Our Mackie DL1608 Mixer has a frustrating flaw. And I have an inexpensive low-tech solution that works.
See that row of 16 gain knobs along the DL1608 back panel? They are super-low torque and easy to turn, which means that every time we transport the mixer between gigs and rehearsals, something gets bumped. More
This looks sweet! Looks like a massive 32×16 channel ipad-controlled console. The cool thing is, it’s part of the DL line, so it may result in software updates for our DL1608 mixer.
Trying to video a live band in low light is a challenge! Grainy footage, crappy sound, dying batteries… the list goes on.
At this year’s NAMM show, I saw a new camera from Sony which intends to improve and simplify this- the HDR-MV1.
In addition to playing guitar and running the sound for my band, I’m also in charge of the cameras and making the videos. So I picked up an HDR-MV1 and have been using it for a few months to record some rehearsals and gigs. More
I mentioned in a recent post how frustrating it is to mix live sound with my band, The Drop Daddies. After helping a buddy’s band with their recent ballroom sound check and being stunned by how good their sound was- I became very motivated to research and assemble a new PA for our live rig. Well, the results are in. and the difference is astonishing! More
As anyone who plays live guitar knows, the pedal board at your feet plays a big role in your performance. In addition to practicing your playing skills, you also need to carefully arrange the equipment at your feet and practice using them seamlessly in a performance. As the complexity of the pedal board increases, it becomes far more likely to make mistakes tap-dancing on the footswitches, or to get confused in the intensity of a fast-moving live performance. So anything that helps to simplify and better ergonomically arrange the pedals at your feet is going to improve the quality of your performance. And for my rig, a true bypass looper is just one of those things. Here’s why:
Modelers generally do a reasonable job with these types of effects, and it saves me having to fit a dozen single-purpose effects pedals on my pedal board.
Here’s a picture of my pedal board before the G3X. I had a noise gate, a couple types of overdrive, a compressor, wah. volume pedal, tuner, and a delay/looper (which fell off the side of the pedal board). I ran out of room for my chorus pedal, and I’m completely lacking reverb, pitch and any more esoteric effects. More
Just catching up on some replies today on my YouTube channel, and was surprised to see this on my channel!
Wow! It seems like such a short time has passed since my channel reached the first million, but actually it was a year and a half ago. More
My pedal board is flush with overdrives, but sorely lacking in distortion. I’ve never loved my RAT – it has scurried on and off my pedalboard over the years, never finding a permanent home there. I’ve really been needing a solid traditional distortion lately, to use with my band covering tunes by Green Day, Blink-182, Weezer, etc.
I love my Vox Ice-9 overdrive, so I decided to try out the Vox Satchurator. It’s apparently a boutiquey version of the classic Boss DS-1. When I received it, I immediately plugged in and lost myself in its glorious tones for an hour or so. It sounds really really good. Very different from my overdrives and fuzz. It has a big, saturated, overtone-rich distortion. Excellent for thick heavy leads, but also equally good for massive chunky rhythm.More
Lester Polsfuss passed away at the age of 94 after a fight with pneumonia on August 13, 2009. Nearly 3 years later, the property from the estate of Les Paul went up for auction in Beverly Hills, CA.
The auction company put together a beautiful 400 page book listing the items of the estate. In case they end up taking down the book, I have saved the PDF here (68MB) for posterity.
The estate items range from the awesome, to the slightly disturbing, to the nostalgic and the just plain silly. Let’s take those in order:
Man, did Les Paul have an amazing guitar collection!
In addition to the gorgeous specimens from Gibson and Epiphone that you would expect, you’ll also find lot 722- a 1951 Fender No-Caster signed by Leo Fender (valued at $40,000-$60,000). It actually sold for $180,000 (!) as documented in this handheld video from the auction floor. That’s some kind of crazy, right there.
After nearly a year, I’m still loving my Epiphone Les Paul 1960 Tribute Plus. I‘ve played a number of gigs with it and it has proven itself absolutely reliable and roadworthy. It has really excelled in every situation – loud indoor gigs, scorchin hot outdoor summer gigs, and of course my everyday practice, both unplugged and amplified.
This model seems to be a diamond in the rough at Epiphone- a truly great collection of features, including the awesome Gibson ‘57 Classic pickups, for a very competitive price.
I’ve often wondered why I haven’t seen Epiphone really promoting this model as much as it deserves. Well today, I noticed that it’s currently featured on the front page of Epiphone’s website, as part of their 140 years (1873-2013) anniversary. There’s a nice write up with a few choice quotes from Les Paul, and some gorgeous pictures.
Maybe they’ve finally decided to seriously promote this gem of a guitar!