Sound Advice: Five Essential Books
April 27, 2009 Filed in: Songwriting
“The only thing to do with good advice is pass it
on. It is never any use to oneself.” – Oscar Wilde
A wealth of information is at our fingertips at every moment. For the aspiring and practicing singer/songwriter, a library’s worth of information, how-to’s, what to do’s, what not to do’s, and etceteras are instantly accessible. The Internet is a great thing.
Nearly all of us are self-taught. Since I started playing coffee shops at the age of 17, I’ve never come across a single songwriter who has a degree in songwriting and performing. Experience and the knowledge of others is our only teacher. Being so, I read a lot.
Time and time again, there are five books I access on a weekly basis. I recommend these indispensible tools to anyone who is serious about becoming a better songwriter and musician. Courtesy links to the corresponding page on Amazon.com are provided.
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
Creativity had been a mystery to me for many years. I knew I was able to write songs, but I could never predict when a “good” song would “arrive” in the midst of my ramblings. I loved writing songs, but I could never write when I wanted to, or, even worse, when I needed to. I was a slave to chance. It was frustrating.
After reading Julia Cameron’s masterpiece The Artist’s Way, I realized (and accepted) that I am a blocked creative. And, that there are certain daily activities that could help unblock that creativity. Her 12-week course is life changing. It certainly changed my life.
The weekly chapters, the daily “morning pages,” and the weekly “artist dates” serve to unblock the creative mind and re-focus creativity so that it flows freely from its source and to the page, the stage, or the canvas…whatever your medium.
I’ve completed this initial 12-week course and its sequel, Walking in This World, with a group of writers, poets, and painters at Greensboro’s The Sanctuary. The literature is even more powerful when experienced with a circle of other creative people.
If there’s one book I’d recommend to anyone, it’s this.
All You Need to Know about The Music Business by Donald Passman
Back in the late 90’s, when everyone with a pulse and a guitar was getting signed, I got caught in the storm. A friend of mine, Margaret White (who used to accompany me on violin), handed me a copy of the third edition of All You Need to Know…with an inscription, “Make sure you read this before you go to those meetings.”
The meetings, of course, were the record deal and publishing discussions. There were lots of them. The one book that helped me understand the perplexing zeitgeist of the late 90’s music industry was All You Need to Know…
Passman lays things out in layman’s terms. He explains the functional basis for a manager, agent, lawyer, record company, publishing company, and just about any other archetypical figure that comes into play in a musician’s career. His explanation of copyright is worth the modest price of the book.
If you’ve ever wanted to know how record contracts work, how to get a license for recording a “cover” song, or why belonging to a performing rights organization is a good idea, this book offers well-grounded explanations.
A seventh edition of All You Need to Know… will be released this fall. I foresee more information on the new digital trends, the creative commons, and the future of the music business.
Recording Tips for Engineers by Tim Crich
“But, Mike, I’m a songwriter, not a sound engineer. I don’t understand that stuff,” you say. I know. I’ve said the same thing, too.
In my experience as a novice singer/songwriter, the most frustrating thing about recording was having an inability to communicate what I wanted from a recordist, mixer, or mastering engineer. Not having a vocabulary to express where I wanted to go often resulted in an impasse.
Recording Tips for Engineers walks the reader through the key parts of a recording session. And, Crich does it in a humorous way. The read is enjoyable and invaluably informative.
He speaks intelligibly about topics that are of grave importance in a recording studio. Phase, equalization, compression, and general techniques are all spelled out.
One or two reads of this book won’t make you an immediate expert in the studio, but it will empower you to know if you are in good, competent company. By that, I mean you’ll know what common mic placements are for, say, a drum kit or piano, and you’ll know, rather quickly, if something isn’t quite right.
My favorite thing about this book is that he offers real starting points. Many audio engineering books are either overly complicated or whimsically vague. Recording isn’t rocket science. Crich explains what goes on in the studio in a way that anyone, even a singer/songwriter who is about to make her first demo recording, can understand.
Hal Leonard Method Jazz Guitar
While jazz techniques aren’t necessarily immediately helpful to the aspiring singer/songwriter, this book does an incredible job with visualizing chord theory.
Chords are a second kind of dictionary. Understanding the fundamentals of harmony is essential for developing depth.
Sometimes my ears get a head of my brain. I’ll hear a chord, or better yet, construct a chord on the guitar that I don’t understand. All I know is that I like it. I always learn something when I look up the chord on a chart, or, use the theory that this book teaches to assign a correct name to it.
Another powerful songwriting tool is chord substitution. Opting to write a valid substitution in a chord progression adds depth to a melody. I love changing out a sus4 for a dom7 when it’s right. This book offers the musical theory needed to bring a tonal variance to one’s compositions.
The Collected Poems of Wallace Stevens
Exposure to great poetry is always inspiring. Stevens might not be a poet that speaks to you. He speaks to me.
As songwriters, we are both minstrels and wordsmiths. The wordy part is just as important as the music part. There’s no better way to turn off a promising crowd than by having stale lyrics. Give people something from your heart in a way that they haven’t heard before. Dig. No, really dig.
Stevens appeals to me because of his creativity with words, images, and scenes. He’s the season king. His use of seasonal imagery is what inspired my most successful song, “October,” and, by extension, just about everything I’ve done since then.
I hope this info is helpful. I consult each one of these books every week. They certainly help me.
A wealth of information is at our fingertips at every moment. For the aspiring and practicing singer/songwriter, a library’s worth of information, how-to’s, what to do’s, what not to do’s, and etceteras are instantly accessible. The Internet is a great thing.
Nearly all of us are self-taught. Since I started playing coffee shops at the age of 17, I’ve never come across a single songwriter who has a degree in songwriting and performing. Experience and the knowledge of others is our only teacher. Being so, I read a lot.
Time and time again, there are five books I access on a weekly basis. I recommend these indispensible tools to anyone who is serious about becoming a better songwriter and musician. Courtesy links to the corresponding page on Amazon.com are provided.
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
Creativity had been a mystery to me for many years. I knew I was able to write songs, but I could never predict when a “good” song would “arrive” in the midst of my ramblings. I loved writing songs, but I could never write when I wanted to, or, even worse, when I needed to. I was a slave to chance. It was frustrating.
After reading Julia Cameron’s masterpiece The Artist’s Way, I realized (and accepted) that I am a blocked creative. And, that there are certain daily activities that could help unblock that creativity. Her 12-week course is life changing. It certainly changed my life.
The weekly chapters, the daily “morning pages,” and the weekly “artist dates” serve to unblock the creative mind and re-focus creativity so that it flows freely from its source and to the page, the stage, or the canvas…whatever your medium.
I’ve completed this initial 12-week course and its sequel, Walking in This World, with a group of writers, poets, and painters at Greensboro’s The Sanctuary. The literature is even more powerful when experienced with a circle of other creative people.
If there’s one book I’d recommend to anyone, it’s this.
All You Need to Know about The Music Business by Donald Passman
Back in the late 90’s, when everyone with a pulse and a guitar was getting signed, I got caught in the storm. A friend of mine, Margaret White (who used to accompany me on violin), handed me a copy of the third edition of All You Need to Know…with an inscription, “Make sure you read this before you go to those meetings.”
The meetings, of course, were the record deal and publishing discussions. There were lots of them. The one book that helped me understand the perplexing zeitgeist of the late 90’s music industry was All You Need to Know…
Passman lays things out in layman’s terms. He explains the functional basis for a manager, agent, lawyer, record company, publishing company, and just about any other archetypical figure that comes into play in a musician’s career. His explanation of copyright is worth the modest price of the book.
If you’ve ever wanted to know how record contracts work, how to get a license for recording a “cover” song, or why belonging to a performing rights organization is a good idea, this book offers well-grounded explanations.
A seventh edition of All You Need to Know… will be released this fall. I foresee more information on the new digital trends, the creative commons, and the future of the music business.
Recording Tips for Engineers by Tim Crich
“But, Mike, I’m a songwriter, not a sound engineer. I don’t understand that stuff,” you say. I know. I’ve said the same thing, too.
In my experience as a novice singer/songwriter, the most frustrating thing about recording was having an inability to communicate what I wanted from a recordist, mixer, or mastering engineer. Not having a vocabulary to express where I wanted to go often resulted in an impasse.
Recording Tips for Engineers walks the reader through the key parts of a recording session. And, Crich does it in a humorous way. The read is enjoyable and invaluably informative.
He speaks intelligibly about topics that are of grave importance in a recording studio. Phase, equalization, compression, and general techniques are all spelled out.
One or two reads of this book won’t make you an immediate expert in the studio, but it will empower you to know if you are in good, competent company. By that, I mean you’ll know what common mic placements are for, say, a drum kit or piano, and you’ll know, rather quickly, if something isn’t quite right.
My favorite thing about this book is that he offers real starting points. Many audio engineering books are either overly complicated or whimsically vague. Recording isn’t rocket science. Crich explains what goes on in the studio in a way that anyone, even a singer/songwriter who is about to make her first demo recording, can understand.
Hal Leonard Method Jazz Guitar
While jazz techniques aren’t necessarily immediately helpful to the aspiring singer/songwriter, this book does an incredible job with visualizing chord theory.
Chords are a second kind of dictionary. Understanding the fundamentals of harmony is essential for developing depth.
Sometimes my ears get a head of my brain. I’ll hear a chord, or better yet, construct a chord on the guitar that I don’t understand. All I know is that I like it. I always learn something when I look up the chord on a chart, or, use the theory that this book teaches to assign a correct name to it.
Another powerful songwriting tool is chord substitution. Opting to write a valid substitution in a chord progression adds depth to a melody. I love changing out a sus4 for a dom7 when it’s right. This book offers the musical theory needed to bring a tonal variance to one’s compositions.
The Collected Poems of Wallace Stevens
Exposure to great poetry is always inspiring. Stevens might not be a poet that speaks to you. He speaks to me.
As songwriters, we are both minstrels and wordsmiths. The wordy part is just as important as the music part. There’s no better way to turn off a promising crowd than by having stale lyrics. Give people something from your heart in a way that they haven’t heard before. Dig. No, really dig.
Stevens appeals to me because of his creativity with words, images, and scenes. He’s the season king. His use of seasonal imagery is what inspired my most successful song, “October,” and, by extension, just about everything I’ve done since then.
I hope this info is helpful. I consult each one of these books every week. They certainly help me.
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In the Rough: A Quick Guide to Rough Mixes
April 20, 2009 Filed in: Recording
In the world of audio
recording, rough mixes are a dubious necessity. As
much as I dislike furnishing them, they do provide a
reference point for where things are in the recording
process.
The pros of the rough mix are obvious. For one, a rough mix can be helpful if there are guitar parts, overdubs, or background vocals that haven’t been worked out or even written yet. In this scenario, a rough can be sent home with the band and they can work on parts off the clock.
Another plus to the rough mix is that they can elucidate problem frequencies in the initial tracking. Rough mixes are almost always a little too “boomy” or “muddy.” Hearing the rough tracks in the car on the ride home can say a lot.
The cons of a work mix aren’t readily so clear. One draw back to the rough mix is that it is often done immediately following several hours of critical listening. Ears are living organs. They get tired, just like your feet would after eight hours of walking. No matter how cool that guitar part or drum fill seemed in the studio, if the rough mix doesn’t express it fully, it’s not going to seem as cool at home.
A second defect of the rough mix, and, one that stems from the first, is that imbalances are accepted as correct. If I’m doing a rough at the end of a tracking session and I have the bass guitar up at what I think is a good, healthy level, and, in later analysis, it is determined that it’s too loud, we often say, “We’ll fix it in the final mix.” Over time, that incorrect level becomes “used to.” In the final mix, the bass will invariably also be too loud, just because that’s what was on the rough. Even if we resolve to turn the bass down, our reference point is completely skewed.
What follows is a general guide to how I do rough mixes. This is a “down and dirty” guide to performing a rough mix. It can be helpful to aspiring engineers or practicing recording artists. Please excuse the jargon.
The best insight on mixing I’ve heard was that the more tracks you have, the more EQ you’ll probably need to use in your mix. Ultimately, no matter how many tracks you record with, you only get two in the end.
Rough mixes were helpful this past week as I put in some time on The Return of Spring. It was nice to drive around and hear the new recordings of “Out of My Mind,” “Static,” “Fallin’ in Love Too Fast,” and “April Moon.” In these roughs, I hear where improvements can be made. I also hear things I don’t want to change.
As a courtesy to your recording engineer, see if he or she would be willing to print your rough mixes a few days after the tracking session. Chances are they’ll sound a whole lot better than they would immediately following a hard day’s work.
The pros of the rough mix are obvious. For one, a rough mix can be helpful if there are guitar parts, overdubs, or background vocals that haven’t been worked out or even written yet. In this scenario, a rough can be sent home with the band and they can work on parts off the clock.
Another plus to the rough mix is that they can elucidate problem frequencies in the initial tracking. Rough mixes are almost always a little too “boomy” or “muddy.” Hearing the rough tracks in the car on the ride home can say a lot.
The cons of a work mix aren’t readily so clear. One draw back to the rough mix is that it is often done immediately following several hours of critical listening. Ears are living organs. They get tired, just like your feet would after eight hours of walking. No matter how cool that guitar part or drum fill seemed in the studio, if the rough mix doesn’t express it fully, it’s not going to seem as cool at home.
A second defect of the rough mix, and, one that stems from the first, is that imbalances are accepted as correct. If I’m doing a rough at the end of a tracking session and I have the bass guitar up at what I think is a good, healthy level, and, in later analysis, it is determined that it’s too loud, we often say, “We’ll fix it in the final mix.” Over time, that incorrect level becomes “used to.” In the final mix, the bass will invariably also be too loud, just because that’s what was on the rough. Even if we resolve to turn the bass down, our reference point is completely skewed.
What follows is a general guide to how I do rough mixes. This is a “down and dirty” guide to performing a rough mix. It can be helpful to aspiring engineers or practicing recording artists. Please excuse the jargon.
- Establish a basic, quick drum mix. First, listen to the drum overhead mics. They should be in stereo and in phase. Check phase by switching back and forth between mono and stereo in your monitor control section. Cut the overheads at 150 Hz. Pull up the other drum mics. Cut everything below 80 Hz. Set a wide Q on an EQ and pull out 300 on each drum. These EQ settings are far from accurate, but they’ll cut down on “boomy” and “muddy” comments. Bus drums to a stereo channel.
- Bus the drums to a stereo compressor, set to 4:1, medium attack and slow release with a fairly aggressive gain reduction. This parallel compression (running right beside the uncompressed stereo signal) will bring up some of the undertones of the drums. Be conservative with this level (I often park this at -10 dB)
- Pull up the bass guitar. Roll off everything below 40 Hz. Compress at 4:1 with medium attack and medium release with no more than 6 dB of gain reduction. Have the kick drum and bass hit at the same relative volume.
- Establish the vocal. My “go to” signal chain is EQ, de-Esser, then limiter. If the singer is completely out of tune, in spite of best efforts in the tracking session, I’ll insert a conservative pitch correction plug-in on the vocal.
- Affect the vocal. I’ve never met a singer who likes dry vocals. A plate reverb is a nice, bright starting point for a vocal effect. If it’s a pop band, it’s a good idea to throw the snare in to this same vocal effect, just so the drums appear in the same place and aren’t perceived as “too dry.”
- Bring in the other instruments. Whatever’s left, bring it in. Steer clear from the center of the mix. Pan guitars, pianos, keyboards, and background vocals all over the place. Cut boom and mud, remembering that boom is below 80 Hz and mud is low mids.
- Compress the master bus. The most frequent comment I get about roughs is that they aren’t as “loud” as commercial CD’s. This can be disconcerting to a new recording artist who is unfamiliar with mastering. I use the Waves R-Compressor for master bus compression in both roughs and finals. I set the ratio to 7:1 (to simulate tape), have a fast attack, semi fast release, and set the threshold to compress no more than 6 dB. Then, I bring the make up gain up so that the peaks are hitting just below 0.0 dB.
The best insight on mixing I’ve heard was that the more tracks you have, the more EQ you’ll probably need to use in your mix. Ultimately, no matter how many tracks you record with, you only get two in the end.
Rough mixes were helpful this past week as I put in some time on The Return of Spring. It was nice to drive around and hear the new recordings of “Out of My Mind,” “Static,” “Fallin’ in Love Too Fast,” and “April Moon.” In these roughs, I hear where improvements can be made. I also hear things I don’t want to change.
As a courtesy to your recording engineer, see if he or she would be willing to print your rough mixes a few days after the tracking session. Chances are they’ll sound a whole lot better than they would immediately following a hard day’s work.
Mark Kano Band at the Garage
April 13, 2009 Filed in: Touring
If I were a bettin’ man, (and, I am), I’d guess that Winston-Salem’s The Garage was once an auto repair garage. Now days, it’s one of North Carolina’s more reputable music venues. There’s an early show and a late show. And, if last Friday’s show with Mark Kano is any indication; my guess is that the venue stays fairly full most nights.
Piedmont blues legend Big Ron Hunter was on stage at 8:45 pm when I arrived to load in. He was a staple at the Speakeasy Jazz open mic nights a few years ago. I went to those jazz nights religiously for a year and a half. When I started constructing my studio, I stopped going with any frequency. I wish I had kept going. Sadly, the Speakeasy is no more.
Big Ron wrapped things up around 9:30 pm. Michael Slawter and the Saving Graces took the stage soon after. They were the first band for the “late” show. This power pop band was one of the best I’ve heard in a while. Great songs. Great delivery. They reminded me of a bit of the Smithereens mixed in with a good dose of originality. It’s no surprise that their records are critically acclaimed. I enjoyed these guys.
Mark Kano Band hit the stage at around 10:30 pm or 11 pm. I can’t remember exactly, but it was a bit later than scheduled. I provided electric guitar, acoustic guitar, background vocals, and organ for the set. Snuzz rocked the bass (rather well, I might add). Nic Brown played drums (also rather well). I hadn’t played a full set with Nic in over 12 years. He’s as good as ever. Did you know he has a book coming out? Here’s a link to it.
The set was
Sad Songs
I’m Still Waiting
Calling Saturn
Baby, I’m Your Man
Walking on Broadway
Where Were You Last Night?
Telling You I Love You
What I Didn’t Know
I had the privilege of having previously played all of these songs with Mark in an acoustic format. Although, some of the electric guitar arrangements were a little more intricate—a few new leads here and there.
I like to record every performance with which I’m involved. I set up an AKG mic and got a direct line from the board. Having a reference of the show will be helpful for the next time we play. I can think of a few things I could improve on from my end.
The room was full. The crowd was supportive and energized. It was a great night.
After the MKB, Jerry Chapman, a nationally renowned songwriter took the stage with his polished band. They played the headlining and final slot of the night. Before the show, Jerry and I were talking 80’s metal. I knew that he knew his stuff because he mentioned knowledge of two of the more ubiquitous producers from the era and genre: Michael Wagner (Double Trouble) and Beau Hill.
As the conversation rolled on, I lamented the fact that I had never bought Badlands on CD when it came out. As a result, the out of print album now goes for between $60 and $100 on Ebay, if you can even find a listing for it. He may have a copy of the record on vinyl that I can borrow. My tape is worn out beyond recognition. Here’s keeping my fingers crossed.
The Mark Kano Band will perform at the Blind Tiger in Greensboro, NC on Friday, June 19th. Mark has quite a few other dates coming up, too. We’re doing a few acoustic duo shows. He’s also performing some solo gigs. Upcoming shows can be found at Mark’s site.
Rethink Your Rig
April 06, 2009 Filed in: Touring
If you haven’t heard Mark Kano’s latest solo album,
Walking on
Broadway, I recommend it. I’m
delighted to have been asked to be a part of his
touring band in support of this album. We’ll be at
the Garage in Winston-Salem, NC this Friday, April
10. A list of other live dates is available at
Mark’s site.
When I’m asked to play in a live support context, the first thing I like to do is meet with the artist. This meeting serves to better familiarize me with what the artist needs. Mark is an old friend, so this meeting was a lot of fun. (In fact, we recorded some of it for the next podcast, but that’s a topic for a different essay).
After consultation, it’s time for me to think of ways to adapt my skills and equipment to meet the needs of the project. This is a great time for me to “rethink my rig.”
I’m a guitarist by trade. I live & breathe guitar, everyday. What Mark needed in his live band was someone who could play the additional guitar parts from the album. He also needed someone who could provide background vocals and possibly piano on a track or two. I am excited to offer what I can to this project.
The first thing we did was determine which parts I would perform, as well as which guitars I would use. On some of the songs, I’m providing ancillary rhythm guitar, on some I’m providing a good portion of the leads, on some I’m playing acoustic guitar. The main consideration is playing for the song. I think we made some good choices.
The next thing, which I had considerable autonomy on, was selecting the amp and effects pedals that would achieve the right blend in the mix. In Athenaeum, we had been achieving success with our mix of live guitar tones. Mark uses a DC-30 Matchless amp. I use a simple Fender Pro Jr. Mark’s tone carries a lot of body to it. My Fender seamlessly cuts through the lushness of the Matchless. It’s a great combination. My other options all include a clumsy, mid-70’s Marshall and a variety of cabinets. I explored this tone in my band Collapsis long ago. It’s a great tone, but it doesn’t seem right for this project.
The pedal board I use is highly adaptable. While I prefer to use authentic pedals in the studio, for the live show, I enjoy the ease and flexibility of the Line 6 effects modelers. The DL-4 pedal is a must. I also use the DM-4, the MM-4, a Hughes and Kettner Rotosphere, and a simple Boss tuner.
I have a few snappy leads in this set. I replaced the “volume swell” effect I use in Athenaeum with a short, “tube echo” sound. This gives the solos a little more character. I also have a longer, analog delay setting that I manipulate with the “tap tempo” feature. If you haven’t messed around with this pedal, I highly recommend it. View the Line 6 link here.
I like to texture my tone with phase and flange. The effects on the MM-4 are great in the live context. I use the Phase-90 simulation on “Last Night” and the analog flange here and there in the set.
My least favorite of the Line-6 modelers is the DM-4. It’s a great pedal, but I’ve always preferred amp distortion to pedal distortion. The one setting I do use for this project is the “Boost/Comp” simulation. It does well to juice up my signal a little. This just makes the tubes work harder. As a result, it rocks more! If you do like pedal distortion, the Tube Screamer and Rat simulations are useful.
Rethinking my rig has been a fun activity for me this weekend. I’m looking forward to the debut show this Friday at the Garage. If you can make it, we’d love to see you there!
When I’m asked to play in a live support context, the first thing I like to do is meet with the artist. This meeting serves to better familiarize me with what the artist needs. Mark is an old friend, so this meeting was a lot of fun. (In fact, we recorded some of it for the next podcast, but that’s a topic for a different essay).
After consultation, it’s time for me to think of ways to adapt my skills and equipment to meet the needs of the project. This is a great time for me to “rethink my rig.”
I’m a guitarist by trade. I live & breathe guitar, everyday. What Mark needed in his live band was someone who could play the additional guitar parts from the album. He also needed someone who could provide background vocals and possibly piano on a track or two. I am excited to offer what I can to this project.
The first thing we did was determine which parts I would perform, as well as which guitars I would use. On some of the songs, I’m providing ancillary rhythm guitar, on some I’m providing a good portion of the leads, on some I’m playing acoustic guitar. The main consideration is playing for the song. I think we made some good choices.
The next thing, which I had considerable autonomy on, was selecting the amp and effects pedals that would achieve the right blend in the mix. In Athenaeum, we had been achieving success with our mix of live guitar tones. Mark uses a DC-30 Matchless amp. I use a simple Fender Pro Jr. Mark’s tone carries a lot of body to it. My Fender seamlessly cuts through the lushness of the Matchless. It’s a great combination. My other options all include a clumsy, mid-70’s Marshall and a variety of cabinets. I explored this tone in my band Collapsis long ago. It’s a great tone, but it doesn’t seem right for this project.
The pedal board I use is highly adaptable. While I prefer to use authentic pedals in the studio, for the live show, I enjoy the ease and flexibility of the Line 6 effects modelers. The DL-4 pedal is a must. I also use the DM-4, the MM-4, a Hughes and Kettner Rotosphere, and a simple Boss tuner.
I have a few snappy leads in this set. I replaced the “volume swell” effect I use in Athenaeum with a short, “tube echo” sound. This gives the solos a little more character. I also have a longer, analog delay setting that I manipulate with the “tap tempo” feature. If you haven’t messed around with this pedal, I highly recommend it. View the Line 6 link here.
I like to texture my tone with phase and flange. The effects on the MM-4 are great in the live context. I use the Phase-90 simulation on “Last Night” and the analog flange here and there in the set.
My least favorite of the Line-6 modelers is the DM-4. It’s a great pedal, but I’ve always preferred amp distortion to pedal distortion. The one setting I do use for this project is the “Boost/Comp” simulation. It does well to juice up my signal a little. This just makes the tubes work harder. As a result, it rocks more! If you do like pedal distortion, the Tube Screamer and Rat simulations are useful.
Rethinking my rig has been a fun activity for me this weekend. I’m looking forward to the debut show this Friday at the Garage. If you can make it, we’d love to see you there!