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Bad Cat Amps has begun shipping its new X-Treme Tone tube overdrive pedal ($399). Although Bad Cat is best known for making hand built, high-quality tube amps, the company is venturing further into the stompbox arena after having previously released the 2 Tone pedal. The X-Treme tone offers gain boost and overdrive, and is equipped with two 12AX7 tubes. It has six "chicken head" control knobs (Gain, Edge, Level, Bass, Treble, and Master), and footswitches to change between two different modes. Mode One provides clean gain boost, and Mode Two gives you overdrive. According to Bad Cat, the architecture of Mode Two resembles the front end of its Hot Cat amplifier.

Drummers looking for a new hi-hat will want to check out the new 9500 ($329) from Drum Workshop. According to DW, the unit features the world's first Double Eccentric Cam Drive system and cymbal seat with lateral angle adjustment. The 9500 is based on the hi-hats in DW's 5000 series. Other features on the 9500 include dual-rotating legs, a tension-adjustable internal compression spring, a TechLock clutch and interlocking memory locks.

One of Hartke's newest bass combos is the A100 ($499.99). Due to ship in June, the A100 is the flagship of Hartke's new "A Series" of combos that also includes the A25, A35, and the A70. The A100 is a 100W amp in a tilt-back cabinet (Hartke calls it "Kick-Back") that also houses a 15-inch aluminum speaker. Other features include a 7-band graphic EQ, a variable limiter, XLR balanced outputs, an effects loop, a headphone jack, and both passive and active inputs.

Sonic Foundry has reached an agreement to sell its popular desktop music production software titles to Sony Pictures Digital. Sony will acquire such popular titles as Acid, Sound Forge, and Vegas. What will this mean for the future of those software products? The press release announcing the deal stated that, "Sony anticipates maintaining the group's Madison, Wis. base." When asked for further information, a Sony spokesman said, "We expect to continue the line of products and build upon them." The agreement is subject to approval by the Sonic Foundry shareholders.

U.S. Music Corp has announced the Washburn Rover ($199), a new travel guitar. This full-scale acoustic guitar features a fully-bound mahogany body and neck, and a spruce top. It also comes with a cordura case that has a hard-foam lining, a molded interior, internal and external storage pockets, and backpack and luggage straps. The case is designed to fit in the overhead storage bins on airplanes.

At the most recent NAMM show, Yamaha announced it's P Series II power amps, and one of them, the PS3500S ($689), will start shipping this month. The amp delivers 350W per channel in an 8-ohm stereo application and 2000W in a 4-ohm bridged application. Features include Neutrik, binding post, and 1/4-inch output jacks, XLR and 1/4-inch audio inputs, sweepable high- and low-pass filters, and a variable speed cooling fan. All the amps in the series (which also includes the P7000S, P5000S, and the P2500s) are equipped with Yamaha's EEEngine technology, which the company says helps deliver high performance and optimum efficiency.

The Spring 2003 leg of M-Audio's M-World tour will feature guest artists demonstrating Propellerhead Reason, Arkaos VJ, and Ableton Live 2 software. In addition, participants will have a chance to get their hands on all of M-Audio's latest hardware products. The cities and dates include Washington, D.C., May 28-29; Chicago, June 4-5; Montreal, June 18-19; and Toronto, June 23-24. Register at M-Audio.com.

The Steinberg Virtual Band Tour (running through June 4, 2003) will focus on the company's Cubase SL and SX applications; the company's latest virtual instruments; and integration of the VSL2020 audio card, V-Stack software, and VST System Link into one system. Visit SteinbergUSA.net for information on the dates and locations of the events, as well as news about special deals.

The Independent Music World Series (IMWS) is accepting applications until May 30, 2003 for its Southeast region contest. If you're an unsigned band, and one of your members resides in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee, you're eligible to enter. The contest is open to unsigned musicians, and over $35,000 in prizes will be awarded. According to an IMWS press release, the grand prize includes "a complete CD manufacturing package from Disc Makers and gear and services from the contest's sponsors: Billboard magazine, MP3.com, Fender Guitars, TAXI, Zildjian, Alesis, Gemini DJ, DW Drums, Shure Microphones, Remo Drumheads, Onstage magazine and CD Baby." For details on entering and eligibility, and for information about contests in other regions please call 1-888-800-5796, or go to www.discmakers.com/imws.

The Sisters Jazz Festival will take place this September 12-14 in Sisters, Oregon. The festival is a nonprofit organization that donates its proceeds to the Sisters School District Music Scholarship Fund. This year's event will feature Titan Hot Seven with Bob Draga, Cornet Chop Suey, Blue Street, Gator Beat, Pieter Meijers Quartet featuring Cheryl Stephens, Chicago Six, Lily Wilde & Her Jumpin' Jubilee Orchestra, Good Bait Quintet, Yve Evans & Company, Oregon Coast Lab Band and more. For information, go to www.sistersjazzfestival.com or call 800-549-1332.

The International Songwriting Competition is accepting entries in the following categories: Pop/Top 40,Rock, AAA/Roots/Americana, Country,Blues, R&B/Hip-Hop, Folk/Singer-Songwriter, Jazz, Gospel/Christian,Dance/Electronica, World, Lyrics Only, and Teen. Sixty-eight prizes will be awarded, with a total of $100,000 in prizes being offered. Judges include Rob Thomas, Paul Oakenfold, Arif Mardin, Nile Rogers, and many others. The deadline for entering is September 15, 2003. For rules, entry instructions, and further information, go to www.songwritingcompetition.com, or call 781.306.0441.

Fall Out Boy. These emo-influenced punk-rockers from Chicago list Green Day, The Descendents, The Who, and Run DMC as their main influences. Recording on the indie, Fueled By Ramen Records, Fall Out Boy produce a very catchy brand of pop punk. Their new CD is entitled, Take This to Your Grave. You can check them out at their Web site, www.falloutboyrock.com, or at their MP3.com site, http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/346/fall_out_boy.html.

Phoenix and Shadow. Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, this hip hop group is unusual in that it features real instruments at its shows. According to the band's Web site, Phoenix and Shadow "uses the aggressive drum patterns of Drum&Bass and the Carribean undertones of Reggae to create what they describe as the 'Trippy Star' sound." Go to www.phoenixandtheshadow.com to download songs from their CD, Different They Think.

Sixways. This Southern California-based pop-rock band features melodic songs and distinctive vocals. Download their music at www.sixways.tv. The band plans to launch a more extensive Web site soon.

Slight. These modern rockers are based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Their new CD is called A Perfect Life, an impressively well-produced 13-song effort. Go to www.slightmusic.com and check out their very well done site, replete with a "remote control" for auditioning their tunes while you peruse the site.

In last month's issue, there were problems with the links to two of the artists that we featured. As a result, we're running their entries again. Here they are:

Marly Hornik. Hornik is a singer-songwriter from New York City by way of Virginia. Her latest CD, Say You Do, showcases her impressive vocals and solid pop-rock songwriting. Check it out at www.marlyhornik.com.

Newcomers Home. Offering up an eclectic blend of acoustic pop, world music, bluegrass, and folk, this Boulder, Colorado-based band is both original and talented. Go to newcomershome.com to download MP3s from their latest CD, In the Hour, and their debut effort, Miles From Saint Louise.

When you're loading out your equipment, a set routine saves time and keeps the loss of gear to a minimum. Don't forget to check the stage and dressing room for stray items one last time before you go. You don't want to arrive in Des Moines and realize you left your effects processor in Columbus.*

Unless you have an incredibly simple setup, it's easy to forget one of your smaller items in the rush to get out of a club at the end of the night. But if you have a methodical system in which you pack things up in the same way, and in the same order after every gig, you'll greatly minimize the chance of leaving something behind.