MY RANT ON DEVELOPING YOUR SOUND
Some folks who learn to play guitar are content with playing other people's music and sounding like every other guitarist out there. And I encourage folks to pick a few great guitarists to model themselves after so that they can pick up techniques that they otherwise might never gain experience with. Sometimes it is quite useful to pop a CD into the player and put yourself in the shoes of someone who has truly mastered the guitar in your mind and attempt to play at their level. It's a great way to develop your ear as well as to get experience slaughtering their songs by playing your own improvised riffs over their music. There is clearly nothing wrong with learning their music note for note or with improvising. Both disciplins have their own merit. In a band situation, you will need to develop both skills in order to show that you are a dynamic player before live audiences.
But, what i enjoy more than anything else is my private time on guitar. It is here that the pressure is off and I can play with techniques and ideas and push the envelope in an attempt to find something new to incorperate into my playing. And when i find a new progression, musical phrase, or technique, I take note of it and file it away so that i can periodically return to that idea and develop it further. If you take the time to write out what you learn and keep good notes, you will find that you don't have to struggle to find things to work on during your regular practice sessions. And these developed techniques, progressions, and musical phrases will go along way to adding to your own unique voice on the guitar.
Now, I am often asked what is better, Analog Effects or Digital Effects? Personally, I think the question sucks. I understand that my answer will probably upset a lot of purists out there who would call me an audio-whore at the first opportunity, but the reality is that I use and appreciate both analog and digital equipment. The question is a bit like asking a carpenter, "Which is better a hammer or a saw?" The truth is it depends on what you are trying to accomplish. If you want to sound like Jimmi Hendrix, then you are likely not going to get that sound using digital equipment. You would get a lot further in persuing his sound by incorperating analog pedals and studying what is known about how he set his own rig up. And if you want to sound like Steve vai, you are likely not going to get some of his sounds unless you slip in a digital processor somewhere in your rig (Such as an Eventide Harmonizer that has been modified with the Steve Vai upgrade chips).
Another question I am frequently asked is what sort of equipment do I use in my own rig? The simple answer to this question is anything that I can in the moment to get the sound I am looking for. The more specific answer involves a list of equipment that i will post below.
Guitars:
1985 Fender Strat
Steinberger Sensonic
Steinberger Spirit
Ibanez s520ex
Ibanez Js 1200 Joe Satriani Signature series
Washburn electric (not sure what model it is)
Martin DCME electric/acoustic
Amps:
Carvin VL212 combo
Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier (through a Marshall 4x12 cab).
Racks:
An old POD desktop amp modeler
Behringer Virtualizer
Lexicon PCM 81
DOD 2 channel 31 band EQ
BBE Sonic Maxamizer 882I
ART Analog Delay (for studio use)
Pedals:
Boss NS2 Noise Suppressor
Boss Metal Zone MT2
Dunlop EVH Phase 90
Digitech Whammy
Electro-Harmonix small stone chorus
Gear I am interested in checking out or adding to my rig:
Bogner Ecstacy amp
Bogner Alchemist amp
A Sustainiac system.
A Roland VG99
The vox Satchurator pedal
A Music man Axis and a Music Man Silhouette
An old 50's or 60's model Les Paul
An Ibanez Universe 7 string
A buscarino Archtop acoustic
A Guild acoustic
A decent 12 string (any serious recommendations would be welcome)
A decent nylon string acoustic (again any serious recommendations would be welcome).
Comments
Hi Cory, do you do your own recordings? I am building a small studio myself, I have been using cakeTalking with Sonar for a while, and hope to get a new quad core system to run it so we can do some semi professional recording.
If you have a setup, what kind of equipment do you use?
As for effects pedals, the only one I have is a Boss multi effects box, with lots of switches and knobs on it, I usually just use the distortion and reverb stuff on it myself though. Not sure the model number, but it does a good job at the basic stuff.
I would like a noise suppressor though, any reccomendations on a unit?
Later.
# |
I'm currently paying off my JS1200 and will eventually look into putting a computer together for recording purposes. So, at the moment, I've not got anything fit for recording music in place. Although, I accept generous gifts and controbutions from kind donars. As for a noise suppressor, I use the Boss NS2 and think it works well enough to quiet my pick ups down. If the problem is more that your chain of pedals are adding a lot of noise (such as hiss and ground looping hum), you will probably need to use a gate/limiter to filter out some of the noise and fix any ground looping issues to get rid of hum. One of the reasons i prefer using racks instead of pedals is that they are generally more quiet. Although, with rack mount effects, you will need to purchase little insulated tabs called hum freez to keep the racks from touching the mount. This helps to eliminate ground looping problems.
# |