Randolf Arriola (embryo) Guitar Gear 101

[embryo]

Tanx.
Always eyeing my Yamaha Magicstomp with a cautious eye yes I did check out the TC Electronic G Natural to see if it's a worthy contender. TC always makes great stuff but what I found in the G Natural was both good and not so good stuff in relation to my perhaps unique needs. What I loved about it was the fact that I could plug both my acoustic guitar and vocals into the G Natural and configure the effects either individually or sharing b/w guitar and vocals which is great as I've been trying for awhile to find a suitable setup thatsuits my creative needs for both vocals and guitar without having too many pedals spread across the floor. Unfortunately for me the G Natural has almost everything else to replace the Magicstomp's lush delays and modulation but falls short in the pitch shift dept. Damn! Almost! hehe

Instead what I'm using for vocals right now is 2 devices from TC The Voice Create and Voice Live.

I'm singing and playing the guitar, recording and manipulating the loops real time and don't like the idea of leaving my hands from the guitar to check emails on a laptop mid performance altho it seems to be trend these days...

For the straight forward singer with acousic guitar I would highly recommend the TC Electronic G Natural System.

Still keepin an eye out always do let me know if you or others find or setect something close to the power and flexibilty of the Yamaha Magicstomp.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=KaHFgabmne0

 

[embryo]

Randolf Arriola Live Looping Improv in Santa Cruz Part 4

http://youtube.com/watch?v=KaHFgabmne0

I was asked and yes I did play an improv loop including the motif of massive attack's teardrop in this 4th piece. As i previously mentioned watching back on the video of this particular show at Santa cruz made me almost feel like an astronaut touchdowned and performing a ritual "greetings from planet earth" dreamscape piece for the little scurrying aliens under the rocks and caves on planet mars!
What a tripp trip and such fond memories.

For the gear curios among u no i was not using or driving any synths from my Godin. For the Santa Cruz gigs i was using using my Godin Multiac Steel Duet which is equipped with LR Baggs duet pickup system consisting of a ribbon under saddle transducer and a condenser mic. No pre recorded material, laptop, mp3 players or similar playbac devices were used. The pedals which u can't see on video are on the "martian floor" they consists of;

1. Boss CS3
2. Yamaha Magicstomp
3. Boss DD20
4. Boss RC50

I have another Godin Steel which I use at home and for production purposes which is a Multiac SA (synth access) it uses the RMC pickup which also has a roland synth driver pickup system but it does not have the condencer mic pickup.

 

[embryo]

Univibes and ChorusQuote: "

I am looking to get a gd and cheap chorus and also something that can emulate a Univibe (as a Univibe or its clone is generaly expensive). I am currently looking at a Carl Martin Classic Chorus. Can you give me a suggestion on a chorus pedal dats cheap and gd; and a pedal like maybe a pahser dat can emulate a vibe."

There are technical and sonic differences between a chorus and a univibe. Let me explain;

A Chorus effect is a short delayed signal (abt 30msecs) with a slight fluctuating pitch. Technically there is a slight phase thing happening evertime the pitch fluctuates but it's very subtle on a chorus. The sound is like making a regular 6 string guitar sound somewhat like a 12 string which has that characteristic "chimey" character because the unison tuned strings fluctuating continuosly.

A UniVibe effect is an emulation of the Leslie Rotating speaker effect which is much more complex than a chorus as there more things going on including pitch fluctuation, phase and the most important doppler effect. The doppler effect is like listening to an approaching police car's siren. You will notice that as car approaches u the volume gets louder but also the pitch is rising, reaching it's loudest and highest pitch when the car ahs reached you bu you'll also notice that the pitch and volume of the siren starts to decrese when the care has gone past you. Pay attention next time u spot an incoming police care or fire engine. This is what's called the Doppler effect.

A univibe sounds most convincing if the rate is attached to a foot pedal to control the rate from very slow to fast to emulate the way a rotating leslie speaker works.

I'm sure among many good ones out there the Carl Martin Classic chorus would sound good but it's best that u tried as many variations possible to find what suits u best in tone and budget and with ur gear.

As for the univibe, other than a moddeled version I've yet to come across anything else better than the Jim Dunlop version. The best of course is use 2 Leslie speakers spread far left and right.

 

[embryo]

Overdrive Tone for Bass Guitars

Quote: " bass- epiphone gothic thunderbird
amp-behringer thunderbird amp 30watts

i keep trying to add just here and there to get the really dry overdriven sound but doesnt seem to get it. i only manage to get abit of the sound by turning on more of the tone knob on the bass. settings on the pedal is the natural overdrive setting on boss web. my desire overdive sound is from Dir en grey. song is 'The Final'. basically songs from dir en grey has the overdrive sound tt i wanted. but 'The Final' has the really nice overdrive sound i wanted.
thanks a million for ur help!"

An effective way to achieve a tight and sophisticated driving rock bass sound with overdrive imho is to run parellel by using 2 seperate amps or channels on the mxing board. Either 2 seperate bass amps one set to clean and the other driven by either a fuzz, overdrive or distortion pedal. There are many ways to achieve ur own tone and dun be shy about experimenting with guitar amps or even going direct to the the mixing board.

Ur Thunderbird amp is sufficient for a small rehearsal studio but will lack the ability to give u a split channel flexibility required for attain strong bottoms and cutting highs with seperate amp that focuses on overdriving the mids.

Japanese bands like Dir En Grey have a very elaborate highly produced sound for each individual instrument fine tuned to sound great as a collective when the whole band is mixed in. So do experiement further to discover things on urself and with almost any possible combination of gear u can get ur hands on. Feel free to enquire if u need further help.

 

[sef]

singlecoil staggered magnet

hey randolf. i was looking some seymour duncan strat singlecoils. the quarter pound comes with staggered & flat magnet pattern. just wondering what's the difference between them? tone? output?

thanx for the advice

 

[embryo]

hey randolf. i was looking some seymour duncan strat singlecoils. the quarter pound comes with staggered & flat magnet pattern. just wondering what's the difference between them? tone? output?

thanx for the advice

The quarter pounders from SD have a stronger output due to the substantially larger pole pieces. The idea of this design is to retain as much of the single coils "chimey" character but with a larger output.

The staggered pole pieces version are best for classic and reissue strats where the repositioning of the pole pieces matches the "curve" of the older strat fingerboard radius.

The flat pole piece version is more suited for the flatter fingerboard radius of american standard strats and modern guitars that have a much flatter fingerboard radius.

Hope this helps.

 

[chimaera]

Yo Randolf, sent u a pm, thanks

 

[Godspeed64]

Hello Mr.Randolf. Don't mind me for asking, but what gadget is it that you utilise for your live looping sonic mayhem?
I'm quite keen on venturing into this aspect of guitar playing.

 

[embryo]

Hi Chimaera,

I've read ur mesg and will get bak to u asap with news.

 

[embryo]

Hello Mr.Randolf. Don't mind me for asking, but what gadget is it that you utilise for your live looping sonic mayhem?
I'm quite keen on venturing into this aspect of guitar playing.

I currently use the Boss RC 50, I was previously using a Line6 DL4 which has 14 secs of looping time full fidelty mode but can go double time at 28 secs but at half fidelity which I do find very musical too. The Boss DD20 which is also in my setup is also capable of simpler looping with 23 secs. Sometimes when the mood is right I will create and run seperate loops on all 3 for the intended "Left of Heaven" TOTAL MAYHEM! sonic experience. Heh

 

[embryo]

Questions, questions, questions...Tone settings, Amps, Compressors...


Q1. What is the established guideline for setting an amp "flat"? Does it mean setting all controls at noon? I have seen variating definitions as to the term "flat", with mention being made of leaving bass and treble controls at zero, and mids at ten. Or should I simply trust my ears?
Ans1: In guitar speak there are often conflicting interpretations to the term "flat tone setting" because there r many varying issues to concern with eg. the type of amp where the tone controls are either passive type or active type and also the type of guiatr and pickups used. There's also the issue of the type of amp all tube, hybrid, solid state or modelled. The overwhelming confusion u are facing is mostly due to ur understandablly early stage of experience in understanding the range of the above stated different components and how they all create different sets of neutral, sweetspot and flat tone settings. The thing to remember is that the amp (not the pedals) is the second most important component of the complete electric guitar setup. So the real question I think would be "how to find the neutral tone setting of any amp?" Usually at gigs or a studio for amps that I'm unfamiliar with I will first observe the speaker config of the amp, see if it's closed or open back, single speakr, double spkr or stack (4x12 spkrs) and also if the speakers are the low wattage type (very rare these days) or are they they the more modern super high wattage clean and hard sounding type (very common trhese days) I'll then set the amp's gain to be as clean as possible with the tone controls at 12 noon with the presence knob at minimum and strum lightly to medium to harder with my Strat's single coil or LP's humbucker in the bridge and then the neck taking note of of th amp's lows, mids and highs. I will then raise the master volume knob to a slightly louder setting and check the tone character of my guitar mthis time making adjustments to the tone knobs. I usually set the presence knob gainst the treble at the end of this whole necessary exercise before launching into a silent prayer and hope I will sound alright. Usually these days I have more hits then misses.

Q2. Where should I place a compressor in the chain? For example, in cases of stacking pedals, should the compressor be placed at the end of all the gain stages?
Ans2: The musical and tonal use of the compressor must first be established before adding it to your signal chain. What's yours?

Q3. Also, if I placed the compressor after the first gain pedal that emits the basic rhythm tone, what would the effect then be, of stacking this compressed signal with another gain pedal, or pedals?
Ans3: When placed before or after a drive (dist) pedal the compressor will behave differently and you can hear and feel it. Try it and make mental note of the difference and apply according to your needs. The compressor pedal like the eq pedal i consider as still part of the family of "drive pedals" They dun emit distortion perse but do affect the gain stucture and if used in front of a tube can also act as effective gain and tone boosters to incite some serious range of tube distortion from the amp itself .

Q4. Would a compression setting that works well for rhythm, work as well in times of playing lead lines? I realize it is dependent on the style of rhythm playing, but it is a question that bogs me.
Ans4: The use, setting and type of compressor depends on several issues including compatability with other equipment especially the amp and also the players dynamic style.Most players who use a compressor pedal usually leave it on all the way. I used it that way sometimes. Some players will use the compressor only for playing tighter sounding RHCP type of funky rhythm styles and some will use the compressor to kick up the saturation level of an overdrive pedal or amp into that singing bluesy lead tone. Settings on the compressor varies alot from player to player so do experiment to find your own but do note that moderation is the key to control...unless of cos u want to create ur own all original out of control out of this world sound to conquer the universe. In this case just turn all the dials to max and aim for the heart of the sun!

Q5. Would you recommend the BYOC compressor over a modified cs-3?
Ans5: Most of the guitar pedal compressors are based on the Dynacomp. The older Boss CS2 though a variation had characteristics of the Dynacomp. The Boss CS3 came into place as it was better suited for modern guitars that were equipped with higher output and active pickups. I personally use both a modified Dynacomp and CS3. It is advisable for the player to reach a certain level of experience and playing maturity to be able to work with and manage a good tone out of a pretty wide range of available stock equipment before diving into the pool of boutique pedals and mods. Most of the seasoned players develop over time the experience and skill in learning how to tune any reasonable piece of equipment to serve his her own musical intentions before arriving at a decision to zone in on improvements in various components of the complete guitar setup. This is also why such players become valuable guitar techs and roadies in the West for their Arena playing geetar playing bosses.

Q6. I remember seeing somewhere on soft, where it was mentioned that when you modify the ge-7, you adopt your own frequency levels that are more relevant to the guitarist in a full-band setting, or words to that effect... could you elaborate on that?
Ans6: The mods that I do offer including the GE7 among others is usually based on what's best suited for the individual's unique musical needs. This is because I have learnt from experience that what sounds great from online clips and other players more than often will sound totally different in the hands of another player... due to many factors including those mentioned above. How many times have u seen and heard different players all play a combination of similar strats, les pauls and fender, marshall and mesa amps and yet they all sound uniquely different?!

Phew!

Hope the above has been of some help and inspiration for u on your own tone quest and that you'd come closer in understanding how to chart your own path to getting a good sound to inspire great music out of you.

Regards

YouTube - Randolf Arriola Live Looping Improv in Santa Cruz Part 1

 

[chimaera]

yo bro randolf... any updates on ma amp bro?

 

[embryo]

Hey Chimaera, I'll get back to you ya. Tanx.

 

[monk]

synthesizers and crazy-ass pedals/effects

Hey Randolf
Im currently looking to see the craziest thing that I can link up with my guitar.
It seems like pedals are quite limited. I discovered the Roland VG-99, damn, it's good. Wonder how much would that cost?

Could you give a brief comparison on the best guitar synth/modelling technology out there now? not in singapore, but in the world. And btw, is guitar synth same as guitar singla modeller? like those korg or line 6 ones.

I saw matt bellamy of muse using a midi-pckup .. and then there were like 2-3 people adjusting many racks for him. any idea what they were doing? they're doing some modelling stuff as well ?

And, are there any other crazy pedals or guitar related effects which are available out there? Or are there better stuff but are rackmounted?

Please enlighten!!!

Thanks!

 

[embryo]

Guitar Synthesizers, Modelling and the Exciting Mystical World of Cutting Edge Guitar Technology

Hey Monk you've struck the bell with me! Piiiiiiiiiing!!! repeat after me "Oooommmmmmmm!"

Ahhhhh! Sooooo! Onitofu!
The most sophisticated and progressive "really out there" technology for guitars today besides Live Looping (I won't go there today...otherwise I can't stop. Hehehehe) is the "pitch to voltage" pickup system. There have been other makers who even went so far to experiment with "light to voltage" system and other variations but Roland's idea has survived the coming and going of guitar synth systems.

Roland was and has always been in the cutting edge in guitar technology and were the first to go into modelling technology with the VG8. Yamaha is the other giant to watch out for. As much as other makers may take the lion's share of the market in modelling technology applied devices, Roland is still the most advanced and I constantly watch out for the ongoing progress that they make along the way with much anticipation. Almost everything that I have dreamed up for the guitar as a teenager has been made into reality by Roland. Their current technological flagship is the VG99. In my honest opinion the VG99 represents the finest in guitar technology available today to the mass guitar community.

On a sidenote in my own observation and assessment of guitar technology 2 devices come to mind as the greatest pieces of cutting edge technology and they're both not from Roland. The first is the SYNTHAXE which was used, recorded and apparently performed most prominently by the living legend Allan Holdsworth. The 2nd is the SYNCLAVIER which was played by Pat Metheny, John Mclaughlin and Frank Zappa. Of the both of these I would love to for at least once get a chance to play and explore the Synthaxe.

I own and use the Roland VG88 the predecessor of the modern VG99. The VG88 came around year 2000 and was an improvement over the Roland VG8 system which was introduced in the early 90's.... I think. Prior to that as a kid I used to hang around Swee Lee on early mornings and quiet days back when it was in Plaza Singapura and hassle and beg the old staff like Uncle George to let me try out the Roland GR300 and GR303systems. Uncle George always used to watch me tweaking and playing these guitar synths and would go "Tsk Tsk Tsk! Ayoooo wat sound is that!? What you doin boy!? That is not guitar la! You ever hear Dire Straits or not!? That's the way geetar should sound and play! Tsk Tsk Tsk!" George, George! I really love this! (Me looking at him with wide eyes and a silly wicked smile) The yellow and blue GR300 systems were the sound of guitar synths heard on records by King Crimson and Andy Summers of Police. I was so in awe of the the sonic possibilities of the guitar synth from a young age and I'm not shy to state a matter factly in this current that I still do! Hehehehe. In the late 80's there came about this strange Roland guitar synth called the Model GR700. You gota see it to believe how cutting edge and Star Trekky the guitar looked. Way impressive but Way too expensive too. so it was not to be for me. I kept having recurring guitar synth sonicscapey dreams and then in the early 90's when I started earning some serious cash as a musician after I left my meager paying engineering job I jumped right in and started experimenting and exploring the world of MIDI guitars with the Roland GR-1 MIDI Guitar Synth which was already considered a 5th generation guitar synth system from Roland. Woah and behold! I can close my eyes play flute, strings and piano lines, chords and improvisations and hey even play drums and percussion! Oh wow this is so crazeee but I like!

I play the GR1 and VG88 systems with my GK2A equipped Frankenstrat and a Godin Multiac SA (my 2nd Godin). Guitar Synth technology opened a whole new world for me! I've never been the same guitarist ever since I discovered it which I guess briefly explains why I play and approach the guitar more like paintbrush than a gun or sword or some kinda nuke weapon on a strap (which I still can when I feel like it once in awhile Hah!)
Hehehehe.

Phew! Ok more along the way.

PS. Private GUITAR 101 Sessions have Resumed! Please email randolf@embryosongs.com for enquiries and appointment.
Randolf's Live Looping Improv in Santa Cruz - YouTube - Randolf Arriola Live Looping Improv in Santa Cruz Part 2
The Embryo live at Timbre - YouTube - The embryo LIVE at "OpenStage" Timbre Singapore 15thApr06

 

[monk]

wooooow
cool stuff .. ive been surfing the net .. but cant find the difference between GR and VG. Can you explain a bit? Say, if I buy the VG, do I still need the GR?
mmmmmmmm

totally loving the synth sound!!

oh btw, surely we can still connect some analog pedals to the VG yeah???

please tell more stories!

 

[embryo]

The Roland GR and VG systems both use the GK Hexaphonic Pickup.

Roland GK Hexaphonic pickup
The GK hexaphonic pup is actually 6 individual pickups. This is a necessary design in order to achieve perfect isolation of each guitar's strings pitch reading. The isolation of each string is necessary because how the whole thing works is like this; The GK pickup senses the pitch from the individual string and translates it to voltage which contains 3 important information; the designated guitar string, frequency and dynamics.

Roland GR Synth technology
This GK pup signal is sent to the GR module which will translate the 3 pt info to midi information that triggers off the module's sound samples. So basically the whole purpose of the GK pickup is similar to how a midi keyboard controller works. The big significant difference between the guitar and the keyboard is really the guitar's ability to bend individual strings in a chord. The GR method of sample triggering has it's strenghts and quirks too because it operates strictly on pitch to voltage to midi. The pitch that it senses from the GK pup must be as clean as possible in order to do the rest. If you did a "pick scrape" or a sloppy dud picking of the intended string the GR module will not know how to handle the "garbage it's sensing and so you the result u hear is even more digital garbage in sound. Exciting or frustrating really depends on the player here. What is the real strenght of the GR system is that all the wonderful samplers and keyboard modules can now be accessed with the guitar and that's really amazing!

Roland VG modelling technology
The VG system because it operates on modelling technology is kinda diffedrent in the manner it processes the signals read from the GK pup. Modelling technology is quite similar to sampling but differs in a more advanced way in the manner the technology incorporates highly sophisticated algorithms to calculate the way a sample/template sound will sound in the higher or lower registers of any instrument. This is based on the aural complexity of eg. how similar pitches on different guitars strings sound different in timbres and harmonic content. Hehehehe ya I know that's mojo science for u in brief. The VG system is quite similar to the GR system in many aspects but the main difference is that it does not depend on midi information to trigger samples. What it does is morph the read signals from the GK pup into the modelled template it's been asigned to. This is exciting because the VG system literally translates any sound executed on the guitar any... fingerpick, slap, tap, whack, scrape, whammy, behind the headstock behind the bridge, duds and back of the neck and tremolo spring noise too... amazing!

Dream on...
The obvious next step up from the current day VG99 flagship design from Roland is to release the next product that combines both the GR and VG systems.

 

[leecs]

Hi Randolf, I email u, but did not reply, so i thought of asking you here. As you know im looking for an acoustic guitar at the moment. What should i look for in a acoustic guitar? budget wise around $400-$500. what string gauges is appropriate? Thanks

 

[AgingYouth]

Bro embryo bro, can I go your house and kapoh some more CDs? Hurhurhur...

 

[monk]

evaluation

Having said all that, how would you personally rate the modelling techonology VG has to offer? In 3 aspects maybe? Amp modeling, guitar/instrument modelling and effects modelling? Is it that with the VG-99, a guitar player can be free of all so many other instruments?

And how would you compare such modelling equipment with John McLaughlin's current setup which he uses Godin guitar + M-Audio + Roland G20 + Macbook? Isnt that the future? Rather than chasing the hardwares like VG and GR? Wouldnt that give lots of flexibiity with just a change of software?

HMMMMMM !