Guitar Rig

[IrishEyes]

Thanks, Tormod. Very interesting stuff. Things have gone a bit beyond sitting there with an instrument, paper and pencil and just COMPOSING, huh?

Ahhhhhhhh, the wonders of technology!

[Tormod]

Originally posted by: IrishEyes
Thanks, Tormod. Very interesting stuff. Things have gone a bit beyond sitting there with an instrument, paper and pencil and just COMPOSING, huh?

Ahhhhhhhh, the wonders of technology!

Funnily enough, I still work the old-fashioned way most of the time. I find it hard to compose anything without a framework, which I often sketch out on paper. When I designed this site, I also made sketches on paper before I fired up Fireworks and Photoshop.

But the great thing about computer music technology is that it makes it possible to think something up, play with it, try new ideas...and compose on the fly, trying different effects, channels etc, and then wipe everything out because it sounds like something Rick Astley would sing.

[Freethinker]

Originally posted by: IrishEyes
I don't know that I would have ever guessed this about you FreeT... Just another of the many things we have in common. On the only other site i've ever posted to regularly, my nic was "moondancer".

You had a post on another thread that alluded to Irish heritage, perhaps musicians. I had a feeling it was Van the Man you were referring to!

Seems like I posted this here somewhere, but I don't see it here, so REPOST!

When I showed up to pickup my now S.O for our first date, she was playing some Van Morrison. When we got back to her apartment afterwards, she had some John Lee Hooker on also. I knew at that point, along with seeing the book titles she had stacked all over, that we were made for each other. When I showed up for the 2nd date with copies of CD's Van and John had recorded together, SHE knew! :-)

I actually considered trying to plan the HC around the dates of a European Van concert, but wasn't sure if anyone else would be even mildly interested.

I would make arrangements to attend at any and all costs, kids be damned! Biz fall apart! No matter.

We missed getting tickets to his just finished North America tour because I did not get the details till too late!

He sings my all time favorite song, as well as about 4 others on my Top10 list... I'm just a VanFan!

Yup, Van is one of the best there is!

On a note of extreme Irony, one of my top favorites for ALL songs is "Into the Mystic".

[Freethinker]

Originally posted by: Tormod
"HC"?

I caught that one without a second look!

[Freethinker]

Originally posted by: Tormod
Basically, the entire music industry is being computerized these days. There are sequencers (multi-track recorders), affordable semi-pro sound cards, USB mixer decks, firewire audio cards, MIDI keyboards for computer use, virtual studio instruments and so on and so on...

Ya but NOTHING makes a guitar sound as good as a set of tubes!

[IrishEyes]

On a note of extreme Irony, one of my top favorites for ALL songs is "Into the Mystic".

Yeah, now I'm a little freaked out. That IS my ALL TIME favorite song. There is just somethng about that song... it haunts me.

A close second from Van and still in my overall Top10 is "Wonderful Remark". "Crazy Love" and "in the Afternoon" are also up there. "In the Afternoon" is one of the most incredibly sensual songs I've ever heard.

We missed tickets for the recent US tour as well. I saw a set available for the LA show on ebay, but were already so outrageous that it was not possible. That's why I play the "Where's Van going next?" game with Mr. Irish.

On that note, I will keep up with his mailing list and tour dates in an effort to possibly be able to attend a concet any where he will be. I'll post something to this effect in the Watercooler, just to let everyone know.

Glad to know that there are still other VanFans alive and kicking!!!

[Freethinker]

Originally posted by: IrishEyes

Yeah, now I'm a little freaked out. That IS my ALL TIME favorite song. There is just somethng about that song... it haunts me.

I literally get shivers just thinking about that song!

Then Moondance!

Caaann I I Just HA ave, one more re moondance with YOU! ... MY LOVE!

Ah yes!

On that note, I will keep up with his mailing list and tour dates in an effort to possibly be able to attend a concet any where he will be. I'll post something to this effect in the Watercooler, just to let everyone know.

Seriously, if it ties in with a Van concert, I will find a way! I love ya all, but Van's the MAN!

Glad to know that there are still other VanFans alive and kicking!!!

Ya, fewer and not kicking as high!

[wisdumn]

just ran across this thread. i like to do a # of different musical varieties. i definitely cannot resist an acoustic and a microphone but one of my favorite projects i work on is an electronic project a friend of mine and i do, it's along the lines of early industrial bands like skinny puppy, throb 'n gristle, ministry and anything else thatlives way,way out in left field. i personally use a korg D-12 digital 12 track recorder for now but will be upgrading soon to the 'ol pro tools and computer editing. i love recording, you can just do so much, i don't think i'll ever pay to go to a studio, most of them have expensive, modern equipment but i mean just because you have a stealth fighter jet in your front yard does not mean you know how to fly it.

[wisdumn]

oh yeah, actual guitar equipment, i have a really cheap($175.00) ibanez electric, a samick acoustic and a peavey patriot bass. i have a crate DX 212 which is basically crate's version of the line6 and i also have a small peavey combo amp that sounds pretty good, nice driving distortion. i agree with you FT about tube amps, but i only like an "A" signal not the "A-B" cross because the "A-B" seems to lose some of the crunch or drive if you will.

[Tormod]

Originally posted by: wisdumn
oh yeah, actual guitar equipment

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. Finally someone took me up on the guitar equipment thing. Thanks Wiz, you now have a free pass and I'll help you against Freethinker.

Joking aside, Cool! Electric, acoustic, bass. That pretty much covers it!

In addition to my Ernie Ball, which is one incredible guitar, I also own an Alhambra classical guitar which used to be my main instrument (since I have classical training). I recently played at a friend's wedding and man it was a long time since I'd played in public...stage fright de luxe! But it turned out okay (I assume the people in the church had other things on their mind that my playing). I also own a dirt cheap steel string which I bought so my daughters could play with it. Emily (14 months) plays it every day, Jenny (3 1/2 years) has already started to finger chords but I am not yet teaching her!).

Yesterday I shipped off my GuitarPort to a lucky fellow who bought it on an online auction here in Norway, and unwrapped my shiny new Line 6 Pod XT which I still haven't been able to play since I bought it from the US and need a voltage converter (which my father-in-law actually has, so I'm picking it up in an hour or so). I decided not to go for the Native Instruments Guitar Rig thingy because I wanted a piece of hardware that would process the guitar signal outside the computer. More portable and doesn't gobble up my CPU.

I have never ever owned a valve amp. When I went to college in the US I owned a Crate 60W amp which fit into my locker but didn't sound all that good. I never had the money to afford fancy equipment, instead I put everything into the instrument so I have always had decent guitars. These days I'm at least able to buy some basic home studio stuff so I'm getting there. My philosophy is to try and make do with the best I can afford and try to learn to use it as best I can before I move on. But I occasionally suffer from the Gear bug so I have some stuff lying around that really isn't being used.

This is what I currently use:

Sequencers:
FL Studio (PC) and Tracktion (PC and Mac)

Drums:
BFD from FXPansion - incredible accoustic drum software. Sounds like a real drummer. No kidding!

Synths:
Absynth 2.0 (Native Instruments)
Sytrus (Image-Line) - great FM synth
Plus a collection of VST synths etc from the Computer Music magazine, all free

Sampler:
Kompakt (also NI) - I really want Kontakt since Kompakt is just a sample player but again, money...

Other software:
Propellerheads Reason 2.5 (job-related, rarely used because it can't record audio)
Apple Soundtrack (also job-related, rarely used)
Zero-X BeatCreator (spanking new because of an offer from the makers of FL Studio)

Gear:
Ernie Ball Music Man Silhouette guitar
Line 6 Pod XT with a Behringer FCB 1010 floorboard
Peavey Bandit 112 w/Scorpion speakers - 10 years old but still going strong
M-Audio Oxygen 8 2-octave MIDI keyboard (cheap with lots of knobs on it!)
Cheap Behringer Mic w/expensive stand (funny, the stand cost more than the mic)
Decent Behringer headset
Behringer Eurorack UB802 8-channel mixer - tiny thing which connects everything
Roland GR-1 guitar synth with GK-2 pickup, bought for $250 on auction, great for running VST synths with my guitar.
OLD Dual stereo for monitoring via headset

PC:
Athlon 3200+ (home built, overclocked 2500+), 768 MB RAM, M-Audio Audiophile 2496 audio card, 19" CRT monitor, 4 harddrives...this kit is getting old but I can't afford a new computer so I switch the pieces that stop working.

Mac: G4 PowerBook 1Ghz, 768 MB RAM, 15,1" monitor. It is my work laptop but they don't mind th