Randolf Arriola (embryo) Guitar Gear 101
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embryo
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Phew! Ok just got back still head spinnin from the Jet lag. How's everyone here?!
The Y2K7 Loopfest in Santa Cruz and San Francisco was an overwhelming phenomenal experience. Lots to tell about the event which was like a united nations gathering of music fest, loop fest and all that gear! omg! Yours sincerely played to a standing ovation cheh bah! Hehehe. The festival was a true international festival with performers from Norway, Sweden, Brazil, Italy, Germany, me from Singapore, and the USA. Every performer was treated with utmost respect by the organizers, the soundboard operator, and everyone else. This festival was not a competition -- rather it was a celebration of live looping. And a feast it was. We heard ambient, rock, pop, jazz, neo-classical, experimental, and world music. Instruments were electronic and acoustic blown, plucked, struck, bowed, ebowed, and hand-pumped. There was singing and beat-boxing. Musicians ranged from full-time producers, composers, music journalists, session and touring musicians, and others who perform music on evenings and weekends. Every set was unique and the festival never once got tiring even each of the 3 days of the main event began at noon and ended at midnight.
On Saturaday lovely mayor of Santa Cruz official announced 20th Oct as "International Live Looping Day" the biggest of it's kind around the world. The Mayor also awarded each of us headliners and featured performers and Rick Walker the event organizer a commemorative plaque and a key to the city with and warm hug and kiss some more. I left the festival with many new friends, many ideas for new looped compositions, enhanced knowledge about looping techniques and tools, and much encouragement to keep creating, playing. The sense of community was outstanding and I already look forward to next year.
So Folks on the waiting list here please do bear with me at least till after this weekend so I can realign myself. My mobile was lost in transit on the way back so the best way to reach me is via email. Hey and tanx for all the messages of encouragement and best wishes ya.
It's great to be back, more later ya!
The Y2K7 Loopfest in Santa Cruz and San Francisco was an overwhelming phenomenal experience. Lots to tell about the event which was like a united nations gathering of music fest, loop fest and all that gear! omg! Yours sincerely played to a standing ovation cheh bah! Hehehe. The festival was a true international festival with performers from Norway, Sweden, Brazil, Italy, Germany, me from Singapore, and the USA. Every performer was treated with utmost respect by the organizers, the soundboard operator, and everyone else. This festival was not a competition -- rather it was a celebration of live looping. And a feast it was. We heard ambient, rock, pop, jazz, neo-classical, experimental, and world music. Instruments were electronic and acoustic blown, plucked, struck, bowed, ebowed, and hand-pumped. There was singing and beat-boxing. Musicians ranged from full-time producers, composers, music journalists, session and touring musicians, and others who perform music on evenings and weekends. Every set was unique and the festival never once got tiring even each of the 3 days of the main event began at noon and ended at midnight.
On Saturaday lovely mayor of Santa Cruz official announced 20th Oct as "International Live Looping Day" the biggest of it's kind around the world. The Mayor also awarded each of us headliners and featured performers and Rick Walker the event organizer a commemorative plaque and a key to the city with and warm hug and kiss some more. I left the festival with many new friends, many ideas for new looped compositions, enhanced knowledge about looping techniques and tools, and much encouragement to keep creating, playing. The sense of community was outstanding and I already look forward to next year.
So Folks on the waiting list here please do bear with me at least till after this weekend so I can realign myself. My mobile was lost in transit on the way back so the best way to reach me is via email. Hey and tanx for all the messages of encouragement and best wishes ya.
It's great to be back, more later ya!
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embryo
New member
Tanx
Hilights of the Y2K7 Loopfest experience include watching upclose and jamming with Henry Kaiser's Steve Klein and Teuffel guitars...wow!!! Henry Kaiser is one of the the most cutting edge and innovative guitarist who plays justabout everything from rootsy folk, blues and hawaiian styles to wall of sound psychedelic rock and abstract avant garde. The fact that he's played and made albums with Derek Bailey is testament itself of Henry Kaiser.
There'll be pics, audio and videos comin up on the
Y2K7 Loopfest website so I'v been told. Stay tune for news. Meanwhile here's the link to the website
http://www.y2kloopfest.com/mp3.html
ps. My mobile was lost in transit on the way back so the best way to reach me is via email for the moment. Hey and tanx for all the messages of encouragement and best wishes ya.
Hilights of the Y2K7 Loopfest experience include watching upclose and jamming with Henry Kaiser's Steve Klein and Teuffel guitars...wow!!! Henry Kaiser is one of the the most cutting edge and innovative guitarist who plays justabout everything from rootsy folk, blues and hawaiian styles to wall of sound psychedelic rock and abstract avant garde. The fact that he's played and made albums with Derek Bailey is testament itself of Henry Kaiser.
There'll be pics, audio and videos comin up on the
Y2K7 Loopfest website so I'v been told. Stay tune for news. Meanwhile here's the link to the website
http://www.y2kloopfest.com/mp3.html
ps. My mobile was lost in transit on the way back so the best way to reach me is via email for the moment. Hey and tanx for all the messages of encouragement and best wishes ya.
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embryo
New member
Live Looping
Ah! More Live Looping queries coming by recently. Finally! I'm more than happy to share and network with others who'r interested or just curious. Live Looping, considered an oddity here, really is a concept of performance, composition and improvisation that's been around for years.
Close observation of music from around the world reveals that Musical Looping is evident anywhere from ethnic music like African call & answer chants and thumps to 12 Bar Blues to Jazz, Dance music to Pop and Rock. Often confused with sample loops, the difference is that Live looping does not involve the use of prepared samples or prerecorded loops as the performer ceates all the sounds live and captures them on the fly with his/her own looping system. Most in the past like Steve Reich, John Cage, Brian Eno and Holger Czukay used tape based reel to reel recorders, some use software based which is promising but still knda risky imho for peace of mnd rest assured consistent live performance based on more than few "oops" scenarios I witnessed other performers grappling with recently at the Y2K7 Loopfest. There's still many around the world including myself preferring hardware systems like the Echoplex Digital Pro, Repeater, Looperlative, Line6 DL4, Jam Man, Boomerang and the Boss RC50. The cheapest looping device can be attained in a single pedal form called the Boss RC2which by itself contans more looping time than the 5 secs that Fripp and Eno had with their tape machines in the early 70s.
Personally I'm hopeful and keeping a keen eye on the technological pogress of personal computers and digital signal processing designs. I hope to intergrate hardware with software on a more regular basis in the near future. My recent mini California tour in Y2K7 Loopfest was a great experience playing, watching and exchanging ideas with fellow monster usicians and very informed and just as talented members of the audience and reps of gear manufacturers.
Ultimately Live Looping is best watched and heard to experience, learn from and be inspirired by than described in wordful volumes. Do swing by Harry's where I perform my music to create and complement the mood of the house for the day with my Live Looping sets of mixes from reinterpretations of classics from Pop, Rock, Folk and Bossa Nova to Jazz, Latin to Ambient whilst sneaking in some my originals. Apparently based on fellow notable musicians at the recent loopfest I'm one of a few in the world who performs regularly with my live looping setup making a living out of it. Hehe so I guess I'm truly fortunate in that sense.
Ok so don't be shy like most of us here are, swing by mondays to fridays at Harry's Harbour Front if you'd like to chat and discuss and network with others ya. I'll be playing there till the 15th this month after which I'll be playing a new Harry's outlet soon. Soooo Stay tune or email me for news and correspondences.
Lastly, I've been woodshedding on new Live Looping techniques and tools to expand my current sonic range... My head is spinning with oveflowing ideas, I hope to incorporate these ideas into reality to create and share my music with you all soon.
http://www.y2kloopfest.com/index.html
Ah! More Live Looping queries coming by recently. Finally!
I'm more than happy to share and network with others who'r interested or just curious. Live Looping, considered an oddity here, really is a concept of performance, composition and improvisation that's been around for years. Close observation of music from around the world reveals that Musical Looping is evident anywhere from ethnic music like African call & answer chants and thumps to 12 Bar Blues to Jazz, Dance music to Pop and Rock. Often confused with sample loops, the difference is that Live looping does not involve the use of prepared samples or prerecorded loops as the performer ceates all the sounds live and captures them on the fly with his/her own looping system. Most in the past like Steve Reich, John Cage, Brian Eno and Holger Czukay used tape based reel to reel recorders, some use software based which is promising but still knda risky imho for peace of mnd rest assured consistent live performance based on more than few "oops" scenarios I witnessed other performers grappling with recently at the Y2K7 Loopfest. There's still many around the world including myself preferring hardware systems like the Echoplex Digital Pro, Repeater, Looperlative, Line6 DL4, Jam Man, Boomerang and the Boss RC50. The cheapest looping device can be attained in a single pedal form called the Boss RC2which by itself contans more looping time than the 5 secs that Fripp and Eno had with their tape machines in the early 70s.
Personally I'm hopeful and keeping a keen eye on the technological pogress of personal computers and digital signal processing designs. I hope to intergrate hardware with software on a more regular basis in the near future. My recent mini California tour in Y2K7 Loopfest was a great experience playing, watching and exchanging ideas with fellow monster usicians and very informed and just as talented members of the audience and reps of gear manufacturers.
Ultimately Live Looping is best watched and heard to experience, learn from and be inspirired by than described in wordful volumes. Do swing by Harry's where I perform my music to create and complement the mood of the house for the day with my Live Looping sets of mixes from reinterpretations of classics from Pop, Rock, Folk and Bossa Nova to Jazz, Latin to Ambient whilst sneaking in some my originals. Apparently based on fellow notable musicians at the recent loopfest I'm one of a few in the world who performs regularly with my live looping setup making a living out of it. Hehe so I guess I'm truly fortunate in that sense.
Ok so don't be shy like most of us here are, swing by mondays to fridays at Harry's Harbour Front if you'd like to chat and discuss and network with others ya. I'll be playing there till the 15th this month after which I'll be playing a new Harry's outlet soon. Soooo Stay tune or email me for news and correspondences.
Lastly, I've been woodshedding on new Live Looping techniques and tools to expand my current sonic range... My head is spinning with oveflowing ideas, I hope to incorporate these ideas into reality to create and share my music with you all soon.
http://www.y2kloopfest.com/index.html
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embryo
New member
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embryo
New member
Nice to know that. Is his with the Trans Trem or the S Trem? I'm currently using a GM series model with the S Trem which I'm happy with coz it can pull the G String up 5 frets (2+1/2 tones) without fretting out. Would want to explore converting to Trans Trem tho as that's what I'm originally going for.
I personally feel that the Steinberger tremolo designs for both the S Trem and especially the Trans Trem are the best in functionality and practicality and yet they've been around been around since the early 80's altho not as widely known among whammy bar users.
Any Trans Trem users here?
I personally feel that the Steinberger tremolo designs for both the S Trem and especially the Trans Trem are the best in functionality and practicality and yet they've been around been around since the early 80's altho not as widely known among whammy bar users.
Any Trans Trem users here?
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embryo
New member
Likewise I salute Ned Steinberger who is indeed a genious. There are very few who can take on the classic designs of both the fender and gibson time proven designs and make significant improvements and in some cases total redesign to create a modern instrument that straddles both classic and futuristic. I think the original GL model was great but I do feel the GM model is more suitable for players like myself who still like a "feel like home " kinda traditional feel to the body design. The latest Synapse series of the Baritone neck and Trans Scale movable capo design are yet groundbreaking "never occured to me" type of ideas that are just so spot on!
Steve Klein is another one who's designs are amazing. He took on Steinbergers radical visions of the electric guitar and made further refinements in the body design which altho aesthetically challeging at first sight is really one of the most comfortable and functional body shapes as the picking right arm rest is lovely and tummy area makes me feel like the guitar is one with the body. The body shape is also designed in such a way where the neck angle is perfect for the left hand reaching from the lower to the highest fret positions. Klein incorporated Steinberger's functional designs like the headless graphite neck and the Transtrem tremolo system. Uncorporating a fan out shape spread to the fretboard the Klein is an ultimate guitar design imho. Very very nice!
The German designer behind Teuffel guitars is beyond belief! His designs of the Cocco and the Tesla models are so...yeah! why not! At the Y2K7 Loopfest I was hangin' out and playing with Henry Kaiser's Kleins and Teuffel guitars and they were just drop dead gorgeous both in feel and tone.
Quite needless to say but ya I'v been restless at night ever since. Hehehehe.
Steve Klein is another one who's designs are amazing. He took on Steinbergers radical visions of the electric guitar and made further refinements in the body design which altho aesthetically challeging at first sight is really one of the most comfortable and functional body shapes as the picking right arm rest is lovely and tummy area makes me feel like the guitar is one with the body. The body shape is also designed in such a way where the neck angle is perfect for the left hand reaching from the lower to the highest fret positions. Klein incorporated Steinberger's functional designs like the headless graphite neck and the Transtrem tremolo system. Uncorporating a fan out shape spread to the fretboard the Klein is an ultimate guitar design imho. Very very nice!
The German designer behind Teuffel guitars is beyond belief! His designs of the Cocco and the Tesla models are so...yeah! why not! At the Y2K7 Loopfest I was hangin' out and playing with Henry Kaiser's Kleins and Teuffel guitars and they were just drop dead gorgeous both in feel and tone.
Quite needless to say but ya I'v been restless at night ever since. Hehehehe.
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embryo
New member
Ok buddies! I'v been going on and on off the top of my head about the Loopfest, the Steins, Kleins and Teuffel guitars but almost forgot to mention that I've finally gotten a replacement mobile phone. I really have no use for most of the modern feature full hps of late as I only need to and fro calls and smses so ya I just a nice cheapo replacement.
My backlog of Work is back in progress and I'll be contacting you guys to come by to pick up ur respectiv gear.
Pls do email me directly at randolf@embryosongs.com or sms me with ur name if u have my contact no. and wish to maintain in my correspondence list ya.
My backlog of Work is back in progress and I'll be contacting you guys to come by to pick up ur respectiv gear.
Pls do email me directly at randolf@embryosongs.com or sms me with ur name if u have my contact no. and wish to maintain in my correspondence list ya.
edder
New member
I've been obsessing with Klein guitars ever since I got into Jon Durant, Bill Frisell and David Torn(but of course!) but I KNOW I will never be able to afford one and since my guitar skills are equivalent to a toddler.... no point getting one.
The Klein design is sooo much like the Ovation Breadwinner/Deacon series, coincidental or inspired?
When the Baritone Synapse was introduced it got me really excited and all but the lack of availability to the rest of the world was a BUMMER. If only I had a contact in the States that I won't be shy to ASK FOR HELP, if only they're more than acquaintance and long lost classmates, if only.
Teuffel guitars however... leaves me a bit cold... i dunno man. Too garish? Too loud? Too unguitarlike? Too unconventional?
The Klein design is sooo much like the Ovation Breadwinner/Deacon series, coincidental or inspired?
When the Baritone Synapse was introduced it got me really excited and all but the lack of availability to the rest of the world was a BUMMER. If only I had a contact in the States that I won't be shy to ASK FOR HELP, if only they're more than acquaintance and long lost classmates, if only.
Teuffel guitars however... leaves me a bit cold... i dunno man. Too garish? Too loud? Too unguitarlike? Too unconventional?
embryo
New member
Hey! Great to know that ur into Bill Frisell and David Torn too Ed. Well I did arrange with Gibson for the Synapse Steinbergers to be available during the last Tonequest event but u were not there I guess. Oh well, it's here in S'pore just so u know.
The Ovation Breadwinner's body has certain similarities to the Klein especially the doing away of the upper horn and maintaining the right arm rest but the Klein's body shape is sculpted in such a way it's almost like curved shell that wraps around ur...ahem! abs!? Hehehe
Teuffel guitars ya I know they look kinda scary huh! But trust me they are very very nice! The Cocco sounds surprisingly traditional but the Tesla (my favourite btw) The Tesla is really really out there! I saw and heard mind expanding things done on the Tesla and without effects somemore! Ayooooo! I LIKE! hehehehe
Well I did arrange with Gibson for the Synapse Steinbergers to be available during the last Tonequest event but u were not there I guess. Oh well, it's here in S'pore just so u know. The Ovation Breadwinner's body has certain similarities to the Klein especially the doing away of the upper horn and maintaining the right arm rest but the Klein's body shape is sculpted in such a way it's almost like curved shell that wraps around ur...ahem! abs!? Hehehe
Teuffel guitars ya I know they look kinda scary huh! But trust me they are very very nice! The Cocco sounds surprisingly traditional but the Tesla (my favourite btw) The Tesla is really really out there! I saw and heard mind expanding things done on the Tesla and without effects somemore! Ayooooo! I LIKE! hehehehe
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