#Yes the pedalboard has a name

[asheblaster]

Pedalboard update

ignore the mess, my cables are as well managed as the rest of my life

This isn't really the setup I'm planning, but it's a mini board so I can change things as I go. Considering getting a couple new pedals, like an EQ and Tremolo, but for now my kit's good enough. Hell, a reverb pedal would be sick and definitely on the wishlist

But for now I gotta remove the old velcro, apply new velcro to both my pedals and the board, line everything up, etc. etc.

I'll definitely browse for unique pedals, a massive organized pedalboard would be a fun project later on, but only really having space for 4 full sized pedals on this board kinda limits the amount of effects I can glue together

(Right to Left) Octave, Tube Screamer, Fuzz + Octave, Delay

(Not Pictured: Chorus Pedal)

[comfyswitcherblanketfort]

please please a part 2 of that gamer!geralt au, them doing something like Q&A

Nonie, I hope you know what you signed up for. This got out of hand lmao. like 2.4k of Q&A kind of out of hand. 

Warnings: swearing, talk of drinking to excess, kinda spicy questions, lil kisses, idk how but I meant for this to be goofy and horny and it got kinda soft? what’s new?

____________

“Holy shit,” Geralt sat staring at his phone as he mindlessly stirred pasta.

“I swear to god, if you found a way to burn noodles-” Jaskier turned away from the blender to wave a wooden spoon covered in pesto puree.

Geralt shook his head and held his phone up to him, scrolling through the replies to a tweet as he did, going on for ages as Jaskier’s jaw slowly got closer to the floor.

“What are those for?!”

“I put up a poll for a boyfriend Q&A or a game review and not a single person has voted for the game review.” Geralt was still scrolling through questions people wanted answered as he watched Jaskier’s face go from shock to confusion to a smug grin. 

“They love me,” he sang, kicking his heel up as he turned back to the pasta sauce.

Geralt rolled his eyes and started screenshotting some of the less invasive questions, shaking his head and muttering, “Course they do.”

-

Geralt pressed record, waited a moment, and heaved a dramatic, long-suffering sigh, “You guys literally didn’t even give me a choice on this one,” he reached off frame and scruffed Jaskier, plopping him down on the couch with him. 

Jaskier didn’t stay where he was put for even a moment, using his momentum to bounce up onto Geralt’s lap with a shit-eating grin, “Oh? Are we rolling?”

Geralt dropped his forehead to Jaskier’s shoulder, stifling a laugh, “This is gonna be a long one.”

“Yeah, it is,” Jask agreed, then turned to the camera, stroking Geralt’s hair, “My fans want more!”

“OH-kay,” Geralt manhandled Jaskier to sit next to him which earned him a pout and a leg draped over his lap as he continued his intro, “I’ve got a bunch of questions from twitter. I didn’t even have to confirm which video we would do, you guys just went straight for the kill. I picked a few, Jask picked a few, neither of us knows which ones the other picked.” he turned to see Jaskier wiggle his eyebrows at the camera, “Why am I thinking you picked the raunchy ones?”

The brunet pretended to be offended before he smirked, “Only a few.”

Geralt rolled his eyes. “Of course,” he nudged Jask with his shoulder and opened up his phone to his screenshots, “Okay! First up is AdamSandlersBitch, nice name. They asked what Jaskier’s favorite gaming console and game to play is.” he turned to Jaksier with raised eyebrows.

His boyfriend cringed, “My.. my phone? I don’t know? I play a lot of Candy Crush while I listen to podcasts?”

Geralt smiled sweetly, “Wait what about Stardew Valley? I thought you started that?”

“I did!” Jaskier brightened up for a moment before he deflated again, “But I got confused and then the ADHD made me bake cookies.”

“Those were good cookies. I’ll play with you if you want?” Geralt’s normal ‘streamer dude’ persona melted away while he played with the rips on Jaskier’s jeans. 

Jask leaned forward and kissed his temple, “I’d love that.” 

Geralt blushed, even after years, Jaskier’s affection still caught him off guard. 

“Mkay! My turn!” Jaskier flashed his devilish grin and read, in his most obnoxious voice, “Dwn2Clwn said ‘do you two live together? Have you said ‘i love you’? And who tops?’”

Geralt’s mouth twisted into an upside-down U as he stared at Jaskier in muted surprise, “Honestly, not as bad as I expected.”

Jaskier looped his arm around Geralt’s, “I’m starting off easy.”

Geralt let his mock-disapproving gaze linger just a bit before he answered, “The living together is kind of new-like a few months. This one said ‘I love you’ on, what? The fourth date? Fifth?”

“Fourth.”

“No, it was the fifth, Eskel locked himself out on the fourth. Remember?”

“Shit you’re right,” Jaskier gave the camera a stern look, “In my defense, we’d been friends for a good four years before this. I wasn’t just confessing my love to a tinder date - though I have done that before.”

Geralt nodded, “That was very amusing.”

Jaskier tapped his nose, “Don’t avoid the last part, darling.”

Geralt huffed and stared down the camera, and, in the most matter of fact tone possible, said, “We switch. Compromise, folks. Can’t have one person doing all the work all the time.”

Jaskier nodded sagely, patting Geralt's chest, “We got a pow-”

Geralt clamped his hand over Jaskier’s mouth, 100% sure he was going to say ‘power bottom pillow princess’, “Nope. I’ll get demonetized for that.”

“But not who tops?” Jaskier asked through Geralt’s fingers.

He just shrugged, “I don’t make the rules.”

Jaskier tapped his phone and raised his eyebrows, telling him to move to the next question. 

“Mis- Mischanication? Shit I hope I said that right, Mischanication asked, ‘would you ever get a pet together?’ We did! Her name is Roach and she’s a little shit! I told Jaskier not to feed her, but he did, now we have the snuggliest, crankiest cat I’ve ever met!” 

Jaskier had gotten up to pluck Roach from her perch on the windowsill when Geralt had read the question and plopped down with her as Geralt finished his proud speech, “She’s not a little shit! She’s just delicate! Isn’t that right, darling?”

Geralt scratched under her chin and cooed, “You are a nasty little dragon baby, aren't you?! Just a little garbage child! Yes, you are. We love the tiny demon beast.”

“Geralt!”

He snickered and kissed Jaskier’s hair, “Next question, love.”

Jaskier grumbled something about positive reinforcement as Roach scampered back to her cat tree and he unlocked his phone for his next tweet, “This darling wants to remain anonymous,” Geralt gave him some serious side-eye at that, “they said ‘I think I’m in love with the flower twink, where can I find one of my own?’”

Geralt frowned at the camera and pulled Jaskier onto his lap, holding him close and snuggling into his chest, almost growling, “Hands off.”

Jaskier giggled, brushing Geralt’s hair out of his face as he talked to the camera, “You heard the man. Unfortunately, I was not mass-produced and I’ve been spoken for.”

Geralt looked up at him with what could only be called suspicious puppy eyes, “You picked that one just to sit in my lap didn’t you?”

“Yes. And because I want to change my socials to ‘flower twink’.” 

“Do it,” Geralt kept Jaskier on his lap as he swiped to his next question, “Eggsfuckingsuck - heh, my dad hates eggs- Eggsfuckingsuck says, ‘what is the most embarrassing thing you’ve caught each other doing/saying?’ Oh boy, do I have a story for you!”

"Oh I couldn't say the thing but you can tell this story!?" 

"...you have a point... Check my insta stories. I'll put it there after I post this." 

Jaskier nodded, ever so pleased, and turned to the camera, "Our dear Yennefer of sorceryglammour once beat Geralt at trivia night when the theme was 'video games'." 

“We did shots before we went to the bar and she goaded me and Lambert into a chugging competition before the round started. I’m telling you, she planned this. Yen is ruthless.” Geralt desperately tried to justify his defeat but Jaskier was having none of it. 

“She’s mostly harmless, plus I have video evidence from that night. You weren’t that far gone.”

“Pull it up! Let’s settle it.”

Jaskier patted Geralt’s head like one would a toddler, “I’d have to get my old laptop out. Later, darling.”

Geralt had a smug look on his face, “That means he doesn’t have it anymore.”

“Next question!” Jaskier squeaked, not at all changing the subject. 

Geralt shrugged, “If you admit I won that one.”

“It’s not a competition!” Jaskier laughed, looking down at him with that stupidly smitten look on his face.

“Hmmm…” Geralt tilted his chin up defiantly, “if you say so.”

Jaskier kissed him, lingering a little bit more than could be considered chaste, “I do.” 

Geralt looked up at him, batting his eyelashes, “Fine then, next question.”

Jaskier handed him his phone and he read it off leaning his head on Jaskier’s shoulder, “CountryBumpkin42 asked if we play any instruments. I play the recorder very poorly, but Jask plays everything.”

“Not everything, but yes, I could cover a Trans Siberian Orchestra song if I had a pedalboard with enough loop settings.” Jaskier preened. 

“And more,” Geralt added, counting on his fingers as he spoke, “In this house alone he has two pianos, three different types of guitars, a drumset, a violin and fiddle, a flute and piccilo, an oboe, a mandolin, a lute, bongos, saxophone, clarinet, tambourine, trumpet, and xylophone. Did I get them all?”

Jaskier glanced from side to side with a guilty look, “Ah… no, I bought a bass sax that showed up last night.”

“Oh, did Thursday at 3 decide they wanted to switch after all?”

“Yeah! She got the third chair as a freshman on a loaner instrument! I’m very proud!”

Geralt seemed to remember they were recording and turned back to the camera, “J teaches music at the university and does private lessons.” 

“It’s how I can afford such a pretty trophy boyfriend,” Jaskier teased, ruffling Geralt’s hair and earning a little chuckle.

“Mkay, what do you have next?”

Jaskier smoothed Gearalt’s hair back down as he read the next question, “3R4108F6!J asks if we have any cute nicknames for each other.”

Geralt’s eyebrows nearly flew past his hairline, “J has a new one for me almost every day.”

“Its true,” Jaskier nodded, “I am a slut for cute nicknames. This morning was Ger Bear, one of my faves. I called him Thumbs for a bit, I lovingly call him Dumb Fuck rather often.”

“And he is Dip Shit, it’s balanced. I usually just shorten names? Jask or J is usually it, right?” Geralt asked, shifting so Jaskier was sitting on the couch between his legs and they were both turned out toward the camera but very much still cuddling. 

“And when I’m being childish I get Alfie. But Geralt is much more deliberate and specific with his nicknames. It’s a bit of a friendship level up when he uses nicknames.”

Geralt frowned at him, “I do that?”

Jaskier giggled, “You never noticed?”

He tilted his head, giving Jaskier a quizzical look, “Not at all.”

Jaskier cupped Geralt’s cheek, “You’re so cute.”

Geralt blushed again, leaning into the touch just a tad, “Who’s turn is it?”

“Yours,” Jaskier hummed, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. 

“Okay,” Geralt blushed even more, “I had this one as an alternate, but uh, Yen asked what we’d name our first kid?” 

Jaskier leaned into Geralt’s shoulder and hummed as he thought for a moment, “I always like Blake or Spencer, but I seem to remember you saying something about old world traditional names?”

Geralt nodded, absentmindedly running his fingers up and down Jaskier’s arm, “My grandma was hoping each of us boys would be a girl and wanted mum to name us Cirilla every time. I quite like it, but I’m rather open as long as I don’t know someone with the name. I really like Eric?” 

“Oo, I like Eric.”

“But you like the neutral names.”

“I do, but it’s your hypothetical kiddo too.”

Geralt gave him a little squeeze, “There’s time for that later. What’s your next one?”

Jaskier snorted when he looked at his phone, “What are your guys’ love languages?”

Geralt just looked down at Jask, completely entangled in his arms, then up to the camera, “I’m gonna hazard a guess at physical touch.” 

“Yeah, I think that’s a safe bet,” Jaskier giggled, “I haven’t taken the quiz in years, but I was that and gifts.”

“Oh, yeah. Physical touch and words of affirmation. I got like a 0 on acts of service and gifts, but I really like giving gifts.” 

“Mhm, yes you do,” Jaksier wiggled his eyebrows, then turned to the camera, “I also had no idea you could have different giving and receiving languages till I met this one.”

Geralt nodded then turned to him with a slight frown, “you know I really thought your questions were going to be more graphic.”

“Oh, honey I saved the best for last,” Jaskier winked. 

“Fuck me,” Geralt grumbled before reading off his last question, “Cali852 asked what we did for Pride.”

Jaskier’s eyes lit up, “Oh Pride was fun. We watched the parade, of course, then Yen did our makeup and… and where did we go after that?”

Geralt looked like he’d been waiting for this, “We went to a club, where you ordered three kamakazis, knocked them all back, danced for twenty minutes, then I took you home.”

“N-no… we went to the beach, didn’t we?”

“That was the year before. We were going to go to the drag show at our regular bar too, but someone had just finished grading finals and went a little too hard.” 

Jaskier grinned, “Speaking of finals, time for the last question. I had a different one in mind but if the thing I cant say from earlier would get this demonetized then that defintitelyi would. So we’re going with ‘what is the wackest placy y’all banged?’”

Geralt snorted, “Shit who knows anymore?”

“Well there was the boat?”

“Or the train?”

“Nah, too standard. What about the cabin?”

“Heh, no I think your o-”

“I don’t have tenure darling,” It was Jaskier’s turn to slap his hands over Geralt’s mouth, “The answer is a dilapidated structure my parents still try to call a cabin out in the foothills.”

Geralt laughed and pulled his hand away, “Okay, that can be the answer.”

“Is that it? Now we just say bye?” Jaskier looked between Geralt and the camera.

Geralt shrugged, “Yeah. You wanna say the thing?”

Jaskier wiggled with a little pride and excitement, “Don’t forget to like and subscribe! Bye Fuckers!”

They both waved for a couple seconds before Geralt got up and turned the camera off. He popped out the memory card and was going to immediately start loading it onto his computer but Jask hooked his finger through a belt loop as he walked past and tugged him back down. 

“I’m tired. Snuggle with me.” 

Geralt hummed, “We just snuggled that whole time.”

Jaskier heaved a dramatic sigh, “I know and this is exhausting. I don’t know how you talk to a camera all day.”

Geralt stretched to set the chip on top of his laptop before collapsing back on top of Jaskier who had stretched the length of the couch, “Are you making fun of me?” he teased. 

Jaskier cupped his face between his hands and pulled him up for a deep kiss, “Oh never.” 

[x--daughters-of-darkness--x]

Evanescence: “Guitarists need to be honest. Use your voice. We don’t need fake – we need humanity and real people”

Jen Majura and Troy McLawhorn wax lyrical on the high-octane gear, influences and themes behind the band's upcoming fifth album, The Bitter Truth

The Bitter Truth, the fifth full-length from Evanescence set for release in March 2021, will be their first album of new material in a decade. The American arena group led by singer/keyboardist Amy Lee had already released three singles, though the record’s completion was stalled by the virus pandemic that dominated headlines for much of the year.

The first sessions took place at the beginning of 2020 with rock super producer Nick Raskulinecz [Foo Fighters, Rush, Alice In Chains] in his Nashville studio, spawning the tracks we’ve heard so far – Wasted On You, The Game Is Over and Use My Voice. Then, of course, came Covid, putting an end to safe travel and forcing virtually all plans to change.

For the members in America, it was incredibly problematic. For German guitarist Jen Majura, who joined in 2015, it was an absolute nightmare. Nevertheless, the group kept chiseling away and fleshing out their parts for album number five.

When Guitar World tracks down Majura and co-guitarist Troy McLawhorn towards the end of 2020, things are still very much in the process of being finalized...

Looking back now, that session in Nashville must feel like a very long time ago!

Majura: “Definitely! What hit me so hard was that we’d recorded that first chunk of songs and waved goodbye at the airport, thinking we’d be back in a couple of weeks. And then suddenly this pandemic hit, airports were all shut!

“I had never felt more apart from my friends in the States than since this all started. It’s so unnatural for me not to be there! I’m very old-school – I like my tube amp and 4x12 cabinet. I like to sit in the studio with the humans I’m working with and creating in the moment.

“Being away from Amy and the boys while working on material has felt so unnatural to me, but that’s the we have to do it and we have to make the best out of it. The time we spent with Nick in Nashville was the happiest ever.

“It felt amazing to see these songs coming to life – you have this idea but when you are all in a room creating, things change and become better, you end up trying out different ways. It’s such a vibrant and beautiful way of working. But I get it, there’s this thing called corona, so you know…”

This will be your first album working together on new material. How do you go about splitting guitar parts?

McLawhorn: “Whenever we’re jamming, if someone comes up with up something cool, they play it. There’s no set thing. So far I’ve probably played the majority of the lead guitar – if Jen comes up with something she is always welcome to play whatever it is. It’s a good working relationship. The first batch of songs, the first three that came out, were done in one session before the coronavirus hit. We were all together for those ones.

“But then Jen flew home back to Germany and we were supposed to tour in Europe, but it all got cancelled. Everything we’ve done since then has been without Jen with us, we’ve been kinda flying sessions back and forth. I probably played a lot of the guitar on the album, but she’s been coming up with cool ideas and putting her stamp on it too.”

The Game Is Over definitely feels like the heavier side of Evanescence…

McLawhorn: “There’s a lot of good stuff like that on this one, stuff that people will be surprised by maybe. There’s a fair amount of that aggressive type of music, but it’s a good mixture. So far everyone’s heard the lighter side of the album, like Use My Voice and Wasted On You… but then there’s The Game Is Over. It was a lot of fun to play and there’s more heavy stuff on there too!”

Majura: “That bridge is so heavy, I love it! It’s going back to the real rock roots and having lots of fun. When you have a low-tuned guitar you have to be a bit careful – you can’t just smash your strings but they will warp a bit.

“I remember forcing myself, especially during the bridge, to play gentle even though it had this badass attitude. It took me a couple of takes… the first ones were completely out of tune [laughs]!”

Jen, it must have been a rollercoaster five years for you. How did you end up getting the gig?

Majura: “What happened was that I was playing bass in another band, not really being happy as I’m a guitar player. We happened to play two festivals, one in Germany and one in the Czech Republic. And it turns out Testament were playing the same days as us.

“I’m a huge Alex Skolnick fan, so we ended up talking and keeping in touch. A couple of days later, I got this very mysterious email from him saying, ‘Jen! Some friends of mine are going to contact you and I can’t reveal too much but I think it’s something you should say yes to!’ I was wondering what the hell he was talking about…

“And then a day later, I got this email from Evanescence’s management asking if I would be interested in… and I didn’t even finish reading the email. I just immediately replied ‘Yes!’ and sent it. That was a total no-brainer.

“So this was around July 2015 and the next evening I was on the phone with Amy talking. She invited me to come visit her in New York and hang out. I thought, ‘Okay… cool!’ and three days later I was on a plane flying to fuckin’ New York wondering if this was really happening. It was insane.”

Did you bring your guitar?

Majura: “I didn’t! I asked her if I needed to bring one and she said, ‘Nah, I know you can play, I’ve seen plenty of videos – let’s just hang out!’ And that’s exactly what we did for the next three days. Hanging out, long walks and talks, going out for dinner or to a concert. Becoming friends and getting to know each other on a more human relationship kind of base.

“I realize now that’s the biggest deal when you have to replace a member. A band is a family. I’d like to quote Rob Zombie on that, because he said it in the movie Hired Gun!

“Finding a good player is the easy part – the world is full of virtuosos. You also need someone who can commit to touring, being on the road and that whole lifestyle. The third and last thing, also the toughest, is that you need people you can stand hanging out with 24/7.

“Concerts are only 90 minutes – what about all the other hours in the day? You need to all fit together. Within those first few days with Amy, I realized we both had a strong work ethic and know exactly what we want, which is beautiful.

“She’s a very strong character. I appreciate her musicality and personality too, she quickly became one of my best friends because we laughed about the same things and then figured out we both love Sex and the City [laugh]! I am so grateful and thankful to have experienced everything I have with her and the boys.”

Troy, you’ve been a member of Seether and filled in for Sevendust on some tours, but you’ve been an on/off member of Evanescence for over a decade now…

McLawhorn: “Yeah, to be honest, I never really left Evanescence. We have big breaks between albums. When I did my first tour with the band, Amy told me she was taking a long break, probably around four or five years. I just went out to find something to do in the meantime and ended up playing in Seether for a few years…

“When it was time for me to leave, it coincided with Amy being ready to do another album. And it was a huge coincidence. I ended up in New York and went to Amy’s house. I was having trouble in Seether and wasn’t happy there, and she said she’d love me to come work on the new album. That’s how it all went down.

“There seems to be some pretty long breaks in between albums with this band but I think that’s part of Amy’s creative process. She likes to take her time when she’s writing the lyrics. The final product always turns out really nice that way, so why mess with it?”

What can you tell us about the gear responsible for the guitar sounds on this album?

Majura: “I signed up with Synergy Amps in November last year. When I joined, I think Steve Vai was the only big name working with them, but I figured if it’s Steve Vai it’s gotta be fucking great. So I went over to check their amp out and I was very skeptical. It looks like a tube amp but with all these holes and parts missing!

“But I plugged in, hit one chord and realized it was actually phenomenal. They’ve sent all the different modules to me, like the Diezel, and the perfect solution for me was the Friedman HBE. It has the perfect rock and roll sound for my solos but it also has the mighty depth of high-gain stuff too – which are all frequencies you need for Evanescence.

“I was originally expecting I’d go with the Diezel one, but the Friedman felt more right for me. I’m very open-minded when it comes to technology. You have two modules, each with two channels, so you get a four-channel amp made out of your favorites.

“For example, I could combine a Vox AC30 Brian May sound with a Diezel VH4. It’s phenomenal what they’ve managed to open up for us musicians in terms of sound options. It’s been my tour rig and studio rig ever since.”

McLawhorn: “I used a combination of different things on this album. On The Game Is Over, it was basically my live setup which is an Orange Rockerverb 100, with an analog pedalboard.

“A big part of the tone I get from the amp comes down to a 10-band EQ I use to boost the mids on the lead channel. That’s about it – I don’t really use overdrive pedals or anything like that and probably use less gain than most modern guitarists. I almost use EQ to find a modern sound, instead of more gain.

“I also have a Fractal Axe-Fx III, which I’ve used here and there on the album, especially for clean parts – it’s really good for that. I’ve done some overdubs with the II as well, stuff that has a lot of effects or sounds really wet – Axe-Fx is great for that, too. I also have a 1969 Marshall Superbass 100 which we split with a Bogner Ecstasy or Uberschall, and used for the rhythm tracks on a couple of songs.”

And how about for guitars?

Majura: “I’ve been with Ibanez for many years now and I’m very happy. They deliver the most perfect instruments. You pick up an instrument and either like it or not. Some of them seem to instantly merge with your system – you become one – and that is true of most Ibanez guitars, at least for me.

“Of course I’ve played Les Pauls and other things, but they’re really not my style. I have so many Ibanez guitars now. I think the AZ series was such a smart move – the family is even bigger and better now… Look at players like Tim Henson, who is just amazing. He makes me feel so old. He’ll be nailing it and I’m at home just playing along to AC/DC or something!

“For pedals, I stick with the Line 6 Helix pedalboard because I remember at my first rehearsal in 2015, they would tell me certain parts would need a chorus or flanger or this or that. At the end of the rehearsal I had a battery of pedals in front of me and realized I couldn’t do it. I’ve never been a pedal dancer. I went to Line 6 asking for a solution and they were just about to come out with the Helix… it was perfect.”

McLawhorn: “I was using a baritone PRS SE. I changed the pickups out, but that’s it – I love the guitar and how it plays. I tried a few different sets, most by Seymour Duncan. One of my seven-strings has a Seymour that my tech put in on the road and I don’t know which one it is! He just found it in my guitar coffin and asked if we should throw it in. It stayed for the rest of the tour – it was probably a JB, who knows!

“But the one on the record is the Distortion (SH-6). I really like how they sound. At first, they were a little hot for what I like – I tend to prefer somewhere in between modern metal and classic rock. It felt like really high gain, way too much, especially when switching from my other guitars. But he really lowered the pickup down and that fixed everything, making everything super-tight and adding some nice mids.”

Use My Voice has a really powerful message behind it…

Majura: “Yes! Another thing that connects me and Amy very strongly is that we both went through moments in our careers where males would tell us, ‘You’re just a girl – what do you know?’ It’s time for strong women – in rock or wherever – to stand up and say being good at a craft has nothing to do with gender. It’s been happening for way too long.

“That feeling of our voices being suppressed needs to change, because every voice matters. We’re all the same. It does not matter if you are male or female or transgender… humans are humans. I think we should spend more time understanding why we’re the same. Use My Voice is an important message for women to stand up and be heard.”

Where do you think your influences differ as guitar players?

Majura: “The first guitar hero I had at around 10 or 11 was Steve Vai. He was so revolutionary in terms of what he’s done for the guitar world, both sound-wise and crafts-wise. Electric guitar wouldn’t be what it is today without Steve Vai.

“I respect him so much for how he feels and talks through his instrument. He’s influenced my thinking about a lot of things. He’s an amazing person, not just an amazing musician.

“Then I got into Nuno Bettencourt, who plays for the sake of the song instead of showing off. Which is what I tried to do on my first solo album, Inzenity, everyone expected a shred album and it wasn’t. I played for the song. If it didn’t require a guitar solo then fine, I’d just leave it. I didn’t need to prove to the world how good I was.

“Nuno also has the percussive style of playing, which brings this tone that I really like. And finally, Angus Young. I’ve been playing in an AC/DC tribute band for four years and I love his playing.”

McLawhorn: “A lot of them for me were the classic players while I was growing up. So Ace Frehley for sure… KISS were like Slipknot for us who grew up in the '70s [laughs]! Then there’s Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix. Tony Iommi as well, he was a massive influence on me as a kid.

“Eddie Van Halen was a huge influence on me, too – it was very sad that we lost him so early and so young. When Van Halen came out, I started taking guitar very seriously. The bluesy side of his playing always appealed to me but he also had all that technical prowess, too. A very inspiring guitar player for so many people.”

What advice can you offer anyone out there hoping to become a good session player?

McLawhorn: “You need to know how to communicate with people. I’ve done sessions with some Nashville guys that have this shorthand way of writing music. Reading music and knowing theory is always important… I wish I knew more myself.

“It puts you at ease walking into a session knowing you read and play anything back. I can’t really do that – I just really really listen and learn things by memory. I can read some music but that’s going back to trumpet at high school [laughs]. So I rely on communication always!”

Majura: “I think guitar players need to be honest. Use your voice. Be real. Be pure. We don’t need fake, we need humanity and real people. What I love about people like Mattias IA Eklundh is he’s just himself. He’s pure and innovative in a really interesting way.

“I’ve gotten to know guys like him, Guthrie Govan, Richie Kotzen and Jeff Waters – they’re all awesome and very honest players. I think one should never think one has seen it all and learned it all.

“We need to keep in mind we’re all on a journey in search of becoming better. In terms of advice, I always have to say being open to different styles is so important. There’s something to learn every day. You should never stop trying to improve to make the world a better place. You should never stop learning… that’s what makes you human.”

[fuckyeahgemmathompson]

Savages: Interview with Gemma Thompson & Ayse Hassan

Note: this interview was originally written in German and I used translator to post this into English. 

From Gitarrebass.de, February 2017

What originally sparked your interest in music?

Gemma: I remember hearing the John Peel session on the radio. As a teenager, Sonic Youth and Nirvana came along, along with musicians like Rowland S. Howard, Blixa Bargeld and Duke Garwood. But I find it boring to say the inspiration came from this or that genre, I can't just name one band that has influenced my life. I also like classical music, for example.

Ayse: For me there is no single triggering moment, it is more of a collection of moments. When I was very young I loved listening to radio broadcasts. My parents listened to very different types of music and I can't remember a time when I didn't listen to music.

When did you start playing yourself?

Ayse: There was a music department in the primary school and when I was six I started playing various instruments.

Gemma: Flute too?

Ayse: I once played the flute, which is usually the first instrument in England (both laugh)

How did you get into bass?

Ayse: I just wanted to make music. I played guitar for a while, but it wasn't really fun. Then I picked up the bass and liked the sounds I could make with it and got into a couple of punk bands.

Then you taught yourself the typical eighth punk bass?

Ayse: Yes, that's the most exciting way to learn. You have to find your own way of playing an instrument, you don't have to follow any rules.

And with you Gemma?

Gemma: I lived in a shared apartment with musicians. One was a pretty good guitarist and I borrowed his guitar and started making noise.

Your band is often compared to early 80s acts. Do you like the post-punk bands like Bauhaus or Joy Divison?

Gemma: Yeah, sure. We grew up listening to these bands, but it's so important to be relevant to the time you are in. The first album had a kind of gang mentality. We fought against people who were around us. It's something these old bands did too, resisting what the people or the music industry expected of you and trying to be yourself.

Many of the post-punk musicians hardly had traditional skills on their instruments and therefore tried to find new sounds and styles. Do you feel connected to this concept?

Ayse: Yeah, I think so!

Gemma: The first thing I wanted to learn on the guitar was Rowland S. Howard's line from The Birthday Party song 'Happy Birthday' and suddenly I understood that I can't play like that because I'm not him. There are sounds that you can only make when you are a certain person and that interested me a lot more than playing by tablature ... the idea of ​​becoming a personality who embodies a sound.

Do you still have role models?

Ayse: There are bassists like John Deacon from Queen or JJ Burnel from The Stranglers that I like, but I tend to find other things that inspire me to make music. The way people think, the power behind music, doing what you have to and doing it as well as you can with your abilities. I could die tomorrow and I just want to make music and be true to myself, that inspires me to be in the moment and make music now! (laughs)

Detailed Gemma’s guitar interview

What guitars do you play?

Gemma: A 1966 Duo Sonic and 1963 Jaguar with a 1972 neck.

Was Rowland S. Howard the inspiration for the Jaguar? It looks a lot like his model.

Gemma: Yeah, it does. I wrote everything on the Duo Sonic, it was always my main guitar, but to record 'Adore Life' I rented a Jag and recorded some songs with it, e.g. 'The Answer'. That's why I looked for and bought a Jaguar afterwards. Now I use both guitars for different parts.

You have mentioned Rowland S. Howard in many interviews. What do you like about his game?

Gemma: There's this great film about him called 'Autoluminiscent' and there is someone who says about him, I think Henry Rollins: “This man looks like his guitar sounds.” I really like this idea that everything embodies the sound important.

You have two amps on stage.

Gemma: Yes, a Fender Twin and a Vox AC 30 that I play in stereo because I use stereo reverb. I don't switch them and they tend to be more clean.

Is it OK if we talk about your pedals?

Gemma: Yes, of course (both laugh)

... because earlier I wasn't allowed to take photos of your pedalboard, the secret pedalboard.

Gemma:… it's not a secret, but it takes the fun out of people trying things out. I now have a lot of things that are specially made for me and it is constantly changing.

And what do you use?

Gemma: I use various distortion pedals: an MXR Distortion +, a Fulltone OCD, a Maxon Tube Screamer, a Crowther Audio Hotcake Fuzz with a Death By Audio Robot in front of it. In terms of delays, I have a Boss DD-20, a Moog Delay and a Boss RE-20 Space Echo.

Do the effects inspire you to create certain sounds or do you have sounds in your head?

Gemma: I try not to be inspired by the sound of pedals. For me, what you do with the instrument is very clear, the most important thing and the pedals only amplify it. The most interesting thing to me is feedback and how to create it at a certain point and the pedals help set the amp and guitar in motion. They are just tools, as beautiful as they are (laughs)

Do you play loud?

Gemma: Yeah, pretty much ...

In some songs you underline individual words with certain sounds. How do you make sure that it works on stage right now?

Gemma: I sit at home and practice! (laughs)

Your singer (Jehnny Beth) has often mentioned musicians like Nina Simone or John Coltrane in interviews. Do you like jazz?

Gemma: (laughs) These musicians are definitely musical gods!

But you don't practice jazz chords or lines?

Gemma: (laughs) No, it's not me. I try to focus on my own way. When we record, I tend to listen to Rachmaninov or something so that my head is clear of guitars so that I can work on guitars.

Detailed Ayse’s bass interview

Your bass playing is based on trance-like repeating patterns and melodic parts rather than traditional bass grooves. Would you agree with me?

Ayse: I don't disagree, but it's always difficult to look at and classify yourself.

Have you ever learned typical bass grooves in certain styles?

Ayse: There was a point where I started, but I quickly lost interest in it. I wanted to explore by ear what sounds good to me and not follow patterns. If I do something naturally, it is because I found out about it myself and not learned it, and I find that very exciting. I find it more inspiring to work things out myself than to read them.

Is sound more important to you than the bass line? Your parts always have a very sonic quality.

Ayse: When I was growing up, I rebelled against my parents' music and listened to a lot of industrial music. For a long time I wanted to reproduce what Industrial did with synthesizers, make strange sounds in different ways and transfer that to the bass. I saw the bass as a neutral instrument ... that doesn't really make sense (laughs). Sometimes I want to use the bass to create sounds that don't originally come from a bass. I wanted to use repetition but keep it interesting to sound like a machine and that's what I followed as we developed with the band.

Your main instruments are Fender Precision models. What do you like about them?

Ayse: They give me a great tone, sound warm and are simply beautiful instruments that fit my style. I have a 1976 P-Bass and one from the 90s Anniversary Series.

And your amp is the classic Ampeg with slight distortion?

Ayse Hassan: Um, yes (laughs). But on the new album I used pedals more often for distortion: I have a Moda Lisa Fuzz with an oscillator. It sounds like a saw sometimes, but it's a great pedal and it was exciting to find a way to integrate the sound into what we're doing. Then I have a Boss OBD-3 distortion and a RE-20 Space Echo. I switch between my clean main sound, where you can really hear the instrument through the amp, and the distortion / fuzz effect sound.

Do you always play with pick or also with fingers?

Ayse Hassan: I always play with Pick, except when I'm at home ...

... and you play jazz (everyone laughs)

-x

[daggerzine]

It’s a secret no more, an interview with Chad Peck of Kestrels.

I got a package from Darla records a few months ago and in it were a few cds but the one I was drawn to was one by a band from Halifax, Nova Scotia named Kestrels entitled Dream or Don’t Dream. I had never heard of the band before even though this was their fourth record. It seemed like leader/main songwriter Chad Peck had really put his best foot forward on this batch of songs. There’s definitely touchstones as I initially heard echoes of bands like Dinosaur Jr (whose J. Macis plays some guitar one on of the songs on here), Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine. Peck and crew, however, were able to mold that ball of swirling noise into something truly beautiful. Songs like “Grey and Blue,” “A Way Out” and “It’s a Secret” will definitely tickle that part of your brain that love noisy, melodic rock music. Also, though recorded at several different studios, the record sounds remarkably cohesive (probably thanks, in part, to the stellar mixing job of the master John Agnello). I threw some questions Chad Peck’s was and he was more than happy to give me the skinny on the band name, the recording process and crashing with Ash’s Tim Wheeler. Read on, dear readers.

Tell us about the beginnings of the band. When did it form?

The band formed in 2008. It was initially a totally different lineup and a somewhat different sound, but some of the same inspirations – a move away from angular post-punk and into something more melodic and layered. We recorded the first 7” in my old apartment and started playing live after the single came out. That was our big marketing idea at the time – release something first, then start playing live. I guess I thought it would show extreme confidence or something: “Yeah, we believe in this music enough to press 300 7”s of a completely unknown band”. We released the first full length in 2009, and it’s just kept growing since then.

 How did you come up with the band name? One of the members of the original lineup picked it. He was a big nature guy. They’re pretty cute birds, as it turns out.

 After 2016’s S/T record did you do much touring?

Almost none. The lineup that made that record kind of fizzled. We’d been at it pretty steadily for quite a few years at that point and we were running out of steam. It’s too bad – that record is pretty good.

The S/T record from 2016 

 So did you really start this album while hanging on Tim Wheeler’s couch? Was it a nice couch?

I guess it was more of a love seat, but yes, I wrote the first real batch of songs on Tim’s couch! He’s a good friend of mine and was a total hero to me when I was growing up in rural Nova Scotia. I’ve stayed at his various places in New York lots over the years. He’s the nicest guy. He played on our second full length. I was thinking about re-recording that song since I know so much more about making records now.

 How did you hook up with Darla Records?

I made a solo record as We Need Secrets and it came out on a Darla distributed label called Saint Marie Records. I was looking for distribution for my own label (Noyes Records), and Wyatt from Saint Marie hooked me up with James. I initially sent James the Kestrels record to see if he would help me pitch it to some Japanese labels, but he loved it and he wanted Darla to put it out. It’s been an excellent relationship and I’m honoured to be on the label.

 It looks like the new record was recorded at several studios, was that in purpose or did it just work out that way?

It just worked out that way. I was starting over with a new drummer who was living in Chicago at the time and almost as a lark I booked at day at Electrical Audio. It was a test run to see how we would work together and if I even wanted to make records anymore. It went well and I started writing more songs to finish the record. I had hoped to finish it at Sonelab with Justin Pizzoferrato and we got really close, but I decided to cut a few songs in favour of a few new ones I had written, and we did a final tracking date at a studio in Halifax called the Sonic Temple. I have a studio at my house where I recorded the bass, guitar, synths, and vocals.

Dream or Don’t Dream

 How did you get J. Mascis to add guitar to a song? Was it simply just asking him?

Justin from Sonelab has engineered all of the reunion era Dinosaur Jr records and the Mascis solo records. While we were tracking he said “Maybe J will play on this song” and asked if he was interested. It’s definitely one of the coolest things that’s happened to me.

 How has the response been the Dream or Don’t Dream? It’s been great. Darla definitely opened a lot of doors for us. A recent review called it a masterpiece, which was nice. I always like the comparisons people make – “it sounds exactly like _______!”, but the blank will be a band I’ve never heard of.

 How have you been passing your time since COVID has ground things to a halt? Writing/recording more songs?

Yeah, I’ve been picking away at some new stuff and things I didn’t finish during the album tracking. I want to get the next one finished by March so it’s not another 4 years between records. I’ve been collecting guitar pedals and recording gear for that purpose. Other than that, just lots of running and lots of beaches.

In the flesh- Kestrels 

 What are your top 10 desert island discs?  Oh boy…as of today:

Ash – 1977

My Bloody Valentine – Loveless

Beach Boys – Pet Sounds

Elliott Smith – Figure 8

Phoebe Bridgers – Stranger in the Alps

Snail Mail - Lush

Lilys – Eccsame the Photon Band

Neko Case – The Worse Things Get

Dinosaur Jr – Hand It Over

Doug Mason – Invisible Star

 What are some bands from your neck of the woods that we should know about?

My two favourites are Norma MacDonald and Doug Mason.

 What’s next for the band?

New music! It would be nice to play live at some point. I just started getting the final pieces for a beautiful new pedalboard.

 BONUS QUESTION:  What’s  one song you wish you’d written? “Hammond Song” by The Roches.

 www.kestrels.bandcamp.com

 www.darla.com

[doomedandstoned]

OLDD WVRMS REVEAL ALL

~By Billy Goate~

OLDD WVRMS. It feels like they've been eating away at my flesh and swimming in my bloodstream for a very long time, so much so that I forget to talk about how they've infected me. I was halfway through a review of their last effort when life swept me away to other places, then it was already time for a new release from the Belgian band. No, scratch that -- two new releases!

This month, the doomed instrumentalists revealed a split with Liège devotional math-prog threesome Ilydaen, just months after the release of the February five-tracker 'Codex Tenebris' (2019 - Cursed Monk Records). That's now two long-plays, two extended-plays, a compilation album, and the aforementioned split to the band's name.

The Wave & The Swell ( Split LP ) by Ilydaen & Oldd Wvrms

OLDD WVRMS is a band that seems continually tinkering and experimenting. I mean, you really have to if you're going to cross the coveted five-year mark as a band, a milestone that seems to be key long-term viability. "There is the beautiful, spacious atmosphere of Agalloch," I wrote of their last record 'Ignobilis' (2016). "All this is good news if you long for the cold, crisp air of winter, forests filled with unspeakable darkness, whispering tales of bravery, misunderstanding, and tragedy. The emotion is especially palpable and will haunt my memory for quite some time."

Ignobilis by OLDD WVRMS

I also noted at the time that Ignobilis represented "a massive turn to clean singing over previous releases." In contrast, Codex Tenebris is a reconnects with works like 'Mater Serpentium' (2015) and NØT (2015), which are also sans voix. Stylistically, you’ll find OLDD WVRMS painting from a similar tonal palate as Enslaved, even dabbling in the technical terrain of Psycroptic, though in much slower compositions.

Codex Tenebris by OLDD WVRMS

OLDD WVRMS occupies the space between shadows, where slow, patient, penetrating riffs dwell and dark words are uttered. "La vallée des tombes" is one of the gems of the record, striking a strange balance between meditative bleakness and pounding discord. I’ve long been a fan of dissonant harmonies since I realized it was “okay” to play them as a pianist delving into the oeuvre of Franz Liszt and Alexander Scriabin. Like those composers, OLDD WVRMS utilizes dissonance no merely to jar the listener, but as a critical tactic for establishing bleak moods and a sense of the sinister. Codex Tenebris is available on Cursed Monk Records right here.

On the eve of their music video, "A l'or, aux ombres et aux abîmes," Doomed & Stoned visited with ØW guitarist and OLDD WVRMS founder Ben in hopes of getting to know this fairly low-key and mysterious doom metal trio -- rounded out by Oli and Cho on bass and drums -- just a hair or two better.

What is the meaning of the band’s name OLDD WVRMS? Is their significance to the unique spelling of your name?

It’s old Germanic to "Old Worms." There’s no particular meaning, although I’m a fan of the Dark Souls saga and it could be a reference to the primordial snakes.

I'm curious how your individual paths through life brought you three together?

We’re all from the French side of Belgium, down south. Cho and Oli have known each other for almost two decades. I was searching for bandmates to put up this new project and they were the perfect match. We all played in many bands before ØW, nothing worth naming.

There’re no guidelines. The music serves your imagination.

Why does instrumental doom appeal to you guys so much?

We tried several singers, with expectations they couldn’t achieve. It wasn’t bad, but we felt locked in restricted areas -- musically speaking, I mean. I took the mic on our previous release Ignobilis, singing just a bit, and even at that point we had the feeling that it wasn’t necessary at all, so we started writing the new album with a fully instrumental approach.

Rare is the band that can make instrumental metal stand convincingly on its own “two feet,” but OLDD WVRMS has done it. What would you say is the secret to pulling this style off successfully?

Thank you. Honestly, it’s hard to say. I guess it’s because we don’t hesitate too long on what’s good or not during the creation process. This and the fact that we blend a lot of influences from various horizons, seems to create something spontaneous. I think that’s what people like about ØW.

What instruments, amps, and gear do you find most useful in bringing your vision to life?

Cho’s setup is pretty straightforward: his beautiful DW kit with aggressive and shining cymbals -- and a ferocious need to beat the shit out of it!

Oli is using an Ampeg SVT 3 pro, SWR Goliath and Megoliath cabs with a Fender Aerodyne, plugged into a pedalboard loaded with many effects, drives, octaver, delays, reverbs, etcetera, to achieve the drones parts.

I use a Marshall JCM 800 over modified by Ruthenberg, Marshall and Orange cabs, custom guitars by Denzo Custom Guitars, and a pedalboard loaded with overdrives, delays, and reverbs.

We record in my own studio, The Pale Flame, using the exact same rig live and studio.

I don’t read French, but I’m guessing the song titles are quite important in this selection of five tracks. Can you translate them to English and tell us what you intended to express with each song? Are they meant to stand independently or are they united by a concept?

Basically, all the songs originally had lyrics -- and yes, they’re all linked, almost as a soundtrack. The atmosphere we wanted to translate through the songs titles were way more powerful in French, with a little something more poetic and dramatic.

The only concept about Codex Tenebris is the presence and absence of light and obscurity. The idea that the audience is not guided by lyrics and can travel between the songs with their own imagination and create their own stories while listening to our music is extremely satisfying. There’re no guidelines. The music serves your imagination.

So, the first track "Ténèbres" means "Darkness." It starts the record in a cold, dark place, and song expresses loneliness and fear.

Second track, "A l’or, aux ombres et aux abîmes," means "To gold, to shades, and to the abysses." It’s my personal favorite, all about deception, anger, and melancholy.

The third one is "misère & Corde," literally "Misery & Rope" -- a song about grief and loss.

Next one, "La vallée des tombes" or "The valley of tombs," is a psychoactive and hypnotic song about terror and despair.

"Fléau est son âme" is hard to translate, but it would be something like "scourged is his soul." It is about letting things go, acceptance, and abnegation.

We briefly corresponded about your EP a few years ago, when I emailed you about a sample you’d selected for the final track. I heard another sample in the final track of the latest LP that intrigued me.

It’s an Egyptian monologue taken from the movie Angel of Mossad, and it’s in correlation with "Fléau est son âme." It’s the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf. The narration is beautiful.

What's the area of Belgium like where you OLDD WVRMS calls home?

We all live in villages -- small villages. Everything is very quiet and calm. Nothing ever happens. (laughs) Sorry, there’s just nothing much to say about it.

No worries! I've lived in my share of small towns, too, so I get it. What are some of the bands that you play with in your heavy music scene?

We shared the stage with badass bands like Hangman’s Chair, Primitive Man, -16-, Jucifer, the body, Grime, Ortega, and more -- hopefully many more to come.

When you look into your crystal ball, do you envision yourself touring?

Yeah, we’d love to. Like everyone else, we have jobs and families, but touring once or twice a year during a few choice weeks would be awesome. Only time will tell if this will happens.

Finally, what would your ideal live performance look like, if you could spare no expense?

Small venues, crowed, with our light man Chouffe and a good sound engineer. You know, keep things simple.

Follow The Band

Get Their Music

[sometimesalwaysmusic]

YARNS

Since relocating from Belgium, his home country, to Ottawa, Martin Dawagne (aka YARNS), has been busy, releasing his first full-length album called Summer - Fall -, complete with songs named after cities and neighborhoods where he has travelled and composed. We touched base with Martin to discuss his musical background, his diverse influences, and his ideal “exclusively Belgian/Canadian” tour mates. Stay tuned for his next album, titled Winter - Spring -.

VITALS

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Yarns.music/ 

Web: https://yarns.bandcamp.com/releases

Latest Release: Summer - Fall - (Album, March 2018)

Upcoming Shows: July 26th @ Jamari August 2nd @ Bar Robo August 28th @ House of Targ

SA: How did this project come to be? YA: After several years of touring and composing in a hardcore band (Now, Voyager), I felt the need to explore a different kind of music. Something connected to introspection, journeys, and widely opened to interpretation. Also, I wanted to try something where it would be 90% me creating, from the composing to the artwork, as well as the live performances. I always call Yarns my most “selfish project”, as it is highly autobiographical, and my main guideline is that all the creative ideas – or at least most of them – have to come from me. That being said, there has been some incredible artists involved in the project, such as the actress Megan Carty (the voice, and the main help in creating the proses), Mike Tompa (the producer), or my brother Bruno Dawagne (who created the logo).

Finally, I started Yarns when I was at an emotional crossroad in my life, and I decided to leave my native country, Belgium, to come to North America, and try to create in an environment far from everything I knew. All the proses on the album are based on places where I lived, which explains their titles.

SA: What bands or musicians would you cite as the biggest influences on your sound? YA: Mainly some soundtracks and composer pieces. I am a huge fan of Jonny Greenwood, Max Richter or Arvo Part. I am also highly influenced by rock music, like Nine Inch Nails, The Chariot, Meshuggah, Gojira, Sufjan Stevens, Bon Iver, Sigur Ros, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Arcade Fire, etc. I also love finding influences in music that is far from what I create (world music, kids shows, hip-hop, etc.).

SA: Thus far in your career, what has been the project’s biggest success? YA: Like I said, Yarns is a self-centred project for which I decided I would never try to please anyone but myself, and put my instincts and integrity before anything else. The fact that it resonates with some people is something I am really honoured by, as this project does not obey to any structure, genre, or need to please. Another one of my influences, Bjork, said that “the moment you try to satisfy others than yourself, you’re not satisfying anyone”, and I think there’s a lot to be learned here, musically speaking.

SA: Conversely, what is the biggest challenge you've faced, and how have you dealt with it? YA: Every performance is a challenge to me. Before I started Yarns, it was impossible for me to even conceive being by myself on a stage, and even less performing only with looping pedals (which can be quite punishing, when you mess up). No matter how many times I played a show, I always experienced stage fright, and thus every concert is challenging. The hour before playing, especially, is always nerve-wracking for me.

SA: How do you approach the song-writing process? YA: I always try to start with an emotion and with my hands first. For Yarns, I am not able to begin creating from scratch behind a computer. It needs to first be myself sitting with an instrument and my pedalboard, and search how I can express a specific emotion accurately. After hours of looping some stuff around, recording some jams with myself – and, also, going crazy – I only start editing on the computer. On parallel to that, I start writing a prose and edit/go deeper into the theme with Megan Carty. Once I have a first version of a song, I go to a studio to record it. After that “official” version is done, I go back to my instruments and figure out a way to perform the studio version live, or to re-adapt it.

It is a long and tedious process were you go back and forth between “this is awesome” to “I am a shitty musician, why am I even bothering?” all the time, and it’s exhausting. But Yarns is about introspection, and this process expresses it accurately, I guess. 

SA: I understand you are a transplant to Ottawa. What are your thoughts on the Ottawa music scene? YA: I think there are some gems of venues around here, and people are really open-minded, especially the metal/punk/hardcore scene. I love the size of Ottawa, because it is not too big or overwhelming like Toronto or Montreal (great cities too, though). However, I think the city would benefit from having three or four more venues with a capacity somewhere between Mavericks and the Canadian Tire Centre, because apart from the Bronson Centre, that doesn’t really exist here and that’s too bad.

SA: What is your favourite show that you’ve played, and why? YA: I think that it was at Pressed, where the venue was packed because Nighttime in Kansas was playing. I felt I progressed from playing in front of such a filled-up room, and little by little taming my terror as the set went by. Also, I messed up big time at that show, and realizing that I was the only one noticing about it was quite rewarding.

Finally, pretty much any show at Ask a Punk is always a great time. That’s my favorite place to perform in Ottawa.

SA: Thus far, what is your favourite Yarns track, and why? YA: It’s one that is on my next album, and it’s called Fault Lines. It’s a track that mixes all the different looping techniques I learned while creating the other Yarns tracks. It also mixes all my influences, from metal to sinister soundtracks. It’s very doomy, scary and a little optimistic too. Unfortunately, this is the only song I recorded that I am not yet able to play.

Her Monster is also an important one to me, as it took me more than one year to write, and Yarns started with the two main chords of that song. I had just arrived in Montréal in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, and I was very unsettled and depressed. All I had to create was a tiny acoustic guitar, and these two chords came naturally out of it, and became the backbone of Summer – Fall -.

SA: A tour consisting of you, and only your favourite Belgian and Canadian acts. Who is on it? YA: If we have to go for Canadian, definitely The Arcade Fire, as they are my favourite rock band! A tour with A Silver Mt. Zion would be pretty dope too. For Belgium, I’d love to play with a band called Amenra, which is a sludge-hardcore band with some spooky imagery. Very twisted and meditative.

SA: What comes next for you in 2019? Good luck this coming year! YA: I have been postponing forever the release of Winter – Spring –, the sequel to Summer – Fall –, since I have been busy working on other creative projects, mainly some soundtracks for some theatre pieces. Releasing an album when you’re the only person in the band is a colossal work. So yes, this is what’s next, and having a proper merchandising, too.

Thank you very much for this interview, Pierce, good luck to you too!

[concerthopperblog]

Two Decades of Destruction Descends on Knoxville

A steamy night just outside the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains belied the incredible evening that was in store for the city of Knoxville, Tennessee. The Two Decades of Destruction tour featuring As I Lay Dying, Whitechapel, Shadow of Intent and Ov Sulfur had a massive line of fans outside The Concourse abuzz with excitement, even as the show start time got pushed back by 30 minutes, twice. Once fans got inside, if they were hoping for a ton of relief from the blistering heat, they were going to be disappointed as it was almost equally as hot inside.

Despite the heat, the fans packed inside the venue, now set in a new location in a building that is part of a strip mall. The first band to stride across the stage in the sweltering room was Las Vegas’ Ov Sulfur. Fronted by former Suffokate frontman Ricky Hoover, the band exuded power and force. Looking around the crowd in between snapping photos, the faces of the fans told the stories as many had facial expressions ranging from pleasant surprise to the proverbial metal “stank face.” It seems that the guitar pedalboard, set to a program mode called “Big Dick Energy” set the theme for the evening as the band dominated the stage.

Next to take on the crowd and the steamy atmosphere were Shadow of Intent from Connecticut. For those unfamiliar with the band, they formed in 2013 as, of all things, a Halo-themed studio project……. yes, THAT Halo, the popular Xbox Game Studios franchise shooting game. Impressively, the band has grown completely on their own as independents without the support of any record label. Much like the other bands on the billing, they exuded absolute power. All of the members controlled the stage as if they’d been on it for decades, particularly entertaining for me as a photographer was drummer Bryce Butler.

Of all of the places to see the next band on the lineup, Knoxville might be the most ideal of them all. Whitechapel hails from the city and has done their best to give back continuously. Every year they perform a charity show for local residents for Christmas (the band made sure to tell everyone they’d see them again for the annual show this year as well.) Surrounded by family, friends and masses of fans who have been there for the band’s entire rise to heavy metal legends, the group tore into a set that contained many of their fan-favorite tracks. Spanning the entire discography of the band, the group treated everyone to a monumental show, even throwing in tracks with almost entirely clean vocals like Hickory Creek to show off vocalist Phil Bozeman’s diversity. By the end, the instruments and the fans were coated in sweat and happy to be present.

Finally, it was time for the headliner, As I Lay Dying to stride in to the light of the Knoxville stage. Of course, you can’t talk about As I Lay Dying without addressing the massive elephant in the room that is the criminal case surrounding vocalist Tim Lambesis. I’m not going into it at length here in this article, there’s plenty of information about the trial and everything to do with it online. The band now consists of just two original members, Lambesis and Phil Sgrosso. The rest of the band is filled out with members of other powerful metal bands like bassist Ryan Neff from Miss May I. The band carried on without a hiccup as they played through the discography, dating back almost two decades (hence the tour name) to the delight of the fans. The members all played to the crowd, obviously enjoying being on the stage. At one point a gentleman in a wheelchair crowd surged his way to the front, garnering a high five from Lambesis. The evening was great fun and was a treat for heavy music fans.

This tour is only just beginning so there’s still plenty of time to check them out if you live in a state the tour is coming to. Additionally, Brand of Sacrifice will be joining the tour which only bolsters the already stacked lineup. Check out the remaining tour dates below:

06/23 – Stroudsburg, PA @ The Sherman Theater ^ 06/24 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom * 06/25 – Hartford, CT @ Webster Theater * 06/26 – Elmira, NY @ The L * 06/27 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Roxian * 06/29 – Louisville, KY @ Paristown Hall * 06/30 – Columbus, OH @ Kemba Live * 07/01 – Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection * 07/02 – Ft. Wayne, IN @ Pierre’s * 07/05 – Moline, IL @ The Rust Belt * 07/06 – Green Bay, WI @ EPIC Event Center * 07/07 – Omaha, NE @ Admiral * 07/08 – Des Moines, IA @ Val Air * 07/10 – Billings, MT @ Zoo Montana * 07/11 – Great Falls, MT @ The Newburry * 07/12 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory * 07/14 – Grand Junction, CO @ Mesa Theater * 07/15 – Colorado Springs, CO @ Sunshine Studios * 07/16 – Wichita, KS @ The Wave * 07/17 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom *

^ = no Brand of Sacrifice * = no Ov Sulfur

 As always, please feel free to browse around ConcertHopper’s website further and to check out our articles covering a wide variety of topics. Please also check us out on social media on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Life is a beautiful thing and music only adds to that beauty, take some time to get out and celebrate beauty and life with a community of like-minded individuals at a concert soon, it’s always worth the price of admission.

[merriammusicinc]

Kawai ND21 Upright Piano Review & Demo by Merriam Pianos

Introduction

The ND-21 is a Kawai Upright Piano that has been a disruptive and hugely successful force in the piano industry - one that has filled a previous gap in the marketplace: a 48" upright piano from a Japanese manufacturer that directly competes against its own used products as well as those of Yamaha, like the Yamaha U1 or Kawai BL, US, or K series. While it lacks some of the more recent developments of Kawai's upper level K series, the ND21 is by all accounts, a reissue of the Kawai K25 / K30 upright pianos of the 1990's, done in a stunning monochrome design of nickel and ebony polish - and most importantly, using the same craftsmanship that Kawai continues to invest heavily into.

It makes it an incomparable value on today's piano market, and a welcome alternative to the age-old binary option of selecting a digital piano or a 40 year old used Yamaha U1 if you're shopping for a beginner student.

We hope you enjoy Stu Harrison's video review and accompanying article on the instrument, and thanks for checking out Merriam Pianos.

Kawai ND-21 Upright Piano Review Video Transcription

Hey everybody, welcome to another piano review. I'm Stu Harrison. We're here at Merriam Pianos, and we're in our Oakville showroom today, just outside of Toronto, Canada, and we're looking at Kawai's ND21. This is a limited release 48-inch upright model that is not necessarily going to be available in all markets. Brought to market based on overwhelming demand for this type of product, as well as a full-throated response to Yamaha's B3 model, this has become perhaps the best alternative that I'm aware of on the market to a used 48-inch used Japanese piano.

We all know that if you're a parent and you are just getting into lessons, you've probably had a piano teacher or a friend along the way say, "Go find a used Yamaha U1" or, "Go find a used 48-inch Kawai____" (all of the different model names that they have). And of course, it feels like if your budget is floating in and around that $5,000 price point plus or minus $1,000 or so, there isn't a lot else out there if you want to keep it at a 48-inch level. Perhaps you're not feeling like you want to kind of go with a lesser-known name or get something made from China, if that happens to be a concern for you.

If that sounds familiar, it's certainly a common occurrence here in Toronto as well. We have a multitude of parents that come to us looking for just that. They've spent hours on Google trying their best to discern good from bad, but it's complex and virtually impossible to evaluate a used piano based on description alone. So we do of course accommodate those customers by making sure we stock good quality used product, but we always felt that it would be great to be offer a credible alternative to a used Kawai or a used Yamaha.

So the ND21 was something that Kawai approached the piano world with as a low-cost SKU with outstanding sound, back posts, wooden keys, solid spruce soundboard, and ABS action. I know it's available in a few different markets. But certainly, right here at home, this is proving to be just an absolute home run with the market because here we have a 48-inch piano, meets all the criteria for most piano teachers looking for something of that size just so that the dynamic range is there, and the tonal palette is there.

It is made at Kawai's Indonesian facility, which is the same one that makes the GL10 baby grand piano. Also the same factory that finishes the assembly for their K200, also makes some of the Boston pianos for Steinway, so a fantastic factory with a fantastic reputation, putting out great products already.

Moving into some details on the piano, let's start at the beginning: where did the ND21 come from? From discussions with Kawai insiders as well as studying the internal structures and scale design, this appears to be essentially a re-issue of the K25, a widely produced 48" piano from about 20 years ago. It was sort of one of the predecessors to Kawai K3, which was the very first piano to be equipped with the Millennium III action.

This makes the model extremely efficient from a cost standpoint: they don't have to invest in new gear; they don't have to invest in new stamps, new jigs, new scale designs; it's using their first generation ABS action which had 30 years of proven performance in the marketplace. And so... poof...here we are with what appears to be essentially a brand new model. But really, it's like if you just opened a time capsule, and you were able to find a brand new 1990s era Kawai piano with a full 10-year warranty, and what quite a few people have really appreciated is an alternative to the traditional brass color. We've got chrome both in the hinges, the logo, and also the pedalboards. So besides that, you've got an instrument that really looks and behaves very much like a mint condition, perfect '90s used 48-inch Japanese piano.

Musical Comparisons to the K300 and Yamaha U1

Musically speaking, one of the things I noticed on the ND-21 is that there's a ton of sympathetic resonance that you get out of this instrument. That's typical of a lot of the Kawai's. And I think it's one of the trademark things that separates a Kawai sound from a Yamaha sound. Besides the fact that for the same size cabinet, Kawais tend to have a slightly longer bass string, I also find that the Kawai cabinets just tend to resonate a little bit more, and so you get a bit more warmth and you get a slightly bigger acoustical envelope around the whole instrument.

Action

Another thing I really like about having an ND21 on the floor next to our K series, because we get the question all the time, "Well, this is great. You're saying wonderful things about this piano. Why would we spend any more and get the K300, which is also a 48-inch piano?" well, when you've got them side by side and you can play them, you actually do notice that there is extra value that you do get for your money if you go with the K300. Can you feel the difference between this Kawai Ultra-Responsive Action and the Millennium III action? Yes. For a really advanced player who's looking for an action that's going to be as responsive as a grand, is this going to give it to you? No. I'd give that probably like a 7 out of 10 in terms of delivering something that's going to have as responsive an action, whereas I would give the K300 probably more like a 9 out of 10. K300 you're getting longer keys than you get on the ND21. You're getting a different action design, which does produce a faster repetition speed and a little bit more accuracy when you're playing really, really softly. And you have different key surfaces - in this case, the key surface is acrylic.

So what this action is ideal for is somebody who's just starting out, or an institutional or teaching situation where you want to get an acoustic piano with lots of good bass, you want it to be well built, with low maintenance, servicing players at a beginner or intermediate level. This is just perfect for churches or public schools. And I have been loving this model too. We've used this model in several classrooms in our own school. And of course, parents who are just starting out and want an acoustic versus a digital for the first instrument in the house, I mean, this is literally a perfect solution.

Hammers

Second thing, K300 comes with double felted hammers. The ND21 has got single felted hammers. So does that make a difference for, let's say, the bulk of your playing? No. Where is this going to make a difference? Well, again, your advanced players who really are going to be starting to push the upper range of their dynamic capability as players. So, you know, pushing into the fortissimo, or even the triple fortissimo range, and you're starting to develop the ability to control those tones and those overtones. Well, single felted hammer isn't really going to give you that. It's not supposed to. It's never going to. So if you push this piano hard, it is going to start to distort a little bit. You'll hear it. But again, who is this going to affect primarily? Well, your advanced players who really have developed that touch, and that palette, and that ear. It usually takes anywhere from 5 to 10 years to develop. But again, are you going to get that out of a 20 to 30-year-old used pianos that this has been compared to? Not even a chance. You're often dealing with highly compressed hammers that are past their prime. They're still functional, but they're going to distort even quicker than this is.

Another thing that's really great to get on a piano of this price, a brand new solid spruce soundboard, super unusual, and this is exactly what Kawai is putting on here, solid, spruce Sitka soundboard. And so you get really beautiful resonance, but the sustain is fantastic too. I know we're talking about a new instrument. But again, when you get this type of performance for an instrument that, like I said, this is hitting right around the $5,000 U.S. mark.

Casters & Fallboard

That's great. Now, another thing that's going to be, I would say, more of a feature for semi-professional or commercial buyers or users of this instrument, it's got rugged double rubber casters. This piano is easier to move than the majority of our $20,000 uprights here that are supposed to have primo casters. We can move this with one hand all around carpeted floor, hardwood floor, no issues. So for users where that's even a factor, it's a really nice thing. It is very easy to move around, an ND21. And it's easy to get it on and off a coaster as well. So something to keep in mind, it's not going to be a value point for everybody, but it, you know, might be something of interest for some of you. The ND-21, like most new pianos these days, also includes an adjustable bench

Another thing to be aware of, the ND21 is not going to give you that slow fall. So, it depends on your parenting philosophy. You're going to have some people say, "Well, I don't want my kids anywhere around this because they might slam their hands." Other people might say, "Well, it'll only happen once, and then they'll learn their lesson and likely won't slam ever again." So not sure where you fall in that spectrum, but it is something to be aware of. This one doesn't have the slow fall, and that may be a factor as well.

Nickel Cabinet

One last thing I am going to mention because I think it's kind of cool, the inside of this instrument, they've really gone for quite a unique contemporary look. So just on the outside, as we said, they're not using the brass coloring, they've actually decided to color the iron plate this really interesting matte black finish. It's almost like kind of a gun metally engine block type of thing to match the overall sleek black and chrome look of the outside of the instrument. There is no difference in material whatsoever. It's not like this is a different type of plate or some sort of a synthetic, same iron plate just like Kawai is going to be using on any of the others. Of course, it's nice, easy to access, and you can see that it's got that felt for a mute bar that also makes it really, really easy.

Conclusions

So, to wrap up, here we've got, like I've been saying throughout this review, in my mind, quite possibly the most ideal and straightforward alternative to a used Japanese 48-inch piano that you are going to find certainly in the Canadian market. This has found a really wide audience with first time buyers, parents who aren't looking for digital and really are looking for a safe, low risk option that doesn't involve hunting through Kijiji, through dozens and dozens of Yamaha U1 listings in the $4,000 or $5,000 range, and really never knowing what the ownership history of that instrument has been. This has proved to be just a kind of a magic boat solution for many, many of those people.

So whether or not it works for you, ultimately up to you. You really do need to decide. Every once in a while, you do find that used instrument that just is a absolute gem, great price, great music, and we find them too. So I'm not suggesting that that not be a part of your search, but what I am suggesting is it doesn't need to be the only part of your search. Make sure you put this on the list. Check it out. And of course, if you're in the Toronto area, come by see us. We've got an ND21 on both of our floors in Oakville and Vaughan all times, ready and waiting to be played. So I hope this has been helpful. Good luck with your search. Come see us if you can, and we'll see you back next time for another piano review soon. Thanks very much.

The post Kawai ND21 Upright Piano Review & Demo by Merriam Pianos first appeared on Merriam Pianos

2359 Bristol Cir #200, Oakville, ON L6H 6P8

merriammusic.com

(905) 829-2020

[grannygremlinaudio]

Pedalboard shuffle time.  Was having some intermittent issues with bad connections and faulty power so had to shuffle up the pedalboard; moved things around, trimmed the fat and rewired (I think I had too many things daisy chained as regards current draw - it’s what happens if you keep adding stuff as space allows vs thinking it through).  First jam in a long time last Saturday where I had no rig issues.

The new chain (right to left): Klone > tuner > EQD Organizer (not mine; use on 1 song) > Vowelizer (Coloursound Dipthronizer copy) >  Boss CE-2(B) copy > EQD Grand Orbiter v2 > Pearl OD-5 copy (my fave OD pedal) > Echo Base delay > Boss DM-2W.

Gone are the MXR 10 band EQ and Envelope Filter, as well as a Ross compressor copy (since the new amp I just no longer use it).  The Filter has been replaced by the Vowelizer and the EQ will be replaced by a passive rumble (HPF) and noise (LPF) jobby I’m putting the finishing tweaks on now (called the Ultimate Nullifier, because it totally isn’t and yes, that is a comic book reference; it was what I was working on when asked to make a prop pedal  thus named for the soon-to-be-released Ohmno video). 

[sustainpunch]

Guitar Loop Pedals | Top 10 Best Looper Pedals for Guitar

In this article, we’re going to be discussing the … best guitar loop pedals that you can purchase in 2018. As always at Sustain Punch, we will firstly explain the function of a loop pedal, also known as a repeater pedal, and why you may want one to place on your guitar effects pedalboard.

What are Guitar Loop Pedals?

Guitar Loop Pedals are simply guitar effects processors that work to loop, or repeat, the input signal provided. In other words, it plays the same musical signal over and over again, until specified not to.

You may be asking, well how does it know what part you wish to loop, or how long you want to loop it for? And to answer these two questions, all of these controls are provided on the front of the pedal, on the user interface.

How does a Guitar Loop Pedal actually work?

A guitar looper pedal will normally have a clear user interface in which the guitarist has access to a footswitch (to engage and disengage the looping effect), and looper timing and even frequency adjustment knobs. In turn, this allows a guitarist to active the looper effect in real-time and control all of the timing parameters surrounding its operation. Ok, so that’s a little bit about the processor itself. Let’s talk more about specific looper pedals that you may be interested in.

Due to the fact that all of the pedals in this list vary quite significantly in price, we’ve ordered them based on this, although you can see editor’s recommendations in the list below, and the conclusion, so if price is not a determining factor and you’re looking for a specific feature, you’ll find it highlighted here.

So without further ado, here are the 10 top guitar loop pedals in 2018…

Top 10 Best Guitar Loop Pedals in 2018

Rowin Tiny Guitar Looper Processor – $39.98 – Buy on Amazon

Donner LOOPER Tiny Guitar Looper Pedal – $45.00 – Buy on Amazon

Electro-Harmonix 360 Nano Looper Pedal – $91.00 – Buy on Amazon

Nux Loop Core Guitar Looper Processor – $99.00 – Buy on Amazon

TC Electronics Ditto Guitar Looper Pedal – $99.99 – Buy on Amazon

Boss RC-1 Guitar Loop Pedal Station Bundle – $99.99 – Buy on Amazon

Nux Loop Core Delux Guitar Loop Pedal – $149.00 – Buy on Amazon

Electro-Harmonix 720 Stereo Guitar Looper – $152.00 – Buy on Amazon

Boss RC-3 Guitar Loop Pedal Station Bundle – $179.99 – Buy on Amazon

Boss RC-30 Guitar Phrase Looper Unit Bundle – $299.99 – Buy on Amazon

  Rowin Tiny Guitar Looper Processor – $39.98

Features

Designed & Built by Rowin

Budget-Priced Guitar Looper

Built to last with Zinc alloy chassis

Very simple to use

Capable of 10 minutes of recording loops

Monophonic Input

Unlimited loop layering/overdubbing

USB Connectivity for uploading & downloading loops

Interface controls (Left to right) include:

Level: Controls the output dB level of the processor

LED that lights when the pedal is engaged

Technical Specifications

24-bit Conversion at 48kHz Sample Rate

1 x 1/4″ jack input

1 x 1/4″ jack output

USB Connectivity

9v Power adapter is needed for operation. This is sold separately (Boss SYB-5 9v power adapter – Buy on Amazon)

Weight : 0.13 kg

Dimensions : 3.0″ x 1.4″ x 1.0″ inches

Customer Review Rating

The Rowin Tiny Looper pedal has received an average rating of 3.5* out of 5 stars from over 65 Amazon customer reviews – Read these reviews here.

Summary

The Rowin Tiny Looper pedal is the cheapest processor on our list, and we’ve included it not only for this reason, because we simply like to accommodate for every reader and the unique budget that they have… but also because it has some good aspects and provides great value for money, from a pedal that costs less than $50.

Before we go into depth about the pedal’s key features, let’s first talk a little bit more about Rowin. The brand itself has been around for several years and mainly creates very affordable music equipment… Their music equipment is often very basic, but does the job!

Ok, so let’s talk more about their ‘Tiny Looper Pedal’… Well as the name suggests, it’s certainly small in size, and therefore would be suitable for the guitarist with a minimal amount of space on their pedalboard.

The pedal is capable of providing up to 10 minutes of loop recording time, and it can be operated by simply setting the level knob to a suitable output, and engaging the footswitch… Simple!

Surprisingly, this device also has USB integration, so that you can import/export loop samples, for further editing and refinement in your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). Although Rowin does not go into detail as to how this can be done, we imagine the process is fairly simple.

We were also very impressed by the technical specifications of this unit’s recording capability, using 24-bit conversion at a sample rate of 48kHz.

What would we improve?

Hmm, well we would have personally liked to see the unit provide more looping parameter controls & effects. However, considering the price-tag we really don’t expect that to happen, as it would directly affect the price! And this unit’s price is it’s USP.

Who is this pedal for?

This looper/repeater pedal is suitable for any guitarist who requires an ultra-low-cost pedal, which is small, light, simple to use, doesn’t provide a lot of additional looping features but also have USB integration.

For anyone else who has a large budget of say $100, we would advise that you choose the Nux Loop Core instead, which we’ve reviewed below. Otherwise, look at the Donner pedals below, which feature some additional looping functions, and are priced around $50.

None-the-less, take a look at the video demonstration of the Rowin Looper in action below:

  Donner LOOPER Tiny Guitar Looper Pedal – $45.00

Features

Designed & Built by Donner

Budget-Priced Guitar Looper

Built to last with Zinc alloy chassis

Very simple to use

Three main looping modes:

Half-Speed

Normal

Reverse

Capable of 10 minutes of recording loops

Monophonic Input

Unlimited loop layering/overdubbing

USB Connectivity for uploading & downloading loops

Interface controls (Left to right) include:

Level: Controls the output dB level of the processor

LED that lights when the pedal is engaged

Technical Specifications

24-bit Conversion at 44.1 kHz Sample Rate

1 x 1/4″ jack input

1 x 1/4″ jack output

USB Connectivity

9v Power adapter is needed for operation. This is sold separately (Boss SYB-5 9v power adapter – Buy on Amazon)

Weight : 0.13 kg

Dimensions : 3.0″ x 1.4″ x 1.0″ inches

Customer Review Rating

The Rowin Tiny Looper pedal has received an average rating of 3.5* out of 5 stars from over 150 Amazon customer reviews – Read these reviews here.

Summary

The Rowin Tiny Looper pedal is the cheapest processor on our list, and we’ve included it not only for this reason, because we simply like to accommodate for every reader and the unique budget that they have… but also because it has some good aspects and provides great value for money, from a pedal that costs less than $50.

Before we go into depth about the pedal’s key features, let’s first talk a little bit more about Rowin. The brand itself has been around for several years and mainly creates very affordable music equipment… Their music equipment is often very basic, but does the job!

Ok, so let’s talk more about their ‘Tiny Looper Pedal’… Well as the name suggests, it’s certainly small in size, and therefore would be suitable for the guitarist with a minimal amount of space on their pedalboard.

The Rowin Tiny Looper unit has three modes, this includes Half Speed Mode, Normal Speed Mode and Reverse Mode. All of this functionality is rather impressive considering that this unit is only $45 … *Take a look at the video demonstration below to see these modes in action.

The pedal is capable of providing up to 10 minutes of loop recording time, and it can be operated by simply setting the level knob to a suitable output, and engaging the footswitch… Simple!

Surprisingly, this device also has USB integration, so that you can import/export loop samples, for further editing and refinement in your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). And yes, this USB import/export feature can be used on both Mac and PC.

We were also very impressed by the technical specifications of this unit’s recording capability, using 24-bit conversion at a sample rate of 48kHz.

What would we improve?

Hmm, there really isn’t much that we would consider improving, as it would directly affect the price! And this unit’s price is it’s USP.

Who is this pedal for?

This looper/repeater pedal is suitable for any guitarist who requires an ultra-low-cost pedal, which is small, light, simple to use, doesn’t provide a lot of additional looping features but also have USB integration.

For anyone else who has a large budget of say $100, we would advise that you choose the Nux Loop Core instead, which we’ve reviewed below.

None-the-less, take a look at the video demonstration of the Rowin Looper in action below:

  Electro-Harmonix 360 Nano Looper Pedal – $91.00

Features

Designed & Built by the iconic brand ‘Electro-Harmonix

Guitar Looper Pedal

Built to last

Capable of 6 minutes of recording loops

Monophonic Input

Unlimited loop layering/overdubbing

Interface controls (Left to right) include:

Level: Controls the output dB level of the processor

Loop: Choose between 11 different loop types

Bright LEDs that light when the pedal is engaged

Technical Specifications

24-bit Conversion at 44.1kHz Sample Rate

1 x 1/4″ jack input

1 x 1/4″ jack output

Optional 9v battery-powered, AC adaptor is sold separately (Boss SYB-5 9v power adapter – Buy on Amazon)

Weight : 0.45 kg

Dimensions : 2.25″ x 4.0″ x 4.75″ inches

Customer Review Rating

The Electro-Harmonix 720 has received an average rating of 4.0* out of 5 stars from over 53 Amazon customer reviews – Read these reviews here.

Summary

The Electro-Harmonix 360 Nano is the ‘younger brother’ in this series to the ‘Electro-Harmonix 720’ pedal. The 360 Nano is more compact in size and has some fantastic features.

Firstly, for those who aren’t aware of who Electro-Harmonix are. Let’s firstly talk about the brand, who they are and how the two loop pedals within this series really differ.

Ok, so Electro-Harmonix is an extremely large audio equipment manufacturer based in the USA. They were founded in 1968 and have specialized in becoming experts in the field of guitar effects pedals. Therefore, if you get the chance to play one, you’ll notice that all of the aspects from it’s sound to operation ‘just work!’… Simply a result of over 50-years worth of improvement and progression.

Now, let’s talk more about the Electro-Harmonix 360.

The 360 Nano is an extremely compact looper processor, which is housed in a die-cast metal chassis. It provides up to 6 minutes of loop recording time and has 11 loop types that can easily be referred to from a single knob that is located on the front of the interface.

What would we improve?

Where the Electro-Harmonix lacks is simply in the difference between ‘it’ and it’s older brother, the 720 version. Therefore we know that improving specifications on the 360 Nano would merely compete with the 720, and wouldn’t be even worthwhile considering.

However, for the price of around $100, we prefer the Nux Loopcore (reviewed below), as it provides more personalization options including PC/Mac connectivity for the purpose to import/export loops to a DAW for further refinement. It has many more features that you’ll probably want to check out!

Who is this pedal for?

Whilst we are big fans of the brand Electro-Harmonix, and as you can see from the video demonstration, they provide high quality sounding equipment, we simply cannot recommend it… As we prefer the Nux Loopcore.

None-the-less, take a look at the video demonstration of the Electro-Harmonix Nano 360 in action below:

Nux Loop Core Guitar Looper Processor – $99.00

Features

Guitar Loop pedal by Nux

16-bit sample rate processing

High-Quality Build with solid footswitch

Comes with additional dual footswitch, for immediate memory bank referral

Upgraded hardware from the Nux Loop Core (Original)

Record up to 6 hours worth of loop phases

Change playback tempo of recorded loops, without changing the pitch/key

Unlimited loop layers

99 saved memory banks

PC/Mac integration with Mini-B USB connectivity

Import/Export loop phases (to edit and backup)

Automatic Tempo Detection

Drum machine accompaniment with 40 different drum rhythms

3 different stop-modes

Normal Mode: Double tap for an instant stop

Finish Mode: Plays until the end of the last measure

Fade-Out Mode: Includes a 10-second fade out

Frequency Compensation (with accompaniment) and Cabinet Simulation settings

Bright LED light when the pedal is engaged

Runs on 9v battery (Included), or 9v power supply (not included)

True Bypass

Technical Specifications

1 x 1/4″ jack input (Monophonic Input)

Aux In (Stereo Input)

2 x 1/4″ jack output (Amplifier Out & Mixer Out)

Optional 9v battery-powered, AC adaptor is sold separately (Boss SYB-5 9v power adapter – Buy on Amazon)

Weight : 0.27 kg

Dimensions : 4.8″ x 2.8″ x 1.8″ inches

Customer Review Rating

The Nux Loop Core Pedal has received an average rating of 3.9* out of 5 stars from over 72 Amazon customer reviews – Read these reviews here.

Summary

The Nux Loop Core Pedal is Nux’s original flagship guitar looper and has received a wide range of positive reviews considering the clear effort and time put into the pedal’s development.

Let’s firstly talk about the company Nux before we dive into more about the specific Loop Core Pedal.

Nux has been developing all kinds of recording equipment, including guitar effects, amplifiers and audio interfaces since 2005. Their main goal has been to provide musicians with high-quality audio equipment at an affordable cost.

Ok, now let’s talk more about the Loop Core Series Pedal. The pedal itself is priced at $99, and believe us when we say, for $99, you won’t get much more in a compact pedal than this!

Some of the product highlights for us include the 6-hour recording time maximum capacity, 99-savable, editable, importable and exportable preset banks, the USB integration in order to connect to your MAC/PC, automated tempo detection, loop tempo change without changing the pitch/key, alongside the 40+ different accompaniment drum rhythms that you can choose from… Wow! That was a lot to go through!

And we’ve not even talked about the cabinet simulation and frequency compensation settings. Essentially, these settings allow for your accompaniment to not drown out the sound of your loops.

Additionally, the pedal allows you to create as many loop layers as possible.. So your audience will be left in utter amazement. Also, the main functioning of the pedal is rather simple, with it either starting when you click the footswitch (manual mode) or when you play the guitar (auto-start mode).

Nux have been so methodical in this pedal’s development that they have also included different ‘stop’ modes. With a double-tap stopping the loop immediately, whilst in ‘finish-mode’ the pedal will play to the end of the current phrase, and finally in ‘fade-out mode’… Well, you can guess right? It begins a 10-second fade out.

What would we improve?

Ok, so for the price of $99 you’re simply getting a high-quality, 16-bit, compact looping unit that has a mind-blowing number of looping functions and settings. In our opinion, there is simply nothing you can improve with regards to the pedal without it directly affecting the price.

Who is this pedal for?

The Nux Loop Core pedal is definitely for the guitarist who doesn’t want to spend more than around $100, but needs a highly compact unit that is well-built, features a whole bunch of looping functions and will stand the test of time, whether or not you are just recording in-studio or in turn playing live shows.

It even has a stereo aux input, for those who require this.

Otherwise, if you like the sound of all these features, but you potentially want more recording time and a higher recording sample rate, take a look at the ‘big brother’… The Nux Loop Core Deluxe, we’ve featured a review of it further down!, p

Take a look at the video demonstration of the Nux Loop Core Pedal in action:

    TC Electronics Ditto Guitar Looper Pedal – $99.99

Features

Designed & Built by TC Electronic

Engineered in Denmark

Sturdy die-cast metal chassis

Incredibly easy-to-use looping pedal

Extremely simple to use

One knob on the unit, to control the output level

5 Minute looping functionality

Internal memory retains loops (even when power is off)

Unlimited overdubs and undo/redo functionality

Runs on battery power, or 9v power supply (not included)

True Bypass

3-Year Manufacturers Warranty

Technical Specifications

24-bit uncompressed audio

1 x 1/4″ jack input

1 x 1/4″ jack output

Optional battery-powered, AC adaptor is sold separately (Boss SYB-5 9v power adapter – Buy on Amazon)

Weight : 0.45 kg

Dimensions : 2.9″ x 5.0″ x 2.3″ inches

Customer Review Rating

The TC Electronic Ditto Looper has received an average rating of 4.5* out of 5 stars from over 108 Amazon customer reviews – Read these reviews here.

Summary

The Ditto Looper is a looper pedal built by the incredibly brand, TC Electronics.

For those that don’t know much about TC Electronics, they’ve been around since the early days! Yes, we’re talking about the very early 1970’s. They’ve been active in designing and building all kinds of music equipment, including guitar effects, vocal effects pedals, audio interfaces and home recording studio equipment. This has given them a tremendous amount of experience in creating high-quality audio equipment at an affordable cost for the likes of you and me.

Ok, so that’s a little about the company itself. Let’s talk more about the Ditto Looper pedal itself.

Well, the Ditto Guitar Loop Pedal is undoubtedly one of the more simpler pedals to operate from this extensive list of the best guitar loopers. However, with that being said, don’t mistake its simplicity for a limit of the sound quality… After all, this device supports 24-bit sample rate audio… Meaning that it provides high-quality audio looping.

However, for us personally, we would like to see more parameter controls, to adjust looping frequency and other things such as timing controls.

What would we improve?

As we just pointed out, this pedal lacks the functionality to really personalize your looping sound when comparing it to other pedals around the same $100 price-point, that we’ve featured in our list. An example of one of these pedals that allows for further refinement of your sound is the Nux Loop Core guitar processor, which also provides rhythm accompaniment, 99 user programmable memory patches and even MAC/PC integration via USB connectivity… All in all, we would prefer the Nux Loop Core pedal over the TC Electronics Ditto Looper.

Who is this pedal for?

Ok, so although we think there is a better option, as mentioned above. The TC Electronics Ditto Looper pedal is ideal for the guitarist who wants an incredibly easy-to-use looper processing unit, that just so happens to be very compact with a sturdy build.

Take a look at the video demonstration of the TC Electronics Ditto Looper

      Boss RC-1 Guitar Loop Pedal Station Bundle – $99.99

Features

Designed & Built by Boss (Roland Corporation)

Loop Pedal for Guitar

Built to last

Extremely simple to use

Multiple Editions of this product series, being a result of lots of improvements.

Single Footpedal & Single Track Looper with True Stereo Input & Output

Looping Time: Up to 12 minutes of stereo recording

Interface controls (Left to right) include:

Level: Controls the output db level of the processor

Footswitch (1): Controls the engagement and recording of the guitar input signal

Bright LED light when the pedal is engaged

USB 2.0 Connectivity for WAV Audio Input/Export

Accompanying Rhythmic Drum Loops

Runs on battery power, or 9v power supply (not included)

True Bypass

5-Year Boss Manufacturers Warranty

Official Specifications – Boss Website https://ift.tt/2cZQpGv

Technical Specifications

2 x 1/4″ jack input (Optional Stereo Input)

2 x 1/4″ jack output (Optional Stereo Output)

1 x 1/8″ mini AUX input

Optional battery-powered, AC adaptor is sold separately (Boss SYB-5 9v power adapter – Buy on Amazon)

Weight : 0.45 kg

Dimensions : 2.9″ x 5.0″ x 2.3″ inches

Customer Review Rating

The Boss RC-1 Guitar Loop Station has received an average rating of 4.5* out of 5 stars from over 126 Amazon customer reviews – Read these reviews here.

Summary

The RC-3 is a Guitar Looper Pedal created by none other than Boss. For those who aren’t too familiar with Boss (Not many of you I can imagine), the company started in the early 1970’s and quickly became synonymously linked to the term guitar effects pedals. Over the following decades, they have refined all of the products in their different usage series, with their hands in a number of pies, including guitar tuner pedals, guitar synth pedals and many more.

Because of Boss’s sheer wealth of experience, and the fact that their products have truly stood the test of time, you can be 100% sure that customer/user satisfaction is not an issue. After all, in most cases, they’ve had 30+ years of improvements for each product series, so you can imagine there’s not much left to improve.

As for the Boss RC-1, it’s one of the more basic RC models within the series, only requiring the footswitch and output level to operate the looper function.

The unit itself provides both monophonic and optional stereo input/output, which means that it’s suitable for guitarists who want that optional stereo functionality, which is fantastic value for money, considering it is priced at $99.

Oh and we almost forgot! It comes with an incredible 5-Year Product Manufacturers Warranty.

What would we improve?

The Boss RC-1 is a very simple to use guitar looping processor. Where it lacks against it’s two older brothers (RC-3 & RC-30) is in looping time, multi-track looping, onboard programmable memory patches, USB integration with WAV editing and additional connectivity features, such as AUX and XLR input.

However, if these features are not so important to you, this is certainly a looper pedal that cannot be easily improved, as, alongside the product features, it also comes with fantastic build-quality and that 5-year manufacturer’s warranty… Not to mention a string of positive customer reviews.

Who is this pedal for?

The Boss RC-1 is for the guitarist who wants a solidly designed looping processor, built by one of the most well-known, trustworthy guitar effects pedal brands in the world.

This is definitely for someone looking at a more mid-range priced unit, that simply provides looping without all the bells and whistles.

Take a look at the video demonstration of the Boss RC-1 in action [Skip to 2.15, when the demonstration actually starts]

      Nux Loop Core Delux Guitar Loop Pedal – $149.00

Features

Guitar Loop pedal by Nux

24-bit sample rate processing (Upgrade from the original 16-bit version)

High-Quality Build with solid footswitch

Comes with additional dual footswitch, for immediate memory bank referral

Upgraded hardware from the Nux Loop Core (Original)

Record up to 8 hours worth of loop phases

Change playback tempo of recorded loops, without changing the pitch/key

Unlimited loop layers

99 saved memory banks

PC/Mac integration with Mini-B USB connectivity

Import/Export loop phases (to edit and backup)

Automatic Tempo Detection

Drum machine accompaniment with 40 different drum rhythms

3 different stop-modes

Normal Mode: Double tap for an instant stop

Finish Mode: Plays until the end of the last measure

Fade-Out Mode: Includes a 10-second fade out

Frequency Compensation (with accompaniment) and Cabinet Simulation settings

Bright LED light when the pedal is engaged

Runs on 9v battery, or 9v power supply (not included)

True Bypass

Technical Specifications

1 x 1/4″ jack input (Monophonic Input)

2 x 1/4″ jack output (Amplifier Out & Mixer Out)

Optional 9v battery-powered, AC adaptor is sold separately (Boss SYB-5 9v power adapter – Buy on Amazon)

Weight : 0.27 kg

Dimensions : 4.8″ x 2.8″ x 1.8″ inches

Customer Review Rating

The Nux Loop Core Deluxe Pedal has received an average rating of 4.4* out of 5 stars from over 4 Amazon customer reviews – Read these reviews here.

Summary

Summary

The Nux Loop Core Pedal Deluxe is Nux’s Premium-Model guitar looper and has received a wide range of positive reviews considering the clear effort and time put into the pedal’s development.

Let’s firstly talk about the company Nux before we dive into more about the specific Loop Core Pedal Deluxe.

Nux has been developing all kinds of recording equipment, including guitar effects, amplifiers and audio interfaces since 2005. Their main goal has been to provide musicians with high-quality audio equipment at an affordable cost.

Ok, now let’s talk more about the Loop Core Series Pedal. The pedal itself is priced at $99, and believe us when we say, for $99, you won’t get much more in a compact pedal than this!

Some of the product highlights for us include the 6-hour recording time maximum capacity, 99-savable, editable, importable and exportable preset banks, the USB integration in order to connect to your MAC/PC, automated tempo detection, loop tempo change without changing the pitch/key, alongside the 40+ different accompaniment drum rhythms that you can choose from… Wow! That was a lot to go through!

And we’ve not even talked about the cabinet simulation and frequency compensation settings. Essentially, these settings allow for your accompaniment to not drown out the sound of your loops.

Additionally, the pedal allows you to create as many loop layers as possible.. So your audience will be left in utter amazement. Also, the main functioning of the pedal is rather simple, with it either starting when you click the footswitch (manual mode) or when you play the guitar (auto-start mode).

Nux have been so methodical in this pedal’s development that they have also included different ‘stop’ modes. With a double-tap stopping the loop immediately, whilst in ‘finish-mode’ the pedal will play to the end of the current phrase, and finally in ‘fade-out mode’… Well you can guess right? It begins a 10-second fade out.

What would we improve?

Ok, so for the price of $149 you’re simply getting a high-quality, 24-bit, compact looping unit that has a mind-blowing number of looping functions and settings. In our opinion, there is simply nothing you can improve with regards to the pedal without it directly affecting the price.

Who is this pedal for?

The Nux Loop Core pedal is definitely for the guitarist who doesn’t want to spend more than around $100, but needs a highly compact unit that is well-built, features a whole bunch of looping functions and will stand the test of time, whether or not you are just recording in-studio or in turn playing live shows.

It even has a stereo aux input, for those who require this.

Otherwise, if you like the sound of all of these features, but simply the price is a little too steep, take a look at the pedal’s ‘baby brother’ which is only $99. The main difference is the fact that it has 16-bit sample rate and only 6-hours worth of recording time…

Take a look at the video demonstration of the Boss RC-1 in action

  Electro-Harmonix 720 Stereo Guitar Looper – $152.00

Features

Designed & Built by the iconic brand ‘Electro-Harmonix

Guitar Looper Pedal

Built to last

Capable of 12 minutes of stereo recording loops

Stereo Input and Output

Undo/Redo, Reverse, Half-Speed effects at the touch of a button

Unlimited loop layering/overdubbing

Ability to loop 2 instruments at once

Dual footswitch usage, for hands-free operation

Loop Fadeouts in Trials mode

Interface controls (Left to right) include:

Level: Controls the output dB level of the processor

Push Mode: Choose between 10 different loop types

Reverse: Ability to reverse the loop signal

1/2 Speed: Ability to slow down the loop to half-time

Bright LEDs that light when the pedal is engaged

Technical Specifications

24-bit Conversion at 44.1kHz Sample Rate

2 x 1/4″ jack input (Optional Stereo Input)

1 x 1/4″ (External Footswitch Input)

2 x 1/4″ jack output (Optional Stereo Output)

1 x 1/8″ mini AUX input

Optional 9v battery-powered, AC adaptor is sold separately (Boss SYB-5 9v power adapter – Buy on Amazon)

Weight : 0.45 kg

Dimensions : 2.25″ x 4.0″ x 4.75″ inches

Owners Manual: Electro Harmonix 720 Owners Manual

Customer Review Rating

The Electro-Harmonix 720 has received an average rating of 4.3* out of 5 stars from over 42 Amazon customer reviews – Read these reviews here.

Summary

The Electro-Harmonix 720 is the ‘older brother’ in this series, with the ‘Electro-Harmonix 360 Nano’ being the more compact, slightly cheaper version.

However, for those who haven’t read the ‘Electro-Harmonix 360 Nano’ review, and potentially aren’t aware of who Electro-Harmonix are. Let’s firstly talk about the brand, who they are and how the two loop pedals within this series really differ.

Ok, so Electro-Harmonix is an extremely large audio equipment manufacturer based in the USA. They were founded in 1968 and have specialized in becoming experts in the field of guitar effects pedals. Therefore, if you get the chance to play one, you’ll notice that all of the aspects from it’s sound to operation ‘just work!’… Simply a result of over 50-years worth of improvement and progression.

Now, let’s talk more about the Electro-Harmonix 360.

The 360 Nano is an extremely compact looper processor, which is housed in a die-cast metal chassis. It provides up to 12 minutes of loop recording time (6 minutes more than the Nano 360  version) and has 10 loop types that can easily be referred to from a single knob that is located on the front of the interface.

What would we improve?

The amount of loop customization is simply limited when compared to other pedals within the same price range, such as the Nux Loopcore Delux.

The Nux Loopcore Delux provides more personalization options including PC/Mac connectivity for the purpose to import/export loops to a DAW for further refinement. It has many more features that you’ll probably want to check out!

What would we improve?

Whilst we are big fans of the brand Electro-Harmonix, and as you can see from the video demonstration, they provide high quality sounding equipment, we simply cannot recommend it… As we prefer the Nux Loopcore Deluxe.

None-the-less, take a look at the video demonstration of the Electro-Harmonix Nano 720 in action below:

Boss RC-3 Guitar Loop Pedal Station Bundle – $179.99

Features

Designed & Built by Boss (Roland Corporation)

Loop Pedal for Guitar

Built to last

Multiple Editions of this product series, being a result of lots of improvements.

Single Footpedal & Single Track Looper with True Stereo Input & Output

Looping Time: Up to 3 Hours

Internal Memory: 99 onboard user programmable memory phrases

Interface controls (Left to right) include:

Loop FX: Select the Looper Effect

Track Selection: Choose between 2 track looping, which can be played simultaneously

Memory: Choose the memory patch (user programmable)

Rhythm: Controls the accompanying rhythm type and functionality

Mic: Adjusts the output db level of the pedal

Footswitch (1): Controls the engagement and recording of the guitar input signal

Bright LED light when pedal is engaged

USB 2.0 Connectivity for WAV Audio Input/Export

Accompanying Rhythmic Drum Loops

Runs on battery power, or 9v power supply (not included)

True Bypass

5-Year Boss Manufacturers Warranty

Official Specifications – Boss Website https://ift.tt/2cZQpGv

Technical Specifications

2 x 1/4″ jack input (Optional Stereo Input)

2 x 1/4″ jack output (Optional Stereo Output)

1 x 1/8″ mini AUX input

Optional battery-powered, AC adaptor is sold separately (Boss SYB-5 9v power adapter – Buy on Amazon)

Weight : 0.45 kg

Dimensions : 2.9″ x 5.0″ x 2.3″ inches

Customer Review Rating

The Boss RC-3 Guitar Loop Station has received an average rating of 4.5* out of 5 stars from over 126 Amazon customer reviews – Read these reviews here.

Summary

The RC-3 is a Guitar Looper Pedal created by none other than Boss. For those who aren’t too familiar with Boss (Not many of you I can imagine), the company started in the early 1970’s and quickly became synonymously linked to the term guitar effects pedals. Over the following decades, they have refined all of the products in their different usage series, with their hands in a number of pies, including guitar tuner pedals, guitar synth pedals and many more.

Because of Boss’s sheer wealth of experience, and the fact that their products have truly stood the test of time, you can be 100% sure that customer/user satisfaction is not an issue. After all, in most cases, they’ve had 30+ years of improvements for each product series, so you can imagine there’s not much left to improve.

As for the Boss RC-3, this is the second most expensive looper unit that we’ve featured within our list, but not nearly as expensive as it’s older brother, the Boss RC-30.

The main difference between the Boss RC-3 and RC-30 is that the RC-30 has multi-track looping capabilities, an XLR input and has 2 physical foot pedals, compared to the RC-1 having 1.

Other than that, The RC-3 simply has everything! With up to 3-hours worth of looping time, 99 programmable looping presets, Stereo input/output, USB import/export capability and not to mention the rhymical accompaniment facilities, there isn’t much else that you could need from a guitar looper.

An advantage of the RC-3 unit over other cheaper guitar looper units is that it can be powered through either battery or using a 9v power supply. According to Boss’s website, the unit can remain functioning for approximately 7.5 hours using Alkaline Batteries and 1.5 hours using Carbon-Zinc Batteries.

Oh and we almost forgot! It comes with an incredible 5-Year Product Manufacturers Warranty.

What would we improve?

The Boss RC-3 is a fantastic looping processor, and we honestly cannot see any downsides to the unit itself. Yes, it’s a little pricey, but you’re paying for the 40+ years of experience that Boss have, and all of the fantastic looping features in this processor! Not to mention the 5-year manufacturer’s warranty again!

Who is this pedal for?

The Boss RC-3 is for the guitarist who wants a premium-quality looper pedal, made by a company known for the reliability of their products.

It’s for the professional musician who wants all of the features of the RC-30, without the steep price, and excluding the XLR input, two footswitches and multi-track looping. Definitely, a pedal to consider!

Take a look at the video demonstration of the Boss RC-3 in action [Skip to 2.15, when the demonstration actually starts]

    Boss RC-30 Guitar Phrase Looper Unit – $299.99

Features

Designed & Built by Boss (Roland Corporation)

Loop Pedal for Guitar

Built to last

Multiple Editions of this product series, being a result of lots of improvements.

Twin Footpedal & Multi-Track Looper with True Stereo Input & Output

Looping Time: Up to 3 Hours

Internal Memory: 99 onboard user programmable memory phrases

Interface controls (Left to right) include:

Loop FX: Select the Looper Effect

Track Selection: Choose between 2 track looping, which can be played simultaneously

Memory: Choose the memory patch (user programmable)

Rhythm: Controls the accompanying rhythm type and functionality

Mic: Adjusts the output db level of the pedal

Footswitch (2): Controls the engagement and recording of the guitar input signal

Bright LED light when pedal is engaged

USB 2.0 Connectivity for WAV Audio Input/Export

Accompanying Rhythmic Drum Loops

Runs on battery power, or 9v power supply (not included)

True Bypass

5-Year Boss Manufacturers Warranty

Official Specifications – Boss Website https://ift.tt/2cZQpGv

Technical Specifications

2 x 1/4″ jack input (Optional Stereo Input)

2 x 1/4″ jack output (Optional Stereo Output)

1 x 1/8″ mini AUX input

1 x XLR (with 48V Phantom power) input

Optional battery-powered, AC adaptor is sold separately (Boss SYB-5 9v power adapter – Buy on Amazon)

Weight : 1.2 kg

Dimensions : 6.9″ x 6.3″ x 2.3″ inches

Customer Review Rating

The Boss RC-30 Guitar Loop Station has received an average rating of 4.5* out of 5 stars from over 126 Amazon customer reviews – Read these reviews here.

Summary

The RC-30 is a Guitar Looper Pedal created by none other than Boss. For those who aren’t too familiar with Boss (Not many of you I can imagine), the company started in the early 1970’s and quickly became synonymously linked to the term guitar effects pedals. Over the following decades, they have refined all of the products in their different usage series, with their hands in a number of pies, including guitar tuner pedals, guitar synth pedals and many more.

Because of Boss’s sheer wealth of experience, and the fact that their products have truly stood the test of time, you can be 100% sure that customer/user satisfaction is not an issue. After all, in most cases, they’ve had 30+ years of improvements for each product series, so you can imagine there’s not much left to improve.

As for the Boss RC-30, this is the most expensive looper unit that we’ve featured within our list, and that’s simply because it’s got awesome feedback, and we like to accommodate for every reader’s budget.

The RC-30 simply has everything! With up to 3-hours worth of looping time, 99 programmable looping presets, Stereo input/output, USB import/export capability and not to mention the rhymical accompaniment facilities, there isn’t much else that you could need from a guitar looper.

An advantage of the RC-30 unit over other cheaper guitar looper units is that it can be powered through either battery or using a 9v power supply. According to Boss’s website, the unit can remain functioning for approximately 7.5 hours using Alkaline Batteries and 1.5 hours using Carbon-Zinc Batteries.

Oh and we almost forgot! It comes with an incredible 5-Year Product Manufacturers Warranty.

What would we improve?

We are large fans of Boss, and when considering all of the factors such as the price, functionality and warranty, we don’t honestly think there is much that can be improved. Some may say that the unit is simply a little large, or a little ‘clunky’, and although that may be true, for the sheer number of features you’re getting, and to ensure that the internal circuitry is protected, I’d prefer to have the additional size and ‘clunkiness’.

Who is this pedal for?

The Boss RC-30 is the ultimate looper toolkit, and therefore it’s for the guitarist who wants to have a reliable unit that provides a vast amount of looping functions, that can be programmed, edited and customized for your own style. We imagine this kind of processor would attract a gigging/touring musician who relies on looping in his/her set, and therefore wants to buy a high-quality piece of equipment, regardless of the premium price.

Take a look at the video demonstration of the Boss RC-30 in action [Skip to 2.15, when the demonstration actually starts]

  Conclusion: What Guitar Loop Pedal do we recommend?

As always with our recommendations, we like to accommodate for all of our readers. And therefore we’ve made the following recommendations based on multiple factors that we think will be important to our readers, such as price, functionality, size, etc. However, if you have time, please take a look at the specific pedal reviews, as we’ve featured video demonstrations, showing how the looper actually operates and sounds. Let’s get to it then! We hope that you find it useful!

For the Guitarist on a budget who wants a guitar looper pedal with USB Connectivity for less than $50 – Check out the Donner LOOPER Tiny Guitar Looper Pedal – $45.00 – Buy on Amazon

For the Guitarist who wants a Mid-Priced guitar loop processor, with over 6 hours worth of recording loops, USB Connectivity and 99+ user programmable memory banks – Check out the Nux Loop Core Guitar Looper Processor – $99.00 – Buy on Amazon

For the Guitarist who wants a looper providing stereo input & output and a 5-year manufacturers warranty – Check out the Boss RC3 – $179.99 (Buy on Amazon) or the Boss RC-30 (Buy on Amazon)

For the Guitarist who wants a Premium-Priced guitar loop processor, with over 6 hours worth of recording loops, USB Connectivity and 99+ user programmable memory banks – Check out the Nux Loop Core Deluxe Pedal – Buy on Amazon

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