So you are a musician and want to make a rock album? Well, here are some things you might want to consider.
1. Define your trademark and intrigue the public. There must always be a connection between your message, your style and public expectations. In short, you need to find your own secret formula.
2. Choose your songs. This is an example of how a 12-song rock album might be organized, but don't feel afraid to branch-out, just don't lose continuity:
* Hard Rock Song 1 - Song to Set the Tone of the Album. (But this doesn't have to be in the exact "Hard Rock" style. A good example of "pumping up" the listener, but no using this exact format is AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" from the Razors Edge album.)
* Power Rock Song 1 - Fast and Catchy. Potential Album Single. (Led Zeppelin's "Rock 'n' Roll" from Led Zeppelin Four is a good example)
* Moody Rock Song 1 - Slow Down to Allow Last Song to Resonate.
* Power Rock Song 2 - Lift the Album's Speed Back Up Again. (Led Zeppelin's "Misty Mountain Hop" from Led Zeppelin Four is a good example)
* Hard Rock Song 2 - Medium Paced Song to Allow the Album to Flow.
* Dark Song 1 - Something to Catch the Listener Off Guard.
* Transitional Song - Almost Like a Second Introduction.
* Hard Rock Song 3 - Real Meat of the Album. Fewer "Hooks."
* Dark Song 2 - Dark Concept Songs Generally Work Better Later On.
* Hard Rock Song 4 - Substance With Little Gimmick. Purer Song.
* Power Song 3 - One Last Heavier Song to Complete the Album.
* Closing Rock Song - Usually Carries an "Ending" Theme With It.
3. Be aware that there are several variations to this formula. Most artists will place their 1st album single at the beginning of an album while others will place it anywhere up to the 5th track slot. This list simply outlines the general industry standard called "Front Loading." This is where the album has a decisive flow with it's content perfectly streaming along the first half of the album. Most times the first half of the album holds many key songs in order to make the album sell. The second half of the album is generally there for the artists and true fans of the artist. Hence, the second half of the album is created to be almost a second chapter to the record.
4. Make sure you have a unifying theme.
5. Find an agent and/or publicist and begin to market your album. Play gigs wherever you can to get the word out.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
How to Choose a Guitar Amplifier for Rock Music
Although it is a simple matter to walk into the first music shop you see and pick out a guitar amplifier ("amp") at random, you will probably be unsatisfied with the results of this method. If you take a couple of minutes to figure out what you are shopping for, you will be able to make a purchase that you will enjoy for years to come.
Steps
1. Determine the size of the amp you will need. Amps are rated by wattage rather than physical size (although high-wattage amps do tend to be physically larger). By wattage, there are essentially three main categories of guitar amplifiers (combos, heads, and rack-mounted amplifiers), with several subcategories:
* Combo (combination) amps combine the amplifier electronics with one or more speakers in a one-piece package. They are the alternative to "heads," which contain only the electronics, and are attached to separate speaker packages (known as "cabinets" or "cabs")Understand that since it is a one-piece unit, the combo design is generally preferred for smaller, lower-wattage amps. The following are the most common varieties of combo amp:
o
Marshall MS-2 - a tiny micro amp with nothing close to real Marshall tone
Marshall MS-2 - a tiny micro amp with nothing close to real Marshall tone
Micro amps: 1-10 watts. These are tiny, ultra-portable amps which are useful for practice on the go (or when others are trying to sleep). They don't pack enough volume to be used in most "jam" situations (where you must be heard above other musicians). As a rule, their sound quality tends to be poor (when compared to larger amps). The Marshall MS-2 is an example of a super-portable (1 watt) micro amp which has received good reviews for a solid state amp of this size.
2.
Roland Cube 30 - a popular practice amp
Roland Cube 30 - a popular practice amp
Practice amps: 10-30 watts. Practice amps are also suited for the bedroom/living room environment, although the loudest of them may be used for small gigs (performances), especially if a microphone is used to run them through the venue's PA system. As with micro amps, practice amps tend to compare unfavorably to larger units in terms of sound quality, unless the practice amp is a good quality tube amp. Popular practice tube amps that sound as good or better than many larger amps include, Fender Champ, Epiphone Valve Junior and the Fender Blues Jr. As a general rule, the best practice amps have at least a 10 inch speaker. This is the smallest speaker size which is generally considered a "real speaker." If you don't have a 10 inch (or larger) speaker, don't try to use the amp outside the bedroom.
1. 3.
Crate 1x12 combo amp
Crate 1x12 combo amp
Full-size 1x12 combos: With 50 or more watts of power and one 12 inch speaker, the 1x12 amp offers the smallest package which is considered suitable as a stand-alone amplifier for small gigs. (Keep in mind that you can mic smaller amps though) In better models, sound quality begins to approach levels acceptable to professional musicians. Quality is always important, but perhaps even more so in the case of the 1x12 combo - with a good one, you'll prove the doubters wrong, but with one of the many duds, you won't be taken seriously. The 1x12 is not a big amp, and if you want to bring it to a serious audition or gig without enduring a storm of eye-rolling and chuckling, it had better stand out from the crowd.
*but they add a second 12 inch speaker. The 2x12 design is considerably heavier and bulkier than the 1x12, but it is still a favorite choice of working musicians for performances at small to medium-sized venues. The addition of a second speaker allows for certain stereo effects, and two speakers simply move more air than one (allowing more "presence" in your sound). The 2x12 amp is small enough to be used in the living room, light enough to be lugged around by someone without major back problems, and yet formidable enough to be taken seriously at rehearsals, auditions, and even on stage. If you have to buy a single amp for practice, rehearsals, and club gigs, a 2x12 is a good choice. You'll occassionally slip and set the volume knob a bit too high (annihilating your unfortunate neighbors), and you'll be tempted to gripe about lugging 50-80 pounds worth of amp all over the place, but it will all be worthwhile when you hear the tone you can get from a quality model.
4. Know that there are other types of combos, but these are the mainstays. Having discussed them, we are ready to move on to heads and stacks.
Heads, Cabinets, and Stacks
A head is an amplifier without speakers. A cabinet ("cab") is a stand-alone speaker enclosure, which can be connected to a head. A stack is a head and a set of cabinets connected together, ready for use. Stacks are generally preferred for gigs rather than practice, although there's no rule against having a enormous stack in your living room - if your family allows it. Fair warning: in most cases, they won't. Stacks are physically bulky, very heavy, and devastatingly LOUD. These are the tools of musicians who either play arenas and stadiums on a regular basis - or at least dream of doing so.
* Heads are all roughly the same size physically, but they come in a variety of wattages. "Small" heads pack 50-100 watts. Full-power heads are generally 100 watts or more. There are also super heads, boasting a tinnitus-inducing 200-400 watts of power. For performances at small to medium-size venues, a small head is more than enough. The smaller heads are often connected to a single 4x12 cabinet (which contains four 12 inch speakers, as the name suggests). This type of setup is known as a "half stack," and it is a favorite of working musicians. The half stack offers plenty of volume, the presence of four speakers, and the "my penis is really small credibility" associated with stacks and Corvettes.
* The full stack is the dream of many a guitarist. This is usually a 100 watt head connected to two 4x12 cabinets, although other wattages are sometimes employed. The cabinets are stacked vertically (one on top of the other), giving the setup its distinctive name. A full stack is as tall as a grown man, making for quite an impressive sight. The sound is equally impressive. If you set one of these up in your living room and play it to its full capabilities, you will be evicted from the neighborhood (unless you are an isolated hermit). A full stack can handle all but the very largest of venues. Guitarists who are truly sadistic (in a sonic sense), such as some heavy metal players, may run one of the 200-400 watt super heads through a full stack. With any full stack (and especially the "hot rod" setups), you will require ear protection to play at higher volumes without sustaining potentially serious ear damage.
If you do get the skills (or the money) to get a full stack, you will have no regrets. It is a monstrosity in its own right--the thunder of a true rocker. You will be unmatched if you bring this weapon to the battlefield but at the same time, it can be your undoing--much like a lightsaber.
Stacks are great for playing big venues (and for impressing your friends), but if you aren't a working or touring musician, they can be "overkill" for most situations. Lugging around full-size 4x12 speaker cabinets is hard work, fit only for "roadies" who are getting paid to do it. Showing up to an audition with a full stack and a hand truck to set it up can be almost as bad as showing up with a practice amp. If you lug in a stack, you'd better have the skills to justify it, or (once again), you'll become another "inside story" for the band to chuckle about after rehearsal - "The Newbie Guy Who Brought a Full Stack to the Audition."
Many musicians use "racks," usually a reinforced metal box with removable panels on the front and back. The front side of the rack, when open, has two verticale rows of threaded screw holes on the sides. Rack sizes have been standardized for years -- they are made to fit ALL rack-moutable units, including recording gear, PA amplifiers, vocal processors, chromatic tuners, DJ gear, etc. in addition to guitar amps. Rack-mounted products have a sturdy metal face plate strong enough to support the entire product; they are a standard width, a standard maximum depth, and are usually much shorter than they are tall or deep. The face plate is wider than the rest of the unit and has screw holes on each corner, spaced to line up with the screw holes on the front of any rack. To attach gear to the rack, lay your rack on its backside, place the unit in the rack so that the unit dangles down into the rack, its entire weight supported by the face plate, line it up with the screw holes, and fasten it at each corner with properly-sized screws. The smallest rack products are the shortest, covering only two screw holes -- these are said to take up "one rack space." A larger product that covers up four screw holes on your rack takes up "two rack spaces," and so on. To figure out how many spaces a rack has, count the screw holes on one side and divide it by two.
A rack-mounted guitar amplifier rig is similar to heads in that they have separate amplifier components that are plugged into external speaker cabinets. But nearly all rack-mounted amplifiers are broken down into two further categories -- the pre-amp and the power amp. Both heads and combos have these separate components as well -- racks merely separate them out into two units. Most major amplifier manufacturers, including Marshall, Carvin, Mesa-Boogie, and Peavey make rack-mountable amp rigs.
* The Pre-Amp shapes the signal entering your amplifier into a tone. In its basic form, a pre-amp defines the levels of treble, bass, and middle in your tone. However, functions such as gain, presence, and contour have become standard features of modern guitar amplifiers, and rack-mountable pre-amps usually have many more functions indeed -- they are essentially effects processors. Footpedal multi-effects processors are also pre-amps. Plug your guitar into the pre-amp. Most rack pre-amps only take up one rack space.
* The Power Amp is connected to the pre-amp by a speaker cable. It takes the signal the pre-amp shaped and gives it volume. Like heads, power amps are available in different sizes, from a minimum of 50 watts to monster 200-400W power amps. 100W or larger power amps will take up two rack spaces. The power amp plugs into the speaker cab like on a head. However, as many power amps as you want can be connected in a daisy chain or to different pre-amp outputs to boost the power of the signal, as well as possibly blend the tonal influences of two different power amps.
Disadvantages of Rack Rigs. As you can probably tell, racks are frequently very complicated rigs. A novice guitarrist may find them perplexing. They are also heavier and bulkier than heads -- and add onto that the bulk and heft of the rack itself. Since you need to buy multiple products and accessories, the price for a new rack rig can be (but isn't always) higher than that of a head.
Advantages of Rack Rigs. On the other hand, using a rack allows you to mix and match products by different manufacturers and find a tone that is distinctly "yours," not the boutique design concept of some engineer at Marshall or Fender. And if you have a reasonably good mind for engineering or basic spatial sequencing (i.e. lining things up in order), even complicated digital pre-amps can be surprisingly user-friendly, providing a more easy-to-understand interface than a row of inscrutable knobs on the front of a head or combo. If you are already a DJ, vocalist, or recording artist, or want to become any one of these, many valuable products are availble that can be mounted right on the same rack with your amplifier.
Also, big racks frequently have caster wheels, making them very easy to roll around, and having a rack can also simplify pre-gig or -practise setup. Instead of having to plug in all your components from scratch, your components can already be plugged in and ready to go as soon as you wheel your rack onto the stage or into the studio and remove the front and back panels. A rack-mountable power conditioner (essentially a rack-mounted power strip with surge protection) can be invaluable to this end as most rack units are independently powered -- simply plug all your products into the conditioner, then whenever you arrive at a gig or practice, plug in the one master power cable from the conditioner, plug in your speaker cab and guitar, switch everything on, and you're ready to rock. If you have pedals, microphones, etc, you can usually fit them into the rack as well, making it your all-purpose, highly-portable gig box (provided that it's on wheels).
Finally, racks are uncommon, and will attract attention. People will be impressed if you wheel a rack rig into rehearsal or performance, but beware -- they will expect you to be a seasoned guitarrist, or at least be able to effectively USE your rack. Don't bring your rack anywhere unless you know how to get those pre-amps and processors to do exactly what you want them to do. Such professionals asU2's The Edge and Nirvana's Kurt Cobain have favored rack rigs.
MIDI. Many rack-mounted pre-amps are digital and use MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) technology. This allows pre-amp settings to be saved in the pre-amp's digital memory to be recalled again later at the push of a button. These buttons can be on the faceplate of the unit, but MIDI pedalboards can be utilized to access those pre-set channels by stepping on footpedal buttons, to prevent a guitarrist from having to go to his rack and search out the right setting in the dark between each song.
Step 2: Selecting the Right Sound
In order to get the most from a guitar amplifier, you need to understand how different types of amps suit different styles of music. For the most part, amps are not "one size fits all." Although there are all sorts of amps, they can be classified in two broad categories - "vintage" and "high gain."
Vintage amps produce (or reproduce) the classic sounds of early amplifiers. For the jazz, blues, or blues-rock guitarist, the vintage sound is still widely considered the best tone available. Vintage amps can be actual antiques, or they can be modern amps that replicate the sound of antique amps. The sound of Fender, Vox, Marshall, and similar amplifiers from the 50's, 60's and early 70's is the foundation of the vintage tone. When you think "vintage," you think Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, Deep Purple, etc. These are the sounds that started it all.
High-gain amps produce a sound with greater distortion than that of vintage amps. Although there is some debate about the evolution of high-gain amps, many believe that a large part of their history is owed to Eddie Van Halen, who took apart his vintage-style Marshall head and played around with the electronics, allowing him to get far more gain (the source of the classic rock/metal distortion sound). With his landmark "Eruption" solo in 1977, Van Halen introduced the roaring, face-melting sound of super high gain to the guitar community. At around the same time, the emergence of heavy metal bands added another dimension to the high-gain phenomena. For hard rock and heavy metal music from the early 80's and beyond, vintage amps are overshadowed by their modern high-gain counterparts.
If you want to play jazz, blues, blues-rock (in the style of Led Zeppelin) or very early heavy metal (in the style of Black Sabbath), a vintage amp may be your best choice. If you want to play hard rock, 80's metal, and "shred" guitar (in the style of the countless 80's "guitar heroes"), you will probably want to go with a high-gain model. Note that many newer amps can provide both high-gain and vintage sounds, although some purists feel that the only vintage amps worth playing are the actual antique amplifiers themselves. "Amp modeling" technnology (which allows one amp to simulate the sound of many different amps) is a relatively recent development which has both fans and critics. If you don't plan to specialize exclusively in vintage-style music, a modeling amp can be very useful, although if you're a purist, nothing beats walking in with a real Fender Twin Reverb, an ancient Marshall "Plexi" head, or something similar.
In the vintage days, all amplifiers used vacuum tubes to accomplish the actual amplification. Nowdays, many amps use transistors instead, sparking a long-standing debate about which is better. The concensus is that for almost all types of music, the sound of tubes is noticeably superior. However, tubes have several drawbacks:
* Tubes can be expensive, depending the tubes used. Expect to replace them after 4 or more years of use, depending on their quality and how loud/often they are used.
* Tubes are somewhat unreliable. They can and do go out at random times, crippling the amp. This can be aleviated by using good quality tubes.
* Tubes (and the associated design factors) add considerable weight to the amplifier. Back problems caused by skinny guitar players lugging around big 2x12 tube combos are an insurance company's nightmare.
* Tube amps are, generally speaking, more pricey than solid-state amps. You will almost certainly pay more for this vintage technology than you will pay for modern solid-state (transistor) electronics. There are tube amps, however, like the Fender Blues Jr., that go for roughly $300; the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (which is an extremely loud, 40 Watt, 1x12 amp), goes for about $550-$600. A Vox AC-30 2x12" reissue, on the other hand, will set you back no less than $1200; and a Marshall head + half stack can be well over $2000.
If you can afford a tube amp, you should strongly consider buying one. In almost all cases, the sound is noticeably better. One possible exception to this is for heavy metal players. Many metal guitarists find that the harsher sound of transistors suits their style of music. Given the reliability, weight, and price advantages of solid-state amps, even the professional-level heavy metal guitarist may not require a tube amp. Pantera's Darrell Abbott used solid-state amps, as do many other notable heavy metal musicians.
Your amp will have two different kinds of tubes -- pre-amp tubes and power-amp tubes (a few combos and heads mix and match between tube and solid-state pre-amps and power amps). Many modern guitarrists have forgotten that the original rock 'n' roll "crunch" or distortion was created when guitarrists like Pete Townsend turned their amps' volume up to 7 or 8, causing the power tubes to overdrive. A pre-amp perameter called "Gain" has been added to most amps to simulate that overdriven distortion. But unless you're into the tinny thrash-metal sound, no artificial gain setting can compare to the sweet, distorted tone of overdriven power tubes turned up to 7. The problem is, most guitarrists, especially new ones, go whole hog for a 100W amp, which cannot be turned up to 7 or 8 in a small club without blowing the doors off. They turn their amps down to four or five, turn the gain up to ten, and never know what they are missing that they could get froma 50W amp turned to 7 with the gain down to 5. Angus Young of AC/DC plays live with both a 100W tube head turned up to 6 for his rhythm parts, and a 50W tube head cranked up to 10 for comparable volume but extra overdrive that he switched to for his solos.
Steps
1. Determine the size of the amp you will need. Amps are rated by wattage rather than physical size (although high-wattage amps do tend to be physically larger). By wattage, there are essentially three main categories of guitar amplifiers (combos, heads, and rack-mounted amplifiers), with several subcategories:
* Combo (combination) amps combine the amplifier electronics with one or more speakers in a one-piece package. They are the alternative to "heads," which contain only the electronics, and are attached to separate speaker packages (known as "cabinets" or "cabs")Understand that since it is a one-piece unit, the combo design is generally preferred for smaller, lower-wattage amps. The following are the most common varieties of combo amp:
o
Marshall MS-2 - a tiny micro amp with nothing close to real Marshall tone
Marshall MS-2 - a tiny micro amp with nothing close to real Marshall tone
Micro amps: 1-10 watts. These are tiny, ultra-portable amps which are useful for practice on the go (or when others are trying to sleep). They don't pack enough volume to be used in most "jam" situations (where you must be heard above other musicians). As a rule, their sound quality tends to be poor (when compared to larger amps). The Marshall MS-2 is an example of a super-portable (1 watt) micro amp which has received good reviews for a solid state amp of this size.
2.
Roland Cube 30 - a popular practice amp
Roland Cube 30 - a popular practice amp
Practice amps: 10-30 watts. Practice amps are also suited for the bedroom/living room environment, although the loudest of them may be used for small gigs (performances), especially if a microphone is used to run them through the venue's PA system. As with micro amps, practice amps tend to compare unfavorably to larger units in terms of sound quality, unless the practice amp is a good quality tube amp. Popular practice tube amps that sound as good or better than many larger amps include, Fender Champ, Epiphone Valve Junior and the Fender Blues Jr. As a general rule, the best practice amps have at least a 10 inch speaker. This is the smallest speaker size which is generally considered a "real speaker." If you don't have a 10 inch (or larger) speaker, don't try to use the amp outside the bedroom.
1. 3.
Crate 1x12 combo amp
Crate 1x12 combo amp
Full-size 1x12 combos: With 50 or more watts of power and one 12 inch speaker, the 1x12 amp offers the smallest package which is considered suitable as a stand-alone amplifier for small gigs. (Keep in mind that you can mic smaller amps though) In better models, sound quality begins to approach levels acceptable to professional musicians. Quality is always important, but perhaps even more so in the case of the 1x12 combo - with a good one, you'll prove the doubters wrong, but with one of the many duds, you won't be taken seriously. The 1x12 is not a big amp, and if you want to bring it to a serious audition or gig without enduring a storm of eye-rolling and chuckling, it had better stand out from the crowd.
*but they add a second 12 inch speaker. The 2x12 design is considerably heavier and bulkier than the 1x12, but it is still a favorite choice of working musicians for performances at small to medium-sized venues. The addition of a second speaker allows for certain stereo effects, and two speakers simply move more air than one (allowing more "presence" in your sound). The 2x12 amp is small enough to be used in the living room, light enough to be lugged around by someone without major back problems, and yet formidable enough to be taken seriously at rehearsals, auditions, and even on stage. If you have to buy a single amp for practice, rehearsals, and club gigs, a 2x12 is a good choice. You'll occassionally slip and set the volume knob a bit too high (annihilating your unfortunate neighbors), and you'll be tempted to gripe about lugging 50-80 pounds worth of amp all over the place, but it will all be worthwhile when you hear the tone you can get from a quality model.
4. Know that there are other types of combos, but these are the mainstays. Having discussed them, we are ready to move on to heads and stacks.
Heads, Cabinets, and Stacks
A head is an amplifier without speakers. A cabinet ("cab") is a stand-alone speaker enclosure, which can be connected to a head. A stack is a head and a set of cabinets connected together, ready for use. Stacks are generally preferred for gigs rather than practice, although there's no rule against having a enormous stack in your living room - if your family allows it. Fair warning: in most cases, they won't. Stacks are physically bulky, very heavy, and devastatingly LOUD. These are the tools of musicians who either play arenas and stadiums on a regular basis - or at least dream of doing so.
* Heads are all roughly the same size physically, but they come in a variety of wattages. "Small" heads pack 50-100 watts. Full-power heads are generally 100 watts or more. There are also super heads, boasting a tinnitus-inducing 200-400 watts of power. For performances at small to medium-size venues, a small head is more than enough. The smaller heads are often connected to a single 4x12 cabinet (which contains four 12 inch speakers, as the name suggests). This type of setup is known as a "half stack," and it is a favorite of working musicians. The half stack offers plenty of volume, the presence of four speakers, and the "my penis is really small credibility" associated with stacks and Corvettes.
* The full stack is the dream of many a guitarist. This is usually a 100 watt head connected to two 4x12 cabinets, although other wattages are sometimes employed. The cabinets are stacked vertically (one on top of the other), giving the setup its distinctive name. A full stack is as tall as a grown man, making for quite an impressive sight. The sound is equally impressive. If you set one of these up in your living room and play it to its full capabilities, you will be evicted from the neighborhood (unless you are an isolated hermit). A full stack can handle all but the very largest of venues. Guitarists who are truly sadistic (in a sonic sense), such as some heavy metal players, may run one of the 200-400 watt super heads through a full stack. With any full stack (and especially the "hot rod" setups), you will require ear protection to play at higher volumes without sustaining potentially serious ear damage.
If you do get the skills (or the money) to get a full stack, you will have no regrets. It is a monstrosity in its own right--the thunder of a true rocker. You will be unmatched if you bring this weapon to the battlefield but at the same time, it can be your undoing--much like a lightsaber.
Stacks are great for playing big venues (and for impressing your friends), but if you aren't a working or touring musician, they can be "overkill" for most situations. Lugging around full-size 4x12 speaker cabinets is hard work, fit only for "roadies" who are getting paid to do it. Showing up to an audition with a full stack and a hand truck to set it up can be almost as bad as showing up with a practice amp. If you lug in a stack, you'd better have the skills to justify it, or (once again), you'll become another "inside story" for the band to chuckle about after rehearsal - "The Newbie Guy Who Brought a Full Stack to the Audition."
Many musicians use "racks," usually a reinforced metal box with removable panels on the front and back. The front side of the rack, when open, has two verticale rows of threaded screw holes on the sides. Rack sizes have been standardized for years -- they are made to fit ALL rack-moutable units, including recording gear, PA amplifiers, vocal processors, chromatic tuners, DJ gear, etc. in addition to guitar amps. Rack-mounted products have a sturdy metal face plate strong enough to support the entire product; they are a standard width, a standard maximum depth, and are usually much shorter than they are tall or deep. The face plate is wider than the rest of the unit and has screw holes on each corner, spaced to line up with the screw holes on the front of any rack. To attach gear to the rack, lay your rack on its backside, place the unit in the rack so that the unit dangles down into the rack, its entire weight supported by the face plate, line it up with the screw holes, and fasten it at each corner with properly-sized screws. The smallest rack products are the shortest, covering only two screw holes -- these are said to take up "one rack space." A larger product that covers up four screw holes on your rack takes up "two rack spaces," and so on. To figure out how many spaces a rack has, count the screw holes on one side and divide it by two.
A rack-mounted guitar amplifier rig is similar to heads in that they have separate amplifier components that are plugged into external speaker cabinets. But nearly all rack-mounted amplifiers are broken down into two further categories -- the pre-amp and the power amp. Both heads and combos have these separate components as well -- racks merely separate them out into two units. Most major amplifier manufacturers, including Marshall, Carvin, Mesa-Boogie, and Peavey make rack-mountable amp rigs.
* The Pre-Amp shapes the signal entering your amplifier into a tone. In its basic form, a pre-amp defines the levels of treble, bass, and middle in your tone. However, functions such as gain, presence, and contour have become standard features of modern guitar amplifiers, and rack-mountable pre-amps usually have many more functions indeed -- they are essentially effects processors. Footpedal multi-effects processors are also pre-amps. Plug your guitar into the pre-amp. Most rack pre-amps only take up one rack space.
* The Power Amp is connected to the pre-amp by a speaker cable. It takes the signal the pre-amp shaped and gives it volume. Like heads, power amps are available in different sizes, from a minimum of 50 watts to monster 200-400W power amps. 100W or larger power amps will take up two rack spaces. The power amp plugs into the speaker cab like on a head. However, as many power amps as you want can be connected in a daisy chain or to different pre-amp outputs to boost the power of the signal, as well as possibly blend the tonal influences of two different power amps.
Disadvantages of Rack Rigs. As you can probably tell, racks are frequently very complicated rigs. A novice guitarrist may find them perplexing. They are also heavier and bulkier than heads -- and add onto that the bulk and heft of the rack itself. Since you need to buy multiple products and accessories, the price for a new rack rig can be (but isn't always) higher than that of a head.
Advantages of Rack Rigs. On the other hand, using a rack allows you to mix and match products by different manufacturers and find a tone that is distinctly "yours," not the boutique design concept of some engineer at Marshall or Fender. And if you have a reasonably good mind for engineering or basic spatial sequencing (i.e. lining things up in order), even complicated digital pre-amps can be surprisingly user-friendly, providing a more easy-to-understand interface than a row of inscrutable knobs on the front of a head or combo. If you are already a DJ, vocalist, or recording artist, or want to become any one of these, many valuable products are availble that can be mounted right on the same rack with your amplifier.
Also, big racks frequently have caster wheels, making them very easy to roll around, and having a rack can also simplify pre-gig or -practise setup. Instead of having to plug in all your components from scratch, your components can already be plugged in and ready to go as soon as you wheel your rack onto the stage or into the studio and remove the front and back panels. A rack-mountable power conditioner (essentially a rack-mounted power strip with surge protection) can be invaluable to this end as most rack units are independently powered -- simply plug all your products into the conditioner, then whenever you arrive at a gig or practice, plug in the one master power cable from the conditioner, plug in your speaker cab and guitar, switch everything on, and you're ready to rock. If you have pedals, microphones, etc, you can usually fit them into the rack as well, making it your all-purpose, highly-portable gig box (provided that it's on wheels).
Finally, racks are uncommon, and will attract attention. People will be impressed if you wheel a rack rig into rehearsal or performance, but beware -- they will expect you to be a seasoned guitarrist, or at least be able to effectively USE your rack. Don't bring your rack anywhere unless you know how to get those pre-amps and processors to do exactly what you want them to do. Such professionals asU2's The Edge and Nirvana's Kurt Cobain have favored rack rigs.
MIDI. Many rack-mounted pre-amps are digital and use MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) technology. This allows pre-amp settings to be saved in the pre-amp's digital memory to be recalled again later at the push of a button. These buttons can be on the faceplate of the unit, but MIDI pedalboards can be utilized to access those pre-set channels by stepping on footpedal buttons, to prevent a guitarrist from having to go to his rack and search out the right setting in the dark between each song.
Step 2: Selecting the Right Sound
In order to get the most from a guitar amplifier, you need to understand how different types of amps suit different styles of music. For the most part, amps are not "one size fits all." Although there are all sorts of amps, they can be classified in two broad categories - "vintage" and "high gain."
Vintage amps produce (or reproduce) the classic sounds of early amplifiers. For the jazz, blues, or blues-rock guitarist, the vintage sound is still widely considered the best tone available. Vintage amps can be actual antiques, or they can be modern amps that replicate the sound of antique amps. The sound of Fender, Vox, Marshall, and similar amplifiers from the 50's, 60's and early 70's is the foundation of the vintage tone. When you think "vintage," you think Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, Deep Purple, etc. These are the sounds that started it all.
High-gain amps produce a sound with greater distortion than that of vintage amps. Although there is some debate about the evolution of high-gain amps, many believe that a large part of their history is owed to Eddie Van Halen, who took apart his vintage-style Marshall head and played around with the electronics, allowing him to get far more gain (the source of the classic rock/metal distortion sound). With his landmark "Eruption" solo in 1977, Van Halen introduced the roaring, face-melting sound of super high gain to the guitar community. At around the same time, the emergence of heavy metal bands added another dimension to the high-gain phenomena. For hard rock and heavy metal music from the early 80's and beyond, vintage amps are overshadowed by their modern high-gain counterparts.
If you want to play jazz, blues, blues-rock (in the style of Led Zeppelin) or very early heavy metal (in the style of Black Sabbath), a vintage amp may be your best choice. If you want to play hard rock, 80's metal, and "shred" guitar (in the style of the countless 80's "guitar heroes"), you will probably want to go with a high-gain model. Note that many newer amps can provide both high-gain and vintage sounds, although some purists feel that the only vintage amps worth playing are the actual antique amplifiers themselves. "Amp modeling" technnology (which allows one amp to simulate the sound of many different amps) is a relatively recent development which has both fans and critics. If you don't plan to specialize exclusively in vintage-style music, a modeling amp can be very useful, although if you're a purist, nothing beats walking in with a real Fender Twin Reverb, an ancient Marshall "Plexi" head, or something similar.
In the vintage days, all amplifiers used vacuum tubes to accomplish the actual amplification. Nowdays, many amps use transistors instead, sparking a long-standing debate about which is better. The concensus is that for almost all types of music, the sound of tubes is noticeably superior. However, tubes have several drawbacks:
* Tubes can be expensive, depending the tubes used. Expect to replace them after 4 or more years of use, depending on their quality and how loud/often they are used.
* Tubes are somewhat unreliable. They can and do go out at random times, crippling the amp. This can be aleviated by using good quality tubes.
* Tubes (and the associated design factors) add considerable weight to the amplifier. Back problems caused by skinny guitar players lugging around big 2x12 tube combos are an insurance company's nightmare.
* Tube amps are, generally speaking, more pricey than solid-state amps. You will almost certainly pay more for this vintage technology than you will pay for modern solid-state (transistor) electronics. There are tube amps, however, like the Fender Blues Jr., that go for roughly $300; the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (which is an extremely loud, 40 Watt, 1x12 amp), goes for about $550-$600. A Vox AC-30 2x12" reissue, on the other hand, will set you back no less than $1200; and a Marshall head + half stack can be well over $2000.
If you can afford a tube amp, you should strongly consider buying one. In almost all cases, the sound is noticeably better. One possible exception to this is for heavy metal players. Many metal guitarists find that the harsher sound of transistors suits their style of music. Given the reliability, weight, and price advantages of solid-state amps, even the professional-level heavy metal guitarist may not require a tube amp. Pantera's Darrell Abbott used solid-state amps, as do many other notable heavy metal musicians.
Your amp will have two different kinds of tubes -- pre-amp tubes and power-amp tubes (a few combos and heads mix and match between tube and solid-state pre-amps and power amps). Many modern guitarrists have forgotten that the original rock 'n' roll "crunch" or distortion was created when guitarrists like Pete Townsend turned their amps' volume up to 7 or 8, causing the power tubes to overdrive. A pre-amp perameter called "Gain" has been added to most amps to simulate that overdriven distortion. But unless you're into the tinny thrash-metal sound, no artificial gain setting can compare to the sweet, distorted tone of overdriven power tubes turned up to 7. The problem is, most guitarrists, especially new ones, go whole hog for a 100W amp, which cannot be turned up to 7 or 8 in a small club without blowing the doors off. They turn their amps down to four or five, turn the gain up to ten, and never know what they are missing that they could get froma 50W amp turned to 7 with the gain down to 5. Angus Young of AC/DC plays live with both a 100W tube head turned up to 6 for his rhythm parts, and a 50W tube head cranked up to 10 for comparable volume but extra overdrive that he switched to for his solos.
Tips Start a Rock Band
* Remember, not everyone can be the lead guitarist. But it's important that everyone can be heard.
* Before you do anything else, make sure that every body in the band agrees on the type of music you want to play. Have everybody start by writing down a list of 20 songs that they really like, that represent what THEY would like to do in a band. If you don't have good overlap in style, change members. Do NOT put a band together just from people who are your friends. That won't make anybody happy.
* Practice a lot with low volume, or no amps on at all. Learn the songs FIRST.
* Don't stop at covering songs. After you get used to performing, write your own songs. This can be very simple. On your guitar or piano start thinking of chords or licks you like. Then use lyrics (lyrics don't have to be written by the singer, any good lyrics can be used in a song). Put your lyrics and songs together and make parts for each member of the band that accent how you feel the song should sound. If you can get enough songs about different types of topics that all sound a little different, then you are ready to really be a band.
* For added soundproofing, raise your amplifiers off the floor. An amp placed on a chair will not transmit bass frequencies to your neighbors as much as an amp placed on the floor.
* Rehearsals run more smoothly, and are more productive and fun if band members review the songs on their own before getting together.
* If you hit a trouble spot in a song, don't just ignore it. Discuss what's wrong and how to fix it. This often means playing just that portion of the song a few times until it improves. It's very rewarding to see the progress you'll make.
* Look at each other while you play. The non-verbal communication that occurs helps you to have a tighter sound, and helps ensure that everyone is on the same page. This is especially important at the endings of songs where non-verbal cues can help you end the song cleanly, rather than just letting it fall apart.
* Need a band name? Math and science terms usually make good names - Planck's Constant, The Fibonacci Sequence, etc. Also names that don't really make sense are cool too-Infernal snow, Anti INFO, Diving for Betty. Some sayings are cool-Lame suggestion, No Soliciting, Anti Parking. Or just look around and look for inspiration like "Legal Notepad" or "1960 Exercise Bike." If in doubt, just find the nearest book, go to page 56, second paragraph, line 3, words 5, 6, and 7. That will be your band name. Another method is to go to an online encyclopedia and search a random article and scroll through, at any time in the article stop close your eyes and point at a word select a few words around it, less than 5 words total and that can be a good name.
* You're gonna need to promote yourself. Start by taking pictures with your band in various settings/environments. Staring menacingly, walking down an alley, standing in front of a brick wall, or looking off into the distance.
* Some simple well-known songs that are a good to learn first are Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes, Someday by the Strokes, and any Styx, Aerosmith, AC/DC or Green Day song. Then someday you might be able toplay the real hard songs that take a lot of hard work. These are the kind of songs thatblow the crowds' minds like Jimi did. You will want to cover songs that your audience will be familiar with.
* After you have about five covers, start writing your own music. It will be tricky at first but is definitely worth it!
* If you don't have a P.A. system, consider plugging the mic into a bass amp.
* You can find some good equipment deals at eBay.
* Many music stores can set you up with a starter kit at a very reasonable price or recommend you good quality equipment.
* If some of the band members are in school (high school or college), see if there are any ways to promote your band at your school. For example, a high school talent show is a great way to get people to see your band.
* Talk to your school, college, whatever's music department about using their practice rooms. Often these will be free and have a PA and drumkit.
* It's a good idea to have an outside source come in and listen to you and your band play the song so they can offer suggestions. If you're having problems, sometimes a person listening can identify it more easily than the people who are playing it over and over.
* Try not to have a closed mind about playing different types of music. If you like rock n' roll and another person in your band likes emo, then be willing to at least listen to the song. If it's clearly not what the band is looking for, then find some good reasons (like "It might be a little bit too complicated").
* It might be a good idea to put a small pillow in the bass drum while practicing - it reduces the sound level so the neighbors won't complain.
* Know that you belong in your band. Know that you are able and skilled enough to learn and play the songs that your band chooses to play. Every one of your band memnbers is going to be confident, sometimes more than you're comfortable with, but that's the reason they're going to be successful. Be confident with them, learn and practice your role more than you think that you should, and maybe more. It may seem like a job, and shit.. what if if really becomes yours? Work at it, it's worth it.
* This is the most important tip, a drummer is the hardest band member to find. Make sure that your drummer is dependable and has the required equipment and skills needed for your songs. If you can't find a reliable drummer, try a drum machine.
* Before you do anything else, make sure that every body in the band agrees on the type of music you want to play. Have everybody start by writing down a list of 20 songs that they really like, that represent what THEY would like to do in a band. If you don't have good overlap in style, change members. Do NOT put a band together just from people who are your friends. That won't make anybody happy.
* Practice a lot with low volume, or no amps on at all. Learn the songs FIRST.
* Don't stop at covering songs. After you get used to performing, write your own songs. This can be very simple. On your guitar or piano start thinking of chords or licks you like. Then use lyrics (lyrics don't have to be written by the singer, any good lyrics can be used in a song). Put your lyrics and songs together and make parts for each member of the band that accent how you feel the song should sound. If you can get enough songs about different types of topics that all sound a little different, then you are ready to really be a band.
* For added soundproofing, raise your amplifiers off the floor. An amp placed on a chair will not transmit bass frequencies to your neighbors as much as an amp placed on the floor.
* Rehearsals run more smoothly, and are more productive and fun if band members review the songs on their own before getting together.
* If you hit a trouble spot in a song, don't just ignore it. Discuss what's wrong and how to fix it. This often means playing just that portion of the song a few times until it improves. It's very rewarding to see the progress you'll make.
* Look at each other while you play. The non-verbal communication that occurs helps you to have a tighter sound, and helps ensure that everyone is on the same page. This is especially important at the endings of songs where non-verbal cues can help you end the song cleanly, rather than just letting it fall apart.
* Need a band name? Math and science terms usually make good names - Planck's Constant, The Fibonacci Sequence, etc. Also names that don't really make sense are cool too-Infernal snow, Anti INFO, Diving for Betty. Some sayings are cool-Lame suggestion, No Soliciting, Anti Parking. Or just look around and look for inspiration like "Legal Notepad" or "1960 Exercise Bike." If in doubt, just find the nearest book, go to page 56, second paragraph, line 3, words 5, 6, and 7. That will be your band name. Another method is to go to an online encyclopedia and search a random article and scroll through, at any time in the article stop close your eyes and point at a word select a few words around it, less than 5 words total and that can be a good name.
* You're gonna need to promote yourself. Start by taking pictures with your band in various settings/environments. Staring menacingly, walking down an alley, standing in front of a brick wall, or looking off into the distance.
* Some simple well-known songs that are a good to learn first are Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes, Someday by the Strokes, and any Styx, Aerosmith, AC/DC or Green Day song. Then someday you might be able toplay the real hard songs that take a lot of hard work. These are the kind of songs thatblow the crowds' minds like Jimi did. You will want to cover songs that your audience will be familiar with.
* After you have about five covers, start writing your own music. It will be tricky at first but is definitely worth it!
* If you don't have a P.A. system, consider plugging the mic into a bass amp.
* You can find some good equipment deals at eBay.
* Many music stores can set you up with a starter kit at a very reasonable price or recommend you good quality equipment.
* If some of the band members are in school (high school or college), see if there are any ways to promote your band at your school. For example, a high school talent show is a great way to get people to see your band.
* Talk to your school, college, whatever's music department about using their practice rooms. Often these will be free and have a PA and drumkit.
* It's a good idea to have an outside source come in and listen to you and your band play the song so they can offer suggestions. If you're having problems, sometimes a person listening can identify it more easily than the people who are playing it over and over.
* Try not to have a closed mind about playing different types of music. If you like rock n' roll and another person in your band likes emo, then be willing to at least listen to the song. If it's clearly not what the band is looking for, then find some good reasons (like "It might be a little bit too complicated").
* It might be a good idea to put a small pillow in the bass drum while practicing - it reduces the sound level so the neighbors won't complain.
* Know that you belong in your band. Know that you are able and skilled enough to learn and play the songs that your band chooses to play. Every one of your band memnbers is going to be confident, sometimes more than you're comfortable with, but that's the reason they're going to be successful. Be confident with them, learn and practice your role more than you think that you should, and maybe more. It may seem like a job, and shit.. what if if really becomes yours? Work at it, it's worth it.
* This is the most important tip, a drummer is the hardest band member to find. Make sure that your drummer is dependable and has the required equipment and skills needed for your songs. If you can't find a reliable drummer, try a drum machine.
Why Rock Music Sucks Now
"Rock music is boring right now," declared and lamented club owner Sam Lanni of Safari Sam's during their "Community Open House Meeting" on Tuesday night.
When the Militant first heard about this event, he was expecting people who lived around the corner to voice their opinions on possible parking, noise and/or littering issues from patrons of the 15-month old East Hollywood nightspot. Surely a new club inviting the community to speak out about whether they're a good neighbor or not is worth talking about.
Whether intentional or not, the event was totally different in nature and was more of a discussion on the state of the music industry, more specifically the live music scene in Los Angeles circa 2007. Either way, the Militant was interested.
Lanni complained about uninspired, homogenous "shoegazer" bands performing their droll repertoire to a thinned-out crowd who just stands there, meagerly clapping between songs, and worse, crowds only present for the 45 or so minutes the band they intended to see is onstage. When the set is over, they leave.
More than a few in the 30-or-so, almost exclusively white crowd (aside from the Militant, the only ethnic faces were those representing the local neighborhood council at their outreach table. And when the people from the "community" look more white than the people from the neighborhood council, something's not quite right...) chimed in, in accord, "That's an L.A. thing," Of course, insinuating that every person in Los Angeles, including the guy who sells oranges by the 101 offramp, is shallow, flaky and self-absorbed. Uh, okay. Though one woman, bless her soul, muttered, "That's how it is in Chicago, too..." but it's likely no one heard what she said, or wanted to recognize that such words were uttered.
But Lanni mentioned that his old-school country (not contemporary Nashville country, he stressed) shows don't exhibit those same traits as his rock shows -- the bands support each other and watch each other's sets, and the crowd has a great time. "I don't want to have to make this a country music club," he quipped.
One veteran in the crowd, however, recalled that back in the '80s, in the era of the most "L.A." of all "L.A. rock scenes" -- The '80s glam/hair metal era -- bands would support each other and watched each other's shows. He mentioned how a person going to, say, a Poison show back in the say, could easily spot members of Ratt or Motley Crue in the crowd. The camaraderie, he mentioned, is lost these days.
Of course, these days, the crowd agreed, there are a plethora of clubs in the scene, catering to an overabundance of bands.
The Militant blames it all on the indie rock thing. Maybe he's getting old, but he just doesn't get it. So a hipster can strap a battered Fender Mustang knockoff guitar around his neck and strum on a couple chords. What is driving him to do such an activity? Boredom? Conformity? Whatever it is, it's certainly not the same stuff that drove alienated young Britons in the '70s to make punk, nor is it anything close to what inspired African American youths in the West Bronx to create this music/movement/culture called hip-hop.
The Militant knows there are lots of scenes and sub-scenes, genres and sub-genres never discovered by the mainstream club scene, or even the "mainstream underground" club scene. Latino punk bands from South Los Angeles? Korean-American hip-hop events? (but oh, many of you have seen this one) many laugh because such notions are way out of their mainstream paradigms, and most of all don't fit the mainstream's ethnic-stereotyped compartments. But if one wants to look at art borne out of alienation and disenfranchisement, there's lots from our ethnic communities. They're more underground than "the underground," which is determined by tastemakers far removed (in so many ways) from the living, breathing multiculture of the ignored, the disregarded, the invisible. The Militant has seen (and may have even participated in) these beyond-underground scenes. Though the level of talent ranges from novice to the OMG, there is a definite drive and purpose to their artistry. The unfortunate thing is, they "preach to the choir" and are largely celebrated only within their own enclaves. Unfortunate, because they have incredible potential to educate others about their own cultures, yet in most cases that has not yet come to their realization.
But as clubs, promoters and the like either lament the lack of creativity or originality, or merely perpetuate it, something is going on outside their windows that they might really be into...as long as they recognize it's there.
Commandeered by Militant Angeleno
When the Militant first heard about this event, he was expecting people who lived around the corner to voice their opinions on possible parking, noise and/or littering issues from patrons of the 15-month old East Hollywood nightspot. Surely a new club inviting the community to speak out about whether they're a good neighbor or not is worth talking about.
Whether intentional or not, the event was totally different in nature and was more of a discussion on the state of the music industry, more specifically the live music scene in Los Angeles circa 2007. Either way, the Militant was interested.
Lanni complained about uninspired, homogenous "shoegazer" bands performing their droll repertoire to a thinned-out crowd who just stands there, meagerly clapping between songs, and worse, crowds only present for the 45 or so minutes the band they intended to see is onstage. When the set is over, they leave.
More than a few in the 30-or-so, almost exclusively white crowd (aside from the Militant, the only ethnic faces were those representing the local neighborhood council at their outreach table. And when the people from the "community" look more white than the people from the neighborhood council, something's not quite right...) chimed in, in accord, "That's an L.A. thing," Of course, insinuating that every person in Los Angeles, including the guy who sells oranges by the 101 offramp, is shallow, flaky and self-absorbed. Uh, okay. Though one woman, bless her soul, muttered, "That's how it is in Chicago, too..." but it's likely no one heard what she said, or wanted to recognize that such words were uttered.
But Lanni mentioned that his old-school country (not contemporary Nashville country, he stressed) shows don't exhibit those same traits as his rock shows -- the bands support each other and watch each other's sets, and the crowd has a great time. "I don't want to have to make this a country music club," he quipped.
One veteran in the crowd, however, recalled that back in the '80s, in the era of the most "L.A." of all "L.A. rock scenes" -- The '80s glam/hair metal era -- bands would support each other and watched each other's shows. He mentioned how a person going to, say, a Poison show back in the say, could easily spot members of Ratt or Motley Crue in the crowd. The camaraderie, he mentioned, is lost these days.
Of course, these days, the crowd agreed, there are a plethora of clubs in the scene, catering to an overabundance of bands.
The Militant blames it all on the indie rock thing. Maybe he's getting old, but he just doesn't get it. So a hipster can strap a battered Fender Mustang knockoff guitar around his neck and strum on a couple chords. What is driving him to do such an activity? Boredom? Conformity? Whatever it is, it's certainly not the same stuff that drove alienated young Britons in the '70s to make punk, nor is it anything close to what inspired African American youths in the West Bronx to create this music/movement/culture called hip-hop.
The Militant knows there are lots of scenes and sub-scenes, genres and sub-genres never discovered by the mainstream club scene, or even the "mainstream underground" club scene. Latino punk bands from South Los Angeles? Korean-American hip-hop events? (but oh, many of you have seen this one) many laugh because such notions are way out of their mainstream paradigms, and most of all don't fit the mainstream's ethnic-stereotyped compartments. But if one wants to look at art borne out of alienation and disenfranchisement, there's lots from our ethnic communities. They're more underground than "the underground," which is determined by tastemakers far removed (in so many ways) from the living, breathing multiculture of the ignored, the disregarded, the invisible. The Militant has seen (and may have even participated in) these beyond-underground scenes. Though the level of talent ranges from novice to the OMG, there is a definite drive and purpose to their artistry. The unfortunate thing is, they "preach to the choir" and are largely celebrated only within their own enclaves. Unfortunate, because they have incredible potential to educate others about their own cultures, yet in most cases that has not yet come to their realization.
But as clubs, promoters and the like either lament the lack of creativity or originality, or merely perpetuate it, something is going on outside their windows that they might really be into...as long as they recognize it's there.
Commandeered by Militant Angeleno
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)