Tech Gear: Right Gear Makes A Big Difference

On the road, in the practice room, or in the studio, your gear needs to arrive intact, and  to sound top-notch when you get there. That means having quality travel products, especially when travel includes baggage handlers who get their rocks off using your luggage to punt, pass and kick. Let’s take a look at some new gear from a couple of cool companies and see how it stands up to the test.        Since 1976, TC Electronic (www.tcelectronic.com) has been manufacturing first-class products designed for audio professionals and musicians. From TC Helicon comes Voice Life 2, a user-friendly, powerful floor processor that offers an array of effects. NaturalPlayTM gives you up to eight harmony voices controlled from a guitar, MIDI keyboard or MP3 player—ideal for vocalists who don’t play an instrument. Via stompbox or preset foot switch, you can layer reverb, tap tempo delay, natural doubling, T-Pain-like pitch shifting, distortion and megaphone effects and select from over 250 presets. One-touch Tone controls compression, EQ and de-essing, and the digitally controlled mic preamp allows singers to set mic gain while standing. The bright, widescreen LCD makes it possible to view the screen from that standing position. It’s also easily portable. VoiceLive 2 ships in May for $995.      For bass players, TC Electronic presents the RebelHead amp rig: RebelHead450 bass head ($1395), RebelStack cabinets (210 – $695 and 212 – $845) and RebelControl ($195). TC calls this “a bass rig designed without compromise,” made for rehearsals, studio and road.       The 450, with on-board tuner, has traditional tone controls, emulates all of the characteristics of a traditional tube circuit, and offers the highest-quality compression. The 450 features three on-board user memories, auto-sensing PSU for safe plug-and-play in any country, an input socket for audio source plug-in, and an output digital connection.      The RebelHead450 is available as a standalone unit or combined with the RebelStack cabinets. The RebelStack system was designed to optimize live performance without compromising pitch or low end. The vertical four-driver stacking system gives you both, along with easy portability.      As another option, add the RebelControl remote control system, a floor controller for RebelHead450, with a tuner indicator, three preset foot buttons to change the three user memories, and a mute button. RebelControl is conveniently powered from the amp and is a great addition to the system.      The G-Major 2 is TC Electronics’ multi-effects processor for guitar ($695). G-Major 2 houses effects such as delays, reverbs and modulation, with all-new takes on Tri-chorus, through-zero-flanger, modulated delays and Univibe. Controls include Noise Gate, EQ and Compression blocks, as well as the all-new filter/wah block, intelligent pitch shifting and reverse delay.      G-Major 2 allows users to change patches and presets through MIDI, or to use its stomp box mode, enabling on/off switching of individual effects. The relay switching option lets you switch amp channels directly, and in Serial Routing all blocks are lined as a straight line of pedals. In Semi-Parallel, delay and reverb are placed in parallel, and in Parallel all blocks except Compression and filter MOD blocks are placed in serial. G-Major 2 offers users easy and convenient editing and storing of patches and pre-sets through a PC/Mac editor available at www.tcelectronic.com/G-major2.      If you’re going to haul all that gear around, you need a name you can trust. Ultimate Support (www.ultimatesupport.com) has been in business for over 30 years. They bill themselves as “the Strength of Innovation,” and when you’re up close and hands on with their products, it’s easy to see why. Ultimate Support manufactures a very impressive selection of benches, stands, bags and cases so rugged that they can probably even withstand baggage handlers. Perhaps it’s time I start checking my essentials in an Ultimate Support case. These durable products look good and feel good, and best of all, they’re surprisingly affordable. The X-Style JS-500 keyboard stand is $59.99, the new double-braced X-Style JS-502D is $79.99, the JS-AS100 amp stand is $89.99, the Z-Style JS-ZS100 keyboard stand is $119.99, and the new multi-purpose JS-MPS1 mixer/keyboard stand is $129.99.      Me? I’m thinking that one of their kick-ass Hybrid Series cases might be my next investment. Suitcases and duffels be damned; let’s see you pummel this piece of checked luggage, Delta Airlines!