Some #mondayhappiness, so happy to achieved my goal of 1 Million+ Youtube views! It’s been a long journey, and thanks so much to you guys who read my blog for helping to make it happen!! Especially those who have been in for the long haul!! It means so much to me!!Not the biggest amount by any stretch, but I am pretty chuffed (and it is more viewers than Danny Dyer’s 'Run for your wife' #smallgoals)...onwards to the next million (and hitting 2000 subscribers).Thanks to everyone who has watched, shared, asked questions and subscribed....more to come!EnjoyPeaceNeil
VLOG Ibanez 2018 New Guitars at Namm .....No Gibson??
Never had I had SO much want for a series of guitars!! Nope Not EVER!! Oh and what are Gibson up to?EnjoyPeaceNeil
XVIVE T1 Golden Brownie Review
The XVIVE T1 Golden Brownie is a pedal I have been hearing SO much about recently that I just had to bite the bullet and buy one to see if the hype was real, worst case scenario it goes back on Reverb.com! EVH’s Brown sound is something which has always appealed to me and something which currently I cover with my Suhr Riot pedal when need be. A pedal I really do love btw!
But having said that I am also working on a little challenge project at the moment, so I was also on the look out for a mini pedal to fill in for the Riot! Could this be the one? Check out my video reviewHere is the blurb from the product site!
Product Description Thomas Blug has been sought after artist on the German and International music scene for many years. A very accomplished guitarist, vocalist, composer and recording artist, Thomas has won many awards and his known for his soulful music, which Xvive can help deliver. Xvive are very excited to work him in the development of the Golden Brownie and Tube Squasher micro pedals. The Golden Brownie is like a vintage Marshall JCM800® in a box. If you want high gain hard rock ’80 tones then this is the pedal for you. It has an unbelievable (over) Drive range and is perfect for head-on heavy grind applications. The Pres (presence) knob adds versatile tweaking ability that transforms any amp into a fire breathing hellhound! The Tone knob is all about the blues and soul. Turned down, it is time to rock and turned up it is time to sing some blues. Controls TONE – shapes colour of distorted signal VOLUME – controls overall volume of effect DRIVE – controls amount of gain PRES – takes a sharp distortion and gives it some extra room Foot Switch toggle effects on/bypass (blue LED ‘on’ indicator)
Brown Sound?
Pros
Cost!!
SoundFlexibility
Build Quality
Cons
None that I can really think of!
Request
I hope that you found this article useful and enjoy my blog, podcast and YouTube channel. I’m always happy to share my thoughts and to help others as much as I can and I will never charge for my blog content. Having said that, I truly appreciate when someone supports me in return for the time it takes to write articles, produce podcasts and videos, where I share my years of work and experience with you.
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Peace
Neil
Line 6 Helix LT 6 month review and reflections
After owning the Helix LT for just over 6 months I thought it would be a good time to do a reflective review of the unit after 6 months of gigging and recordings.Check out the video for all the details on what I thought and found out from hammering the Helix!!EnjoyPeaceNeil
Namm 2018 rumours and what would you like in 2018?
So it is that time of year again!! Doesn't come around so quickly there days?? The NAMM show in January 2018. is a time to start thinking and dreaming of what might be coming out in this year. It seems like quite a few companies like Korg, Supro and various pedal companies (to name the two that I have seen) have done pre-release press releases, so we already know what is coming. A bit of a shame, as I love the excitement.So what am I hoping for this year? Well, I think I am going to be disappointed (as always it would seem), but one can dream. TC Electronic (now part of Music group i.e Behringer) seem to only be concentrating on single stomp boxes now, which is a real shame. My other wish is for Spectrsonics to update Stylus RMX, but given keyscape only just came out I doubt that they will. NAMM used to be big for them, but they seem to have gone very quite of late.Like most years, (if you have read any of my blog previously), really I am only looking for a couple of companies to do a couple of things (which are actually pretty much the same from year to year!!!), so I am guessing there must be a gap in the market, and one thing in particular, the TC Electronic Nova System is right up there. Given by just how popular my review and videos on the unit are, it would seem I am not alone. So for the fifth year running, this is what I am hoping for.But, otherwise here are my NAMM 2018 wishesUnless you don’t fancy the video! (And very similar to last year!!)1) (This is the big one!) A new Nova System from TC Electronic. Well to be honest, I love the Nova System, I have been gigging mine for over five years now, but there are a few omissions and small things that would make it totally perfect. These are, a filter section (Autowah, envelope filter perhaps, I would have these over the pitch if I had to), and improved tuner (insert a polytune please!!!) and perhaps another way to access patch v presets. I would also love for it to be Toneprintable, how incredible would it be to be able to download Toneprints to the Nova System. Oh okay maybe one more, to make it the most perfect object of all time, perhaps adding in a few basic amp models (Fender, Marshall, Vox perhaps?), so that it could be used direct into a PA or as a basic modeller. That would make it perfection!! Particular on the last point that the TC Halicon Voice Channel can do this, and Tech 21 have introduced this concept with the FlyRig, it would be perfect. But sadly I don't think it is coming.2)Love to see an update to the Ibanez RG Prestige range, perhaps a natural finish guitar??3)Spectrasonics?? Where are you???????….maybe some new libraries for Stylus RMX? and how about the next generation of awesome software that we know you are capable of!!4)Logic 11? 2013 was the year of Logic X, I am very cautious with Apple at the moment and their (what feels to me) move away from supporting the creatives that carried them through the bad times. They are a phone company now and not a computer company, evidenced by their latest update to the Mac Mini, a total backward step IMHO.I would be very interested to hear what you are waiting for/hoping for.Maybe I'll get my book there next year ;)
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So what is on your list?
PeaceNeilEnjoyPeaceNeil
Flare Audio Snoozers Full Review
The time has come! My Flare Audio Snoozers have arrived!! Looking at the messages I get, there seems that this (so far) has been the most anticipated review I have every done! For some ear plugs!! Well I should have known! I mean I did spend a large part of my life studying the effects of sound in the environment and ‘noise’ for my PhD. But even I am overwhelmed at the interest in this market!What can I say?Well it seems that Flare Audio have taken on board the criticism that they got (and it seems to be ALOT) for the ISOLATES and how they can’t easily be used for sleeping it. I am not sure that they were marketed that way? They certainly weren’t to me, they were marketed as musicians earplugs, and you will have to check out my reviews on the ISOLATES in regards to what I thought about that. I digress, they have now produced the snoozers and I have produced a video review about them which I think highlights all of the questions one might have in relations to these ear plugs. In the video I also mention Doc’s Pro Plugs and there is a link to them below should you wish to check those out!EnjoyPeaceNeil
Flare Audio Snoozers thoughts and ISOLATE review
Those of you who follow my Youtube channel, may be aware that I have done a series of videos on the Flare Audio Isolate ear plugs. I have been surprised at how much anger there seems to be towards this company and product. To give you a bit of background......
Flare Audio ISOLATE
I recently was made aware of a crowd funding campaign for these little ear plugs and I have to say it got me hooked. As some of you know I have a background in academic acoustics and psychoacoustic and thus the ear are something very important to me. I also an a huge advocate of protecting one's hearing from hearing loss in musician circle (as they can be the most immune and the least caring....until it's gone!).As you can see I always reviewed these ear plugs in the context at which they were marketed to me, as a musician. Most the anger on my videos seems to come from people who were using them to sleep in. Wow, I would never consider sleeping in these, that just seems SO uncomfortable indeed!!!But it seems that Flare Audio have taken a lot of the criticism onboard and released the Snoozers for those of you who like to sleep with ear plugs. So I thought I would put together a little video for you with my thoughts....and here it isEnjoyPeaceNeil