My Gear and Software
Sometimes somebody asks about gear and software, so here’s a run down.
Guitars
Gibson SG
I play a walnut ’79 Gibson The “SG”. Great for lead and clean finger picking and hammering. Fine for background strummy stuff, too.
It’s all original (except for pots and the nut) with one Gibson Humbucking pickup and one TGA Super Humbucking pickup (the “Velvet Brick”). The switchable pickups, each with a tone control, have a nice range from brightly thin to heavy.
What I like most is the dynamic range. With moderate distortion, light playing is clean while hard playing is punchy and distorted. Light finger picking with good amplification has a lingering bass giving it some bottom.
Taylor Grand Auditorium 414ce
My primary acoustic is a 2006 Grand Auditorium 414ce. Great strummy sound.
In the studio, it has a really nice, full sound to capture with the mic. For live gigs, the electronics are good for strummy accompaniment. Solid feel and solid sound all around.
Pedals and Effects
Line 6 POD xt Live®
What a nice concept: emulate classic guitar amps on a computer. And the Line 6 POD does that well. I typically use either a Marshall model or a Mesa/Boogie® model for distorted sound. I use Line 6 Clean model for clean sound.
The sounds seem authentic. In any case, the sounds are sweet. The software makes editing the sounds easy. I do, indeed, like my POD xt Live.
Line 6 Pocket POD®
Similar to the POD, and this one fits in your pocket. It holds lots of amp models. The only thing: the sound isn’t as good as the POD xt Live®. It’s okay, but not the same fullness. Or maybe I haven’t adjusted it right. I like the sound of a Squire Strat (single coil) with a tone I don’t like with my SG (double coil). Overall it sounds good, and it fits in a pocket.
Software
Reaper Digital Audio Workstation
For my composing and mixing, I use Reaper. It supports VSTs, MIDI composing and lots more. It does everything I need.
- multitracking
- audio processing
- MIDI tracking, edting
- composing with VSTs and digital instruments
- virtual instruments, virtual guitar pedals
- mixing
- creating high-quality audio files
And lots more. I don’t use everything, but it let’s me compose, mix and create my music on my computer.
BandHelper
This is one of my favorite apps because it syncs all my devices with my songs, back up music and set lists. With Band Helper, I can create set lists and upload audio files. Then, like magic, they show up on my phone, tablet and all my devices for use at live gigs. It makes that a lot easier.