The UK's Lowest Prices In-Store & Online!

FREE Delivery on all UK orders over £100

Latest News, Exclusive Offers & Events

  • Fender Blacktop Series - Classic Style, Modern Power

    Posted On 17 May 2012 by Music Junkie

    Posted In Electric Guitars

    Tagged Fender Guitars, Electric Guitars, Blacktop



    Fender have some of the most classic guitar shapes ever made. The '50s design aesthetic that runs through everything they release ensures that, at least in terms of design, they rarely put a foot wrong. But what if you don't like the tone?

    There's nothing wrong with that - the classic Fender tone isn't for everyone. Some players love the bell-chime tones that Fender's single coil pickups provide, but there's plenty of players who want something with a bit more meat - something raw, something heavy.

    That's where the Fender Blacktop Series of guitars comes in - classic Fender styling but with souped up, raw power pickups. The Blacktop range means that if you like Fender body shapes but need more power, you're guaranteed to find something to love. Let's take a look at a couple of the models we have here in the Junkie!

    The Fender Blacktop Stratocaster HH and Fender Blacktop Telecaster HH are hot-rodded versions of Fender's two most enduring electric guitars. Featuring Fender's own Hot Vintage Alnico Humbucking pickups, your chunky chords and hot leads will sound truly powerful. An added advantage on the Strat is that positions 2 and 4 of the pickup select switch offer coil taps to provide that classic Fender tone if you need it! The Telecaster is also available as the Fender Blacktop Telecaster Baritone, with low-down B to B tuning and HSS pickup layout for even more tonal options.

    Okay, so this is great, but what if you want higher gain but don't like the tonal quality of a humbucker? Most people would say you're fussy, but Fender offer guitars like the Blacktop Jaguar 90 - stripping down the classic shape of the Jaguar, removing all of the extra controls, and popping in two P-90 style hot single coil pickups. Gibson's version of the P-90 is most famous for providing the tone of a Gibson SG Classic, and thus the tone of AC/DC (although, when Angus bought it, it was an SG Standard - how times change!). That surely has to be enough bite for any player!

    Essentially, what Fender have done with the Blacktop range is cater to either very picky or very loyal players - and as someone who fits a little into both camps, I love them for it.

    Curious about the Blacktop range? Come on down to our flagship music store in Leicester and try them out, or give us a call on 01162 625 625 and get one on order!

     

  • Why You Should Buy Some Earplugs

    Posted On 16 May 2012 by Music Junkie

    Posted In Other Stuff

    Tagged Live Sound, Earplugs

    This happens a lot to me…

    Me: Hi, how are you doing today?

    Random: Pardon?

    Me: … Hi, how are you doing today?

    Random: Sorry… Can you say that again?

    Me: errr… how are you doing? Is there anything I can help with?

    Random: Sorry… my hearing’s going a little bit, can you just shout directly into my left ear?

    Me: What!?

    Random: What??

    This, disturbingly regularly, occurring conversation is glimpse into your future if your one of these ‘uber cool’ people that think that wearing earplugs somehow makes you a less of person.

    Let me give you a quick medical lesson – playing or listening to music really loud makes your hearing break and go bye bye. You know that irritating ringing in your ears after a gig… that horrible, annoying sound that prevents you from sleeping and sometimes makes you want to kill people, well – imagine if that was there ALL THE TIME.

    That sound is called tinnitus, every time you hear it, it means you’ve damaged your ears a little bit and if you do this a lot it could become permanent, that would be annoying – we don’t want this to happen.

    Also – I like hearing and I’d like to keep doing it; and unfortunately loads of loud music will make it deteriorate – just think for a moment, of the amount of time you spend behind your ear splitting snare, or infront of you guitar amp pushed up to eleven, all that practice at home, band rehearsals, gigs, that’s not even thinking about the gigs you listen to for fun. It’s A LOT of time that you’re spending exposing yourselves to sounds that WILL damage your hearing.

    Decent earplugs like Doc's Pro Plugs cost £12.99 – stop being a twat and buy some, when your fifty and can still hear people when they’re standing RIGHT FRICKING NEXT to you – you’ll thank me. We've got them at our flagship music store in Leicester, and we'll help you figure out what size you need.

    Laters

    Rae x 

     

  • JUST ARRIVED - Akai EIE Audio Interface

    Posted On 15 May 2012 by Music Junkie

    Posted In Computer Music

    Tagged Studio gear, Home Studio, Studio setup, Home recording



    I know what you need; do you know what you need? I’ll tell you what you need. The Akai Professional EIE USB audio interface. 
    This is one convenient box. 
    With this interface you can connect all of your music gear into your computer. The EIE is all about plug & play. You can virtually connect any musical instrument you desire to your computer. It holds 3 USB inputs, in addition to its main USB port, this baby lets you connect controllers, hard drives, or any other peripheral to your computer. With its vintage analogue-style VU meters and its rugged aluminium casing, it’s an extremely powerful portable solution. It’s a compact 16-bit interface with everything that you really could need! 
     
    It is compatible with virtually all music software, be it Garage band, Pro Tools, whatever you wanna use, and there is no driver installation, truly making this beast plug & play. 
     
    With each channel of the EIE you get an XLR-¼ combo jack, dedicated gain-pot & also a mic/line/guitar switch. With four discrete-design preamplifiers, you can use phantom power for use with virtually any microphone. 
    You can also monitor sessions using a multiple sets of studio monitors using 4 ¼” balanced outputs. Both pairs of outputs can be visually monitored with the analogue VU meters proving classic features but with a modern style. 

    With the EIE you can send & receive four audio channels on a single USB cable for a very simple, universal interface to your computer. The three additional USB 1.1 ports are what allow the EIE to function as a hub also. Bridging other MIDI controllers & hard-drives to the computer. The USB interface is class compliant for plugging & playing operation with Mac OS X, Windows XP, Vista & 7. 
    With traditional MIDI Ins & Outs for playing & controlling software with keyboard & pad controllers, workstations & other MIDI-compatible instruments. 
     
    I knew that it was what you needed. 
     
    Come grab one in Music Junkie now!

     

  • Act On Impulse - The Novation Impulse

    Posted On 14 May 2012 by Music Junkie

    Posted In Synths, Keyboards and Pianos, Computer Music

    Tagged Studio gear, MIDI Controllers, Novation



    Matt here at Music Junkie after recently buying a Novation Impulse 49 for my studio I thought I would share my thoughts on it.

    So when you first get the Impulse out the box its nicely built and will withstand the plenty of the  rigours life studio and playing live. When you get playing the keys are great and responsive one thing that is really cool that I wouldn't normally expect from a keyboard at this price point.  

    I use Ableton and for this the control surface on the Impluse is amazing! The 49 and 61 feature nine faders which are great for hands on mixing. Eight rotary controls are amazing when combined with any soft Synth or plug-in and almost unleashes new creative juices when you have hands on control over them.  

    You have eight drum pads which like the keys are nice and responsive and are velocity sensitive and again have after-touch. These pads get extra cleaver though when you engage the arpeggio and you can get quick and easy rhythms and patterns going on the fly. As if that wasn't enough as the pads are multi coloured LED back-lights you can use the pads for launching clips in Ableton Live which is amazing!

    These keyboards comes with Ableton Live Lite which is great for getting you going and if you want to go and buy the full edition you can buy the upgrade from Lite and save yourself £50!  

    Although I've only been ranting on about Ableton the Impulse keyboards work a treat with all the major software packages such as Logic, Reason, Cubase and Sonar. The Implulse comes with Automap 4 which is a nifty piece of software that allows you to  easily map the faders and knobs to your DAW software peramiters and saves you buckets of time!

    If you still can't make your mind up on whether it's the right midi controller to buy then why not come into our flagship music store in Leicester or if you have any questions give me a call in store on 01162 625625.

     

  • Bose L1 Systems - Part 3: The Tonematch

    Posted On 13 May 2012 by Music Junkie

    Posted In Live Sound

    Tagged PA Systems, Live Sound, Bose

    What’s this Tonematch all about? Part 3 
     
    Let's talk about the Bose T1 Tonematch. The T1 lets you get the most out of your Bose system and is a seriously powerful piece of kit! In this blog I just want to go through some of the features that make the Tonematch one of the best mixers on the market today.
     
    Input Connectivity: 
    On the back of the Tonematch you have three XLR/Jack combination sockets with ultra low noise microphone pre-amps. The final channel is stereo and has two 1/4inch jack connectors. 
     
    Additionally you have individual pre-amp outs on channels 1-3, which is great is you want to record the individual inputs. 
     
    So as far as connectivity goes this gives you some great flexibility. Due to the first three channels having combi XLR/Jack sockets it’s great for musicians looking not only to use microphones but also to plug their instruments in straight. The stereo channel then provides a great solution for DJ’s and musicians looking to play to backing tracks. 
     
    USB:
    Its USB capabilities give you easy connectivity to your computer for backing up and programming your scenes. This is really useful to be able to really organise your different scenes for your different live setups.
     
    Once connected up to your computer you can use the Tone match as a recording interface and record stereo output from the unit. This means you can record your live set really easily by plugging in your USB to your computer or if you want to get ideas down and get recording, then the Tonematch can be used as your recording interface in the studio. 
     
    Tonematch engine:
    Now this is where this mixer gets seriously clever! So let’s say we have a Shure SM58 plugged into the T1. You can then go into the Tonematch engine and select that microphone. Now this then optimises the controls of the tone match to the Microphone, giving incredible control and allowing you to really perfect your sound. As an example, if we then go into the zEQ the frequencies are then maximised for the SM58, meaning that if you want more low end on you vocals by boosting it you will be boosting relevant frequencies.

    This is again the case when you plug in a variety of microphones and instruments. You can simply select your instrument and the tonematch optimises your sound!
     
    Effects
    The effects processor on the T1 is one of the most useful I’ve ever seen incorporated into a mixer. On each channel effects can be edited individually giving you amazing control over your sound. As an example on channel one we have our SM58 for vocals and we can put Reverb, compression and Delay on that channel and taylor the setting to our performer. Then on Channel two Martin D28 is being played again we can select that in the Tonematch engine and give it all the EQ tweaks we feel necessary we can however we can go in and independently edit our effects to this channel without altering what’s was set on Channel 1. Each channel has a CH Edit button which when selected means that all the Tonematch Engine controls and the what is displayed ion the screen is then relevant to the channel that you are editing.
     
    Connection to your Bose System
    Now the T1 Tonematch integrates with the Model II system seamlessly. It achieves this through the included Tonematch audio engine cable, which is an Ethernet connection, which is housed in a sturdy XLR casing, and robust cable. When plugged into the Model II power stand everything that is put through the T1 will run through this single connection and play through the system. Not only that but as the name suggests the power stand will power the T1 meaning there is no need for an external power supply. 
     
    On the Model II system easily mounts on to the Radiators using the supplied mounting bar and additionally you can purchase a microphone mount if you would like to have it away from the rest of the system.
     
    If you want to use the T1 with either the Compact or Model I system then you will need to buy yourself the optional T1 Power Supply to power the mixer. The output can then be connected to the Powerstand with ¼ jacks.
     
    To conclude the Tonematch is not only a mixer but also a powerful effects unit,  USB interface and really maximises the performance of your microphones, instruments and the Bose systems that you use it with. If you want to get a closer look then come and see us in our flagship music Store in Leicester where I will happily give you a demo and show you how great this little mixer is.

     

  • Bear The Standard - The New Fender Standard 2012!

    Posted On 12 May 2012 by Music Junkie

    Posted In Electric Guitars

    Tagged Fender Guitars, Electric Guitars



    Matt here at Music Junkie just wanting to let you all know about the new American Standard Series of guitars that have just been announced at Music Messe over in Frankfurt. 
     
    Now I play an American standard series Tele and love it so when they release a new model I can’t help but get excited. The current 2011 model is awesome; so is the new 2012 model an improvement or just a slight change?
     
    Well being a Telecaster lover, lets start here - The new Fender American Standard Telecaster features custom shop pickups with a hot, over-wound ‘Twisted Tele’ pickup on the neck, and a Broadcaster Pickup on the bridge. Now I’ve always thought the USA Standard pickups sound awesome, however a hotter sound wouldn’t go a miss and will help you get that bit extra when saturating them pre-amp valves on your amp.
     
    The body is now contoured on the back meaning when you play the guitar, it sits really comfortably into your body.  These used to be features that were only available on the American Deluxe models, so it’s nice that Fender have introduced a simple but effective feature to the standard series. I do however think that traditionalists will object but hey, we have to move with the times and it does make a Telecaster more comfortable to play!
     
    The Fender American Standard Stratocaster now has three Fat 50’s custom shop pickups, again as with the Tele these are over-wound and are going to give you some awesome bluesy break-up and classic strat sounds. While on the HSS version they combined the Fat 50’s single coils with a Diamond Back Humbucker on the bridge for that slightly rockier vibe.
     
    Cosmetically, Fender has gone for aged parts to give the guitar that vintage vibe to match the sound of those 50’s custom shop pickups.
     
    So all in all the new American Standards have just taken some of that classic ‘Hotrod’ culture of the 50’s and souped up an already awesome guitar. Personally I can’t wait to get my hands on one… if you can’t either then most models are currently arriving into stock at our flagship music store in Leicester so get your orders in NOW!

     

  • Amazing Deal On The Novation Twitch!

    Posted On 11 May 2012 by Music Junkie

    Posted In DJ Gear

    Tagged DJ Gear, Controllers, Novation



    Novation Twitch £299 for a limited time only while stocks last!!!

    That's right all you Serato users that have been tempted to cross over to Traktor because of the insane deal on the Kontrol S2 now have the perfect solution -  the Twitch has £100 off the street price for a limited time only.

    But apart from saving £100 what makes this controller an amazing piece of kit?  

    The Twitch isn't like every other controller on the market, for starters it has no jog wheels. Although all  traditionalists are now trying to find one to smash - lets face it, the jog wheels come from the days of Vinyl and with digital DJ hitting it mainstream there must be better ways of controlling your audio. The Twitch used touchstrips which you simply swipe your finger across to locate your Que points and also gives you more hands on control over your different modes, which leads me to the four buttons below the touchstrip.

    These four little buttons select different modes, which gives the 8 control pads different functions - allowing you to get really creative with your mixing! These are as follows.

    Hot Cues: In this mode each of the 8 touch pads can be assigned to a cue point in the track, meaning you can simply play from 1 of 8 selected points at the push of a button.  

    Slicer: This mode is loads of fun! Once selected Serrato will automatically slice your track into useful sections making the Itch into a sampler – amazing for mash-ups!

    Auto Loop: Hit this and the 8 pads give you complete control over your loop, not only playing and stopping but also the length of the section.

    Loop Roll: This is a really cool function that allows you to loop a section of the track while it is still playing. This means that you can repeat the loop for a 2 bars then re-enter the track 2 bars down the line instead of having to start from the beginning of the loop.  

    As with most DJ controllers the Twitch has a built in audio sound card and has dedicated master and booth outputs so you will have no problems hearing yourself when performing. With regards to the sound quality, as you may be aware Novation work closely with Focusrite so its no surprises that the sound-card is crystal clear and the low latency drivers make it a pleasure to use.

    So if you want to leap into the world of digital DJ then come on down to our flagship music store in Leicester, go the full hog and get a Twitch... And do it now while the price is insane!

     

  • MJ101: How To Restring A Guitar

    Posted On 10 May 2012 by Music Junkie

    Posted In MJ101, Electric Guitars, Acoustic Guitars

    Tagged Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar

    If there's one thing that we've noticed here at Music Junkie, it's that it can be quite daunting for a new guitarist to learn even the basics like restringing a guitar. We always like to try and be helpful, so we thought we'd present a little guide as part of our MJ101 help and how to Guides!

    Important - Remember, no matter what kind of guitar you're restringing, slacken the old string before removing it or you could end up with a nasty injury.

    How To Restring A Nylon-String Acoustic Guitar

    Nylon String guitars have a very particular way of re-stringing that is always the trickiest to learn, but easy once you get the hang of it. This involves some fiddly steps, so I would advise watching the attached video along with the instructions.

    Once you have removed the old string, place one end of the new string through the hole in the bridge, loop it around itself twice and then tighten it up. Put the other end of the string through the hole in the machine head, pass it underneath the main part of the string, and then feed it back through the loop in a knot. As I said above, this can be quite tricky to follow - so here's a handy video to help you!

    How To Restring A Steel-String Acoustic Guitar

    The strings on a steel-string acoustic are usually held in place at the bridge by pegs. It's especially important with these guitars that you slacken the string before removing the peg, otherwise it'll fly out and either get lost or cause damage or injury, and we don't want that. Getting the pegs out can be tricky, but Dunlop String Winders have a small tool for removing the pegs included.

    Steel strings usually have what's called a "ball end", a small metal tube looped into the end of the string. This is what anchors the bridge end of the string in place, so place the ball end of the new string into the hole in the bridge that the old string occupied, and then replace the string peg, ensuring the peg is in securely. After that, feed the plain end of the string through the hole in the machine head, leaving a little slack in the string (usually enough to wrap around the machine head two or three times). Turn the tuning peg to tighten the string, and make sure that the main part of the string ends up under the excess or you run the risk of the string slipping off.

    How To Restring An Electric Guitar

    This one's really very similar to an acoustic guitar, with the only difference being at the bridge - rather than having pegs to remove, most electric guitars have a bridge that you feed the string through until the ball end catches. On a strat-style guitar, for example, the strings usually pass through the body, whereas on a Les Paul the strings pass through the bridge stoptail on the top of the guitar.

    How To Restring A Floyd Rose Tremolo

    Now we get into the really tricky stuff. The Floyd Rose is one of the most difficult restring jobs there is, and if done incorrectly can result in the guitar needing a full setup to be playable. No pressure, then!

    The two most important things to remember when restringing a Floyd Rose are: stabilise the trem with something first - this helps the trem remain roughly in position - and secondly, always restring a Floyd Rose one string at a time. If you remove all of the strings from a Floyd Rose equipped guitar, the lack of tension will ruin the setup.

    How To Restring A Gibson Robot Guitar

    The Robot guitar makes staying in tune a piece of cake - and restringing is no harder! As with a Floyd Rose, you'll experience best results replacing one string at a time.

    With the Robot Guitar, pull out the tuning peg to switch it to manual mode, then unscrew the lock on the machine head and remove the old string. Put the new string on, tighten the machine head lock and trim the excess, then push the tuning peg back in. After that, select restring mode on the master control knob and press twice, then select which string you have replaced and press again. The string will then be brought to tension automatically. Magical! (Restringing instructions appear at 1:20 in the following video)

    Phew! So there you have it - how to restring your guitar. Restringing is also a service we offer at our flagship music store in Leicester, so if you're still unsure, come on down!

     

  • Run The Relay With Line 6 Wireless Systems

    Posted On 9 May 2012 by Music Junkie

    Posted In Live Sound, Electric Guitars, Other Stuff

    Tagged Electric Guitar, Wireless Systems



    With superior specs, and exclusive VMT digital technology, using a LINE 6 Wireless system is actually better than using a lead. 
    A big statement. And one that is totally & utterly true.
     
    I also was a non-believer, thinking that wireless system would never sound as good & as a solid as having a guitar cable plugged in, but guess what? It looks like those days are over. This is where it’s at. 
    You can go for either the Relay G30, Relay G50 or Relay G90 & get ready to be blown away. 
     
    First up is the VMT technology. This is exclusive to Line 6, and ensures full-range frequency response, excellent transient response, alongside a wide dynamic range. 
     
    The Relay Digital wireless systems produce full-range tones, with 10Hz-20kHz frequency response, with an exceedingly low noise, up to 120dB dynamic range, and studio-quality resolution with 24-bit A/D conversion. This is much greater than many other wireless systems at this price range.
     
    The Relay actually features a ‘cable tone’ simulator, so you can adjust the settings to give you the sound of a guitar cabled up from 15-30 feet, giving the sound a very realistic feel, and you can truly replicate your sound without having any lead in the way.
     
    The Relay systems are Compander FREE. Those of you who have used Wireless systems before will know about Companders. They squash your signal & ruin that great tone that you’ve got. Analog wireless systems require companders, but the Relay systems do not. This gives your tone clear, high-end sparkle, truly powerhouse low end, and a touch response that analogue systems simply cannot deliver. 
     
    They also incorporate Digital Channel Lock technology, which automatically locks out all sources of interference. This means that the only sound that’s going to be coming out of your amp is you, no taxis, no radios, nothing else. Very cool. 
     
    With lots of famous guitarists already lining up to use them, (Mike Campbell from Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers being just one of them), these are wireless systems that are truly blowing pretty much everyone else out of the water. It’s time to get onboard. 

    Check them out in our flagship music store in Leicester now, or give us a call on 01162 625 625 to get one on order. 

     

  • Bose L1 Systems - Part 2: Making Sense Of The Different Systems

    Posted On 8 May 2012 by Music Junkie

    Posted In Live Sound

    Tagged PA Systems, Live Sound, Bose

    Part 2 – Making sense of the different systems
     
    Bose L1 Compact - £899
     
    The L1 compact is the smallest of the rage and consists of a base unit, which houses the unit’s amplification, low frequency driver and mixer with microphone, Instrument and Line level inputs. The radiators, which house the high frequency drivers, can be inserted into the base unit for an ultimate compact unit; however it comes supplied with spacer poles to raise the radiators to head height allowing the sound to travel and  disperse around your performance space more efficiently. The radiators consist of 6 drivers mounted at precise angles, which gives this system an impressive 180 degrees of dispersion. 
     
    The fact that this system will give you such an incredible dispersion means you can perform standing next to the system and use it as a monitor and still get the same sound that the audience is hearing. 
     
    The Compact system stand-alone is everything you need to get great quality sound, however a popular addition is using the T1 Tonematch engine to really maximise your sound. The T1 is a powerful mixer that allows you to maximise the systems performance according to what you have plugged into it by simply selecting the instrument or microphone in the tonematch engine. Not only this the Tonematch has a powerful effects  processor giving you reverb, modulation, compression and EQ on each channel independently.
     
     
    Bose L1 Model I System
     
    Bose L1 Model I System – £1738 With single B1 unit.
     
    The Model I features a round base power stand which houses the systems amplification and also incorporates a 4-channel mixer with 2 ultra low noise mic pre-amps with channel 3 and 4 offering unbalanced line level jack connectors. Another useful function on the first two channels is the Tonematch presets, which allows you to optimise the system to your instrument or microphone.  As with the compact system you can also buy the Tonematch mixer and really maximise the performance of the system.
     
    The Radiators then slot into the Powerstand and are loaded with 24" speakers, which give an impressive 120 degrees of dispersion around the system. As with the compact this means for the musician you have a spread of sound that is wide enough that you can use the system as a monitor for your performance, meaning you can hear the same quality sound that the audience can. 
     
    The Model I systems are popular for many applications from solo musicians and duos, and one that often surprises people is DJ’s. Due to the 120 degree spread which is less than the 180 degrees that the compact and Model II provide and means that if you have two systems running in stereo you're less likely to get any horrible phasing from the two speaker stacks.
     
    Finally, the Powerstand will also power two B1 Bass modules - so depending on your needs, you can customise your system. 
     
    Bose L1 Model II System
     
    Bose Model II System - £2637
    With Single B1 unit and T1 Tonematch.
     
    Now this is the flagship in the range and the most popular too. It features a very compact power stand, which incorporates the amplification for the system and connectivity for the Radiators and bass modules and the tone match.  
     
    The Radiators slot nicely into the power-stand and feature 24 speaker drivers. As with the compact system the Model II has an impressive 180 degrees of dispersion.
     
    The Powerstand will run up to two B1 Bass modules, however you can run four with the addition of the pack-lite amplifier for seriously impressive low-end performance. The B1's simply connect up via a speakon cable - a  useful thing to note though is that the speakon needs to be 4-core cable to activate the crossover in the unit.
     
    The Model II system has amazing connectivity to the T1 Tonematch by connecting via a single network cable which Bose supply in a rugged XLR type casing. All of your audio and any processing applied in the T1 go though this single cable. 
     
    To sum up Bose have three fantastic models in their range each providing top class sound in a compact package. If you still find all the different configurations confusing then why not come down to our flagship music store in Leicester where we we are more than happy to provide you with a demonstration, or just give us a call on 01162 625625 with any questions.