Lisätiedot: R-Jam Group
Huomenna: JAM Pedals
JAM Pedals – sounds!
Lisätiedot: R-Jam Group
Review: Hotone Audio Skyline pedals
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Some of the cuddliest pieces of equipment at this year’s Frankfurt Musikmesse came in the guise of Hotone Audio’s ranges of micro-sized effect pedals and amplifier heads.
The special eye-catcher with the Skyline-series pedals is the transparent Gibson-style control at their front end.
Two coloured status-LEDs behind the transparent knob light up, whenever the effect is switched on.
Naturally, you cannot fit a nine volt battery inside such a tiny pedal, which is why Hotone Skyline pedals have to get their juice from a power supply (9 V, negative centre – not included).
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The dark blue Hotone Blues (current price in Finland: 65 €) is an overdrive pedal specialised in producing juicy Blues tones by using a pair of overdrive circuits wired up in series.
The big knob is for gain adjustment, while the two noctilucent (meaning: they glow in the dark) knobs deal with tone and master volume, respectively.
Engaging the Fat-button adds a bigger bottom end to proceedings.
Listen to Hotone’s own demo of the Blues pedal:
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Hotone’s Choir pedal (65 €) comes in a fetching baby blue colour scheme. This is the analogue chorus pedal of the Skyline series, built around a Panasonic BBD MN3207 bucket-brigade chip.
The Gibson-knob controls speed, while chorus depth and effect are controlled by the smaller knobs.
Depressing the Deep-switch will send you to the bubbly depths of psychedelia.
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The Hotone Eko (65 €) is a delay offering you some analogue character.
The Eko’s maximum delay time is around 500 ms, which is long enough for most Rockabilly, Rock and Pop applications, but maybe just a bit too short for serious Brian May-style layering.
The Mod feature adds a sprinkle of tape-style wow and flutter to your delay sound.
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The Skyline series also includes a Tube Screamer-inspired vintage overdrive, called the Hotone Grass (65 €).
The pedal offers you controls for gain, volume and Voice (tone).
The BRT-switch (for ”bright”) adds top end bite to your tone.
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One of Hotone’s newest pedals – the Octa (80 €) – is an octaver that features both ”octave down” (OCT1), as well as ”octave up” (OCT2) signal in two different operating modes.
The regular Clean-mode is polyphonic, meaning you can play chords, too.
Octa’s Dirty-mode gives you a vintage-style, monophonic experience (you can only play single note runs), and sounds funky and greasy (in a good way).
And yes, you can use the Hotone Octa with your bass, too!
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Hotone’s Trem (65 €) is an über-compact – yes, you guessed it – opto-tremolo pedal.
In addition to tremolo speed and depth you can also adjust the tone colour of the effect.
When choosing the Hard-mode the trem effect changes from a smooth, sine-style wobble to a harder on/off-type effect.
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Despite their diminutive size Hotone’s Skyline-pedals aren’t toys, but grown up guitar effects!
Their zinc-alloy casing seems to be very sturdy, while the bent metal rod north of the footswitch works effectively in preventing your foot from hitting the pedal controls. Each pedal comes with two stick-on base covers – the non-slip rubber-type cover is for straight-on-the-floor use, while the velcro-style counterpart makes creating a micro-sized pedalboard possible.
The large control knobs aren’t just a visual gimmick, but also make it much easier to place three controls on such small pedals.
In terms of effect quality Hotone’s Skyline series is straightforward in the best sense of the word. Each of the six pedals I tried does exactly what you’d expect it to do, winning me over with a very decent sound. At these low prices you’d be crazy to expect esoteric boutique-quality effects, instead the Hotone Skyline pedals proved to be great guitar effects for your everyday needs.
I recorded a demo song with the review sextet:
• rhythm guitars: Hotone Choir (panned left), Hotone Trem (centre) and Hotone Eko (right)
• lead guitars: 1. Hotone Blues, 2. Hotone Octa, and 3. Hotone Grass
I used my Gibson SG Melody Maker for all of the guitar tracks, played through a Blackstar HT-1R valve combo:
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Hotone Audio Skyline Series
Current prices in Finland: 65-80 €
Finnish distributor: R-Jam Group
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Pros:
+ size
+ value-for-money
+ sound
Testipenkissä: Hotone Audio Skyline -pedaalit
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Yksi todellinen valopilkku tämänvuotisessa Frankfurt Musikmessessä oli Hotone Audion mallisto mikrokokoisia efektipedaaleja ja vahvistinnuppeja.
Skyline-sarjan pikkupedaalien visuaalinen juju piilee niiden isokokoisissa, Gibson-tyylisissä säätimissä kotelon etupuolella.
Nupin takana on upotettu kaksi värillistä LEDiä.
Tällaisiin pikkulootiin ei luonnollisesti mahdu paristoja sisään, minkä takia Hotone Skyline -efektit toimivat Boss-standardia noutavalla virtalähteellä (9 V, miinus keskellä – ei kuulu hintaan).
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Sininen Hotone Blues (65 €) on Blues-säröihin erikoistunut säröpedaali, joka saa kermaiset soundinsa kaksivaiheisesta overdrive-piiristä.
Isolla nupilla säädetään efektin gain-määrää, kun taas pienet valkoiset säätimet toimivat tonena ja master volumena.
Fat-kytkimellä saadaan lisää tuhtia alakertaa menoihin.
Tässä on Hotonen oma Blues-pedaalin demo:
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Vaaleansininen Hotone Choir (65 €) on Skyline-sarjan analoginen choruspedaali, ja se perustuu Panasonic BBD MN3207 -”ämpäriketjuun”.
Gibson-nupilla määrätään vatkauksen nopeutta, kun taas pikkusäätimillä säädetään efektoidun signaalin voimakkuutta ja efektin syvyyttä.
Deep-kytkintä painamalla saa efektistä vielä syvemmän.
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Hotone Eko (65 €) on firman analogimallinnuksella varustettu digitaalinen viive.
Ekon maksimaalinen viiveaika on noin 500 ms, mikä kattaa hyvin tyypilliset Rautalanka-, Pop- ja Rock-musiikin tarpeet.
Mod-kytkimellä voi lisätä viive-efektiin nauhakaiku-tyylistä huojuntaa ja modulaatiota.
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Skyline-sarjan vintage-tyylinen overdrive-särö on nimeltään Hotone Grass (65 €).
Pedaalissa on säätimet gainea, äänensävyä ja lähtötasoa varten.
BRT-kytkimellä saa esiin lisää purevuutta.
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Hotonen uusin pedaali – Octa (80 €) – on oktaaveri, joka tarjoaa sekä ala- (OCT1) että yläoktaavin (OCT2), ja sillä on sen lisäksi vielä kaksi eri toimintamoodia.
Puhtaassa ja polyfonisessa perusmoodissa on mahdollista soittaa jopa sointuja.
Dirty-moodissa pedaali muuttuu monofoniseksi, ja efektin soundista tulee – vanhan analogioktaaverin tavoin – herkullisen likainen.
Hotone Octa -pedaalia voi muuten käyttää myös basson kanssa!
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Hotone Trem (65 €) on optotremolo erittäin kompaktissa koossa.
Tremoloefektin nopeuden ja syvyyden lisäksi pystyy Trem-pedaalissa säätämään myös efektin soundia.
Painamalla Hard-kytkimen sisään tremoloefekti muuttuu pehmeästä siniaalto-kaltaisesta soundista, enemmän on/off-tyyppiseen soundiin.
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Pienuudesta ja hauskasta ulkonäöstä huolimatta Hotonen Skyline -sarjan pedaalit eivät ole leluja, vaan ihan oikeita kitaraefektejä.
Sinkistä valettu kotelo tuntuu hyvin kestävältä, ja jalkakytkimen yläpuolelle asennettu metallikaari suojaa pieniä säätimiä tehokkaasti polkaisujen voimalta. Jokaisen pedaalin mukaan tulee sekä paksu kumimainen pohja että tarranauhapohja – käyttäjä voi liimata sopivimman pohjan käyttötarkoituksen mukaan efektipedaalin pohjaan.
Kotelon etupuoleen sijoitettu säädin ei ole vain visuaalinen kikka, vaan se helpottaa myös tuntuvasti kolmen säätimien (ja yhden kytkimen) käyttöä näin pienikokoisessa paketissa.
Soundillisesti Hotonen Skyline-sarja on suoraviivainen ja mutkaton sanojen parhaassa merkityksessä. Jokainen kokeilemani pedaali teki juuri sitä mitä siltä odotin, ja pedaalimallisto vakuutti minut hyvillä soundeillaan. Tarjolla ei ehkä ole esoterista putiikkilaatua – ja olisi hullua odottaa sellaista näin edullisista efekteistä – mutta jokainen testaamani Hotone Skyline -pedaali on hyvin käyttökelpoinen ja inspiroiva ”jokapäivän efekti”.
Äänitin seuraavan demobiisin kaikki kitararaidat Hotone-pikkupedaaleilla:
• komppiraidat: Hotone Choir (vasemmalla), Hotone Trem (keskellä) ja Hotone Eko (oikealla)
• liidit: 1. Hotone Blues, 2. Hotone Octa ja 3. Hotone Grass
Käytin kaikissa raidoissa Gibson SG Melody Maker -kitarani, sekä Blackstar HT-1R -putkikombon:
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Hotone Audio Skyline Series
Hinnat: 65-80 €
Maahantuoja: R-Jam Group
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Plussat:
+ koko
+ hinta-laatu-suhde
+ soundi
Review: Italia Fiorano Standard + Mondial Deluxe
The Italia Fiorano Standard (price in Finland approx. 640 €) is a beautiful thinline, double-cutaway semi.
The Fiorano’s body is made by routing large pockets into the front of a solid mahogany body. In contrast to Italia’s Rimini 6 or Mondial Deluxe models the Fiorano doesn’t have a full centre block, though, but features an opening in the block between the guitar’s pickups. The body is then finished by glueing on a bound spruce top.
Hard rock maple is used for the Fiorano Standard’s neck.
The modern tuning machines are embossed with the I-for-Italia logo, and work very nicely.
The bound fretboard sports Italia’s stylish inlays, consisting of pearloid blocks and abalone dots.
The Fiorano Standard’s neck is glued in at the 19th fret.
Great to see Italia using a modern version of the venerable Tune-o-Matic-bridge. The updated design does away with the annoying and ever-rattling piece of wire, used to keep the bridge saddles in place in the vintage version.
The snazzy chrome tailpiece adds its own bit of panache to this stylish semi.
As you might know by now, I’m something of a P-90 fan. The Fiorano Standard comes equipped with not one, but two of my favourite pickups. These are made by Wilkinson and come with chromed dog-ear covers.
Like many of Italia’s models, the Fiorano also features a sping-suspended plastic tray as an unusual control cavity cover. The electronics comprise a three-way toggle, as well as master volume and tone controls.
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Italia’s Mondial Deluxe (price in Finland approx. 675 €) is a genuine semiacoustic hybrid, offering you a piezo-equipped bridge (and active preamp) for acoustic-style guitar sounds alongside its traditional magnetic humbuckers.
Thinline-type mahogany body is mated to a maple top, which sports a very fetching Rickenbacker/Mosrite-style German Carve -edge. The top’s edges have been left natural, constituting what is usually called ”fake binding”.
The Mondial comes with a set maple neck.
You can also see the quick-release battery compartment for the 9 V battery used to power the piezo preamp.
Italia’s top nut is made from a self-lubricating material containing graphite.
We find the same decent-quality tuners on Mondial Deluxe as on the Fiorano.
Look at the all the nice hues of blues and greens in the guitar’s abalone dots!
The Mondial’s bridge may look identical to the Fiorano’s, but this here is a piezo-equipped model. There’s a thin lead going from beneath the bridge and through the maple top to feed the piezo signal to the preamp.
”I” – stands for Italia…
Two vintage-voiced Wilkinson WVC-humbuckers handle magnetic duties on the Mondial Deluxe.
The sliders on the guitar’s shoulder control the piezo side’s three-band EQ.
The magnetic signal is fed to a three-way toggle selector and master volume and tone controls.
There’s a dedicated volume control for the piezo signal, as well as a second output jack, enabling you to feed the acoustic side to a mixing console or a dedicated acoustic amplifier.
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Italia’s Fiorano Standard is just the guiar for me. It is comfortably lightweight and balances nicely. Its relatively thin body sits nicely against your belly/ribcage, even without any contouring or bevels.
The neck has a nice, mid-depth C-profile, which will feel comfortable to most players. The Fiorano arrived extremely well set-up with a slinky action (E: 1.9 mm/e: 1.7 mm).
Even if you cannot expect a thinline guitar, such as the Fiorano Standard, to out-shout a fat Jazz guitar, the Italia’s spruce-topped mahogany body results in a warm and woody acoustic voice.
In my opinion, P-90s are the best choice for a guitar of this type, because their singlecoil construction makes for a more percussive and dynamic tone than what you’d get from a creamy humbucker.
Played into a clean amp channel you’ll get a nice, clucky attack and a open, yet strong overall voice, that will fit Jazz just as well as Brit Pop, Country, Blues or early Rock’n’Roll (why not add a Bigsby, perhaps?):
If you’re after warm, rich and dynamic dirty tones P-90s are just the ticket! The Fiorano Standard will work great for any Beatles-, Kinks- or Who-inspired player, as well as George Thorogood-style electric Blues:
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Italia’s Mondial Deluxe is a medium-weight instrument. The well-executed German Carve and very clean fake binding make this guitar look more expensive than it really is.
The neck’s D-profile feels really good. Thanks to its clean fretwork and fine set-up this instrument also plays great (E: 2.0 mm/e: 1.3 mm).
Unplugged, Italia’s Mondial Deluxe is rather quiet, but its fresh acoustic voice and clear attack bode well for things to come.
This hybrid’s piezo sound was the real surprise for me in this review. Italia’s piezo system simply sounds that good and genuinely ”acoustic”:
Naturally, it’s good to hear the Mondial’s magnetic side perform to equally high standards. This guitar’s vintage-voiced Wilkinsons do a fine job of translating the Mondial’s fresh unplugged voice into nice clean tones:
Switching over to the distortion channel will turn the Mondial into a Seventies-style Blues Rock machine:
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It’s nigh on impossible not to get a crush on these Italia-guitars: Both the Fiorano Standard and the Mondial Deluxe are distinctly different from the mainstream of guitars on the market, but their design idiosyncrasies never get in the way of easy playability and great sound. If you want to steer clear of the usual copies, bust still look for a guitar with its own charm, you should definitely check out an Italia.
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Italia Guitars – Fiorano Standard + Mondial Deluxe
Fiorano Standard – approx. 640 €
Mondial Deluxe – approx. 675 €
Finnish distributor: R-JAM Group
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Pros (both models):
+ idiosyncratic design
+ workmanship
+ finish
+ playability
+ sound
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