XONE - Maxxed Out At Full Capacity: 16 Original Electronic Metal Songs for $8.99!!!

Get the latest XONE album:
XONE - Maxxed Out at Full Capacity at itunes, Amazon MP3, Google Play, Spotify

16 Original Electronic Metal Songs for $8.99
Give XONE a listen and see what the buzz is about!!!

Check XONE out at ReverbNation.com

See the new video "Do You Hear What I'm Saying" at You Tube!

Ready for some Comedy for Comedy's sake? Here's the latest video from XONE for the song "Do You Hear What I'm Saying" featuring a celebrity impression of Jesse Ventura!

From the album XONE - Maxxed Out At Full Capacity available at Itunes, Amazon MP3, Google Play, Spotify

See the new Video for "Maxxed Out At Full Capacity"!!!

See the new video for the song "Maxxed Out At Full Capacity" from the XONE album of the same name, available at itunes, Amazon MP3, Google Play, Spotify

 Maxxed Out At Full Capacity

Title track from XONE's new album "Maxxed Out At Full Capacity", available at itunes, Amazon MP3, Google Play, Spotify

The song is about how exciting the NHL is today!
Hockey is the best team sport on the planet,
and today's stars in the NHL are better than ever!

The game is growing fast, even in non-traditional markets.

Here, in Los Angeles, the Kings used to have trouble selling out the old Forum for games, but now at the Staples Center, they are "maxxed out at full capacity"!!!

NHL Hockey Rules!!!
If you aren't watching, you are missing out!

XONE
Maxxed Out At Full Capacity
www.xonelive.com

Download the song "MORE" for FREE!!!

You can download the new song MORE from the XONE Reverb Nation site!

Wrestling For President - Video !!!! (Starring Arnold & Jesse)

Here's the Video for the comedy song "Wrestling For President"! It stars impressions of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jesse Ventura, following a "win" in a future Presidential Election. Click here to see the Video. Hope you like it!

Wrestling for President is available on the Album: XONE - The Emperor's Dream available at Itunes, Amazon MP3, and Google Play!

How Do You Say "XONE"

A number of people have asked me, how do you pronounce the name of your band? Well, it’s pronounced like the word “ZONE”, but spelled with an “X” instead of a “Z”. It’s an “X” because we like to think that our music takes you to far away from your daily toil and into our own musical XONE of stories and textures, that almost feels like another universe of sound altogether.

Listen to our last CD The 4^th Dimension

and Download it for FREE!

Let us know what you think!

Also, visit our FaceBook Page!

You can email us at: prog_metal_xone@hotmail.com

The Drum Mic XONE 2

With our latest XONE album, The 4th Dimension, finally released, we are currently recording our next CD in our San Pedro Studio at KOOS Rehearsal. The Drum Mic setup has evolved a bit from our earlier blog on the subject. We employ a 10 mic setup on Jason’s Kit, and we are getting the best drum tracks we’ve ever recorded!

Jason still uses his excellent set of BeyerDynamic Opus Drum mics to capture the full sound of his Blond Maple Yamaha kit with Gibraltar Rack. We have singular mic coverage of the Kick, Snare, Left Overall, Right Overall, 12" Tom, 14" Tom, 18" Floor Tom, Ride Cymbal. The Hi-Hat, Cowbell, and Splash Cymbal get covered by a single Opus mic. A single MXL Condenser mic is set directly in front of the kit to capture the Room. 10 Channels of great mics capturing the sound of his kit, going into a Presonus Digimax FS into Pro Tools Digi 002 Rack in 24 bit.

The tracks are then transferred to an HP running Sonar 7 PE, where I add C4 Compression to the Kick and Snare, and add EQ to every channel. The kit is panned the same as it stands in the room (audience View), with certain Tom parts doubled in stereo. I add Reverb to the Snare, Overalls, Hi-Hat, Ride, and Toms. Listening now, I can say that the drums on our next XONE CD are going to sound way better than anything we’ve ever had before, thanks to good mics, correct placement, and quality DAW/Plug-Ins!

The Fourth Dimension

XONE is proud to release our new album:
The 4th Dimension.
It has taken almost 2 years to release this CD,
but the end result is an album that we are very excited for you to hear!
Our intention is to tell stories and be storytellers.
The 4th Dimension is our first real step in this direction.
We’ve learned a lot about ourselves and our gear along the way, we’ve had to re-record all of the Bass ourselves, but we’ve allowed the Vocals to lead the way with this new album.
We hope you will engage yourself into the unique stories told by each of the songs from the album,
and process their subject matter internally in a positive way.
Fall into The 4th Dimension…


XONE
The 4th Dimension (2008)
1. The 4th Dimension
2. Ironheart
3. Beautiful One Day
4. TKO
5. Young Man’s Destiny

6. The Mastermind
(15min epic-almost completed-to be released in Dec 2008)


Lyrics - Click Here

*The 4th Dimension is being released directly on the Internet
and is available now for FREE DOWNLOAD!!

Click the FREE DOWNLOAD link for each song
and get/hear the new album from XONE

Watch our video for: Beautiful One Day
(click "watch in high quality, in blue, bottom right of video window)

and let us know what you think by leaving a comment at any of our sites.

Young Man's Destiny

The fifth song on the new XONE CD The 4th Dimension,
explains that it’s not easy growing up from a boy to a man.
It’s every young boy’s dream to grow into a great man.
It’s getting there that can be difficult.
This is the Young Man’s Destiny…


Young Man’s Destiny
(Lyrics)

Verse 1:
From a young age,
he's always been told.
You have to choose,
you're young now,
you got your whole life ahead of you.

Stepping through stages in life,
it takes time to get old.
and I'll find things my own way,
no matter what people say.

Chorus 1:
A young man's destiny,
Calling and haunting me.
From childhood,
to the man that I wish to be.

A young man's destiny,
now he seeks to see.
No longer a child,
but the man that he yearns to be.

Verse 2:
Living in boundaries,
a cage around my soul.
You will suffer,
so that the truth can be known.

Listening to arrogance,
from liars and fools.
Groups are only cowardice,
trying to be cool.

Chorus 2:
A young man's destiny,
Calling and haunting me.
From childhood,
to the man that I wish to be.

A young man's destiny,
now he seeks to see.
No longer a child,
but the man that he yearns to be.


Chorus 3:
A young man's destiny,
Calling and haunting me.
From childhood,
to the man that I wish to be.

A young man's destiny,
how he seeks to see.
No longer a child,
but the man that he yearns to be.

A young man's destiny,
Calling and haunting me.
Of this lost childhood,
and this human disease.

A young man's destiny,
and how he fought to be.
Not only the child,
but the man that you see...

Ironheart

The second track on our new XONE CD “The 4th Dimension”,
is the epic story Ironheart. This is the true story of the first time that a people oppressed by Rome, fought back and won! In 9 AD, Germanic Goths under the command of a former Roman Auxiliary Arminius (Hermann the German) routed 3 Roman Legions under the Command of Quinctilius Varus at Teutoburger Wald near modern day Detmold, Germany.

In 9 AD, the Roman Empire had pushed its northern border to the Rhine River, and Rome was attempting to push it North to the Elbe River. Standing right in the way of this were a bunch of loose knit tribes
Inhabiting the Teutoburger Forest. The Romans would conquer an area and immediately tax the people living there to subjugate the inhabitants to Roman rule. It was a model that worked.

To subjugate The Teutoburger Forest tribes, Publius Quinctilius Varus was assigned Governor of the area. Varus had earned his reputation governing Syria, where he bled the land and people dry with heavy taxes,
filling his own pockets along the way from the revenues. He came to Germania with the same idea in mind and instituted his will harshly.

Working as a auxiliary Commander and Aide to Varus was Arminius, a young native german who had served in Rome’s Auxiliary fighting insurrection in Illyria (Bosnia). He had returned home to work with the Roman government. What he witnessed was his people completely subjugated to Varus’ taxes and Rome’s will.

Arminius, also known as Hermann the German, decided to lead a rebellion against Varus and his Legions. He united the Forest tribes with his own Cherusci Tribe, and planned the destruction of Rome in his land.
Since Arminius was trusted by Varus, Arminius was able to lead Varus into a trap. Arminius reported to Varus that tax collectors in some of the villages had been killed. Varus ordered his 3 Legions to follow him into the Teutoburger Wald. Once inside the forest, and cut off from his base and supplies, Varus was in a bad situation.

Arminius’ Germans attacked Varus in a bog, and terrorized the Romans using hit and run tactics. The Roman Legions were a hard bunch of soldiers, but they were outnumbered. Arminius sent his cavalry to Varus rearguard to completely cut off all Roman communication and supply.
After three days, of continued, sporadic attacks by the Germans, the Romans realized how grim their situation was. 3 Roman Standards had been lost, two captured by the Germans and one that fell into the bog, and was never seen again. The Roman Standard was a holy symbol to Roman soldiers, and the loss of three had a definite morale effect on the dwindling number of remaining troops holding out. Varus and his commanders accepted their hopeless position, and each fell on their swords rather than be taken alive.

Some had tried to rebel against Rome and failed. The Jews at Masada, the Egyptians had both lost. Even Arminus had helped defeat rebellion in Illyria. But in his homeland, Arminius had dealt the first blow in a long line of changing fortunes for Rome. His destruction of three Legions was felt in Rome, and its echo was felt over the next 300+ years, culminating in the Visigoth defeat of Rome at the Battle of Adrianople in 379 A.D.

Our story begins, as an old, battle-weary Arminus tells his tale to a young Cherusci boy, so that the story may live on…

Ironheart
(Lyrics)

Intro:
Old man, will you tell me the story,
Of how our people became free
If I can see it through your eyes
Then I know I can believe,
that what I've heard is true,
it really was you...

Verse A:
My village was strong and we lived off the land
and from these surroundings I grew into a man.
I sought my own fortune, so I took up the sword
and served under Rome against Illyria.

But then Rome sought to tame a leash on our land
They came here to rule us with an iron hand.
Quintilius Varus came to govern my home
and where did this leave me, now that I served Rome.

Transition

Verse B:
(Now) Varus' methods had been tested before,
I've heard it said that Syria can breathe no more.
Economic enslavement was Varus' plan,
Collecting taxes, he became a rich man.

So he levied his tributes among my own kin,
even though I now served under him.
I played along to make him feel that he had my side,
and all the while I was plotting Rome's demise.

I brought him news of Romans killed by the tribes,
refusing to pay any part of his bribes.
So Varus took his Army marching North to the call,
He marched them right into Teutoburger Wald.

Transition:

Chorus A:
We shall drive out the invader
I lead my men into victory's halls
with these blades we shall defend the righteous
we strike to war by the clarion's call.

Chorus B:
For so long my sword's been forsaken
Now it causes Roman blood to flow
Enticing Varus into a nightmare
so that we can strike the final blow.

Verse C:
I will catch them deep in the mountains
where a phalanx can't be deployed
They will soon become overextended
3 Roman Legions will be destroyed.

Ironhearted I burn with vengeance
I cannot let despair take hold
We must strike while we're still able
and Varus must be forced to fall on his sword

Verse D:
I broke with our tactics to give us a chance,
No other peoples' faced Legions and lived to dance
Auxiliary tribesmen led them into the trap
and we sprung it on them with a resounding snap.

We waited until they had come into the bog
and snuck up on them in the midst of the fog
I then sent my cavalry far to their rear,
raiding their supply lines, I stranded them here.

Transition:

Chorus A:
Now we destroy the invader,
piece by piece he is devoured whole.
(Our) war cries echo throughout the night air
No Roman soldier shall know sleep at all.

Chorus B:
By the hour they grow weaker and weaker,
Their retreat is confused and slow
We have captured 2 Roman Standards,
while the third lies in the swamp below.

Verse E:
In the howling wind and hammering rain
we strike the Roman Lines again and again
This continues for three days and then
the Roman Leadership now sees the end

Ironhearted I burn with vengeance
I have let all contempt take hold
One last strike while they're disabled
and Varus is forced to fall on his sword

Outro:
Well Rome wasn't built in one day,
and it won't be destroyed in one either.
but it's presence will slowly decay,
as I ring the death knell of an empire.

so Goths we shall remain,
a people united in name...
all for one in the same.

And this Ironheart once believed
That if Rome could be forced to flee
to the banks of the Rhine on her knees.

That Legion after Legion would fall
Romans and conscripts, et al...
onward to Adrianople...
And this Ironheart still believes…

The 4th Dimension

XONE is proud to release our new album:
The 4th Dimension.
The process was long, but the end result is an album that we are all very excited for you to hear! We hope you will engage yourself into the unique stories told by each of the songs from the album,
and process their subject matter internally in a positive way.
Fall into The 4th Dimension…


XONE
The 4th Dimension (2008)
1. The 4th Dimension
2. Ironheart
3. Beautiful One Day
4. TKO
5. Young Man’s Destiny

6. The Mastermind
(15min epic-almost completed-to be released in Dec 2008)


How can you fall into The 4th Dimension,
and what does this mean to release this album?

Well, in today’s internet-connected world,
where music is streamed and downloaded
right into one’s home, the hard copy CD is less important
than music available directly on the internet.
Because of this new standard:

The 4th Dimension is being released directly on the Internet
and is available now for FREE DOWNLOAD!!

Click the FREE DOWNLOAD link
and get/hear the new album from XONE

and let us know what you think by leaving a comment at our
YouTube Video Channel or MySpace…

The Vetta-POD X3 Connection

The Line 6 Vetta and the Line 6 POD X3 provide comparable rigs for those guitarists who want a huge palette of tones within reach, at an economical price. The Vetta has been my mainstay amp with XONE for the last 5 years, and I love it. But for those ready to jump in now, with Line 6’s modeling, the POD X3 is the latest, greatest product from the Chatsworth, California company.

I still love and use my Vetta HD weekly, so there’s no reason for me to buy a POD X3. But If I was in the market for a new rig, then the POD X3 would be at the top of my list. Combined with a good power amp and a quality 4x12 cabinet, the POD X3 Live would provide a guitarist with an immense store-bank of tones and sounds that can change in a millisecond to polar opposites. That may sound quite technical,
and that’s because the POD X3 is complex and technical.

If you don’t intend to tweak unique, original patches yourself, then this unit that features two completely separate signal paths won’t do you any good. Each signal is independent of the other and can be effected in any way by the user. From Boutique amp models, to classic Post-Effects, POD X3 users can create a myriad of new tones for their music needs.

The Vetta can’t do 2 separate signal chains at once, but rather pushes both amp channel signals through a combined Post Effects chain, where modulation, delay, and reverb use the same variables for each amp signal. If I just lost you, then maybe buy a Marshall or some Boutique Dream Amp, which has 2-3 excellent tones, and doesn’t require much tweaking.

But if all this made sense to you and you’re considering the POD X3,
then “Go For It”!! I recently have been helping a friend learn how to use his POD X3 Live. While I am having to learn a new interface, the concepts are very similar to the Vetta, so we are getting somewhere quick.

One thing is for sure, the POD X3 sounds excellent!!!

The Vetta XONE Continues

Where would I be without my Vetta? I would be immersed in a land of 2-3 tones. I just need more than that. The Line 6 Vetta delivers a huge palette of tones, and with the two amps at once feature, I’m able to blend two amp models to make a unique original tone each time. The applications are almost endless. Especially in XONE.

While there are many awesome tube amps out on the market, and most of the ones you’d want cost a fistful of cash. It’s great if you can afford that. I cannot. Yet. I need an almost limitless palette of tones for XONE’s music. The only way I can afford this type of device, is with the Line 6 Vetta. In 2003, I walked out of Guitar Center with a Line 6 Vetta HD (head) and an FBV Longboard Foot Controller for $2000. It’s still the best investment I’ve ever made with my tone.

Before Line 6, I swore by Marshall.
I have to admit that some of the Marshall models in the Vetta really give that Marshall tone that I like.
The ’85 Marshall Silver Jubilee, ’92 Marshall JCM 900, and ’68 Jumpered Marshall Super Lead really stand out in the Vetta for hi-Gain tones. Mixing any of those with the Line 6 Original Spinal Puppet model,
And I get a really rich Marshally tone. The Spinal Puppet is basically a hot-rodded Marshall head, so it brings out that rich Marshally tone when mixed with a Marshall model.

Typically, use the Marshall model as the Main amp in the patch,
Lows and low-mids, with the Channel Volume at 100% (all the way up),
The Spinal Puppet covers the high-mids, highs at 50% (12o’clock).
Sounds really awesome to my ears!

The Drum Mic XONE

XONE is nuts about recording. I mean, we record everything. And everything must be recorded, in case we play something "brilliant". It sucks to have played something awesome, but you can't remember the exact progression, feel, phrasing the next day. Been there, done that! So, I learned to record EVERYTHING!

I've been recording every rehearsal of XONE for the last 6 years. In the beginning, I recorded with a Yamaha mixer into a Sony Mini-DV cam for stereo recording of every rehearsal. Then I got a Fostex VF-160 and began to multitrack record every rehearsal. It's been my workhorse for the last 4 years. It's very portable, and I basically "rubber stamp" mix my mixes so that I can have a CD of our last rehearsal ready for the guys at the next rehearsal. Obviously, I put way more work into mixing our actual CDs, but for rehearsal CDs, time is of the essence.

Since both the Line 6 Vetta and the Line 6 Bass POD Pro XT feed direct into the Fostex, they use no mics. But Drums need mics to record them. For the most part we've been faking our rehearsal recordings with a 4 mic setup. A Kick Mic on the Kick drum, a mic on the Snare & Hi-Hat area, a Left Overall mic that picks up both Cymbals, Ride cymbal, and the Floor Tom, and a Right Overall mic for the Cymbals and Rack Toms. It wasn't perfect, but it did the job, day in and day out. This somewhat easy setup has served us well for a number of years, although we used an 8 mic setup on our debut CD.

Well, all that has changed for the better!! Jason, our drummer, got an excellent kit of Beyerdynamic Opus Drum mics for his drum kit and we now have a 10 mic setup on the drums. Jason also got a Presonus Digimax FS, which is a Digital interface that allows us to hook the mics directly to the Digimax and then connect all of that with 1 optical cable to the Fostex (or Pro Tools). Talk about simple!! The mics stay in place as each one is hooked up to kit and the cables are snaked together and labeled at both ends. We now have mic coverage of the Kick, Snare, Hi-Hat, Left Overall, Right Overall, 10" Tom, 12" Tom, 14" Tom, Left 18" Floor Tom/Ride Cymbal, and Right 18" Floor Tom. I'm mixing down 2 free jams that we played after we got the new mic system setup and configured. The drums sound so 3D, it awesome!!! And that's at 16 bit! We'll be doing everything in 24 bit Pro Tools when we track our third CD starting in April!

We can't say enough about having quality mics for drums!
They are making all the difference...

Be sure to check out our latest Blog on Drum Miking Jason's Kit!