- Need to be an engineer ?
Continuation from “the old man”:Know thy tools (No. 5)
In my experience there is little doubt that technology and innovations to a large degree revitalize and energize musicians to explore and push the envelope in new, sometimes unforeseen directions.
– My father never understood what went on from the early 60’s, he was a “craftsman” and master of his instrument, and in this he felt comfort.
As discussed in the previous article, the development of the amplification / loudspeakers for the electric guitar is in many ways the 1st important technological step. - From this, a large array peripherals have been developed since the early 60’s, which is so closed interlinked to our music today …
Effects units are available in a variety of formats or types. Stompboxes are usually the smallest, least expensive, and most rugged effects units. Rackmount devices are generally more expensive and offer a wider range of functions. In this article I will so focus on stompboxes of various types.
Stompboxes which usually are put on the floor to be operated by the user's feet. Typical simple stompboxes have a single footswitch, one to three potentiometers ("pots" or "knobs") for controlling the effect, and LED that indicates if the effect is on.
Distortion or overdrive pedal's have potentiometers; for example, control the level or intensity of the distortion effect, the tone of the effected signal and the volume (level) of the effected signal. Depending on the type of pedal, the potentiometers may control different parameters of the effect. They are forms of signal processing units used to alter the sound of amplified instruments, usually by increasing their gain. Guitarists playing electric blues originally obtained an overdriven sound by turning up their vacuum tube-powered amplifiers up (high volumes). While overdriven tube amps are still used to obtain overdrive.
Boost/volume pedal: A boost or "clean boost" pedal amplifies the volume of an instrument by increasing the amplitude of its signal. These units are generally used for "boosting" volume during solos and preventing signal loss with the interconnected pedals or effects.
Compressor: Compressors make loud sounds quieter and quiet sounds louder by decreasing or "compressing" the dynamic range of a signal. A compressor is often used to stabilize volume and smooth a note's "attack" by dampening its onset and amplifying it’s sustain. A compressor can also function as a limiter with extreme settings of its controls.
Filter effects alter the frequency content of an audio signal that passes through, by either boosting or weakening specific frequencies or frequency regions.
Equalizer: An equalizer is a set of linear filters that strengthen ("boost") or weaken ("cut") specific frequency regions.
Wah-wah: A wah-wah pedal creates vowel-like sounds by altering the frequency spectrum produced by an instrument—i.e., how loud it is at each separate frequency—in what is known as a spectral glide or "sweep". The device is operated by a foot treadle that opens and closes a potentiometer.
Modulation means the altering of signal strength. In audio devices, modulation is a control feature that varies the strength of some effect over time to alter tonal properties.
Chorus: Chorus pedals mimic the effect choirs and string orchestras produce naturally, by having slight variations in timbre and pitch, by mixing sounds with slight differences in timbre and pitch. A chorus effect splits the instrument-to-amplifier signal, and adds a slight delay and frequency variations or "vibrato" to part of the signal while leaving the rest unaltered.
Flanger: A flanger creates a "whooshing" tube-like or "jet plane" sound. Flanger units add a variably delayed version of the audio signal to the original or signal, creating a comb filter or Doppler-effect.
Phaser: A phaser or "phase shifter" creates a slight rippling effect—amplifying some aspects of the tone while diminishing others—by splitting the signal in two and altering the phase of one part.
Ring modulator: A ring modulator produces a resonant, metallic sound by mixing an instrument's signal with a carrier wave generated by the device's internal oscillator. The original sound wave is suppressed and replaced by a "ring" of inharmonic higher and lower pitches.
Tremolo: A tremolo effect produces a slight, rapid variation in the volume of a note or chord. (not to be confused with the "tremolo bar" on a guitar). A tremolo is produced by mixing an instrument's signal with a sub-audible carrier wave in such a way that generates amplitude variations in the sound wave.
Vibrato: Vibrato effects produce slight, rapid variations in pitch, mimicking the fractional semitone variations produced naturally e.g. by opera singers and violinists when they are prolonging a single note. Vibrato effects often allow the performer to control the rate of the variation as well as the difference in pitch.
Time based effects delay the sound signal, add reverb or echoes, or, if a long delay is possible, and may also enable musicians to record "loops"
Delay / echo: Delay/echo units produce an echo effect by adding a duplicate instrument-to-amplifier signal to the original signal at a slight time-delay. The effect can either be a single echo called a "slap" or "slapback," or multiple echoes.
Reverb: Reverb units simulate the spacious sounds produced by making a sound in a finite acoustic space, e.g. such as a cathedral by creating a large number of echoes that gradually fade or "decay".
Feedback/sustain: Audio feedback is an effect produced when amplified sound is picked up by a microphone or guitar pickup and played back through the amplifier, initiating a "feedback loop", which usually consists of high-pitched sound. Feedback will occur in many situations, and sometimes something you don’t want. However, in some styles players intentionally create feedback. The technique creates sustained, high-pitched overtones and unusual sounds not possible through regular playing techniques.
- Enough technic for today, let’s move on …
For this article, her is: “Noreen”
Noreen is a PRS (Paul Reed Smith), which I bought and imported from Germany, because she is a 24 fret guitar (2 full octaves per string).
The guitar issued to celebrate its 25th Anniversary, PRS offered the Custom 24 with :
- Shadow bird inlays,
- Anniversary headstock eagle,
- Bound rosewood fretboard,
- 57/08 pickups (treble & bass humbucker),
- 5-way rotary pickup selector. ROTARY POSITIONS: Position 10: Treble pickup, Position 9: Outside coils- deep and clear - parallel, Position 8: Series single coils ” Warm version of the "in between the treble and middle pickups, Position 7: Parallel single coils ” Crisp version of the "in between the treble and middle pickups", Position 6: Bass pickup
- A unique color palette, and a gorgeous 10-top.
A pretty and stylish guitar, good fit, which requires the "right" music to perform well.
Together with another local, John "Orkie" Ingram, they formed the nucleus of what would become Paul Reed Smith Guitars.
Smith would often take his guitars backstage at concerts, and eventually got his break when Derek St. Holmes, of the Ted Nugent Band, agreed to try out #2, the second guitar Smith had ever made.
Another artist who grew loyal to him through this salesmethod and craftmanship was Carlos Santana ...
“F@&#, you have to be an engineer to play this!” - Or, other areas of musical influence …
As mentioned in an earlier article, I cannot underestimate the great influence of Frank Zappa, or the other musical styles he have led med to. To many this music can be considered “difficult” or challenging, and it requires multiple “listenings”, in order to fully grasp all the nuances.
Jean-Luc Ponty (born 29 September 1942) is a French virtuoso violinist and jazz composer. He playd with FZ, and as early as 1969 he composed the music for Jean-Luc's solo album King Kong. He later participated on Elton Jonh’s Honky Chateau album, plus collaborating with FZ on several albums until abt. the beginning of the 1980’s. In this period he also played with John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra’s albums Apocalypse (1974) and Visions of the Emerald Beyond (1974), including tours until 1975.Jean-Luc Ponty established himself as one of the leading figures in America's growing jazz-rock movement. A couple of interesting albums Enigmatic Ocean and Cosmic Messenger, which is wort listening to.
So in many ways FZ and Jean-Luc guided me towards Jazz and Jazz rock, with a whole spectre of other interesting musicians and challenging music.
Other interesting stuff was happening in Europe as well at the time; in this context I’ll mention two: King Crimson and Tangerine Dream.
King Crimson is an English rockband formed in London in 1968.
The band has undergone numerous formations throughout its history of which in all 21 musicians have been members. Robert Fripp is the only consistent member of the group, and is considered the band's leader and driving force.
King Crimson's debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King (1969), remains the most successful and influential, with its elements of jazz, classical, and experimental music. The tracks “21st Century Schizoid Man" and “Epitaph” are still significant works.
Tangerine Dream is a German electronic music collective founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. The group has seen many personnel changes over the years, with Froese being the only continuous member until his death in January 2015.
I started to listen to Tangerine Dream about when the album Rubycon was released (1975).
For me this and the following albums: Stratosfear, Cyclone, Force Majeur and Tangram have had significant influence.
Further TD led me on to e.g. Kraftwerk, Jean-Michel André Jarre and others.
Continue to listen, reflect, learn, grow …
Credits / references: Thanks to Wikipedia, and any music loving webpage whom inspired / contributing …
To be continued ...
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To be continued ...
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