Luthier and PG columnist Jol Dantzig pays homage to the Ventures' lead guitarist who helped shape instrumental rock and electric-guitar history.
Guitarist Nokie Edwards passed away on March 12 from complications after hip surgery. He was 82. Best known for his groundbreaking work with the Ventures, Edwards was not a household name—but he should be. His impact upon the electric guitar scene is felt in every type of music.
Born in 1935 in Lahoma, Oklahoma, Nole “Nokie” Edwards began playing at an early age, encouraged by his musical family. By his mid 20s, Edwards had relocated to Washington State, where he performed in a succession of country acts, including one with a young Buck Owens. It was a chance meeting with guitarists Bob Bogle and Don Wilson that led to the formation of a new group more focused on instrumental rock and popular music. With Edwards on bass, the group began their journey as the Ventures in 1959.
Their first album was recorded that year in a home studio and released on Dolton Records in 1960 with such low expectations that the band wasn’t even shown on the cover. Surprisingly, it yielded a million-selling single: a cover of Johnny Smith’s “Walk Don’t Run.” The Ventures’ version became the de facto electric guitar jam for thousands of garage bands that followed in their wake. By the time their second album arrived, Edwards had switched to guitar—first a Telecaster and then a Mosrite—and a series of 12 top-selling albums followed, until 1968. Although the 1970s proved tough, the Ventures remained popular overseas—particularly in Japan—and have persevered (with personnel changes) until the present.
Although musicologists might argue that Edwards’ country-fueled and steel-guitar influenced licks owed more to country than pop or rock, there is no denying that Edwards’ twangy tone, wang-bar glides, and staccato riffing paved the way for the California surf bands of the 1960s. The Beach Boys often cited the Ventures as an influence.
The Ventures made a career by performing and recording instrumental versions of the pop songs of the day, but it was the power and tone of Edwards’ guitar, slightly distorted and dripping with lush reverb, that gave the band its signature sound and driving appeal. Although the Ventures were chameleons who could tackle upbeat rockers, classic melodies, and melancholy ballads, it remained up to Edwards to create the chord-melody and single-note lines that stayed faithful to the song while still displaying enough guitar gymnastics to stamp the band’s identity on anything they played. If you want a clear example of this, compare the Ventures Live in Japan ’65 version of “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue” to the original ballet score by Richard Rodgers. Edwards reasoned that a good song should be simple enough to hum along to—a philosophy he employed on hits like “Perfidia,” “Telstar,” and “Red River Rock.” It made the Ventures international stars—and so big in Japan that they outsold the Beatles there during their early heyday.
Nokie Edwards was a humble man who often acknowledged that it was the fans that gave him such a wonderful life and opportunity to follow his passion for music. The surf bands that rode the wave of sound the Ventures made famous looked up to him as a mentor, and Edwards was generous with his time and expertise. Bassist Randy Nauert of the seminal L.A. surf band the Challengers, acknowledged his influence. “The Ventures had been a part of the creative juices that inspired us as kids to learn to play electric-guitar music,” he recalls. While Nauert was recording the hit song “Mr. Moto” with the Challengers, Edwards showed him a better bass part. “Nokie was a generous, talented, and gifted man,” Nauert says. “I still play Nokie’s bass part when I play ‘Mr. Moto’ today.”
Nokie Edwards takes the lead on the Ventures version of Rogers and Hart’s “Slaughter On Tenth Avenue”—a definitive vehicle for the band’s early-to mid ’60s chugging-rhythm-and-twangy-lead recipe. Edwards, rhythm guitarist Don Wilson and bassist Bob Bogle are playing Mosrite Ventures Model guitars.
Edwards pursued a solo career with moderate success, but it was with the Ventures where his aggressive-yet-playful style really took flight. Edwards had a knack for shifting between riffing and walking the melodic line—a technique that has been emulated by players like Mark Knopfler, Tom Scholz, Eric Johnson, and dozens more. In a recent interview with Dave Kirby for the Boulder Weekly, Johnson cited Edwards as a major influence: “That was the first thing that got me into guitar when I was really young: the Ventures, Nokie Edwards, and all that stuff.”
Johnson isn’t alone. The Ventures were my first rock-band crush. At age 10, I wanted to be like them, look like them, and sound like them. I wanted a Jazzmaster (and then a Mosrite) because that’s what the Ventures had on their album covers. Like so many others, gazing at those curvaceous guitars while listening to the power of Edwards’ sound sent me down my career path.
While mourning the passing of Nokie Edwards, we should also celebrate how his musical seeds were sown around the globe. In doing so, Edwards’ sound altered the course of guitar and launched 10,000 careers. Thank you, Nokie, from all of us. Peace out brother.
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Be sure to locate your sample library where it can be quickly referenced on your DAW.
Improve your recordings using your own samples. Bryan Clark, house producer at Nashville’s Blackbird Studio, tells you how to take the final steps in building your own sample library.
Mastering the sample import process in your chosen DAW can significantly enhance your creativity and streamline your workflow. With a clear understanding of the tools and techniques available, you will be better equipped to bring your musical ideas to life and make your productions stand out.
This month, we finish up a three-part series on creating your own sample libraries. In this final installment, I’m going to give you the basic ways to import your samples into various popular DAWs. Each one has its unique workflow and user interface, but the fundamental process remains very similar. This Dojo guide will cover how to import samples into Ableton Live, LUNA, Logic Pro, Pro Tools, and Studio One.
Ableton Live
Steps to Import Samples
Drag and Drop: Simply locate the sample file in your computer’s file explorer, then drag and drop it directly into an audio track in the session or arrangement view.
Browser Window: Use Ableton’s built-in browser (on the left-hand side). Navigate to the sample’s location on your hard drive, then drag it into the workspace.
Create a Simpler or Sampler Instrument: Drag the sample into a MIDI track with Simpler or Sampler loaded. This allows you to trigger the sample using MIDI notes.
Tips: Use the warp feature for time-stretching and syncing samples to your project’s tempo.
Organize your samples into collections using the “Add Folder” option in the browser.
LUNA
Steps to Import Samples
Drag and Drop: Drag the sample from your file explorer directly into the timeline. Then hold the CTRL key down, click on the end of the loop, and drag it to the length it needs to be.
Browser/Workspace: Use the media browser to navigate to your sample’s location on your hard drive. Drag it into an audio track in your session.
Audio Track Import: Right-click on an empty area in the timeline or a track and select “Import Audio” to locate and add your sample.
Tips: Use LUNA’s built-in varispeed capabilities to match your sample to the session’s tempo.Logic Pro
Steps to Import Samples
Drag and Drop: Drag the sample from the Finder directly into an audio track in the workspace.
File Browser: Use the file browser (accessible via the media sidebar or “F” key) to locate and drag samples into the timeline.
Quick Sampler: Drag your sample onto a MIDI track with the Quick Sampler plugin loaded. This lets you play the sample chromatically.
Tips: Use Logic’s flex time feature to sync samples to your project’s tempo. Organize samples into Logic’s library for quick access.Pro Tools
Steps to Import Samples
Import Audio Dialog: Go to File > Import > Audio; then locate your sample and click “Convert” or “Add” to bring it into the session.
Drag and Drop: Drag the sample directly from your file explorer into an audio track.
Workspace Browser: Use the workspace (accessible via Window > New Workspace) to locate your sample. Drag it into your session.
Tips: Use the elastic audio feature for tempo matching and pitch adjustments.
Place your samples into playlists for efficient access during editing.
Studio One
Steps to Import Samples
Drag and Drop: Drag your sample directly from your file explorer into the timeline or browser.
Browser: Open Studio One’s browser (on the right-hand side), navigate to the folder containing your sample, and drag it into your project.
Sampler Track: Drag the sample onto a MIDI track, and use the Sample One sampler for additional manipulation.
Tips: Enable the “Stretch Audio Files to Song Tempo” option in the browser for automatic tempo synchronization. Create sample folders within Studio One’s browser for quick access.General Best Practices
Regardless of the DAW you use, it is important to maintain a smooth and efficient workflow. Organize your sample library with clear folder names and categories to make locating files easy (see last month’s installment for detailed strategies). Where possible, learn DAW-specific shortcuts for importing and editing samples to save time. Always check if your DAW offers a feature to sync the sample’s tempo to your project to ensure seamless integration. Finally, regularly back up your sample collection to avoid losing important audio files and preserve your creative assets! Seriously. Do it now.
Next month, we’re off to “console” land and I’ll be investigating console emulations (hype or not?), summing bus processors, and more to give you a more “studio” sound. Until then, blessings and namaste.
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When the first Moog synthesizer appeared, it freaked out a lot of musicians—not least for the way it blurred the divisions between instruments and their roles. Was it percussion? A keyboard? A reed instrument? Many effects makers build from this philosophical foundation. The Latvian company Gamechanger often seems to revel in it—an attitude that’s manifest in the company’s Auto Series pedals, which includes the Auto Reverb.
There’s no reason you can’t use the Auto Reverb in a very straightforward fashion. The plate, spring, and hall settings are all very nice digital representations of their analog inspirations—and I’d be perfectly happy playing an instrumental surf set with the spring mode, for instance. But because you can control the parameters like the reverb’s level, decay, tone, and the filter with changes in pitch and dynamics, the Auto Reverb can function in highly orchestral ways, transforming itself from subtle to outlandish as a musical piece shifts in intensity or rises from low to high keys toward a blurred, hyper-spacious climax. While these attributes make the Auto Reverb a great fit for prepared guitar and conceptual pieces—and invites many themes and compositional ideas within those forms—it can just as easily be configured to create an especially dynamic and dramatic pop song arrangement on stage or in the studio that might otherwise be relegated to automations within a DAW. It’s fun to use, if not always intuitive. But knowing its ways can expand your musical options significantly.
Black Sabbath to Reunite for First Time in 20 Years—Ozzy Osbourne’s Final Performance
The original Sabbath lineup will reunite on July 5 in Birmingham, England, and be joined by Metallica, Pantera, Slayer, and more.
The concert will feature founding members Tony Iommi on guitar, bassist Geezer Butler, drummer Bill Ward, and singer Ozzy Osbourne. Profits from the show, called "Back to the Beginning," will be donated to charities including Cure Parkinson's.
On future Black Sabbath plans, Ozzy's wife, music manager, and TV personality Sharon Osbourne had this to say (via Reuters) about Ozzy: “While other bandmembers might continue to make records and perform, Black Sabbath's gig at the birthplace of the band will certainly be the 76-year-old's final performance.
"For Ozzy right now, it's definitely: 'I love you and good night'," she said.