From the creaters of the L.U.C.A.S system and the Premium: Pro, proven quality PA systems.  HK Audio is set to release the Elements series later this month.

 A simple line array pay system comprising of 6 parts, the new system is scaleable and affordable.  Lets start by taking a look at the video.

 

 

As you can see its simple and easy to put together there are no complex cables to install, no setting up, just plug and play.  Run everything form a mixer and its easy as pie.  This system is going to change the way that performers by PA.  Why?  Well imagine this.  You are new to the business, you are a solo performer and what to get out on the road.  You want something portable and high quality to acheive the most benefit from your instrument.  Line array and obvious choice, especially as the sound drop off in volume the further you get from the speakers is less with line array.  So now the back of the pub can hear as clearly as the front of the pub without deafening the people nearest to the stage.  6 months down the line you have two extra members to your act and are playing larger venues and your crowds have increased.  You need more punch, volume and bass.  In the old days you wold have to upgrade, change your systme entirely even.  A bigger amp, more powerful speakers, extra stands, more cables.  Not with Elements though.  All you need do now is return to us, buy a few extra components and upgrade your system.  Easy huh?

Here's a look at the parts invloved.

	Sharing the mid/high unit’s elegant design, the amp module is a perfect visual and mechanical match. Its 600-watt, Class-D power amp provides plenty of juice to drive four mid/high units, two mid/high units and a passive subwoofer or two subwoofers.
	Made of extruded aluminum and engineered with line array technology, the mid/ high unit delivers homogeneous, natural-sounding response, rendering voices and instruments with astonishing authenticity. A new type of coupler/ bus called E-Connect links it to the other elements, simply and quickly.
	The surprisingly handy 10" subwoofer delivers a tight, low-ranging bass foundation. Its 600-watt Class-D power amp can also drive two mid/high units and another passive subwoofer. Equipped with two E-Connect ports, the sub unit is placed horizontally or vertically to provide a base for further components. The carrying handle on the top panel makes it easy to tote.
	This passive subwoofer is the perfect add-on for applications demanding even more powerful low-end response. It is powered by a connected E 110 Sub A or EA 600 amp module. It also sports an E-Connect port for mid/high units and the amp module.
	The base accommodates the mid/high units, amp module, and mounting pole. Its retrac- table and extendible feet ensure the mounted elements sit on a stable, secure platform.
	This is a speaker pole unlike any other: It ensures simple, speedy setup for smaller configurations. Infinitely adjustable, it forwards the signal to the mid/high units via its internal E-Connect coupler/ bus – no speaker cords necessary.

 Westside Music Centres is one of only a small handful of suppliers who can deal in HK Audios new elements series.  Our instore demo suite will give you the flexibility to combine all of the parts right the way up to a 3600k rig and hear what it sounds like for yourself.  We can even of hire, try before you buy, hire purchase, finance and flexible payment options subject to availability and status.  Check out the range and see what system best suits you.

The 10 Best Things about being a Guitarist

What are the 10 best things about being a guitarist – we’d love to hear your judgment!

 

10. CAPOS.............. Not cheating.  Honest.

Not cheating, honest.

Only know 3 chords? Buy a capo and you now know loads! The likes of Paul Simon, The Beatles, Oasis and James Taylor would’ve been lost without them.

9. Effects Pedals ................You can never have enough.

Whatever size, colour, function or shape, every guitarist should start amassing a ridiculous arsenal of effects pedals.  Like a kennel of kindly canines, they yap for your attentions, making it hard to choose which one deserves a precious 9V battery, which one to Velcro to the floor and stomp on.

Remember, a pedal is for a life, not just for Christmas.

8. The Bedroom Mirror............ Does my bum look big in this?

We wear our guitars every bit as much as we play them, so it’s important to consider how they look! Clearly little people should steer clear of 335’s, and the same might apply to a bigg’un and a Musicman Silhouette. Then there’s the whole world of colour to consider… all of which is impossible without a trustworthy length of reflective glass in order to pose in front of.



Oh yeah, and you can mime to AC/DC – Back in Black.

7. Guitar Cases............... Protection for your menace racquet.

Old, new, battered, borrowed, but rarely blue, your guitar case or gig bag is your guitar’s own personal bodyguard. A hard case must display the obligatory Musician’s Union ‘Keep Music Live’ sticker, plus at least one Gibson or Fender decal, depending on which way you swing. Customisation after that is essential. Airline stickers are only allowed if there’s a suitable Rock n’ Roll story attached.



6. Boiling your Strings............ Nobody does it, we promise.



Some old-school musos will sometimes try and wind you up by telling you that boiling your old strings is a great way to avoid shelling out for a new set. To be fair, old jazz bassists – apparently – used to practise this vile habit when it was relatively hard to obtain a new set, and they were expensive. But these days when you can buy a new set for as little as £4.99 and risking the wrath of the Boss by boiling your strings in her finest Le Crueset hardly seems worth the effort.



Neither nutritious meal, nor smart sonic strategy.

5. Your first decent guitar........ You begged for it.

You’ve been staring at it for two months; thumbed pages of a catalogue lay strewn around, in the hope that somebody, anybody, might just notice and feel unusually benevolent. If you’re of a certain age, that dream may come true. Those of a certain other age, however, will probably have to beg, borrow, scrimp, beg and borrow and save to get the necessary readies for the inevitable purchase. However you run home as if holding your baby for its life - and that first moment when you open the case and it’s actually yours, is one that’ll go down alongside your first kiss, your first born, and your first note-perfect solo to a packed audience.

4. Guitar Tuners............. Out of Tune is out of Work!!

What’s the most common thing for guitarists to get wrong? No, not becoming a drummer but their tuning. The one thing guaranteed to make you sound bad is dodgy tuning, so get a tuner – there so simple to use, and you’ll only ever have to buy one.

3. Small Shield-shaped pieces of plastic.... All hail the humble plectrum – pick, play, maybe even pull.

Walk up to the pretty barmaid, pull out your change and she spies a couple of picks – “You’re a guitarist then?” is the instant response as you slide safely to first base. They’re also quite good for playing the guitar too.

2. C, A minor, F and G....... Surely the chords God would choose.

The magic formula that instantly allows you to play a whole host of pop ditties. Guitarists of limited ability have forged highly successful careers after learning to shoehorn an impressive repertoire of these chords, and signing louder over the bits that don’t quite fit. Try it, anything from Bohemian Rhapsody, to Sam Cooke’s Wonderful World.



And if you learn to use a capo – well, the sky’s the limit.

1. Guitars..... Stands to reason really.

Admit it, how many of us have stared longingly at the amalgam of wood, steel and plastic, and felt something that goes far beyond any sort of normal desire, or craving.

Sometimes you’ll just stand for minutes on end, gazing at the contours on a vintage Strat; marvelling at the sheer simplicity of a Tele, or wondering just how deep the flamed maple of that Private Stock PRS can go. This isn’t an object, this is an obsession.

Then when you’ve exhausted the visuals, take it in your hands, feel it, hold it. What other musical instrument is so perfectly conceived for the human body. What other musical instrument evokes so much rock n’ roll history, and indeed, its entire future.

Now play it, even just a simple E major chord chimes, rings and fills up your senses better than the smell of fried bacon, following a night of opprobrious inhibition. But which one to play? The Strat, the Les Paul? Better take them all, just in case.



Untold joy, compulsion, awe;



Ahh, guitars, we love you!!

Ellie x

The 10 Best Things about being a Guitarist

What are the 10 best things about being a guitarist – we’d love to hear your judgment!

 

10. CAPOS.............. Not cheating.  Honest.

Not cheating, honest.

Only know 3 chords? Buy a capo and you now know loads! The likes of Paul Simon, The Beatles, Oasis and James Taylor would’ve been lost without them.

9. Effects Pedals ................You can never have enough.

Whatever size, colour, function or shape, every guitarist should start amassing a ridiculous arsenal of effects pedals.  Like a kennel of kindly canines, they yap for your attentions, making it hard to choose which one deserves a precious 9V battery, which one to Velcro to the floor and stomp on.

Remember, a pedal is for a life, not just for Christmas.

8. The Bedroom Mirror............ Does my bum look big in this?

We wear our guitars every bit as much as we play them, so it’s important to consider how they look! Clearly little people should steer clear of 335’s, and the same might apply to a bigg’un and a Musicman Silhouette. Then there’s the whole world of colour to consider… all of which is impossible without a trustworthy length of reflective glass in order to pose in front of.



Oh yeah, and you can mime to AC/DC – Back in Black.

7. Guitar Cases............... Protection for your menace racquet.

Old, new, battered, borrowed, but rarely blue, your guitar case or gig bag is your guitar’s own personal bodyguard. A hard case must display the obligatory Musician’s Union ‘Keep Music Live’ sticker, plus at least one Gibson or Fender decal, depending on which way you swing. Customisation after that is essential. Airline stickers are only allowed if there’s a suitable Rock n’ Roll story attached.



6. Boiling your Strings............ Nobody does it, we promise.



Some old-school musos will sometimes try and wind you up by telling you that boiling your old strings is a great way to avoid shelling out for a new set. To be fair, old jazz bassists – apparently – used to practise this vile habit when it was relatively hard to obtain a new set, and they were expensive. But these days when you can buy a new set for as little as £4.99 and risking the wrath of the Boss by boiling your strings in her finest Le Crueset hardly seems worth the effort.



Neither nutritious meal, nor smart sonic strategy.

5. Your first decent guitar........ You begged for it.

You’ve been staring at it for two months; thumbed pages of a catalogue lay strewn around, in the hope that somebody, anybody, might just notice and feel unusually benevolent. If you’re of a certain age, that dream may come true. Those of a certain other age, however, will probably have to beg, borrow, scrimp, beg and borrow and save to get the necessary readies for the inevitable purchase. However you run home as if holding your baby for its life - and that first moment when you open the case and it’s actually yours, is one that’ll go down alongside your first kiss, your first born, and your first note-perfect solo to a packed audience.

4. Guitar Tuners............. Out of Tune is out of Work!!

What’s the most common thing for guitarists to get wrong? No, not becoming a drummer but their tuning. The one thing guaranteed to make you sound bad is dodgy tuning, so get a tuner – there so simple to use, and you’ll only ever have to buy one.

3. Small Shield-shaped pieces of plastic.... All hail the humble plectrum – pick, play, maybe even pull.

Walk up to the pretty barmaid, pull out your change and she spies a couple of picks – “You’re a guitarist then?” is the instant response as you slide safely to first base. They’re also quite good for playing the guitar too.

2. C, A minor, F and G....... Surely the chords God would choose.

The magic formula that instantly allows you to play a whole host of pop ditties. Guitarists of limited ability have forged highly successful careers after learning to shoehorn an impressive repertoire of these chords, and signing louder over the bits that don’t quite fit. Try it, anything from Bohemian Rhapsody, to Sam Cooke’s Wonderful World.



And if you learn to use a capo – well, the sky’s the limit.

1. Guitars..... Stands to reason really.

Admit it, how many of us have stared longingly at the amalgam of wood, steel and plastic, and felt something that goes far beyond any sort of normal desire, or craving.

Sometimes you’ll just stand for minutes on end, gazing at the contours on a vintage Strat; marvelling at the sheer simplicity of a Tele, or wondering just how deep the flamed maple of that Private Stock PRS can go. This isn’t an object, this is an obsession.

Then when you’ve exhausted the visuals, take it in your hands, feel it, hold it. What other musical instrument is so perfectly conceived for the human body. What other musical instrument evokes so much rock n’ roll history, and indeed, its entire future.

Now play it, even just a simple E major chord chimes, rings and fills up your senses better than the smell of fried bacon, following a night of opprobrious inhibition. But which one to play? The Strat, the Les Paul? Better take them all, just in case.



Untold joy, compulsion, awe;



Ahh, guitars, we love you!!

Ellie x

Video News on the Casio Privia PX-130 & PX-330

More Casio Privia News

Ok so here we go lets get things kicked off with a nice little video demo......

  So no you've seen the video do you want one even more?  The good news is we have them available to pre-order, the not so good news is that there probably won't be more than 100 available in the first batch.  With music stores accross the UK placing orders for their showrooms, and customers who have been savvy enough to pre-order it may mean a little wait for your new instrument.  So get one on order today to avoid delay.

 Look out for our videos and feedback from the Casio show on the 15th Setpember, we'll be tweeting and blogging from the event with photos, videos and snippets of info.

Click Here to Pre Order your Casio PX-330

Click Here to Pre-Order you Casio PX-130

 and finally click here to follow us on Twitter.  We also use Bloglines, Facebook, MySpace, Blogger, and Many other BlogSites.  Don't forget to subscribe using RSS.

Beauty & The Bass by Ellie Deane

 Beauty & The Bass

by Ellie Deane

With endless documentaries, reality series and films abound such as School of Rock, featuring Jack Black, proving to little eyes it’s easy to be successful and the envy of peers with a guitar and music at heart, I’m sure it’s no surprise to hear that I took up the guitar at the age of ten.

After six years of playing guitar, four of which I’ve enjoyed playing bass, I’ve become accustomed to standing unperturbed at - almost - the butt end of all musician jokes (second to my drummer, of course!).

However, this is not only because I am primarily a bassist, but also because I am of the opposite gender to ‘real guitarists’, and might I add, ‘real drivers’.  I am oh-so-familiar with the surprised glare when I pass a vaguely musically intellectual comment other than “Wow, it’s pretty. It’s yellow,” or “Why do you want that? It’s got loads of scratches on it.”, on the original 50’s tele hanging proudly on the wall.  I too get excited when my friend offers me a lift home in the Bentley, but more to the point, when I see an original 1940’s Martin, or the 50’s tele I mentioned before.

Alas, I’ve learnt that I am not alone – far from it. Female musicians, and in particular bassists, have been setting paths for aspiring bass players for years, in fact, if you’re a fan of American Pop from the 60’s and early 70’s, you may not know it, but you’ll be very familiar with the work of session bassist Carol Kaye.

Born in 1935, Carol took up the guitar and became proficient enough to be teaching the instrument at the tender age of 14. Carol’s guitar repertoire included the rhythm part of Richie Valen’s La Bamba, before she stepped into the breach after a booked session bassist failed to show at a recording session.

Armed with her infamous Fender Precision Bass, and a pick, Kaye soon became the session bassist of choice, and worked with innumerable luminaries of the era such as The Beach Boys, Ray Charles, Simon and Garfunkel, Elvis Presley, The Doors and Joe Cocker.

Aside from Kaye’s huge recording legacy, in 1969, she wrote one of the first – if not the first, bass guitar tutorial books. Carol’s credited for numerous subsequent publications, which provided a structure for aspiring bass players with both relevant and graded material which soon became the template for instruction for the instrument – so it’s clear that the importance of this lady is massive.

 

   Carol Kaye recording in the Studio                             Suzi Quatro on Stage at the AIS Arena      

I couldn’t discuss female bassists, without mentioning this fine figure of a woman – Suzi Quatro. Born in June 1950 to an Italian jazz musician Father, and Scandinavian Mother, Susan Kay Quatrocchio bought a 1957 Fender Precision Bass, and soon formed an all-female band called ‘Pleasure Seekers’; however, it wasn’t until she played with the band, ‘Fanny’, did she start to receive national attention.

Her repertoire included touring with the likes of Alice Cooper in the 1970’s and it continued to grow until Suzi fronted her own band.

Her second single, ‘Can the Can’ hit big in Europe and Australia. Further hits included ’48 Crash’, ‘Daytona Demon’, and ‘Devil Gate Drive’.

Miss Q is now following a more sedate life, having written her autobiography, ‘Unzipped’ - you can hear her on BBC Radio 2 on Thursdays, where her current show, ‘Wake Up Lil’ Suzi’ is aired.

These two women mentioned are two of thousands, and as it becomes more acceptable for women to front bands playing guitar or bass, there is a growing market for women specifics. Luna, for example, make guitars and basses that are lighter and shaped for the woman’s figure.

There are loads of opportunities out there, and products available on the market, so if you’re a girl, and you’re considering taking up the guitar – or any instrument for that matter, whether it’s a guitar, bass guitar, ukulele or drums – Go for it! Show those guys what we’re made of!

New Casio Keyboards & Pianos - Arriving this September

In just a few weeks time we will be heading off to oxford to preview the new Casio Privia range of digital pianos and accessories. 

If you are Casio fan you will will probably be glad to see some of the changes they have made to their models.  All of the Privia Pianos now benefit from an improved key weighting, better sounds and a more elegant styling.

If you are not yet a Casio fan and have always been a fan of Yamaha, Korg, and Roland, just to name a few of the other manufacturers, then, maybe, you might be tempted to change your way of thinking.

The most eye catching of the new portfolio is the Privia PX-830BP

 

The sleek black design of the Privia PX-830 is not just its only good point its has a new Linear Morphing AIF* Sound Source for grand piano level sound quality. In lamens terms this means it has a better chip than previous models and can replicate the sound of a real pinao more accurately.  The speakers are also no mounted underneath adding depth to the sound for the performer.  Casio have also made improvements on the action with their Tri-sensor Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard technology. In a real piano the hammers that hit the strings are heavier on the bass notes than they are on the treble. This makes your bass keys heavier when hitting them.  To synthsis a real piano feel this has been replicated by grading the weight of the keys in the keyboard.

We'll tell you more when we get back from our trip in September and as we hear more developments.  In the meantime, why not browse the selection and see which piano may suit you best. 

Other models to be realeased include;

Privia PX-730 -  An upgrade to the PX-720 which was one of our sure fire favourites, we can only hope the PX-730 lives up to its predecessor.

Privia PX-330 Piano - By far and away the PX-320 was our best selling stagepiano knock the socks socks of anything near its price category.  We can't wait to try this upgraded model.

Privia PX-130 Po Piano Piano - On a budget, don't want to comprimise on qu  Chep; Check out the PX-130, at the smae price as th20 b-120 but with many improvements its sure to impress. Also available in white.

Why not add one to your wishlist, if wewhat youat your looking for we can can tell you when there are offers or competitions to win the gear that you are interested in.

 

Les Paul - Musical Innovator

Lester William Polfuss (Les Paul) -  June 9, 1915 to August 13, 2009

As many of you may know the infamous Lester William Polsfuss also known as Les Paul passed away last week. Les Paul born June 1915 was a musical innovator and inventor. Not only did he design one of the most iconic instruments of our time, The Gibson Les Paul guitar played by iconic musicians like Slash (Guns ‘N Roses) Jeff Beck (The Yard Birds) and Matt Tuck (BFMV) the appearance of the Les Paul guitar is one of the most sought after and reproduced in music today. Without Les Paul we would not have effects like phase on the or delay. But one of his greatest achievements of all is being one of the pioneers of multi track recording without Les Paul recordings would still be listening to primitive one track recordings but thanks to him we are capable of multi track recording with machines like the Zoom H4N and Boss BR600.

Without Les Paul music would be so much different today. Not only a great guitar player but, an amazing inventor also. He will be sadly missed.