Review: Stanton SCS.4DJ Digital DJ Mix Station – Master the Mix

 

In January I attended the 2012 NAMM Tradeshow and I was awestruck by the multitude of manufacturers exhibiting their newest additions to their lines. The floor was buzzing with excitement as we were given the opportunity to experience it all “Hands On” and I have to say I spent much time checking out the newest innovations for the Music Industry. Among the many new products I checked out was the latest in equipment for the DJs and the mixing of Digital Music. There were many to choose from, some would link to PC / Mac systems, some to iPads / iPods, some to large mainframe systems, etc. I would like to say that all of them impressed me, but some were just too bulky or some too confusing, or required a master’s degree in software configuration, this was a bit of a distress because the typical DJ needs a system that, in my opinion, is lightweight, durable and can make the DJ’s job easier. No offence to the many quality products at the show, but I was not very satisfied, that is until I saw and was instantly and completely “floored” by the new SCS.4DJ Digital DJ Mix Station by Stanton, a company whose name is synonymous with the art of the DJ, and well known throughout the industry as one of the first names in DJ technology.

The SCS.4DJ Digital DJ Mix Station is, in my opinion, the best of the new DJ Equipment presently available. From the first moment it is obviously created with the DJ’s needs in mind. From it’s both stunning and easy to navigate design, solid construction, versatile input / output features and its “lifelike” feel of the platters, otherwise called “Jog Wheels”. The Stanton SCS.4DJ Digital DJ Mix Station is a complete solution to the needs of both the amateur and professional DJ in mobile and studio settings. The Stanton SCS.4DJ is a fully integrated system that offers one button automatic synchronization and an embedded computer that assists in the mixing and “Beat Matching” at the use of a single button. This particular feature is used in the “Auto-DJ” mode, which can be set to automatically mix music on a preset playlist and even beatmatch the songs if desired. The Stanton SCS.4DJ Digital DJ Mix Station is designed to allow the person using it to become more creative and focus on the music, not on the machine, freeing the Dj’s mind to manage the mix and make the magic.

Here are the SCS.4DJ Tech Specifications: View on Site

Mic Preamp:

Equivalent Input Noise: < -112 dBu A-weighted, measured

Sensitivity @ clip: 14 dBu (trim at max)

Mic Input to Line Output:

SNR 20Hz-22kHz: > 99dB A-weighted

THD+N @1kHz, 20Hz-22kHz BW: < 0.007%

Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz +/- 3 dB, +/-0.25dB 100Hz to 15kHz

Sampling: 24-bit, 44.1kHz

Digital Playback:

Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz +/- 2 dB, +/-0.25dB 100Hz to 15kHz

Signal/Noise Ratio: >106 dB A-weighted

THD+N @1kHz, 20Hz-22kHz BW: 0.005%

Max Output Level: +14.5 dBu

Crosstalk (left to right): < -90dB @ 1kHz

Sampling: 24-bit, 44.1kHz

Headphone Amp:

Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz +/- 3 dB, +/-0.25dB 100Hz to 15kHz

Signal/Noise Ratio: >90 dB A-weighted

Misc:

Fader Kill: -85 dB

Mic Input: 1/4" TRS

Master Outputs: RCA unbalanced, ¼" pseudo balanced

Headphone Output: ¼ ", 1/8"

Power: Supplied Adapter

Power Into 33 Ohms: 180mW RMS @ 0dBFS

Power Into 150 Ohms: 40mW RMS @ 0dBFS

Minimum Safe Load: 16 Ohms

DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT

Unit: 17.4" x 11.4" x 2.9" / 442mm x 291mm x 73mm

Box: 19.9" x 15.1" x 4.3" / 505mm x 383mm x 108mm

Weight: 5.0lbs

The Stanton SCS.4DJ Digital DJ Mix Station allows the DJ to draw their digital music from any storage facility a DJ would want to use, from a small USB memory stick, external drive, their pc / mac computer, smart phone or from an internal hard drive that can be installed by the owner, again versatility and flexibility is a key factor in the greatness of this mixing powerhouse. The Stanton SCS.4DJ has one feature that I did not see in any other mixing unit at the show, nor was it covered by any of their competitors, with the Stanton SCS.4DJ Digital DJ Mix Station the DJ can record their performance, from start to finish to a mass storage device which can be created and shared instantly by burning it to a thumb drive. This way, the DJ of a Wedding could provide the music and microphone dedications to the bride and groom to remember the soundtrack of their life’s first moments as man and wife.

I like the simplicity of the Stanton SCS.4DJ design in regards to the placement of the Input and Output component connections. The Unit has both ¼” Jack and RCA outputs, 4 type A USB connections and 1 type B USB for connecting to a PC/Mac in MIDI control mode, ¼” and 1/8” Headphone outputs, a separate microphone input and a variety of controls that let you set your filters, effects, loops, delays and more. Each Jog Wheel has independent touch and scratch modes as well as cue, sync and tap. The slides and faders have genuine resistance and don’t feel loose or flimsy and the onboard computer system is very easy to navigate, set and produce. Offering real time cueing and full pitch and range of the digital waveforms, the Stanton SCS.4DJ Digital DJ Mix Station is a complete DJ solution.

At the NAMM Tradeshow, I was able to get an interview with a Stanton Executive. In our interview I found that the key to the Stanton SCS.4DJ Digital DJ Mix Station is that it does not require the DJ to have a laptop, mixer, software or the multitude of accessories that some of the competitor products need to function. It’s all there in the Stanton SCS.4DJ, all onboard and works from day one, and whether the music is from the DJ’s library or from a personal cell phone or mp3 device, it’s all accessible and playable after track analysis. I would like to add that a great pairing to Stanton SCS.4DJ Digital DJ Mix Station is the KRK Rokit 5 monitors, a powered monitor system that is used by Grammy winning producers and musicians around the world, a pair of KRK Rokit 5 monitors were connected to the Stanton SCS.4DJ at the show, and it was a perfect match.

After the NAMM show, I was able to get a unit from the Stanton Company to put through our test and review process. First, we tested it in our offices, and it was everything it claims to be, and it was fun and easy to use. I personally, with no past DJ experience was able to mix down tracks, feed in beats and mix up some fantastic tracks. The ability to perform file browsing and use of the playlist system makes the SCS.4DJ work flawlessly with digital media, monitoring of the waveforms, combined with convincing scratch sounds and the overall perfect sound quality, it is just going to blow you away. The onboard software is better than many 3^rd party PC Computer DJ software and Mac OS music mix programs.

Our in house DJ then took the Stanton SCS.4DJ Digital DJ Mix Station out to use at a show, he loaded his tracks and beats, set the unit up all ahead of time and then went to his show. He gave himself one hour to set up all the equipment and the Stanton SCS.4DJ while setting his turntables up as a backup and his other equipment on standby. He did a 2 hour show and never had to swap out any equipment, or mix from his turntables or other digital mixer. Our DJ had only 1 hour of time to learn about and work with the unit and the 1 hour to load in his tracks and set all his auto mixes. Our DJ was so impressed he went out the next day and bought a Stanton SCS.4DJ Digital DJ Mix Station for himself.

The Stanton SCS.4DJ Digital DJ Mix Station is exactly as promised; it is a full solution to the needs of a DJ that wants a high quality digital music mixing unit that allows the user to explore, innovate and perform to the maximum potential possible. I encourage you to visit the Stanton website at http://www.stantondj.com and check out this and the many other quality DJ products by Stanton as well as meet the Artists and Professionals that swear by their products.

Stanton is a division of Gibson Pro Audio.

Joseph Timmons

Xombiewoof.com Magazine

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Review: Ultimate Ears Custom “In-Ear” Personal Monitor System

 

When you think of a musicians monitor system, what comes to mind are huge PA System Monitors or stage equipment that blasts out the beats in defining levels or bulky headphones that can’t be used on stage because wires can get tangled or they fall off during a performance. As a musician, a drummer specifically, it was hard to hear what I was playing without having to aim the monitors directly at my head, which often made it hard to do what I needed to do without having to spend three hours or more after the performance hoping to get my hearing back. Recently while at the 2012 NAMM convention in Anaheim, I was excited to learn about and get fitted for a revolution in personal monitoring systems. The Ultimate Ears Custom “In-Ear” Personal Monitor System by Logitech is, I feel is what a personal monitor system is and should be- perfection!

 

 

The Ultimate Ears Custom “In-Ear” Personal Monitor System is designed to give the wearer the ability to hear music in its perfect tone and level, in short, it brings the music to you directly into the inner ear canal, no need raise the volume to damaging levels or try to listen for missed sounds while trying to “focus” on the part that you are trying to hear. Using the UE Custom System, you hear every note, sound and effect, and with the system being custom fitted to fit your ears perfectly, it also cancels out background noise so you only hear what you want. The word “Headphones” does not do the UE System justice, headphones cover the ear, but don’t focus the sounds into the ear and in addition, headphones mask and muffle pure sound because of the foam or cloth covers they have. The UE System may appear to be similar to ear-buds or ear plugs, but that is where the similarities end, because they are designed for perfect tone and pitch, they carry the music’s ambience and soft tones into the ear, so you hear more than Bass or High Notes, you hear all the tones High, Lows and Mids.

 

Here is an excerpt from the UE Website,

The Ultimate Ears In-Ear Reference Monitors are designed for professional studio engineers and producers for use during recording, mixing and mastering original music content. Other applications include FOH venue tuning, live recording and mixing. This is also an excellent product for “audiophile” or serious music listener because of its natural and authentic sound reproduction.

The Ultimate Ears In-Ear Reference Monitors are an industry first and are a combination of the Ultimate Ears pro audio sound along with a flat frequency response curve that has been developed & tuned in collaboration with the historic and widely respected Capitol Studios engineering team. The Ultimate Ears In-Ear Reference Monitors allow the user to record, mix and master anywhere, anytime because they provide up to -32 dB of noise isolation. Since they are noise isolating, there is no need to be concerned with environmental acoustics and noise. Lightweight and portable, they can be used as an honest base line reference source when recording and mixing in unfamiliar venues. In addition, they can be used on an airplane, in the waiting room or anywhere you can find time to work!

If you demand nothing but the best for recording, mixing or mastering, the Ultimate Ears In-Ear Reference Monitors provide the comfort, quality and sound that our professional artists and engineers have come to expect since 1995. They combine a new proprietary design featuring three speaker balanced armature speakers. Other new technology includes a rugged low profile, low distortion cable, dual acoustically tuned sound channels and multiple passive crossover points creating the ultimate in separation, detail and clarity.

 

Technical Specifications

Input Sensitivity: 98 dB @ 1 kHz

Efficiency: 112 dB @ 1 kHz, 1mW

Frequency Response: 5 Hz to 20,000 Hz

Impedance: 21 ohms @ 1 kHz

Internal Speaker Configuration: 3 proprietary precision balanced armatures

Noise Isolation: -26 dB (100% acrylic housing) and -32 dB (soft silicone material option)

Input Connector: ¼” jack adapter gold plated; 3 pole 1/8" (3.5 mm) standard jack

 

So, like I said, I was fitted for the UE4 Personal Monitors and after sitting in a chair with the Audiologist for less than 20 min, they made a perfect mold of my ear canals, and set them off to be made. Within 3 weeks my UE set arrived, and I would like to say this is not normal, they usually arrive much sooner, mine were delayed due to the high volume of orders at the NAMM convention. Upon arrival I used My UE Set for listening to some albums I was reviewing. The sound was incredible, I was able to hear everything and on each album, whether Classical to Metal, every note was audible, I missed nothing. I then went into my home studio and tested on the mixing table while I remixed some tracks I had from when I played drums with a band back in the 90’s, and I tell you, I wish I had the UE Set back then, not only did I hear parts of the song where “I should have” been better, but I found parts that were missed in the mix and would have made the tracks better.

 

 

Want to see who else feels the same about the UE System like I do, Click Here and see the professionals that trust their ears and their music to the Logitech Ultimate Ears Custom “In-Ear” Personal Monitor System. Logitech and the UE System do have many other quality models that are not custom and fit any and every budget or price point. Logitech and the UE designers have created units that can be purchased in locations such as Best Buy for use with personal digital players, computers and sound systems for the average home user that, even though are store bought, meet the quality and sound conscious levels of the UE Custom System, you can learn more about the consumer lines here: http://www.logitech.com/en-us/ue. Your hearing matters, using quality designed products that protect your hearing as well as promotes hearing music and tones better is the only logical choice, and so is Logitech’s Ultimate Ears Custom “In-Ear” Personal Monitor System.

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Physicool™ - New Cure for Stage Related Injuries and More !

 

Musicians are a very enthusiastic and often athletic sort, from the guitarist that tried a “windmill” while jumping up and down and found that stages are slippery or drummers that thought knocking over their set for a fantastic finish make for a painful landing if they weren’t careful- stage acrobatics can cause a quick end to a show or delay a tour. As a Drummer, I had my fair share of bumps, bruises, strains and sprains, and I have to say it is no picnic, finding an ER or a clinic at 1am after an incident at a show is not easy either. I have had to keep a major first aid kit with my gear, but never had an easy to use pain relief that would allow me to keep going through a show if I had a fall or accident. Now, some years later I have found one such product, it is the results of major pain relief research and is simple to use and does the job, it is called Physicool™, and I have to admit it is a true wonder.

Physicool™ is a new and unique, stretchable, reusable bandage that combines cooling, compression and support to affected areas. The physicool™ cooling compression wrap provides full coverage of the pain infected body part by cooling and drawing heat out through rapid evaporation, as opposed to other products that work by driving cold in. Physicool™ provides instant treatment for inflammation and bruising of muscles, tendons and ligaments. It is highly effective and quickly reduces swelling and pain. One full treatment lasts for 2 - 3 hours.

physicool™ gives instant treatment for inflammation and bruising of muscles, tendons and ligaments combined with a long lasting cooling effect, even after the bandage has been removed. Physicool™ has been used on thousands of individuals covering a wide range of disciplines, all of whom have found it to be an excellent source of relief. Picture this, you are at a show, your roadie has left a cable untied and you trip during sound check, now you have an ankle that’s throbbing and only an hour until show time, what do you do? You reach for the first aid kit and get the Physicool™, and within a few moments, you are back in action and rocking the night.

While researching this article, I had a sample of Physicool™ which I gave to a drummer I know in NY and told him to try it out, knowing he suffered from a bad elbow condition from a sport related injury. Turns out that 2 days later while playing a gig, one of his monitors on stands collapsed and on the way to the floor the equipment struck his injured elbow, he was taken from the stage and there was no ER in the area, he remembered the Physicool™ sample I sent to him and immediately applied it to his injury, he followed the instructions and proceeded to find the emergency room. He told me his main concern was they had another show the next day and was worried that he would have to cancel. He kept the injured elbow wrapped in the Physicool™ treatment and was finally able to get to the ER in the next township, the ER doctor examined his elbow and said that the treatment he used arrested the damage and kept his injury from getting worse. In short, he was not only in great shape with what could have been a major injury, but the use of the Physicool™ treatment, in his words “Saved my arm, the tour and possibly my career”.

Physicool™ is a proven treatment for existing injuries as well as a useful quick response to any situation that could happen on stage, and it would be an intelligent addition to any musician that is on tour or performing shows. Used by the Center for Athletic Medicine and sports teams like the Chicago Bulls, LA Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves and St. Joseph's University to assist their treasured athletes injuries, Physicool™ is now available to everyone at http://www.physicool.com/ and in various sizes and applications.

Physicool™, originally developed for athletes is now a new friend to musicians, roadies and performers worldwide, don’t take a chance with your health, add Physicool™ to your first aid kit, stage kit and keep it close, the best musician is the prepared musician.

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Metalocalypse Co-Creator Announces New Side Project: BRENDON SMALL’s GALAKTIKON

 

BRENDON SMALL is the co-creator/ writer/ actor/ director/ producer/ of ADULT SWIM'S METALOCALYPSE television series. Brendon Small is also responsible for writing and performing all of the show's music and DETHKLOK: THE DETHALBUM and DETHALBUM II, the latter now known as the fastest-selling death metal album to date.

Now, Brendon has written and produced BRENDON SMALL's GALAKTIKON: "A High Stakes Intergalactic Extreme Rock album", his long-awaited side project set to release in April 2012. The album release will coincide with the Season 4 premiere of METALOCALYPSE.

Coming off of the second DETHKLOK album which was heavier and darker than the first, BRENDON SMALL’s GALAKTIKON searches for melody (in the vocal) and finds inspirations in modern black metal, Queen, Foo Fighters, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins and Weezer. No influence is unwelcome on this project. Brendon Small paired with DETHKLOK drummer (legendary metal drummer) Gene Hoglan (Dethklok, Strapping Young Lad, Testament, Fear Factory) and DETHKLOK bassist Bryan Beller (Dethklok, Steve Vai, Mike Keneally band) and DETHKLOK engineer and mixer Ulrich Wild.

“This album should be thought of as an audio comic book, an over acted chamber drama, a ridiculous premise that takes itself way too seriously all the way to the end,” states Brendon Small.

BRENDON SMALL’s GALAKTIKON comes as a follow up to Brendon’s work on the chart-topping DETHKLOK albums based on METALOCALYPSE and released by Williams Street Records. DETHKLOK: THE DETHALBUM debuted at #21 on the Billboard Top 200 with over 30,000 copies sold in the first week and held the “fastest-selling death metal album to date” position originally until the follow-up, DETHALBUM II, surpassed it to break the aforementioned record with a #15 debut on the Billboard Top 200. DETHKLOK has performed on several US tours and headlined the Los Angeles kick-off date of the 2011 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival.

For all up-to-date information and to purchase BRENDON SMALL’s GALAKTIKON, please visit www.brendonsmall.com: your one-stop-shop for everything involving this new project. You can also catch more intermittent updates on Facebook at www.facebook.com/brendonsmallgalaktikon and follow Brendon Small on Twitter at www.twitter.com/_brendonsmall.

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5x GRAMMY® Winner Victor Wooten Offers A House Concert and Gear

 

Musician, author and music educator Victor Wooten announced today an opportunity for fans to win a private, in home concert plus gear from Samson, Hartke, Fodera and more. The Wooten World Won-Hundred sweepstakes begins now and goes through April 15, 2012. Participants have the opportunity to answer 10 questions per week. Each correct answer receives one entry with a total 110 possible entries to win. The contest is Victor’s way of saying thank you to his fans.

There will be a variety of prizes from manufacturers and organizations that have supported Victor over the years including Fodera, Hartke, Victor Wooten’s Camps at WootenWoods, Zoom, Hudson Music, the Bass Collective and Bass Player magazine.

Victor Wooten is most recognized for his contributions on bass guitar to Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. His solo efforts and his collaborations with artists such as Stanley Clarke, Bruce Hornsby, India Arie, and Dave Matthews have led him to be regarded as one of the greatest bass players of all time. Wooten is also an astute businessman; he owns and runs his own record label, Vix Records, and owns and teaches at Victor Wooten’s Center for Music and Nature, a non-profit nature and music learning facility just outside of Nashville. His award-winning book The Music Lesson: A Spiritual Search for Growth Through Music is published in four languages. He is currently in the studio recording a follow-up CD to his highly-acclaimed 2008 solo effort Palmystery.

 

The Sweepstakes is sponsored by Vix Tours LLC. A full list of official rules and prizes as administered by Compliance Sweepstakes Services may be found at www.victorwooten.com.

To enter and learn more, fans can visit www.victorwooten.com

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Max Cavalera Recovering From Bout With Bell's Palsy

 

Soulfly frontman Max Cavalera is recovering from a bout with Bell's Palsy, a temporary condition that is a form of facial paralysis resulting from a dysfunction of the cranial nerve VII (the facial nerve) that results in the inability to control facial muscles on the affected side.

Cavalera was diagnosed with a case of Bell's Palsy last week upon his return from Australia. He consulted a doctor and was put on a course of antibiotics and is improving greatly and is expected to make a full recovery imminently. He thanks fans for their concern and well wishes and wanted his supporters to know that he is okay, since the condition manifests in the face and he ultimately didn't want fans to worry.

Of his recent illness, Max said, “I woke up one morning after coming home from Australia and the whole room was spinning. I looked at Gloria and said, 'There's something wrong here.' She said, 'Your face looks weird.' I went to the mirror and couldn't move half of my face. We thought I was having a stroke, so we rushed to the hospital. I learned my condition was called Bell’s Palsy but I'd never heard of that. It's a f---ng weird disease. My right eye won't blink, and half of my face feels like I've been punched by Mike Tyson! It hurts like hell. Anyway, I am leaving for Brazil. The show must go on and this Bell's Palsy ain't gonna stop a metalhead from his duties. I hope I'll be ok and thanks to all the fans concerned with me. Stay Metal."

Soulfly will release Enslaved on March 13.

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JOHN WILLIAMS 80TH BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE ALBUM

SONY MASTERWORKS CELEBRATES ACCLAIMED FILM COMPOSER, JOHN WILLIAMS, WITH 80^TH BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE ALBUM

Disc Features Film and Concert Works, and the World Premiere Recording of Williams’s “Happy Birthday Variations”, Plus Performances by Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman

A Tribute to John Williams: An 80^th Birthday Celebration Available February 28, 2012

Awash in honors and still going strong after a nearly 60-year career, prolific composer John Williams is easily the best-known and most beloved composer working today. To mark his 80^th birthday, Sony Masterworks is releasing a retrospective compilation album featuring some of the composer’s own favorite works, conducted by Williams himself, and available on February 28, 2012. From his music for Jaws to his latest score for the critically acclaimed War Horse, A Tribute to John Williams: An 80^th Birthday Celebration is a collection of brilliant music from one of America’s most celebrated musical voices.

In addition to music for television, the concert stage, and festive occasion pieces, this recording also features selections from some of Williams’ iconic film scores, including E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Schindler's List, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and, of course, Star Wars. As George Lucas said of Williams, "Every fan of Star Wars and of great music is in his debt." This album reminds us how true that is. It is sure to please movie-music buffs as well as lovers of great orchestral concert music. In Williams’s own words, "There could be no greater birthday gift than the collected performances of the soloists, orchestras and artists assembled on this CD. It has been the privilege of a lifetime to have worked with all of them."

Starting with the effervescent splash of the concert piece "Sound the Bells!," this new collection shines with Williams's characteristic compositional brilliance and flair for narrative drama. The playful and friendly opening of "Out to Sea / The Shark Cage Fugue" from Jaws builds into taut tension, while the "March from 1941” shows off the composer in his most spirited martial mode. "Adventures on Earth" from E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial illustrates the many moods of wide-eyed cinematic wonder that made that film such a beloved classic.

Williams has enjoyed a rich, forty-year collaboration with Steven Spielberg, having scored all but one of the director's films. This new collection celebrates the composer's ongoing vitality with musical selections from Spielberg's three most recent films: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Adventures of Tintin, and War Horse. The same creative energy is evident in the familiar, magical strains of "Harry's Wondrous World" from the first Harry Potter movie.

The versatile imagination of this great American composer shines in fruitful collaborations with the renowned cellist, Yo-Yo Ma, both in the poignant and tender concert piece Elegy for Cello and Orchestra, and in the spirited and colorful “Going To School” from Memoirs of a Geisha. Legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman joins the composer both for the sweetly romantic Theme from Sabrina, and the beloved and heart-rending Theme from Schindler's List. Williams's iconic music for television also is represented in this collection with the familiar “Mission Theme” for NBC Nightly News. And of course, what John Williams collection would be complete without music from Star Wars - perhaps the best-known film score of the 20^th century?

This birthday tribute to the man Spielberg calls "the greatest of all maestros" closes, fittingly, with the world premiere recording of Williams's joyously inventive and virtuosic "Happy Birthday Variations", a work composed in 1995 to celebrate the birthdays of four of Williams’s renowned musical friends: cellist Yo-Yo Ma, conductor Seiji Ozawa, violinist Itzhak Perlman and pianist Leon Fleisher.

"Maestro, friend, collaborator and storyteller," George Lucas tells his friend, "you brought my stories to life beyond my wildest dreams." Indeed, listeners will recognize the many familiar themes on this enchanting collection from their own movie-magical dreams.

ABOUT JOHN WILLIAMS:

John Williams studied composition with Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco and piano with Madame Rosina Lhevinne at Juilliard, served in the Air Force, and worked in New York as a jazz pianist before embarking on a career in Los Angeles writing music for more than 200 television films and more than 100 feature films. Also a prolific composer of music for the concert stage, Williams served as music director of the Boston Pops Orchestra for 14 highly successful seasons, and is Artist-in-Residence at Tanglewood.

In a career spanning almost six decades, John Williams has composed some of the most popular film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars series, Jaws, the Indiana Jones films, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Schindler’s List, Superman, the first three Harry Potter films and many more. He has received numerous awards, including twenty-one Grammy® Awards, four Golden Globe awards, five Emmys, five Academy Awards®, the Kennedy Center Honor, the Olympic Order, and the National Medal of Arts. He has received 47 Oscar nominations, making him the Academy’s most-nominated living person, and the second-most-nominated person in Oscar history.

TRACK LISTING

• Sound the Bells! (American Journey)
• Out to Sea/Shark Cage Fugue (Jaws)
• Sabrina’s Theme (Sabrina) Featuring Itzhak Perlman, violin
• March (1941)
• Adventures on Earth (E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial)
• Dartmoor, 1912 (War Horse)
• The Adventures of Mutt (Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull)
• Harry’s Wondrous World (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone)
• Elegy for Cello & Orchestra, featuring Yo-Yo Ma, cello
• Going to School (Memories of a Geisha) featuring Yo-Yo Ma – cello,

-John Williams – piano

• The Mission Theme (NBC News)
• Schindler’s List Theme (Schindler’s List) Featuring Itzhak Perlman, violin
• The Adventure Continues from The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
• Throne Room & Finale (Star Wars)
• Happy Birthday Variations - **previously unreleased**

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JOHN 5 to Release New Solo Album ‘God Told Me To’ with Rocket Science Ventures

Visit the New, Official JOHN 5 Website Now at www.john-5.com for Information, New Merchandise, and More!

Catch JOHN 5 this Spring with Rob Zombie on Co-Headliner Tour with Megadeth

JOHN 5 is pleased to announce the new release date for his impressive upcoming full-length solo CD/DVD, God Told Me To. The CD/DVD will be released through Rocket Science Ventures and Sony/RED on May 8^th, 2012—just days before he heads out to perform with Rob Zombie on their upcoming co-headliner with Megadeth (see below for tour dates). God Told Me To was recorded and produced by JOHN 5, Chris Baseford (Rob Zombie, Tommy Lee) and Bob Marlette (Sebastian Bach, Black Sabbath) in 2011. The cover art for the album is illustrated by none other than Rob Zombie, who is also tapping JOHN 5 to score the entirety of his upcoming film, ‘The Lords of Salem’.

JOHN 5 doesn’t just play the guitar. His guitar is an extension of his soul and through it his music has become the Frankenstein birth penetrating the ear drums of fans and admirers worldwide. For JOHN 5, the music is not just about playing, but living, breathing, feeling and passion. His impressive resume has seen him work with some of the most renowned musicians in the industry (Rob Halford, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie to name a few), and has cemented his name into the annals of rock history.

The CD portion of the release features ten painstakingly handcrafted pieces transcending multiple styles—an equal combination of acoustic and electronically influenced tracks—each designed to gradually reveal JOHN 5’s innovative interpretation of his instrument. The orchestration of God Told Me To showcases JOHN 5’s ability to master the subtlety of dynamics, thus emphasizing the overall production value of this body of work. God Told Me To stands tall as a stunning, audible cultural experience.

The DVD portion of the release is hosted by retro-style horror-host Mike Odd and takes a look inside the world of JOHN 5 during his terrifying trip into the realm of God Told Me To. The DVD features footage of JOHN 5 in the studio while working on the new album, exclusive videos taken on tour, a peek inside the photo shoot for his 2011 remix album Remixploitation, and more.

“I'm so proud of this record, I’ve put more time into this release than any other! It's half acoustic and the other half electric with a tribute to Michael Jackson and Eddie Van Halen with ‘Beat It’,” states JOHN 5. “The DVD shows me actually recording the songs as well as behind the scenes of a "day in the life" of JOHN 5! This album will take you on a musical journey designed to show more diversity in my playing than in the past. Enjoy!”

JOHN 5 continues to branch out, coupling his solo career with his work in Rob Zombie. His five previous solo albums, up to his 2010 release, Art of Malice, continue to break new molds in solo instrumentalist work. JOHN 5 also continues to work in 2012 with other artists including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rod Stewart, and is currently working on new music for Rob Zombie’s upcoming album.

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JOHN 5 Performing with ROB ZOMBIE on Co-Headliner with MEGADETH:

5/11 Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center

5/12 Scranton, PA @ Toyota Pavilion

5/16 Pittsburgh, PA@ Stage AE

5/18 Grand Rapids, MI @ The Deltaplex

5/20 Columbus, OH @ Columbus Crew Stadium (Rock On The Range)

5/22 La Crosse, WI @ La Crosse Center

5/24 Sioux City, IA @ Tyson Center

5/25 Wichita, KS @ Hartman Arena

5/26 Pryor, OK @ Fever Music Festival Grounds (Rocklahoma)

JOHN 5’s brand new, redesigned website features a huge merchandise store, news updates, tour information, and more. For more on JOHN 5, his upcoming tour with Rob Zombie, and God Told Me To, please visit www.john-5.com and these additional websites:

www.facebook.com/john5official - www.twitter.com/john5guitarist - www.youtube.com/john5official

Famed Guitarist JOHN 5 to Release New Solo Album ‘God Told Me To’ with Rocket Science Ventures on May 8^th, 2012

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