BAND & ORCHESTRA
New Clarinets from Buffet Crampon
The Buffet Crampon E12F semi-professional clarinet has firmly established itself as a go-to step-up, semi-professional clarinet. It gives clarinetists an excellent option to upgrade from a student clarinet while still remaining affordable, with many of the features found on Buffet Crampon professional clarinets.
E12F clarinets feature unstained African blackwood bodies with silver-plated keys, as well as leather pads. The E12F has a polished bore similar to the legendary R13, as well as a key layout close in placement to the R13 family of professional clarinets. Because of these shared features, the E12F also enables the player to be well-prepared for the move to a Buffet Crampon professional clarinet in the future.
The E12F has a durable, adjustable thumb rest for the right hand that features a neck strap hook. A backpack case with lots of storage and convenience, as well as reinforced backpack strap hooks, completes the outfit.
Buffet Crampon USA, North American distributor for Buffet Crampon Group, is also pleased to introduce the newest additions to its professional clarinet family: The GALA B-flat and A clarinets.
The GALA clarinets offer a stained African blackwood body, silver-plated keywork, leather pads, two barrels, and a compact pochette-style case, and they are outfitted with an upgraded HB France ligature and cap set, with a unique mix of silver-plating (ligature) and black nickel-plating (cap). Their most distinctive features, making them unlike other Buffet Crampon professional clarinets, are the black nickel-plated tenon rings and GALA upper joint medallion, providing an absolutely stunning instrument that plays as well as it looks.
GALA professional B-flat clarinets (BC1121-2-0P) are available for order now, with a GALA A clarinet (BC1221-2-0P) on the way soon.
KEYBOARD & PIANO
Roland Announces JD-800 Model Expansion
Roland announces the JD-800 Model Expansion, the latest addition to the ZEN-Core Model Expansion lineup available through Roland Cloud. Based on Roland’s influential JD-800 hardware synthesizer released in 1991, the JD-800 Model Expansion celebrates the 30th anniversary of this vintage digital icon by bringing it to modern players through the ZENOLOGY Software Synthesizer and select Roland hardware instruments with the ZEN-Core Synthesis System.
Combining the original JD-800 waveforms with advanced modeling techniques, the JD-800 Model Expansion captures the sonic behavior of its vintage counterpart with 100-percent authenticity, coupled with deep sound-shaping potential through a full recreation of the JD-800’s vast control architecture.
The JD-800 Model Expansion is currently supported with Roland’s ZENOLOGY and ZENOLOGY Pro software instruments and JUPITER-X and JUPITER-Xm hardware instruments.
Model Expansions transform the ZENOLOGY Software Synthesizer and compatible Roland ZEN-Core hardware into entirely different instruments with their own sonic personalities, features, and preset tones. From rare and sought-after classics to the designs of tomorrow, Model Expansions give musicians and producers unprecedented access to the historic and ever-evolving world of Roland synthesizers.
FRETTED
Luna Unveils High-End Vineyard Series Ukuleles
Available in concert and tenor sizes, the Vineyard Series represents a unique new level of high-end Luna ukuleles, complete with eye-catching craftsmanship including a bevel, slotted headstock, and solid koa top with intricate designs. Vineyard Series ukuleles feature Fishman’s Kula Ukulele Onboard Preamp System with onboard tuner, so players can be ready to dial in their sound quickly, plug into an amp, and hit the stage. Whether the player has a solid musical foundation or is simply looking to make an artistic impression, Luna’s Vineyard Series ukuleles are designed for creative growth.
Symbolically, each Vineyard Series ukulele offers a pearl vine inlay design on the rosette and along the 18-fret rosewood fingerboard, presenting the evolving thirst for growth and perseverance.
The Uke Vineyard Koa Bevel Tenor has a 17-inch scale length and traditional tenor cutaway body, while the Uke Vineyard Koa Bevel Concert offers a 15-inch scale length and traditional concert cutaway body. On both models, the solid koa A-grade flat top, along with koa back and sides, offer a warm tone and an ergonomic bevel that provides rest for the picking arm. Single-ply rosewood binding adds a finishing touch of sophistication, while Gloss Natural finish allows the tonewoods to shine both aesthetically and sonically.
Both ukuleles in the Vineyard Series are designed with a comfortable C-shape mahogany neck and set-neck construction that helps transfer the resonance between neck and body more freely. The 1 3/8-inch nut width offers ample string spacing for comfortable chord formation and fingerpicking. The genuine bone nut and rosewood bridge further enhance the sonic quality and sustain. Each nuance is relayed by the Fishman Kula Onboard Preamp System designed specifically for the size, shape, and sound of the ukulele, and complete with 3-band EQ (bass, middle, and treble) and a built-in digital chromatic tuner. For an extra elegant touch, the open gear tuners rest on the slotted headstock with chrome tuning pegs that help ensure tuning success and reliable performance from the specialized Aquila Super Nylgut ukulele strings.
The Uke Vineyard Koa Bevel Tenor is available at MSRP $499, while the Uke Vineyard Koa Bevel Concert is available at MSRP $449. An included padded gig bag will help protect these fine instruments for years to come.
PRS Guitars Announces Limited Edition Antique White SE Parlor Acoustics
PRS Guitars has announced a Limited Edition SE parlor acoustic in Antique White. This Limited Edition maintains all the original appointments of the PRS SE P20E with the addition of an Antique White solid-mahogany top paired with natural mahogany back and sides. The Antique White PRS SE P20E is limited to 3,500 pieces worldwide.
The Limited Edition PRS SE P20E Antique White also comes standard with a Fishman GT1 pickups system. Plug in, and this system delivers dynamic, organic tone. Whether writing, recording, or performing, the SE P20E is sure to impress. Parlor-sized acoustics can be miscategorized because of their size, but this electronics system features an undersaddle pickup and soundhole mounted preamp with easy-to-access volume and tone controls, which transforms what some may consider a “couch-only guitar” into a workhorse stage instrument. MAP: $579
ACCESSORIES
Chedeville Launches New SAV Series Clarinet Mouthpieces
Chedeville’s SAV series Clarinet mouthpieces are made at the JodyJazz factory in Savannah GA, hence the “SAV” moniker. But the SAV also means savings. As JodyJazz’s Jody Espina notes, the SAV models feature industry standard German hard rubber as a cost-saving alternative to the premium pricing fetched by the company’s Umbra and Elite models, which use the company’s own Chedeville rubber.
“We took everything we have learned from our previous mouthpieces and rolled them into one amazing mouthpiece that is priced so that serious students can afford it,” says Espina. “We have great confidence in the sound, feel and consistency of this mouthpiece.”
The Chedeville SAV Bb Clarinet Mouthpiece is available in a comprehensive selection of tip openings (1/100 MM): 1 (100), 2 (107), 3 (115), 4 (125), 5 (135). The MSRP is $189, and the mouthpieces are available now.
DOMINANT PRO from Thomastik-Infeld
Since 1970, the playing styles and ideas surrounding sound have been expanded. With increased regularity musicians asked for the development of an additional set similar to Dominant that expands upon the possibilities of the existing strings. Thomastik-Infeld answered this request with the launch of its latest string revolution: Dominant Pro. This new set (DP100) was not aimed to change the basic character of Dominant, but rather to offer an additional, contemporary repertoire of strings. Dominant Pro is ideally suited for chamber musicians, soloists, and orchestra musicians alike. The set is available in medium tension and is also a superb match when combined with Dominant medium violin strings.
15-Watt Howitzer Guitar Preamp/Amp from Electro-Harmonix
Electro-Harmonix announces a new ultra-compact 15-watt guitar preamp/amp with Volume, Gain, Bass, Mid and Treble controls plus a Bright switch and a built-in Effects Loop. Designed with extreme portability in mind, the 15Watt Howitzer can be mounted on a pedalboard or tucked away in a gig bag, and will work with any speaker cabinet rated at 8 or 16 ohms. The 15Watt Howitzer comes equipped with its own 24VDC/1.0A Power Supply and features a USA street price of $127.80.
Hosa Digital Interfaces
The Hosa Digital Audio Interfaces allow simultaneous transfer between S/PDIF optical and AES/EBU digital audio formats. It is ideal for interconnecting digital audio workstations, recorders, and other digital audio gear regardless of I/O format. Features include:
One piece of digital audio gear may have only S/PDIF optical (Toslink) or coax (phono) connections while another may have only AES/EBU connections (XLR). With the Hosa Digital Audio Interfaces, transfer between the two formats remain in the digital realm. The Hosa Digital Audio Interfaces are an indispensable tool for the digital audio recordist.
SCMS (Serial Copy Management System) is disabled when transferring from S/PDIF to AES/EBU. This unit is incompatible with the ADAT Optical Interface.
Connectors: S/PDIF Optical to AES/EBU, or S/PDIF Coax to AES/EBU.
Warwick Black Label Bass String Sets
Choosing the “right” set of strings might be the most important step for a bass player in the search for the perfect tone. The strings define the direction long before the pickups, the pots, or the amp come into play.
Warwick Black Label Nickel-Plated Steel Strings offer a smooth tight feeling and a rich. warm sound.
Six different sets are available.
Specifications: strings for electric bass; nickel-plated steel; 34” long scale; roundwound; hexagonal core; smooth surface; warm, rich sound; made in USA.
The U.S. pricing of the Warwick Black Label Bass String Sets ranges from $24.50 to $37, depending on gauge and number of strings.
PRINT & DIGITAL
Hal Leonard Adds Video Recording to Its Essential Elements Interactive Platform
Hal Leonard has been doing as much as possible to support music educators by providing innovative tools to help them with distance learning. The latest addition to their virtual tool chest is adding groundbreaking new video recording capability to its Essential Elements Interactive (EEi) platform. With EEi Video Assignments, students can record videos in a safe and secure platform to send to their teacher for feedback and assessment.
EEi is the online component of the bestselling Essential Elements Band and Strings methods and is available at no additional cost to anyone using an Essential Elements book. Educators can set up accounts for their classes and use it for online learning, teaching, assessment, and communication—ideal for today’s band and string students who may be using a combination of in-person and at-home learning.
The Video Assignments functionality joins audio options already in place. Students can now easily record videos right from the EEi Music Studio. They can review the recording and decide if they want to re-record or save it. Once they’re satisfied with it, they can submit the video to their teacher for feedback and, if desired, download the video to send to friends and family. Teachers can review the submissions then send written feedback or use in picture-in-picture mode to send audio feedback to students while referencing EE Music on screen.
The video recording is just the latest of several features that have been added to the EEi platform to help teachers and students during the increased need for online learning, including assessment tools and teacher feedback options. Essential Elements Interactive has been a valuable tool for tens of thousands of music programs over the past year and the EEi team is constantly monitoring and evaluating school programs to make changes that will not only benefit students and teachers during the current online teaching environment, but also with the new revised landscape of in-person music education moving forward. For more information, visit the EEi blog at www.eeiblog.com.
Hal Leonard Publishes Music from Netflix’s Bridgerton Series
Hal Leonard noted the release of music from Netflix’s Bridgerton Series. The show’s two soundtracks have topped album charts at both iTunes and Billboard and have won rave reviews from music and pop culture media alike. Five of the show’s string quartet arrangements are available. They include “Wildest Dreams” (Taylor Swift) as arranged by Duomo, and “Bad Guy” (Billie Eilish), “In My Blood” (Shawn Mendes), “Thank U, Next” (Ariana Grande), and “Girls Like You” (Maroon 5) as arranged by Vitamin String Quartet.