Tag: ehx

Vincenzo Gabriele – Estelle Avenue

1. Favourite knob or fader or switch on a piece of gear and why?

Akai s612 sampler

It would have to be the start and end sliders on the Akai s612. I love the immediacy of playing with those sliders and reversing the sample with my fingers. That tactile feel lets me feel more connected to the sample.

2. Do you have an ‘almost’ perfect bit of kit? What would you change?

It would have to be the EMU Command Station. I love the sound it puts out. Plus the 16 track sequencer and hands on real time sound manipulation that can be had. If I could change something about it, it would be to save presets and programs better.

EMU Command Station

3. What setup do you bring on holiday or tour or commute etc.?

Just my iPhone running Koala sampler with either AUM or EG Nodes. I usually can create something I’m happy with using that, without the worry of having expensive pedals/synths/samplers broken, lost, or stolen.

Koala sampler

4. What software do you wish was hardware and vice versa?

BACKMASK by Freakshow Industries. It’s some type of reverse, but more than just a regular reverse. Whatever it’s doing is usually pretty wild, but sonically pleasing.

Backmask by Freakshow Industries

5. Is there anything you regret selling… or regret buying?

My brother and I bought a Studer A820 8 Track 1 inch machine from a local radio station. Low hours, pristine condition. We made some great recordings, just recording super hot at 30ips. We never did any maintenance on it and so one day (surprise, surprise), it stopped working. I definitely don’t regret buying it, and we haven’t sold it, so I can’t regret selling it. LOL!!
I regret not being able to fix it. (but hope to one day)

Studer A820 8 Track 1 inch machine

6. What gear has inspired you to produce the most music?

The Hologram Electronics Microcosm. Once I got that, it allowed me to start thinking outside the box. Giving old cheap keyboard/samplers a whole new lease on life. It inspired me to try and run different things through it to see the outcome.

Hologram Electronics Microcosm

7. If you had to start over, what would you get first?

Most likely the most powerful iPad Pro I could possibly afford. I believe they are capable of producing incredible results, in such a fast, efficient, portable, and sonically pleasing way.
I just enjoy plugging and unplugging things more. Twisting knobs and pushing faders is satisfying too.

8. What’s the most annoying piece of gear you have, that you just can’t live without?

Chase Bliss Habit. I don’t know exactly what it’s doing, but I need it on all the time.

Chase Bliss Habit

9. Most surprising tip or trick or technique that you’ve discovered about a bit of kit?

If you split your bass into two channels and run one into the mic input of the Akai S612, and the other direct, (essentially using the Akai as a distortion) you get a bass that really rips and cuts through the mix.

Akai S612

Artist or Band name?

Estelle Avenue

Genre?

Experimental Lofi Ambient Sound Texture Moments

Selfie?

Vincenzo Gabriele aka. Estelle Avenue

Where are you from?

Italian descent
Born and raised in Toronto, Canada

How did you get into music?

My parents bought my sister, brother, and I a Casio keyboard when we were young. I didn’t think much about at the time, but it must have had some affect on me.

What still drives you to make music?

I love creating something new when I can. It’s very therapeutic. A creative outlet.

How do you most often start a new track?

I try to go and create whenever I get the itch to.

How do you know when a track is finished?

I don’t really create tracks. Just moments.
Create something. Upload. Gone forever.
I’m not going to play it live or try and recreate it somewhere else.

Show us your current studio

Tempera Beetlecrab Audio
EHX Q-Tron and Memory Man
Walrus Audio R1 and buddy
Rack FX

Best creative advice that you’ve ever heard?

Don’t take yourself too seriously. Enjoy the process and have fun.

Promote your latest thing… Go ahead, throw us a link.

https://www.instagram.com/estelle.avenue

Aage Johnson – Sounds like ‘Oh’

1. Favourite knob or fader or switch on a piece of gear and why?

The mighty Hammond Organ

After giving this a lot of thought, I must admit it’s the power switch on almost any piece of gear. If not all gear. Being a Hammond organ player by heart, it’s always a bit of a cliffhanger, if the instrument will work or even turn on from one gig to the other – and with newer synths, the joy of seeing the lights flicker across the instrument when turning on, is pure bliss! The rest seems purely functional, but that first way of making contact with the instrument by turning it on does it for me. That almost sounds wrong.

2. Do you have an ‘almost’ perfect bit of kit? What would you change?

What first comes to mind is my Holy Grail (old reverb pedal). It has one knob: reverb amount. There’s absolutely nothing I would change on it. If not that, it’s gotta be the Korg MS-10. Super simple and perfect for what it can do and does. If I could change anything, it might be another oscillator – or the possibility of hearing a polyphonic version of it. Oh, and midi.

EHX Holy Grail

3. What setup do you bring on holiday or tour or commute etc.?

Holidays and commutes is where I bring the outcome of other people’s gear and ideas: their music. Since most of my worklife is based around music, holidays are not really a thing. Other people’s holidays are my busiest times of the year, and… well, as musicians, we don’t really take time off, do we? There’s always some sort of music going on… and this question got me thinking: if there was a piece of gear, I could bring – and this is sort of a dream for me – it would be the Vongon Replay. I don’t own one, and unfortunately never tried one, but wow… just look at it!

Vongon Replay

4. What software do you wish was hardware and vice versa?

I only use Ableton when it comes to software, but definitely wouldn’t wish all my hardware had turned to software overnight.

5. Is there anything you regret selling… or regret buying?

I bought an MS-20 and an MS-10 in 1998 and paid 2100 Danish kroner (about 300 dollars) for both of them. However, they seemed to be broken, ‘cause none of them produced more than one note at a time. Disappointed as I was, I sold them again for 2500 kr.
I did, however, buy an MS-10 a few years back, and love it to heaven and back.

Korg MS-10

6. What gear has inspired you to produce the most music?

The Hammond Organ. No doubt. The simplicity and it’s way of letting it sound like you can actually play, when all you do is just switch between a couple of keys and know your C7.

Hammond Organ

7. If you had to start over, what would you get first?

A band. Definitely. That has always been the main reason for playing music: hanging out, sharing stories and creating music. Dreaming.

8. What’s the most annoying piece of gear you have, that you just can’t live without?

The Roll’or’kari’s (dolly to haul the Hammond B-3 around). It’s heavy as hell, even by itself, and then you slap them on a 150 kg organ and carry them both. Hate it.
If it’s playable gear, it would be the Chase Bliss Mood. Not even the MKII. The first one ‘cause it’s such a beautiful piece of aesthetic wonder. Can make anything sound good and musical. Thing is, I still don’t really know exactly how it works or what it does and when it does it. Sort of like eating food when on vacation. You don’t really know what it is, how it tastes so good or what the consequences will be…
When it comes to annoying gear, that I wish I could sell, it’s the Chase Bliss CXM 1978. I wish I’d just sell it, but it just sounds so damn good. And those motorized faders… (getting chills just typing this)

Chase Bliss CXM 1978

9. Most surprising tip or trick or technique that you’ve discovered about a bit of kit?

Ooooh, this is a great question! Nikolaj Svaneborg from Svaneborg Kardyb taught me this trick for the Juno-6 and 60’s:

Set the resonance at 7 or 8, set the ‘kybd’ knob to 10, turn off all three oscillators, set the filter to 10 and then slide the fader down until tones start to come out. You can tune it quite precisely, but you never get it to tune perfectly – that’s the charm:-)

This sound can be heard on the track ‘Balancen’ from their newest album.

Juno-6

Artist or Band name?

The Orgelheimers, Nairobi Auto Service, Me Llamo Speedos and Hippie Da DA

Genre?

Hammond stuff, Ethiojazz, souljazz, surf, electronica, calm stuff

Selfie?

Nikolaj Aage Høi aka Aage Johnsen

Where are you from?

Copenhagen based

How did you get into music?

Wanted to hang out with the kids playing music in the small town I grew up in. It was an easy transition from skateboarding into music.

What still drives you to make music?

Good question. I’ve been low on drive for a while. The hassle of playing live, working with musicians (who run different notions of time and professionality) and a general “Why do we do this? Why do people need to hear this?”. And frankly, this is still a question for me. The key so far is sharing. Bringing music to people for whatever reason. As long as it means something. As long as it matters.

How do you most often start a new track?

By hearing a melody, beat or bassline in my head.

How do you know when a track is finished?

Usually doesn’t take long. when there are no more ideas that present themselves in relation to the piece I’m working on. Sometimes it’s as simple as others saying: “I think it’s great like this!”, then it’s done.

Show us your current studio

Studio space

Best creative advice that you’ve ever heard?

“No matter how much you practice, you can’t run away from who you really are”. Meaning: you are you, and you’ll sound like you. That’s who people go to see/listen to. They don’t listen to you to hear Bowie or Engelbert Humperdinck.

Promote your latest thing… Go ahead, throw us a link.

Maybe this odd piece:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6hVgcTTGJg

Thanks for reading:-)

Marcus Hagsten – Under Månen

1. Favourite knob or fader or switch on a piece of gear and why?

EHX Freeze

I really love the EHX Freeze pedal! Such a nice way to add subtle droning notes to your music – especially when playing live. Playing solo acoustic guitar pieces can get a bit one dimensional and the Freeze adds something great to that. But it can be a bit hard to make it blend in with the acoustic sound – takes some practice.

2. Do you have an ‘almost’ perfect bit of kit? What would you change?

GraceDesigns acoustic preamp

I love GraceDesigns acoustic preamps both the Felix and the Bix. They sound awesome – only thing I would change on the Bix is that the boost is placed AFTER the effect loop and when using it with a looper in the effect loop, it boosts BOTH the guitar and the looper and that’s really annoying. Most other preamps place the boost BEFORE the effect loop and that much more useful, because then you can lift the guitar sound when playing a guitar solo without also boosting the loop, you’re playing on top off.

3. What setup do you bring on holiday or tour or commute etc.?

Porto Guitarre

I always try to bring a guitar with me when possible. I have a nice small body guitar made by Porto Guitarre from Portugal. It is built after how guitars looked like in the early 1800’s long before the “modern” acoustic guitar was developed. It plays like a classical guitar and is easy to travel with. It even has a nice pickup installed. Besides that, I have the same Focusrite iTrack Dock setup in my summer cottage that I use at home and that way all I have to do is bring my iPad with me, to continue what I’m working on when I’m on holiday.

4. What software do you wish was hardware and vice versa?

Omnichord

I don’t really use a lot of software – I prefer “real” things with “real” buttons – I tend to get lost when there’s too much you can do! I use Cubasis and a few good plugins. But the other way around, I would really love if someone made a software Omnichord. I love my Omnichords, but they were made in the mid 80’es and never meant to work for 40 years, so they get really fragile after so many years. I really don’t like taking them out – so a nice software version would be great!

5. Is there anything you regret selling… or regret buying?

Yes, a lot of stuff, but I have always tried to keep my collection of guitars, pedal and other gear to a minimum. I don’t like owning stuff I don’t use, and instruments are made to be played, so its better someone else is playing it, than it’s collecting dust on my shelf. Besides that, most gear is replaceable today. Only the really unique things are worth keeping.

6. What gear has inspired you to produce the most music?

Lowden Acoustic Guitars

Clearly my Lowden guitars – there just so wonderfully inspiring instruments and almost everything starts with them. Once I had four of them, but now I’m down to just two. Both cedar tops, but one with rosewood sides and the other with mahogany. That covers just about what I need. They have a very nice “European sound” compared to the more common “American Martin sound” that works great with my music.

7. If you had to start over, what would you get first?

A nice acoustic guitar – I’m lefthanded, so for many years I had to play with some mediocre guitars, because the selection in most music stores here in Denmark was quite terrible. Just one really good instrument gets you a long way – especially when you start recording stuff. A good instrument sounds good with just a microphone, with a lesser instrument, you end up using too much time to cover that with EQs and stuff.

8. What’s the most annoying piece of gear you have, that you just can’t live without?

Instruments that don’t stay in tune – ukuleles are fun to play, but change the strings and you have to wait a month for them to be stabilize and stay in tune. Whistles too – must be tuned very precisely to sound in tune with other instruments. Tube amps can be annoying too.

9. Most surprising tip or trick or technique that you’ve discovered about a bit of kit?

Besides live looping I use my looper to trigger samples when performing live. Again, it’s a way to add another dimension to playing solo acoustic stuff. It might be just a couple of piano notes or some cello that I have saved on the looper and can turn on and off on at the right moment. One song has a drumbeat and a saxophone riff ready on the looper

Pigtronics Infinity Looper

Artist or Band name?

Marcus Hagsten / Under Månen

Genre?

Nordic bluegrass

Selfie?

Marcus Hagsten

Where are you from?

Frederiksberg – Denmark

How did you get into music?

I stole my fathers album “Harvest” by Neil Young around age 12. Made a HUGE impression on me – started playing guitar soon after.

What still drives you to make music?

There’s always something new you haven’t tried before – music is an endless journey!

How do you most often start a new track?

Often I just fiddle around with my acoustic guitar while watching TV – new and interesting things often appears when you NOT aiming for something special. And I try to remember to record every good idea that arrives (usually just on my phone).

How do you know when a track is finished?

That’s very difficult! Often, I records a bunch of stuff for a track – different instruments, different parts on the same instrument, and then I start to remove layers until there’s only the part left that works and makes the tracks feel like a ‘whole’.

Show us your current studio

Marcus Hagsten Music Corner

Here’s a list of my gear. Reinau Deluxe amp / Gibson Les Paul / electric pedal board (Lovepedal Les Luis, Hermida Zendrive, T-Rex Replica, Strymon Blue Sky, Mr. Black Mini Tremolo) / iTrack Dock with Cubasis / Novation Launchpad / ACUS acoustic amp / acoustic pedal board (Red Eye Twin preamp, EHX Freeze, TC Delay, Lovepedal tremolo / SE 2200a microphone.

Best creative advice that you’ve ever heard?

I try to play something new every day – instead of practicing old tunes or playing other people’s music – every time I pick up my guitar, I first try to play something I never have played before.

Promote your latest thing… Go ahead, throw us a link.

Marcus Hagsten Under Månen – Uden Et Ord

Released a debut album last year. You can hear it here:

https://share.amuse.io/6thFDCDigXIT