Award Sounds

So you've got Kontakt to work with Logic and now one of the instruments is a bit too loud in one section so you want to automate.

Great, reduce the volume (using track automation in arranger) for that instrument. Only thing is, one of two things happens:

1. All of Kontakt's instruments change volume
2. None of Kontakt's instruments change volume

There is a way to control each instrument separately. It takes a bit of setup, but once it's done, it will soon become second nature.

Templates

I'm glad that Kontakt and Logic work together. I just wish it were easier.

Versions

The upgrade to Logic 8 has helped a lot. For me, the Logic upgrade was a no-brainer. I waited a couple of moths to see what the bug reports were coming through, then took the plunge. Regardless of how it interacts with Kontakt, the Logic upgrade was worth it. If you include the tighter integration, then it becomes even better.

Templates

Guitar Player featured an article back in April 2006 about 99 ways to Play Better Guitar.

I've just read it again and it's still as relevant now as it was then. I'm now curious how many of them I do on a regular basis.

At this stage, they're probably ditching their first, practice amps for something a bit more mature (typically a nice all-valve/all-tube Fender Hot Rod or similar). It's also about time for an upgrade from the basic guitar, so maybe to a Made-In-Japan Fender or even the Fender Highway Star range. Unless you know them incredibly well and can afford for the guitar or amp to be ignored or sold at half price, then leave this area well alone. There's a very high chance, you'll get the choice wrong. Remember, guitarists are fickle.

Similar to the rock guitarist, the chances are that the guitarist has started out either with a guitar package from a shop (including a guitar, amp, strap, lead, plectrum and tuner) or has been given a second-hand guitar. Blues guitarists seem to have a way of ending up with used guitars - I think that's just the way of the world.

I've included some easy links for purchasing from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk at the bottom of the page. Don't want to read the rest, then go straight to the gifts in the US or the gifts in the UK.

The chances are that the guitarist started out either with a guitar package from a shop (including a guitar, amp, strap, lead, plectrum and tuner) or has been given a second-hand guitar. If it's the former, then most of the items in the kit are very basic and are chosen either for having a cheap price-point or a gimmick - maybe they've got green skulls on or some other pattern.

Are you stuck for ideas of what to buy a guitarist friend or relative?

Rather than just promote a list of "The Top 10 Gifts for Guitarists", I'll guide you through a few ideas over the next few articles. I'll discuss each gift and point out what you need to know about the gift or the guitarist before you buy. I want you to be able to show you've put some thought into the present.

You can't please all guitarists with one present

Ok, picture this: I changed over a 2x12 cab for a 4x12 cab in order to get a better sound for recording and then only mic up the bottom two drivers because that's what sounds best.

So why not use the 2x12?

If that's not enough of a surprise, it's even the same two drivers that were in the 2x12 at the start of yesterday's session.

But it does sound better with this guitar and amp combination and that's what counts.

The BYOC Overdrive is a guitar fx pedal which comes in kit form. You receive all the parts, you download the instructions, then you assemble and solder it all together. It's based on old circuits and is meant to be a clone of the TS9 and TS808; essentially it's a tubescreamer pedals in a kit.

The Build

Background

These files were recorded using the Matamp 1224GT guitar amplifier

Signal Chain

The signal chain was a Les Paul and an Eggle LA Pro (closest popular guitar is a Fender Fat-Strat in S/S/H configuration) into a Matamp 1224GT and a 2x12 Vintage 30 cab. Any reverb is ambient or from the amp itself. No effects (i.e. no reverb, compression, chorus, etc) have been added. The only processing was to align the signals of the microphones used.

Sessions