Fuzz Box Girl is recovering, but as one of the many Americans without health insurance, her medical bills are piling up. In a nice twist to this unfortunate story, she’d written on her Facebook page about a band called The Broken Places, whose Christmas album she’s been enjoying during her recovery. The band saw the post, and offered to donate all of their December album sales to help her pay for medical bills. Fuzz Box Girl said it’s “sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me,” and I agree it’s a very generous gesture.

I will be purchasing a copy of the album, called Spirited. If you’re interested, check it out on iTunes.

If you read my recent post about the new JamUp Lite guitar app for iOS, you know I think it’s a killer product. And it’s free! So maybe you downloaded the app, fired it up and thought to yourself “OK…now how do I plug in my guitar?”

That’s a problem, but I’m here to solve it. Positive Grid, makers of the JamUp app, also make the JamUp Plug, and they’ve given me ten to give away. This adapter, in Apple-esqe white, connects to your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch. Plug in your guitar using any guitar cable, and your headphones or earbuds, and you’re ready to rock!

I have ten JamUp Plugs, and I’ll be giving away one per day, starting Saturday, October 29th. This contest will run through November 7th, 2011. Check my Facebook page for each day’s lucky winner.

You only have to enter once overall to be eligible for each day’s giveaway, but you can enter up to once per day. If you enter more than once in a single day, you’ll be disqualified from the entire giveaway.

Good luck!

Guitarists are especially spoiled, as there are a handful of excellent multi-effect and modeling guitar apps available. New to this arena is Positive Grid, makers of the JamUp family of apps and iOS interfaces. For the next 30 days, Positive Grid is offering free downloads of their JamUp Lite app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.

I’ve been playing with the JamUp Lite app for a few weeks and the tones hold up to any other guitar app out there, and JamUp features some extra features, including the very first sound-on-sound phrase sampler an iOS devices. This app gives you access to 5 hybrid amps/effects, 16 user presets, the aforementioned sound-on-sound phrase sampler, an iTunes player with time stretching feature, a chromatic tuner, and will feature continual upgraded features. Oh…and it’s free!

“JamUp is the must-have guitar app on iPad or iPhone for guitar players” remarked Calvin Abel, Product Manager at Positive Grid. “It channels the traditional multi-effect pedal into one single mobile app with a good number of jamming and practice features, plus the stunning user interface and convenient form-factor, giving you the ability to completely transform your rig with this one app.”

Also available are the JamUp Pro app ($19.99) which gives you 24 hybrid amps/effects, and the JamUp Plug ($39.95), an ultra-portable guitar interface for iOS devices. With the JamUp Plug, attach it to your device, then plug in your guitar and headphones, and you’re good to go! For anyone (like me) who jumped on the ultra-cheap (quality, not price) GuitarBud cable when that came out, you’ll appreciate the ability to use your own guitar cable.

Check out the Positive Grid website for more info and a link to download JamUp Lite for free.

The Grand Prairie, TX company has just announced a year’s worth of giveaways; one per month, each a home studio recording bundle valued at over $1,000 MSRP.

To kick things off, their first recording bundle includes:

• Lexicon I·O|22 Recording Interface
• dbx db12 Active Direct Box
• Shure PG27-LC Condenser Microphone
• Shure SRH240 Studio Headphones
• Ultimate Support PRO-T-T Mic Stand/Boom
• Two RapcoHorizon Stage Series 20ft Mic Cables
• RapcoHorizon Concert Series 20ft Instrument Cable
• Dickies Stage Shirt with ProAudio.com Logo
• ProAudio.com Baseball Cap
• ProAudio.com USB Thumb Drive

You’re definitley going to want to bookmark their giveaway page and stop by each month!

Click Here to Enter

In a previous post, The Cellist of Sarajevo, I described how one Bosnian man became a symbol of peace and hope in a country devastated by war. He defied the violence, tragedy, and hopelessness surrounding him and transcended his reality with the use of a single instrument, his cello. He also has emphasized a profound, grander concept. Music is powerful.

It can elicit latent emotion, enhance an already present emotion, describe feelings you may not know how to articulate, and draw you out of a current time and space into an alternate reality. Just look closely at any musicians’ faces as they play their instruments. It doesn’t matter what instrument, it is obvious they are passionate about and moved deeply by what they are playing. They are raw, unguarded, and connected with their core. Consequently, we can connect with them on a personal level. This association is so potent and commanding, people spend valuable time and money chasing it for months, or even years, at a time. Watch this short video and examine the musicians as they play, but more importantly, actually feel the emotions this raises. Connect with yourself.

Music also requires and coerces collaboration. I find the best collaborations to be unexpected and unusual because, if executed in a careful manner, these are what can result in the most beautiful, harmonious, creative outcomes. Think of two artists you were surprised to see work together, but ended up producing music that was reminiscent of them both, yet created a novel, unique sound and vision. Personally, one of the best examples of this Alison Krause and Robert Plant’s grammy-winning collaboration Raising Sand. These artists both have roots in blues and folk, but took alternate routes when it came to their distinct musical sounds. However, this album exemplifies what can emerge from attempting something different, from not taking the obvious route, and working together with someone you never thought you could or would. Listen to this one song off of this inspiring and interesting album.

[podcast]http://criticalpeace.com/wp-content/uploads/07-Please-Read-The-Letter-1.mp3[/podcast]

Ask people what they can’t live without and, besides the obvious, I bet most of them will say music. Although we all have personal tastes and opinions about our choices in music, it is still one of the world’s ultimate unifiers. It has the ability to take individual, completely different units and transform them into a cohesive, beautiful whole. This statement is true for both individual instruments in a band or autonomous members of society.

Like music, building lasting peace requires being raw and unguarded with your emotions and unexpected collaborations. See what happens when you let your guard down and reach out to someone unanticipated, it could fail miserably, but it could be one of the best choices you have ever made.

Win this!!!

The Rules:

• Must be 13 years of age or older to enter
• This is a worldwide giveaway
• Entry deadline is April 14, 2011, at 11:59:59 PM, Mountain Time

Here’s a better look a the baseball:

Limited-Edition Fender Baseball

Unlike many Guitar Center coupon codes, this discount can be taken online, in-store, or over the phone. Just follow the link below to print off your coupon.

Electro-Harmonix Big Muff

For those under age 70, the sound of a distorted guitar might as well be violins. This “broken” sound is so natural to us, most can’t imagine popular music — especially rock — without it.

Fuzz (being different than distortion or overdrive…hang with me), is fifty! And to celebrate? We shall talk and write articles about this event. Check out fuzz connoisseur William Weir’s article in The Atlantic, “50 Years of Making Fuzz, the Sound That Defines Rock ‘n’ Roll.” This article includes some great sound samples of early fuzz adopters.

Also, from WNYC Public Radio, an excellent conversation with Weir and Mike Matthews, founder of Electro-Harmonix, who talks about the fuzz boxes he’s been building since 1969, including the ever-popular Big Muff.

There’s a lot of black magic in the audio cable business, and I always cringe when manufactures up-charge for features you’ll never hear. This is one reason I’ve always respected Ted. The guy makes great sounding, tough as nails cables, and found a way to make guitar cables cool, something that had rarely been done previously.

At Winter NAMM 2011, Bullet Cable introduced a new DIY patch cable kit, the SLUG Connector Kit. SLUG is far from the first solder-free patch cable kit on the market, but I think it’s the easiest to use, and the highest quality. Each SLUG connector only measures .470″ wide, smaller than other connectors on the market. Important? If you have a pedalboard, you know every fraction of an inch matters.

Each kit comes with 10 feet of cable, 10 SLUG right angle connectors, and the hex key you’ll need to build the cables. And building one of these cables is so simple! You stick the wire in the connector and tighten the hex grounding screw on the side of the plug (come to think of it, I have more confidence in this set screw than I do a fragile solder joint). That’s all there is to it!

In fact, Ted challenged me to build a cable in under one minute. His time is 48 seconds. Let’s see if I can do it!

So what’s the Pedal Juice all about? Taking a cue from the product’s Apple-inspired look, the Pedal Juice could not be simpler to use. Unbox the Pedal Juice; charge it for a few hours; plug it into your pedals. That’s it!

Depending on the number of pedals in your set-up the Pedal Juice can go up to 50 hours before a recharge is needed. You might be looking at the photo and thinking that you can only power two pedals at once (the third jack is used to charge the Pedal Juice). This is where that perfectly simple design comes in. If you have a large pedal board, position the Pedal Juice in the middle and daisy chain jumper cables to power the individual pedals (Godlylke’s Power-All cables would be perfect).

We now know the Pedal Juice is convenient, but is it better than just using the 9V power adapters that came with your pedals? In many cases, yes.

These days I do more remote recording that playing, where ground loop noise can be a big problem, so I was really excited at the notion of powering my digital recorders with the Pedal Juice. A few times a year I’ll record at conferences where audio lines from many rooms are pulled into a central location. In some of the older convention centers, ground loops can be huge obstacles for recording a clean, quiet signal. In fact, last year I recorded an event where the buzz was so bad, I had to run a dozen recorders on batteries for three days. Even with the Pedal Juice’s $150 price tag, this would have been a steal considering the small fortune I spent on AA batteries!

This brings me to my one small beef with the Pedal Juice. Although it is promoted as a power source for “portable recording devices,” the included cables don’t fit my recorders’ smaller-than-a-pedal’s 9V jacks. A bummer! I record on an Edirol R-09 and Tascam D-07, which are industry standard. However, I’m assuming this problem could be solved by hunting down the right 9V jumper cables.

Sanyo Pedal Juice with Fender Blender Custom & Fender PT100 Tuner

Without the chance to try the Pedal Juice on a recording session, I plugged in a few pedals. It works exactly as expected! The whisper-quiet performance provided a nice change from the sometimes noisy AC in my 80-year-old apartment. I left the pedals on all day and the LED indicator never even turned from green to red, noting 30-60% power left.

In all, I think the Pedal Juice is a great product for any musician to keep in his or her toolbox!

To kick it off? A Cascade Fat Head II ribbon microphone and a Cloudlifter CL-1 inline preamp. Serious, serious gear, my friends!

Get It: Click Here to Enter

For daily links to musical instruments giveaways, make sure you follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Page.

But, you probably know that I am extremely dependable when it comes to posting gear giveaways on Facebook and Twitter (and more recently, Tumblr). In fact, I started GearGiveaway365 over a year ago and have only missed a few days (he says as he pats himself on the back).

Not only that, but dozens of people have won gear. My guess is that members of the group have scored over $20,000 in musical instruments.

Since I know how to keep with a good thing, I’ve now added an email newsletter to the mix. I’m offering a daily email, which will be delivered each morning and will include a link directly to the giveaway sign-up page. Or, if you’re pretty good about following this already, get the weekly digest, just to make sure you don’t miss anything.

Click here to sign up!

The legendary rock ‘n’ roll photographer and subject of the new documentary Rock Prophecies shot Led Zeppelin’s first U.S. show at the Whiskey a Go Go in Hollywood. He shot Hendrix AND Stevie Ray Vaughan’s final shows. For over forty years, Knight has been what Rock Prophecies producer Tim Kaiser calls “the Forrest Gump of rock ‘n roll. He just had this knack for being right in the middle of history in the making.”

In this podcast episode Knight tells us that, all things being equal, he prefers when great guitars play a front and center role in these history-making events. “I’m guitar-centric. Everything that I’m really interested in has major great guitar in it, and I wouldn’t photograph bands back in the day that didn’t have good guitar.”

Knight also finds that some legendary guitars have taken center stage in his photographs. “Stevie Ray Vaughan and that beat up old Strat of his. I couldn’t take my eyes off it. The first time I saw Stevie Ray and I saw that guitar, it was like ‘I need to photograph that guitar.’ When I did some studio shoots with Stevie, I asked if I could actually shoot some of the guitars because they almost had their own personality.”

“In a way some of the instruments themselves have become rock stars, like Blackie, Eric Clapton’s guitar, or Eddie Van Halen’s guitar.”

If you’re interested in watching the film (and you should be…it features interviews with and performances by Jeff Beck, ZZ Top, Carlos Santana, Slash, Panic at the Disco, Sick Puppies, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick, and Steve Vai, among others), you can buy the DVD on Amazon and many other retailers, or watch for free during September and October on your local PBS station.

Want to hear more? Subscribe to GearPipe Podcasts on iTunes!

Check out the official Rock Prophecies trailer:

YouTube Link

Some info about the Heil PR40 Microphone:

The Heil PR 40 represents completely new dynamic microphone technology designed for a wide range of professional applications such as sophisticated recording, live sound, and commercial broadcast. Producing the widest frequency range available in a dynamic microphone, the PR 40 outperforms most condenser microphones, and can withstand huge amounts of SPL. At the same time, it maintains the 25 year Heil Sound tradition of superbly natural voice articulation.

• Absolute most natural voice response for talk show hosts, voice over applications
• Large low-mass aluminum voice coil
• Properly positioned hum bucking coil and heavy steel case insure maximum shielding
• Four rear ports exhibit excellent rear rejection and minimum proximity effect
• Widest frequency response
• Best kick drum microphone ever
• Assembled and tested in Illinois
• Leatherette carrying bag included

Entry Deadline: October 31, 2010

Get It: Click Here to Enter

For daily links to musical instruments giveaways, make sure you follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Page.

Check out this video from a recent episode:

YouTube Link

• Save 10% on a single item at Guitar Center. This coupon is good thru 7/31/10, so you have to use it by the end of Saturday. It’s good for a discount of up to $500 on one item. If you’ve been waiting to pull the trigger on a big ticket item, this might be your time!
• Score a FREE Paiste 10′ 2002 Splash Cymbal. Thru 8/31/10, buy a pair of Paiste Hi Hats or a 16′ or larger cymbal from the Twenty, 2002, RUDE, or Giant Beat series from Musicians Friend or Guitar Center and score a free splash cymbal. Download the rebate form here (PDF).
• Fender Original ’57/’62 Stratocaster Pickup Set for just $83.99! This could be a mistake, but The Perfect Guitar has placed this fantastic sounding set of pickups into their clearance center. The regular selling price is $159.99.
• Buy two Audix OM2 Dynamic Vocal Microphones and get a third microphone for FREE from All Pro Sound. MSRP: $447.00. Your Price: $199.00. Save $248!
• Save 64% on an ESP LTD SURVEYOR-414 4-String Electric Bass Guitar. Musicians Friend has a factory restock that’s on sale for $359.00, a savings of $640.00 off the $999.00 retail price.

Since that time, Linn has brought us many other cool products, including the AdrenaLinn multi-effects system for guitar, and now he’s out to reinvent another wheel with his LinnStrument (Linn’s rendering is to the right). Imagine a musical iPad app that can sense how hard you’re pressing down (adjusting the volume accordingly), and provides effects like vibrato when you pivot your finger back and forth.

For a more technical explanation of how the LinnStrument works, here’s some info straight from Linn’s website:

This design uses a fingerboard grid consisting of 6 rows of 24 semitones each, similar to a guitar. In acknowledgment of my wife Ingrid’s contribution to the engineering, we like to refer to this note grid as the “InGRID”. It also has two thumb control strips, one on each side of the fingerboard, to be used for sustaining fingered notes after release, strumming, bowing, blowing or restriking, and also has a wind sensor for added expression. (Ignore the 4 long, thin bars on each side; they were to be used as separate palm-actuated sustain bars, but I’ve decided that the two thumb strips work better for this.) This design is intended to be played from either of two positions:

Sounds cool, right? He’s built a killer prototype and shown it to the world through a YouTube video that’s had over 150,000 views. People are into the product. However, the LinnStrument may never see the light of day.

The problem? Amazon purchased the company, TouchCo, that produced the unique pressure-sensitive, multi-touch surface that the LinnStrument relies on and promptly took the material off the market. It’s a pretty safe bet that Amazon is planning to use the material on future versions of their Kindle e-reader (nothing related to musical instruments).

So, what’s a guy to do? Instead of hijacking the last load of TouchCo product to leave the factory, Linn wrote a very cordial email to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos (you can read it on Linn’s website). The email was sent about two months ago, and it looks like there has been to reply yet from Bezos. Linn also says he’s on the hunt for a usable replacement material, but as of yet has not found one.

I’m going to keep an eye on this story and post any updates that come along. You can also sign up for the the Linn Design email list here.

I wouldn’t put money on it, but maybe Bezos has a soft spot in his heart for vintage Madonna and Michael Jackson tracks and will throw Roger Linn a bone!

se

If you’re a guitarist looking for an all-in-one recording solution, you may want to check out the OPC, which will start shipping in August 2010. The elevator pitch for the OPC is this: You have a fully functional guitar amp with legendary Orange tone. You have a full-on personal computer running Windows 7 and bundled with $860 in recording software. These are both in the same box!

If you’re a guitar amp spec geek, here’s a rundown of the amp section of the Orange OPC:

• 24 Bit Audio Interface with both guitar and microphone inputs
• 15 watt RMS per channel stereo amplifier (into 4 ohms) with 2 band EQ, – 2 x JBL 6.5” 55 Watt RMS Dual Concentric Speakers both mounted into an optimized cabinet for enhanced cooling and acoustics.
• Portable strong lightweight vinyl covered wooden case with an all aluminum powder-coated chassis featuring the same iconic design as a small Orange Amplifier optimized for personal computer use.
• Direct stereo line to the internal amplifier allows the OPC to be used as an amplifier and speaker for any playback device- from iPods to Microphones

Now, what comes installed on the PC side of the Orange OPC?:

• Installed with Windows 7 Home Premium (x 64 bit)
• Presonus Studio Orange Custom Edition (Professional level recording software offering powerful user friendly music creation and production application for artists of all levels)
• Acoustica Mixcraft – Full Version (Easy to use multi-track studio software to record audio, arrange loops, remix tracks, compose with virtual instruments, score and edit video, and add effects to create stunningly professional compositions.)
• IK Multimedia Amplitube 3 (Full Version of this leading guitar and bass tone gear modelling software. Over 160 ultra-accurately modeled sounds including brand new Custom Orange Amp models. Plug in your guitar; choose your sound and you’re on your way!)
• Toontracks – EZ Drummer Lite (market leading multi-sampled acoustic drum-kit library to create great drums track in just a few clicks )
• Licklibrary – Guitar Tuition Software (Exclusive to OPC, selection of free guitar lessons from one of the world’s largest guitar education brands delivered through a Licklibrary media player )

If you’re interested in more specs, specifically technical info about the PC, check out the Orange OPC product page.

The Orange OPC will sell for $1,499, and will initially be sold direct from Orange UK, Orange USA or from the Orange website. Orange’s Global Distribution network will expand later this year into general computer stores.

For another sneak peak at this amp, check out this Premier Guitar video from Musikmesse 2010:

YouTube Link

The most obvious example to many of us would be rock bands who make the leap form playing clubs to theaters to arenas. When you’re playing a small room, you can play intricate guitar solos and drum fills that would get lost in the reverberation of an building meant to host hockey games. So, as bands play larger rooms, they tend to play less notes, taking advantage of the sound of the rooms they find themselves playing.

This is the easy example that many of us have probably thought about. Byrne runs through some other great examples that may not be as obvious to us. How does the outdoor environment in Africa influence the rich African rhythms? Why did the music of Bach and Mozart differ so much? It may have had quite a bit to do with the rooms they knew they’d be playing their latest pieces in.

Very interesting. I hope you enjoy it!

YouTube Link

You should have skipped to the link at the bottom of the page to enter this mic giveaway. If you still need some convincing, check out some info about the killer condenser mic that ProAudio.com has up for grabs this month.

About the Sennheiser e965 Condenser Microphone:
The e965 is Sennheiser’s first large-diaphragm, true condenser handheld microphone. The innovative 1″ dual-diaphragm capsule means you can access both cardioid and super-cardioid polar patterns with the flip of a switch. Ideal for every vocal application, the e 965 truly combines the sensitivity of a world-class studio condenser with the ruggedness of a Sennheiser evolution stage microphone.

Features:

• Switchable pick-up pattern (cardioid / super-cardioid)
• Low-cut switch, which reduces ambient noise, rumble , and wind noise
• Switchable pre-attenuation (-10 dB) accommodates singers with powerful voices
• Capsule shock-mount efficiently rejects handling noise for superbly clear sound
• Excellent protection against moisture
• Astounding frequency response of 40-20,000 Hz
• An unbeatable 10-year warranty!

Entry Deadline: July 31, 2010
Get It: Click Here to Enter

For daily links to musical instruments giveaways, make sure you follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Page.

To celebrate, he’s pulled together a ton of great to gear to give away, including an IK Multimedia Software Bundle containing: AmpliTube 3, T-RackS 3 Deluxe & Sonik Synth 2, Mad Professor Forest Green Compressor, TC Electronic PolyTune, Cubisteffects Custom Modded PROCO RAT, and much more.

Entry Deadline: July 16, 2010
Get It: Click Here to Enter

For daily links to musical instruments giveaways, make sure you follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Page.

However, if you’re an oh-so-trendy iPhone owner, TC Electronic wants to reward your coolness. They are offering up free PolyTune iPhone apps to the first 25,000 people who download it. UPDATE – They upped this to 50,000 downloads, but the promo is over. The app is now available for $9.99.

I just downloaded a copy for myself and it looks very cool! You can choose between guitar and bass tuning, with multiple drop tuning settings, 10 Hz calibration, and two different display modes. Just in case you’ve been living under a rock, the coolest thing about this tuner is that you can tune all six (or four) strings at once. Just strum and tune!

To take advantage of this offer, you can go to the PolyTune page in the iPhone App Store, or if you want to download it directly to your phone, just search on “polytune.”

This package is worth nearly $1,000 and includes:

• Tascam DP-008 – 8-Track Digital Pocketstudio: Tascam culminates 30 years of Portastudio Recording with the DP-008, a portable 8-track recorder for all musicians. Tascam’s DP-008 is an eight-track recorder that captures CD-quality audio, two tracks at a time. You can use built-in microphones to grab ideas, plug condenser mics into the XLR inputs or plug a guitar directly in to lay tracks. There’s even a metronome and chromatic tuner built-in for tight-sounding tracks. The DP-008 also allows you to digitally bounce tracks to make room for more, and touches like editing and undo make recording stress-free.
• Tascam VL-M3 – Powered Stereo Monitoring System (Pair): Tascam VL-M3 powered stereo monitors feature 3″ drivers with a front-mounted bass port and built-in 24W stereo power amplifier. In addition to being an affordable solution for beginners and musicians on a budget, VL-M3 monitors provide a “real-world” reference for music and post playback.
• Tascam TM-78 Condenser Microphone: Perfect for vocals, instruments and podcasting, this condenser microphone includes a cable and tabletop stand.
• Tascam HP-VT1 Headphones: These closed-ear headphones provide isolation while recording and rich bass response. The padded headset with includes a 1/4″ stereo headphone adapter plug.

Entry Deadline: June 30, 2010
Get It: Click Here to Enter

For daily links to musical instruments giveaways, make sure you follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Page.

Check out other TED videos on GearPipe

About the Shure KSM44/SL:

The KSM44/SL is a multiple pattern (cardioid, omnidirectional, bidirectional), externally biased, dual large diaphragm condenser microphone with extremely low self-noise (7dB). Developed to meet the needs of studio recording musicians, the warm, rich sound of the KSM44 delivers exceptional performance, tailored to deliver vivid reproduction of voice for the most critical recordings. The KSM44 also offers great flexibility in a variety of recording applications, working well on acoustic and amplified instruments, as its capacity for managing high SPLs accommodates loud sound sources such as drums and guitar amplifiers.

Entry Deadline: May 31, 2010
Get It: Click Here to Enter

Not Feeling Lucky? Buy the Shure KSM44/SL Large Single-Diaphragm Condenser Microphone from Musicians Friend.

For daily links to musical instruments giveaways, make sure you follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Page.

The guys at audiotuts+ have just assembled a pretty sweet list of 10 great “tuts”about recording electric guitar.

Here’s tip #1, a video guide to recording your guitar in a home studio. You’ll have to head over to audiotuts+ to get #2-9.

Some info about the SM27 from the Shure website:

The SM27 is a rugged and versatile large-diaphragm, side-address cardioid microphone, with low self-noise and extended frequency response that picks up vocal and instrument nuances with clarity. Durable Shure construction features three separate mesh layers that reduce wind and breath noise. Equally comfortable on stage or in the studio.

Entry Deadline: March 31, 2010
Get It: Click Here to Enter

Not feeling lucky? Buy a Shure SM27 Condenser Mic at Musicians Friend.

For daily links to musical instruments giveaways, make sure you follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Page.

The winner of this giveaway will walk away with $7,688 in recording gear, including a Dangerous Music 2-BUS LT analog summing mixer, a Dangerous Music Monitor ST, and a set of Focal Twin6 Be studio monitors.

Entry Deadline: March 31, 2010
Get It: Click Here to Enter

For daily links to musical instruments giveaways, make sure you follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Page.

When I was in college, the house my band practiced in was broken into and our PA system and our guitarist’s amp was stolen, but the only thing that’s even been taken from me was a splash cymbal. A bummer, but not a huge setback.

On the Fender Front Row blog, the folks from Scottsdale have posted some tips to help you recover your instrument if it’s even stolen. This is pretty simple stuff: write down the serial number, take pictures, file a police report…but sometimes we forget the basics, so this refresher is nice.

Of course, the most important thing is to be extra careful and make sure your gear is safe from sticky fingers to begin with!

Here’s a video from a Bakersfield CA news show reinforcing what Fender is telling us.

via Fender Front Row

The drum sound gets progressively better, having more to do with the engineer on duty than the recording medium. So, their secret to getting a great drum sound? Honestly, I have no idea. The people at Audiotuts+, however, do know. They’ve just published parts one and two of a three part series called “A Guide to Effective Drum Mixing.” This guide covers basics like setting levels and panning to more complex techniques like gating the kick drum and effectively using overhead mics.

For anyone just getting into recording, or for those of you with a home studio, this is a fantastic, easy to understand guide. It also includes a bunch of sound samples, which is a nice bonus.

Check it out: “A Guide to Effective Drum Mixing” Part 1 and Part 2

If you want even more updates on what’s happening in the world of drums, become a fan of the GearPipe – Drum News & Deals Facebook Page.

There are a handful of prize packages, so let’s get to them. Winners will receive one of the following:

• M-Audio Studiophile AV40 Desktop Speaker System & a copy of STS9′s new Ad Explorata album
• M-Audio Fast Track Recording Interface & a copy of Ad Explorata
• M-Audio Oxygen 25-Key USB MIDI Controller & a copy of Ad Explorata
• $100 Gift Certificate for STS9Store.com & a copy of Ad Explorata
• 3 Runners-up will each receive a copy of Ad Explorata

Entry Deadline: March 8, 2010
Get It: Click Here to Enter

Not feeling Lucky? Buy M-Audio Gear at Musicians Friend

For daily links to musical instruments giveaways, make sure you follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Page.

If you’re one of those trendy hipsters with a smart phone, you can also access GearPipe on your phone in some cool ways.

First, there is now a free iPhone app in the Apple App Store. It’s not fancy, but it pulls in all of the new GearPipe posts right to your phone, with separate categories for each instrument plus contests and giveaways. Again, it’s totally free, so go to the App Store and download it!

If you’re on an Android equipped phone, a BlackBerry, or if you use an iPhone and would rather access GearPipe through the web browser, I’ve also installed a mobile-specific theme to the site. This detects when you’re coming to the website from a phone and serves up a more streamlined version of GearPipe. This seems to work pretty well, but if you get there and see the regular site, scroll down to the bottom of the page and there should be a switch to toggle between the two versions.

Thanks again for being a GearPipe reader!

Here are last week’s musical instrument giveaways from GearGiveaway365 on Facebook and Twitter:

• Brady Drums, a very high-end drum builder from Australia is giving away a 14 x 6.5 Spotted Gum ply snare drum. The winner will be notified by a personal telephone call from Brady founder Chris Brady on Christmas Day. Classy! Enter Here
• You can win a TC Electronic Impact Twin, which is a kick-ass new computer audio interface that’s not even on the market yet. It retails for $519. All you have to do is become a fan of the TC Electronic Facebook Page to enter. Enter Here
• Here’s a chance to win a microphone much nicer than most of us need! GC Pro is giving away an amazing sounding Royer R-121 ribbon microphone worth $1295. Enter Here
• The band Saosin is giving you a chance to win all four instruments featured in their video “Changing.” One person will win the Fender Squier Bass, Ibanez Electric Guitar, Gibson Les Paul Electric Guitar, and an Evans Drumhead (ok…not an actual instrument!) that were actually… played in the video, and they’re all signed by the band. Enter Here
• I’ve been searching for some band instrument giveaways, and have found a few. Up first…a euphonium giveaway from Woodwind and Brasswind. Enter to win a Yamaha YEP321 Euphonium (MSRP $4,043) PLUS a $250 gift card. Enter Here
• Here’s a guitar amp giveaway for you! Win a Peavey Vypyr Tube 60 guitar amp (MSRP $599), courtesy of Guitar Edge Magazine. Enter Here
• Win a pair of Toca Elite Series Congas (value: $690) from Making Music Magazine. Enter Here
• If you’re a vintage guitar fan, here’s a great giveaway for you. Custom guitar builder Abe Rittenhouse is giving you a chance to win a custom relic electric guitar (your choice of models) worth up to $1,549. These are really cool ’50s and ’60s era Fender-style guitars. I wish a photo would load here, but go to the website to check them out. Enter Here

As always, you can get these updates everyday on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GearGiveaway365 or follow us our feed on Twitter, at www.twitter.com/GearGiveaway365. You can also subscribe to our giveaway email alerts to get a weekly email with this summary of links by subscribing here.

You can still enter many of the past weeks’ giveaways, so make sure to check out the GearGiveawy365 Archives.

Let’s get right to it:

• Enter to win a Fender Classic ‘50s Telecaster electric guitar from Glasvegas & Filter Magazine. Enter Here
• Premier Guitar magazine is giving away an amazing sounding Henriksen JazzAmp 110 worth $899. Enter Here
• Create a wish list at Guitar Center and win a $100 GC gift card, courtesy of The Tripwire. Enter Here
• Win a Fender/Squier Strat Pack from Sigler Music. All you have to do is write a “Letter to Santa” telling him why you deserve to win this giveaway. Enter Here
• Here’s on for drummers OR anyone into recording or just making sweet sounds. Win a Black KORG nanoPAD USB Drum Controller from Audiotuts+. Enter Here
• Win a Gretsch Brian Setzer Hot Rod G6120SHLTV electric guitar, signed by Setzer! This guitar is worth $3,341. Enter Here
• Metalheads unite! Win a Bernie Rico Jr Hybrid Vixen electric guitar. This guy is the son of BC Rich founder Bernie Rico Sr. This is a killer V-Style guitar worth $975.00. Enter Here
• Win a Benedetto Bravo archtop guitar worth $5,500! Just fill out a short survey to enter. This prize is courtesty of Premier Guitar Magazine. Enter Here
• To celebrate the release of “Crash Love,” AFI are giving away a special “Crash Love” branded guitar. The Epiphone Les Paul Special II features a custom Crash Love logo and is autographed by Davey, Jade, Adam and Hunter. Enter Here
• Bass Guitar and Amp Giveaway! Win a Daisy Rock Stardust Elite bass guitar, an SWR WorkingPro 12 bass amp, Curt Mangan bass strings, a Levy’s strap, and Equation Audio headphones, courtesy of Bass Frontiers Magazine. Enter Here
• Enter to win a Sonor Phil Rudd AC/DC Signature Snare Drum worth $659. Enter Here
• Enter to win a Gibson SG Zoot Suit Guitar (retails for $1,999), two photo books (Trust: Photographs by Jim Marshall and Sound Kapital), a pair of Converse AC/DC Sneakers and a Karmaloop x MTV Staying Alive Foundation Tee designed by Shepard Fairey. Enter Here
• Courtesy of Taylor Guitars, enter to win a Taylor Swift Baby Taylor acoustic guitar (MSRP: $398), a Band Hero Wii Band Kit, a Band Hero DS Bundle, and a Band Hero tee shirt. Enter Here
• Win an Epiphone DR-100 Ebony Dreadnought acoustic guitar autographed by Brendan Benson and Cory Chisel…and a selection of ten vinyl LPs picked out by Brendan and Cory. PLUS, just for signing up you get to download two free mp3s. Enter Here
• Win a Marshall MG2FX guitar amp. Marshall is giving away a MG2FX guitar amp everyday thru Dec 24. Enter everyday for a better chance of winning. Enter Here

As always, you can get these updates everyday on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GearGiveaway365 or follow us our feed on Twitter, at www.twitter.com/GearGiveaway365. You can also subscribe to our giveaway email alerts to get a weekly email with this summary of links by subscribing here.

You can still enter many of the past weeks’ giveaways, so make sure to check out the GearGiveawy365 Archives.

As always, you can get these updates everyday on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GearGiveaway365 or follow us our feed on Twitter, at www.twitter.com/GearGiveaway365. You can also subscribe to our giveaway email alerts to get a weekly email with this summary of links by subscribing here.

In case you’re not checking us out on Twitter or Facebook, here’s our weekly round-up of giveaways:

• Win a killer SubDecay F-Bomb fuzz pedal (worth $109) from Effects Bay Enter Here
• Win a FREE ModTone effects pedal of your choice! Tremolo, Delay, Chorus, Speedbox Distortion, Atomic Phaser, Dyno Drive, Funk Filter, Deep Dive, Extreme Metal or Chromatic Tuner! Enter Here
• Cascio Interstate Music Jam-Tastic Drum Sweepstakes! Grand prize is a Yamaha 14″x7″ brass snare drum signed by Carter Beauford. Additional prizes are Zildjian 14″ & 17″ K Dark Crash Cymbals signed by Carter, a $500 Gift Card from Cascio Interstate Music, a DW 9000 Series Double Bass Pedal, a Yamaha Jacket sig…ned by Carter, and 1 Dozen Pro Mark Carter Beauford Signature Sticks. Enter Here
• Win a SICK Orange Dual Terror guitar head from Premier Guitar. This amp is worth $859, so get on it now! Enter Here
• Any sax players out there? You can get a FREE baritone/tenor sax strap from Rico. Everyone gets one! Just follow the link below to the Rico Facebook page. In a comment, tell them who your favorite saxophone player is, then click the link to take a brief survey about what you like. Pretty simple for free gear. Enter Here
• Check out Sweetwater Sound’s 24-day Holiday Giveaway! Every day from December 1 to December 24, they’re going to give away a special gift of some of the most popular audio and music gear they carry, including gear from Fender, Digidesign, Yamaha, and Epiphone. Enter Here
• Win a bunch of gear from the band Between the Buried and Me. Score an autographed Spector Legend 5 Classic Bass in black cherry finish, D’Addario XL strings, Planet Waves straps, tuners & more, signed Vic Firth drum sticks, and BTBAM swag. Enter Here
• Win a Rock Candy Special electric guitar from Daisy Rock Guitars & Viva la Rock. Enter Here (Expired)
• Win a custom hand drawn Fender Squier Stratocaster guitar by the animators & creators of Phineas and Ferb! Enter Here

You can still enter many of the past weeks’ giveaways, so make sure to check out the GearGiveawy365 Archives.

Just in case you missed it, you can become a fan of our page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GearGiveaway365 or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GearGiveaway365. If you prefer checking back on GearPipe.com, just stop by on Saturdays for a weekly round-up of links.

Here are the seven gear giveaways from the last week:

• Enter to win a Gibson SG electric guitar signed by Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother from FUEL.TV Enter Here
• Enter to win an ESP HEX-7 Seven-String Electric Guitar from Behemoth frontman Nergal! Enter Here
• Win a signed Ibanez Mick Thomson MTM1 Signature Guitar & 10 sets of Seymour Duncan Blackouts pickups, also signed by Mick. Enter Here
• Win a Native Instruments Maschine Groove Production Studio & Audio Kontrol 1 Interface. Total value just under $1,000. Enter Here
• Win a $500 gift certificate from Carvin.com toward any Carvin merchandise of your choice! This includes guitars & bass guitars, amplifiers, pro audio systems, and accessories. Enter Here
• Win a sweet Paul Reed Smith electric guitar, signed by members of Like A Storm! Enter Here
• Win a G&L Comanche electric guitar, a bunch of BBE guitar effects, and a 58″ Panasonic HDTV! Enter Here

Now here’s the catch. Music123 says this deal is good for three days only, but they don’t say which days. Seriously…I looked all over the email they sent me and on their website. If I totally missed it and someone out there knows which days this runs, please leave the dates in the comments. My assumption is that it’s July 3,4, & 5. Who knows?

Coupon Code: Fireworks – Call 1-800-458-4076 24 hours a day.
Expires: July 5, 2009 (maybe!)
Get It: Click Here For More About This Deal

I personally recommend the Edirol R-07, but if that’s a but too pricey, check out this deal Musicians Friend is running on the Yamaha POCKETRAK 2G pocket digital recorder. Right now, you can get this digital recorder for an extra $100 less than the usual same price.

MSRP: $450.00
Regular Price: $299.00
Current Price: $199.00
Savings: $251.00(55%)

Get It: Click Here For More About This Deal

From what I’ve heard, this is a really good product for the money (MSRP: $219.99), and would be a great addition to a home or project studio.

HowAudio has also done a Product Spotlight on the T1952, if you’d like to learn more about it.

Entry Deadline: May 12, 2009
Get It: Click Here to Enter

The Tascam GA-30CD is a 30 watt amp that features a multi-effects processor, CD trainer featuring looping, tempo change, guitar canceler, built-in guitar tuner, and more.

Expires: April 30, 2009

Get It: Click Here For More About This Deal | Download Rebate Form (PDF)

Here are a few deals that caught my eye:

Shure KSM27 Studio Condenser Microphone
MSRP: $575.00
Current Price: $199.00
Savings: $376.00(65%)
Personal note: I own this mic and absolutely love it. This is my go-to mic for most studio applications.
Get It: Click Here For More About This Deal

Shure PG58 Microphone 3-Pack
MSRP: $130.02
Regular Price: $129.99
Current Price: $99.99
Savings: $30.03(23%)
Get It: Click Here For More About This Deal

CAD CM217 Condenser Mic – Buy One, Get One Free
MSRP: $239.96
Current Price: $59.99
Savings: $179.97(75%)
Get It: Click Here For More About This Deal

View all Microphone Mania Deals

1. MXL MXL 990 USB Powered Condenser Microphone
2. Nady USB-24M USB Microphone
3. Blue Snowflake USB Microphone
4. Nady USB-1CMS USB Condenser Microphone with Sony Acid Music Studio
5. MXL USB.008 Large Gold Diaphragm USB Condenser
6. Nady USB-1C USB Condenser Microphone
7. Blue Eyeball USB Microphone with Webcam
8. MXL USB.009 24/96 Digital USB Condenser
9. MXL 990 USB Stereo Condenser Microphone
10. Rode Microphones Podcaster USB Microphone

Check out the Best Selling Musical Instruments Archive.
Search for USB Microphones on eBay.

This guy sports a High Frequency 1″ Soft Dome Tweeter, a Low Frequency 4″ Kevlar Woofer, an XLR & 1/4″ TRS Combo Jack, and a 90 watt Bi-amped power amp. Not bad for $199.

MSRP: $399.00
Regular Price: $299.99
Current Price: $199.99
Savings: $199.01(49%)

Get It: Click Here For More About This Deal

Currently, the models still are stock are:

• Korg KM-202 2-Channel Mixer W/Integrated KAOSS Pad – $279
• Korg KM-402 4-Channel Mixer W/Integrated KAOSS Pad – $329
• Korg Zero-4 Live CONTROL 4-Ch Mixer With Firewire – $799
• Korg Zero-8 Live CONTROL 8-Channel Mixer W/Midi/Fx – $1,199

Get It:Click Here For More About This Deal

This weekend only, BSW is offering a web-only 10% discount on any order over $100.

Expires: 11:59 p.m. Friday, November 30, 2008
Coupon Code: THANKS1108
Get It: Click Here For More About This Deal

This month, they are giving away a Behringer XENYX 802 mixer.

The Xenyx 802 is a surprisingly great little mixer. It consistently receives positive reviews and is incredibly useful for podcasters, home studio applications as well as for live events. I can personally vouch for this product. I use one for basic remote recording for podcasting and, for the money, does a great job.

The XENYX 802 has 8 inputs and a FX Send control for each channel. Additionally, assignable CD/tape inputs have been incorporated for routing flexibility.

Entry Deadline: December 10, 2008
Get It: Click Here to Enter

This contest has expired, but check out our other musical instrument giveaways
or Subscribe to our Contests & Giveaways category.

They are offering a $300 cash-back rebate when you purchase a Mackie Control C4 Pro music software plug-in and virtual instrument controller.

MSRP: $1,299.99
Regular Price: $1,099.99
Current Price: $799.99 with rebate
Savings: $500.00

Note: Musicians Friend currently has at least one scratch ‘n’ dent Control C4 Pro. I’d read the fine print before you go this route, but if it qualifies, you could score this unit for $513 after rebate. That’s a sick deal! Find it here.

Get It: Click Here For More About This Deal | Download Rebate Form (PDF)

Through the end of 2008, Shure is offering a $10 cash-back rebate on SM58 mics. Now, I know this isn’t a ton of money, but even after tax, that gives you an industry standard microphone for under a hundred bucks. I’ll take three!

Expires: December 31, 2008

Get It: Click Here For More About This Deal | Download Rebate Form (PDF)

Head over to their website to enter to win a free copy of Battery 3 by Native Instruments, the professional standard for drums and percussion sampling.

According to the Native Instrument product info:

The latest version of the acclaimed drum sampler fuses an extensive library with functionality and simplicity. A powerful new engine and a host of sound shaping options deliver tight, punchy drums while the user-friendly interface guarantees instant access and complete control.

Battery 3 is armed with an extensive sample library. Over 100 professional kits cover an incredibly broad spectrum of musical styles. From authentic acoustic kits to contemporary electronic collections and ethnic percussion from all over the globe, every genre is represented. Compatibility with most standard sample formats allows seamless integration of virtually any third party libraries.

Entry Deadline: October 13, 2008
Get It: Click Here to Enter

This contest has expired, but check out our other musical instrument giveaways
or Subscribe to our Contests & Giveaways category.