Hello, This is Jooyoung Kim, an engineer and music producer.
Today, I want to introduce a new virtual instrument developed by Plugin Boutique.
The newly released DC Snares is a virtual instrument that allows you to create sounds by synthesizing four different samples. You can use the Randomizer in the top right corner to generate sounds randomly.
There are a total of 10 built-in FX, allowing you to apply FX to individual samples, FX to the bus, and FX to the master track separately through the Advanced controls.
Each sample can be individually adjusted for envelope, pitch, and volume over time, and you can also set the start and end points of the samples to your preference.
In modern music production, it’s crucial to refine drum sounds meticulously to create a good groove. DC Snares offers all the necessary features for this and has a simple UI that makes sound creation convenient.
Despite its name, DC Snares is not limited to creating snare sounds. It can also be used to create hi-hats, kicks, bass, and other drum machine-like sounds. The presets are quite usable, making it a worthwhile purchase for around $30.
(Purchasing through this link provides a small commission to me, which greatly helps in running this blog)
The sale runs until the end of July, so if you frequently work with samples, I recommend giving it a try. It also supports loading personal WAV files, adding to the fun and versatility.
Hello, I’m Jooyoung Kim, an engineer and music producer. Today, I’d like to go over the body types and lineups of Takamine guitars.
Shall we begin?
Limited 2021 Blue Rose, which I really want… The 2020 model in olive was also great… The problem is always the wallet…
Body Types
Takamine guitars have seven body types: Dreadnought, FXC, NEX, Jumbo, New Yorker, OM, and Thinline.
The FXC is similar to a typical grand concert body, the NEX body is a small jumbo, and the New Yorker is a parlor body.
Jumbo
Dreadnought
NEX
OM
FXC
New Yorker
Most people are familiar with the Dreadnought and OM bodies, so you can use them as a reference to gauge the size of other bodies.
TSP100 DBS of the Thinline series
Thinline is a completely different body type, with a thinner body making it easier to play. This should cover the acoustic guitar bodies that use steel strings.
Now, let’s look at the lineup.
Takamine Guitar Lineup
Takamine guitars are broadly divided into the G Series and Pro Series.
Additionally, there are Thin Line, Limited Line, and Signature Line as special editions.
Series
Description
G Series
Guitars produced in other countries such as China, Korea, and Taiwan to provide affordable options.
Pro Series
Guitars produced at the main factory near Mount Takamine in Gifu Prefecture, Japan.
Thinline
Guitars with a thin body.
Limited Line
Limited edition guitars.
Singnature Line
Artist signature guitars.
Breakdown by Series
G Series: – Improves in quality and price from 10, 20, 30, 50, 70 to 90 series. – Even the highest value-for-money – G90 series does not exceed $1000 overseas. – Also includes acoustic basses, classical guitars, Takamine minis, and ukuleles.
Pro Series: – Improves in quality and price from 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 to 7 series. -Even the lowest Pro 1 series is quite expensive as it is made in Japan.
Thin Line: – A single line dedicated to thin body guitars.
Limited Line: – As the name suggests, these are limited edition guitars and tend to be quite expensive due to their often flashy appearance.
Signature Line: – No separate sub-categories, similar to the Thin Line.
Let’s first take a look at the specifications and features of the G Series.
G Series
GN30CE model from the G30 line of Takamine G Series
20 Series: – Body: Top Solid – Top: Solid Cedar – Sides/Back: Mahogany – Nut Width: 42.8mm – Nut/Saddle: Synthetic bone – Split Saddle: Yes
30 Series: – Body: Top Solid – Top: Solid Spruce – Sides/Back: Mahogany – Nut Width: 42.8mm – Nut/Saddle: Synthetic bone – Split Saddle: Yes – Remarks: Available as 12-string guitar, 3-piece back option
50 Series: – Body: Top Solid – Top: Solid Spruce – Sides/Back: Rosewood or Black Walnut – Nut Width: 42.8mm – Nut/Saddle: Synthetic bone – Split Saddle: Yes
70 Series: – Body: Top Solid – Top: Solid Spruce – Sides/Back: Quilted or Flame Maple, Black Walnut – Nut Width: 42.5mm/42.8mm – Nut/Saddle: Synthetic bone – Split Saddle: Yes – Remarks: 3-piece back option
90 Series: – Body: Top Solid – Top: Solid Spruce – Sides/Back: 3-piece Black Walnut, Maple, Bocote, Madagascar Rosewood – Nut Width: 42.8mm/43mm – Nut/Saddle: Synthetic bone – Split Saddle: Yes – Remarks: Black Walnut sides/back standard, available as 12-string guitar, 3-piece back option
Naming Convention
The naming of G Series guitars follows the pattern G□△△○○-☆☆☆.
1) □: Body type (D-Dreadnought, N-NEX (small jumbo), F-FXC (grand concert), Y-New Yorker (parlor), J-Jumbo) 2) △△: Line and wood type 3) ○○: Cutaway and pickup presence 4) ☆☆☆: Color
GD93CE-NAT
For example, from the name GD93CE-NAT: 1) G Series 2) D: Dreadnought 3) 90 series 4) 3-piece back 5) CE: Cutaway with pickup 6) NAT: Natural color
However, older models seem to follow a different naming convention, which I’m not familiar with.
There are also classical guitars, acoustic basses, Takamine minis, and ukuleles, which I will organize separately if time allows.
Personally, I think the 20 and 30 series offer good value for money. Although I haven’t received demo units yet to hear their sound, I believe they could be recommended if they offer decent sound, intonation, pickup quality, and neck feel.
I will review and post about the demos as soon as I receive them.
I intended to cover the Pro Series, Thin Line, and Limited Line all at once, but it’s taking longer than expected.
I will organize the Pro Series and other lines in a separate post.
Hello, This is Jooyoung Kim, an engineer and music producer.
This post is a review-style article I wrote when I was working at Soop Records(Jan. 2023), where I had the opportunity to use Takamine guitars. I covered the history and lineups of Takamine guitars, including reviews of some mid-range models. Instead of letting this post remain only in Korean, I decided to translate it into English.
When I previously searched for information, I couldn’t find a comprehensive summary of how Takamine was established and what guitar lineups they offer.
Whether it’s due to my personality or not, I feel the need to organize these basic details before diving into more specific topics.
Let’s start with the history of Takamine guitars.
Takamine began in 1959.
Ohzone(大曽根), who worked at a musical instrument factory in the Nagoya region, decided to leave after the factory suffered severe damage from a typhoon and settled on Mount Takamine in Sakashita, Nakatsugawa City, Gifu Prefecture.
It started under the name Ohzone Musical Instruments(大曽根楽器製作所).
Mount Takamine in Gifu Prefecture (岐阜県 高峯山)
Almost 1000 meters!(3300 feet!!)
In 1962, dissatisfied with the company name, they changed it to Takamine Gakki (Takamine Musical Instruments, 高峰楽器製作所), named after the mountain.
(Side note: There are many mountains named Takamine in Japan. It was quite challenging to find pictures… haha)
By 1968, nearly ten years after the company was founded, it had grown into a sizable company with 60 employees, gaining fame for its classical guitars and mandolins.
During this period, guitarist Hirade, who played a significant role in the company, joined Takamine.
Pictures from the Takamine website
With Hirade as the president, in the 1970s, they anticipated a growing demand for steel-string acoustics and entered the international market. At the time, the guitars were reasonably priced and well-made, which helped them gain a foothold in the market.
1970s Martin-style Takamine guitar
However, Takamine couldn’t escape the shadow of Martin copies during this period.
Martin even sent Takamine a letter asking them not to copy their headstock design exactly.
Although Martin didn’t sue, the story got slightly distorted, leading to old Takamine Martin-style guitars being called “Lawsuit guitars.”
Regardless, this marked a turning point for Takamine, leading them to create their iconic pointed headstock and develop unique split saddles for better intonation.
The iconic pointed headstock and split saddles commonly found in their guitars
In 1978, Takamine developed their renowned Palathetic pickup.
The Palathetic pickup, with six individual piezo transducers, one for each string, is still highly regarded today and has been widely copied by other manufacturers.
Even though the company name was Takamine Gakki, previous guitars had names like Elite and Nashville. After the introduction of the pickup, they started using the name Takamine exclusively.
This solidified Takamine’s place in the market. It’s said that the Eagles used a Takamine 12-string guitar for “Hotel California” during this period.
In 1988, Takamine introduced a parametric EQ to their preamps, and in 1989, they developed an external battery box and a replaceable preamp system, making their guitars more suitable for performances.
CoolTube – not just a name, it actually has a tube!
This innovation continued with the introduction of the CoolTube, the first onboard tube preamp, in 2004, along with other replaceable preamps.
Unfortunately, this feature is not available in the lower-priced G Series.
It would be great if these preamps could be swapped in lower-priced guitars, as they would be perfect as a second guitar for gigs, but it remains a bit of a drawback.
This covers the main points of Takamine’s history. In the next post, I will summarize Takamine’s lineup and price ranges.
On the left, you see two waves with the same phase meeting, while on the right, you see two waves with opposite phases (180 degrees or π apart) meeting.
On the left, the amplitude doubles, and on the right, it becomes zero. This type of interference, where the amplitude increases, is called ‘constructive interference,’ and when the amplitude decreases, it is called ‘destructive interference.’
When the amplitude increases, the sound becomes louder, and when it decreases, the sound becomes softer. Therefore, when a sound with the opposite phase to the original sound is played together, the sound is canceled out.
Why should a mixing engineer know this?
Around April, I received a request for mixing for live recording at a small competition, and this is a photo of the drum recording setup.
When recording drums, multiple microphones are often used for the kick and snare, among other elements.
When these recorded sounds are combined, the recorded sources can interfere with each other, leading to destructive interference, which weakens the sound. Hence, it’s essential to align the phase of each track.
You can easily understand proper phase alignment by listening.
I’ve included a YouTube video because creating my own example would be too time-consuming. In the video, the initial sound you hear is a properly phase-aligned snare, while the subsequent sound shows a snare with phase misalignment resulting in destructive interference.
Therefore, when conducting multi-track recording, it’s crucial to check the phase of all tracks against a reference track.
In Cubase, you can change the phase in the mixer window using the Pre-phase button. In Logic, you use the Phase Invert button in the Gain plugin.
In Pro Tools, there’s a button (Φ) on the track itself to invert the phase. Other DAWs also have waveform editing functions to flip the phase.
That’s all for this post. See you in the next article!
