gear giveaway

Production Tips: Recording the banjo

The banjo - this bizarre mutation of a guitar and a snare drum - can be a difficult instrument to record. The main challenge is to find a balance between the very attacky but thumpy sound audible near the center of the head, and the rest of the instrument’s sonic…Click on the title for more

Production Tips: Recording the banjo

New Pedals: TCJ Effects’ Amalgam Smooth Overdrive

T. Jauernig Electronics, or TCJ Effects, is a small Wisconsin based manufacturer of hand made pedals that's been around since 2004. They just finalized the New "Amalgam" Smooth Overdrive. The company states that this pedal is very touch sensitive and smooth, working in the mild to moderate gain range. If you…Click on the title for more

New Pedals: TCJ Effects’ Amalgam Smooth Overdrive

Guitar Pedal Reviews: Earthquaker Devices Dirt Transmitter

Fuzz pedals are a dime a dozen. What separates one fuzz from the next? There are different methods of achieving a “fuzz tone”, but which one sounds the best for my applications? There are boat loads of options and everyone claims to have “that tone”. So who do we trust?…Click on the title for more

Guitar Pedal Reviews: Earthquaker Devices Dirt Transmitter

Guitar Pedal News: Chaosound Anti-Effect Pedal

Coming to us out of left field is the Anti-Effect from Chaosound, a Polish company. This thing is right up my alley. It's weird, it's unpredictable, it's unique. So what is it? The Anti-Effect destroys the sound by imitating electro-acoustic track damage. It breaks the sound in a chaotic way but allowing you…Click on the title for more

Guitar Pedal News: Chaosound Anti-Effect Pedal

Bands in the Studio: Recording Parquet Courts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPpihD340yE Jonathan Schenke's Gear: Deltalab Effectron "We have an AMS DMX Delay that is incredible... it’s the Martin Hannett/Joy Division delay, and completely unlike anything else I’ve heard." Jonathan Schenke, sound engineer and music lover, recorded the debut album of Brooklyn indie rock buzz band Parquet Courts, entitled 'Light Up Gold'…Click on the title for more

Bands in the Studio: Recording Parquet Courts

New Pedals: Source Audio’s Orbital Modulator

US pedal manufacturer Source Audio is one of the few companies that's been trying in recent years to move the stompbox concept forward rather than... retro. Their unique Hot Hand technology (basically a motion sensing remote control system) has brought unprecedented control of pedal parameters directly to the guitarists' hands. Their latest…Click on the title for more

New Pedals: Source Audio’s Orbital Modulator

Pedal News: StompLabs launches the Fuzzi-Fier

Emerging Canadian pedal manufacturer Stomp Labs released their first pedal Fuzzi-Fier (pictured), which will be part of a hybrid analog/digital line called XPressWay. This line aims at making stompboxes that can be controlled more efficiently during the performance - rather than in between songs. More info about the pedal will…Click on the title for more

Pedal News: StompLabs launches the Fuzzi-Fier

Pedal News Heptode Virtuoso Phase Shifter

New to the Heptode line of guitar effects: The Virtuoso Phase Shifter. The Virtuoso is a boutique recreation of the original Maestro PS-1A Phase Shifter, as used in the 1970s by keyboardist John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) and guitarists Steve Howe (Yes) and Ernie Isley (Isley Brothers), among many others. Footswitches…Click on the title for more

Pedal News Heptode Virtuoso Phase Shifter

Guitar Pedal Reviews: Ibanez Echo Shifter

The Ibanez Echo Shifter combines true analog sound quality with digital-like flexibility. It features things like a Tap-Tempo footswitch, Oscillation switch, Feedback control, Modulation, and a Depth control. I found this pedal to be a lot of fun and I really dig the vintage aesthetics. The 3 knobs up top are Feedback (controls the number of repeats), Mix (mixes between wet and dry signal),…Click on the title for more

Guitar Pedal Reviews: Ibanez Echo Shifter

New Pedals: Green Carrots, Pigtronix, Dr No, Pedal Monsters

Here are a few quick news about new pedal releases and pedals in the works: British hand manufacturer Green Carrots have a new baby: The Pumpkin Pi offers a double dose of Muff love with the IC78 Muff joined with the much sought after Russian Muff, a match made in…Click on the title for more

New Pedals: Green Carrots, Pigtronix, Dr No, Pedal Monsters

Guitar Pedal News: Hartman Pedals in the studio with Steve Stevens

Hartman Pedals, a boutique pedal company I was turned onto recently, started a new video series where they hang out with artists in the studio using their gear. This first video features Hartman's Silicon Crystal Valve and Vintage Germanium Boost as well as Grammy Award Winning Guitarist and Songwriter Steve…Click on the title for more

Guitar Pedal News: Hartman Pedals in the studio with Steve Stevens

Sunglasses and the Recording Process

Sunglasses Gear: Roland SP-555 " ...With a sampler, I can place a grand piano part I recorded in Georgia and still use the sounds…stuff we physically can’t play live" Blending the complex harmonies of The Beach Boys with the gritty aesthetics of the new millennium's bedroom pop, Sunglasses add a…Click on the title for more

Sunglasses and the Recording Process