John Petrucci Dream Theater

John Petrucci (born July 12, 1967, Kings Park, Long Island, New York) is an American guitarist best known as a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. He has produced (along with his bandmate Mike Portnoy) all Dream Theater albums since their 1999 release, Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory. He is also one of the band's main lyricists.

Biography

Petrucci first played guitar at the age of eight when he noticed his sister (who was taking organ lessons at the time) was allowed to stay up past her bed time to practice. He soon dropped it when his plan failed. At age 12, he began playing again when he was invited into the band of his friend Kevin Moore, who would later become the first keyboardist of Dream Theater. Petrucci began to practice in earnest whilst exercising physically. He was a largely self-taught guitarist who developed his skills through attempts to match the skill of his idols, who included Steve Morse, Steve Howe, Steve Vai, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Al Di Meola, Alex Lifeson and Allan Holdsworth. He has jokingly referred to his guitar idols as "the Steves and the Als".^[1]

Petrucci attended Berklee College of Music in Boston with childhood friend John Myung (bass), where they met future bandmate Mike Portnoy (drums). These three in addition to another childhood friend of Petrucci and Myung, Kevin Moore (Keyboards), formed the band Majesty, which would later become Dream Theater.

While Dream Theater is what Petrucci is most commonly associated with, he is also a part of the project band Liquid Tension Experiment and has appeared as a guest on several records by other artists such as the Age of Impact album by the Explorer's Club.

Petrucci has released a guitar instructional video, "Rock Discipline", which covers warm up exercises, exercises to avoid injury while playing, alternate picking, sweep picking, chords and other techniques for developing one's guitar playing. Petrucci also has a book named "Guitar World presents John Petrucci's Wild Stringdom", which was compiled from columns he wrote for Guitar World magazine, bearing that same title.

In 2001 he was invited by Joe Satriani and Steve Vai to tour with them on the popular G3 guitar tour, which exposed him to a massive number of new fans and inspired him to record a solo album. Suspended Animation was released on March 1, 2005, and made available for order from his web site. He also appeared on the 2005, 2006 and 2007 G3 tours.

Petrucci also wrote and recorded two instrumental soundtrack songs for a Sega Saturn game titled Digital Pinball: Necronomicon. Each track is roughly two minutes long and they are simply titled "Prologue" and "Epilogue". Petrucci is an avid Sega Saturn gamer, and has revealed in interviews that he never tours without one.

In 2007, John Petrucci went on G3 tour again, this time with Joe Satriani and Paul Gilbert.

Dream Theater bandmate Jordan Rudess revealed in an interview that Petrucci is a practicing Catholic.^[2] Petrucci is married to Rena Sands, a guitarist in the all-female heavy metal band Meanstreak, and they have 3 children, SamiJo and Reny (who are twins), and Kiara.

John Petrucci won the "Guitarist of the Year" award recently in Total Guitar Magazine.

Musical style

Petrucci is respected for his variety of guitar styles and skills. He has performed alongside Joe Satriani and Steve Vai on their annual G3 tour 6 times. Guitar magazines and fans worldwide consistently vote Petrucci as one of the world's finest guitar players.^[3] He has been labeled as a virtuoso on some fansites and webzines, including Sputnikmusic^[4], and TheFunkyGibbons ^[5], among others.

Equipment

Petrucci is a devoted user of Mesa Boogie amplifiers and cabinets. During his career, he has used the Mark IIC+, Mark IV, Dual & Triple Rectifiers, the Formula, Recto, TriAxis and Formula preamps, Road King, Lonestar, and 2:90 power amps. Mark Snyder also built a one-off custom preamp called the Nunya, combined with a 2:100 power amp. Currently, he has gone back to using Mark IV's and Mark IIC+'s with Lonestars. He uses traditional sized 4x12 and 2x12 cabinets, all loaded with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers.

John generally records very directly [Guitar > Choice pedals > Amplifier]. Effects such as pan, delay, phaser, etc. are usually inserted during production. He uses Shure SM57 and Sennheiser MD421 microphones placed directly on the grill cloth about 1.5 inches off the center of a speaker (usually the two microphones are placed on different speakers). They are combined into one channel with no compression.

John Petrucci is famous for his stage rigs and their complexity. Apart from Mesa Boogie amplification, he uses many TC Electronics components and Digital Music Corp components with Furman power conditioners, an Eventide harmonizer, a Dunlop Crybaby rack wah, and other components. He also uses a custom built foot controller. John actually has two completely separate signal paths in his rig, one for cleans and the other for distorted channels. The 4x12 cabinets receive the distorted signal while the 2x12 receive the clean and piezo signals.

Petrucci is also notable as one of the musicians to popularize the usage of the seven string guitar (Alongside Steve Vai, Rusty Cooley, Suicidal Tendencies guitarist Rocky George and the nu metal band Korn). While he uses a conventional six-string guitar in the majority of his compositions, he began to use Ibanez seven-string guitars on three tracks of the 1994 album Awake and on songs like "A Change of Seasons", "Just Let Me Breathe", "The Dance of Eternity", and later using his EBMM Signature 7 string guitars on "The Glass Prison", "Jaws of Life", and "This Dying Soul" and "Tunnel Vision". Beginning with the album "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence", he started to experiment with lower tunings on his guitars. The end result being a very brief appearance in the song "Misunderstood", and the bulk of the track "Blind Faith" being tracked with a detuned Ernie Ball Silhouette six-string bass guitar, simulating a baritone guitar. (Baritone guitars feature a longer scale neck, giving far greater tuning stability at lower tunings than a standard guitar.) For 3 songs on the album "Train of Thought", his EBMM Signature guitars were used in C standard tuning. He can be seen on the "Romavarium" Fan Club DVD playing "These Walls", as well as on the Gigantour DVD playing "Panic Attack" with the Ernie Ball Silhouette Bass Guitar. Lately, it had seemed that he was favoring these detuned six-string guitars over his seven-strings, but as evidenced on the tracks "The Dark Eternal Night" and "Repentance" from the 2007 Dream Theater album Systematic Chaos, he is once more utilizing his seven-string signature models.

Petrucci currently endorses Ernie Ball/MusicMan guitars and has two signature guitars on the market, a six- and a seven-string. Petrucci uses a modified DiMarzio Air Norton in the neck position and a DiMarzio D-Sonic in the bridge position. In his days before his endorsement with Music Man, he favored the Dimarzio Air Norton/Steve Special combo in his Ibanez guitars. His signature Musicman guitars also have Piezo acoustic bridges (special saddles hold the strings and pick up the true acoustic vibrations of the strings). This allows Petrucci to make his electric guitar sound like an acoustic guitar. He uses this in many of Dream Theater's songs, one of the most obvious examples in the song "Hollow Years", and in the live version of "The Silent Man". In the past he has endorsed Ibanez guitars, and had his own signature model manufactured by the company (also known as the "JPM" model). In recording Petrucci currently utilizes his ErnieBall MusicMan Signature Models (including a prototype of the new BFR F-1). His famous black and white Picasso Ibanez seven string guitar was sold to a collector on ebay after his endorsement ended. Recently a second line of EBMM Signature guitars have been introduced and are available for order. Named the "JP BFR F-1" (BFR stands for "Ball Family Reserve"). It features a quilted/flamed maple top, alder body (with a mahogany tone block running from the neck to the bridge), and a finished mahogany neck.

In the Majesty/Early Dream Theater era, Petrucci can be seen using a B.C. Rich Assassin (strat-style guitar) through Randall Amplifiers.

John Petrucci's road rig and choice of amplifiers for recording often will and does change. Unofficially his gear was as follows on DT's major label releases.

Studio Albums

• When Dream and Day Unite
• Images and Words - Triaxis 2/90 (dirty), Roland JC120 for cleans
• Awake - Only album to be quadruple layered. 2 takes using Dual Rectifier, 2 takes using Mark IIC+
• Falling Into Infinity - Rectifier, Mark IIC+, Mark IV, Triaxis
• A Change of Seasons - Mark IIC+, Mark IV, Triaxis
• Scenes From A Memory - Mark IIC+, Mark IV
• Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence - Mark IIC+, Rectifier
• Train Of Thought - Road King Series I
• Octavarium - Road King Series I & II, Lonestar
• Systematic Chaos - Lonestar, Mark IV (Mark IIC+, Rectifier)
• Suspended Animation (solo cd) - Roadking Series 1, Mark IIC+
• Liquid Tension Experiment - Triaxis, 2:90 power amp
• Liquid Tension Experiment 2 - Mark IIC+, Mark IV

Live and DVD release rigs

• I&W Tour - 2 Triaxis Preamps (one for backup), 2:90 power amp, Mesa Abacus+Mesa Midi Matrix for switching
• Scenes From NY - Triaxis, Dual Rectifier, Mark IIC+, Mark IV, Formula Preamp, 2:90 power amps
• Live At Budokan - Road King Series 1, Lonestar
• Score - Custom Built "Nunya" Preamp, Formula Preamp, mesa 2:100 power amp, 4 Mesa 4x12's and 4 Mesa 2x12's
• 2007 G3 tour - Mark IV (x2), Formula preamp
• 2007 Systematic Chaos Tour - Mark IV (x2), Lonestar

Metallica, Slayer, Satch, Rush and Others Get Grammy Nominations

On February 10, 2008, the 50th annual Grammy Awards ceremony will take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Here are the nominees for the Rock and Metal categories:

BEST HARD ROCK PERFORMANCE

Evanescence - "Sweet Sacrifice"
Foo Fighters - "The Pretender"
Ozzy Osbourne - "I Don't Wanna Stop"
Queens of the Stone Age - "Sick, Sick, Sick"
Tool - "The Pot"

BEST METAL PERFORMANCE

As I Lay Dying - "Nothing Left"
King Diamond - "Never Ending Hill"
Machine Head - "Aesthetics of Hate"
Shadows Fall - "Redemption"
Slayer - "Final Six"

BEST ROCK INSTRUMENTAL

Metallica - "The Ecstasy of Gold"
Rush - "Malignant Narcissism"
Joe Satriani - "Always with Me, Always with You"
Bruce Springsteen - "Once Upon a Time In the West"
Steve Vai - "The Attitude Song"

BEST ROCK SONG

Daughtry - "It's Not Over"
Foo Fighters - "The Pretender"
Bruce Springsteen - "Radio Nowhere"
White Stripes - "Icky Thump"
Lucinda Williams - "Come On"

BEST ROCK ALBUM

Daughtry - Daughtry
John Fogerty - Revival
Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace
Bruce Springsteen - Magic
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky

BEST SOLO ROCK VOCAL

Beck - "Timebomb"
Paul McCartney - "Only Mama Knows"
John Mellencamp - "Our Country"
Bruce Springsteen - "Radio Nowhere"
Lucinda Williams - "Come On"

BEST ROCK DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCAL

Daughtry - "It's Not Over"
Green Day - "Working Class Hero"
Nickelback - "If Everyone Cared"
U2 - "Instant Karma"
The White Stripes - "Icky Thump"

AXL ThinAmp Review

AXL ThinAmp Review

At the recent 2005 NAMM Expo, AXL Music was displaying a unique portable amp, the ThinAmp. It's only 2" thick, and weighs just five pounds, yet it packs 10 Watts of power, 18 built-in DSP effects, a three-band EQ, and twin speakers. It's so unique, that it is helping to create a new class of amp.

There are thousands of amps available for musicians to choose from, so it takes something unique to make one stand out. The ThinAmp does just that, by combining a powerful set of effects with one of the most portable amps ever designed.

Comparing it to other amps is difficult. It doesn't have the body or volume of a full-size amp, or even many portable amps. It's digital effects are useful, but are not state-of-the-art.

But try and fit any other amp in a laptop bag, and you'll see that the ThinAmp offers its own unique benefits.

Design

The ThinAmp is remarkably portable. At first glance, it looks a bit like a thick laptop computer. In fact, the ThinAmp comes with a carrying case that's the size of a laptop computer bag.

While AXL, the makers of the ThinAmp, is targeting it towards guitarists, its size should make it worth consideration by any musician interested in an extremely portable amp. Laptop DJs and producers could pop the ThinAmp and a laptop in one bag, and have a seriously loud portable studio!

The ThinAmp has legs that pop out on the back, so that it can stand up at a convenient angle when in use, and fold down for storage. The case is rugged plastic with a metal front grill and faceplate. It seems rugged enough to stand up to normal abuse.

Controls (left to right):

• Power
• DSP Preset Group - selects from four families of effects
• Reverb & Effects levels - adjusts reverb & effects mixes from "dry" to "wet"
• Volume, Gain & Tone levels - standard to most amps
• Four effects knobs - select between four options for each family of effect
• Digital Delay - Level and Time adjustments
• Input & Rec/Phones output - Plugging into this jack disables speaker. This can be used for phones, or to patch the ThinAmp into a mixer or recording device.
• There's also a tiny panel that hides Aux In & Aux Out conections. You can use this to connect additional devices, like a CD player to practice with.

The knobs and switches are compact, and not very deep. This keeps the ThinAmp thin, and reduces the likelihood that the knobs will get knocked off or broken with use.

AXL nicely includes a laptop-style carrying case and a car adapter. This makes the ThinAmp into an all-around solution for players looking for a very portable amp.

Power connects on the right-hand side and a wall-wart is provided.

Using the ThinAmp

The ThinAmp is fairly easy to use. Just plug in a guitar or other device, adjust the levels and you're ready to rock.

The effects provided are basic, but useful, and provide a good variety of sounds. By using the Gain & Tone controls along with the effects, many different sound options are available.

We found the effects controls a little confusing at first, because you use one knob to select the DSP Preset Group (Ambience, Vibrato, Flanger & Chorus), one of four knobs to select the specific effect within the DSP Group, and then two knobs to control the effects mix. This could be made easier if the the DSP Preset Group knob was labelled with the effects group name (ie, Ambience) instead of a letter. It might be easier still to just use a 16-position switch to select from the various options.

We tried the ThinAmp with guitar, bassline synth, and laptop. The effects are tailored for guitars, and work well for that. AXL provides suggested settings for various effects in the manual that should help get guitarists off in the right direction.

We also tried the ThinAmp with a bassline synth and laptop. For bass synth use, the effects aren't as aggressive as we'd like. It's not surprising, though, since most ThinAmp buyers are likely to be guitarists, playing chords instead of one note.

For laptop use, we found it very useful with the ThinAmp internal effects set to dry. Then we could control everything from the laptop itself. The sound levels and quality blew away the tinny laptop speakers!

The ThinAmp provides 10 W of power. This is enough to be loud, even painfully loud close up. You shouldn't expect to rock the house with an amp that's 2" thick, though. The sound of the ThinAmp reflects its size, strongest in the midrange, and weaker in the bass.

Summary

The ThinAmp is a unique type of amp, designed to be a complete portable amp solution. It's difficult to compare it do other amps and devices, because design decisions obviously had to be made to make it so portable. Because of this, we recommend that interested buyers look at the ThinAmp as an extremely portable amp, instead of trying to compare it to traditional amps. Considered like this, the ThinAmp has little competition.

The Thin amp comes with a nylon carryng case and a car adapter. An optional battery pack is avaiable that lasts up to 3 hours.

Features:

• Portable, Convenient Size (Only 2" Thick!)
• 16 DSP Multi-Effect Settings
• Easy-to-Use Analog Controls
• Lightweight ABS Shell
• Built-In Tilt Back Leg System
• Multi-Function Inputs & Outputs
• Includes Padded Carrying Bag
• Includes Power & Car Adapter
• Rechargeable Battery Pack (Optional)

Specifications:

Power Sources:

• External Universal 12VDC Adapter
• Car Cigarette Adapter
• External Rechargeable 12V Battery (optional)

Power Indicator: Blue Diffused LED

Output Power: 10W

Speakers: 2 x 4” Speakers

Rated Load Impedance: 8O

EQ Section: Bass (100Hz) +/- 3dB

Middle (1KHz) -15dB / +3dB

Treble (10KHz) -14dB / +5dB

Effects Characteristics:

Digital Audio Effects (16 Presets separated into 4 groups. Effect Level is variable.):

1. Chorus with 4 various speeds and Depth
2. Flanger with 4 various speeds and Depth
3. Vibrato with 4 various speeds
4. Ambience (4 Types):

Digital Surround/Delay:

1. (THD<0.5%),>
2. Adjustable delay time range from 31ms up to 342ms.

Frequency Response: 50Hz~22KHz

Input Jack: 1/4” Phone Jack

REC/Phones: 1/4” Stereo Jack

AUX In/Out: Hidden RCA Jacks for input & output signals

Reverb: Digital (Reverb Level is variable.)

Cabinet Tilt Level: 45º angle with respect to the vertical direction.

Dimensions: 13” (330mm) W x 10.5” (267mm) H x 2.2” (54mm) D

Weight: 5.35lbs. / 2.43Kg

World class POD® tone and rockstar presets in the palm of your hand.

The Line 6 Pocket POD is about the size of a hand-held tuner. Yet it's the only personal amp modeling and effects processor packed with over 300 custom presets dialed in by rock stars and professional studio musicians who know great tone. With its 32 classic and modern amp models, 16 cab models, and 16 effects, Pocket POD enables you to create mind-blowing guitar tones wherever inspiration strikes.

Just pop in 4 AAA batteries and you are good to go practicing with headphones or jamming with your favorite songs on your MP3 player. Let loose and play it loud with Pocket POD as your multi-effect processor in front of any amp. With Line 6's advanced A.I.R. II technology, you can even use Pocket POD guitar effect as a front-end recording device with the same tone used on countless platinum-selling albums.

The Line 6 Pocket POD has a user-friendly design that makes it simple to dial in the tone you're looking for. To customize your sound even more, plug Pocket POD directly into your computer via USB and download the FREE Pocket POD tone editing software from Line6.com. Take your sound to the next level with the Pocket POD processor by connecting to CustomTone.com, the online destination for guitarists. There you can choose from a library of over 3,000 preset tones, create new tones, and share them with guitarists from around the globe. Experience world-class tone in the palm of your hand at an unbeatable price. Make your sound your own.

Line 6 Pocket POD Guitar Multi Effects Processor Features:

300+ presets — including exclusive rock star presets with unrivaled tone
32 amp models
16 cab models
16 effects
4-way navigation pad
Chromatic tuner with muting
USB connectivity and free software from Line6.com
CD/MP3 jack
Portable design, hand-sized design
Optional DC power adapter (sold separately)
Artist presets include:
Steve Pedulla - Thursday
Randy Torres - Project 86
Bumblefoot
John Lefler - Dashboard Confessional
Tim Wheeler - Ash
Nick Hipa - As I Lay Dying
Phil Sgrosso - As I Lay Dying
Jim Ward - Sparta
Keeley Davis - Sparta
Matt Scannell - Vertical Horizon
John Z - Volto
Tim Mahoney - 311
Marcos Curiel - P.O.D.
Bjorn Agren - Razorlight
Dan Estrin - Hoobastank
JT Woodruff - Hawthorne Heights
Jim McGorman - Hawthorne Heights
Joel Stroetzel - Killswitch Engage
James Valentine - Maroon 5
32 Amp Models based on*:'64 Fender® Deluxe Reverb®; '59 Fender® Bassman®; '68 Marshall® Plexi 100 watt; Marshall® JTM-45 meets Budda Twinmaster; '60 Tweed Fender® Champ®; Budda Twinmaster head; '65 Black
16 Cabinet Models based on*: 1960 Fender® Tweed Champ®; 1952 Fender® Tweed Deluxe Reverb®; 1960 Vox® AC-15; 1964 Fender® Deluxe Reverb®; 1965 Fender® Blackface Twin Reverb®; 1967 Vox® AC-30; 1995 Matchless Chieftain
16 Professional Effects:
Compressor
Delay/Compressor
Tremolo
Delay/Tremolo
Chorus 1
Delay/Chorus 1
Chorus 2
Delay/Chorus 2
Flanger 1
Delay/Flanger1
Flanger 2
Delay/Flanger 2
Rotary Speaker
Delay/Swell
Delay
Reverb
* All product names used in this document are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Line 6. These trademarks of other manufacturers are used solely to identify the products of those manufacturers whose to
Fender, Deluxe Reverb, Bassman, Champ, and Twin Reverb are registered trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Marshall is a registered trademark of Marshall Amplification PLC. Vox is a registered trademark of Vox R&D Limited. Mesa/Boogie and

Slash Partners with Epiphone on New Signature Les Paul Standard Top

Epiphone Guitar announced today the introduction of the new Slash signature Les Paul Standard Plus Top electric guitar. Designed and produced in close cooperation with Slash, this new Epiphone combines all the great design features that have made the Les Paul guitar “the” rock guitar while Slash’s own personal touches create a unique instrument destined to become an instant classic.

The new Epiphone Slash Les Paul starts with all the basic features of an LP including a solid Mahogany body with a highly figured, flame Maple top and glued-in Mahogany neck. Standard equipment now on most Epiphone models is the new LockTone stopbar/tune-o-matic system that secures the bridge and tailpiece to the guitar even without strings while adding as much as 20 percent more sustain. Unique to the Slash LP are features including, the neck joint which uses a long neck tenon typically found on late-1950’s Les Pauls. Extending well into the neck pickup cavity, this provides more strength, more wood-to-wood contact and ultimately, more tone and sustain.

Next, the “Slash Custom” neck profile or shape is patterned after Slash’s original Les Paul and his choice of pickups are two Seymour Duncan Alnico Pro-II open-coil humbuckers. Finally, the guitar features a Dark Tobacco Burst finish, nickel hardware and machine heads with vintage “tulip” buttons.

The new Epiphone Slash signature guitar will make its initial public debut at the upcoming Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA, in January 2008. Projected U.S. MSRP is $1,165 and includes a certificate of authenticity. An optional hard case is available for $115. The Epiphone “Slash” will be available at authorized Epiphone retailers worldwide in December 2007. Slash will be making special appearances related to the launch. Details will be announced on www.epiphone.com over the next few weeks.

SRV “Lenny” Stratocaster

SRV “Lenny” Stratocaster^® Guitar Replica to Launch Dec. 12
Limited edition Custom Shop guitar to become available exclusively through Guitar Center® ...

In a historic collaboration among Fender, Guitar Center® and the Stevie Ray Vaughan estate, the famous Stevie Ray Vaughan “Lenny” Stratocaster® guitar has been commissioned by Guitar Center to be reproduced in a limited edition by the Fender Custom Shop. As part of Fender’s Tribute Series of guitars, “Lenny” will be produced in a limited quantity, with 185 guitars offered for sale in the United States, made available exclusively through Guitar Center. Guitar Center stores throughout the United States will introduce the guitar on Dec. 12, 2007, and will offer them to customers for $17,000 (U.S.).

The original “Lenny” guitar was one of Vaughan’s favorite instruments; a birthday gift from his wife, Lenora (Lenny) during the lean years before he achieved stardom. Vaughan nicknamed the guitar for his wife and composed his namesake instrumental piece on it for her. Guitar Center bought the original guitar for $623,500 at a 2004 Christie’s auction in New York.

“Guitar Center is both thrilled and privileged to be able to offer Stevie Ray Vaughan’s ‘Lenny’ Fender Stratocaster to the world,” said Keith Brawley, Guitar Center vice president of merchandising for guitars and amplifiers. “Stevie Ray Vaughan’s fans are among the most loyal and passionate guitar lovers in the world. The ‘Lenny’ Stratocaster, Stevie’s main instrument for his love songs, is a truly fascinating guitar that has, as part of its DNA, a tender, personal love story and an incredibly colorful and touching history.”

This very special addition to the Custom Shop Tribute Series features an intricate reproduction of “Lenny” down to the smallest detail—from the customized neck (the original was a gift from ZZ Top’s Billy F Gibbons) to the reflective “SRV” stickers on the body to the battered headstock, the autograph that Stevie himself etched into the neck plate, and even an autograph from baseball great Mickey Mantle.

"This guitar had very special meaning to Stevie,” said Mike Eldred, Fender Custom Division sales and marketing director. “He had it throughout his career; he took it everywhere, and during each show, he stopped, sat down on the stage, and played that song, on that guitar. It's like he was holding on to that very special time before he was a star, and just didn’t want to let that part of his life go."

KORG AX3000G

Main Features

• Korg’s REMS modeling technology delivers 72 realistic classic and modern amp, cabinet and effects models.
• Assignable control switch and expression pedal with 8 point LED pedal indicator for real-time parameter control.
• New ESS (Expression Step Sequencer) automatically controls most effect parameters in a fixed or random step function that can create radical sound changes.
• Sixteen types of drive and amp models cover everything from vintage overdrive to high-gain metal.
• Eleven types of pre-effect, cabinet, modulation, delay and reverb modeled effects deliver a broad sound palette.
• Transform your guitar with pickup, acoustic body and top, plus synth modeling effects.
• Thirty-two preset programs are provided, plus the internal memory can hold 96 of your own original programs.
• Send/return jacks let you connect your favorite distortion pedal or other effect unit.
• MIDI IN/OUT allows you to edit and store original sounds on your computer using the dedicated editor/librarian software (Windows and Macintosh are supported).
• Up to seven effects can be used simultaneously.
• Amp/line selector is included for maximum output versatility.
• Heavy-duty metal chassis stands up to the rigors of travel and stage performance.
• Auto Chromatic tuner with highly visible 8 point LED allows bypassed or muted (silent) tuning.
• Backlit LCD ensures easy visibility.
• Knob-based interface for quick, intuitive editing.

A new standard in effects.

Every guitarist craves a better way to satisfy their hunger for ultimate tone and control. The new AX3000G satiates that need with a powerful multi-effect processor that reaches far beyond its predecessors. Featuring Korg’s proprietary “REMS” modeling technology, the AX3000G delivers high-quality modeling sounds and numerous ways to control those sounds in real time. With an expression pedal, a control switch, and an expression step sequencer, the AX3000G Modeling Signal Processor has all the elements a guitarist needs to fulfill his expressive vision.

Korg’s legendary REMS technology delivers new amp, cabinet and effects models.

The AX3000G packs 72 types of amp models and effect sounds delivered by Korg’s world-acclaimed “REMS” modeling technology. In addition to true-to-life reproductions of a wide array of vintage and modern guitar amps and cabinets, REMS also provides standard effects such as chorus, delay and reverb, in gorgeous detail. These effects transcend the stereotypical concept of effects, and open up completely new vistas of sound for the electric guitar.

There are synth effects that model a guitar synthesizer, and completely new effects such as the Filtron that goes far beyond the conventional auto-wah. You can use the Acoustic effect to transform the sound of your electric guitar into that of an electro-acoustic, or Pickup Modeling to transform the tonal character of your pickups without switching guitars. The AX3000G also provides send/return jacks that make it easy for you to connect your favorite effect unit. There’s even a digital output (S/P DIF optical) jack so you can digitally record your playing without losing any of the amazing sound produced by REMS.

Expression pedal and control switch for even greater expressive power

In addition to using the AX3000G’s expression pedal in standard ways, such as to control volume or wah, you can freely assign the pedal to a variety of effect parameters for unrivaled expressive control. For example, if you assign the “MANUAL” parameter of a flanger to the pedal, you can use the pedal to control the sweep, creating a highly distinctive sound. By assigning the pedal to control the delay time of the “ECHO PLUS” effect (which models the sound of a tape echo), you can use the pedal to control delay time. There is virtually no limit to the new sounds you can create in this way – the pedal can control the reverberation time of a reverb effect, the modulation speed of a chorus, flanger, or phaser, and much more.

The AX3000G also provides a control switch that is a great asset in live performance. For example, you can use it to switch each effect block (such as the pre-effect and insert effect) on/off, to set effect parameters such as tap tempo of a delay in real time, to switch the rotational speed of a rotary speaker effect, or to control the Expression Step Sequencer (ESS). The possibilities are endless!

Expression Step Sequencer for a new realm of control

The Expression Step Sequencer (ESS) automatically controls most effect parameters in a fixed or random step function. You can assign up to eight steps of effect parameter values in the step sequencer, and specify one of seven ways in which the sequencer will play back these steps: Forward, Backward, Alternate 1/2, Random, Forward (one-shot), and Alternate 1/2 (one-shot). This lets you create sounds with complex movement that were unachievable until now.

For example, use the ESS with a pitch shifter effect to specify the pitch shift amount of each step and produce sounds that are reminiscent of a synthesizer’s arpeggiator. Or use the ESS with a wah effect and create wah sounds that move in stepwise fashion. Of course there’s also a Smooth setting that lets you produce a continuous change between steps. Vary the ESS speed in real time with the ESS expression pedal or a control switch. Eight Large-diameter LEDs give you a clear visual indication of the total number of steps in the sequence and location of the step that is currently in use.

Thirty-two amazing programs using Korg’s proprietary voicing technology

Korg’s team of tone technologists have poured their decades of unrivaled tone-creation experience into every one of the AX3000G’s 32 wide variety of preset programs. Use the internal programs or save your own in the 96 program locations that are provided for you to store your settings. There’s also an Individual mode in which you can use the foot switches to turn individual effects on/off just as if you were controlling a row of compact effects.

Analog-feeling ease of operation

Because the AX3000G is so easy to use, you can select, edit and use all of its features effortlessly. You can select an effect model just by turning the effect select knobs provided for each effect block. And you can edit each individual effect simply by turning the knobs of the familiar, analog-style user interface. Effect parameters are shown on the panel as a clear, understandable matrix.

Built-in auto chromatic tuner

The built-in auto chromatic tuner operates automatically when the AX3000G is bypassed or muted. Simply by selecting Mute mode when you’re on stage, you can tune without producing sound from your guitar amp or other connected equipment. The note name is shown in the bank display, and the pedal indicator and name display provide an accurate pitch indication that is easy to see even on dimly lit stages.

Designed for maximum ease of use and the ideal playing experience

Since the Output of the AX3000G can be connected to a variety of guitar amps (all of which have a different tonality) – or a mixer/recorder – four different equalizer settings are provided so you can ideally match the output of the AX3000G for the best results. The output choices are AP1 for connection to an opened-back U.S. combo amp; AP2 for connection to an opened-back U.K. combo amp with a distinctive sounding mid-range; AP3 for connection to a stack with 4 x 12 cabinets; and Ln for use with the Line output (including S/P DIF OUT), to go directly to a mixer/recorder or the power amp input of your guitar amp.

Key Lock helps make live performance switching easy.

The Key Lock function lets you prevent the switches and knobs from being accidentally changed during live performances. Every aspect of the AX3000G has been designed with the utmost attention to detail in order to ensure the ideal playing experience.

Extended possibilities via MIDI

The AX3000G can receive program change messages, and can also transmit MIDI messages in response to pedal operations to control other MIDI devices. You can also control the AX3000G from your DAW software, making it an ideal addition even to high-end recording setups.

“AX3000G Sound Editor” editor/librarian software for even more sound-creating potential

The “AX3000G Sound Editor” editor/librarian software lets you graphically view the many parameters of the AX3000G and easily edit them, as well as save and organize programs. This software can be downloaded from the website of your regional Korg distributor.

* Operating requirements: Windows 98/Me/2000/XP, Mac OS X v10.2 or later

AX3000G Effect Type

DRIVE/AMP MODEL (16 types):

TUBE OD, BOUTIQUE OD, FAT DIST, ORANGE DIST, METAL DIST, SHRED DIST, FUZZ, OCTAFUZZ, BOUTIQUE CL, BLACK 2x12, AC15, AC30TB, UK 68P, UK ‘80S, UK MODERN, US MODERN

CABINET MODEL (11 types):

TWEED 1x8, TWEED 1x12, TWEED 4x10, BLACK 2x10, BLACK 2x12, VOX AC15TBX, VOX AC30TBX, VOX AD120VTX, UK H30 4x12, UK T75 4x12, US V30 4x12

Pre Effect (11 types):

COMP, PICKUP, ACOUSTIC, VOX WAH, AUTO WAH, U-VIBE/PHASE, CHORUS/FLANGER, OCTAVE, RING MOD, DRONE, SYNTH

Modulation Effect (11 types):

CLASSIC CHORUS, MULTI TAP CHORUS, CLASSIC FLANGER, BI CHORUS, DUO PHASE, TEXTREM, ROTARY, PITCH SHIFTER, RANDOM STEP FILTER, FILTRON, TALK MOD

Delay Effect (11 types):

ECHO PLUS, MULTI HEAD, ANALOG DELAY, MOD DELAY, SWEEP DELAY, 2TAP DELAY, CROSS DELAY, RHYTHM DELAY, HOLD DELAY, REVERSE DELAY, FREEZ

Reverb Effect (11 types):

SLAP, SPRING, BOUNCE, PLATE, GARAGE, CHAMBER, CANYON, ROOM, STUDIO, HALL, ARENA

Noise Reduction

New POD X3 Live

POD X3 Live will inspire and amaze you with the most complete collection of POD-quality guitar amp and effect models ever. This arsenal of rare vintage treasures, modern boutiques, and perennial classics offers nearly unlimited creative possibilities. Built with working musicians in mind, POD X3 was designed to fit right in wherever you play, whether that’s on stage in front of thousands of screaming fans or in the studio steadily churning out hits.

For those in search of greater tonal possibilities, POD X3 Live gives you more power than ever before to create entirely new sounds. Split your guitar signal and play it through two guitar amp and effect signal chains at once. Use the built-in expression pedal to smoothly change the blend between the two tones, or use it for wah or volume. Add bass or vocals using the bass amp and high-end mic preamp models now included in POD X3 Live. You can even plug in two instruments at once, each with its own independent tone processing.

POD X3 Live includes all of the inputs and outputs you need to practice, perform and record. Use the 1/4 in. instrument input for guitar or bass and the XLR microphone input for vocals and more. During practice, use the stereo headphones output to keep the noise down. For performances, plug in front of your amp or directly into the P.A. Use the stereo effect loop to add in your favorite stompboxes and other effects as well. When you connect a Line 6 Variax® guitar via the Variax input on your POD X3 Live, you can instantly recall POD X3 Live’s amp, cab, and effect model settings matched with the perfect electric or acoustic guitar model—all by stepping on a single footswitch. When you’re ready to record, use the stereo balanced line outputs or digital S/PDIF output for traditional recording. Or use the new USB 2.0 connection for pro-level multi-channel computer recording.

Whether you choose to recreate the sounds of the past or turn tradition on its ear, POD X3 Live comes fully-loaded with the most inspiring collection of POD-quality amps and effects for your live performances, studio recordings, and everywhere in between.

Features

Electric Guitar
POD X3 Live offers a whole new level of control over your guitar tone.

Plug straight into any one of the 78 ear-shattering guitar amp models for pure, unadulterated guitar tone.

Combine amp and cab models with the mouth-watering collection of 98 stompbox and studio effect models to build out your rig.

Take your sound to the next level by blasting your guitar through two guitar rigs at once to create a massive wall of sound that even guitar heroes of the past would respect.

Or plug POD X3 Live in front of your favorite stack or combo to pile on up to nine simultaneous effects, including vintage overdrive, scorching distortion, beefy fuzz, vibey delay, lush reverb, ethereal chorus, irreverent flanger, wah-wah to name just a handful.

Acoustic Guitar
Whether miking up an acoustic or plugging in an acoustic-electric guitar, POD X3 Live will showcase the natural warmth and beauty of your instrument.

Warm up your acoustics with the high-end tube mic preamp and compressor models to bring out the natural tone of your acoustic six or twelve string.

Apply a touch of color with a full palette of reverbs, choruses, delays, EQs, and other essential effects.

Bass Guitar
Whether you seek stadium rock, a Motown groove, or modern grind, look no further than POD X3 Live.

Dial in classic bass tone using the 28 incredible bass amp and 22 bass cab models.

Bring a direct sound to life by using the modeled mic preamps and high-end compressors instead of traditional bass amps and cabs.

Add a combination of the 98 stompbox or studio effects to tweak your bass tone to perfection for practice, performance, or recording.

Vocals
POD X3 Live includes an XLR input for your microphone and an amazing set of effects for your vocals.

Six studio-grade vintage and modern microphone preamp models are included capture the natural warmth and richness of your vocals.

Smooth out your sound with studio grade compressors, EQ's, gates and de-essers.
The comprehensive collection of studio-quality post effect models at your disposal include rich reverbs, vibey delays, lush choruses and more.

Songwriters
POD X3 Live is the ultimate sonic toolbox for the creative songwriter.

With its massive set of models for guitar, bass, and vocals, POD X3 Live will elevate your creative sketches to polished works of art.

When inspiration strikes, record your guitar and vocals all at the same time to capture the magic of the first take.

Harness the Power and Flexibility of POD X3 Live

Computer Recording
POD X3 Live fits right in with whatever computer recording solution you use.

With USB 2.0, POD X3 Live can send processed and unprocessed signals to your recording software, so you can always change your tone and fix it in the mix.

POD X3 Live can record 2 fully-processed instruments at once.

Split your guitar signal and record each virtual rig on separate stereo tracks to create rich, layered sounds.

With on-board, real-time processing, POD X3 Live takes the load off of your computer and eliminates annoying latency.

Use the S/PDIF digital output to plug into ProTools systems and other pro-level audio interfaces to add legendary POD tone to your recordings.

Play in front of an amp
Use POD X3 Live as the ultimate pedal board with your favorite combo or stack.

With 98 stompbox and studio effect models, you have more freedom over your tone than even the largest, heaviest pedal board could ever offer.

Stomp - Fuzz, Distortion, Overdrive, and more.

Mod - Chorus, Flanger, Tremolo, Rotary, Phaser, , and more

Delay - More than one of each type of delay: Analog, Digital, Tape and a mix of specialty echoes you won’t find anywhere else.

Reverb – More than one of each type of reverb: Room, Hall, Chamber, Plate and Spring models.

Miscellaneous – Compressors, Gate, 4 Band Semi-Parametric EQ, Synth and Filters, Wah and many more.

Use up to 9 effects simultaneously to build the sound you’re looking for. Create rich blends of two entirely different effect chains to create a screaming wall of sound.

Plug into the PA
Plug POD X3 Live directly into the PA system for bullet-proof live sound that rocks.

Leave your back-breaking mountain of gear at home, and make set up and tear down easier than ever.

Take the guess work out of getting a great live sound every time. Use the XLR outputs to plug directly into the mixing board without a direct box.

Reasons to Upgrade from POD XT Live
POD X3 Live delivers a ton of new features to inspire your music and simplify the creative process more than ever.

POD X3 Live comes fully-loaded with the most comprehensive set of POD amps, cabs, and effects models ever. Includes models of 98 guitar amps, 24 guitar cabs, 98 effects, 28 bass amps, 22 bass cabs, and 6 vocal preamps.

Designed for gigging musicians, the rugged, stage-ready design features heavy duty metal footswitches and a racecar-inspired Wah/Volume/Expression pedal.

Split your guitar signal and run it through two amps or two guitar rigs at the same time to create entirely new sounds that will blow your audience away.

Use the XLR input or 1/4 in. instrument input to play or record two instruments simultaneously–each with its own independent tone processing.

Add studio-quality POD tone to your acoustic guitar, bass guitar, vocals—or any other instrument you mic up—for incredible recordings and live performances.

Use the stereo effect loop to integrate your favorite stompboxes and other effects into your setup.

The new, enlarged display shows a complete end-to-end signal chain for each tone at a glance. Change amp or effect settings on a single page for quick and easy editing.

Use the USB 2.0 connection for professional multi-track channel recording with your favorite computer recording software. Simultaneously send a dry unprocessed signal and wet processed stereo signal for each instrument/input to your computer for convenient and flexible computer recording options.

Use the S/PDIF digital output to record digitally into Pro Tools and integrate smoothly with other audio interfaces.

Technical Info

Inputs & outputs
1/4 in. instrument input (w/ normal/pad switch)

XLR microphone input (w/ trim adjust)

USB 2.0 for computer recording & tone editing

S/PDIF stereo digital audio output

Stereo 1/4 in. line outputs (with amp/line pad switch)

Stereo XLR balanced line outputs

1/4 in. stereo effect loop

Variax digital connector

1/4 in. expression pedal input

MIDI in & out/thru

1/4 in. stereo headphones out

FBV connector for optional pedal controller

1/8 in. stereo (cd/mp3) jam along input

Controls
Expansive backlit LCD display

8 chrome “amp control” knobs: drive, bass, mid, treble, presence, reverb, tone volume, master volume

5 metal stompbox on/off footswitches: amp, stomp, mod, delay, comp/boost

Built-in heavy-duty wah/volume/expression pedal

Metal tap tempo/tuner footswitch

Dedicated bank up/down & a/b/c/d metal footswitches for preset selection

Dedicated “dual tone” control metal footswitch

5 context-sensitive parameter edit knobs

Dedicated input/output configuration buttons

Ground lift switch

Amp, cab & effect models
Massive model set for guitar, bass & vocals

78 guitar amp models

24 guitar cab models

98 stompbox and studio effects

28 bass amp models

22 bass cab models

6 vocal preamp models

A.I.R. II cab/mic modeling with 4 mic options each

Additional features & benefits
Rugged, stage-ready design with premium metal footswitches

Send guitar through 2 complete amp/effect signal chains simultaneously

Independent tone processing for 1/4 in. and XLR inputs

2 chrome handlebars

USB 2.0 multi-channel digital computer recording (stereo wet/dry per input)

Studio-quality 24-bit a/d and d/a converters and 32-bit floating point processing

Up to 9 simultaneous effects per signal chain, with pre & post amp routing

Tap tempo control for time-based effects

Precision chromatic tuner, with audio mute & bypass options

USB 2.0 cable included

External power adapter included

Optional accessories (sold separately):
Outfit your POD X3 Live for the studio or the stage with these optional accessories.

Carrying bag – protect your investment in great tone with the heavy-duty, rip-and water-resistant bag that’s designed specifically for your POD X3 Live. Embroidered with the line 6 logo.

EX-1 expression pedal – the EX-1 expression pedal gives you even more options at your feet. Now you can control wah, volume and tweak all at the same time, or dedicate wah and volume to separate pedals. lack plastic, with embossed Line6 logo. Includes 1/4 inch connecting cable.

PRS Tremonti SE

The Tremonti SE was designed with Mark Tremonti of Alter Bridge and features a solid mahogany body with plastic binding on the body, neck and headstock. This guitar features two humbuckers with a three-way pickup selector on the upper bout and a volume and tone control for each pickup.

BODY:

• Mahogany with binding

NECK:

• 25" scale length mahogany 22-fret neck with rosewood fretboard and dot inlays
• Neck carve - wide fat

HARDWARE:

• PRS designed stoptail
• PRS designed tuners

ELECTRONICS:

• PRS designed treble and bass humbucking pickups
• Volume and tone control for each pickup
• 3-way toggle pickup selector on upper bout