Voodoo Lab

US COMPANY GALAXY AUDIO
has been proclaiming ‘small is best’ for
many years, proving the point with a
line of mini monitors able to kick out a
surprising amount of volume. Partnered
by equally diminutive passive cabs, the
Hot Spot PA5X140 becomes a powerful,
portable mini PA system. But it’s equally
successful as a highly directional,
individual monitor, capable of kicking
out more than enough controllable, high
quality volume for even the deafest
performer. And the bijou proportions
Galaxy Audio Hot Spot PA5X140
powered monitor
£299
KEY INFO ❘ GALAXY AUDIO HOT SPOT PA5X140 ❘ PRICE: £299 ❘ TYPE: POWERED MONITOR ❘ TEL: SMARTSOUND DIRECT 0 8 0 0 73175 41
MISCELLANEOUS
KEY INFO ❘ ALCHEMY STRINGS ❘ PRICE: £11.95-12.95 ❘ TYPE: MC394K BRIGHT-COAT TREATED ACOUSTIC STRINGS ❘ TEL: [phone]
RATING
AVAILABLE IN A CHOICE OF
gauges, from .011-.052 up to .013-.056,
the new Dean Markley coated Alchemy
sets are offered in both phosphor
bronze and bronze confi gurations. The
main difference with Alchemy lies in the
type of material used to coat the strings.
Dean Markley uses the MC394K Bright-
Coat compound produced by leading
US corrosion inhibitors, Cortec. These
guys are experts in preventing oxygen,
salt, acids, grease, etc, from doing harm
to a wide range of metal objects from
military helicopters to computer
motherboards, so a set of guitar strings
ought to be a walk in the park.
IN USE: In terms of fi tting and
stretching in, the Alchemy strings differ
little from a regular set. The strings
have an authoritative tone that is well
balanced and clearly spoken. With a
GoldPhos set fi tted to our Seagull S6
the fi rst impression is of a full-sounding,
without any of the associated tactile
problems that plague lesser brands. If
you want a rounded yet bright tone that
will remain consistent, then Dean
Markley’s Alchemy set could very well
be the strings for you. We’ve had ’em on
our guitar for nearly three months and
they’re still going strong… To hear
these strings being put through their
paces check out Alchemy endorsee
Amrit Sond at www.amritsond.com.
nicely balanced swell with sweet trebles
and a pleasant mid-range. The punch
and power in the bass register is tight
and, whether you play genteel
fi ngerstyle or hammer the hell out of
them with your thumbpick, the
Alchemy set consistently delivers great
tone and sustain.
Verdict
Using their proprietary compounds
Cortec has successfully managed to
keep Dean Markley’s guitar strings
singing longer and sounding sweeter
When you want tone that lasts and lasts, indulge in a spot of
Alchemy…
by Benji Bartlett
Dean Markley Alchemy coated
acoustic strings
£11.95-12.95
The Hot Spot: it’s
powerful, portable,
highly directional,
and it sounds great
ALCHEMY STRINGS TEST RESULTS
Build quality
Feel
Sound
Value for money
■ WE LIKED Install like regular strings;
excellent performance; superior tone
■ WE DISLIKED Gold/mustard colouration
is an acquired taste
HOT SPOT TEST RESULTS
Build quality
Features
Performance
Value for money
■ WE LIKED Size and sound
■ WE DISLIKED Price
Dean Markley’s
Alchemy strings
sport clear tone,
plus a corrosion-
inhibiting coating
AUGUST 2005 161
(177mm x 279mm x 133mm) allow it to
be sited in suitably close proximity, mic
stand mounted using Galaxy’s spigot-
style adaptor.
A moulded plastic cab helps keep
weight to a manageable 5.7kg, while
standard jack and XLR-equipped inputs
are governed by controls spanning two
mic/line level controls plus three-band
EQ. The on-board amp pumps 146W
RMS into a special design, fi ve-inch
Neolite speaker, sited safely behind the
bars of the metal front grille. Further
protection is provided by a built-in
compressor/limiter and SmartALIC all
level input control circuitry.
SOUNDS: Sonic quality is excellent on
voice, guitar and backing tracks, with
plenty of power available, plus ample
tonal tweaking via the simple but
effective EQ array.
Verdict
Such quality doesn’t come cheap, but
the impressive, user-friendly
performance helps to soften the
fi nancial blow. Anyway, there’s nothing
else around this small and this good.
RATING
A little box capable of deafening even the drummer! by Paul Day
GIT267.rev_quick 161GIT267.rev_quick 161 25/7/05 8:56:17 am25/7/05 8:56:17 am