One reason I like baking chicken in the oven

… is it never cooks on time which means I’m stuck having a extra martoonie.

2nite, with olive, fresh mushroom and onion.

-7F

Denials?

The last post pic was for this at TOMB inna discussion about AT mic’s, the New Duncan Imperials, Gary Elvis Shepers and The Beat Kitchen:

A few bands, Grind, Burnt, Devils, Denials … it was the era (87-95) of 1 word-named bands!

I think I played BK with all but Devils.

This was me in Denials, circa ’95, sweaty pink shirt. We were trying to sound like The Dream Syndicate (note the Les Paul headstock of one of our 2nd guitarists – we had 3? – to the right). That pic is in our practice space; the Peavey was someone else’s as the bassist used a GK rig (behind him?). I think the other guitarist had a Twin.

I still look like that, except fatter, balder, and usually not as damp. I still have the Marshall and the F-100, also, and am still friends with the bassist and drummer whose latest band (Removers) is playing on the 1st at Montrose Saloon. Bassist told me his G&L got stolen a while back …

bandcamp; vlayman;
THD; Geronimo Cowboys;
blog.
I mix with olive juice.

Burnt, again

 

I needed to post this at TOMB, so …

Vlayman: *Lack of Green*

1. Every Scream 03:31
2. Never in Doubt 05:11
3. Put It Away 02:40
4. Lack of Green 04:03
5. Conflagration 05:06

So I’m broke and thirsty and horny and hungry and, well, that’s when I make choonage, see.
released January 21, 2019

Ever’thang by yo except drums by JimC.
Writ, playt. recurded, mixt, masturd at FetaCentral Recording DDL, Chi-town.
Fartwerk: Jose Jones

Only a cuppla bottles was killt in the making.

c.’18 Vlayman

More re cheap/simulator pedals

The Joyo American is a direct clone of the Tech 21 Blonde, lacking only the “SansAmp” button, what not even all of the Tech21 Character pedals (ex., the California) have.  It (the Sans Amp EQ setting) is permanently “on”. The setting is supposed to emulate a cabinet, BTW.  Joyo’s AC pedal is the Tech21 Liverpool, etc. I also have the Tech21 California, what is kinda boogie-ish, the Tech21 VT Bass what is SVT-ish (probably about the most accurate sim I have inna pedal, and also cool on guitar), and the Joyo Orange Juice Ironman, what is Orange-ish.  They all kinda give you a general sound to start toward sculpting.

I’ll also note that some Digitech pedals have cabinet simulators.

One of my faves for DI is the old Zoom GM200, what is under US$50.

I also like the ADA Microcab, what I use with a Hafler T2 pre.

But do remember, the lead in “Black Dog” is just DI’d into a Universal Audio pre what is turned-up.

Don’t be afraid to stack these pedals, either. The California into the VT Bass or into the American is pretty cool …

Re pre-sets, it’s accepted wizdumb that the settings are exaggerated for to be readily audible, particularly over the 14 year old in Banjo Mart trying to play “Free Bird”.

Cheap guitar pedal set-up

Asked at lostoverture, I posted:

I hate multi-FX as usually they are multiple things that are just OK.

Start with cheaper pedals.

The Joyo JF02 Ultimate Drive izza Timmy clone, with the ability to get just into distortion territory, and under US$35, here.  Use that wiffa amp; for a DI solution, look at their American, what is also good inna amp here, US$35.

Reverb is somewhat tougher to find good and cheap. Used is the way to go, but about the cheapest and best new IMO is the Nano Grail, at US$120.  I’m sure there are OK cheaper ones but I like the springs sound.

To completely contradict myself, look here US$100 and here US$125; I have the bass version and it’s especially cool to audition different FX, but a little tweaky.

Better, and cheaper is this Vox US$70 what I like for shoegazey (heavy FX) stuff.

Cuppla album revoos

Been listenin’ to this some months and it just keeps getting better:

The National: *Sleep Well Beast*

The sonics are pretty original for this genre, the musicianship impeccable (altho’ the weird-time drummage has been moderated), the writing and derrangements excellent and progressing as always, and the vocals cool as hell.

==============================================

I cannot stop listening to, and think everyone here would enjoy, Betty LaVette’s, Interpretations.

Yeah, the voice is kinda over the top, but she’s been sing that way her whole career – it’s not a affectation.

The derrangements are very creative, and the production is spectacular.

On my main stereo with subs, the bass is huge and woody (relax, boyos) and the balances are quite novel, with guitar relatively under-played both sonically and stylistically – it’s all about that huge voice.

Song choices are cool, also; the liner notes explain that it’s not her musical style and she didn’t know most of the songs, auditioned a bunch and chose these herself. “Nights in White Satin” and “Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad” and “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” and “Wish You Were Here” are also standouts, but every take is great.

Continuing pedal commentary

I’ll add, as a ol’ fook, I’m often less about using sompin’ like a chorus because I want a chorus sound, and more about using a chorus because a. I want to sound like Andy Summers or John Scofield, etc.; and, b. a chorus can also be thought of as a modulating EQ, similar to a flanger if slow enuff, a tremololo if fast enuff, and usually brightens.

Me, I seldom use a compressor on guitar unless I’m tryna chicken-pickin’, or I’m DI and looking to emulate a hi-gain amp with the compressor doing the smashing part in combo with a distortion or emulation pedal.  That said, I use a compressor roughly 1/2 the time on bass to smooth the input because it helps me cheat my technique on finger picking, and is integral to slap-n-pop.  As well, my fave compressors lend colour.

Finally, if I’m confronted with issues such as you describe with the wah, I either change out the wah pedal, use it more conservatively, or put a distortion in front as likely as a compressor. I think, again, of a wah as modulating EQ, where the modulation is controllably expressive.  When I’m not using it as a set, flangey EQ like Michael Schenker, that is (I so want one of those EHX Cocked Wah pedals.).

 

Answering a pedal question

Asked:

I am building a new pedalboard.  I have the following pedals.

MXR dynacomp compressor
Electro-Harmonix Soul Food overdrive
Fulltone OCD overdrive
MXR ten band EQ

The question is what order should I place then in?

Right now I have the comp into soul food into ocd into eq.  Would there be any advantage to another arrangement?

 

I said:

Aiight, so, the short answer is the Joe Meek answer, “If it sounds good, it is good.”

But if ya wanna plannit:

Compressors have 3 uses: 1. smoove the peaks going in; 2. tone (if it does); 3. control the level in or out.

Overdrives have 2 uses: 1. tone (and including distortion); 2. control the level in or out.

EQs have 2 uses: 1. tone (and including distortion); 2. control the level in or out.

That’s not set in stone: I have a Pigtronix Philosopher compressor with distortion, and overdrives can smoove peaks, etc.,  and buffers is a thing, but the common thought is useful, and as above.

Now, me, what I’d do?

Compressor first, as I find ’em (talkin’ guitar) and that one most useful for gettin’ the funk, or the Tele finger-pluck sounds.
Next, the OCD, because it’s the dirtier of the two OD’s, and can be a distortion when pushed. Because of the pedals you have, I think you don’t wanna maximize distortion (what the Soul Food could do in front of the OCD) but surmise ya would would rather have it for tone.
Therefore, I’d put the Soul Food last because it’s all about tone, but can control the volume of the higher-gained OD if you do run that into distortion. (See here.)

“Last”, you say?  EQ’s, IMNSFHO, are great to correct problems. Yeah, I know guys use ’em as OD’s and even distortions but I submit that they only alter the chain, and if you want to so it that way, fine, but I also say you’ll be happier changing axes, pedals or amps – whatever you need to do to be happier than using a EQ pedal, so I’d sell that, get a delay or a distortion or a reverb or mebbe a flanger or octave pedal …