Now is the right time to become an American Federation of Musicians member. From ragtime to rap, from the early phonograph to today's digital recordings, the AFM has been there for its members. And now there are more benefits available to AFM members than ever before, including a multi-million dollar pension fund, excellent contract protection, instrument and travelers insurance, work referral programs and access to licensed booking agents to keep you working.
As an AFM member, you are part of a membership of more than 80,000 musicians. Experience has proven that collective activity on behalf of individuals with similar interests is the most effective way to achieve a goal. The AFM can negotiate agreements and administer contracts, procure valuable benefits and achieve legislative goals. A single musician has no such power.
The AFM has a proud history of managing change rather than being victimized by it. We find strength in adversity, and when the going gets tough, we get creative - all on your behalf.
Like the industry, the AFM is also changing and evolving, and its policies and programs will move in new directions dictated by its members. As a member, you will determine these directions through your interest and involvement. Your membership card will be your key to participation in governing your union, keeping it responsive to your needs and enabling it to serve you better. To become a member now, visit www.afm.org/join.
The PRS Custom 24-08 combines the quintessential Custom 24 PRS with features from the PRS 408 models. It combines the 24’s maple top, mahogany back and neck, 24 frets, 25-inch scale length, PRS patented Gen III tremolo, and dual 85/15 humbuckers with a 408 switching system. The three-way blade switch and two mini-toggle coil split switches allow for eight distinct pickup combinations to provide a full array of humbucker tones and single-coil sounds, including a dual single-coil option.
Thermo Gig Gloves are the ultimate glove to protect your hands during cold weather gigs, shows, and events. Thermo Gig Gloves provide all the same features as original Gig Gloves—breathability, access to the first three fingers via fold-over fingertips (for fine motor tasks), and touchscreen capability—plus have an internal layer of super warm fleece. They are incredibly soft and comfortable, but not so thick that they bulk up the glove too much. Thermo Gig Gloves are perfect for gigs and jobs that require work (or load-in) in a winter weather environment.
Protect your most valuable asset: your hands. Gig gloves are the ultimate gloves for gigging musicians and production pros who spend a lot of time loading in and out, setting up, and tearing down. They protect the back of the hand and palms with breathability for extended use, access to the first three fingers via fold-over fingertips (for fine motor tasks), and touchscreen capability directly through the fabric. Original Gig Gloves provide visibility of the hands in low light, Gig Gloves Onyx are completely black for those who need to be invisible to an audience, and Thermo-Gig Gloves add a layer of internal fleece for cold weather. Gig Gloves come in six sizes (XS to XXL).
DPA’s d:vice MMA-A Digital Audio Interface is a high-quality, dual-channel microphone preamplifier and A/D converter that captures crystal-clear audio via your favorite recording or broadcasting apps. It’s pre-
programable, easy to use, and inconspicuous. While third-party apps can be used with d:vice, an exclusive downloadable DPA app allows you to store gain settings and low-cut filters for personalized use in dedicated presets. The d:vice MMA-A comes with one Micro USB-B to iOS (Lightning) and one Micro USB-B to PC/Mac (USB-A).
Cloud Microphones’ Cloudlifter Zi instrument DI and mic activator is designed for guitar, bass, keyboard players, and singers. It maximizes your instrument or mic’s signal and lets you contour your tone. The variable impedance “Z” knob and high-pass filter combine to create massive tone shaping, while the three-position gain switch adds gain (up to 25db for microphones or 12dB for instruments) for a clean signal.
This holiday season, there will be plenty of great deals out there. If you’re thinking to yourself, “what’s the deal, Avid?”, we’ve got you covered, whether you’re a relative newbie, or a seasoned pro. Get our best deal of the season on Pro Tools and Pro Tools HD, amazing deals on plug-ins, and more. Here’s a small sampling: 20% new Pro Tools subscriptions, 75% Off sound library, 50% off audio plug-ins. And keep an eye out for flash sales on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Get these deals while they’re still around!
Halo Sport, the first product from Halo Neuroscience, is a wearable neurostimulator that accelerates the development of muscle memory, when paired with training. See them in action at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVUvgUSX9hU.
Designed and optimized for outstanding music recording, the Philips VoiceTracer DVT7500 music recorder features three high-quality microphones for uncompromising high fidelity sound. The innovative XLR and line-in connectors allow you to connect your instruments directly, achieving crisp and accurate, multi-source recording. The DVT7500 records PCM (WAV) and MP3 files at up to 24 bit/96 kHz, and features virtually unlimited storage capacity thanks to 16G internal memory and a microSD memory card slot supporting up to 64G of additional memory. A large color display and intuitive user interface make it user-friendly. The high-capacity lithium polymer battery extends battery life up to 30 hours, ensuring that your recorder is ready to work when you are.
Your audience is out there. CD Baby helps you build the bridge, giving you more ways to reach fans and make money from your music than any other distributor. For a one-time setup fee of just $49 per album, or $9.95 per single, your music will be selling and streaming on Apple Music, Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, and more. Plus, we give you major-label promo tools, help you make money from YouTube, give you daily trending reports, and all without annual fees! CD Baby is a preferred Apple content provider, so we’re the quickest way to get your music onto Apple Music and iTunes. We’ve also been paying artists weekly since 1998, so you know your music is in good hands!
Lotus Light PRO series incorporates a lithium polymer battery and the highest quality LED technology to provide the most powerful music light. It floods four pages of music with light, without any hot spots, and for a longer time than ever before. Lotus Light is lightweight and compact enough to take wherever you go. It clips to any music stand and the jaws are padded to clip to a piano music rest without fear of damage. A stiff but flexible arm allows you to position the light where it won’t distract others or interfere with page turns. Visit our website to learn more about the light and other accessories to make it the most useful light you can own.
PMC’s result6 compact nearfield monitors guarantee ideal results for audio professionals in all areas of music—recording, mixing, mastering, broadcast, and post production. These monitors provide the perfect introduction to PMC’s renowned sound quality and sophisticated ATL technology. With result6 there are no overly complex DSP-based user options or room profiles; instead, these monitors achieve their characteristically neutral, dependable reference sound solely on the strength of engineering. You can plug them in and immediately trust what you hear to create the best results in the shortest time. result6 are available from PMC USA and the PMC Factory Boutique at RSPE. For more information email maurice@pmc-speakers.us.
Sennheiser wants to help with your holiday shopping this year. Check out customer favorites like the popular evolution 900-series wired vocal mics; e935 and e945, the industry-standard HD 25 line of headphones, and the incredible ClipMic Digital (powered by Apogee) for mobile recording with iOS devices! Visit your favorite Sennheiser dealer or visit Sennheiser.com for more holiday specials.
Kala Ukulele Starter Kit has everything you need to start playing today! It comes with a Kala soprano mahogany ukulele, logo tote bag, free online lessons, and a free tuning app with lessons. Our high-quality ukulele and lessons make learning the uke fast, simple, and fun! Pricing is just $59.99 MAP/$84.99 retail. Look for the Kala Learn Ukulele Starter Kit on Amazon.
Durable, ergonomic, light-weight, and adjustable. After years of development, Balu Musik is excited to present the ShouldeAir, a new and revolutionary shoulder rest for Violins and Violas. The ShouldeAir is made of the highest grade carbon fiber (used also by NASA, Boeing, and NASCAR) making it lightweight (just under 60 grams!) and built to last. The sleek, elegant design provides exceptional comfort. The adjustable height and legs provide a perfect fit. (Patent Pending – #62/546,294)
Stunningly accurate. Or, more accurately, stunning. With its striking, full-color vertical display and quick, accurate response, the new D’Addario Chromatic Pedal Tuner helps you make sure not to miss the mark—even in demanding onstage conditions. Its slim profile leaves room on your pedalboard for all your effects, so it’s there when you need it, but out of the way when you don’t.
Happy Holidays from ChopSaver! Invented by Local 3 (Indianapolis, IN) member Dan Gosling, ChopSaver Lip Care is the perfect gift for all your musician friends. While brass and woodwind players love it, no one likes chapped lips in the winter, no matter what they play! So let ChopSaver’s all-natural ingredients soothe and protect your lips all year long. Visit www.chopsaver.com to find a store near you—and watch out for flying sousaphones while you’re there!
After years of negotiating and lobbying, the AFM saw the implementation of standard rules regarding musical instruments as carry-on and checked baggage. As of March 2015, musicians are allowed to bring certain musical instruments in-cabin on US carriers. Here are some airline travel tips for musicians.
Your Reservation
Tell the airline that you will be transporting a musical instrument. Air carriers are required to adequately inform passengers about limitations and restrictions to travel with instruments.
Book priority seating, requesting or purchasing early boarding.
On-board stowage rules apply to any instruments that meet FAA carry-on size requirements.
Packing Your Gear
Remove any sharp tools and all liquids that do not comply with TSA’s three-ounce regulation.
Have a proper travel case, in the event that your instrument is not allowed in the cabin.
Board early. Overhead stowage is on a first come, first served basis.
Once an instrument is stowed in-cabin it cannot be removed or replaced by other bags.
Deal Calmly with Problems
If you are stopped by a flight attendant, calmly and quickly explain the precautions you have taken to prepare your instrument to safely travel in-cabin.
Do not block the way of other boarding passengers.
If necessary, ask to deplane so that you can resolve the matter with airline supervisors. Remember, you have approximately 15 minutes before the plane backs away from the gate.
Be prepared for the possibility that you may not be able to travel with your instrument in the cabin. It is important to have a backup plan.
Bring Along Links to Helpful Resources
Keep a link to the Department of Transportation Traveling with a Musical Instrument web link (www.dot.gov/airconsumer/air-travel-musical-instruments).
The AFM has developed comprehensive manuals: A Guide to Traveling with Musical Instruments (34-page guidebook) and A Guide to Flying with Musical Instruments (eight-page pocket guide). To find these resources, log into afm.org and go to “Document Library” and open the “Legislative Office” folder.
For a more in-depth story on the AFM’s efforts to ease air travel for musicians please visit: internationalmusician.org/musical-instrument-airline-carriage-rule/
The Allen & Heath ME-500 Personal Mixer is a 16-channel complement to the existing 40-channel ME-1. It allows musicians to quickly and independently build and control their own monitor mix through simple setup and controls. ME-500 is plug ‘n’ play compatible with digital consoles via the ME-U hub. The mixer features crisp, dimmable display, backlit select keys, mute and solo buttons, master level with limiter and EQ, and a single rotary encoder for all main navigation and control. Outputs include mini-jack, quarter-inch headphone jack, and TRS mono for wedge monitors. Secure EtherCon connectors allow multiple ME-500s to be daisy-chained or deployed in a star topology. ME-500 can store eight user presets and also save them to a USB drive.
Traditional bass strings are made by wrapping one cover wire around the core to create the G string, two covers for the A and D strings, and three covers for the E string. With GHS Balanced Nickel bass strings two covers are wrapped around the core to create each of the strings. The result is equilibrium between tonality, tension, flexibility, and playability. Normal and short-scale Balanced Nickel bass strings are available in light and medium gauges for four and five-string basses.
Focusrite’s compact and robust RedNet X2P audio interface allows quick I/O and monitoring expansion and provides high performance audio conversion with more than 118 dB dynamic range. It features two mic pre’s, stereo line outs, and a stereo headphone amplifier. A single Ethernet cable provides power, audio, and remote control. A crossfader enables level control of local inputs versus network inputs assigned to feed either the line outputs or the headphone outputs. Flexible control locks enable local control of mic pre-settings and output settings, or both, to be locked. Artists can adjust their headphone mix and level, safe in the knowledge that they cannot accidentally adjust the mic pre-gain. The unit can be mounted directly to a mic stand, keeping it out of the way, yet always within reach.
Shure’s Super 55 Pitch Black Edition of the popular supercardioid microphone features tough matte black die-cast case, black foam, and smooth frequency response for natural vocal reproduction. It comes with an integrated swivel stand mount base and microphone bag. Model 55 Unidyne is rigorously tested to reject unwanted noise and feedback.
Jensen Transformers solve the problem of low-cost and low-performing baluns that degrade signal quality. The Jensen PI-RJ2X for balanced XLR connections (pictured) and CI-RJ2R for unbalanced RCA connections maintain true high-performance signal quality throughout the conversion process. The Jensen audio transformers inside each transmitter/receiver combination provide complete galvanic isolation and immunity from hum, buzz, and noise caused by ground loops, while maintaining the highest audio quality.
IK Multimedia’s Advanced Room Correction (ARC) System 2.5 with MEMS measurement microphone uses measurement software, together with an audio correction plug-in and Audyssey MultEQ XT32 technology, to improve the audio monitoring accuracy of speakers in any studio or room. By measuring the room in multiple positions it produces an accurate representation of acoustic response, then generates a correction filter. The ARC System 2.5 allows sound engineers and composers to create a true representation of their music regardless of the acoustic characteristics of a room.
