the ´57 Bandmaster and the EC Tremolux, as well as guitars from the Fender American Vintage and Select series.

Greg Koch Fender Classic Amp Tour

Location: Rock Palace, Den Haag
When: June 6, 2013
Time: 19:00 - 21:00
Entrance: Free!
Sign up: helpdesk@rockpalace.com
 

TC Helicon
TC Helicon made taking the first step towards making pristine vocals easy with their new VoiceLive Touch 2, VoiceLive Touch and the VoiceLive Play/Play GTX with Sennheiser e 835 fx bundles. Now they’re going to sweeten the deal by sending you a FREE TC-Helicon Gigbag and Switch-3 when you purchase any one of these products between 29th April and May 31st 2013. Simply print out and send in the form along with your receipt by post to claim your FREE accessories.
Visit tc-helicon.com/promotions for complete details.

TC Electronic
Purchase a mix of any two TC Electronic TonePrint or compact drive stomp-box pedals between 29th April and May 31st 2013. Print out and send in the claim form by post to get a FREE analog drive pedal of your choice (Spark Booster, MojoMojo Overdrive, Dark Matter or Röttweiler Distortion) by return.

• Corona Chorus
• Dark Matter Distortion
• Flashback Delay
• Flashback X4 Delay
• Hall of Fame Reverb
• MojoMojo Overdrive
• Röttweiler Distortion
• Shaker Vibrato
• Spark Booster
• The Dreamscape
• Vortex Flanger

Visit tcelectronic.com/promotions for the complete promotion details and claim forms.
 

Novation’s ground-breaking Supernova set the standard for virtual analogue synthesisers when it was released in 1998. With its comprehensive modelling of traditional analogue subtractive synthesis, uniquely powerful multi-effects engine and expressive filter, the award-winning rack-mount Supernova and its successor, Supernova II, were the most powerful synths of their time –class leaders, still revered today.

Sound designer Phil McDonald created the iconic sounds of the Supernova that changed the sound of dance music at the turn of the Millennium, powering classics by Orbital, ATB, Jean Michel Jarre and A Guy Called Gerald, plus many more. Now, with the massive revival of interest in the sounds and music of the period, Novation is proud to announce the release of two new soundpacks for the MiniNova and UltraNova, containing sounds from the original Supernova sound banks, by the original sound designer. These soundpacks give you the original classic sounds of the turn of the century – and they’re absolutely free. Listen to the demo on SoundCloud now.

The first of the two soundpacks, with 64 sounds, is available now, as part of Novation’s 21st Anniversary celebrations, with the second pack available later in the year.

Get your free Supernova sound packs from www.novationmusic.com/soundpacks – there’s a video that shows you how to install them on YouTube.

To install the soundpacks, you’ll need the free MiniNova or UltraNova Librarian applications. Use them to import and store new patches and the other soundpacks for both synths, including the Chuckie, Dino Soldo and 2-volume Daniel Fisher soundpacks.
Recapture the classic sounds of the Millennium, give your MiniNova or UltraNova a Supernova supercharge and make these sounds your own, with these classic original Phil McDonald sounds, absolutely free of charge.
 

Spring abounds with exotic tonewoods and fresh inspiration in Taylor’s line of Spring Limited Edition guitars. Celebrating the heritage of the 600 and 400 Series, Taylor is offering fresh voicing with the inclusion of two exotic tonewoods to the mix: African ebony and granadillo.

Beautiful sapwood-infused ebony makes a striking impression with two models, the 614ce-LTD and 616ce-LTD. The ebony was sourced from a sustainably managed forest in Congo, and each set is visually unique, as swaths of light-colored sapwood and dark heartwood play off each other with stunning effects. Compared to Macassar ebony, the African species has a slightly higher density, which yields a ringing, overtone-rich character with a linear quality across the tonal spectrum. European spruce was chosen for the top because of the way it matches ebony’s sonic personality. “It has a strong attack with a lot of headroom, making for rich, saturated notes,” says Taylor master builder Andy Powers, who designed the guitar. The effect is intensified with Adirondack spruce bracing. Because of the rich overtones, this wood pairing is likely to appeal to fingerstylists and other players who favor a complex acoustic voice. Unique aesthetic touches include an ivoroid/koa “Spiked Ovals” fretboard inlay, ivoroid binding, curly koa top edge trim, an ivoroid/ koa rosette, and gold Gotoh 510 tuners.

In the 400 Series Limiteds, players are treated to granadillo, a native wood to Central America. Granadillo is often compared to rosewood, but with a sonic crispness that resonates well with players of all styles. Paired with a Sitka spruce top, these guitars boast an impressive sustain and are available in four different body styles: Dreadnought, Grand Concert, Grand Auditorium and Grand Symphony, all with a cutaway. Granadillo was also used for the bridge and headstock overlay, and complementary appointments include rock maple binding, rosette and Progressive Dot fretboard inlays.

The 600 and 400 Series Spring Limiteds both ship with a deluxe hardshell case and come equipped with Taylor Expression System® acoustic electronics.
 

TriplePlay presents the best MIDI guitar controller technology the world has ever seen, expanding the creative possibilities of the guitar for enthusiasts and experienced musicians alike. Adding value to one of the most innovative breakthroughs in music product and MIDI-based technology, TriplePlay ships with a comprehensive suite of full version software from PreSonus (StudioOne Artist), Native Instruments (Kontakt Elements and GuitarRig LE), IK Multimedia (SampleTank and Amplitude Custom Shop) and Notion Music (PROGRESSION 2).

As you’re no doubt aware, TriplePlay is conceived and designed to make composing, performance and recording easy and fun. Its slim, intuitive form factor lets guitarists get to an unlimited palette of instruments and sounds at their fingertips, all with the freedom of wireless control via MIDI. The creative and sonic possibilities are endless.

With TriplePlay and PROGRESSION 2, guitarists can write music in guitar tab or notation for lead sheets and sheet music, and hear it play back instantly with real instrument samples and an audio track of their work. Changes to tab, notation, key or tempo can be made quickly and easily.

Combined with TriplePlay in live performance, Kontakt Elements and SampleTank XE frees guitarists to play with any virtual instrument or hardware synthesizer with faster, more accurate tracking that virtually eliminates lag. Features include sustain and looping functions with support for MIDI footswitches and controllers. A virtually unlimited supply of guitar, tone and effects and amplifier modeling options are available with GuitarRig LE and Amplitude software.

TriplePlay quickly and easily becomes a complete music recording and production tool that allows the guitar to be seamlessly integrated with a favorite DAW running on a PC, Mac® or iPad®. Using PreSonus StudioOne, guitarists can build entire arrangements with drums, bass, keyboards, horns, strings, voices and more, wirelessly. Guitarists can play along with backing tracks to record, enhance live performances, and make practicing easier and more entertaining.

TriplePlay comes equipped with a wireless controller, hexaphonic pickup, and wireless USB receiver. The controller and pickup can be quickly installed or removed on virtually any electric guitar with no permanent installation necessary.

A low profile design (less than .5”) allows the Controller to be left on the guitar and still fit in the case. It operates with a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery (included). TriplePlay’s powered USB Wireless Receiver interfaces with computers and iOS devices.
 

You probably woke up this morning wondering, "Hey, what's happening with the current Strymon Favorite switch and the NEW Strymon Tap-Favorite switch?" Well now you can sleep soundly at night: here are the answers...

The current Favorite switch only does one thing- it allows the user to toggle between their current settings and one set of saved settings.
The new Tap-Favorite switch is half the size of the current Favorite switch (cool!) is black instead of gray (cooler!) and has an extra super-power so it can do two different things (coolest!)

What is the Tap-Favorite's same-as-Favorite-switch super-power?
It can do the same toggling between current settings and one set of saved settings as the existing Favorite switch. (Works with Brigadier, El Capistan, Lex and Flint.)

What is the Tap-Favorite's new super-power?
It also functions as an external tap tempo switch. (Works with Mobius, Timeline or Flint.)

How do you make the Tap-Favorite function as an external tap tempo switch?
There's an internal jumper that the customer moves to a new position (very easy, no soldering required) to convert the product from a Favorite switch to an external Tap Tempo switch. The pedal ships with the jumper in the Favorite switch position, so the customer needs to move the jumper if they want to use the Tap-Favorite as an external tap tempo switch.

I like to get free stuff for no reason. Are there any accessories included?
Yes, the Tap-Favorite ships with a TRS-TRS jack cable. It does not need any external power.

I bet this new-and-better version is much more expensive though, right?
No, despite your cynicism the price is exactly the same as the Favorite switch.
 

Avid has announced Pro Tools 11, a powerful new 64-bit version of the audio workstation that redefined the industry. Pro Tools 11 redefines the possibilities again with all-new audio and video engines, turbocharged 64-bit performance, expanded metering, offline bounce, and new HD video workflows. This latest release empowers customers to take on the most demanding sessions and maximize their creativity—without holding anything back.

Expected shipping date is end of May. Everybody buying and registering Pro Tools 10 after today, will receive Pro Tools 11 at no cost when it comes out. The license will contain both Pro Tools 10 and Pro Tools 11, for backwards compatibility.

About Pro Tools 11

The most powerful digital audio workstation just got more powerful. With an all-new, ultra-efficient audio engine, 64-bit performance, and groundbreaking capabilities, Pro Tools 11 enables you to take on the most complex and demanding music and audio post productions with ease, so you can focus on sounding your best.

Turbocharge sessions with the all-new Avid Audio Engine
Get multiple times the processing power of Pro Tools 10 to work with way more virtual instruments and effects plug-ins than ever before. And with the new 64-bit architecture, you gain the performance you need to handle the most sophisticated sessions—with more memory headroom to go even bigger.

Deliver mixes with lightning-fast offline bounce
Forget the wait—speed up your final mix delivery with new faster-than-real-time bounce capabilities.

Have confidence in your mix with new metering options (Pro Tools HD 11 only)
New built-in metering standards provide a variety of scale and ballistics options, so you can be assured that you’re creating the best mix possible.

Work directly with HD video
Play MXF HD, Avid DNxHD, and other HD video formats directly in the Pro Tools timeline, without transcoding, using the built-in Avid Video Engine—the same as in Media Composer.
 

Pioneer’s popular WeGO and ERGO controllers are now even more portable, with the release of the WeCAi cable – allowing DJs to use the WeGO/ERGO’s tactile controls to mix and mash up tracks on their iPads.

The WeCAi cable lets aspiring DJs connect to Algoriddim’s djay app to access music direct from their iTunes library, or get to grips with video mixing using Algorridim’s vjay app.

Intuitive control of Algoriddim’s djay and vjay apps for iPad
DJs simply use the WeCAi cable to connect the WeGO/ERGO to an iPad running Algoriddim’s djay app, and get hands on with mixing, scratching, Hot Cues, loops, samples and effects. Or connect to Algoriddim’s vjay app to enjoy mixing and scratching video, music and pictures stored on the iPad.

USB power supply for WeGO/ERGO
The WeCAi includes a USB connection for supplying power to the WeGO/ERGO via a standard USB power adaptor or a USB mobile battery, so DJs can play out even where traditional power sources cannot reach.

Enjoy all the WeGO/ERGO features including Pulse Control
As well as intuitive DJ controls and innovative effects, both the WeGO and ERGO boast Pulse Control lights, which add a visual element to performance by showing when tracks are loaded, which effects are engaged and more.
 

Since the introduction of the first Focusrite Saffire interface in 2005, FireWire (Apple’s trade name for IEEE 1394) has been a firm favourite among Focusrite interface users with its high speed and reliability. In particular, FireWire and USB represent a great partnership – by having your audio interface on one type of bus and your hard drives on the other, you get the highest possible performance from your computer audio system, and the fewest problems.

Now, on the latest Apple computers, FireWire 400 and 800 ports have been superseded by Thunderbolt – a new, high-speed serial interface developed by Intel and Apple. Happily, it’s easy to connect your Saffire interface to a Thunderbolt-equipped computer.

All you need to connect the two is a FireWire 400-800 cable (included with all new Saffire interfacesM later this year) and the Thunderbolt to FireWire 800 adapter, available inexpensively from Apple and third parties. Simply plug this into the Thunderbolt port on your computer and connect the FireWire interface – it’s as simple as that. Saffire interfaces are 100% compatible with Thunderbolt using this adaptor.

The adaptor provides up to 7W of DC bus power as well as full signal connectivity: this should be sufficient for most interfaces but Focusrite always recommends using the included power supply with your interface for best results.

Focusrite will continue to fully support the Saffire range for the foreseeable future, and will fully support the use of Thunderbolt/FireWire adaptors. If you upgrade your computer to one with Thunderbolt, you can continue to use your Saffire interface as before, and if you buy a new Saffire interface it will work perfectly with your Thunderbolt-equipped computer, whichever model of Saffire you choose.

Focusrite Saffire interfaces, with their precision digital conversion and acclaimed clean, transparent mic preamps, deliver excellent performance and functionality for all kinds of recording applications in the studio and on the road.
 

Epiphone, a world leader in guitar and bass manufacturing today announced the release of the manufacturer’s Black Royale Collection, a limited edition production collection of less than 1,000, featuring six of Epiphone’s newest and most popular historic models. The Black Royale Collection includes the classic Les Paul Standard, the Wildkat, the ES-339 PRO, the Riviera Custom P93, the Dot (ES-335 style) and the Emperor Swingster in a fine metallic Black Pearl finish with Silver Sparkle Bindings.

“The Black Royale Collection is really a unique edition to the Epiphone family,” said Epiphone President Jim Rosenberg. “The Collection looks both new and vintage at the same time and together I think they are some of the most distinctive instruments available today. Any sound you need from a guitar you can find in the Epiphone Black Royale Collection.”

Epiphone’s Black Royale Collection guitars combine both new models and historic designs and feature all-metal hardware, Grover™ kidney style 14:1 machine heads, and full function volume and tone knobs using full-size 500K potentiometers, while retaining each model’s most notable features.

The Les Paul Standard includes Alnico Classic Plus™ humbuckers, based on the distinctive “PAF” hand-wound pickups found in late 1950’s vintage Les Paul’s. The Wildkat features two P-90 “dogear” pickups and three P-90 pickups on the Riviera Custom P93 – the same pickups featured on the historic Epiphone Casino.

The ES-339 PRO includes Alnico Classic PRO™ humbuckers with push/pull coil-tapping for each pickup and the Emperor Swingster’s SwingBucker Plus™ humbuckers have series parallel wiring, offering musicians the unique ability to emulate several guitars in one. Both Emperor Swingster and the Wildkat models include BigsbyTM tremolo tailpieces.