Canadian Music Trade - December / January 2020 | Page 46

Endorser Update
Accomplished guitarist Camilo
Velandia is now using Sono-
Tone strings on all of his guitars.
Velandia is currently playing
live with best-selling Latin artist
Julio Iglesias, in the studio for
NBC’s Le Voz USA, and has
previously played with Natalia
Jimenez, Diego Torres, Jennifer
Lopez, and others.
Velandia says he chooses
SonoTone strings for the en-
hanced clarity, warmth, and
sustain they impart to all of his
instruments, and also because
the boutique, small-batch
Camilo Velandia
manufacturer is available and
responsive to his requests whenever he needs his next order of strings. “There’s a certain
feeling when you’re using something that is great quality, and I get that feeling when I
play these strings,” Velandia adds. “It doesn’t matter which set I have on. It’s almost like I
can tell that I have SonoTone strings on.”
Los Angeles-based multi-
instrumentalist Sarah
Schachner is best known as
the creative force behind the
cinematic soundtracks for the
immensely-popular Assassin’s
Creed and Call of Duty video
games. Recently, she’s been ex-
ploring new sounds and finding
creative inspiration with the
Moog Matriarch semi-modular
analog synth.
“Being a composer for film
and games, the reality is that I
have to be creative all the time
– not just when inspiration
strikes,” Schachner says. “I’m
grateful when I find an instru-
Sarah Schachner
ment that reminds me of what
drew me to music as a child by inspiring me to take my time exploring sounds and not
just rush to something I already know works. Some synths do one or two things really
well, but the Matriarch goes beyond that and celebrates and encourages the joy
of discovery.”
Matteo Vena
Buzzworthy GTA drummer Matteo Vena is the
latest addition to WFLIII Drums’ artist roster.
The 13-year-old phenom, who performs with
rock outfit Open L8, caught the attention of
WFLIII founder William F. Ludwig III during
a recent visit to Drumland in Vaughan, ON,
and Ludwig was instantly impressed. The two
kept in regular touch leading up to Ludwig’s
formal invitation to have Vena endorse the
brand.
“It feels good that people believe in me
– especially the best drum company in the
world,” enthuses Vena. “My gigging snare – a
1909 White Sparkle Aluminum – is the best
ever. I love how it looks and sounds with my
Headliner five-piece kit. The kit has that classic
Led Zeppelin thump and looks so cool. I just
wish all my backlined shows had one!
Since joining the rock band Shinedown in 2008, producer and bassist Eric Bass
has been using Furman power filtration and protection gear. For the band’s
2018 album Attention, Attention, Bass decided to use a studio in a warehouse
complex and that’s where he says Furman’s gear proved especially useful.
“The power can get wonky there,” he says, “and can fluctuate wildly if some-
one turns on a machine a few doors away. There are boat builders, blacksmiths,
and other businesses that use power-hungry tools, so my Furman rep Rob Har-
ris helped me plan and purchase all the gear I needed. Now all my vintage gear,
tube amps, everything, performs perfectly every time I step inside. We recorded
the entire Attention, Attention album there and our power never left 120 volts -
not once.”
Eric Bass
46 CANADIAN MUSIC TRADE