With his spare approach, bare-bones chording, conservatory training, and improviser’s ear, the guitarist known as “McDuck” gives his rising quartet wings.
The hallowed halls of the New England Conservatory of Music, one of the oldest and most prestigious music schools in the country, might seem like an unlikely breeding ground for a rock band. But this Boston institution is where Lake Street Dive, a quartet now based in Brooklyn, came together when its members were undergraduates there a decade ago.
Lake Street Dive—guitarist and trumpeter Michael “McDuck” Olson, upright bassist Bridget Kearney, singer Rachael Price, and drummer Michael Calabrese—was originally intended as a project to explore a sound the group tagged “free country,” a hybrid of country-and-western and free jazz.
But instead, Lake Street Dive chose to make music people would want to listen—and dance—to. The group’s calling came to be a blend of equal parts Motown, 1960s pop, swing-era jazz, and 1970s horn rock, rendered with the technical mastery the members developed as conservatory students and delivered with a reckless abandon not usually taught at school.
Lake Street Dive, which takes its name from a seedy thoroughfare in Olson’s hometown, Minneapolis, was a side project for everyone until 2012. That’s when a YouTube video of the group playing an unplugged, way slow interpretation of the Jackson Five’s “I Want You Back” on a street corner in the Boston area went viral. Lake Street Dive’s reputation was further solidified when, the following year, producer T Bone Burnett invited the group to play at a concert in New York celebrating the Coen brothers’ film Inside Llewyn Davis, set in folk-era Greenwich Village.
In the winter of 2015, Lake Street Dive took a break from its relentless touring schedule and headed to Nashville with 28 songs. With the help of producer Dave Cobb, the group whittled things down to the dozen tracks that appear on its fifth album and Nonesuch debut, Side Pony. The set captures Lake Street at its most playful and energetic, and is packed with Olson’s tastiest guitar parts.
Premier Guitar recently chatted with Olsen about his group, switching between the trumpet and the guitar, and the maximal mileage he gets from playing minimal parts on a spare setup.
Talk about your musical background, which doesn’t resemble that of a typical rock musician.
I grew up in the Twin Cities area, on the Minneapolis side. My dad has taught band in school for a very long time, so I grew up around music and played trumpet in his band from sixth grade through 12th. In fact, I didn’t have a different band instructor till my first day of college, which is pretty weird.
In college, at the University of Wisconsin from 2001 to 2003, I studied trumpet exclusively and took a fair amount of composition classes. I didn’t start guitar until the first day after graduating from NEC, where I was a transfer student beginning in 2003. I went on Craigslist in Boston, looking for a cheap guitar to use as a songwriting tool, because in college, all the writing I’d done was on a piano in a practice room, and after I graduated, I no longer had access to the practice rooms.
I bought an old Harmony for 30 dollars from someone in Cambridge and played it for several years. I never took a guitar lesson, though I probably should have [laughs]. My learning curve wouldn’t have been as steep.
Lake Street Dive’s string team, Olson and bassist Kearney, also contribute to the group’s rich signature harmonies.
Photo by Lindsey Best
How did you learn to play guitar?
I learned almost exclusively through YouTube videos and watching live concerts—like the Beatles’ famous rooftop concert. Over and over again, I watched what George Harrison and John Lennon were doing. More than any other instrument, you can learn guitar as part of an online community. I’m sure there are a lot of instructors who would disagree with me, but it’s a good place to start, for sure.
What kind of program were you in at NEC?
It was a jazz program, but there wasn’t a big emphasis on traditional jazz, although you can certainly learn it there. The program was very progressive, with a lot of emphasis on modern jazz, free jazz, free improvisation, jazz hands. Just kidding about that last one. It was really about developing your own voice as an improviser, which is great. It was so freeing as a young person who had spent so much time practicing and really working on chops-oriented, regimented stuff.
How did studying there inform your development as a rock musician?
The culture of the school was one in which you could walk up to any student—upperclassman, underclassman, transfer or graduate students, fat kids, skinny kids, kids that climb on rocks, and say, “Hey, do you want to play music with me tonight in a practice room?” And the answer was always, “yes.” Even if you didn’t get anything out of your classes—and shame on you if you didn’t—you could get a full education simply by playing with as many students as you could find and cram into your schedule.
So it was a very fertile environment for learning how to play and how to play with other people. And it really paved the way for Lake Street Dive. Yes, we are heavily influenced by our musical education and we apply ourselves to songwriting, arranging, and performing in the same way we applied ourselves in school—in a studious manner—but also with that kind of creative searching that was bred into us at NEC.
“With guitar, I’ve got that less-is-more thing going on, and I take a lot of pride in that,” says Michael “McDuck” Olson.
Photo by Lindsey Best
Talk about your approach to playing guitar.
I never thought about this until very recently, when Rachael and Bridget were asking me about some basics on guitar, and I realized that a lot of what I consider to be one of the main tricks of my trade is economy. I don’t have a huge wingspan—I don’t have big, meaty hands—and I like to do as much as possible with what I’ve got. I didn’t study guitar in school, so I don’t know about all the fancy jazz chords and the voice-leading on the instrument.
How, if it all, does playing trumpet inform your fretwork?
At the risk of giving you a boring answer, I’m not sure they’re related in the end. They’re such vastly different instruments—not just because of the physical approach, which is obviously different, but the way I learned the two is quite dissimilar. As I mentioned, playing trumpet from a very young age, and having a band-director father breathing down my neck at home, and then entering a university situation where I was expected to practice a lot made me very technical on the trumpet.
With guitar, I’ve got that less-is-more thing going on, and I take a lot of pride in that. Even if the two instruments were more closely related conceptually, my approach is kind of polarized, which is actually very satisfying in a live setting. I’m lucky to be able to play both trumpet and guitar at a show. I can play rhythm guitar on a few songs—do my job in playing with the best time feel possible—to be part of the band. Then, I can put the guitar down, pick up the trumpet, and play an obnoxious solo. So it scratches all of the musical itches I could possibly have. I’m never gonna find another band that lets me do this.
arranging process.”
What makes for an obnoxious solo?
Loud! There’s an old adage used in the trumpet world—and I’m sure it extends to a lot of different instruments—to describe an obnoxious player: higher, faster, louder. In order to be obnoxious, you’ve got to hit all three of those. Some players actually consider that a virtue, but when the band first began I was so very against being in the higher-faster-louder camp. I thought I was at the height of sophistication if I played a solo on a rock tune that was contemplative and all Chet Baker.
Over time, I learned that the audience wasn’t there to transcribe my trumpet solos, so nowadays I’m inclined to be less influenced by Miles Davis and Chet Baker. Don’t get me wrong. If I ever took a jazz gig again, all their influences would come out again. But what I’m more about these days is playing in more of a Tower of Power or Chicago mode: horn rock. The guys playing in those bands—their job was to cut through the mix and to be exciting.
A solo comes at a point in a song where it’s needed to propel things in an exciting direction, to maintain people’s interest and to keep them dancing, to reach a peak where the only thing that can come next is the double chorus and then the out. So, in that moment, serving that function, I’ve resigned myself to the fact that it’s okay to play high, fast, and loud.
What guitars did you play on Side Pony?
I exclusively played an Epiphone Casino that belonged to our producer, Dave Cobb, through an old Fender Twin and a Magnatone.
Michael “McDuck” Olson’s Gear
GuitarsD’Angelico EX-DC
Epiphone Inspired by John Lennon Casino
Moniker custom Dixie solidbody
Amps
1970s Fender Twin Reverb
Magnatone Twilighter
Effects
Electro-Harmonix B9 Organ Machine
Strings and Picks
D’Addario EXL115 (.011–.049), D’Addario EXL115W (.011–.049 with wound 3rd)
Various medium picks
Was it a vintage Casino or a recent one, and why did it make sense?
It was a reissue—a signature model, I think. I’d never played a hollowbody like that [a thinline, fully hollow guitar with P-90 pickups], and it was awesome. Dave is someone who’s very into sounds. You know how producers and engineers are with drums, spending hours with a kit to get
just the right kick-drum sound, to make it sound
pillow-y and big? On the first day, Dave said, “Why don’t you try this and see what you think?” And it became the sound he wanted to hear on just about everything, which was fine by me. It played really great.
On the opening cut, “Godawful Things,” and elsewhere, you seem to have an affinity for compact chord voicings on the guitar’s inner strings.
What I love is the A formation: barring three strings and using that anywhere on the neck and playing little ideas around it. Or playing a barre-chord formation, but removing the barre and moving the shape around. Playing chords like this makes it so much easier for me to get around on the guitar, and it has the added benefit of not crowding everyone else out with six-note voicings all the time.
What I can get away with by playing three- or four-note voicings, moving a couple notes to get from one chord to the next, really opens up the musical space. It’s really easy for us with this conservatory background and all this training to overplay and fill up the space, and we always have to remind ourselves that less is more. I feel like a lot of great guitar players do that—not necessarily playing voicings in the way I’m describing, but in the way that Lennon and Harrison worked, playing small parts that allow the music to breathe as much as possible.
Are those organ-like sounds on “Spectacular Failure” generated by guitar?
Yes. I actually played them on the guitar, going through an organ emulator—an Electro-Harmonix B9 pedal. It’s a wicked fun pedal, and it’s actually really accurate. The attack is very organ-y, and it’s got great sustain, which makes it sound like you’re holding down the keys. It took a while to figure out how to best work it. I ended up doing a fair amount of fingerpicking in conjunction with the pedal, as opposed to playing with a pick. This gave a more realistic attack.
YouTube It
Michael “McDuck” Olson’s grinding guitar figure, played on his D’Angelico EX-DC, powers up “I Don’t Care About You” from Lake Street Dive’s new Side Pony album. The song displays his preference for partial chords that allow his bandmates sonic space, and the live video reveals the quartet’s mastery of dynamic, interlocking parts.
As a jazz musician, does improvisation factor into your guitar work with Lake Street Dive?
Not a ton. We always say—and by “we,” I’m not sure who I’m talking about [laughs]—that composition is improvisation slowed down, and improvising is composing sped up. What’s very improvisatory for me on guitar is the arranging process. When we’re rehearsing and learning a new song, there’s a lot of improvisation that takes place because we don’t bring in completed songs. We bring in sketches and demos and we trust each other on our individual instruments. We don’t need to dictate to Mike what to play on the drums. We don’t need to tell him on which beat to play the floor tom. And the same is true of everyone else. So there’s a lot of improvisation and stretching and thinking things out in those moments.
But it is also important to me that when time comes for an arrangement to congeal, to be played over and over again night after night, that improvisation is kept to a minimum because I’m confident that what we’ve come up with is what’s right for the song. And I’m not convinced that night after night I’m going to improvise a better part than I arrived at in rehearsal. It’s just not my strength on the instrument. The conservatory mindset of studying about styles and being intentional in what you play makes those rehearsals more than just jam sessions; they’re structured and thoughtful and when we’re done with them we have really solid arrangements, with everyone having really solid parts. And that’s something that we’re proud to play night after night.
Patterns can be viewed as boring or trite, but a little bit of creativity can turn them into bits of inspiration.
Chops: Intermediate Theory: Intermediater Lesson Overview: • Learn different ways to arrange scales. • Combine various sequences to create more intersting lines. • Solidify your technique by practicing unusual groupings of notes. Click here to download a printable PDF of this lesson's notation. |
I want to offer some food for thought on making sequences musical. Using sequences in our playing helps develop our musicianship in various ways. It can help us tune into the fretboard, develop melodic ideas all around the neck, and further our improvisation and compositional skills. So, spending time with sequences is certainly not time wasted. Please note that I sometimes use the word “rule" in this column, this is only a pointer to keeping on track of our exploration of these concepts. The intellect is very useful, but intuition is where the creativity comes from. When in balance lots of great things can be done. Let's get stuck in!
It's simple to play a scale from bottom to top, or top to bottom, but we can develop a sequence by shuffling these notes around. In Ex. 1 we have a C Major scale (C–D–E–F–G–A–B) played in thirds followed by a sequence highlighting the diatonic triads of the major scale. By following a “rule" we can develop many different sequences. The options are endless and a little overwhelming.
Click here for Ex. 1
Lets start by simply combining an interval sequence with an arpeggio sequence. In Ex. 2, the first two beats of the first measure feature ascending thirds. This is then followed by a triad arpeggio starting from the third note on the string. The next set of thirds then starts on the “and" of beat 4. The entire sequence is a seven-note pattern that is created by combining two thirds and a triad. It gives us a nice bit of rhythmic displacement as the phrase is now starting in a different place in the measure.
Click here for Ex. 2
Ex. 3 is a descending idea in A minor that basically flips the sequence we looked at in Ex. 2. Here, we are starting with two descending thirds before the triad. I'm using pull-offs and economy picking to articulate the triads. This one works well over D minor as well if you want a D Dorian (D–E–F–G–A–B–C) flavor.
Click here for Ex. 3
You can see the effectiveness of combining different sequences and groupings of notes to create interesting runs. It's also really effective for making phrases. In Ex. 4 we take a small fragment from Ex. 3 and change the rhythm. In the sound example I repeat this a few times over some implied chords in my bass line: Am, F, and Dm. It's great to get more from one line by seeing the different chord types you can play it over.
Click here for Ex. 4
In Ex. 5 we're going to start using fourths and fifths. It starts with an ascending A minor triad (A–C–E) before leaping to the 9 (B) and then hitting a G major triad (G–B–D). A similar pattern leads into the C major triad (C–E–G). Throwing in these wider intervals alongside triads is very effective for creating a dramatic sounding runs.
Click here for Ex. 5
For our next example (Ex. 6), we will take fragments from Ex. 5 and space them out a bit. I wanted once again to show how these sequence ideas can also be helpful for developing melodic phrases. Once we have a cool sequence or fragment, all we need to do is be creative with how we play it. We can change the rhythm, harmonic context, dynamic, and much more.
Click here for Ex. 6
Before we move on, it's important to remember that we can add colorful notes to our triads. Let's begin with some seventh-chord arpeggios. Ex 7 features are diatonic seventh arpeggios in G minor (functioning as a IIm chord) to get a Dorian sound.
Click here for Ex. 7
Ex. 8 is a little gratuitous of me. It begins with an idea made of several different concepts. First, we start with an Am7 arpeggio (A–C–E–G), then descend down an A5 arpeggio. I follow that up with diatonic thirds and end with a pedal-point sequence. If that's not enough, we then take this bigger idea and fit it around a chord progression. I move it to G7, Dm7 and then I break my “rule" slightly and outline notes of a C6 arpeggio (C–E–G–A). However, it does keep the same melodic contour of the initial idea. I used my ear and fretboard to guide me. It's always healthy to have a fine balance between intellect and intuition.
Click here for Ex. 8
We dig into C harmonic minor (C–D–Eb–G–Ab–B-C) for Ex. 9's monster two-measure lick. It sounds evil! In composing this phrase, I kept to the basic concept of finding seventh-chord arpeggios within C harmonic minor in the 8th position. I followed my ear as well as my slowly developing intellect. However, if you look closely you can see I was following a mini chord progression through this line. We start out with a CmMaj9 arpeggio (C–Eb–G–B–D) in the first beat, followed by a G7b9 arpeggio (G–B–D–F–Ab). Here we have a very strong Im-V7 movement in C minor. I then move back to our CmMaj9 arpeggio and in the second measure we start descending down an Eb augmented triad (Eb–G–B). This is then followed by more CmMaj9 goodness.
Click here for Ex. 9
Ex. 10 is now taking Ex. 9 and extending it into a cool flamenco-inspired melody. The rhythms in this were inspired by the incredible Paco De Lucia. I follow the sequence from the previous example almost exactly, but I use a bit of artistic license to repeat certain fragments to fit into a “top line" or “head"-style melody.
Click here for Ex. 10
My aim here isn't to give you one rule to follow but instead to encourage you to take the sequences you know and love and start getting more out of them. Enjoy and stay safe!
Improved tracking and richness in tones. Stereo panning potential. 100 presets.
Can be hard to use intuitively. Expensive!
$645
Electro-Harmonic POG III
It’s been a very rainy, moody couple of weeks, which is to say, perfect weather for getting lost in the labyrinthine depths of the new Electro-Harmonix POG III polyphonic octave generator. The POG III is yet another evolution (mutation?) within EHX’s now rather expansive stable of octave effects. But to those who know the POG through its original incarnation, or one of several simpler subsequent variants, the POG III represents a pretty dramatic leap forward.
There’s a few things you should know about the POG III straight away. First, it’s very expensive. At $645, it’s 245 clams more than its predecessor, the POG 2, (which was already a considerable investment) and more than twice the price of the simplest POG pedals like the Micro and Pico. Cold hard cash isn’t all you’re likely to trade away, either. Extracting the most value and utility from the POG III takes time and effort—even if you’re experienced with other pedals in the POG family. But for the guitarist and musician whose creations and pleasures transcend traditional playing styles and song forms, or for whom sound design is a primary pursuit, the POG III is a potential studio fixture and portal to musical parts undiscovered.
Copious Control
This is no cop out: The POG III has many more features and combinations thereof than can be mentioned in the space of this review—even if we merely listed them. The manual that EHX included (and is a must-read) is 23 pages long. It’s digestible, certainly. But there is much to learn.
“The Organ Swell reveals much about how rich and organic octave tones can sound in the POG III.”
Even so, the POG III’s 10 factory presets (you can create up to 100 of them) are great jumping-off points for crafting your own sounds and understanding the pedal’s basic dynamics, functionality, and interactivity among the controls. The organ swell preset is a great place to start. Players and bands that use keyboard and synth pads behind their guitar phrases were among POG’s early adopters. POG III’s organ sounds are pretty impressive. And while few will be fooled into thinking you have the pipe organ from St. Stephen’s Cathedral at your fingertips, the Organ Swell reveals much about how rich and organic octave tones can sound in the POG III. With precise timing and fretting, crafty chord phrasing and spacing, the right attack setting, and less aggressive guitar volume and tone settings, you can fashion a pretty convincing Bach organ arpeggio—particularly if you add a suitably expansive reverb or delay.
Cooking Up Wider, Weirder Images
A very cool new feature on the POG III is the panning knobs that accompany individual bands. Panning each band as part of a stereo image adds dimensionality. But it can also lend a more organic “live” flavor to a tone composite by situating fundamental sounds front and center, while sounds that serve as harmonic support can be mixed lower and reoriented spatially to offer more or less emphasis. These relationships can be enhanced and manipulated further by using the stereo spread control and the detune slider to create pitch modulation effects that range from mellow chorus to an almost rotary-speaker-like movement. This stereo mixing process is among the most fun and engaging parts of using the POG III.
Unusual filtering effects are here in abundance for exploring, too. Like so many modes on the POG III, the possible permutations feel endless, but here are some interesting examples.
• High-mid filter emphasis, matched to a quacky, fast envelope trigger, a sprinkle of perfect 5th, an even healthier scoop of +1 and +1 octave, and a strong foundation of -2 octave, all driven by a melodic pattern of staccato 16th notes—the result is a strange percolating pattern of carnival organ sounds against an anchor of low-resonant cello tones.
• Shifting the filter emphasis to the low end with similar envelope sensitivity, bumping the -2 octave and fifths, and subjecting the dry signal to the same filtering effects yields tectonic sub-rumbles and swells that a film- or game-sound designer could use to suggest the propulsion unit for a city-sized alien mothership. Even leaning my guitar against my amplifier and bouncing a racquet ball against the guitar body sounds amazing here. (And yes! You should really try this!)
Granted, many of these sounds fall as much into the category of sound effects and design as much as music in the songs-and-riffs sense. But I think strength in one category can reinforce the other, and in the case of the POG III, there is enough range in both directions to intrigue players everywhere along the spectrum. It still excels at funky bass textures, twisted faux 12-string, and at providing ghostly, backgrounded high-harmony lines for leads. But these time-tested POG applications merely scratch the surface.
The Verdict
The POG has come a long way since its old bent-metal, big box days. The tracking is excellent, and there’s a lot less fighting against artificial, cheesy sounds once you grasp the finer points of crafting a sound and your dynamic approach. The POG III’s complexity makes the going a little harder on fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants intuitive tinkerers, and musicians with experience in synthesis will probably navigate the unit’s features much more readily than some. As expensive as it is, it’s probably best to be sure you can find a place for it in your work before you take the leap. But if you can afford $645 to take a chance, the POG III may illuminate whole directions you might not have considered with a less expansive effect.
Vox’s Valvenergy Tone Sculptor
Two new pedals from the Valvenergy series use a Nutube valve to generate unique dynamics and tone ranges that can be used to radical ends.
When tracking in a studio or DAW, you’re likely to use compression and EQ on most things. Many enduringly amazing and powerful records were made using little else. And though many musicians regard both effects as a bit unglamorous and utilitarian, EQs and comps are as capable of radical sounds as more overtly “weird” effects—particularly when they are used in tandem.
I spent a day workshopping ideas in my studio using just the Vox Valvenergy Smooth Impact compressor and Tone Sculptor EQ, and a dash of amp tremolo and reverb to taste. In the process, I produced more arresting sounds than I had heard from my guitars in many days. There were radical direct-to-desk-style Jimmy Page/Beatles distortion tones, sun-sized, cosmic electric 12-string, Bakersfield twang that could burn through crude, and many other sweet and nasty colors. Most decent EQ and compressor combinations can achieve variations on all those themes. But the Smooth Impact and Tone Sculptor also reveal interesting personalities in unexpected places.
The individuality and energy in the Vox Valvenergy pedals is attributable, in part, to the Nutube vacuum tube used in the circuit. Though it looks little like a vacuum tube as most guitarists know them, the thin, wafer-like Nutube is, in fact, a real vacuum tube like those used in fluorescent displays. Fluorescent display tubes have limitations. A maximum operating voltage of around 40 volts means they aren’t useful for bigger power tube applications like a 6L6, which has an operating voltage of about 400 volts. But it can work quite well as a preamp tube in concert with an op amp power section, which is how the Nutube is used in the new Valvenergy pedals, as well as older Vox products like the Vox MV50 and Superbeetle amps.
Valvenergy Tone Sculptor
When you think about “cinematic” effects, you likely imagine big reverb or modulation sounds that create a vivid picture and feeling of space or motion. But narrow, hyper-focused EQ profiles can evoke very different and equally powerful images. Radical EQ settings can add aggression, claustrophobic intimacy, and stark, explosive dark-and-light contrasts more evocative of Hitchcock’s Psycho than Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner.
Any of these moods can be summoned from the Valvenergy Tone Sculptor. Six sliders cut or boost 10 dB frequency bands spanning 100 Hz to 5.6 kHz. A seventh slider cuts or boosts the master output by 12 dB. This platter of options might not sound like much. But you can use these seven controls together to very specific ends.
“Radical EQ settings can add aggression, near-claustrophobic intimacy, and stark, explosive dark-and-light contrasts.”
For example, bumping the high-midrange and the master output produces narrow cocked-wah-like filter sounds with enough push to produce extra amp overdrive—effectively turning the Tone Sculptor into a buzzy, almost fuzz-like filter effect. But unlike a wah, you can carefully scoop high end or add a spoonful of bass to blunt harsh frequencies or give the tone a bit more weight. You can also broaden the palette of an amp/guitar pairing. I matched a particularly trebly Jazzmaster bridge pickup with a very hot and toppy Vox AC15-flavored amp for this test—a recipe that can be spiky on the best days. But with the Tone Sculptor in the line, I could utilize the same sharp, fuzzy, and filtered Mick Ronson wah tones while shaving some of the most piercing frequencies.
EQ pedals exist on many points along the cost spectrum. And at $219, the Tone Sculptor lives on the high side of the affordable range. Does it offer something less expensive models can’t deliver? Well, for one thing, I found it relatively quiet, which is nice whether you’re shaping toppy high-contrast effects or performing more surgical adjustments. And the sliders feel nuanced and nicely tapered rather than like a dull axe with a few basic frequency notches. But in many situations I also liked the color imparted by the circuit—generated, presumably, by the Nutube. “Color,” in audio terms, is a broad and subjective thing, and one should not necessarily expect the warm, tube-y glow of a vintage tube Pultec. Still, the Tone Sculptor has many forgiving, flattering qualities—typical of studio EQs—that enable fine tuning and experimentation with more radical and creative applications of the effect.
Valvenergy Smooth Impact
As with the Tone Sculptor, the Smooth Impact’s use of Nutube engenders certain expectations. It’s easy to surmise that because Smooth Impact has a vacuum tube in the circuit that it will behave like a little Teletronix LA-2A leveling amplifier. That’s a big ask for a $219 stompbox. On the other hand, the Smooth Impact exhibits some appealing characteristics of studio tube compression. At lower compression levels, it works well as a thickening agent—adding mass without much additional noise. And at higher compression levels it can sound snappy, crisp, and tight without feeling like you’ve bled every trace of overtone from your signal.
The Smooth Impact’s controls aren’t totally atypical. But because it lacks some familiar features like variable attack and release, yet is more complicated than a 1-knob DynaComp, you have to trust your ear to navigate interactions among the controls. The most unfamiliar of these is the 3-way vintage/natural/sag toggle. The first two are defined by preset attack and release settings: Vintage is slow attack and long release, and natural is the opposite. The sag mode’s compression is more like what you get from tube saturation, and it’s useful for adding thickness and complexity to a thin amp tone at modest compression levels.
Though the vintage and natural modes certainly have a different feel, they don’t always sound worlds apart. And like the sag mode, the thing they have in common is the way they enrich lifeless amp output at low to medium compression, with a bit of grind from the tube gain and a little extra makeup gain from the output. At the most aggressive settings, the tube gain can get a little crispy. And really crushing the compression can flatline your tone without adding much in the way of extra sustain. These are limitations common to many compressors with similar features. But unless I was chasing very ultra-snappy Prince and Nile Rodgers fast-funk caricatures, I enjoyed the Smooth Impact most in its in-between ranges, where mass, mild, harmonious drive, and low noise showcase the pedal’s sometimes studio-like personality.
IK Multimedia is pleased to announce the release of new premium content for all TONEX users, available today through the IK Product Manager.
The latest TONEX Factory Content v2 expands the creative arsenal with a brand-new collection of Tone Models captured at the highest quality and presets optimized for live performance. TONEX Tone Models are unique captures of rigs dialed into a specific sweet spot. TONEX presets are used for performance and recording, combining Tone Models with added TONEX FX, EQ, and compression.
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TONEX Pedal
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TONEX Mac/PC
- 106 new Premium Tone Models + 9 refined classics for TONEX MAX
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TONEX ONE
- A selection of 20 expertly crafted presets from the list above
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Gig-ready Tones
For the TONEX Pedal, the first 30 banks deliver an expansive range of amp & cab tones, covering everything from dynamic cleans to brutal high-gain distortion. Each bank features legendary amplifiers paired with cabs such as a Marshall 1960, ENGL E412V, EVH 412ST and MESA Boogie 4x12 4FB, ensuring a diverse tonal palette. For some extremely high-gain tones, these amps have been boosted with classic pedals like the Ibanez TS9, MXR Timmy, ProCo RAT, and more, pushing them into new sonic territories.
Combined with New FX
The following 5 banks of 15 presets explore the depth of TONEX's latest effects. There's everything from the rich tremolo on a tweed amp to the surf tones of the new Spring 4 reverb. Users can also enjoy warm tape slapback with dotted 8th delays or push boundaries with LCR delay configurations for immersive, stereo-spanning echoes. Further, presets include iconic flanger sweeps, dynamic modulation, expansive chorus, stereo panning, and ambient reverbs to create cinematic soundscapes.
Versatile Control
The TONEX Pedal's A, B, and C footswitches make navigating these presets easy. Slot A delivers clean, smooth tones, Slot B adds crunch and drive, and Slot C pushes into high-gain or lead territory. Five dedicated amp-only banks provide a rich foundation of tones for players looking to integrate external IRs or run directly into a power amp. These amp-only captures span clean, drive, and high-gain categories, offering flexibility to sculpt the sound further with IRs or a real cab.
Must-have Stompboxes
TONEX Pedals are ideal for adding classic effects to any pedalboard. The next 5 banks focus on stompbox captures, showcasing 15 legendary overdrive, distortion, and fuzz pedals. This collection includes iconic models based on the Fulltone Full-Drive 2, Marshall DriveMaster, Maxon OD808, Klon Centaur, ProCo RAT, and more.
For Bass Players, Too
The last 5 banks are reserved for bass players, including a selection of amp & cab Tone Models alongside a few iconic pedals. Specifically, there are Tone Models based on the Ampeg SVT-2 PRO, Gallien-Krueger 800RB, and Aguilar DB750, alongside essential bass pedals based on the Tech21 SansAmp, Darkglass B7K and EHX Big Muff. Whether it's warm vintage thump, modern punch, or extreme grit, these presets ensure that bassists have the depth, clarity and power they need for any playing style.For more information and instructions on how to get the new Factory
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